IRVINE BOXING : Magdaleno Gets Busy to Score Knockout

Ernie Magdaleno wasn’t exactly sure, and he won the bout. James Kinchen didn’t have a clue either. But after all, he lost.

At some point during a flurry in the eighth round, Magdaleno landed a left that opened a cut over Kinchen’s right eye and caused the bout to end.

At the end of the eighth round, Kinchen’s corner, on the advice of the ring-side doctor, threw in the towel, giving the fight to Magdaleno in the main event of the monthly boxing program in front of 1,346 at the Irvine Marriott.

Magdaleno (13-0), of Westminster, was credited with an eighth-round knockout. He is the California light heavyweight champion, but this was a nontitle bout.

“It just kind of happened,” Magdaleno said of the punch that caused the cut, which was clean and had the potential to get much worse.

The reason for the doubt about the damaging punch was that Magdaleno landed so many in the final two rounds of the bout that was scheduled for 10 rounds.

After a tame opening two rounds, Magdaleno started moving inside with his left hand. He used some right jabs as well, but was getting in his left, straight and as an uppercut, to the chin of Kinchen.

Midway through the seventh round, Magdaleno landed six consecutive lefts, the final two of which caused obvious pain.

Kinchen (49-9-2) of San Diego battled well in the final 10 seconds of the seventh and at times in the eighth.

Magdaleno just continued in his normal style--straight ahead and throwing punches all the time--until one finally did enough damage to finish off Kinchen.

“He was quicker than I thought,” Magdaleno said. “So I took my time, but after a while I saw that I could get my left in. . . . Now, I just want to fight on TV.”

Magdaleno was ahead, 79-73, 78-74 and 79-72, when the bout was stopped.

“I had never seen him fight but I heard he busy,” Kinchen said. “But I was looking for busy quick and he was just busy throwing punches from everywhere.”

On the undercard:

Francisco Salinas of Santa Ana turned in the most amazing performance of the night, and it was in a losing effort.

Salinas, a junior lightweight, was beaten by Carlos Hernandez of Bellflower, 40-36, 40-36 and 39-37. The first round was about even until the final 10 seconds, when Hernandez slipped two quick lefts to the nose of Salinas, who bled almost instantly.

The flow was stopped between rounds but started as soon as Salinas was hit in the second.

Hernandez continued his assault, landing several blows, but Salinas remained on his feet to the amazement of many at ringside.

By the fourth round, both fighters were covered with Salinas’ blood, but Salinas kept going. He even rallied some in the final round, and about $50 was tossed into the ring by approving spectators.

The best acrobatic moves of the night came from Bonifacio Lara of Conoga Park. He scored a fourth-round knockout of Saul Avelar.

Afterward, Lara did a front flip, then lurched to his feet and leaped onto the second rope. He then returned to the center of the ring, fell to his knees, tilted his head back and thrust his arms toward heaven.

His record is 2-1.