Collazo & Friends Crush the Competition Saturday

After a quick knockout win Saturday, Oscar Collazo says he's moving up to the flyweight division. Photo: Golden Boy Boxing
After a quick knockout win Saturday, Oscar Collazo says he's moving up to the flyweight division. Photo: Golden Boy Boxing
by Gayle Falkenthal, Boxing Editor

What to Know

  • Unified minimumweight champion Oscar Collazo fought at flyweight, scoring a second-round knockout win Saturday in the main event in Oceanside, California, over replacement opponent Neider Valdez
  • Collazo said after the win he would like to stay at flyweight and take on unified champion Ricardo Sandoval
  • All but one fight on the undercard ended in an early knockout win.

Unified minimumweight champion Oscar Collazo didn’t intend to fight at flyweight on Saturday night at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside. But once he tasted that 112-pound limit, Collazo liked it.

Due to a last-minute replacement of his original opponent, the title defense became a fight for the  WBO International Flyweight belt. Collazo (15-0, 12 KOs) made quick work of Neider Valdez of Monterrey, Mexico (15-4-3, 12 KOs), who answered the call but came in more than 10 pounds over the original 105-pound limit.

Oscar Collazo liked how he felt at 112 pounds. Photo: Golden Boy Boxing knockout
Oscar Collazo liked how he felt at 112 pounds. Photo: Golden Boy Boxing

No matter. Collazo was willing to move forward, and while his WBO, WBA, and Ring Magazine minimumweight titles weren’t in play, Collazo gained something of value: the opportunity to test himself against low-stakes opposition and see how he felt at flyweight.

In six minutes of work at 112 pounds, Collazo scored three knockdowns before Valdez’s corner decided their fighter had enough to earn his purse, asking referee Thomas Taylor to stop the action at 2:35 of round two.

Asked how he felt, a broad smile came to Collazo’s face. “I felt great. I want to stay in this division a long time.” Collazo has been working to unify the minimumweight division, but now it appears he may have his sights set on going after unified flyweight champion Ricardo Sandoval.

We spoke with Collazo about his plans and his desire to represent the smaller weight divisions on the top pound-for-pound list.

Collazo and Sandoval share a promoter in Golden Boy Boxing, and it sets up a Mexico vs Puerto Rico rivalry for the titles. Set the fight in Puerto Rico where it would be a sure sellout, and what’s not to like?

Undercard Action Packed With Knockout Wins

In the co-main event, Yair “Manotas” Gallardo of Chihuahua, Mexico (12-0, 9 KOs) dished out a tremendous volume of punishment, but couldn’t keep his knockout streak going against a two-dollar steak tough Buneet Bisla of Surrey, Canada (14-2, 7 KOs) who gets credit for his fortitude. Gallardo will settle for the unanimous decision by scores of 98-91, 97-92, and 96-93.

Gallardo drilled Bisla to the body and landed hard hooks from both sides, wobbling Bisla repeatedly. But Bisla always found his way to stay upright. At the end of round seven, Gallardo rocked Bisla with an uppercut, but he somehow stayed upright.

Gallardo was never in any danger, but he took some solid punches from Bisla in the last two rounds. Against an opponent who hadn’t been worn down, it would have been a problem. Gallardo will benefit from going ten hard rounds as he moves forward.

With a solid Olympic pedigree, Ruslan Abdullaev is rising quickly after just five pro bouts. Photo: Golden Boy Boxing Collazo Scorecards
With a solid Olympic pedigree, Ruslan Abdullaev is rising quickly after just five pro bouts. Photo: Golden Boy Boxing

Uzbek Olympian Ruslan Abdullaev (5-0, 3 KOs) only needed five rounds on his first fight scheduled for ten rounds to get the knockout win against Orestes Velazquez of Las Vegas (8-2, 7 KOs). Abdullaev scored a knockdown in the first round from a straight right.

For the next four rounds, the Uzbek poured it on against Velazquez. In the fifth round, it was a short check right hook that momentarily froze the Cuban before he hit the canvas. David Sutherland counted him out at 1:30 of the round.

American heavyweight hopeful Joshua “The Rocket” Edwards of Houston (7-0, 6 KOs) stopped Garreth “Da Lion” Payton of New Orleans (7-3, 4 KOs). Payton had never been stopped as a pro.

Edwards wasn’t entirely sure himself which punches did the damage, landing a left hook to the temple followed by a right uppercut before Payton hit the canvas. “When I saw him land on his back, I knew he wasn’t getting up,” said Edwards. The Texan said he’s looking for future opponents that will help him improve his skills as he moves forward.

Cayden Griffiths made the body shots count in his three round fight against Alan Crisosto. Photo: Golden Boy Boxing Collazo Scorecards
Cayden Griffiths made the body shots count in his three round fight against Alan Crisosto. Photo: Golden Boy Boxing

Welterweight prospect Cayden Griffiths (9-0, 8 KOs) was critical of his performance despite scoring a third-round TKO when the corner of  Alan Crisosto of Guadalajara (12-3, 8 KOs) asked that the fight be stopped at 2:49 of the round. Griffiths had scored a knockdown on a hard body shot a minute into the third round, and was dealing out too much damage to allow Crisosto to continue.

Before the bell, the Garcia brothers made quick work of their opponents, both scoring first round knockouts. Daniel “Junebug” Garcia of Denver (14-0, 11 KOs) only needed 34 seconds on the line against Christopher Rodriguez of Miami (13-3-1, 11 KOs), dropping him with a vicious right hook.


Early in the evening, younger brother Lorenzo Garcia made his professional debut with his own first round knockout, using a left hook to drop and stop Tylan Smith of Columbus, Ohio (1-1-1) at super lightweight. The dozens of Garcia brothers fans wearing their t-shirts made the trip and made their presence loud and clear, cheering the brothers on.