Porras is de-livered by left hook from Leo
The pain inflicted by a liver shot is unbearable
The pain (we hear) is excruciating and immobilizing — for maybe 30 seconds. After that, you’re fine.
Only, if the referee even bothers, you’ve already been counted out by then.
It’s called a liver shot — a left hook landing flush on that tender organ — and that’s the punch Albuquerque’s Angelo Leo used to defeat The Philippines’ Glenn Porras by first-round knockout Saturday at Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall in Las Vegas, Nev.
“We’ve been practicing that shot, and it landed, so I’m very happy,” Leo (14-0, eight KOs) told boxingscene.com afterward.
Not so happy was Porras (31-8, 19 KOs), but he shouldn’t be ashamed. When a liver shot lands, it doesn’t matter how tough you are.
Was Johnny Tapia tough? Absolutely. But the late five-time world champion from Albuquerque was incapacitated by a Sandro Marcos liver shot in Chicago on Sept. 16, 2005.
Is Fidel Maldonado Jr. tough? Yes, but the Albuquerque welterweight fell victim to an Ismael Barroso liver shot in Indio, Calif., on Oct. 13, 2017.
And if you think a punch to the liver hurts, think about a kick to the liver. Just three days ago on a One Championship MMA card in Myanmar, welterweight Luis Santos destroyed Daichi Abe with a liver kick in the first round.
Leo, a Mayweather Promotions contract fighter now living and training Vegas, has been more highly regarded for his boxing skills than his punching power. Saturday’s result can only help him on his way to bigger fights and bigger paydays. THE WEIGH-IN: Albuquerque’s Jason Sanchez weighed in Tuesday at 125½ pounds for tonight’s WBO Youth featherweight title bout in Panama. His opponent, Jean Carlos Rivera of Puerto Rico, weighed 125¼.
Video of the weigh-in was posted on Facebook by Pepe Sanchez, the fighter’s father. Sanchez (12-0, six KOs) is the longer and leaner of the two fighters, perhaps 2 inches taller than Rivera (15-0, 10 KOs).
The bout originally was scheduled as the 10-round main event of tonight’s card, which is being staged in conjunction with the annual WBO Convention, with the WBO Intercontinental featherweight at stake. It later was reduced to eight rounds for the vacant Youth title.
OSORIO RETIRES: Albuquerque boxer Jose Osorio has announced his retirement at age 26, citing medical concerns.
Osorio (10-3-1, four KOs) last fought in January. A scheduled fight Oct.20 fight in Las Vegas, Nev., against Irish Olympian Michael Conlan was cancelled after Osorio’s medical workup raised a red flag with the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
“All you friends and Fanzzz a HUGE AND HEARTFELT THANK YOU !!!!! I tried to leave it all in the ring for you all!” Osorio posted on Facebook.
UPCOMING: Albuquerque light heavyweight boxer Mike Alderete will try his hand (and fists) at the bare-knuckles version of the sport on Nov. 9 in Casper, Wyoming. Alderete (7-7-2 as a gloved boxer) is matched against Josh Neer in his bare-knuckle debut.
... Legacy Promotions is planning its next pro boxing card for Dec. 1 at the Manuel Lujan Pavilion at Expo New Mexico. Albuquerque welterweight Josh Torre (18-6-2, 10 KOs) is scheduled for the main event against an opponent yet to be named.
.... MMA promotional firm King of the Cage returns to New Mexico on Dec. 2 with a card at the Santa Ana Star Center. The main event matches Albuquerque’s Sherwin Price (5-0) against Nick Angeloni (3-0) of Norco, California with the KOTC junior welterweight title at stake. Price trains at FIT-NHB. ... Roswell’s Andres Quintana, who trains in Albuquerque at Luttrell-Yee, will be one of eight MMA fighters to participate in a one-night, eight-fighter featherweight tournament staged by Combate Americas in Fresno, Calif. Quintana (15-2), is coming off a victory by first-round submission (rear naked choke) over Erick Gonzales on a Combate Americas card in Long Beach, Calif.