Heavyweight giant Antonio Mireles will face question marks over his world title credentials after a closely fought clash against a much bulkier opponent.
“El Gigante” moved to 7-0, with 6 KOs after being taken the distance for the first time in his career. He defeated the 56-pound heavier Patrick Mailata via a six-round split decision, but there will be an inquest.
Mailata dropped the six-foot-nine-inch Mireles in the third round after a right hand to the temple wobbled him. However, the native of Des Moines, Iowa, recovered.
Mireles rebounded in the later rounds, landing shots from a distance.
Heavyweight scramble
After completing the fight, one judge scored 57-56 for Mailata. The other two rendered identical scores of 57-56 for Mireles in a scrambled triumph that could have gone either way.
Top Rank CEO Bob Arum tipped Mireles as a world championship contender in the coming years. For that prediction to come true, Mireles will need to show significantly more in the future.
In further action, lightweight Raymond “Danger” Muratalla (17-0, 14 KOs) overcame an early knockdown to stop Humberto Galindo (14-3-1, 11 KOs) via knockout in the ninth round.
In the opening round, Galindo landed a two-punch combination that floored Muratalla. However, the native of Fontana, California, got back up to drop Galindo in the fourth round with a body shot.
Galindo recovered, but Muratalla took over, stopping him with another shot to the body.
Lightweight Charlie Sheehy (6-0, 4 KOs) of Brisbane, California, defeated Angel Rebollar (6-2, 3 KOs) via a six-round unanimous decision.
Rebollar fought aggressively in every round, but Sheehy’s footwork and one-two combinations were too much for the Los Angeles native to overcome.
Scores read 58-56 and 60-54 twice for victor Sheehy.
Other results
At light flyweight, Jessie James Guerrero (3-0-2, 3 KOs), the fighting nephew of former world champion Robert Guerrero, was held to a four-round majority draw against fellow California native Eduardo Alvarez (0-2-1).
The judges scored the action-packed fight 40-36 Guerrero and 38-38-2x.
In the super lightweight division, Ricardo Ruvalcaba (8-0-1, 7 KOs) made short work of Marco Antonio Cardenas (9-8-1, 4 KOs). He stopped the Oregon native with a left hook to the body in the opening round.
Ruvalcaba, from Ventura, California, has won three straight by KO. Time of stoppage: 2:59.
Finally, Subaru Murata (4-0, 4 KOs) scored a first-round stoppage over Jose Negrete (2-2, 2 KOs).
The southpaw Murata dropped Negrete with a straight left hand. Furthermore, Negrete rose to his feet on weak legs, and referee Ron Scott Stevens waved it off.
