IRVINE BOXING : Santa Ana’s Ramirez Sets Tone Early, Beats Herrera

It took less than a round Thursday for lightweights Ricky Ramirez and Jose Herrera to establish their roles in the main event at the Irvine Marriott.

Ramirez, the Santa Ana fighter making his main-event debut, was the aggressor, and Herrera, of Los Angeles, was simply trying to survive. They held to form most of the eight-round bout, which Ramirez won by scores of 79-74, 80-72 and 80-72.

Ramirez (8-0) scored by constantly attacking Herrera (8-7), whose record was enhanced to 17-7 when the card was announced to reporters.

Ramirez worked the head with combinations then moved to the body, then back to the head. Although active, he never appeared to hurt Herrera, who spent much of the time deflecting punches.

It was Herrera who landed perhaps the strongest two punches of the bout. Near the end of the fourth and the sixth rounds, he slipped sharp lefts to Ramirez’s chin, slowing him each time.

There was polite applause and a few boos from the crowd of about 900 that was on its feet only once.

That happened when former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, in attendance, entered the ring.

Holmes told the crowd he would like fight in Southern California, maybe even at the Irvine Marriott.

On the undercard:

Carlos Hernandez, a lightweight from Bellflower, won the semi-main event, when Sergio Baez of San Mateo was disqualified in the fourth round for spitting out his mouth piece.

Hernandez kept up a steady assault and Baez kept losing his mouth piece in an effort to stop the attack.

Baez (1-2) did it five times, including twice in the third round and twice in the fourth.

He was penalized a point for it in the third round, and the second time he did it in the fourth, referee Chuck Hassett stopped the bout.

The funniest moment of the night came in the first bout between lightweights Jimmy Nakahara, of Westchester, and Api Lesi, of Ontario.

Nakahara knocked down Lesi in the first round and seemed in control. As the woman carrying the round card passed by Nakahara’s corner, he jumped up off his stool, stepped around his corner man, and gave her a big hug.

Nakahara went on to win a unanimous decision.