SANTA YNEZ, California – Flyweight Daniel Barrera was forced to use everything he had to fend off Christian Robles en route to a unanimous decision victory on the undercard of the Callum Walsh-Carlos Cervantes main event Friday at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California.
The scores were 77-75, 79-73 and 77-75 for Barrera.
Barrera (7-0-1, 4 KOs), known for his counterpunching skills, faced uncomfortable moments when forced into an ugly fight with Robles (8-3, 3 KOs). Though he emerged victorious, Barrera admitted it wasn’t his best performance.
“We knew he was going to be tough,” Barrera, a 22-year-old from Eastvale, California, said after the fight. “I could have done better on my end.”
Robles, 27, of Lakewood, California, rocked Barrera in Round 2 with a right hand after his corner urged him to keep pushing forward. Robles’ jab was effective, forcing Barrera to rely on his defense. Barrera timed Robles well in spurts as Robles continued to press the action.
In the fifth round, a cut opened over Barrera’s left eye, which he attributed to a head-butt. Despite this setback, Barrera closed the fight strong, landing brutal shots in Round 7 that caught Robles’ attention.
With the fight up for grabs, Barrera landed a big right hand with one minute left in the eighth and final round, seemingly securing his victory. A hard left after the bell from Barrera appeared unintentional. Barrera survived a bit of a scare, proving the highly touted prospect passed his first major test as a professional.
In another undercard bout, 24-year-old junior middleweight Jorge Maravillo (10-0, 9 KOs) of Salinas, California, faced Jose Manuel Gomez (4-5-1, 4 KOs), 28, of Livermore, California, who came in eight pounds over the weight limit. Despite the weight disadvantage, Maravillo earned a decision victory, marking two consecutive decisions after eight straight stoppage victories.
The scores were 60-54, 60-54 and 59-55.
When asked if Ryan Garcia’s recent high-profile weight miss influenced his opponent’s weight issues, Maravillo said, “I think it had a little bit to do with it, but a fight is a fight.”
Gomez bullied Maravillo in the first two rounds, but Maravillo turned the tide with a series of right hands in the third and a dominant fourth round. Gomez never regained control after the initial rounds.
“I knew the risk, but I am confident in my ability,” Maravillo said. “I knew he struggled to make weight.”
Recent 360 Promotions signee and strawweight Guadalupe Medina (7-0, 2 KOs), of Maywood, California, picked up a hard-fought six-round unanimous decision over Ashley Felix (4-3, 1 KO), 19, of Tijuana, Mexico. Felix was cut in the third round via an unintentional clash of heads, making the bout bloody as the two exchanged thunderous punches. The scores were 58-56, 58-56 and 60-54 for Medina.
In the card’s opening bout, bantamweight Alexander Gueche (5-0, 5 KOs), 18, of Long Beach, California, stopped Jonathan Almacen (7-11-3, 2 KOs), 24, of Manila, Philippines, in the first round. A well-placed right uppercut to the head dropped Almacen, and a left hook to the body later in the round ended the fight.
Gueche is cornered by Ivan Sylve, the father of Ashton, a top prospect signed by MVP Promotions.
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