Ruelas, New Frontier both showing their age

There really isn't anything new about the New Frontier.

The old Las Vegas hotel-casino may have altered its name ever so slightly, although all but one of the facility's signs still identify the site as the Frontier. It's a tried-and-true gambling joint, predictable for what it offers and oblivious to excesses.

Likewise, there isn't a whole lot new with Rafael Ruelas despite his advance comments to the contrary. Fighting for the first time in a year, the former IBF lightweight champion relied on what works best Sunday in taking a hard-fought, split-decision victory over unheralded Hicklet Lau in the main event of a nationally televised boxing card from a tent in the (New) Frontier's parking lot.

While both are aging, neither the casino nor Ruelas appears overly concerned about public perceptions.

"I can't complain," Ruelas said despite the slim margin of his victory and his inability to take out a man who came into the fight having lost three of his last four bouts. "I was happy with my performance. The knockout just didn't happen."

A Ruelas victory almost didn't happen. While he dominated early by working Lau's razor-thin body, the fight turned and the Cuban challenger gained some confidence by keeping Ruelas at a distance where the intended body shots just weren't landing.

By the close of the 10-round junior welterweight fight, it was anyone's guess who had won and the judges were split accordingly. Al Lefkowitz scored it 97-93 for Lau, while Chuck Giampa and Paul Smith each called it 96-94 for Ruelas. The Sun had it a 95-95 draw.

"I'd have to watch it again on tape to say for sure, but I definitely feel I won and it shouldn't have been a split decision," Ruelas said. "I don't know what that one judge was watching. I'm not hurt in any way."

But at the age of 28 and with many, many grueling fights behind him (despite his denials), Ruelas may be closer to the end of the line than he would like to admit. While there's no denying his determination -- he came right at Lau throughout the fight -- he still lacks balance at critical times and is occasionally susceptible to counter punching.

He was paid $15,000 to test the waters and see if he wants to continue in the sport, and he said he's not deterred by his narrow victory.

"Being off a whole year made it more difficult," Ruelas said after improving his record to a still-glittering 53-4. "I blocked a lot of shots and stayed pretty aggressive. His switching to southpaw bothered me more than I thought it would and that was an adjustment he made during the fight that made the fight more difficult for me."

Lau, 11-6-1, was game but it appeared Ruelas had his number in the opening three rounds when the former champion was punishing his younger opponent with dozens of well-aimed blows to the body. "The way it started, I thought it would be (a knockout)," Ruelas said, and everyone in the steamy tent would have agreed.

Yet Lau effectively switched strategies and stayed at arm's length thereafter. He also landed often enough -- including once in the eighth round when he literally backed Ruelas into a corner with a strong left hand -- that what had the makings of a one-sided fight turned into a competitive match.

Albeit without a knockout, by the end it was a vintage Ruelas performance in that he showed plenty of heart in the midst of still another tough outing. But those involved in his career have to ask themselves if it's worth it at this stage to continue subjecting their man to these types of rigors.

The "new" Rafael Ruelas looked a lot like the old one.

In the semi-main event, Las Vegas featherweight Augie Sanchez forced Nestor Lopez into retiring on his stool after the seventh round of a fight scheduled for 10. Sanchez, who earned $7,500, upped his record to 23-1 and handed Lopez his first stoppage defeat, although the Mexican is 19-6-2 overall and winless in five fights in America.

"Maybe there were a couple of rounds that Augie wasn't as fast as he could be, but he broke the man down," said Sanchez's trainer, Pat Barry. "Augie's like a Christmas present that you can sort of see; he's savvy in the ring and he has more power than people realize."

Although he sometimes appeared overly cautious, Sanchez won every round and never was in serious trouble as Lopez backpedaled all seven rounds. There were no knockdowns, although Sanchez wasn't doing anything offensively when his corner talked him into quitting after ringside physician Dr. Margaret Goodman checked him over following the seventh.

It was Sanchez, however, who was headed to the hospital afterward, as swollen knuckles on his right hand had the doctors sending him in for x-rays.

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