He is undefeated – 15-0-1 – in his 16 fights since his only loss in February, 2006. Antonio’s handlers have done an excellent job of gradually stepping him up in class of opposition in the last few years and Antonio has gained valuable experience.
Antonio DeMarco vs. Jose Reyes
He was matched against fellow-prospect Nick Casal in September, 2007; he fought previously undefeated prospect – although naturally smaller – Juan Castaneda in May, 2008; tough veteran Jose Reyes pressed Antonio for 10 hard rounds in a very close fight in September, 2008; and Antonio fought the dangerous-punching Kid Diamond in February, 2009.
These fights, especially Reyes and Diamond, are the kind that really prepare a young fighter to challenge at the top level – they “raise the bar” for a young fighter’s preparation in the gym and his performance in the ring. Reyes and Diamond were both able to take punishment and not fold. They kept coming back, kept fighting hard and kept fighting to win for the duration of the fights.
Antonio DeMarco vs. Kid Diamond
Antonio got the win each time but more importantly, he had to work hard to get them and learned lessons that a young fighter just can’t get in the gym.
In October of ’09, DeMarco earned a tenth-round TKO win against Jose Alfaro.
After that fight Dan Rafael wrote on ESPN.com [excerpts]: What a pleasure it’s been to watch DeMarco mature before our eyes. From wild brawler to a measured professional with a game plan, DeMarco has improved dramatically over the past couple of years. The hard work paid off with a brilliant performance against Alfaro, a former titleholder and dangerous puncher. DeMarco picked up an interim belt which makes him the mandatory challenger for titleholder Edwin Valero.
DeMarco continued his strong run with a third very impressive win in a row this year against a quality opponent. He stopped Almazbek “Kid Diamond” Raiymkulov in February, knocked out Anges Adjaho in July to earn the title bout and then took Alfaro apart for the TKO win. DeMarco was in control all the way, leading 90-81 and 89-82 (twice) on the scorecards when he finally ended matters in the 10th round.
Antonio DeMarco vs. Jose Alfaro photo by Chris Cozzone
DeMarco used a two-handed attack, worked his left jab with precision and mixed in a good body attack to wear Alfaro down. The blows caused Alfaro’s left eye to swell by the fourth round and his nose to bleed by the eighth round. Alfaro was fading in the 10th round when DeMarco ended it. A right hand hurt Alfaro and sent him into the ropes, although referee Joe Cortez did not rule a knockdown even though the ropes held him up. But the bloody Alfaro went down moments later from a combination. Then he went down again from a right hand. And then he finally took a knee, causing Cortez to call it off. [End Rafael item]
Assistant trainer Romulo “Bobby” Quirarte Jr. said, “Antonio has been preparing for this fight for two months and one week. He’s been training in the Sport World Gym, another gym in Tijuana. He’s already done 80 percent of the hard work. He’s been sparring with Mercito Gesta and Marvin Quintero. Only one or two days, he was able to go to San Diego to spar with Mercito, because he (Gesta) don’t have the papers to come to Mexico. [note: interviews on Jan. 19]
“I think Valero is a good fighter with a good punch. We know about this but we’re working on the style for Valero. He has many errors, and we have to work with that.”
Antonio said through an interpreter, “Valero is a very tough fighter, a great world champion. He’s the reigning champion, but we have been dreaming to be the champion since a long time ago and that’s what we want to do.
“He has an awkward style, but we have been doing a lot of work on our tactics for the fight. We are planning to box him, and if we have the opportunity to finish him, we’re going to do it.
“I’m not doing much different in training, it’s just harder. It’s been more intense because of the importance of this fight. We are in the gym 100 percent, to be 100 percent ready the day of the fight.
“The fights against Kid Diamond and Jose Alfaro helped me very much. They helped me get into my rhythm and to get more confidence. They all were great fighters, and those fights helped me to be better prepared for this fight.
“Kid Diamond also had great punching power. It’s just about working in the gym to be well prepared, and I will handle Valero’s power.
“Thank you very much to Showtime. Thanks for all your support, and stay tuned.”
DeMarco Crowned Interim WBC Lightweight Champion after Alfaro fight photo by Chris Cozzone
Fight by Fight – 2009 – WON WBC INTERIM WORLD TITLE – in his last fight on 10-31-09 in Las Vegas, NV, he TKO’d Jose Alfaro (23-4): the fight was co-featured with the Yonnhy Perez-Joseph Agbeko main event, and Antonio dominated; he consistently outboxed and outworked Alfaro in the early rounds, and wore him down with body punches; Alfaro’s left eye was swollen in the 4th round and his nose was bloodied in the 8th round; Antonio staggered Alfaro with a right hook in the 10th round, and Alfaro was held up by the ropes – it should have been scored a knockdown, but the referee missed the call; Antonio scored a knockdown moments later with a series of punches that dropped Alfaro to one knee; he got up, but Antonio scored two more knockdowns – the first with a right hook, the second with a series of punches – and the referee stopped the fight at 2:07; after nine rounds, Antonio led by scores of 90-81, 89-82, 89-92; after the fight, Antonio said, “It’s impossible to describe the feeling I have inside me right now. My lifelong dream was to become the WBC world champion. This is the second happiest day of my life – only the birth of my daughter comes first. I was a little surprised the referee let the fight go. At one point he turned around and I knew then it was only a matter of time. For everyone who supported me and helped me when I had nothing, I thank them from the bottom of my heart.”…
WBC L TITLE ELIMINATOR – on 7-11-09 in Sunrise, FL, he knocked out Anges Adjaho (25-1): the fight was on the undercard of the Joseph Agbeko-Vic Darchinyan main event; Antonio staggered Adjaho with a left hand late in the 1st round, but the early rounds were tactical and slow-paced and the crowd booed the lack of action; both were effective at times in the following rounds; Antonio stepped up his pace and staggered Adjaho with a left hand in the 6th, then scored a knockdown with a left hand in the 9th round – video replays showed Antonio then grazed the top of Adjaho’s head with another left hand just before he went to one knee, then fell motionless, flat on his face – apparently trying to get the referee to disqualify Antonio for the illegal punch – but was instead counted out at 2:59; the 9th round was scored and after nine rounds, the fight was scored 86-84 DeMarco, 86-84 Adjaho, 85-85; after the fight, Antonio said, “He was hurt and did not want to continue. The plan was to keep working. I knew the fight was close, but I was beginning to get more power. I didn’t think he was down when I hit him. When I hit him he was looking for someplace to hide. He looked like he didn’t want to fight. I had an infection in my stomach a week, before but I took care of myself. I got some rest and I felt good tonight and I fought hard. This was a good fight for me, a good opportunity to prove myself to people and show everyone what I can do. He was a good opponent, he was very tough. It was a very difficult fight for me and I wish him nothing but the very best. I think it was an even fight up until the last round. I didn’t feel like I was behind and I had to knock him out. I just had an opportunity to get a good shot in and I tried to do that.”…
Antonio DeMarco vs. Kid Diamond photo by Big Joe Miranda
WON VACANT NABO L TITLE – on 2-7-09 in Anaheim, CA, he TKO’d Almazbek Raiymkulov (27-1-1; aka Kid Diamond): the bout was co-featured with the Vic Darchinyan-Jorge Arce main event, and was a significant step up in class of opposition for Antonio; it was a fast-paced, exciting fight and the momentum shifted back and forth; Raiymkulov landed the harder punches in the 1st round, but was cut over his right eye by a clash of heads; Antonio was cut over his left eye by a clash of heads in the 3rd, but scored with repeated left hands and rallied in the following rounds; Raiymkulov pressed forward and stepped up his pace in the 5th and 6th rounds; Antonio came on strongly in the late rounds – he hurt Raiymkulov with a right hook to the body, then rocked him with several hard combinations in the 9th round and Raiymkulov did not continue after the round; after nine rounds, the fight was scored 88-83, 88-83 DeMarco, 86-85 Raiymkulov; after the fight, Antonio said, “I got the confidence to enter the ring from my family and trainers. They believed in me and trained me and that’s how I got the win.”…
Antonio DeMarco vs. Jose Reyes
2008 – on 9-5-08 in Primm, NV, he won a 10 round split decision against Jose Reyes (23-4): the bout headlined at Buffalo Bill’s, and it was a good close fight; Antonio scored a knockdown with a right hook in the 3rd round and staggered Reyes with another right hook in the 4th, but Reyes rallied in the middle rounds and rocked Antonio with a right hand in the 8th; both fought hard in the late rounds and had their moments and it looked like the decision could go either way, but the knockdown made the difference for Antonio in a win and a draw; scored 96-93, 95-94 DeMarco, 96-93 Reyes; after the fight, Antonio said, “I caught Reyes squarely in the third round, and did what I had to do to win this fight. Reyes is a tough fighter.”…
Antonio DeMarco vs. Juan Castaneda photo by Tom Casino
On 5-2-08 in Santa Ynez, CA, he TKO’d previously undefeated Juan Castaneda (12-0): the fight was co-featured with the Andre Dirrell-Tony Hanshaw main event, and it was fast-paced and exciting; Antonio had a size advantage over Castaneda, a natural 130-pounder who was moving up in weight; Antonio scored two knockdowns in the 2nd round – the first with a series of punches that sent Castaneda to one knee, the second with a right hand in the last seconds of the round; he staggered Castaneda midway through the 3rd round, then scored another knockdown with another right hand, but Castaneda got up and rocked Antonio with a series of punches; Antonio staggered Castaneda late in the 4th round, then rocked him early in the 5th and the referee stopped the fight at 0:42; the crowd gave them a standing ovation…
On 3-1-08 in Carson, CA, he won an 8 round unanimous decision against Juan Martinez (9-5-1): the bout was on the undercard of the Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez III main event; Antonio boxed effectively, consistently outworked Martinez, and dominated most of the fight; scored 79-73, 78-72, 78-74…
2007 – on 11-30-07 in Santa Ynez, CA, he TKO’d Arturo Brambilla (9-11): the fight was on the undercard of the James Kirkland-Allen Conyers main event; Antonio scored two knockdowns in the 2nd round – the first with a left uppercut, the second with a straight left hand – and the referee stopped the fight without a count at 2:24…
Antonio DeMarco vs. Nick Casal
On 9-7-07 in Santa Ynez he won a 10 round unanimous decision against prospect Nick Casal (16-1-1): the fight headlined at the Chumash Casino, and it was fast-paced and exciting battle; Casal pressed forward, but Antonio boxed and scored well with accurate punches in the early rounds; he cut Casal on the bridge of his nose in the 7th round, but Casal kept fighting hard in the late rounds and rocked Antonio a few times; scored 97-93, 97-93, 96-94; after the fight, Antonio said, “I felt a little weak and was fighting at about 75 or 80 percent. I was having problems with my sinuses, but fought all-out like a great Mexican fighter would.”…
On 7-28-07 in Tacoma, WA, he TKO’d Roberto Valenzuela (39-32-2): the fight was on the undercard of the Vernon Forrest-Carlos Baldomir main event, and it was a spectacular one-punch knockout; Antonio scored a knockdown with a right hook that dropped Valenzuela face-first in the 1st round – Valenzuela fell the first time he tried to get up, then managed to get up on the second try but was very unsteady, and the referee stopped the fight at 1:19…
On 7-6-07 in Los Mochis, MX, he won by disqualification against Jose Rivera (1-16): at 1:06 of the 2nd round…
photo by Tom Casino
On 6-1-07 in Santa Ynez, CA, he TKO’d Yair Aguiar (8-9): Antonio dominated the fight; he rocked Aguiar with a series of punches in the 3rd round, and the referee stopped the fight at 1:01…
On 3-3-07 in Carson, CA, he TKO’d Raymundo Gonzalez (7-5-2): the fight was on the undercard of the Rafael Marquez-Israel Vazquez I main event; Antonio scored two knockdowns in the 2nd round, and the referee stopped the fight at 0:36…
2006 – on 10-6-06 in Santa Ynez he fought to a 6 round draw against Curtis Meeks (8-1-1): scored 58-56 DeMarco, 57-57, 57-57…
On 7-29-06 in Santa Ynez he TKO’d Anthony Ivy (7-10): the fight was on the undercard of the Vivian Harris-Stevie Johnston main event; Antonio scored two knockdowns in the 2nd round – the second with a straight left hand – and the referee stopped the fight in mid-count at 1:43…
On 6-2-06 in Santa Ynez he TKO’d Ricardo Valencia (4-7-1): the fight was on the undercard of the Chad Dawson-Eric Harding main event; Valencia pressed forward, but Antonio outboxed him, landed the harder punches, and rocked him a few times; Antonio staggered Valencia with a straight left hand that sent him stumbling back against the ropes in the 4th round – Antonio then rocked him with a series of punches and the referee stopped the fight at 2:03…
On 5-25-06 in Imperial Beach, CA, he won a 4 round unanimous decision against Hector Rivera (1-6-1): scored 40-36 on all three scorecards…
On 2-4-06 in El Paso, TX, he lost a 6 round majority decision against Anthony Vasquez (3-2): the fight was on the undercard of the Jose Luis Castillo-Rolando Reyes main event, and it stole the show; Antonio was the “house” fighter on this Gary Shaw promotion, and clearly favored to win; Vasquez started fast – Antonio bloodied his nose in the 2nd round, but Vasquez constantly pressed forward and outworked Antonio in the early rounds; Antonio rallied in the 6th round, but couldn’t catch up on the scorecards – 58-56, 58-56, 57-57…
On 1-13-06 in San Diego, CA, he TKO’d Carlos Mota (1-3): at 1:10 of the 2nd round…
2005 – on 11-18-05 in New Haven, CT, he TKO’d Joseph Davis (1-1): the fight was on the undercard of the Chad Dawson-Ian Gardner main event; Davis gave a good effort, but Antonio rocked him with a series of punches in the 3rd round, and the referee stopped the fight at 2:54…
On 11-5-05 in Stateline, NV, he TKO’d Ricky Alexander (4-1): the fight was on the undercard of the Jeff Lacy-Scott Pemberton main event; Antonio stopped Alexander at 1:07 of the 2nd round…
On 10-21-05 in Santa Ynez he won a 4 round unanimous decision against Abel Hernandez (1-0): scored 40-36, 40-36, 39-37…
On 8-9-05 in Tijuana, MX, he knocked out Valente Rojas (0-3): at 2:19 of the 2nd round…
2004 – on 11-15-04 in Tijuana he TKO’d Crisanto Fernandez (debut): in the 2nd round…
On 7-19-04 in Tijuana he TKO’d Alejandro Rivera in the 1st round…
He debuted at the age of 18 on 6-21-04 in Tijuana and knocked out Antonio Valencia (0-12): in the 2nd round…
AMATEUR, PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Antonio said through an interpreter, “I was born in Los Mochis. I’ve got two brothers. My father is a carpenter and my mother is a housewife.
“I started boxing when I was 13 years old. I had an uncle, Gerardo Armenta, that used to box. He fought for a world title. I used to follow him around. I would go to his fights, and that’s how how I got interested in boxing.
“I moved to Tijuana when I was 14. I’m naturally righthanded, but when I saw my uncle fight in the ring, he was a lefthander and I learned how to fight that way. I only fought 20 times as an amateur. I was 17-3.”…
Antonio was married in October, 2007, and has one young daughter…his wife is the daughter of former WBC bantamweight (with seven successful title defenses) and WBA super bantamweight world champion Raul “Jibaro” Perez, who retired in 2000 with a record of 61-6-3, 42 KOs…
