Wayne McCullough watched Jorge Arce retain his world title with a four-round win over Simphiwe Nongqayi.
Jorge goes all out to exact revenge for his brother's defeat
Jorge Arce has been a pro since 1996 and had fought 65 times prior to this weekend.
He began his career as a flyweight then dropped down to light flyweight where he picked up a world title. He held different belts at light-fly and was a champion for years.
He moved back up in weight and won an interim title at flyweight before winning another interim title at super-flyweight going on to pick up the full version of that belt.
This 5ft 4½ little man moved up in weight again to super-bantamweight and challenged Puerto Rican WBO champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jnr in May of this year - when he pulled off an upset win by stoppage in the final round.
On Saturday Arce was making the first defence of his belt in Mexicali, Mexico just four months after his tough battle with Vazquez where he picked himself up off the canvas to win.
His opponent was former world champion Simphiwe Nongqayi of South Africa, who had defeated Arce easily on points in September 2009 while he was campaigning at super-flyweight. Nongqayi had also beaten Arce's brother just before their fight so Arce was out for revenge.
Arce came out in the first round and pushed forward throwing non-stop left hooks and rights to Nongqayi's head and body. Nongqayi was trying to keep his distance using his long left jabs.
Dropped
Both guys exchanged punches with about 40 seconds to go in the opening round and Arce's shots connected better as a right hand followed by a left hook to Nongqayi's chin dropped him. He got up and finished the round.
Arce stepped up the pressure in the next two rounds and set a very fast-paced fight that was working to his advantage. Nongqayi couldn't get things going mainly because his opponent didn't give him time to think.
The end came in the fourth as Arce stepped up the pace even more. Nongqayi looked like he wanted out. A clash of heads opened up a bad cut over Arce's right eye making him even more determined to get the fight over with.
He pinned Nongqayi in a corner and went to work. Right hands, left hooks and uppercuts were landing at will and Nongqayi's reply was just to cover up and almost turn away as the referee stepped in to stop it in the fourth.
It was sweet revenge for Arce, who just went out not thinking about defence but wanting to take this guy out - and that's what he did.
Arce is an exciting fighter who is always fighting with a big heart - and boxing really needs a fighter like that today.
