Travis Crawford Shines in Co-Main Event in Corpus Christi

Boxing returned to Sparkle City, Corpus Christi. for the second time in four months. Ernest Reyna, CEO of Reyna Promotions, is bringing boxing back to Corpus Christi in a major way. Hometown hero, 20-year-old Travis Crawford stole the show in the evening's co-main event with his dominant second-round knockout of Michael Haynes to pick up his fourth straight win, his second win in two weeks, moving his record to 4-0 (2) after starting his career with two consecutive losses. At that point many would have given up, not Crawford, who has come roaring back and is now the talk of Corpus Christi. The 20-year-old scored with a couple of straight right hands that caught the attention of Haynes. Crawford was able to score at will on Haynes, who was diving in with power shots. Setting the pace in the opening round, Crawford slammed on the gas in round number two. Scoring with a left hook early in the round that hurt Haynes. Moments later, he scored with a right hand to the body that sent his opponent into the ropes. With his opponent backed into the ropes, the hometown hero unleashed a whirlwind of power shots that had Haynes in a world of trouble. Late in the round, a left hook from Crawford doubled over his outmatched opponent and put him on the floor. Haynes, an extremely tough, and durable opponent, somehow made it to his feet. However, the writing was on the wall, and like a professional, Crawford stayed downstairs and focused on the body. He scored with a right hand and a left hook to the body that dropped his opponent for a second and final time giving Crawford the second-round KO with about 30 seconds left in the second round.

In the night's main event, Mercedes native "El Gallo Fino" Sammy Castaneda gave another A+ performance in outpointing Julio Chaves Infante of Tamaulipas, Mexico, and moved his record to 11-0-1 (7). Castaneda dominated the six-round affair in relentless vintage "El Gallo Fino" fashion. Non-stop pressure from the Rio Grande Valley natives overwhelmed Infane. Castaneda's relentlessness not only broke Infante down but took away his heart and turned the KO artist into a defensive-minded fighter. Castaneda closed the show like a pro, mixing up head and body shots, like the energizer bunny. He kept firing on an overwhelmed Infante. The final scores were academic as they all came in wide in favor of the Rio Grande Valley native 59-55x2 and 60-54. Castaneda, who is emerging as one of the top 140-pound prospects in the world, showed improved footwork and defensive skills in making Infante miss. He scored with crisp clean counter shots throughout the six rounds. The 24-year-old Rio Grande Valley Native has a premier team behind him that includes Head Coach James Payton, Agent Kerry Daigle, and cutman Aaron Navarro who works with world champion Regis Prograis and O'shaquie Foster. The team has Castaneda on a path to be fighting at the highest level by next year.

The undercard portion of the card was sensational. The opening bout was an absolute barnburner. Carlos Torres of Corpus Christi and Luis Fernendez of Austin Treated fans to an all-action slugfest. The pair traded second-row knockdowns. Fernandez evened the score late in the round and had Torres in serious trouble. However, Torres survived the scare and closed the show well. In the fourth and final rounds appeared to be in better condition as he was the one that got the better of the haymakers that were changed throughout the fourth round. The Corpus Christi native was rightfully awarded the close split decision victory by scores of 40-36, 38-36, and 39-37 in favor of Fernandez to move his record to 2-3 (1).

In the second bout, Corpus Christi native Patrick Haro got off the canvas to rally and make his pro debut a successful one. Haro scored with a right hook in the 4th round that dropped Tyler Pacheco, of San Angelo. Pacheco got back on his horse and chased after Haro, and scored with a straight right of his own to close out a highly competitive and very close four-round affair. Two of the three judges favored Haro, with the third judge scoring it a draw.

Supper Middleweight Veteran Justin Williams scored with a picture-perfect uppercut that dropped his opponent, Eduardo Alvarez, just seconds into the first round. The laser-like shot left Alvarez with blurred vision and unable to continue. Williams officially picked up the KO victory via 55 seconds of the first round.

Also on the card was hometown favorite Christian Perez, who picked up a unanimous decision victory. Perez rallied late and scored with a ferocious combination that laid to a 30-second barrage of power shots that left his opponent Steveen Angeles Cruz in a world of trouble. Perez nearly got the stoppage in the fourth but had to settle for the points victory as his rugged opponent survived till the final round

Sammy Castaneda: "This kid don't break"

Mercedes Texas, native Sammy "El Gallo Fino" Castaneda will headline Saturday night's Reyna Promotions card in Corpus Christi. He will put his undefeated record of 10-0-1 (7) on the line against Mexican junior welterweight Julio Chavez in a six-round affair. The 24-year-old prospect has come a long way in a relatively short time. From cheating death and "disappearing from the face of the earth" as his coach James Payton puts it, to being on the verge of something massive.

The Texas boxing community was first introduced to Castaneda in the Texas Golden Gloves when he battled Vergil Ortiz. Ortiz was in the midst of destroying everyone and was having his way with the Rio Grande Valley native. Ortiz dropped him, and it looked like Castaneda was going to be just another man down. However, "El Gallo Fino" got off the canvas and took the fight to Ortiz. He came up just short but gained the respect of everyone and showed the world "he has that dog in him." as Coach Payton says of his fighter. As an amateur the trainer and fighter first met when Payton was training with former world title heavyweight challanger Eric Molina. Castaneda introduced himself and told the coach he was a fighter. Payton said, "he was a polite kid."

The pair met up two years later when Castaneda made his pro debut in Brownsville. Payton encountered Castaneda, who was by himself getting ready for his pro debut and gave him some last-minute encouragement. Castaneda went out there and scored a third-round knockout. The win was overturned by the Texas Commission, and according to Coach Payton Castaneda "fell off the face of the Earth."

That's when the real fight for Castaneda began. He was battling personal demons that nearly ended the fighter for good. "I was out of boxing for 2.5 years, making bad choices, getting arrested, doing drugs, partying a lot, doing stupid things. It's similar to the Tyson Fury thing; he's actually the reason I got back into boxing." Castaneda recalled. Things got out of control for the fighter who cheated death twice. Once he was dead and brought back. Castaneda explains, "I took some stuff the night before. I was going to church with my family, and I ended up collapsing. I hit a brick, my head hit the brick, and I was completely out. An ambulance came, and I woke up in the hospital. I was out for 40 minutes. If I would have hit my head one centimeter in the other direction, I would have been paralyzed from the waist down." He was given a second chance at life, and as Castaneda says, "No one trains harder than someone who should be six feet under" This second chance has served as his motivation.

Castaneda weighed 225 pounds at this time and was going to use his second chance to pursue his passion and get back in the ring. He told his friend and undefeated lightweight prospect Cristian Roman that he was "coming back" Roman passed the message to Coach Payton, and the coach agreed but gave the 225-pound Castaneda an ultimatum. Payton explained, "I knew his past. I told him I had rules here if he missed a day without a valid excuse, don't come back! If you do drugs, don't come back! If you drink, dont come back! If you don't put in the work, dont come back!" The fighter agreed with his trainer's terms and was immediately put to the test. Payton said he was going to "push him to his limits.'' Castaneda was pushed to his outermost limits and began projectile vomiting while hitting the heavy bag for 30 minutes straight. When coach told him he could quit. Castaneda rejected the invitation and started screaming, "I am not gonna quit!! I'm never gonna quit! I'll die for this!" "El Gallo Fino" was going to make the most of his second chance at life. Payton recalls his pupil finished the workout, and the coach thought to himself, "This kid don't break." It was at that point he knew his fighter "had that dog in him." What shocked the coach is the next day, Castaneda beat him to the gym and was waiting for him. Payton jokes, "There must be something wrong with this kid" Castaneda completed an even more daunting workout on day two, and coach knew he was for real and had something special. Payton describes Castaneda as "first in and last out of the gym." The Mercedes native success can be credited to his pressure, volume punching, solid power, surprising hand speed, and athleticism, but it is his hard work that separates him from the pack. The RGV fighter explained his work ethic " If I'm going to die, I'm going to die here [in the gym]. People think I'm crazy. I'll hit the bag 50-60 minutes straight with the weighted vest on....I have the mamba mentality like Kobe" he added.

Castaneda walked into the gym that day at 225 pounds. 50 days later, he weighed 145 and was back in the ring on December 4th, 2020. "El Gallo Fino'' scored a first-round KO in Matamoros, Mexico. He fought four times in 2021, all in Mexico, going 4-0 (3) and running his record to 5-0 (4). Castaneda faced his toughest challenge in Julio Sanchez in December of 2022. The RGV native lost the first round and got dropped in the second on what appeared to be a slip but was ruled a knockdown. Castaneda found himself three points down after two rounds. Three points down with four rounds to go. Castaneda needed to win every single round to get a decision. With his undefeated record very much on the line, there was no panic. "I'm super calm. I told Sammy we were down. We just need to win every round in fashion." Payton explained, "I told Sammy, Close the distance and change lanes." The hard work and determination paid off, and Castaneda dominated the final four rounds to take a unanimous decision. He followed up that points victory with a masterclass performance against Bryan Springs in February, also on a Reyna Promotions card. The kid that was 225 pounds and cheated death twice just two years earlier is now 10-0-1 (7). While there is still work to do, the kid from Mercedes, who isn't supposed to be here, is on the verge of something special. Coach Payton opened up about his fighter's future "I was just talking with his agent Kerry [Daigle]. I truly believe sometime next year, in April or May he will be fighting for something big. We got three more fights lined up for this year. Middle of next year, he'll be fighting for something big." The next stop for Castaneda is The Robstown Fairgrounds in the Corpus Christi area on June 10th against Chavez, a much different opponent than Castaneda has fought in the past. A rugged pressure fighter from Mexico that will look to bring the fight to the Texan. It's another sizeable test for Castaneda. However, as coach Payton says "Hard work beats talent 10 out of 10." Fortunately for Payton and the rest of team Castaneda, their man is not only loaded with talent but a ruggedness and work ethic that is unmatched.

Two Top Texas Prospects Return on Davis VS Garcia Card in Las Vegas

The Tank Davis VS Ryan Garcia card is the biggest boxing event of the year, and the card will feature two of the brightest prospects from the Lone Star State. A pair of Future world champions will take the stage. 20-year-old phenom Floyd "Kid Austin '' Schofield will be in the ring for the second time this year as he puts his 13-0 (10) record on the line. He will battle with rugged Mexican veteran Jesus Valentin Leon 23-1-2 (19), a veteran of 26 pro bouts. Leon should offer a solid test for the 2022 Prospect of the Year. Leon has won seven fights in a row. Six of those wins came inside the distance, and in five of them, Leon stopped his opponent within two rounds. His one loss was back in 2018 when Leon was just 18 years old. He was stopped by Jesus Raul Hernandez Melgar, In the sixth round of a bout that took place in Corregidora, Queretaro, Mexico. Schofield last fought in January and scored a one-sided beatdown unanimous decision victory over Alberto Mercado at the YouTube Theatre in Inglewood, California. He dropped Mercado in the second round and won every single round in a spectacular performance.

Also on the card is 21-year-old KO artist Tristian "Sweet T" Kalkreuth of Duncanville. The North Texas native who has campaigned at heavyweight and cruiserweight will move back down to a more natural 175-pound limit and battle with Jaime Solorio 12-5-2 (9), of Mexico. Solorio went the distance with the likes of Niko Vladez and D'Mitrius Ballard. Sweet T is coming off more than a year layoff. He last fought on the Ryan Garcia-Emmauel Tagoe card at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Kalkreuth scored an unforgettable second knockout of seven-time Columbian national champ Santander Silgado. Kalkreuth sports a 9-1 (7) record and turned pro back in 2019 on the undercard of Vergil Ortiz-Antonio Oroaco card at the Verizon Theatre, in Grand Prairie, Kalkreuth scored a first-round knockout and celebrated the victory with his signature back flip.

Also on the card is Jose Charles, who hails from Tamaulipas, Mexico, but has trained with famed trainer James Payton in the Rio Grande Valley and now trains in San Antonio with Chato Martinez. Charles, 20-3-1(12) last fought at the Payne Arena in Hidalgo and dropped a decision to former world champion Austin Trout. He will battle touted PBC prospect Vito Mielnicki Jr 14-1 (9) in 10 round Jr Middleweight affair.

RGV Trainer James Payton Has Rejuvenated Two Top Prospects

Renowned trainer James Payton is no stranger to world-class fighters, not just in the Rio Grande Valley when he worked with world-ranked heavyweight title challenger Eric Molina, as well as long-time contenders Robert Garcia and Raphral Murphy. Prior to that, he worked with some of the most elite names in the sport in Las Vegas. Payton had been involved with former world champions like Shamba Mitchell, "The Pocket Rocket" Wayne McCullough, and the Dirrell Brothers. He knows a world-class fighter when he sees one and he recognizes that he has two new ones on his hands. Each of those fighters was in action sporting vastly different styles in Corpus Christi this past Saturday. Both fighters, Mark Beuke and Sammy Castaneda didn't just take unanimous decision victories, they each won every round on every scorecard. Both men pitched shut-outs. He has done an amazing job turning around each fighter. Beuke, who resides in Corpus Christi, makes the 1.5 to 2-hour drive several times a week to train with Payton at the Legacy Boxing Club in Harlingen. The results have been eye-opening. Beuke started his career with a record of 3-3 and has now been with Payton for the past two years. He has won seven fights in a row improving his record to 10-3 and capturing an ABO title. Payton described Beuke's shut-out performance against veteran Adam Ealmos on Saturday night as a "Picasso masterpiece" "He didn't exhort a lot of energy" adding "he was calm and in control" Beuke did seem like he was barely breaking a sweat "he wasn't bouncing around exhorting a lot of energy he could have done that for 12 rounds" Payton said. It was a picture-perfect nearly flawless performance from Beuke in the evening's main event.

In the co-main event, Rio Grande Valley native "El Gallo Fino" Sammy Castaneda was equally impressive but in a completely different style. So many trainers train fighters to one particular style. Payton has done the opposite. Maximizing what his fighters do best. With Beuke it was using the entire 24-foot ring, moving and avoiding Ealoms, setting traps and staying composed, not letting the hard-hitting Ealoms set his feet " If he can't set his feet, he can't land any heavy shots. He can't generate power. It's impossible." Payton explained. With Castaneda, it was the opposite approach. Castaneda cut the ring off and overwhelmed his fleet-footed and highly athletic opponent Bryan Springs. Castaneda unleashed a relentless attack "I was counting he was throwing about 77 punches a round." Payton noted. A tremendous work rate for a 140-pounder. Castaneda broke the athletic springs down and wouldn't allow him to run and move and use the gigantic ring. He took away the very game plan away from Springs that Payton and Beuke executed to perfection in the main event. Springs "wanted to quit after the fourth round but his corner (Chato Martinez) made him continue ''Castaneda gets better every fight," Payton says "He listens and he has a great work ethic" the RGV-based trainer added. "He runs 5 to 6 miles a day. He is at the gym twice a day six days a week"

It's the journey that Payton and Castaneda have traveled together over the past two years, which is the most impressive feat. Castaneda made his pro debut in 2019 in Brownsville and scored a third-round knockout. A knockout that was later overturned, by the Texas commission and changed to a No Contest. The Rio Grande Valley native then disappeared for nearly two years before he resurfaced and told Coach Payton that he was ready to fight again. Except at this time, Castaneda hadn't just not been in the rin. He was 230 pounds and working at Wal-Mart, nowhere near anything that would resemble a fighting shape. Payton agreed to train the young fighter but under his terms. " I told him if you don't work hard. If you miss one day of training without a valid excuse, you're done! You're out of the gym... It's my way or the highway." Payton explained. A hungry and determined Castaneda, who is now married with a young daughter, obliged. It's been two years, and Castaneda has not relented at all. Payton described Castaneda, at that point, as a flat-footed pressure fighter. Payton has been able to take the raw talent that he had and what Payton describes as "that dog in him" and transformed Castaneda into a complete boxer puncher. Who can box from the outside and has that tremendous work rate and really solid pop. and can break you down and overwhelm you on the inside.

When Payton, who has taken numerous fighters to the world level was asked how far away is 24-year-old Castaneda away from fighting at the highest level a realistic Payton said "hes 3 to 4 fights away" According to Castaneda's handler, the legendary Kerry Daigle said he plans on fighting Castaneda four to five times this year. Meaning in less than three years, he would have gone from 230 pounds and working at Walmart to being a world-class 140-pound title contender. An amazing transformation credited to Castenda's incredible work ethic and Payton's incredible boxing mind and tutelage.