Round by Round: Juan Diaz vs. Billy Irwin.

Friday night in the Reliant Center in Houston, Texas, USA, WBA lightweight champion Juan Diaz was sensational is shutting out Canadian challenger Billy Irwin on all scorecards before the contest was stopped in the ninth round by referee Earl Morton. The fight was a punishing affair for Irwin who was peppered with virtually the full arsenal of Diaz’s punches. Irwin spent much of the fight on the ropes and suffered considerable facial damage, especially to his right eye courtesy of Diaz’s excellent work with the left hand. Read on for a full account of the fight round by round, brought to you only by Saddoboxing.com

Round one: Diaz’s jabs are very snappy and effective. Irwin is looking for his lead uppercut shot but is missing wildly with it most of the time. Diaz has great success with the right hand and some sharp counter left hooks. Both fighters look like they are dishing out some serious leather. Diaz unloads towards the end of the round and he looks to have Irwin hurt.

Round two: Diaz puts Irwin down with a left hand as Irwin tries a hook of his own. Irwin gets up but is shaky and remains plastered to the ropes for the remainder of the round, absorbing a ton of punishment from Diaz. Diaz starts to work the head and body with his left hook in this round.

Round three: It’s all Diaz, he simply cannot miss. Irwin is hurt by a left again and as sson as he is, he retreats back to the ropes where Diaz pounces on him. Irwin makes no effort to get off the ropes and takes a solid beating for the rest of the round.

Round four: Irwin stays off the ropes for two minutes of the round and tries to get something going but Diaz is just too fast and Irwin has already taken too many punches for the night. For the last minute of the round, Diaz forces Irwin to the ropes again and administers a severe beating to the Canadian.

Round five: Irwin jabs much better in this round but the fight goes to the ropes once again after one minute and it is exactly where Irwin does not want to be. The counter-punching game is supposed to be Irwin’s but he can’t get anything off on Diaz who is just too busy and effective with the punches he even partially lands. Diaz’s jab is just so sharp, it pounds off Irwin’s head and sends him sagging into the ropes. Irwin gets off the ropes with twenty seconds to go.

Round six: The fight is off the ropes in this round. Diaz’s left hand is certainly his most effective as he jabs and hooks at will and cannot miss Irwin. A huge flurry from Diaz towards the end of the round has Irwin hurt and flailing across the ring.

Round seven: The same pattern emerges here as in the majority of the fight. Diaz’s workrate slows slightly but he still dictates the pace of the round and Irwin has virtually no ambition, he looks like he is just waiting to be stopped.

Round eight: Irwin comes out intent to do something but he cannot manage much at all at this point. Diaz is too fast, too busy and too young for Irwin to cope with. Irwin’s right eye is severely damaged and he is only still in the fight because Diaz is not a concussive puncher.

Round nine: The doctors take a good look at Irwin but he is allowed out to fight the round. Diaz goes to work and pounds Irwin much as he has throughout the fight so far. Diaz is about to really step in and throw some big shots on Irwin who is trapped on the ropes, but referee Earl Morton decides that enough is enough and he saves Irwin from taking any more punishment.

The winner, and still the undefeated WBA lightweight champion of the world in making his second defense of the title, Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz!

Irwin had never been stopped before this fight and he had already indicated his intention to retire regardless of the outcome of the fight.

Jim Cawkwell can be reached at jimcawkwell@yahoo.co.uk