All-Time Great Jr. Featherweight Tournament

[JCWeb]

Ninety total competitors in this division. Two qualifying rounds for boxers rated 5 and below take place, to reduce the field to 64 for the first round proper.

FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND

Gabula Vabaza (SAF) TKO 4 Valerio Nata (ITA)
Fasang Por Tawatchai (THA) TKO 6 Fabio Oliva (ITA)
Leo Cruz (DOM) MD 10 Bobby Berna (PHI)
Dario Azuaga (PAR) TKO 1 Seung-Il Suh (KOR)
Jose Cervantes (COL) D 10 Phillip Payne (USA)
Nicky Perez (USA) DQ 9 Emmanuel Lucero (MEX)
Jose Saez (ARG) UD 10 Sod Looknongyangtoy (THA)
Richie Wenton (UK) KO 4 Masakazu Sugawara (JPN)
Ruben Palacios (COL) KO 2 Esham Pickering (UK)
Salim Medjkoune (FRA) UD 10 Derrick Holmes (USA)
Juan Antonio Lopez (MEX) MD 10 Carlos Mendoza (PAN)
Saohin Srithai Condo (THA) UD 10 Ruben Valdez (COL)
Debind Thapa (NPL) KO 2 Daniel Blanco (COL)
Julio Gamboa (NIC) UD 10 Hector Avila (DOM)

One replay:

Payne MD 10 Cervantes

Winners advance to a second qualifying round, facing the higher rated (based on a tiebreaker) remaining “5” boxers.

SECOND QUALIFYING ROUND

Por Tawatchi TKO 4 Soon-Hyun Chung (KOR)
Lopez UD 10 Condo
Perez UD 10 Cruz
Vabaza SD 10 Wenton
Saez KO 1 Luigi Castiglione (ITA)
Gamboa TKO 5 Yober Ortega (VEN)
Paul Banke (USA) UD 10 Thapa
Hugo Soto (ARG) UD 10 Medjkoune
Jorge Monsalvo (COL) D 10 Jose Smecca (ARG)
Payne SD 10 Yoddamrong Sithyodthong (THA)
Palacios TKO 5 Akihiro Kanai (JPN)
Armando Guerrero (USA) UD 10 Azuaga

The Monsalvo-Smecca draw necessitates another replay. This time, Monasalvo dominates, flooring his opponent with a nice combination in round three en route to a fairly comfortable win (97-92, 99-90 x2).

Monsalvo UD 10 Smecca

Lowest rated boxers to reach the main draw: Two “2”s: Tawatchi and Saez, both of whom took out a “5.” Richie Wenton, the only “1” rated guy in the draw, managed to win a bout before being eliminated.

[JCWeb]

Pairings are set for the first round of the tournament proper, with Wilfredo Gomez as the top seed.

Wilfredo Gomez (PUR) (1) vs Jose Saez (ARG)
Yokthai Sithoar (THA) vs Artyom Simonyan (ARM)
Jorge Julio (COL) vs Giovanni Andrade (BRA)
Jack Wolfe (USA) (16) vs Yasuo Kunimi (JPN)
Mike Ayala (USA) (8) vs Nicky Perez (USA)
Shigeru Nakazato (JPN) vs Jose Valbuena (VEN)
Juan Meza (USA) vs Jose Rojas (VEN)
Jaime Garza (USA) (9) vs Jorge Monsalvo (COL)
Oscar Larios (MEX) (4) vs Ruben Palacios (COL)
Juan Estrada (MEX) vs Shoji Kimura (JPN)
Wethya Sakmuangkiang (THA) vs Yoshikane Nakajima (JPN)
Israel Vazquez (MEX) (13) vs Oscar Ponce (ARG)
Joan Guzman (DOM) (12) vs Hugo Soto (ARG)
Welcome Ncita (SAF) vs Junichi Watanabe (JPN)
Carmelo Negron (PUR) vs Jorge Linares (VEN)
Loris Stecca (ITA) (5) vs Julio Gamboa (NIC)
Arthur Johnson (USA) (6) vs Gabula Vabaza (SAF)
Samart Payakaroon (THA) vs Somchat Sithchatchawal (THA)
Kojo Ishii (JPN) vs Seung-Hoon Lee (KOR)
Kennedy McKinney (USA) (11) vs Armando Guerrero (USA)
Soo-Hwan Hong (KOR) (14) vs Kiyoshi Hatanaka (JPN)
Royal Kobayashi (JPN) vs Nedal Hussein (AUS)
Daniel Ponce-De Leon (MEX) vs Dong-Kyun Yum (KOR)
Sergio Palma (ARG) (3) vs Phillip Payne (USA)
Mayhar Monshipour (FRA) (10) vs Paul Banke (USA)
Willie Jorrin (USA) vs Napapol Kiatisakchokchai (THA)
Ricardo Cordova (PAN) vs Agapito Sanchez (DOM)
Victor Callejas (PUR) (7) vs Juan Antonio Lopez (MEX)
Ricardo Cardona (COL) (15) vs Toshiaki Nishioka (JPN)
Celestino Caballero (PAN) vs Sergio Manuel Medina (ARG)
Jesse Benavides (USA) vs Daniel Zaragoza (MEX)
Jeff Fenech (AUS) (2) vs Fasang Por Tawatchi (THA)

[JCWeb]

Starting up with the first round matches.

Wilfredo Gomez (PUR) (1) KO 3 Jose Saez (ARG)

A wicked uppercut to the head from Gomez finishes matters in round three. Easy win for Gomez.

Yokthai Sithoar (THA) SD 10 Artyom Simonyan (ARM)

Sithoar, the harder puncher of the two, put Simonyan down in the fifth for an eight-count with a barrage of blows. Not much action the rest of the way. All three judges scored it 96-93, two for Sithoar, one for the Armenian.

Jorge Julio (COL) KO 4 Giovanni Andrade (BRA)

One big shot from Julio finishes matters midway through round four, putting the Brazilian down and out.

Jack Wolfe (USA) (16) D 10 Yasuo Kunimi (JPN)

Wolfe appears to have the upper hand, going up by three (49-46) on the unofficial card at the midway point. However, a late cut over his right eye slows him down, enabling Kunimi to secure a majority draw (95-all from two judges, while a third actually had Kunimi winning, 96-94). A rematch will be required.

Mike Ayala (USA) (8) TKO 10 Nicky Perez (USA)

Workman-like performance from Ayala, who advanced despite sustaining a cut over his right eye. An Ayala hook put Perez down in round seven, then two more KDs in the final round led to a late stoppage.

Jose Valbuena (VEN) SD 10 Shigeru Nakazato (JPN)

Valbuena suffered a cut eye, while Nakazato battled swelling under his right eye for most of the bout. Decided split in the judges, with two for Valbuena (98-92 and 97-93 were the score counts) versus one (97-93) for Nakazato.

Juan Meza (USA) TKO 7 Jose Rojas (VEN)

Rojas surprised Meza with a flash knockdown in the opening round, but “Kid” Meza battled back and dominated the action until the ref called a halt late in round seven.

Jaime Garza (USA) (9) UD 10 Jorge Monsalvo (COL)

Garza had a difficult time with Monsalvo, finally wearing his opponent down and decking Monsalvo in the ninth round to seal a UD 10 victory (96-92, 97-91, 96-92 on the judges’ cards).

[JCWeb]

Eight more first round bouts yield a couple of more replays, plus one huge upset.

Oscar Larios (MEX) (4) TKO 9 Ruben Palacios (COL)

A one-sided affair, favoring the Mexican fighter (Larios). Palacios is showing the effects with some major swelling around his right eye by the end of round four and, after taking a beating for most of the bout, the ref finally calls a halt in round nine.

Juan Estrada (MEX) D 10 Shoji Kimura (JPN)

A gash appears over Kimura’s eye in round two. While the cut continues to ooze blood, it does not hamper the performance of the Japanese fighter, who manages to hold his own versus Estrada. Judges split, with one for Estrada (96-94), another favoring Kimura (96-94), while a third called it even (95-95). A rematch will be ordered.

Wethya Sakmuangkiang (THA) UD 10 Yoshikane Nakajima (JPN)

Too much power from the Thai fighter for the light-hitting Nakajima. Nakajima was down once, in round three, and suffered from a cut and swollen right eye. Solid UD 10 win for Sakmuangkiang (97-92, 98-91, 98-91 on the scorecards).

Israel Vazquez (MEX) (13) UD 10 Oscar Ponce (ARG)

A lopsided win for Vazquez, who had Ponce down in the opening round and twice in round nine, plus Ponce had a cut and swollen right eye and was lucky to last the distance. Cards read 98-87, 98-88 and 99-86, all for Vazquez.

Joan Guzman (DOM) (12) TKO 9 Hugo Soto (ARG)

Good action in the early going, as Soto put Guzman down in round two, then Guzman put Soto down in round three. Better stamina on the part of Guzman told in the end, as he scored a second KD in round eight, followed by three more KDs (for a total of five) and an automatic TKO win.

Junichi Watanabe (JPN) TKO 7 Welcome Ncita (SAF)

Watanabe broke open a reasonably close bout with a huge round seven. The ref stepped in and called a half with the African fighter dangling helplessly along the ropes.

Carmelo Negron (PUR) D 10 Jorge Linares (VEN)

Good puncher versus boxer confrontation, with the hard-hitting Negron appearing to have the edge when he put Linares down for a four-count in the fifth round. However, Linares battled back, landing more punches and managed a majority draw (95-all from two judges, while Linares was actually ahead, 95-94, on the third card). Be interesting to see what happens with the rematch.

Julio Gamboa (NIC) UD 10 Loris Stecca (ITA) (5)

Stecca struggles against the qualifier, Gamboa, who looks sharp in the early rounds and manages to continue to cause problems for the #5 seed into the later rounds of the bout. As a result, the first upset of this tournament is recorded as Gamboa captured a remarkably close but UD
10 (96-95 on all three cards).

[JCWeb]

No real surprises in the next bracket.

Arthur Johnson (USA) (6) UD 10 Gabula Vabaza (SAF)

Johnson takes charge early, dropping Vabaza with a combination in the opening round. A second KD occurs in round seven, and by that time Vabaza is suffering from swelling around both eyes from the accumulated impact of Johnson’s punches. The scorecards show a lopsided UD 10 for Johnson (99-91, 99-91, 98-91).

Samart Payakaroon (THA) TKO 5 Somchat Sithchatchawal (THA)

Two Thais do battle, with Payakaroon putting Sithchatchawal down three times in rounds four and five before the ref steps in. TKO for Payakaroon, who advances.

Kojo Ishii (JPN) UD 10 Seung-Hoon Lee (KOR)

Fairly even through the early rounds. Ishii sustains a cut over his left eye in round five, then later on, Lee suffers from a cut and swollen right eye. In the end, the Japanese fighter prevails in a split duke, two judges going for Ishii by a wide margin (99-92 and 98-92) while the dissenter had Lee the winner by two (96-94).

Kennedy McKinney (USA) (11) TKO 10 Armando Guerrero (USA)

McKinney has his hands full with Guerrero, and the issue remains in doubt until the final round, when McKinney breaks through, putting Guerrero down with a big shot, then finally the late stoppage.

Soo-Hwan Hong (KOR) (14) TKO 8 Kiyoshi Hatanaka (JPN)

Trouble for Hatanaka began in round four, when he suffered a gash over his right eye in addition to some major swelling around both eyes. Hong had little trouble seizing control and advanced due to a late cuts stoppage.

Royal Kobayashi (JPN) KO 10 Nedal Hussein (AUS)

Kobayashi took charge at the outset, flooring Hussein with a hard shot in the opening round. The end came in the final round when a Kobayashi cross put Hussein down and out.

Dong-Kyun Yum (KOR) UD 10 Daniel Ponce-De Leon (MEX)

Early edge for the Korean in punches landed, but the Mexican is the harder hitter, with some swelling appearing as a result around the left eye of Yum as early as round four. In the end, Yum perseveres, taking a solid UD 10 (97-94 on two cards, 96-94 on a third).

Sergio Palma (ARG) (3) TKO 5 Phillip Payne (USA)

No problems for the #3 seed in this bout. Payne suffered a cut on his forehead in round two and, when the cut was re-opened a few rounds later, the ref took no chances and called a halt.

[JCWeb]

Wrapping up the first round of action ...

Mayhar Monshipour (FRA) (10) UD 10 Paul Banke (USA)

Monshipour had Banke down briefly in the opening round. The American managed to keep the punch count fairly even through the first half of the bout but faded badly toward the end, finishing with a split lip and a badly swollen right eye. Solid UD 10 win (97-94, 96-93, 97-92) for the Frenchman.

Willie Jorrin (USA) MD 10 Napapol Kiatisakchokchai (THA)

Extremely close bout. A barrage of blows from Jorrin resulted in the bout’s only KD in round seven. But, by the end of the bout, Jorrin was showing the effects of some solid punching from the Thai as both eyes were swollen. In the end, the knockdown proved decisive in a MD 10 for Jorrin (96-93 and 96-92 while a third judge called it even at 94-all).

Ricardo Cordova (PAN) KO 7 Agapito Sanchez (DOM)

Cordova put Sanchez on the deck in round four with a powerful combination. Then, in round seven, an overhand right led to the second KD before Cordova finished his man with a hook to the head for the bout’s third and final knockdown, as Sanchez could not beat the count.

Victor Callejas (PUR) (7) KO 8 Juan Antonio Lopez (MEX)

Callejas started well with a huge opening round, then completely dominated the bout, putting Lopez on the canvas three times before he was counted out in round eight. Great start for Callejas.

Ricardo Cardona (COL) (15) SD 10 Toshiaki Nishioka (JPN)

Fairly uneventful bout with little in the way of heavy action. Cardona appeared to be the more active of the two, gradually wearing down his opponent, thus the split duke – 96-94 from all three judges, but with one going for Nishioka – was a bit of a surprise. Nonetheless, the seeded Cardona advances to round two.

Celestino Caballero (PAN) UTD 6 Sergio Manuel Medina (ARG)

Good action bout for the first five rounds. Caballero suffered from a split lip in round three, and then some swelling under his right eye. Medina had a mouse under his left eye and appeared to be gaining the upper hand when an accidental clash of heads led to bleeding above both his eyes. The butt led to a stoppage, and the bout went to the scorecards after five, all of which had Caballero ahead (by a narrow 48-47 count). Interestingly, the unofficial scorer had Medina ahead by a similar margin. Tough break for Medina.

Jesse Benavides (USA) UD 10 Daniel Zaragoza (MEX)

Good, tough battle between two evenly-matched opponents. A big shot from Benavides put Zaragoza down for a six-count in round four. Zaragoza battled back but a strong second half from Benavides was enough to secure advancement (96-93, 95-93, 96-93 on the three cards).

Jeff Fenech (AUS) (2) UD 10 Fasang Por Tawatchi (THA)

A real mis-match. Devastating example of punishing power punching from Fenech, who had the Thai’s right eye almost swollen shut, plus an overhand right scored the only KD of the bout in round eight. Decisive scores (98-88, 99-88, 99-87), all for Fenech.

Three first round replays (due to draws), and then on to pairing up for the second round with the remaining 32 competitors.

[JCWeb]

ROUND ONE REPLAYS

Jack Wolfe (16) UD 10 Yasuo Kunimi

This time, Wolfe takes the fight to his opponent, winning most of the early rounds and building a huge punches landed edge. Late surge by Kunimi – who exhibits a rapidly swelling right eye by the end – falls short. UD 10 (96-94 on all three cards) for Wolfe, who advances.

Shoji Kimura UD 10 Juan Estrada

Estrada suffers a cut over his right eye in the opening round. In round five, Kimura drills Estrada with a combination for the bout’s first knockdown, then follows with a second KD later in the round. Estrada tries to battle back, but a third KD from Kimura in round nine wraps up a solid UD 10 win for Kimura (96-91, 95-92, 96-91).

Jorge Linares TKO 8 Carmelo Negron

Linares goes on the offensive in the early rounds, piling up a points lead and putting Negron on the defensive. In round three, Linares rips open a cut over Negron’s right eye. More problems for Negron whose other eye begins to puff up in round five. Then, in round seven, the cut is reopened and, when the cut is reopened a round later, the bout is stopped and Linares becomes the TKO victor.


ROUND TWO PAIRINGS

With the loss of the #5 seed (Stecca), some minor tweaking is needed, but here are the round of 32 pairings, with 15 of the 16 seeds remaining in the draw:

Wilfredo Gomez (1) vs Yokthai Sithoar
Jack Wolfe (16) vs Jorge Julio
Julio Gamboa vs Jose Valbuena
Jaime Garza (9) vs Juan Meza
Oscar Larios (4) vs Shoji Kimura
Israel Vazquez (13) vs Wethya Sakmuangkiang
Joan Guzman (12) vs Junichi Watanabe
Arthur Johnson (6) vs Jorge Linares
Victor Callejas (7) vs Samart Payakaroon
Kennedy McKinney (11) vs Kojo Ishii
Soo-Hwan Hong (14) vs Royal Kobayashi
Sergio Palma (3) vs Dong-Kyun Yum
Mayhar Monshiphour (10) vs Willie Jorrin
Mike Ayala (8) vs Ricardo Cordova
Ricardo Cardona (15) vs Celestino Caballero
Jeff Fenech (2) vs Jesse Benavides

[PWillisTheMan]

Why no Morales and MAB?

[grevan]

Looking forward to the Callejas - Payakaroon matchup. I saw Jeff Fenech beat both live back in the 80's. Based on real life I'd say Callejas takes it.

[JCWeb]

Originally Posted by PWillisTheMan

Why no Morales and MAB?

I assume you're referring to Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera. Anyway, as far as who is fighting and in what division, I decided to go with whatever division the database lists for a particular fighter and not to move anyone into a division for which they weren't rated. In the database I am using (which is from an earlier version of TBCB), Morales is rated at JLW and Barrera, at FW, so that's where they will compete.

[JCWeb]

Wilfredo Gomez (1) KO 10 Yokthai Sithoar

Sithoar did well to stay with Gomez for the first half of the bout, but then Gomez’s superior stamina began to tell. Sithoar, battling a swollen right eye from the midway point, became more vulnerable to Gomez’s assault in the later rounds. Finally, in round 10, a Gomez hook to the head put Sithoar down and out.

Jorge Julio SD 10 Jack Wolfe (16)

Early edge to Wolfe, but the unofficial scorer had it even (48-all) after five. Julio took charge in round six, landing a big hook that staggered Wolfe. Then, in round nine, Julio suffered a cut over his right eye in addition to swelling around his left eye. Nonetheless, when the scorecards were read, it was Julio pulling off a minor upset, garnering a 96-94 nod from two of the judges, while a third had it for Wolfe by the same 96-94 count.

Julio Gamboa KO 1 Jose Valbuena

“Yambito” Gamboa lands a big shot in the first minute, and Valbuena could not beat the count.

Jaime Garza (9) KO 7 Juan Meza

Tough fight for Garza, who fell behind early against the more accurate punching and boxing skills of “Kid” Meza. In round five, a barrage of blows put Garza on the deck for a seven-count. Garza recovered quickly, finding the range with a big cross in round six that put Meza down. Meza, stunned, barely managed to beat the count, arising at the count of nine. Another big shot from Garza in round seven put Meza down for a second time, and this time he could not beat the count. KO win for the hard-hitting Garza.

Oscar Larios (4) UD 10 Shoji Kimura

Kind of a boring contest, with Larios building an early points edge, landing sufficient blows in the early going to cause a trace of swelling to appear under the left eye of Kimura by round four. Larios goes on to grind out a lopsided UD 10 (100-90 on all three cards) to advance.

Wethya Sakmuangkiang UD 10 Israel Vazquez (13)

“Magnifico” Vazquez, the favorite in this bout, had trouble with his Thai opponent. In the early rounds, both men landed sufficient leather to cause swelling around the targeted eye (right eye of Sakmuangkiang, left eye of Vqzquez). Both men tire in the later rounds, but the key moment occurs in the waning seconds of the ninth round, when the Thai puts his opponent down, with Vazquez being saved by the bell as the count reached two. Based on the one KD and a 10-8 round, Sakmuangkiang went on to win a close but UD 10 (96-94 on all three cards).

Joan Guzman (12) SD 10 Junichi Watanabe

The bout remains close for the first four rounds, with a slight edge for Guzman. In round five, a Guzman uppercut stuns Watanabe, and Guzman is up by three (50-47) at the midway point, according to the unofficial ringside observer. No cuts or knockdowns, and Guzman manages to advance via a SD 10 (two judges saw it 97-94 and 96-95 for Guzman, while the dissenter had Watanabe winning by 97-94).

Arthur Johnson (6) Draw 10 Jorge Linares

The harder-hitting “Flash” Johnson had an early edge (49-46 at the midway point, according to the unofficial card) but Linares managed to battle back, lasting the distance and holding Johnson to a majority draw (two judges had it 95-95, while a third had Linares winning by 96-94). Disappointing performance by Johnson, who has another opportunity in the rematch.

[JCWeb]

Victor Callejas (7) UD 10 Samart Payakaroon

Callejas gets off to a strong start, putting his Thai opponent on the deck in the opening round. Payakaroon battles back, and by round five Callejas is on the defensive and suffering from swelling under his left eye. However, the bout turns in Callejas’ favor in round seven, when he unleashes a barrage of blows, putting Payakaroon down for the second time. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and the two KDs are sufficient for a comfortable win for Callejas (scorecards read 96-92, 95-93, 96-92, all for Callejas).

Kojo Ishii KO 5 Kennedy McKinney (11)

McKinney, the favorite, gets off to a slow start, struggling with his timing throughout the bout. Ishii takes advantage, countering with a hook after a wild hook from McKinney set up an opening. Then, an Ishii cross put McKinney down. After taking a count of five, McKinney arises on wobbly legs. A barrage of blows from Ishii results in a second KD, and this time McKinney is counted out.

Royal Kobayashi UD 10 Soo-Hwan Hong (14)

Hong looks sharp early, but Kobayashi is able to keep the bout close (48-all, according to the unofficial ringside observer). Kobayashi stages a rally, taking rounds seven and eight (winning round eight by a huge margin). Then, in the final round, Kobayashi drops Hong with a short, clean hook, doing enough damage to seal the win (97-92, 96-93, 97-92 on the judges’ cards).

Sergio Palma (3) UD 10 Dong-Kyun Yum

Early edge to Palma, the slicker boxer of the two. Score is 48-47 at the midway point, according to the unofficial scorer. Near the end of round seven, Yum drops Palma with a solid hook, and only the bell manages to save Palma. Then, in the final round, with Yum pressing forward to pull off the upset, he gets careless and Palma rips a combination that puts the Korean down, with Yum taking a four-count before arising. The 10-8 final round is sufficient to enable Palma to secure the UD win (95-93 on all three cards).

Mayhar Monshipour (10) UD 10 Willie Jorrin

Both men throw some heavy leather in the opening rounds, and by the end of four, there is noticeable swelling under the right eye of Jorrin, and a round later similar swelling appears under the right eye of Monshipour. Monshipour holds a slight edge (49-47 on the unofficial card) at the midway point, and he hangs on for a MD 10 win after both men tire down the stretch (97-95, 95-95, 97-94 on the final scorecards).

Mike Ayala (8) SD 10 Ricardo Cordova

Action is slow to develop, and Ayala manages to hold a narrow edge (49-47) on the unofficial scorecard at the midway point. Cordova stages a rally in the next three rounds, and by the end of round eye, there is swelling under the left eye of Ayala. Ayala responds with a big shot in round nine, putting his opponent on the deck to take a crucial 10-8 round. The late KD influences the judges, two of whom have Ayala as the winner (by scores of 95-94 and 97-95) but a third has it for Cordova (95-94).

Celestino Caballero KO 8 Ricardo Cardona (15)

Caballero manages to score well, holding an edge in rounds three and four, although Cardona held a punches landed advantage at the halfway point. Caballero becomes more aggressive and more impactful in the later rounds, putting Cardona down with a combination late in round seven. Then, in round eight, Caballero connects with another big shot that puts his opponent down and out.

Jeff Fenech (2) TKO 5 Jesse Benavides

One-sided affair, all in Fenech’s favor. After three rounds, Benavides is hampered by a rapidly swelling right eye. Then, in round four, Fenech connects with a big shot. Benavides hits the deck, arising at the count of four. The bout lasts just one more round, after Benavides is cut over his right eye and has little left as Fenech dominates the action until the ref steps in to call a halt.

One rematch (Johnson vs Linares) will take place before moving into the round of 16.

[JCWeb]

One replay from the prior round.

Arthur Johnson (6) UD 10 Jorge Linares

Close bout through the early rounds, with Linares holding a narrow lead (48-47) on the unofficial card at the midway point. Johnson then came to life, flooring Linares with a hard shot near the end of round seven, then following with two more KDs in round nine, en route to a UD 10 win (96-93, 95-94, 97-93) to advance.

Only a couple of slight adjustments to the draw, as the eight remaining high seeds (including Johnson) made it to the final 16.

Round of 16 Pairings (12-round Bouts):

Wilfredo Gomez (1) vs Jorge Julio
Jamie Garza (9) vs Mayhar Monshipour (10)
Oscar Larios (4) vs Wethya Sakmuangkiang
Arthur Johnson (6) vs Julio Gamboa
Victor Callejas (7) vs Kojo Ishii
Sergio Palma (3) vs Royal Kobayashi
Mike Ayala (8) vs Juan Guzman (12)
Jeff Fenech (2) vs Celestino Caballero

[JCWeb]

Wilfredo Gomez (1) KO 8 Jorge Julio

Excellent start for the heavily favored Gomez, who delivers an uppercut to the head that causes Julio to hit the canvas. Julio arises at the count of five, but ends the round with a cut under his right eye. By the midway point, Gomez has a wide lead (60-53 on the unofficial card) and Julio is also suffering from some swelling around his cut eye. A barrage of blows from Gomez ends it a few rounds later as Julio is unable to beat the count.

Mayhar Monshipour (10) KO 11 Jaime Garza (9)

Garza struggles with his timing, while the surprising French fighter, Monshipour, gets off to an early points lead. By round five, there is telltale swelling under the right eye of Garza. Garza, frustrated, goes on the attack, and Monshipour does show signs of swelling around his right eye by the end of round eight, but otherwise he avoids any serious damage. In fact, it is Garza who goes down from a wicked cross to the head and cannot beat the count. Surprisingly strong showing from Monshipour.

Oscar Larios (4) UD 12 Wethya Sakmuangkiang

Larios dominates the bout from the outset, causing some swelling to appear under the left eye of the Thai fighter by the midway point of the bout, at which time the unofficial ringside observer had Larios up by two (58-56). In round 10, Larios was slowed when a cut opened up over his right eye, but a round later Sakmuangkiang began showing signs of swelling around his other eye as the Thai was really taking a beating. Fairly comfortable points win (116-112, 118-110, 117-111) for the #3 seed, who looked sharp throughout.

Arthur Johnson (6) UD 12 Julio Gamboa

“Flash” Johnson versus “Gambito” in this one. Gamboa was able to set the pace and maintain a slight edge for the first three rounds. The lead was erased in round six after Johnson connected by a combination, causing a delayed reaction as Gamboa crumpled to the canvas. He recovered and arose at the count of three, but the damage was done. The momentum shifted toward Johnson, who maintained control the rest of the way. Judges favored Johnson (116-111 on two cards, 114-113 on a third) as the favored Amercan fighter advances.

[JCWeb]

Victor Callejas (7) TKO 4 Kojo Ishii

Good start from Callejas, who keeps Ishii off balance in the opening rounds. Then, in round four, Callejas goes on the attack, scoring three KDs with a big shot and a couple of hooks. The three-knockdown rule is in effect, so it is an automatic TKO win for Callejas.

Sergio Palma (3) UD 12 Royal Kobayashi

Workman-like performance from Palma, who looks sharp early and then builds on that momentum. By the end of round three, Kobayashi is showing the effects, with a rapidly swelling right eye. The swelling worsens as the bout continues, and Kobayashi lacks the firepower to seriously threaten the #3 seed. Palma takes the decision (scorecounts are 117-111, 117-112, 117-112).

Juan Guzman (12) DQ 1 Mike Ayala (8)

Shocking result as Ayala, after landing a hard hook, is called for a blatant low blow and disqualified. Despite protests from Ayala’s corner, the result stands. Ayala still has the FW tournament to look forward to.

Jeff Fenech (2) UD 12 Celestino Caballero

Good start from the heavily favored Fenech, who survives a cut over his right eye in round six en route to a rather lackluster UD win (scores were 117-113, 117-113, 116-114, all in Fenech’s favor). Fenech might have to step up his game when facing more difficult opposition in the remaining rounds.

[JCWeb]

Ayala's surprising early exit required a slight re-jiggering of the draw for the quarterfinals. The top four seeds are all still there, however.

Wilfredo Gomez (1) vs Juan Guzman (12)
Oscar Larios (4) vs Arthur Johnson (6)
Sergio Palma (3) vs Victor Callejas (7)
Jeff Fenech (2) vs Mayhar Monshipour (10)

No unseeded guys left, so should be some competitive bouts from here on out.

[dales]

Looks like a fun game but where's Rigondeaux?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JCWeb]

Originally Posted by dales

Looks like a fun game but where's Rigondeaux?

As noted previously in this thread, I am going with the fighters in the given database which is already a few years old, and therefore Rigondeaux is not included.

[JCWeb]

Wilfredo Gomez (1) KO 7 Juan Guzman (12)

Top seed Gomez wasted little time asserting control in this one, flooring Guzman with a short, clean cross in the opening round. Guzman arose after taking an eight-count and covered up to last the round. A second KD followed early in round three, then the end came in the seventh after Gomez unleashed a devastating hook to the head to put Guzman down for the count.

Oscar Larios (4) UD 12 Arthur Johnson (6)

By the end of round two, Larios’ punches were having an effect, as a mouse formed under the left eye of Johnson. Huge punches landed edge for Larios translated into a points lead (58-56 on the unofficial card) at the bout’s midway point. In round 11, Larios dropped an exhausted Johnson for a five-count. Johnson managed to last the distance, but Larios was clearly superior in this bout. UD 12 to Larios (scores of 115-110, 115-111, 114-111).

Sergio Palma (3) UD 12 Victor Callejas (7)

Solid start from Palma, the better boxer who wisely kept his distance from the hard-hitting Callejas. By the end of round three, there was noticeable swelling around the left eye of Callejas. Then, in the eighth round, a Palma uppercut sent Callejas to the canvas for a seven-count. The bout concluded with a convincing UD 12 win for Palma (116-111, 117-110, 116-111).

Jeff Fenech (2) TKO 7 Mayhar Monshipour (10)

#2 seed Fenech struggled in the early going, suffering a split lip in round two and then a cut over the right eye in round four. Then, in round six, Monshipour delivered a huge shot that sent the Aussie to the canvas. Fenech arose at the count of six and covered up to last the round. At the midway point, things looked bleak for Fenech, bleeding from the cuts and also behind (by an unofficial count of 58-55) on the scorecard. But he battled back in the very next round, flooring Monshipour three times, first with an uppercut, then with another uppercut, and finally a short, clean uppercut that resulted in a an automatic TKO, coming from behind and off the deck in the prior round for a dramatic win.

Top four seeds survive, so the semifinal pairings are as follows.

Semifinal Round Pairings (15-round bouts):

Gomez (1) vs Larios (4)
Fenech (2) vs Palma (3)

[JCWeb]

Semifinal #1 – Wilfredo Gomez (1) vs Oscar Larios (4)
Round-by-Round

Round 1: Gomez digs a left to the body, then lands a three-punch combo. Larios shoots home a straight right. After a lull, Gomez resumes the attack, winging a big left and then landing a big uppercut to take the round.
Round 2: Larios is warned for holding and hitting. He scores with a cross. Gomez responds, landing a cross of his own. Gomez steps back and lands a big hook that staggers Larios. Uppercut scores for Gomez. Another cross from Gomez, and Larios is in trouble. Big round for Wilfredo Gomez.
Round 3: Gomez traps Larios in a neutral corner but cannot take advantage as Larios bobs and weaves his way out of danger. A hard cross from Larios, and Gomez is staggered. Larios’ round.
Round 4: Larios is wild with a hook. Larios moves inside, where Gomez catches him with an uppercut. A straight right from Gomez connects solidly. More trouble for Larios later in the round when Gomez lands a big right then follows with another uppercut. The bell sounds after another big round for Gomez.
Round 5: Larios continues to press his luck by moving inside. Gomez responds by landing an uppercut. Larios hammers a left hook to the body. Gomez lands a right. Another lull, then Gomez uses the jab to set up a four-punch combination. Larios gets in a few more shots, but it is Gomez’s round. He leads by 49-46 on the unofficial card at this point.
Round 6: Larios lands a devastating hook, and Gomez appears to be hurt. Gomez doubles up on the jab, Larios shoots a jab in reply. Larios digs a short hook to the midsection. Gomez lands a cross. Warning issued to Gomez for holding and hitting. Gomez lands a three-punch combo, and he does enough to take the round with a good showing in the final minute.
Round 7: Larios flicks the jab. After some clinching, Larios breaks free and lands an uppercut. Gomez connects with a short, clean uppercut. Larios lands a jab, then follows with a big hook. No response from Gomez, good round for Larios.
Round 8: A straight right from Larios finds its target. A brief lull, then Gomez lands a sharp combination. Gomez follows with a stinging left, followed by an uppercut. Gomez drops Larios with a short combination, but Larios is saved by the bell.
Round 9: Larios begins to tire. Gomez on target with a cross. Larios lands a combination, then Gomez’s response is blocked. Hook scores for Larios. Larios’ round, as the knockdown from the prior round appears to have had little impact.
Round 10: Gomez scores with an uppercut. More clinching. Gomez lands a big cross. Larios scores with a hook, then Gomez responds with a solid hook that appears to hurt Larios. Gomez’s round, and there is noticeable swelling under the left eye of Larios as he returns to his corner. Big points edge for Gomez (97-92 on the unofficial card) at this point.
Round 11: Gomez once again warned for holding and hitting. Gomez hammers two hard body shots. Another lull, Larios fires and misses, then Gomez lands a hook to the head. Another round for Gomez.
Round 12: Gomez flicks the jab. Another lull. Gomez works the jab. The condition of Larios’ eye worsens. Gomez lands a big shot, and Larios tumbles to the canvas. This time, there is no saving by the bell, and he is counted out.

Wilfredo Gomez defeats Oscar Larios via a KO 12 (at 2:20 of the round)