Luis Arias backed up his pre-fight talk this time.
An aggressive Arias upset former 154-pound champion Jarrett Hurd by split decision in a 10-round middleweight match on the Floyd Mayweather-Logan Paul undercard at Hard Rock Stadium. Arias landed hard right hands throughout their bout and delivered on his promise to lure Hurd into the type of brawl that benefited Arias, who fought for the first time with respected Cuban trainer, Ismael Salas, in his corner.
Judge John Rupert scored their fight 95-93 for Hurd, but he was overruled by judges Mark Streisand (97-93) and Toby Tamarkin (96-93), both of whom credited Arias for winning. The 30-year-old Arias, a Milwaukee native, was 0-2-1 in his three previous bouts.
After losing decisions to Daniel Jacobs and Luke Keeler and fighting to a 12-round draw with Gabe Rosado, Arias produced the biggest win of his career in his first fight back with Mayweather’s promotional company.
The 30-year-old Arias (19-2-1, 9 KOs) fought through a cut over his right eye and fatigue in the second half of their entertaining encounter. He admitted afterward that Hurd “buzzed” him in the later rounds and could’ve knocked him out if he were more aggressive.
The 30-year-old Hurd (24-2, 16 KOs), of Accokeek, Maryland, lost for the second time in his past three fights. Julian Williams upset him in May 2019 to win the IBF, IBO and WBA 154-pound championships from him.
Arias blasted Hurd with a right hand after the halfway point of the 10th and final round. Later in the 10th, Arias caught Hurd with two more right hands that seemed to hurt Hurd, who held him to avoid more damage.
Arias slipped on the damp canvas and went down less than 10 seconds into the ninth round. Arias fell again barely 25 seconds into ninth round.
Referee Chris Young appeared to call that a knockdown, but an angry Arias complained because he clearly lost his footing.
In the middle minute of the ninth round, Arias drilled Hurd with a left hand just after Hurd landed a right hand. Hurd retreated after absorbing that shot.
Arias’ chopping right hand landed at just about the halfway point of the eighth round. Arias blasted Hurd with another right hand with just under 30 seconds to go in that round.
Arias went down from Hurd’s low left hand with about 1:25 to go in the seventh round. Hurd was warned, Arias took a brief break and the action resumed pretty quickly.
Almost as soon as they came together again, however, Hurd hit Arias low again, with another left hand. Arias took another short break after Hurd was warned and they were brought together again.
A hard right hand by Arias landed with about 35 seconds to go in the seventh round.
Hurd landed two stiff jabs 50 seconds into the sixth round. Hurd buzzed a fast-tiring Arias by landing a right to the side of his head in the final minute of the sixth round, which caused Arias to hold him and move around.
Arias did catch Hurd with a flush right hand toward the end of the sixth round.
A right-left combination by Arias landed barely 30 seconds into the fifth round. Another right-left combination by Arias connected just after the midway mark of the fifth round.
Arias nailed Hurd with a short, left hook with about 55 seconds remaining in the fifth round. Arias appeared to tire later in the fifth round, but he landed three power punches just before the bell sounded.
Hurd and Arias traded hard left hooks 1:20 into the fourth round. A right hand by Arias knocked Hurd off balance with 1:20 to go in the fourth round.
Hurd connected with a right uppercut later in the fourth round, but he ate Arias’ right hand both before and after landing that shot.
A left hook by Arias backed up Hurd with about 50 seconds to go in the third round. A right hand by Arias appeared to open cut over Hurd’s left eye late in the third round.
Arias fought with a sense of urgency in that third round because of the cut he suffered above his right eye in the second round.
Arias hit Hurd with a right uppercut and then a right to the side of his head about 45 seconds into the third round. Arias then backed Hurd into the ropes and landed a hard right and then a left.
Arias drilled Hurd with a right hand 1:10 into the second round. Arias connected with two more right hands to the side of Hurd’s head after the halfway point of the second round.
One of Hurd’s right hands opened a cut above Arias’ right eye later in the second round, but Arias blasted Hurd with a left hook that knocked him off balance toward the end of that round.
Arias slipped on a damp canvas early in the second round, when it began raining much harder than it had earlier Sunday night. The ring and its surrounding area was covered, but not enough for the canvas to remain completely dry.
Workers dried the ring as well as possible with towels and the action resumed a few minutes later.
Arias landed a right hand with 1:15 to go in the first round, but Hurd kept coming forward. Arias also landed a left to Hurd’s body in the final minute of the first round.
–boxingscene.com
