Darchinyan outpoints game Del Valle over 10

Vic Darchinyan kept his career alive with a 10-round unanimous decision over undefeated junior featherweight prospect Luis Orlando Del Valle in the co-featured bout of an HBO Boxing After Dark broadcast from Mashantucket, Conn., on Saturday.

The 36-year-old veteran outlanded the talented Puerto Rican standout in power punches in every round, but Del Valle never stopped trying to win, which made for an entertaining one-sided fight. The 25-year-old boxer-puncher rocked Darchinyan (38-5-1, 27 knockouts) with a big hook in the ninth round of the bout, but it wasn't enough to put the former flyweight and junior bantamweight titleholder in check.

Darchinyan, who landed 54 percent of his power punches, according to CompuBox, landed numerous left hands in the 10th and final round to clinch an impressive points victory by scores of 99-91 (twice) and 96-94.

The Australia-based Armenian vowed to win by knockout but a victory of any kind was needed. Darchinyan had lost three of his last five bouts coming into his HBO debut, however, it should be noted that his losses came against world-class opposition -- Abner Mares, Anselmo Moreno and Shinsuke Yamanaka, all of whom currently hold major titles.

Del Valle (16-1, 11 KOs) had never faced a ranked contender and his inexperience showed. He was easily pulled into fighting Darchinyan instead of utilizing a stick-and-move strategy as his corner ordered him between every round of Saturday's fight.

Del Valle walked into too many of Darchinyan's power punches during the fight. In the seventh round, Darchinyan landed 71 percent of his power shots (27 of 38, according to CompuBox).

Del Valle proved that he could take a punch and that he has a fighter's heart, but he also showed that he's not ready for the sport's best 122-pound fighters.

Photo / Edward Diller - DiBella Entertainment/Star Boxing