By Andy Rivera

Holly Holm captured the vacant IFBA Jr. Welterweight title with a dominating performance over game Chevelle Hallback on Wednesday night in front of a national televised card on ESPN2 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Holm can now look forward to a future female Super-fight with Mary Jo Sanders, who was in attendance to watch her future opponent. In the co-main event former WBA Jr. Featherweight champion Bones Adams won the WBC Continentals title with a unanimous decision over tougher than expected David Martinez; Adams looks to stay busy in an attempt to capture another world title.

Holm would come out in round one feeling out how Hallback would fight her, which to trainer Mike Winkeljohn was what he thought. Hallback coming forward looking to get Holm into a brawl; but Holm would have none of it as she boxed and countered with lead right hands to the head of Hallback. It was evident early Holm was too big and strong for Hallback.

Holm dominated the second with left hand leads to the head of Hallback; she countered beautifully each time Hallback came forward and missed with lead rights. Holm used her speed to control the action.

 

Round three had Holm find pay-dirt with straight left hands to the head of Hallback, stopping Hallback in her tracks each time she connected. Holm kept Hallback off balance and unable to get closer to land anything with meaning.

Both fighters had their moments in round four, as Hallback came forward she unleashed a hard right hand to Holm’s head followed by a left hook; Holm would fire back with two hard lefts of her own, as the two exchanged furiously bring the crowd to it’s feet as the bell sounded.

Holm took back control in the fifth as she went back to her hard left leads to the head off Hallback, once again keeping Hallback off balance and unable to get close.

The action slowed in the sixth, with little action from Hallback, but Hom was able to box and dictate the fight

It was all Holm in the seventh as Holm once again was too fast and strong for Hallback; Holm would land hard left-rights to the head of Hallback then retreat to stay away from the oncoming Hallback. Hallback would have no answer up to this point in the fight to figure how to get to Holm.

Holm continued to control the action in the eight & ninth rounds with once again the lead lefts being her best weapon. Hallback looked frustrated in unable to get much closer to land more the two punches at a time. The only drama in early in the eight is when Holm turned to referee Russ Mora to tell him she didn’t have her mouth piece.

The final round had Holm use good movement in coasting her way to victory, Hallbeck to her credit kept coming forward but as the fight showed, she was unable to get Holm in trouble. Holm landed rights and lefts to Hallbacks head.

All three judges scored in favor of Holm two had it a shutout at 100-92, while the third scored it 98-92. With the win Holm raised her record to 19-1-2, while Hallback dropped to 25-5-1.

BONES CAPTURES WBC CONTIENTIAL CROWN

Clarence “Bones” Adams returned for just the second time in three years to beat substitute David Martinez in a give and take fight that saw each fighter have their moments, but it was Bones' edge in strength that seemed to be the difference.

Early in the fight Martinez began sticking and moving, while Adams kept coming forward. Martinez was short on his jab but was able to score some points before Adams landed hard to the body. Buddy McGirt, Adams trains kept instructing Adams to “go down stair” which worked but Martinez looked to have the edge by being more active.

Much of the same in the second with Martinez boxing and not getting into exchanges with the former champion, but to Adams' credit he kept putting pressure still going to the body as his main offense.

Adams seemed to have found his niche in the third, as he was able to close the gap on Martinez, landing hard left hooks to the body; which looked ot slow Martinez down a little as the round progressed.

Round four was all Adams; as he continued to go to the body with left hooks, but was now following it up with rights to the head. Martinez to his credit was able to respond back with hooks of his own but Adams clearly won the round.

Adams took control of the fight in round five & six, as his shots had more pop on them as he still attacked the body of Martinez. Martinez would fire back but up to this point didn’t have the power to keep Adams from coming forward and putting the pressure.

Adams found a target in Martinez's right eye, as his constant left hooks were able to cause swelling to the eyelid. Martinez still stuck to his game plan of boxing and scoring points with his jab, but Adams kept coming forward going with his bread and butter left hooks to the body and head. He was able to land right hand leads that scored points, but Adams' edge in power looked to be the difference.

Martinez would come on strong in the ninth, even giving a little urgency to McGirt, as he would yell out “your letting him back into the fight!”

Both fighters laid it on the line in the final round; as they exchanged left hooks to the body, Adams looked to rely more on his left, in which he revealed after the fight that his may possibly be broken.

All three judges were in agreement with Margaret Garcia, Levi Martinez and Anita Sanchez 98-92 all scoring it for Adams.

Martinez did receive a lot of praise from Adams and trainer Buddy McGirt. “He surprised us both with his skills; he can use this fight as a learning experience and still have a bright future in this sport.”

Albuquerque lightweight Willie Villanueva (6-0, 1 KO) had an easy time with Ramiro Torres (2-7-1, 1 KO) of San Antonio scoring a unanimous decision by scores of 40-36 on all three judges score cards. Matthew Esquibel remained unbeaten (6-0, 3 KOs)but not before Angel Rodriguez (2-1, 2 KOs) and Esquibel exchanged knockdowns in the first round, Esquibel came back to win the fight with a majority decision by scores of 38-36, 39-37 and 39-39. El Paso’s Miguel Torrecillas (17-6-1, 8 KOs returned to the ring after a two-year layoff with a brutal, fourth round TKO win over Jeremiah Torres (7-15-1, 1 KO); It’s time for Torres to consider retiring as he has taken a lot of punishment in his past fights, although being game - we don’t want to see him get hurt. Cornelius Schuler out worked Daniel Gonzales (2-1, 2 KOs) for four rounds to capture unanimous decision scores by of 40-36 and 39-37 twice to win his pro debut.

In the opening fight of the night, Clare De la Torre dominated Ashlea Moody, halting Moody when she was unable to come out for the second round. De La Torre hit Moody with every punch she threw. Moody looked like a fighter who didn’t want to fight and stood there with out moving in any direction. De La Torre could have finished Moody at any time but looked raw in her first fight although doing what she had to do to win. De La Torre is now 1-0, while Moody falls to 0-2.