Amateur boxers put on the show

RENO -- Take a look in the dictionary under "persistence" and you just might see a picture of Fabian Castellanos.

In spite of losing all three of his previous bouts to Daniel Valdez, a student of the charter high school at Rite of Passage, the 20-year-old Castellanos gave it one more try on Saturday's 18-bout amateur card at the newly renovated Boys' and Girls' Club of Truckee Meadows.

Unfortunately for Valdez, now 6-7, he was once again unable to track down Valdez, who has 33 amateur fights, and took his fourth straight decision over Castellanos in a 135-pound bout.

"My training wasn't enough," said Castellanos, a 2002 Carson High School graduate and a laborer for Paragon Construction. "It's something I have to overcome. His movement was good and he's a little tricky."

The 5-foot-10 Castellanos, of the Carson City Boxing Club, said he has to sometimes miss training when he works overtime and is often exhausted after a 10-hour day, working with a pick and shovel.

"He works too much. He's not at the gym enough," said Frank Peralta, whose Carson City Boxing Club went 2-1 on the day. "What you get is what happened tonight. But we also don't have enough sparring for him at the gym. Valdez was a better boxer. We'll go again, we'll fight him again. In my heart I know the way he (Castellanos) fights, if he's in top shape, I know he can beat (Valdez)."

Castellanos said he hopes to turn pro in about a year and go to college.

Luis Viramontes and Isaac Perez made it a successful day for the CCBC, as they both won their bouts. Viramontes, a 12-year-old Eagle Valley Middle School student, defeated Javier Montes, of Arce Boxing, in a 90-pound bout, while the undefeated (3-0) 11-year-old Perez, a Carson Middle School student, outpointed Anthony Garner, of the Reno Jets, in an 85-pound contest.

MOST EXCITING BOUT

It may not have won the official Best Bout, but the Oscar Carillo-Daniel Vasquez war resembled a Marco Antonio Barrera-Erik Morales slugfest.

Carillo, of Arce Boxing, won the 105-pound punchout, surviving a first-round blitzkrieg by Vasquez, of the Jets. Vasquez was relentless throughout, but Carillo kept his composure, started landing some uppercuts in the second round and took advantage of a winded Vasquez in the third round to score the win.

"He was good. I liked his performance," the 13-year-old Carillo said of fellow Trainer Middle School student Vasquez. "I liked the first round. I was really relaxed and in control."

Vasquez, as well as ringside USA Boxing officials, were put off with Carillo when he danced and gyrated in the bout, looking like world welterweight champion Cory Spinks does when he performs his pre-fight bump-and-grind.

"I thought I won," said the 14-year-old Vasquez, who was in his fifth fight (Carillo now has 21 bouts under his belt). "I just got mad and stopped punching. He hit me with a cheap shot and his dancing - I think the officials should've taken away some points. I couldn't do anything about it. I'm going to train as hard as I can. I want to fight him again."

Hopefully for amateur boxing fans, there will be several rematches (minus the dancing), all as good as this one was.

OTHER BOUTS

Bruno's Boxing Club went 2-2 in the smoker, with Jose "Chuy" Elizondo leading the way. The 6-foot Elizondo took a decision over Brandon Smith, of the Reno Jets, in a 150-pound bout, with Elizondo controlling the action with his southpaw style, slick movement and fast hands.

Dakota Bonfilio was also a winner for BBC, defeating Jose Sanchez in a 152-pound bout, while Michael Galinda dropped a decision to Brandon Kono, of the Jets, in a 165-pound matchup. BBC's Chris Medina lost a 152-pound bout to William Gustafson, of ROP.

The host Jets went 4-3, with 112-pound Gerrel Cooper dropping and then defeating Julian Mora, of Arce Boxing. Teammate Lucio Muniz stopped the Reno Warriors' Austin Sampson in the third round of a 145-pound tilt and 80-pound Jordan Cobb outpointed Pedro Lechuga, of Arce Boxing.

In the Jets' other bouts, Martin Muniz dropped a decision to Michael Fernandez, of San Francisco, in a 145-pound bout and Alex Russum lost a 135-pound contest with Sonny Lewis, of the Reno Warriors.

Arce Boxing went 2-5, with Walter Ochoa scoring Arce's only other win, surviving a first-round knockdown and defeating ROP's Kenneth Irvin, of Gary, Ind. The 165-pound Irvin gave up 15 pounds to Ochoa.

Also for Arce, Ramiro Montes lost an 85-pound contest to Alec Acosta, of San Francisco, and Jose Villasenor dropped a 118-pound scrap with Michael Morales, of San Francisco.

In other action, Jessica Bennett, of Markleville, Calif., knocked down Kesley McCloud, of the Reno Warriors, in the third round and took a decision in the 155-pound bout and Juan Chavez, of ROP, defeated teammate Ken Orozco.