Brutal Knockouts, Rising Prospects, and a Wild Night at Fantasy Springs
If you were at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino last night, you got your money’s worth. Manuel “Gucci Manny” Flores (20-1, 16 KOs) came to put on a show, and Jorge “Zurdo” Leyva (18-4, 13 KOs) found out the hard way that Coachella’s own doesn’t play games in his backyard.
Scheduled for 10 rounds of bantamweight action, this one didn’t even make it past four.
Flores set the tone immediately, sitting down on his punches and attacking Leyva’s body like he owed him money. The first knockdown came in the third round, and by the fourth, it was all over. Another knockdown. Another referee waving it off.
Official stoppage? :55 of the fourth round. Leyva never stood a chance.
Flores soaked in the moment in front of his hometown fans.
“I feel good. I feel amazing. It’s just a blessing to showcase my skills in front of my hometown, it’s just a blessing,” said Flores. “What I believe is next for me is to face someone in the top ranks, maybe within the top 10. I want to get myself within the rankings and work our way to a belt.”
And if this is how he’s looking against solid opposition? The division better take notice.
Grant Flores Obliterates LaQuan Evans in Two
Not to be outdone, Coachella’s own Grant Flores (9-0, 7 KOs) made an absolute mess of Philadelphia’s LaQuan Evans (5-4, 2 KOs).
Scheduled for six rounds of welterweight action, but, let’s be honest, Evans was never making it that far.
Flores came out swinging, overwhelmed Evans with nonstop pressure, and the referee did the right thing at 1:18 of round two by saving the Philly fighter from further embarrassment.
Another Coachella fighter. Another vicious stoppage. The fans were loving it.
Ruslan Abdullaev Debuts in Style, Flattens Alvarado in Two
Newly signed Golden Boy Olympian Ruslan Abdullaev (1-0, 1 KO) made his debut, and Jose Alvarado (3-20-1, 2 KOs) found out real quick that he was just a stepping stone.
A four-round welterweight bout? Nah. Try two rounds and a one-way ticket to dreamland.
Abdullaev delivered a disgusting body shot at 2:33 of round two, leaving Alvarado writhing in pain on the mat. He wasn’t getting up. He wasn’t even thinking about it.
Welcome to the pros, Ruslan. Keep punching like that, and they’ll never forget you.
Federico Pacheco Bulldozes Cazares in Six
Heavyweights love to punch, and Federico Pacheco (8-0, 6 KOs) proved that Arnulfo Cazares (2-5, 2 KOs) was built for survival but not for victory.
Pacheco battered Cazares with relentless shots, and even though Cazares took them like a champ, the ref finally had enough at 1:46 of round six.
Eight fights. Eight wins. Six knockouts. Yeah, this guy is a problem.
Johnny “Sugarcane” Cañas Takes Jesus Perez to School
Opening the DAZN broadcast, Johnny “Sugarcane” Cañas (7-0, 2 KOs) put on a six-round boxing clinic against Sinaloa’s Jesus Perez (14-20-1, 8 KOs).
Perez tried to make things dirty, but Cañas wasn’t having it. The only hiccup? A warning for low blows midway through the fight. Other than that, it was a complete shutout.
Final scorecards? 60-54 across the board. A clean sweep.
Enkhmandakh Kharkhuu Stays Undefeated in War with Mario Hernandez
Mongolian warrior Enkhmandakh Kharkhuu (6-0, 2 KOs) had to work for this one. Santa Ana’s Mario Hernandez (12-6-1, 4 KOs) wasn’t here to roll over.
This was an all-out scrap that had the crowd on their feet, but when the dust settled, Kharkhuu walked away with a majority decision win.
Final scores? 57-57, 59-55, 59-55.
Final Takeaway: Coachella Fighters Brought the Heat
If you were backing the Coachella boys, this was a perfect night.
- Manuel Flores smoked Leyva.
- Grant Flores obliterated Evans.
- Ruslan Abdullaev landed the most disrespectful body shot of the night.
- Federico Pacheco pounded his opponent into submission.
- Cañas and Kharkhuu kept their records clean.
