Seeking experience above everything else right now, Randy Guerrero, brother of two-time IBF Featherweight champ Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero, feels ring battles with the best opponents is the only way he's going to improve as a boxer.
Taking the nickname "The Most" from promoter Rick Mello, Guerrero headlined The North/Central Amateur Championships Saturday night in front of a near-capacity crowd at the Elk's Lodge in Gilroy.
Although he fell to opponent Andy Denecse, 17, of San Jose, Guerrero, 16, lost by just two points on the decision.
"It's experience for me," said Guerrero (5-2) after the fight. "I fought an open fighter with 14 fights.
"I'm basically the only fighter around who fights open."
As the score card eventually read, the match between the 133-pound Guerrero and Denecse was practically split.
While Denecse, who weighed in at 131 pounds, appeared to be the aggressor in the second round, Guerrero managed to defend most of his opponent's punches. In the third round, though, after the fight was briefly stopped when Denecse hit Guerrero in the back of the head, Guerrero responded with perhaps his best combo of the night, connecting on a flurry of jabs to the head.
Guerrero's father and trainer, Ruben Guerrero, felt his son did great in the ring on Saturday.
"These guys are a different type of fighter, more moving around the ring, more jumping around," Ruben said. "Randy had to catch him a little. But either one could have won. It was a close fight."
Randy Guerrero said he needed to improve upon his footwork and his jab, but he didn't feel discouraged at all by the close two-point decision.
Ruben, noting Randy's need for experience, felt there was no need to feel disappointed by the close outcome.
"The more he fights, the better he'll get," Ruben said. "The ones you want to win are the big, national fights. Those are the ones that count."
On the 11-fight undercard Saturday, Hollister's Tony Corrales, 17, won by a unanimous decision against Luis Villagomez, who was unattached out of Fresno.
Although Villagomez, 20, landed a few hooks to the head in the first and second rounds, they usually came in defense of an attacking Corrales.
Corrales, weighing in at 142 pounds, established his jab early in the bout, and connected on a few vicious punches to the head and body to take each of the three rounds Saturday.
Trainer Zeke Lopez of Bull Dog Boxing Gym felt Corrales could have ended the fight if he wanted to, though.
"He got a little tired and lost his power when you're supposed to put it together," Lopez said. "The kid he fought was a tough kid, but I honestly thought Tony could have stopped it."
Corrales admitted to being a little out of shape.
"He was better than I expected ... He was quick, but he didn't hit hard," Corrales said. "When I know someone's quick, I try to pace myself and go from there."
Fellow Bull Dog boxer Jeff Polston, 18, had his first career fight against Steve Delgado, 17, on Saturday night.
The fight was stopped by the referee, however, one minute and 48 seconds into the first round after Polston was given two standing eight-counts.
Being his first fight, though, the 141-pound Polston admitted to being anxious.
"I would have done better if I had listened to my coach," Polston said afterward, who had been training with Lopez for two years. "I just went in there and started to fight his fight."
"He went in too excited," Lopez added. "It's a totally different thing when you're sparring in the gym and fighting in a ring with people there.
"He's got power in his hook and power in his punch and he went out there and wanted to kill this guy. But you've got to go out there and set things up. That's what boxing is about."
Gilroy's Noel Temores, 9, had the first bout of the night against Josh Santana, but the 80-pound boxer lost by unanimous decision.
In other fights, Emilio Orejel won by unanimous decision over Yusef Mateen; Ruben Pulido defeated Brandon Trejo by unanimous decision; Jonathan Casaca beat Gary Salazar by split decision; Jose Jimenez won by unanimous decision against Victor Rodriguez; Moises Torres defeated William Villa by split decision; Edgar Gutierrez won by split decision over Caleb Orozco; Daniel Thomas beat Sammy Villa by RSC at 22 seconds into the second round; and Eric Altamirano beat Steven Rapadas by unanimous decision.
Fighters from the Bull Dog Boxing Gym in Hollister are expected to form a local card during the Hollister Motorcycle Rally on July 11-13.
Note:
Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero was present for the event Saturday, and spoke briefly before his brother Randy's bout.
Guerrero relinquished his IBF Featherweight title last week, with plans on moving up to the 130-pound Jr. Lightweight division.
"Pacquiao won tonight," said Guerrero, who was referencing Manny Pacquiao's ninth-round knockout of David Diaz to earn the WBC Lightweight title. "So that's good for me. We'll be on his tail."
Andrew Matheson Andrew Matheson is a sports writer for South Valley Newspapers. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 334 or at amatheson@svnewspapers.com.
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Best in the bus business, again
