COMMERCE, Calif. – Raul Lizarraga wanted a problem after successful all of his earlier fights by knockout.
He received that from Ulises Sierra, and was in a position to come out with a convincing victory.
Lizarraga overcame a tough begin to win a hard-fought unanimous resolution late Saturday evening earlier than a raucous and partisan crowd on the Commerce On line casino. Scores had been 79-73, 79-73, and 78-74 for Lizarraga, who improved to 14-0, 13 knockouts.
Moments into the opening spherical, Sierra linked with a seres of combos that overwhelmed Lizarraga. A left hook to the pinnacle despatched Lizarraga reeling in opposition to the ropes. Lizarraga did get better to attach his personal share of combos to the pinnacle of Sierra over the past 20 seconds of the spherical. A reduce appeared above the left eye of Lizarraga as soon as the spherical concluded.
“What ended up taking place (in that first spherical) was I tousled in my finish,” Lizarraga instructed The Ring after the combat. “We knew he is available in along with his head, when he leans in. He was throwing good punches, however loads of them had been slipping off of me. I received caught along with his head (which opened a reduce), and while you’re hit from a head-butt, it (throws you off). After which he threw (and landed) a hook, it landed on me.”
Starting in spherical two, the southpaw Lizarraga was the aggressor, placing Sierra on the defensive and strolling him again in direction of the ropes. Lizarraga received the higher of the exchanges between the 2. In the course of the center rounds, Lizarraga started shifting out and in of Sierra’s vary, touchdown punches and combos to the pinnacle and physique. Lizarraga boxed effectively from distance, often receiving a straight proper to the pinnacle from Sierra.
“I ought to’ve finished that from the get-go, however you get the jitters within the first two rounds,” stated Lizarraga, who’s managed by Jesse Moreno. “And we sort of waited a bit longer immediately. However, no excuses. We skilled laborious to look good from the get-go. I received a bit too excited. He caught my ass. That’s once I took two steps again. My protection needed to be on level. After the primary spherical, my coaches received on my ass. As soon as they raised their voice, I calmed down. That’s once I get harmful. After that, that’s once I received stable.”
Each stood within the pocket from the sixth spherical on. Lizarraga was in a position to win a number of exchanges by throwing and touchdown extra punches and combos. Sierra did join on a number of straight proper arms to the pinnacle that regarded as if they momentarily surprised Lizarraga, however Lizarraga was in a position to combat on.
In the course of the closing spherical, Lizarraga outboxed Sierra within the pocket. Sierra did have his moments, however was not in a position to land something flush, as Lizarraga continued to get the higher of the motion by way of sheer quantity of punches.
In his earlier combat on Could 3, Lizarraga stopped his hardest take a look at up to now, on paper, Lizarraga scoring a fifth spherical knockout victory over once-beaten Marcos Osorio-Betancourt. The victory over Osorio-Betancourt happened lower than six months after Lizarraga scored a fifth spherical knockout win over Noe Larios, Jr.
Lizarraga believes he might have finished higher and hopes for a combat earlier than the tip of the yr.
“We wanted an opponent like this. We wanted a combat like this. We all know the place we’re at proper now. We will’t get cocky. We will’t get too comfy. We have to return to the drafting board. Work on no matter we have to work on. I assumed I labored laborious, as it’s. This isn’t ok. There’s at all times somebody who’s going to indicate you must work on issues. Yeah, I received the ‘W.’ My individuals round me, they anticipate extra of me. I anticipate extra of myself. I do know I gained, however I felt I might’ve finished extra. I ought to’ve taken him out.
“As quickly because the (medical) suspension is over, I hope to get one thing arrange. Hopefully (in) October. I flip 23 in September, so I’d prefer to combat in October or November. Coming again and make a press release. I received to make up for that efficiency. Regardless that I gained, I might’ve finished higher.”
Sierra falls to 17-4-2, 10 KOs. The 35-year-old beforehand fought tremendous middleweight contender Bektemir Melikuziev on January 27, dropping by knockout in spherical three. The loss snapped back-to-back wins for Sierra. In January 2020, on a ShoBox card, Sierra confronted present tremendous middleweight contender Vladimir Shishkin, dropping by unanimous resolution. Nearly 11 months later, Sierra misplaced by knockout within the opening spherical to present tremendous middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga.
Each fighters had been born within the San Diego space. Lizarraga resides in close by Murrieta.
Junior middleweight Terrell Adams defeated Jamarcus Warren (3-7-2, 1 KO) of Tyler, Texas by majority resolution. One decide scored the combat 57-57, whereas the opposite two judges scored the bout 60-54 and 59-55 for Adams, who improved to 10-1, 4 KOs.
Adams, who resides in close by Watts, is the youthful brother of fringe junior middleweight contender Brandon Adams.
In a conflict of unbeaten welterweights, Honest Brooks (5-0, 2 KOs) of close by Lengthy Seashore knocked out Javy Lopez within the opening spherical. A left hook to the highest of the pinnacle staggered Lopez. Brooks adopted up, throwing and touchdown one other left hook, dropping Lopez to the canvas. Lopez beat the rely, however was in situation to proceed, prompting referee Kristi Rosario to cease the combat at 2:14.
Lopez, who resides in San Antonio, falls to 2-1, 2 KOs.
In mild heavyweight motion, Guillermo Alvizures of close by Downey defeated Oxnard’s Zlatko Ledic (2-6-1, 1 KO) by majority resolution. One decide scored the bout 38-38, whereas the opposite two judges scored the bout 39-37 and 40-36 for Alvizures, who goes to 5-0, 4 KOs.
The southpaw Ledic, who had not fought in virtually 5 years, will flip 41 in two weeks.
Featherweight Bryan Albarran of close by Inglewood knocked out Ricardo Luna within the second spherical. A sweeping counter proper cross caught Luna flush, dropping him to the canvas, subsequent to the ring ropes. Luna struggled to stand up, prompting referee Rudy Barragan to wave the combat off at 2:08. Luna is initially from Tijuana, Mexico and now resides in Glendale, California. Each fighters had been making their skilled debuts.
Flyweight Enkhmandakh Kharkuu improved to 3-0, defeating Armando Castillo (1-2, 1 KO) of Palm Springs, California by unanimous resolution. Scores had been 40-36, 40-36, and 39-37 for Kharkuu, who’s initially from Mongolia and now resides in Los Angeles.
In junior welterweight motion, Osmel Avila of Fresno, California was profitable in his professional debut, dropping Joseph Hernandez 4 occasions en path to a knockout victory. After the fourth knockdown, referee Kristi Rosario stopped the combat at 2:19. Hernandez, who resides in Vista, California, falls to 1-1.
Within the opening bout of the ‘Battle of the Rising Stars’ card, junior middleweight Henry Mendez of Wilmington, California gained the primary combat of his professional profession, dropping Nicholas Noriz in spherical three en path to a unanimous resolution win. All three judges scored the bout 39-36 in favor of Mendez, who improved to 1-11-3. Noriz, who resides in close by Whitter, was making his professional debut.
The cardboard was promoted by longtime Southern California boxing promoter Ed Holmes.
Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has coated boxing in Southern California and overseas since 2000. Francisco additionally covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He could be reached at [email protected]
Observe @FSalazarBoxing
