All Star Boxing delivered a punch in Nicaragua on Friday, presenting a world-class event from the iconic Alexis Arguello Arena in Managua, Nicaragua. The main event? A heart-pounding 12-round knockout by Rene “Chulo” Santiago over Nicaraguan Kevin Vivas, securing the WBO Interim Jr Flyweight Title. With an electrifying crowd in the background, this marked the first world title fight in Nicaragua in 21 years. Santiago’s performance was top-notch, navigating the first half with precision and then delivering a knockout blow in the concluding round.
The arena was graced by several past world champions supporting the event, including the likes of Humberto “Chiquita” Gonzalez, Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, The Alvarado Brothers, and Adonis Rivas. An emotional nod to the late Alexis Arguello was also part of the night, showcased on the Jumbotron right before the main event.
The noise ramped up further with a hometown rivalry in the co-feature. Managua’s own Harvin “Manimal” Aguirre, boasting a record of (9-0 6 KO’s), had to fight tooth and nail against the tough Tipitapa’s Israel Lopez (11-4-1 8 KO’s). Aguirre managed to keep his unbeaten status, clinching a majority decision. Aguirre’s strategy was clear: maintain distance and thwart Lopez’s advances. But from the 5th round, Lopez began landing some solid punches, although it was a tad late in the game.
The women weren’t left out of the action! The evening had a special fight for the vacant NABO/WBO Flyweight division. Acoyapa’s Eveling “La Colocha” Ortega (6-4 2 KO’s) continued her winning spree, holding off Silvia Duran (3-1 2 KO’s) in an intense 6-round exchange. Ortega’s win made her the first NABO female champion from Nicaragua. A moment for the history books!
The action kept coming. Honduran Gerardo “Chocolate” Sanchez (8-1 5 KO’s) from Tegucigalpa secured a win over Eduardo “Chino” Alito (11-0 5 KO’s) in a swift 8-round fight, taking home the vacant WBO Latino Jr Flyweight Title.
The broadcast opened with a bang! Alex Vallecillo (5-0 5 KO’s) from Managua took on Christian “Dinamita” Jimenez (5-1 4 KO’s) of San Salvador, El Salvador. The fight was all sorts of exciting. Vallecillo had the upper hand and wrapped it up by stopping Jimenez with a powerful left hook, just 1:30 into the 3rd round.
And let’s not forget young Michael Carmona (4-0 1 KO’s), who ensured Miguel Tercero (2-4) didn’t see past the first round in the preliminary fight.
The “WBO Night of Champions” was a significant milestone by Tuto Zabala Jr’s All Star Boxing, Inc in collaboration with the World Boxing Organization (WBO). Their mission? To elevate Central American boxing. A special shoutout to some of the great officials like Tony Weeks, Russell Mora, Robert Hoyle, Raul Caiz Jr., Roberto Ramirez Jr, Gerardo Martinez, and Jose H Rivera. All Star Boxing extends its gratitude to everyone involved, especially the fans, who witnessed a memorable night of championship boxing.