Texas Boxer Yanez Takes First Step Towards Beijing

By Robert H. Kelly
(Copyright 2008 TexSport Publications) (photo at right courtesy of USA Boxing)

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA (January 20, 2008) Mexico and the United States faced off against each other in San Diego in The Battle Across the Border at San Diego Arena. The lone boxer from Texas fought well, but it was not enough to win in his first fight of 2008 leading up to Beijing.

Light flyweight Luis Yanez (Duncanville, Texas) opened the night’s competition with a bout against Mexico’s Odlion Zaleta. Yanez, who is a 2008 Olympian, took the early lead in the contest, but Zaleta answered back late in the round with a strong shot and the first round ended with Yanez holding a 5-1 lead. Zaleta enjoyed a productive second round, pulling the bout within one point at 8-7 at the halfway mark. He made up his slim deficit in the third as both boxers enjoyed spurts of action and the bout moved into the final two minutes deadlocked at ten. Zaleta pulled out the victory in the fourth round, scoring three points to win a 13-11 final decision and give Mexico the first bout of the event.

Three U.S. boxers took home victories in Friday’s action. Welterweight Greg Carter (Waterbury, Connecticut/New Mexico University) earned the first U.S. victory of the night with a 24-13 decision over Oscar Molina of Mexico. Molina held a slim one-point lead at the end of the first round, but it was the last advantage he would enjoy. Despite having a point taken in the second round, Carter took an 11-10 lead at the midway point of the contest. He extended his lead over the final four minutes, taking a 15-10 edge into the final round of boxing. Carter blew it open in the fourth round on his way to a 24-13 final decision.

Heavyweight David Carey (Anchorage, Alaska) simply would not be denied in his bout with Mexico’s Javier Torres. Carey took a slim early lead in the bout, holding a one-point advantage after each of the first two rounds. He began to take over the contest in the third round, and enjoyed an 18-12 edge as the final round began. Yet Carey refused to sit on his lead, he turned up the heat, throwing strong combinations and giving Torres a standing eight count. Carey’s efforts earned him nine points in the final round as well as a 27-16 final decision.

Super heavyweight Mike Wilson (Central Point, Oregon) closed the show in victorious fashion, winning a 16-9 decision over Mexico’s Andres Ruiz. Wilson led from bell-to-bell in the four round contest; moving out to a 4-1 lead after one. He pushed his lead to a 9-4 margin at the midway mark of the bout, and refused to relinquish his advantage over the final four minutes. Wilson took an 11-7 lead into the fourth round and extended his edge in the last round to take the final victory and end the night on a winning note.