Ruelas Pair Impressive in Farewell to Reseda : Boxing: Brothers Rafael, Gabriel look to step up to the big time after punishing victories.

Rafael and Gabriel Ruelas of Arleta have spent nearly all of their boxing lives fighting inside the Reseda Country Club.

Now, both are poised to make a final break from the 900-seat dance hall and into the big time.

Rafael said he would like to be able to bring the loyal Valley fans with him. What he would really like to bring with him is Francisco Ortiz, whom he knocked senseless in the second round of Tuesday night’s scheduled 10-round lightweight fight.

And Gabriel wouldn’t mind at all if Raymond Arce tagged along with him for awhile. He gave Arce a horrible beating for seven rounds, knocking him down three times before Arce finally signaled to the referee that he was done.

“If we don’t fight here anymore, I’ll miss this place a lot,” said Rafael, 20, the World Boxing Council’s No. 11-ranked junior lightweight. Tuesday’s win lifted his record to 31-1.

“I like to perform in front of these people. That’s what motivates me against a guy like this.”

The motivation resulted in a TKO at 1 minute 7 seconds of the second round as he ripped a crushing left hook into Ortiz’s side and followed it with a whistling right uppercut that caught Ortiz (23-21-1) on the chin and continued northward, slicing open a one-inch gash over his left eye and sending him toppling to the canvas.

Referee Marty Denkin quickly examined the bleeding, dazed Ortiz and halted the fight.

Gabriel, 21, the WBC’s No.1-ranked super featherweight contender, had a somewhat tougher fight, if only because it was longer. He ended it by knocking Arce down for the third time at 2:19 of the seventh round, ripping a left hook to the body that had Arce down and gasping.

When referee Robert Byrd asked the grimacing Arce if he wanted to continue, Arce shook his head from side to side.

Gabriel is 30-1 with 16 knockouts. Arce is a reported 24-8.

“I could keep fighting at the Country Club forever,” Gabriel said. “The people love us so much. But I’m ready for the next step.”

The next step for him could be a fight against either WBC champion Azumah Nelson or Australia’s Jeff Fenech, who lost to Nelson earlier this year.

Before that, however, the brothers will fight on the same card July 7 in Palm Springs on the USA Network.

In the first bout Tuesday, Rafael landed the first of many devastating body punches just 30 seconds into the fight and Ortiz winced in pain. The next left hook sent Ortiz down and rolling across the ring. He was up at the count of seven but retreated furiously, surviving to the end of the round.

But in the second round, there was no escaping as Rafael ripped body punches almost at will before ending the one-sided fight with the crushing right upper cut.

Rafael’s only mark from the combat was a swollen knuckle on his right hand.

Ortiz lost a 10-round decision in December, 1990, to International Boxing Federation champion Orlando Canizales.

“To take him out in two rounds, the same guy the world champion couldn’t take out at all, it makes me wonder about the rankings,” Rafael said. “I’m ready for a championship fight now.”

Gabriel was just as impressive as his younger brother. The first heavy punch he threw, early in the first round, was a right uppercut that caught Arce flush on the chin and dropped him heavily.