Some Things Don’t Come Easy, Bocachica and Walker Win by Decision at Ford Center
*Photo Credit: Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Dearborn, MI (December 8th, 2019)– ‘Some Things Don’t Come Easy’ is a classic song by England Dan and John Ford Coley, the opening lines which goes ‘Some Things Come Easy, Some Things Take Some Time, Some Thing’s Don’t Come Easy, Where Do You Draw the Line?’
Such was the case for boxers Janelson Bocachica and Eric Walker in the two eight-round co-main events of a six bout card at the Dearborn Ford Community & Performing Arts Civic Center on Saturday evening, December 7, 2019, promoted by Kenny Moore and Vi Tran’s Second2None Promotions and TopBreed.
The boxing card, which followed the DAZN Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz Jr. rematch Diriyah card in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia earlier the day, and with The Nutcracker annual show elsewhere at Dearborn Civic Center at the same time, nonetheless drew a capacity crowd of enthusiastic boxing fans before the upcoming December 2020 Christmas holiday.
The intermission featured a ring center tribute to individuals cleared of wrongful convictions as part of Aaron Salter’s Innocence Maintained organization. The organization draws awareness to the innocent wrongly accused, and assists the wrongfully convicted in gaining polygraphs, exoneration, release, shelter and employment. Salters served 15 years of two 20 to 40 first degree murder convictions in Michigan State Prison before having his sentence vacated and being released as innocent on August 25, 2018, after the intervention of Kim Worthy and the Michigan Correction Integrity Unit. Also present was another wrongly convicted Michigan individual later cleared, Darrell Siggers, CEO of legalaccessplus.com, which opens doors to inmates by providing forms and documentation to follow up on their cases and appeal their sentences.
In the co-main event, undefeated David McWater welterweight Janelson Figueroa Bocachica, 15-0 with ten knockouts, got taken on an unexpected eight round trip to hell by veteran Luis Eduardo Florez, 25-15 with twenty knockouts, Puerto Liberator, Columbia. Bocachica let fly with heavy power shots early in round one, forcing Florez into arms up defensive retreat. By round two, Bocachica was coming forward with relentless pressure, peppering Florez with body shots. Florez began to counter by finding a place for a counter overhand right. At this point, the Bocachica corner must have suspected they were in for a wrong night, and the stubborn Florez was determined not to go.
In round three, Bocachica began moving the tempo of the bout back and forth from center ring to the ropes, attempting to limit Florez’ movement. Both combatants were forced to trade power shots. In the middle rounds, both fights threw wild haymakers which missed. While Bocachica landed some thunder bombs to the chin of Florez, somehow Florez managed to reached the bell in rounds five and six without falling. In round six, Florez landed some overhand power shots which scored, and Bocachica to tire.
By round seven, Florez appeared strictly in defensive mode for the most part, with good legs but arms out of gas. Bocachica was throwing short punch combinations inside which lacked power, with Bocachica realizing he had to save something to prevent from punching himself out. Florez, realizing he was buried on the scorecards, swung wildly in the air in the eight and final round, desperate to score a knockout which was not to be, and hanging on for dear life when the approach did not work. Hall of Fame referee Frank Garza kept the bout completely clean and bloodless. Florez has lost 16 of his last 21 bouts, but he has gone eight or ten rounds a number of times, including a ten-round No Contest with Anthony Peterson at Barclays Center in Brooklyn in January 2018.
Bocachica’s major issue was simple. The courageous Florez had a tremendous heart, and despite the beating he took at times, he would not fall, despite being on the precipice a number of times during the bout. As the great Bernard Hopkins once referenced, for a great boxer, it’s like riding a bicycle. You could floor the gas pedal and go for the knockout beyond a certain point, but when you have the win well at hand, there’s no need to take unnecessary chances, you box smartly and you just take the decision victory. Well done by Bocachica, and the lesson is, any opponent can be dangerous, so box smartly.
Result: Janelson Figueroa Bocachica Win 8 Luis Eduardo Florez, Welterweights
Scoring: 80-72, 80-72, 80-72 Bocachica. Real Combat Media scored it 79-73 Bocachica.
In the other co-main event, super welterweight Eric ‘Baby-Faced Assassin’ Walker, 20-2 with nine knockouts, Plaquemine, Louisiana, got taken the eight-round decision by rough tough Argentine trial horse Damian Ezequiel Bonelli, 23-8 with 20 knockouts, Ramos Mejia, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Bonelli, who is 23-0 in his native Argentina, is 0-8 outside of Argentina. Bonelli has gone eight or ten round distance is seven of his last ten bouts in a losing effort.
Walker, like Bonelli’s other recent opponents on the road, enjoyed superior height and reach advantage. The disadvantage forced Bonelli to try to fight his way inside, and grapple and hold whenever punches reigned in. The fight turned into a war immediately, with both fighters shoving each other to the canvas. Holding was constant throughout.
Walker outworked and chased Bonelli all night. Bonelli’s best feature was a good defense, and the ability to exchange in trenches. Walker’s jab did damage, but Bonelli’s chin didn’t budge. Walker’s consistent combinations dropped Bonelli for a flash knockdown in the seventh round to ice the victory. Bonelli got back up, and was in the house all night, and tried very hard, just not winning rounds. Walker found Bonelli was the sort of opponent you have to fight all night, and so he did.
Result: Eric Walker Win 8 Damian Ezequiel Bonelli, Super Welterweights
Scoring: 80-71, 80-71, 77-72 Bonelli. Real Combat Media scored it 80-71 Walker.
Basil Ali Naser Win 6 Charles Clark, Featherweights
Iraqi born 4-0 Naser was a Michigan 2014 and 2015 Golden Gloves Bronze medalist trained as an amateur at Kronk Gym by the late Emanuel Steward. His father was the top-rated amateur in 1987 in Iraq. 2-6-1 opponent Clark of Dallas, Texas, who looks like a tall smaller version of Thomas Hearns, was in top condition, but fought a survival type bout.
Tommy Washington Jr. Win 4 Antonio Robertson, Heavyweights
Scoring: 40-36, 39-37, 39-37 Washington. Opening bout on card. Robertson holding a lot.
First win for Detroit’s 7-12-1 Washington since 2015. Originally scheduled for six rounds.
Marlon Harrington (Debut) TKO 1 Salome Flores Torres (Debut), Middleweights (1:07)
Detroit’s Harrington drops Minnesota’s Torres in a corner quickly. Not a close bout.
Kevin White KO 1 Joel Berman, Super Lightweights (1:41)
Detroit 3-0 super lightweight prospect
From Detroit, former International Boxing Federation World Junior Middleweight champion Cornelius ‘K9’ Bundrage, and former welterweight contender Lanardo Tyner were among those in attendance at ringside.
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