TOP PROSPECTS PETERSON, MARTIROSYAN WIN UNANIMOUS DECISIONS IN WARMUP FIGHTS
CBSSports.com
June 27 2008
LAS VEGAS — Lightweight prospect Anthony Peterson easily outpointed
Fernando Trejo on Thursday, maintaining his perfect record in a dull
unanimous decision.
Junior middleweight Vanes Martirosyan also remained unbeaten with
a more punishing effort, whitewashing Angel Hernandez in another
unanimous decision at the Orleans Arena.
Peterson (27-0, 19 KOs) was tediously effective in his Las Vegas debut
and his first appearance for Top Rank, which hopes to put Anthony
and his brother, Lamont, on a fast track to title contention after
signing them in April. The Petersons were homeless on the streets of
their native Washington, D.C., a decade ago before getting into boxing.
After Trejo started quickly, Peterson gradually wore down his Mexican
opponent with a colorless jab and a high work rate — all with a
Monica Seles-like grunt on nearly every punch. Peterson remained
active to the final bell, and two judges gave every round to Peterson,
who landed nearly twice as many punches.
"It’s definitely a guy I should have taken out," Peterson
said. "There’s disappointment on my part. I hurt my left hand in the
fifth, but it’s still no excuse. I’m a throwback fighter, and I really
wanted to get it cooking. I’m real disappointed in my performance."
Martirosyan (20-0, 13 KOs), the 2004 U.S. Olympic welterweight,
has been steadily groomed into a 154-pound title contender, his
progression slowed only by minor injuries. Armenian-born Martirosyan
then hurt his left hand while jabbing Hernandez, but otherwise cruised
through a one-sided victory against a once-respected contender.
Martirosyan knocked Hernandez to his knees 70 seconds in with a deft
right uppercut, and the Olympian peppered his opponent’s head in every
round. He did everything but flatten Hernandez, who landed only 11
percent of his 505 punches, yet still taunted Martirosyan with dance
moves and defiant gestures through the blood from his nose and cheek.
Martirosyan finished his first career 10-round fight with an
earsplitting left hook. All three judges awarded all 10 rounds to
Martirosyan with identical 100-89 scores.
"I was surprised he was taking my power like that," said Martirosyan,
who’s hoping for a coveted HBO appearance on the undercard of Zab
Judah’s welterweight title fight with Joshua Clottey in Las Vegas on
Aug. 2. "It’s just my third fight with (trainer) Ronnie Shields. We’re
getting there, little by little. I’m excited to get back in the gym
and learn from this fight."