PHOENIX - Rafael Marquez built on his growing
reputation by tearing down Pete Frissina.
Marquez retained his IBF bantamweight title Saturday night with
a second-round destruction of Frissina, knocking down the
challenger three times in just over three minutes at the Dodge
Theater.
After dropping Frissina twice in the final minute of the opening
round, Marquez picked up where he left off to start the second.
He continually split the challenger's gloves and landed
consecutive lefts, a left cross and straight right to send
Frissina backpedaling into the ropes.
Marquez, 28, landed another straight right before referee Raul
Caiz Jr. stepped in and ended the fight just over 20 seconds
into the round.
"I saw that he was coming in, trying to pressure me," Marquez
said through an interpreter. "I knew I had to stop him."
Marquez (31-3, 28 KOs) built on his eighth-round stoppage of
previously unbeaten Tim Austin a year ago and an easy victory
over Mauricio Pastrana - another former champion - last October.
The 28-year-old Frissina (27-4-1) was fighting for a major title
for the first time.
In the night's other featured bout, Mexican Antonio Margarito
successfully defended his lightly regarded WBO welterweight
title with a second-round technical knockout of previously
unbeaten Hercules Kyvelos of Canada.
The 25-year-old Margarito (30-3, 21 KOs) hurt Kyvelos late in
the first round and dropped him 30 seconds into the second.
Kyvelos beat the count and tried to continue but stumbled back
into the ropes. Cornerman Howard Gant jumped to the ring apron
to stop the fight.
Referee Raul Caiz Sr. stepped in and waved the fight over 54
seconds into the round.
"I hit him with some hard shots and knew he was weakening,"
Margarito said through an interpreter. "He may have been
undefeated but I knew he wasn't in my class."
The 28-year-old Kyvelos fell to 22-1.