Petr Petrov retains belt against Marvin Quintero after doctor stops fight
The boxing gods kept it from raining, and the several hundred fans who stuck around Toshiba Plaza on Friday after the Canelo Alvarez-Amir Khan weigh-in were treated to good fights with a little controversy thrown into the mix.
Marvin Quintero, a former North American Boxing Federation lightweight champion, was hit in the eye by an accidental head butt from Petr Petrov in the fourth round of the main event. The fight was stopped before the start of the seventh round when the ringside doctor said Quintero could not see.
Along with winning the NABF belt through the technical knockout, Petrov (37-4-2) also retained his North American Boxing Association title.
“It was a very hard fight,” Petrov said. “I’ve been off for a year. I felt slow and sluggish. But winning is all that matters.”
Quintero (28-7) said the fight shouldn’t have been stopped.
“I’m very disappointed with the decision that the doctor rendered,” he said. “I felt I was capable of going on. I was already fighting for two rounds without being able to see.”
The head butt caused Quintero’s left eye to quickly swell shut. And when Dr. Vicki Mazzorana checked him after the sixth round and saw his eye closed, she told referee Jay Nady that Quintero couldn’t continue.
Petrov was ahead on two scorecards, 58-56 and 58-56, with the other score 57-57.
The two exchanged solid shots in the fourth. Petrov landed a looping overhand right that Quintero walked into carelessly. But the Mexican countered with two sharp lefts to the head, followed by two lefts that had Petrov in trouble.
It was more of the same in the fifth. Quintero walked into a big right hand only to quickly recover and counter with several sharp lefts that backed up Petrov. But Petrov landed with a right in the sixth, and Quintero was having trouble seeing the punches coming.
In the co-feature, Alan Sanchez won a 10-round split decision over veteran Pablo Cesar Cano to capture the vacant World Boxing Council Continental Americas welterweight title.
Sanchez (18-3-1) was ahead 97-93, 97-93. Cano (29-5-1) led 96-94.
Sanchez was a little quicker than Cano. Sanchez’s defense also was better, as Cano never landed a big shot.
Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow on Twitter: @stevecarprj.
