Amaris Quintana Scores KO Win in Tijuana
By David A. Avila
Facing a much taller foe didn’t faze Amaris “Diamond Girl” Quintana who simply battered Dulce Galaviz around like a cardboard figure in winning by technical knockout on Saturday.
“It went well,” said Quintana on Sunday morning. “I got the win by TKO in the second round.”
After a two-year absence San Diego’s Quintana (10-3-2, 2 KOs) returned to the boxing ring and made Galaviz (2-5-1) her second knockout victim before a sold out audience at Caliente Casino in Tijuana, Mexico.
Until the official weigh-in the petite brunette from the Imperial Beach area did not know exactly who would be her opponent. When her opponent arrived not only was Galaviz three or four inches taller but weighed two weight classes bigger than Quintana who usually fights at the 105-pound minimumweight division.
Galaviz weighed 113 pounds which is officially the super flyweight class. Quintana weighed at 108 the light flyweight class.
It didn’t matter. Quintana wanted to fight.
Maybe it was knowing that the odds were stacked against her in facing a much bigger opponent, or maybe it was knowing that two years of inactivity because of medical issues Quintana did not want to waste any of the grueling training that she had endured.
The fight proceeded.
Quintana did not waste time in attacking the bigger Galaviz with a ferocity that did not allow the bigger fighter Galaviz to get any traction. Quintana disregarded defense and simply bored in to the super flyweight with blows to the body and head. From corner to corner Quintana poured an avalanche of blows and pinned her opponent in a corner and pummeled the almost helpless Galaviz with 10 unanswered blows. The referee stepped in and stopped the fight giving Quintana the win by technical knockout in the second round.
“I got the win by pressuring her and getting her with body shots and uppercuts,” said Quintana, 28, who is several inches shorter than Galaviz who fights out of Sinaloa, Mexico.
The win by Quintana signals a return of San Diego’s ultra-popular fighter whose fans drove across the Mexican-U.S. border from the American side and fans in Tijuana also showed up to give their support.
“I was surprised at how many people went,” Quintana said of the strong support by her fans.
It had been two years since Quintana had last fought in the prize ring. She missed the action.
“It felt awesome to be back in the ring. I felt complete again,” said Quintana who trains in San Diego. “I’m back and this is only the beginning.”