Boxing In Mexico: Keb Baas Dethroned, Hirales, Garcia Win

There were a few upsets last night in Mexico as three world title bouts took place across the country.

The highest profile defeat occurred when the reign of WBC light fly king Gilberto Keb Baas was snuffed out in a rematch at Coliseum Don King in Texcoco by Adrian Hernandez, who also won their original encounter in 2008.

Just 22 years of age and at 5’8, towering above the 33 year old, 5’2 tall Keb Baas, Hernandez made the bout very difficult for the champion from the first round onward.

By the middle rounds, Keb Baas was getting outboxed and had to draw on all his vast experience to get into the later frames. But by the tenth the bout was so one-sided that the action was stopped before the 11th round began.

Hernandez improves to 21-1-1 (13), winning a world title on his first try, and has now won eight contests in a row. Keb Baas drops to 35-21-4 (22).

There were two world title clashes at Foro Polanco in Mexico City with a pair of contests for the WBO crown.

Ex-IBF minimumweight ruler Raul Garcia, 30-1-1 (18), is once again back in the elite of the division as he banged out visiting Filipino slugger Rommel Asenjo, 20-3 (16), for the WBO minimumweight trophy.

Asenjo came to fight but the seasoned Garcia had just too much skill, ending matters at 2:52 of the third after flooring fellow southpaw Asenjo earlier in the round.

Another lefty came up a winner as Ramon Garcia Hirales, 16-2-1 (9), reversed a February loss to Jesus Geles, 12-2-1 (5), in emphatic fashion.

Geles was in deep water from the start as the Colombian was down in the first and never quite recovered as he was KO’d at 1:15 of the fourth and Hirales wins the WBO light fly strap.