Former lightweight champ Joel Casamayor returned to the ring tonight with a tougher-than-expected win over Jason Davis. (Photo via assets.espn.go.com)

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Zab Judah and Joel Casamayor won as expected in their Las Vegas comeback fights tonight on pay-per-view, leaving only the question of what's left and if either of them are actually any good anymore. Tonight taught us nothing.

In front of a very small crowd that included Erik Estrada at The Palms, Judah stopped retired scrub Ubaldo Hernandez in two rounds on a clear low blow and some sort of arm injury after knocking down the journeyman in the first. The groin shot wasn't intentional, it just sort of happened as Judah was going to the body. He knocked him down on a jab to the body in the first.

Judah (38-6, 26 KO) proclaimed after the fight that he'd be going down to 140 pounds -- yes, he said that again -- to fight titlist Juan Urango. Honestly, as little as I think of Judah at this point, if he's got much of anything left he can and should beat Urango. I have no doubt that Urango could knock him out, but if Zab can make 140 comfortably and fights smart, he's way too fast and skilled for the exceptionally slow and plodding Colombian. He said after that he wants to return to 147 and take on Andre Berto, a guy I'm quite confident he'd lose to in typical Judah fashion.

Before anyone gets excited about Judah's return, let's recap just what this fight was. Hernandez, now 22-20-2, was never good. Ever. And he also hadn't fought in two years. For some reason, Hernandez came out fighting southpaw. His complaining about his arm might indicate he came in with an injury from training.

His recent resume is utterly pathetic for a guy still paraded as a contender. He's also been talking this return to 140 jive for about two years, and he's never actually done it. He did use that as an excuse for pulling out of a twice-scheduled fight with Matthew Hatton, who has never fought at 140 pounds. He ducked out of two fights with Hatton and one with Antonio Diaz this year, and then turned down an offer from Shane Mosley. He'll tell you it was money or not a big enough name, but what do you think he pulled in tonight? This show made no money. This opponent was a straight-up bum with zero credibility who hadn't fought in two years.

If you're going to talk the talk, at least try to walk the walk.

In the co-feature, Joel Casamayor took his first fight at 140 pounds and looked sluggish, powerless and old against a game Jason Davis. Casamayor (37-4-1, 22 KO) won an eight-round decision, taking the cards 79-73 across the board. Bad Left Hook scored it 78-74 for Casamayor. It was a definite win, but not much of one, and it was obvious he has zero power fighting that heavy. He shook off the rust, but never had Davis in any trouble at all and couldn't get the guy to back down one step. He has no future at 140 pounds and if he can make 135 (which his handlers say he still can), he needs to get back down there. He's 38 years old (officially, anyway) and the clock is ticking fast if it hasn't totally run out.

A few more notes:

• Zab Judah brought out a bunch of belts he used to hold. That was cute.
• Fernando Vargas, who co-promoted the show, did post-fight interviews and such. He needs to fight again about as badly as I need another meatball sub. (Or about as badly as he needs another meatball sub.)
  
• Casamayor says he'll fight anyone, that he's "old school." I'll give him this: He's definitely old school, and I don't doubt he'll fight anyone.
• I'm serious. Erik Estrada was there.
• The American national anthem was sung by an Englishman.

Sam Sexton (right) won decisively against Martin Rogan in their Belfast rematch. Rogan quit after six rounds of action. (Photo via www.irishnews.com)

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On the Friday Sky Sports double-header from two sites in Northern Ireland, Sam Sexton came out with a much clearer victory over Martin Rogan in their heavyweight rematch, and Paul McCloskey dominated Spaniard Daniel Rasilla to claim the vacant European junior welterweight title.

First from Magherafelt, McCloskey improved to 20-0 with a completely one-sided victory over Rasilla, a late substitute for Souleymane M'baye, stopping him with two knockdowns in the ninth round. McCloskey won every round of the fight, and basically every minute of the fight, with his awkward, stalking southpaw style. His punches come from all angles, and he gave the outclassed Rasilla nightmares the entire evening.

Rasilla (15-3, 4 KO) gave a brave effort, but was just too slow and mechanical for McCloskey, who hopefully will get a fight on par with the M'baye proposal next. He's good, but it's time to find out how good with another step up. Rasilla was no challenge at all. McCloskey (20-0, 10 KO) probably won't be a world force, as he's already 30, but only the very best wouldn't have a bit of trouble with his style, I believe.

In the big heavyweight rematch in Belfast, Martin Rogan came to knock Sam Sexton out, which he likely should have the first time around, but failed to get rid of him. I had Rogan up four rounds to one (49-46) after five rounds, the fifth of which was an oddly desperate sort of charge by Rogan, who was clearly leaving it all in the ring in what smelled of a last-ditch effort.

As it turned out, it pretty much was. Sexton dominated the sixth round with jabs, combinations, lead rights, and left hooks, destroying Rogan and leaving him wobbling at the end of the round. After that sixth round, Rogan retired from the fight in his corner.

Afterward, Rogan (12-2, 6 KO) said he has a pinched nerve that was a holdover from the first fight with Sexton, and that his left arm felt "dead." Again, the fifth round felt like a guy who was fighting to get a knockout or that was it. He must have felt that injury creeping up fast, because he was winging every big shot he had in his arsenal. Sexton withstood it, blasted him around in the sixth, and Rogan decided that was enough.

Sexton (13-1, 6 KO) retains his Commonwealth heavyweight title with the big victory, and at 25 I think he has some solid promise, at least on the domestic level. He is getting better, and he mostly dominated the first fight with Rogan with his jab. This time around he wasn't in the same rhythm, but he also appeared much more calm, relaxed and aware of what he could do. They were confident this time, and it showed, even though I had Sexton down 58-56 when the fight was stopped. That sixth clearly had the fight going his way, and had Rogan come out again a stoppage wasn't far off.

At 38, Rogan has only a short window remaining. I actually think he's a better boxer than he's often given credit for being. Yeah, he's a lunging brawler and gets hit a fair amount, but his base skills really aren't that bad. He's not some hack; he knows what he's doing in there. And given that his fights are almost always entertaining and that he's absolutely adored in Northern Ireland, he's still got some fights left in him. His career's already been pretty improbable, but I for one am glad we've gotten to see it happen.

Congratulations to Sexton and McCloskey on their wins, and a hats off to the brave Rasilla and the always-fun Martin Rogan.

Jason Litzau continued his rebound effort with a win over Johnnie Edwards at Camp Lejuene. (Photo via www.theamericanboys.com)

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On tonight's special ESPN2 card at the Camp Lejuene Marine base in North Carolina, Jason Litzau won a wide decision over ex-Marine Johnnie Edwards in the main event, and Frankie Figueroa and Rashad Holloway fought to a six-round draw in the co-feature.

Litzau (26-2, 21 KO) was largely unimpressive in beating Edwards (15-5-1, 8 KO), and didn't exactly hold up to the constant claim by ESPN's Brian Kenny that he was a "world class fighter." Litzau went back down to 130 for this fight, picking up a meaningless trinket title belt, which he also did in August at 135 pounds on the Jones-Lacy undercard. Litzau's career isn't in bad shape with Roy Jones' Square Ring Promotions, but the one time he really stepped up in class came against Robert Guerrero, and he was badly beaten that night.

He seemed tentative and sloppy for most of this fight. Litzau's calling card was always his flash and above average speed and power, but his confidence appeared a bit shot tonight. He had a massive six-inch height and nine-inch reach advantage against Edwards, but he didn't really use it to his advantage at all. In the tenth and final round he did fight a bit more like the Litzau you probably remember during his rise up the prospect ranks, but it seemed almost like he was forcing that.

Litzau won on scores of 99-91, 98-91 and 97-93.

In the co-feature, Manny Pacquiao sparring partner Rashad Holloway and former Miguel Cotto sparring partner Frankie Figueroa fought like a couple of sparring partners, killing the awesome live crowd at Lejuene with a rotten non-fight. Like Litzau, Holloway had and failed to use a significant size advantage by steadfastly refusing to jab. Figueroa really landed nothing the entire fight, which I suppose was an example of both his "Gato moves" and his "thang thang." It was an awful fight, a contender for worst TV fight of 2009. I scored it a draw, which more accurately could be described as my feeling that nobody deserved to win.

The best fight of the night was undoubtedly the four-round showcase for 20-year old Yaundale Evans, who met up with double-game Jason Rorie. Evans improved to 3-0 and knocked Rorie down twice, but he had an awful cut opened up, likely from a combination of Rorie rights and some pretty clear headbutts. The two put on a four-round war that definitely stole the show.

Yonnhy Perez upset Joseph Agbeko to win the IBF bantamweight title tonight. The 12-round war joins the short list of Fight of the Year contenders. (Photo via www.thompsonboxing.com)

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Yonnhy Perez stayed undefeated and won the IBF bantamweight title, outpointing Joseph Agbeko in an electric, toe-to-toe Fight of the Year contender tonight in Las Vegas.

Perez (20-0, 14 KO) won on scores of 116-111, 117-110 and 117-110. Bad Left Hook scored it 116-111 for Perez. The fight's workrate was absolutely astounding, as there were no lulls in action and I can't recall a single clinch.

A controversial knockdown in the 10th round went Perez's way, as Agbeko complained of a headbutt, turned his back, and was punched. He then went to his knee and kept complaining of the headbutt. A replay of the butt showed that there was in fact a headbutt there, but truthfully, it looked like it was Agbeko, a noted user of the tactic, throwing the headbutt that wound up hurting him. He also cut Perez earlier in the fight with a headbutt, and blatantly butted him on at least one other occasion.

To be completely honest, Agbeko complaining of headbutts (especially with his head swinging toward Perez on the butt in question) is ridiculous. The guy is maybe the best headbutt machine in the game today. He uses the move liberally.

Agbeko (27-2, 22 KO) is hardly back to the drawing board. He's still clearly among the bantamweight elite, and he wants a rematch. I think the people that saw this one would love to see a rematch, too. I know I would. It was an outstanding fight, an epic war that surpassed even the highest expectations.

Congratulations to Yonnhy Perez on his first major title, and hats off to both of these gutsy fighters for a great, great fight.

Antonio DeMarco continued his rise through the lightweight ranks with a TKO win over Jose Alfaro tonight in Las Vegas. (Photo via sdfights.com)

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Antonio DeMarco won the interim WBC lightweight title tonight in Las Vegas, dominating Jose Alfaro and stopping the Nicaraguan in the 10th round after two knockdowns and Alfaro taking a final knee. Referee Joe Cortez waved the fight off at that point.

It was a pretty masterful performance for the 23-year old DeMarco (23-1-1, 17 KO), who is now in line to face the monster punching full WBC titlist, Edwin Valero. His win was no surprise, as he was the favorite, but Alfaro (23-5, 20 KO) was barely in the fight at all.

Valero-DeMarco probably isn't likely to happen any time soon, but DeMarco is really showing a ton of promise. He's strong, he's fighting smarter and smarter, and he's very young. He's got some good wins over solid opponents already and is knocking on the door at 135 pounds.

Bad Left Hook had it 89-82 for DeMarco at the time of stoppage. That was the same score on two of the three official scores, with the third card at 90-81.

On the untelevised undercard in Vegas, Ray Austin stopped DaVarryl Williamson in four. Our live thread is continuing for the 118-pound title fight in the main event between Joseph Agbeko and Yonnhy Perez. Join us!

Tomasz Adamek (right) knocked out Andrew Golota in the "Polish Fight of the Century" today in Lodz. (Photo via www.fightnews.com)

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Reigning cruiserweight world champion Tomasz Adamek moved up to heavyweight to face fellow Polish superstar Andrew Golota today in Lodz, and from the opening bell, he dominated.

Adamek, fighting at 214 pounds, had a 42-pound disadvantage on the scales. But he outhustled, outworked, and busted up the 41-year old Golota, stopping him in the fifth round. Adamek scored a knockdown that appeared to be a shove in the first, but dominated every round until flooring Golota hard early in the fifth, on a right hand followed by a left hook. After a storm of power shots from every angle, referee Bill Clancy called a stop to the action.

Adamek (39-1, 27 KO) seemed to indicate after the bout that he will be moving up to heavyweight, where I think now he might have a lot more in him than I did before. I'm not saying beating Golota means a ton, but he can still fight some, and moves better than most guys do at heavyweight, even now. Adamek against someone like Eddie Chambers or Alexander Povetkin could be a hell of a good fight. He's simply not big enough to beat a Klitschko, and I think eventually a big hitter like Cristobal Arreola might catch him with a knockout blow, but he fought with some serious ferocity today and knocked the hell out of a much larger man.

For Golota (41-8-1, 33 KO), this was probably the end of the line. He hasn't been a serious contender in quite a long time, and this might have been a good way for him to cash out his career. He got a truck full of money for this one, and he fought until he just couldn't go anymore. Not the worst way for a career to end when you've had so many bizarre messes as he has.

Adamek thinks he can beat the world's best at heavyweight. Time will tell, I suppose, but best of luck to him. Adamek is one of those no-nonsense fighters that does his job time after time, and today he did it again.

Freddy Hernandez -- seen here bloodied against Ben Tackie in 2007 -- won a wide decision over Damian Frias in last night's Shobox main event. (Photo via www.chicagoboxing.com)

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Welterweight Freddy Hernandez outpointed Damian Frias, and Puerto Rican prospect Victor Fonseca stopped veteran Al Seeger on a largely forgettable edition of Shobox last night from Laredo, Texas.

Hernandez (26-1, 18 KO) beat Frias (16-2, 7 KO) via three scores of 98-92. Bad Left Hook also scored it 98-92. I'd be shocked if any of the judges' cards differed at all; the only round Frias clearly won was the 10th, and the only one he could have won otherwise was the seventh.

Beyond those two frames, Hernandez dominated with constant work, including an amazingly consistent body attack. Neither Hernandez, 30, nor Frias, 33, looked particularly promising. Hernandez was the clear winner and is the younger man, and at 5'10" with a 74" reach, he appears physically imposing at 147 pounds. But he also never shook Frias even once, and even with that sustained body attack, he didn't seem to have the power for that to take Frias' legs at any point. The only time anyone was hurt was when Frias rattled Hernandez in the 10th. Despite his KO rate, Hernandez's power doesn't appear to be anything anyone in the top 10 at 147 should worry about. He has some decent wins, including one over Ben Tackie and another over Jesus Soto Karass back when Karass was just 11-1, and his only loss came to Golden Johnson via split decision in 2005, but I just didn't see anything that would have me believe he would beat Soto Karass again, let alone contend on a serious level.

The 122-pound co-feature was similarly disappointing. Fonseca (17-0, 9 KO) is a Gary Shaw prospect, and it appeared briefly that he might be joining the recent Shaw Productions family habit of getting upset. Fonseca lost the first round because Seeger was simply more active, but then he rattled off -- in my view -- four straight rounds before Seeger came back into the fight.

When Fonseca threw his hands, he had Seeger (28-5, 22 KO) outgunned. But too often he was willing to lay back more than he should have. During the third round, I commented that Seeger, with his hands low, was open to getting tagged. I figured a straight left would finish him eventually. But he charged back into the fight and I had it 76-76 after eight rounds.

In the ninth, Fonseca came out with a chip on his shoulder. He repeatedly loaded up a straight left hand, drilling Seeger with it at will. It was video game-ish. Eventually, Seeger's stamina meter hit rock bottom, and the referee had to step in.

The tough luck for Seeger? He was winning on the official scorecards. One card was a draw (76-76), one had Seeger up by a round (77-75). Those cards are perfectly OK. But the third card had Seeger up 79-73, which is absurd.

On a better note, it appeared as though Seeger had no mental hang-ups. His previous fight, of course, ended in tragedy, as Benjamin Flores passed away as a result of the fight. He looked no different than he's ever looked, warts and all, and if nothing else, I was just happy to see him back in the ring. He fought hard, he just got tagged eventually.

This was my first time seeing Fonseca, and he was impressive only in spurts. There were times he seemed almost indifferent to what was going on, but when he turned the light on, he tore Seeger to shreds like nobody besides Yuriorkis Gamboa has ever done. Seeger is a tough guy, but Fonseca blitzed him out something fierce at the end of it all.

Ryan Rhodes stormed back to stop Jamie Moore in a British war today in Bolton. Rhodes is now the European junior middleweight champion. (Photo via i.dailymail.co.uk)

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Ryan Rhodes started slow, but he came back fast. In a thrilling war, Rhodes upset Jamie Moore in Bolton today to win the European junior middleweight title via seventh round stoppage.

Moore dominated the first three rounds, but was rocked at the end of the fourth by Rhodes, who seemed to be fighting Moore's fight, a bad move on the surface. But Rhodes came back to win the fifth round and shake Moore up again in the sixth. Moore, though, battled back and made the sixth a toss-up round.

In the seventh, though, the final momentum shift came. Rhodes put Moore on spaghetti legs with a huge right hand, and Moore crashed to the canvas early in the frame. Rhodes then put the charge on, but Moore's legs appeared to come back fast. It then appeared that Rhodes was shaken a bit, but suddenly he nailed Moore with an overhand right, sending the defending titleholder back into the ropes. Rhodes then unloaded, and referee Howard John Foster called for the bell at 2:35 of the seventh round.

It's a massive win for the 32-year old Rhodes (43-4, 29 KO) and a very, very tough loss for Moore (32-4, 23 KO). Rhodes is now the mandatory for WBC titlist Sergio Martinez, too, and that was a position he was fighting to get into last year when Vernon Forrest held the title.

For Moore, who was pretty much universally ranked in the top ten at 154 pounds, it's back to the drawing board. He appeared to gas pretty badly in this fight, but if he has to move up in weight, he'll find the going quite rough. At just 5'8", he would be a small middleweight, even with his tank-like build.

Congratulations to Ryan Rhodes for his amazingly tough performance, and hats off to both men for a Fight of the Year contender.

The Bad Left Hook Divisional Rankings have been updated accordingly, with previous No. 10 Moore falling out, and Rhodes moving into his spot.