Boxing: Undefeated Danny Garcia Ekes Out Majority Decision Over Lamont Peterson

Fight Highlights: Watch @DannySwift's majority decision over @KingPete26. #PBConNBC https://t.co/ucQSYK3OLn

— PBC (@premierboxing) April 12, 2015

Danny Garcia did just enough to squeak past Lamont Peterson via majority decision in the Premier Boxing Champions on NBC headliner Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Garcia was flustered early on by Peterson’s movement and irritating jabs, but he eventually was able to get inside and rake his opponent with vicious shots to the body. Those punches set up leads and counters to the head and Garcia seemed to pull away on the cards.

However, Peterson eventually opted against moving so much and switched gears midway through the battle. The Washington DC fighter began stalking Garcia down, throwing dozens of shots to the head and body. The Philly technician welcomed the exchanges at first, but he eventually was forced to back up in the latter stages of the fight.

Related » Play-by-Play: PBC on NBC

Neither of the junior welterweight champions -- who fought at a catch-weight of 143 pounds -- was every truly hurt or taken off his feet in the contest, and virtually every round could have gone either way. With time running short on the fight, though it appeared as though Peterson might have needed to score a knockdown late to break even or win, which never occurred.

In the end, two of the ringside judges thought Garcia’s more powerful punching was enough to earn the verdict; they scored in his favor 115-113. That score offset the 114-114 tally turned in by the third.

“I knew it was going to be a tough fight,” a relived Garcia said immediately after the contest. “But you can’t win a big fight by running. I am the champion so I had to go get him.”

Garcia, who improved to 30-0 with 17 KOs, said that he is open to meeting Peterson again, but at welterweight. Peterson (33-3-1, 17 KOs) was not available for comment immediately afterward.

HIGHLIGHTS: Check out highlights from the split draw between @KidChocolate & @AndyLeeBoxing #PBConNBC https://t.co/M9Kzkjjibx

— PBC (@premierboxing) April 12, 2015

Quillin-Lee Brawl Ends in Split Draw

Unbeaten Cuban-American Peter Quillin was poised to wrest the WBO version of the middleweight title away from Ireland’s Andy Lee on Saturday night. Unfortunately for “Kid Chocolate,” he was unable to make the 160-pound weight limit and was disallowed to fight for the strap.

It didn’t matter anyhow because when the co-feature of the Premier Boxing Champions card on NBC was over, Quillin wasn’t the victor anyway.

Even though Quillin rocked his foe few times in the contest and scored knockdowns in the first and third rounds, he didn’t do enough in the eyes of the three ringside judges to win the decision. Lee (34-2-1, 24 KOs) hung tough throughout the fight and his tricky southpaw jabs kept Quillin (31-0-1, 22 KOs) guessing, preventing the Brooklyn-based fighter to get into the sort of rhythm he coveted. Many of the rounds in the duel were as close as they come and it didn’t help Quillin’s case that he was felled in the seventh. Still, it appeared as though a slight majority of those in attendance felt that Quillin had won enough rounds to walk away the winner.

In the end, one judge had it 113-112 for Quillin, the second had the same score for Lee, and the third had it even at 113 apiece, resulting in a split draw. Neither fighter seemed too disappointed in the decision and both appeared willing to do it again.