Cayo wins decision over former lightweight champion Diaz

Cayo wins decision over Diaz

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Victor Cayo remained unbeaten and scored the most impressive victory of his career with an unanimous decision over former International Boxing Federation lightweight champion Julio Diaz on Friday night.

Cayo, of the Dominican Republic, frustrated Diaz with fast combinations during the 10-round junior welterweight bout.

Early in the fight, Cayo was intent on scoring from the outside as he landed solid left jabs and left hooks to the head.

Diaz, who held the IBF lightweight crown in 2007, finally cut punching range in the fifth round and was effective with combinations to the body.

But Cayo (23-0) also took Diaz’s best shots from short range and countered with rights to the head.

All three judges scored the bout for Cayo, 97-93, 96-94 and 98-92. There were no knockdowns.

Diaz, of Mexico, is 36-6 and 2-2 since losing his IBF lightweight crown against Juan Diaz in October 2007.

Cayo and Diaz both weighed 139 pounds.

In another fight, 2004 Olympian Luis Franco won his professional debut with a first-round technical knockout over Puerto Rico’s Leroy Padilla.

Franco, who defected from Cuba two months ago, frustrated an outclassed Padilla with solid and quick combinations to the head. Midway through the round, Franco pinned Padilla and connected with a flurry of unanswered combinations to the head.

Referee Frank Santore stopped the super-featherweight bout at 2:14 of the round.