By Miguel Maravilla at ringside
WBC interim welterweight champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios (29-2, 19 KO’s) won a hard fought unanimous decision against Argentina’s Fabián “TNT” Maidana (22-3, 16 KO’s), the younger brother of former world champion Marcos Maidana, in the Canelo-Munguia co-feature on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Argentinian Maidana applied the pressure early on as Barrios boxed patiently looking for openings. An overhand right in the third by Barrios found its mark as sent Maidana to the canvas.
Barrios continued to box behind the jab and stalk Maidana, connecting boldly in the process at the halfway mark in the sixth. It was the Azteca that appeared to be conquering his way to victory, passed the halway mark in the seventh Barrios kept at it applying the pressure. Despite boxing effectively, Barrios’s right eye was shut heading into the eighth
It was Barrios boxing effectively in the ninth as Maidana landed some solid punches but the Texas fighter displaying ring generalship throughout the fight. Maidana was limited but connected solid throughout the fight, Barrios continued to box as his experience began to takeover finishing strong in route to the decision win.
All three judges scored the bout 116-111.
Barrios took lightly a Maindana, a fighter that was not classified in the first 15 spots.
If Maidana threw more punches, I believe the results could be different
Barrios vs. Maidana It was the epitome of a dreadful fight; only the music was missing to go along with the way Maidana was dancing around.
The commentary was worse than the fight. Both fighters coulda threw more for the crowd. If you get hit so what. Part of the game. But Sergio has a tick that makes him disagree with whatever the other two announcers say, just for the sake of disagreeing with it. His combative style is not welcome.