Mares beats Agbeko, keeps bantam belt in rematch
ANAHEIM, California (AP)—Abner Mares beat Joseph Agbeko by unanimous decision Saturday night to retain his IBF bantamweight belt in a rematch of their controversial bout four months ago.
The Mexican fighter won 118-110 on all three judges’ scorecards to maintain his unbeaten record of 23-0-1, with 13 knockouts.
Mares was awarded a majority-decision victory over Agbeko in August, but he landed several blatantly low blows on the Ghanaian during the bout without being penalized by the official. The IBF ordered an immediate rematch.
The rematch featured almost no questionable blows. Mares landed more total punches and power shots despite fighting the final 10 rounds with a deep cut near his right eye from a punch. The Associated Press scored it 116-112 for Mares.
“I’m happy that my fans finally saw my true boxing skills,” Mares said. “I beat him the first time, and I beat him again. I knew I was winning the whole fight.”In the co-main event, Panama’s Anselmo Moreno kept his WBA bantamweight belt in his American debut, winning a unanimous decision over Vic Darchinyan, an Armenian-born Australian.Moreno could be Mares’ next opponent, said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions.Mares was a bit sharper and crisper than Agbeko, whose entourage still raised him on its shoulders after the final bell. Agbeko’s small but vocal Ghanaian cheering section disliked the verdict.- http://sports.yahoo.com/
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