There was a smattering of action below the Rio Grande this weekend and we start off in Mexico where there was a battle for the IBF Minimumweight crown at Loreto in Baja California Sur last night.

Local man Raul Garcia, 25-0-1 (16), walked into the arena as reigning champion and after twelve rounds of combat with challenger Jose Luis Varela, 15-6 (7), of Colombia, still held the title, outpointing the former WBA Fedebol kingpin by wide margins in a rematch.

The two originally squared off in September with Garcia also winning that bout and "Rayito" has now retained the IBF belt on two occasions. Varela has lost his last three bouts, each in world title challenges.

Chief support on the bill was provided by San Antonio, Texas based lightweight Juan Castaneda, 15-1 (12), who dropped Los Mochis battler Abel Berrelleza, 19-10-2 (10), three times enroute to posting a first round KO.

Mexico City super feather Alejandro Sanabria, 19-0 (15), kept on track with a third round KO of 39 year old journeyman Jorge Romero, 8-40-1 (4), and David Gaspar, 8-0-1 (5), captured the vacant WBA Fedecaribe Super Flyweight belt with a majority decision against Francisco Reyes, 4-9-2 (3). More...

HBO Plus' hard-hitting new boxing series, "Next Boxing Generation" will close out 2008 on Saturday, December 13, with a tripleheader featuring Puerto Rico's finest in key bouts at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In the main event of the evening, scheduled for 10 rounds, Vega Baja junior lightweight Roman Martinez risks his 20-0 (12) record and world ranking as he squares off against Colombian veteran Walter Estrada, 30-7 (20). More...

Last night at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall, Kelly Pavlik extended his domination over the middleweight division as the lanky Ohio man stopped the challenge of Wales' Gary Lockett in the third round to keep possession of his WBC and WBO titles.

The come forward aggression of Pavik proved too much for his challenger from across the Atlantic to defend against as Lockett had to take a knee twice in the second round in an attempt to stave off the inevitable.

But Lockett's run ended in the third when he was canvassed and trainer Enzo Calzaghe called a halt to the one way traffic.

Pavlik improves to 34-0 (30) while Lockett loses for the first time in 14 bouts to fall to 30-2 (21).

In a battle of big punchers, WBO Super Bantamweight Champion Daniel Ponce De Leon, 34-2 (30), of Mexico was shockingly stopped in the first round by challenger Juan Manuel Lopez, 22-0 (20).

British and Commonwealth Super Featherweight Champion Kevin Mitchell, 27-0 (20), was on the bill and the Londoner stopped veteran Colombian southpaw Walter Estrada, 34-6 (23), in five rounds.