SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS: DARCHINYAN, COTTO, MARQUEZ AND MIRANDA, ALL PREVAIL
By Tom Donelson: Showtime and HBO held dueling slugfests
EastsideBoxing.com
March 5 2007
In Showtime first bout, Victor Burgos challenged Vic Darchinyan
for Darchinyan flyweight title. Darchinyan fights with one punch,
the straight left from his southpaw style but that left hand has power.
This is a flyweight who punches like a heavyweight. Every punch is
thrown with mean intention and his hand is quick enough to make his
style successful. When he hit you, it is like being hit with a 2 by
4 club.
Burgos strategy was box and counter punch but as the fight continued,
Darchinyan’s power became the decisive factor. Burgos was the smaller
fighter and it often looked liked a child fighting a grown up. Burgos
looked dwarfed when facing Darchinyan and his punches did very little
damage to the Armenian. The difference of power could be seen. When
Burgos hit Darchinyan; not much happened. When Darchinyan hit Burgos,
Burgos moved backed from the power. By the third round, Burgos faced
suffered welts. And his face showed Darchinyan power as Burgos face
became more swollen as each round progressed. During the twelfth round,
Burgos leg wobbled from one of those nasty Darchinyan’s left and he
staggered around. Burgos did not appear to know where he was.
The referee, sensing that Burgos was hurt and possible injured, stopped
the fight. Burgos ended up in the hospital as the culmination of
punches took their tool. Darchinyan’s left consistently hit Burgos
face all night. The miracle was that Burgos even made it to the
twelfth round.
In the Edison Miranda-Allen Green fight, this was supposed to be the
shootout at the Middleweight corral but Miranda’s power forced Green
into a prudent fight plan.
Miranda fights with reckless abandon and his offense is his defense
but he is becoming a smart fighter. Against Green, he kept his right
to neutralize Green left hook. The only time he did not, he ended up
on his butt from a quick Green left hook in the eighth round. This
was Green highlight as Miranda right hand nailed Green repeatedly.
For the first seven rounds, Miranda pressured Green and his right often
overwhelmed Green ineffectual left jab. Green looked for opportunity
to counter and when it came in the eighth round, Green nearly won
his fight. In the ninth round, Miranda regain his momentum and in the
tenth round, he showed why he is one of the world best Middleweight.
Despite being ahead on points, Miranda wanted a knock out and he jumped
on Green with the idea of ending the fight. One key moment in the tenth
came when Green threw a right but a Miranda right came whistling past
and nailed Green. Green staggered backward and Miranda immediately
went after Green. Green went down after a Miranda combination nailed
the American, ending with a signature Miranda right. Miranda continued
the onslaught and the only thing that saved Green from being knocked
out was the clock.
Miranda is one of the premier Middleweights and on this night, he
sent a message to all of the champions including Jermaine Taylor that
Miranda is a force to be reckoned with.
Rafael Marquez and Israel Vazquez fought for Vazquez 122 championship
belt. Marquez was the king of the 118 pounds. For the first two rounds
and two minutes of the third round as his all round skills kept Vazquez
off balanced, or until Vazquez left hook send Marquez sprawling on
the canvas. The fourth saw a return of the Marquez skills coming to
the forefront but each round were close as both fighters exchanged
left hooks and sharp right. Rafael Marquez advantage lay with his left
jab and right hand following his left jab. Vazquez advantage was his
fierce left hook but Marquez more varied attack carried the day.
While Vazquez left hook knocked Marquez down, it was a Marquez left
jab followed by his right that broke Vazquez nose. Vazquez breathing
became labored as both men went after each other in a frantic pace.
The pace took its toll as Vazquez could not come out for the eighth.
Marquez won a title in his second weight division. The king of the
118 pounds now is the king of the 122 pounds.
Miguel Cotto is a tough left hooking body hitting machine. Cotto may
be a Puerto Rico fighter but the man loves to hit the body like a
young Julio Caesar Chavez. Oktay Urkal put up a tough fight but he
did not have firepower to hurt Cotto. Urkal best punch appeared to
be his head as he butted Cotto, even opening up a cut in the process.
Cotto kept coming forward throughout the fight. And in the eleventh,
Urkal corner put a stop to the proceeding after Urkal lost a point
deduction. His corner knew the score through Puerto Rico’s open
scoring system. So they ended the fight and allowed their fighter to
fight another day. After watching Burgos being beaten nearly to death
and forced to go to hospital, maybe the Urkal team decided that they
will protect their fighter. Cotto is now positioning himself as one
of the best welterweights and his next bout with Jab Judah will be a
money maker. Cotto has one thing in his favor, he is a big draw. If
he gets past Judah in June, then he has more big money bouts and the
welterweight is becoming a deep division.