Austin Sanchez rallies in third round, wins title

Las Cruces amateur boxer Austin Sanchez, needing to dominate the third round to take the victory and the title, did just that — defeating Tayden Ho of Fort Worth, Texas by split (3-2) decision in the Intermediate Division (ages 13-14) final Saturday at the USA Boxing International Open in Pueblo, Colo.

Sanchez and Ho were the only boxers entered in their age group and weight class, but Sanchez came into the bout as a known quantity. He won a USA Boxing national title in 2024 and a Junior Olympics national title in 2023.

In Saturday’s bout, Ho won the first and second rounds on three of five judges’ scorecards. But Sanchez, down 20-18 on two cards, up 20-18 on one card and tied at 19 on two others, still had a chance to win if he could win round 3 on those two 19-19 cards.

He did better than that, winning the third on four of five cards. The finally tally: 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 for Sanchez, 30-27 and 29-28 for Ho.

Sanchez was the only New Mexican to win a title in Pueblo.

LEO UPDATE: Albuquerque native Angelo Leo (26-1 12 knockouts), who had hoped to defend his IBF featherweight title here on a New Mexico-promoted card in early 2026 against South Africa’s Lerato Diamini, now appears to be headed for a mandatory defense against Michigan native Ra’eese Aleem (23-1, 12 KOs) at a time and site to be determined by a purse bid among promoters.

The site still could be Albuquerque but with no guarantees, depending on the outcome of the purse bid.

boxingscene.com is reporting that the IBF plans to hold a hearing on Tuesday to entertain purse bids.

GUERO UPDATE: Albuquerque boxer Jose Luis “Guero” Sanchez got neither the victory nor the exposure he was hoping for when he traveled to Grand Rapids, Michigan for an eight-round bout last Tuesday against unbeaten Justin Lacey-Pierce in the latter’s hometown.

Sanchez (14-6-2, four KOs) and Lacey-Pierce (13-0-1, seven KOs) fought to a draw, and the bout did not make the DAZN streaming of the card.

Even so, Sanchez’s performance on a card staged by well-connected promoter Dmitriy Salita, with other influential boxing people in attendance, couldn’t hurt, and might help, as the 33-year-old New Mexican plots his future.

The official scorecards read 77-75 for Sanchez, 78-74 for Lacey-Pierce and 76-76. None of the three judges were based in Michigan.