Ramirez retains title with exciting victory over game Orozco

Defending his world title for the first time, WBC super lightweight champion Jose Ramirez thrilled his hometown fans by winning an exciting 12-round unanimous decision over Antonio Orozco at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, CA Friday night.

All three judges had Ramirez winning by a wide margin (119-107), but the fight was edgy and competitive.

Ramirez and Orozco wasted no time getting at each other. Ramirez found a home for his left hook right away, catching Orozco numerous times. That punch would pay dividends throughout the night. Orozco fought back, but Ramirez was busier.

Ramirez, mixing his shots well, wobbled Orozco in the second round with another left hook. Orozco tried to stay low, but ate more punches. He did land a combination, but Ramirez was the sharper fighter. Orozco, from San Diego, did a little better in round three, but Ramirez was still finding him easy to hit. The Avenal native picked his spots, clobbering Orozco with a couple of brain rattling blows.

Ramirez,26, worked the body in round four. He bobbed and bounced, keeping his chin tucked and working relentlessly. A huge right-hand deposited Orozco on his back. Orozco,30, pulled himself up and stood toe-toe with Ramirez, wobbling back a couple of times but making it to the bell.

Orozco, showing intestinal fortitude, battled back in round five, clipping Ramirez with a couple of good right hands. Ramirez kept working his left, catching Orozco to the body and head.

In rounds six and seven, the fighters met in the middle of the ring and let their hands go. Both landed telling shots. Ramirez still had the edge. He was crisper and outworking Orozco. Ramirez cracked Orozco with a jolting left, but ate a counter right. Ramirez was still throwing punches in bunches. Orozco was trying to catch up, but couldn’t hurt Ramirez.

Ramirez concentrated his attack to the body in round eight. He landed some wicked shots that took the air out of Orozco. A vicious gut shot put him down for the second time. Somehow, he got up, and seconds later, stunned the Ramirez crowd by rattling the defending champ with a wicked combination. Orozco served some pay back to Ramirez in round nine by going to the body. Ramirez took the shots without complaint, mustering his own offense in the last two minutes.

In other action, super quick Alexander Besputin (11-0, 9 KOs) beat up courageous Alan Sanchez (20-4, 10 KOs) to capture the USBA welterweight title.

Southpaw Besputin found a home for his left seconds into the match. He clocked Sanchez with a half dozen shots to easily win the first round. Sanchez circled and tried to jab, but Besputin’s speed was too much.

Besputin, born in Russia and fighting out of Oxnard, CA, connected with an uppercut in round three that appeared to stun Sanchez. His right-left couldn’t miss. Sanchez landed a couple of right hands that didn’t deter the relentless Besputin.

The stocky Besputin continued his dominance in rounds five and six. A huge uppercut wobbled the super game Sanchez. Seconds later a left buckled his legs. Sanchez, from Vacaville, hung tough, clocking Besputin with a right that had no effect. In round nine, Besputin unloaded a number of shots that hurt and bloodied Sanchez. After the last punch landed, Sanchez’s corner indicated to the referee that was fight was over.

The time was 1:44 seconds of round nine.

Knocked down for the first time in his career, Stockton phenom Gabriel Flores Jr, got up, shook his head and outworked a determined Roger Gutierrez (7-2-1, 4 KOs) over six competitive rounds.

Flores,18, was dominating the opening round until a temple shot sent him to the canvas. Gutierrez, from Pacoima, landed another right at the bell, but over the next five rounds, Flores stayed out of harm’s way, and drilled the aggressive Gutierrez with jabs and accurate combinations. Gutierrez was the aggressor, but Flores was out landing him three punches to one.

The scores were 59-54 (twice) and 58-54.