Khadaphi Proctor vs. Carlos Tangrago: Super Lightweights
Proctor wins the four round bout by majority decision.
Miguel Albaras vs. Luis Cruz: Featherweights
Cruz wins by TKO at 1:39 of round three.
Steve Quinones vs. Dennis Laurente: Lightweights
Laurente wins by TKO. Knocked down twice in round four, Quinones is unable to come out for round five.
Alex Ali Baba vs. Jesus Rojas: Super Bantamweight.
Rojas wins by TKO at 1:18 of round eight.
Steven Luevano vs. Mario Santiago: Featherweights. For WBO title.
With the first fight of HBO’s televised card coming up, the press is filing in with a little more urgency. There was just enough time between bouts for this writer to go to the press room and shove a hamburger down the gullet. They cook those things rare here at the Mandalay Bay. Very rare.
The fighters are entering the ring and the crowd is whooping and hollering as well as a one quarter capacity crowd can.
It’s cold in here. Here’s hoping the fighters heat the place up.
One of the busiest first rounds Luevano has had. Luevano gets the round on the harder shots.
The fighters trade knock downs in round two. Luevano is throwing everything hard. He might be a little too concerned about looking impressive on HBO.
The pace slows in round three. Both fighters are loading up big hooks. Both are landing them.
Halfway through round four Luevano backs Santiago up after getting his own mouthpiece knocked out. I’ve never seen Luevano fight this aggressively before.
Luevano looks like the stronger fighter at this point.
Round five. Is this Vazquez/Marquez 3? Crowd applauds a mighty exchange with Santiago working Luevano against the ropes. I’ve stopped keeping score. Who cares? It’s a great fight.
More bombs in round six, although the pace slowed a bit. Who can blame them?
Santiago backing Luevano up in round seven.
Round eight and Luevano is backing himself up, trying to lure Santiago in for a hard counter. Santiago stepped with his man and landed a hard right. Luevano fired back and both men were cutting loose before the bell.
Luevano’s left eye is swollen and he looks the more tired of the two fighters.
Round ten repeats the pattern–Santiago backs Luevano to the ropes with a hard combination, then Luevano fights his way off.
Championship rounds:
Luevano stalking now, as if he believes he is behind. Santiago works the outside, as if he believes he’s ahead. Round twelve on its way.
Luevano got the best of round twelve as seen from press row. Moderate pace, but excellent considering the effort expended by both young men. Decision on the way…
It’s a draw ! 117-111 Luevano, 115-113 Santiago, 114-114 even.
Tye Fields vs. Monte Barrett: Heavyweights
Barrett lands a counter right over a looooong left (Fields is 6″7″) and stuns Fields then follows up with a combination that leaves Tye gazing skyward. Fields is counted out at 57 seconds of round one. The end of an era that never was.
Fransisco Lorenzo vs. Humberto Soto: Super featherweights.
Round two and Soto is just plain bigger and stronger. This could be a beating.
Round four: Lorenzo, who is taking the prognosticated beating, complains of being hit behind the head and referee, Joe Cortez, calls time. After several minutes delay, Soto is disqualified for hitting Lorenzo while Lorenzo is down. The crowd isn’t happy.
The alleged foul occured several seconds after Cortez jumped between the two fighters as if stopping the fight in Soto’s favor, then allowing the fight to continue. Bizarre.
Manny Pacquiao vs. David Diaz: Lightweights.
The arena isn’t empty anymore. The Filipinos are here. All of them.
Fighters are being introduced by Michael Buffer.
Pac beating Diaz to the punch in round one. No serious damage done. Pac round.
Diaz landed a couple good shots in round two, but Pac doing a great job of landing a combination then stepping to the side. Pac round.
Diaz bleeding from his right eye in round three. What took him so long? Pac round.
Round four: Pac just too fast for Diaz. Pac round.
The right side of Diaz’s face is covered in blood during round five. Pac is pot-shotting now. Pac round.
Round six goes to Pac for all the same reasons, but Diaz isn’t going anywhere. Pac may have to pace himself a bit.
Pac collects round seven.
Diaz nose bloodied now. Pac backing Diaz up at will in round eight. This one might get stopped soon. Pac round.
Diaz trying fients to sucker Pac in. Diaz Down! Fight Over! Pacquiao wins by KO with a short left hand as Diaz dropped his guard trying to land his own left to the body of Pacquiao. Fight stopped at 2:24 of round nine.
