Laredo Morning Times
WEDNESDAY 11 OCTOBER 2006
Canizales obliterates Solis
in 1st round
Story by Brian Walsh
Laredo-born bantamweight boxer Orlando Canizales blazed his way into the final of the International Boxing League's Americas Championship tournament with an opening round TKO of Puerto Rican #1 seed Julian Solis at the Laredo Entertainment Center last night. In an extraordinary main event referee Lenny Fredricks ended the bout at the 2:35 mark after Solis had absorbed an astonishing barrage of punches, Canizales landing 42 of 126 blows according to the stats keepers. The punishment started early with a flush left hook before a right hand and a jolting right cross had Solis staggered before the bout was a minute old. Canizales unloaded with a series of wicked body shots through the middle section of the round before he went back to head hunting with a left hook and a straight right in quick succession all Fredricks needed to see before he stopped the contest.
Already cheering wildly the parochial crowd went nuts when Canizales was confirmed as the winner. The 22 year-old improved his record to 18-2-1(14) while Solis, who came in as a warm favourite, suffered just the second defeat of his career in falling to 28-2-1(22). The former top seed was a shattered, stunned man afterwards, his face a mask of distress and dismay. Canizales has been recognised in the past for his punching power and last night it was on full, eye-opening display. He'll take on Jeff Chandler in the championship bout after the Philadelphian was a unanimous decision winner over Ohio's Greg Richardson (99-90, 97-92, 98-90). In a dominant showing Chandler floored Richardson in rounds four and nine and landed just on twice as many punches (236-119). Chandler is now 15-1-2(9) and after surviving a scare from Florida's Carmelo Aleman in the quarter-finals was relieved to find a much easier evening against Richardson.