ROCKY JUAREZ
PROFILE

As at 12 August 2006

2001

In his pro debut in January 2001, Rocky Juarez punished Pascali Adorno with crippling body punches to earn a unanimous decision win. Juarez dug a left hook to the ribs of his undefeated-southpaw that forced Adorno to turn his back on Juarez momentarily in pain. Despite Juarez's relentless style, the rugged Adorno fought competitively throughout the bout.

In March 2001, Juarez stopped Mike Jones (KO1). After absorbing a partially deflected left hook from Juarez, Jones fell to the canvas and remained there throughout the 10-count.

Juarez battered Eddie Utorov from the opening bell to earn a fourth round stoppage in May 2001. Juarez wore down his opponent with a stiff left jab and a punishing body attack. Towards the end of round three, Utorov was dropped to the canvas by an overhand right followed by a combination. Juarez jumped on his opponent immediately in round four forcing the referee to halt the bout.

Two months later, in July 2001, Juarez stopped Fabian Espinoza in three rounds. Juarez floored Espinoza twice in round two, and then finished off his gutsy opponent in round three with a crippling left hook to the body that sent Espinoza to his knees. Although Espinoza rose at the count of nine, he refused to continue.

In September 2001, Juarez pummeled Juan Rafael Gutierrez to pitch a six-round shutout. Juarez dropped Gutierrez in the first round and then rocked him repeatedly throughout the bout.

In November 2001, Juarez blasted fellow undefeated featherweight Corey Ben Alarcon in two rounds. He twice dropped Alarcon with left hooks to the ribs in the second round. The bout was waved to a halt in round two following the second knockdown resulting from a left hook to the body that sent Alarcon through the ropes and nearly onto the laps of ringside spectators.

2002

In January 2002, Juarez twice floored Frankie Martinez in the fourth round to earn a referee's stoppage.

Juarez dominated Jorge Garcia in February 2002 to win a unanimous decision.

Juarez added another knockout to his resume in April 2002, destroying Javier Ortiz in five rounds. Juarez floored Ortiz in the final seconds of round one, and then dismantled the Puerto Rican in rounds 2-4 with a punishing barrage of blows to the head and body. Midway through round five, Juarez battered Ortiz with over a dozen unanswered punches to force a referee's stoppage. Ortiz sagged to the canvas as the bout was stopped.

In May 2002, Juarez floored Len Martinez three times in the first round with crippling left hooks to the body to earn the secon first-round knockout of his career.

In July 2002, Juarez gave the most impressive performance of his young career when he crushed Isidro Tejedor in two rounds. Tejedor, who in his last two bouts had gone the distance with former WBC featherweight champion, Guty Espadas and former WBC Continental Americas junior lightweight champion, Julian Wheeler, admitted he was unable to overcome Juarez' crippling body attack.

Juarez returned to the ring in August 2002 to blitz Ivan Alvarez in six rounds. Juarez floored Alvarez once in round four with a devastating right uppercut, and then dropped him again in round five courtesy of a left hook to the body. Juarez' persistant attack wore down the tough, awkward Alvarez, forcing him to retire on his stool following the completion of round six. Prior to the Jarez bout, Alvarez had been stopped only once in his career - by multiple world champion, Johnny Tapia in June 1996.

In October 2002, Juarez dominated former world champion, Hector Acero-Sanchez to capture a lopsided unanimous decision win.

Juarez capped an impressive year in December 2002 by hammering durable veteran Natalio Ponce to earn a ninth-round knockout. Juarez rocked Ponce in round nine with a devastating overhand right, sending Ponce reeling across the ring. The bout was stopped moments later because of a severe cut above Ponce's left eye.

2003

In February 2003, Juarez dismantled former USBA champion, Jason Pires to earn his sixth stoppage in his last seven bouts. Juarez battered the former champio from the opening bell, stunning him late i round one and then flooring him in round two with a thunderous combination to the head. After punished Pires in rounds three through seven, Juarez dropped him with just seconds remaining in round eight. Valiantly, Pires rose to his feet and answered the bell for round nine. However, at the start of the round, Juarez pounced on Pires, landing blistering combinations to the head to force the referee to halt the contest.

In May 2003, Juarez punished Frankie Archuleta with crippling left hooks to the body and stinging counter-overhand rights to earn a dominating sixth-round knockout.

In July 2003, Juarez fought his toughest opponent yet as a pro, battling for 10 exciting rounds against former world title challenger Antonio "Chelo" Diaz. Diaz's awkward movement frustrated Juarez early in the bout, but broke down Diaz with left hooks and overhand rights to the head in the later rounds. In round 10, Juarez landed "a shuddering heliacious, dramatic left hook that caught 'Chelo' diaz on his chin midway through the final round and dropped him like an oak tree hit by lightning" (Fran Blinebury, Houston Chronicle).

In September 2003, Juarez leveled David "Tacubayo" Murillo in round one with virtually the same devastating left hook that annihilated Diaz only weeks earlier.

Juarez captured his first pro title in November 2003 when he defeated 46-bout veteran, Hector Velasquez to earn the vacant WBC Continental Americas featherweight crown. Although Velasquez effectively traded blows with Juarez from the opening bell, he was unable to overcome Juarez' cleaner and more authoritative punches. Juarez' workman-like-performance earned him a unanimous decision victory.

2004

In April 2004, Juarez earned a unanimous decision victory over the durable veteran, Joe Morales. He climbed off the canvas in round two to win rounds 4-10 to extend his unbeaten record to 20-0, 14 KO's.

Three months later in July 2004, Juarez floored Zahir Raheem in round three on his way to capturing a unanimous decision in a 12-round IBF No. 1 eliminator bout. Raheem was penalized three points during the course of the bout for holding Juarez behind the head.

In December 2004, Juarez left no doubt that he is eady for a world title shot when he flattened Guty Espadas with a nose-shattering left hook in round two that sent the former world champion onto his back unable to continue.

2005

In March 2005, Juarez crushed Juan Carlos "Ranchero" Ramirez in one round, dropping the three-time world title challenger three times in the opening round to set up a summer showdown against WBC featherweight champion, Injin Chi.

In August 2005, Juarez suffered his first loss as a pro when he surrendered a unanimous decision to Humberto Soto in a WBC Interim title bout. Juarez was originally scheduled to face WBC champion, Injin Chi, but after suffering a sprained ankle while jogging, Chi was forced to pull out of the bout.

In December 2005, Juarez rebounded from his first loss by stopping Reynaldo Hurtado in three rounds.

2006

In January 2006, Juarez added another knockout to his resume when he blasted Backlin Medrano in four rounds.

In May 2006, Juarez nearly upset future Hall of Fame world champion, Marco Antonio Barrera. Juarez repeatedly rocked Barrera in the second half of the bout, forcing the champion on more than one occasion to spit out his mouthpiece. Many of the ringside media believed Juarez won the close bout, and adding to the controversial nature of the decision was the realization that two of the judges appeared to have originally awarded the 12th round to Juarez, but then changed it to an even 10-10 round.