LAS VEGAS --- Mexican champion Hugo Cazares knocked down Wilfrido Perez three times in a bit over three minutes, scoring a second-round TKO to retain his WBO light flyweight title in the main event of Golden Boy Promotions’ traditional Cuatro de Mayo card at the MGM Grand Convention Center Friday night.

Trumpeted into the ring by what was presumably the same mariachi band that will introduce Oscar De La Hoya on Saturday, Cazares wasted no time, decking Perez with what was almost the first serious punch he threw – a sneaky overhand right that came crashing down on the top of the surprised Colombian’s head.

Perez got up from that one, but then late in the round Cazares floored him again, this time with a left-right combination. Perez struggled to his feet with half a minute to go, but managed to survive the round.

Then, early in the second, the minimosca titleist lashed out with another right-hand lead, one that crunched the side of Perez’ face and sent him straight to the floor. Referee Joe Cortez didn’t bother to count, waving the bout off at 25 seconds of the round.

Cazares (25-3-1) said he wasn’t surprised by the brevity of his evening’s work.

“I came very well prepared, and you saw the result,” he said through an interpreter.

Perez – incredibly, considering that he had down three times – claimed he had gotten a quick hook from Cortez.

“I don’t know why he stopped it,” said Perez, now 23-2-1. “I took the shots.”

Moments after the title bout, Ivan Calderon, the WBO 105-pound champion, leapt into the ring to challenge Cazares, and Cazares said he would oblige him. That bout could occur this summer in Puerto Rico.

The co-featured bout on the Telefutura telecast saw Los Angeles welterweight Francisco Bojado (17-3) win a unanimous decision over Dairo Esalas (30-8). Bojado was  able to wobble Esalas on several occasions with big left hooks and occasional right-hand leads, but the only knockdown of the bout was scored by referee Toby Gibson in the first round, when he threw Esalas to the floor in an overenthusiastic attempt to separate the boxers in order to deduct a point (for low blows) from Esales.

Gibson, who had already cautioned and then warned Esalas for what appeared to be borderline beltline shots, took another point from the opponent in the third, erasing Esales’ margin in what may have been his best round.

“I feel satisfied,” said Panchito, who said that he had hurt his right hand in the third when he landed a punch to Esales’ head.

Bojado appeared to weary a bit down the stretch, but claimed afterward that he hadn’t been tired.

All three judges – Dalby Shirley (98-90), Al Lefkowitz (97-91) and Paul Smith (96-92) had Bojado handily ahead. The Boxingtalk scorecard agreed with Shirley’s.

The other televised bout on the card saw Dominican Euri Gonzalez draw with Mexico’s Gabriel Martinez in a matchup of unbeaten welterweights. Gonzalez appeared to land the harder punches, and the game Martinez (14-1) finished the fight with blood pouring from a cut above his left eye, but the judges split three ways in returning their scorecards. Lefkowitz had it 58-56 for Gonzalez, while Ricardo Ocasio favored Martinez by the same score and Smith had it 57-57. It was on balance a just verdict in a fight neither man deserved to lose. (Both are now 14-0-1.)

Undefeated Argentine junior welter Lucas Matthysse registered his 16th knockout in 17 pro bouts when he stretched Dominican Ramon Duran (14-2) in the first round of their scheduled 8-rounder. Mathysse put Duran down with a pair of chopping rights, and the opponent was still floundering in an attempt to rise when referee Russell Mora reached the count of ten.

In the walk-out bout, Philadelphia welterweight Mike Jones remained unbeaten at 8-0 with a first-round TKO of Texan Gilbert Guevara (5-2-1). Jones decked Guevara with a solid right hand midway through the round, and when he put him down again, this time with a left to the midsection, Gibson waved it off without a count at 2:46 of the round.


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MGM PAVILION
LAS VEGAS
May 4, 2007

LIGHT FLYWEIGHTS: Hugo Cazares, 108, Los Mochis, Mexico TKO’d Wilfrido Perez, 108, Cartagena, Colombia (2) (Retains WBO title)

WELTERWEIGHTS: Francisco Bojado, 143, Los Angeles, Calif. dec. Dairo Esalas, 141, Brea, Calif. (10)

Euri Gonzalez, 147, Santo Domingo, D.R. drew with Gabriel Martinez, 148, Empalme, Mexico (6)

Mike Jones, 146, Philadelphia, Pa. TKO’d Gilbert Guevara, 147, Houston, Tex. (1)

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS:
Lucas Matthysee, 139, Buenos Aires, Argentina KO’d Ramon Duran, 140, Constanza, D.R. (1)

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