Local boxer golden in win

Watching other fighters get knocked down didn't do a lot for Alex Canez's confidence as he waited for his first-round fight at the 2009 Golden Gloves National Tournament.

"Every time I looked, they were falling down," said the Salt Lake resident who won his 178-pound bout against Louis Holloway, of St. Louis, Tuesday night at the Salt Palace. "I was trying not to look."

Canez said despite being favored, he was nervous for his first fight of this year's tournament.

"I was definitely nervous for that first fight," he said as he slipped a T-shirt honoring his hometown of Sonora, Mexico, over his head. "It's a great boost of confidence to have it finished. It's been a month and a half since my last fight. It was a good fight, not an easy victory."

Adding to the normal pre-fight jitters is the stress of fighting in front of his family and friends.

"There is no way to block out (the fact that they're watching)," he said. "Every time I get hit, I think about that I might not get the victory. They are always on my mind."

The second night of the tournament was a thriller with seven fights ending in the referee stopping the contests.

"We always error on the side of caution," said official Troy Fullmer. "I'd rather stop 1,000 bouts too soon than one too late."

In addition to Canez, Duran Caffero Jr. won when he delivered a body blow to his opponent, Jeff Leohr, of Iowa, that ended the fight in the second round.

"He walked right into a left hook to the body," said Caffero. "That's my forte … After I caught him, I just wanted to get out of the way and let him fall."

Ranked No. 2 in his weight of 132 pounds, Caffero said he was blessed with a good draw.

"A lot of the top-ranked boxers are in the other bracket, so I won't see them until the finals," he said. "It's a little more fun to have the challenging fights like I did last year."

He said it is an adrenaline rush to bring an opponent to the mat.

"When the shots connect, it's definitely a thrill," said the Helena, Mont., native with a smile.

Yaundale Evans, of Cleveland, also ended his fight early with a hard hit to his opponent's head in the second round.

"It feels good," he said of knocking an opponent down. "I'd rather it be him than me. It's hit or be hit."