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© Tom Casino / Showtime Boxing
Yonnhy Perez made the most of his first world title fight by knocking off reigning IBF bantam titlist tonight at Treasure Island Casino in Las Vegas, NV.
The underdog coming into the challenge, Perez had previously pulled off an upset over Silence Mabuzza in South Africa earlier this year while Agbeko was coming off a stunning victory over heavily favored Vic Darchinyan.
The clash between Agbeko and Perez was expected to produce fireworks and the pair didn’t disappoint as the artillery began to fly from the opening bell.
Agbeko started off strong as Perez sought to get the timing of the champion’s aggressive style. By the second, Perez began to hold his ground and land.
The middle rounds featured exciting two-way action as both men hit the target with big shots, soaking up the power before dishing out more.
Agbeko began to mix in body shots until Perez found a way to counter their effectiveness. The Colombian tried unsuccessfully to overrun Agbeko in the seventh but the champion was beginning to lose his momentum.
The later rounds saw both combatants flagging from the hot pace until Agbeko suffered a disputed knockdown in the 11th. The man from Ghana beat the count but bitterly contested the knockdown ruling.
Agbeko and Perez went out with guns blazing in the 12th frame, leaving nothing in the tank after three minutes of heavy shelling before the bell rang to end matters.
When the cards were read, Perez was the unanimous decision winner by surprisingly wide margins of 117-110, 117-110 and 116-111.
Yonnhy Perez becomes the new IBF bantamweight champion, improving to 20-0 (14), while Joseph Agbeko drops to 27-2 (22).
On the undercard, lightweight Antonio DeMarco, 23-1-1 (17), stopped Jose Alfaro, 23-5 (20), in the tenth to capture the Interim WBC crown.
Heavyweight veteran Ray Austin, 28-4-4 (14), picked up a big win by stopping DaVarryl Williamson, 26-6 (22), in the fourth of a scheduled 12 rounds.
