Late knockout by Jorge Arce steals the show on Pacquiao vs. Mosley undercard

By Case Keefer (contact)

Sunday, May 8, 2011 | 2:40 a.m.

Although Mexican super bantamweight Jorge Arce doesn’t speak the best English, he only needed three simple words to sum up his victory over Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. on Saturday.

“I told you,” Arce said as he took the podium at the post-fight press conference at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Arce (57-6-2) created a stir at Thursday’s Pacquiao vs. Mosley undercard press conference when he promised to knock out Vazquez (20-1-1). Most thought it was wishful thinking, as Vazquez closed as a 6-to-1 favorite in the WBO title fight.

But Arce lived up to his word and provided the sold-out crowd with the most excitement of the night when he knocked out Vazquez at the 0:55 mark of the 12th and final round.

“People say, ‘Arce’s crazy,’” he said. “I’m very happy about this fight. I don’t know what to say. Unbelievable.”

The whole fight featured back-and-forth action, but Arce surged late in the bout when he pummeled Vazquez with a combination against the ropes in the 11th round.

Vazquez must not have recovered after visiting his corner, because Arce got him in a similar position shortly after the bell rang to start the last round.

Arce wailed away on a defenseless Vazquez, who was pressed up against the ropes, until his corner jumped into the ring and threw a water bottle to signal they were pulling out.

“His father and me decided to stop the fight together,” Vazquez's manager and corner man Felix Zabala said. “We made the decision because this kid is a young kid, a good fighter who was taking too much punishment.”

Not too long before, however, it was Vazquez who was delivering the punishment. After Arce came out strong and won each of the first three rounds, Vazquez took control in the fourth.

Vazquez got into a rhythm countering Arce’s attacks and sent him to the canvas with a left in the middle of the round.

“I was never dropped before,” Arce said through a translator. “I was embarrassed.”

But Arce wouldn’t be denied on a night that was supposed to be an introduction to Vazquez Jr., in the bout that directly preceded Pacquiao’s win.

Instead, it was Arce’s comeback that got everyone’s attention.

“I wish that I can fight again here in Vegas in the Main Event,” Arce said through a translator.

It’s unclear what’s next for Arce. Top Rank President Bob Arum said he had no idea and didn’t want to discuss it with Arce tonight because he was “too elated.”

Arce has other immediate plans, anyway.

“I promised my children that I was going to win this fight,” Arce said. “And if I did, I would take them to Disneyland.”

Kelly Pavlik wins in return

After 13 months away from boxing to attend rehab, Kelly Pavlik got back into the ring Saturday and improved his record to 37-2 with a majority decision win over Alfonso Lopez (21-1).

Pavlik’s punches didn’t seem to carry the same kind of power they once did, as Lopez was never close to getting knocked out. But Lopez didn’t win many exchanges, either.

Two judges’ scores read 99-91 and 98-92. It was the third that had everyone in the arena confused, as judge Adalaide Byrd tallied it as a 95-95 draw.

“I’m baffled by how a judge scored that fight as a draw,” Arum said.

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or case.keefer@lasvegassun.com. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.