Photos by Paul Gallegos
Bobby D. Presents with the help of Jorge Marron Promotions showcased the first fight card of the year in San Diego, CA. Returning to their previous home, the Four Points Sheraton Hotel, Bobby D. and company welcomed a sold out house of 980 fans to witness a five bout fight card filled with young local talent as they take their first steps in their professional careers.
In the main event, local Chula Vista, CA bantamweight Christopher Martin (13-0-2, 2KO)
cruised to an easy victory and his first title as he was awarded a unanimous decision and the California State bantamweight title over durable Trinidad “Trini” Mendoza. Judge Tony Crebs scored it 77-75 while both Alejandro Rochin and Fritz Warner scored it 78-74.
In the first, Martin tried to set the pace of the contest with a consistent jab and movement. Both fighters seemed to be studying each other until Martin near the end of round caught Mendoza with a hard right hand that sent “Trini” against the ropes. Mendoza’a game plan became apparent in the second as he weaved under the constant pawing jab of Martin and attacked the body at times trapping Martin in the corner. Half way thru the round, Martin caught Mendoza with a hard counter left hook to the head that stun the veteran. Martin attacked Mendoza as he stood with his back to the ropes but Martin was not able to finish the job. Once Mendoza recuperated his senses, he calmly returned to attacking Martin to the body and head as the local favorite tried to slip the punches. Mendoza went on the attack in the third as he controlled the majority of the first half with relentless pressure as Martin began to fight from his back foot. Martin tried to switch to a southpaw stance in hopes of confusing the wily veteran but there was no budging Mendoza from his position on the inside.
More of the same in the first half of the fourth from Mendoza as he began to tight up his defense and continue to pressure Martin
against the ropes and attack with hooks to the body and right hands to the head. In the second half of the round, Martin began to box and use movement to try to tire out his much older opponent. In the last seconds of the round, both fighters threw bombs until the bell. Martin continued his boxing ways in the fifth bouncing as he threw quick combinations while Mendoza continued to work. Martin feeling confident, began to showboat by winking towards the crowd and throwing punches from his waist. Mendoza was not impressed as he continued with his usual strategy of weaving under the Martin jabs and trapping the San Diegan in the corner. Towards the end of the round, Martin began to put quicker combinations together as Mendoza began to run out of ideas to slow down his opponent.
In the seventh, Martin went in for the kill landing three and four fast punch combination to the head of Mendoza as “Trini” just kept plodding forward in hopes of catching Martin with something big. Despite his 7%KO ratio and with the pro-Martin crowd chanting his name, Christopher loaded up in the last round trying to give the crowd what they were asking for. As they stood in close quarters, each fighter loaded up with
big punches but for different reasons. Mendoza in hopes of winning the bout since he was behind in the score cards, Martin to appease the crowd. As the last ten second thud was heard, both fighters went toe to toe and threw wild punches with nothing much on them to end the bout.
2008 Manager of the Year Frank Espinoza’s latest charge Ronny Rios soundly defeated an over matched but always tough Benito Abraham of Tijuana, MX with a unanimous decision with scores of 40-36 three times. Abraham had no answer for the rain of punches coming in from all angles by the quick Rios in the first round. In the second, the amateur standout Rios stepped up the pace with quicker combinations to the head and body of the rapidly tiring Abraham. With his large contingent chanting “Ronny, Ronny,” the Santa Ana, CA native Rios continued to attack the body with hard hooks to both side of Abraham’s torse while also landing quick hard right rights to Abraham’s chin. The experienced Abraham taught the newcomer a thing or two as he refused to go down and used his experience to stay on his feet and occasional 
land a wild roundhouse right followed by a right hook to the body. Although Abraham was his busiest in the fourth round trying to catch Rios with power punches to the stomach, it was not enough to slow Rios’ barrage. Despite Rios was able to land every punch in his arsenal including hard uppercuts at close quarters from either fist, Abraham would not go down and he survived the round.
Andrew Cancio (8-1, 8KO) of Blythe, CA, who usually fights as a super featherweight but walked into the ring at a healthy 146 lbs, took control of his bout against Jaime Orrantia (10-24-4, 2KO) from the first bell with calculated boxing as the tenacious Orrantia gave back as good as he got. Midway thru the third round of a scheduled four, Cancio began to connect with hard right hands followed by uppercuts from same hand. Orrantia’s corner stopped the bout at the 1:23 mark.
In a war between junior middleweight first timers, the war began even enough as Oceanside, CA’s Erin Beach used his lankier body and longer reach to connect occasional right hands on the unorthodox but effective Mario Angeles of San Diego, CA by way of Mexico, City. The swell
turned in Beach’s favor as he began to connect more midway thru the third round as Angeles eyes began to swell and his nose to bleed. The fourth was all Beach except for a rare 1-2 combination from Angeles that scored flush and seemed to stun Beach. At the end of the four rounds, Beach’s hand was raised with a unanimous decision of 39-37 three times. Beach begins his pro career 1-0, while Angeles goes the other way with 0-1.
In a hotly contested four round junior middleweight clash, Sergio De La Torre (11-11-2, 1KO) landed enough power punches and used effective defense to win a unanimous decision over Antonio Sorria (2-4, 2KO) of Blythe, CA, The contest was much closer than the 39-39 twice and 40-36 scorecards reflect.