Featherweight knockout artist Mauricio Lara (25-2-1, 18 KOs) made easy work of the game Jose Sanmartin (33-6-1, 21 KOs), knocking out the veteran in the third round on Saturday night in the main event on DAZN at the Plaza de Toros in Mexico City.
Lara, 24, knocked the Colombian Sanmartin down twice in the third round. After the second knockdown, the referee stepped in and stopped the fight. The time of the stoppage was at 1:36 of the third.
Sanmartin, 40, wouldn’t have made it up anyway, as he was hurt after getting nailed by a powerful, short left hook from Lara.
In the first knockdown of the third, Lara tagged Sanmartin with a hard right hand to the head that caused him to stagger backward, falling up against the ropes before sliding down on the canvas.
Sanmartin got back to his feet and was met with hard punches to the body and head from Lara.
With the win, Lara keeps his hopes alive for a world title shot. Before this fight was scheduled, Lara was supposed to be challenging WBA ‘regular’ featherweight champion Leigh Wood for his title. However, Wood suffered a bicep injury, resulting in the fight being canceled.
Some boxing fans believe Wood wasn’t injured but had second thoughts about taking on the dangerous Lara, who could have spoiled things for him to face WBA Super World 126-lb champion Leo Santa Cruz and IBF champ Josh Warrington in good-paying fights.
According to promoter Eddie Hearn, Wood still intends to fight Lara. We’ll see if that happens or not. It sounds good coming from Hearn, but actions speak louder than words.
Lara already knocked out Warrington in the ninth round last year in February. In their rematch, Warrington repeatedly rammed Lara until he was cut, causing the fight to be halted after two rounds.
The contest was then ruled a second round technical draw despite Lara dominating Warrington in both rounds in the same way he did with Sanmartin tonight. That fight took place in Warrington’s hometown of Leeds, England.
In other action in tonight’s card, lightweight contender Angel Fierro (20-1-2, 16 KOs) defeated Jeremy Cuevas (14-2, 10 KOs) by a seventh round knockout. in a fight that was a war. In the seventh, Fierro unloaded at will against a hurt Cuevas, prompting the referee to step in and half the fight. The time of the stoppage was at 0:53 of the seventh.
Unbeaten light welterweight Reshat Mati (13-0, 7 KOs) defeated Eduardo Leonel Rodriguez (10-3-1, 5 KOs) by a 10 round unanimous decision. The scores were 97-93, 97-93, and 97-93.
Super featherweight prospect Alberto Mora (4-0, 3 KOs) beat journeyman Diego Andrade (14-8-2, 1 KOs) by an eight round unanimous decision. The scores were 80-71, 79-72, and 78-73. In the eighth round, Mora knocked Andrade down.
