When Hollister boxer Matthew Bribiescas arrived in Bakersfield on Saturday for the Central California Silver Gloves Championships, there wasn't a single opponent in his division waiting for him.
The 14-year-old fighter hadn't fought in more than a year, and after driving more than 200 miles to the Bakersfield PAL Center, his best shot to end the long layoff appeared over before it had even started.
"When we got there we were told we might not have an opponent," said Zeke Lopez, owner and trainer of Bull Dog Boxing Gym in Hollister, where Bribiescas trains. "We said we'll just make it a quick night and go home."
The lack of fighters meant Bribiescas would advance to the state championships unopposed, but a long-awaited fight is what Bribiescas truly wanted.
"It was 10 minutes later," Lopez said, when Matthew Guerrero of the Lathrop Boxing Gym arrived. "[Bribiescas] wanted to fight. He got a little smile on his face."
Finally showcasing what a year's worth of sparring had taught him, and seemingly not showing any rust at all, Bribiescas delivered countless counterpunches and explosive upper cuts to the body when he defeated Guerrero by unanimous decision Saturday in Bakersfield, subsequently ending his long hiatus with a decision in the win column.
"It was beautiful," Lopez said.
Bribiescas now advances to the California State Silver Gloves Championships in Carson on Dec. 5, where a trip to the regional tournament will be on the line.
Just more than a week away, the quick turnaround to state will be perhaps more than enough time for Bribiescas. Despite just one official bout under his belt in 2009, the San Benito High freshman displayed a different approach last weekend in Bakersfield that Lopez had not seen.
"I didn't even know it was Matthew," said Lopez, who was worried of Bribiescas' fight with the more experienced Guerrero - the 106-pound boxer was fresh off a win the previous weekend in Fresno.
"He's got a lot of fights, he's fast and he's a little taller than Matthew," Lopez said of Guerrero. "But [Bribiescas] wasn't nervous. He was humming and having a good time.
"When he went in to box, he put it to another level."
Knowing Guerrero excelled on his counterpunches, Bribiescas allowed the Lathrop boxer to commit first, then delivered counterpunches of his own to keep the fight in his favor.
"He was being the counter-puncher," Lopez said of Bribiescas.
The junior fighter also connected on several upper cuts to the body of Guerrero, who was "overstepping his punches," Lopez said.
Guerrero had his best round in the third when he delivered five or six combination punches on Bribiescas, who "looked like he had fallen asleep," Lopez said.
"But he snapped out of it and started punching back," Lopez added. "I'm just glad he did that at the end of the fight and not at the start. He fell asleep or something."
Thanking San Benito County Latino Lawyers and Legal Professionals, Inc., which sponsored Bribiescas and made it possible for him to travel south, the open-division fighter will now look for his second fight, and second win, of 2009 at the state championships on Dec. 5.
Said Lopez, "... We'll just work harder for the next one."
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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