BOXING
Perez puts his best foot forward
Albuquerque fighter stages dazzling performance in defeating Domingo
As much damage as Abraham Perez inflicted on Esneth Domingo with his fists, it might seem strange to focus on his feet.
But yes, it鈥檚 true 鈥�- or at least that鈥檚 what it says here. As much as Perez beat Domingo up, he dazzled him with footwork.
Saturday at the Embassy Suites, Albuquerque鈥檚 Perez defeated the Philippines鈥� Domingo by the most decisive margin possible, short of a knockout: scores from all three judges of 100-90, all 10 rounds for Perez, in the main event of a Legacy Promotions boxing card.
After the decision was announced at 11:55 p.m., Perez was fitted with the IBF Inter-Continental flyweight title belt he鈥檇 won against Domingo. But there鈥檚 another belt he covets.
Japan鈥檚 Masamichi Yabuki holds the IBF world flyweight title. Perez is ranked 11th and is hoping his victory over Domingo moves him up.
The Philippines鈥� Miel Fajardo, the No. 4 contender, beat Domingo by unanimous decision in October 鈥�- but did not win every round.
Perez (14-0, 7 knockouts) said he would not hesitate to challenge Yabuki in Japan.
鈥淚 would be honored to share the ring with him,鈥� he said.
Now, about those feet: for Perez, movement in the ring is about offense more than defense: creating attack angles and keeping opponents off balance.
Domingo (22-5 14 KOs), a tough but essentially flat-footed fighter, had no answer.
Footwork, Perez said, is a skill he works on constantly. Shadow boxing in the gym, against an imaginary opponent, is where it starts.
鈥淚 just stay consistent with it to build the muscle memory,鈥� he said after the bout. 鈥淭hat way it鈥檚 not so much of a thing to think about in the ring. You just do it.鈥�
Oh, and about those fists: progressively, Domingo took a fierce beating.
The 27-year-old Filipino employs a version of the old Floyd Patterson 鈥減eekaboo defense鈥� with his hands up against his cheeks. Accordingly, Perez went to the body more than he usually does.
Eventually, though, Domingo would bring his hands down, either in response to the body shots or with the intention of throwing a punch. When the head became available, Perez found it.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to make those adjustments to make the openings,鈥� he said.
It was Domingo, who at least can say he still has never been knocked out, who couldn鈥檛 adjust.
Perez weighed in at 111 pounds at Friday鈥檚 weigh-in. Domingo weighe 110.2 pounds.
TORRES WINS: In the night鈥檚 semi-main event, Albuquerque鈥檚 Josh Torres (29-7, 16 KOs) 鈥� to the surprise of no one 鈥�- took out Mexico鈥檚 Gerardo Alberto Fuentes (4-15-1, two KOs) in 1:01 of the third round.
Fuentes, a late replacement, acquitted himself reasonably well for two rounds 鈥�- absorbing some thudding body shots and gamely recovering from a Torres low blow in the second.
In the third, Torres dropped Fuentes with a picture-perfect combination. Referee Allen Dominguez didn鈥檛 bother to count.
Torres weighed in on Friday at 151 pounds, Fuentes 151.6.
THE UNDERCARD: Albuquerque鈥檚 Cristian 鈥淓l Puma鈥� Cabral (11-2, 5 KOs), 158 pounds, easily handled El Paso鈥檚 Eduardo Monrreal (3-5, three KOs), 159. All three judges scored the six-round bout a shutout, 60-54.
Despite the bald, muscular Monrreal鈥檚 fearsome appearance, Cabral, faster-handed and far more skilled, learned early on he was the superior boxer. The outcome was never in doubt.
In an upset, at least based on the gap in pro experience, Angelo Valencia (2-0, no KOs), 131,6, defeated fellow Albuquerquean Andres Rey (5-2, one KO), 134.6, by unanimous decision.
None of the four rounds was lopsided, but Valencia, countering effectively, won all four on all three official scorecards. Rey, losing a second straight bout after winning his first five, struggled to land consistently.
Kirtland鈥檚 Elija Martinez (7-1, two KOs), 153, a superb technician, had his way with Bryant McClain (6-8, 1 KO), 155.6, from start to finish in defeating the Rio Rancho fighter by fourth-round TKO.
Martinez, in total control, tattooed the body when McClain had his hands up, then landed sharp punches to the head when he dropped them.
As McClain鈥檚 response dwindled to almost nothing, referee Dominguez stopped the fight at 2:31 of the fourth.
In an exciting, closely contested (though one wouldn鈥檛 think so based on the scorecards) four-round lightweight bout, Mexico鈥檚 German Ponce (pro debut), 134.6, defeated Albuquerque鈥檚 Maximus Moya (3-3, two KOs) by unanimous decision. The scorecards read 39-37, 40-36 and 40-36.
Ponce鈥檚 nonstop attack kept Moya鈥檚 back the ropes for most of the first round. But as Ponce鈥檚 work rate slowed, Moya, back in the ring for the first time since March 2024, found room to use the skills he鈥檇 learned training with Team Josh Torres 鈥�- scoring with jabs and combinations..
It wasn鈥檛 enough to overcome Ponce鈥檚 work on the inside.
Isaiah Aguilar (2-0), 137.6, banged out a victory by unanimous four-round decision over fellow Albuquerquean Codi Chavez (1-3, one KO), 136.8. All three judges scored it 39-37.
Aguilar landed more often and with more authority.
Albuquerque鈥檚 Marcelino Delgado (pro debut), 162 pounds, dominated Jovan Sauceda (pro debut), 163, Juarez, Mexico, en route to a victory by fourth-round TKO.
Sauceda, down in the third round 鈥�- half the result of Delgado鈥檚 nonstop attack, half from exhaustion 鈥� got to his feet at the count of nine.
He sagged to the canvas again in the fourth under a Delgado assault. Referee David Rios called a stop to the one-sided bout (though Sauceda landed enough leather to keep it interesting) at 1he 1:18 mark.
