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Rafael's remark: Darchinyan always talks the talk and usually walks the walk, but not this time. Instead, all his prefight talk of a knockout and of punishing Agbeko amounted to squat. Instead, Agbeko, 29, a native of Ghana living in New York (like his stablemate Joshua Clottey), pulled the perceived upset and left no doubt as to who deserved to win the all-action fight (although some of us do not view this as an upset at all). However, two of the scorecards were a bit too close for comfort and should have been wider. At least Darchinyan, 33, showed class in defeat after the grueling bout by admitting that he lost. The Armenian-born, Australian-based slugger had been a dominant flyweight titleholder before becoming the first fighter in the history of the junior bantamweight division to unify three major titles when he defeated Cristian Mijares in their November 2008 unification fight. Darchinyan made one defense of his unified belts but wanted to keep moving up the scale, so he challenged Agbeko, an exciting fighter whose lone loss was a robbery in Germany to Wladimir Sidorenko in 2004. But Agbeko rebounded and has won six in a row, including making two title defenses.

Agbeko and Darchinyan didn't do anything fancy here other than wail away at each other. They both showed great chins, but Agbeko hurt Darchinyan several times. Agbeko cut him over the left eye in the second round and had him bleeding from the nose and mouth by the fifth round.

Darchinyan scored the cheapest of all knockdowns in the seventh round. Television replays showed it was clearly a push, but referee Tommy Kimmons blew it. The timekeeper blew it also because the knockdown took place after three minutes had elapsed. The round turned out to be a four-minute frame. No matter what Darchinyan landed, and he landed a lot, Agbeko didn't budge. Meanwhile, Agbeko strafed Darchinyan with right hands. If he had a shorter, more compact left hook, he would have done even more damage.

Darchinyan remains the junior bantamweight champion and must decide whether he wants to return to the division to defend his belts or remain at bantamweight, where his power is clearly not what it is in the smaller division. Agbeko scored a career-defining victory. Let's just hope promoter Don King doesn't forget about him as he often does after one of his fighters scores a notable victory.

Rafael's remark: This was a big win for DeMarco because it made him the mandatory challenger for titleholder Edwin Valero, a fight that could conceivably take place in the fall. But if it happens, Mexico's DeMarco, 23, who gets hit with everything, is going to have to clean up his defense because Valero is a much bigger puncher than Adjaho, 29, of the West African nation of Benin. DeMarco has made several exciting fights on Showtime, but this certainly wasn't nearly the best of the bunch as it had a very slow start while the fighters tried to figure each other out. But it picked as they moved to the middle rounds. In the ninth round, DeMarco landed some very good, hard shots. One of them, a straight left hand, staggered Adjaho along the ropes. He turned away, went to take a knee and was grazed with a shot while going down. Adjaho attempted to win an Oscar award with an acting job for the ages as he pitched over face first onto the canvas hoping to elicit a foul call from referee Tellis Assemenios. Instead, Assemenios didn't buy the ridiculous acting and instead counted Adjaho out, who has only himself to blame for the loss. Conveniently, as soon as Assemenios reached 10, Adjaho jumped up to complain. Television replays showed that Assemenios made the correct call. The final shot that hit Adjaho barely grazed him before he touched his knee to the canvas. Adjaho basically quit, something it is hard to envision the gutsy DeMarco ever doing. Had Adjaho continued to fight, he had a chance to win as the judges had the fight a split draw before the ending.

Rafael's remark: In December, Philadelphia's Cunningham, 32, got knocked down three times and lost a split decision and his title to Tomasz Adamek in a rousing slugfest that was one of the best fights of 2008. It was a fight absolutely worthy of an immediate rematch, but Adamek went in another direction, so Cunningham had to earn his way back into another fight with him. By beating Braithwaite with ease, Cunningham became the mandatory challenger for Adamek, who also won a fight Saturday. They could meet in a rematch at the end of the year or early next year. HBO or Showtime really need to step up and put it on unless Adamek can make a deal with Bernard Hopkins instead. Braithwaite, 33, who lives in New York but is from Guyana, really didn't deserve to be in an eliminator. Although he is an exciting former titleholder, he's now lost four of his last six bouts and hadn't fought since March 2008, when he upset Yoan Pablo Hernandez.

Rafael's remark: Russia's Kirpa, 31, powered past Rodriguez in a one-sided but punch-filled fight to move a step closer to a mandatory shot at titleholder Andre Berto. Thankfully, this was not a so-called "final eliminator," because it would be a complete farce if it had been. Rodriguez, 30, of Mexico, already had an undeserved fight with Berto, getting his butt kicked over seven lopsided rounds when they met for a vacant belt 13 months ago. This was Rodriguez's first fight since, so it is insane that he would be approved to fight in an eliminator of any kind, be it a final one or not. But that's the WBC, which rarely avoids doing something stupid. The very inactive Kirpa won his sixth in a row, but that dates to 2003.

Rafael's remark: Unwilling to accept a ridiculously insulting offer to defend his world championship against Bernard Hopkins, Adamek moved on. When no American network was willing to buy his next fight (he still generates money with Polish television rights), Adamek and promoter Main Events didn't stand around with their hands out begging for a television date. They were proactive and scheduled Adamek for a defense at the Prudential Center in Newark, which has become Adamek's home base, and made it available on the company's Web site for a nominal fee. Adamek is from Poland but lives in Jersey City and draws thousands of mostly Polish fans, about 6,000 for this fight. They got what they came for as Adamek, 32, smoked the overmatched/undeserving Gunn, a Hackensack, N.J., resident who also brought some fans. But he never had a chance despite the good game he talked before the fight. Gunn, 35, had been blown away in one round by Enzo Maccarinelli in a 2007 title bout and had never beaten anyone remotely looking like a top fighter. Adamek dominated the fight from the start. His left jab found its mark with regularity. In the fourth round, he hurt Gunn with a big right hand and cut him over his eye. Adamek proceeded to unload more than a dozen unanswered shots before the bell sounded to end the round. Gunn, who surprisingly didn't go down, made it to his corner, but referee Earl Brown elected to stop the bout on the advice of the doctor. Adamek, a former light heavyweight titleholder, made his second cruiserweight defense. Why HBO or Showtime weren't interested in putting on his summer fight -- which would have been against a better opponent if they had anted up -- is shocking. Adamek is one of the most exciting fighters in the sport and draws a crowd. Next, he could have a mandatory rematch with Steve Cunningham, whom he beat for the title in December. There is also the lingering possibility of a fight early next year with Hopkins as long as Hopkins and Golden Boy Promotions get in touch with reality about the deal, which means a fair percentage split and a co-promotion with Main Events.

Rafael's remark: Remember how so many folks thought Sturm was robbed of a decision when he fought Oscar De La Hoya in 2004? Well, now the boxing gods have evened it up, because this time it was Germany's Sturm who got the gift decision in a defense against European champion Gevor, 30, a native of Armenia living in Germany. Gevor appeared to dominate the fight on the inside when he was allowed to work there until referee Jean-Louis Legland would inexplicably break them. Gevor was robbed of a knockdown with a couple of seconds remaining in the third round. He clocked Sturm with a left hand, although not a clean one, and Sturm went down to a knee for a flash knockdown before popping right up. Legland, however, blew it by ruling it a slip. Gevor pressured Sturm, 30, whose only weapon was a jab that he didn't employ nearly enough. When he uses it, Sturm's jab is one of the best in the business. But he has to use it.

Since regaining the belt in 2007, Sturm has made seven defenses, although this one was mighty shaky, especially if you listened to the reaction of the crowd after the decision was announced. Keep in mind, Sturm was the hometown fighter. For Gevor, it was his second disappointment in a world title bout. In August 2007, he suffered a brutal 11th-round knockout loss to Arthur Abraham. Gevor won three in a row after that fight, including the European title, before suffering this indignity against Sturm, who may next face the real champion of the division, American Kelly Pavlik, this fall. But Pavlik promoter Top Rank and HBO are not in the same ballpark on its value. HBO has offered about $2 million for the fight. Top Rank and Pavlik, of course, want more. Whatever. Is anyone clamoring to see Pavlik against Sturm? It's the best of a lot of so-so options now that Abraham has moved up in weight, and the prospect of a Pavlik fight against super middleweight titlist Carl Froch is also out the window since Froch and Abraham are in Showtime's super middleweight tournament. Besides, Sturm lost a bit of luster with his shaky performance against Gevor, and Pavlik hasn't looked all that great for some time.

Rafael's remark: Fights like this one could put those in society who like logic and reason, and who despise the money-hungry sanctioning organizations, into an early grave. Zbik, 27, of Germany and Spada, 28, of Italy, both fashioned stellar records while never beating a single notable opponent between them. Zbik's résumé is devoid of anyone recognizable. Spada, at least, faced Mahir Oral, who was knocked down five times and stopped by Arthur Abraham last month in a title bout. Oral, however, beat Spada in 2007. Yet, somehow, some way, the WBC felt it was appropriate to sanction this as an interim world title bout. The bank account must be thin this month. Interim titles are distasteful enough, but at least one of the fighters involved in the fight usually has a tiny bit of merit. Not here. And why exactly was an interim title made available? Last we checked, Kelly Pavlik was the world champion and he is coming off a victory in a WBC-inflicted mandatory defense in February, with the intention to fight again in the fall.

Rafael's remark: When they first met in December 2003 in a nontitle bout in Los Angeles, Solis won a lopsided decision against his Mexican countryman. Six years later, they met in a rematch in Cruz's hometown as he made the second defense of his belt. Solis, 29, had become the mandatory challenger with a fifth-round knockout of Monty Meza-Clay in January. The rematch was a physical and foul-filled fight with lots of shoving, head butting and grappling. Cruz was more aggressive and lost a point for head butting near the end of the third round; Solis emerged with a nasty cut over his left eye. Cruz lost another point later in the round for a virtual body slam of Solis. Referee Joseph Cooper did his best to keep control of the chippy affair, but it got worse in the fifth round when Cruz went down from a bad low blow and Solis was docked two points for the foul. Believe it or not, Cruz landed another brutal left hand to Cruz's private parts late in the round. While Cruz wriggled on the mat in agony, Cooper took two more points from Solis, who was flirting with disqualification. In the end, Cruz got the nod in a fight that was nightmarish to score because of the six total point deductions. Cruz, 32, extended his winning streak to five following back-to-back decision losses in 2007. Solis, who was knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in 2007, saw his four-fight winning streak end. ESPN Deportes carried live coverage of the fight in the United States thanks to a last-minute agreement with Cruz promoter Artie Pelullo. Wouldn't it be great if the network would regularly televise the notable fights from Mexico in the United States?

Rafael's remark: Miranda, 29, of Mexico, blew out his countryman in quick fashion to move a step closer to a mandatory shot at a flyweight title. However, it could come quicker than he thought now that the titleholder, Nonito Donaire, has vacated to move up in weight. It could mean an opportunity for Miranda to fight for the vacant belt. He plowed through Ortiz. He cracked him with a tremendous left hook that hurt him with about 25 seconds left in the opening round. Ortiz, who briefly held a junior flyweight belt in 2005, staggered into the ropes. Miranda continued his assault, finally knocking Ortiz, 32, down. After taking referee Michael Ortega's count, the fight resumed, but only for a moment. Two punches later, including a flush left uppercut, Ortega called it off just as the round was ending. Miranda was coming off a decision loss to former longtime flyweight titleholder Pongsaklek Wonjongkam in April for an interim belt.

Rafael's remark: Aydin, 25, thrilled the fans in his home country with an exciting victory against Bonsu in a fight that netted him the European title as well as an eventual mandatory shot against titlist Andre Berto. Bonsu, 28, a Ghana native living in Belgium, is a tough contender who outpointed former undisputed champ Carlos Baldomir in a December eliminator. But he had problems with Aydin, a 2004 Olympian who might be familiar to American fans because Showtime televised his last bout on "ShoBox: The New Generation" in April. Aydin knocked Bonsu down with a body shot in the fourth round, but Bonsu rallied and eventually broke Aydin's nose. Undeterred, Aydin scored knockdowns in the sixth and ninth rounds before referee Massimo Barrovecchio intervened because Bonsu was unable to defend himself. Aydin promoter Arena Box made the fight available via legal Internet stream. It was not a great stream, but you could certainly see this was an excellent fight.

Rafael's remark: Wake us when this abomination is over. Godfrey, with way more ability than Hawk, was content to jab and move as we all nodded off. He had no intention of mixing it up in any way. Hawk took his first notable step up in competition and failed miserably. He wouldn't (or couldn't) let his hands go and threw very few punches while simply following Godfrey around in this god-awful "Friday Night Fights" main event. It looked like a potentially decent match on paper, but when the bell rang it was terrible. Godfrey, 28, of Providence, R.I., was the definition of uninspiring. He fights going backward and didn't seem at all interested in throwing a meaningful punch. He goes by the nickname "Too Smooth." More like "Too Boring." Still, he did win easily, his third in a row since losing a decision in Germany to Rudolf Kraj in a title eliminator in March 2008. Hawk, 25, of Sioux Falls, S.D., had feasted on woeful competition in building his record and had never been past eight rounds. Unfortunately, the first time he did go past eight, we were subjected to it on national television. One interesting note: It was a match of two Native Americans.

Rafael's remark: From the moment the card was set, it always looked like this ESPN2 undercard fight was more interesting than the Matt Godfrey-Shawn Hawk main event. It turned out to be the case. George, 30, figured to be the slight favorite. He scored a very impressive ninth-round knockout on ESPN2 14 months ago when he stopped former heavyweight titlist Chris Byrd in a light heavyweight fight. Although New York's George had fought only once since, an easy first-round knockout of Jaffa Ballogou in February, he seemed like a fighter on the rise. And it looked like he might knock Houston's Henry, 28, out early. George hammered Henry in the first round, landing some excellent right hands. George was on fire early. Then, presto. Whatever he had going for him disappeared, and Henry, who had survived some rocky moments, came roaring back. In the sixth, he dropped George twice before referee Steve Smoger called it off at 1:08 as George trainer Tommy Brooks was throwing in the towel. It was a weird but entertaining fight. It was a big win for Henry, who entered 2-2 in his previous four bouts. He had lost an interim world title bout to Adrian Diaconu in Romania in April 2008, won two in a row against lesser opponents and then lost a split decision to Yusaf Mack in February. Henry, who had originally weighed in two pounds overweight and had to shed at the last minute, was also able to put some recent legal issues in the back of his mind to pull this one out.