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Boxing: Mendoza added to April 12 card
New Mexico boxer Brian Mendoza, shown here celebrating his upset victory by seventh-round knockout over Sebastian Fundora in April 2023, defeated Jesus Antonio Rojas on Friday in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. It was Mendoza’s first bout in some 15 months.
ALBUQUERQUE — New Mexico native Brian “La Bala” Mendoza has been added to the scheduled April 12 pro boxing card at the Pit, a spokesman for the promotional firm Signature Punch confirmed on Sunday.
Mendoza (22-4, 16 KOs), a Cleveland High School graduate who lives and trains in Las Vegas, Nevada, has not fought in his home state since November 2017. Since then, he scored a spectacular, seventh-round knockout of Sebastian Fundora, winning the WBC interim junior middleweight world title, in April 2023. The following October, he lost to Australia’s Tim Tszyu by unanimous decision in a bid for the WBO world junior middleweight world title.
Mendoza is under contract to Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Championships. Signature Punch spokesman Madison Clavon said PBC has granted permission for Mendoza to fight at the Pit on April 12.
He would join fellow New Mexicans Josh Torres, Diego Sanchez and brothers Nico Tapia and Johnny Tapia Jr. on the Signature Punch card, co-promoted by Albuquerque’s Tapia Promotions.
Torres (27-7, 15 KOs) told the Journal he’s matched against Miami’s Harold Eduardo Calderon (28-2, 19 KOs) in a scheduled eight-rounder. Opponents have not been announced for Mendoza, Sanchez or the Tapia brothers.
The card’s main event matches MMA fighters Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, both of whom would be making their boxing debuts.
Tickets for the event are scheduled to go on sale Monday at unmtickets.com.
REY WINS: Albuquerque’s Andres Rey remained unbeaten (4-0, no KOs) with a victory by four-round unanimous decision over Mexico’s Joshua Briones Garcia (3-3) Saturday in El Paso.
Rey now is managed by Albuquerque’s Jacob Maes, who’s back in boxing after a hiatus of several years. Rey was cornered on Saturday by veteran Albuquerque trainer Sergio Chavez.
In the main event Saturday at the El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso’s Stephanie Han (10-0, three KOs) won the previously vacant WBA lightweight title, defeating Hannah Terlep by first-round knockout.
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Han is trained by Las Cruces’ Louie Burke, as were her sister Jennifer and her brother Abie, both retired.
