Highlights
–Mario Barrios towered over Devis Boschiero from the outset, using his exceptional height and reach advantages to control the range early in the fight.
–Although Barrios wasn’t landing much more than his jab through the middle rounds, his length continued to frustrate Boschiero, who could barely land a punch.
–Barrios dropped Boschiero to a knee with a left uppercut in the 12th round that sealed a shutout unanimous decision.
Mario Barrios towered over Devis Boschiero in the ring in every which way, and took a giant step forward to a 130-pound world title shot in the process.
Standing nearly 6-foot-1, Barrios used his exceptional height and reach advantages to control the 5-foot-5½ Boschiero from the outset and cruise to a 12-round unanimous decision.
With the decision already well in hand, Barrios sealed the deal when he floored the former world title challenger in the final round to earn a clean 120-107 sweep on all three judges’ scorecards.
The knockdown was one of the few bursts of action in the fight as the length of Barrios continually frustrated Boschiero, a 34-year-old Italian who was making his U.S. debut.
The victory marked the first time the 21-year-old Barrios went past eight rounds in his career, and it moved the San Antonio native into the No. 2 position for a shot at 130-pound world champion Jose Pedraza.
Barrios barely needed more than his jab to keep Boschiero at bay, and simply the threat presented by his length was enough to keep the former European champion seemingly frozen at times.
Barrios dropped Boschiero to a knee with a left uppercut in the 12th round, and the Italian veteran rebounded well enough to instigate a frenzied exchange until the final bell, but it was a rare show of aggression on his part.
Using his significant height advantage, Mario Barrios was able to render Devis Boschiero defenseless over 12 rounds in their 130-pound bout in Trenton, New Jersey. (Dave Nadkarni/Premier Boxing Champions)