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Friday
Boxing: Josh Torres vs. Jose Valenzuela, Cristian Cabral vs. Martin Sollano, 3 other bouts.
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Embassy Suites.
Tickets and info: 505-877-5725
Earlier this week, the UNM men’s basketball team added Mississippi Valley State to its 2026-27 non-conference basketball schedule. The Delta Devils are road warriors who almost never win but will go anywhere, play anyone, to sustain their program financially.
One might say that Jose Valenzuela Alvarado is the professional boxing equivalent of the Delta Devils.
Valenzuela, a native of Puebla, Mexico, will bring a 4-28-4 record (no typo) into his scheduled welterweight bout against Albuquerque’s Josh Torres (30-7-2, 17 KOs) on Friday at the Embassy Suites.
Valenzuela is a late replacement for Mexican countryman Alejandro Frias Rodriguez (21-13-2, 12 KOs), who withdrew, event promoter Aaron Perez said at Thursday’s weigh-in, with a shoulder injury.
Valenzuela has stepped in to fill a hole in Friday’s card, just as Mississippi Valley State has filled a hole in UNM’s schedule.
Torres expressed disappointment in the change of opponents but said his mindset has not changed. Would not the Lobos want to give their best effort against Mississippi Valley State, just as they would against New Mexico State?
“I want to go out there and not just win, but win in spectacular fashion,” Torres said. “It’s not who you beat but how you beat them.
“It’s unfortunate that we had to change opponents the way we did, but there’s things in boxing that are just out of our control. There’s nothing we can do about it, so we just continue to train hard and move forward.”
And, regarding Valenzuela, there’s this: Among his 28 losses, only one has come by knockout or TKO.
Valenzuela’s only loss by stoppage occurred in March 2025 in Indio, California, against 2024 Olympian Ruslan Abdullaev of Uzbekistan. Torres will seek to be the second fighter to stop Valenzuela short of the distance.
There’s this, too. Valenzuela’s strength of schedule rivals, perhaps surpasses, that of the Delta Devils.
“He’s very tough, very durable,” Torres said. “Of those 28 losses, I think only two (of his opponents) had losing records. He’s fought nothing but undefeated and tough prospects.”
Torres’ bout against Frias was to be for the UBO welterweight (147-pound) title. But Jeremy Lantz, the UBO supervisor in attendance, said the organization could not justify awarding a title after the change of opponents, given Valenzuela’s record.
Torres weighed in on Thursday at 146.6 pounds, Valenzuela at 146.8.
The bout is scheduled for eight rounds.
UBO, IT’S A GO: Albuquerque’s Cristian Cabral’s bid for his first professional title — the UBO Intercontinental middleweight belt — appeared in jeopardy at Thursday’s weigh-in when his opponent, Martin Sollano, weighed in 2.4 pounds over the 160-pound limit. For title bouts, fighters must make the contracted weight.
But somehow, promoter Perez said, Sollano, a native of Mexico who lives in Amarillo, Texas, was able to shed almost 4 pounds in the two hours allotted for the purpose. The title fight is on.
Cabral (11-2-2, five KOs) weighed in at 158.6 pounds. Sollano (5-0, three KOs), after time in a sauna or perhaps just a run in 100-degree heat, weighed 158.8.
THE UNDERCARD: San Felipe Pueblo’s Clinton Chavez (9-2, six KOs) weighed in at 159.8 pounds for his scheduled six-round middleweight bout against Wesley Vanderlinden ( 4-3, four KOs) of Simi Valley, California. Vanderlinden also weighed 159.8 pounds.
German Ponce (1-0), of Hidalgo del Parral, Chihuahua, weighed in at 134.8 pounds for his four-round lightweight bout against David Bedai Quiros (pro debut) of Tijuana, Baja California. Bedai weighed in at 132.6.
Albuquerque’s Shaun Henson (2-6, two KOs) weighed in at 159.6 for his four-round middleweight bout against Miguel Lozano Castillo (3-4, two KOs) of Juarez, Chihuahua. Lozano was not at Thursday’s weigh-in but was expected to arrive on Friday.
HAMMER TIME: Albuquerque’s Abraham “Hammer” Perez (15-0, seven KOs), the WBA interim world flyweight champion, is scheduled for an autograph session between 6-7 p.m. before Friday’s card.
Continue reading...
Boxing: Josh Torres vs. Jose Valenzuela, Cristian Cabral vs. Martin Sollano, 3 other bouts.
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Embassy Suites.
Tickets and info: 505-877-5725
Earlier this week, the UNM men’s basketball team added Mississippi Valley State to its 2026-27 non-conference basketball schedule. The Delta Devils are road warriors who almost never win but will go anywhere, play anyone, to sustain their program financially.
One might say that Jose Valenzuela Alvarado is the professional boxing equivalent of the Delta Devils.
Valenzuela, a native of Puebla, Mexico, will bring a 4-28-4 record (no typo) into his scheduled welterweight bout against Albuquerque’s Josh Torres (30-7-2, 17 KOs) on Friday at the Embassy Suites.
Valenzuela is a late replacement for Mexican countryman Alejandro Frias Rodriguez (21-13-2, 12 KOs), who withdrew, event promoter Aaron Perez said at Thursday’s weigh-in, with a shoulder injury.
Valenzuela has stepped in to fill a hole in Friday’s card, just as Mississippi Valley State has filled a hole in UNM’s schedule.
Torres expressed disappointment in the change of opponents but said his mindset has not changed. Would not the Lobos want to give their best effort against Mississippi Valley State, just as they would against New Mexico State?
“I want to go out there and not just win, but win in spectacular fashion,” Torres said. “It’s not who you beat but how you beat them.
“It’s unfortunate that we had to change opponents the way we did, but there’s things in boxing that are just out of our control. There’s nothing we can do about it, so we just continue to train hard and move forward.”
And, regarding Valenzuela, there’s this: Among his 28 losses, only one has come by knockout or TKO.
Valenzuela’s only loss by stoppage occurred in March 2025 in Indio, California, against 2024 Olympian Ruslan Abdullaev of Uzbekistan. Torres will seek to be the second fighter to stop Valenzuela short of the distance.
There’s this, too. Valenzuela’s strength of schedule rivals, perhaps surpasses, that of the Delta Devils.
“He’s very tough, very durable,” Torres said. “Of those 28 losses, I think only two (of his opponents) had losing records. He’s fought nothing but undefeated and tough prospects.”
Torres’ bout against Frias was to be for the UBO welterweight (147-pound) title. But Jeremy Lantz, the UBO supervisor in attendance, said the organization could not justify awarding a title after the change of opponents, given Valenzuela’s record.
Torres weighed in on Thursday at 146.6 pounds, Valenzuela at 146.8.
The bout is scheduled for eight rounds.
UBO, IT’S A GO: Albuquerque’s Cristian Cabral’s bid for his first professional title — the UBO Intercontinental middleweight belt — appeared in jeopardy at Thursday’s weigh-in when his opponent, Martin Sollano, weighed in 2.4 pounds over the 160-pound limit. For title bouts, fighters must make the contracted weight.
But somehow, promoter Perez said, Sollano, a native of Mexico who lives in Amarillo, Texas, was able to shed almost 4 pounds in the two hours allotted for the purpose. The title fight is on.
Cabral (11-2-2, five KOs) weighed in at 158.6 pounds. Sollano (5-0, three KOs), after time in a sauna or perhaps just a run in 100-degree heat, weighed 158.8.
THE UNDERCARD: San Felipe Pueblo’s Clinton Chavez (9-2, six KOs) weighed in at 159.8 pounds for his scheduled six-round middleweight bout against Wesley Vanderlinden ( 4-3, four KOs) of Simi Valley, California. Vanderlinden also weighed 159.8 pounds.
German Ponce (1-0), of Hidalgo del Parral, Chihuahua, weighed in at 134.8 pounds for his four-round lightweight bout against David Bedai Quiros (pro debut) of Tijuana, Baja California. Bedai weighed in at 132.6.
Albuquerque’s Shaun Henson (2-6, two KOs) weighed in at 159.6 for his four-round middleweight bout against Miguel Lozano Castillo (3-4, two KOs) of Juarez, Chihuahua. Lozano was not at Thursday’s weigh-in but was expected to arrive on Friday.
HAMMER TIME: Albuquerque’s Abraham “Hammer” Perez (15-0, seven KOs), the WBA interim world flyweight champion, is scheduled for an autograph session between 6-7 p.m. before Friday’s card.
Continue reading...
