Monterrey Arena, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico-
WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero 27-0 (27KOs) retained his title Saturday night with a hard fought ninth round stoppage of the WBC interim-champion, Antonio DeMarco.
Both the fighters had alot to prove and as the opening bell sounded they gave little ground. Antonio DeMarco, from Tijuana, Mexico started with movement and the jab, marking and causing swelling to Valero's left cheek. In the second Valero's aggression became more effective as he landed several combinations pushing the Mexican warrior back. A DeMarco elbow opened a cut on Valero's head and the referee deducted a point from DeMarco.
Valero continued to pressure DeMarco in the third and the round was again his. In the fourth DeMarco tried to revive the jab but Valero landed some big shots and DeMarco finished the round with a bleeding nose. The remander of the rounds were all Valero as he landed the harder shots and continued to add up points. Antonio DeMarco tried each round and was getting the worse of it til the end of the ninth when his corner decided to save their fighter further punishment. Antonio DeMarco falls to 23-2-1 (17KOs) with the loss.
The final scores at the time of the stoppage were 89-81 Valero on all three judges scorecards. Edwin Valero celebrates his second title defense and stated he hopes the next one takes place in the United States.
The undercard from Mexico featured a good welterweight match as the unbeaten Luis Carlos Abregu 29-0 (23KOs) took on Richard Gutierrez 24-4-1 (14KOs). Gutierrez was able to put Abregu down in the third round but was floored himself in the fourth.
Abregu was able to maintain control down the stretch and win the ten rounder by the scores of 97-91, 97-91 and 98-90. Abregu from Argentina, suffered a cut in the seventh but that did not play into the result.
