TACOMA, Wash. (August 27, 2023) – A sold-out crowd of nearly 2,000 fans enjoyed a memorable night of boxing last night, presented by Toro Promotions, Inc. and Whitfield Haydon Boxing, at the famed Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington.
“I will remember this show for a long, long time,” co-promoter Whit Haydon said. “It was a special night that I will have a hard time forgetting and that same sentiment was imparted to me as well by many others in the building”
Boxing spotlight back to the Great Northwest and rising super featherweight prospect Austin Brooks (11-0, 4 KOs), making his debut as a headliner in his first scheduled 10-round fight versus dangerous Anthony Chavez (11-4-1, 3 KOs) in the main event.
The 27-year-old Brooks, fighting out of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, stepped up in class against Chavez, a 2015 USA National Championships bronze medalist as an amateur.
Brooks, who has already fought several times on the ESPN platform, cemented his reputation as a rising star with an electric knockout of Chavez in the sixth round, culminating an epic evening of boxing at Emerald Queen.
Brooks vs. Chavez was a strategic battle that abruptly ended in the sixth round, when Brooks connected trapped Chavez Chavez in a corner with his hands down. Brooks, a southpaw, cracked Chavez with a powerful left that sent Chavez to the canvas. He was able to beat the count, however, Brooks attacked his dazed opponent, unloading a barrage of unanswered punches until referee Joel Scobee waved off the fight.
The co-featured event couldn’t have been more evenly matched as Seattle featherweight Gregory Cruz (5-2-1, 3 KOs) and Roberto Negrete (4-2-1, 2 KOs) fought to a six-round split-draw. Cruz and Negrete traded blows from start to finish, throwing more than 1500 combined punches, according to a ringside statistician, in an immensely entertaining confrontation.
Undefeated Portland super lightweight prospect Lorenza Caldera (7-0, 4 KOs) responded in a positive manner in the stiffest test of his young pro career, stopping Filipino veteran boxer Jake “D’ Twins” Bornea (14-5-1, 7 KOs), the former WBO Asia Pacific Youth Flyweight Champion, in the second round.
Fan favorite Joshua Cadena (2-0, 1 KO), a lightweight fighting out of nearby Auburn (WA), much to the delight of his many supporters on hand, took an impressive four-round unanimous decision from a gritty Dan Hernandez (2-3, 1 KO) in a war of attrition that was like an old fashioned “barn-burner.” The back-and-forth, action-packed fight was compelling for the pumped-up fans who were on their collective feet throughout the entire four rounds, in which Cadena showcased his tremendous skills, energetic style, and promising potential.
Undefeated Puerto Rican welterweight prospect Axl Melendez Salgado (7-0, 4 KOs) kept his unblemished pro record intact, although highly questionable work by referee Louis Jackvony tarnished the outcome versus Tulsa welterweight Lyle McFarlane (2-2, 1 KO).
The competitive match-up was marred by the referee’s overshadowing of the two boxers, ruling three dubious – at best – deductions against McFarlane. Salgado was leading fairly comfortably when Jackvony waved off the fight in the fourth round, unfairly declaring a win for Salgado by disqualification, resulting in a chorus of boos from fans.
Detroit super lightweight Wesley Rivers (1-3) pulled off a mild upset, winning three of four rounds on each of the three judges’ scorecards for a four-round unanimous decision victory over Richard Ray Howell (4-3-2, 2 KOs), of San Antonio (TX). The evenly matched fight was clearly headed to being a draw when Rivers registered a late knockdown for the win.
Compton (CA) super lightweight Angel Rebollar (7-3, 3 KOs) and super lightweight Esteban Munoz (7-4, 4 KOs) set the pace and tone for the evening in the opening bout. Rebollar, who was a 2019 USA Western Regional Junior Open Champion as an amateur, and Chavez stood toe-to-toe, pounding each other from the opening bell to the end of this rare five-round match, which ended in a split decision for Rebollar.
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Complete results below:
OFFICIAL RESULTS
MAIN EVENTS – SUPER FEATHERWEIGHTS
Austin Brooks (11-0, 4 KOs), Coeur d’Alene, ID
WTKO6 (2:43)
Anthony Chavez (11-4-1, 3 KOs), San Bernardino, CA
CO-FEATURE – FEATHERWEIGHTS
Gregory Cruz (5-2-1, 3 KOs), Seattle, WA
SD6 (58-56, 57-57, 56-58)
Roberto Negrete (4-1-2, 2 KOs), West Liberty, IA
WELTERWEIGHTS
Axl Melendez Salgado (7-0, 4 KOs), Ceiba, Puerto Rico
WDQ4 (1:46)
Ean Hernandez (2-3, 1 KO), Riverside, CA
SUPER LIGHTWEIGHTS
Lorenzo Caldera (7-0, 3 KOs), Portland, OR
WTKO2 (1:19)
Jake Bornea (14-6-1, 7 KOs), General Santos City, Cotabato del Sur, Philippines
Wesley Rivers (2-3, 0 KOs), Detroit, MI
WUDEC4 (39-36, 39-36, 39-36)
Richard Ray Howell (4-4-2, 2 KOs), San Antonio, TX
Angel Rebollar (7-3, 3 KOs), Compton, CA
WSDEC5 (49-46, 49-46, 47-48)
Esteban Munoz (7-4, 4 KOs), San Bernardino, CA
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Josue Cadena (1-0, 1 KO), Auburn, WA
WUDEC4 (40-36, 40-36, 39-36)
Dan Hernandez (2-2, 1 KO), Riverside, CA