By Jake Donovan

Pedro Guevara managed the second successful defense of his junior flyweight title, cementing his place as no worse than the division's second-best fighter on the planet. Whether or not it cause 108 lb. rival Donnie Nietes to bat an eyelash is another matter altogether. 
Guevara was steady but not overwhelmingly spectacular in outpointing mandatory challenger Ganigan Lopez over 12 rounds Saturday evening at home in Mazatlan, Mexico. 

Action was sorely lacking in the first few rounds, as both fighters spent the early going measuring up the other. The tactical approach resulted in a boxing match breaking out on a night most in attendance expected to see a fight. 

Guevara grew brave as the rounds poured on, daring his countryman to engage if only to appease his hometown fans. When that didn't happen, the defending titlist took matters into his own hands, picking up the pace considerably in the second half. 

Right hand shots began to land for Guevara, forcing a reluctant Lopez to fight on his heels as the fight ended the back six. Lopez was briefly stunned towards the end of round seven and again in round eight as Guevara continued to press the action. 

However much he was hurt, Lopez received the wakeup call he needed upon hearing how far down he was on the cards after eight rounds. Open scoring revealed that Guevara was up 79-73 (twice) and 78-74, meaning Lopez needed a knockout in order to return to Mexico City as a newly crowned champ.

That moment never came close to happening, although the challenger was far more active in the final four rounds. His increased aggression in round nine nearly proved to be his undoing, as Guevara willingly engaged and delivered far worse in return. 

The championship rounds saw Guevara struggle to maintain momentum, as he was briefly hurt in round 10 and was fortunate to avoid a knockdown in round eleven. An uppercut by Lopez appeared to catch Guevara and cause the defending titlist to hit the deck, although replays revealed the referee's ruling of a slip to be accurate. 

Guevara managed to cross the finish line without further incident, although Lopez earned the respect of the crowd in attendance in closing strong. It wasn't enough to pull off the upset, as Guevara prevailed by scores of 116-112 (twice) and a perhaps far-too-wide 117-111 tally. 

With the win, Guevara advances to 26-1-1 (17KOs). Lopez snaps a five-fight win streak as he falls to 25-6 (15KOs). 

The title defense is Guevara's second straight at home after claiming the title on the road with a 7th round knockout of Akira Yaegashi last New Year's Eve in Japan. 

UNDERCARD

It was a big night for the Guevara family, as Alberto Guevara—Pedro's younger brother—picked up his third straight win, stopping journeyman Oscar Blanquet inside of three rounds in the evening's chief support . 

The younger Guevara was in line for a title shot of his own earlier this year. However, a bid for a third crack at bantamweight glory fell through when Randy Caballero pulled out of their planned February bout due to an injury. 

Guevara's consolation prize has come in the form of two consecutive showcase fights in his hometown. Both have come on the undercard of his older brother in separate title defenses.

With the win, Guevara's record moves to 21-2 (8KOs). Previous title attempts produced the lone two losses of his career, dropping a 12-round decision to Leo Santa Cruz in Dec. '12, followed by a 9th round stoppage loss to Shinsuke Yamanaka in Nov. '13.

Featured in a televised swing bout, Karim Arce picked up his second pro win after knocking out Jonathan Campos in two rounds. Arce is the nephew of former four-division titlist Jorge Arce, who witnessed live at ringside where he served as an expert analyst for Televisa, which aired all thrree bouts. 

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox