Perez dominates Rodriguez

Perez dominates Rodriguez!

Mark E. Ortega

Leave-it-in-the-ring.com

April 15, 2011

WBO #2 Salinas, Calif.-based super featherweight Eloy “The Prince” Perez [21-0-2, 5 KOs] continued his winning ways, outboxing Alejandro Rodriguez [12-2, 6 KOs] of Guadalajara, Mexico to a unanimous shutout over ten lopsided rounds in defense of his WBO NABO 130-pound title in the televised main event Friday night of Telefutura's Solo Boxeo from Longshoremen's Hall in San Francisco, California. The bout marked the second straight for Perez at the location as he awaits a world title opportunity that based on his recent performances should be around the corner.

Perez did what he always does, using his impressive handspeed, footwork and fluidity to control the fight against his much slower footed opponent. Perez found success with his jab at a high clip, which opened up his power punching midway through the bout. Despite not much of a display of power, Rodriguez was hesitant to exchange with Perez who dictated the fight with his volume punching and ring generalship. Perez' conditioning proved superior as his opponent slowed as the rounds wore on while Perez looked as fresh in the tenth as he did for the opening bell.

Perez has thus far been denied a big fight opportunity, having once been offered a non-eliminator against Puerto Rican Luis Cruz off-television of last week's untelevised portion of the Erik Morales-Marcos Maidana pay-per-view from last weekend in Las Vegas. Franco will fight Martin Honorio who slipped in for former WBO champion Rocky Martinez who pulled out earlier this month from their clash on the undercard of tomorrow's Juan Manuel Lopez-Orlando Salido undercard on Showtime. If Honorio were to pull out, Perez looks to be fresh enough to fill in despite going ten rounds tonight. Perez prevailed 100-90 on all three scorecards.

After falling off the Morales-Maidana card, Golden Boy Promotions did right by super prospect Gary Russell, Jr. [15-0, 9 KOs] of Capitol Heights, Maryland, finding him the easy to hit Adolfo Landeros [21-19-1, 10 KOs] of Mexico City, Mexico as an opponent for the televised co-featured bout which Russell won by easily outclassing his opponent over six one-sided rounds in a featherweight bout. Russell, a 2008 U.S. Olympian, dropped Landeros to a knee in the opening round with a right hand that followed a left hand that initially hurt him. Russell threw speedy seven and eight punch pitty pat combinations throughout the bout as the game but outgunned Landeros kept moving forward. Landeros every so often landed a good right hand but was just too overmatched in speed and skill. Russell tired a bit in the middle rounds but pressed the fight in the final stanza in an attempt to get a stoppage, ultimately prevailing 60-53 on all three cards.

Making his third fight in the Northern California region, San Pablo, California's Bruno Escalante [3-0, 2 KOs] scored a brutal second round stoppage of Riverside, California's Shaun Solomon [1-3-1] in a four round bantamweight bout. Escalante dropped Solomon twice in the first and sent his opponent home at 46 seconds of the second round.

Local debutant Jonathan Chicas [1-0, KO] of San Francisco earned an early stoppage of fellow newcomer Maja Khali [0-1] of Oakland, California, finishing him in 1:47 of the opening round in a four round junior welterweight bout. Chicas dropped Khali early in the fight with a combination. Khali made it to his feet but only took more punishment before the referee waved the bout off following a second dropping.

San Mateo, California fan favorite Joe Gumina [2-0, 2 KOs] made quick work of Sacramento, California's Harry Gopaul [0-1], dropping his opponent twice before stopping him against the ropes. The second knockdown was especially brutal as Gopaul ate a shotgun blast style right hook while he was in the midst of throwing his own heat. Gopaul went down hard but gamely made it to his feet before ultimately eating more power shots from Gumina, who earned the win at 1:31 of the opening round in a four round light heavyweight bout.

Fans were woken up to start the card by an entertaining first round between cruiserweights Lamont Williams [4-1, KO] and Juan Hernandez [1-1, KO] as both fighters visited the canvas in the opening few minutes of their four round bout. Williams, from Fairfield, California, was surprisingly dropped in the first thirty seconds by a four punch combination near the ropes. Williams looked wobbly but then found a left uppercut that staggered San Franciscan Hernandez followed by another left uppercut that dropped him. The next three rounds saw Williams fight more cautiously while Hernandez pressed forward. Williams couldn't miss with uppercuts and stayed outside, boxing the rest of the way to a 40-35 decision on all three scorecards.