Vasquez Rallies for Decision After a Late Wake-Up Punch

Sometimes bantamweight Johnny Vasquez is throwing bombs and has the crowd on its feet from the opening bell. And some nights, Vasquez needs a punch in the face before the bell to get him going.

Thursday was one of those nights. Vasquez was behind on points entering the eighth and final round against his nemesis, Jesus Jimenez. But Jimenez was penalized a point when he hit Vasquez in the center of the ring as Vasquez went to tap gloves.

Vasquez took it from there by chasing Jimenez (9-16-2) around the ring with flurry after flurry. When it was over, Vasquez had won a split decision in front of 1,187 appreciative fans at the Marriott.

“It [upset] me a little bit,” Vasquez said. “But I knew it was the last round anyway and I had to do something.”

Vasquez (8-4), who lives in Huntington Beach, was behind on two scorecards entering the eighth round and he knew it.

“I was pacing myself and I’ve been doing that lately,” he said. “I’ve been waiting too long to get going.”

Jimenez, who is from Guadalajara, Mexico, beat Vasquez last year on a close decision.

After losing in the semi-main event, Rosemead junior lightweight Rudy Zavala’s once promising career might have come to a merciful end. Zavala’s left eye was shut from the second round on and he lost a split decision to Lakeside’s Carlos Rubio (11-2). Zavala knocked Rubio down twice, but Rubio dominated the action from the outside and controlled the fight.

Only four years ago, Zavala (24-6) was the No. 1-ranked super bantamweight in the world.

Baldwin Park light heavyweight Jerry Moran (5-1) was handed his first professional loss by Oakland’s Mike Doran (6-1), who won a six-round split decision.

Westminster super bantamweight Marcos Licona stayed unbeaten with his third consecutive impressive showing--a second-round knockout of Gabriel Tinajero of Culican, Mexico.