Here are the full results for tonight's Top Rank pay-per-view, "In Harm's Way." Wound up a very entertaining show, as it seems is usually the case for these shows that everyone complains about. I can't remember the last time I felt like I didn't get my money's worth out of a non-mega PPV that I ordered, especially as compared to the huge HBO shows that tend to stink the joint out. This was a damn good card.
Humberto Soto UD-12 Urbano Antillon
What a great, great fight. A surefire Fight of the Year candidate, and I'll say right now this is my leader in the race. Soto (54-7-2, 32 KO) and Antillon (28-2, 20 KO) went to war from the get-go. Soto won on scores of 115-112 and 114-113 (twice). Bad Left Hook had it 115-112 for Soto.
Antillon was incredibly aggressive throughout the fight, and wound up walking into tons of uppercuts, which wound up being Soto's money punch on the night. Antillon's best punch was his left hook. Early on, Soto looked like Juan Manuel Marquez against Juan Diaz or Michael Katsidis, being hounded relentlessly, taking some blows, but landing crisp, hard counter shots and doing plenty of damage himself. Soto has been criticized for taking soft competition in the last three years, but tonight he faced a tough, strong, in-prime fighter, and the talent he has always displayed proved out.
Antillon gave his best, but just wasn't fast or technically sound enough. He also laid in plenty of chippy stuff -- headbutts, tons of low blows, and threw Soto to the ground twice, though only one was a proper throw, the second a bit more of a team effort when they got their arms tied up. Both men got hurt at various points, but Soto was never on bad legs the way Antillon was a couple of times.
This was, simply put, a wonderful fight. Brandon Rios has been promised a fight with the winner, and Soto-Rios looks great on paper. I'd love to see Antillon in with Rios, with Soto again, or with any of the other good action fighters at 135. He's a bull, and tonight Soto was just a bit too good of a matador. It was a magnificent war.
After the fight, Bob Arum said he could put Antillon in with Miguel Vazquez, who holds one of the belts at 135. Antillon didn't seem particularly excited about that, but Arum should be able to sell him on it. It was kind of a weird moment, actually.
Hats off to both fighters for a brilliant main event.
Nonito Donaire KO-4 Wladimir Sidorenko
This was a pure slaughter, and Donaire was spectacular. He rocked Sidorenko (22-3-2, 7 KO) all over the ring in the first round, and knocked him down late. Only the bell saved Sidorenko from being stopped in one. Donaire dominated the second round, too, then put Sidorenko down in the third round again. At that point, Sidorenko's nose was bleeding and his face was puffed up everywhere. To his credit, he kept coming at Donaire (25-1, 17 KO), but he just couldn't handle Donaire's speed and power, and couldn't hurt Nonito. Donaire drilled him with a left hook and right hand down the pipe in the fourth, Sidorenko took a knee, and with blood pouring, he stayed down. It was the right move. He did his best, but he was totally overwhelmed. Donaire looked phenomenal at 118 pounds. After the bout, Donaire said a February fight with Fernando Montiel "is set," but we've heard that story before. That's a great fight, though, even better now than before. Donaire was locked in and a destroyer in the ring tonight. February 19 is the date for Montiel-Donaire, and Bob Arum said they'll have a Mike Jones-Jesus Soto Karass rematch that night, too.
Mikey Garcia KO-5 Olivier Lontchi
There was a lot of talk about Garcia against Juan Manuel Lopez, who was ringside for the fight. Garcia (24-0, 20 KO) was measured and patient, worked off of a very good jab, and in the fifth round flattened Lontchi (18-2-2, 8 KO) with a big right hand. He got up and fought on, but was finished off shortly after by a big flurry from Garcia. Garcia could probably use a couple more good fights before going after someone like Lopez or Yuriorkis Gamboa, but Lopez needs an opponent for March, so it all depends on how many dollar signs the Top Rank brass see when looking at Mikey, probably. If not a ton, they might send him in. I'd be excited to see it, really, and it might be the best fight they can do in March.
Pawel Wolak TKO-7 Jose Pinzon
Wolak (28-1, 18 KO) came off the deck in the second round when he was caught with a very well-timed left hook to win as expected. The bull-charging Wolak imposed his will on the undercooked Pinzon (18-2-1, 12 KO) after a very dangerous second round where he was reeling following the knockdown. Pinzon wound up punching himself out, and starting in the third, it was all Wolak. This wasn't Pawel's best performance, but he was fighting heavy and on short notice, too. A win's a win, and maybe he gets Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. next after this. The stoppage by referee Jack Reiss, for the record, was a very good one. Pinzon was drilled with a right hand and basically fell into Wolak's arms. He was out on his feet and Reiss made the right call. At that point there was absolutely no reason to let Pinzon keep taking punishment.