Carson's Peralta wins first six rounder

Appeal Staff Report

Carson City lightweight Mike Peralta took a unanimous decision over formerly unbeaten Javier "Pelos" Garcia Friday in Albuquerque, N.M.

From the outset, the 25-year-old Peralta, who was fighting in his first six-rounder, took the action to the 19-year-old Garcia, of Oxnard, Calif.

With the victory, Peralta improved to 4-2 with 1 knockout. Garcia fell to 3-1-1 (3).

"He was no joke," Peralta said of Garcia. "I hit him with a lot of shots. That's the first time as a professional fighter that I got a bloody nose. I got a little black eye, too."

"It was a hell of fight," said Francisco Peralta, Mike's father and trainer. "Garcia is a strong fighter. My only concern was that it was Mike's first six-rounder. He came through there.

"Mike staggered him a couple times, but the kid came back the last couple of rounds and staggered Mike. [Mike's] legs looked a little weak, but he recovered when he came back to the corner. He did exactly what he was supposed to do."

It was the third consecutive victory for Peralta, who said he was going to have his swollen nose examined. If it is undamaged, he said he'd like to return to action on the undercard of the Jesse Brinkley-Jason Naugler battle June 13 at the new Reno Ballroom.

"He hit hard," Peralta said of Garcia. "It just pissed me off. I know I can take a punch. It was a hard fight. It feels good. I'm ready to go to the next level. I just want to put Carson City on the map."

Peralta won the fight by a score of 58-55, 58-55 and 57-56.

"Mike was all forward," Francisco said. "It was too hard for [Garcia] to get him."