WBC lightweight champion Mikey Garcia dominates former four division titlist Adrien “The Problem” Broner via a twelve round unanimous decision. After a close opening round, Garcia went to work, displaying a full arsenal of offensive brilliance, facilitated by great economy of movement and footwork. Broner occasionally showed flashes of offense and even bloodied Mikey’s nose in the latter rounds. Garcia won the bout via unanimous decision with score totals of 117-111 and 116-112 twice. This scribe scored the bout 119-109 (first round even). For Broner, it’s back to the drawing board. He’s clearly a good fighter however has struggled in his toughest fights. It’s still a hot debate whether he or Leo Gamez is the worst four division titlist. Given his personality, reputation and connections, he’ll most likely find himself in the boxing spotlight eventually. Garcia, a promotional free agent, has stated that he would be interested in fighting champions from his previous promotional banner in Top Rank such junior welterweight kingpin Terrence Crawford and junior lightweight phenom Vasyl Lomachenko. How feasible are these bouts given the current boxing political ethos and Garcia’s acrimonious split with Top Rank? We’ll know soon enough.
This weekend also featured Carlos Balderas in his second professional fight against the overmatched Eder Fajardo. Balderas, who represented the US in Rio last summer in the lightweight division, took it to Fajardo in a calm, calculated matter with an educated jab and assortment of left uppercuts and hooks to the body. The latter dropped Fajardo and was not able to beat referee Marcos Rosales’ ten count, giving Balderas a first knockout victory.
Lithuanian Olympian and Freddie Roach protégé, Eimantas Stanionis defeated Isaac Freeman via third round knockout. Freeman had a sound strategy of jabbing and moving in the beginning. A Stanionis looping right hand to the temple near the end of the opening frame tore that plan to shreds. Freeman did not give up however the onslaught continued at the hands of the heavy handed Stanionis. Another looping right hand followed by a left hook sent Freeman reeling in the third and referee Zac Young called a halt to the action.