Junior World Team Open: Ochoa Tops Serna, Martinez Bests Rodriguez in Quarters

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

Ochoa made the biggest splash of the day by outpointing Serna. (Aleman Boxing)

Isidro Ochoa of Fresno PAL captured a 15-7 decision over Dominic Serna of Indio to advance to the 119-pound bantamweight semifinals at the Junior World Team Open in Reno's Grand Sierra Resort.

Overall, Region 11 went 2-1 Wednesday night, with Fresno Main Event's Bryan Lua falling to New Jersey's Shakur Stevenson 17-11 in a 114-pound flyweight quarterfinal; Xavier Martinez of Golden State Bloodhounds in Sacramento defeated Texas's Gonzalo Rodriguez 22-18 in a 125-pound featherweight quarterfinal.

Special thanks to Robert Fernandez for keeping Norcalboxing.net updated on the action.  He currently trains Suray Mahmutovic, who competes in a 176-pound light heavyweight semifinal on Thursday against Nevada's Mario Hernandez.

Here's the current schedule of Region 11 amateurs competing in the single-elimination tournament.  No less than six locals will fight on Thursday night:

TUESDAY, JAN. 8, 2013
106 lbs. quarterfinals: Izaiah Bautista (Champ Nation, Oakland) def. Kevin Montano (Concord CYC), 14-14 (advanced via punches counted tiebreaker, 41-39)
119 lbs. round of 16: Isidro Ochoa (Fresno PAL) def. Troy Isley (Virginia), 11-8

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 9, 2013
114 lbs. quarterfinals: Shakur Stevenson (New Jersey) def. Bryan Lua (Main Event, Fresno), 17-11
119 lbs. quarterfinals: Isidro Ochoa (Fresno PAL) def. Dominic Serna (Indio), 15-7
125 lbs. quarterfinals: Xavier Martinez (Golden State Bloodhounds, Sacramento) def. Gonzalo Rodriguez (Texas), 22-18

THURSDAY, JAN. 10, 2013
106 lbs. semifinals: Izaiah Bautista (Champ Nation, Oakland) vs. Freudis Rojas (Nevada)
110 lbs. semifinals: Joseph Cuellar (Tulare A.C.) vs. Neketa Arabiy (New York)
110 lbs. semifinals: Evan Sanchez (Parlier B.C.) vs. Timothy Longoria (Texas)
119 lbs. semifinals: Isidro Ochoa (Fresno PAL) vs. Brandon Vega (Ohio)
125 lbs. semifinals: Xavier Martinez (Golden State Bloodhounds, Sacramento) vs. Michael Nelson (Ohio)
176 lbs. semifinals: Suray Mahmutovic (415 B.C., San Francisco) vs. Mario Hernandez (Nevada)

FRIDAY, JAN. 11, 2013
138 lbs. finals: Brandon Trejo (Napa SAL) vs. TBD

Ryan Maquiñana was the boxing producer for NBCOlympics.com during London 2012 and writes a weekly column for CSNBayArea.com.  He is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Ratings Panel for Ring Magazine. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at Norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.