Erislandy Lara retained the WBA Super Welterweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Vanes Martirosyan in a rematch at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.
Lara got in the sharper punches, while Martirosyan worked the body. The fight was tactical on Lara’s standpoint. Martirosyan was deducted a point in round 11 from a low blow.
Lara won by scores of 116-111 twice and 115-112 and is now 23-2-2. Martirosyan is 36-3-1.
“My mother and kids are still there so it would be a great privilege to go fight in my native Cuba. Everything is possible in this world. I didn’t think I’d be champion of the world and here I am.
“I want to tell Team Vanes thank you for giving me the rematch. I’m ready to fight anybody. I’d like to fight Canelo.
“The Charlo brothers are my teammates and having three of us going back as champions is a great thing.”
Martirosyan, the aggressor throughout, disputed the decision.
“I was chasing him all night,” he said. “I put on the pressure. I thought I did enough to win. That was not a low blow. Replays show the trunks were high.
“I never ducked anyone. No one wanted to fight Lara. I stepped up and fought him again. I’ll fight anyone.”
Jerrmall Charlo retained the IBF Jr. Middleweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over former WBA champion Austin Trout.
Trout was very consistent, but Charlo was rewarded for landing the harder punches that closed the right eye of Trout and in round ten, Trout was cut over the eye for the first time in his career.
Charlo won by scores of 116-112 twice and 115-113 and is now 24-0. Trout of Las Cruces, NM is 30-3.
Jermell Charlo stopped John Jackson in round eight to capture the WBC Super Welterweight championship.
Jackson boxed well by pot shotting and getting off to an early lead. In round eight, Charlo landed a right to eye of Jackson. Jackson froze and ate a huge left hook that drove Jackson into the corner and referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight at 51 seconds.
Charlo of Houston, TX is now 28-0 with 13 knockouts. Jackson of the Virgin Islands is now 20-3.
“It wasn’t a struggle, it was a great experience,” said Charlo after his second successful title defense. “I want to thank God for allowing me and my twin brother to see this day. History.
“Austin is a hell of a fighter. He’s a beast. This was my first time going 12, but it didn’t matter because I knew I was in shape.
“It’s history,” said Jermell, who entered the match as the WBC No. 1 contender and became the 66th ShoBox: The New Generation fighter to capture a world title.
I feel like I was ahead and I came up short. He caught me with a punch and I was trying to fix my mouthpiece. Then he hit me and I was out. It hit me in the eye, but my mouthpiece was coming out. I was trying to push in my mouthpiece back in and he hit me. I knew where I was. It dazed me, but I wasn’t knocked out.
“It’s boxing. It was a great fight. I felt I was winning the fight, I got caught and that was it.
“I dedicated the fight to my dad and I hope I didn’t let him down. I fell short. You win some and you lose some.”
Said the elder Jackson: “I’m proud. It took a lot for us to get this far. I know my people are proud. We are strong people and we are coming back.”
“We did it. A lot of fighters don’t come out of Houston and we did it. I’m waiting for my brother next. We’ve been boxing for all of these years and it had to happen.
“I was behind. He was boxing, he was moving around a lot. That was unexpected of him. I thought he was going to come out to brawl. I had to make an adjustment and I did.
“When he started slowing down, I was able to catch him with a shot. I knew that if he could have continued he could have come back so I had to hit him.”
“My game plan was to execute with the jab. I knew he was going to try to stop me, but that didn’t happen. There’s no way you can tame a lion.
“It felt good because I knew my brother would get the job done. We belong on this level. We need these titles to get the big fights and we’re going to keep these titles to keep rising.
“I changed my mind — we’re going to stay right here (at 154). Making 154 pounds wasn’t as bad as everyone made it out to be.”
“Hat’s off to Jermall Charlo. He fought a hell of a fight,” Austin Trout said. “I felt like I did enough to win. They won’t give me a close decision, so it’s time to start taking these cats out. But I can’t make excuses. I fought my ass off, Charlo fought his ass off and hats off to him.
“I’m going to live to fight another day. You’re going to see me back. We’re warriors out here.’’
