By Jake Donovan

In a main event where there were truly no losers, Jamal James prevailed with the biggest win of his improving career.

The local favorite prevailed in a 10-round war with Mexico’s Antonio DeMarco, earning a unanimous decision in their Fight of the Year contender Saturday evening at The Armory in his hometown of Minneapolis, Minn.

The PBC on FS1 headliner opened up with James doing what he does best—charge straight towards his opponent and unload with punches without fear of the incoming. The accuracy wasn’t quite there early on, with DeMarco alert and managing to slip most of the punches although not landing much in return.

At least not for another couple of minutes.

Round two will undoubtedly be remembered come year-end awards season, even if a frame that James and his local fans would soon rather forget. DeMarco showed just how much fight is left in a career more than 15 years deep, the Mexican southpaw storming through James’ sheer volume to badly stun the local favorite with a right hook.

James spent most of the rest of the round pinned to the ropes but never going into a defensive shell in hopes of merely riding out the wave. DeMarco continue to apply pressure, connecting with left hands but allowed just enough space to allow James to work his way to the center of the ring.

“I knew coming into the fight that he was a veteran, a former world champion,” James told Fox Sports’ Jordan Hardy after the fight. “I knew this was a major step up for me and I didn’t take him lightly. He was just had… will power. But I do too. I had to bite down. A couple of rounds I was fighting his fight.

“I’m not taking anything away from that Mexican warrior, he came to fight.”

The punches never stopped flowing from there. James has quickly gained a reputation as a fierce body puncher, remembering to go downstairs in round three and thoroughly outworking the former lightweight titlist who remains a tough out even if he’s not winning as often as he used to.

With fights like this, DeMarco will continue to win fans.

James continued to outwork the 33-year old but by no means could keep the elder statesman at bay no matter how many punches he landed. A ton would find their mark— to be exact over the 10-round haul, with DeMarco not only absorbing well but often finding a convincing response.

More two-way action came in round five, with DeMarco now digging to the body and continuing to find a home for his right hook. James was still the far more active of the two but couldn’t come up with the proper defensive adjustment to make the night any easier.

Instead, his best defense was a better offense.

“This is boxing. Even though I train the hardest to not get hit, you’re going to get hit in there,” James admitted. “He’s a strong fighter, he caught me with some decent shots. But I shook it off and secured that victory for (the fans in Minneapolis).”

Against any other mid-level welterweight, James would have delivered a knockout ending with the frightening number of power shots he scored with in round seven.

Right hands and left hooks landed at will on an inviting DeMarco, who was bloodied and tattooed but steadily smiling and willing to trade as he still managed 58 punches, the most he threw in any round.

James never ran out of steam, throwing more than 100 punches in a high-octane round nine after getting caught with clean right hooks and body shots in the preceding frame. DeMarco continued to walk through every last punch, which wasn’t helping his cause on the scorecards but certainly proved entertaining to the rabid crowd on hand.

Ever the humble warriors, both boxers went well beyond the ceremonial touching of gloves at the start of the final round, instead embracing one another. That was before they proceeded to beat the crap out of each other for the final three minutes.

The closest either fighter came to a knockdown was when James inadvertently shoved DeMarco to the canvas midway through the 10th and final round. DeMarco laughed off the sequence but quickly found himself in trouble as James unloaded with right hands and left hooks upstairs.

In a fitting an ending to a Fight of the Year contender, DeMarco closed the fight with two clean shots to James’ chin just inside the bell to end the thrilling slugfest. It wasn’t enough to avoid his second straight loss, however, as the former lightweight titlist and still serviceable veteran falls to 33-8-1 (24KOs).

Meanwhile, it’s six straight for James (26-1, 12KOs) since a hard-fought loss to a then-returning Yordenis Ugas in an Aug. 2016 fight he took on short notice—and in retrospect probably never should have taken at all.

He entered the contest just four weeks after a grueling slugfest with Wale Omotoso, as he stepped in for an injured Bryant Perrella (who also won on Saturday’s show). It was a learning lesson for James and honestly one that has aged remarkably well as Ugas currently rates among the best welterweights in the world today.

The 6’2” welterweight from Minnesota believes he’s right there with the pack—and is prepared to prove it against anyone willing to put a belt at stake.

“Who want to give me this opportunity,” James said of whomever he’d next like to face. “I’m not ducking anybody. Boxing is a short-lived career, I want to go for broke and make it happen.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox