March 9, 2011
GUTIERREZ ARCHIVEPaulGutierrez
CSNCalifornia.com
The restart button on Vicente Escobedos boxing career has a glitch, of sorts.
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The 2004 United States Olympian from Woodland, who is making a move back down to the 130-pound division from lightweight, will undergo surgery on his right hand either Thursday or Friday at USC medical center. Escobedo injured it in Friday nights 10-round unanimous decision over Walter Estrada in Indio.
I was hoping it was just bruised but they said the ligament that holds the knuckle in place came off and I just ruptured it in the fight, Escobedo said in a phone interview with CSN California. It was in about the third round when I started feeling the pain really, really bad. I was hesitant to throw it. I was just throwing it to throw it. There was no power behind it.
And still, Escobedo (23-3) knocked down the southpaw Estrada (38-14-1) with a straight right to the chin in the seventh round.
In all, though, Escobedo was not all that impressed with his performance which was scored 97-92, 96-93, 97-92. He had lost two of his previous three fights at 135 pounds.
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I thought it was good, not great, said Escobedo, who now fights out of Pasadena. (Estrada) was awkward and I couldnt do the things I wanted to with him. It was a win; were happy with that.
Initially, Escobedo thought he chipped a knuckle, as he did in his split decision loss to Michael Katsidis for the interim WBO lightweight title on Sept. 19, 2009. Instead, Escobedo will now be shut down for at least six weeks after the surgery, delaying plans made for him by Golden Boy Promotions.
We plan to get him a couple of stay-strong fights and then go after the champions (at 130 pounds), Golden Boy matchmaker Eric Gomez said before the Estrada fight.
Were still high on him; hes good. Hes still a part of our team. It might have taken a little longer for him to develop but we still have high expectations of him.
The fight with Estrada was at a catch-weight of 133 pounds, and Escobedo weighed in at 132 pounds.
The plan was I wanted to get back in the ring in late May, early June, Escobedo said. Now, it looks like its not going to happen. Bummer.