It started off as a wild back and forth brawl, but by the time the end came, James Kirkland had administered a frightful beating on an exceedingly game Alfredo Angulo.  The Mexican brawler was on his feet at the finish, though taking a pounding along the ropes with Kirkland landing bombs at will.  The time was 2:01 of the sixth round.

The Texan's night very nearly came to an early end, when he was caught with a huge counter right hand early in the first round, though he weathered the follow-up assault, before sending Angulo to the deck before the opening three minutes were over.  Angulo, who may have punched himself out in going for the early finish, was looking fatigued by the third round, and from that point on, though still firing back, was in retreat.  Kirkland won from long range, and from in close, using his edge in speed to beat his junior-middleweight rival to the punch, while repeatedly backing him into the ropes with punishing salvos.

The fifth round was one-way traffic.  Angulo in continuous retreat, with Kirkland marching forward, sticking home jabs, uppercuts, heavy body shots and big chopping left hands.  Occasionally, Angulo, who's legs were looking weak, tried to fire back, though there was little steam on his counters, and it was a wise move by the third man to jump in and call an end to the contest in the sixth round.

Middleweight contender Peter Quillin scored a sixth round TKO win over Craig McEwan in the featured under-card bout of tonight's HBO show.  In what was a bit of an awkward messy scrap, Quillin controlled the action throughout, before prompting the stoppage with a big check-hook, followed by a couple hard overhand rights.  McEwan fell forward into the top rope, though looked like he still had his wits about him and was less than thrilled with the stoppage.

While it certainly looked like a quick stoppage from the third man, the Scottish fighter's right eye was in rough shape, and a Quillin victory appeared inevitable at least a couple rounds before the conclusion.

Scott's Notes: Quillin has been talked up by Lou DiBella as either a potential Sergio Martinez opponent next year, or the guy that Dmitry Pirog needs to fight to get his shot at Martinez. I don't think Pirog vs Quillin is a bad idea. We're talking about a pair of talented fighters who could use that type of win. It would make for a fine Martinez co-feature whenever Sergio returns, and the timetables should line up well. Tonight's fight was a quick stoppage, but Quillin was having no trouble in there at all.

Fans expecting fireworks from the often sensational fists of Nonito Donaire were left a little underwhelmed, as the quick-handed bantamweight cruised to a twelve round points win over tricky southpaw Omar Narvaez. The fight was a slow paced encounter, with occasional jeers greeting the lack of action, as Donaire did just a bit more throughout the twelve rounder than his cautious foe.

After a few cagey rounds to start the contest in which Narvaez had his moments, Donaire managed to break through in the fourth, catching the Argentinean with a nice right hand to the body, and splitting the guard late in the session with a stinging straight right hand. A big flurry along the ropes followed, though Narvaez was quick to fire back with a counter, and when it was clear his legs were still there, the action again slowed with Donaire going back to a more measured approach.

There were few lively moments the rest of the way, with Donaire, under instructions from trainer Robert Garcia to keep doing what he was doing, finding the mark through or around the high guard with the occasional shot.  In response, Narvaez, gloves always up, failed to mount the required counter-offensive needed to change the course of the battle.

According to Donaire, there was little he could do with an opponent that refused to open up – though the reverse could also be said, as Narvaez faced a significant size disadvantage, and was courting danger whenever he dared take a risk. Of course, with Donaire steadily banking rounds, the onus was on Narvaez to take those risks, and at no point did the former fly-weight stray from his cautious game plan.  He appeared content to last the distance, and he succeeded, though lost by scores of 120-108 on the cards of all three official judges.

Donaire admitted after the fight that draining down to 118lbs may have sapped his energy, as he mentioned feeling like he was cramping up in the later rounds. HBO didn’t offer fight night weights due a New York State rule, though the fighter was likely (according to his tweet the previous evening) around 130lbs, and it was no surprise to hear that he would be heading to 122 for his next bout.

According to referee, Pat Russell, there was no foul.  Neither intentional, or accidental - and with Bernard Hopkins apparently indicating he could not continue after injuring his left shoulder, the 175lb title changed hands, with Chad Dawson the winner via a second round technical knockout.

The incident happened late in the second round, with Dawson looking to attack Hopkins along the ropes.  As Hopkins slid left, and then back towards his right, Dawson edged forward, only for Hopkins to leap in towards him, and as Dawson ducked, the now-former champion landed on the Connecticut fighter's left shoulder.  With Hopkins draped upon him, Dawson gave a shove, sending the 46-year-old down along the ropes, where he landed hard on his left side.

An angry Dawson, waved his hand dismissively towards Hopkins as Russell immediately went to check on the fallen fighter.  Russell was quick to call time, as Hopkins lay on his back, while Dawson waited in a neutral corner.  A few moments later, after consultation with the ringside physician, it was determined that Hopkins could not continue - and Russell made his ruling.

"It should have been a no-contest, because he threw me down.  He threw me down, it was a blatant foul." the fighter told HBO's Max Kellerman.  "This isn't the UFC.  This isn't MMA."  Hopkins also told Kellerman that, even with the injury, he was in fact prepared to go on with the fight, and it was Russell's decision to stop the contest, not his.

As for Dawson, though still angry, he seemed satisfied with the verdict, and informed Kellerman in the post-fight interview that he believed Hopkins wasn't as hurt as he claimed.

Kellerman also spoke with George Dodd of the California State Athletic Commission after the bout, who indicated that the decision would be discussed with Russell.  Given the circumstances - it clearly looked like a foul - it wouldn't be surprising to see the result eventually wind-up as a no-contest, though for now, Dawson is the new champion.

The action up until the unsatisfactory conclusion had been messy, with neither fighter doing a whole lot.  Dawson had tried to work his jab, while pushing the pace, while Hopkins had chosen a bull-like hit-and-maul approach, looking to jump in, head ducked, with single shots.  It was a style from Hopkins, designed to make the younger man uncomfortable, but it also may have riled him up a little too much - and while Dawson overreacted, it could be argued that his decision to claim his space with force was understandable.

Not too much happening in the boxing world today, though there were a couple pieces of news to look at.

Having seen a date against Robert Guerrero fall through due to a shoulder injury suffered by his opponent, Marcos Maidana won't be sitting around for long.  The junior-welterweight has announced plans for returning to action on September 23 in Beunos Aires, Argentina, against a yet to be named opponent.  Maidana's last trip back home was not an especially good one, with the slugger struggling to an unimpressive points win over an aging DeMarcus Corley. 

Maidana's stamina was an issue down the stretch against Corley, which perhaps was an indicator that the fighter didn't train to his usual standards.  Having completed a full three month camp in preparation for the Guerrero fight, one can expect that Maidana will not encounter similar problems on this occasion.

Vitali Klitschko and Tomasz Adamek faced off for the media in their final press conference before they do battle this Saturday.  According to Fightnews.com, the 42,000 seat Stadion Miejski in Wroclaw, Poland is almost sold out for the heavyweight clash.  You can find more details on the press conference, along with quotes from both fighters here along with pictures of the event at Boxingscene.com.

Adamek's last appearance in his native Poland was a dominating fifth round stoppage win over Andrew Golota back in October of 2009.  It goes without saying that the challenge will be far greater this time around for the New Jersey based heavyweight as he'll be entering this one as a considerable underdog to the 40-year-old Ukrainian.  Current odds have the Klitschko listed as around a 1 to 6 favorite to win the match-up, and a 1 to 2 pick to stop Adamek inside the distance.

Biloxi, Mississippi (Full Recap)

Results: Andre Berto RTD5 Jan Zaveck ... Gary Russell Jr. UD-8 Leonilo Miranda ... Thomas Oosthuizen UD-12 Aaron Pryor Jr.

Analysis: An entertaining give and take struggle between Berto and Zaveck ended after five when the Slovenian welterweight was forced to pull out with a damaged right eye.  It appeared that the fighter's corner made the call to stop the bout, though the official announcement had the stoppage coming via recommendation of the ringside physician.  Either way, it was hard to argue with the decision as Zaveck's eye looked in very rough shape.  Given the closely contested nature of the fight, a rematch would be most welcome.

Russell showed his class in easily topping Leonila Miranda, though the match-up didn't tell us a whole lot more about the 2008 Olympian than we already knew.  With quick hands and good technique, Russell appears to have a very bright future - but we'll need to see him against some real opposition soon.

Oosthuizen beat Pryor by scores of 117-111 on the cards of all 3 judges. According to reports, Ooshuizen scored a third round knockdown and won convincingly in an entertaining, though somewhat sloppy, super-middleweight contest.

Doncaster, United Kingdom (Full Recap)

Results: Jamie McDonnell UD-12 Stuart Hall ... Tony Jeffries PTS Paul Morby

Analysis: McDonnell pulled away over the second half of the bout to win a clear-cut decision over Hall in a fast paced battle.  Plenty of talent in the 118lb class, and one imagines that the quick and clever McDonnell might like to try his luck beyond the British/European level in the not too distant future.

Tony Jeffries failed to impress on the undercard in a dreary eight rounder with Paul Morby.

Yerevan, Armenia

Results: Vic Darchinyan UD-12 Evans Mbamba

Analysis: In his first career fight in his native Armenia, Darchinyan won by scores of 120-107 twice and 119-107.  According to the Daily Telegraph, a sell-out crowd of 12,000 turned out to watch Darchinyan dominate his South African opponent.  The full fight video can be found on YouTube, while a gallery from the fight can be seen here.

San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Results: Marco Antonio Rubio TKO-5 Mohammed Akrong

Analysis: The visiting man, fighting for the first time outside of Africa, gave a strong effort, though was in over his head against the veteran Mexican middleweight.  Video of the bout can be seen here.

Sinaloa, Mexico

Results: Humberto Soto TKO-2 Jose Alfaro

Analysis: Both fighters reportedly suffered bad cuts after an accidental clash of heads in the second round, with Soto hurting Alfaro soon after. A full recap can be found at Saddoboxing.com.

An entertaining scrap between Andre Berto and Jan Zaveck came to an abrupt halt, after the Slovenian was unable to continue due to a badly banged up right eye. Zaveck, who had been in the fight the whole way, suffered cuts to both eyes during a hectic fifth session, with the right optic swelling almost shut before the sixth round could get underway.

Defense took a back seat in the give and take battle, with both fighters letting their hands go from the start. The first round was a high contact affair, with Berto maybe gaining a slight edge thanks to some heavy body work. The action didn't let up in the second and third rounds, both of which were closely contested, before Zaveck had his best round of the fight in the fourth, a session in which Berto maybe took a breather from the hot pace.

The fifth was a scrappy session, with the fighters mixing frequently, sometimes at close quarters, shoulder to shoulder, where their heads were almost touching. Those moments seemed to favor Zaveck at times, as Berto needed a little more room to unload his quicker shots, though it was likely during one of those in close exchanges where Zaveck suffered the facial damage that would end the fight.

There was no arguing the stoppage, though it was ultimately an unsatisfying way to end what was a very good battle to that point. A rematch would be well received, and hopefully the parties involved can work something out.

Gary Russell Jr. won an easy, though not very thrilling, eight rounder over Leonilo Miranda in the opening bout of the HBO telecast. Russell controlled his much slower opponent with a lightning fast right jab, that he often doubled and tripled up with. He also mixed in some straight lefts, and a nice amount of heavy hooks to the body that will no doubt have Miranda feeling a little sore in the morning. Miranda tried hard, though simply wasn't in Russell's league and the fight was never much of a contest - and really not the type of match-up we expect, or would like to expect, from HBO.  Russell is a real talent, and hopefully will be matched appropriately in his next outing.

Tonight at 10:30 p.m. EDT from Biloxi, Mississippi, Andre Berto looks to get back in the winner's circle when he takes on Jan Zaveck.  The twelve round welterweight clash will serve as the main-event of tonight's HBO show, with a 10-round featherweight match-up between Gary Russell Jr. and Leonilo Miranda serving as the appetizer.

Here's a quick look at the bout from Dave Oakes & Scott Christ:

Berto should be able to out-box and out-speed Zaveck but I'm not sure whether or not he can stop the hardened Slovenian. I can see Berto winning a lopsided decision after twelve entertaining but one-sided rounds.

- Dave

I do think Andre will be way too fast for Zaveck, and I sort of envision this looking a bit like Arthur Abraham against Carl Froch. I don't think Zaveck will get stopped, but it wouldn't shock me. I'm looking at Berto by 117-111 type scores and thinking that's a strong bet.

- Scott

Pulling away over the second half of a briskly fought twelve rounder, Jamie McDonnell was just a little too good for Stuart Hall at the Doncaster Dome on Saturday night.  It was an entertaining contest from start to finish, with McDonnell's edge in craft and speed proving decisive in the battle of British bantamweights.

Heading into the fight, the consensus had the clash as very much a 50/50 affair, and the opening five or six rounds stayed true to those projections.  It was give and take during those sessions, with Hall, who appeared to be the stronger man, landing a number of solid right hands, while McDonnell responded by picking his moments well to jump in and counter.

Hall seemed to tire just a little as the fight wore on, with McDonnell's quickness, versatility and accuracy paying dividends as he was able to stay just a step ahead of the visiting man.  A number of good shots to the body by McDonnell were likely also key in taking some steam from Hall's attack in the late going.

The decision was unanimous, with scores of 115-113, 116-114 and 116-113 favoring the local man.  Bad Left Hook's Dave Oakes concurred with the official judges, scoring the bout for McDonnell, though by a slightly wider 117-112.

With the victory, McDonnell is now the British, Commonwealth and European champion at 118-pounds.

Tony Jeffries won an eight rounder over southpaw Paul Morby in the main preliminary bout.  Though an 80-72 points winner, Jeffries failed to impress in what was a messy and monotonous affair.  Clinching and moving frequently, Morby made things difficult on the 2008 Olympian by fighting a spoiler style of battle, though Jeffries failed to help himself with an unimaginative performance that left trainer Tommy Brooks and promoter Frank Maloney less than thrilled.

Father time and the raging fists of Giovani Segura were once again too much for Ivan Calderon. While the eventual outcome was the same as the previous encounter - Calderon taking the count on one knee, the give and take drama of last year’s classic battle failed to materialize.

Calderon tried mightily in the early going to keep his distance, and though greatly harried over the first couple sessions, he may have been successful in eking out a slight margin. Plenty of movement was the key, as Calderon popped in the occasional right hand as he circled quickly away from the Mexcian southpaw’s wild swings.

There was an inevitable foreboding though during those first two rounds, as the defending 108lb champion was almost immediately back in punching range after each near miss. Calderon found himself in danger too frequently, and while he managed to tie the bigger man up often enough, he was still getting forced into exchanges and banged to the body at times. It was that body work, some of which strayed low in the eyes of referee Samuel Viruet – that would spell the end midway through the third.

Segura’s first big breakthrough came about a minute into the round. Perhaps sensing he’d need to conserve a little energy if he was to have a chance of lasting, the Puerto Rican appeared to try and rest his legs by taking a breather along the ropes. Rather than slipping away to the side, he attempted to duck and dodge, while using his elbows to parry a two handed bombardment.

While Calderon managed to slip some of the fire, he got caught with a couple clean right hooks upstairs. These appeared to hurt the veteran southpaw and though he managed to get back on the move and buy a couple seconds – his legs now seemed a little slower, and Segura was almost instantly able to close the distance again.

A right hand upstairs sent Calderon back into the ropes yet again, and from there it was all body shots - with a right hand to the midsection appearing to be the finishing blow. Calderon sagged slowly to the canvas, where he remained on one knee, almost seated, until the count was tolled off. Segura seemed to know it was over, as he made his way to a neutral corner, opening his hands out towards the crowd in a gesture of victory.

The time of the stoppage was 1:39.

For one of the best pure boxers of the past decade, it's probably time to call it a career.  Calderon likely wouldn't have to deal with Segura again, given the champion will probably be heading to 112lb soon - but he's at the point where the slope downhill might be awfully slippery, and it would be a shame to see such a fine fighter take any unnecessary punishment down the road.

Zab Judah (138) showed he still has a little something left in the tank with a highlight reel seventh round stoppage of Kaizer Mabuza (139) at the Prudential Center in Newark. The junior-welterweight clash had been mostly short on thrills before the stunning finish, with Judah using his edge in speed and craft, along with plenty of movement to gain a clear advantage through the opening six sessions.

The explosive ending came with Judah’s back to the ropes, almost touching the corner pad. He leaned backward ever so slightly as Mabuza fired off a right hand before countering with a perfectly timed short left. Mabuza, rubber legged on impact, almost went straight through the ropes as he pitched forward, with only the second strand keeping him from a trip to the canvas. Though Mabuza never fully touched down, it was a clear knockdown and a jubilant Judah turned and ran towards a neutral corner.

Still in a fog after the eight count, Mabuza was quickly finished off by Judah’s follow-up assault, with Referee Samuel Viruet stepping in after a clean left hand smacked against the South African’s jaw. The time was 0:59 of Round Seven.

Overall, Judah was just a little too quick and cagey for Mabuza.  The former 147lb champion was nearly always one step ahead, though he did get caught with a cuffing right hand in the fourth round that was ruled a knockdown when Judah's right glove touched down.  Mabuza had another bright moment late in the sixth round when he landed a straight right that seemed to buzz Judah a little, though was unable to follow up before the close of the round.

The win should put Judah in line for a match against one of the division's elite.  Whether he's still good enough to compete over twelve rounds against the very best is questionable, but as long as he still possesses fight ending power in his left hand, it would probably be a mistake to completely count him out.