Abner Mares won the IBF Bantamweight championship and in the process captured the Showtime Bantamweight tournament crown with a dubious majority decision over reigning champion Joseph Agbeko at the Joint at The Hard Rock in Las Vegas.
Both guys gave a good effort. The same could not be said for Russell Mora as he became as much a part of the fight as the two combatants as he missed in upwards of twenty low blows that Mares landed on Agbeko. Mares was barely warned throughout the fight.
Mares was the more active fighter over the first have of the fight as he landed some solid shots with both hands. Mares scored a flash knockdown as he landed a little left hook but in combination with Agbeko slipping sent the campion to the canvas. It could easily been ruled a slip and that was the first of many missed calls from Mora throughout the fight.
In round six, Mares was cut over the left eye from a accidental headbutt.
Agbeko’s shining moment over the first half was a big right that buckled Mares in round four.
Agbeko started being more aggressive as he landed some nice jabs but was very right hand happy in trying to duplicate what he accomplished in the fourth.
Agbeko continued to fight well despite being peppered with the low shots and Mares was working the body.
After some good action rounds, all hell broke loose in round eleven.
Mares attempted t land a body shot but the punch ended up a good foot below the belt and Agbeko crumpled to a knee on the canvas. More hesitated and most people watching thought that finally Mares would be punished for his “South of the Border” shots but instead and shockingly, Mora began to count Agbeko by ruling a knockdown.
That seemed to to take the sails out of what was becoming a very close fight on the score cards Mares built an insurmountable lead. After round eleven, Agbeko and his corner men had to restrained by Nevada officials from the their bitter dismay at the job Mora was doing.
Not much happened in round twelve.
Mares, 117 1/2 lbs of Guadalajara, MX won by scores of 115-111; 115-111 and 113-113 and is now 22-0-1. Agbeko, 118 lbs of Bronx, NY is now 28-3.
During the telecast, SHOWTIME ringside analyst Antonio Tarver said, “Mora robbed all of us of a great fight.’’
There were 1,394 punches thrown in a give-and-take slugfest. Mares connected on 318 of 732, Agbeko on 318 of 732.
“I thought the first knockdown was clear,’’ said Mares, who made history by becoming the first homegrown Golden Boy Promotions boxer to capture a world title. “On the second I hit him on the belt and the ref chose to give him a count. I agree with the ref’s choice.
“I like to work the body but I was making the fight and all he did was counter-punch.
“I’m open to fight anybody (next). I love this tournament and would love to be in another one like this.’’
Said Agbeko, who demanded an immediate rematch, “I felt as though I was fighting two opponents in the ring tonight, Abner Mares and the referee. The referee ruled incorrectly on the knockdowns and he allowed Mares to hit me low repeatedly. Then, in the 11th, he called what everyone could see was another obvious low blow a knockdown.
“I don’t why these things happened to me. I felt the ref was against me from the start. All I wanted was a fair fight.
“I like Abner. He’s a good fighter. But I’m sure he didn’t want to win a fight this way.’’
