Timothy Bradley Knocks Out Alfonso Sanchez in One

ONTARIO, Calif. – Looking to make an impact on the boxing world, Timothy Ray “Desert Storm” Bradley dropped Mexico’s dangerous Alfonso Sanchez (20-6, 18 KOs) twice in the first round for a knockout victory at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario on Monday.

With a swift right counter to the stomach Bradley accomplished what the number one welterweight contender was unable to do, knock out Sanchez in the opening stanza. It took the much larger Paul Williams five rounds to do the same. Bradley is actually a junior welterweight.

“I knew what he was trying to do, he was trying to set me up with a right hand counter,” said Bradley (16-0, 10 KOs) who is ranked number 18 by the WBC as a junior welterweight. “I was looking to stop him, but my trainer said to stay patient and place my shots. I tend to load up my shots.”

Bradley and Sanchez were scheduled to fight at 147 but Sanchez could not make the weight, so Bradley made him pay for it. Heavy or not, Bradley looked the stronger fighter as soon as they entered the ring.

Within a minute of the first round Bradley landed a stiff left jab that caught Sanchez off-balance and dropped him to his knees. Though unhurt, Sanchez has tasted Bradley’s power and began using a jab more.

“He had a long left jab,” said Bradley, who is trained by Joel Diaz and trains in Indio and Coachella. “Every time I threw a jab he threw a jab.”

Sanchez attempted to set some traps in the corner, but Bradley kept his gloves high and dipped under the left hooks. During an exchange Bradley fired a combination then powered a straight right hand at Sanchez’s stomach. Down he went in agony.

“It was a right to the solar plexus man,” said Bradley. “I was going to get him sooner or later, but I was going to get him.”

Bradley seeks a high-profile fight perhaps on television for his next fight.

“I’m ready for the next level man,” Bradley said.

Other bouts

A first round knockdown registered by Derek Andrews (7-3-1) of Dallas, Texas proved the difference in a six-round super middleweight bout against Pomona’s Danny Garcia (5-1). Though both fought hard for six rounds, Andrews proved to be a sharper puncher in winning a unanimous decision 59-54 twice and 57-56 according to the judges.

Colombia’s Yonnhy Perez (7-0, 5 KOs), who was recently signed by Thompson Promotions, knocked down Arturo Bracamontes (4-8) of Mexico in the first round and won every round of a six-round contest. Perez proved too fast and too accurate for Bracamontes, who never quit but was outgunned. The judges scored it 60-53 for Perez who now fights out of Santa Fe Springs.

Ivan Stovall (6-1, 4 KOs) of Pomona withstood a fierce opening round by Cromwell Gordon (4-6) of Las Vegas in a super middleweight bout. Then Stovall proceeded to batter the tiring Gordon for two rounds and forced referee Raul Caiz Jr. to halt the fight in the third round.

In a heavyweight bout Chris Green (2-4) won a split-decision over Cornell Davis (4-9) who was fighting for the second time in four days. The judges scored it 57-57, 60-54, 59-55 for Green.

Cuba’s Freudis Rojas (1-2) stopped La Habra’s Osvaldo Medina (1-1) 1:48 of the second round to gain his first pro victory in a featherweight bout. A right hand followed by a left hook and another right hand did the job for the sharpshooting Rojas.