BRAD HORN/Nevada Appeal Jose "Chuy" Elizondo fights Brandon Smith at the Stewart Gym on Saturday.
With only 147 pounds wrapped around his 6-foot frame Jose "Chuy" Elizondo Jr. carries about as much fat as a pencil.
But Elizondo also carried some lead in his fists Saturday, stopping Brandon Smith of the Reno Jets with a left uppercut-right hook combination in the third round of their welterweight match at the Stewart Gym.
The bout was one of 16 presented by Bruno's Boxing Club in its sixth annual Nevada Day Silver State Rumble.
"It went better than I thought it would. I thought it would go four rounds," said the 17-year-old Elizondo, who upped his amateur record to 68-4 with the victory. "He moved a lot more (than in their previous match, also an Elizondo win, about 18 months ago). He used to be a bull (type of) fighter. He rushed a lot."
Smith tried to move away from the lanky southpaw for the better part of two rounds but Elizondo, who boxes for Bruno's, scored with a flurry in the second, causing the referee to issue a standing-eight count to Smith.
Smith came out aggressively in the third but an Elizondo left to the body and a right hook upstairs set up the fight-ending combination shortly thereafter.
Elizondo said he has been working with his his father-trainer - Jose Elizondo Sr. -- on his footork and spinning his opponent.
"That's the name of the game," said Elizondo Sr. "You gotta have good footwork to deal with brawlers. You don't want to get caught with a wild shot. It's a process. We're just going to take it step by step."
Elizondo Jr. said he's been making adjustments outside of the ring as well. After spending three years at Carson High School, Elizondo decided to attend Pioneer High School his senior year.
"There was too much drama at Carson. I had a lttle trouble messing up my hands," Elizondo said of his outside-of-the-ring altercations. "I want to go to (Western Nevada Community College) after graduating and work on an engineering degree."
Elizondo is now fighting in the open amateur (17-and-older) division and has won all three of his fights since, including victories over two opponents in their 20s. It's all part of his plan to go the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, and then turn pro. But dedication does have its price.
"I used to have a girlfriend...used to," Elizondo emphasized with a smile. "It's kinda tough. But I'm not dropping boxing for nobody."
Bruno's Boxing Club won three of its four bouts, while Arce's Boxing Club won all seven of its contests.
In a 75-pound matchup Sky Hackler, a 12-year-old student at Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School in Gardnerville, took a three-round decision over Charles Bridges, of Head Strong Boxing Club (Elko), for Bruno's first win.
Hackler, a seventh grader whose favorite fighter is WBC super lightweight titlist Floyd Mayweather, improved his record to a perfect 4-0 as he moved in and out behind a spearing left jab and mixed in some overhand rights.
Hackler's teammate, 110-pound Miguel Cortez, improved to 2-2 with a victory over Head Strong's Kirby Bridges. The 13-year-old Cortez, an Eagle Valley Middle School student, came out firing with both hands and never let up.
"(Coach Victor) Bruno told me throw punches with anger," said Cortez, who was cheered on by his parents, sister and two cousins. "I was mad when the bell rang and I went out and punched (Bridges). Boxing is a good thing. It keeps me from doing things like sitting on a couch."
In Bruno's only other bout, Dustin Sosa dropped a three-round decision to Paul Sampson of the Reno Warriors, in a 200-pound bout.
The 24-year-old Sampson, a member of the Reno-Sparks Paiute-Shoshone tribe, overcame a first-round knockdown to outhustle and outslug a tiring Sosa to improve to 2-0.
The Nevada Appeal's Performance of the Night went to 85-pound Juan Gullian, of Arce's Boxing Club. The 11-year-old Gullian, a Sierra Vista Elementary School student, improved to 10-2 with a stellar three-round win over Jorge Pinon, of the Northern Nevada Boxing Club.
Pinon, was literally a head and shouders taller than Guillan, but Guillan, who wore his bangs twisted into a quail's peak, threw punches with speed, power and professional proficiency to take the win.
Guillan also displayed uncanny defensive skills and was not only able to bang inside, but also outboxed the taller Pinon from the outside in a fantastic display of talent.
BRUNO'S BOXING CLUB'S SILVER STATE RUMBLE VI
75: Christopher Willis, Head Strong, d. Jerry Pinon, Northern Nevada Boxing
75: Sky Hackler, Bruno's, d. Charles Bridges, Head Strong
85: Ana Guillan, Arce's, d. Alisa Baysinger, Head Strong
85: Juan Gullian, Arce's, d. Jorge Pinon, No. Nev.
85: Maritza Gullian, Arce's. d. Dakota Kunde, Head Strong
110: Miguel Cortez, Bruno's, d. Kirby Bridges, Head Strong
110: Ramiro Montes, Arce's, d. Edy Martinez, Carson City Boxing
110: Evan Richardson, Reno Jets, d. Favian Martinez, Carson City Boxing
112: Oscar Carillo, Arce's, d. Raul Mendoza, Reno Jets
130: Kenneth Shrawder, Rite of Passage, d. Daniel Ortega, Carson City
135: Stephanie Puentes, Arce's, d. Elizabeth Bridges, Head Strong
145: Ben Baysinger, Head Strong, dec. Jesse Casas, ROP
145: Manuel Montes, Arce's, RSC 2 Antonio Hernandez, ROP
147: Jose "Chuy" Elizondo Jr., Bruno's, RSC 3 Brandon Smith, Reno Jets
150: Abran Munoz, No. Nev., RSC 1 Andy Rasabout, ROP
200: Paul Sampson, Reno Warriors, d. Dustin Sosa, Bruno's
