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Win eases sting of Rivera's first cut

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By EDDIE DANIELS

edaniels@tampatrib.com

Published: May 17, 2009

TAMPA - Vicki Rivera looked up at the corner of her husband's right eye and couldn't help but be concerned.

It was on her face and in her voice. She asked about stitches, when they would be put in and where. In the world of boxing, cuts are normal, but in this family it is a first.

Port Richey featherweight Carlos "El Rayo" Rivera was fresh out of the ring from his eight-round unanimous decision victory against former title contender Alex "Ali" Baba on May 8 at the A La Carte Event Pavilion.

"When I get hit, she gets hit, too," Rivera joked.

Two judges awarded Rivera seven of the eight rounds, while a third gave him five of eight. It was the seventh consecutive victory for Rivera, 31, and it marked the first time in his five-year professional career he had been cut.

"I don't feel tired, I just feel a little weird, because this is my first cut," Rivera said with a smile following the fight. "Ever."

The strategy entering the bout was for Rivera to keep his distance from Baba (26-15-1). Because Baba had 19 knockouts on his record, Rivera (16-3-2, 5 KOs) and his trainer, Jim McLoughlin, wanted to feel Baba out and not give him an easy target.

That thinking changed early.

When Rivera saw he could land head shots and rip into Baba's body, he went inside, landing shots that may have put anyone else to the canvas.

"I was fighting outside and it felt like I couldn't get my precision, so the first thing I did was adjust," Rivera said. "I figured if I can't get him on the outside, I said let me just take it to him inside. I went inside and started working."

His corner wasn't excited about the decision, but after watching the damage Rivera was delivering, McLoughlin and the rest of his corner mates encouraged Rivera to keep doing what he was doing.

"I wanted to box him outside, but Rivera was doing so well inside. I told him, 'Look, go back in the pocket,'" McLoughlin said. "Baba's a real veteran. Inside, Rivera was winning the fight, but Baba was throwing some beautiful punches of his own. I don't think any one of them quit punching for the whole eight rounds."

Rivera has opened eyes with his performance (no pun intended). He is ranked 13th in the featherweight division by the North American Boxing Association and because of the state of the featherweight division, McLoughlin is confident his guy can challenge for a title.

"Right now, to be honest with you, we're right on track," McLoughlin said. "That's his fifth eighth-rounder, and he's ready now to move to 10-round fights. There's not that many featherweights right now. They've all moved up in class. He can win a world title right now.

"What I would really like to do is go right now at the USBA title and we win that, that gets him ranked in the top 10 in the world. Then from there, we'll fight anybody out there."

Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 259-7066.

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