WBC &WBA super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan doled out a twelve round beating to Mexican challenger Rodrigo Guerrero in a thoroughly captivating one-sided fight. The scorecards read 118-110, 117-111 & 120-108 but didn’t begin to tell the drama that unfolded in the ring. The fight took place at The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, CA and was shown on SHOBOX: The New Generation.

“I am not happy to lose but I feel really good”, said Guerrero through an interpreter following the fight. “I think people now know who I am and that I didn’t come here to lose or just to lie down.” Guerrero may have lost the fight but he certainly won the crowd and the respect of the champion. “He took all my punches and kept fighting back”, explained Darchinyan. “If I didn’t train hard or if I took this guy lightly this is a much harder fight and maybe I lose.”

After staying out of range the first two minutes of the fight, Guerrero (13-2-1) engaged Darchinyan by winging wide hooks. Darchinyan (34-2-1) returned fire with straight lefts to close the round. Though Guerrero entered the fight with just fifteen fights on his resume it was clear he was not intimidated by Darchinyan or the moment. In the early rounds Guerrero pressed the action and continued winging hooks. Darchinyan was content to load up on the left and fire one shot at a time. Because Guerrero’s shots were wide Darchinyan was able to beat him to the punch and land his left with deadly accuracy.

Guerrero held up well early but suffered a cut in the fourth. By the sixth Guerrero’s face was breaking apart, but not his heart or his will to win. Blood from the cut he sustained in the fourth was now flowing freely but Guerrero continued to press the action. Guerrero’s body shots paralyzed Darchinyan yet a devastating left hand dislodged Guerrero’s mouthpiece in the seventh. Darchinyan followed up with an uppercut that should have dropped Guerrero but didn’t. Darchinyan put his punches together in the eighth and gave Guerrero a terrific beating. Undeterred, Guerrero chased Darchinyan across the ring to continue the battle. Darchinyan appeared winded or pained or both in the tenth; perhaps frustrated the young pugilist from Mexico City, MX was still in front of him. In the eleventh Darchinyan was squaring Guerrero up with flush left hands. The crowd roared “finish him” in Armenian but Guerrero would not go down. Again in the twelfth Darchinyan landed a straight left that would have knocked out most bantamweights, but not Guerrero. A left uppercut near the bell rocked Guerrero but he was determined to make it to the bell. Guerrero survived on will and desire and impressed everyone who witnessed his grit.
 

In a fight that was at times brilliant and at times bar room, Lenny Zappavigna narrowly defeated Fernando Angulo to capture the vacant IBO 135 lb title. Angulo (22-7) started the bout by flicking a jab while circling left. After losing the first two rounds decisively, Angulo decided to stand in the pocket and trade with the undefeated fighter from Liverpool, Australia. The change in strategy cost Angulo the third when he nearly went down during a vicious exchange. Yet in that round Angulo found the straight 1-2 was his key to getting back into the fight. Zappavigna (34-2-1) stood in front of Angulo and made himself a stationary target. The fight turned chippy in the fourth when both fighters held and hit behind the head. From that point forward referee Pat Russell had his hands full separating the fighters. The fifth ended with a furious exchange to the bell and the sixth started where the fifth left off. Zappavigna picked off the 1-2 more consistently in the seventh and countered it with a thudding overhand right. A small cut suffered by Zappavigna in the sixth tore open in the eighth and flowed for the remainder of the fight. The action was stopped momentarily in the eighth so the doctor could examine the damage. When the fight resumed the Angulo and Zappavigna engaged in another brutal exchange.

After issuing a number of warnings referee Russell deducted a point from Angulo in the ninth for holding. In the final seconds of the tenth Angulo buzzed Zappavigna with a straight right forcing Zappavigna to hold to the bell. Zappavigna dug hooks to the body in the eleventh and a three punch combination nearly decapitated Angulo in the twelfth. The early lead, the point deduction and a dominant final round all contributed to a 114-133, 116-111, 116-111 unanimous decision for Zappavigna.
 

An eight punch onslaught of debilitating left hooks prompted Bahamian Hensley Stratchan to quit rather than absorb further punishment. Referee Jack Reiss acknowledged his decision and declared lightweight Art Hovanessian the victor at 1:45 of the fifth. Hovanessian (11-0-1) scored a knockdown in the first in what looked to be a short night of action for the fighter from Glendale, CA.

But Stratchan (5-7-1) wasn’t finished and decided to stick and move over the next few rounds. When Stratchan stood his ground Hovanessian overpowered him and pushed him to the ropes where he unloaded punishing hooks to the face and body. The body work slowed Stratchan and by the fifth he was unable to slip danger. Caught against the ropes Stratchan absorbed a series of hooks and turned to Reiss to signal surrender.
 

Welterweight Michael Anderson dropped Anthony McDavitt twice in the first and only round of their welterweight contest. Anderson (5-0-1) scored both knockdowns with short left hooks McDavitt (1-2) failed to see.

After the second knockdown referee Raul Caiz stopped the bout and declared Anderson the winner at 1:13.
 

Jessica Sanchez got caught cold in the first but recovered quickly and battled Nohime Dennisson over six spirited rounds. A Dennisson (3-1) left jab landed flush on the chin and dropped Sanchez in the opening minute. Sanchez (1-2-2) battled back but found herself outworked for the remainder of the round.

 Dennisson frustrated Sanchez with movement while routinely beating her to the punch. Sanchez had her best moments in the fifth and sixth when she opened the rounds with hard rights. The final two minutes were fought at a furious pace with both fighters looking to finish strong. Dennisson was awarded a 58-55, 60-53, 6-53 unanimous decision.
 

Texas heavyweight Brent Urban landed a series of clubbing lefts and rights to stop Emad Ali at 1:25 of the first round. The combatants traded evenly over the first round before Urban (5-2) staggered the previously undefeated Ali (5-1) with a right and drove him to the corner where he unloaded with both hands.

Referee Jack Reiss stepped between the fighters ruling Urban scored a knockdown when Ali fell against the ropes. Reiss counted to eight and commanded Ali to step to him. When Ali stumbled to the left Reiss correctly halted the bout.
 

Super bantamweights Johnathan Arrellano and Danny Pantoja battled to a four round majority decision draw to open the show. Arrellano (4-0-1) dominated the early rounds with power punches despite his corner’s instruction to throw more jabs. Loading up nearly cost him the fight. Pantoja (0-2-2) increased his work rate over the final two rounds and evened the score on two of the three judges’ scorecards.

Judge Denkin favored Arrellano 40-36 while judges Crebs and Cobian saw the fight a 38-38 draw.