Region 11 Alumni Perez, Morales on TV Tonight

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

Morales (right) is starting to make the boxing world take notice.

SAN CARLOS – Roman Morales has scored impressive wins on national television three times in his last five fights, but he barely registered a double-take when he walked by the regulars at the Undisputed Gym a few months ago.

That’s alright, the 21-year-old junior featherweight uttered to himself.  In fact, Morales has used the anonymity to his advantage, and aims to ambush Jesus Antonio Hernandez Friday night on ESPN2 (6 p.m.).

Morales (14-0, 7 KOs) has embraced his current lack of celebrity, perhaps indicative of his beginnings in the sleepy town of San Ardo, located south of Monterey.  Renowned for its massive oil field, we’re talking about a place so obscure that one has to hit the zoom button several times on Google Maps to find it.

While he hasn’t gotten the general boxing public to notice him just yet, however, Morales’s opponents are usually left with a stinging remembrance of their acquaintance with him in their respective midsections.  You see, Roman “The Ribcracker” is a bona fide body puncher.

Along the way to his 14 wins, Morales has punished several foes downstairs, including the formerly undefeated Jonathan Arrellano, who was forced to consume a steady diet of crippling left hooks that careened like missiles and pummeled his kidneys last September.

Hernandez (10-0-3, 2 KOs), from Los Mochis, Mex., can attribute his perfect ledger to his ability to keep foes at bay with his boxing skills, but more so to expert matchmaking.  Aside from two draws with former amateur standout Aaron Garcia, Hernandez does not hold a single win over a fighter with a winning record.

Still, Morales can’t afford to cruise to victory on Friday.  With another national audience tuning in, if he wants people to start recognizing him, he’s going to have to win and win big—style points compulsory.

PEREZ READY FOR WAR WITH UNBEATEN ARMENIAN

North Salinas junior lightweight Alejandro “El Alacrán” Perez will finally come back from a year-long layoff Friday night when he encounters unbeaten Armenian prospect Art Hovhannisyan in Southern California.  The 130-pound clash will occur at the Morongo Casino in Cabazon and air on Showtime’s “ShoBox” series (11 p.m. PT).

The 26-year-old Perez (16-3-1, 11 KOs) is a compact puncher who displayed his walloping might two years ago in Fairfield when he shockingly flattened Antonio Escalante in the first round.  That win earned him a regional title shot at undefeated Diego Magdaleno, who Perez also floored in the first frame but ultimately lost a decision.

Since the Magdaleno defeat, Perez has only fought once, an eight-round demolition of Derrick Wilson in February of last year where “El Alacrán (The Scorpion)” put his foe down four times en route to the stoppage.

Perez has his work cut for him against the 31-year-old Hovhannisyan (15-0-2, 8 KOs), who can be just as aggressive and will try to capitalize on a split decision win over former world titleholder Miguel Acosta last July. 

The “ShoBox” series has brought the sport some magnificent wars, including last year’s NorCal Fight of the Year candidate between Sacramento’s Guy Robb and Joel Diaz Jr.  This matchup has that type of combustible potential.

OLYMPIAN RAMIREZ INKS NIKE DEAL, BOUT POSTPONED

Avenal lightweight Jose Ramirez (1-0, 1 KO), who represented Region 11 in the 2012 London Olympics, has signed an endorsement deal with Nike.

The past 24 months have seen the 20-year-old go from Starbucks barista and Fresno State student to U.S. Olympian, and now, a Top Rank-promoted professional pugilist with a major apparel contract before his second fight.

Ramirez will wear the swoosh on his shoes and have a clothing line adorned with his own logo, as the company takes another step toward increasing the stable of fighters in their boxing division. 

In recent years, Nike has signed Manny Pacquiao, Timothy Bradley, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza, who now trains in San Carlos.  Oakland’s Andre Ward is affiliated with Jordan Brand, a Nike subsidiary.

Ramirez’s next bout was supposed to take place Saturday night against Charlie Dubray (0-1) at Culver City’s GMT Studios, but injured his thumb in sparring and will instead fight on the undercard of the Mar. 30 Brandon Rios-Mike Alvarado rematch at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

AMATEURS: NORCAL GOLDEN GLOVES HIT VACAVILLE

Despite rumors that the Northern California Golden Gloves would not occur this year, the tournament are going on as planned from Feb. 20-23 at the Georgie Duke Center in Vacaville. 

According to USA Boxing NorCal president Ben Bautista, most of the region’s top amateurs were expected to compete; the winners in each weight class will advance to the Region 11 Golden Gloves finals against their Central California counterparts. 

Here’s the list of Open Division CenCal champs courtesy of CCA Chief of Officials Andy Murrietta:

OPEN DIVISION:
108 lbs.: Conrad Rendon (Aleman B.C., Fresno)
114 lbs.: Victor Torrez (Modesto PAL)
123 lbs.: Efren Lopez (Main Event B.C., Fresno)
132 lbs.: Christopher Cruz (S.E. Fresno B.C.)
141 lbs.: Moises Maciel (Fresno PAL)
152 lbs.: Omar Medrano (Northside B.C., Visalia) vs. Neeco Macias (Unattached, Tehachapi)*
165 lbs.: Quilistro Madera (Main Event B.C., Fresno)
178 lbs.: Armando Gomez (Felipe’s B.C., Lathrop)
201 lbs.: None
201+ lbs.: Jose Luis Medrano (Northside B.C., Visalia)

*winner to be determined Saturday 

For more information on the NorCal Golden Gloves, check out usaboxingca.org.

CSN Bay Area Boxing Insider Ryan Maquiñana is a voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and panelist for Ring Magazine’s Ratings Board.  E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at Norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.