Undefeated Garcia stops Malignaggi in 9th round

NEW YORK – Undefeated Danny Garcia stopped Paulie Malignaggi in the ninth round of their welterweight fight Saturday night at Barclays Center.

Garcia improved to 31-0 with his 18th knockout. Malignaggi dropped to 33-7.

With Malignaggi against the ropes, Garcia threw a flurry of punches before referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stopped it at 2:22 of the ninth.

Garcia and Malignaggi traded shots almost immediately. But Garcia had the better of the exchanges, including opening cuts surrounding Malignaggi’s right eye.

Malignaggi landed his best punch in the seventh, a hard right to the chin that Garcia shook off.

While the crowd of 7,237 fans was disappointed with the result of the main event, Danny Jacobs’ performance in the semi-main event had the crowd roaring.

Jacobs improved to 30-1 when he stopped Sergio Mora at 2:55 of the second round. Jacobs landed a right hook to the side of Mora’s head, who crumpled to the canvas and was taken from the ring by stretcher because of right ankle and knee injuries. Mora was taken to a hospital for a MRI.

“I know it’s broken. I heard it pop,” said Mora, who fell to 28-4-2. “I heard my knee pop and I want to see a replay because I know my ankle is broken.”

Immediately following the fight, Jacobs unequivocally expressed his disinterest in a rematch.

“No reason to go backwards,” said Jacobs, who was knocked down by a left to the face in the first round.                                                  

“Did a guy with nine knockouts really knock me down?”

Also, light heavyweights Travis Peterkin (15-0-1) and Lenin Castillo (12-0-1) fought to a majority draw; Rafael Vazquez (16-1) stopped Mario Macias (26-17) at 1:50 of the first round in their featherweight fight; heavyweight Adam Kownacki improved to 11-0 with a knockout of Maurenzo Smith (12-10-3) at 2:26 of the second round; Heather Hardy moved to 14-0 with a stoppage decision of Renata Domsodi (12-7).