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By David Finger at ringside
For boxing followers within the Duke Metropolis, Saturday night time was presupposed to be the lengthy awaited alternative to be taught if their undefeated native prospect Matthew “Diamond Boy” Griego was in truth the actual deal. Griego confirmed flashes of brilliance in his profession, however he additionally had made some rookie errors over twelve fights that had boxing insiders involved that he may battle as he stepped it up. We had been supposed to seek out out on February 4th what the trajectory of Griego’s profession was going to be as he moved into the subsequent stage of his profession in the principle occasion of the Wrecking Crew Promotion occasion “Rumble on the Revel” on the Revel Occasion Heart in Albuquerque.
Sadly for Griego and boxing followers, that query seems to stay considerably unanswered, though by no fault of Griego or Wrecking Crew Promotions. Griego, 112.8, took on a fellow prospect in Puerto Rico’s Bryan Aquino, 113, who got here into the battle with a 12-2 file together with his solely two losses coming by choice to undefeated prospects. However for 3 rounds Bryan Aquino did virtually nothing within the ring besides dance and clinch in opposition to the aggressive Griego earlier than the native prospects scored a controversial stoppage within the opening minute of spherical 4.
The battle began off with a scarcity of motion in spherical one as neither fighter threw a punch within the opening minute of spherical one. However by the second half of spherical one Griego started to step up the stress barely after recognizing that the sensation out course of on his finish was for all intents and functions completed. However the defensive minded Puerto Rican was not eager about buying and selling punches simply but and by the top of the spherical neither fighter had landed something of substance. However whereas Griego was the fighter transferring ahead and had no less than thrown a couple of dozen pictures, Aquino had a stat line that learn like a pinch hitter’s field rating in a newspaper: 0-1.
Spherical two noticed extra of the identical, with Aquino showing to search for the one image good counter punch whereas Griego elected to win the spherical by merely outworking his over cautious opponent. Aquino continuously moved away from hassle at any time when Griego was near pinning him down, however by spherical three it appeared that Greigo was closing the hole. Nevertheless this solely prompted Aquino so as to add the clinch to his somewhat restricted arsenal. Going into spherical 4 there was a recognition that the Puerto Rican was at risk of digging himself a gap he couldn’t get out of in opposition to a hometown fighter in an eight spherical battle. And maybe it was for that purpose that he was stationary for only a second within the opening minute of spherical 4. However what occurred subsequent could be a deeply dissatisfying and controversial ending to what had already been to that time a dissatisfying bout. As Matthew Greigo launched a proper hand that appeared to catch Aquino on the chin the 2 fighters clashed heads, sending the Puerto Rican to the canvas clutching his left eye. Referee Rocky Burke missed the head-butt, however in his protection so did virtually everybody sitting ringside on the north aspect of the ring (together with this reporter). As Burke counted, Aquino rose on shaky legs and loudly protested as he clutched his eye, prompting Burke to wave off the battle at 0:55 of spherical 4. However though many ringsiders additionally missed the head-butt, a replay on video clearly confirmed that the 2 fighters did in truth conflict heads proper earlier than Aquino hit the canvas.
“I hit him with a proper hand,” Griego stated after the battle, “however actually, it was a conflict of heads.”
New Mexico Athletic Fee Govt Director Richard Espinoza confirmed that if there’s a formal grievance filed that the fee could assessment the outcome, which might result in the battle being declared a no-contest. Clearly not the outcome that anybody was on the lookout for, significantly “Diamond Boy”, who regardless of that somewhat poor efficiency of his opponent nonetheless ended up with a TKO over a decent younger prospect. The win ought to propel Griego right into a dialogue for a regional title battle like an NABF or NABO, however the controversial ending might rob him of that if in truth the outcome will get overturned. Nonetheless Griego was in good spirits (significantly after he and his fiancé held an in-ring reveal announcement of their upcoming baby’s intercourse). He acknowledged that the win over Aquino was not with out its controversy and provided Aquino a possibility for a rematch in Albuquerque later this 12 months. Though Aquino by no means actually examined Griego, the battle did present a refined Griego who didn’t appear to undergo from any ring rust, though it’s arduous to say how a lot he improved in opposition to a fighter who threw so few punches. With the win Griego improves to 13-0, 9 KOs. Aquino sees his file fall to 12-3, 6 KOs.
In a six spherical featured co-main occasion, in style native welterweight Josh “Pitbull” Torres, 148.8, had a a lot harder project in opposition to rugged journeyman Todd Manuel, 149. Manuel got here into the battle with a lower than spectacular file of 21-21-1, 7 KOs. However for boxing insiders, there was a recognition that Manuel was in truth a really harmful opponent regardless of his file, significantly after a layoff of over seven months for Torres. Manuel was finest remembered for dropping former world champion Victor Ortiz en path to a call loss again in Might of final 12 months, and he had proven a capability to field successfully and use his attain to his benefit. It was clearly a harmful battle for Torres, who was scheduled to battle an undefeated fighter in lower than three weeks in Rio Rancho. And after six rounds many ringsiders had been involved that Torres might need stepped on a landmine proper when he profession was transferring again in the best route. It began competitively in spherical one as Josh Torres tried to field with the taller man. Though it was not the model that Torres most well-liked, he did have some success with the overhand proper. However as Josh tried to field the boxer, Manuel began to tag the native fighter with proper fingers of his personal. By spherical two Torres tried to drive Manuel to battle a mode of battle extra suited to the New Mexican, however as he stepped again to deliver Manuel within the veteran wouldn’t take the bait, and actually challenged Torres to “come on!” and transfer ahead himself. Spherical three noticed Torres appear to determine his opponent, touchdown a couple of extra pictures and having extra success together with his offensive assault, however by spherical 4 Manuel was capable of stifle any change within the momentum. At one level Manuel landed a scorching two punch mixture upstairs on Torres, however as he stepped again to admire his work Torres fired again together with his personal two punch mixture upstairs. Though spherical 5 had the group chanting “Pitbull! Pitbull!” it will show to be one among Manuel’s higher rounds as he boxed nicely behind the jab. The ultimate spherical was aggressive, but it surely appeared that Torres has pulled it out. However for some ringsiders there was a priority that it was too little, too late as there was no query that Todd Manuel had given Josh Torres all he might deal with. Nonetheless, Torres would find yourself getting the good thing about the doubt within the shut rounds, successful a lopsided choice by scores of 60-54 (Mark Sanchez), and 59-55 twice (from Alan Dominguez and Anthony Romero). Fightnews.com® scored the battle 58-58. With the win Torres improves to 25-7-2, 14 KOs.
“I might have fought a bum tonight,” Torres admitted after the battle, “however I took on a warrior. We knew that coming in.”
In a 4 spherical affair, undefeated prospect Maximus Moya, 131.8, went the space for the primary time in opposition to cagy veteran Jazzma Houge, 134. Though few predicted Houge would upend the apple cart, there was a recognition that the veteran was a strong opponent for a 2-0 fighter. Houge got here into the battle with a 4-10-1 file however had gone the space with such notable fighters as Carlos Castro, Christopher Diaz, and former world champion Isaac Dogboe. And early on it turned clear what his technique could be: smother the taller Moya and easily outwork him within the cellphone sales space. It was a cagy veteran trick that might have pissed off plenty of younger fighters. However Moya did deal with it nicely and timed Houge coming in on a number of events. There have been no knockdowns over 4 rounds, and though Moya was the clear winner, the battle was nonetheless aggressive sufficient for no less than one choose (Alan Dominguez) to attain it 38-38. Choose Mark Sanchez scored the battle 39-37 and Choose Anthony Romero scored it 40-36 for Moya, who improves to 3-0, 2 KOs. With the loss Houge drops to 4-11-1, 0 KOs with solely two of these losses coming by the use of knockout.
Within the opening battle of the night time debuting Albuquerque native Steve Trujeque, 117.2, virtually noticed his profession derailed in lower than thirty seconds as he was dropped by a wonderfully timed counter proper in opposition to Albuquerque’s Jose Vialpando, 118. Trujeque was clearly rattled however acquired up and took management of the spherical with strong stress and an efficient technique of blending his offense from upstairs to the physique. By spherical two Trujeque was clearly in management, as Vialpando’s offense utterly shut down. Trujeque was successfully capable of land upstairs and by the second half of the second spherical there was little query that referee David Rios was near waving the battle off. The tip would in truth come at 2:40 of spherical two. With the loss Vialpando sees his file drop to 0-2.
For promoter Wrecking Crew Promotions, there was no query that February 4th was a knockout. With a close to capability crowd and 4 entertaining bouts that left followers glad, there’s little query that we must always anticipate extra from the younger promotional outfit and the Revel Leisure Heart, which proved to be a wonderful venue for boxing occasions.
The put up Griego stops Aquino in controversial fashion appeared first on fightnews.com.
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