SHOBOX RESULTS

Art Hovhannisyan W12 Miguel Acosta... In Santa Ynez, California, Art Hovhannisyan (15-0, 8 KOs), of Glendale, Calif., turned back a determined bid by ex-WBA lightweight champion Miguel Acosta (29-6-2, 23 KOs), of Caracas, Venezuela, to win a hard-fought ten-round split decision. Hovhannisyan, making his first start in 11 months, was victorious in a hard-hitting, fast-paced scrap by the scores of 95-93 twice and 92-96. Each slugger went down one time, Acosta late in the opening round, Hovhannisyan in the fifth. “Both (blow-by-blow announcer) Barry (Tompkins) and I said that this was the kind of fight that you could make a case for for either guy,’’ ShoBox expert analyst Steve Farhood said afterward. “It was a great, interesting fight. It could have ended early (after Hovhannisyan dropped Acosta with a sweeping overhand right hand with approximately 10 seconds to go in the first round). If the knockdown had come earlier in the round it might have since Acosta seemed like he was saved by the bell. The more experienced Acosta, 34, who moved well throughout and decked Hovhannisyan with an overhand right hand, thought he’d done enough to get his hand raised. “I was very sure I won,’’ he said. “Although he caught me in the first round I landed more punches throughout the fight. I knew my conditioning was good and it would carry me though the fight. I felt I was robbed.’’