Lazcano Gets Off the Hook

RESEDA — This time, it wasn’t even close.

Juan Lazcano, throwing one devastating left hook after another, twice floored Danny Lujan en route to winning the World Boxing Federation lightweight championship with a fourth-round technical knockout before about 800 Thursday night at the Reseda Country Club.

Lazcano (13-1-1), who fought to a 12-round majority draw against Lujan (11-4-2) at the Country Club in December, came out swinging.

He floored Lujan with a left hook early in the first round and continued the pressure despite Lujan’s rally in the second round.

In the third round, Lazcano threw a combination that dropped Lujan in the identical spot on the canvas. Still, Lujan was on his feet at the count of three.

In the fourth, Lazcano overwhelmed Lujan with a flurry of punches before referee Raul Caiz stopped the fight after 14 seconds.

“This time, I got him,” Lazcano said. “I was surprised that he came back strong after I hit him the first time. The first time it was my left hook. I’ve been working on it. I came in here and said I was going to let my fists do my talking for me.”

Lujan, considered the winner by one of three judges in December when he floored Lazcano, blamed the knockdowns on carelessness.

“I was someplace else,” Lujan said. “I didn’t see it at all. I was trying to do something myself and I dropped my right and he threw a beautiful left hook and sat me down. It was a flash knockdown.

“He got lucky because I won the first fight and he got this one.”

In other bouts, Effi “The Israeli Bomber” Schneider and Arnuflo Bravo, fighters under the tutelage of trainer Joe Goossen of North Hollywood, both recorded victories by decision.

Schneider (7-1), a native of Tel Aviv, outpointed Ahru Dyer of Oakland to earn a four-round unanimous decision in a junior welterweight bout.

Bravo, of Van Nuys, survived a first-round knockdown to score a four-round unanimous decision over Sergio Benitez of Acapulco, Mex., in a junior lightweight bout.

Bravo (2-2) went down in the final seconds of the opening round but arose quickly, though he appeared woozy.

Bravo spent the remainder of the fight peppering Benitez (0-1) with combinations.

In a six-round middleweight bout, Fidel Hernandez of Phoenix won a unanimous decision from Monroe Brooks Jr. of Los Angeles. Hernandez floored Brooks in the second round and rocked him in the fifth, both with right hands.

Billy “White Shoes” Johnson (2-0) of San Diego earned a majority decision over Fausto Carrera (0-1) of Los Angeles in a four-round junior welterweight bout.

Joe Powder of Los Angeles scored a second-round knockout over Richard Gwynn of Los Angeles in a heavyweight bout.

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Scorecard

Thursday night’s results at Reseda Country Club

* Lightweight

Juan Lazcano (15-1-1) d. Danny Lujan (11-4-2), knockout 0:14 of fourth round. World Boxing Federation lightweight championship.

* Middleweight

Fidel Hernandez (8-1, 5 KOs) d. Monroe Brooks Jr. (2-3, 1 KO), six-round unanimous decision.

* Junior Welterweight

Billy Johnson (2-0, 1 KO) d. Fausto Carrera (0-1), four-round majority decision.

* Junior Welterweight

Arnuflo Bravo (2-2, 1 KO) d. Sergio Benitez (0-1), four-round unanimous decision.

* Heavyweight

Joe Powder (8-1, 4 KOs) d. Richard Gwynn (0-1), second-round knockout.

* Junior Welterweight

Effi Schneider (7-1, 1 KO) d. Ahru Dyer (3-4-1, 2 KOs), four-round unanimous decision.