Victory as part of the Pack

The presence of a local fighter raised the excitement in the 10th annual Rural Rumble: Fallon Fights Saturday.

Oscar “Chapito” Vasquez took on Javier Gallo in the main event, winning after 10 rounds by unanimous decision. Vasquez was clearly the crowd favorite — Chants of “Oscar, Oscar, Oscar” greeted him as he entered the ring; as the fight continued they evolved into “let’s go Oscar.”

Once the bell rang, it began an intense competition that charged the air with excitement.

On several occasions throughout the bout, Vasquez pinned Gallo against the side of the ring and pummeled him. About halfway through the fight, Gallo needed to take a time out as he wobbled unsteadily, seemingly close to passing out — after a moment, though, he recovered and the fight continued.

Vasquez praised Gallo as a strong opponent. He noted this was his first 10-round bout and a learning experience — he said he didn’t know what to expect, but felt he did well. It was an especially proud win for him because it was so close to home.

“Fallon is like my first home, this is where I started my career,” Vasquez said. “I will be in debt with Fallon my whole life.”

After his match, Vasquez addressed the crowd and gave thanks to the spectators for their support; he also confessed his love for the Northwestern Nevada community and the support everyone has for each other.

“We are Wolf Pack, together we’re unbeatable,” Vasquez said as the crowd cheered.

He added that wolves work best in a pack, and that as long as he has Wolf Pack support he can do anything.

The first bout of the night featured Austin Marcum and Quilisto Madera. Though the fight was scheduled for six rounds, it only lasted one before Madera was declared the winner. Following this, Pedro Moreno defeated Curtis Morton by TKO — Moreno maintains his undefeated status and said the fight was dedicated to his late manager.

The third bout featured two fighters in their professional boxing debut. Chandler Clement, of Las Vegas, fought Carson City’s Diego Elizondo. After a hard-fought four rounds, Elizondo was unanimously declared the winner.

Elizondo said he was nervous, but had fun. He recalled things picked up after the first round and he was excited about the win and is pumped for his next professional fight.

The semi-main event featured Jorge Padron and Gabriel Flores Jr. Flores was another clear crowd favorite with huge cheers greeting his entrance to the ring as well as several spectators wearing shirts with his name. Flores won the match by a unanimous decision.