By Chris LaBate

US Airway Centre, Phoenix, Arizona - In a fight fought over the contracted super middleweight limit, Francisco Sierra (24-4-1, 22KOs) and Jesus Gonzalez (27-1, 14KOs) waged a bloody war for twelve rounds. The fight was close for the first six rounds, but Gonzalez pulled away in the second half of the fight. Both boxers were cut and suffered knockdowns. The scores were 117-109, 116-110 and 115-111 for Gonzalez.

It was bombs away in the first round. Both boxer trading big punches at close range. After some back and forth brawling, a hard shot to the body dropped Sierra to his knees in the fourth round. In the fifth round, a huge right hand from Sierra sent Gonzalez down and almost out. Gonzalez was able to beat the count and he was lucky the knockdown came in the closing seconds of the round.

Sierra was hurt to the body once again in the seventh round. In the eight, a bad cut was opened above the left eye of Gonzalez. Sierra's cut, also around his left eye, ripped open and started flowing red. They were tired but still trading shots in the ninth and tenth rounds. Because Sierra was exhausted in the eleventh and twelfth rounds, Gonzalez was able to dominate most of the action.

Junior middleweight prospect Janks Trotter (5-0, 5KOs) scored a crushing knockout over Arturo Crespin (6-2-1, 2KOs) in the second round. Crespin got caught and dropped in the first round. In the second, Trotter landed a blasting straight right hand that sent Crespin down on his face and the fight was stopped.

Rising super featherweight contender Yuandale Evans (15-0, 11KOs) stopped Emmanuel Lucero (26-7-1, 14KOs) in the sixth round.

Lucero was dropped down hard in the first from a right hook to the chin. At the end of the second round, Lucero went down again from another quick counter. In the third round, Lucero started bringing the fight to Evans when he trapped him against the ropes. Evans controlled the fourth with the two of them trading punches at the end of the round. In the sixth, a hard left hand put Lucero down for the third time in the fight. After taking more punishment, Lucero's corner stopped the fight.