Marco “Captain” Huck (28-1, 21 KOs) defended his WBO Cruiserweight Title with a spectacular third-round TKO victory over Adam Richards (23-3, 15 KOs). The 25-year-old German champion started to land his trademark power punches in the second round before dropping his opponent in the third. Huck followed it up with another firework that sent his opponentdown again, prompting the referee to call the one-sided contest off. “I am never pleased with my performance because I can always improve but I am happy that I defended my title in front of my fans in Berlin,” Huck said. “I really wanted to put on a good show to please everybody. I am happy with the result.”

Credit: Photo Wende

Coach Ulli Wegner lauded his fighters´ explosiveness. “Marco is very strong and very explosive. He punches extremely hard. But he still has to learn a few things. He is just 25 years old he still has a lot of time left. I am very happy with the progress he has made during the last couple of fights.”

Manager Wilfried Sauerland also liked what he saw. “If Marco has an opponent in trouble, he is absolutely ruthless and goes for the KO. The fans love his explosiveness and aggressiveness. His fights are very exciting to watch. There are big things coming up for him.”

In the co-featured main event, the IBF´s number one Alexander Povetkin (19-0, 14 KOs) clinched his 19th victory in as many fights when he stopped Javier Mora (22-6, 18 KOs) in the fifth round. Povetkin, Wladimir Klitschko´s mandatory challenger, dumped his opponent in the first with a huge left hook before following it up with hard shots to body and head. He knocked his opponent down again in the second and continued the punishment throughout the entire fight.

Credit: Photo Wende

The brave Mora, who proved his great chin, was knocked down again in the fifth following another hard combination, the referee stopped the fight. “It was another good test for me,” Povetkin said. “Teddy Atlas has taught me a lot of great things. I could show not all but some of them tonight.” Added Atlas: “It was good that the fight was not over in the first round after the knock-down because for Alexander it is very important to be inside the ring a lot. Experience is key for him. There are still some things to improve but he showed a lot of good things tonight.” Promoter Kalle Sauerland was also pleased with Povetkin´s performance. “Alexander did very well,” he said. “We are now waiting to see what Klitschko does next weekend. We are ready for him.”

On the undercard, IBF Intercontinental Cruiserweight Champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez (21-1, 11 KOs) cruised to an uncontested points victory over Cesar David Crenz, while fellow cruiserweight hopeful Alexander Frenkel (22-0, 17 KOs) clinched a unanimous points victory over Michael Simms. Kubrat Pulev (7-0, 5 KOs) notched his seventh victory in as many fights, knocking out Danny Batchelder with a left uppercut in the second round.

There is some question as to just when, exactly, the man who would come to be known as “The Old Mongoose” was born. Archibald Lee Wright, better known to us as Archie Moore, said his birthdate was December 13, 1916. However, his mother claims it was really 1913, and it is hard to argue with a man’s mother about something like that. The mother and son cannot even agree on where Moore was born. He says it was in Collinsville, Illinois, whereas she says it was in Benoit, Mississippi. It should be noted that Moore’s parents separated early, and he was raised by his aunt and uncle in St. Louis. The one thing there is no doubt about is that Archie Moore began his long, storied professional boxing career in September 1935, by knocking out Billy Sims in Poplar Bluff, Mississippi.

Moore had the kind of start in boxing that was typical of fighters in the 1930s, but would strike a modern boxer as the road to ruin. Two years into the fight game, he lost to a 1-2 guy named Bill Adams. Less than a year later he would be matched with a 106-28-5 middleweight contender named Johnny Romero, and drop a points decision. It was the mixed record of a man who was learning his craft by doing it, with on-the-job training in the ring. Boxing worked that way back then, undefeated fighters were rare, and there were plenty of dangerous characters with double-digit loss records. Archie Moore boxed all over the United States, and even traveled to Australia and Argentina in search of prize fights.

Still a middleweight, the beginning of Moore’s days as a top boxer began in 1942, when he bounced back from debilitating stomach ulcers and knocked out Shorty Hogue in 2 Rounds. Hogue was 54-10-2, and three of those wins were past victories over Moore. He spent the rest of the war years jousting with ranked middleweight contenders and coming away with some wins and some losses. He won three out of four against Jack Chase (in a series that saw him win and then lose the California State Title), but went 0-1-1 with Ed Booker, dropped a points loss to Charles Burley, and was knocked out by Jimmy Bivins.

With the war over, Archie Moore moved up to light heavyweight and went 1-1 with Hall of Famer Holman Williams in late 1945. Archie Moore was, according to his statistics, 29 years old and on the cusp of a run to greatness, albeit not without a number of hiccups along the way.

Light Heavyweight Contender

Archie Moore spent several years as a light heavyweight contender, frozen out of the title picture first by Gus Lesnevich between 1946 and 1949, and then by Freddie Mills until the end of 1952. Along the way he fought just about anybody in the light heavyweight ranks worth talking about, and in almost all instances he fought them multiple times.

Of all of these boxers, the only one who had Archie Moore’s number was the Cincinnati Cobra, Ezzard Charles. The two all-time greats met for the first time in May 1946. Charles dropped Moore with a vicious left uppercut to the body in the 8th en route to a big points win. The Cobra and the Mongoose had their rematch a year later, and the Mongoose once again dropped a points loss. In the most dramatic moment of the fight, Charles almost cut Moore in half with a left hook to the body, but Moore was able to recover enough to hold off Charles and keep the loss down to a Majority Decision (Moore held one scorecard to a Draw). 1948 saw the Mongoose engage the Cobra for a third and final time, a barn-burner of a boxing match that saw Moore stagger Charles with a left hook, and Charles rebound to stop Moore with a left hook-right cross combo. By 1949 Ezzard Charles had tired of waiting for a light heavyweight title shot that never came, and moved up to heavyweight instead. Ironically, it was among the big men that Charles finally won the world title, but in moving up a division he cleared the path for Archie Moore.

Another major rivalry during this period was with Harold Johnson. Archie Moore fought an undefeated Johnson for the first time in April 1949 and beat him by a wide margin. After an interval that saw Moore fight on the road in South America, the two met for a rematch in September 1951. By that time, Johnson was the only viable contender left for Moore to fight. Moore beat Johnson, but not by much. Lacking better opponents, they fought again in December and this time Harold Johnson scored his one victory over Moore. Moore vs. Johnson IV took place six weeks later, and Moore boxed with a vengeance to score a big points win.

Continuing his rivalry with Jack Chase, Moore fought him for a fifth time in 1946 and produced a Draw. The two men met again early in 1947, for the sixth and final time. Moore was put down in the 3rd, but rallied to knockout Chase with a right uppercut in the 9th. Moore also continued his series with former middleweight Jimmy Bivins, meeting him in 1946, 1947, 1948 and 1951, producing four wins with three coming by way of knockout. He also knocked out Bob Satterfield and “Oakland” Billy Smith, while the Alabama Kid got stopped twice in fights with Moore.

However, not everything went well for Archie Moore during this period as a frustrated contender. At one point, Moore won the California State Light Heavyweight Title. He then promptly lost it in June 1948 in a 1st Round knockout at the hands of Leonard Morrow. Later that same year he dropped two points losses to Henry Hall and Lloyd Gibson. The run of bad showings are a good sign of what can happen when even a great fighter loses his focus. Moore later got his revenge on Moore and Henry Hall in rematches.

Having run out of legitimate light heavyweight targets while campaigning for a shot at the title, Moore started picking off the big men of the heavyweight ranks. In 1952, he beat three ranked heavyweights: Jimmy Slade, Clarence Henry, and Bob Dunlap.

The Turn Finally Comes

Following the end of his series with Johnson, Archie Moore won a string of fights leading to a December 1952 showdown with the new light heavyweight king, Joey Maxim, who unlike his predecessors was willing to tussle with The Old Mongoose. It took some doing thought. Maxim wanted to duck Moore as well, but Moore promoted a showdown by starting a letter-writing campaign. Even so, it took the promise of a $100,000 guarantee (a lot of money in 1952) to arrange Moore’s title challenge. Moore only made $800 for the fight, but he finally had his shot at the world title, and he made it count. Consistently finding the mark with his straight right, the Mongoose beat Joey Maxim by a large margin, Archie Moore won the World Light Heavyweight Title. He was 36 years old with a record of 132-19-9, a place where most boxers would have already been retired.

Archie Moore fought several times in 1953, but his first notable fight was a non-title bout against Nino Valdes, a heavyweight contender from Cuba. Outweighed by almost 30 pounds, the Mongoose outboxed Valdes to win a unanimous decision. Moore then met Joey Maxim in a rematch in June, and narrowly edged him on the scorecards to retain the title. He then closed out the year by traveling to Argentina again, winning twice there, including a bout against the then-undefeated Uruguayan fringe contender Dogomar Martinez.

In June 1954, The Old Mongoose fought Joey Maxim again, knocked him down in the 8th and 11th and won a clean points victory. It was their third and last encounter. Later that same year, he defended the title against Harold Johnson, fighting this rival for the fifth time. In many ways, it was their best match. Johnson was boxing well and leading on points going into the final rounds, when Moore scored with a pair of hard rights to the head in the 14th. The follow up resulted in a TKO victory for Moore. It was the last time the two men would meet in the ring. Johnson would scoop up the World Light Heavyweight Title in 1961 and keep it for two years.

Heavyweight Contender

Archie Moore was by now angling for a showdown with World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Marciano, but in 1954 Marciano had kept a full dance card with Moore’s old rival Ezzard Charles. While waiting on Marciano, Moore fought and won a rematch with Nino Valdes in May 1955, and then defended his title by 3rd Round knockout against reigning World Middleweight Champion Bobo Olson in June. The win over Valdes moved Moore up to become the #1 contender for the heavyweight title, and combined with the letter-writing campaign and the constant calls for a fight by Moore, Marciano could no longer deny the Old Mongoose his shot at a second world title. By the time Moore got the 48-0 heavyweight champion into the ring, he was almost 40 years old. He managed a flash knockdown of Marciano in the 2nd, but the savage attack of the Brockton Blockbuster put Moore down a staggering five times and out in the 9th. When the referee came over to Moore’s troubled corner to ask if he wanted the fight stopped, Moore famously replied ”The only way to go out in a championship fight is on your back.” He courageously got up and did exactly that.

Archie Moore continued to box, keeping one foot in the heavyweight rankings with the odd fight against a big guy, and the other on his light heavyweight title. In 1956, he went to London and defended against Yolande Pompey of Trinidad, and stopped him in 10. In the meantime Rocky Marciano had retired undefeated, leaving a vacant crown. A fight was set up between rising, 21 year old Floyd Patterson and 40 year old Archie Moore for the heavyweight title. Patterson was losing on the scorecards, but won the fight with his power in a 5th Round knockout.

Undeterred, in good health and still the World Light Heavyweight Champion, Archie Moore boxed on. In 1957 he defended his crown and kept it by knockout once again, stopping the highly-ranked Tony Anthony in 7 Rounds. The next year came his gritty defense against Canadian Yvon Durelle. Durelle’s hard punching knocked Moore down three times in the 1st Round, and then again for a fourth time in the 4th. Battered and struggling behind a seemingly insurmountable points deficit, Moore showed the same heart that sent him out to meet the fury of Marciano. He hung on doggedly, and when Durelle started to tire Moore came on, dropping Durelle four times and stopping him in the 11th. Moore cemented his standing as the champ by destroying Durelle in an August 1959 rematch.

Moore kept on switching back and forth between 175 lbs and the heavyweight ranks, including a 1961 knockout of heavyweight Olympic Gold Medalist Pete Rademacher. 1961 marked the year that Moore officially vacated the light heavyweight championship, and although he has never admitted as much, it probably was due to Moore’s inability to make the 175 lbs. limit. When Moore fought future light heavyweight champion Willie Pastrano in 1962, he weighed in at 200 lbs. The outcome of that fight was a Draw, showing that Moore was losing a step or two.

Public Domain

The truth is that for some time had been simply unable to fight every minute of any round, let alone every round. To win fights, he need to fight in spurts and husband his energy. In this way he was much like today’s Bernard Hopkins. His arsenal of boxing tools was so formidable that he was usually able to blunt efforts by other boxers to exploit this vulnerability. Then in November 1962 came Cassius Clay. In his 15th pro fight, the soon-to-be Muhammad Ali demolished the Old Mongoose in 4 Rounds. Interestingly, Moore had been an early trainer of Clay’s, but had left due to Clay’s refusal to do chores around the gym.

Moore closed his career with a 1963 win over professional wrestler Mike DiBiase (adoptive father of Ted DiBiase of WWF fame).

Retirement

After hanging up the gloves, Archie Moore remained involved in the top tiers of boxing as a trainer, where his mastery of ring craft was highly valued. At one point he was co-trainer for George Foreman, and at another he trained the Nigerian Boxing Team for the 1976 Olympics. He also had something of an acting career, appearing as Jim in the 1960 rendition of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as well as in other films and on television programs. Moore was married five times, with his final and lasting wife being Joan Hardy, the sister-in-law of Sidney Poitier. He passed away due to heart failure in 1988.

Legacy

Archie Moore ran up a record of 185-23-11 with 131 KOs. He is a Hall of Famer, ranked as the #5 light heavyweight of all-time by Herb Goldman and Light Heavyweight Fighter of the Century by the Associated Press. He is one of the very few boxers to have competed in four different decades, and is believed to be the only one to have fought in the eras of Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali. He is also believed to have achieved more knockouts in the course of his long career than any other fighter in history. Moore is also the oldest man to ever win the World Light Heavyweight Title, and held onto that title for seven years.

WBO Cruiserweight Champion Marco “Captain” Huck, American challenger Adam Richards, IBF mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin as well as cruiserweight hopeful Alexander Frenkel and IBF Intercontinental Cruiserweight Champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez all participated in a public work-out today in Berlin´s famous Axel-Springer-Passage. All fighters will be in action on Saturday night when Captain Huck makes a second defence of his WBO title.

Credit: Photo Wende

His opponent presented himself in strong shape
on Tuesday afternoon despite a horror trip from Houston, which had left him stranded in Amsterdam after missing his connecting flight. After a long wait, Richards (23-2, 15 KOs) made it to Berlin and eventually to his downtown hotel on late Monday night. “Everything is fine now,” he said. “It was a long journey but I am here and that is all that matters. I will be ready for Huck. It will be an exciting fight with two bulls
going forward all the time.”

Captain Huck (27-1, 20 KOs) proved his punching power and explosiveness when working the pads with coach Ulli Wegner. “This is the first time I will be defending my belt in Berlin,” he said. “I really want to impress my fans and put on a good show. Richards is a tough opponent, but he has never been inside the ring with someone like me. He will not leave the country with my belt!”

Credit: Photo Wende

Also in action will be up-and-coming heavyweight star Alexander Povetkin (18-0, 13 KOs). The 2004 Olympic gold medal winner will make his second fight under the guidance of star coach Teddy Atlas, taking on Javier Mora (22-5, 18 KOs). Today the duo gave the crowd a look at their training routine during the public session. “It is great to work with Teddy Atlas,” Povetkin said.

“He is a great coach and I keep learning new things every day. I need to stay in shape for Klitschko so I want to put on a convincing performance on Saturday. It is great to be fighting in Berlin again. This is where I defeated Eddie Chambers to become the IBF´s mandatory challenger so I am keen to continue where I left it.”

Everybody is ready for the Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey bout this Saturday evening, and the ProBoxing-Fans.com staff is going on the record with our official picks and predictions. Does anybody see Clottey pulling off the huge upset? Do they think Pacquiao will win by knockout or by decision, or what will happen in the bout?

Scott Levinson: Does anyone else feel this is more dangerous for Pacquiao the closer we get to March 13? Something inside is telling me Clottey is going to put forth a great effort. I think he will pursue and punch with purpose, which will only give way to a better Pacquiao. I see Pacquiao using his movement, speed, and fast combination punching to stay a step ahead in the early going. I picture a fast-paced and exciting bout. Pacquiao’s attack will begin to put a dent in Clottey’s resolve over the second half of the bout, causing his workrate to dip. Manny will sweep the final rounds and wind up winning about 10 rounds. I think Clottey will earn a moral victory in making it to the final bell.

Prediction: Manny Pacquiao by unanimous decision

Rich Thomas: Joshua Clottey is a tough fighter in the great Ghanian tradition of tough fighters, but I fear he is more like Ike Quartey than Azumah Nelson. He is a tough fighter and a serious threat to anyone who gets in the ring with him, but there is something in there that leaves him just short making the transition from being a good fighter into an excellent or a great fighter. Like Quartey, he is one of these guys who always seems to come just short when matched with a boxer who truly has the right stuff.

That said, Clottey is tough as nails. Miguel Cotto was looking somewhat fragile even before Pacman got to him, and I am starting to think that he might be one of these boxers who has a short, bright career with an early end, ala Donald Curry or Wilfred Benitez. Clottey might not have the championship grit, but his body is made of tougher stuff. He will be game going at least as far as the late rounds, although when it comes to making that last big push to pull himself out of the hole, Clottey won’t make it.

Prediction: Pacman UD12.

Nathan Nau: In a bout that most experts think is a mismatch, Manny Pacquiao will use his superior footwork, hand speed, and combinations to hold off the tough and larger Clottey.  I believe this fight will be closer than most experts think, with Clottey having his moments, but ultimately failing in an upset bid via a closer than expected unanimous decision.

Prediction: Pacquiao by unanimous decision

Scott Dryden (ProFighting-Fans.com): Clottey is a very tough competitor who has a ton to gain with a victory.  He will bring it to Pacquiao which will make for a very exciting fight, at least for awhile.  As he often does, Manny will take over the fight in the 5^th round and will dominate from there on out.  Pac-Man adds to his impressive victory with an 8th round KO.

Prediction: Pacquiao via 8^th round KO

Ryan McArthur: Just before Clottey fought Miguel Cotto back in March 09, he just may well have been the most underrated pug in the business. Just after Pacquiao fought Cotto 5 months later, he did become the most revered and feared fighter on the planet. Remember while watching Pacquiao that we just may be witnessing the best fighter the sport has seen since Roberto Duran of the 1970s.

Of course Pacquiao is the favorite here, and rightly so, he’s earned it. The fact remains however that this is a really tough and extremely well matched bout. Clottey is technically sound, a good body puncher and the strongest fighter Pacquiao has faced in his Hall of Fame career. Will this be enough though to stop the Pacman bandwagon?

Ultimately I’m going to have to say no and take the easy way out. Pacman by Unanimous Decision. He’s just far too busy, too fast and too good for the very competent Clottey (he just doesn’t throw enough punches to beat the Filipino).

Prediction: Pacman by Unanimous Decision

Jake Emen: Clottey is a very good fighter, but he seems to be just good enough to be able to complain loudly about losing his biggest fights. He came up short against Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto when both were winnable fights. There’s a chance that weighing 165 lbs or so on fight night will allow him to walk through Pacquiao’s shots and walk him down, landing thudding shots that take the speed out of Pacquiao’s legs and arms. That’s a small chance however, and Pacquiao should be able to buzz in and out of Clottey’s range, taking advantage of his cover up defense to score with plenty of telling shots.

Prediction: Pacquiao by Unanimous Decision

As you might expect all of the ProBoxing-Fans.com writers are siding with the favorite and the pound for pound king, Manny Pacquiao in the Pacquiao vs. Clottey bout scheduled for this Saturday evening. Most think it will be a unanimous decision, some foresee a stoppage and some could be sniffing some trouble brewing, but all see Pacquiao coming out ahead.

Come fight night, you can check in for our live Pacquiao vs. Clottey round by round blog. You can also check out Scott Levinson’s detailed, full length preview and prediction for Pacquiao-Clottey to get you geared up for the bout!

For years, SHOWTIME® has featured boxing’s top prospects and future World Champions on its hit series ShoBox: The New Generation, giving boxing fans a glimpse of the World Champions of tomorrow today.  On Friday, April 2, live on SHOWTIME, Golden Boy Promotions is proud to present its first event on the series.

Undefeated Cuban junior middleweight rising star Erislandy Lara puts his perfect record on the line against the always-dangerous Danny Perez in a 10-round main event and Puerto Rican featherweight standout Carlos Velasquez returns to dazzle fans in the co-feature on what promises to be a night to remember at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

“We’re proud to present our first ShoBox event and we promise that fans will see the quality of fights they’re accustomed to on the series,” said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions.  “Danny Perez will be Erislandy Lara’s toughest test to date and a fight I’m really looking forward to.  I’m also excited to see Carlos Velasquez back in the ring and if he can be impressive on April 2 on ShoBox, the sky’s the limit for him.”

The doubleheader will headline an exciting night of professional boxing presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate. It will air live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets, priced at $100, $60 and $30, plus a limited number of $125 VIP and $25 standing room tickets, are on sale and may be purchased at the Hard Rock Hotel Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.Ticketmaster.com or by phone (800) 745-3000.

Also competing on April 2 will be a host of Golden Boy Promotions’ undefeated rising stars, including Puerto Rico’s Hector Sanchez (18-0, 8 KO’s), 2008 U.S. Olympic Heavyweight Bronze medalist Deontay Wilder (8-0, 8 KO’s) and New Jersey’s Mike Perez (6-0-1, 3 KO’s).

Southpaw sensation Lara (10-0, 6 KO’s) has followed up a stellar amateur career in Cuba with the makings of a world championship run in the professional ranks.  Unbeaten in 10 bouts, the 26-year-old native of Guantanamo went 7-0 with 4 knockouts in 2009, and in 2010 he’s picked up where he left off, halting veteran contender Grady Brewer in 10 rounds on Jan. 29 at The Joint.  On April 2, he returns to the site of his greatest pro victory to date and hopes to make it two in a row against Perez.

Perez (34-6, 17 KO’s), of Carlsbad, Calif., knows all the tricks of the trade when it comes to the sweet science.  The owner of five regional titles over the course of his career, Perez has faced the likes of Antonio Margarito, Jose Luis Zertuche, Grady Brewer, David Lopez and Eric Mitchell, and is looking forward to taking Lara into deep waters on April 2.

A member of the 2004 Puerto Rican Olympic team, Velasquez (11-0, 9 KO’s) has been tearing through the pro ranks with a mix of speed and power that has boxing insiders taking notice.  The highly regarded 25-year-old Velasquez, who trains out of Las Vegas, owns wins over a series of seasoned veterans and will be put to the test once again as he looks to further cement his status of future star against an opponent to be determined.

Opponents for Sanchez, Wilder and Perez and additional undercard bouts will be announced shortly.

This Saturday evening, Devon Alexander put on a masterful clinic in stopping Juan Urango in the 8th round of their 140 lbs title unification bout. Alexander is now the WBC and IBF champion, and Urango of course must get knocked down a few pegs. Was Alexander’s win enough to vault him to the top of the rankings, ahead of the man – Timothy Bradley – that vacated the WBC strap he now holds? Or how high does he go in the junior welterweight division?

This division is one of the deepest and most talent rich in all of boxing right now. You could easily fill out a top 20 rankings list for the division, and even moderately hardcore boxing fans would recognize all of the names. Other big players right now include Amir Khan, the rebounding Paulie Malignaggi and the slugging Marcos Maidana. Of course, some huge names are also still lurking around, like Juan Manuel Marquez and Ricky Hatton.

With all of that said, check out the updated junior welterweight division rankings from ProBoxing-Fans.com!

The next few months will be packed with more great matches that determine the big dogs in the 140 lbs division. It will be very interesting and exciting for boxing fans to watch how it all plays out. Enjoy the updated 140 lbs standings, up to date following the huge Alexander vs. Urango unification bout.

In an exciting, wildly entertaining one-sided slugfest, Vic “The Raging Bull’’ Darchinyan (34-2-1, 27 KOs) of Australia retained his World Boxing Council/World Boxing Association (WBC/WBA) super flyweight crowns with a hard-fought, 12-round unanimous decision over Mexico’s Rodrigo “Gato’’ Guerrero (13-2-1, 9 KOs) in the main event on a special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation Saturday on SHOWTIME®.

See fight recaps, photos, quotes and more below!

Undefeated Lenny “Lenny Zappa’’ Zappavigna (23-0, 15 KOs) of Australia captured the International Boxing Organization (IBO) lightweight belt with a controversial 12-round decision over Fernando “La Fiera” Angulo (22-7, 14 KOs) of Venezuela by the scores of 116-111 twice and 114-113 in an excellent, non-stop action, bloody co-feature at The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa.

The hard-hitting Darchinyan triumphed by the scores of 120-108, 118-110 and 117-111 but it was anything but automatic for the 34-year-old Australian-based Armenian who landed countless hellacious shots throughout but could never floor the game Guerrero.

A virtual unknown going in, Guerrero fought with poise and determination and never seemed in awe of the surroundings – the vast-majority of the fans in attendance were pulling for Darchinyan – nor was he intimidated by the heavily favored defending champion.

“If I don’t train hard for this fight, if I take this guy lightly, this is a much harder fight and maybe I lose,’’ said Darchinyan, who is hopeful his next start with be a rematch with Nonito Donaire. “This kid is a very good fighter. I hit him with a lot of good punches, but he took them all and kept coming back.

“I have never had an opponent stand up to me like he did.’’

The talented Guerrero, 22, who fights out of the Marco Antonio and Jorge Barrera stable and had the brothers in his corner, was disappointed but encouraged despite having an 11-fight winning streak end.

“I am not happy that I lost, but I feel really good that people finally got to see who I am, that I can fight and that I came here to win and not to lose or fall down,’’ said Guerrero, who was cut on the right eye by an unintentional butt in the fourth round.

“Actually, I thought the headbutts did the most damage. I was never hurt by any of his punches.’’

Zappavigna, who suffered a nasty gash on the right eyelid in the first minute of the eighth round, got an extra point when the referee penalized Angulo for holding and hitting and holding in the ninth, was ecstatic afterward.

“This was what I wanted, a tough fight, a war,’’ Zappavigna said. “Everybody expects me to go in and blow guys away but I wanted a war. I wanted fans to see that I could fight 12 hard rounds. The cut obviously had an effect on me, but I was not going to be denied.

“I came her determined more than anything to win that belt, and I got it.’’

Angulo, who was born in Ecuador and resides in Caracas, Venezuela, was convinced he got jobbed.

“This was a total robbery. I definitely did enough to win the fight,’’ he said. “The point they took away was totally unnecessary because we were both doing the same thing. The timing of it was bad. It will go on my record as a loss but I know in my heart that I won.’’

SHOWTIME Sports Boxing Schedule: The Super Six World Boxing Classic resumes on Saturday, March 27, when Andre “The Matrix” Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs) of Flint, Mich., faces “King” Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) of Germany in a Group Stage 2 bout at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich., live on SHOWTIME® (10:30 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

When ShoBox returns on Friday, April 2, Golden Boy Promotions will present its first fight card in the series’ history when undefeated Cuban southpaw junior middleweight Erislandy Lara (10-0, 6 KO’s) faces Danny Perez (34-6, 17 KO’s), of Carlsbad, Calif., in the 10-round main event live at 11 p.m. ET/PT. In the co-feature at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Puerto Rican featherweight standout Carlos Velasquez will box an opponent to be announced.

Group 2 bouts in the Super Six World Boxing Classic continue with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 24, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/PT. In the first fight, undefeated Carl “The Cobra’’ Froch (26-0, 20 KOs) of Nottingham, England, defends his WBC world title against former WBA 168-pound champion Mikkel “Viking Warrior’’ Kessler (42-2, 32 KOs) in Germany (same-day delay). Immediately following, unbeaten World Boxing Association (WBA) 168-pound champion Andre Ward (20-0, 13 KOs) will defend against “Sweetness” Allan Green (29-1, 20 KOs), of Tulsa, Okla., live on SHOWTIME.

The fourth installment in what perhaps has already been the greatest boxing trilogy of all-time: Israel Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez, will take place in the main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Saturday, May 22, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. “Magnifico’’ Vazquez (44-4, 32 KOs) of Huntington Park, Calif., by way of Mexico City, leads Mexico City’s Marquez (38-5, 34 KOs) in the epic series, 2-1, winning the last two. In a tremendous semi-main, Yonnhy Perez (20-0, 14 KOs) will defend his IBF bantamweight title against unbeaten Abner Mares (19-0, 12 KOs).

Many people were predicting that Devon Alexander would continue his undefeated streak and best Juan Urango in their 140 lbs title unification bout. Very few of those people however predicted that the ever-improving 23 year old St. Louis native would brutally stop the tough Urango within the distance. But with the Alexander vs. Urango results now official nobody can deny that Alexander the Great has emerged at junior welterweight and must be considered one of the best fighters in the division.

The fight began as many people thought. Alexander used his quick hands and feet, and displayed his superior tactical abilities to put some rounds in the bank. Both men were a bit bloodied, but Alexander remained in control. Urango had a surge in the 5th and 6th rounds and it seemed as if his pressure would perhaps begin to pay dividends in the second half of the fight.

Just then Alexander slipped under a typically looping Urango left hook to wind up and unleash a vicious right uppercut that landed flush under Urango’s chin. Urango was sent rushing to the canvas and was able to get up and continue, albeit very briefly. Alexander continued to unleash his attack, eventually connecting on an overhand right to the temple and another uppercut to the chin that sent Urango down to the canvas again. The referee stepped in to end the fight, and Alexander won by 8th round TKO.

Devon Alexander is now a unified titleholder in the junior welterweight division, and he’s anxious to get fellow-undefeated champion Timothy Bradley into the ring. Of course, Alexander holds the WBC title in addition to the IBF strap he picked up this evening, and the WBC title was what Bradley held and vacated in lieu of taking on Alexander.

Check back in with ProBoxing-Fans.com over the next day or two to see updated rankings for the junior welterweight division, where you can be sure that Alexander will have exploded his way into the top 3 of the division.

Super Six World Boxing Classic standings leader “King” Arthur Abraham and Andre “The Matrix” Dirrell both took part in a media conference call on Thursday to talk about their Group Stage 2 matchup. The two square off March 27, 2010, at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich., live on SHOWTIME at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

Credit: Howard Schatz

The Armenian Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) currently leads the Super Six point standings with three points by way of his last-second knockout against American Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor Oct. 17 in Berlin, Germany. The former middleweight bronze medalist at the 2004 Summer Olympics from Flint, Mich., Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs) dropped a close 12-round decision to Carl Froch for the World Boxing Council (WBC) World Championship the same night in Nottingham, England.

The event is being promoted by Gary Shaw Productions and Sauerland Event.

ARTHUR ABRAHAM

“This is a really big chance for me to be a big star in America. It’s what I’ve been looking for. I really feel that there is so much interest from America and from SHOWTIME and from the journalists in the Super Six. I’m just really happy to be here and this is a great chance for me.”

“I guess it will be a little bit of an advantage for him to fight in front of his home fans, but inside the ring we are all just by ourselves and you have to fight on your own, so that shouldn’t be a problem.

“I never really expect the KO. If you have that kind of attitude you don’t get it and you won’t win. All I’m expecting is a win for myself and that is the most important thing.

“My sparring partners copy Andre Dirrell’s style every day and they run away a lot. So, I’m prepared for that. If you compare Dirrell and (Jermain) Taylor they have different styles. Taylor is more a fighter and more aggressive while Dirrell is more of a technical guy who is very fast.”

On having to move his training camp from California back to Berlin:

“It’s not been a problem at all. It’s all about attitude. We had a very good time training in California. It was sunny. We had a good, hard training camp there. Now, we’re back in Germany and next headed to Detroit, so it shouldn’t be any problem at all. I’ve never really been bothered by the jet lag.

“It would have been nice to fight in Palm Springs because there would have been more Armenian fans than in Detroit, but, at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. What’s important is what happens inside the ring.

“The super middleweight division is so much better for me. I can eat more and I can punch harder and I can train harder.

“I’ve watched Andre’s fight against Froch several times now. He’s more of a technical fighter.  That is what he does, so you have to be prepared for that. You have to pick your sparring partners to copy his style and that’s what we’ve done. We have a game plan and that’s what you will see once we step into the ring.”

Is there any added pressure fighting with an unbeaten record?

“There’s always pressure when I’m fighting because I always want to win.

“I expect him to be running a lot because that is his tactic. He will be running around. That’s what he likes to do. At times he will come to fight but it’s tough to say right now. We will see.”

ANDRE DIRRELL

“It’s unfortunate I hurt my back, but I’m 90 percent back and still pushing forward and getting everything ready with preparations for my victory over Arthur Abraham.

“Fighting at home is going to be a real confidence booster for me. I call it a do-or-die situation for me. I’m training harder than I ever did and even smarter than I ever did because I always train hard. I’m highly prepared for battle on the 27^th.”

How did the back injury occur?

“I was sparring with one of my sparring partners and I turned and when I stepped to the side of him before I turned all the way to face him I took a punch across my body and that’s how I threw my back out.

“I’ve trained with many guys that fight like Arthur Abraham. He has awesome defense, he’s very explosive and has dangerous weapons he brings into the ring.”

On his last fight with Carl Froch:

“It was a championship fight. It was in his hometown. I had a game plan but it unfolded when he started using dirty tactics. But I’ve learned from that. Going into the late rounds my mind was kind of wondering if I could go 12 rounds. By the ninth round I figured 12 would be a cinch. And I finished strong. But as far as the holding went it wasn’t part of the game plan. I wasn’t meant to hold that much, but because of the dirty tactics, he threw me off my game plan.  When I got on the inside I clenched a little too much, and so I’m working on that right now. I’m prepared for anything now.  When Arthur Abraham steps into the opposite corner as me I’ll be ready to get busy and get this win.

“Winning is everything right now. I already have one loss and I can’t lose again or I’m out of the tournament.  So, I’m coming off a loss and looking for that victory. I’m just working hard to get that victory and if the knockout comes it comes.

Is Abraham looking past you?

“I’ve heard a few comments in the media where he’s said Dirrell will be easy but hey, who’s to say. He’s says he’s going to go into the ring with a game plan and I believe that. And I’m going to do the same thing.

“This isn’t just big for Detroit or for Flint but for all of Michigan. Detroit is one of the legendary spots in boxing so that’s why I wanted to bring the fight there — to show the Detroit boxing fans that boxing is not dying. It’s coming here and it’s here to stay.

“Like I’ve said before you just can’t stand in front of Arthur Abraham. His power is right there in front of him and he’s got strong hooks. He’s very explosive. I’ve seen the Taylor fight and I saw Jermain stand in front of Arthur. That’s something that you just can’t do.

“The Froch fight put me in great position for where I currently stand mentally and physically. Froch was a tough fight. It was his hometown and for a world title and my first 12-rounder. So all that experience came into one and let’s me know where I stand in this boxing game. Not just in the Super Six but in the boxing game in general. Hopefully I’ll become world champion very soon.”

Popular, hard-hitting Vic “The Raging Bull’’ Darchinyan (33-2-1, 27 KOs) will defend his World Boxing Council/World Boxing Association (WBC/WBA) super flyweight crowns against streaking Rodrigo “Gato’’ Guerrero (13-1-1, 9 KOs) in the main event on a special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation on SHOWTIME® this Saturday, March 6 (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) at The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa here.

In the 12-round co-feature, unbeaten Lenny “Lenny Zappa’’ Zappavigna (22-0, 15 KOs) of Australia and Fernando “La Fiera” Angulo (22-6, 14 KOs) of Venezuela will clash for the International Boxing Organization (IBO) lightweight title. Angulo was in Los Angeles taking his medical examination and was not at Thursday’s press conference.

An Australian-based Armenian, the exciting Darchinyan will be making his fifth consecutive appearance on SHOWTIME and 11^th overall. He has scored knockouts in 14 of his last 15 victories.

The switching-hitting Guerrero, of Ciudad Neza, Mexico, has won 11 in a row. This will be his first start on SHOWTIME and in the United States.

The promising Zappavigna, an Italian, fights out of Sydney, Australia. He also will be making his SHOWTIME debut, and his second stateside start.

The doubleheader will be promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC. Tickets, priced from $45, may be purchased at The Show Box Office, online at HotWaterCasino.com/TheShow or by calling (800) 585-3737. For private box/suite bookings, please call The Show’s Group Sales Department (760) 202-2111.

Credit: Tom Casino/Showtime

VIC DARCHINYAN

“SHOWTIME is like my home and I look forward to defending my title again on SHOWTIME and fighting in front of my fans at Agua Caliente.

“This is a good fight for me and a fight where I will showcase all my skills – not just a punch. I feel really good and had a great training camp. I plan to do everything — box, think and stay calm.

“Guerrero is a good kid and he’s fought a couple good fighters and done very well. There’s no way I’m going to underestimate him.

“I think he has a future in boxing, but it won’t begin until after I beat him on Saturday.

“I don’t want to talk about any possible fights for me in the future. My main focus is on Guerrero and defeating a determined, young opponent. I am here and ready to do my job.

“If the knockout comes, it comes. But it is going to come. He will feel my power.’’

Credit: Tom Casino/ Showtime

RODRIGO GUERRERO

“I am really happy and excited for this opportunity – my chance of a lifetime. This is what I have waited for my whole life and I am confident of doing well.

“When they first told me I was fighting for a world title, it was such a huge surprise, I couldn’t believe it. I still didn’t believe it for a little while. But, finally, after about two weeks of sparring, it sunk in. I’d been promised major fights before, but they never happened. Now, this one is here, and I am ready.

“I know a lot of people may not have heard of me, but I guarantee I am not here to fall down in the first or 12^th round – or any round, for that matter. People and fans who have never seen me fight are saying I’m no good. I believe they are all in for a surprise, a really big surprise.

“Everyone has an opinion, but the negative talk has only given me more motivation. And I didn’t need any more motivation. Fighting for two world titles was enough. Darchinyan is a great fighter with a lot of power. But, watch and see, I can fight and I have power, too. This is going to be a great fight.’’

LENNY “LITTLE ZAPPA’’ ZAPPAVIGNA

“I’ve had great sparring, great training and am 100 percent excited about fighting on SHOWTIME and showing the whole world what I can do.

“I definitely want to win very impressively, but my goal, my destiny, is to win the belt. That is why I’m here and I am not leaving without that belt. I would fight a Mike Tyson if there was a belt on the line.

“After the fight, I am not going to look back and think to myself, ‘I should have done this, I should have done that.’ I am going to do it all on Saturday. I have my own style and I know the fans will like it.’’

Credit: Tom Casino/ Showimte

Credit: Tom Casino/Showtime