Boxing Results: ‘Monster’ Overcomes Knockdown: Inoue Stops Cardenas; Espinoza Dominates Vazquez In Las Vegas

WBO, WBC, and IBF World Super Bantamweight champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue (30-0, 27 KOs) had to come off the canvas in the second round to come back nd stop Ramon Cardenas (26-2, 14 KOs) in the eighth round on Sunday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The time of the stoppage was at 0:45 of the eighth.

(Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)

In the second round’s final fifteen seconds, Cardenas dropped Inoue with a left hook to the chin for an 8-count from Referee Thomas Taylor. In the third round, Inoue came back well until forty seconds remaining when Cardenas landed a left to the chin of Inoue, knocking him back several steps.

In the fourth round’s final minute, Inoue landed punch after punch to Cardenas’s body and chin. In the fifth round, it was all Inoue with little return from Cardenas. In the sixth round’s final minute, Inoue landed punches with few in return from Cardenas to the bell.

In the seventh round’s final minute, Inoue had Cardenas out on his feet at the bell. In the eighth round, Inoue had Cardenas defenseless half a minute into the round, forcing Referee Taylor to stop the fight to halt the fight, with a game Cardenas complaining.

In the co-main event, WBO World featherweight champion at 6’0” Rafael ‘El Divino’ Espinoza, 27-0 (23) knocked out 5’07” Edward ‘Kid’ Vazquez, 17-3 (4) at 1:47 of the seventh round of a scheduled 12 rounds.

In the first three rounds, Vazquez kept coming forward, being countered by Espinoza with some solid right uppercuts. In the fourth round’s final minute, Espinoza landed punch after punch, mostly to the body, without a return from Vazquez to the bell.

In the fifth and sixth rounds, Espinoza beat Vazquez all over the ring, drawing blood from his nose in the fifth. In the seventh round, Espinoza had Vazquez defenseless when Referee Harvey Dock finally called a stop to it.

WBO Intercontinental welterweight champion Rohan ‘El Rayo’ Polanco, 16-0 (10), beat Fabian ‘TNT’ Andres Maidana, 24-4 (18), by a 10-round unanimous decision. rounds. Polanco dropped Maidana with a body shot in the tenth.

In the first round, Polanco came out firing away, making it look like a short night. He continued outlanding a reluctant Maidana for two rounds. In the fourth round, Maidana rocked Polanco with a counter right on the chin, and after that, Polanco continued taking over through nine rounds.

In the tenth and final round, in the final thirty seconds, Polanco landed a right to the body, dropping Maidana for an 8-count from Referee Allen Huggins. Maidana managed to get to the bell.

The judges’ scores were 100-89, 100-89, and 100-89.

Featherweight Ra’eese ‘The Beast’ Aleem, 22-1 (12) defeated Rudy ‘El Tiburon’ Garcia, 13-2-1 (2), by a 10-round unanimous decision.

In the first five rounds, there was little to choose between them. In the seventh and eighth rounds, Garcia kept coming forward, getting countered by Aleem.

In the ninth round, Garcia, knowing he is behind, is trying for a knockout, having Aleem at one point on the ropes for only a few seconds. In the tenth and final round, Garcia didn’t have enough energy to hurt Aleem, grabbing him into clinches, losing another round with his face well marked up.

Scores 98-92, 97-93, and 99-91. Allen Huggins was the referee.

Featherweight southpaw Mikito Nakano, 13-0 (12) knocked out Pedro Marquez, 16-2 (10) at 1:58 of the fourth round.

In the second round, a lead left from Nakano on the chin scored a delayed knockdown with Marquez taking a knee and an 8-count from Referee Harvey Dock. With a minute remaining, a right hook from Nakano on the chin dropped Marquez again. He got up and fought back well.

A minute into the third round, a right uppercut from Nakano dropped Marquez a third time for an 8-count from referee Dock. In the fourth round, after a minute, a right from Nakano to the body dropped Marquez for an 8-count. Shortly later, another body shot dropped Marquez, forcing referee Dock to call a halt after the fourth knockdown.

Super lightweight Emiliano ‘El Mexicano’ Vargas, 14-0 (12) knocked out Juan ‘JJ’ Leon, 11-3-1 (2) at 1:40 of round two.

In the second round, at the halfway point, a right from Vargas on the chin dropped Leon for an 8-count from referee Robert Hoyle. Shortly later a left hook on the chin from Vargas on the chin and down went Leon forcing Referee Hoyle to call a halt.

Super Welter Art Barrera, Jr., 9-0 (7), #152.7, of Paramount, CA, stopped Juan ‘El Fresero’ Carlos Guerra, Jr., 6-2-1 (2), #153.7, of Chicago, IL, at 1:15 of the 6th and final round.

After the third round, Barrera had a slight edge. In the fifth round, in the final minute, Barrera had Guerra hurt. Between rounds, referee Thomas Taylor had the ring physician check Guerra. At the halfway point of the sixth and final round, Barrera landed three punches on Guerra’s chin, forcing Referee Taylor to call a halt.

In a swing bout Cruiser Patrick O’Connor, 0-0 (0), #196.1, of Waldorf, MD, Marcus Smith, 2-1 (2), #188, of ?, TN, 4 rounds.

The Ring Announcer was Jimmy Lennon, Jr.