BOXING : Ruelas Spoils Lockridge Comeback

Two weeks ago, Rocky Lockridge turned 33 and it hurt. Thursday night, Lockridge ran into Rafael Ruelas. That really hurt.

Lockridge, the former junior lightweight champion, was battered relentlessly for 10 rounds by Ruelas, 20, of Arleta, losing a bloody and lopsided decision at the Country Club in Reseda.

It was Lockridge’s first fight in 2 1/2 years.

“Just 20,” Lockridge said of Ruelas. “That seems like a long time ago for me. My youth went by so quickly.”

Lockridge’s left eye was swollen shut, and under it was a huge gash that took four stitches to close. His right eye also was swollen, and his mouth gushed blood from the second round on.

“I’ve got to take some time to think about this comeback,” Lockridge said. “Some serious time.”

Ruelas (29-1) is ranked No. 8 by the World Boxing Council. Lockridge fell to 44-8. All seven previous defeats came against world champions or former champions, including Julio Cesar Chavez and Juan La Porte.

From the outset, Ruelas lashed at Lockridge with a stinging jab and left uppercut, followed by right hands. Lockridge landed few clean punches but never took a backward step.

“The heart was still there,” Lockridge said. “But I felt slow and sluggish. And he was much better than I expected.”

Ruelas devastated the only other name fighter he has faced, knocking former world champion Stevie Cruz out in the third round of a bout a year ago.

“This was my biggest fight,” Ruelas said. “He had fought so many great champions. To fight him like I did, I’m real happy.”

In an earlier bout, brother Gabriel Ruelas, 21, pounded out a lopsided 12-round decision over Jorge Palomares (22-6-3) of Montebello to retain his North American Boxing Federation super featherweight championship.

Gabriel Ruelas is 27-1.

Also, heavyweight Jimmy Ellis (16-2-1) of Redondo Beach, in his first fight since being stopped in the third round by George Foreman on Dec. 7, was knocked out by Tony Willis (21-4) of Los Angeles at 2:12 of the fifth round.