Overshadowed by the disappointing ending in last weekend?s Chad Dawson-Bernard Hopkins affair was just how exhilarating the finish was to the Antonio DeMarco-Jorge Linares lightweight title bout that took place just before it. While Dawson would capture the WBC light heavyweight strap from Hopkins after tossing him to the ground in the second round, leaving Hopkins in pain, with an injured left shoulder, and apparently no shape to continue, it was DeMarco?s come-from-behind heroics that captured the essence of what the sport is all about.
Although Linares dominated the early rounds of the bout, out landing DeMarco at a healthy ratio and controlling the action with his polished skills, DeMarco never showed any signs of resignation and began imposing his will towards the halfway point of the contest. Linares had been bleeding heavily from a cut on the bridge of his nose and in eleventh round DeMarco would began tagging him with huge shots, eventually stopping the backpedaling Venezuelan along the ropes in the 11th round as referee Raul Caiz Sr. had seen enough.
