Quigg destroys Martinez in two rounds
Scott Quigg produced a stunning second round knockout win over Kiko Martinez in his WBA Super Bantamweight title defense at the Manchester Arena.
Martinez was the aggressor in the opening round but Quigg floored the former IBF king with a superb uppercut. The Spaniard got to his feet but Quigg swarmed all over him with a barrage of heavy shots that sent Martinez tumbling once more and although he beat the count, the fight was waved off.
“I have never had the reception like that before,” said Quigg. “Thank you to everyone who has come out to support me.
“In the first round I tested his power and I knew he would gain a bit of confidence. In the second it set it up for the shot we had been working for. And it was a peach of an uppercut.
“I looked a bit wild, but kept as calm as possible and finished him.
“The first round was how we knew it would be. He was very nervous, so he was sharp and on edge, and I had to see what he was doing.
“But I got my range and we knew he would come out quicker in the second and knew he would walk on to my shot.
“I was expecting 12 tortuous rounds. This is my life and I was welling up in the ring because hopefully now I will get some credit. This is everything I’ve worked for as a kid.”
Perez Maintains Title with Controversial Draw
In a bout that perhaps should not have ended the way that it did, WBA Lightweight Champion Darleys Perez (32-1-1, 20 KOs) retained his world title with a draw against Anthony Crolla (29-4-3, 11 KOs) at the Manchester Arena in England on Saturday night.
The Colombian-born Perez, who was fighting in Crolla’s hometown, had one judge score the fight in his favor (114-113), while another had it for Crolla (116-111). The third judge had it even at 113-113.
Perez, however, was deducted one point on two separate occasions for low blows. If not for the deductions, Perez would have won a majority decision.
“It’s unfortunate that the fight ended in a draw, but sometimes that happens in boxing,” said Perez, who is co-promoted by Thompson Boxing Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions. “I’m going to regroup from this and come back stronger and more determined.”
“We believe Darleys Perez put on an outstanding performance,” said Ken Thompson, president of Thompson Boxing Promotions. “He connected with his jab frequently and had his left hook working all night. The draw isn’t a fantastic result, but he keeps the world championship.”
