LA Fight Club was back as lightweight Christian "Chimpa" Gonzalez (18-1, 15 KOs) returned to the ring with a hard fought decision over former world champion Gamaliel "El Plátano" Diaz (40-18-3, 19 KOs) of Mexico, Friday night at the Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles on the Boxeo Estelar on Estrella TV main event.
Gonzalez was back after suffering his first defeat early this year. It was a street fight in the early rounds as Diaz connected Gonzalez solidly on the inside. It got uglier for Gonzalez in the second round as a clash of heads due to fighting on the inside caused some swelling underneath the right eye. The fight continued inside but Chimpa mixed it up as Diaz pressed, referee Jack Reiss warned Diaz for holding.
Halfway through in the fifth Gonzalez pressed but the former world champion landed a solid uppercut. Moments later the referee warned Diaz for trash talking and ordering him around. Reiss told him to shut up and fight. Chimpa began to boxed and used the jab in the sixth later in the round Chimpa landed a low blow as Diaz began to slow down. Gonzalez was poised majority of the fight despite the obstacles that Diaz gave him. In the eighth and final round Reiss deducted a point from Diaz for a headbutt as Chimpa suffered a cut was cut and bleeding.
In the end the judges scored the bout 79-72, 79-72, and 76-75 all three in favor of Gonzalez as he rebounds with a win.
Featherweight prospect Edgar "Kid Neza" Valerio (12-0, 7 KOs) was impressive scoring a second round knockout over the experienced Martin Cardona (24-9, 16 KOs) in the co-feature bout. Valerio boxed from a distance as a jittery Cardona pressed but a short left hook inside by Valerio as he was up against the ropes dropped Cardona. The left hook found its mark once again as Valerio scored a second knockdown in the closing seconds of the opening round. However a huge overhand right in round two did as Cardona hit the canvas refeee Zachary Taylor waived 21 seconds into the second.
Opening up the Estrella TV telecast lightweight prospect Jousce "Tito" Gonzalez (6-0, 6 KOs) of Glendora, California scored a quick first round KO over Ciudad Juarez's Ricardo Fernandez (3-7-4). A right hand by Gonzalez sent Fernandez to the canvas as he got up but the continued to attack busting up the Mexican's nose as referee Jack Reiss stepped in to stop the contest at 2:10.
In the opening bout from the Belasco Theater Ferdinand Kerobyan (6-0, 3 KOs) of Armenia made quick work of Uriel Gonzalez (1-2-1, 1 KO) of Sonora, Mexico disposing him in the the opening round in a scheduled four round super welterweight bout. A crunching left hook to the body by Kerobyan dropped Gonzalez as the referee reached a ten count at 1:08.
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