By: William Holmes
The opening bout of the night featured a junior lightweight title matchup between two undefeated fighters, Adrien Broner and Eloy Perez. Even though Perez had an impressive record, he was clearly no match for the superbly skilled Adrien Broner. Reminiscent of Floyd Mayweather Jr., Broner used outstanding defense and lightning fast hands to hurt Perez, and finished him with a highlight reel knock out.
Photo: Tom Hogan Hogan Photos
The main event was a bout between the hard hitting Marcos Maidana and the ultra-talented Devon Alexander. Maidana was never able to catch Alexander, or land any clean punches. Alexander used his superior hand speed and excellent ring generalship to hurt Maidana a few times in the fight, but was never able to knock him down. Tonight was the first time both Maidana and Alexander fought in the welterweight division, but the move up in weight clearly effected Maidana more. He looked sluggish at times, while Alexander looked to be muscular and in tip top shape at 147.
Round by round results are as follows:
Marcos Maidana (31-2) vs. Devon Alexander (22-1); Welterweight
Round 1:
Maidana and Alexander comes to the center of the ring and Alexander takes the center. Maidana misses with a right cross. Alexander misses with a short jab and a two punch combination. Alexander sticks a jab in the body of Maidana. Alexander sticks another jab in the body of Alexander. Alexander connects with a solid left hand. Alexander sticks another jab in the face of Maidana. Maidana connects with a straight right hand upstairs. Alexander flicks a quick jab in the face of Maidana and spins out of danger. Maidana misses with a right hand upstairs but connects to the body. Maidana lands a right hand and Alexander answers it with a right hand of his own. Alexander connects with a two punch combination. Alexander lands a straight left hand near the end of the round. 10-9 round for Alexander.
Round 2:
Maidana partially lands an early jab, and connects with two hooks to the body, and they exchange short shots. Alexander connects with a lead straight left right jab combination. Alexander lands two hard straight left hands. Alexander lands a hard right hook to the chin of Maidana. Maidana tries to crowd Alexander and alnds a few short uppercuts. Alexander tags Maidana with a nice two punch combination. Maidana comes forward with a combination and then clinches with Alexander. Alexander lands a short right hook and a nice straight left hand. Maidana’s hook is partially blocked by Alexander. Alexander connects with another straight left hand, and the fighters clinch. Maidana partially lands an overhand right, and Alexander is warned about landing a shot behind the head. Close round, 10-9 for Maidana.
Round 3:
Alexander connects with two short right hooks. Maidana lands a jab to the body of Alexander, and Alexander uses his arms to hold Maidana. Maidana comes forward and lands some shots on Alexander by the ropes. Maidana clinches again and lands some short shots to the body of Alexander. Maidana lands a straight right hand, and Alexander answers with an uppercut after they are separated by the referee. Maidana lands another straight right hand. Alexander misses with a right uppercut. Alexander catches Maidana with an overhand right. Alexander lands two straight left hands. The fight is starting to get ugly with the tie ups, and Alexander lands a good two punch combination in the corner right after they separate. Maidana lands two straight right hands, but Alexander lands a very good hook as the round ends. 10-9 round for Alexander.
Round 4:
Maidana misses with a straight right hand. Alexander comes out for round four and has a cut over his eye. Alexander connects with a good straight left upstairs. Fighters clinch and the referee orders them to punch out. They separate and Alexander lands a short hook, and they clinch again. Alexander connects with a counter left uppercut. Maidana comes forward and winds up clinching again. They separate and Maidana lands a body shot and then clinches. Alexander bangs a hard combination against the guard of Maidana, and comes back firing off more combinations and lands a hard left hand. Alexander tags Maidana with a hard left hand again. Alexander barely misses with a right uppercut. Maidana leands with a right uppercut. Alexander lands more hard combinations on Maidana by the corner. Alexander shoots two left hands past the guard of Maidana. 10-9 round for Alexander.
Round 5:
Maidana tries to back Alexander to the corner with a body attack, but clinches with Alexander as soon as he gets close. Maidana connects with a left hook to the body and a few more short left hooks upstairs. Alexander lands two quick jabs. Maidana lands a straight right hand, and Alexander answers with an overhand left. Alexander tags Maidana with another overhand left. Alexander connects with a check left hook. Maidana ties up with Alexander again. Alexander just looks to be the clearly quicker fighter. Maidana punches Alexander with a lead right hand. Alexander thuds a solid right hook to the body, and they clinch again. Maidana barely misses with an overhand right. Alexander lands a crowd pleasing body head combination. Alexander hits Maidana with a double right hook. 10-9 round for Alexander.
Round 6:
Alexander misses with a jab, and hits Maidana at least three times behind the head, the referee tries to back Alexander away and Maidana nearly hits the referee as Alexander gets scolded. Maidana comes out firing after the separation and misses with a straight right hand. Maidana gets hit with another quick combination from Alexander. Alexander cracks a hard right hook to the chin of Maidana. Maidana arm punches Alexander again, as Maidana is having a hard time landing clean shots. Alexander catches Maidana with a left hook as Maidana comes in. Alexander connects with a solid body shot, and hurts Maidana with a hard right hook. A left hand from Alexander knocks Maidana down, but the referee rules it is not a knockdown. Alexander comes out firing as Maidana gets upand Alexander lands three vicious right hooks to the chin of Maidana. Could argue for a 10-8 round, but it’s a 10-9 round even though the slip should have been ruled a knockdown.
Round 7:
The cut above the right eye of Alexander was not good as his corner worked on it. Alexander circles away from Maidana, and Maidana lands a couple right hands on Alexander near the corner. Alexander hits Maidana with a straight left hand. Alexander lands a good right punch to the head of Maidana. Maidana misses with two wild right hands. Alexander connects with a stunning two punch combination on Maidana in the center of the ring. Maidana tries to come forward with a double straight right combo. Alexander bangs two hooks off the gloves of Maidana. Alexander fnishes a solid double right hand body head combination. Alexander catches Maidana with a good straight left hand. Maidana lands a short left hook right after the referee seperates them, and Maidana may have landed a shot after the bell. 10-9 round for Alexander.
Round 8:
Maidana comes out firing, misses, and they clinch and get separated. Maidana comes forward with right hooks and straight lefts and rights, and some of them score. Alexander is able to touch Maidana with a quick straight left. Maidana throws a few short uppercuts, and gets hit with a hard left hand for his efforts. A straight left hand to the body by Alexander hurts Maidana, and Alexander lands a vicious two punch combination by the ropes. Alexander is clearly controlling this fight, and comes forward landing with another hard straight left hand. Maidana tries to fire back, but eats a two punch combination from Alexander instead. Maidana ties up with Alexander and lands some short shots to the body. Alexander punches Maidana with a solid left uppercut. 10-9 round for Alexander.
Round 9:
Maidana misses early with a straight right hand. Alexander invites Maidana in, and Maidana ties up as he gets close. Alexander scores with a quick combination upstairs, and later follows it with a hard left hand to the body. Alexander lands two more left hands flush on the face of Maidana. Maidana misses with a wild right hand. Alexander tags Maidana with another two punch combination. Alexander connects with a beautiful straight left hand. Alexander and Maidana fight on the inside again with some clinch fighting. Alexander hits Maidana with a lead right uppercut, and begins to land more solid two punch combinations on Maidana by the ropes. Alexander lands a few solid body shots on Maidana. Another very good round for Alexander, 10-9.
Round 10:
Maidana clearly needs the KO to pull off a victory. Maidana tries to come forward and lands a few short body shots, but clinches immediately after. Maidana comes forward again and they wind up clinching. They tie up again and exchange short body shots. Maidana lands a straight right hand and a jab, but Alexander answers with a few quick jabs of his own. Alexander unleashes a multitude of combinations on Maidana that score more points for Alexander. Alexander paws at the cut above his eye, and punches Maidana with a check left hook. Alexander connects with another straight left hand. Alexander pushes down on the head of Maidana, and Miadana may have landed a low blow or two. Alexander is starting to shuffle, and punches Maidana with two straight left hands, and finishes the fight with a quick combo before tying up. 10-9 round for Alexander.
Official scores are 100-90, 100-90, and 99-91 for Devon Alexander.
Adrien Broner (22-0) vs. Eloy Perez (23-0-2); WBO Junior Lightweight Title
Round 1:
Perez and Broner come out to the center of the ring and Broner fires out the early jabs. Broner uses his jab to keep Perez at bay. Broner sticks a jab at the body of Perez. Broner flicks out a quick jab at the nose of Perez. Broner comes forward and lands a lead left hook. Perez comes forward with a double jab but donesn’t flush. Broner avoids a combination from Perez. Broner lands a counter right as Perez throws a jab to the body. Perez comes forward with a triple jab on Broner. Broner again tries to lead with a left hook. Perez lands a combination to the body. Perez comes forward against with a double jab, and Broner lands a short right uppercut near the end of the round. 10-9 round for Broner.
Round 2:
Broner comes out and lands an early double jab to the body of Perez. Broner misses a right uppercut as Perez comes forward with a combination. Broner connects with a short left hook. Broner connects with a quick two punch combination. Broner connects with two short hooks, and Perez shakes it off saying it doesn’t hurt. Broner tags Perez with a stiff jab, and Perez answers with a hook of his own. Broner backs Perez up into the corner and Broner lands a straight right hand. Perez pushes Broner by the ropes and lands a few short shots. Perez arm punches Broner. Broner lands a solid jab, and a short left uppercut. Broner fires off a quick two punch combination that scores. Broner stabs another jab to the body of Perez, and Perez’s answer is blocked. Broner tags Perez with a short left hook and multiple straight right hands by the ropes. Perez looked hurt at the end of the round. 10-9 round for Broner.
Round 3:
Perez sticks a jab at the body of Broner, and Broner answers with a quick jab of his own. Broner connects with a two punch combination, and sticks another jab at the stomach of Perez. Broner flicks a quick jab at the face of Perez, and thuds him with a counter right. Perez lands a short left hook, and backs Perez up with a jab. Broner fires off another counter left hand that hits the top of Perez’s head. Broner has Perez backed into a corner, and fires off some shots below the ribs. Perez comes forward with a double jab, but eats an uppercut as he gets in close. Perez sticks another jab in the body of Broner, and Broner makes him eat a double left hand. Broner fires off another quick combination. Perez hits Broner with a body shot, and Broner fires off three body shots of his own. Broner connects with a double jab. Broner lands a straight right hand on Perez. Broner lands a flush right hand near the end of the round. 10-9 round for Broner.
Round 4:
Perez comes out firing a double jab at the body of Broner. Broner grazes Perez with a straight right hand, and tags him with a left hook near the corner. Broner begins to show off and the crowd roars in disapproval. Perez fires off a two punch combianation and lands a short uppercut. Perez lands a short jab at the end of a combination. Perez sticks another jab at the body of Broner and backs him up with a two punch combination. Broner lands a quick jab on Perez and a short body shot. Perez misses with a jab uppercut. Broner backs Perez up by the corner again and misses with a double left hook. Perez bangs a two punch combination at the guard of Broner. Broner lands a straight right hand, and fires it with two consecutive straight right hands and Perez goes down. Perez is unable to answer the count. That was a highlight reel knockout.
Adrian Broner wins by KO at 2:24 of the 4th round.
