Editor’s Note: This is the third part of a three-part series covering boxing in El Paso.
As fighters entered the stage with their pride and favorite tune, the Chuco Classic made way for El Pasoans to see local boxers show off their skill in the ring. The bout-filled event, held on Feb. 15, was at UTEP’s “Club Memorial,” and garnered fans from across the city.
With eight pro-fights on the card, almost every local fighter left the ring with a win, loading the night with high energy. After amateur fights, opening the professional boxing scene was local fighter Elijah Sweat who won by a unanimous decision (UD) versus DePriest Johnson. Sweat fought his ninth professional fight and swept the four rounds against Johnson.
Following Sweat was Alec McGee against Mexico-native Kevin Ronquillo Nunez. McGee won his 15th professional fight in a split decision by the judges. The third bout was El Paso-native Joshua Ramirez who has an unbeaten record and registered his third consecutive win by a UD versus Daniel Flores Garcia.
Manuel Villalobos entered the professional ring for the first time on Feb. 15 against Joshua Bahe. Villalobos left the stage with a UD win, starting his career off strong. In the fifth match, Terrance Lee, for the first time in his career, drew against Genesis Wynn. Within the four rounds, two out of the three judges gave Lee and Wynn a 38-38 score card, which tied both fighters, ultimately robbing them both from the crown.
After the fight, Lee said although the outcome was not ideal, the draw did not discourage his motivation for his fighting career.
“I’m always expecting a win, every fighter is expecting a win, hopefully that’s what you train for, that what you work for, but that’s life,” Lee said. “Life doesn’t always go the way you want it too all the time, but you got to keep pushing, go back to the drawing board. At least it wasn’t a loss.”
Cuba-native Raiko Santana won in a split decision against Marquis Moore. Santana was able to tally up two out of the three judges to outscore Moore to give him his 12th win in the four rounds.
Co-main event, 18-year-old “Poison” Ivy Enriquez won by a UD against 33-year-old Karla Valenzuela Garcia. Pro-debuting on Feb. 15 as well, Enriquez said post-fight the support from El Pasoans lit up her match.
“It’s a feeling that I can’t express, the support [and] the love is amazing,” Enriquez said. “It’s insane, how much family and support I have behind me and stuff like this in my boxing career.”
Main event Dewayne “DJ” Bonds was crowned with the win versus Jose Arturo Esquivel. In a UD, Bonds trumped over Esquivel in all six rounds, giving him his 13th win. Despite the new win under his belt, Bonds said post-fight he aims to improve his skills.
“[My emotion throughout the fight] was just trying to get the job done, which I did but it just wasn’t the performance I was looking for,” Bonds said. “[I am going to] go back to the drawing board, and look at everything I did wrong, and then try to perfect it.”
With boxers new and old, each fighting with their blood, glory and love, Chuco Classic proved to be a night full of high energy. As these fighters rev up for their next upcoming matches, El Pasoans got a taste of the local boxing scene.
The next stage for El Paso boxers to show their skill is Ring Wars XV on Feb. 22.
Sofia Sierra is the sports editor and may be reached at [email protected].
