Replay of World
Championship Doubleheader
Is Wednesday at 11 P.M. ET/PT on SHOWTIME 2
Photos: Tom Casino - SHOWTIME
In a fierce battle of
wills between two determined, unbeaten fighters,
Timothy “Desert Storm’’ Bradley (25-0, 11 KOs)
retained his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior
welterweight title with an impressive, one-sided
12-round decision over Lamont Peterson (27-1, 13
KOs) in the main event of a world championship
doubleheader Saturday on SHOWTIME®.
In the co-feature on
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, World Boxing
Council (WBC)/World Boxing Association (WBA) 115-pound
champion Vic Darchinyan (33-2-1, 27 KOs), of
Sydney, Australia, by way of Armenia, regained his
winning ways with a devastating second-round knockout
over challenger Thomas Rojas (31-12-1, 22
KOs) of Mexico.
The event at The
Show at Agua Caliente Casino • Resort • Spa was
promoted by Gary Shaw Productions and Thompson
Boxing Promotions in association with Top Rank,
Inc.
Encouraged by an
enthusiastic hometown crowd, Bradley, of nearby Palm
Springs, registered a knockdown in the third en route to
winning an exciting one-sided, give-and-take slugfest by
the scores of 120-107, 119-108 and 118-110. Peterson, of
Washington, D.C, who entered the ring as the WBO interim
140-pound titlist, fell to 27-1 with 13 KOs.
“Lamont
came out and made me fight like no one ever, ever has,’’
Bradley said. “He is a tough, tough fighter. This is a
great night for me but also a great fight for the fans.
“I think
experience played a big role tonight. He had the right
game plan but got a little careless and was rushing in
instead of following his jab. When he came in like that
is when I nailed him.
“Lamont
did what he was supposed to do and tried to break me
down. I felt a little gassed in the seventh round but I
got my second wind in the eighth and ninth. I felt my
conditioning was superior.’’
Bradley,
who excelled in all areas, showed again why many
consider him to be the No. 1 fighter in the world at 140
pounds.
“I’ll
fight whoever they want me to fight and I don’t care
where I have to go,’’ Bradley said. “I’m very happy with
my performance but Lamont proved that he is going to be
a great world champion.’’
Said Peterson: “My
game plan was to win the first round. But in the
middle of it I got hit pretty hard by right-hand punches
and lost the round. I was in trouble and fell behind. I
got reckless during the fight. I couldn’t make it up.
He’s a great champion. I gave it all I had.’’
Southpaws Darchinyan and Rojas duked it out
from the outset with both landing their fair share of
hard shots. Two of the three judges gave the first round
to Rojas.
The second session was
also highly competitive until Darchinyan connected with
a devastating left hand that left Rojas on his back,
down and out. The bout ended at the 2:54 mark.
“The key
to this fight was patience and showing my boxing
skills,’’ Darchinyan said. “Strength-wise, fighting at
115 pounds or 118 pounds doesn’t mean anything because
the difference is minimal.
“It’s
all about mental preparation and tonight I was patient
and took my time and let the knockout come. He was
hitting me with punches but I was hitting him back more
and with more power. It was only a matter of time before
he felt my power.’’
A fight
fans want to see is a rematch between Darchinyan and
Nonito Donaire, who knocked out Darchinyan in the
fifth round July 7, 2007, on SHOWTIME.
“Every
night when I go to sleep or I am preparing for a fight I
am dreaming of a rematch with Nonito Donaire,’’
Darchinyan said. “It’s all up to my promoter Gary
Shaw.’’
Shaw
says he is trying to get the fight made.
Rojas
felt he was on the way to an upset until he got caught.
“I was
doing what I was supposed to do, which is to box him and
keep him away, but I got careless and I never saw the
punch coming,’’ Rojas said. “I am very disappointed
because I knew that I could beat this guy.’’
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP
BOXING announcers Gus Johnson and Al Bernstein
called the action with Jim Gray reporting from
ringside. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is
David Dinkins with Ray Smaltz producing
and Bob Dunphy directing.
For information on
SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive video, photos and
news links on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and
Strikeforce mixed martial arts telecasts, along with
access to the SHOWTIME Sports Facebook® and Twitter®
pages, please go to
http://Sports.Sho.com.
Saturday’s bouts will re-air as follows:
DAY
CHANNEL
Wednesday, Dec. 16, at
11 p.m. ET/PT SHOWTIME 2
The SHOWTIME
CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING world championship doubleheader also
will be available On Demand beginning Tuesday, Dec. 15.
