Boxing: Sanchez looks to reverse his career trend

Jason Sanchez’s three most recent opponents entered their fights against the Albuquerque boxer with a combined record of 54-3. Sanchez lost all three of those bouts.

Going a bit deeper, “El Alacrancito” has lost five of his last six, the defeats coming against opponents with a 93-7 record.

Or still deeper: six of his last eight, losing to boxers with a combined record of 118-7.

Next up: more daunting numbers. Julian Gonzalez brings a record of 16-0-1 (12 knockouts) into his scheduled eight-round junior lightweight bout against Sanchez (16-6, nine KOs) on Friday in Philadelphia.

So, is there a pattern here? Sure. But when Sanchez steps into a boxing ring, he’s still the man who won his first 14 bouts; who in 2018 upset previously unbeaten Top Rank prospect Michel Rivera; whose first pro loss came over 12 tough rounds in a WBO featherweight title fight against champion Oscar Valdez; a tough competitor who’s been stopped short of the prescribed distance only once.

Can Sanchez, then, turn back the clock against Gonzalez, a 23-year-old nicknamed “Gifted” from nearby Reading, Pennsylvania, and reverse his career arc at age 30?

Stay tuned — figuratively, anyway. No TV or streaming information has been announced by Kings Promotions (Marshall Kauffman).

Kauffman also is the promoter of a July 12 card in El Paso, featuring Albuquerque’s Abraham Perez (11-0, six KOs) against Mexico’s Angel Geovanny Meza Morales (9-3-3, four KOs) in the main event.

MOREU’S DEBUT: Albuquerque super bantamweight Yoruba Moreu Jr. has an opponent for his pro debut, and he’s a beauty.

Weusi Johnson, a 29-year-old from Wilmington, Delaware, brings a 3-37-1 record into a scheduled six-rounder against Moreu on Aug. 2 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Boxing Hall of Famer Christy Martin is the promoter. No venue has been announced.

Johnson last won a fight in 2019. He’s lost his last 26 bouts. Of his 37 losses, 16 have come via knockout.

Moreu, 20, a highly successful amateur trained by his father, Yoruba Moreu Sr., recently agreed to contractual terms with Placitas manager Jacob Maes.

AMATEURS: In Las Vegas, Nevada, Las Cruces’ Amiah Mendoza earned a silver medal at last week’s USA Boxing Junior Olympics and Summer Festival.

Mendoza, competing in the Junior Division 110-pound class, lost by unanimous decision to Los Angeles’ Jaxon Bowes in the championship bout. She got to the final by defeating Melody Reyes of Alvin, Texas and Khloe Dowdy of Graniteville, South Carolina.

Las Cruces’ Carlos Rodriguez (132, bantams) also took home silver. Rodriguez drew a bye into the finals, then lost by split (4-1) decision to Dontae Khamlue of Tacoma, Washington in the championship bout.

Bloomfield’s Laila Nez (119, Juniors), Las Cruces’ Deandra Santos (132, Juniors), Los Lunas’ Anabella Zavala (119, Intermediates), Albuquerque’s Malaya Castillo (106, Intermediates) and Mesquite’s Xennaya Campos (145, Intermediates) brought home bronze medals.