ARLINGTON, Texas (via Pera Padala) ? Superlightweight Dennis Laurente and flyweight Richie Mepranium came up with contrasting victories in the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito super-welterweight championship bout Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium here.
The battle-scarred 33-year-old Laurente dominated Rashad Holloway of Los Angeles for eight rounds in scoring a unanimous decision win, his 35th that improved his pro-career record to 35-4, 17 of them via knockouts.
Mepranium, however, had to content with a split decision triumph over Anthony Villareal of Perris in California in their six-round duel.
Mepranium, 23 who stands five-foot-four had to put up a strong showing in the last four rounds to earn the nod of two of the three judges ? Jessie Reyes and Don Griffin - who gave him an identical 58-56 advantage.
The third judge, C. Philips, saw Villareal the winner via a 58-56 verdict.
Juan Martin ?Bai? Elorde, the third Filipino in the supporting bouts, was not as lucky though bowing to local boy Angel Rodriguez, who cut short his otherwise remarkable 11-0 win-loss record with a unanimous verdict.
Elorde, grandson of the late Filipino boxing legend and seven-year world junior lightweight kingpin, was never in the fight losing in all cards in his four-round featherweight confrontation with the boy from Houston and went home a loser for the first time in his young career.
Judges A. Velasquez and Don Griffin scored the bout in identical 40-36 decision for Rodriguez while judge Brock Groom scored the fight a little closer at 39-37.
Guillermo Rigondeaux outpointed Cuban Olympic gold medalist Ricardo Cordoba to crown himself the new World Boxing Association interim junior featherweight titleholder in the supporting main event that lasted 12-rounds.
Cordoba, who now calls Panama his home, floored Rigondeaux for a mandatory eight-count in the second round, but the 29-year-old from Miami recovered in the ensuing periods to convince the three judges.
American welterweight Mike Jones preserved his unbeaten record by cruising to a majority decision and 23rd straight win at the expense of Mexican Jesus Soto-Karass in the lone 10-round bout.
Jones, thus, captured the World Boxing Council Continental American welterweight crown.
In another six-rounders, Oscar Meza of El Dorado, Mexico, likewise, took a unanimous decision win over Jose Hernandez of Dallas, while Jose Benavidez Jr. of Phoenix, Arizona stopped Winston Mathis of Stockbridge, Georgia in the third round of a six-round contest.
Brandon Rios, who along with Antonio Margarito and trainer Robert Garcia maligned Manny Pacquiao?s trainer Freddie Roach three days before Saturday?s mega-fight, stamped his class on Omri Lowther who only lasted four rounds of a scheduled 10-round lightweight scrap.
Dallas' most promising campaigner, the undefeated Robert Marroquin made short work of Francisco Dominguez (7-6-0, 1KO) of Ciudad Juarez in Chihuahua, Mexico by stopping the Mexican in the first round of their 8-round contest.
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