By: Sean Crose
The WBA super lightweight title was on line Saturday at the Alamodome when the 18-2 “Cowboy” Ryan Karl faced off against the 25-0 defending champion Mario Barrios in a scheduled 12 rounder. Barrios landed on his man effectively in the first. Karl, however, came forward and did good work in the second. Karl went on to push the action in the third.
The fourth round was a high-octane, entertaining affair, with both men working effectively. It appeared that Barrios’ continuous body work was paying off in the fifth. A terrific right sent Karl to mat in the sixth. He got up, but then started bleeding profusely, thanks to an accidental cut. The fight was stopped temporarily, but the ring doctor allowed the match to continue.
It was too late for Karl, however. Although he fought with courage and aggression that needed to be noted, Barrios saw blood both literally and figuratively and went in for the finish. Karl ended up flat on the mat, his face a bloody mess. The referee wisely stopped the fight.