by Cliff Rold

27-year old Jorge Paez Jr. (39-6-2, 23 KO) of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, scored a pair of knockdowns en route to a ten round majority decision over 23-year old Daniel Echeverria (18-1, 16 KO) of Gomez Palacio, Durango, Mexico, on Saturday night at San Luis Potosí. It was Paez’s first start since a knockout loss to Jose Benavidez in May.

Both men weighed in at the Welterweight limit of 147.

Paez landed a left hook to the temple in the first minute of the fight to send Echeverria to the floor. Echeverria rose, unhurt, and went right back at the veteran. It was a spare highlight in an awkward fight high on clinching as the southpaw style of Echeverria and orthodox stance of Paez meant a bit of a mess in close quarters.

A body shot in the fourth sent Echeverria to the deck again and this time he showed some wear. He made it up and finished the round but was in a hole. It would be the last time Echeverria touched the floor and he seemed to outwork Paez in the majority of the fights next six rounds. It wasn’t quite enough, Paez’s knockdowns the difference in the fight. A draw score of 94-94 was overruled twice at 95-94 and 95-93 for Paez.

The televised opener came in the Women’s Bantamweight division.

27-year old Yazmin Rivas (34-8, 10 KO) of Torreon, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Mexico, successfully defended her WBC title for the fourth time with a unanimous decision in ten rounds over 34-year old Kandy Sandoval (9-7, 2 KO) of Mexico City, Mexico. Official scores were 97-93 and 96-94 twice, all for Rivas.

Rivas previously held the IBF title in the division from 2011-13, defending it five times.  

The card was broadcast in the US on BeIn Espanol, promoted by Zanfer.

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene and a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at

roldboxing@hotmail.com