Brandon Rios won the WBA Lightweight title with an exciting ten round stoppage over champion Miguel Acosta at the Pearl Theatre in The Palms in Las Vegas.
Acosta boxed very well over the first four rounds as he showed a nice mixture of movement, boxing and power shots. Rios started to get into the fight in round five with his relentless pressure and landing power shots with the right hand.
Rios dropped Acosta for the first of three times with a jab and in the process opened up a cut around the right eye of Acosta. Acosta steadied himself to box well in round eight. Rios scored a second knockdown in round eight with a pair of left hands that sent Acosta on the seat of his pants. Rios landed some nice power shots in round nine. In round ten, Rios landed a big right in the corner that sent Acosta down for a third and final time as Acosta’s corner saved their man from any more punishment at 1:14 of round ten.
Rios, 134 1/2 lbs of Oxnard, CA is still undefeated at 27-0-1 with nineteen knockouts. Acosta, 134 1/2 lbs of Caracas, Venezuela lost for the first time in nine years (nineteen fights) and is now 28-4-2.
“A star was born tonight,” said Hall of Fame Top Rank promoter Bob Arum as Rios (27-0-1, 19 KOs) thrilled the crowd with an action-packed performance and 10th round knockout victory over Acosta at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The 32-year-old Venezuelan had the early upper hand over Rios by moving around the ring and landing hard punches to the head. Acosta (28-4-2, 22 KOs) was able to stifle Rios’ game plan by boxing the brawler with a strong jab through the first several rounds. But by the end of the fifth, Rios finished with a flurry and walked back to his corner with a sense of confidence that shined throughout the rest of the fight.
In the sixth, Rios, 27, was finally able to force Acosta to engage in an inside scrap. Rios, the naturally larger fighter, started unloading his heavy hands and eventually dropped Acosta with a left jab. “I’ve got a pretty good jab … when I use it,” joked the predominantly come-forward fighter.
With tears of joy in his eyes after the fight, the newly-crowned champ showed tremendous modesty in his reaction. “I proved I’ve got a good chin now,” Rios said with a smile. As for what’s next for Rios, the determined fighter said he would fight anyone in the lightweight division. “Whatever Bob Arum wants,” said Rios as Arum looked on with a proud smile.
Following his first loss since 2003, a disheartened Acosta admitted, “I’m more sad than hurt. I prepared for the fight but Brandon Rios has power.”
Antonio DeMarco scored a twelve round unanimous decision over Reyes Sanchez in a twelve round Lightweight elimination bout at The Heartland Events Center in Grand Island, Nebraska.
DeMarco cut Sanchez in the first minute of the fight as a right jab opened up a cut over the left eye of Sanchez. DeMarco took the early rounds as he landed the harder blows. Sanchez came back in the middle rounds as he applied great pressure as he landed some good shots but with little power behind it. There were some great exchanges at the end of the middle rounds. DeMarco steadied himself to win enough of the late frames to hold on the victory by scores of 117-111; 116-112 and 115-113.
DeMarco, 134 1/2 lbs of Tijuana, Mexico is now 25-2-1. Sanchez, 134 1/2 lbs of Mexico City is now 24-2.
Said DeMarco: “Sanchez is a great fighter and he threw a lot of punches. It was a great fight. I love fighting in Nebraska. The crowd was really into it. That really motivated me.”
