Netto Denied Purse in Heavyweight Loss

Daniel Netto’s strategy in his North American Boxing Organization heavyweight title fight against champion Ed Mahone at the Great Western Forum Monday was simple: Stand in his own corner, lean on the ropes and protect himself from Mahone.

That strategy cost Netto in more ways than one.

After a lackluster performance in which he failed to answer the bell for the ninth round, Netto’s $6,000 purse was withheld by the California State Athletic Commission. Mahone was awarded the victory on a technical knockout.

“We feel [Netto] discredited boxing and himself by not showing up in optimal condition,” said Dean Lohuis, a commission official.

“He assured us that he would weigh in at 250 pounds.”

Netto weighed in at 276 pounds, 22 pounds more than his last fight in March.

“We want to send a message,” Lohuis said. “Boxing is a dangerous sport, and it’s the duty of the fighter to be in good condition.”

But Netto’s corner felt the 37-year-old from Argentina deserved to be paid after going eight rounds.

“[Netto] wanted to quit after the seventh round,” said an upset Miguel Diaz, Netto’s booking agent. “He got hit with a right in the right elbow.”

Referee Lou Moret allowed Mahone (18-0-1, 18 knockouts) to continue to go at a stiff and tired Netto (25-13-1, 10 KOs) until Netto gave up before the ninth.

“He was tired,” Mahone said. “I tried to make him carry his own weight and tire himself out.

“I knew with a guy that big, if I wasn’t careful, I could’ve walked into a punch that could knock me out. He tested me a lot.”

The crowd, however, wasn’t pleased by either boxer’s showing.

The 3,233 in attendance booed throught the final five rounds of the match, as neither boxer showed much offense and seemed content to keep the fight slow-paced and along the ropes. “I showed patience out there,” Mahone, who weighed 220 for the fight said. “Then I hit him with a body shot [in the eighth] and his knees buckled.”

In the night’s other featured match, Jorge Eliecer Julio (39-1, 30 KOs) knocked out Lupe Rangel (15-9-1, 11 KOs) in the second. Julio is the World Boxing Organization bantamweight champion, but the bout was not for the title.