Barry Hugman's World Championship Boxing

7 June 2008. Celestino Caballero w rsc 11 Lorenzo Parra.

Venue: National Olympic Centre, San Juan De Los Morros, Venezuela. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Luis Pabon.

Fight Summary: Almost seven inches smaller than the champion, and having jumped up three weight classes, Parra (121) gamely stayed with his man, even winning five rounds on two of the judges' scorecards. Parra had his moments but was gradually ground down by the stronger Caballero (121), who was landing heavily from both hands from the mid-point onwards. With Parra obviously in trouble at the end of the 11th before the final session could get underway the referee called the fight off after being advised by the ringside doctor that the Venezuelan was suffering from a suspected broken jaw.

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5 April 2008. Steve Molitor w pts 12 Fernando Beltran Jnr.

Venue: Rama Casino, Orillia, Ontario, Canada. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Mark Nelson.

Scorecards: 120-107, 120-107, 119-108.

Fight Summary: Back at his best, this was a virtual shut-out points win for the champion, who retained his title for the fourth time. In a match-up of southpaws, it was Molitor (121¾) who dominated Beltran (121¼) when showing excellent movement and footwork to get off solid left crosses that landed repeatedly, coupled with combinations from head to body. Although cut over the right eye in the ninth, it hardly held Molitor back as a tiring Beltran tracked him to no great effect. Having had a point taken away in the ninth for going low, Beltran never really got to grips with Molitor. And, visiting the scales three times in order to make the weight on the day of the fight would not have helped him either.

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1 March 2008. Israel Vazquez w pts 12 Rafael Marquez.

Venue: Home Depot Centre, Carson, California, USA. Recognition: WBC/The Ring. Referee: Pat Russell.

Scorecards: 114-111, 113-112, 111-114.

Fight Summary: Meeting for the third time in what was another brilliant fight, the champion retained both of his championship belts when coming from behind to win by a split decision. Both men scored knockdowns, Marquez (121½) in the fourth following two cracking rights to the head and Vazquez (122) in the 12th when his rival was held up by the ropes. In between the knockdowns was a points deduction for Marquez in the tenth when he went low once too often and plenty of tremendous action as the fight swung to and fro. There were so many thrilling rounds that it would be difficult to describe in so few words, but there was no doubting that this would go down in boxing history as one of the great fights of modern times. At the final bell, both men were suspended for 60 days by the Californian Boxing Commission on medical grounds, Vazquez carrying cuts on his eyes which would require 30 stitches, as well as damaging ligaments in his left knee.

On 15 September, Toshiaki Nishioka outpointed Napapol Sor Rungvisai over 12 rounds at The Pacifico, Yokohama, Japan to win the vacant WBC ‘interim’ title before Vazquez was stripped of the main title on 3 January 2009 when unable to make a defence following retina surgery. Following that, Nishioka took over as WBC champion, with his prospective ‘interim’ title defence against Genaro Garcia being granted full championship status.

Meanwhile, The Ring magazine continued to recognise Vazquez as champion until early June 2009 when it became clear that he would be fighting in a higher weight division.

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19 January 2008. Steve Molitor w pts 12 Ricardo Castillo.

Venue: Rama Casino, Orillia, Ontario, Canada. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Sam Williams.

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

Fight Summary: Retaining his title for the third time, Molitor (121½) was generally one step ahead of Castillo (122), even having to cope with a cut left eye that was caused by a head clash in the fourth and was further damaged in the seventh. In virtually every round the southpaw champion landed solidly, but was unable move his rival. Cut over the right eye in the tenth, after having his best round in the ninth, the tiring Castillo had a point deducted in the same session for going low. Going from head to body, when Molitor scored heavily in the 11th and 12th it only emphasised his class.

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8 December 2007. Daniel Ponce De Leon w pts 12 Eduardo Escobedo.

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

Scorecards: 115-113, 117-111, 118-110.

Fight Summary: This contest was much closer than the judges would make you think it was according to many of the scribes who were present, and yet another example of aggression winning over science. For round after round the southpaw champion lunged in with big punches, missing more often than not, while Escobedo (122) was happy to counter off the back foot while showing good speed and movement. In the fifth and sixth, Escobedo came out of defensive mode when catching Ponce De Leon (121) with both hands before doing likewise in the ninth. However, it was Ponce De Leon, who finished the fight cut over the right eye, that the judges favoured even though there had been little end product to the majority of his forward charges.

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1 December 2007. Celestino Caballero w rsc 8 Mauricio Pastrana.

Venue: Roberto Duran Gym, Panama City, Panama. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Roberto Ramirez.

Fight Summary: Defending his title for the third time the 5'11" Caballero (122) eventually stopped the 5'3" Pastrana (121), having dominated him from the opening bell. Clearly, Pastrana needed to get inside if he wanted to do any damage, but with Caballero's solid left jab holding him up time and again it became an impossible task. Having hurt Pastrana in the seventh, when Caballero opened up with both hands in the eighth and the Colombian was not fighting back the referee, recognising that it was no longer competitive, intervened 53 seconds into the session.

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27 October 2007. Steve Molitor w pts 12 Narongrit Pirang.

Venue: Rama Casino, Orillia, Ontario, Canada. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Rocky Zolnierczyk.

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

Fight Summary: It was the champion who came out on top in this battle between southpaws when he was awarded the unanimous verdict over Pirang, also known as Fahsan 3K Battery, following a dominating display. Although he predicted an early win, after realising that his opponent was extremely durable Molitor (122) settled down to outbox the Thai, using good movement and fast hands to get his message across. In the seventh when 3K Battery caught the off-balance Molitor with a big overarm left the latter was sent sprawling and should have been counted on, only for the referee to not call it. Disappointed that he had not taken 3K Battery out, Molitor claimed that he had hurt his right hand early on and from thereon in had stuck to his boxing.

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11 August 2007. Daniel Ponce De Leon w rsc 1 Rey Bautista.

Venue: ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Jon Schorle.

Fight Summary: Jumping on his challenger right from the start, Ponce De Leon (121¾) was soon banging out the southpaw jab while looking to set his man up with one-twos to the head. Before too long Bautista (121½) was in trouble, especially when hurt by several solid overarm lefts prior to being dropped by another heavy left. Given the opportunity to carry on Bautista was clearly up against it, and after he was clubbed down by rights and lefts the referee stopped the contest with 30 seconds of the first round remaining.

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4 August 2007. Israel Vazquez w rsc 6 Rafael Marquez.

Venue: Dodge Arena, Hidalgo, Texas, USA. Recognition: WBC/The Ring. Referee: Lupe Garcia.

Fight Summary: Having lost his two championship belts to Marquez (121) in his previous fight, this time around Vazquez (121) turned in a great performance to regain them with a stoppage at 1.16 of the sixth after another great contest between the pair. There was never that much between them, Vazquez using his jab to move inside with left hooks while Marquez hit back with a whole range of shots. Coming into the fourth both men were cut on their right eyes, and after going toe-to-toe in the fifth Vazquez went to the floor in what was ruled a slip. The pace was relentless. In the sixth it was Marquez's turn to be dropped when a combination of blows finished off with a cracking left hook to the jaw dumped him, and although he regained his feet and was allowed to box on the referee gave him every chance before calling it off.

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4 August 2007. Celestino Caballero w pts 12 Jorge Lacierva.

Venue: Dodge Arena, Hidalgo, Texas, USA. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Laurence Cole.

Scorecards: 116-110, 115-112, 116-111.

Fight Summary: Even though he dropped the opening three rounds the 5'11" champion was ultimately too good for Lacierva (121½), who had a point deducted in the sixth for head butts and tired towards the end. Lacierva had started well, landing some heavy shots in the third and making Caballero (121) miss. Strangely, Caballero played into Lacierva's hands when opting to trade at close quarters, but after picking it up in the tenth following a few give-and-take sessions he moved up a gear to make sure of the win.

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14 July 2007. Steve Molitor w rsc 9 Takalani Ndlovu.

Venue: Rama Casino, Orillia, Ontario, Canada. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Hubert Earle.

Fight Summary: Picking his punches well, while concentrating on the body to wear Ndlovu (121) down, the southpaw champion had to be wary of his tough opponent who stalked him continuously. Coming under attack in the fourth, being staggered by a big left hook to the body and several follow-up blows, Molitor (120¾) showed his class when boxing his man off. It was Molitor's speed and movement that kept Ndlovu at bay, and in the ninth he dropped the latter with a solid right hook to the head before following it up with two further knockdowns which came as the result of two-fisted attacks. With no three-knockdown rule in place and with Molitor chasing Ndlovu down, banging in blows from both hands, the referee elected to call it off at 1.42 of the session.

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17 March 2007. Daniel Ponce De Leon w pts 12 Gerry Penalosa.

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

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

Fight Summary: In an all-southpaw clash, although the champion won clearly he was not at his best against the tough Penalosa (122), who made him work hard. Despite it being a virtual shut-out points victory, Ponce De Leon (122) failed to excite the crowd, even going on the back foot from the fifth onwards. Having come up two weight divisions, Penalosa showed great heart as well as a hardy chin when absorbing some solid shots, but retaliated well when catching Ponce De Leon with a few heavy blows of his own. It was the Mexican's greater work-rate that won it for him.

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16 March 2007. Celestino Caballero w rsc 9 Ricardo Castillo.

Venue: Seminole Hard Rock Live Arena, Hollywood, Florida, USA. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Telis Assimenios.

Fight Summary: Spearing Castillo (122) from the start with a solid left jab, the tall champion made life extremely uncomfortable for his Mexican opponent, outboxing him for round after round. In the third, Castillo was docked a point for repeated low blows before landing his best punch of the fight when a right hook smashed into Caballero (121¾). Showing a good chin, Caballero merely upped the ante to carry on dominating each ensuing session, and when Castillo turned his back on him in the ninth after being badly hurt by a straight right the referee rescued the latter when influenced by his corner. The finish was timed at 2.02.

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3 March 2007. Rafael Marquez w rtd 7 Israel Vazquez.

Venue: Home Depot Centre, Carson, California, USA. Recognition: WBC/The Ring. Referee: Raul Caiz Jnr.

Fight Summary: With his two championship belts on the line, Vazquez (121¾) came up against a hardy opponent in Marquez (121½) who took the fight to him from the opening bell and made life difficult. Having shaded the first and second, Marquez then ran into a thunderous left hook to the jaw in the third that sent him to the floor, and although he made it to his feet he was shaky for the rest of the session. From thereon in it was almost punch for punch as both men gave it their all, but at the end of the fifth it was clear that Vazquez was having trouble with his nose. Although going well in the sixth, Vazquez was retired at the end of the seventh with a badly broken nose.

Coming to the ring as the IBF bantamweight champion, Marquez relinquished that title on 16 March in order to remain in the 122lbs division.

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10 November 2006. Steve Molitor w co 5 Michael Hunter.

Venue: Borough Hall, Hartlepool, England. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Phil Edwards.

Fight Summary: Contested for the vacant title that came about when Israel Vazquez was stripped, the unbeaten Hunter (121½) went reasonably well for the opening three rounds before being dropped in the fourth by a cracking southpaw left to the head after Molitor 121½) had opened up. Having made it through the round, Hunter charged out for the fifth, only to be met with several heavy blows that dampened his course of action. Realising he had the fight in his hands, Molitor unleashed a long left to the jaw, followed by several other shots that shook Hunter to his boots and eventually sent him down to be counted out on the 1.32 mark.

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21 October 2006. Daniel Ponce De Leon w rsc 8 Al Seeger.

Venue: Don Haskins’ Centre, El Paso, Texas, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Laurence Cole.

Fight Summary: Although Seeger (122) held his own in the opening round, from thereon in he was up against it as the champion looked to finish early. Dropped for 'eight' in the fourth, Seeger continued in defensive mode as Ponce De Leon (122) continually marched forward with heavy southpaw blows rattling through the American's defence. Floored again by a solid left to the head, Seeger's days were numbered, especially when Ponce De Leon landed on top of him as they tumbled to the floor together. After having a point deducted in the eighth for holding, when Seeger's corner informed the referee that their man was all-in the fight was called off at 1.43 of the session.

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4 October 2006. Celestino Caballero w rsc 3 Somsak Sithchatchawal.

Venue: Ban Rai Temple, Korat, Thailand. Recognition: WBA. Referee: John Coyle.

Fight Summary: Making his first defence the southpaw Sithchatchawal (122) started confidently enough before being on the receiving end of some powerful shots in the second as Caballero (121) worked his way into the contest. The third round saw Caballero looking for a finish, and after dropping Sithchatchawal three times, a right uppercut, a left-right and another left-right doing the damage, the latter was automatically stopped at 1.48 of the session with the three-knockdown rule in place.

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16 September 2006. Israel Vazquez w rsc 10 Jhonny Gonzalez.

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

Fight Summary: Despite dropping the opening six rounds and being decked twice by left hook counters, in the fourth and sixth, the two-belt champion came right back in the seventh when flooring Gonzalez (121) with a solid right to the head. From thereon in it was all Vazquez (122), his right eye damaged in the third failing to stop his forward march, and in the tenth he sent the tiring Gonzalez down from a three-punch combination. Although getting to his feet before the count was over, when the referee saw Gonzalez's corner looking for him to rescue their man he did just that, the finish being timed at 2.09. Interestingly, all three judges had Gonzalez ahead up to that point.

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15 July 2006. Daniel Ponce De Leon w rsc 1 Sod Looknongyangtoy (Sod Kokietgym).

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

Fight Summary: In a battle between southpaws, and a return contest, it was the champion who came out on top when forcing a stoppage after just 52 seconds. After spending time sizing each other up, it was Ponce De Leon (122) who made the first and only moves of the fight when sending out a jab that was followed by a tremendous left cross that dropped Looknongyangtoy (122) like a log. Having started the count, the referee thought better of it when allowing doctors to attend to the stricken Thai.

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10 June 2006. Israel Vazquez w rsc 4 Ivan Hernandez.

Venue: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. Recognition: WBC/The Ring. Referee: Earl Morton.

Fight Summary: With both of his championship belts on the line Vazquez (122) continually pressured Hernandez (122), who put up game resistance before being cut badly on the bridge of his nose in the fourth. Having been beaten to the punch throughout, Hernandez lacked the power to take Vazquez out, and after the doctor had taken a good look at the damaged nose at the end of the session he advised the referee to halt the contest.

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27 May 2006. Daniel Ponce De Leon w rsc 2 Gerson Guerrero.

Venue: Home Depot Centre, Carson, California, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Pat Russell.

Fight Summary: The southpaw champion did not take long to settle, battering the unfortunate Guerrero (119¼), a late replacement for Alejandro Barrera who had visa problems, with blows from both hands. Already looking a loser in the second, Guerrero was under the cosh before Ponce De Leon (121½) dropped him with a right hook to the head. Although Guerrero fought back he was rescued by the referee at 1.50 of the session after he had been decked again by a batch of right hooks and left crosses and was not looking likely to get up.

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18 March 2006. Somsak Sithchatchawal w rsc 10 Mahyar Monshipour.

Venue: Marcel Cerdan Sports Palace, Levallois-Perret, Paris, France. Recognition: WBA. Referee: John Coyle.

Fight Summary: Not at his best to start with, taking several hard hits and being dropped by a left uppercut in the opening round, the champion came back strongly to put himself in the lead by the end of the ninth. However, coming more and more into it as the fight progressed, Sithchatchawal (122) was beginning to catch Monshipour (121¼) with solid southpaw shots that were taking the wind out of the latter's sails. Following a tremendous ninth in which both men were hurt it was Sithchatchawal who looked the stronger and after blitzing Monshipour with blows to head and body the referee rescued the latter at 2.42 of the tenth.

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3 December 2005. Israel Vazquez w rsc 3 Oscar Larios.

Venue: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: IBF/WBC/The Ring. Referee: Tony Weeks.

Fight Summary: Even though Larios was ruled out of contesting the IBF title as he failed that body’s ruling on weight gain following the official weigh-in, with Vazquez (121) winning he picked up Larios’ WBC crown and the vacant Ring Championship Belt. The fight itself saw Larios (120½) decked after half a minute, courtesy of a left hook to the jaw, but getting up and going on to win the second round when boxing well on the outside. Although right back in the frame, disaster struck for Larios in the third when a right-left combination ripped a deep gash over his left eye and led to the referee stopping the contest in Vazquez’s favour at 2.52 of the session after consulting the doctor.

After Vazquez forfeited the IBF Belt in March 2006 when failing to agree to a title defence, Steve Molitor was selected to fight Sergio Manuel Medina for the vacant crown. Surprisingly, for whatever reason, when Medina turned the opportunity down Molitor was set to meet a replacement in South Africa’s Gabula Vabaza in Johannesburg, South Africa on 1 September 2006, only for the fight to be called off the day before due to the South African failing a pre-fight medical. Following that it was announced that Molitor would meet Michael Hunter.

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29 October 2005. Daniel Ponce De Leon w pts 12 Sod Looknongyangtoy (Sod Kokietgym).

Venue: Desert Diamond Casino, Tucson, Arizona, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Lou Moret.

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

Fight Summary: Contested for the vacant title, Looknongyangtoy (121½) struck first when he knocked Ponce De Leon (121) down with a right hook to the head in the second session, but thereafter it was a fairly even battle between quality southpaws. With Ponce De Leon the busier and more accurate of the pair, especially with the jab, and the Thai being the harder puncher it made for an interesting fight. First one then the other took over in preceding rounds, many thinking that Looknongyangtoy deserved something from the fight. However, despite most of the rounds appearing to be very close, apart from the second, the judges were unanimous in their decision.

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16 July 2005. Oscar Larios w rsc 10 Wayne McCullough.

Venue: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Richard Steele.

Fight Summary: Having his second crack at Larios (122) in just over five months, McCullough (120) yet again gave it his best shot, throwing as many punches as the champion, but this time he was pulled out by the doctor at the end of the tenth when it was clear that he was not going to win. Despite being cut over both eyes from the third round onwards, Larios’ punching was far more precise and more effective than that of his rival, who began to labour from the eighth as his blows failed to make a dent in the champion’s defences. By the ninth, McCullough was taking far too many punches and in the tenth, when unable to rally, it had become clear that the end was nigh.

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25 June 2005. Mahyar Monshipour w rtd 9 Julio Zarate.

Venue: The Futuroscope, Poitiers, France. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Guillermo Perez.

Fight Summary: Refusing to give ground to the champion, Zarate (121¼) made it clear from the start that he had come to win and in the fourth round a solid left hook followed by a heavy right put Monshipour (121¼) down. Having been shocked into action, from there on Monshipour began to rip in two-fisted blows to head and body that dramatically sapped Zarate’s energy, the latter being deducted two points, in the seventh and eighth, for head butts. At the end of the eighth, a cracking right uppercut seemed to drain Zarate of what little he had left, but it was still a surprise when he refused to come out for the ninth, staying on his stool after the bell had rung.

On 15 October, Celestino Caballero outpointed Yober Ortega over 12 rounds at the Figali Convention Centre, Panama City, Panama, to win the vacant WBA ‘interim’ title. Making his first defence, Caballero retained his ‘interim’ honours when Roberto Bonilla was stopped in the seventh round at the Figali Convention Centre on 4 February 2006, prior to getting a crack at the main title in October 2006.

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31 May 2005. Israel Vazquez w pts 12 Armando Guerrero.

Venue: Ho-Chunk Sports & Expo Centre, Lynwood, Illinois, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: John O’Brien.

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

Fight Summary: Making his second defence, when Vazquez (121½) opened up aggressively he found Guerrero (122) only too happy to match him punch for punch in a fast scrap that saw varying styles make for a good fight. While Vazquez possessed the shorter shots and jabbed well off the hook, the punch stats showed that the challenger landed more, but from distance. The last third of the contest saw Vazquez in control with the jab, and although still trying hard Guerrero finished in an exhausted state and well beaten.

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29 April 2005. Mahyar Monshipour w rsc 6 Shigeru Nakazato.

Venue: Sports Palace, Marseille, France. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Raul Caiz.

Fight Summary: Starting strongly, a hallmark of his career, the champion tore into Nakazato (121) only to be met by an equally determined customer, there being little in it at the end of a frenetic opening session. Although beginning to get on top in the fourth, Monshipour (121) did not have things his own way, being caught by several heavy rights and lefts to the head in the fifth as he looked to finish it. Now cut over the right eye, Monshipour came out for the sixth with a vengeance, and after much pressure he dropped Nakazato with a tremendous right cross to the jaw. Despite there being just three seconds of the round remaining, when it was obvious that Nakazato was done for, the referee immediately called it off to allow him to be tended to.

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22 April 2005. Joan Guzman w pts 12 Fernando Beltran Jnr.

Venue: Dodge Arena, Hidalgo, Texas, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Laurence Cole.

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

Fight Summary: Although Beltran (121) won four rounds on the judges’ cards he was a clear loser as the much faster champion successfully defended his title going away. Holding his hands low at times, and often taunting his tough southpaw rival, Guzman (121) was just too quick, firing in bursts of punches before getting out of range. The frustrated Mexican kept trying to land powerful blows, but Guzman was able to bob-and-weave and duck his way out of trouble throughout when cornered or up against the ropes. There were no knockdowns.

When Guzman relinquished the WBO title in July on deciding to move up a weight class, Daniel Ponce De Leon was matched against Sod Looknongyangtoy (Sod Kokietgym) to find a new champion.

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10 February 2005. Oscar Larios w pts 12 Wayne McCullough.

Venue: Palace Indian Gaming Centre, Lemoore, California, USA. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Jon Schorle.

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

Fight Summary: Giving it everything he had the former champion tried his hardest to remove the crown from the head of Larios (121¾), but was ultimately found wanting as age caught up with him. Try as he might, McCullough (121) could make no impression on Larios, cut over the left eye in the sixth, and was met with fast jabs and left hooks as he attempted sustained body attacks. Still the brave Irishman kept coming, taking everything Larios could toss at him, but with his punches having little effect although he made it to the final bell the latter was a clear winner.

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28 December 2004. Israel Vazquez w rsc 5 Artyom Simonyan.

Venue: Sycuan Indian Resort & Casino, El Cajon, California, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: James Jen-Kin.

Fight Summary: Much too fast for his challenger, and consistently beating him to the punch with jabs and straight rights from the off, Vazquez (121) knocked Simonyan (121½) down twice with right hands and cut him under the left eye in the third round. Even though there was a five-minute break to replace one of Vazquez’s gloves the result was inevitable, Simonyan being dropped yet again by a heavy right in the fifth. Although the Armenian got up and tried to fight back, with Vazquez at full throttle the referee called it off after 59 seconds of the session.

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27 November 2004. Oscar Larios w pts 12 Nedal Hussein.

Venue: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Richard Steele.

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

Fight Summary: After sampling the power of the challenger early on, Larios (121) realised that the best way to retain his title would be in sticking to his boxing, which is what he did when losing just one round - the 12th. Outworking Hussein (122) with lefts and rights, Larios kept the momentum going against the dangerous Aussie to go further and further ahead as the fight progressed. Although Hussein landed a cracking right to Larios’ head in the final session it was all too late, the latter being able to make it to the bell where his victory was greeted loudly by his supporters.

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8 November 2004. Mahyar Monshipour w rsc 6 Yoddamrong Sithyodthong.

Venue: Bercy Sports Palace, Paris, France. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Guillermo Perez.

Fight Summary: Monshipour (121¼) was quickly on the attack, relentlessly setting about Sithyodthong (121¾) with hooks and uppercuts, and by the third the latter’s right eye was beginning to close. Unfortunately for the Thai, with Monshipour walking through his best punches he was caught by a cracking left hook to the liver that dropped him in the sixth. On getting up after the mandatory ‘eight’ count, Sithyodthong was immediately swamped with punches before being rescued by the referee at 1.07 of the session.

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27 May 2004. Mahyar Monshipour w rsc 8 Salim Medjkoune.

Venue: D’Auvergne Grand Hall, Clermont Ferrand, France. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Daniel Talon.

Fight Summary: Regardless that he was cut over the right eye in the opener and on the left eye in the third round, Monshipour (121½) continued to swarm all over his southpaw challenger, who was virtually sold-out by the end of the sixth. Stepping up his assaults, especially to the body, Monshipour closed in on Medjkoune (121¼) to drop him in the eighth with a left hook to the jaw followed by a sickening right to the body. Despite Medjkoune making it to his feet, after he was quickly overwhelmed the referee stopped the fight at 2.20 of the session to save him from further punishment.

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25 March 2004. Israel Vazquez w rsc 12 Jose Luis Valbuena.

Venue: Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: James Jen-Kin.

Fight Summary: Contesting the title vacated by Manny Pacquiao, Vazquez (122) set a relentless pace from the third round onwards, dropping Valbuena (121) with a big right to the jaw in the fourth. Boxing well, Valbuena, a southpaw, came back strongly with the jab and body blows, but in the sixth after sending Vazquez down with a low one he was deducted a point. With little respite now for Valbuena as he came under pressure he had another point taken from his score in the ninth after Vazquez was again decked by a punch that landed around the thigh. It was now obvious that Valbuena had little left, but with Vazquez also tired he survived into the 12th before disaster struck. Smashed to the floor by a long right to the head, although he got up, Valbuena was pinned on the ropes when the referee called it off on the 34 second mark.

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6 March 2004. Oscar Larios w pts 12 Shigeru Nakazato.

Venue: Super Arena, Saitama, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Richie Davies.

Scorecards: 118-109, 120-107, 116-112.

Fight Summary: Even though he had suffered a broken jaw against Nakazato (121½) in an earlier defence, Larios (122), starting fast with the jab, was soon firing in left-right combinations that quickly piled up the points. In the fifth, however, Nakazato got himself into the fight with a series of solid left hooks, one of which opened a cut over Larios’ left eye. Fighting back furiously the champion battered Nakazato from the sixth through to the ninth, but unable to force a stoppage he ultimately had to settle for the points win.

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26 February 2004. Joan Guzman w rsc 7 Agapito Sanchez.

Venue: Sports Arena, San Diego, California, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: David Mendoza.

Fight Summary: In something of a grudge match, Guzman (121¾) went straight on to the attack against his challenger before two left hooks and a smashing right to the head sent the older man to the floor in the second round. Thereafter, it was all one way as Guzman handed Sanchez (121¾) a real beating, and at 1.05 of the seventh the referee, who by then had seen enough, pulled the former champion out of the fight. With both of Sanchez's eyes badly swollen, the referee’s decision was a wise one.

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16 December 2003. Mahyar Monshipour w rtd 7 Jairo Tagliaferro.

Venue: Marcel Cerdan Sports Palace, Levallois-Perret, France. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Armando Garcia.

Fight Summary: Making his first defence, the rugged Monshipour (119¾) had too much strength and aggression for Tagliaferro (122), who was never allowed to get into a rhythm and settle. Apart from landing a terrific right hand on Monshipour’s jaw in the fourth it was all one-way traffic. Then, after being hit by punches from all angles, especially uppercuts, and being bulled to the ropes on numerous occasions it came as no surprise when Tagliaferro’s corner pulled him out at the end of the seventh round.

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22 November 2003. Oscar Larios w rsc 10 Napapol Sor Rungvisai.

Venue: Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, USA. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Marcos Rosales.

Fight Summary: Having allowed himself to be used as a punch bag for five rounds, with Larios (122) almost punched out the challenger at last began to throw back, occasionally hurting the Mexican. Strangely though, Sor Rungvisai (122) never took advantage of the situation, merely going back into his shell where he continued to take a beating. In the tenth, with Larios unleashing all manner of shots, the Thai finally succumbed and fell to the floor. That should have been it, but Sor Rungvisai got up. With the challenger again taking a hammering, and after what seemed an age, the referee finally acted when stopping the fight with 2.26 on the clock.

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7 September 2003. Oscar Larios w rsc 2 Kozo Ishii.

Venue: Rainbow Hall, Nagoya, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Richie Davies.

Fight Summary: The challenger began well enough, but towards the end of the first round he was hammered to the floor following a series of heavy overarm rights and left hooks. Saved by the bell, Ishii (122) came up for the second session only to quickly run into another barrage of blows from a rampant Larios (121¾), which dropped him. Up again, and with Larios looking to finish the job, the referee saw no point in allowing Ishii to continue, stopping the contest with 2.02 of the round gone.

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26 July 2003. Manny Pacquiao w rsc 3 Emmanuel Lucero.

Venue: Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Jose Cobian.

Fight Summary: Outclassed from the first bell, Lucero 121¼) continually ducked for cover as the southpaw champion threw heavy but wild blows. He also suffered on several occasions when the follow-up ended with him almost being forced to the floor as Pacquiao (120) laid on him. In the third round, when Pacquiao finally found his range, it came as no surprise that Lucero fell apart when a terrific left cross smashed him into the ropes where he collapsed immediately prior to the referee stopping the contest on the 0.48 mark to save him from further punishment.

After Pacquiao vacated the title following his 11th-round retirement win over Marco Antonio Barrera at featherweight on 15 November, Israel Vazquez was eventually matched against Jose Luis Valbuena to find a new champion.

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4 July 2003. Mahyar Monshipour w co 12 Salim Medjkoune.

Venue: The Futuroscope, Poitiers, France. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Daniel Talon.

Fight Summary: Walking into the champion from the opening bell, Monshipour (119) cut down the ring well and allowed his rival no room in which to work. With heads coming together Medjkoune (120½) was docked a point in the third round, and in the fourth Monshipour was cut over the right eye. The pattern of the fight did not change though, as Monshipour furiously controlled most of the exchanges up to the ninth before Medjkoune rallied. It looked like the champion was back in the fight, but in the 12th and final round a right cross delivered with venom saw him take the full count with one minute and 23 seconds of the contest remaining.

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26 April 2003. Oscar Larios w pts 12 Shigeru Nakazato.

Venue: Ryogoku Sumo Arena, Tokyo, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Toby Gibson.

Scorecards: 114-111, 116-110, 116-110.

Fight Summary: Although Nakazato (122) made a bright start, after being cut on the forehead in the fourth the champion tried to finish matters in the fifth when dropping his rival with a terrific left hook. Somehow Nakazato got through to the bell, and showing remarkable powers of recuperation he almost floored Larios (122) in the sixth and eighth sessions as he went for victory. It was not to be though, as Larios regrouped, using hit-and-run tactics to get himself through the last four hectic rounds against a skilful and tough opponent who impressed with his jab and movement.

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4 April 2003. Salim Medjkoune w pts 12 Vincenzo Gigliotti.

Venue: Sports Centre, Clermont Ferrand, France. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Luis Pabon.

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

Fight Summary: Despite making a successful first defence Medjkoune (122) found the aggressive Gigliotti (122) a tough nut to crack, and it was only in the last third that he pulled away. Head clashes were a constant problem as the men came together, Gigliotti being cut over the left eye in the third round and on the right optic three sessions later. Ultimately, it was the greater speed and variety that won the day for Medjkoune.

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1 November 2002. Oscar Larios w rsc 1 Willie Jorrin.

Venue: ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California, USA. Recognition: WBC. Referee: James Jen-Kin.

Fight Summary: Roaring out at the opening bell it was not long before Larios (122) caught up with Jorrin (122), and as the champion came off the ropes he was chinned by a crunching right uppercut which put him down heavily. After being given a seemingly slow count, Jorrin was back in the fray only to be met by more heavy punches coming his way. At one stage both men tripped over and went down, but it was now clear that this fight was not going to last much longer. With Larios keeping up the pressure, after Jorrin had been hit by several unanswered blows that were followed up with a solid left hook he was rescued one minute and 28 seconds into the contest.

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26 October 2002. Manny Pacquiao w rsc 1 Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym.

Venue: Rizal Memorial College Gym, Mindanao, Philippines. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Bruce McTavish.

Fight Summary: Stalking his weight-drained challenger from the opening bell, Pacquiao (122) soon got down to business to put Rakkiatgym (121) down in a heap with a cracking southpaw right hook. Although he somehow made it up it looked all over for the Thai, Pacquiao dropping him three more times before the referee brought matters to a halt with 14 seconds of the first round remaining.

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9 October 2002. Salim Medjkoune w pts 12 Osamu Sato.

Venue: National Yoyoki Stadium, Tokyo, Japan. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Guillermo Perez.

Scorecards: 116-112, 117-111, 119-110.

Fight Summary: Unable to catch the clever challenger who started well by throwing accurate if somewhat light combinations, when Sato (122) became the aggressor as he tried to cut the ring down he played straight into his opponent’s hands. In the sixth, Sato began to make the body his target before being dropped on the bell by a southpaw straight left (ruled a slip) after Medjkoune (122) had opened him up. Although Sato continued to chase Medjkoune, the cool Frenchman stayed on his bike while countering the champion whenever he could to run out a worthy points winner.

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17 August 2002. Joan Guzman w co 3 Fabio Oliva.

Venue: Cardiff Castle, Cardiff, Wales. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Jose Rivera.

Fight Summary: With the vacant title up for grabs after it was discovered that the champion, Agapito Sanchez, had cataract problems and could not defend against Guzman (122), the unbeaten Oliva (122) had to be rushed in to save the promotion from being cancelled. However, he was clearly up against it, being shaken by big punches as early as the opening round as Guzman stalked him. By the third it had become obvious that Guzman was too powerful for the Argentine, who was quickly pounded against the ropes by head and body shots before a terrific left hook to the midriff saw him go down on one knee to take the full count 70 seconds into the round.

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8 June 2002. Manny Pacquiao w rsc 2 Jorge Eliecer Julio.

Venue: The Pyramid, Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Bill Clancy.

Fight Summary: Following a tame opening round, the action fairly exploded in the second when Pacquiao (120½) two-fistedly tore into the challenger to drop him for a count of ‘six’ with a southpaw straight left. Dusted off and given the all clear by the third man, Julio (122) was quickly at the mercy of Pacquiao, who was by now unstoppable, and another cracking left floored him again, this time for an ‘eight’ count. On getting up, reeling all over the place, the referee stopped the fight on the 1.09 mark to save Julio from taking further punishment.

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18 May 2002. Osamu Sato w co 8 Yoddamrong Sithyodthong.

Venue: Super Arena, Saitama City, Japan. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Guillermo Pineda.

Fight Summary: In what was his first defence, Sithyodthong (122) made good his superior boxing skills right through to the sixth round as he jabbed and moved to pile up the points. The crowd were delighted in the seventh when Sato (121¼) tore up the form book to put Sithyodthong down for a count with an overarm right before repeating the dose at the end of the round, the bell coming to the champion’s rescue. Although Sithyodthong bravely rallied in the eighth, a vicious left to the body sent him slumping to the floor in some pain to be counted out at 1.58 of the round.

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23 February 2002. Paulie Ayala w pts 12 Clarence Adams.

Venue: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: The Ring. Referee: Kenny Bayless.

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

Fight Summary: A return match, this involved the vacant Ring Championship Belt. Shooting out southpaw jabs from the beginning Ayala (122) made a better start than previously, and with Adams (121½) boxing far too defensively he slipped further and further behind. It was clear at the two-thirds stage that Adams needed to start taking the fight to Ayala, but while he connected with some good shots here and there it was not sustained. Disappointingly, the fight had not been a patch on their earlier go.

Ayala continued to be recognised by The Ring as the champion of the weight division until April 2004 despite making no further defences and moving up in weight to meet Erik Morales on 16 November 2002.

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21 February 2002. Yoddamrong Sithyodthong w pts 12 Yober Ortega.

Venue: Wat Banrai Temple, Nakhon, Thailand. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Armando Garcia.

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

Fight Summary: Although the hard-hitting southpaw champion made a fair start, taking the first three rounds, Sithyodthong (122) soon began to solve his style, coming on strong himself in the fourth and fifth when landing sharp rights and lefts to head and body. From that point on Sithyodthong was in charge, scoring with accurate counters as Ortega (122) kept running on to the punches while being unable to turn the tide in his favour.

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5 February 2002. Willie Jorrin drew 12 Osamu Sato.

Venue: Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Terry O’Connor.

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

Fight Summary: Making an excellent start, the sharp-punching Jorrin (122) floored his challenger twice in round three, and showing up impressively he looked to be well on his way to retaining his title. However, at that point the fight took a surprise turn. Although he had begun nervously, Sato (122) began to fire back and started to get to Jorrin with busy combination punching in the fourth as the latter strangely eased off, occasionally sending in counters but without any conviction. Dominating from then on, Sato seemed assured of the verdict in front of his home fans, but it was not to be as Jorrin, cut over the left eye and losing on one of the cards, escaped with a draw.

With Jorrin indisposed, Oscar Larios stopped Israel Vazquez in the 12th round of a contest to decide the WBC ‘interim’ title at the Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California, USA on 17 May. Just over three months later, Larios successfully defended the ‘interim’ title when stopping Manabu Fukushima in the eighth round of their contest at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Arena, Tokyo on 24 August. Following that, Larios was lined up to be Jorrin’s next challenger.

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17 November 2001. Yober Ortega w rsc 4 Jose Rojas.

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

Fight Summary: Billed for the vacant title, Ortega and Rojas were matched after Clarence Adams had been stripped in July. In a fight that was less than world class, Rojas (122) got away the quicker, winning the first two rounds before the 36-year-old Ortega (120½), who had been inactive for 12 months, picked it up with effective body punches. Then, having moved up a gear in the fourth, a terrific right hook from Ortega sent Rojas hurtling to the canvas out to the world. Without taking up the count, the referee called a halt, the finish being timed at 0.36.

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10 November 2001. Manny Pacquiao tdraw 6 Agapito Sanchez.

Venue: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California, USA. Recognition: IBF/WBO. Referee: Marty Denkin.

Scorecards: 58-54, 57-55, 56-56.

Fight Summary: In an effort to unify two titles the fight between Pacquiao (120¼), the southpaw IBF champion, and the WBO’s Sanchez (120½) decided nothing when it went to the scorecards after the referee called it off at 1.12 of the sixth. This was following the doctor’s advice when Pacquiao was deemed unable to continue due to being badly cut over the right eye, an injury that occurred in the second round. Prior to that it had been a crude affair, with Sanchez deducted a point for landing low and fighting wildly. He then lost another point in the fourth when both men fell over after Pacquiao had been hit low again and then seemingly kneed. When Sanchez was cut on the left eye in the fifth it was felt that with the harder-hitting Pacquiao going better he would take over, but that came to nothing when his eye damage worsened and the fight came to an end.

Due to defend the WBO title against Joan Guzman on 17 August 2002, Sanchez was forced to vacate two days earlier after it was discovered that he had cataract problems. To find a new champion, Guzman took on Fabio Oliva, who came in as a late substitute.

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23 June 2001. Manny Pacquiao w rsc 6 Lehlo Ledwaba.

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

Fight Summary: Right from the opening bell the southpaw Pacquiao (121) came in firing rights and lefts, and in the second round he had Ledwaba (122) over prior to wobbling him again. Although under pressure, the champion came back strongly. It was noticeable, however, that while Ledwaba was sending in the jabs with some venom he was gradually being overrun. When Ledwaba was sent crashing from a straight left in the sixth, after instinctively getting up he was attacked by a variety of blows before he was again put down, this time by two solid lefts and a right. He was then rescued by the referee at 0.59 when rolling painfully on his side. Pacquiao had previously been an undefeated WBC flyweight champion.

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23 June 2001. Agapito Sanchez w rsc 7 Jorge Monsalvo.

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

Fight Summary: Contested for the vacant title following Marco Antonio Barrera’s decision to move up a weight class, Sanchez (121) proved too good an opponent for Monsalvo (122), who was outjabbed consistently and cracked by rights over the top. Although cut over the right eye in the third, Sanchez, who was rarely under pressure, began to hand out a real battering to his game but outclassed rival in the fourth. Thus it was no surprise when a big right sent Monsalvo crashing in the seventh, and on getting to his feet, wobbling all over the place, he was rescued by the referee on the 1.28 mark.

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22 April 2001. Lehlo Ledwaba w pts 12 Carlos Contreras.

Venue: Carnival City Big Top, Brakpan, South Africa. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Sam Smyth.

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

Fight Summary: Despite suffering from a virus and then damaging his right hand, while Ledwaba (121¾) did more than enough to win the fight he was unable to subdue the tough challenger who came on strongly in the last two sessions as he tired. In the ninth, Contreras (121), under constant pressure in that round, was badly hurt, but he somehow got through it. Following that, it was Ledwaba's turn to defend until the final bell. The decision was never in doubt as Ledwaba’s early work, especially with hooks, jabs and uppercuts that rained in on his unprotected opponent, had given him a clear margin to work with.

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23 March 2001. Clarence Adams w pts 12 Ivan Alvarez.

Venue: Sports Centre, Owensboro, Kentucky, USA. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Steve Smoger.

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

Fight Summary: Finding who his opponent was only a matter of hours before the fight was hardly the way to treat a champion, and in return Adams (122) treated his challenger as a sparring partner. Adams just about did enough to win against Alvarez (122), who lunged in and belted away as if his life depended on it. When Alvarez was floored late in round four by a heavy right to the body the bell saved him, but there were no further incidents such as that, and although Adams started to use the jab well in the latter rounds he was unable to stamp his authority on his tough rival.

Recognised as the best man in the weight division by The Ring magazine, Adams forfeited the WBA version of the title in July after agreeing to meet Paulie Ayala to decide the vacant IBO title rather than defend against Yober Ortega. That was followed by the latter being matched against Jose Rojas to find a new WBA champion.

On 4 August, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, Ayala outpointed Adams over 12 rounds in a fight between the two highest-rated men in the weight division. Cut over the left eye in the second from a clash of heads and shaken up, Adams (122) was unfortunate to lose the round 10-8 even though he did not go down. A 10-9 round would have gained him a draw. With both men giving it all they had in what was one of the year’s most exciting fights ultimately it was the southpaw aggression of Ayala (122), especially when going to the body, that swayed the judges. According to the CompuBox stats Adams had landed 230 punches to 157, and it was no surprise that a rematch was called for involving The Ring Championship Belt. The cards showed Ayala winning by scores of 114-113, 115-112, 113-114.

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17 February 2001. Lehlo Ledwaba w rsc 9 Arnel Barotillo.

Venue: Carnival City Big Top, Brakpan, South Africa. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Rudy Battle.

Fight Summary: Giving an excellent display of controlled boxing, Ledwaba (120¾) countered the challenger’s aggression with good movement and solid punches driven into the body as he handed out a systematic beating. It was not that Barotillo (121¾) was poor it was more about Ledwaba being top class, and with the former soaking up punishment it was no surprise when a double left hook sent him crashing to the floor in the ninth. Up after a mandatory ‘eight’ count, Barotillo walked straight in to another barrage of heavy punches before being rescued by the referee on the 1.49 mark.

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19 January 2001. Willie Jorrin w pts 12 Oscar Larios.

Venue: ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California, USA. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Chuck Hassett.

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

Fight Summary: Even though he possibly won seven of the first eight rounds, the champion faded somewhat as Larios (122) came on in the latter stages, nailing his rival with lefts and rights before running out of rounds required to clinch a victory. It was yet another close fight for Jorrin (122), who tended to throw fast and precise punches without ever sustaining the pressure needed to get on top of his opponent, and he was often guilty of straying low.

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1 December 2000. Marco Antonio Barrera w rtd 6 Jesus Salud.

Venue: Venetian Casino Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Joe Cortez.

Fight Summary: Coming back to form, Barrera (122) outpunched and outboxed Salud (122) before the latter was retired by his corner at the end of the sixth round. For the previous two rounds, the challenger, his right eye almost closed and not fighting back, had been worked over systematically by a mixture of jabs, combinations and body blows, and was beginning to look his 37 years of age. Although Salud had bothered Barrera in the third with his strength, once that had gone there was nothing left for the former champion.

Following his victory over England’s Naseem Hamed for the vacant IBO featherweight title on 7 April 2001, Barrera relinquished his WBO version of the title the following month in order to compete as a featherweight. To find a new champion, the WBO selected Agapito Sanchez and Jorge Monsalvo to contest the vacant title.

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6 October 2000. Lehlo Ledwaba w co 8 Eduardo Enrique Alvarez.

Venue: Leisure Centre, Maidstone, England. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Roy Francis.

Fight Summary: Boxing smartly on the back foot the challenger made life difficult for Ledwaba (121½), who was forced to look for openings, but in the seventh the South African upped the pace after realising how to best deal with Alvarez (121¼). Ledwaba was now in full swing, and in the eighth he forced Alvarez into a corner where a right-left-right to the head and a terrific left hook to the ribs dropped the latter to be counted out with two seconds of the round remaining.

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9 September 2000. Willie Jorrin w pts 12 Michael Brodie.

Venue: Bowler’s Arena, Manchester, England. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Richie Davies.

Scorecards: 115-112, 116-112, 114-114.

Fight Summary: Billed for the vacant title after Erik Morales decided to move on, apart from the tenth which was effectively a 10-8 round after Brodie (122) took some big head punches and touched down for the mandatory ‘eight’ count, the latter appeared to have outworked, outfought and outpunched Jorrin (121¾) in many of the rounds. Two of the scorecards certainly beggared belief, especially after Brodie had maintained a good work-rate throughout, mixed up his punches well and boxed with plenty of authority to control Jorrin. Although having his moments, Jorrin did not do nearly enough.

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9 September 2000. Marco Antonio Barrera w pts 12 Jose Luis Valbuena.

Venue: The Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Elmer Adolph.

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

Fight Summary: On what was obviously an off night, apart from the first two and the last two rounds, Barrera (120½) found the fast-moving challenger too difficult to catch, having to settle for a relatively close points win. An erratic southpaw, Valbuena (120½) certainly made a difficult target, but aided by the inability of Barrera to catch up with him until near the end he was even cocky at times. However, the authoritative punches, what there were of them, came from Barrera.

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5 August 2000. Clarence Adams w rsc 6 Andres Fernandez.

Venue: Alliant Energy Centre, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Monte Oswald.

Fight Summary: Retaining his title at the first time of asking, Adams (122) finished the contest with a badly cut right eye and a fractured right hand after his challenger had been pulled out at 2.23 of the sixth when suffering a series of bad cuts on the left-hand side of his face. Having started lazily Adams finally exploded into action in the fifth on realising that the lanky Fernandez (121¾), constantly posing problems with his head, would have to be removed, and following another barrage of punches in the sixth it was the doctor who advised the referee that the challenger was cut too badly for him to continue.

With Adams sidelined suffering an injured hand, Antonio Cermeno, the WBA’ interim’ champion, was contracted to defend against Kozo Ishii in November, prior to being arrested for an alleged involvement in a murder case. Despite Cermeno being allowed to travel abroad for the contest the WBA decided to vacate the ‘interim’ title to allow Ishii to meet Yober Ortega instead, on the proviso that Adams would defend against the winner when pronounced fit. Ortega stopped Ishii in the 11th round to win the vacant WBA ‘interim’ title at the Rainbow Hall, Nagoya, Japan on 23 November.

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17 June 2000. Marco Antonio Barrera w co 1 Luiz Claudio Freitas.

Venue: The Arena, Mexico City, Mexico. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Genaro Rodriguez.

Fight Summary: Although Freitas (122), the 32-year-old brother of Acelino, came out throwing punches as if there was no tomorrow and actually hurt the champion with a solid right to the head, Barrera (122) quickly assessed what he had to do by immediately getting down to work. Backing Freitas up against the ropes, he smashed in a battery of big punches before a vicious left hook to the liver led to a count-out win after just 87 seconds.

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7 April 2000. Lehlo Ledwaba w rsc 8 Ernesto Grey.

Venue: Whitchurch Leisure Centre, Bristol, England. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Sam Williams.

Fight Summary: Proving to be an excellent champion, the slick-moving Ledwaba (122) was a class above Grey (122), who although showing up well early in the fight was shaken up in the third and fourth rounds by excellent counters. Ledwaba opened up in the fifth to cut Grey over the left eye and drop him following two solid lefts, and although the latter made it into the eighth he was knocked down by a short left for ‘four’ before being rescued on the 1.20 mark when not fighting back.

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4 March 2000. Clarence Adams w pts 12 Nestor Garza.

Venue: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Joe Cortez.

Scorecards: 118-108, 116-110, 116-110.

Fight Summary: Taking weight off one time too many effectively lost the fight for the champion before a punch was thrown, but Adams (122), who still had to win, made a great start when he floored Garza (122) with a terrific left hook midway through the first round. Although Garza got up and back into the fight he was cut over the right eye in the third, dropped again in the fifth by left-right combinations, and was in trouble on several occasions before being judged a wide loser. A big outsider, the sharp-punching and sleek skills of Adams were just too much for a weakened Garza to handle.

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19 February 2000. Erik Morales w pts 12 Marco Antonio Barrera.

Venue: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBC/WBO. Referee: Mitch Halpern.

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

Fight Summary: A match made by public demand saw a contest between two champions - Morales (121) representing the WBC and Barrera (121½) the WBO - and at the end of 12 exciting rounds two judges decided that Morales had won. While Morales was the busier, Barrera, swollen and cut down the left side of his face, was the bigger puncher, staggering his rival on several occasions, especially with withering hooks to the body. In the final round, Morales was knocked down according to the referee, but film later showed it to be a slip. It was certainly a tough one to call with most of the onlookers feeling that Barrera had won clearly.

Those feelings were borne out when Barrera was reinstated as the WBO champion within days of the fight after the organisation refused to accept the decision in Morales’ favour. Later, on 2 September, when Morales relinquished the WBC version of the title to fight in a higher weight class Michael Brodie was matched with Willie Jorrin in order to find a new champion.