SANTA YNEZ 7 The main event lasted just 2:28.

That/s when the "Cadillac" crashed 7 hard 7 quickly ending Thunder In The Valley II.

Big-time boxing was back for its second trip to the Chumash Casino this year.

Following January/s successful first fight night, Showtime and Gary Shaw productions were eager to return for an encore to the growing resort in the Santa Ynez Valley.

There were seven fights on Thursday night/s card.

In the main event, undefeated Rico "Suave" Hoye was putting his 15-0 record and two light heavyweight titles on the line against Donnell "Cadillac" Wiggins, who was also putting two light heavyweight titles on the line.

It will take you longer to read names of the four titles than it took for "Suave" to win the whole lot of them.

They are; the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Light Heavyweight, the World Boxing Council Continental Americas (WBC-CA) Light Heavyweight Champion (both held by Wiggins), the North American Boxing Organization (NABO) Light Heavyweight championship and the International Boxing Association Americas (IBA-A) Light Heavyweight championship (both Hoye/s).

From the opening bell, these fighters were all business.

Wiggins pressed the attack. He came out throwing haymakers.

Hoye was quicker. He evaded Wiggins/ lethal-looking punches and fired back with quick left hand jabs.

Hoye began to jab and move. Hard stinging lefts, many followed by a quick right.

Nearing the two-minute mark, Hoye nailed Wiggins with a straight right hand and down the "Cadillac" went.

He was up quickly, easily beating referee Marcos Rosales count, but this fight was all but over.

"I thought he was very going to be fast." Hoye said after the fight. "I watched a lot of tapes of him. We thought we could find him with the jab and hit him with the right hand and it worked."

Wiggins came back gamely. But Hoye was too fast. His jabs repeatedly found their way through Wiggins/ increasingly helpless defenses and at the late in the round Hoye caught Wiggins flush on the face with another hard right, sending Wiggins face-first into the canvas for a second time.

And it was all over.

Wiggins did get up. Referee Rosales counted to eight, nine 7 took at good look at Wiggins and stopped the fight at 2:28 of round one.

Hoye improves his record to 16-0 with 13 KO/s with the victory. Wiggins record falls to 20-4-3.

"I/m just as shocked as you guys that I was able to knock him out so quickly," was Hoye/s final thought on the subject.

In the co-main event, Daniel Eduoard and Dorian Beaupierre battled to a technical draw 7 a decision that was roundly booed by the 1,000 people in attendance.

This was a 10-round middleweight non-title fight.

Eduoard, 15-0 coming into the fight, was favored over Beaupierre, 11-1, in the 160 pound division.

Eduoard opened strong. The aggressor early, he won the fight/s first three rounds.

But then Beaupierre figured out how to counteract Eduoard left-handed style.

Beaupierre began a constant pop, pop, pop.

Left. Left-right. Left. Left-right. Stick and move.

Beaupierre began what looked like a clinic over the final seven rounds.

The judges, however, saw the fight a bit differently.

Judge Jack Reese scored the fight 97-93 for Beaupierre. The other two judges had it 95-95, which results in a technical draw 7 no winner.

The crowd, which gave both fighters a standing ovation after the final bell, loudly booed the judges decision. They had clearly been won over by Beaupierre/s boxing exhibition.

"The Showtime announcers had me winning 7 rounds to 3," said Beaupierre. "I know he started strong but after I got my jab working I know I took control of this fight. I/m disappointed but this was a good opportunity for me. I/ll just head back to the gym to get ready for the next fight."

The next fight night for Showtime comes up in two weeks.

"We/re trying to showcase up and coming young boxers with this series," said Showtime ringside announcer Nick Charles. "The boxers are working their way up the ladder. Many of them are getting their first national exposure right here."

In the night/s early fights;

Fresno/s William Harmon (4-1, 4 KO/s) knocked out Cromwell Gordon, from Los Angeles, when Gordon failed to answer the bell for the third round of their scheduled four-round super middleweight fight.

Oxnard/s Claudia Valenciana, from Fernando Vargas/ La Colonia Boxing Club, scored a knockout win with 55-seconds left in the second round of her scheduled four-round woman/s welterweight fight with Melissa Rodriguez.

Santa Maria/s Jose "Tony" Ojeda was, once again, the night/s most popular winner.

Ojeda knock out Robert "No Bail" Bailey at 2:39 of the sixth round.

"We took a little time to figure this guy/s style," said Ojeda/s trainer, Willie Flores of the Santa Maria Boxing Club. "But once he figured it out he just wouldn/t let up."

Marcia Valle won a split decision over Martha Salazar in a women/s 6 round super middleweight fight.

March 19, 2004