Article by Hollewood Ray
Exciting and explosive, that’s exactly what the Expo Explosion 3 was.
Starting the night off with Larry Sanchez 0-2 from Midland, TX vs Adam Ramirez, with this being his debut. First round Sanchez opens with pumping the jab, both fighters off balance due to improper boxing stance; stumbling over each other when tangled up. Leading to Sanchez weirdly falling to his left knee, with back towards Ramirez. Ramirez continuing with punches, hitting Sanchez in the back of the head. For some odd reason the ref starts counting signaling a knock down. Ending the round. In the second round Ramirez puts his foot on the gas pedal and applies pressure, putting Sanchez on the canvas twice within the first minute and a half of the round. Coming to the ref stopping the bout at 1:13 of round 2. Ramirez now 1-0 (1ko) Larry Sanchez 0-3.
Bout 2 of the night, we have local favorite Lorenzo “bombita” Benavidez 1-1 from Albuquerque, NM vs Rico Urquizo 5-6-2 (3ko’s) from Clovis, NM. In this bout Lorenzo being the much shorter of the two fighters, tends to be the aggressor applying immense pressure moving forward with head movement tossing in devastating body blows; ending his combinations up top. This action happing throughout the bout, except the 3rd round. Urquizo opens the round with bombs, and both fighters putting each other on the ropes. just an old fashion slug fest. Lorenzo winning a unanimous decision improving to 2-1 Rico Urquizo 5-7-2(3ko’s).
Bout 3 local fighter Christian Castillo 2-0(2ko’s) takes on Albert jones from Midland, TX, in his debut appearance. The round opens up with jones coming out with an awkward jittery style, quickly on his bike
pumping a jab to keep the distance between him and Castillo. When Castillo momentarily catches the slippery Jones in the corner the few times he does in the round. He lets off on target packed behind with power shots; quickly detecting that by how quick Jones ties up with Castillo. The round ending in Castillo’s favor. Round two Jones seems to really not want to engage in any kind of contact besides tying up Castillo. But that only worked for so long; by the end of the round, Castillo opens up Jones body and sends Jones to the canvas. Jones getting up by the count of 8 to finish the round. As the bell rings signaling round 3, Jones stays sitting down in his corner and decides to not continue. Castillo moves forward with his 100% ko streak 3-0(3ko’s) Jones 0-1.
In the 4th bout of the night, we step in to the women’s featured bout of the night. Coming out of Las Cruses, NM Amy Salinas 1-0 vs Danielle Saldanha from Fort Collins, CO 2-1(1ko). Saldanha comes out of each round with side to side movement and a pity patter jab, in which at all times stays in range for Salinas powerful body to head combinations. No matter where Saldanha goes Salinas is right there, repositioning Saldanha where Salinas wants her. It’s a boxing clinic, from outside to inside with precise head movement and angels, the body to head break down. The only thing more impressive in this bout was how Saldanha endured all the punishment and made it to the score cards. The fight being a unanimous decision, in Salinas favor improving to 2-0 Saldanha 2-2 (1ko).
The 5th bout of the night, brought us a definite, fan favorite Aaron Perez 6-0(4ko’s) from Albuquerque, NM vs Isias Cardona 25-17 (17ko’s) from Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico. The calm composed Perez looks 
like a lion stalking down his prey, while the Mexican natives hops around the ring staggering. Perez cutting the ring off trapping Cardona in the corner dropping deconstructing left hooks and over hand rights. The punches being so effective in the first round, Cardona does not answer the bell to the second round. Putting another ko victory on Perez’s record Aaron Perez 7-0(5ko’s) Isias Cardona 25-18(17ko’s).
6th fight of the night we bring from Aztec, NM Joe Gomez 22-7 (10ko’s) vs Albuquerque’s own Jose Sanchez 8-1 (3ko’s). Gomez stepping forward throwing looping shots, mostly land on shoulders and mid arm area. Sanchez with the in-range shots and nice angles finding his range and timing his 
shots landing with a higher percentage. This causing Joe to keep his distance in round 3 due to the high connect rate coming from Sanchez. By the 4th round Sanchez clearly was the more composed while joe was breathing heavy show signs of fatigue, but still on the attack. Sanchez opens the round with a 3-punch combination putting Gomez on the canvas, Sanchez making the mistake of swinging at Gomez on the canvas; so, after Gomez takes the count and shakes the punches off the ref takes a point a way from Sanchez for hit an opponent on the ground. The fighters continue Sanchez putting Gomez on the ropes again shortly after Gomez hits the canvas from a left hook to the body then on top with an over hand right. During the count the crowd and corner man realize a towel being thrown in from the crowd. Either way the bout was stopped. Improving Jose Sanchez 9-1(4ko’s) Joe Gomez 22-8(10ko’s).
In the co-main event, we had the Albuquerque showdown between Willy Villanueva 11-5-1(2ko’s) vs Matthew Esquibel 11-0-1(5ko’s). For the most 
part of the first half of the bout Matthew applies the pressure cornering and ripping shots off at Willy. Willy never really letting go through out the bout, but when did seemed to stager Matthew, but never for sought the after attack. Pretty much staying cautious of Esquibel’s power controlling and winning Matthew Esquibel a unanimous decision improving the undefeated record 12-0-1(5ko’s) Willy Villanueva 11-6-1(2ko’s).
In the main event Albuquerque’s own Josh “PitBull” Torres 19-6-2(11kos) brings from Cd Juarez CHIH, Mexico. Francisco “El Zorro” Castro28-9(23ko’s) Josh with a very tight turtle shell defense enter this bout with a slight left to right head movement circling Francisco. Francisco throwing looping type punches never really making contact on Torres besides arms and low blows. Although Castro applies pressure, he is not effective but does open up a cut on Torres in the begging of the 5th round, due to what was called an accidental head but by the ref. 
Castro becomes a standing target, while Torres is dropping in fierce combinations. Body head, head body, just chopping down the tree slowly. And in the 8th round Torres angles out to his left, throws a over hand right and closes it with a thunderous jab. Putting Castro on his butt. Josh ‘Pit Bull” Torres 20-6-2(11ko’s) concealing the victory, Castro not being able to beat the count Francisco Castro 28-10(23ko’s).
