Results Toshiba Plaza

Results Toshiba Plaza – With a standing room crowd of onlookers surrounding the boxing ring lightweight contenders Petr Petrov and Marvin Quintero battled furiously with Russia’s Petrov winning by technical knockout of Tijuana’s Quintero due to a swollen eye on Friday.

It was the opening of the Toshiba Plaza, an outdoor courtyard that is part of the T-Mobile Arena complex. Petrov (37-4-2, 17 KOs) won the NABF and NABA lightweight titles with the victory over hard luck Quintero (28-7, 24 KOs). A sizeable crowd carried over from the Saul Alvarez-Amir Khan weigh-ins for the Golden Boy Promotions two-day event.

Petrov was hurt in the fourth round by the southpaw Quintero during an exchange, but was strong enough to muscle through it. Neither fighter was ever able to take control of the fight in the back and forth affair. The knot near Quintero’s eye developed in the first round when they collided heads.

However, it was determined that Quintero’s injury was not sustained by that early clash of heads for some reason. The fight was stopped at the end of the sixth round by referee Jay Nady on advice from the ringside physician.

“My respect to him and his team. I have been off for over a year and half and I did feel sluggish and slow at times but the win is all that matters,” said Petrov.

Quintero was gallant in defeat.

“I am very disappointed with the doctor’s decision. I had been fighting like this for two rounds and physically felt strong enough to continue. But they made the decision and that is something that I cannot control,” Quintero said.

In the co-main event Alan Sanchez (18-3-1, 9 KOs) of Fairfield, Calif. won by split decision over Mexico’s Pablo Cano (29-5-1, 21 KOs) in a welterweight clash that looked far more brutal on paper than in the ring — probably because Sanchez preferred to hit and move against the onrushing Cano for all 10 rounds.

Cano did connect solidly midway through the fight with a punch that slightly wobbled the taller Sanchez, but this fight featured two fighters with world class chins and they proved it until the end. Sanchez was given the nod by two judges who preferred his pot shots and movement over Cano’s steadfast aggression. Sanchez won the vacant WBC Continental Americas welterweight title.

Oxnard’s Erik Ruiz (15-5-1, 6 KOs) came within a whisker of upsetting Mexico’s Horacio Garcia (30-1-1, 21 KOs) and settled for a draw after 10 rounds of a super bantamweight fight for the vacant NABF title.

Ruiz surprised Garcia with his technical superiority and was able to win the first two rounds. But as in most of his fights, he slowed down and had too many lapses that allowed Garcia to steal the rounds. Ruiz nearly knocked out Garcia in the seventh round with a slick left hook that staggered the Mexican fighter. But after 10 rounds, all three judges saw the fight differently and the fight was ruled a draw: 98-92 Ruiz, 97-93 Garcia and 95-95.

“I want a rematch,” said Ruiz of the decision. “I want to take home my belt because I know I made cleaner and harder punches. I am extremely disappointed with the results of the fight.”

Featherweight prospect Joet Gonzalez (13-0, 6 KOs) had a tough time with Mexico’s Ricardo Proano in a six round fight, but won by unanimous decision. Gonzalez was sharp but not enough to floor the strong chinned Proano.

“During the fight, I was very angry because my opponent kept head-butting me. At one point during the fight, I was unable to see from my right eye. However, I could tell he was nervous and he really made me work for the victory so I kept my distance and tried to neutralize his hits,” said Gonzalez.

PHOTO from Al Applerose