Kato Mendoza takes WBC Latino silver belt from Rooster

Everything was stacked against him except his ability and the team’s confidence.This is how Kato Mendoza performed at the weigh-in last Friday in Fort Guardira. The Colombian boxer, who has lived in Victoria for many years, declared in a video on the social networks of his agency: “We are fully prepared and we are here to scare you.” He complied with the letter.

Debuted as a professional player 18 months ago in OrdiziaKato accepted the first opportunity he was offered to compete for the title.

He doesn’t care that it’s bantamweight. Two divisions higher than him, he is a natural flyer. The one from Gasteiz Gym consciously lost weight. His opponent, Andalusian Alberto Marquez, was taller, heavier and had a larger wingspan.

“Kato is used to outrunning opponents with a wider range, and another problem is weight. But we evaluated him and found that he has many options to win.” His coach, Andoni Alonso from Vitoria said . Ignacio Mendoza’s younger brother and Fran Mendoza’s older brother stood in the ring looking as they always do: poised. “We prepared very well. We proposed to strengthen a battle in the second half, when Kato’s fatigue and work would put pressure on Marquez. Kato put it into practice perfectly,” Alonso detailed.

After the first four rounds, the judges’ vote, which was made public because it was a championship match, was a draw. In this chapter, the referee Mr. Alosa from Huelva considered that Mendoza used his head at close range and deducted a point. He should be able to do this without taking into account the height difference between the contenders.

In the sixth round, the brave Marquez began to feel Kato’s left hook. In the seventh, Mendoza hurt his opponent with a right uppercut, despite two elbows from Mendoza that opened his eyebrows. The unanswered combination led Mr. Alosa to cease hostilities and declare a technical knockout in favor of the foreign fighter.

“This is a reward for Kato’s work and dedication. Great victory. Now, Kato has to rest for a few days and we have to focus on finding good opportunities for him in the flyweight division, where his punches are really special.” Coach Gimnasio Gasteiz concluded. A week later, Kato ended the Mendozas’ title fight.

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