The much anticipated matchup for the WBAN and IBA welterweight championship, more than lived up to its prefight hype. Defending champ Holly Holm (145 1/2) and hard hitting challenger Anne Sophie Mathis (145 1/2) didn’t disappoint the sellout crowd at Route 66 Casino. Mathis shocked the home town favorite, knocking out Holm at 1:38 of the seventh round. This caped a night of excellent bouts by Fresquez Productions, in which every match advertised, actually took place. I’ve been following the sport for over 60 years and can count on the fingers of one hand how many times that has occurred.

As for the main event itself “The Preacher's Daughter” used a lunging right jab to capture the first two rounds over the French import. Mathis seemed content to size up Holly’s offense, throwing little in return. Although taking the early lead Holm appeared to be off balance. She was punching with her arm but not stepping in with her punches. This placed her upper body beyond her lead foot, making her appear to be off balance.

In the third things started heating up as both combatants started landing good shots to the head and body. Mathis was starting to find the range with her offense, while Holly tried to land the last punch of every exchange. Southpaws are vulnerable to straight rights and Anne Sophie was finding a home for hers. Holm’s best punch of the round was a shot to the liver which clearly hurt the challenger.

In the fourth Mathis had a new found confidence as she clearly was starting to figure the champ out. Holm’s for her part started to abandon her hit and run strategy, electing to slug with a slugger. This resulted in Holly eating some hard right hands, drawing claret from her nose. In retaliation Holm’s landed some hard shots to the head and body but not with the same power as Mathis. The challenger several inches taller than Holm was displaying surprising infighting skills.

In the fifth frame the action continued to escalate w
ith vicious exchanges between the combatants. The action packed round saw Holly land some powerful shots to the head in response to Mathis’s attack to both the head and body. The challenger was warned for rabbit punching having already been cautioned for grabbing behind the neck in the third. Holm appeared to be hurt from a Mathis right but answered by fighting back even harder.

The sixth round was a battle of attrition, with the champ trading punch for punch with her hard punching rival. The fans loved it, but Holly’s strategy was clearly backfiring. A powerful right dropped the Duke City native on her back, to the surprise of the partisan fans. Surprising the crowd even more, was referee Rocky Burke ruling it a slip. Rising on unsteady legs, Holm slumped against the ropes where she was rescued by the bell.
 

Like French composer Maurice Ravel’s musical composition Bolero, the fight was building to a crescendo. Holly answered the bell for the seventh on unsteady legs, only pride and courage keeping her upright. Mathis quickly drove the defenseless Holm to the ropes where her arm became entangled in the top strand. Anne Sophie ripped open a nasty cut under Holly’s left eye with a powerful right, before referee Burke stepped in and untangled Holm’s left arm.

It appeared the fight was over and there was a new champ. But the fighters were told to continue and continue they did. Taking a hard right to the head, Holm fell backwards against the bottom rope. Now the fight was over and there was a new champ. Holly’s corner men and the ring doctor rushed to her aide. It was several minutes before the fallen champ would rise off the canvas. For Mathis her KO came at 1:38 of the seventh round.

The post fight press conference appeared to be even more painful for Holm. Fighting to hold back tears, she took full blame for losing and praised the new champ. When pressed by the media about the actions of the ref Holm responded; “I was glad the referee gave me the chance to come back.”

Mathis in victory was a class act, several times giving Holm hugs in an effort to console her. She stated she was hurt by some of Holly’s punches but surprised that Holm elected to trade with her. There is a ninety day rematch clause calling for the bout to take place in Albuquerque. Both combatants stated they were eager and willing to take part in Holm-Mathis II. If Holm hopes to have a different outcome in a second fight, she better learn to bob and weave and counter while slipping punches.

The undercard proved to be a great warm-up leaving the fans in eager anticipation of the title bout.

In the 6 round semi-final Albuquerque welterweight Josh “Pitbull” Torres (6-1-1, 3 KOs) out classed game Joel Vargas (3-5-1, 3 KOs) of Kansas City, capturing a UD over 6 rounds. Torres displayed and excellent offense and good defensive skills. The ever pressing Vargas’s best rounds were the third and fifth when he landed an assortment of hooks and crosses. This was their second meeting, the first ending in a draw. Although aggressive, Vargas paid a heavy price working to get inside.

In an action packed four round conflict, Hobbs’ Edgar Zubia (2-0-1, 1KO) stopped Espanola warrior Antonio “Tone” Martinez (1-1-1, 1 KO) in 2:37 of the second round. Martinez flew out of his corner at the opening bell but the classy Zubia handled the pressure with ease. Edgar repeatedly landed left jabs to the head following up with left hooks to the body. In the second Martinez found himself on the canvas compliments of a left hook to the liver. Zubia closed the show with a blistering offense prompting referee Burke to stop the action at 2:37 of the stanza.

In a bout between Matthew Baca and Daniel Gonzalez, both turning pro also had fireworks. Gonzalez had a nice left jab but made the mistake of going straight back after throwing it. Baca timed his opponent with an overhand right to the head, scoring a KO at 2:59 of the first. Baca showed a lot of composer for a boxer making his pro debut.

In another bout between new comers from the Duke City, Cristian Cabral (147 3/4) scored a majority decision over Shaun “The Warrior” Henson (147 1/2). Cabral showed a lot of class, acting as if the ring was his privet dance floor. The slower moving Henson quickly fell behind in the scoring. In the third and fourth rounds Shaun picked up the action but lacked Cristian’s superior defensive skills.

In a flyweight encounter Brandi “Baby Doll” Montoya (1-2) scored a unanimous decision over Tonia “TNT” Cravens (2-7-2, 2 KOs). Both girls are from Albuquerque. Montoya, a southpaw, keep switching back and forth from left to right confusing her more experienced opponent. “Baby Doll” hit the scales at 111 ¾ while “TNT” weighed 111 even.

In a battle of bantamweights from Duke City, Leonardo Sanchez (2-0, 119 ½ lbs) scored a lopsided decision over debuting Devon Sermons (119 ¾ lbs). I had seen Sanchez in his pro debut and the improvement was amazing. Landing punishing body shots and employing and effective bob and weave Leonardo was too much for Sermons. To his credit Devon never stopped trying and had him moments, just not enough of them. Sanchez has an engaging personality which could make him popular with the public, if he continues to improve.

In the opening four rounder of the evening, Albuquerque debuting Yoel Gonzales (1-0) showed remarkable polish in scoring a unanimous decision over Santa Fe’s Antonio Garcia (1-1, 133 lbs). Yoel left jab was punishing and should keep most fighters from charging in. Garcia to his credit dropped Gonzales with a left hook in the first after a slow start. Yoel returned the favor in the second landing a jab followed by an overhand right. Garcia forced the action in the final two rounds but couldn’t solve the problem of Gonzales’s excellent left jab.

On a scale of 1 to 10 this fight card had to be close to a ten. The general consensus among the so called experts is that boxing is on its death bed. However tonight’s card showed over a dozen well conditioned, entertaining boxers, boxers the general public would likely support. If boxing is on life support, it appears that Albuquerque has yet to see the memo.