Nice match

Oganov and Dirrell are about ready to go. My trip to the turlet, to be honest, went about five minutes longer than I expected.

Since they’re fighting for an NABO title.

This is an interesting matchup, sort of similar to the main event. Boxer versus puncher all the way.

Dirrell throwing the jab to keep the shorter, squat Oganov at distance. The height difference is huge here. Dirrell, of course, switching from lefty to righty all over the place. Oganov stalking and getting popped for his troubles. Dirrell UNLOADING on Oganov, who’s doing his best to cover up, but some of these shots are getting through. Dirrell is HAMMERING away! Big left! Oganov can’t do anything. He’s not throwing anything at all.

Dirrell is just throwing and throwing and throwing, this might wind up being stupid. Oganov doesn’t appear shaken up at all, even though he’s getting destroyed points-wise. Huge first round for Dirrell.

Dirrell 10-8 w/o a knockdown, but he better not punch himself out

Ooh, was that the CHECK HOOK from Dirrell? Observing and thinking out of the heat of the moment, I’m really not worried about Dirrell getting tired, because Dirrell has also shown he can swat Oganov from distance every time he feels like it, and Oganov has no ability to break his defense and footwork and get inside.

Dirrell is running from Oganov, essentially, and there was one point where he looked like he was lost, but it has passed. A popping jab from Dirrell. Shot to the body, another jab, another body shot, then an uppercut. Dirrell is having no problems. Oganov is swinging and missing a bunch, but he’s standing in there and pursuing.

Dirrell 10-9
Dirrell 20-17

Dirrell RIPPING to the body to start this round. Andre slips to his knee, nothin’ to see there.

Dirrell measures him with a winging body shot. Dirrell is just on a different level, and if the Zuniga TKO didn’t ruin Oganov’s bullshit record, this will. It is very clear that nothing is going on with Oganov, who simply does not have the speed, reach, footwoork, or defensive ability to fight with good fighters. Oganov is getting destroyed. If this was a fight between two guys in the club early in their careers, the Oganov corner would end this and re-consider their guy’s career.

Bernstein compares this to Mijares-Arce. Fairly valid comparison. They also note that only lightning will stop this outdoor card — rain won’t be enough. Knock on wood.

Dirrell continues to smoke Oganov with big power shots, nasty combinations, and he’s cut Oganov over his left eye. Bad cut. This isn’t going to last much longer.

Dirrell 10-9
Dirrell 30-26

They appear befuddled by a cut, and wait too long to stop the bleeding. Wow.

We’re OK for now.

Dirrell is throwing laser-like shots at the cut, seeing immediately that the blood hasn’t stopped flowing. Dirrell is seriously just measuring him up, firing at the cut, and looking to end this. Oganov isn’t throwing back at all. The referee would be justified, rules-wise, for stopping this at any number of points. Oganov looks horrible.

Dirrell hits his knee on two low blows, and the referee just goes, “Come on! Continue! Let’s go!” What the fuck? Can we seriously get some better goddamned referees in this sport, guys that know what the fuck they’re doing in there? Jesus Christ. It’s embarrassing when the fucking commentators every fourth fight sternly question the referee.

Oganov missing a bunch for the rest of the round as Dirrell tries to recover from his nuts getting clocked.

Dirrell 10-9
Dirrell 40-35

Belt line, and then very low. Sweet job, ref.

Oganov with the chase, and Dirrell is actually doing his bicycle race now. Now he’s throwing again. Left hook from Dirrell looks like it re-opens that cut. Dirrell is basically just slapping Oganov around the ring. Oganov has nothing in the toolbox to fix this problem.

Hey, Oganov lands a left hook, but one of them is not going to be enough. This isn’t one of the schlubs he’s beaten up in his career.

Dirrell slips again. That’s the third time Dirrell has hit the mat, none of them knockdowns.

Dirrell 10-9, but he’s clearly fatiguing
Dirrell 50-44

Are Dirrell’s trunks really beige? That’s kind of a loud beige.

Ray Corona stops it at a very, very odd time. Oganov says he’s fine. Wow, Corona’s horrible. It’s not a terrible stoppage, but it came out of nowhere it seems. It could have come any time before. He appeared to just go, “Nah that’s enough.”

Ugh. Seriously, we need better referees in this sport.

Andre Dirrell TKO-6

Uppercut, another left, Corona’s waving it off. It’s not unjust, like I said, just a bit peculiar.

The ring is collapsing during the post-fight interview.

Really, dude?

Faaaaantastic.

Jimmy Lennon’s a-talkin’ and it’s…SHOW time.

Marty Denkin, Jack Reis, Pat Russell

Darchinyan’s death stare is something to behold. Mijares just smiles back.

Darchinyan trying to lunge and do his weird shit, but Mijares just slips it all. Neither guy does much for the opening minute.

Left from Darchinyan. Mijares with a right moments later. Another short, hard left from Darchinyan. Mijares is really not doing much so far. It’s worth noting. He’s not jabbing, not countering, really. WICKED combo from Darchinyan that really stings Mijares. Both of those shots landed flush. Uppercut from Darchinyan. Body shot from Darchinyan. Darchinyan pressing, DOWN GOES MIJARES!

Up at eight. Darchinyan charges and throws his ass off, but the bell saves Mijares.

Well…

Darchinyan 10-8

Ripping shot to the body from Darchinyan, but Mijares slips a lot of the impact. Thumping left from Darchinyan, and Vic is just firing bombs now. Mijares slugs back, because he has no other choice right now. Darchinyan throwing and throwing, pressing, and keeping Mijares completely off balance.

Mijares is getting macho now, begging Darchinyan to come at him. Body shot from Darchinyan. Left from Mijares. Mijares trying to settle it down and do his thing, and a counter right hook stings Darchinyan! Now Vic’s getting really dangerously wild, but the bell rings.

Darchinyan 10-9
Darchinyan 20-17

Hey, Izzy Vazquez in the house. Excellent.

Mijares goes to the body. Bernstein points out the continuing lack of a jab from Mijares. If he could get that working he’s got tons of time. Quick trade that Mijares wins. Darchinyan continues to be the leading man. Steve Albert: “Mijares almost inviting Darchinyan in…and that’s not bright.”

Mijares keeps calling Darchinyan in, challenging him, and I just think that’s an awful idea. Plus Mijares is posturing more than he’s punching. He’s been unable to counter much, has no jab, and has only landed one or two really good punches. Better round for Mijares, but he still didn’t do enough.

Darchinyan 10-9
Darchinyan 30-26

Body shot from Vic. Two jabs, both blocked, from Mijares. Three punches, all blocked. A flurry, all blocked. A body shot gets in — nothing upstairs is landing. It looks better, but he’s not scoring.

Darchinyan with a good left on a sudden rush. Couple of counter shots from Mijares, but Darchinyan’s landing, too. Quick body shot from Mijares. He’s got 40 seconds to take this round.

And Darchinyan rushes him again, landing a couple more punches. Vic misses the lunging uppercut. This was Mijares’ best round, and he still lost it. But he’s getting back in the fight gradually. He’ll need to step it up very quickly, though he may have taken this round on some cards.

Darchinyan 10-9
Darchinyan 40-35

This is turning more and more into a fight where you would think Mijares would dominate, but he’s just not doing it. He’s struggling to find any rhythm at all. Fat Gary Shaw yells at the referee for something or other.

Left from Vic. Another left inside. NASTY body shot from Darchinyan, and he’s starting to do the wind-up shit. Stiff jab from Mijares, but Vic just takes a step back and regroups, then comes back firing. Darchinyan closes the round throwing. Mijares complains about being held after the bell. Eh. Box better.

Darchinyan 10-9
Darchinyan 50-44

Dr. Lou warned Darchinyan to stop using the elbows.

Thudding left from Darchinyan. Body shot from Mijares. Darchinyan has simply effectively diffused Mijares’ gameplan. There’s a straight left that could’ve been a knockout shot from Darchinyan. Mijares with a right hand pot shot.

Darchinyan measures and stings Mijares with a 1-2, then comes back at him with an uppercut that lands a bit shorter than he wanted. HARD left from Darchinyan. Vic with a couple more shots, then he avoids Mijares’ counter attempts. Another round for Darchinyan. This is dominance now. Mijares was not prepared for Darchinyan to actually box smarter than he has in the past.

Darchinyan 10-9
Darchinyan 60-53

Just after the bell, Darchinyan lands another straight left to the dome. All of press row has the same score as I do. No matter your opinion of Vic, he’s been excellent tonight, and you have to give him his props.

Mijares coming back midway through the round, and starting to confuzzle Vic a bit. Right when I say that, Darchinyan lands another left handed bomb, and starts going buckwild. There’s a three-punch combo from Vic, and Mijares is forced into trying to mix it up. This is now Mijares’ best round and I still don’t know that he’s winning it.

Wicked uppercut from Darchinyan, and he pops him a couple more times. They jaw after the bell. Yeah, I’ll stick with Vic. He takes a closer round. I just don’t think Mijares has the power to come back enough to win this fight.

Darchinyan 10-9
Darchinyan 70-62

Mijares comes out jabbing. Make no mistake, the first part of the seventh was good for Mijares. But the better shots came down the stretch from Darchinyan.

Mijares getting busier, and Darchinyan throws and lands what Steve calls “a corkscrew uppercut.” Two shots to the body from Darchinyan. Steve and Al think there’s some vulnerability in Darchinyan, then he comes back throwing. I’ll tell you, they’re not totally off, although I think they’re overdoing it. But I think it’s possible Darchinyan may have hurt his right hand. Probably not broken it, but maybe busted a knuckle or something. His combos aren’t there, but he’s still throwing heavy lefts.

I have no idea, really, what Mijares has been trying to accomplish tonight. Another round for Vic.

Darchinyan 10-9
Darchinyan 80-71

Right hook from Mijares. Press row has it 79-72 across the board.

Mijares is the guy trying roughouse tactics. It’s sort of been a reversal of what you’d expect from both guys. Heavy combo from Darchinyan, and then he NAILS him with a left. Mijares is hurt. Darchinyan has a minute left in the round to try to make something big happen. Mijares hangs onto Darchinyan. Vic with a body shot, goes upstairs and it’s blocked. Darchinyan smells it. Mijares does, too, because he’s just holding when he can.

Mijares throws a few punches, and he might have gotten his legs back enough. Vic charges, and WHAM!! LEFT HAND FROM DARCHINYAN, DOWN GOES MIJARES!

AND IT’S OVER!

Vic Darchinyan KO-9

Well. Hate to say I told you so.