Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. lands a punch against Louis Brown. Chavez Jr. beat Brown by TKO on Saturday. The stage appears set for a bout between Chavez Jr. and Albuquerque's Ray Sanchez III.

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It hasn't been a cruel summer for New Mexico boxers.

At least, for some.

A handful of boxers have kept the summer sizzling. Others have fizzled in the heat. And some local draws have been kept on ice.

Others are about to break the ice.

As we reach approach the end of summer and hit the fall, who's going to finish out the year in impressive fashion? Who's going to falter?

Who's hot? Who's not?

Read on.

For the most part, Duke City welterweight Ray Sanchez III (20-1, 15 KOs), coming off a layoff against two matched-to-lose foes, has been lukewarm.

But by mid-fall, he may turn things around and be the hottest name locally since . . . Holly Holm.

What's abuzz is a Sanchez showdown with undefeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (33-0-1, 26 KOs), son of the Mexican boxing legend for those who live under a rock.

Earlier this week, a "III vs. Jr." bout was about as unlikely as a unified title fight, or a New Mexican heavyweight. Chavez and Paulie Malignaggi, one of the several junior welterweight champions, were exchanging barbs in the media.

Now, the stage appears set for an exchange of fists, but between Chavez and Sanchez.

Chavez will still probably face Malignaggi, but not until the spring of 2008. In the meantime, negotiations between the Chavez and Sanchez camps are on for what will be the most significant fight in New Mexico since Holm beat up Christy Martin, or Johnny Tapia won in a rematch over Frankie Archuleta.

Speaking of Holm, New Mexico's No. 1 draw is still a hot item despite her recent chill mode. She should be officially announcing a break from her summer vacation shortly.

Also hot, for women's boxing, is Espanola's Monica Lovato (11-1-4 KOs).

She's taken some heat in her first two fights this year, winning close-but-arguable decisions. But in her last outing, a vastly-improved Lovato edged Mariana Juarez (14-5-3, 8 KOs).

Now, with a No. 1 rating in the World Boxing Council and two minor belts, Lovato is headed for a world title shot.

The judging in all three Lovato fights, however, have come under fire - and rightly so.

What's not hot?

The New Mexico Athletic Commission. Not only are they on a super-slow stuck status when it comes to the recent passing of a law pertaining to cleaning up the mixed martial arts scene here, but the judging at recent events has been shameful.

Rio Rancho welterweight Lucas Galle (0-1) was robbed of a win in his pro debut, and Santa Fe-trained Steve Cannell (0-1), also lost his debut as a result of bad scorecards. It could be the NMAC is merely out of practice, with most cards landing on tribal land where it has no jurisdiction. As a result, the state commission only gets to do a few shows a year.

When you look at some of the scorecards, maybe that's a good thing.

Still, at least one NMAC official is on the hot list.

Albuquerque's Russell Mora, now living in Las Vegas, is picking up assignments with the most-respected boxing commission in the land, in Nevada. And judge Levi Martinez of Las Cruces, who always scores on the button, is picking up assignments all over the world.

It's a wonder why the NMAC did not choose to use him on the Lovato card in Acoma.

Speaking of Acoma, promoter Juan Romero is on a hot streak with his fight cards. Same sizzle with regular Top Rank cards at Isleta. After a short summer break from Lenny Fresquez, and you got - for the first time in decades - three steady promoters offering more opportunities since the days that Tapia and Danny Romero walked the ring.

Who else is hot?

Socorro's Joaquin Zamora (15-2-1, 10 KOs), seen by some as the state's No. 1 welterweight by virtue of his opposition as compared to Sanchez III, has crept into the WBC's top 10 world ratings. The next couple of fights are going to make or break Zamora, who's on a steadily sizzling streak of wins.

Bloomfield welterweight Joe Gomez (11-1-1, 5 KOs) is heating things up in the Four Corners area and his rematch Aug. 18 against Bobby Joe Valdez (9-3-2, 4 KOs) keeps him on at least even par with Sanchez.

Not hot? Albuquerque welterweight Hector Munoz (17-1, 11 KOs), who's been out of action all year.

The welters may be sweltering but it's the youngsters in the lower weight division who are going to be blazing in a year or two or three. The list includes Matthew Esquibel (6-0, 3 KOs) and James Piar (1-0, 1 KO), both of Albuquerque.

How about hot spots?

Las Cruces.

Junior middleweight Austin Trout (11-0, 9 KOs) might be the most promising pro at present time, and he's merely one of several coming out of the hottest gym in the state, the Las Cruces Police Athletic League.

The state's top two amateurs - Siju Shabazz and Sammy DiPace - are stablemates, and next weekend the two boxers will be giving their all for a spot on the U.S. team at the Olympic Trials.

Las Vegas also made the news last weekend as amateur Arturo Crespin won his first big championship at the World Ringside.