Barry Hugman's World Championship Boxing

21 December 2013. Stuart Hall w pts 12 Vusi Malinga.

Venue: First Direct Arena, Leeds, England. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Phil Edwards.

Scorecards: 116-111, 117-110, 117-110.

Fight Summary: Contesting the vacant title, which came about after Jamie McDonnell was stripped, his fellow countryman, Hall (117¼), showed excellent form when outscoring the tough Malinga (117½) by a good margin despite carrying a badly swollen left eye through the latter rounds. Following a feeling-out period, Hall came out fast in the third, putting Malinga down with a right to the jaw before hammering away non-stop after the latter got to his feet. Both men, cut over their left eyes at this stage, shared the honours from the seventh through to the tenth, but it was Hall who came through strongly in the last two sessions to deservedly be given the unanimous decision over the tough southpaw.

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3 December 2013. Tomoki Kameda w pts 12 Immanuel Naidjala.

Venue:  Bodymaker Coliseum, Osaka, Japan. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Robert Byrd.

Scorecards: 119-109, 118-110, 117-111.

Fight Summary: Battling away continuously, the unbeaten challenger certainly made Kameda (118) work hard to maintain his hold on the title even if the scorecards failed to show that. With Naidjala (118) never slowing, jabs and long right hands keeping Kameda busy, the latter expended so much energy early on that he had begun to tire by the eighth round. Still dangerous, Naidjala came on strongly in the ninth and tenth to force Kameda into defensive mode, and although fighting back in the 11th the champion was under severe pressure in the final session before coming through safely.

 

Alejandro Hernandez won the vacant WBO 'interim' title when outpointing Daniel Rosas over 12 rounds at the Jorge Cuesy Serrano Arena, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico on 14 June 2014.

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10 November 2013. Shinsuke Yamanaka w rsc 9 Alberto Guevara.

Venue: Kokugikan Stadium, Tokyo, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Hector Afu.

Fight Summary: Overcoming a sluggish start, the champion had got himself going by the fifth when beginning to break Guevara (117½) down with solid southpaw punches finding their mark. Gradually Guevara was becoming ineffective as Yamanaka (118) stalked him, and in the eighth the Mexican was dropped twice from cracking lefts to the head before making it to the bell. Out of his blocks quickly at the start of the ninth, Yamanaka wasted no time in dropping Guevara for the third time with another heavy left. Although Guevara got to his feet the referee decided that he had taken too much, stopping the contest 25 seconds into the session.

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12 August 2013. Shinsuke Yamanaka w co 1 Jose Nieves.

Venue: Ota-City General Gym, Tokyo, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Bruce McTavish.

Fight Summary: Right from the start the challenger appeared out of his depth as the menacing Yamanaka (118) continually feinted, threatening to unleash the left in this battle of southpaws. Eventually Yamanaka made his move, and following a battery of blows a crashing left to the jaw had Nieves (117½) on the deck where he was counted out at 2.40 of the opening session.

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10 August 2013. Anselmo Moreno w pts 12 William Urina.

Venue: Megapolis Convention Centre, Panama City, Panama. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Stan Christoloudou.

Scorecards: 118-110, 118-110, 116-112.

Fight Summary: In a match-up between southpaws the champion was superior to Urina (116), who was undone by a great jab and ruthless bodywork despite always being in the fight. Although cut on the right eye from a head butt it did not concern Moreno (117) unduly, and he was virtually in control all the way despite Urina looking to load up with heavy blows. Coming into the fight with a high percentage of stoppages Urina had been expected to run Moreno close, but found the latter far too clever to catch.

 

Koki Kameda made another successful defence of the WBA ‘second tier’ title when outpointing Jung-Oh Son over 12 rounds at the Grand Hotel, Jeju, South Korea on 19 November. Kameda relinquished the WBA 'second tier' title on 6 December in order to fight at 115lbs.

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1 August 2013. Tomoki Kameda w pts 12 Paulus Ambunda.

Venue: Waterfront Hotel & Casino, Barangay Lahug, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Raul Caiz.

Scorecards: 116-112, 117-111, 118-110.

Fight Summary: Putting his title on the line for the first time, Ambunda (117) was always one step behind Kameda (117½). It was Kameda's speedy left-rights and excellent movement that ultimately proved too much for Ambunda to overcome, and even though the latter landed some hard shots at times they had little effect on his challenger. On taking the unanimous decision, the man from Japan became the third Kameda brother to win a version of the world title.

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11 May 2013. Jamie McDonnell w pts 12 Julio Ceja.

Venue: Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster, England. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Howard Foster.

Scorecards: 118-110, 115-113, 114-114.

Fight Summary: Contested for the title vacated by Leo Santa Cruz, the clever McDonnell (117) came through to win the majority decision after beating a tough customer in Ceja (117). There was never a great deal between them, McDonnell being the better boxer and Ceja the fighter. Keeping on the move while popping in the left jab, although McDonnell picked up points he had to be wary of Ceja's power. And with Ceja looking to pull something out of the bag it was McDonnell who took the last round when banging in hard right hands that kept the Mexican busy and unable to get his heavy artillery working effectively enough.

 

On 18 October it was reported that McDonnell had been stripped of the IBF title for failing to sign for a defence against the mandatory challenger, Julio Cesar Miranda, within the required time frame.

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8 April 2013. Shinsuke Yamanaka w rsc 12 Malcolm Tunacao.

Venue: Kokugikan Sumo Hall, Tokyo, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Michael Griffin.

Fight Summary: Boxing well within himself in this all-southpaw battle, the champion made a positive start before dropping the 35-year-old Tunacao (117½) twice in the third, the first knockdown coming from a sharp left and the second from a burst of combination punches. Surprisingly, Tunacao came back strongly despite having a badly cut right eye which worsened as matters proceeded, especially in the ninth when pressuring Yamanaka (118) with solid right hooks. However, having picked it up again in the 11th, after Yamanaka had smashed Tunacao down in the 12th with a left-right-left combination the referee called the fight off at 1.57 of the session even though the latter was on his feet ready to resume.

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2 March 2013. Paulus Ambunda w pts 12 Phuengluang Sor Singyu.

Venue: Ramatex Hall, Windhoek, Namibia. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Paul Tomas.

Scorecards: 115-113, 116-112, 116-112.

Fight Summary: Winning at least four of the opening six rounds, the challenger made an excellent start as Sor Singyu (118) struggled to find any real rhythm. Although Sor Singyu picked it up in the seventh, scoring with heavy body shots, Ambunda (118) was more than willing to press forward with good punches, especially in the tenth and 11th. Realising he had a lot to do Sor Singyu came out firing in the final session, but despite sending Ambunda stumbling with solid blows from both hands he was unable to find the finisher.

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15 December 2012. Leo Santa Cruz w pts 12 Alberto Guevara.

Venue: Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Wayne Hedgpeth.

Scorecards: 116-112, 118-110, 119-109.

Fight Summary: As always the champion made a cracking start before finding Guevara (117½), who came in at three weeks’ notice, willing to stand and trade with him. Admitting that his performance was below par, especially when trying to put his man away in the early rounds, after the halfway stage Santa Cruz (117¾) settled down to outbox the latter rather than going all out to win inside the distance. Although Guevara made a big effort in the final session it was not to be. CompuBox showed that Santa Cruz threw 133 power punches in the last six rounds to Guevara's 44.

 

After Santa Cruz handed in his belt to campaign at 122lbs on 12 February 2013, the IBF announced that Jamie McDonnell, who had beaten Darwin Zamora (w rtd 8 at the Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield, England on 20 October) in a final eliminator, would be meeting the unbeaten Julio Ceja for the vacant title.

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11 November 2012. Leo Santa Cruz w rsc 9 Victor Zaleta.

Venue: Staples Centre, Los Angeles, California, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Ray Corona.

Fight Summary: Swamping his challenger with shots from head to body from the opening bell, Santa Cruz (117½) immediately showed his intent. Although firing back as best he could Zaleta (117) was being outworked, and in the fourth he barely made it to his feet after being dropped heavily by a left hook to the body. With Santa Cruz in full flow from thereon in, Zaleta was put down again in the seventh from a flurry of shots to head and body before being rescued by the referee at 1.42 of the ninth when felled for the third time by a series of blows.

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3 November 2012. Shinsuke Yamanaka w rsc 7 Tomas Rojas.

Venue: Xebio Arena, Sendai, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Michael Griffin.

Fight Summary: This battle of southpaws saw the champion get away well before coming under a whirlwind attack in the third after Rojas (117½) let go a battery of blows to head and body. Having covered up effectively Yamanaka (118) began to put some solid shots together, and in the fifth and sixth he connected with several heavy right-lefts as he picked up the pace when stalking Rojas. Starting the seventh with a vengeance, Yamanaka unloaded several heavy blows before a crashing left cross sent Rojas, his left eye badly swollen, face down to the canvas after just 36 seconds of the session had elapsed. Not even bothering to take up the count the referee stopped the contest to allow Rojas to be attended by the medics.

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20 October 2012. Phuengluang Sor Singyu w rsc 9 AJ Banal.

Venue: SM Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City, Manilla, Philippines. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Tony Weeks.

Fight Summary: Fighting to decide the vacant title after Jorge Arce handed in his belt, Sor Singyu (118) came from behind to beat Banal (118) when the referee stopped the contest at 1.45 of the ninth round. It was a disappointing night for Banal, who had continually caught Sor Singyu with heavy blows from his southpaw stance without being able to put his man down. Forced to fight from the third with a cut on his right eye following a clash of heads, Banal suffered a further setback when deducted a point in the sixth for going low. Coming into the ninth, having been given time out in the eighth after being hit below the belt, Banal was dropped following a four-punch combination as Sor Singyu went for the finish. Although Banal made it to his feet the third man brought the contest to an end when seeing that Banal was in no fit state to continue.

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15 September 2012. Leo Santa Cruz w rtd 5 Eric Morel.
Venue: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Vic Drakulich.
Fight Summary: Making his first defence, the impressive Santa Cruz (117) immediately got down to work with his jab and body shots soon taking their toll on Morel (118). The champion's work-rate was simply too much for Morel to handle, and even when he got on the back foot he was quickly hunted down. During the fifth round it was apparent that Morel had little left in the tank, something that was recognised by his corner who retired him at the end of the session.

 

2 June 2012. Leo Santa Cruz w pts 12 Vusi Malinga.

Venue: Home Depot Centre, Carson, California, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: David Mendoza.

Scorecards: 120-108, 119-109, 120-108.

Fight Summary: Contested for the vacant title after Abner Mares moved up in weight, the hard-working Santa Cruz (117) came through strongly to win the unanimous decision by a wide margin. Banging away at the body with hooks and uppercuts for the duration of the contest, Santa Cruz had too much for the game Malinga (117), a southpaw, who was on the verge of defeat in the eighth before steadfastly continuing to the final bell. The CompuBox stats showed that Santa Cruz threw an amazing 1,300 punches on his way to victory.

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21 April 2012. Anselmo Moreno w rtd 8 David De La Mora.

Venue: Don Haskins’ Centre, El Paso, Texas, USA. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Luis Pabon.

Fight Summary: Winning virtually every round, the southpaw champion proved to be in a different league to De La Mora (117½). Working the body well, Moreno (117½) had De La Mora down in the second from a right to the head and carried on punishing the latter downstairs until there was not much coming back. Dropped again in the sixth by a left hook to the body, De La Mora struggled on before being retired on his stool at the end of the eighth.

 

Hugo Ruiz made a successful defence of his WBA ‘interim’ title, stopping Jean Sampson in the ninth round of their contest at the Arturo C. Nahl Stadium, La Paz, Baja California, Mexico on 7 July.

 

After Ruiz vacated the WBA ‘interim’ title in October to challenge Koki Kameda for the ‘second tier’ championship, Roberto Vasquez and John Mark Apolinario drew over 12 rounds at the Union Club, Colon, Argentina on 3 November in an effort to decide the vacancy.

 

The contest between Kameda and Ruiz for the WBA ‘second tier’ title took place at the Bodymaker Coliseum, Osaka, Japan on 4 December, being won by the former on points over 12 rounds.

 

Far from settling the issue of the vacant WBA 'interim' title, Vasquez and Apolinario's return contest held at the Megapolis Convention Centre, Panama City, Panama on 16 March 2013 also resulted in a 12-round draw.

 

Kameda made two more successful defences of the WBA ‘second tier’ title against Panomroonglek Kaiyanghadaogym (w pts 12 rounds at the Bodymaker Coliseum on 7 April 2013) and Apolinario (w pts 12 at the Big Sight, Tokyo, Japan on 23 July 2013).

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6 April 2012. Shinsuke Yamanaka w pts 12 Vic Darchinyan.

Venue: International Forum, Tokyo, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Hector Afu.

Scorecards: 117-111, 116-112, 116-112.

Fight Summary: Defending the title that was handed to him after it was relinquished by Nonito Donaire, Japan's Yamanaka (118) made good use of his excellent footwork and speed to make the aggressive Darchinyan (118) miss time and time again in this battle between southpaws. Open to the counters, Darchinyan, who was badly cut on the right eye by a solid left in the fifth as he charged in to the attack, was never able to get to grips with the champion. And when winning the last three rounds on all of the cards Yamanaka wrapped the decision up, almost having Darchinyan over with a hard right in the tenth and a cracking left in the 11th.

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3 December 2011. Anselmo Moreno w pts 12 Vic Darchinyan.

Venue: Honda Centre, Anaheim, California, USA. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Raul Caiz Jnr.

Scorecards: 116-111, 117-110, 120-107.

Fight Summary: This clash of southpaws saw the champion prevail against the tough Darchinyan (117¾), who had a point deducted in the fourth for rough-house tactics when throwing the Panamanian to the floor. Far too clever for Darchinyan, the fast moving Moreno (118) led his man a merry old dance as he moved in and out with jabs and countering hooks and uppercuts. Despite all of that Darchinyan never stopped trying, body shots being his only real successes, and he was still there at the final bell trying to chase Moreno down.

 

On 7 December, at the Prefectural Gym, Osaka, Japan, Koki Kameda knocked Mario Macias out in the fourth round to make a successful defence of the WBA ‘second tier’ title. Kameda made a further defence when outpointing Noldi Manakane over 12 rounds at The Arena, Yokohama, Japan on 4 April 2012.

 

Hugo Ruiz held on to the WBA ‘interim’ Championship Belt when stopping Yonfrez Parejo inside eight rounds at the Gymnasium Auditorium, Los Cabos, Baja California, Mexico on 31 March 2012.

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3 December 2011. Abner Mares w pts 12 Joseph Agbeko.

Venue: Honda Centre, Anaheim, California, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Lou Moret.

Scorecards: 118-110, 118-119, 118-110.

Fight Summary: In a fight that was a must after their previous go, Mares (117) put the record straight when coming safely through his defence against Agbeko (117¼) by a wide margin of points. This time around, despite the odd transgression, Mares led most of the way, boxing from long range to deny his opponent any close-quarter fighting. Although Mares was cut on the right eye in the second, something that bothered him at the time, good work by his corner allowed him to get back to his boxing. It was only in the eighth that Agbeko took a grip when bashing in rights and using the jab well, but all that was undone in the 11th when he was in trouble from solid shots as Mares fought back.

 

After Mares relinquished the IBF title on 9 February 2012 in order to move up to junior feather, Leo Santa Cruz and Vusi Malinga were matched to find a successor. While Santa Cruz was unbeaten in 20 fights, 11 of them coming inside the distance, Malinga had beaten Michael Domingo (w pts 12 at the University Hall, Mafikeng, South Africa on 30 October 2010) to win an eliminator, but had remained inactive.

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26 November 2011. Jorge Arce w pts 12 Angky Angkota.

Venue: The Bullring, Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Jose Rivera.

Scorecards: 118-110, 118-110, 117-111.

Fight Summary: Contested for the vacant title after Nonito Donaire handed in his belt on moving up in weight, Arce (118) outscored Angkota (117½) by a unanimous decision. Arce started the better, almost putting Angkota away in the third with some heavy shots before getting back to his boxing. However, in the eighth it was Angkota's turn to score heavily, the dazed Arce forced to hang on until the bell. From thereon in, however, it was Arce who took the fight by the scruff of the neck when upping his work-rate to land solidly with lefts and rights through to the final bell. Arce became a four-weight world champion on winning, having been a WBO and undefeated WBC junior flyweight champion, a WBO junior bantamweight champion and a WBO junior featherweight champion.

 

Arce relinquished the WBO title in June 2012 in order to challenge for a world title in the next weight division, which was followed by Phuengluang Sor Singyu and AJ Banal being matched to decide the vacancy.

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22 October 2011. Nonito Donaire w pts 12 Omar Narvaez.

Venue: WaMu Theatre, Manhattan, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: WBC/WBO. Referee: Benjy Esteves Jnr.

Scorecards: 120-108, 120-108, 120-108.

Fight Summary: Winning every round on the cards against Narvaez (117), his two championship belts on the line, Donaire (116½) was unable to finish the fight early as his little southpaw challenger made life difficult for him by remaining on the back foot throughout. Having hurt Narvaez in the fourth with some solid shots, Donaire was unable to get many more chances again. The veteran of 21 successful world championship defences at fly and junior bantam, Narvaez was always on the move. Even when Donaire landed heavily to the body in the eighth he was warned for going low, something he disagreed with. Following that, there was little action as the contest drew to a close.

 

Shinsuke Yamanaka stopped Christian Esquivel inside 11 rounds at the Yoyogi Gym, Tokyo, Japan, on 6 November, to win what should be seen as the WBC ‘second tier’ title. Although billed for the title after Donaire stated that he would be moving up a division, when the contest took place the latter had not confirmed his decision.

 

It was clear that Donaire was going to move on, and after signing for a fight against Wilfredo Vazquez Jnr for the WBO junior featherweight crown he relinquished both of his titles on 24 November. Following the announcement, the WBC appointed Yamanaka as their undisputed champion, while a return match between Jorge Arce, who dropped down a division, and Angky Angkota would go ahead for the vacant WBO title.

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13 August 2011. Abner Mares w pts 12 Joseph Agbeko.

Venue: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Russell Mora.

Scorecards: 115-111, 115-111, 113-113.

Fight Summary: Fighting in the final of the bantamweight tournament organised by Showtime TV, Agbeko (118) appeared to be robbed of his title when his opponent continually went below the belt without points deductions. Starting as he meant to carry on, Mares (117½) had Agbeko over in the opening session following a left hook to the ear after straying low. Playbacks of this showed it to have been more of a slip than a punch. Although Agbeko hurt Mares in the fourth with a right hand to the jaw he failed to follow it up. In the fifth Mares was finally warned after sending in several low blows, but it did not stop him. Way behind at the start of the eighth, Agbeko won two of the next three rounds despite being caught low again in the tenth. Seemingly winning the 11th, when Agbeko was counted on after being hit way below again the bout petered out. Following the fight the demands for a return would not go unanswered.

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17 June 2011. Anselmo Moreno w rtd 8 Lorenzo Parra.

Venue: Roberto Duran Arena, Panama City, Panama. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Raul Caiz.

Fight Summary: On top from the moment the contest got underway, the much taller Moreno (118) was forced to take the fight to his challenger who boxed on the back foot while keeping out of trouble as best he could. There was very little to write home about even when Moreno got home with southpaw rights and lefts, although Parra (118), who had dropped down a weight for the contest, did counter his man occasionally. At the end of the eighth Parra was withdrawn by his corner on the grounds that he had suffered a hand injury earlier on.

 

Koki Kameda made a successful defence of his WBA ‘second tier’ title when outpointing David De La Mora over 12 rounds at the Nihon Budokan, Tokyo, Japan on 31 August.

 

Meanwhile, the ‘interim’ champion, Hugo Ruiz, successfully defended his title when stopping Francisco Arce in the fourth round at the Centenary Stadium, Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico on 15 October.

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19 February 2011. Nonito Donaire w rsc 2 Fernando Montiel.

Venue: Mandalay Bay Events Centre, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBC/WBO. Referee: Russell Mora.

Fight Summary: In a battle between the WBC/WBO champion, Montiel (118), and Donaire (118), the former undefeated IBF flyweight title holder, it was the latter who came out on top when stopping his Mexican opponent in the second round. Having taken some good shots in the opener, and showing no signs of things to come, when Montiel stepped into Donaire in the second and was countered by a cracking left hook that landed to the side of his face he was sent crashing. Somehow managing to make it to his feet immediately prior to the count of 'ten', although Montiel was allowed to continue the moment he was caught again by a left-right the referee stopped the fight with 35 seconds of the session remaining.

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11 December 2010. Joseph Agbeko w pts 12 Yonnhy Perez.

Venue: Emerald Queen Casino, Tacoma, Washington, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Eddie Cotton.

Scorecards: 115-113, 116-112, 117-111.

Fight Summary: Clearly another tough night's work for both men, Agbeko (117½) regained the title he had lost to Perez (118) last time out when taking the unanimous points decision. The contest was also part of an elimination tournament to find the best man at the weight. This time around it was Agbeko who landed the better punches, and more of them, although Perez was not far behind as the pair traded blows constantly throughout. After Perez was cut on the left eye in the fifth matters became more urgent for him, and whilst he took the sixth it was Agbeko who picked it up from the seventh onwards when taking four of the last six rounds.

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14 August 2010. Anselmo Moreno w pts 12 Nehomar Cermeno.

Venue: Roberto Duran Arena, Panama City, Panama. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Hubert Earle.

Scorecards: 117-112, 115-113, 113-115.

Fight Summary: Boxing well with the southpaw jab, coupled to good movement, Moreno (117¾) took the opening three rounds before Cermeno (117¾) got into the action when targeting the body. Although Cermeno was always busy it was the champion who landed the better quality blows, and seemingly more of them. Having been outboxed in the seventh, with effective jabs and countering lefts, Cermeno attacked from thereon in as he desperately looked for a winning punch, but despite taking the last two rounds on the cards and landing a solid left hook in the 12th, he was unable to damage Moreno sufficiently. Cermeno finished the contest with a badly swollen left eye, courtesy of a string of left uppercuts late on.

 

After Moreno was upgraded by the WBA to ‘super’ champion status on 19 November, Koki Kameda outscored Alexander Munoz over 12 rounds at the Super Arena, Saitama, Japan on 26 December to win the body’s vacant ‘second tier’ title.

 

This was followed on 22 January 2011, when Hugo Ruiz beat Alvaro Perez on a ninth-round technical decision at the Neza 86 Football Stadium, Ciudad Nezahualcoytl, Mexico to win the vacant WBA ‘interim’ title.

 

With Moreno still recognised by the WBA as being their ‘super’ champion, Kameda made a successful defence of the ‘second tier’ crown when forcing Daniel Diaz to retire at the end of the 11th round at the Prefectural Gym, Osaka, Japan on 7 May 2011. This was followed by Ruiz making a successful defence of his WBA ‘interim’ title when outpointing Francisco Arce over 12 rounds at the Centennial Sports Centre, Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico on 14 May 2011.

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17 July 2010. Fernando Montiel w rsc 3 Rafael Concepcion.

Venue:  Fairground Stockade, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico. Recognition: WBC/WBO. Referee: Robert Byrd.

Fight Summary: Putting both of his championship belts on the line against Concepcion (118), the champion proved yet again how good he was when stopping his man inside three rounds. Montiel (118) had been scheduled to meet Eric Morel, the mandatory challenger, but when the latter pulled out several weeks earlier Concepcion stepped in. Although there was not a lot of activity in the opener within moments of the bell ringing to start the second a solid left hook had Concepcion down, and upon getting up he was again floored by the same punch. Obviously hurt, Concepcion tried to last out the round by holding on to Montiel, only to be deducted a point for the transgression. Into the third, extremely wary of Montiel's left, Concepcion failed to spot the two heavy rights that sent him crashing. The referee stopped the contest at 1.07 of the session to allow Concepcion to receive immediate medical attention.

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22 May 2010. Yonnhy Perez drew 12 Abner Mares.

Venue: Staples Centre, Los Angeles, California, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Wayne Hedgpeth.

Scorecards: 113-115, 114-114, 114-114.

Fight Summary: An extremely close fight saw the hard-hitting Perez (117½) retain his title by a majority draw only after Mares (116¾) had given him a real run for his money. Boxing beyond his years, Mares was actually awarded the decision by one of the judges, while the other two saw it as a dead heat. Having held up Perez when boxing well at range, Mares showed he was no fool on the inside either. He also came back strongly when under pressure, and finished like a train when taking the last three sessions on the cards.

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30 April 2010. Fernando Montiel w rsc 4 Hozumi Hasegawa.

Venue: Nihon Budokan Arena, Tokyo, Japan. Recognition: WBC/WBO. Referee: Laurence Cole.

Fight Summary: This was a battle between the WBC champion, Hasegawa (117¾), and the WBO title holder, Montiel (118), and it was the latter who picked up both belts when stopping his rival at 2.59 of the fourth on away territory. Up until then it had been a clever contest, with Hasegawa moving in on Montiel with solid southpaw right-lefts, while the three-weight WBO champion used clever movement to avert trouble. After missing badly in the fourth, Hasegawa was caught by a short left hook and, following a similar shot that sent him into the ropes, Montiel quickly unleashed further heavy blows from both hands that sent the Japanese fighter crashing. With the referee not even bothering to count it was all over bar the shouting.

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27 March 2010. Anselmo Moreno w pts 12 Nehomar Cermeno.

Venue: Jose Maria Vargas Sports Centre, La Guaira, Venezuela. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Luis Pabon.

Scorecards: 115-112, 114-113, 112-115.

Fight Summary: A tough fight from start to finish saw the southpaw champion just about hold on to his title when he was awarded a split decision points win over Cermeno (118), the WBA 'interim' title holder. It was extremely close and had not Cermeno lost a point in the 11th for a low blow it would have been a draw. At the end of the ninth Moreno appeared to be just in front, despite being hurt by body shots in the seventh, but back came Cermeno to take the last three rounds as the champion tired.

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13 February 2010. Fernando Montiel w co 1 Ciso Morales.

Venue: Hilton Pavilion, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Robert Byrd.

Fight Summary: In a first defence of the title he was handed after Gerry Penalosa was stripped, Montiel (118) was held at bay for the opening minute or so before finding a right to the head that was followed by a heavy left to the body that dropped Morales (118) in some agony. After Morales was counted out at 2.06 of the first round, replays of the punch showed that it landed on the belt and was not low as some had thought.

 

On the same bill, Eric Morel outscored Gerry Penalosa over 12 rounds to win the vacant WBO ‘interim’ title. Then, due to meet Montiel on 30 October, after signing with Golden Boy Promotions, Morel relinquished the ‘interim’ title on 17 September.

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18 December 2009. Hozumi Hasegawa w rsc 4 Alvaro Perez.

Venue: World Memorial Hall, Kobe, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Bruce McTavish.

Fight Summary: Making it five stoppage wins in a row the champion proved too good for Perez (117) who, despite throwing some cracking shots in the opening two sessions, was eventually forced to submit in this battle of southpaws. Boxing on the back foot and making his man miss, by the third Hasegawa (117¾) was up and running with blows from both hands finding their target, and in the fourth after continuing in the same vein two hard lefts dropped Perez. Not even bothering to count, the referee called the fight off on the 2.38 mark.

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4 December 2009. Anselmo Moreno w rsc 11 Frederic Patrac.

Venue: Sports Palace, Agde, France. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Mark Nelson.

Fight Summary: Dominating from the opening bell, Moreno (117¼) immediately began to find his challenger with the southpaw right jab that was followed up by solid straight lefts. Losing every round clearly, matters got worse for Patrac (116½) in the eighth when he was subjected to several heavy blows to the head until the bell saved him in what was a 10-8 round on all three cards. After being battered from head to body from the ninth through to the 11th the referee finally rescued the game Patrac at 2.56 of the 11th when he was being assaulted by uppercuts and straight lefts in a corner without firing back to any effect.

 

Nehomar Cermeno successfully defended the WBA ‘interim’ title when knocking out Alejandro Valdez inside 11 rounds at the Itson Arena, Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico on 19 December.

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31 October 2009. Yonnhy Perez w pts 12 Joseph Agbeko.

Venue: Treasure Island Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Robert Byrd.

Scorecards: 117-110, 116-111, 117-110.

Fight Summary: Both men started throwing punches almost before the bell, the champion and Perez (118) going toe-to-toe as if their lives depended on it. In what was tremendous action it was the same in the second, as first one and then the other scored heavily. By the sixth Perez was cut on the right eye, courtesy of an Agbeko (118) head butt, and in the ninth a vertical gash opened up on his forehead. It was still hammer and tongs, punches going up and down, before another clash of heads saw Agbeko down in the tenth. Back in the action, Agbeko tried to put paid to Perez, but the latter would not be denied in what was termed by those who were lucky to have witnessed it as one of the great title fights. Ultimately, it was Perez's greater volume of punches that earned him the decision.

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14 July 2009. Hozumi Hasegawa w rsc 1 Nestor Rocha.

Venue: World Memorial Hall, Kobe, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Gary Ritter.

Fight Summary: Defending for the ninth time, Hasegawa (117½) picked up where he left off when blasting Rocha (117½) to defeat at 2.28 of the opening session. Settling in quickly Hasegawa soon found the range, and after sending Rocha down with a cracker of a southpaw right hook the latter barely made it to his feet in time before he was immediately put under pressure. Dropped again from a barrage of blows, Rocha was saved from taking further punishment by the referee when stumbling after getting to his feet.

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11 July 2009. Joseph Agbeko w pts 12 Vic Darchinyan.

Venue: BankAtlantic Centre, Sunrise, Florida, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Tommy Kimmons.

Scorecards: 114-113, 114-113, 116-111.

Fight Summary: Up against Darchinyan (117½), who was moving up from super fly (junior bantam), the champion made a reasonable start with his movement making him difficult to pick up. The fight had hardly got going before Darchinyan was cut on his left eye in the second, but by then Agbeko (116½) was already banging in hard rights that occasionally stunned the Iranian-born fighter. Following some heavy blows from Darchinyan, Agbeko took a standing count in the seventh after a push, and the round eventually lasted four minutes with the timekeeper losing the plot. Having taken the best that the southpaw challenger could offer, by the tenth Agbeko was in control, and with Darchinyan now cut on the right eye he eased towards the finishing line despite being twice thrown down, in the tenth and 11th, as the latter became desperate.

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4 July 2009. Anselmo Moreno w pts 12 Mahyar Monshipour.

Venue: Exhibition Centre, Poitiers, France. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Raul Caiz Jnr.

Scorecards: 116-112, 116-112, 113-115.

Fight Summary: Having been the WBA junior feather champion before temporarily retiring, Monshipour (118) came back at the lower weight in an effort to become a two-weight champion. With the taller Moreno (117¾) controlling much of the fight with the southpaw jab it was difficult for Monshipour to get to close quarters where he could do some damage. However, when he did he caused the champion a few problems. There was never a great deal between the pair, one judge making Monshipour the winner, but it was Moreno's better boxing skills that took the other two judges' eyes. Interestingly, Monshipour was the named promoter.

 

On 12 September, Nehomar Cermeno outpointed Cristian Mijares over 12 rounds at The Arena, Monterrey, Mexico to make a successful defence of his WBA ‘interim’ title. 

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2 May 2009. Anselmo Moreno w pts 12 Wladimir Sidorenko.

Venue: Exhibition Hall, Bremen, Germany. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Benjy Esteves Jnr.

Scorecards: 115-113, 115-113, 113-115.

Fight Summary: A return match saw Moreno (117½) put his title on the line against his mandatory challenger, and the man he captured it from in a close fight. Yet again this was a closely fought affair with Moreno taking advantage of his extra reach as Sidorenko (117¾) tried to get the inside track, his southpaw blows and excellent movement keeping the latter guessing for much of the time. Sidorenko had his successes, but there were not enough of them to be decisive. Carrying a swollen and cut right eye from the eighth made things more difficult for Sidorenko, especially as he was tiring, but he was still trying to catch up with Moreno right to the final bell.

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12 March 2009. Hozumi Hasegawa w rsc 1 Vusi Malinga.

Venue: World Memorial Hall, Kobe, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Laurence Cole.

Fight Summary: Carrying an eight-inch reach advantage, the challenger, a fellow southpaw, was felt to be a dangerous opponent for Hasegawa (117¾), but although he started well he was soon decked by a solid right-left combination. Back on his feet, instead of going into defensive mode Malinga (115½) was happy to swap punches, being sent down twice more from heavy left crosses before the referee called it off at 2.37 of the opening session.

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11 December 2008. Joseph Agbeko w pts 12 William Chirizo Gonzalez.

Venue: Prudential Centre, Newark, New Jersey, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Earl Brown.

Scorecards: 116-112, 116-112, 114-114.

Fight Summary: Coming back after 15 months away from the ring, the champion was soon in action, almost dropping Gonzalez 117) with a crunching right to the head in the opener. Hitting back hard, Gonzalez made things tough for Agbeko (118) as both men blasted in solid shots to head and body. Having cut Gonzalez over the left eye in the fourth before sending in a rattling left hook to the jaw, Agbeko was then outworked in the next two sessions. From the seventh onwards it was mainly Agbeko who was winning the fight, but the hardy southpaw from Nicaragua was never quite out of it until the final bell, always giving it a crack.

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30 October 2008. Anselmo Moreno w pts 12 Rolly Lunas.

Venue: Figali Convention Centre, Panama City, Panama. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Manuel Rodriguez.

Scorecards: 120-108, 118-110, 119-109.

Fight Summary: Defending his title for the second time, Moreno (117¾) was simply too fast and too accurate with his sharp southpaw punches for the game Lunas (117¾), who despite winning two rounds at best always stuck to the task in hand. Regardless of what the scorecards said, Lunas was always right in front of Moreno and always trying to get inside, and when under attack he merely shrugged the blows off. There were no knockdowns.

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16 October 2008. Hozumi Hasegawa w rsc 2 Alejandro Valdez.

Venue: Yoyogi 1 National Gym, Tokyo, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Mike Griffin.

Fight Summary: With both men starting quickly in this all-southpaw affair, the champion was forced to take several solid jabs to the head in the opener before coming back with some heavy shots of his own in the second prior to an overarm left dropping Valdez (117½) heavily. Although the game Valdez took the 'eight' count and was quickly back in the fray, when Hasegawa (118) was handing out a battering the referee rescued him at 2.41 of the session.

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18 September 2008. Anselmo Moreno w tdec 7 Cecilio Santos.

Venue: Figali Convention Centre, Panama City, Panama. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Roberto Ramirez.

Scorecards: 70-63, 70-63, 70-63.

Fight Summary: After walking off with the opening six rounds, his southpaw right-lefts catching Santos (117) whether in defensive or attacking mode, the champion was badly cut over his right eye in the seventh following a clash of heads. With the damage deemed by the ringside doctor to be too bad for Moreno (118) to continue, after the referee called for the cards it was hardly a surprise that the technical decision was in favour of the latter. The fight ended at 2.13 of the seventh.

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12 June 2008. Hozumi Hasegawa w rsc 2 Cristian Faccio.

Venue: Nihon Budokan Arena, Tokyo, Japan.  Recognition: WBC. Referee: Toby Gibson.

Fight Summary: Putting his title on the line for the sixth time, Hasegawa (117½) never gave his nervous challenger much time to settle when wading into him from the bell. Regardless that he was shaken up in the first Faccio (117¾) was still full of fight in the second when trying to get to grips with Hasegawa, but after taking a southpaw left counter flush he was put down heavily. Although getting up, when the game Faccio was dropped again from lefts and rights as Hasegawa went for the finish the referee stopped the contest on the 2.18 mark.

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31 May 2008. Anselmo Moreno w pts 12 Wladimir Sidorenko.

Venue: Castello Castle-Keeper Arena, Dusseldorf, Germany. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Luis Pabon.

Scorecards: 116-113, 116-112, 116-112.

Fight Summary: Finding it difficult to come to terms with his southpaw challenger, who boxed on the back foot and countered solidly, Sidorenko (118) dropped the opening five rounds on the cards before coming back strongly from the sixth through to the tenth. Finally getting to close quarters as Moreno (117¾) gave way, Sidorenko ploughed back some of the sessions he had dropped. However, when Moreno took over in the 11th, his speedy attacks pegging Sidorenko back at times, it was the latter's unbeaten record as well as the title that went with the decision.

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6 April 2008. Gerry Penalosa w rsc 8 Ratanachai Singwancha.

Venue: Araneta Coliseum, Manila, Philippines. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Genaro Rodriguez.

Fight Summary: In a battle between southpaws, the champion had already beaten Sor Vorapin (118) almost eight years earlier and was expected to repeat the dose. Penalosa (118) was soon pulling away on the cards, and at the end of the fourth he nearly dropped the Thai with some solid combinations. By the seventh Penalosa was completely in charge, slamming in many unanswered punches, before a volley of blows from both hands had Sor Vorapin down in the eighth. Although gamely getting to his feet, when Penalosa stormed in throwing lefts and rights the referee stopped the contest at 2.31 of the session.

 

On 28 March 2009, Fernando Montiel knocked out Diego Oscar Silva inside three rounds at The Bullring, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico to win the vacant WBO ‘interim’ title.

 

A few weeks later, on 25 April 2009, Penalosa was stripped of the title for not having made a defence for over a year. Following that, Montiel took over the vacancy, and in doing so became a world champion at three different weights, having previously been an undefeated WBO champion at flyweight and at junior bantamweight.

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10 January 2008. Wladimir Sidorenko w pts 12 Nobuto Ikehara.

Venue: Prefectural Gym, Osaka, Japan. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Rafael Ramos.

Scorecards: 118-110, 116-112, 119-110.

Fight Summary: It was the challenger who made the better start, banging in solid rights before Sidorenko (117¾) got himself up and running when fighting well at close quarters. Suffering a cut on the right eye in the fourth did not deter Ikehara (118) from trying to outgun Sidorenko, many of the rounds going back and forth as both men tried to take the initiative. It was only in the last three sessions that Sidorenko got control, almost having his man over in the tenth with an overarm right before pushing the tiring Ikehara back from thereon in.

 

At the Centennial Auditorium, Torreon, Mexico, on 14 March, Nehomar Cermeno outpointed Cristian Mijares over 12 rounds to win the vacant WBA ‘interim’ title.

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10 January 2008. Hozumi Hasegawa w pts 12 Simone Maludrottu.

Venue: Prefectural Gym, Osaka, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Kenny Bayless.

Scorecards: 117-111, 116-112, 118-110.

Fight Summary: Although Hasegawa (117¾) started well, banging in fast southpaw punches to the pedestrian challenger's head and body, he was badly cut over the right eye in the second after a head clash that was not spotted by the referee. In control right up until the 11th despite the injury bothering him at times, and having cut Maludrottu (117½) on the left eye, Hasegawa began to tire. At this stage the switch-hitting Maludrottu took advantage when crowding Hasegawa, but failed to make it pay.

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29 September 2007. Joseph Agbeko w rsc 7 Luis Alberto Perez.

Venue:  ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Dan Stell.

Fight Summary: Winning every contested round on all three cards the little known Agbeko (116¾) showed from the start that the southpaw champion was not a problem for him when landing hard rights almost at will in a fast-paced contest. Battered in virtually every session, Perez (118) was right up against it, barely having any successes, and at the end of the seventh the ringside doctor asked the referee to stop the fight. With Perez cut under both eyes and soaking up punishment it was a wise decision.

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11 August 2007. Gerry Penalosa w co 7 Jhonny Gonzalez.

Venue:  ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Pat Russell.

Fight Summary: Having been outboxed for the opening four rounds one would not have given a fig for the 35-year-old challenger's chances at that stage, especially as Gonzalez (117) had barely raised a sweat. Penalosa (118) got closer in the fifth, but was up against it in the sixth when Gonzalez landed good blows to head and body. It was going the same way in the seventh until the former WBC junior bantamweight title holder found a southpaw left hook to the body that put Gonzalez down in some agony to be counted out at 2.45 of the session.

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7 July 2007. Luis Alberto Perez w rsc 7 Genaro Garcia.

Venue:  Harbor Yard Arena, Bridgeport, Connecticut. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Charles Dyer.

Fight Summary: In a contest for the vacant title, which came about when Rafael Marquez handed in his belt on moving up in weight, Perez (118), a southpaw, beat Garcia (118) on a referee's stoppage at 1.39 of the seventh round. Controlling the bout from the start, the former undefeated IBF junior bantamweight champion dropped Garcia in the second with a left hook to the jaw and pounded the latter to the body for round after round. Looking a beaten man in the seventh, his face badly swollen, Garcia's attempt at a world title ended after he had been put down by another left hook to the chin and stumbled when trying to regain his feet before being rescued by the referee.

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29 June 2007. Wladimir Sidorenko w co 7 Jerome Arnould.

Venue: Sports Palace, Marseille, France. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Julio Alvarado.

Fight Summary: Under fire from the opening bell the inexperienced challenger was unable to deal with Sidorenko (117½), and after being chased down in the third and being pressed from thereon in he was floored by a hard right to the jaw in the fifth. Having somehow got through the sixth Arnould (117½) was not so lucky in the seventh, two solid right hooks to the chin sending him down to be counted out.

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3 May 2007. Hozumi Hasegawa w pts 12 Simpiwe Vetyeka.

Venue: Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Lupe Garcia.

Scorecards: 116-112, 116-112, 115-113.

Fight Summary: Up against a tough challenger in Vetyeka (117¾), an unbeaten South African danger man, Hasegawa (118) fought carefully for a few rounds before opening up with good southpaw shots. Whilst Hasegawa always had his nose in front, Vetyeka gave him some bad moments, especially in the seventh when unleashing several hard rights. Albeit that Hasegawa returned fire, he would never underestimate his tough counter-punching opponent until opening up in the 12th with a vicious attack to put the seal on his victory.

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30 March 2007. Jhonny Gonzalez w rsc 9 Irene Pacheco.

Venue: Desert Diamond Casino, Tucson, Arizona, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Bobby Ferrara.

Fight Summary: Following a slow start by both men the contest got going in the third when the champion went over from what was called a slip before coming back to catch Pacheco (118), a southpaw, heavily to the body. From thereon in Pacheco took a beating as Gonzalez (117½) loaded up with shots from all angles, up and down. Although Pacheco came back in the sixth it was hardly significant to the way things were going, and under attack in ninth he took many unanswered punches before being rescued at 1.04 of the session while sitting on the ropes.

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17 March 2007. Wladimir Sidorenko drew 12 Ricardo Cordoba.

Venue: Hanns Martin-Schleyer Hall, Stuttgart, Germany. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Mark Nelson.

Scorecards: 117-111, 114-114, 114-114.

Fight Summary: In a return match that again ended all square, Sidorenko (118) retained his crown after another tough fight with Cordoba (117¼). Regardless that Cordoba had a big reach advantage, Sidorenko was always right in front of his man despite being open to the southpaw right lead. Even when caught by heavy punches Sidorenko would brush them aside and come back firing. With Sidorenko finishing the fight strongly, one of the judges had him winning nine of the 12 rounds.

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13 November 2006. Hozumi Hasegawa w pts 12 Genaro Garcia.

Venue: Nihon Budokan Martial Arts Hall, Tokyo, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Vic Drakulich.

Scorecards: 114-110, 114-109, 114-109.

Fight Summary: Although Hasegawa (117¾) scored two knockdowns over the challenger it was a difficult night for him when being forced to sustain a continuous flow of body attacks throughout the contest. Starting on the back foot, Hasegawa used southpaw left and right counters to keep Garcia (117¾) at bay as best he could, but even when the latter was dropped by a left to the jaw in the fourth he was not dissuaded to give up his forward march. It was in the sixth and seventh that Garcia took a lot of steam out of Hasegawa with his assaults on the body, prior to being docked a point in the eighth for an accidental head butt that opened a bad cut on the latter's right eye. Then, immediately following that, Garcia was dropped by a big right to the jaw. Even though Garcia continued his attacks on the body in the final four rounds it was not enough, Hasegawa catching him with several big shots that maintained his lead.

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5 August 2006. Rafael Marquez w rtd 9 Silence Mabuza.

Venue: Montbleu Resort Casino, Stateline, Nevada, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Tony Weeks.

Fight Summary: Making the seventh defence of his title, and a return contest, Marquez (118) moved into an early lead before Mabuza (117½) picked it up in the third through to the fifth with solid shots from head to body. Getting back into the swing of things in the sixth, Marquez reverted to type when opening up a cut under Mabuza's left eye in the eighth before battering the latter with incessant left and rights throughout the ninth. The contest ended at the end of the ninth when Mabuza's corner pulled him out.

 

When Marquez vacated the IBF version of the title on 16 March 2007, having become the WBC junior featherweight champion on 3 March 2007, a match was eventually set up between Luis Alberto Perez and Genaro Garcia to find a new champion.

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15 July 2006. Wladimir Sidorenko w pts 12 Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym.

Venue: Color Line Arena, Hamburg, Germany. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Rafael Ramos.

Scorecards: 120-108, 116-112, 115-113.

Fight Summary: Despite winning all of the rounds on one of the cards this was no easy defence for Sidorenko (117¾), especially with his left eye swelling from early on in the contest. Although Sidorenko began well, his left jab and right hand blows keeping Kratingdaenggym (118) at bay, once the latter got himself into gear and upped his attacks it became much tougher for the champion. Sidorenko showed his class when taking over in the latter sessions with solid left and right counters finding their mark as the strong Thai came onto them.

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27 May 2006. Jhonny Gonzalez w pts 12 Fernando Montiel.

Venue: Home Depot Centre, Carson, California, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Jon Schorle.

Scorecards: 116-112, 118-111, 113-115.

Fight Summary: Moving up from the junior bantam division it was expected that Montiel (117) would give Gonzalez (117¾) a run for his money, and that is exactly what he did despite a slow start. Showing good movement, coupled to superior hand-speed, Montiel made life tough for Gonzalez, who never really got going until the eighth when realising that he needed to up the pace without knowing that he was well in front on two of the cards. Cutting Montiel under the right eye in the ninth spurred Gonzalez on to make sure of the win.

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25 March 2006. Hozumi Hasegawa w rsc 9 Veeraphol Sahaprom.

Venue: World Memorial Hall, Kobe, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Lupe Garcia.

Fight Summary: Having lifted the title from the 37-year-old Sahaprom (117¾) ten months earlier, Hasegawa (118) made a fast start in this one with right-lefts pushing the challenger back. Sahaprom was always in the fight, but it was Hasegawa who had that little bit extra that ultimately counted. After coming under a sustained attack in the seventh and eighth, Hasegawa fought back strongly in the ninth before dropping Sahaprom with a smashing southpaw countering right. With Sahaprom looking out of it, the referee stopped the contest after just 19 seconds of the session had elapsed.

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11 March 2006. Wladimir Sidorenko drew 12 Ricardo Cordoba.

Venue: Color Line Arena, Hamburg, Germany. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Luis Pabon.

Scorecards: 118-111, 114-114, 114-114.

Fight Summary: Retaining his title by a majority draw in a tough fight, Sidorenko (117¾) was forced to meet fire with fire as the clever Cordoba (117¾) went at him with solid southpaw blows from the start. Much the taller of the two, Cordoba made Sidorenko's body the focus of his attacks, and the latter had to survive some difficult moments before getting on top as his challenger tired. Although Cordoba successfully used long uppercuts to the body from the middle rounds onwards, Sidorenko eventually found a way through them to cut back the deficit when taking four of the last six sessions.

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26 November 2005. Wladimir Sidorenko w pts 12 Jose De Jesus Lopez.

Venue: Wilhelm Dopatka Hall, Leverkusen, Germany. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Steve Smoger.

Scorecards: 118-111, 119-109, 119-109.

Fight Summary: Getting into gear from the third round onwards, the champion had the fight under control when hooking off the jab and attacking the body whenever he could, with De Jesus Lopez (117¼) content to box at range. The pattern never really changed, even when the points were piling up against the Venezuelan who lacked the firepower to bother Sidorenko (117¾). Towards the end of the contest, with De Jesus Lopez almost spent after being under constant attack throughout, he appeared content just to make it to the final bell.

 

On 22 December, at the Rajadamnern Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand, Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym outscored Leo Gamez over 12 rounds to retain the WBA ‘interim’ title and secure himself a crack at Sidorenko.

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5 November 2005. Rafael Marquez w rsc 4 Silence Mabuza.

Venue: Caesar’s Palace, Lake Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Norm Budden.

Fight Summary: The fight had barely started when a big left hook dropped Mabuza (118), and although the challenger made it to the end of the round he was still dazed upon returning to his corner. Despite taking some hefty blows from Marquez (118) in the next couple of sessions it looked as though Mabuza was gradually beginning to find his way towards the end of the third, but in the fourth the situation became even more tenuous for the South African after he was cut on the left cheek. Realising it was his last chance Mabuza went toe-to-toe with Marquez, but after being badly cut over the right eye following a fierce exchange the referee, on the advice of the doctor, pulled him out of the fight on the 2.08 mark.

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29 October 2005. Jhonny Gonzalez w rsc 7 Ratanachai Singwancha.

Venue: Desert Diamond Casino, Tucson, Arizona, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Robert Byrd.

Fight Summary: Virtually dominating from the start, Gonzalez (116¾) was always looking to get his punches off with venom against the southpaw champion, and in the third round he dropped Sor Vorapin (118) with a left uppercut after a body shot had paved the way. Down again in the same round, having been hit by uppercuts from both hands, Sor Vorapin was really up against it, especially when cut over the right eye in the fourth. Although the Thai carried the fight to Gonzalez in the sixth, and the latter had to take time out after being hit low, the champion was dropped right at the end of the session by a left hook. Coming out for the seventh there was little left in the tank for Sor Vorapin, the referee rescuing him after just 22 seconds when he was making no effort to fire back as Gonzalez set about him.

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25 September 2005. Hozumi Hasegawa w rsc 7 Gerardo Martinez.

Venue: The Arena, Yokohama, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Laurence Cole.

Fight Summary: A late replacement for Diego Morales, the challenger was up against it from the start as Hasegawa (117¼) scored heavily with right-left combinations, and in the third round he was dropped by a southpaw right hook to the head. Although Martinez (117½) got himself up he was outspeeded and outpunched the rest of the way, it coming as no surprise when he was floored three times in the seventh before being rescued by the referee on the 2.18 mark.

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5 August 2005. Ratanachai Singwancha w pts 12 Mauricio Martinez.

Venue: Patong Beach Arena, Phuket, Thailand. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Samuel Viruet.

Scorecards: 116-112, 116-112, 114-114.

Fight Summary: In a battle of fellow southpaws the champion was forced to survive a rocky first round when Martinez (118) unleashed a series of heavy lefts, but by the third he was back in the fight with his effective countering paving the way. Although Martinez continued to be dangerous, Sor Vorapin (118) was dictating matters by the ninth despite having had a bad spell in the previous session after a clash of heads left him shaken and disorientated. The remaining four rounds saw Sor Vorapin exercise his better hand-speed to pick up points, as well as slamming in solid left hooks, while Martinez gave it his best shot when firing in hefty lefts and rights whenever in range.

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28 May 2005. Rafael Marquez w pts 12 Ricardo Vargas.

Venue: Staples Centre, Los Angeles, California, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Pat Russell.

Scorecards: 118-109, 116-111, 116-111.

Fight Summary: Looking to win quickly, Marquez (116½) was ultimately given a bit of a test against a challenger who was happy to dart in behind the southpaw lead and fire off right-lefts to head and body whenever he saw the opportunity. Although he was taking a fair few punches, Vargas (118) was always coming back with his own brand before taking a breather in the ninth after being cut over the right eye. With Marquez upping the pace in the tenth and 11th rounds Vargas was forced to back off to some degree, and when he was eventually put down in the final session after running into a fusillade of blows most fans thought that was it. But back he came, trading with Marquez right through to the bell to earn the appreciation of the crowd.

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16 April 2005. Hozumi Hasegawa w pts 12 Veeraphol Sahaprom.

Venue: Nihon Budokan Martial Arts Hall, Tokyo, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Lupe Garcia.

Scorecards: 115-113, 115-113, 116-112.

Fight Summary: Taking his time to get up and running, the champion dropped the opening three rounds as Hasegawa (118) sped around the ring, throwing fast southpaw combinations while proving very elusive. In the fourth, however, after Sahaprom (118) opened up to cut Hasegawa over the left eye he concentrated his attacks on the body for the next three sessions. Coming again in the ninth, Hasegawa went toe-to-toe with Sahaprom, almost dropping the champion in the tenth with a belting left hook before the latter desperately tried to avert defeat in the final two sessions to no avail.