Koreano Torres Delivers on PROBOX Card
PROBOX gave us another exciting Wednesday night of solid prospects that were competitively matched, and again PROBOX TV'S "Wednesday Night Fights" delivered.
In the main event, two local products from Sonora, Mexico, produced a 10-round thrilled. 21-year-old "Koreano" Luis Torres survived the toughest challenge of his young and promising career against Misael Cabrera. "Koreano" took a quiet first round based on his jab despite no one landing much of anything else. However, it was evident "Koreano" a southpaw, had a massive speed advantage. He was first with the jab, and Cabrera would try to react and counter. Cabrera looked uncomfortable early on but landed his best shot late in the second round. However, it just served to wake Torres up. Moments later, a left hand put Cabrera on the canvas. Torres put together a nice quick flurry just before the bell sounded to end the second. Torres snapped Cabrera’s head back with a straight left moment into the 3rd and looked in complete control. However, Cabrera started to rally in the middle rounds. Working aggressively, getting onto the inside, and outworking Torres. He was able to take away the speed advantage as the pace started to slow. On top of that, Cabrera got a rest as the tape on his gloves continually came undone. The fight seemed to be evening up going into the eighth. "Koreano" came out super aggressive to start the round, rocking his opponent with the left hand, and pinning him against the ropes. Torres unleashed a five-punch combination and seemed to take control of the fight again, after a dominant eighth round. The ninth started as the eighth ended with Torres snapping his opponets head back. Cabrera seemed to be faded but put together a rally very late in the 9th, scoring with a left hook and right hand late in the round to even things out. Fatigue was clearly kicked in, on both fighters in the last round, which took place in a phone booth, with Cabrera clearly getting the best of it. A right hand snapped his head back, and then a left hook staggered Torres, who momentarily looked to be in trouble. Cabrera poured in another right hand. However, it was too little, too late, as the judges favored the earlier work from Torres by scores of 96-93x2 and a much too wide 98-91, all in favor of Torres, who moved his record to 18-0 (10).
In the evening's co-main Mario Valenzuela pulled a minor upset over unbeaten Alez Fuentes. Both fighters had a difficult path to get to this stage, but tonight it was Valenzuela who was in complete control. A long rangy fighter seemed to be in control. Using just his jab and swift foot movement. Fuentes, the shorter fighter, was not working behind a jab and was loading up on one big shot after another that rarely found its mark. Valenzuela continued to control his shorter opponent with just his jab doubling and tripling on it beautifully. Fuentes tried to pick up the pace late, but still was not working behind the jab, and his long power shots, continued to fall short, as the aggression ultimately wasn't very effective. Fuentes was unable to change the direction of the fight as Valenzuela rolled to a wide, lopsided, unanimous decision victory.
In the card's opening bout, touted prospect Oscar Alvarez moved his record to 9-0 (7) in a tougher-than-anticipated scrap with Diego Lopez. Alvarez a tall and rangy, 19-year-old, worked behind the jab but was getting tagged a lot. Lopez worked his way in and scored on the inside with thudding power shots. He just wasn't busy enough. Alvarez landed clean and flashier shots from long range. When it was all said and done two of the three judges favored Alvarez by scores of 78-74,and 77-75, and the third handed in an even 76-76 card.
