Marquez, Garza Give Strong Performances

The Pond and Forum Boxing promoted Monday night’s card as “The Night of Future Champions.” Juan Manuel Marquez and Nestor Garza didn’t let the promoters down.

Marquez, a once-beaten featherweight from Mexico City and Garza, an unbeaten junior featherweight from Reynosa, Mexico, put on dominating performances before 3,534 at the Pond.

Marquez took apart former World Boxing Assn. champion Julio Gervacio of San Juan, Puerto Rico, for seven rounds and then stopped Gervacio 35 seconds into the eighth with a crushing left uppercut, followed by a grazing right hand.

After losing his pro debut two years ago, Marquez has won 15 consecutive bouts, 12 by knockout. But he admitted he has never looked better than he did Monday.

“This is my best win,” he said. “My trainer couldn’t sleep three days ago because he knew I was in against an ex-champion of the world. But tonight, I think he will sleep better.”

Marquez, 22, began his onslaught in the first round by landing a quick combination that stunned Gervacio. He continued to hit Gervacio with an array of combinations, uppercuts and digging lefts to the body. With five seconds left in the fourth, Marquez floored Gervacio (30-5-2) with an overhand left and a left uppercut.

Gervacio, who won his title more than eight years ago and lost it in his first defense, rallied briefly in the sixth but never threatened Marquez, who has only been boxing for five years.

Garza (20-0 with 18 knockouts) won a unanimous 10-round decision over an outclassed Francisco Soto (16-15) of Durango, Mexico, despite fighting the last 8 1/2 rounds with a probable broken left hand.

After Garza, 19, failed to put Soto down in the first eight rounds, the fans got restless in the ninth and began to boo. The boos grew louder when Garza would land a hard right hand. After hurting his hand in the second round with a left hook to Soto’s temple, Garza admitted he was a one-handed fighter.

“I was a little frustrated,” said Garza, who had never gone more than six rounds. “I’d hit him with a big right hand but then I couldn’t finish him off because I couldn’t throw the left hand. I’m very happy. Regardless of what happened, I’m still undefeated.”

On the undercard, welterweight Victor Maciel (15-0) of Sonora, Mexico, and knocked out Moises Rivera (13-4) of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, in the fifth. Westminster featherweight Mike Semaza won a four-round unanimous decision over Marco Antonio Ramos of Los Angeles.