By Miguel Maravilla and Rocky Morales at ringside

World Boxing Association (WBA) #4 super lightweight contender, Mario Barrios (22-0, 13KO) knocked out Jos Roman (24-3-1, 16KO) at 3:00 of the eighth round of a scheduled ten round WBA International Welterweight title fight as the contracted weight was 142 pounds. Barrios dropped Roman in the fourth round, hurting him with a right cross and flooring him with a left hook follow up punch. It was mostly all in favor of the 23 year old Barrios who finally wore down Roman who retired on his stool at the end of the eighth round. It was the first time in his career that Roman had been stopped.

Jose Balderas (4-0) was the unanimous decision winner over pitiful Alfredo Chanez (6-6-2, 3KO) in a four round bantamweight contest. Balderas shows little of the same skill set as brother, 2016 Olympian, Karlos Balderas, but continues to ride his coat tails appearing on the same cards against only the worst possible opposition. Balderas was able to score a knockdown in the fourth and final round against an off balance Chanez, who, really, was off balance for most of the fight. By scores of 40-35 on all three judges scorecards, Balderas is the winner and will likely have to be endured again on his brother’s next fight card.

Fabian Maidana (16-0, 12KO) landed a picture perfect left hook to the jaw of Andrey Klimov (19-5, 9KO), dropping him hard and stopping him at 2:32 of the seventh round. It had been a very tactical fight up until the time of the knockout, a tactical fight that the fans in attendance booed when neither fighter seemed willing to mix it up much. Seemingly out of nowhere, Maidana landed the knockout punch and despite Klimov getting up at the count of three, he walked away from the referee, back to his corner, and chose not to continue, prompting the referee to call an end to the bout. Maidana, who is the younger brother of retired champion, Marcos, becomes the first person to knock out the very durable Klimov.

2016 U.S. Olympian, Karlos Balderas (6-0, 5KO) impressively took apart 54 fight veteran, Giovani Caro (27-24-4, 21KO), stopping him at 2:09 of the fourth round of a scheduled six round super featherweight bout. It was largely target practice for Balderas but still a solid win and a step up in class. Although Caro was not knocked down at the time of the stoppage and it seemed like a quick stoppage, Balderas was dominating the fight and the result was never in question.

In a very evenly matched and exciting 8 round lightweight bout, Rey Perez (23-10, 7KO) stopped Robert Marroquin (27-5-1, 20KO) at 1:03 of the eighth and final round. Marroquin appeared to be on the way to a very close decision victory but Perez landed a punch in the final round that opened up a bad cut on Marroquin and hurt him enough for Marroquin’s cornerman to stand on the ring apron and ask the referee to stop the bout.

Jerry Perez (8-0, 6KO) demolished the vastly outclassed Aaron Hollis at 1:34 of the second round in a scheduled six round lightweight contest. Perez knocked Hollis down in the first round, again early in the second round and then a third time with a crushing left hook that sprawled Hollis out on the canvas negating the need for a count. Hollis wide punching was a welcome invitation for the much more skilled Perez to land his straight punches and the result was predictable and unavoidable.

The ladies squared off as junior flyweights Lina Licona (2-0, 1 KO) of Long Beach, California and Judit Hachbold (4-5) of Hungary went the distance in a four round bout. Off to a fast start Licona jumped on top of Hachbold in the opening round but the Hungarian stood her ground. A huge right hook by Licona in the second round dropped Hachbold but referee Jerry Cantu ruled it a slip, Licona patiently boxed. Licona pressed in the third, backing Hachbold as she dominated working her way to a decision victory. All three judges scored the bout 40-36.

Louie Coria (9-1, 4KO) was the unanimous decision victory over human punching bag Guadalupe Arroyo (3-13) in a six round featherweight bout. The meat on hooks being punched by Rocky Balboa had better defense than Arroyo yet Coria was still unable to stop or even visibly hurt Arroyo and had to settle for the decision victory. All three judges saw it the only possible way a sighted person could see it, as a 60-54 win for Coria.

Brandon Glanton (7-0, 6KO) had an easy time knocking out Daniel Najera (7-3-1) at 1:35 of the third round in a scheduled six round cruiserweight bout. Najera, who is now winless in his last four bouts was just outclassed by Glanton and didn’t appear to be in the best physical condition, weighing in at a career high 189 pounds. With a pulverizing body shot, Glanton wins his fourth bout of 2018 and keeps his perfect record intact.

In the opening bout from the Staples Center in Los Angeles super welterweight Wesley Diana (6-0, 5 KOs) won a four round unanimous decision over Evincii Dixon (7-22-2, 2 KOs). Diana pressed he action and outworked the journeyman in rout to the decision win. The judges scored the bout 40-36, 40-36, and 39-37.