| NABF March 2008 Fight of the Month |
| by Ringside photos and report by Juan C. Ayllon | |
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Although only four years older at 34 years of age, Juaregui had nearly twice as many fights and had been fighting professionally since February 1988, while Huerta had his first pro fight in January 1999.
Sporting deep creases in his forehead from years of abuse in the ring and a physique that sagged a little from the ravages of middle age, Jauregui was much more relaxed than his baby-faced and more sculpted foe. Wily, he moved, slipped and rode out punches just enouFh to mibimize d@mage of"incominF blows,(while oFten lan`ing blows from awkward angles and, at times, seemingly off balance.
An example of the latter occurred at one point in the match where, his head down low and to the right of Huerta, he crashed a looping left hook to the left side of Huerta's jaw.
And thus, two-time world champ Javier Jauregui (135 lbs., 42-14-2, 36 KO's) wasted no time, digging a thudding left hook to Miguel Angel Huerta's (135 lbs., 26-8-1, 18 KO's) right side moments into their bout. Continuing to pressure, he had Huerta on the defensive, trying to get his respect. Some good trading resulted.A favorite with fans at Cicero Stadium, Shouts of 'Huerta, Huerta, Huerta!' rang out.
Huerta gave a much better account of himself in the second and third, as he connected more often with quick hooks and rights to body and head. At one point, Jauregui slipped to the mat. Still, Jauregui banged in some hard single hooks to the body, whereas Huerta's body shots were more of the slapping variety
 In the fifth, Jauregui stunned Huerta with a volley of smashing blows. It appeared to this writer that Huerta was in more trouble than he was letting on and Jauregui inadvertently let him off the hook. The moment passed. Trading back and forth, Jauregui appeared to be the more effective puncher of the two and, mockingly feinted Huerta at one point before tossing some blows.
This pattern continued into the seventh, where Jauregui stunned several times with crashing rights to the head. Huerta knocked Jauregui several steps back in the ninth with a hard straight right to the face and seemed to have him bothered after an apparent clash of heads. Close round. An off-balance Jauregui was sent tumbling with a push in the 10th. Fireworks erupted briefly, as he tried to exact revenge for this infraction. Huerta appeared to edge in a nip and tuck round. The busier puncher in the 12th and final round, Huerta drove Jauregui backward to the ropes with a hard flurry, but which seemed to result as much from the former being squared up too much as from the force of the blow. Trading hard, both landed, but Huerta appeared to take this round with more volume and effectiveness.
However, it wasn't quite enough, as judges scored the bout 115-112 (twice) and 117-110 all for Jauregui, who won by unanimous decision.
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CICERO, Ill.It was a classic case of an older veteran fighter who'd seen his best days against a rising youngster looking to pound his legacy into the squared circle. Add to that a battle of pride between two Mexican warriors, the older hailing from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and the younger from Mexico City, Mexico by way of West Covina, California. Unfortunately for the younger Huerta, Javier Jauregui, 34, still had enough left in his bag of tricks including a stiff punch to upset his opponent's plans on securing the vacant NABF Lightweight Title.
Jauregui (right) lands a chopping right hand to Huerta's head. Moments into the sixth, Jauregui sent spray flying from a jarring right to Huerta's head. It appeared that Jauregui was picking up the slack of the bout, slamming hard blows, dodging some returns and fielding what did land with equanimity. Huerta rallied at rounds end with a flurry of blows.