Diaz stops Irwin in ninth

HOUSTON – Juan Diaz had little trouble defending his WBA lightweight title Friday night, stopping Billy Irwin at 1:27 in the ninth round of a lopsided fight.

Diaz, the youngest reigning world champion, got off to a fast start and controlled the action throughout with his devastating left hook.

Diaz (27-0, 12 KOs) dropped Irwin in the second round, staggered him plenty more times and then finished him off with a flurry against the ropes that forced referee Earl Morton to stop the bout in the ninth.

By that time, Irwin (42-6) was squinting through a badly swollen right eye and rarely fending off Diaz.

“The fight was much easier than I expected,” Diaz said. “I was really surprised that I was able to hit him so much.”

Diaz, Houston’s first world boxing champ since George Foreman regained the heavyweight crown in 1994, was an overwhelming success in his first hometown title defense. The 21-year-old junior at the University of Houston’s downtown campus entered the ring to a rousing standing ovation at the Reliant Center.

Irwin blamed his poor performance on an illness that slowed him the past week. He briefly thought about calling off the fight but decided against it, realizing that at 36, he might never get another title shot.

“I just decided to take my medicine and try to work through it,” Irwin said. “People always think that you’re making excuses when you say you’re sick, but that’s not the case. I knew I didn’t have it after the first round.”

Diaz’s victory completed an easy 1-2 sweep for his family. Younger brother Jose, 18, stopped Bryan Garcia of Albuquerque, N.M., in the third round of their featherweight fight.

In another undercard bout, emerging heavyweight Calvin Brock, a 2000 U.S. Olympian, stayed undefeated (24-0) by twice dropping Clifford Etienne with left hooks in the third round. The referee ended the fight with 1:25 left in the third.