Fast Results from New York: Conlan Pitches a Shutout but the Leprechaun Loses

For the third straight year, Top Rank honcho Bob Arum brought New Yorkers a boxing card on St. Patrick’s Day. And for the third straight year his primary allurement was Michael Conlan, the former Olympian from Belfast. Conlan made his pro debut at this venue and his bout tonight in the Hulu Theater of Madison Square Garden was his fifth visit to the Big Apple.

In his last start, in Manchester, England, Conlan stepped up in class against clever Jason Cunningham and was extended the 10-round distance for the first time in his career. His opponent tonight, Ruben Garcia Hernandez (24-3-2 heading in) was seemingly a notch above Cunningham. Hernandez’s first two losses were to undefeated fighters and his third was a loss on points to Nonito Donaire, a world title-holder several times over. But Hernandez brought nothing to the table and Conlan, now 11-0, won every round on all three cards in a bout without an indelible moment.

The opposite side of the coin is that Conlan never had an anxious moment. One could say that he put on a clinic while keeping his undefeated record intact.

Paddy Barnes, dubbed the Leprechaun during his storied amateur career, wasn’t so fortunate.

In a major upset, the two-time Olympian from Belfast, lost a 6-round split decision to Dallas bantamweight Oscar Mojica (12-5-1). Two judges favored Mojica 58-56. The third gave it to Barnes by the same score, but Barnes had no quibble with the decision, saying in his mind he lost every round.

It was the second straight loss for Barnes (5-2), a two-time Olympian from Belfast who was dubbed the Leprechaun during his storied amateur career. He came in at 119 pounds, seven more than he weighed in his last start against Cristofer Rosales, but Mojica, who had a three-inch height advantage, was still the bigger man. The Texan bloodied Barnes’ nose in the first round and landed the harder punches.

Barnes was walked into the ring by his Belfast bosom buddy Carl Frampton, Top Rank’s newest signee. After the fight, he indicated that he would likely retire.

In the televised co-feature, a battle of two heavily tattooed welterweights, 37-year-old southpaw Luis Collazo, a 19-year pro, scored a 10-round split decision over Samuel Vargas. The scores were 98-92, 96-94, 94-96.

Way back in 2005, Collazo, a Brooklynite, won the WBA version of the world welterweight title on the road in Worcester, Massachusetts. Tonight’s win advanced his record to 39-7 (20). Vargas, a 29-year-old Columbian who fights out of Toronto, falls to 30-5-2 (14).

Both Collazo and Vargas went 12 rounds with Amir Khan who fights here next month in the big room against Terence Crawford.

Other Bouts

Josue Vargas, a 20-year-old Bronx lad of Puerto Rican descent, showboated his way to a shutout over Adriano Ramirez (10-3) of the Dominican Republic in a 6-round junior welterweight contest. Vargas is now 13-1 (8). His lone defeat was via a disqualification.

Joseph Adorno, who was 11-0 going in with 10 knockouts, seven in the opening round, had a harder time than expected in turning away Victor Rosas in a 6-round lightweight contest. Adorno prevailed by scores of 58-54 on all three cards. From Allentown, Pennsylvania, the 19-year-old Adorno is of Puerto Rican descent. Rosas, a tough Tex-Mex from Laredo, has lost five of his last six but is yet better than his 10-9 record would suggest.

Junior welterweight John Bauza, a  20-year-old Puerto Rican who currently resides in North Bergen, New Jersey, punished Ricardo Maldonado across six lopsided rounds, winning by scores of 60-54 on all three cards. Bauza improved to 12-0 (5). The stubborn Maldonado, from Arlington, Washington, declined to 8-9-1.

Russia’s Vladimir Nikitin, a recent Top Rank signee, improved to 3-0 with a six-round majority decision over Brownsville, Texas, campaigner Juan Tapia (8-4). One judge had it even but the other two favored Nikitin 59-55.

Nikitin, whose style appears better suited for the amateur game, outpointed Michael Conlan at the Rio Olympics, a decision that unleashed a storm of protest. He and Conlan will undoubtedly meet up again soon.

In a 4-round welterweight match, Lee Reeves (3-0) won all four rounds on all three cards vs. San Antonio’s Eduardo Torres (1-2). The 23-year-old Reeves, from Limerick, Ireland, is a two-time national Irish amateur champion.

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