Lewis Falters, Ocegueda Wins Split Decision

One of super lightweight Mark Lewis’ cornermen said it all in the dressing room after Lewis’ 10-round split-decision loss to Jaime Ocegueda Thursday night at the Marriott.

“Mark, you had it but you let it go.”

Lewis led early by taking the fight to Ocegueda with a fierce attack of left jabs to the body and straight right hands to the head. But he tired late and couldn’t finish off Ocegueda.

Lewis appeared to be in control entering the ninth round, but Ocegueda caught Lewis with an awkward left hook early in the round that sent him to the canvas.

“When a fighter connects with a punch, he knows whether it’s good enough,” said Ocegueda of El Monte. “I hit him well with the left and knew that he was going to go down.”

But Lewis disputed referee Raul Ciaz’s knockdown call.

“That wasn’t a knockdown,” he said. “I was more off-balance than hurt.

Lewis (14-2) came back with a quick flurry of punches but Ocegueda took the last minute to win the round big. Ocegueda (15-1-2) backed Lewis up for much of the 10th round, landing right and left hands as Lewis struggled to catch his breath. Lewis came on in the last 10 seconds but it was too late.

Judges Larry Rozadilla and Rudy Jordan scored it 96-94 in Ocegueda’s favor and judge Lou Fillippo had Lewis, of Mira Loma, winning, 95-94.

Super featherweight Ricardo Fuentes of Azusa won impressively in the eight-round semi-main event. He pounded Olegario De Leon around the ring with short, quick punches and won a unanimous decision while virtually closing De Leon’s left eye in the process. Fuentes, 19, raised his record to 11-0 and he appears ready to fight in the main event.