Had been looking ahead to last noche's HBO After Dark twin-bill ... feathers and bantams rarely disappoint ... and then the scheduled main event found IBF champ Juan Manuel Marquez without a dance partner.

WBA shareholder Derrick Gainer sort of went up in "Smoke" week of the bout and pulled out with a gym injury ... and so what looked on paper as a dandy of a unifier converted to a tools-sharpener for the multi-talented Marquez ... short notice victim one Marcos Licona of 20-3-1, 9 fame.

Semi-final jr. bantam affair was quickly elevated to main bout status, and featured old & wily portsider Mark "2 Sharp" Johnson facing WBO champ Fernando Montiel.

And to the ring action ... Marquez-Licona proved nothing more than a marquee showcaser to bigger and better things for the complete packaged Marquez ... thru five candles it was all 10s for the text-book stylish champ ... Licona's solid chin only thing keeping this one alive.

And then number eight ... Marquez surprises with still another punch to go with the jab, combinations of all sizes and shapes ... was only seconds left when a nasty counter right uppercut finds the target and Licona is down ... then round nine ... a big right hand late in the candle rocks Licona and results in ugly gash under the left eye. Corner wisely pulls the plug.

Marquez goes to 41-2 with 33 stoppages ... Licona had himself a pay day ... but even the take home stipend carried pain ... failed to make weight and whacked with fine that was transferred to Marquez account. You figure it, considering announced fight night unofficial weights were Marquez 138, Licona 142.

So much for these ludicrous day before weighing in scenarios ... nothing more than pre-fight, in-your-face grade-school yard prove nothing nonsense is all.

Johnson-Montiel ... not all that much of a surprise seeing a slowed down past multi-titlist Johnson displaying more than enough to best defending 115 pound WBO champ Fernando Montiel. The pre-fight gab described this Montiel kid as a gifted and skilled boxer with exceptional speed and quickness.

Well, from my vantage point, the opening four candles was all Johnson in role of aggressor ... and the quick one was more like fleeing the scene than boxing ... and then round five and a Johnson right-hook drops the runner.

Montiel survives number six with Johnson becoming busier ... big difference in these two is Johnson at age 32 has been there, done that, with all the best ... toss in the more physical of the two, coupled with that tough solving southpaw stance and what you see is a mismatch.

Finally, round eight ... or was it nine ... old man "2-Sharp" slows the pace and Montiel gets a spark or two ... actually decides to get into a fite ... but the guns are not near as lethal as Johnson's and it goes the full dozen rounds.

My unofficial had it Johnson 7-5 in rounds and/or 115-112 on points ... official tally saw Judge Joe Dwyer having it even at 114 while other scores went Johnson 115-112, 117-110.

Final comments:

JOHNSON ~ can still do business with quality foes ... win or lose depends on ability to dictate the pace ... no longer action from start to finish.

MONTIEL ~ 26-0-1 with 20 starches? Gut feeling here is the paper on them 20 by KO were never notarized. In style this guy sort of resembles a stringed marionette.

MARQUEZ ~ truly the star of the show ... has it all ... and waiting in wings a possible Barrera super match ... maybe WBC champ Erik Morales ... and always that up in smoke Deke Gainer a maybe. All or any would make fights the fans want to see happen.

LICONA ~ very tough customer ... out of his class in this one ... short notice didn't help the cause.

Semper Fi