Mirco Cuello went the ten-round distance for just the second time in his latest win.

The unbeaten Argentinean knockout artist was credited with a fifth-round knockdown but had to settle for a lopsided points win over Rudy Garcia in their battle of unbeaten featherweights. Cuello won by scores of 99-90 on all three cards in their Showtime-aired ShoBox co-feature Friday from Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas.

Garcia took a risk and jumped out to a strong start versus the heavy-handed Cuello. The unbeaten 26-year-old Los Angeles native came forward with a two-fisted attack to the body and upstairs. Cuello landed the more telling blows when he was able to get off his punches but was considerably outworked in the first three minutes.

That changed dramatically in round two. Cuello loaded up on his left hook, which he dug to the body and drove hard upstairs. A shot over his opponent’s guard caught Garcia and produced a cut over his left eye.

Cuello avoided a knockdown call when his knee hit the ground late in round three. Garcia cupped his hand behind the back of Cuello’s head and pulled him to the canvas but also landed a punch behind it as Cuello rose and went back down to a knee. The sequence was ignored by referee Jon Schorle who allowed the action to continue. It came late in a round that saw Cuello impose his will and open a second cut, this one above the bridge of Garcia’s nose.

A knockdown was called in round five though no punch seemed to produce the fall.

Both boxers landed left hooks but Garcia was the worse for the wear and attempted to clinch, Cuello continued on the attack as Garcia once again tried to tie up his relentless foe. He eventually fell to the canvas, which was ruled as the bout’s first official knockdown.  

Garcia continued to offer constant movement while Cuello remained on the hunt. Garcia eventually slowed and tried to stand and trade as blood flowed from the cut over his left eye. Cuello threw compact left hooks and right hands as he effectively cut off the ring near the end of round eight.

Cuello (13-0, 11KOs) was not without his own adversity. He had swelling under both eyes and had to fend off a scrappy Garcia (13-1-2, 2KOs) who never backed down but was simply outgunned in the power game.

The fight ended a five-fight knockout streak for Cuello, whose lone other distance fight came in a December 2021 in San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico.

Headlining the show, Panama’s Rafael Pedroza (15-0, 11KOs) faces local featherweight Ramon Cardenas (22-1, 10KOs) in a scheduled ten-round regional title fight.

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