Newly crowned WBC and IBF lightweight champion Mikey Garcia (38-0, 30 KOs) won a unanimous decision over previously undefeated IBF lightweight champion Robert Easter Jr. (21-0, 14 KOs) in a unification bout Saturday night in front of 12,560 fans at the Staples Center on the Showtime Championship Boxing main event. Garcia scored a knockdown in the third round, connecting with a solid left hook that sent Easter to the canvas. The Oxnard fighter, Garcia spent much of the fight stalking Easter and cutting off the ring in route to a unanimous decision win as the judges scored the bout 118-109, 117-110, 116-111.
Cuban heavyweight Luis "The Real King Kong" Ortiz (29-1, 22 KOs) returned to the ring with a second round knockout over former title challenger Razvan Cojanu (16-4, 9 KOs) of Romania. Sticking the jab in the opening round Ortiz felt out Cojanu backing him to the ropes throughout the round. However a crushing straight left by Ortiz did it knocking down Cojanu as he struggled to get up referee Jerry Cantu stopped the fight at 2:10.
Mario "El Azteca" Barrios (22-0, 14 KOs) of San Antonio stopped Jose Roman (24-3-1, 16 KOs) of Garden Grove, California in opening up the Showtime telecast. Barrios was cut early in the opening round above the left eye as Roman was catching him inside connecting with the right. In round four, Barrios lands a right that staggered Roman as he followed up with with a left hook on top of the head sending Roman to the canvas.
Past the halfway point Barrios connected with the straight right on the inside backing Roman. Barrios sent Roman to the canvas a second time in the eighth as he got up but Barrios continued his relentless attack to end the round. Roman did not come out of his corner as Roman's corner did not let him continue forcing the referee to stop the fight at the end of the eighth.
Other Bouts
Jose Balderas of Santa Maria won a unanimous decision over Alfredo Chavez of Tijuana, Mexico in a four round bantamweight bout. Balderas scored a knockdown in winning a decision as all three judges scored the bout 40-35.
Jerry Perez (8-0, 6KO) stopped Aaron Hollis in two rounds in a scheduled six round lightweight bout. Perez knocked Hollis down in the first round, and in the second round. Finally dropping him for a third time as the bout was stopped at 1:34 of the second round.
Former world champion Marcos Maidaina's brother, Fabian Maidana (16-0, 12KO) stopped Andrey Klimov (19-5, 9KO). Maidana landed a left hook to the jaw dropping Klimov hard and stopping him at 2:32 of the seventh round.
2016 U.S. Olympian, Karlos Balderas (6-0, 5KO) impressively stopped veteran, Giovani Caro (27-24-4, 21KO), stopping him at 2:09 of the fourth round of a scheduled six round super featherweight bout. Caro was down as the referee stopped the fight.
Filipino lightweight Rey Perez (23-10, 6 KOs) stopped Robert Marroquin (27-5, 20 KOs) in the eightg and final round. Perez busted up Marroquin in that final round as the referee stopped the fight at 1:03 of round eight.
Featherweight Louie Correa (9-1, 4KOs) of Moreno Valley, California won a hard fought unanimous decision over a very tough and durable Guadalupe Arroyo (3-13) of Puebla, Mexico. All three judges scored the bout 60-54.
Brandon Glanton (7-0, 6KO) had an easy time knocking out Daniel Najera (7-3-1) at 1:35 of the third round in a scheduled six round cruiserweight bout. Body shot did for Glanton as Najera was done.
In the opening bout from the Staples Center in Los Angeles super welterweight Wesley Diana (6-0, 5 KOs) won a four round unanimous decision over Evincii Dixon (7-22-2, 2 KOs). Diana pressed he action and outworked the journeyman in rout to the decision win. The judges scored the bout 40-36, 40-36, and 39-37.
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