Sports News And Updates: Abner Mares' Split-Decision Dethrones Vic Darchinyan

Monday, December 13, 2010

Abner Mares' Split-Decision Dethrones Vic Darchinyan

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, Boxing Rumors, Showtime, FanHouse Exclusive, IBO

In a clash that featured a knockdown by each fighter, unbeaten Mexican-born and Montebello, Calif., resident Abner Mares (standing, at right) overcame bleeding over the left side of his forehead from a first-round clash of heads, as well as being dropped by a hard, straight left in the second-round.

In the end, Mares' face was a battered mask of crimson, but he was unbowed as he persevered to dethrone Armeninan-born southpaw IBO and WBC silver bantamweight titlist Vic Darchinyan (on the canvas at right) of Australia by split-decision on Saturday night from the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash., as part of of the Showtime network's four-man, bantamweight semifinals.

Mares won 115-to-111 and 115-112 respectively on the cards of Tom McDonough and Alan Krebs, with Glen Hamada scoring it for Darchinyan 115-111.

A former holder of belts from the IBF flyweight (112 pounds) and WBC, WBA and IBF super flyweight (115 pounds) organizations, the 34-year-old Darchinyan (35-3-1, 27 KOs) brought the early intensity to the the 25-year-old Mares (21-0-1, 13 KOs), who bled profusely throughout from an apparent clash of heads that dripped blood down the left side of his face.

"I obviously knew that it was going to be a split-decision because I closed again like I always do. I showed that I could close rounds, you know, championship rounds. I told you guys that it was going to be a totally different fight than people thought. People thought that I was going to be boxing, but it was me pushing the fight back," said Mares, adding that he heard Darchinyan "moan every time I landed a body shot."

"It was a hard fight. It was my hardest fight ever. I'm just thankful and glad, man. Our plan since the beginning was to push him back because we know that he likes to bully people. So our plan was to push him back," said Mares. "But knockdowns happen. I got caught with a shot. It was a quick knockdown and I got right back up, you know? I wasn't hurt at all, thank God."

Mares was coming off May's disputed majority draw with Colombian-born IBF champion Yonnhy Perez (20-1-1, 14 KOs), who lost the rematch of his second defense of his crown in the main event against Africa's Joseph Agbeko (28-2, 22 KOs), the man Perez won the belt from by unanimous decision on Halloween of 2009.