BENAVIDEZ STOPS LOVE, NERY SHINES, ARREOLA WINS

In the bouts leading up to the main event, David Benavidez advanced to 21-0, 18 KOs with a second round TKO victory over J’Leon Love, 31. A right hand from Benavidez landed and hurt Love (24-3-1, 13 KOs) in the first round that foreshadowed a short night of work for Benavidez. The 22-year-old delivered a flurry of punches in the second round landing a right hook around the gloves upstairs that ultimately hurt the Las Vegas native enough to cause the referee to stop the fight at 1:14.

Benavidez hadn’t stepped into the ring in over a year. His road back to putting his career back on a positive note got off to a solid start tonight for the former WBC Super Middleweight Champion, who’s title was stripped following his controversial positive VADA test last September.

            Benavidez called out Anthony Dirrell, the current WBC Super Middleweight world champion. “He can’t call himself the champion until he comes and sees me. That’s my belt,” said Benavidez. “I’m gonna get my belt back, I need that belt. It’s mine.”

Luis Nery (29-0, 23 KOs) made his U.S. debut with a fourth round stoppage against McJoe Arroyo. The 24 year-old from Tijuana, Mexico had Arroyo down four times in the short-lived ten-round scheduled bantamweight bout. Arroyo (18-3, 8 KOs) went down in the second and third round and twice in the fourth.

Riverside native, Chris Arreola captured a third-round TKO victory over Jean Pierre Augustin. He advances his record to 38-5-1.