Boxing News Boxing News
Last night at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX, light welterweights Juan Diaz and Paulie Malignaggi engaged in a spirited give and take contest that went all 12 scheduled rounds for the NABO title.
Former IBF titlist Malignaggi had managed to keep the fight largely on the outside for at least half the contest, where he could keep the shorter Diaz at bay and subject to jabs and right hands.
The New Yorker also kept the pace of the bout slower than what Diaz would have liked through the use of accurate countering skills and good footwork.
Diaz did break through Malignaggi’s perimeter defense many times and the ex-world lightweight champion won most of the exchanges on the inside with his superb body-work and short hooks and uppercuts.
But this was not the prime Juan Diaz of 2007, the “Baby Bull” who finished off the challenges of Acelino Freitas and Julio Diaz with authority.
That version of the Houston hero has been worn down after three brutal slugfests with Nate Campbell, Michael Katsidis and Juan Manuel Marquez, two of which Diaz lost.
Diaz suffered a cut above his left eye in the second, which was worsened in the sixth, and the injury definitely hampered the 25 year old’s efforts.
After going toe to toe with Malignaggi in the 12th and final round, Diaz was awarded a unanimous decision victory by a scores of 115-113, 116-112 and a very wide 118-110 that caused much controversy in the venue when it was announced.
Diaz wins the vacant NABO light welter strap and improves to 34-2 (17), while Malignaggi has now lost two of his last three to drop to 26-3 (5).
At risk on the undercard was Malcolm Klassen’s IBF super feather belt as the South African battled with former IBF featherweight titlist Robert Guerrero.
Guerrero used his height advantage and southpaw stance to outwork the aggressive champion, who had difficulty gaining ground to establish a presence on the inside.
Although Klassen gave a good effort, he just couldn’t keep up with Guerrero’s constant flow of offense through all twelve stanzas and lost his title as a result.
Guerrero, 24-1-1 (17), swept the cards by marks of 117-111, 116-112 and 116-113 and captures the IBF super feather title from Klassen, who drops to 24-5-2 (15).
