By Vanessa McConnell: It keeps getting better each time around. Top Rank Boxing promoted another action packed Championship fight at the Palms Hotel & Casino this weekend featuring some of the fastest upcoming prospects in the game. The main event featuring the WBA World Lightweight Champion Miguel Acosta against Brando Rios was the making of a perfect rematch. Acosta hung on to his reign for 10 rounds before getting knocked out by Rios at 1:14 with a mean combination up against the ropes. Acosta came out very strong using the ropes as his cushion but it was his lack of defense that may have cost him the title. Ringside was Nonito Donaire who recently defeated Fernando Montiel with a sweet 2nd round knockout claiming his two bantamweight titles and ending his 24 fight streak.
Acosta’s camp poured into the arena with umbrellas representing the Venezuela flag colors ready to defend his title and started out powerful leading the entire fight with his right. He spent most of the fight on the ropes but he did not stop swinging and landing some of the hardest hits that seemed to almost not faze Rios. Acosta lead in the score card for the first 4 rounds but began to drop his gloves and slow down half way through the fight, giving Rios the advantage.
Rios kept smiling at Acosta and remained calm and focused throughout the entire fight. Both fighters exchanged a number of combinations but it was Rios that kept backing Acosta against the ropes and remained in the center of the ring in his ready to rumble stance. Acosta did a great job defending his title but he was no near match for Rios, especially in the 5th round after his left eye began to swell. You could see that it was difficult for him to see but he did not give up even spending so much time on the ropes.
Rios began to realize ending the 4th round that he was going to lose the fight if he don’t land more punches or make a lasting impact and came out in the 5th with guns fully loaded. After the 5th round, Rios realized that he had taken over the fight, even winking at his corner and smiling even brighter. From that point on all Acosta could do is stick and move but he could not stay off the ropes. Acosta was hit with a quick left jab and went down for an 8 count. From that point on Rios began to focus on closing that swollen eye but actually opened up a gash under his right eye. By the 8th round, Acosta had no defense left and it was obvious that he was losing the battle fast. Acosta hung in there as long as he could until he was backed into the rope and took a flurry of combinations that sent him down for good in the 10th.
The co-main event was a swing bout between Aaron Garcia and Alejandro Lopez for 4 rounds of featherweight action. Garcia won the bout by majority decision. Roberto Marroquin defeated Gilberto Sanchez Leon by unanimous decision in the 8 round Featherweight bout. Mike Lee won a sweet and swift victory against Pablo Gomez in a 1st round TKO stopping at 2:17. Anthony Lenk defeated Terry Buterbaugh in the 6th round with a TKO at 2:42. Jesse Magdaleno also had a perfect defeat against Jaime Gutierrez with at 1st round TKO at 2:12. Andy Ruiz defeated Alvaro Morales by unanimous decision and Hiromitsu Miura knocked Ramiro Bueno in 2:20 of the 1st round.
Top Rank Boxing presented another fantastic fight card at the Pearl inside the Palms, giving fight fans even more reason to get their tickets early for the upcoming March 12 Miguel Cotto vs Ricardo Mayorga fight at the MGM Grand Arena. Cotto will be back in the ring after nine months off after his defeat against Yuri Foreman and Mayorga is coming off a 9th round TKO against Michael Walker in December 2010. This is promised to be another exciting fight for Top Rank and boxing fans worldwide. Cotto is more excited about making Mayorga eat his words and show him who’s wearing the panties among the two and hopes to put the trash talking fighter to sleep. For more information or to view video releases for Top Rank fights visit www.toprank.com.