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Cesar Juarez drops Richard Pumicpic en route to decision win

Fighters Network
30
Oct

Cesar Juarez makes for fun fights, whether he faces some of the best fighters in boxing or those he is supposed to dominate.

Saturday night was no different.

The junior featherweight had to maneuver through some rough spots in defeating veteran Richard Pumicpic by unanimous decision at the Auditorio Municipal in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Juarez goes to 19-5 (14 knockouts), while Pumicpic drops to 18-8-2 (6 KOs).



Fight fans have come to know Juarez’s aggressive and awkward style in recent fights, a few in which he has pulled off upset victories. That was evident in his previous bout, on July 9, when he survived a knockdown to stop Albert Pagara, who entered the bout unbeaten.

Juarez also hit the canvas twice in his Dec. 11 bout against Nonito Donaire, but gave the popular Filipino-American all he could handle in losing by decision.

Pumicpic had won three fights in a row entering his fight with Juarez.

The 25-year-old Juarez was in control for most of the first half of the fight, utilizing his trademark come-forward style and throwing multiple combinations. That tactic worked as Pumicpic had to fight off his back foot and cover up more than he wanted. Pumicpic would counter with one punch at a time, whether it was a right uppercut or overhand right.

The Filipino seemed to stun Juarez with a right in Round 6, but did not follow up. Pumicpic would pay the price for not doing so, as Juarez scored the only knockdown of the fight later that round, but it looked as though Pumicpic had lost his footing and went down to the canvas on his own.

Pumicpic pressed the fight in the final rounds. Midway through Round 10, Pumicpic stunned Juarez with another right hand to the head, but did not follow up as Juarez backed away, giving him time to recover.

Scorecards read 95-93, 96-93, and 98-91 for Juarez, who is ranked No. 2 by the WBO.

In the opening bout of the beIN Sports en Espanol broadcast, junior bantamweight Israel Gonzalez dropped former junior flyweight titleholder Ramon Garcia Hirales twice in route to an eight-round unanimous decision.

Gonzalez, who was fighting in his hometown, improves to 16-1 (5 KOs). Hirales, who has now lost his last five bouts, drops to 20-9-1 (12 KOs).

Gonzalez dropped Hirales with a left hook to the head in Round 2 and a combination of punches in Round 3. Hirales was hurt with a left hook to the body in Round 5, but was able to get through the round.

Sensing he was behind, Hirales pressed the action in the final couple of rounds. He hurt Gonzalez with a combination to the head, but was unable to finish off his foe.

Scorecards read 79-73, 79-73, and 78-72 for Gonzalez.

Francisco A. Salazar has written for RingTV since October of 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (Calif.) Star newspaper, Boxingscene.com, and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing.