Camarena shines, Delgado stumbles!

October 6, 2003

By David Finger at ringside

Despite a new location, Jimmy Smith’s bi-monthly boxing card has picked up where it left off with another sellout crowd witness to one of the most exciting fights in recent Colorado memory.

Moving from the Rivera Casino three blocks down the road to the Mountain High Casino, boxing fans in Blackhawk saw popular Roy Delgado, 144, suffer what can only be considered a setback as he was held to a draw with Estes Park journeyman Bran Jensen, 141.

There was little question as Delgado entered the ring with a noticeable paunch around his belly that he was not it tip-top shape, but most assumed the power of the young Delgado would carry him through. And early on it appeared that would be the case as Delgado came out swinging for the fences in the first round. Although Jensen found Delgado’s chin on several occasions with counter right hands, they were little compensation against the relentless pressure of Delgado, who exploded on Jensen in the final ten seconds of the round.

By the second round Jensen had yet to find his “game” as Delgado continued to pressure him. However, both fighters would show something that would prove decisive over the next two rounds, namely holding and hitting.

By the third round the fight seemed to deteriorate into an ugly, dirty wrestling match, but Delgado still appeared to be in control, despite the alarming frequency that Jensen was finding his chin with the overhand right. But the tide began to turn in the fourth, as Delgado’s poor conditioning began to sink in. Although the fourth appeared the closest round of the fight up to that point, it appeared that Delgado stole the round with an impressive flurry in the closing seconds (a flurry that Jensen tried to answer with his own).

Unfortunately for Delgado, it would be the last impressive flurry of the night for him, as fatigue (and a game and tough Jensen) would prove too much for him over the next two rounds. Jensen proceeded to pressure Delgado, whose punches were now little more than slaps, and cemented a solid round with an impressive flurry at the bell. Delgado was unable to answer back in the sixth and final round, as Jensen put forth perhaps the best round of his career, pounding Delgado relentlessly. Halfway through the round Delgado and Jensen brawled willingly on the ropes, but Jensen appeared to win the exchange decisively, and appeared to have Delgado close to falling by rounds end.

Still, it appeared too little to late to most ringsiders, who felt that Roy won the first four rounds decisively. However, after some confusion with the scorecards, Jensen emerged with a majority draw after Stephen Blea and Ed Kugler scored the fight 57-57 (John Ulibarri scored the fight 59-55 for Delgado). Fightnews had Delgado winning 58-56.

A disappointed Delgado (who entered this fight on the heels of a knockout loss to undefeated Jose Armando Santa Cruz) questioned the decision after the fight, but both fighters appeared privy to a rematch, possibly on November 23rd in the same ring. Jensen (who has lost to the likes of Anthony Thompson, Stevie Johnson, Michael Stewart, and Juan Diaz) sees his record now stand at 12-9-2 (5) while Delgado’s “falls” to 12-2-1 (9).

On the undercard undefeated Donald Camarena, 143, again showed why he is regarded as quite possibly the best prospect in the state of Colorado with another brilliant performance against tough journeyman Robert Howard, 146.

After starting the first round behind a lightning quick jab, Camarena soon discovered that Howard was just too slow to compete, and by the end of the first round began to tee off on a game, but ineffective Howard. By the second Howard began to stumble around the ring as the young prospect hit him at will.

After two straight right hands staggered the veteran many ringsiders felt that a KO was soon to come, but Howard was saved when referee Curtis Thrasher curiously separated the fighters despite a lack of a clinch (while Howard was helpless on the ropes) allowing Robert several valuable seconds to recover. Ultimately, however, it was irrelevant. Camarena continued to pound away at Howard over the third, staggering him several times before trapping him again on the ropes. Camarena then administered a frightful pounding on the tough, but defenseless, Howard before Thrasher stepped in (several punches too late) to rescue Howard at 2:14 of the round.

Although Camarena failed to drop Howard, it was an impressive performance nonetheless, as Howard had gone the distance with Frankie Sanchez three times (as well as Joe Hutchinson and undefeated James Wayka). Camarena improves to 8-0 (5) while Howard slipped to 6-20 (3).

In a C-plus performance, debuting Feliciano “Felix” Rios, 139 scored a shutout decision over tough journeyman Danny Almanza, 139. Rios, who possesses what can only be described as a Maurice Blocker frame, tried to flurry early on, but failed to hurt his rugged opponent. From that point on he attempted to fight behind a long jab, with mixed results. All three judges had the fight 40-36, although Fightnews scored it much closer at 39-38. Although Rios appeared to slap with his punches early, he does show tremendous potential as his over hand right was exceptional and his jab can very well become a premier weapon. Rios now stands at 1-0 while Almanza, who has lost his last three by somewhat controversial decision, falls to 5-15 (4).

Denver native Tony Morales, 150, lost in a huge shocker to Colorado Springs Julio Lanzas, 152. Lanzas pressured Morelas relentlessly at the bell and dropped the young prospect with a hard counter right two minutes into the round. Morales gamely rose at six, but was never able to find an answer to the pressure of Lanzas. Although Morales did find success in the third and fourth rounds, it was more a result of fatigue on Lanzas part, as Lanzas still found the chin of Morales whenever he fired a right hand. All three judges had Lanzas winning (by one, two, and three points), while Fightnews gave the edge to Lanzas by a 38-37 margin. With the loss Morales fell to 3-1 (3), while Lanzas improved to 1-1.

Heavyweight Kenny Lemos, 265, saw his fight with Frank Elizade scrapped at the last minute when Elizade pulled on Friday. However the popular journeyman John Kiser, 225, filled in for a four round exhibition. Lemos, who is coming off an impressive win over Lou Monaco, again shined as he stunned Kiser (who upset Andrew Maynard and Shane Sutcliffe over the years) in the second round en rout to an impressive unofficial decision victory.

Smith, along with vice-president of Poor Boys Boxing Tom Gaffney, has the next card planned for November 23rd at the same venue. Tickets can be obtained in advance by calling 1-303-432-8994.