Barry Hugman's World Championship Boxing

14 October 2015. Lee Selby w pts 12 Fernando Montiel.

Venue: Gila River Arena, Glendale, Arizona, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Robert Byrd.

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

Fight Summary: Defending his title in America, Selby (125¾) was far too fast for the 36-year-old Montiel (125½) when running up the opening five rounds before the latter got into the fight. The sixth saw Montiel bang in several blows without response, but once Selby picked it up again in the eighth, putting together some smart, fast blows that found their target, and then outpunched his man in the final session there was no arguing where the decision was going. Selby finished the fight with a cut and swollen right eye following an accidental clash of heads.

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29 August 2015. Leo Santa Cruz w pts 12 Abner Mares.

Venue: Staples Centre, Los Angeles, California, USA. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Jack Reiss.

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

Fight Summary: Fighting to decide who would be the successor to Nicholas Walters after he forfeited the title, Santa Cruz (124¾) outscored Mares (125¼) to win the majority decision after what was an all-action battle from start to finish. A clash of heads in the third saw both men cut, Mares on the left eye and Santa Cruz sustaining minor damage. Although Mares started fast he was quickly worked out by Santa Cruz, who made excellent use of his height and reach advantages when jabbing and delivering right crosses. It was clear that Santa Cruz packed the heavier punch when hurting Mares on occasion with solid blows from either hand, and he was also never under as much pressure as the latter. The CompuBox stats showed that Santa Cruz scored with 373 of his 1,052 shots thrown, while Mares successfully landed 227 from 980. Santa Cruz became a three-weight world champion on winning, having previously been undefeated as an IBF bantamweight champion and WBC junior featherweight champion.

 

On 5 December, Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar retained his WBA 'second tier' title when outpointing Jonathan Oquendo over 12 rounds at the Barclays Centre, Brooklyn, NYC, New York, USA.

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30 May 2015. Lee Selby w tdec 8 Evgeny Gradovich.

Venue: 02 Arena, Greenwich, London, England. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Deon Duarte.

Scorecards: 80-72, 79-73, 79-73.

Fight Summary: Taking a positive stance from the start, Selby (125¼) more than matched the champion as he boxed his way to the front despite being caught early on by overarm rights and left hooks. By the end of the sixth Selby was in control, having taken all rounds bar the fifth as Gradovich (126) tried to find an answer. Boxing beautifully, his combinations and movement superb, Selby was in full swing. When a clash of heads in the seventh saw Gradovich suffer a deep cut by the side of the right eye, although he was allowed to box on the fight was eventually stopped by the referee, who called for the cards after one minute of the eighth following the ringside doctor's advice. Having taken the technical decision, Selby stated afterwards that he had failed to get out of second gear and was looking forward to defending the title against whoever was selected.

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2 May 2015. Vasyl Lomachenko w co 9 Gamalier Rodriguez.

Venue: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Robert Byrd.

Fight Summary: Despite making a slow start the southpaw champion was soon up and running when going for the body while sending in solid jabs to push Rodriguez (126) back. Fighting hard, Rodriguez found Lomachenko (125½) just too strong for him before being hurt in the fourth and having a point struck off for going low in fifth. Stepping it up again in sixth, Lomachenko dropped Rodriguez in the seventh following two hard rights and lefts to the body. Under real pressure again in the eighth, being deducted another point for going low, Rodriguez was continually hammered from both hands before being counted out after 50 seconds of the ninth after two solid rights to the body had sent him down on one knee.

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28 March 2015. Gary Russell Jnr w rsc 4 Jhonny Gonzalez.

Venue: Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Tony Weeks.

Fight Summary: In what was seen as a surprise, the southpaw challenger started strongly when keeping Gonzalez (125) on the end of his left jab and beating him to the punch time and again. Although Gonzalez came out resolutely for the third, a left to the body hurting Russell (125¾), the latter was soon back on top after a cracking straight left that was followed by a short right dropped the Mexican. Saved by the bell before coming out for the fourth, Gonzalez was soon under pressure as Russell attacked him two-fistedly, and after being knocked over and getting up he was rescued by the referee when being put down again on the 37-second mark.

 

At The Armoury, Washington DC, USA on 5 March 2016, Oscar Escandon knocked out Robinson Castellanos inside seven rounds to win the vacant WBC 'interim' title.

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29 November 2014. Evgeny Gradovich drew 12 Jayson Velez.

Venue: Century Link, Centre, Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Joe Cooper.

Scorecards: 114-114, 113-115, 117-111.

Fight Summary: Up against a tough man in Velez (126), the champion made all the running despite being countered on occasion as he looked to push his man back. Eventually Gradovich (126) managed to get the inside rail as Velez tired, but the latter continued to give him problems right up to the final bell. Retaining his title by a split decision draw, Gradovich's corner thought that their man had won every round in what had obviously been a difficult fight to score.

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23 November 2014. Vasyl Lomachenko w pts 12 Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo.

Venue: Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, China. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Luis Pabon.

Fight Summary: Having bided his time for three rounds, probing for openings, the champion opened up in the fourth when unloading a cracking southpaw straight left that smashed into Piriyapinyo (126) and left him on the floor. Although the tough Thai made it to his feet and charged at Lomachenko (126) he rarely ever got close enough to do any damage, the former Olympic and world amateur champion being just too adroit. Even though Lomachenko damaged his left hand in the sixth when looking to put Piriyapinyo away he continued to win the rounds with excellent use of the right, whether it be on the attack or in defence.

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18 October 2014. Nicholas Walters w rsc 6 Nonito Donaire.

Venue: StubHub Centre, Carson, California, USA. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Raul Caiz Jnr.

Fight Summary: While not looking his normal self, the champion made a reasonable start before being dumped on the seat of his pants by a solid right uppercut to the chin in the third. From thereon in it was all downhill for Donaire (125¾), as Walters (125¾) kept him on the end of firm left jabs and cut him over the right eye in the fourth. In the fifth heavy punches, both up and down, hurt Donaire, and although he had the faster hands of the pair he was gradually being worn down. With Donaire looking shaky in the sixth when he was dropped by a terrific right to the side of his head, despite making it to his feet the referee stopped it with just one second of the session remaining. The decision was the correct one, it being clear that Donaire was in no fit state to continue.

 

On 20 December, Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar successfully defended his WBA 'interim' title when stopping Ruben Tamayo in the fifth round of their contest at the Little Creek Casino Resort, Shelton, Washington, USA. Cuellar was given 'second tier' championship status by the WBA on 21 February 2015.

 

Carlos Zambrano picked up the WBA 'interim' title vacated by Cuellar when outpointing Daniel Ramirez over 12 rounds at the Mega Plaza, Lima, Peru on 28 March 2015.

 

Cuellar made a successful defence of the WBA 'second tier' title when stopping Vic Darchinyan inside eight rounds at the StubHub Centre on 6 June 2015.

 

Zambrano held onto his WBA 'interim' title when outpointing Jose Sanmartin over 12 rounds at the Mauro Mina Coliseum, Chinch, Peru on 1 August 2015.

 

Although Walters outpointed Miguel Marriaga over 12 rounds at the MSG Theatre, NYC, New York, USA on 13 June 2015, he had already been stripped of the WBA title a day earlier for failing to make the weight. With Marriaga unable to take advantage of the situation, the WBA set up a clash between Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares to decide the vacant title.

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4 October 2014. Jhonny Gonzalez w rsc 11 Jorge Arce.

Venue: Multipurpose Sports Centre, Los Mochos, Sinaloa, Mexico. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Johnny Callas.

Fight Summary: In a meeting between fellow Mexicans, it was soon noticeable that the champion's power would ultimately be too much for Arce (126), who was cut on the left eye in the third following a clash of heads. Deducted a point for the transgression, Gonzalez (126) followed that up with a cracking left hook that dropped Arce immediately prior to the bell. Having held back in the fourth, Gonzalez decked Arce again with another left hook before going to work on the body and holding the latter at bay with a solid left jab. Floored again in the ninth by another left hook, somehow Arce got up to travel into the 11th, where at 2.53 of the session he was taken out of the contest by the referee.

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21 June 2014. Vasyl Lomachenko w pts 12 Gary Russell Jnr.

Venue: StubHub Centre, Carson, California, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Jack Reiss.

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

Fight Summary: Contested for the vacant WBO title after Orlando Salido had been stripped, and in a battle of southpaws, Lomachenko was handed the majority decision in what was just his third professional fight. With Lomachenko (125½) the stronger and Russell (125½) the faster it made for a fascinating bout, and so it turned out to be. Although there were no knockdowns, Russell was hurt on several occasions, especially in the fifth and seventh before coming back into it as Lomachenko paced himself. There was little between them up to the tenth, but Lomachenko picked it up to win the last three sessions and the title. The CompuBox stats showed Lomachenko landing 183 scoring shots to Russell's 83 despite having thrown less.

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31 May 2014. Nonito Donaire w tdec 5 Simpiwe Vetyeka.

Venue: Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, SAR, China. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Luis Pabon.

Scorecards: 49-46, 49-46, 49-46.

Fight Summary: With both men looking to settle, Donaire (126) was badly cut at the end of the opening session when heads twice collided and left him nursing a badly gashed left eye that would eventually require 11 stitches. Regardless of visits by the ringside doctor, Donaire fought on and almost had the champion over in the third following a terrific right hand. Trying to come back from that, Vetyeka (125½) ran into a cracking right-left hook in the fourth that dropped him for a short count before making it back to his corner. One second into the fifth, as both men left their corners, the referee stopped the fight on the instruction of the ringside doctor before calling for the cards. On winning the technical decision Donaire became a four-weight world champion, having previously been an undefeated IBF flyweight champion, an undefeated WBC/WBO bantamweight champion and an undefeated IBF and WBO junior featherweight champion.

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A contest on the same bill saw Nicholas Walters retain his WBA 'second tier' title following a fifth-round kayo win over Vic Darchinyan.

 

This was followed by Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar making a successful defence of the WBA 'interim' title against Juan Manuel Lopez (w co 2 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA) on 11 September.

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31 May 2014. Evgeny Gradovich w pts 12 Alexander Miskirtchian.

Venue: Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, SAR, China. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Luis Pabon.

Scorecards: 49-46, 49-46, 49-46.

Fight Summary: Although winning most of the rounds, the champion had to climb off the canvas in the sixth after a solid left jab from Miskirtchian (125½) had dumped him. Despite carrying a badly swollen right eye which made things difficult for Gradovich (125½), his superior technique and movement supressed much of the Georgian's aggression. In what was his third title defence, Gradovich, who consistently beat Miskirtchian to the punch, was forced to fight all the way.

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24 May 2014. Jhonny Gonzalez w tdec 10 Clive Atwell.

Venue: Convention Centre, Acapulco, Mexico. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Laurence Cole.

Scorecards: 99-89, 98-90, 96-92.

Fight Summary: Gonzalez (125¾), defending the title he won from Abner Mares, was not at his best against Atwell (125¾) despite dominating with the jab and solid rights. Deducted points for headbutts in the seventh and tenth, the latter transgression from Atwell brought the contest to an end after Gonzalez was badly cut over his left eye and the referee decided that he could not continue before calling for the cards. Atwell had proved to be no test for the champion, being slow to get his punches off and settling on survival.

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6 December 2013. Simpiwe Vetyeka w rtd 6 Chris John.

Venue: Metro City Thunderdome, Northbridge, Perth, Australia. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Gustavo Padilla.

Fight Summary: Despite his reach advantage, the champion was never able to hold Vetyeka (125½) up for long with the jab and was soon slugging it out with the South African in what would turn out to be to his disadvantage. Fighting wildly at times, John (125¾) was badly hurt in the fifth before going down from clubbing blows to the head. Although looking in trouble the referee strangely called it a slip. Managing to make it to the bell John came out for the sixth, only to be battered down again for yet another slip according to the referee. Things then got even worse for him. Smashed to the floor by a cracking right to the jaw John somehow managed to last the round out before being retired by his corner at the end of the session, a thoroughly beaten fighter. As well as his title going, he had also lost his unbeaten record in the process.

 

On 2 May 2014, Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar made a successful defence of his WBA 'interim' title when outpointing Rico Ramos over 12 rounds at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

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24 November 2013. Evgeny Gradovich w rsc 9 Billy Dib.

Venue: Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, SAR, China. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Allan Huggins.

Fight Summary: Trying to regain his old title from the man who took it from him, Dib (126) started fast before Gradovich (125¾) began to control the contest more and more as each round progressed. After decking Dib in the sixth with a left-right-left to the head it became a matter of when as Gradovich upped the tempo. With Gradovich climbing all over Dib in the ninth, raining in lefts and rights to the head, the referee finally stepped in to stop the fight at 1.10 of the session after recognising that the latter's corner wanted their man out of it.

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12 October 2013. Orlando Salido w rsc 7 Orlando Cruz.

Venue: Thomas & Mack Centre, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Kenny Bayless.

Fight Summary: This was a contest for the title that was vacated when Mikey Garcia failed to make the weight for Juan Manuel Lopez on 15 June, and it was Salido (126) who stepped up to regain his old belt when stopping Cruz (125) at 1.05 of the seventh. Salido was always one move ahead as he continually hurt his southpaw opponent, whether it was up or down, and in general controlled the fight. Having been caught by some heavy shots in the fifth, Salido began to up the pace even more, and in the seventh after a right-left smashed Cruz to the floor the referee stepped in.

 

Salido forfeited the WBO title when coming in over the weight for a defence against Vasyl Lomachenko at The Alamadome, San Antonio, Texas, USA on 1 March 2014. Although the fight went ahead, Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic gold medal winner, failed to take advantage when beaten on points over 12 rounds in what was only his second contest as a pro.

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24 August 2013. Jhonny Gonzalez w rsc 1 Abner Mares.

Venue: StubHub Centre, Carson, California, USA. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Jack Reiss.

Fight Summary: There was nothing much going on in the opening two minutes as both men looked to find their way into the contest, so it was a shock when the champion was sent crashing from a blistering left hook to the jaw after Gonzalez (125½) settled the quicker. Although Mares (125) got to his feet, instead of holding and looking to make it to the end of the round he decided to punch it out with Gonzalez. Not the best tactic in the circumstances and, when Mares was decked again from a burst of combinations that was finished off by another left hook, the referee stopped the count and called the contest off with five seconds of the first session remaining.

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27 July 2013. Evgeny Gradovich w pts 12 Mauricio Javier Munoz.

Venue: Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, SAR, China. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Jack Reiss.

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

Fight Summary: In a fight in which Gradovich (125¾) won virtually every round on the cards, he still had to remain on his guard during the first six rounds against a challenger who posed a threat with hard shots from either hand. Had the tough Munoz (125¾) been quicker on his feet and been able to throw more than one punch at a time he would have proved to be a most dangerous opponent for Gradovich, whose ability to keep on the move while scoring secured the win. Munoz, who finished with both eyes swollen, tired as the contest progressed, having giving his all.

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4 May 2013. Abner Mares w rsc 9 Daniel Ponce De Leon.

Venue: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Jay Nady.

Fight Summary: Defending his title for the first time Ponce De Leon (126) came up against a tartar in Mares (126), who had his man over in the second with a left hook as he looked to get on top of his southpaw opponent. Although Mares was ahead on all three cards at the end of the eighth, it had been hard fought and there was little between them. In the ninth, however, all that changed when Mares floored Ponce De Leon with a solid right to the chin. Despite getting up and trying to fight on the champion was pulled out of the contest by the referee at 2.20 of the session, having taken further heavy head shots and appearing to be shaken up. Following the fight, Mares stated that he wished Ponce De Leon had stayed down as he did not want to finish off his friend and stablemate. Thus Mares joined the group of men who had won world titles at three different weights, having previously been an undefeated IBF bantamweight champion and an undefeated WBC junior featherweight title holder.

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14 April 2013. Chris John tdraw 3 Satoshi Hosono.

Venue: Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Rafael Ramos.

Fight Summary: The contest had barely got underway when the champion was nicked over his left eye as Hosono tore in with his head low and, although he tried to box the latter off, it had obviously bothered him, especially when dropping the second on the cards. In the third, the shorter Hosono repeatedly went in, head down, before another clash of heads left John (125½) bleeding badly from the right eye. Clearly impairing John's vision, the referee called the fight off on the 2.14 mark following a doctor's inspection. As the contest had ended inside four rounds a technical draw was announced.

 

On 19 April, Javier Fortuna, who was to have defended his WBA ‘interim’ title against Miguel Zamudio, forfeited his honours after failing to make the weight. Although the fight went ahead with only Zamudio able to claim the title he was knocked out inside a round.

 

Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar won the vacant WBA 'interim' title when he outpointed Claudio Marrero over 12 rounds at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona, New York, USA on 23 August.

 

Making the first defence of his WBA ‘second tier’ title, Nicholas Walters stopped Alberto Garza inside four rounds at the American Bank Centre, Corpus Christie, Texas, USA on 9 November.

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1 March 2013. Evgeny Gradovich w pts 12 Billy Dib.

Venue: MGM Grand, Foxwoods Resort, Nashantucket, Connecticut, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Eddie Claudio.

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

Fight Summary: Although the champion took the opening four rounds on the cards it was clear that Gradovich (125) was gathering pace. From the fifth onwards, when the pressure-fighting Gradovich turned the contest into a brawl, Dib (125) was totally taken out of his stride and unable to respond. Carrying cuts, 14 stitches required to deal with the one on his right eye and seven staples for the damage to the top of his head, Dib was right up against it. Even then, if just one judge had given Dib the final session he would have retained his title, it was that close.

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19 January 2013. Mikey Garcia w tdec 8 Orlando Salido.

Venue: MSG Theatre, Manhattan, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: WBO/The Ring. Referee: Benjy Esteves Jnr.

Scorecards: 79-69, 79-69, 79-70.

Fight Summary: Looking to make his mark in a fight that involved the vacant Ring Championship Belt, and with Salido (126) putting his WBO title on the line, there was plenty for Garcia (125½) to aim at. Out of the tracks fast, Garcia dropped Salido twice in the opening session, firstly with a right hook and then with a left hook. Just when Salido was trying to find a way back, in the third, he was down again, this time courtesy of a right uppercut to the jaw. After being dropped again in the fourth by a cracking left to the head Salido tried to fight back but it was hopeless, and in the eighth as both fighters came together a butt from Salido broke Garcia's nose. With the injury confirmed at the end of the session by the doctor and the cards called for nobody was surprised when Garcia was awarded the technical decision.

 

At the Airlines Centre, Dallas, Texas on 15 June, Garcia (128) lost his WBO title on the scales when weighing in two pounds over the weight for his contest against Juan Manuel Lopez. Although the fight went ahead with only Lopez able to win the crown he was stopped in the fourth round. The Ring Championship Belt was vacated when Garcia won the WBO junior lightweight title on 9 November.

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7 November 2012. Chris John w pts 12 Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo.

Venue: Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Mark Nelson.

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

Fight Summary: Whilst the cards showed that it was an easy win for the champion, it was anything but as the tough unbeaten Piriyapinyo (125¼) stuck with him throughout, always looking to get big punches off. John (125¾) was badly rattled and hurt in the sixth as both men loaded up, the round seeing the latter landing a blow to the back of the head as well as a low blow for which he was not cautioned. As Piriyapinyo swung hard and often he dropped John near the end of the ninth, only for the referee to see it as a slip, and with the champion in difficulty in the 12th as the Thai went for a stoppage it was probably good for him that the bell went when it did.

 

On 8 December, at the National Indoor Centre, Kingston, Jamaica, Nicholas Walters stopped Daulis Prescott in seven rounds to win the vacant WBA ‘second tier’ title, while on the same day, at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, Javier Fortuna outpointed Patrick Hyland over 12 rounds to lift the vacant WBA ‘interim’ title.

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15 September 2012. Daniel Ponce De Leon w tdec 8 Jhonny Gonzalez.

Venue: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Kenny Bayless.

Scorecards: 79-72, 79-72, 77-74.

Fight Summary: Right from the start it appeared that Ponce De Leon (125½) had the champion's number, his southpaw stance and swinging punches proving difficult to deal with. Boxing mainly on the defence Gonzalez (125) blocked many blows coming his way but failed to do enough forcing, and in the sixth a heavy left hand sent him through the ropes and onto the ring apron. Having constantly clashed heads throughout, after Gonzalez received a bad cut on his forehead in the eighth and it was clear that he could not continue the referee called for the cards. On winning the technical decision Ponce De Leon became a two-weight world champion, having been a former WBO junior featherweight title holder.

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5 May 2012. Chris John w pts 12 Shoji Kimura.

Venue: Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Ferlin Marsh.

Scorecards: 118-109, 117-110, 119-108.

Fight Summary: This was no easy fight for the champion, but he showed his ability to good effect when battering the tough Kimura (125½) throughout on his way to a wide points decision. Kimura was always right in front of John (126), but was only able to get to him with solid blows on occasion. However, in the seventh a tremendous left hook almost had John over, and had another one found its mark it could have been curtains for the champion. Following that there would be no more opportunities for Kimura, who was set upon for the remainder of the contest.

 

Due to face Nicholas Walters, and having been inactive for a year, Celestino Caballero vacated his WBA ‘second tier’ title in October rather than take the fight.

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28 April 2012. Jhonny Gonzalez w pts 12 Elio Rojas.

Venue: Grand Oasis Resort, Cancun, Mexico. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Jon Schorle.

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

Fight Summary: As the 'champion in recess', Rojas (125) was given a crack at the current title holder, Gonzalez (125½), and went well for a few rounds before being forced into defensive mode as the latter began to unleash his heavy artillery. Pressing forward with the jab, banging in solid blows from both hands, Gonzalez put Rojas down in the tenth with a left to the body that took the wind out of the latter's sails. Although Rojas got up and continued, and even won the final session on the cards, it was not to be.

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10 March 2012. Orlando Salido w rsc 10 Juan Manuel Lopez.

Venue: Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Roberto Ramirez.

Fight Summary: In a return match between the pair it was relatively even for the opening few rounds before Salido (126) began to get on top of his southpaw challenger after he had been dropped near the end of the fifth by a cracking countering right hook to the head. Getting up, Salido continued boxing on the front foot as he looked to grind Lopez (125¾) down. In the ninth almost 200 power punches were counted as the pair belted away at each other, but it proved to be Lopez's last stand. Coming into the tenth two of the judges had Lopez ahead, which was not how the crowd were seeing it. Tearing into the attack, Salido unleashed a battery of blows before a terrific right uppercut that was followed by a left hook put Lopez down, and although the latter got to his feet the referee stopped the fight after 32 seconds of the session when concluding that the Puerto Rican was through for the night.

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7 March 2012. Billy Dib w rtd 6 Eduardo Escobedo.

Venue: Derwent Entertainment Centre, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Ernie Sharif.

Fight Summary: Punching his way to another good victory the champion walked off with every round other than the third, in which he was deducted a point for holding and hitting, before Escobedo (126) was retired by his corner at the end of the sixth. Having taken a two-fisted battering from the taller Dib (126) it was clear that Escobedo, who finished in a tottering state, did not have the tools required for the job. Although Escobedo had previously met a higher class of opponent than Dib, it counted for nothing on the night.

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3 December 2011. Jhonny Gonzalez w co 2 Roinet Caballero.

Venue: Banamex Centre, Mexico City, Mexico. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Frank Garza.

Fight Summary: With both men looking for opportunities it was the hard-punching champion who found the range first, with left hooks and right crosses that left Caballero (126) wondering whether he had bit off more than he could chew. Stepping it up in the second, showing real intent, Gonzalez (126) swapped punches with Caballero before a left hook to the body followed by a left to the jaw put the latter over. Although Caballero desperately tried to get up he was counted out at 1.51 of the session.

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30 November 2011. Chris John w pts 12 Stanyslav Merdov.

Venue: Challenge Stadium, Mount Claremont, Australia. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Pinit Prayadsab.

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

Fight Summary: Defending his title for the 15th time, John (125½) stepped on the gas from the start when mixing up overarm rights to the head with his normal repertoire, and in the second one such punch had Merdov (126) over. Although Merdov boxed on he was badly hurt by a similar blow in the fourth before coming back into the fight as John tired. Winning the sixth and eighth when keeping John on the outside, Merdov came more and more into it as the fight progressed, but John had already done enough to preserve his title even though the Ukranian wrapped up the last two sessions.

 

On 31 December, at the Bunka Gym, Yokohama, Japan, Celestino Caballero outpointed Satoshi Hosono over 12 rounds to retain his WBA ‘second tier’ title.

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19 November 2011. Billy Dib w co 1 Alberto Servidei.

Venue: State Sports Centre, Homebush, NSW, Australia. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Pete Podgorski.

Fight Summary: Despite being known for his boxing ability, the champion surprised one and all when he came out swinging from the opening bell before putting Servidei (126), a southpaw, under real pressure on the ropes. Having slipped over when staggered, and then been dropped by a heavy left to the body following a battery of punches up and down, Servidei slumped down in a corner to be counted out on the 2.38 mark.

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15 September 2011. Jhonny Gonzalez w rsc 2 Rogers Mtagwa.

Venue: County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas, USA. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Lupe Garcia.

Fight Summary: Working the body hard right from the opening bell it was clear that the champion did not intend on hanging around for too long, and before the round had ended Mtagwa (124½) was already on dodgy ground. In the second Gonzalez (125) was quickly at work, banging in left hooks before a cracking left uppercut had Mtagwa in real trouble. That was followed by a badly shaken Mtagwa being sent into the ropes immediately prior to the referee stopping the fight at 2.15 to save the latter from taking further punishment.

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29 July 2011. Billy Dib w pts 12 Jorge Lacierva.

Venue: Olympic Park Sports Centre, Homebush, NSW, Australia. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Jack Reiss.

Scorecards: 115-112, 118-109, 119-109.

Fight Summary: Contested for the vacant title after Orlando Salido and then Yuriorkis Gamboa, who had yet to make a defence, had both been stripped, Dib (125¾) made good his second opportunity to win a version of the world championship when outscoring Lacierva (126). Getting off to a fast start, Dib exploited his reach advantage, footwork and general speed to outmanoeuvre Lacierva and keep him at distance. Deducted a point in the fourth for hitting behind the head, it was clear that Lacierva was finding it difficult to keep up with Dib, even at that stage. Having won just one round at most Lacierva was given time out in the ninth following a clash of heads that left him stunned, but for him the fight was already lost.

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23 July 2011. Orlando Salido w rsc 11 Kenichi Yamaguchi.

Venue: Multiple Uses Centre, Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Roberto Ramirez Jnr.

Fight Summary: Making his first defence, Salido (126) proved to be too strong for the game Yamaguchi (126) who moved around at pace before throwing punches that lacked the power to take the champion out of his stride. Having dropped Yamaguchi with a cluster of lefts and rights in the third, Salido probably felt that there was not long to go, but the man from Japan got up and continued to give him the run-around. With Salido continually working the body, Yamaguchi, cut over the left eye from a butt earlier on, was saved by the bell to end the tenth, and although coming out for the 11th the referee stopped the fight at 2.50 of the session after he was being hit without reply.

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9 July 2011. Jhonny Gonzalez w rsc 4 Tomas Villa.

Venue: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Eddie Cotton.

Fight Summary: Up against a man who had been stopped in two of his last five fights, the champion set about Villa (125½) from the off, battering him with both hands and generally using the contest as one would a sparring session. Having been expected to meet Roinet Caballero in his first defence, this was merely a warm-up for Gonzalez (125½), and after sending Villa down in the fourth following a left hook to the body the referee stopped the contest with just 49 seconds of that session underway.

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17 April 2011. Chris John w pts 12 Daud Cino Yordan.

Venue: Exhibition Hall, Jakarta, Indonesia. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Raul Caiz.

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

Fight Summary: Getting away well, John (125¾) appeared happy take on the challenger at his own game, fighting at close quarters virtually throughout the contest. Although Yordan (126) took the second and seventh rounds, he was always running second best to John, who put on one of his best displays for a long time when finding the blows to unpick his rival's defences. Taking his foot off the pedal in the last two sessions, John cruised through to the finishing post without undue difficulty.

 

Jonathan Victor Barros outpointed Celestino Caballero at the Sports Colony, Junin, Mendoza, Argentina on 2 July to make a successful defence of his WBA ‘second tier’ title.

 

The WBA ‘second tier’ title changed hands on 14 October when Caballero outpointed Barros over 12 rounds at the Luna Park Stadium, Buenos Aires, Argentina, thus gaining revenge for a previous defeat. Caballero was a former undefeated IBF/WBA junior featherweight champion.

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16 April 2011. Orlando Salido w rsc 8 Juan Manuel Lopez.

Venue: Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum, Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Roberto Ramirez Jnr.

Fight Summary: Starting cautiously, the hard-hitting southpaw champion took the opening three sessions as Salido (126), a former title holder, tracked him down while shrugging off a few big shots. Having got closer to Lopez (125) in the fourth, Salido produced a terrific right to the head in the fifth that floored him heavily. It was clear in the sixth that Lopez had not recovered enough when taking some heavy blows, but to his credit he fought back to win the seventh before coming unstuck in the eighth. At that stage of the fight Salido was looking the stronger man, and after battering Lopez heavily on the ropes the referee jumped in on the 1.39 mark to save the latter from taking further punishment.

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8 April 2011. Jhonny Gonzalez w rsc 4 Hozumi Hasegawa.

Venue: World Memorial Hall, Kobe, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Michael Griffin.

Fight Summary: The southpaw champion lost his title at the first time of asking when stopped by Gonzalez (124¾) after 58 seconds of the fourth round. The finish came when Hasegawa (125¾) was beaten to the punch by a big right hand to the jaw, and although getting to his feet he was deemed by the referee not to be in a position to defend himself. With both men being recognised as hard punchers the fight had seen plenty of activity up until then as they loaded up their shots, Hasegawa being ahead on all three cards when the fight was halted. Gonzalez was a former WBO bantamweight champion.

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5 December 2010. Chris John w pts 12 Fernando David Saucedo.

Venue: Senayan Indoor Tennis Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Rafael Ramos.

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

Fight Summary: Dominating the contest from the off with the left jab and hook working well, the champion pushed Saucedo (125) on to the back foot before coming under fire in the middle rounds as he took a breather. Following this, it was clear that the Argentine was in survival mode as he tightened up his defence. With Saucedo difficult to break down, although John (125½) gave it his best shot he was ultimately forced to settle for a wide points victory, having taken virtually every round on the cards.

 

On 12 March 2011, Jonathan Victor Barros retained his WBA ‘second tier’ title when outpointing Miguel Roman over 12 rounds at the Junin Sports Colony Stadium, Mendoza, Argentina.

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26 November 2010. Hozumi Hasegawa w pts 12 Juan Carlos Burgos.

Venue: Nihon Gaishi Hall, Nagoya, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Roberto Ramirez Jnr.

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

Fight Summary: Contested for the vacant title after Elio Rojas was designated 'champion in recess' status, Hasegawa (125¾), a former WBC bantamweight champion, jumped up two weight divisions to outscore the hard-punching Burgos (125¾) in a fight that went one way and then the other. Taking three of the opening four rounds, the speedy Hasegawa banged out solid southpaw straight left and right hooks to take the initiative before Burgos cut loose in the seventh to have his man on the verge of defeat. After Hasegawa was cut on the right eye in the eighth, Burgos was deducted a point further to an accidental head butt. This was followed by some intense fighting as both men went hammer and tongs, and although Burgos had a badly swollen right eye at this stage it did not stop him from pounding away at Hasegawa, who used plenty of good movement to hang in and eventually be awarded a fully deserved unanimous decision.

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6 November 2010. Juan Manuel Lopez w rtd 8 Rafael Marquez.

Venue: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Tony Weeks.

Fight Summary: Running off all of the rounds except the fourth, in which he was both deducted a point for hitting behind the head, the southpaw champion proved too much for Marquez (125½), who was retired by his corner at the end of the eighth after suffering a shoulder injury. Prior to that, he had been battered by right hooks, although getting off many big shots of his own, especially in the fourth when stunning Lopez (125½) with a heavy left counter. From thereon in Lopez took total control even though Marquez was still dangerous, but after suffering badly in the seventh and then the eighth it was no great surprise to see the latter withdrawn from the contest prior to the ninth getting underway.

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10 July 2010. Juan Manuel Lopez w rsc 2 Bernabe Concepcion.

Venue: Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Luis Pabon.

Fight Summary: Making his first defence, the heavy punching Lopez (125½) quickly made his mark when sending Concepcion (125) stumbling with a southpaw left hook. Following up, Lopez soon had his man over following a batch of combinations, and although he had Concepcion on the floor again it was ruled a slip. Then, after hammering away at Concepcion non-stop, Lopez was dumped by a big left over the top before getting up more shocked than hurt. Having dropped Concepcion in the second with a straight left, Lopez, now in finishing mode, chased his man down before decking him again with what was almost a push. Despite Concepcion getting up at 'six' the referee stopped the contest at 2.37 of the session when recognising that the Filipino was in no fit state to continue.

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15 May 2010. Orlando Salido w pts 12 Cristobal Cruz.

Venue: Tomas Oroz Gaytan Stadium, Sonora, Mexico. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Roberto Ramirez.

Scorecards: 117-109, 117-109, 116-110.

Fight Summary: With a big reach advantage in his favour, Salido (125¾) quickly got down to work when avoiding the wild punches coming in from the champion, while looking to go up and down. In the second Cruz was dropped twice by solid right crosses, but was soon up and fighting back hard. Although Cruz threw more punches than Salido many of them missed the target while Salido's left their mark, and in the final session it was the latter who finished the stronger when almost gaining a stoppage. Ultimately, Cruz had no defence against Salido's heavy right hands that crashed into him.

 

Salido, having weighed in at 126lbs the day before, forfeited the IBF title on the morning of the contest when coming in ten pounds over the weight for a defence against Yuriorkis Gamboa at the Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on 11 September. The fight went ahead, and after winning on points over 12 rounds Gamboa was handed the IBF title to go with his WBA ‘unified’ crown.

 

Following that, due to defend the title against Jorge Solis at the Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, Jersey on 26 March 2011, Gamboa was stripped on the morning of the fight for failing to make the mandatory second trip to the scales. The fight, won by Gamboa inside four rounds, also involved the so-called WBA ‘unified’ title which then became non-existant. Shortly afterwards, Billy Dib and Jorge Lacierva were booked to contest the IBF vacancy. Lacierva had beaten Fernando Beltran Jnr (w pts 12 at The Auditorium, Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico on 2 April 2011) in an eliminator, while Dib had lost just once in 32 contests.

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20 February 2010. Elio Rojas w pts 12 Guty Espadas Jnr.

Venue: Zamna Poliforum, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Hector Afu.

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

Fight Summary: Defending his title against a former title holder in Espadas (126), the speedy Rojas (126) got away to a flier, repeatedly catching the Mexican with right hooks in the opening four rounds. Although slowing by the sixth, Rojas was still in charge as many of Espadas' punches fell short. Coming into the 11th Rojas was well ahead, and even though he was staggered by several heavy blows in the final session as Espadas went for broke he did enough to win the round on all three cards.

 

Having already pulled out of a unification fight of sorts against Yuriorkis Gamboa on 27 July due to hand and shoulder problems, after Rojas was forced to have surgery in August it was recognised that he would be out of action until at least early 2011. With this in mind, on 28 August the WBC announced that Rojas had been appointed ‘champion in recess’ and that Hozumi Hasegawa and Juan Carlos Burgos would meet for the vacant title. They also stated that Rojas would get first crack at the title once fully fit. While Burgos had beaten Ricardo Castillo (w rtd 11 at the Tecate Arena, Guadalajara, Mexico on 29 May) in an eliminator, Hasegawa’s last contest saw him shorn of his WBC Bantamweight Championship Belt.

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23 January 2010. Juan Manuel Lopez w rsc 7 Steve Luevano.

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

Fight Summary: This match-up of southpaws saw Lopez (125½), the WBO junior featherweight title holder, come out on top when stopping the champion, Luevano (126), at 2.16 of the seventh. With Lopez on top from the start, it was a disappointing display by Luevano, who went through the motions before Lopez caught up with him in the seventh. Badly hurt by a right uppercut Luevano was then floored by a left hook, and although the champion was up at 'seven' the referee brought the fight to a close when realising that he was not in a position to continue. Following the contest, Lopez handed back his junior title.

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19 December 2009. Cristobal Cruz tdraw 3 Ricardo Castillo.

Venue: Rooster Fair Stockade, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Robert Gonzalez.

Fight Summary: Not expected to give the champion too many problems, Castillo (126) went well in the opening two rounds before the fight was ended at 1.15 of the third on the instructions of the doctor. This came about after a coming together of heads in the first saw Cruz (126) sporting a badly cut right eye that worsened as the contest went on. Under IBF rules if a contest is ended prior to the fourth round getting underway the decision is a technical draw, and that is what happened in this case. Other reports gave the injury as being on the left eye.

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19 September 2009. Chris John w pts 12 Rocky Juarez.

Venue: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Joe Cortez.

Scorecards: 114-113, 119-109, 117-111.

Fight Summary: In a return match, this time round the champion retained his title when boxing off the back foot while keeping plenty of space between himself and the dangerous Juarez (126). It was this tactic that was paramount to his victory, and it was only in the latter stages when tiring that Juarez caught up with him. Winning two or three rounds at most up until then, Juarez had failed to make his punching power count as John (126) caught him with solid left jabs, hooks and uppercuts whenever he was in range. Making one almighty effort in the 12th, Juarez finally got to John with a left hook that buckled the Indonesian's knees prior to a right uppercut staggering him before the bell came to his rescue.

 

Yuriorkis Gamboa retained his WBA ‘second tier’ title when stopping Whyber Garcia in the fourth round of their contest at Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC, New York on 10 October, and then made a successful defence when stopping Rogers Mtagwa in the second round at the same venue on 23 January 2010. With John still recognised as the WBA ‘super’ champion, Gamboa made another successful defence of the ‘second tier’ title when outpointing Jonathan Victor Barros over 12 rounds at the Alsterdorfer Sports Hall, Hamburg, Germany on 27 March 2010.

 

On becoming the IBF champion on 11 September 2010, Gamboa was renamed by the WBA as the ‘unified’ champion, thus giving up the ‘second tier’ title.

 

The vacant WBA ‘second tier’ title was next won by Barros when he stopped Irving Berry in the seventh round at the Vicente Polimeni Sports Centre, Las Heras, Argentina on 4 December 2010.

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15 August 2009. Steve Luevano w disq 7 Bernabe Concepcion.

Venue: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Jay Nady.

Fight Summary: There was never that much between the southpaw champion and Concepcion (125½), but the latter lost his chance of winning the title when landing a heavy one-two after the bell to end the seventh. With Luevano (125½) remaining on the canvas for several minutes, the referee's decision to disqualify Concepcion was the correct one. Although Concepcion had taken the opener and landed with some solid rights throughout, Luevano was narrowly in the lead at the time of the finish, having used his jab well to keep a hard-hitting opponent at bay. Concepcion would never get a better chance to become a world champion again.

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14 July 2009. Elio Rojas w pts 12 Takahiro Ao.

Venue: Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Laurence Cole.

Scorecards: 118-110, 117-111, 116-113.

Fight Summary: Winning the title by a unanimous decision, the fast-moving Rojas (124½) proved too slick for the southpaw champion, who won three rounds at most in what was a painful experience for him. Dictating the pace, Rojas went into a clear lead when landing frequent combinations before moving away, and even when he was on the defensive he was clever enough to avoid the great majority of blows coming his way. Realising he was behind on the cards, Ao (126) came on strong in the ninth when hurting Rojas with a cracking right hook, but was unable follow up.

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11 July 2009. Cristobal Cruz w pts 12 Jorge Solis.

Venue: The Roosters Stockade, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Joseph Cooper.

Scorecards: 113-110, 113-110, 113-111.

Fight Summary: Playing his part in what was a bad tempered brawl, the wild-swinging Cruz (125¼) retained his title despite having two points deducted from his total in the third when Solis (125¾) received a cut over the left eye after being shoved to the floor before being pushed over again. For his part, Solis also had two points taken away for low blows in fifth and seventh. The taller Solis, who normally enjoys space to box on the back foot, was completely taken out of his stride despite doing much better in the fourth, eighth and the final two sessions. In the 12th, Solis finally realised that he could go toe-to-toe with Cruz, even being awarded a 10-8 by one of the judges, but he had left it too late.

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12 March 2009. Takahiro Ao w pts 12 Oscar Larios.

Venue: Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Kenny Bayless.

Scorecards: 119-107, 118-109, 116-111.

Fight Summary: This was a contest in which Ao (126) gained revenge over Larios (126) following their recent championship bout in which the latter was deemed lucky to have retained his title. Making no mistake this time around, Ao was the aggressor from the opening bell, throwing far more than the champion who appeared out of sorts. It was only in the sixth and 11th that Larios showed, and in the ninth he took so many blows that one judge scored it a 10-8 round. Making sure of the win, Ao dropped Larios in the 12th following a burst of solid combinations, but regardless of that his victory was already assured.

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28 February 2009. Chris John drew 12 Rocky Juarez.

Venue: Toyota Centre, Houston, Texas, USA. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Laurence Cole.

Scorecards: 114-114, 114-114, 114-114.

Fight Summary: Extremely tight, both men did enough to warrant the unanimous draw in a hard-fought contest. Although the champion had more output, it was the never-say-die spirit of Juarez (125½) that made the contest what it was, always aggressive and always chasing an inside-the-distance win. Finishing with his right eye closed and his left cut, Juarez continually surged forward as John (125¼) showed his mettle as well as ability to avoid many of the blows tossed at him. However, while John took more than he normally would have, he showed his ability when countering heavily as Juarez came forward, scoring with more than 600 solid jabs.

 

On 17 April, at Buffalo Bill’s Star Arena, Primm, Nevada, Yuriorkis Gamboa stopped Jose Rojas inside ten rounds to win the vacant WBA ‘interim’ title.

 

At the WBA convention on 2 May John was elevated to ‘super’ champion on the basis of ten successful defences, and at the same time Gamboa was upgraded to ‘second tier’ champion. 

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14 February 2009. Cristobal Cruz w pts 12 Cyril Thomas.

Venue: Sports Palace, St Quentin, France. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Roberto Ramirez.

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

Fight Summary: Going well for the opening three rounds, Thomas (125) looked to be on his way to the title as he controlled the crude champion who had difficulty with his balance. Eventually, Cruz (125) was able to get closer to Thomas, brawling his way to a close but unanimous points win in what was more like a street fight than a contest in the ring. Although Thomas picked it up in the last two sessions it was too little and too late.

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24 October 2008. Chris John w pts 12 Hiroyuki Enoki.

Venue: Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Silvestre Abainza.

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

Fight Summary: This was a tough defence for John (125½) and he was made to fight every step of the way against the tough, unbeaten Enoki (126). Although the scorecards show a wide margin of victory for John, who picked up a gash on the right eye in the fifth, they do not tell the full story as many of the rounds were extremely close. Having to take more punches than normal, the classy John proved that he had a good chin, especially when being caught by heavy lefts and rights on occasion. It was John's quicker blows and adroitness that ultimately won the day, and in the closing rounds he outpunched the tiring Enoki, who finished with his left eye closed to go with his badly swollen face.

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23 October 2008. Cristobal Cruz w pts 12 Orlando Salido.

Venue: Northern Quest Casino, Airway Heights, Washington, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Jack Reiss.

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

Fight Summary: Contested for the vacant title after Robert Guerrero handed in his belt on moving up in weight, it was Cruz (126) who took a split decision win over Salido (126), a man who had been disqualified as a champion following a failed drugs test. Setting a frenetic pace, Cruz was eventually too busy for Salido, especially in the last half of the contest as the latter tired. There were no knockdowns.

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18 October 2008. Steve Luevano w pts 12 Billy Dib.

Venue: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Steve Smoger.

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

Fight Summary: Although the unbeaten Dib (126) had a good record he posed few problems for the southpaw champion who cruised to a unanimous points win. With Dib moving around the ring, flicking out the jab while only occasionally standing his ground it was left to Luevano (126) to do the majority of the scoring. Although down from a left hand in the sixth, Dib was let off when the referee signalled that it was a slip. Apart from the 11th in which he was the aggressor, Dib, whose face was badly marked up at the finish', was mainly on the end of Luevano's left hand from thereon in.

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16 October 2008. Oscar Larios w pts 12 Takahiro Ao.

Venue: Yoyogi 1 National Gym, Tokyo, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Vic Drakulich.

Scorecards: 114-112, 115-111, 112-114.

Fight Summary: Defending the title that was bestowed upon him after Jorge Linares handed back his belt, Larios (126) was both surprised and hurt by heavy southpaw lefts in the opening session as Ao (126) made the better start. Building on that, Ao dropped Larios in the fourth with a right hook that almost had the latter down and out. Under WBC rules, instead of it being a 10-8 round Ao had a point deducted for an accidental head butt that caused Larios' cut right eye. Keeping up the attack, Ao continued to shake Larios up, his two handed attacks being difficult for the champion to fathom. When the interim scores were announced at the end of the eighth as being 78-76, 76-78, 75-75, Ao seemed as dejected as many in the crowd were disbelieving. It was at that point that Larios picked up steam to win three of the last four rounds and hold on to his title by an extremely unpopular split decision.

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28 June 2008. Steve Luevano drew 12 Mario Santiago.

Venue: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Tony Weeks.

Scorecards: 117-111, 113-115, 114-114.

Fight Summary: Taking on another fellow southpaw, even though Luevano (126) failed to shine he at least held on to his title with a split draw. Both men were on the floor in the second from head punches, Luevano from a short left and Santiago from a left that travelled further. Luevano regrouped to run off the third and fourth before Santiago took the fifth through to the eighth on a higher work-rate, belting the champion good and hard before the round ended. The last four sessions saw both men have their successes but, had two of the judges agreed with the other, then Luevano would have received a majority decision.

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15 March 2008. Steve Luevano w pts 12 Terdsak Jandaeng (Kokietgym).

Venue: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Robert Byrd.

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

Fight Summary: In a battle of southpaws, Jandaeng (126), later to be known as Kokietgym, was up against a champion with plenty of skill and verve, and although he tried hard he could not make a deep impression, other than when dropping his rival with a solid left to the jaw in the fourth. This coming as a surprise, Luevano (126) was soon in control again, banging in right hands that bemused the tough Thai at times. He even had Jandaeng on the floor in the same session, only for the referee to call it a slip. After being hit low and taking a breather in the eighth, Luevano cruised through to the latter stages before Jandaeng, cut and swollen around both eyes, reminded him that he was still there when landing several heavy blows in the final two sessions.

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29 February 2008. Robert Guerrero w rsc 8 Jason Litzau.

Venue: Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino, Lemoore, California, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: David Mendoza.

Fight Summary: Up against it from the start, Litzau (125) was no match for a hard hitting champion who was in complete charge throughout. Finding it difficult to deal with a southpaw opponent it could be seen early on that Litzau would struggle against Guerrero (126) and so it proved. Having somehow made it into the eighth, Litzau was floored by two hard lefts to the head before getting up and being put down again by a left uppercut followed by a left-right. With Litzau desperately trying to get up he was rescued by the referee on the 2.25 mark before the count could be completed.

 

Guerrero relinquished the IBF title in June to move up a weight division, whereupon a match was made between Cristobal Cruz and Orlando Salido to find a new champion. Salido had beaten Hector Julio Avila (w rsc 6 at The Stadium, Cicero, Illinois on 14 December 2007) in an eliminator, while Cruz had sprung a surprise when outscoring Thomas Mashaba in his most recent contest.

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26 January 2008. Chris John w rtd 7 Roinet Caballero.

Venue: Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Raul Caiz Jnr.

Fight Summary: Winning every round but the first according to the cards, although there was nothing in it the skilful champion was soon banging in stiff jabs and countering rights as Caballero (125½) tried to get to him. By the fourth, however, it was clear that Caballero did not belong in the same league as John (126) despite being brave and resilient. When John opened up in the seventh the writing was on the wall when Caballero was slammed by left hooks to the body again and again, and it was no surprise when his corner pulled him out at the end of the session.

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15 December 2007. Jorge Linares w rsc 8 Gamaliel Diaz.

Venue: The Bullring, Cancun, Mexico. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Laurence Cole.

Fight Summary: Defending the title that was handed to him after it had been relinquished by In-Jin Chi, the unbeaten Linares (126) was forced to cover up as Diaz (126) let fly with both hands in the opening session. Boxing his way into the contest, Linares had to take a few more shots before dropping Diaz in the fourth with a heavy right uppercut. Utilising his skills as the slugging Diaz continued to catch him with the odd solid blow, Linares merely bided his time prior to dropping the Mexican following two cracking rights to the head in the eighth. When it was clear that there was no way Diaz was going to make it the referee stopped the fight at 2.12 of the round.

 

On 31 May 2008, Oscar Larios stopped Feider Viloria in the fifth round at the Convention Centre, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico to win the vacant WBC ‘interim’ title before successfully defending his honours on 2 August 2008 when knocking out Marlon Aguilar inside seven rounds at the Benito Juarez Auditorium, Zapapan, Jalisco, Mexico.

 

When Linares relinquished the WBC title on 13 August 2008 in order to fight at a higher weight, Larios, a former WBC junior featherweight title holder, was appointed champion.