By Lem Satterfield
With one, chin jolting, hybrid left cross-uppercut, Dominican 126-pound former world champion Claudio Marrero dropped and folded previously unbeaten Jorge Lara into fetal position on his left side, single-fistedly transforming a difficult comeback into a Knockout Of The Year candidate.
Marrero won that clash of southpaws in 33-seconds in April over Lara (29-1-2, 21 KOs), a 27-year-old who was chasing his 10th stoppage in 12 fights and his seventh inside three rounds during that time. Lara's signature victory was a 95-second first-round knockout Mexican former three-division champ Fernando Montiel, whom he floored four times in April 2016.
Lara rose briefly on spaghetti legs before stumbling backward and down onto his buttocks with his back against the ropes. Lara tried once final time to stand but teetered onto his right side as the referee waved the count.
"Lara had a bunch of wins and knockouts and was supposed to be 'The Next Big Thing,'" said trainer Nelson Rodriguez. "Yet Claudio took him out in just over 30 seconds. Claudio has the capabilities of delivering knockouts or else he can simply out-box you."
"The Matrix" and Lara had shared an opponent in hammer-fisted Puerto Rican Jesus Rojas (26-2-2, 19 KOs), who was building momentum in September 2015 when he battled to a six-round technical draw (57-57 three times) with Lara.
The decision resulted from the fight being called before the seventh due to the Mexican’s impaired vision from a cut over his left eye caused by a third-round clash of heads.
In September 2017, Rojas registered his 19th knockout via seventh-round stoppage of Marrero off a wicked left hook at the 2:59 mark. “The Matrix” — ahead on the cards with Rojas pinned in a corner — had begun clowning and mugging.
Rojas's last fight in August was a unanimous decision loss to title challenger Joseph Diaz (27-1, 14 KOs), who was coming off a loss the same way to left-handed WBC titleholder Gary Russell (29-1, 17 KOs) in May.
“I wasn’t truly there or focused for Rojas mentally or physically. I was controlling Rojas and got away from my game plan. The biggest lesson I learned from that fight with Rojas is to remain focused," said Marrero, 29.
"I beat myself against Rojas, but in my last fight against Lara, I changed everything around and demonstrated the kind of fighter that I truly am. In this next fight, I’m going to be back showing everybody and the entire world that I’m the most dangerous fighter at 126 pounds.”
On January 26, Marrero (23-2, 17 KOs) fights the 26-year-old Tugstsogt Nyambayar (10-0, 9 KOs) in a 126-pound eliminator for the right to face Russell, doing so at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, as Premiere Boxing Champions returns to FOX (8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT.).
The main event features WBA “super” welterweight champion Keith Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs) ending a 22-month, injury-caused ring absence in pursuit of his eighth defense against third-time title challenger Josesito Lopez (36-7, 19 KOs).
Marrero craves a statement victory against Naymbayar to generate interest in shots at Russell or champions Leo Santa Cruz (WBA), Oscar Valdez (WBO) and Carl Frampton (WBO interim), the latter of whom challenges IBF counterpart Josh Warrington on Saturday.
Marrero had won eight straight fights, five by knockout, before falling Rojas, who represented “The Matrix’s” first loss since falling by unanimous decision to southpaw Jesus Cuellar in an interim championship bout in August 2013.
“Claudio’s called out Gary Russell and Leo Santa Cruz, but they’ve never responded,” said Rodriguez of Marrero, who won the WBA’s interim crown by 90-second stoppage of Carlos Zambrano in April 2017 before losing to Rojas.
“I know Gary Russell wants to fight Leo Santa Cruz, but Claudio's the only top fighter in the division who is consistently scoring knockouts against the best people"
But Nyambayar's a game, resilient and talented opponent, having risen from a first-round knockdown in May to secure his five-knockdown, third-round stoppage of ex titleholder Oscar Escandon.
“I think Claudio’s going to be one of [Nayambayar’s] toughest fights so far,” said Rodriguez of Nayambayar, who is facing a southpaw for the first time as a pro.
“Claudio's a crafty southpaw with power in both hands who moves around with great speed and agility, and on January 26, Claudio’s going to show the quality fighter he is. Nayambayar never has seen a fighter of Claudio’s abilities.”
A Mongolian silver medalist in the 2012 Olympics, Nyambayar triumph over Escandon came against a man who was floored once by Russell in his previous fight in May 2017 --- a seventh-round knockout loss.
“I never care whether or not I’m an underdog in a fight. Just like with Lara, I was there to prove a point that whatever people might have thought about me [being the underdog] wasn’t true,” said Claudio.
“What happened in the Rojas fight will not happen again. I know this is the biggest fight of my life, and I’m going to come more prepared, mentally and physically, than ever.”