Saturday night fights Slugfests
By Tom Donelson

March 4, 2007 - Showtime and HBO held dueling slugfests. 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.