Elizondo wins in boxing event

While he continues to bide his time till the 2008 Olympics, Jose "Chuy" Elizondo likes to stay busy.

The 16-year old Elizondo fought his third fight in three weeks Saturday, taking a three-round unanimous decision over Daniel Valdez at Stewart Gym. The bout was one of 12 held by Bruno's Boxing, which presented its fifth annual Silver State Rumble.

The 6-foot Elizondo, a Carson High School junior and Eagle Valley Middle School graduate, took advantage of a 7-inch height advantage and his slick southpaw style to fend off the 17-year-old Valdez, a Rite of Passage student.

The 147-pound Elizondo was patient throughout as he gradually figured out the elusive Valdez, who usually fights between 119-125 pounds.

"It was good to get a local fight," said Elizondo, who won the Desert Showdown in Coachella, Calif., last weekend. "People don't usually want to fight me. I get bored if I'm not busy (fighting)."

With the victory, Elizondo improved to 53-3. He is also ranked No. 2 nationally in the Silver Gloves and No. 3 in the Junior Olympics.

Bruno's Boxing had a successful home stand, going 6-2 on the day. Josh Kennedy, a 2003 Lowry High School graduate who lives in Winnemucca, had his first USA Boxing-santioned bout for Bruno's, stopping Irvin Kenneth, of Rite of Passage, in the first round of a 160-pound bout.

"I like to bring it a lot," said the 19-year-old Kennedy, who ended the fight with a wicked body shot. "If I see something open, I'll take the shot. I love to be patient, but if my opponent doesn't come at me, I'll go to them."

Bruno said he was working on a way to bring Kennedy to Carson to train. Kennedy said he holds the Elko County exhibition title.

In the main event, McDermott's Derek Hinkey stopped Skylar Sampson, of Winnemucca, in the fourth round of a 180-pound contest. It was the first fight in eight months for Hinkey, a prospective professional.

Sampson brought the action to Hinkey, but the 24-year-old either moved his head or caught most of Sampson's shots on his shoulders. Hinkey forced Sampson to take a standing-eight count in the first round and knocked down his determined opponent with a devastating left hook in the last round.

In the semi-main event, 17-year-old Jesus Soto, 194 pounds, notched a three-round decision in his super heavyweight slugfest with Bruno's Jose Soto, who came in at 275.

Jesus Soto was one of two Rite of Passage boxers to score a victory Saturday and he improved to 12-2.

The 31-year-old Jose Soto said he took the fight on two days' notice in order to fight in front of his hometown crowd. An employee at Carson Grocery Outlet, Soto, now 3-3, said he was going to retire. He is also expecting his third child.

William Gustafson, of Rite of Passage, improved to 3-0 with a second-round stoppage over Bruno's Christopher Medina, in a 150-pound bout. Gustafson used a long, strong right hand to score a knockdown and eventually win the fight.

Bruno's Dakota Bonfigilio stopped Jose Sanchez, of Arce Boxing, in the second round of a 150-pound bout. Bonfiglio boxed smartly and survived Sanchez's first-round kamikaze attack before forcing Sanchez to take a standing-eight count before the referee stopped the contest.

In another super heavyweight bout, Bruno's Travis Morris overcame a second-round standing-eight and a one-point deduction for using the heel of his glove in the third and took a decision over Sam Gerom, of Wadsworth.

Other winners for Bruno's Boxing Club were Michael Galindo, who notched a three-round decision over Brandon Kono, of the Reno Jets, in a 160-pound bout, and Dustin Sosa, who outboxed Ben Cruz, of Rite of Passage, in a super heavyweight fight.

In other bouts, 24-year-old Tipton Hinkey, of Wadsworth, defeated Arce Boxing's Walter Ochoa in a 175-pound contest, Daniel Vasquez, of the Reno Jets, defeated Luis Viramontes, of the Carson City Boxing Club, in a 90-pound bout and Carlos Roman, of San Diego, beat Brandon Smith, of the Reno Jets, in a 145-pound tilt.