The Telefutura Solo-Boxeo series dropped by Denver, Colorado for a club fight level card that saw undefeated local jr. welterweight Mike Alvarado remaining unblemished after a stanza four stoppage of Mexico’s Manuel Garnica who lost interest after three rounds of fistic futility.

With both answering the bugle call on the cautious side, the single bloodletting in stanza one resulted from an inadvertent meeting of the minds - Garnica comes out second best with a cut to the scalp - house medic gives the green light.

Now stanza two, and Alvarado on the offense - nothing pretty or special, but the crowd favorite proves the bigger puncher, and physically stronger than the age 33 Mexican who clearly arrived for the paycheck. 

Continues all Alvarado over round tres - then numero cuatro with Alvarado firing away with wild offerings from both sides and Garnica looking for an exit - a late round barrage takes the fight out of Garnica who finally drops to the canvas. 

Garnica appears to beat the count but looks shaky enough that it is called off by referee Curtis Thrasher at 2:17 mark. 

Post Scripts:

• Mike Alvarado (23-0, 16 KOs) ~ at age 28 pretty much where he’s at - promise is strictly minor league in skill and technique. The resume` glitters enough to get this kid in trouble once pushed up another rung. Advice is remain at friendly confines of Colorado country.

• Manuel Garnica (24-10, 12 KOs) ~ enters losing three of last six - lacks all the needed essentials to be competitive. Zero punching power, not a single combination - from opening bell this aging veteran had it in survival mode.

• Referee Curtis Thrasher ~ Have no clue how this incompetent got the main event assignment over co-feature referee Stephen Blea - maybe up at cowboy country they simply draw straws.

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Semi-final pitted lightweights Manny Perez (12-4, 2 KOs) wearing home team colors, in with undefeated Brandon Rios (18-0, 11 KOs) of Oxnard, CA.

So much for the rap sheets - this duel would go the full ten rounds of busy back and forth exchanges. The bigger in size Rios, the more celebrated puncher of the two, found the smaller Perez answering every incoming with short burst combos of his own. 

My unofficial had it all square at five rounds apiece and 95-95 under the tainted points system - the official numbers that count had it a majority draw with two judges scoring it 95-95 and one for Perez 96-94. 

Post Scripts:

• Manny Perez (12-4-1, 2 KOS) ~ age 24 - cheated at birth in power punch department - big heart and decent skills while looking to make it a battle in the trenches. Good chin kept him in the hunt with nice counter combos. Rest of story spelled club fighter.

• Brandon Rios (18-0-1, 11 KOS) ~ age 22 - young enough to upgrade the skills - made this one difficult by agreeing to wage war at close quarters. Smothered the size and power advantage. Tough enough chin, but in need of refresher course in skills department or the future is yesterday.

• Referee Stephen Blea: Clearly far superior than the Wizard that somehow grabbed the main event and then flew off on a broom in search of OZ.

 

GEL -