Fans Aren’t Pleased by 150th Show

The 150th Battle of the Ballroom at the Irvine Marriott was celebrated with an overwhelming amount of back-slapping and self-promotion Thursday night.

But the boxing card lacked the same kind of substance.

A standing-room-only audience of 1,497, largest in the 13-year history of the event, booed two matches and applauded only one undercard fight that went the distance. They sat stoically through the main event, a 10-round California super-flyweight bout between Pedro Pena and Edgar Garcia.

Punching cautiously, Pena (13-0) defended the state title with an unimpressive unanimous decision over Garcia (9-7-1).

Pena said he planned to jab for several rounds, then get more aggressive, but that he was unable to put together more than a few combinations any time after the fifth round.

The card was weakened earlier in the week when Horatio Garcia of Sacramento pulled out of an eight-round bout with popular Long Beach fighter Raul Franco (11-0). Lightly regarded Dexter Williams of Tucson (4-9-2) was late replacement, but perhaps he should have stayed in Arizona.

Franco, who fights out of the Westminster Boxing Club, knocked down Williams halfway through the first round, then stood toe to toe with him in the center of the ring, firing a flurry of punches. Referee Chuck Hassett called the fight with 16 seconds left in the round.

Both fighters said they thought the bout should have continued. It was the sixth loss by knockout for Williams, but the first time he had been stopped in the first round.

“I’ve been hurt more in sparring,” Williams said.

Franco said: “I caught him a little late the first time. I think maybe the [ring] doctor called it off prematurely. But I could see in his eyes. They were a little glazed.”

In a super-welterweight bout that was the highlight of the evening, Michael Torres (3-2-1) of the Westminster Boxing Club fought Michael Youssefpour (0-0-2) of Del Mar to a four-round draw, prompting a few to throw money into the ring.