Boxing In Las Vegas: Darchinyan Keeps Titles With Win Over Maldonado

Australian IBF/IBO Flyweight Champion Vic Darchinyan looked impressive last night at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, finishing Mexican challenger Luis Maldonado halfway through the eighth round after an action packed slugfest. Both men came to fight from the moment the first bell rang but Darchinyan, 26-0 (21), began to pull clear by the fourth frame and canvassed his foe in the sixth. Maldonado, 33-1-1 (25), showed a lot of heart to get back up and continue but could not keep the Australian off of him by the eighth round, forcing referee Joe Cortez to end the contest. Also on the bill, undefeated light middleweight prospect Yuri Foreman, 21-0 (8), handily outpointed iron chinned journeyman Jesus Valverde, 21-12 (16), over ten rounds.