Madrigal Returns With Wallop at Pond

Oxnard flyweight Carlos Madrigal came off a 13-month layoff with the best performance of his career, an electrifying first-round knockout of Los Angeles’ Pedro Pena. A record Thursday night boxing crowd of 4,218 watched at the Arrowhead Pond.

Pena (18-3), the No. 2-ranked flyweight in the world last year, appeared in control early in the round as he had Madrigal (15-2, 10 knockouts) on the ropes. But Madrigal turned Pena around and unleashed a flurry of unanswered blows for some 30 seconds. Pena finally collapsed and was counted out by referee Chuck Hassett at 1:46.

“I don’t like to make predictions, but that was what I thought I was going to do,” Madrigal said.

Since being ranked No. 2 by the International Boxing Federation, Pena has lost three of his last five fights, his last two by knockout. Madrigal was ranked 33rd in the world, but he appears on his way up.

“I showed all the champions out there I’m a strong, dangerous and fast fighter,” Madrigal said.

In a six-round light heavyweight bout, La Habra’s Librado Andrade ran his record to 8-0 with a third-round knockout of Benito Tzand (2-4) of North Hollywood. Andrade put Tzand down in the second with a straight right uppercut and finished him in the third with a left-right combination.

In a junior lightweight bout, Jorge Martinez of El Cajon showed why his manager, Joe Crowder, calls him a young Julio Cesar Chavez. Martinez, a bronze medalist for Mexico in the 1999 Pan Am Games, won a unanimous four-round decision over Armando Contreras (5-3), an alternate on the 1996 U.S. Olympic team.

Martinez landed his left hook at will and put Contreras down in the fourth round.

Flyweight Mary Duron (2-0) of Anaheim won a unanimous four-round decision over Roberta Bald Eagle of Las Vegas.

The second fight was more a charade than a boxing match. Bar owner Phil Reynolds of Anaheim won his professional debut over heavyweight Michael Bliss, a stock broker from Las Vegas, but only because Bliss dislocated his right knee late in the first round.

Reynolds, who hadn’t fought in seven years, hardly appeared on the verge of victory. He spent most of the round lunging and throwing off-balance, slapping punches. But as Reynolds landed a glancing right hand, Bliss’ knee gave out. Bliss, whose license had been suspended because of high blood pressure and knee problems, struggled to his feet but was unable to continue.

In the first bout, middleweight Sergio Mora (4-0) won a unanimous decision over Sean Holley (3-8) of Pasadena, but he was far from impressive. Mora, the No. 2-ranked 156-pounder in the U.S. before turning pro last year, didn’t have much power behind his punches and appeared overanxious throughout the four rounds. In four wins, Mora has yet to score a knockout.