By Austin Killeen      September 1, 2016                                                                        Photos by Emily Harney

In my last column I stated Austin Trout, Fidel Maldonado Jr. and Josh Torres stand head and shoulders above the rest of the boxers in New Mexico. As a result of Jose Salinas upset verdict over Dardan Zenunaj on television last night, it’s time to add his name to that list. Facing a boxer who is promoted by DiBella Entertainment at Foxwoods Casino, he overcame long odds to score the biggest upset of the year so far in the “Land of Enchantment.” It wasn’t just the result, but how he accomplished the task; by nonstop punching for the entire contest against an opponent who was heavily favored to win. It’s safe to say that in the real estate of boxing, Jose Salinas will be moving to a new upscale neighborhood this morning. A neighborhood where “Shorty” will find his earning power has suddenly gone up in value. The win should also add value to Jose’s trainer, his brother Hugo who has patiently moved his career along.

Watching a live stream of the bout, I witnessed one of the best fights of the year so far. At the opening bell Jose Salinas (10-2- 1, 5 KO’s) 131 lbs. of Las Cruces, NM came out throwing combinations at his rival Dardan Zenunaj (12-2- 0, 9 KO’s) 130 lbs. of Braine le Comte, Belgium. Zenunaj appeared tight and only threw punches one at a time. On volume alone Salinas appeared to carry the first two rounds. He was digging hard body shots to Zenunaj and then switching his attack to his rival’s head. His left jab wasn’t bad either. Zenunaj’s jab was also effective and he followed it up with some solid overhand rights. Neither boxer showed much concern regarding defense, but the match was not a bar room brawl. Both boxers where throwing punches with pinpoint accuracy. In the third round Zenunaj started to warm up, becoming the aggressor behind his excellent left jab and punishing overhand rights. For the first time in the bout Salinas was backing up and his nose was leaking claret by rounds end. But the Las Cruces boxer was still landing punches in bunches making it a difficult round to score. The fourth round was a repeat of the third but with Salinas appearing to regain momentum. These were pivotal rounds in the contest and depending on your viewpoint clearly impacted the final verdict.

Zenunaj appeared to impose his will in the fifth round, backing Salinas up behind some solid punching. He also displayed a cast iron body absorbing some powerful hooks and crosses, making them appear to be nothing more than rain drops. The sixth round was another difficult round to score as Salinas started fast but Zenunaj finished strong. It’s only human nature to remember what you witnessed last; the great Kid Gavilan was a master at closing the final thirty seconds of each round with an all out flurry of punches. The seventh was a close round which I felt should have gone to Salinas, as Zenunaj seemed to be waiting for Salinas to fire first. The New Mexico boxer gladly took advantage of his rival’s hesitancy filling the air with leather. The final round was a lot like the sixth with the Belgium import closing strong after allowing his rival to dominate the opening minute. At the finish there was little doubt what Salinas did for a living as his left eye was nearly shut and there was noticeable swelling under the other eye.

Although I felt Salinas fought the fight of his life, being the opponent I had little hope he would get the verdict. Two scores were 78-74 with the final card being 77-75 to the winner from Las Cruces. . . This was a terrific fight and clearly life changing for Jose Salinas. I would be remiss not to mention the fairness of the verdicts all night; the house fighters seem to lose as many decisions as they won. Speaking with Hugo Salinas this morning about last night, he commented; “I was surprised at how Zenunaj keep coming forward. Waiting for the decision I thought we would be screwed. I’d like my brother to keep fighting at 130 pounds. As for our next fight, it would be nice to take an easier opponent, but for the right opportunity we’d take another difficult contest.” Hugo also gave praise to Rodrigo Caldron who also worked Jose’s corner

Watching the contest on my computer, I had little hope that Jose would win. I was hoping that he would make a creditable showing. If Jose was nervous before the fight started he never showed it. Outstanding local ring announcer Mike Adams feels that boxing in New Mexico is going through a rebirth with a changing of the guard. Last night’s result at Foxwoods would seem to give credence to Mike Adams opinion.