Mendez outpoints Honorio

CARSON, Calif. -- Junior lightweight prospect Argenis Mendez overcame the aggression and volume punching of Martin Honorio to score a 12-round majority decision over the seasoned contender in the main undercard bout of the Paul Williams-Kermit Cintron headlined card at the Home Depot Center on Saturday.

Mendez (16-1, 9 knockouts), who won by scores of 116-112 (twice) and 114-114, used superior hand speed and footwork to contain Honorio (28-5-1, 14 KOs) and clean, hard counter punches to outpoint the hardnosed Mexican veteran.

Honorio, who was coming off back-to-back victories over unbeaten prospects, never let Mendez’s faster hands and constant lateral movement deter him. Though he was outboxed for the majority of rounds after a strong start, he had his moments during the second half of the bout, usually when he was able to corner Mendez and punish the Dominican’s body along the ropes.

Many ringside observers thought Honorio’s workrate was enough to put the outcome of he bout in doubt. However, the veteran admitted that Mendez’s elusive style caused him problems.

“It complicated things,” he said after the bout. “I never found him.

“It was a very close fight in a lot of people’s eyes. I can’t say anything on my behalf. If the judges scored the fight for Mendez I have to respect their decision.”

Five undefeated prospects extended their unbeaten records underneath the Honorio-Mendez bout.

Junior lightweight Stan Martyniouk (9-0-1, 1 KO), of Sacramento, Calif., by way of Estonia, got up from a first-round knockdown to narrowly outpoint game Brian Ramirez (5-3, 3 KOs) over six rounds via split decision (57-56, 57-56, 56-57).

Martyniouk, who was dropped with a long-range left uppercut, was hesitant to exchange with Ramirez in the first two rounds of the bout and the smaller Mexican fighter landed the harder punches. However, beginning with the third round the taller, faster fighter began letting his hands go in the form of a fierce body attack and hard right hands.

Junior welterweight Michael Dallas Jr. (14-0-1, 5 KOs), of Bakersfield, Calif., stopped Daniel Gonzalez (9-29-2, 3 KOs) in the second round of their four rounder by overwhelming the outgunned journeyman from Montana.

Junior middleweight Jeremiah Wiggins (8-0-1, 3 KOs), of Newport News, Va., scored a hard-fought six-round unanimous decision over tough and game Juan Diaz (9-10, 6 KOs), of Neza, Mexico.

Junior featherweight Walter Sarnoi (6-0, 2 KOs), of Los Angeles, scored a four-round majority decision over game and busy Adrian Aleman (6-7-3, 4 KOs), of Indio, Calif.

Bantamweight Michael Ruiz Jr. (2-0, 1 KO), of Fresno, Calif., knocked out Jose Pacheco (2-13-6), of Cudahay, Calif., in the second round of their four-round bout.