DeLuca Rallies to Beat Salazar, Win NABF Title

Although he was knocked down once and left barely standing another time, San Diego’s Tony (Bazooka) DeLuca landed enough telling punches to win a 12-round split decision over Willie Salazar Thursday night at the El Cortez Convention Center.

With the victory, DeLuca claimed the North American Boxing Federation’s flyweight title (108 pounds).

One judge scored it 116-110 Salazar, while the other two gave it to DeLuca, 117-111 and 115-112.

DeLuca (16-2-1, six knockouts) had heavy swelling under both eyes beginning in the fifth round but began to find the range with his right hand in the ninth.

Salazar (35-15-1), of Guadalajara, Mexico, finished the fight with blood flowing from his left eye.

After being knocked down in the eighth, DeLuca seemed to carry the last four rounds with his left hand, which he had virtually ignored previously.

Salazar appeared to have a slight advantage in the first, which was basically a feeling out time for both fighters. DeLuca seemed to control the second, scoring with short, lead rights. Salazar went down early in the round, but the referee ruled it a slip.

DeLuca landed two straight rights early in the third and appeared the carry a close round. After he was staggered in the fourth, DeLuca came back in the fifth, opening a cut over Salazar’s left eye with a straight right hand. He followed with a number of right jabs to the cut.

In the sixth and seventh, DeLuca continued to pound away with right hands and appeared to carry both rounds.

Salazar dropped DeLuca in the eighth with a right hand that got over the challenger’s lazy left. Although DeLuca came back with a couple of combinations, Salazar was a big winner in the round.

In preliminary bouts, Jorge Rodriguez (164) of Los Angeles came down in weight, but it didn’t seem to affect his stamina in an easy four-round unanimous decision over San Diego’s Lee Lark (168).

Rodriguez (3-1) captured every round and dropped Lark (1-1) late in the fourth with a left-right combination.

Even with the lopsided victory, Rodriguez was not completely satisfied.

“I was not that pleased,” Rodriguez said. “I have to look to pinpoint my punches a little more. I had better stamina than I thought though.”

Rodriguez was looking to fight again in a couple weeks, but a cut over his eye will force a postponement.

Amado Zavala (146) of La Mesa solved the awkward style of left-hander Carlos Gonzalez (146) to take a five-round unanimous decision in the third fight. Zavala (3-0) floored Gonzalez (7-4, five knockouts) in the first round and dominated all but the second.

Zavala, 29, was hit below the belt on several occasions. Finally, in the fifth, a point was taken away from Gonzalez.

“The last one took a lot of power out of me,” Zavala said. “I was in control, but left-handers always seem to bother me.”

Rogelio Perez (123) of San Diego won a unanimous decision over San Diego’s Sergio Alonzo (124 1/2), who was making his professional debut. Perez (3-1) put Alonzo down with a left hook in the second round and won all four rounds handily.

In the opener, the debut of San Diego 172-pounder Ray Harring lasted all of 2:37 as he was knocked out by Roberto Servin (175).