Sanchez denies Sosa

Mexico’s Juan Carlos “Zurdito” Sanchez lost his International Boxing Federation super flyweight title on the scale, but he didn’t let Argentina’s Roberto Domingo Sosa win it in the ring on Saturday.

Sanchez earned a 12-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Sosa, using his height and reach advantage to keep Sosa largely at bay while landing his own punishing shots.

Sanchez punctuated his victory with a knockdown in the 12th and was given the win by a margin of 117-110 from two ringside judges with the third scoring it 116-111.

Sanchez improved to 16-1-1 with eight knockouts, but he won’t leave Las Vegas with the IBF belt he brought with him.

He was stripped of that title Saturday morning, a day after he failed to make weight for the fight.

Sanchez spent two hours trying to lose one pound, but even on a third visit to the scale he was two ounces over the 115-pound super flyweight limit.

The IBF declared the title vacant, and had Sosa won he would have claimed it. Instead he suffered his first defeat, falling to 24-1.

bb/nss