Macias’ Fourth-Round Knockout Is Fuentes’ First Pro Loss

Call it the curse of Roy Englebrecht. The Irvine Marriott promoter has done a marvelous job attracting fans to his monthly shows, but he hasn’t been great at picking fighters.

Azusa junior lightweight Ricardo Fuentes, who recently signed a five-fight promotional deal with Englebrecht, suffered his first professional loss Friday night when he was knocked out by Pacoima’s Sergio Macias in the fourth round in front of a stunned crowd of 1,189.

Englebrecht does not sign many fighters to promotional contracts but the last three he’s inked haven’t fared well. Promising welterweight Michael Walsh had one loss when Englebrecht signed him but he had three consecutive losses and is now retired. Bantamweight Johnny Vasquez was a crowd pleaser but he took too many punches and lost too many fights and he is now retired.

“I have the worst luck,” Englebrecht said after the Fuentes knockout. “But what can you do? We just got caught tonight.”

Fuentes (13-1) dominated the first two rounds but started wearing down in the third after being hit by a flurry of body punches. Fuentes started the fourth hammering Macias on the ropes, but he was wobbled by a right hand.

Soon Fuentes found himself on the ropes. Seconds later, Macias floored him with a vicious right hook. He stumbled to his feet but referee James Jen-Kin would not let Fuentes continue.

Nearly two years ago, Fuentes won a decision from Macias (11-7, five knockouts).

“I prepared for this fight,” Macias said. “I was waiting for another shot at him. I thank him for giving it to me.”

If Englebrecht has anything to say about it, Macias and Fuentes will fight a third time.

Fuentes, despondent in his dressing room, had a hard time explaining his first defeat.

“I don’t know what happened,” he said. “He’s a good fighter. Today was his day. I didn’t see nothing.”

Long Beach super welterweight Raul Franco, who had been negotiating with Englebrecht, survived a lackluster performance and an injury to his left hand to win a majority four-round decision over Miguel Avila of Pacoima. Franco (4-0) came out landing every big punch he threw in the first round, but he tired late and held on to win a controversial decision.

“They stole it from me,” Avila said. “The third and fourth rounds he had nothing left.”

Franco, who hadn’t fought in four months, said he probably could have paced himself better.

“He was tough,” Franco said. “I thought I’d go out there and stick him and he’d back away. But he was strong. He took a lot of my hard shots. I was surprised.”

Super lightweight Nacho Navarro of Los Angeles improved to 6-0 with a four-round unanimous decision over Jose Luis Cruz (2-1-2) of Lakeside, but struggled throughout. Navarro landed a big right hand in the first round but spent most of the night holding and grabbing. He was warned by referee James Jen-Kin but a point was never taken away. Navarro was, however, booed when the decision was announced.