Last night’s ESPN2 production, at best an insulting minor league laugher - but far from funny - even for the Laredo, Texas rodeo fans in attendance. 

Let’s start with a quiz; “ What do you get when you top the card with an unbeaten Juan Carlos Burgos @ 23-0, 16 KOs versus a Juan Carlos Martinez that enters with a stained resumé of 15-11-1, 5 KOs?” 

Tough call, right? Ok, toss in that Martinez also took the fight on a week notice - and did I fail to mention he couldn’t make weight - seems he began the training at 150 for the featherweight challenge that carried a 126 lb limit? 

Martinez's best numbers on the scales were 129 lbs. - still, the fight went on, and surprisingly, it came close to making it through the scheduled twelve stanzas. 

Come numero twelve it’s Martinez showing fatigue - and Burgos sensed a kill, that would come at 1:07 of the stanza - Martinez is down,  but manages to get to his feet - then is totally out of it when Burgos follows with a barrage that closes with a right-left-right combo.  

Closing comments: Burgos (24-0, 17 KO) - age 22 with good height at 5’ 9" - also  decent punching power from both sides. But maybe not quite as good as the rap sheet implies, since it took him into stanza twelve to finally get the job done after dominating over the first eleven rounds. This neutral observer says not to bet the  rent money once Burgos steps up in talent, that across the board glitters with names such as Chris John, Israel Vazquez, Luevano, Rojas. Still a baby at 22 with room to grow in skills department.
                              Martinez (15-11-1, 5 KO) - age 28 - the win-loss-5 KOs shout “the rest of the story.” The single plus is a big heart and solid chin - problem last noche was one week to go on crash diet from 150 to 129. Bad idea.

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Scheduled semi - final  jr. middleweight quickie pitted touted Olympian southpaw Demetrius Andrade in with not a chance Bernardo Guereca of 15-10-1, 3 KOs infamy.

 

Andrade goes to 9-0, 7 KOs - when answering the opening bell with knockout on the mind. Got it at 1:18 mark of the opening round. Only a kid at age 21 with  size and good technique from the port side. Could graduate to real deal if moved quietly. The middleweight field has always been loaded with vipers.

 

Bernardo  Guereca, 15-10-1, 3 KOs,  at age 36 never had a prayer - and the collective brainless trust, Texas commission, and ESPN should all say ten Hail Mary’s for its penance.
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A televised super featherweight filler fitted in nicely with Yaundale Evans continuing on the undefeated roll as he went to 5-0, 3 KOs  over a tough and game but very limited Gino Escamilla who dropped to ugly job application of  5-7-1 KO.

 

Evans at age 20, had himself a "gimme" in Escamilla who hit the canvas in stanzas one and two - but managed to make it to the finish line in a losing six round battering.

 

Post Scripts:  Yaundale Evans - age twenty - too early to see the future - had the other guy down in opening two stanzas while displaying quickness - but was forced to go the distance.
                     Gino Escamilla - age 24 - is the good news - also tons of heart - bad news is he has now lost last seven outings.

 

 

GEL  -