The opening light flyweight contest of the Western Trials featured a razor-close contest between 2004 Olympic Runner-up Diego Hurtado (Reno, Nev.) and Jesus Aguilera (Los Alamos, Calif.). Aguilera held a slim lead through the first two rounds and went into the final two minutes with a one-point advantage. Hurtado pulled the bout to a 41-41 tie at the end of the bout and won the semifinal match-up on his 96-87 total punch count advantage. He will face Francisco Ibarra (Brighton, Colo.) in the championship bout.

Jerry Guevara (Brownsville, Texas) won the first flyweight bout of the tournament, recording a second round stoppage of Suanitu Hoague (Albuquerque, N.M.). Guevara grabbed a commanding 15-3 lead after the first round of boxing and needed only a minute to take a 20-point advantage and the semifinal victory. Guevara will face Daniel Roman (Inglewood, Calif.) in the championship round on Saturday.

Another Texas native advanced to the final round in the bantamweight division. 2004 Junior Olympic National Champion Sergio Perales (Los Fresnos, Texas) earned a 53-37 victory over Christopher Avalos (Lancaster, Calif.) in their semifinal match-up. The bout was extremely close through the midway point with Perales holding a slim one-point lead after two rounds. Yet a big Perales third round pushed the boxer to a 43-32 lead and the eventual semifinal win. Perales will face defending Western Trials champion Rick Lopez (Brighton, Colo.) in championship round action on Saturday. Lopez won his semifinal match-up with familiar foe Shawn Nichol (Lakewood, Colo.) to move on to title night. Following a first round tie, Lopez moved out to a 25-21 advantage at the halfway mark of the contest. He went into the fourth round with a two-point advantage and held on over the final two minutes to win a 49-46 final decision.

In featherweight action, 2007 Golden Gloves silver medallist Raynell Williams (Cleveland, Ohio) enjoyed an early night in his semifinal contest with 2006 Golden Gloves champion Efrain Esquivias (Santa Ana, Calif.). Williams let his hands go early and often en route to a 22-7 lead after the first round, he continued his onslaught in the second. His efforts earned Williams a 29-9 lead at the 1:40 mark of the second, giving him a stoppage victory and a berth in the championship round where he will face Daniel Martinez (Covina, Calif.). Martinez won a far closer decision in his semifinal match-up with Ryan Schmidt (Grand Rapids, Mich.). Schmidt led after each of the first three rounds and went into the final stanza with a 41-37 edge. Yet Martinez managed to pull the bout to a 45-45 tie in the final two minutes, and went on to win the bout on his 128-120 total punch count advantage.

Roberto Vargas (Santa Ana, Calif.) and Enrique Nieves (Phoenix, Ariz.) will face off in the lightweight championship bout. Vargas won a second round stoppage over Jeffrey Salas (E. Carbon, Utah) in their lightweight semifinal to advance in the tournament. Nieves kept it close in the early round and received assistance with Vargas losing two points in the first round for holding. Vargas took a 16-13 lead into the second round, but he really began to let his hands fly in the second round. His onslaught caused the referee to stop the bout at the 1:28 mark of the second round. Nieves advanced with a stoppage victory of his own, defeating Carlos Arce (Los Angeles, Calif.) in the third round of their bout. The contest was close through the first two rounds, but Nieves turned up the heat in the third to win the stoppage at the 1:52 mark.

In the light welterweight division, Michael Concepcion (E. Orange, N.J.) advanced to the championship round with a 21-13 decision over Kevin Barger (Foster City, Calif.). The contest stayed within three points through the first three rounds with Concepcion taking a 13-10 edge into the final stanza. He more than doubled his lead over the final two minutes to win the 21-13 final victory and a berth in championship night with Mike Faragon (Schenectady, N.Y.). Faragon won a 2-1 paper decision victory over Jamal James (Minneapolis, Minn.) in their semifinal contest to move on to title night.

Two California boxers advanced to championship round action in the welterweight division. Demetrio Soto (Los Angeles, Calif.) won a high scoring affair with Arturo Crespin (Las Vegas, N.M.) in their semifinal bout. Soto blew the bout open in the third round, turning his three point lead into 43-29 advantage as the fourth round began. He went on to win a 62-35 decision to move on to the final round where he will battle Rodrigo Garcia (Santa Ana, Calif.). Garcia’s strong second round pushed him to a semifinal victory over Enver Halili (Weatherford, Texas). He turned his five-point first round lead into a 23-9 edge at the midway point in the bout. He held on to on his lead over the final four minutes to win a 43-30 final decision.

Two-time Junior Olympic National Champion Dominic Wade (Largo, Md.) advanced to the middleweight championship bout with a semifinal win over Payton Boyea (Sacramento, Calif.). Wade took a 33-24 lead into the final round before winning a 44-33 final decision and a spot in the final round bout with Kelly Max Buchanan (Teague, Texas). Buchanan trailed throughout his semifinal contest with Stepan Zeytunyan (Aurora, Colo.) and went into the final round down by a 9-3 margin. Yet he came back over the final minutes to win a 15-13 decision and a spot in the championship bout.

Lionell Thompson (Buffalo, N.Y.) won the lone contested light heavyweight semifinal bout with a 36-31 victory over Mike Montoya, Jr. (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Thompson led throughout the bout, and enjoyed a 28-24 advantage after three rounds. He emerged from the fourth round with a 36-31 final victory, and a berth in the championship bout with Dennis Hasson (Philadelphia, Pa.). Hasson advanced to the final round on a medical disqualification of Michael Ortiz (Moreno Valley, Calif.).

In heavyweight action, Andres Taylor (Johnstown, Pa.) earned the first semifinal victory, taking a 37-29 over Javier Torres (Medford, Ore.). The two boxers competed to an 11-11 tie after two rounds, but Taylor won the third stanza to take a 22-18 lead into the final two minutes. He extended his lead in the final round to win a 37-29 final decision. Taylor will battle Akeem Holland (San Mateo, Calif.) in the championship bout. Holland lead throughout the four round bout, taking a 16-9 advantage after two rounds. His advantage stayed consistent over the final four minutes to win a 30-23 decision.

The final two boxers to earn championship round berths competed in the super heavyweight division. Justin Jones (Houston, Texas) advanced with another high scoring victory, taking a 34-28 decision over Excell Holmes (Amherst, N.Y.). Jones slowly built on his lead as each round passed, going into the final stanza with a 24-18 advantage before winning the final decision. In the final bout of the evening, Tim Washington (Toledo, Ohio) won a close bout with Tyler Turner (Lynchburg, Va.). Washington took a two-point lead into the fourth round and held on to win a 44-41 final decision and the final championship round berth.

Eleven championship bouts will be contested on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Salt Palace.

Friday’s Semifinal Results
106 lbs/48 kg: Diego Hurtado, Reno, Nev., dec. Jesus Aguilera, Los Alamos, Calif., 41-41 (96-87)
112 lbs/51 kg: Jerry Guevara, Brownsville, Texas stopped Suanitu Hoague, Albuquerque, N.M., RSCO-2 (1:03)
119 lbs/54 kg: Sergio Perales, Los Fresnos, Texas dec. Christopher Avalos, Lancaster, Calif., 53-37
119 lbs/54 kg: Rick Lopez, Brighton, Colo., dec. Shawn Nichol, Lakewood, Colo., 46-43
125 lbs/57 kg: Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio stopped Efrain Esquivias, Torrance, Calif., RSCO-2 (1:40)
125 lbs/57 kg: Daniel Martinez, Covina, Calif., dec. Ryan Schmidt, Grand Rapids, Mich., 45-45 (128-120)
132 lbs/60 kg: Roberto Vargas, Santa Ana, Calif., stopped Jeffrey Salas, E. Carbon, Utah, RSC-2 (1:28)
132 lbs/60 kg: Enrique Nieves, Phoenix, Ariz., dec. Carlos Arce, Los Angeles, Calif., RSC-3
141 lbs/64 kg: Mike Faragon, Schenectady, N.Y. dec. Jamal James, Minneapolis, Minn., 2-1 (paper scoring)
141 lbs/64 kg: Michael Concepcion, E. Orange, N.J.. dec. Kevin Barger, Foster City, Calif., 21-13
152 lbs/69 kg: Rodrigo Garcia, Santa Ana, Calif. dec. Enver Halili, Weatherford, Texas, 43-30
152 lbs/69 kg: Demetrio Soto, Los Angeles, Calif. dec. Arturo Crespin, Las Vegas, N.M., 62-35
165 lbs/75 kg: Dominic Wade, Largo, Md., dec. Payton Boyea, Sacramento, Calif., 44-33
165 lbs/75 kg: Kelly Max Buchanan, Teague, Texas dec. Stepan Zeytunyan, Aurora, Colo., 15-13
178 lbs/81 kg: Dennis Hasson, Philadelphia, Pa. won on medical disqualification over Michael Ortiz, Moreno Valley, Calif., DQ
178 lbs/81 kg: Lionell Thompson, Buffalo, N.Y. dec. Mike Montoya, Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo., 36-31
201 lbs/91 kg: Andres Taylor, Johnstown, Pa., dec. Javier Torres, Medford, Ore., 37-29
201 lbs/91 kg: Akeem Holland, San Mateo, Calif. dec. Michael Dubowsky, Antelope, Calif., 30-23
201+ lbs/91+ kg: Tim Washington, Toledo, Ohio dec. Tyler Turner, Lynchburg, Va., 44-41

Saturday’s Championship Round Bout Sheet

Light flyweight
Diego Hurtado, Reno, Nev. vs. Francisco Ibarra, Brighton, Colo.

Flyweight
Jerry Guevara, Brownsville, Texas vs. Daniel Roman, Inglewood, Calif.

Bantamweight
Sergio Perales, Los Fresnos, Texas vs. Rick Lopez, Brighton, Colo.

Featherweight
Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio vs. Daniel Martinez, Covina, Calif.

Lightweight
Roberto Vargas, Santa Ana, Calif. vs. Enrique Nieves, Phoenix, Ariz.

Light welterweight
Mike Faragon, Schenectady, N.Y. vs. Michael Concepcion, E. Orange, N.J.

Welterweight
Rodrigo Garcia, Santa Ana, Calif. vs. Demetrio Soto, Los Angeles, Calif.

Middleweight
Dominic Wade, Largo, Md. vs. Kelly Max Buchanan, Teague, Texas

Light heavyweight
Dennis Hasson, Philadelphia, Pa. vs. Lionell Thompson, Buffalo, N.Y.

Heavyweight
Akeem Holland, San Mateo, Calif. vs. Andres Taylor, Johnstown, Pa.

Super heavyweight
Justin Jones, Houston, Texas vs. Tim Washington, Toledo, Ohio