Las Vegan Jessie Vargas, Adrien Broner fight to majority draw
Updated April 21, 2018 - 11:51 pm
A thrilling bout between Jessie Vargas and Adrien Broner ended with the two boxers shouting at each other.
Vargas, a Las Vegas native, and Broner fought to a majority draw Saturday in the main event of a Showtime-televised tripleheader at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Two judges scored the catchweight fight at 144 pounds 114-114, with the third giving it to Broner 115-113.
“Settle down,” Vargas told Broner, who strongly disagreed with the outcome.
Vargas (28-2-1, 10 knockouts) started fast by attacking Broner’s body and ended up throwing more than 800 punches. Broner (33-3-1, 24 KOs) had a second-half rally and landed the more effective punches.
Broner argued that he deserved to win because he opened a large gash under Vargas’ left eye in the 11th round.
“I thought I won the fight,” Vargas said. “At the end of the day, I can’t dispute the judges’ decision. I gave the fans in Brooklyn a fight. I want a rematch.”
In the co-main event, middleweight Jermall Charlo demolished Hugo Centeno in the second round with a three-punch knockout combination. Charlo is now the WBC mandatory for Gennady Golovkin.
Gervonta Davis, a Floyd Mayweather protege, continues to improve after he knocked out Jesus Cuellar in the third round to take the vacant WBA junior lightweight belt.
Donaire falls to Frampton
Former four-division champion Nonito Donaire could be close to hanging up the gloves after a flat performance Saturday against featherweight Carl Frampton in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Frampton cruised to a unanimous decision over Donaire, winning on all scorecards 117-111 and taking the interim WBO featherweight belt.
Donaire, a Las Vegas resident, didn’t hurt Frampton until the 11th round.
“Donaire was a sharp puncher throughout,” Frampton said. “I was definitely hurt in the 11th round, people could see it. But champions survive, and that’s what I did.”
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Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GManzano24 on Twitter.