LAS VEGAS – The definitive end of the Manny Pacquiao Era came Saturday. It came in an act of sudden, precise violence. And it came from the right fist of Pacquiao’s nemesis, Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez.

In the sixth round of their fourth fight, in the closing second of it in fact, Marquez used Pacquiao’s feint as his trigger, planted his weight, and threw a short right hand with years of frustration behind it. The punch landed purely, forced Pacquiao’s chin to his right collarbone, and rendered the Filipino entirely unconscious before he landed face-first on the apron. No 10-count was necessary.

The official time of Marquez’s victory and vindication was 2:59 of round 6.

Everything about Saturday’s match was different from its predecessor conducted 13 months ago. This time, Marquez (55-6-1, 40 KOs) was the larger, stronger, more powerful man. Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KOs) was still the match’s quicker and busier fighter, but he was no longer its hunter.

After a pair of very even opening rounds, the third saw Marquez lean leftwards and catch Pacquiao with a looping right hand Pacquiao appeared to see but was surprised by nonetheless. Pacquiao dropped directly to the mat, in a stunning moment entirely unanticipated by anything seen from him in a decade of superfights. Pacquiao rose, however, and fought the still-cautious Marquez off him.

Marquez was still cautious for a reason. After another even round in the fourth, Pacquiao blitzed Marquez in the fifth, dropping him with a straight left, thrown from Pacquiao’s southpaw stance, that stunned Marquez but did not truly hurt him. It affected Pacquiao more than Marquez, actually, emboldening him towards recklessness. After nearly three minutes of attacking Marquez in the sixth, on his way to a two-point lead on all three judges’ scorecards, Pacquiao showed Marquez his signature move one time too many.

Pacquiao feinted the left cross, took a hop back, and then leaped at Marquez, hands-down. Marquez, his back on the ropes, dropped his head underneath Pacquiao’s left hand, and threw his right at Pacquiao’s chin. And in an instant, the Manny Pacquiao Era was ended.

YURIORKIS GAMBOA VS. MICHAEL FARENAS
The plan was this: His promoter, rapper 50 Cent, would drop from the ceiling, and then Yuriokoris Gamboa would drop his opponent directly on the canvas. “Fiddy” did his part.

Saturday’s co-main event, a far more competitive affair than anticipated, or perhaps desired, saw Cuban Yuriorkis Gamboa (22-0, 16 KOs) win a wide unanimous decision over Filipino Michael Farenas (33-4-4, 26 KOs) in a match that was not without suspense. Scores went 117-109, 118-108 and 117-108, all for Gamboa, who despite landing more than 550 punches was unable to stop Farenas and had to rise from the mat in round 9 to prevail.

After a first stanza that saw Gamboa’s superior reflexes and movement dominate, the second found Gamboa staggered by a pair of left crosses from the southpaw Farenas. Those punches from the Filipino, though, did little more than incite Gamboa – who felled Farenas in the final seconds of the stanza.

Round 3 found more aggression from Gamboa, but also some unexpected fortitude and defiance from Farenas, who both weathered Gamboa’s attack and staggered Gamboa again in the fourth with looped left hands, for which Gamboa seemed to have no comprehensive plan. Gamboa, whose attention span is short as his talent is long, often got himself struck by punches a lesser talented man – one who relied more on fundamentals than reflex – might have ducked or blocked.

After a sixth round that saw cuts over Farenas’ eyes deepen and bleed enough for a ringside doctor to give him a full examination before the seventh, Gamboa tore out his corner and tried to end the fight sensationally. After 45 second of ferocious combat, though, when a weakened Farenas was nevertheless still standing and trading, Gamboa’s activity dropped considerably, and while he did enough to win subsequent rounds, his willingness to chase a knockout more or less disappeared.

When it returned in the ninth, it nearly cost Gamboa the ‘0’ on his record, as the Cuban, sensing a knockout was near, walked himself directly into a counter left hand that dropped him on the blue mat. Gamboa rose on wobbly legs and held on tight for much of the next two minutes.

After an uneventful 10th and 11th, both men exchanged occasionally in the 12th but otherwise shuffled to the finish line, satisfied with not being felled again – even if it meant not felling the other man.

MIGUEL VAZQUEZ VS. MERCITO GESTA
It was a title match between an experienced but dull champion and an exciting but inexperienced challenger, and the champion owned it. Most every minute of it.

In the penultimate fight of Saturday’s undercard, Mexican Miguel Vazquez (25-3, 19 KOs) easily defended his IBF lightweight title, decisioning Filipino Mercito Gesta (26-1-1, 14 KOs) by unanimous scores of 117-111, 119-109 and 118-110. It may not have been that close.

After an opening round that saw Vazquez look characteristically slippery while Gesta did little to press an attack, the second and third saw Vazquez too quick, busy and awkward for Gesta. Vazquez would attack Gesta, and have certain success, and then Gesta, after patiently waiting, would decide it was his turn. By the time Gesta began his attack, though, Vazquez would be gone.

The next four rounds saw more of the same, as Gesta, for all his vaunted explosiveness against lesser opponents, simply did not have a solution for the problems an experienced champion like Vazquez proposed to him. Gesta threw ominous left hooks aplenty from his southpaw stance, but Vazquez picked them up scientifically, staying at the end of his quite long reach, and ensured he was either spinning away or ducking well beneath their plane by the time they went whipping past.

In round 8, Vazquez added a dull new wrinkle to his attack, staying at range till Gesta dropped his guard, and then rushing in with both hands, landing a clean punch or two, and tying Gesta up. Gesta appeared not to have the wherewithal or desire to fight his way out of the awkward Mexican’s awkward clinches, and the next three rounds passed without incident or emotion.

The final round passed exactly as its 11 predecessors had, with Vazquez, a professional counterpuncher and winner, if not entertainer, boxing, moving, clinching and confusing his way to another successful title defense.

JAVIER FORTUNA VS. PATRICK HYLAND
It was a battle of undefeated fighters, and while neither guy wanted to lose, neither guy wanted to win much either. The partisan-Mexican crowd that half-filled the arena did not appreciate it.

In the first televised match of Saturday’s pay-per-view telecast, Dominican featherweight Javier Fortuna (21-0, 15 KOs) decisioned limited Irishman Patrick Hyland (27-1, 12 KOs) by unanimous scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 115-113. Fortuna, who appeared a little unstable both at Friday’s weighin and points of Saturday’s fight, fell on his back in celebration upon hearing the decision.

The fight began badly, and after two dreadful rounds that saw neither man engage and Fortuna in hands-down retreat, a lowblow made things briefly interesting and Fortuna briefly more offensive in the third. That brief display of offense by Fortuna was more than enough for Hyland to put his own fists away and spend two rounds focused on defense, blocking and ducking, and generally not punching.

In round 7, after 18 minutes of routine booing from the Garden Arena crowd, Hyland appeared to close space slightly and land a few decent right hands on the southpaw Dominican. The eighth brought increased fatigue to both men, which brought actual infighting and enough action for the crowd to cease its hectoring, if not increase its cheers.

The ninth saw a pair of unintentional fouls send Fortuna reeling to a neutral corner, followed by the entire fight’s best minute of sustained combat, as each man briefly took the other’s punches personally before returning to less-belligerent form. The 10th had the less-talented Hyland appearing to want to fight, and the more-talented Fortuna demonstratively displeased with anything that wasn’t clean punching.

The championship rounds passed uneventfully, with neither man daring to do anything daring, as the championship being contested was only the WBA interim featherweight title after all.

UNDERCARD
Saturday’s swing bout, a four-round scrap between local featherweight Alexis Hernandez (3-1, 1 KO) and New Mexican Jazzma Hogue (2-4-1) did not last long and did not look pretty, with Hernandez prevailing by TKO at 2:20 of round 1.

Before that, U.S. Olympian Jose Ramirez (1-0, 1 KO), a lightweight from California, made his professional debut against designated victim Corey Siegwarth (2-2, 1 KO) of Colorado. Charging out his corner and swarming Siegwarth from the opening bell, Ramirez moved well and threw punches in combination while showing good defense, stopping Siegwarth at 2:05 of round 1. As many clean punches as Ramirez needed to finish Siegwarth, time will tell how much power he has brought with him to the pro ranks.

Saturday’s second match saw Filipino featherweight Dodie Boy Penalosa (10-0, 10 KOs) stop Floridian Jesus Lule-Raya (2-2) suddenly and violently at 1:12 of round 2. Undefeated as he is, and with his victories coming the way they do, it will be interesting to see how Penalosa’s coming improvement in competition goes.

The evening began with a surprisingly two-sided affair between Filipino super featherweight Ernie Sanchez (14-3, 5 KOs) and Philadelphian Coy Evans (10-2-1, 2 KOs). Both men were hurt early in the fight, with Evans being sent to the mat by a right hand from Sanchez, but neither succumbed to the other’s numerous but light punches, and Sanchez prevailed by unanimous decision: 78-73, 78-73 and 77-74.

Opening bell rang on an empty MGM Grand Garden Arena at 4:06 PM local time.

QUEENS, NY – The Resorts World Casino hosted another successful night of fights on Saturday night as they featured Vinny Maddalone (35-8, 26 KO’s, 231 1/2lbs) up against Byron Polley 25-13-1, 11KO’s, 268 1/2lbs). The event was promoted by Ole World, New Legend, and Won Promotions in association with Joe Deguardia’s Star Boxing.

Maddalone, as usual, came out swinging. Polley was horribly overweight, and Maddalone zeroed in on his soft midsection. Maddalone scored a knockdown in the first, maintained control of the second, and stormed out of his corner in the third, gunning for the KO. A knockdown came early in the round, and Maddalone pounced, landing a hook upstairs. After a delayed reaction, Polley hit the canvas, and the referee waved the fight off. Maddalone won the fight by way of technical knockout victory at the 1:11 point of the third round.

The co-feature showcased Juan Dominguez (11-0, 7 KO’s, 121lbs) against Jhon Alberto Molina (30-21-3, 19 KO’s, 120lbs). Dominguez started the fight imposing his considerable size advantage with long and straight punches from a safe distance. Molina made attempts at getting inside behind a looping overhand right, but Dominguez seemed prepared for that by only using his jab when absolutely necessary. After three rounds, Dominguez was in control, but still hadn’t established himself as completely dominant. Both fighters seemed fresh as they made it to their corners before the fourth round, but Molina began complaining about an injury to his left thigh. He was unable to continue and was forced to retire, giving Dominguez a technical knockout victory at the :00 mark of the fourth round officially. Dominguez and his fans were glad for the win, but appeared disappointed in the fact that he couldn’t win the old fashioned way.

Frank Galarza (7-0-1, 4 KO’s, 152lbs) made his return to Resorts World hoping for a big performance against Roberto Lopez (4-3-2, 1 KO, 152lbs). Both fighters quickly established stiff jabs and followed up with hard rights, but it was Galarza who landed the cleaner blows. Galarza utilized the ring much better, which was something he hasn’t shown in past fights. Lopez wanted a brawl, but Galarza’s movement kept him in check. As the bout progressed, Lopez was able to continue his pressure and pin a seemingly tired Galarza. The fifth round saw Lopez strafe Galarza along the ropes. Galarza responded in the sixth by fighting like a completely different fighter; ripping huge punches on Lopez. The bout ended to rising applause. The judges all saw it the same, scoring it 59-55 for Galarza for the unanimous decision victory.

Angel Garcia (3-1, 2 KO’s, 134 lbs) showcased his fancy footwork against Victor Galindo (1-0, 1 KO, 133lbs). The first two rounds saw Garcia utilize an excess of movement while pot shotting. Galindo was more traditional, hoping to work behind a 1-2 combination. Landing a clean jab against a left handed fighter is a difficult task, and Garcia began to take advantage in the final two rounds of the fight, throwing numerous from multiple angles. The bout ended and the scores read 39-37, 39-37, and 38-38 in favor of Garcia, giving him a majority decision victory.

In front of a throng of supporters, Bryant Cruz (129 1/2lbs) made his professional debut against Jonathan Caban (0-3, 130lbs). Caban, despite being the taller of the two, was unable to keep Cruz off of him. The first two rounds saw Cruz maul Caban from pillar to post. It was more of the same in the third until the referee had no choice but to step in and call a stop to the onslaught, giving Cruz a technical knockout victory at the 1:20 mark.

About tewnty-seven years ago, Robert Garris was a star amateur with sixty-seven wins and only three losses. After suffering an injury, his professional hopes came to an end. That was until Saturday night. He came in at 171lbs and faced Abdellah Smith (1-4, 1KO, 174lbs) in a bout scheduled for four rounds. Abdellah, at 38 years of age, was no spring chicken himself. The first round saw both fighters size each other up. Neither one of them were steady on their feet. At the 1:08 point in the second, with Garris backing into a corner, Smith unleashed a powerful right hand that landed flush on Garris’ chin. Garris was knocked out cold; face down on the canvas. The crowd, whom he had won over with his story, was in shock. Then word spread out that his entire purse was to be donated to disadvantaged and orphaned children. It was then that Garris sat up, and then stood up to the roar of the fans in attendance. He might have lost, but he won over the hearts of everyone in attendance. Smith was credited with a 2nd round technical knockout.

The very talented Heather Hardy (2-0, 122lbs) made easy work of Ivana Coleman (0-3, 123 1/2lbs) over the course of four one sided rounds. Hardy was just simply too good and landed nonstop combinations throughout the fight. Coleman was able to stay on her feet and attempt to slip in some counter punches, but Hardy barely flinched. The final scores were unanimous in Hardy’s favor, all reading 40-36.

The opening bout of the evening featured a very entertaining for round scrap between Neuky Santelises (1-0, 1KO, 131lbs) and Micah Branch (1-2, 132lbs). From start to finish, both fighters attempted to finish eachother off with hard counter punching. The difference between the two was that Branch focused entirely on blows to the head, while Santelises’ punch selection was much more well rounded. After four spirited rounds, the final scores read 39-37, 40-36, and 39-37 in favor of Santelises, giving him a unanimous decision victory

Jose Nieves stopped Glenn Porras in round two of a scheduled;ed ten round fight at the Kissimme Civic Center in Kissimme, Florida

Nieves dropped Porras in round one with a four punch combination and again in the second from a crushing right hook to the head

Nieves of Carolina, P is now 21-2-3 with ten knockouts. Porras of the Philippines is now 28-4

Yordenis Ugas scored a ten round unanimous decision over veteran Cosme Rivera in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Scores were 98-92, 97-93 and 97-93 for Ugas, 140 lbs of Santiago, Cuba and is now 13-1. Rivera, 140 lbs of Cuican, MX and is now 35-15-3

Carlos Lacayo scored a four round unanimous decision over Giovanny Vasquez in a Featherweight bout.

Scores were 38-36 on all cards for Lacayo, 126 lbs who was making his pro debut. Vasquez, 126 lbs is 0-2.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, World Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward suffered a shoulder injury that will him force him to postpone his January 26th title defense with Kelly Pavlik.

“He felt a little tweak when he threw a punch and stopped immediately,” Ward’s promoter, Dan Goossen, told ESPN.com on Thursday. “He didn’t really think it was that damaging at first but he certainly felt pain. He went to the doctor and followed up with an MRI (on Friday). It disclosed no tears, no rotator cuff injury, nothing of devastating proportions, but there was a lot of swelling and inflammation, so the key to healing is not using the arm for a few weeks.”

“Speaking to Andre about it, he said he has had nagging pain in his shoulder since he was a young kid, but nothing to the extent of what he felt this last time,” Goossen said.

“We’ve seen Andre fight through pain with a broken hand as recently as the Froch fight,” Goossen said. “If he says it’s painful and the prescription is to rest the arm, that’s what he will do.”

LAS VEGAS – Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns sat at ringside. Manny Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach worked a corner. It was a good night to get an autograph for everybody but Raymundo Beltran.

Beltran (27-6, 17 KOs) had a job to do Thursday night and he did it in workman-like fashion for a unanimous decision over Ji-Hoon Kim ( 24-8, 18 KOs) at the Mirage on an ESPN2-televised card.

But Beltran, one of Pacquiao’s sparring partners for many years, had to overcome a rocky first round to complete the assignment. Beltran was knocked to the canvas midway through the first by a left from Kim. Before the round ended, Beltran returned the favor, unleashing a short left that dropped Kim.

In the second, Kim, a South Korean, was warned for a low blow that a ringside wise guy said was below the 38th Parallel. Beltran rested, recovered, suffered a cut near his left eye and stole the round with a furious rally in the closing seconds.

Those late moments seemed to sum up Beltran’s strategy. He would fight sporadically, yet effectively when he did. Kim appeared to tire late in the third. He began to drop his hands and Beltran began to capitalize with head-rocking blows. But Kim was as stubborn as he was awkward. Beltran could not finish him in a fight that was dramatic in the beginning, yet deadly dull in the end.

Best of the undercard: Las Vegas super-bantamweight Jessie Magdaleno (13-0, 9 KOs) scored two knockdowns and learned at least a couple of lessons in a bruising, unanimous decision over Jonathan Arellano (13-2-1, 3 KOs) of Ontario, Calif.

“He caught me a few times, but I wanted to go eight rounds,’’ said Magdaleno, who knocked down Arellano in the second round and again in the sixth.

It looked as if Arellano was finished in the sixth. He slumped along the ropes as Magdaleno swarmed him with a cascade of blows. But Arellano would not surrender. In the end, Magdaleno was glad that he didn’t.

“The work was good,’’ he said.

The rest: Super-featherweight Felix Verdejo (1-0), a Puerto Rican Olympian, won his pro debut, winning a four-round, unanimous decisionLeonard Chavez ((1-1, 1 KOs) of Los Angeles; featherweight Evgeny Gradovich (15-0, 8 KOs) of Oxnard, Calif., scored a seventh-round TKO of William Villanueva (10-5-1, 2 KOs) of Albuquerque; and Las Vegas lightweight Robert Osiobe (14-5-4, 6 KOs) survived and eight-round knockdown for a split decision over Jose Roman (14-1-1, 11 KOs) of Garden Grove, Calif.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Pound for Pound King Floyd Mayweather will look to get back in the ring on May 4th and then again on September 14th which are the two most desirable dates on the boxing calender as they fall on Cinco De Mayo and Mexican Independence Day.

“Floyd has told us that he is fighting twice in 2013 with the first date being May 4 — Cinco De Mayweather — and the second date being Sept. 14,” said Maweather’s adviser Leonard Ellerbe.

“Mayweather Promotions is looking forward to these two gigantic Floyd Mayweather events in 2013, and we are in ongoing discussions with our promotional partner, Richard Schaefer (chief executive of Golden Boy Promotions) in finalizing the opponent and other aspects of the upcoming promotion.”

Ellerbe said Mayweather told him and fellow adviser Al Haymon in a recent telephone conversation to begin planning the May fight.

“He told me and Al this is what he is doing,” Ellerbe said.

“He’s been in the gym. Floyd is always keeping his body in shape doing something because he’s a great athlete and that’s what great athletes do,” Ellerbe said.

No announcement on Mayweather’s opponent but the article painted a scenario where Mayweather could possibly face Robert Guerrero on the May 4th date and a showdown with Canelo Alvarez on the September date. That sceario could possibly see Alvarez fight as the chief support bout on May 4th

“That is still to be determined,” Ellerbe said of the weight and opponent. “He is just looking to come back in two gigantic fights in 2013 and continue to show why he is the best in boxing.”

“Floyd Mayweather has a plethora of options,” Ellerbe said. “Who doesn’t want to fight Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather and make the most money they ever made in their career? You hit the lottery once you’ve become a Floyd Mayweather opponent.”

LAS VEGAS — Jose Benavidez Jr., unbeaten at junior-welterweight, withdrew from a scheduled bout Thursday night at The Mirage, because of concerns about further injury to his right hand, according to Jose Benavidez Sr., his father and trainer.

“When we come back, I just want us to be back at 100 percent,’’ his dad said.

Benavidez (17-0, 13 KOs) was nearly knocked out in the final seconds of an eight-round bout by Pavel Miranda (17-8-1, 5 KOs) on Oct. 13 at Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., on a card featuring Brandon Rios’ dramatic stoppage of Mike Alvarado in the likely Fight of the Year.

Benavidez, a Phoenix prospect, escaped with a unanimous decision, scoring almost exclusively with his accurate jab. He also appeared to tire in the seventh round, perhaps because he struggled to make weight, 140 pounds.

“Then, I think we were looking ahead to the next fight,’’ Jose Sr. said. “We didn’t work the right hand in that one, because I think we were thinking about that fight in December. Things have happened so fast since that last fight.’’

Initially, the 20-year-old Benavidez had hoped to fight on the undercard Saturday of the fourth bout between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez in an HBO pay-per-view event at the MGM Grand. Instead, Top Rank announced a few weeks ago that Benavidez would face Jesus Selig (15-1-1, 9 KOs) on a Dec. 6 card televised by ESPN2. Top Rank was surprised by Benavidez’s withdrawal.

Benavidez, who signed with Top Rank as a 17-year-old, underwent surgery in January on his right hand and wrist after aggravating an injury during a victory over Sammy Santana in November, 2011 on the undercard of Pacquiao’s controversial decision over Marquez in their third fight.

An MRI revealed an extra bone in the wrist, according to physicians. It was causing Benavidez pain. According to reports, a laser procedure removed the source of that pain. A damaged tendon also was repaired.

After a five-month layoff, Benavidez returned to the ring, fighting three times — a six-round unanimous decision over Josh Sosa (10-4, 5 KOs) in May, a fourth-round stoppage of Javier Loya (7-1, 6 KOs) in August and then Miranda.

Plans are now for him to fight again early next year, perhaps in February, his dad and manager Steven Feder said.

“I just told him to enjoy the Holidays, rest and get ready for next year,’’ Jose Sr. said.

NEW YORK– Austin Trout remained the WBA Super Welterweight championship with a twelve round unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden

Trout got it going early as he rocked Cotto with a hard left hand in the first frame. The two continued to box at Trout’s preferred distance for much of the first three rounds. The action started to heat up in round four as there was more in fighting which started to suit the challenger. Cotto had a good round six as he landed a flush right hand and a nice flurry at the bell.

The second half of the fight had more intensity. with both guys loading up with power shots. Trout favored the left hand with both hooks and uppercuts. Trout had a big round ten as he moved and continued to pop Cotto with lefts to start the round and three nice rights in the closing moments. Trout had a big round eleven as he continued to bust up the face of Cotto, by at this time was swelled and the left eye was beginning to close. the final round saw some furious exchanges down the stretch

Trout won by scores of 119-109, 117-111 and 117-111 (15rounds.com had it 116-112 for Trout) and is now 26-0. Cotto is 38-4

“Miguel Cotto is a great champion,” said Trout. “He’s a great fighter and it was an honor to be in the same ring as him. It’s even more of an honor to be the man to beat him. To have my hand raised against a kingpin like Miguel Cotto is a dream come true.

“Those shots that Cotto hit me with were strong and I knew he’d be strong, but it reconfirmed that take those shots. It was definitely the hardest fight of my career and when you fight someone as big as Miguel Cotto, it motivated me.

“Give me Canelo – it’s time to unify this division” Trout said. “There are a lot of good fighters out there and I want to be the best.”

When asked by Gray what he thought went wrong in the fight and if he agreed with the scorecards, Cotto simply replied, “Ask the public.”

“I’m satisfied with the job I did tonight,” Cotto said. “I’ll go back to Puerto Rico and think. He came at me with both hands and it was a great fight. He fought until the end. I’m really thankful for all of my fans who were here to supported me tonight. There’s nothing like fighting at Madison Square Garden.”

“It was easier than I thought,” Velez said. “I thought it would be a little more difficult. I was connecting so easily. This is a very exciting moment for me. I’ve been waiting for this my whole life.”

Jayson Velez remained perfect with a third round destruction of Salvador Sanchez II in a scheduled ten round Featherweight bout. Velez began his aasault in round two when he landed a big right hand just before the bell that sent Sanchez to the canvas. Seconds into round three, another booming right that was followed by a left sent Sanchez down for a second time. Velez landed a couple more hard rights that buckled Sanchez and referee Harvey Dock stopped the bout at thirty-eight seconds of round three

Velez, 125.8 lbs of Juncos, PR is now 20-0 with fifteen knockouts. Sanchez II is now 30-5-3.

Daniel Jacobs made it two in a row since his return from cancer as he took out Chris Fitzpatrick at the end of round five in a scheduled ten round Middleweight bout.

Jacobs was in control from the opening bell. In round three, Jacobs landed a big right and left that drove Fitzpatrick to the ropes. Jacobs began to open up. A clash of heads opened up a cut on the forehead of Fitzpatrick. In round four a couple more hard shots to the head shots put Fitzpatrick in more distress. In round five, Jacobs unloaded a barrage of punches that chased Fitzpatrick all over the ring. Jacobs battered Fitzpatrick until the bell rang to signal the end of the round. Fitzpatrick wisely called it a night on his stool

Jacobs, 161.2 lbs of Brooklyn is now 24-1 with twenty-one knockouts. Fitzpatrick, 163.3 lbs of Cleveland, OH is now 15-3.

“I felt pretty good today. I wanted to take my time. I heard a few boos, but I hope the crowd appreciates it. I’m satisfied. I let my hands go. I’m just glad that I got five rounds to get the rust out. I’m back as a contender. We don’t want to jump the gun, but I think I’m back.

Jorge Melendez scored a fourth round stoppage over James Winchester in a scheduled eight round Super Welterweight bout.

Melendez battered Winchester in round one and dropped the twenty-two fight veteran for the first time in round two and again in round three. Melendez opened up the fourth by waling away on Winchester and the bout was stopped at fifty-four seconds

Melendez, 155 lbs of Manati, PR is now 25-2-1 with twenty-four knockouts. Winchester, 155 lbs of Greensboro, NC is now 15-7

Jorge Diaz scored a first round knockdown en route to a six round unanimous decision over Victor Salazar in a Featherweight bout.

Diaz battered Salazar at different parts of the fight and cruised home to a 60-53 victory on all cards.

Diaz, 122.4 lbs of New Brunswick, NJ is now 17-1. Salazar, 126 lbs of Houston, TX is now 3-5-1.

In an entertaining battle of undefeated Jr. Middleweights, Eddie Gomez took a six round unanimous decision over Luis Hernandez.

Both guts landed good shots but Gomez was more active and won despite being deducted a point in round five for a low blow

Gomez, 150 lbs of Bronx, NY won by scores of 58-55, 59-54 and 59-54 and is now 12-0. Hernandez., 152 lbs of Rio Piedras, PR is now 9-1.

John Thompson scored a six round unanimous decision over Eli Augustama in a Middleweight bout.

Thompson boxed well for the first four rounds but got caught with some power punches over the last two rounds but Thompson built up enough of an advantage early to hold on for the victory.

Thompson, 156.4 lbs of Newark, NJ won by scores of 60-54, 59-55 and 59-55 and is now 9-0. Augustama, 158 lbs of Port Au Prince, Haiti is now 6-6.

Khabib Allakhverdiev captured the WBA title by out punching former two division champion and previously undefeated Joan Guzman 33-1-1(20KO). The very entertaining main event ended with a knee injury to Guzman caused by an accidental foul. The atmosphere at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, FL. had the feel major world championship fight as Guzman made a crowd pleasing and energetic ring entrance that included an escort and live performance by rapper DMX, all part of a special evening, Beatdown 2012.

From the opening bell, the Russian Allakhverdiev did not back down and gained respect from Guzman with hard punches that was answered with an aggressive attack from the hard charging Dominican. After splitting the first two rounds Allakhverdiev floored Guzman in round three with a right and left hook. Guzman beat the count and although he was clearly affected by the punches, he went right back to center of the ring brawling with the tough Allakhverdiev. Rounds four and five saw the tough Russian slowly dismantle the Dominicans face with straight left hands, right hooks and uppercuts. The hard nosed Guzman kept coming and kept punching turning a fight into a brawl. Between rounds the ringside physician closely looked in on Guzman as the best cutman in the business, Rafael Garcia went to work on his mangled face. Guzman came out to round seven and let his hands go slowly turning the momentum in his favor, slowly adding to his bloody new handy work of a cut on the Russians face. Guzman won a good round seven but by my scorecard, was still down by two points with five rounds to go. Guzman went down from a clash of knees and was slow to get up. With the unintentional foul he was given time to recover. Once time was called in Allakhverdiev swarmed Guzman and unleashed a barrage of punches until Guzman went to the canvas again in what appeared to be as result of overwhelming punches. Referee Luis Pavon saw it as another result of the knee injury and called an official time out while they sorted it all out. Guzman was unable to continue so they went to the scorecards after 8 rounds. Officially the cards read 76-75 for Guzman and 76-75 twice for Allakhverdiev

The Co Main Event of the evening had the vacant WBA Fedlatin super welterweight title on the line. Tough and tested Colombian RIchard Gutierrez was looking to get his career back in line facing a student of the late and great Emanuel Steward in Domonique D3 Dolton. Dolton punched hard from the outside trying to control the pressure from the Colombian who as looking for his first win in seven bouts. D3 was able to put some nice combinations together in the fourth round and slowly starting to chop away at a game Gutierrez. Gutierrez stood in front of the Detriot product and made for a game opponent to the final bell. Consider this a passed test for D3 and a wake up call to the level of elevated competition that awaits him. The scorecards read 100-90 twice and 99-91.

In the opening bout of the evening Umberto Savigne10-1(7KO) retained his WBA Fedlatin light heavyweight title, but not after tasting the canvas in round three by result of a left hook. Dhafir “No Fear” Smith 26-5-7(22KO) gave a fair challenge to the title however neither boxer engaged and fought very cautiously. Smith often looked slow and was beat to the punch while the Cuban slowly started putting punches together was the fight wore on. Round eight was the most entertaining round in my opinion. Officially scored a unanimous decision win with the score cards reading. 98-91, and 96-93 twice. I had the fight 96-93.

Claudio Marrero 14-0 (11KO)retained his WBA Fedlatin featherwieght title with a dominating stoppage over Panamanian Mauricio “Nanara” Martinez 34-16(KO). It was clear that Marrero was the fast and stronger fighter every second of the fight. Marrero knocked Martinez down twice in the first round, the first a compliment of a great straight left hand and a second from a blistering fast right left from the rising southpaw star. The end came at !:38 of round four went referee Sam Burgos stepped in to stop the fight. I felt the stoppage was a bit premature, but it was obvious Martinez was not going to win the fight. Martinez was just taken the distance by Jorge Arce in September and Marrero was able to take him out in four.

Isiah “Black Mamba” Thomas is the new WBA Fedlatin Cruiserwieght champion after outpointing Richard “The Destroyer” Hall 30-11(28KO). Thomas used his commanding jab and combinations to keep the journeyman Hall at bay winning mostly every round. Thomas was deducted two questionable points for holding in rounds 4 and 5. Hall was given an eight count in round three after being overwhelmed by a host of punches from the Detroit fighter Thomas. There was not a clear knockdown rather Halls glove touched the canvas. The final cards read 98-89, 97-90 and 96-91.

Ed “The Lion” Parades 32-3-1(21KO) had his work cut out for him as he outpointed and outboxed iron chinned Hector “The Hurricane” Munoz 20-9-1(13KO) over ten rounds. Parades was forced to keep the hard charging at bay with a steady diet of straight punches. Where Munoz kept the rounds close with constant pressure pushing Parades to the ropes and trying to smother the Dominican to no avail as The Lion landed the more meaningful punches inside and did everything he could to take Munoz out. Munoz kept it coming until the final bell. Where his effort clearly was not enough to win the fight, his fight was very admirable from a courage and heart standpoint. The final cards read 100-89 and 99-90 twice.

Beatdown 2012 Promoter Aquinity Sports teamed up with bSaving.com and provided a unique event that combined live championship boxing and chart-topping musical talent, and produced a brilliant one-two combination that gave South Florida fans a chance to unite and enjoy a true mash up of talents. What started with competitive world class championship boxing and 18-0(8KO) capturing the WBA light welterweight belt, ending with powerful concerts from the likes of DMX Flo-RIda, Waka Flaka Flame, Fabulous, Travis Porter, Fat Joe.

IBF Bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz will defend his title against undefeated Alberto Guevarra on December 15th on the CBS Network;s first televised boxing match in fifteen years that will be part of a massive day and night of boxing at the Los Angeles Sports Arena according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“We are calling it ‘Santa Cruz is Coming To Town,'” Golden Boy Promotions Richard Schaefer said, showing his holiday spirit.

Also on the card will be the pro debut of Olympian Joseph Diaz Jr.

“We are happy to be on CBS,” Schaefer said. “We’ve been working on this, and we’re excited to bring boxing back to CBS.”

In the evening, Golden Boy is promoting a Showtime-televised tripleheader at the same arena. That previously announced card is headlined by the return of former junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan (26-3, 18 KOs) against Carlos Molina (17-0-1, 7 KOs) in Khan’s first bout since losing his title by fourth-round knockout to Danny Garcia in a July unification fight.

Schaefer also unveiled the other two TV fights on the evening card: junior middleweight contender Alfredo Angulo (21-2, 18 KOs) against Mexican countryman Jorge Silva (19-2-2, 15 KOs), and heavyweight Deontay Wilder (25-0, 25 KOs), the 2008 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist, taking on his most notable opponent in Kelvin Price (13-0, 6 KOs).

On the Showtime Extreme portion of the Khan-Molina undercard, Schaefer said welterweight Shawn Porter (20-0, 14 KOs) will face former lightweight titlist Julio Diaz (40-7, 29 KOs). Other 2012 U.S. Olympians also will be on the card, Schaefer said.

“We think Diaz has tremendous potential, which is why we wanted to sign him,” Schaefer said. “He has a great personality, he has charisma and he can fight. We think of him as the total package. He’s bilingual, he’s well-spoken and exciting. He has all the ingredients.”

Ralph Heredia, Diaz’s manager, told ESPN.com that they had interest from several promoters and also strongly considered signing with Top Rank.

“We are ecstatic to be going with Golden Boy,” Heredia said. “CBS hasn’t had a fight since around 1997 and the exposure Joseph will get is unbelievable. We couldn’t be happier. I believe Golden Boy has the best platforms for Joseph. (Golden Boy president) Oscar (De La Hoya) will take him under his wing and help guide his career. Just look how many shows they are doing on all different platforms. It made the most sense to go with Golden Boy.

“Joseph is very excited. He watched Oscar since he was a kid and he admires him as a fighter and as a businessman. Top Rank is a class operation, too, but when it came down it, we believed Golden Boy had the best platforms.”

Sources have confirmed that Gennady Golovkin will defend the WBA Middleweight title against Philadelphia’s Gabriel Rosado on January 19th at the Theater at Madison Square Garden as part of an HBO televised Tripleheader.

Golovkin, 24-0 with twenty-one knockouts will be making his second appearance on HBO after his scintillating fifth round destruction of Grzgorz Proksa on September 1st in Verona, NY.

Rosado has a record of 21-5 with thirteen knockouts will be moving up in weight from Jr. Middleweight is riding a seven fight win streak.

Also rumored for the bill will be a Featherweight title bout between Orlando Salido and Mikey Garcia as well as the WBO Super Featherweight championship bout between Roman Martinez and Juan Carlos Burgos

Heavyweight prospect David Price scored a second round knockout over former world title challenger Matt Skelton in a scheduled twelve round Heavyweight bout to retain the British and Commonwealth Heavyweight championship at the Aintree Equestrian Center in Liverpool, England.

Skelton came out and tried to bully Price on the ropes in round one. Price was able to find the range and land a couple of good right hand late in the round. Price landed a hard right hand that set up some solid body shots that sent Skelton down on all fours. Skelton’s corner then threw in the towel and the fight was stopped.

Price is on the fast track to a world title opportunity and is now 15-0 with thirteen knockouts. Skelton is now 28-7.

Tony Dodson scored a six round unanimous decision over John Anthony in a Super Middleweight bout.

The referee scored the bout 60-55 for Dodson and is now 29-7-1. Anthony is 8-28-1

Steve Williams scored a twelve round decision over Kirk Goodings in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

The referee scored the bout 116-115 for Williams and is now 13-1. Goodings is 7-1.

These fights were shown all over the United States on WealthTV and www.wealthtv.com

Austin Trout 154 – Miguel Cotto 153.6
Jayson Velez 125.8 – Salvador Sanchez II 125.2
Daniel Jacobs 161.2 – Chris Fitzpatrick 163.3 (needs to lose .3

IBF Welterweight champion Devon Alexander will defend against mandatory contender Kell Brook on January 19th most likely in Las Vegas according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“We made a number of significant offers to Golden Boy and (Alexander adviser) Al Haymon, well in excess of seven figures, to try and bring the fight to the U.K., but Devon had no interest in traveling,” said Brook’s promoter Eddie Hearn. “We were at a 75-25 disadvantage in any potential purse bid and when we received the final offer from Golden Boy, we were all happy.

“If we won a purse bid and Devon vacated, we had all the potential to become a paper champion and that’s not what Kell Brook is all about. To become great and make a statement, there is no better way than travel to a champion’s country and rip the belt from him. Kell has the opportunity to make a huge statement in the 147-pound division.”

“There’s no reason to have to leave the country to fight a guy who no one in America has ever heard of,” said ALexander’s manager / trainer Kevin Cunningham. “That was not going to happen. I’m just happy that I have a team and a promoter that was willing to step up and make this thing happen in the States and now we’re just going to work to make sure this title stays in the States.

“Devon should be fighting someone with a bigger name than Kell Brook, but since he’s the mandatory, we’ll defend the title against the mandatory. But I don’t see anything special about Kell Brook.”

“I definitely want to be a crowd pleaser,” said Alexander, who began training for the fight in St. Louis last week. “Those fans are who’s buying a ticket or a subscription to HBO or Showtime. I want to be a person they want to see, so I definitely dread those types of performances. I want to be exciting and the crowd to be into it and cheering. This is entertainment. The Bailey fight was not what I would have liked to be it. I’m planning to be more engaged and throwing more punches. We will definitely be more exciting this fight.”

“I guarantee you that,” he said. “I’m telling you this so they can read this and know that Devon is going to press the action. He’s coming to bring it to Kell Brook. Devon will fight this fight as if he is the challenger and is coming to take Kell Brook’s title. That’s the mission we’re on for this fight.

“Bailey is the biggest puncher in the sport basically and he wouldn’t engage with Devon. He wouldn’t open up. I can’t have my fighter trying to make something happen when I know we’re dealing with a guy who can clip you win one shot. We did what we had to do to get the victory. Some will say you have to make fights exciting. I say sometimes you gotta be smart. Bailey is the kind of person that if you make a mistake, you won’t have a title to defend against Kell Brook. He will fight Brook with smart aggression. We’re not working on winning the fight, we’re working on winning the fight in impressive fashion. They’re getting themselves into something they’ve never seen before.”

“When I first heard about the fight, I didn’t know who he was,” Alexander said. “A lot of people were on my Twitter saying, ‘Kell Brook is coming for you.’ I was like what? Who is he? As a boxing fan and a fighter, I went on YouTube and watched him. To me he’s a basic fighter, nothing special about him.

“He’s a strong, solid fighter but hasn’t fought a guy as talented as me or anyone that has my kind of skills. He is in trouble. He is definitely in a for a rude awakening. He better know what he’s doing in there. This is my time and I feel it. I’m looking for a big splash in 2013 and to start it off with Kell Brook.”

“We have worked hard of the last 15 months, since we signed Brook, to get in the mandatory position,” Hearn said. “We have had six fights, starting in a 1,400-seat leisure center to the last three being in Sheffield Arena with crowds of up to 10,000. We even fit in his U.S. debut on the (Andre Ward-Carl Froch) undercard (in December). He has had the big nights, the bright lights and now he is ready. Alexander is a great fighter and is certainly Kell’s toughest test yet, but he has done his apprenticeship and now it’s time.”

“He’s nothing special,” Cunningham said. “I don’t see an extremely fast guy or a guy with one-punch power. He’s a decent, basic boxer. Just look at Devon’s resume and tell me where Kell Brook stacks up. He has never faced anybody in the league of a Marcos Maidana, Lucas Matthysse, Tim Bradley.

“(Hearn has) done a good job building him up, putting him in with soft touches. They bring in a journeyman opponent in Carson Jones and it was life and death for Brook. Then, on Oct. 20, we both fight the same day. The difference is that Devon was fighting a former world champion known to be the biggest puncher in boxing and Brook fought a guy he knocked out with a backhand flick jab, and now he thinks he’s ready for Devon Alexander? These guys are pipe dreaming.”

“I know he’ll bring some fans over here, so I’m excited about that,” Alexander said. “That gets me pumped up. I’m glad they’re coming to support him so it will be even sweeter when I beat him.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that Warriors Boxing has won the purse bid to stage IBF Featherweight champion Billy Dib’s title defense against Mauricio Munoz.

On Tuesday, Warriors Boxing was the lone bidder at the IBF purse bid, winning promotional rights to the bout for $50,000. That means Dib is entitled to $37,500 (75 percent of the winning bid) while Munoz is entitled to $12,500 (25 percent).

Warriors Boxing is owned by Leon Margules, who bid on behalf of Jackson’s SMS Promotions. Margules is also an attorney and represents Jackson in his boxing business.

Robert Guerrero may have parlayed himself into a mega payday with a twelve round unanimous decision over Andre Berto in a WBC Interim Title bout at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California.

In round one, Guerrero jumped on top of Berto and landed a left to the body and another left the wobbled Berto. One more left while being held up and Berto fell to the canvas for the first time in the fight. It was repeated in round two as Berto’s eye was swelling another left dropped Berto yet again. The fight then turned into phone booth fight with both fighters being warned for roughhousing on the inside. The two would stand inches from each other for most of the fight as Guerrero would not let Berto use his speed advantage at distance.

Berto started gettung it going in the middle rounds as he landed some nice double lefts that culminated with some powerful uppercuts. In round eight, both showed the effects of the hard fought contest as there was blood from both noses and the right eye of Guerrero began to swell shut. Berto made a great effort with his power punching but was too far down on the cards and needed something special down the stretch.

The two went at it tooth and nail in the twelfth but it was Guerrero who closed the show with flying colors as he landed about eight hard shots with at least half of them coming after the final bell rang.

Guerrero of Gilroy. CA won by scores of 116-111 on all cards and now looks for a possible bout with Floyd Mayweather with a record of 31-1-1. Berto of Winter Haven, FL is now 28-2.

Upstart Jr. Middleweight prospect Keith Thurman scored the most impressive win of his career as he stopped former Welterweight titlist Carlos Quintana at 2:19 of round four of their scheduled ten round bout.

Thurman was able to land a little left to the body in round one that sent Quintana to his knees for a knockdown. Thurman continued to dominate when in round four he landed a crunching left hook that buckled Quintana that set off a plethora of nasty punches that was culminated with a hard right to the head and referee Jack Reiss stopped the contest.

Thurman of Clearwater, FL is now 19-0 with eighteen knockouts. Quintana of Moca, PR is now 29-4.

Vyacheslav Senchenko ended the comeback of former two division world champion Ricky Hatton with a ninth round body punch stoppage in a scheduled ten round Welterweight bout In front of 20,000 adoring Hatton fans at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

Hatton came out in his familiar stalking style which made Senchenko a bit uncomfortable. Senchenko used lateral movement in an effort to offset the on-charging Hatton. Hatton mixed up the assault with the body and head with lefts to the body and the right’s upstairs. Senchenko got going with straight right hands in the second. Hatton continued the pressure and was getting through with solid shots but never had Senchenko in any type of distress.

The crowd continued to urge their man on and it was working to an extent but Hatton got sloppy and started eating some right hands and body shots. In round seven, a cut formed under the left eye of Senchenko and some bad swelling started to be visible around Hatton’s right eye. The two fought a spirited eighth and Hatton started out well in round nine until a perfect left to the flank of Hatton sent him down on all fours and the referee counted ten as Hatton gasped in pain.

The bout’s sudden end came at 2:52 of round nine.

Senchenko of Ukraine is now 33-1 with twenty-two knockouts. Hatton of Manchester, UK who was making his first ring appearance in forty-two month since being flattened by Manny Pacquiao will most likely go into a second retirement with a record of 45-3

The scores at the time of the stoppage were 78-74, 77-76 and 77-76 (15rounds.com had it 77-75 for Hatton off of the television viewing)

Four days after being shot, former three-division world champion Hector “Macho”Camacho was declared dead on Saturday morning in Puerto Rico after being taken off life support.

Camacho was shot in a drive by shooting and was shot in the face.

A man, who was with Camacho was killed at the scene and no arrests have been made as the authorities are looking for two gunmen

Camacho was 50 years old

Former world champion Hector “Macho”Camacho has been declared brain dead in Puerto Rico after being shot in the face on Tuesday.

The family of Camacho are now deciding weather to take him off life support

The report said that Camacho, who had little to no brain function as of Wednesday night and all tests have been completed.

Camacho was a passenger of a car and was shot shot in the neck and jaw.

The fifty year-old Camacho was the former WBC Super Featherweight, WBC Lightweight, WBO Jr. Welterweight champion and had a record of 79-6-3.

Adrien Broner won the WB Lightweight title with an eight round beatdown of previous titleholder Antonio DeMarco at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

It was a good fight for Broner as DeMarco obliged him by fighting on the inside which gave Broner the opportunity to show off his blazing handspeed that started to carve up DeMarco as early as round two. DeMarco had a good land three as he landed some solid hooks to the body. That was short lived and Broner started to rev up the engine and started to rip hard shots to the head of DeMarco. Broner had dominat round’s four and five and it became appear-ant that it would be a Broner crowning.

The fight was stopped after Broner landed a big left hook that sent DeMarco down to the canvas and the fight was waved off by DeMarco’s corner at 1:46 of round eight.

Broner, 134 1/2 lbs of Cincinnati, OH is now 25-0 with twenty-one knockouts. DeMarco, 134 1/2 lbs of Tijuana, MX is now 28-3-1.

Johnathon Banks scored an upset second round stoppage over previously undefeated Seth Mitchell in a scheduled twelve round Heavyweight bout.

Mitchell had a good first round as he buckled Banks with a good right hand. In round two, Banks landed a right that set off a turbulent second round for Mitchell. Mitchell went down from a follow up punch and was clearly shaken. With both guys swinging wildly, Banks landed a big right hand. Mitchell was in a heap of trouble when Banks ended things with hard left hook and referee Eddie Cotton stopped the bout at 2:37

Banks, 218 1/2 lbs of Detroit is now 29-1-1 with nineteen knockouts. Mitchell, 242 1/2 lbs of Brandywyne, MD is now 25-1-1.

Scotty Cardle pounded out an eight round decision over Miguel Aguilar in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Cardle won by an 80-70 score and is now 8-0. Aguilar of Barcelona, Spain is 10-5.

Khalid Yafai scored a fifty-two second stoppage over Pio Antonio Nettuno in a scheduled eight round Super Bantaweight bout.

Yafai is now 5-0 with four knockouts. Nettuno is 7-6

In the main event of Friday’s SHOWTIME-televised ShoBox: The New Generation live from Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, FL, undefeated lightweight contender Angelo “La Cobra” Santana (14-0, 11 KOs), devastated previously unbeaten Johnny Garcia (13-1,8 KOs) with a sensational knockout in the fifth round that left Garcia out cold on the canvas. Santana started a little slow while accepting a fair challenge from Garcia, who was able to touch the former two-time national Cuban champion very early. That changed in the second round when Santanas speed became a deciding factor, as he hurt and leveled the Holland, Mich. product with speed and power. Garcia was able to beat the count and made it through the next couple rounds, but was cut and slowly being broken down by big body shots and blistering fast counter punches. Santana delivered an incredible straight left hand from his southpaw stance in round 5 that knocked Garcia out cold before he hit the canvas. The fight was immediately called, no count necessary. “I was able to knock him [Johnny Garcia] out and that was my intention. He was a very strong opponent but I was able to stop him.” Santana quoted. “This performance says it all for me. This proves I am ready. “I felt nervous at the beginning as this was my first national TV appearance. I needed a round to gain my composure. But I was in front of my people and they supported me and that is something beautiful. “I was waiting for him to gain confidence and attack me because he was the taller fighter. Once he did that I was able to unload my left hand. I came looking for my fight and he was the one who hurried up.”

In the Co-Main Event super welterweights featuring world-ranked Miami favorite Joey “Twinkle Fingers” Hernandez (23-1-1, 13 KOs), an American-born Cuban, won a hard fought unanimous decision over James “Shotgun” Winchester (15-6, 5 KOs), from Greensboro, N.C. Hernandez, 28, has won seven consecutive fights and is currently ranked No. 12 by the World Boxing Council and the International Boxing Federation. He’s the No. 13 rated 154-pounder in the World Boxing Organization. Joey Hernandez said “He [James Winchester] was a little awkward. He led with his head a lot. I did what I had to do and now it’s on to bigger and better things. “He was a tough guy, gave me good rounds. I would have liked to have thrown more combinations but I was being mindful of being headbutted. James Winchester: “I think I won the fight. He [Joey Hernandez] stepped on my foot when I fell and kept hitting me behind the head. “But you know what? It’s cool. This is his hometown crowd and now this crowd respects me.”

In the opening bout of the evening Heavyweight Trevor “The American Dream” Bryan 5-0(4KO) made easy work with a third round TKO win over Hassan Lee 4-3. Bryan dropped Lee midway through the first round with a big left hook, where Lee was able to survive the round that it was obvious the end was near. Lee scored another knockdown in round two and the end came in round three after a huge right hand promoted referee Frank Gentile to step in and stop the fight at 1:45. After the fight Bryan said “I told everyone my jab is my strongest punch. I pumped it up with my double jab and I set my man up.” “I had him [Hassan Lee] in the first round but I need to listen to my corner more. I needed to pick up my punch count and improve my defense. I’m the ‘American Dream.’ I’m ready to go.”

Oleg Platov 30-1 (24KO) scored a knockout over Harold Sconiers 18-26 with a huge left hook at 1 minute 46 seconds of the second round. The Ukrainian Platov started fast against Hardroc landing a series of left hooks onto the durable chin of Sconiers. Sconiers caught Platov in the first round and opened a cut over the left eye of the Ukrainian. Just as the fight seemed as if it just may get interesting, Platove twisted into a left hook that sent Sconiers to the canvas for the ten count. Platov looked strong in his first fight in over two years. After the fight Platov said, “It was great to be back after two years. I had promotional problems but that is over now and I thank Don King for becoming my new promoter. It was beautiful to fight outdoors in Florida. Harold Sconiers was good tonight. We had an accidental clash of head that caused the gash outside my left eye. But he gave me good work. My coach told me between the first and second round that I should throw the uppercut. I was throwing too wide. I threw the uppercut in the second round and my opponent walked right into it. It was great to come back with a knockout. Tell everyone Oleg Platov is back.”

Light Welterweights Amir Iman 6-0(5KO) and Tony “Sugar Boy” Walker 5-2(3KO) engaged in a very entertaining and exciting brawl that lasted just two rounds. Walker gave Iman a tough fight while taking big shots from the young prospect. Walker was hurt midway through round number two and Iman pressured his weakened opponent until Sam Burgoes wisely stepped in and saved Walker from any further punishment. The official time was 2:50 of round 2. TKO. “He [Tony Walker] was a tough opponent, no sucker. I out-toughed him and out-skilled him. I got the stoppage and that’s all that matters. “I have superior skills and techniques that most other fighters don’t have. I’m old school. I study the old masters like Joe Gans from the 1800s. He was an old master and that’s why they call me the ‘Young Master.’

Rapper 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) received his promotes license in Nevada on Thursday according to
Dan Rafael of espn.com

“It was heartening to read all the letters of recommendation in support of your application,” commissioner Pat Lundvall told Jackson, who said he was prepared to invest an additional $2 million into the company.

Former world champion Toshiaka Nishioka announced his retirement on Wednesday according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“Boxing gave me so much happiness and I was able to experience special feelings. I was touched and moved with strong emotion from fighting and boxing,” Nishioka said in remarks translated into English. “I was able to become a world champion and able to fight against Donaire in the United States in the main event on a major television station (HBO) in U.S. I am very satisfied with what I have accomplished with my life as a boxer.”

“Looking back, I was very exited to defend my title outside of Japan,” he said. “The emotion that went through my mind right after the fight was unspeakable. That was the kind of fight that I will never be able to experience that kind emotion ever again in my life. As a fight that I have emotional attachment is the fight against Napapol, (because I) became a world champion, which I dreamed of since I was 11 years old.”

“The first week (after the fight), I was frustrated and angry, but it was just a result of the fight,” he said. “I have given everything toward this last fight against Donaire and trained this past year. For that, I am very proud of myself and satisfied.

“To be honest, I feel I can still become world champion against anybody except for Nonito Donaire. There is no more motivation and emotional satisfaction I will receive by fighting anybody other than the last fight I prepared myself and fought against Donaire in October. This is the reason I decided to retire from boxing.”

15rounds.com is giving away a pair of tickets to this Saturday’s Brian Viloria – Hernan Marquez WBA/WBO Flyweight unification bout in Los Angeles. All you have to do is leave a prediction in the comments section of this post to be eligible and we will pick the winner Tomorrow–NOTE WE ARE JUST PROVIDING THE TICKETS, SO PEOPLE SHOULD BE IN DRIVING DISTANCE OF LOS ANEGLES

World Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez is looking into fighting in his homeland of Argentina on April 27th according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“The most important thing he wants to do is fight for his people in his country,” Sampson Lewkowicz, Martinez’s adviser, told ESPN on Monday. “We need to comply with that wish. He deserves to fight at home in front of his own people. Always he was the visitor. It’s time to be the hometown fighter.”

Lewkowicz said the specific venue and opponent are not determined, but they have a short list for both.

“We have four on the short list,” Lewkowicz said of the possible opponents.

The leading candidate is England’s Martin Murray (24-0-1, 10 KOs), whose draw came in a world title bout against then-middleweight titleholder Felix Sturm in December 2011. Murray would have to win a fight he has scheduled to remain in contention. He is slated to face Jorge Navarro for a vacant interim belt on Nov. 24 in Manchester, England on the undercard of former junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton’s return from retirement against former welterweight titleholder Vyacheslav Senchenko.

“Martin Murray is the desired opponent, as long as he wins his upcoming fight,” Lou DiBella, Martinez’s promoter, told ESPN. “There’s a huge competitive thing between Argentina and the Brits.

“Sergio will be ready by April,” DiBella said.

Said Lewkowicz, “He will have plenty of time recuperate for a fight then.”

“Sergio is a giant superstar in Argentina now,” DiBella said. “One of the venues being discussed is a 50,000-seat soccer stadium with a retractable roof.”

Lewkowicz said the target date for a rematch with Mexican star Chavez is Sept. 14, the same weekend on which he met Chavez this year — Mexican Independence Day weekend.

He said he and Top Rank’s Bob Arum, Chavez’s promoter, have been discussing it.

“Bob and I discussed it and that is the appropriate time for the rematch,” Lewkowicz said.

LOS ANGELES – It was one fight full of many styles. From slick to awkward and lots of good, bad and unlikely in between, there was not much that Abner Mares and Anselmo Moreno didn’t try.

In the end, however, Mares found the best fit.

Mares did so with the smarts and patience of a man dangerous and clever enough to pick a lock. The combination to unlocking Moreno was simple enough, although elusive long enough to even rattle Mares. But Mares recovered and remembered what he had practiced and how the twelve rounds had started.

Body shots and the right hand were always the key. One after the other Saturday night added up to Mares’ unanimous decision over Moreno for the World Boxing Council’s super-bantamweight title at Staples Center. The judge’s scores were 116-110 on two cards and an out-of-whack 120-106 on a third.

“There was a moment when I Iost my composure in the middle rounds,’’ Mares ( 25-0-1, 13 KOs) said.

His corner’s advice and an ability to think through adversity, however, saved him from a loss that would have eroded his hopes of battle for supremacy of the 122-pound division.

“I want to fight Nonito Donaire,’’ said Mares, a Golden Boy fighter who is caught in limbo in the feud between his promoter and Top Rank, Donaire’s representative.

Only a Golden Boy-Top Rank alliance can make that happen. World peace might happen before then. But the fearless Mares will continue to lobby for what he wants and continues to earn. Against Moreno (33-1-1, 12 KOs), he encountered an elusive Panamanian who moved one, then another and always out of range. But Mares pursued, often running straight at Moreno. The early body punches were designed to slow him down. For a while, they did. But Moreno began to stand his ground and exchange with Mares. That was a surprise.

But in the fifth, Moreno paid for the move. Mares knocked him with a beautiful.

“It’s the first time anybody has ever knocked him down,’’ Mares said. “I couldn’t let him get comfortable with his style, because he’s too good at it.

“I made it my fight.’’

The card also included Los Angeles bantamweight Leo Santa Cruz (22-0-1, 13 KOs) in an impressive ninth round knockout of Victor Zaleta (20-3-1, 10 KOs) for the International Boxing Federation’s 188-pound title. Santa Cruz looms as potential Mares’ opponent. He’s a Golden Boy fighter. Give the current state of the game, no other explanation is necessary But don’t tell that to Mares.

“I want Nonito Donaire,’’ Mares said once, twice, three times. “Santa Cruz is a good fighter. But I want to fight the best.’’

Enough said.

Free and Still Powerful: Angulo back with quick KO
They took away his freedom, but none of his power.

It took Alfredo Angulo less than a minute to reclaim a future that had been in doubt throughout a seven-month stretch in a California detention center for a reported immigration violation. Fifty-six seconds after the opening bell, Angulo (21-2, 18 KOs) unleashed a sweeping left hand that knocked out Raul Casarez (19-3, 9 KOs) while exorcising long hours of waiting, wondering and never knowing.

Angulo knows now.

“Perro is back,’’ said Angulo, a Mexican junior-middleweight nicknamed Dog.

Exactly when wasn’t certain Saturday night.

“I could fight again in 20 minutes,’’ said the bearded Angulo, whose biggest victory was in just knowing that there would be a chance at another one.

Cleverly stays in Hopkins hunt with TKO win
Talk about a Nathan Cleverly-Bernard Hopkins fight only figures to get a lot louder after his eight-round TKO of Shawn Hawk.

Cleverly (25-0, 11 KOs), a Welshmen and the World Boxing Organization’s light-heavyweight champion, dropped Hawk (22-3-1, 16 KOs) twice in the seventh round and again in the eighth. Cleverly was stronger than Hawk. More important, Cleverly’s work rate simply overwhelmed the fighter from Sioux Falls, Iowa. That’s not much of a surprise. Cleverly’s trainer is Enzo Calzaghe, who trained son Joe to beat Hopkins.

Cleverly is one of three-to-four possibilities for Hopkins in a bout projected for March 9 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The UK also has been mentioned.

On The Undercard
The Best: Garden City, Kan., has given keys to the city to Brandon Rios and Victor Ortiz. City fathers might need to make a third one. Junior-welterweight Antonio Orozco is beginning to look like the third world-class fighter to emerge from an unlikely boxing town in southwest Kansas.

Orozco (16-0, 12 KOs), born in Mexico and raised in Garden City, was brilliant in scoring a sixth-round stoppage of Danny Escobar (8-2, 5 KOs) of Riverside, Calif. Orozco stunned Escobar midway through the sixth, then swarmed him and dropped him along the ropes at 2:06 of the round. Escobar had to be helped off the canvas and onto a stool before he could leave the ring.

The Rest: Ohio middleweight Chris Pearson (6-0, 5 KOs) won a TKO, but there was nothing technical about his crushing stoppage of Jeremy Marts (8-13, 6 KOs) of Iowa at 44 seconds of the first round; welterweight Alonso Loeza (3-7-1, 3 KOs) of Gilroy, Calif., scored a fourth-round TKO of Zachary Wohlman (5-0-1, 1 KO) of Hollywood, Calif.; Texas bantamweight Isaac Torres (3-0, 2 KOs) won a majority decision over David Reyes (2-3) of Montebello, Calif.; and Cincinnati junior-welter Robert Easter (1-0, 1 KO) enjoyed a knockout debut with a second-round stoppage of Eddie Corona (0-2) of Omaha.

Former Olympians Vanes Martirosyan and Erislandy Lara battled to a technical draw after a cut over the left eye of Martirosyan forced the bout to be stopped in the ninth round of their WBC Super Welterweight elimination bout at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas.

It was a close fight that saw Martirosyan fight well early and Lara coming on late before a headbutt caused a nasty cut above the left eye of Martirosyan.

At the time of the stoppage the scores read 86-85 Martirosyan, 87-84 Lara and 86-86.

Martirosyan, 153 lbs of Glendale, CA is 32-0-1NC while Lara, 153 1/2 lbs Guantanamo, CUB is 17-1-1-1NC

Mikey Garcia scored a eighth round stoppage over Jonathan Barros in round eight of a scheduled ten round Super Featherweight bout.

It was a competitive bout that saw Garcia get ahead with combination punching while Barros was effective at times with body punches. Barros had a good round seven when he landed a left that startled Garcia.

The following round saw Garcia land a perfect left hook that deposited Barros on the canvas. When he got to his feet referee Robert Byrd asked hi if he wanted to continue but his body language said otherwise and the bout was stopped at 2:24.

Garcia, 128 1/2 lbs of Moreno Valley, CA will now look for a world title shot with Orlando Salido with a record of 30-0 with twenty-six knockouts. Barros, 128 lbs of Santa Fe, ARG is now 34-4-1.

INDIO, CALIF. (Nov. 10, 2012) – Unbeaten featherweight contender and 2008 United States Olympian Gary Russell Jr., capped off “The Night of the Olympians” in dazzling style with a brutal third-round knockout win over Roberto Castaneda in the main event Friday on ShoBox: The New Generation live on SHOWTIME® from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif.

In a candidate for Knockout of the Year, the talented southpaw Russell (21-0, 13 KO’s), of Capitol Heights, Md., impressively finished Castaneda (20-3-1, 15 KO’s) of Mexicali, Mexico, with a picturesque, perfectly placed right-hook to the chin at 1:25 of the round.

Super middleweight Terrell Gausha, of Cleveland, Ohio, scored three knockdowns en route to a second-round stoppage over Dustin Caplinger (2-4, 1 KO) of Chillicothe, Ohio; southpaw junior middleweight Errol Spence Jr., of Desoto, Texas, finished Jonathan Garcia (3-4, 1 KO), of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, in the third round; left-handed cruiserweight Marcus Browne, of Staten Island, N.Y., celebrated his 23rd birthday one day early by blasting out Codale Ford (2-1), of Fort Gibson, Okla., in the third round; heavyweight Dominic Breazeale, of Anaheim, Calif., registered two knockdowns en route to a 1:06, first-round knockout over Curtis Tate (4-4, 4 KO’s), of Oakland, Tenn.; and southpaw bantamweight Rau’Shee Warren, of Cincinnati, Ohio, overcame a fluke knockdown to take a unanimous four-round decision over Luis Rivera (1-3), of Ponce, Puerto Rico.

ShoBox expert analyst and boxing historian Steve Farhood provided his assessment of the evening afterward.

“What we saw at the end of the show confirmed what I said at the top of the telecast, which is that Russell’s talent demands that he raises the level of his opposition, and does so now,” Farhood said. “That was certainly a candidate for Knockout of the Year.

“What impressed me most about the five Olympians was their commitment to body punches, which counts to next to nothing in the amateur game. That in itself showed that they are en route to developing as pros.”

A boxer known for blazing speed, the lightning-quick Russell, 24, gave opponents something else to think about – his power. This was his second consecutive third-round knockout and third overall inside the distance.

“I think by the end of 2013, after three or four more fights, I’ll get my shot at the 126-pound title,” the WBA No. 4, WBA No. 7 and WBO No. 10 rated featherweight contender said. “People don’t think of me as a hard hitter but I was known as a power puncher in the amateurs. I had a hand injury early in my pro career, but I’m 100 percent healthy now.

“Tonight, I felt I was in total control the whole time. Even when he got me against the ropes it was because I allowed him to. I wanted to see what kind of power he had. The entire time I was looking to set him up for the right hand. I got it home clean and that was the fight.

“I feel blessed to have been able to headline a card with the Olympians. They were all asking me a lot of questions beforehand like ‘what should I expect,’ stuff like that. I kept telling them the same thing: just trust your pedigree. Your pedigree with get you through.”

Gausha, 25, felt following his corner’s instructions was a key. “They kept telling me to work behind the jab, go to the body and not to get too anxious,’’ he said after his fight was stopped at 1:55 of the round. “I felt I was hurting Caplinger with almost every punch, especially the right hand.

“I feel great and think I did well. I got the job done and now I’m ready to do this again. There will be no breaks for me. I want to fight again as soon as possible.”

Spence, 22, turned back a determined bid from the hard-trying Garcia, who landed some decent shots before appearing to tire in the second round.

“I felt really great in there,’’ Spence said. “The guy was tough, but I knew that if I took my time I’d eventually get him. When I started landing those uppercuts I knew I was hurting him, but he took them well at first and then I couldn’t tell for sure if he was really hurt, or tired, or just playing possum.

“So I just played it smart, kept my cool and set him up. I’ll be ready to go again in three weeks.”

Browne showed excellent poise as he dominated Ford, who was decked early in the third. Ford beat the count, but Browne continued to unload with both hands. The referee halted the proceedings at 1:04 of the session.

“This was a great win for me and the perfect birthday present,” said Browne, who turned 22 today/Saturday. “I got some good rounds in. The plan was to take my time and consistently work the body so I could get him in position to get him out of there with the right hand.

“This win is for the people in Staten Island and the people in New York and on the East Coast. I hope everybody across the country prays for all those who lost everything in Hurricane Sandy.’’

Breazeale, 27, had the easiest time of all the Olympians as he destroyed Tate. After the 6-foot-7 former college quarterback dropped Tate the first time, it appeared the referee might stop the fight although Tate beat the count. There was confusion for several seconds when the bell sounded and cameramen got into the ring, but the ref allowed the fight to resume. Moments later, however, after a flurry of punches dumped Tate again, the ref waved it off.

“Everybody got a little excited in there for a second,’’ Browne said. “Actually, I was surprised he got up the first time, but I was pleased to knock him down again.

“I hope my next nine or 10 fights are like this. I didn’t even get hit, but I know I have a long, long way to go, so you can bet I’ll be right back in the gym. It’s going to take a lot of hard work and preparation to get to where I want to be. Heck, I might go running tonight just to burn off some energy.”

Warren, 25, overcame a fluke fourth-round knockdown to win by the scores of 40-37 and 38-37 twice.

“The knockdown wasn’t really a knockdown,” Warren said. “I slipped. He never really hit me. I was told between rounds to try and walk him down, which is what I did, but I was so anxious and wound up so hard that when I missed with the hook I lost my balance and my gloves touched the canvas. On the way down, he tapped my shoulder. I said something to the ref like, ‘for real?’ and he continued to count.

“Aside from that, I thought I won easily. I hit him with everything, but I was too, too overanxious. I’ll slow things down the next time for sure. I really hope they bring me back on SHOWTIME.”

Rooting the 2012 Olympians on from ringside was one of their teammates, Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz, a 19-year-old whose intelligent, aggressive style could translate well as a pro.

The event was presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona.

Barry Tompkins called the action from ringside alongside Farhood and special guest analyst, former world champion Raul Marquez. The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

In Friday’s non-televised fights, junior middleweight Daquan Arnett (9-0, 6 KO’s), of Winter Park, Fla., overcame a first-round knockdown to knock out Jeremiah Wiggins (10-0-1, 5 KO’s), of Newport News, Va., in the fourth round and junior middleweight Manuel Robles (2-0, 1 KO), of Los Angeles, flattened Tim Ibarra (2-2), of Denver, Colo., in the first round.

The ShoBox Six-Pack will re-air the first time this week as follows:

DAY CHANNEL

Thursday, Nov. 15, 11:30 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME

Friday’s fights will be available ON DEMAND beginning today/Saturday, Nov. 10.

UPCOMING ON SHOWTIME: In a battle of world champions in the main event today/Nov. 10, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast), Abner Mares (24-0-1, 13 KO’s) will defend against WBA Bantamweight Super World Champion Anselmo Moreno (33-1-1, 12 KO’s). In other bouts on a tripleheader from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Calif., unbeaten IBF Bantamweight Champion Leo Santa Cruz (21-0-1, 12 KO’s) risks his belt against Victor Zaleta (20-2-1, 10 KOs) and junior middleweight Alfred Angulo (20-2, 17 KO’s) will take on Raul Casarez (19-2, 9 KO’s). Undefeated WBO Light Heavyweight Champion Nathan Cleverly (24-0, 11 KO’s) will defend against Shawn Hawk (23-2-1 (17 KO’s) in the main event on SHOWTIME EXTREME (8 p.m. ET/PT).

Four unbeaten fighters will be featured when ShoBox returns next Friday, Nov. 16, from Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. (11 p.m. ET/PT). In the main event, Omar “El Boricua” Henry (12-0-1, 9 KOs) will face WBA No. 15-ranked middleweight Juan Ubaldo Cabrera (20-0, 14 KOs). In the co-feature, Angelo “La Cobra” Santana (13-0, 10 KOs) will face Juan “Johnny” Garcia (13-0, 8 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight match.

Former Two-Time World Champion and British superstar Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton returns to SHOWTIME for his first fight in 3½ years when he faces former WBA welterweight titleholder Vyacheslav Senchenko on Saturday, Nov. 24, at the MEN Arena in Manchester, England, live at 5 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Former four-time and three-division World Champion Miguel Cotto (37-3, 30 KO’s) will challenge undefeated WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout (25-0, 14 KO’s) in the main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (9 p.m. ET/PT) on Saturday, Dec. 1, from Madison Square Garden in New York.

On Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, former Unified Super Lightweight World Champion and British superstar Amir “King” Khan (26-3, 18 KO’s) will fight unbeaten Carlos Molina (17-0-1, 7 KO’s) in the main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (10:30 p.m. ET/PT).

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.fantasyspringsresort.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/mrgaryrusselljr, www.twitter.com/BreazealeBoxing, www.twitter.com/MarcusBrowne, www.twitter.com/TerrellGausha, www.twitter.com/ErrolSpenceJr, www.twitter.com/RauSheeWarren,www.twitter.com/fantasysprings or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.facebook.com/fantasyspringsresort.

For information on SHOWTIME, visit http://Sports.SHO.com, www.twitter.com/SHOsports or

Heavyweight Dominic Breazeale scored a first round stoppage over Curtis Tate.

Breazeale dropped Tate with a right hand. Referee Pat Russell looked to stop the fight as Tate said he could not see but wanted to continue. Just seconds later another right sent Tate to the canvas and the fight was stopped at 1:07

Breazeale, 248 lbs of Anaheim, CA is 1-0 with one knockout. Tate, 238 lbs of Memphis, TN is 4-4

Former amateur world champion and three-time Olympian Rau’Shee Warren scored a four round unanimous decision over Luis Rivera in a Bantamweight bout.

Warren dominated with his superior handspeed mixed up lefts and rights and focused on the body. A knockdown was scored against Warren when he slipped as both guys missed punches.

Warren, 117 1/2 lbs of Cincinnati, OH won by scores of 40-36, 38-37 an d 38-37 and is 1-0. Rivera of Puerto Rico is 1-3.

A sure sign of Abner Mares’ emerging stardom is a mixed blessing. Mares is one of those fighters mentioned in a bout that hasn’t happened because of the tired feud between Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank.

For the Golden Boy-promoted Mares, that means talk about Top Rank’s Nonito Donaire. On a growing list, Mares-Donaire is there, another never-never possibility, right behind Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. Donaire-Mares is one of those fights everybody wants to see, but few believe they ever will because of the Golden Boy-Top Rank stand-off.

For Mares, the Donaire speculation also looms as a potential distraction for what might his toughest task to date Saturday night in a Showtime-televised super-bantamweight bout at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Both made weight Friday, also at Staples. Mares was at 121.8 pounds. Moreno, fighting for the first time in the 122-pound division, was a pound lighter, at 120.8.

Mares (24-0-1, 13 KOs) promises he won’t be distracted. Against the slick Moreno (33-1-1, 12 KOs), he can’t be.

Moreno, of Panama City, has been compared to Pernell Whitaker. He’s hard to beat, because he’s hard to hit. A distraction of any kind could make it more difficult for Mares to keep a vigilant eye on an elusive target that will never be in front of him for long.

“Yeah, without a doubt, it’s frustrating,’’ Mares said when asked about Donaire during a conference call. “Again, I know my time will come. I’ve just got be patient. I have to keep pushing. We’ll see after this.’’

Only a loss could quiet the talk about a fight that, for now, is waged only in the public imagination. Mares, who grew up in Southern California and is Golden Boy’s first fighter to win a major title, understands the stakes.

“He’s really technical,’’ Mares said of Moreno. “But he hasn’t fought any one like me. Okay, he hasn’t fought any one like I’m going to be. I’m going to go in and figure him out. That’s what this beautiful sport is all about – figuring out your opponent. You’re going to see a different Abner, as you always do.”

Mares’ versatility includes an innate ability to adjust on the fly. He’ll probably have to against Moreno, who has no illusions about the challenge he faces in Mares’ hometown.

“This is going to be a very, very tough fight for me,’’ Moreno said. “I understand that.’’

On the undercard
· International Boxing Federation bantamweight champ Leo Santa Cruz weighed in at 117.8 pounds, just under the 188-pound limit. Opponent Victor Zaleta was at 117.

· In his first formal weigh-in since a seven-month detention for an immigration violation, Mexican junior-middleweight Alfredo Angulo was at the mandatory 154 pounds. Opponent Raul Casarez was at 153.8.