Sunday, July 17, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Larios stops McCullough after 10th in slugfest

By KEVIN IOLE
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Wayne McCullough threw punches Saturday like he may never be allowed into a boxing ring again, but it wasn't nearly enough to defeat Oscar Larios.

Larios landed an almost unheard of 449 punches, most of them stinging, hard shots, to stop McCullough after the 10th round in their fight at the MGM Grand Garden for Larios' WBC super bantamweight title.

Ringside physician Margaret Goodman said McCullough had taken too many punches and advised referee Richard Steele to stop the bout.

McCullough, a Las Vegan who won a silver medal in the 1992 Olympics and won the WBC bantamweight title, had no problems with the stoppage.

"He never really hurt me," McCullough said. "I just felt sluggish. I'm disappointed, but the doctor made the right call."

McCullough trainer Freddie Roach said he had been thinking of stopping the fight earlier and had no quarrel with the decision, either.

McCullough set a super bantamweight record by throwing 170 punches in a spirited fourth round, but Larios never took a backward step. Larios was raking McCullough with hooks and crosses, snapping McCullough's head several times.

McCullough, noted for his strong chin, stuck his chin out in defiance several times after Larios landed a series of hard punches to the head.

Larios, 56-3-1, was having difficulty believing what he was seeing.

"How did he stay up after all those punches he was taking?" Larios said. "Wayne McCullough is a brave man. I hit him with good, hard punches in every round, but he never quit going forward. It was really amazing. But I knew I was in control."

Larios won nine of the 10 rounds on two of the three judges' cards and 10 on the third. The action had the crowd roaring, but Larios was landing the harder shots and at a much higher pace.

Larios landed 449 of 1,160 punches, connecting on 39 percent, and McCullough landed 270 of 1,157, 23 percent.

"I'm very disappointed," McCullough said. "I just felt so sluggish."

Goodman put McCullough on indefinite suspension.