For more photos, visit www.ringsidephoto.com

Eight months ago, Kahren Harutyunyan left the ring in disillusionment and disappointment. He was in complete control and on his way to unanimous decision victory when a cut over his eye caused by a punch prompted a stoppage and a knockout loss against him.

Friday night saw a complete reversal of that outcome when Harutyunyan controlled and dominated his way to a 12 round unanimous decision victory over Tatsuo Hayashida before almost 1,100 at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello, CA. With the victory, Harutyunyan wins the vacant NABO Junior Bantamweight championship.

The bout headlined a six-bout "Battle of the Rising Stars" card, presented by All Star Boxing.

It was an almost flawless performance by Harutyunyan, who boxed brilliantly for the duration of the fight. Harutyunyan set the tempo of the fight by landing strong combinations and getting in and out of Hayashida's punching range.

Harutyunyan scored a knockdown in the third round. Harutyunyan landed a counter right cross that dropped Hayashida to the canvas. Undeterred, Hayashida got up and fought on.

Hayashida turned up the pressure in the fifth round. He succeeded in landing more punches and backing up Harutyunyan. However, it was not enough to offset Harutyunyan's offense.

The eighth round was the best in the fight. Harutyunyan put more pressure on Hayashida and landed more vicious punches than he had in previous rounds. Hayashida bravely fought back, despite the fact he suffered a cut over his left eye from a headbutt.

After a right hand staggered Hayashida in the 10th round, Harutyunyan boxed well until the final bell. Harutyunyan let up on the pressure, but did enough to score to win the last couple of rounds.

All three judges scored the bout in favor of Harutyunyan, 120-107, 120-107, and 119-108. Fightnews.com scored the bout in favor of Harutyunyan, 120-107.

Harutyunyan felt blessed with the support he had from family and friends who were at the fight. It was great sharing a dream of becoming champion. Still, he has higher aspirations.

"I am working hard to become a world champion," said Harutyunyan, who has contributed to Fightnews.com before. "I am a thinking person. I was ready to go all of the way. I wasn't content with a decision because I had him down. I was going for the KO if it was there. But, my main focus was staying with my game plan throughout the fight."

Harutyunyan was down after the bout in August, which he was winning against Gilberto Bolanos. A cut over his eye allegedly caused by a punch prompted the ringside physician for that fight to stop it with a round to go, giving Bolanos the victory over Harutyunyan.

Now, he is content. All of that hard work paid off and earned him a title.

"I was winning the Bolanos fight until they stopped it. But, my management made this fight for me. I became more motivated and I put everything behind me."

Harutyunyan, from Glendale, CA by way of Yerevan, Armenia, improves to 12-2-3. Hayashida, from Tokyo, Japan, drops to 17-6-1, 8 KO's.

In the co-feature, Super Welterweight Santiago Perez outworked Felipe Santana over six rounds to win a unanimous decision.

Perez was the busier fighter who landed the more effective punches throughout the fight. Perez was content to allow Santana to come towards him, thus allowing him to counter Santana.

Santana was busier in the third and landed more punches than in previous rounds. He was finally able to get in Perez' range and land straight right hands.

However, Perez controlled the action in the rest of the fight Santana suffered a cut in the fifth round, prompting Perez to come straight at Santana and land more punches in the round.

Perez finished the bout strong as Santana slowed down considerably. Due to him not being in the ring for years, Santana rarely landed a punch and allowed for Perez to press the action.

All three judges scored the bout 60-54 in favor of Perez. Fightnews.com scored the bout the same for Perez.

Perez, from El Monte, CA by way of Copala, Guerrero, Mexico, goes to 9-0-1, 2 KO's. Santana, from Yucatan, Mexico, falls to 2-1.

Super Middleweight Joey Aragon knocked down Chris Moorings once and settled for a four round unanimous decision.

Aragon used angles throughout the fight to avoid any of Moorings punches. Aragon would tie up Moorings as he would charge into him.

The stockier Aragon found a home for wide right hands to the head of Moorings. One of those right hands was an uppercut that landed flush on Mooring's chin, dropping him to the canvas in the second round. Moorings got up immediately and was not visibly shaken.

Moorings, a former kickboxing champion, came out more aggressive in the third round. Moorings came straight at Aragon, but could not put his punches together. Aragon still found a home with a right hand, with left hooks.

Moorings landed more punches in the fourth round. Aragon slowed down and was able to clench whenever he felt Moorings would have had the upper hand.

All three judges had Aragon winning the bout, 40-35, 39-36, and 38-37. Fightnews.com had Aragon winning 39-36.

Aragon, from Rosemead, CA, improves to 6-2, 2 KO's. Moorings, from Long Beach, CA, loses his professional debut.

Welterweight George Moreno scored an upset when he knocked down Francisco Zepeda twice, the last one for good in the first round of a scheduled six round bout.

A left hook to the head dropped Zepeda to the canvas. Zepeda got up and fought back bravely. During an exchange, a right hand by Moreno dropped Zepeda to the canvas again.

Dazed, Zepeda stood up, but referee Raul Caiz, Jr. stopped the bout at 1:38 of the first round.

Moreno, from Azusa, CA, improves to 3-7, 2 KO's. Zepeda, from Los Angeles by way of Michoacan, Mexico, drops to 3-3-2, 1 KO.

In other bouts:
- Super Featherweight Jorge Espinoza knocked out Shane Langford with a left hook to the head at 18 seconds of the first round. Langford had gotten up from the knockdown but fell in the arms of referee Tony Crebs. Espinoza, from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, goes to 3-0, 1 KO. Langford, from Los Angeles by way of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, drops to 1-7-1.

- In the walkout bout of the evening, Super Welterweight Aaron Martinez won a four round decision over Salomon Tellez. Martinez, from East Los Angeles, CA, goes to 2-0. Tellez, from Anaheim, CA, drops to 2-2.

Notes:
- Faces in the crowd: former world champion Bobby Chacon, Middleweight Sergio Mora (also on NBC's "Contender"), undefeated fighters Z Gorres and Rey Bautista.

- All Star Boxing is back at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello on Friday, May 20th with another installment of "Battle of the Rising Stars." To purchase tickets, call All Star Boxing at (323) 816-6200.

- Harytyunyan is being trained by Freddie Roach.

- Ring announcer was Jim Fitzgerald.