Antonio Demarco captures lightweight title with dramatic win over Jorge Linares

As part of the Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson pay per view attraction billed as, Believe It or Not!, from The Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, California on Saturday night, aside from the fact that the main event itself between Hopkins and Dawson was a tragedy ending in highly controversial fashion, the evening’s action by far would not be a total disappointment. For in the co-main event for the vacant WBC lightweight title, fans were treated to what was not only a fight of the year candidate, but an instant boxing classic between Antonio Demarco of Los Mochis, Mexico 26-2-1 (18 KO’s), and Jorge Linares of Barinas, Venezuela 31-2 (20 KO’s), an absolute thriller which would end in as dramatic a fashion as possible.

Under the tutelage of trainer Freddie Roach, as well as under the watchful eye of stable mate Manny Pacquiao who was seated at ringside, Jorge Linares would be in total command of the fight using his hand and foot speed advantage, as well as his elusiveness, up until the eleventh round where Linares made the mistake of staying in one place too long to trade with Demarco, who would get the better of the exchanges, landing repeated straight left hands to then land a solid right hook followed by another straight left that would turn Jorge’ face into a crimson mess. Demarco would follow up with several more shots backing up the unresponsive Venezuelan fighter to the ropes, prompting referee Raul Caiz Sr. to step in and waive the bout off at 2:32 of the eleventh round as Antonio Demarco would capture the vacant WBC lightweight title with a spectacular come from behind win. At the time of the stoppage, the Linares was ahead on all three scorecards, 99-91, and 98-92 twice, more than doubling the amount of punches connected by Demarco, who for the most part couldn’t find his adversary over the course of ten rounds, as the Jorge was simply too fast and furious for the Mexican fighter who was visibly frustrated.

Before the start of the eleventh round, Demarco would have his best round in the sixth, getting the nod from all three judges in that particular round to open up a cut on the bridge of Linares’ nose, another instance where Jorge would mistakenly choose to stand and trade with Antonio. Even though Linares looked like a beaten fighter in many of the later rounds, suffering an another cut over his right eye in addition to the cut on the bridge of his nose, which would continue to bleed throughout, Jorge was in fact dominating. But Antonio Demarco through sheer determination never gave up, stating in victory after all was said and done at a post fight press conference, “this is the second happiest day of my life after the birth of my daughter Camila.” Promoter Gary Shaw would set the backdrop for this humble kid from Mexico by stating, “when he moved to Tijuana to learn boxing, he ate out of the garbage, out of dumpsters. And from place to place he didn’t know where he was going to sleep, and didn’t know where he was going to eat. And tonight he is a real world champion, and I’m proud of him.”