Undefeated prospect Fabian Maidana (10-0, 7 KOs) scored a seventh-round technical knockout victory over Jorge Maysonet Jr. (13-2, 11 KOs) Saturday night in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on NBCSN from the Scottish Rite Auditorium in San Antonio.
With his brother, former world champion Marcos Maidana, sitting at ringside, the Argentine-slugger overcame a slow start and a first-round bloody nose for a sensational one-sided beat-down of the Puerto Rican brawler Maysonet, who failed to answer the bell for the seventh round of Saturday’s main event.
Referee Rafael Ramos, acting on the advice of Maysonet’s corner, called the fight as Maidana dominated the punch stats with a 60-22 advantage in overall punches, 49-15 in power shots, and 11-7 in jabs.
Maysonet came to fight and pressed Maidana from the beginning, eventually, nailing Maidana with a right hand to the nose that opened up a steady flow of blood.
Sensing the urgency, Maidana stormed back in the second, rocking Maysonet with a right hand, left hook combination with just over 10 seconds to go in a round in which he out-landed Maysonet 12-4 in power shots.
Maidana’s kept up a versatile attack in the third round using head movement, stick-and-move tactics and a varied assortment of punches to keep up his advantage over Maysonet.
Maidana turned the match in his favor in the next round, delivering an impressive battering of Maysonet over the final 20 seconds of the round.
The Argentine was even more dominant in the one-sided fifth and sixth rounds, doubling up on his hooks, firing straight rights and landing head-snapping shots that began the demise of a fading Maysonet.
Undefeated Alan Castano (11-0, 7 KOs) failed to earn his third straight knockout despite out-landing his opponent 157-94 in overall punches, winning his middleweight bout by unanimous decision (78-74 three times) over 22-year-old Aaron Garcia (15-6-1, 10 KOs).
The 23-year-old Castano was accurate early in the first round with clean right hands supporting a stiff jab. The attack caused immediate swelling over Garcia’s left eye entering the second round, where he temporarily was able to trap and hammer away at Garcia with combinations against the ropes.
Garcia dominated the final 45 minutes of the second round with a momentum-swinging right to the head followed by successive combinations from both fighters at the bell.
A third-round clash of heads caused a nasty gash over Garcia’s right eye that increasingly streamed blood, forcing Garcia to go on the offensive, as Castano countered effectively with both hands to the head and body in an action-packed fourth round.
Castano continued to control the fight, establishing angles from behind his jab, follow-up rights and clean left uppercuts while Garcia stayed competitive throughout the round.
Fighting beyond six rounds for the first time in his career, Castano spent the final two rounds on the defensive, jabbing and countering from a distance and staying off the ropes on his way to winning unanimously.
The televised opener saw 19-year-old Brandon Figueroa (9-0, 7 KOs) score a pair of final-round knockdowns on the way to his fifth-straight stoppage victory as he earned a TKO over Adalberto Zorrilla (7-2, 7 KOs) at the 2:44 mark of the third round.
The southpaw Figueroa, brother of former world champion Omar Figueroa, pressed forward with a double-fisted attack from the outset, but Zorrilla landed several uppercuts cleanly up the middle, refusing to back down from the challenge of the unbeaten prospect.
Zorrilla began to out-work the oncoming Figueroa to the head and body through the second round before being penalized for repeated low blows late in the round by referee Rafael Ramos.
The fighters engaged toe-to-toe, at ring center to start the third until a Figueroa left to the head rocked Zorrilla to the ropes. Figueroa saw his opportunity and pounced, flooring him with a left hand near the one-minute mark.
Zorrilla beat the count and engaged immediately, staggering Figueroa with a left jab. Figueroa came back to floor him for good, with 18 seconds to go after a left to the body followed by one to the head. The blows sent Zorrilla to his back beneath a bottom rope, where Ramos waved an end to the fight.
Here is what the fighters had to say Saturday night:
FABIAN MAIDANA
“We were very pleased with our performance. He caught me with a good shot that drew blood from my nose in the first round. I just kept calm, listened to my corner and stuck to the game plan. I knew I was the stronger fighter; I just had to remain patient.
“I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to knock him out, but I sensed that he would eventually quit. He stopped throwing punches and didn’t want to fight back.
“It means everything to have Chino (Marcos Maidana) by my side, supporting my career. It meant a lot to get this win on US TV in the same city where he beat Adrien Broner (in Dec. ’13) and became a star. With each fight, I want to show fans that I’m Fabian Maidana, not just his little brother. I proved that tonight and will do so with more experience. I’m ready to carry the family name in the ring.
“This was only my 10th pro fight. I’m going to keep improving each time. Next fight, I will look even better, no matter when it is.”
JORGE MAYSONET
“I had him hurt early, but I couldn’t put my punches together after that. I gave 100% of what I had, but I really only had 50% of my best stuff. I’m a lightweight. They wanted the fight at super lightweight, then 143. We took the fight because of who he is, really who his brother is.
“To be honest, we don’t think much of him as a fighter. He’s bigger than me and was able to beat me that way. My corner saw that I reached a point where I couldn’t fight the way I wanted to. We didn’t want to disappoint the crowd by going out there and not fighting, so my corner stopped the fight and I respect their decision. This isn’t the last of me, I’m coming back at my natural weight and will go on to achieve great things in this sport.”
ALAN CASTANO
“I’m very happy with my performance. It was my first time going eight rounds, I had a lot of energy throughout the fight and was able to do everything I wanted in there.
“He was tough, but we knew that going in. I didn’t pay a lot of attention to his fight with Brian (Alan’s older brother, who beat Garcia by eight-round decision last December). I couldn’t tell you if he was any different tonight than when he fought that night. I just know what I wanted to do. He gave me a good test that I needed at this point in my career.
“I’d love to come back as soon as my team can make a fight for me.”
BRANDON FIGUEROA
“It was good to get the knockout, but I felt very off tonight, very sluggish. I like the activity I’ve had but this might be the first time in my career where I need a break.
“This was the toughest test to date for me. I knew that going into the fight and he landed a few good shots. This was a night where I needed to be at my best. I wasn’t but fortunate to get the job done.
“I know the left hook landed to his body to end the fight, but I don’t even remember it. I felt a little sick towards the end of training camp. My focus was just trying to get him out of there. I did that, so now it’s time to act like a teenager and enjoy a summer vacation, maybe slow it down just a little.”
