“Locked N’ Loaded” with Thompson Boxing

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Pro Fights at the DoubleTree!

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It was a “Locked N’ Loaded” Friday night at the DoubleTree Hotel in Ontario, Calif. as Thompson Boxing Promotions presented a five-bout card featuring the return of fighter Efrain Esquivias Jr. taking on challenger Ruben Tamayo in the main attraction.

This popular Southern California fight series is known for their spirited matchups, local boxing stars, always a good night of action delivered in the ring.

Friday evening was no different as the night showcased competitive battles, a blistering knockout and an upset in the headlining bout.

Here is my special report and snapshots from the night.

The fights began with a bang as young guns Fernando Samaniego, 22, and Francisco Camacho, 20, locked horns inside the ropes. The pair of super bantamweights gave the crowd a good two-way affair with the pugs exchanging fire. Phoenix’s Samaniego (6-0-1, 3 KOs) was hoping to add another W to his perfect record while his opponent Francisco Camacho (2-4-1, 1 KO) was punching toward a much-needed victory. Neither fighter gave in and after four rounds of a rough-and-tough scrap, the official judges scored it a majority draw (38-38 twice and 39-37 for Samaniego). The fans would love to see a rematch between these two warriors.

The crowd also cheered for the lone knockout of the night courtesy of Orange County slugger Jose “Gato” Roman. Fighting in honor of his former trainer Jorge Estrada (who passed away in December), Roman was focused. Wasting no time, Roman came out of the corner with heavy artillery. And at the end of his fire was foe Lauro “El Niño” Alcantar (8-2, 1 KO), hailing from Huatabampo, Mexico. The contest was scheduled for eight rounds but a lightning left hook by “Gato” (16-1-1, 12 KOs) floored Alcantar at the 1:19 minute mark of Round 1. The SoCal favorite heard the roar of the crowd as he celebrated this KO victory. Roman had a trio of Team Diaz in his corner with Indio coaches (and former fighters) Joel Diaz, Antonio Diaz and “Shaggy” Diaz currently training the Garden Grove slugger.

RingGirlsAnd the audience also witnessed a big upset as Efrain Esquivias Jr. (17-3-1, 10 KOs) returned to the ring after being waylaid by a back injury. Esquivias had a career high last September as he retired Mexican gladiator Rafael Marquez. Now tabbed as “Wolverine,” Efrain has new chief second in Miguel Diaz and cutman Ruben Chavez cornering him. The eight-round bout versus Ruben “Kanelito” Tamayo (25-4-4, 17 KOs) proved to be a challenging return for Carson’s Esquivias, who was hoping to shake off ring rust and nab another victory. But the southpaw Tamayo upset these plans as the rangy boxer used his jab, body shots and combinations to keep the shorter Esquivias at bay. Efrain was cut in the fourth frame (ruled an accidental head butt) but powered forward, seeking to fight on and getting stronger as the rounds progressed.

Ultimately, in the eyes of the judges, Esquivias came up short as the fight was declared a majority decision win for Ciudad, Obregon’s Tamayo. Scores were 78-74, 77-75, and 76-76 for the visiting fighter.

Welterweights Giovani Santillan and Daniyar Ganyk made the most of their eight rounds in a crowd-pleasing battle that had the fierce Santillan taking on the steel-chinned Ukrainian training out of the storied Wild Card Boxing Gym. San Diego’s Santillan (12-0, 7 KOs) suffered cuts but continued to trade leather with Ganyk (10-1, 4 KOs), handing the Kiev boxer his first loss as a pro. Giovani won by unanimous decision with scores of 78-74 across the board.

Taking in all the Friday night action were fighters Artemio “King” Reyes Jr., Israel Vazquez, Juan “Pochito” Reyes, Richard Contreras, Jonathan Arellano, Roger “Speedy” Gonzalez, Rodolfo “Gato” Gonzalez, National Junior Golden Gloves and Silver Gloves champ Ricardo Sandoval, and many more. The ring announcer for the night was the famed Lupe Contreras. The anthem singer on Friday night was April Kae, who delivered a rousing rendition center ring. And the lovely ring card girls shining in the spotlight were Chanelle and Ashley Nicole.

Fans in the building got their money’s worth as this latest installment of “Locked N’ Loaded” provided fireworks up in the ring. Thompson Boxing President/Founder Ken Thompson and and General Manager/Matchmaker Alex Camponovo have a full stable of champs, contenders and rising talent coming up through the ranks. Their next show will be May 16th at the same venue.

Check out some of my shots from the night. Keep swinging and see you at the fights!

Photos by Michele Chong

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Michele Chong has been involved in the sport of boxing for over a decade. Her “Chatter Box” column covers a variety of subjects in both professional and amateur boxing, and features exclusive one-on-one interviews, recaps of fight events, shows and tournaments, book/film reviews and much more. Inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008, she is also a member of the World Boxing Hall of Fame, Golden State Boxer’s Association and the Burbank Boxing Club. Michele is also involved in many non-profit and charitable organizations.