Versus channel closed its month of August with mixed bag of entertainment - ring action saw the Miguel Angel Huerta stock rise in a NABF title winning rout of game veteran Efren Hinojosa, and youngster Victor Ortiz stopping Emmanuel Clottey in closing seconds of final round.

Entertainment of a whole different kind was provided by (Houston) house hacks in charge of the action, Laurence the connected Cole in the main event, and a faceless incompetent Ronnie Ralston in the co-feature.

Toss in Versus commentators Bob Papa and Wally Mathews and they had, for better or worse, all bases covered.

On that note, let the games begin. Show opens with young and once beaten Victor Ortiz (18-1, 13 KOs) paired with aging Emmanuel Clottey ( 24-7,14 KOs) in a scheduled ten round co-feature.

Ortiz at age 20, and working from the port side, showed good technique from the start, while Clottey, on the wrong side of the slope at age 33, opting to finish on his feet - not to be.

Was all Ortiz from opening bell but wasn’t  until stanza six before showing the power that had the kid sporting 13 stoppages in them 18 wins - gets the Clottey attention in both six and seven with hurting power punches to head and body.

Enter house "dick" Ralston come candle eight  - with Ortiz tossing a proverbial shutout, the fraud in charge debits Clottey a point for holding - then, same round a second point deduction - I mean, what’s the point?

Stanza nine sees Clottey trying to survive - then round ten and Clottey down late  from right hand, and again, left hand with seconds to go - no sooner hits the canvas when the Ralston fool waves it off - TKO at 2:59.

¿Por que? I ask …  Unless the guy left home without his miracle ear, had to be aware the time of second knockdown was inside 10-seconds mark - an 8-count, plus cleaning the gloves would have saved Clottey a knockout loss.

Post scripts: Victor Ortiz (19-1, 14 KO) ~ age 20 - no snap judgment intended, but kid has time to grow. No need to rush into deep end of the lightweight pool where the piranha play. A prospect - but not as yet contender.
                       Emmanuel Clottey (24-8, 14KO) ~ age 33 - it’s no longer there - this one clearly showed brain messages arrive via pony express at best. Time to call it a career.
                      Referee Ralston - don’t call us, we’ll call you.
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The Huerta-Hinojosa duel for the NABF lightweight strap - other than age difference -  on paper looked interesting - Miguel Angel Huerta 24-8, 1 7 KOs and Efren Hinojosa 29-3-1, 17 KOs.

Then the opening bell - Huerta quickly on the offense while working from the orthodox style - good combinations see him grabbing the stanza.

Now stanza two and eye-catching double left hook and Hinojosa is down - a second Huerta flash variety drops Efren a second time -  somehow, daddy Richard’s favorite son Laurence waves this one off - then Cole  compounds the lunacy by ignoring a flagrant after the bell Hinojosa power right hand that wobbles Huerta.

Huerta continues in control, as he changes in style from port to starboard, while using the quicker hands to score body to head - and come round five a very game Hinojosa is not only behind in points but cut over the right eye.

Excellent corner work keeps the badly injured right orbit  bleeding to a minimum and it would go to the scorecards after 12 rounds of Huerta dominance - the tallies in agreement Huerta 120-106, 119-108, 118-112 -  my unofficial had it Huerta 119-108 and 11- 1 in rounds.

Closing comments: Huerta ( 25-8, 17KO) ~ age 29 - action fighter in style - finished product that works from both sides of the plate.  What you see is what you get, and what we have is quality club fight material. In style and substance an honest workman but short of what’s needed to be successful at next level.
                                  Hinojosa (29-4, 17KO) ~ age 35 the albatross -  courage visible as he battled through evil cut along with being dropped early on and still surviving to the finish line. Must be handled with care at this point.
                                 Referee Laurence Cole ~ debits  far outweigh the credits - misses flagrant Hinojosa right hand after bell ending stanza two without a whisper - in a era of "inadvertent" reprimands for assorted violations this severe felony flew under the radar. In a world of low blows getting 5-minutes RORs albeit well protected area, the after the bell bomb never got a simple you OK? Toss in the poor timing of inviting commission medic to check on cut eye and this guy has incompetence scribbled over him.
                                Versus Bob and Wally: What is it with these two anyway? Non-stop nonsensical chatter contest or what? Both interrupt one another mid-sentence time and again. Message to both is a simple reminder they are doing television and not radio - trust me, the viewer can see the action.
                                P.S.  Huertas entertaining - but not among top five lightweights as Bob and Wally shouted but rather, a WBC #12 rated going in.

GEL   -  

8-31-2007