PHOENIX: Lindolfo Delgado breezed past Jair Valtierra in Saturday’s co-main event of a Top Rank show at the Desert Diamond Arena in Arizona.
The promoter elevated their fight card status after Raymond Muratalla, a lightweight prospect, withdrew from his fight against Diego Torres earlier this week citing injury.
The crowd in Glendale, who had been fervently cheering most of the fights and fighters earlier in the night, booed Delgado and Valtierra due to the slower-paced nature of the bout.
Delgado, with his unbeaten record and puncher’s reputation, had the better of Valtierra for most of the fight with more pronounced defensive movement, harder punching, and a signature left hook.
Yet the crowd never vibed with the fight.
With knockouts on the prelims, and stand-out performances from prospects Emiliano Vargas and Richard Torrez Jr., it was like a Top Rank-branded balloon had been blown up all night — but then Delgado and Valtierra inadvertently deflated it with their dance toward a decision.
With scores of 98-92 and 99-91 (x2), Delgado advanced his pro boxing record to 18 wins (13 knockouts) and remains unbeaten.
Earlier undercard results:
Three knockouts studded the undercard as Antonio Mireles, Sergio Rodriguez, and Ricardo Ruvelcaba all scored finishes earlier in the evening.
Antonio Mireles leaves it late to get rid of Dajuan Callaway.
Dajuan Callaway weighed-in Thursday at 391.7-pounds which isn’t even the heaviest he’s been for a pro fight. Granted, his bout against Antonio Mireles was always going to be of a slow pace but when he let his fists fly they were like rockets.
Callaway showed good body movement to evade blows to the midsection and had more than enough pop to make Mireles feel like he would dare not overload, and basically owned all the real estate in the center of the ring.
By the middle rounds, though, Mireles still had the same energy levels to throw shots while Callaway was struggling — that weight perhaps working against him — and looked dejected when returning to his stool after four rounds.
In the final round, Mireles backed Callaway into one of the neutral corners and wailed rhythmic power punches at the big man.
Callaway tried a James Toney-esque shell but his defense was too porous, he got clipped too often, and the referee stepped in to give Mireles the late finish he worked hard to get.
Watch the highlights here:
Highlights from Mireles vs Calloway ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/ANIv1Ekug0
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) August 13, 2023
Hometown favorite Sergio Rodriguez slaughtered Eduardo Ayala in the second round.
A rock-em, sock-em kind of fight broke out shortly after the opening bell, raising the roof from fans who had already started filling the venue for a bout between two Phoenix fighters.
Sergio Rodriguez showed good head movement and sly punching as he disguised punishing blows, countering Eduardo Ayala with a right hand over the top that put his opponent on wobbly street. The referee should have called it off there and then, but allowed Ayala to return to the battleground and absorb further blows unnecessarily, before stopping the show after the following, inevitable, onslaught.
Watch the highlights here:
The highlights from Rodriguez vs Ayala ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/m1ka64ScEA
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) August 13, 2023
Ricardo Ruvalcaba beat Adrian Orban by technical knockout in the second round.
Californian junior welterweight Ricardo Ruvalcaba sent Hungarian fighter Adrian Orban to the floor in the opening round of their scheduled six-rounder, then added a second knockdown at the start of the second when he clubbed away at his opponent’s body.
Sensing the finish, Ruvalcaba let his fists fly to drop Orban again and, though the 21-year-old got to his feet, the referee waved the bout off to prevent him from taking exorbitant punishment.
Watch the highlights here:
For those of you who missed our opening bout ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/fxPkV5zOWX
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) August 13, 2023
