Kalkreuth & Rice, Go to War on Undercard Portion of Golden Boy Card

The untelevised portion of the Golden Boy card started with a bang and ended with an all-Texas heavyweight shootout. Killen Resident and Puerto Rican native Roberto Cruz moved his record to 9-0 (5) with a second-round destruction of Tyrone Selders of Houston. The Puerto Rican native was loading up on right hands that were putting a dent in Selders. Heavy-handed punches and thudding shots put Sleders into the retreat. That set up the kill shot that Cruz delivered a straight right hand a minute or so into the second that sent the Houstonian reeling across the ring. Cruz stayed aggressive and unleashed a barrage of power shots that brought referee Rosario Solis in to wave the bout off at 1:48 into the second round.

Next up was Houston native Darius Fulghum. Fulghum continued his knockout streak and moved to 4-0 (4). It was the second time the Houston native fought in Arlington in the past 12 months. Fulghum looked to make a quick night of it and scored with a right hand putting down an outmatched Jay Williams late in the opening stanza. Fulghum again had his man in trouble later in the round with a barrage of power shots. Fulghum effortlessly walked his man backward and scored with a whirlwind of power shots that again backed his outgunned opponent into the corner and put him down for a second time. After another short flurry of power shots dropped Williams for a third and final time as referee Reuben Perez put a stop to the onslaught at 58 seconds into round number two.

Austin native Caleb Suniga represented well for the 512. He scored what was the knockout of the night, and possibly the knockout of the year!! The youngster came out sharp with lightning-quick combinations that put his opponent Carlos Arroyo, a veteran of nearly 30 pro fights, on his back foot. Like a cobra, Suniga scored with a shovel hook putting his man down and out, unable to beat the count. In just 49 seconds suniga moved his record to 2-0. "Maivilla" has put the 130-pound division on notice.

In the final bout of the untelevised portion 21-year-old heavyweight/cruiserweight contender "Sweet T" Tristian Kalkreuth of Duncanville and Jonathan Rice of Cleburne went to war in an all-DFW shootout. After an intense weigh-in where the two combatants and their camps needed to be separated. Kalkreutand Rice kept up that energy in the ring. Rice, a massive underdog, accounted well for himself working behind a snappy jab. The two big men traded jabs in a somewhat cautious opening round. Rice had a 23-pound weight advantage and began to open up, firing left hooks and straight rights with some success. Kalkruth tagged the aggressive Rice with a counter-hook in the second round that seemed to catch the attention of Rice, and the war was on. Rice to his credit, was unafraid of the big punching Kalkreuth. He stayed on the front foot and came forward with heavy artillery throughout the six-round affair. Rice outworked "Sweet T". However the Duncanville native had success landing clean counter shots and had moments with the left hook that he would land in between Rice's shots. The two kept that up over the middle rounds. Kalkreuth put together his best round thru that point in the fourth. Rice came roaring back in the fifth with power shots that kept Kalkreuth from settling in. Rice backed his man into the corner and unloaded on the heavy favorite and appeared to have Kalkreuth buzzed and in a bit of trouble. Rice may have momentarily punched himself out late in the fifth. Kalkreuth marched forward in the final 30 seconds and scored with a right hand of his own. However, Rice bit down and immediately answered back. In a close and competitive fight that appeared to be in the balance in the final stanza, Rice struck first with an uppercut from the floor that snapped Sweet T's head back but Kalkreuth seemed to eat it well. After being warned for losing his mouthpiece Rice got back to work. However, Kalkreuth came roaring back with a left hook to the body that seemed to stop Rice in his tracks. In another competitive round, the two closed the show exactly as expected. They sat toe to toe and exchanged power shots as the final bell rang. All three judges favored the counterwork and clean shots of Kalkreuth and scored for him unanimously 59-55. Despite the debated decsion, Rice performed well on the big stage and establsihed himself on a high level.

Roberto Garcia vs Raul Casarez Headline Major RGV Card on March 4

RGV Boxing has been on fire throughout 2022, and big-time boxing is going to stay in the valley in 2023! Kali Productions and Marines Promotions team up to bring the Valley a big-time card dubbed "March Madness". The card takes place on March 4th at the Llano Events Center in Mercedes and will have an outstanding all-action main event, as rugged veteran " La Amenaza" Roberto Garcia, fighting out of Weslaco, will take on "El Tigre" Raul Casarez of Edinburg.

Garcia sports an impressive 46-5 (29) record and will defend his IBA Intercontinental title. Garcia has been in the ring with the likes of Liam Smith, Martin Murray, and Antonio Margarito. He has wins over Breidis Prescott and Victor Cayo.

His opponent, Raul Casarez, is fresh off his win over Jesus Angulo Leija via unanimous decision last month in Mercedes. Casarez has accumulated an impressive record of 24-10 (11). He has stepped in the ring with world-class fighters like Kurtiss Colvin, Alfredo Angulo, and Darryl Cunningham. There will also be an ABF title on the line.

The card will also feature all-world 140-pound prospect, Fabian Diaz. An Edinburg-based prospect, that was featured as our #1 fighter to emerge in 2023. Diaz is an explosive hard-hitting, blue-chip prospect with a 3-0 record and scored a vicious first knockout in his last time out last month in Mercedes.

Fan favorite "Hot Hands" Nelson Hampton of Donna, will be on the card as he looks to get back in the win column following his decision loss to Joshua Montoya last month in the Payne Arena in Hidalgo.

Lopez and Arredondo settle for Draw on Hall Of Fame Night for Texas Boxing.

In what was a very special "Night To Fight" that celebrated the founding of the Texas Boxing Hall of Fame and honored the inaugural class. A class that included former world champs such, as Donald Curry, Paulie Ayala, and countless others delivered an incredibly exciting night of fights. In the main event at the Comerica Center in Frisco, hard-hitting 26-year-old prospect "World Star" Henry Arredondo of San Antonio and the savvy "Fort Worth Wolf" Tony Lopez battled to a very entertaining draw in a six-round super featherweight affair.

Lopez, who took the fight on five days' notice, came out incredibly sharp. Jabbing from his southpaw stance he was scoring at will and mixing in left hands. He was able to keep Arredondo at bay and was able to outland him when the San Antonian did get onto the inside. After a bit of a slow start, Arredondo got going in the third picking up the pace and scoring on the inside. Jabbing his way in he began outworking and out landing Lopez. Firing off sharp combinations that backed his man up. The momentum seemed to shift and Arredondo kept his foot on the gas. However, the Fort Worthian was not done and landed a left hand in the fourth that wobbled the surging Arredondo toward the end of the round. Not wanting to give the round away, Worldstar answered right back with a clean two-piece that landed cleanly on the jaw of Lopez. Arrendondo got back to in the fifth and was again outworking and out-landing Lopez in the fifth, a good round for the Alamo City native. With the fight possibly slipping away The Fort Worthian rallied back in the sixth and final stanza, he stunned Arredondo with a left hand that backed him into the ropes and the Fort Worthian unleashed a ferocious combination of shots to close the fight in style. At the end of six, it appeared to be close to call, and the judges agreed. With two of the three scorings it 57-57 even and the third scored for the San Antonian 58-56. Both parties expressed an interest in a rematch. Arredondo's record moves to 8-1-1 (4) and Lopez is now 17-11-1 (7).

A star was born in the co-main event as Roberto Cruz originally of Cayey, Puerto Rico, but now fighting out of Killeen, Texas, put on the performance of the night in stopping a tough, bad badly outmatched Felipe Reyes from Houston. Working calmly behind a snappy jab and circling around the ring Cruz seized control of the fight from the opening moments. He could not miss with a laser-like right that found its mark early and often. One particular right hand wobbled and nearly dropped Reyes late in the second. Reyes stayed on his feet and survived the round. However, The writing was on the wall and Cruz stayed on the attack. Stalking his man down he hurt Reyes with every right hand. Reyes, who has deducted two points for hitting Cruz to the back was clearly on his last legs. The Puerto Rican was unphased by the constant fouls and kept scoring with and laser-like right hands and mixing in left hooks and uppercuts for good measure. One particular right-hand in the third put Reyes down and in the fourth, the Puerto Rican closed the deal in style closing the show with a barrage of power shots that left Reyes unable to continue. The bout was waived off at 1:19 of round number 4.

In an all-Texas shootout primarily bout, between Cesar Torres of Tyler and Randy Rivera, originally of Cuba, but now fighting out of the famous Maple ave Gym in Dallas. exchanged heavy artillery throughout the scheduled four-round affair. Rivera landed a thudding right-hand left hook combination just before the bell rang to end the opening stanza. Then picked up where he left off with another left hook moments into the second round. Rivera stepped on the gas to start the fourth and final round, scoring with a thudding right hand. Rivera used the ring scoring with stinging rights. Torres pressed the action and landed shots in close range trying to slow down his man and cut the ring off. Torres stayed determined however Rivera stopped the momentum with one of his patented right hands. A mouthpiece fell from Rivera's mouth and then Rivera was deducted for holding but he rallied late with sharp right hands that likely saved a 9-9 round for him and then fight as he rolled to a split decision by the narrowest of margins scores 38-37 for Rivera 38-37 for Torres 38-37 randy Rivera.