Barry Hugman's World Championship Boxing

Junior Middleweight World Championship Fights & Title Claims

1 November 2008. Serhiy Dzinziruk w pts 12 Joel Julio.

Venue: Koenig Pilsener Arena, Oberhausen, Germany. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Genaro Rodriguez.

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

Fight Summary: There was little between the two men at the halfway stage, the southpaw champion and Julio (154) swapping blows as the action swayed back and forth. It was in the seventh, however, that the tide changed for Dzinziruk (153¼) as he began using his hand and foot speed to take the play away from Julio, who gradually began to fade when getting caught with more punches than before. With two judges giving Dzinziruk the last four sessions the margin of victory was complete.

Paul Williams stopped Verno Phillips on the ringside doctor’s advice at the end of the eighth round of their fight for the vacant WBO ‘interim’ title at the Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, California, USA on 29 November. After Williams relinquished the ‘interim’ title, he was succeeded by Alfredo Angulo who knocked out Harry Joe Yorgey inside three rounds at the XL Centre, Hartford, Connecticut, USA on 7 November 2009, and then went on to make a successful defence when stopping Julio in the 11th at the Citizens Business Bank Arena on 24 April 2010. Angulo forfeited the WBO ‘interim’ title on 17 July 2010 after beating Joachim Alcine in a final eliminator for the WBC crown and failing to agree a match against Dzinziruk.

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13 September 2008. Vernon Forrest w pts 12 Sergio Mora.

Venue: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Vic Drakulich.

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

Fight Summary: In a complete reversal of fortunes, Forrest (154) regained his title from Mora (154), the man he lost it to, when receiving the unanimous decision at the end of a contest he had largely dominated. This time round it was Forrest's left jab that was decisive, and in the fourth he began working the body to good effect. Sent on to the ropes in the seventh from a left hook, the referee counted over Mora after ruling that it was effectively a knockdown. Although Mora landed heavily with a big right in the ninth, Forrest immediately responded when ramming in blows right through to the final bell.

On 4 October, at the Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, California, Sergio Martinez forced Alex Bunema to retire at the end of the eighth round of a contest to decide the vacant WBC ‘interim’ title. Martinez then made a successful defence when drawing over 12 rounds against Kermit Cintron at the Bank Atlantic Centre, Sunrise, Florida on 14 February 2009.

After being out of the ring since his win over Mora due to a persistent rib injury, Forrest was stripped of the title on 21 May 2009, the WBC announcing that the ‘interim’ champion, Martinez, had been upgraded to full championship status.  

Towards the end of June 2010, having won the WBC middleweight title when beating Kelly Pavlik on 17 April 2010, Martinez handed back the junior belt after deciding to continue at 160lbs. Following that, Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito were matched to contest the vacant title.

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11 July 2008. Daniel Santos w rsc 6 Joachim Alcine.

Venue: Uniprix Stadium, Montreal, Canada. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Marlon Wright.

Fight Summary: Up against a southpaw in Santos (153), the champion made a cautious start before both men went to work in the third. Having got home with a cracking right to Santos' jaw, Alcine (153) ended the session being pinned on the ropes while taking solid shots to head and body. Following the fourth, which went to Santos, Alcine went after the Puerto Rican in the fifth with long rights finding their mark but in the sixth he suddenly came undone. After Santos banged out a short right hook, just as Alcine was preparing to throw a left hook he was beaten to the punch by a thunderous straight left to the jaw that sent him crashing to the deck. Although the referee began the count, when he saw that Alcine had partially got up before falling down again he stopped the contest on the 2.10 mark.

At the Prefectural Gym, Osaka, Japan on 30 August 2009, Nobuhiro Ishida won the vacant WBA ‘interim’ title when outpointing Marco Antonio Avendano over 12 rounds.

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7 June 2008. Sergio Mora w pts 12 Vernon Forrest.

Venue: Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut, USA. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Dick Flaherty.

Scorecards: 116-112, 115-113, 114-114.

Fight Summary: It was clear from the start that things were not quite right with 37-year-old champion, who appeared to decline by the minute as Mora (154) set about him from the fourth onwards. Having controlled the opening three rounds, Forrest (153¾) had looked a good bet, but now he was being caught from head to body by solid combinations. Although Forrest came back somewhat in the fifth, after taking some heavy shots, and with his right eye swelling fast, his strength began to ebb away as Mora took the bull by the horns right through to the final bell.

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26 April 2008. Serhiy Dzinziruk w pts 12 Lukas Konecny.

Venue: Freiberger Arena, Dresden, Germany. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Jose Rivera.

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

Fight Summary: A tough fight to score and one that had twice been delayed, there was much dissent after the southpaw champion had been handed the majority decision at the end of 12 well-contested rounds. With Konecny (153) coming forward at all times, although Dzinziruk (153) countered strongly and moved well it appeared that the man from the Czech Republic had done enough on aggression alone. Following the contest calls went out for a return.

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27 March 2008. Verno Phillips w pts 12 Cory Spinks.

Venue: Scot Trade Centre, St Louis, Missouri, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Gerald Scott.

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

Fight Summary: According to the great majority of scribes and experts outside the ring this appeared to be an easy win for the southpaw champion, one such man saying that he had the 38-year-old Phillips (153) winning two rounds at most. Regardless of that the split decision went to Phillips. Much faster and much younger, Spinks (153) could have made sure had he put more work in, but he stopped dominating in the sixth when allowing Phillips the room to get heavy punches off, something that was highlighted in the seventh. Although Spinks was given the last three rounds, Phillips was seemingly favoured because his blows landed were of the heavier variety.

Phillips relinquished the IBF title on 19 November having already signed to meet Paul Williams for the vacant WBO ‘interim’ crown on 29 November. Following that, Spinks was eventually matched against Deandre Latimore with the vacant title at stake. Latimore had earned his right to a title shot after beating the IBF’s top-ranked Sechew Powell (w rsc 7 at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square, Manhattan, NYC, New York on 11 June).

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7 December 2007. Joachim Alcine w rsc 12 Alfonso Mosquera.

Venue: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Michael Griffin.

Fight Summary: In what was a difficult first defence for Alcine (152¼), he found himself trading with Mosquera (153) right from the off as the latter fired in quick combinations that initially confused him. However, by the fourth Alcine was in control for a few rounds, handing out solid combinations of his own as he pushed Mosquera back. Doing his best work on the inside, Mosquera really made it pay in the ninth when trapping Alcine on the ropes and banging away, but that seemed to be his last throw of the dice as the latter came back with a vengeance when stepping on the gas. Decidedly unsteady at the start of the 12th, Mosquera slipped over moments before being dropped by a right-left hook. Floored for the second time following a big right hook, upon getting up and taking a battering Mosquera was rescued by the referee at 2.17 of the session.

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1 December 2007. Vernon Forrest w rsc 11 Michele Piccirillo.

Venue: Foxwoods Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut, USA. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Arthur Mercante Jnr.

Fight Summary: Defending his title for the first time, the 36-year-old Forrest (153) was nearly always going too well for Piccirillo (152). Although coming back in the third, Piccirillo, hardly making a dent on Forrest, was unable to get into the fight, and in the sixth he was push-punched to the deck for what should have been seen as a slip. It hardly got any better for Piccirillo when he was dropped by a solid right in the ninth, having done reasonably well in the previous session. Eventually, matters came to head in the 11th when another cracking right to the head had Piccirillo down again. Following that, when it was seen that he had injured a leg in the fall, the referee called the fight off on 2.21 mark.

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28 July 2007. Vernon Forrest w pts 12 Carlos Baldomir.

Venue: Emerald Queen Casino, Tacoma, Washington, USA. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Jose Rivera.

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

Fight Summary: Contested for the vacant title after Floyd Mayweather handed in his belt, it was Forrest (154) who walked off with the prize after widely outscoring the tough Baldomir (154) on two of the cards. Although Baldomir was always on the front foot he found it difficult to reach the taller Forrest, who was landing solid, accurate jabs all night. Carrying a swollen right eye from the third did not deter the former WBC and undefeated IBF welterweight title holder as he speeded up before being caught heavily by Baldomir in the ninth and then losing a point for going low in the same session. Picking it up in the tenth when throwing punches from both hands, Forrest continued in that vein through to the final bell to fully deserve the plaudits that came his way.

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7 July 2007. Joachim Alcine w pts 12 Travis Simms.

Venue: Harbor Yard Arena, Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Michael Ortega.

Scorecards: 115-110, 116-109, 114-111.

Fight Summary: Making his first defence in a contest between unbeaten fighters, and one filled with many transgressions, Simms (152½) allowed himself to be outworked by Alcine (152¼) in the latter stages. Having won four of the opening six rounds on two of the judges' cards, Simms should have pulled away at this point, but failed to take advantage of openings when they presented themselves. Both men were deducted points, Alcine in the sixth for a late punch and Simms in the ninth when hitting on the break. In that same round when Simms slipped on the wet canvas after missing with a punch the referee incorrectly scored it a knockdown. Following the fight, Simms, a southpaw, stated that after he had felt his left hand go in the fourth his momentum subsequently waned.

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19 May 2007. Serhiy Dzinziruk w rsc 11 Carlos Nascimento.

Venue: Color Line Arena, Hamburg, Germany. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Brian Garry.

Fight Summary: Boxing well within himself the southpaw champion racked up the rounds against the limited Nascimento (151½), who had little on offer than being able to soak up punishment and keep going. It was only in the 11th that Dzinziruk (153¾) opened up with solid rights and lefts to floor Nascimento who, by this time, had little left and was worn out. Although making it to his feet the referee called the action off on the 1.42 mark when realising that Nascimento was through for the night.

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5 May 2007. Floyd Mayweather Jnr w pts 12 Oscar De La Hoya.

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

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

Fight Summary: Coming to the ring as the current WBC welterweight title holder, although Mayweather outscored De La Hoya (154), his skill being undeniable, the challenger failed to run off the rounds as he had predicted and won on the back foot rather than making the fight. Having taken three of the opening four rounds, De La Hoya failed to build on that with a smaller output of jabs than were required to push Mayweather back. There was never that much between them, but when De La Hoya tired in the latter rounds it allowed Mayweather more freedom to pick his shots. Had one of the judges agreed with the other two and given a 10-9 round for the 12th De La Hoya would have retained his title on a split draw, it was that close. Becoming a five-weight champion on winning, the undefeated Mayweather added the WBC junior middleweight title to his list of championship successes at junior lightweight (WBC), lightweight (WBC), junior welterweight (WBC) and welterweight (IBF and WBC).  

Mayweather vacated the title on 4 July, preferring to hold on to the WBC welterweight crown, and following his decision he was given ‘emeritus’ status. Originally an eliminator, a match between Carlos Baldomir and Vernon Forrest, rated number two and three respectively by the WBC, was eventually given full title status after De La Hoya, the top-rated man, was undecided on his future.

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3 February 2007. Cory Spinks w pts 12 Rodney Jones.

Venue: Silver Spurs Arena, Kissimmee, Florida, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Tommy Kimmons.

Scorecards: 120-108, 1180110, 120-108.

Fight Summary: In a meeting between southpaws it was the champion who came out on top when outboxing the 38-year-old Jones (153) for round after round, his speed too much for the latter to handle. With Spinks (153¾) on the outside, Jones lacked the mobility to get in range and was consistently being beaten to the punch in what turned into a boring affair. Following the fight, Spinks stated that he wanted the best men in the division from there on.

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6 January 2007. Travis Simms w rsc 9 Jose Antonio Rivera.

Venue: Seminole Hard Rock Live Arena, Hollywood, Florida, USA. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Frank Santore Jnr.

Fight Summary: Coming back after well over two years out of the ring, Simms (153¾) started fast when hurting the current title holder in the first before dropping him with a southpaw straight left in the second. Showing faster hands and heavier punching power than Rivera (153), the 'champion in recess' came back with a bang as he took round after round with heavy counters continually finding their target. Having been floored in the ninth by a straight left to the jaw, Rivera made it to his feet before the referee rescued him at 2.00 of the session when he was being battered from both hands unmercifully as Simms went for the finish.

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21 October 2006. Serhiy Dzinziruk w pts 12 Alisultan Nadirbegov.

Venue: Fire in the Mountains Arena, Halle, Germany. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Terry O’Connor.

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

Fight Summary: Setting the pace from the opening bell, the southpaw champion was soon peppering Nadirbegov (151½) with solid jabs and combinations that had the latter desperately looking for a punch to turn things around. Occasionally catching Dzinziruk (153) with countering blows was not enough, and as the contest moved into the final stages it was clear that Nadirbegov lacked the know-how and speed to fight his way back into contention. Trying to finish matters Dzinziruk went on the attack in the last couple of sessions, but found Nadirbegov determined to last the course.

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8 July 2006. Cory Spinks w pts 12 Roman Karmazin.

Venue: Savvis Centre, St Louis, Missouri, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Mark Nelson.

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

Fight Summary: At the start it looked as though the champion would be too strong for Spinks (153), but the former IBF/WBA/WBC welterweight title holder's greater speed and southpaw stance left the Russian flummoxed at times when winning four of the opening five rounds. By the middle stages, however, Karmazin (153) was beginning to come on when working the body and roughing Spinks up in the clinches. Cut under the right eye in the seventh, Karmazin was starting to hurt Spinks with big right hands, and finishing strongly he appeared to have done enough to retain his title as the latter took time out in the 12th. It was not to be though, as Spinks won by a very close decision on the cards.

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27 May 2006. Serhiy Dzinziruk w pts 12 Sebastian Andres Lujan.

Venue: Zenith Culture Hall, Munich, Germany. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Joe Cortez.

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

Fight Summary: Stepping out for his first defence, the southpaw champion did not get himself going for three rounds as Lujan (153¾) dictated early on, but following a coming together of heads that left him with a cut over the left eye he began to take over. From the fifth through to the final bell Dzinziruk (154) dropped one session at most, his lead being enhanced when Lujan lost a point in the ninth for hitting behind the head. Although the Argentine was always dangerous, once Dzinziruk had got his right-left combinations up to speed there was only one man in it.

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6 May 2006. Oscar De La Hoya w rsc 6 Ricardo Mayorga.

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

Fight Summary: Coming back from a bad defeat at the hands of Bernard Hopkins, De La Hoya (153½), a champion at six-weights, gave a superb display in battering the dangerous Mayorga (153½) from his title. With both men swinging in blows in the opener it was De La Hoya who struck first when a cracking left hook to the jaw dropped Mayorga heavily. Although Mayorga got to his feet quickly he was soon under pressure from solid combinations as well as being outboxed for round after round. Having been floored in the sixth from another left hook, after Mayorga struggled up and was then battered down by a series of lefts and rights that landed on the jaw the referee stopped the fight. The finish came at 1.25 of the session. This was De La Hoya’s second term as a WBC title holder at the weight.

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6 May 2006. Jose Antonio Rivera w pts 12 Alejandro Garcia.

Venue: DCU Centre, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Richard Flaherty.

Scorecards: 116-106, 116-106, 115-107.

Fight Summary: The challenger made an excellent start when dropping Garcia (152½) twice in the opening round, a solid jab and an overarm right to the head doing the trick. Coming back strongly, Garcia put that behind him to get some good punches off in the second and third before flooring Rivera (152½) for the first time in his career with a straight right to the face. With both men punching away in the fifth, by the seventh the former WBA ‘second tier’ champion was pushing on as Garcia tired, and in the ninth he decked the latter with a long right that landed on the jaw. Although knocked down again in the tenth, this time by a left hook, Garcia came back strongly in the 11th before another big overarm right put him over in the final session prior to the bell.

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3 December 2005. Serhiy Dzinziruk w pts 12 Daniel Santos.

Venue: Borderland Hall, Magdeburg, Germany. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Genaro Rodriguez.

Scorecards: 115-112, 115-112, 115-112.

Fight Summary: A fast-paced battle of southpaws saw a new champion crowned when the German-based Dzinziruk (154) took the title from Santos (154), beating the latter at his own game. Strong and determined, from the fourth round on the former undefeated European title holder used the jab well to stop Santos from getting into his stride, having lost the opening three or four sessions. Coming on strong, in the eighth Dzinziruk countered superbly with a cracking right to the jaw to drop Santos, and although the Puerto Rican had no difficulty in beating the count the punch would ultimately prove decisive in what was a hard-fought contest. Now fighting with great confidence, Dzinziruk battled on, surviving a tremendous left hook to the head in the 11th as Santos put in a great finish. Despite losing the 12th, Dzinziruk was deemed to have done enough.

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13 August 2005. Ricardo Mayorga w pts 12 Michele Piccirillo.

Venue: United Centre, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Gerald Scott.

Scorecards: 117-108, 117-110, 120-105.

Fight Summary: Contesting the vacant title, Mayorga (154) got himself up for this one despite claiming that he was through with boxing after being beaten by Felix Trinidad some ten months earlier. Making a solid start, the crude, wild punching Mayorga dropped Piccirillo (154) twice in the second round and once in the fourth with heavy rights to the head, and although the latter came back well in the fifth he was never able to do much other than fight in defensive mode. Unable to take the fight to the former WBA/WBC welterweight champion, although Piccirillo was put down again just before the final bell no count was registered.

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13 August 2005. Alejandro Garcia w pts 12 Luca Messi.

Venue: United Centre, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Pete Podgorski.

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

Fight Summary: In what was his first defence, Garcia (154) suffered from a slow start when dropping the first two rounds to the hard-working Messi (151) before eventually finding the room to jab and work the body. With the challenger always in the thick of it, in the seventh he hurt Garcia with a solid right only for the latter to come right back with heavy rights of his own to drop him for ‘eight’. Although Garcia was less effective from thereon in, claiming to have broken his left hand in the second, he did more than enough to win the decision.

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14 July 2005. Roman Karmazin w pts 12 Kassim Ouma.

Venue: Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Robert Byrd.

Scorecards: 118-108, 116-110, 117-109.

Fight Summary: Making a slow start, Ouma (154) was under pressure from the opening bell as Karmazin (153½) used his three-and-half-inch-reach advantage and awkward style to take control early before flooring the southpaw champion twice in the third round. Knocked down firstly by a left to the side, Ouma was caught off balance, but the right to the jaw that sent him crashing for the second knockdown took a lot of the stuffing out of him. Subsequently, it was hard going for Ouma, and although he battled back well during the middle of the fight he was never able to close Karmazin down. Working hard, the Russian-born Karmazin came on strongly over last three sessions with jabs and solid rights to walk off with the decision.

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29 January 2005. Kassim Ouma w pts 12 Kofi Jantuah.

Venue: Boardwalk Convention Centre, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Randy Neumann.

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

Fight Summary: Handing out a steady beating to his challenger, throwing punches from all angles, while it could be argued that Ouma (152) was not punching his weight it was certainly effective. From the first bell to last Ouma never stopped working, and although Jantuah (153) started well, taking the opening two rounds, the fifth was probably the only other session that he showed up in when taking the bull by the horns with some terrific right hands. By the eighth Jantuah was showing his age as he kept walking into prodding blows delivered from a southpaw stance. And even though he hurt Ouma he continued to be outscored until the final bell. The punch stats showed that Ouma threw an incredible 1,000 plus punches, landing with half of them.

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20 November 2004. Ronald Wright w pts 12 Shane Mosley.

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

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

Fight Summary: Defending his belts against the man he took them off, Wright (154) outpointed Mosley (154) yet again, although the margin was not so great this time around. At the start of the ninth Mosley was just ahead according to the cards, but he took so much out of himself in the eighth, as Wright put up a clever defence, that he was not the same afterwards. It was clear that Wright had paced himself well when pumping out the southpaw jab in the ninth to great effect as Mosley failed to get the majority of his punches off. In the tenth there was only one man in it and it was not Mosley, and while he came back in the 11th to nick the session after dragging Wright into a brawl it was the latter who dominated the final round to retain his titles.

After Wright forfeited the WBA title on 10 April 2005, having signed to meet Felix Trinidad in an official WBC middleweight eliminator on 14 May 2005, Travis Simms, the ‘second tier’ champion, was handed the belt.

The vacant WBA ‘interim’ title was then contested by Rhoshii Wells and Alejandro Garcia at the United Centre, Chicago, Illinois on 21 May 2005, being won by the latter on a ninth-round stoppage.

When Simms was stripped by the WBA on 22 June 2005, due to a contractual problem, Garcia was awarded the title.

Earlier, on 25 April 2005, after deciding to move up a weight, when Wright relinquished the WBC title the ‘interim’ title holder, Javier Castillejo, was accorded full championship status despite being inactive for a long period.

Castillejo was then stripped on 1 June, having signed up for a fight against Fernando Vargas instead of making required defence against Ricardo Mayorga. Following that, Mayorga was matched against Michele Piccirillo to find a new WBC champion.

Meanwhile, Wright continued to hold The Ring Championship Belt until handing it back in October 2005.

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2 October 2004. Kassim Ouma w pts 12 Verno Phillips.

Venue: Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Joe Cortez.

Scorecards: 114-113, 114-113, 117-110.

Fight Summary: Despite having been outscored over ten rounds by Ouma in 2001, Phillips was more than happy to put his title on the line against the same man in a bid to avenge that defeat. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a poor fight, with the 34-year-old Phillips (152½) growing older by the minute and Ouma (152) merely pushing out southpaw jabs with no real weight behind them. At the end of the tenth Phillips was marginally ahead on the cards, but it was Ouma who found something extra in the 11th, battering away at the champion until he fell before blasting in heavy shots during the final session to impress the judges.

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11 September 2004. Daniel Santos w tdec 9 Antonio Margarito.

Venue: Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Luis Pabon.

Scorecards: 85-86, 86-85, 87-84.

Fight Summary: Not wishing to fight up close to avoid the possibility of heads coming together as in their previous contest, it was no surprise that the champion went on the move with southpaw jabs and solid left crosses, while Margarito (153) looked to land big rights. However, before too long, with Santos (154) beginning to stand his ground to get his punches off it was he who delivered the more solid blows in the opening three rounds. Margarito, however, came back well in the fourth before rocking Santos in the fifth. In the sixth, just when it looked like Margarito might be getting a foothold in the contest, he led with his head and pulled away with a badly gashed right eye. Knowing that the fight could be stopped at any moment, Margarito slammed into Santos during the next two sessions, but ran into a cracking right hook in the ninth that nearly dropped him. When the cut was deemed to be too serious for Margarito to continue during the interval, Santos was announced as the winner after the referee went to the cards.

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5 June 2004. Verno Phillips w rtd 6 Carlos Bojorquez.

Venue: Leggett & Platt Athletic Centre, Joplin, Missouri, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Mark Nelson.

Fight Summary: Fighting for the title that became available when Ronald Wright was stripped, Phillips (153½) was supposed to have met Kassim Ouma, but when he pulled out with a back problem Bojorquez (154) substituted at just four days’ notice. Very much a club fighter, with Bojorquez not in Phillips’ class, he was soon being banged around but as game as a pebble he was always trying to get his punches off. In the fifth, after Bojorquez was almost overwhelmed, at the end of the session the referee told him that if he did not start defending himself better he would have to pull him out. It got worse in the sixth when Bojorquez was sent down for ‘four’ following a smashing right to the head, and having been saved by the bell he was retired by his corner during the interval.

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17 April 2004. Daniel Santos w pts 12 Michael Lerma.

Venue: Florida State Fairgrounds Entertainment Hall, Tampa, Florida, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Max Parker Jnr.

Scorecards: 120-107, 120-107, 118-110.

Fight Summary: Although outboxing his fellow southpaw challenger in virtually every round and cutting him over the left eye in the third Santos (153½) was unable to find a finishing blow despite being just one punch away in the eighth. The lanky Lerma (153¼), nicknamed the ‘Body Snatcher’, with eight losses on his record did not really warrant a title shot. Throughout the fight Lerma had great difficulty in pinning Santos down. The one time he did manage it was in the fifth when getting off some solid shots but Santos rode them well and was soon back in control with the jab.

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13 March 2004. Ronald Wright w pts 12 Shane Mosley.

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

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

Fight Summary: In addition to three titles being on the line as well as The Ring Championship Belt, Wright (154) joined the elite when unanimously outscoring Mosley (154), having gone well with his solid southpaw jab throughout allied to a sound defence. From the second round onwards it was clear that Mosley somehow had to find a way through Wright’s tight guard but even with a two-inch-reach advantage he had little success. Wright was also proving the stronger on the inside. Having piled up the points with the jab, backed up with solid left crosses, by the end of the tenth Wright was way in front, and although Mosley won the last two sessions on pure aggression he was unable to turn things around.

Following Wright being stripped of the IBF title on 19 April when unable to meet his number one challenger due to contractual commitments, Verno Phillips and Kassim Ouma were contracted to contest the vacancy. Unfortunately for Ouma he damaged his back in training and was replaced by Carlos Bojorquez, who came in at four days’ notice.

Travis Simms, the WBA ‘second tier’ champion, made a successful defence against Bronco McKart (w pts 12 at Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC, New York on 2 October).

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8 November 2003. Ronald Wright w pts 12 Angel Hernandez.

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

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

Fight Summary: Taking a few rounds to find his rhythm, although the champion eventually got the southpaw jab working he still spent too much time at close quarters with the battle-hardened Hernandez (154), who relished the opportunity given him. Going forward and swinging in the fifth, as Wright (154) tried to switch, Hernandez had his best session to date but unable to maintain any momentum he was soon back on the receiving end. Cut on the right eye in the seventh, Hernandez’s chances were further weakened when he was nailed by several solid left hands as Wright looked for a finish. The final five sessions saw Wright well in control without having to be anywhere near his best.

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13 September 2003. Shane Mosley w pts 12 Oscar De La Hoya.

Venue: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBA/WBC/The Ring. Referee: Joe Cortez.

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

Fight Summary: Regardless that all three judges went with the challenger it was difficult to see how Mosley (154) outscored De La Hoya (154) when one examines the punch stats; De La Hoya connecting with 106 jabs to Mosley’s 33 and with 115 solid blows to 94. According to the round-by-round punch stats, De La Hoya won the fight 11 to one, landing at the rate of three to one in the third, fourth and seventh. There were no knockdowns, and there was never that much between them on the face of it, but according to all three cards Mosley won the last four rounds. It was during these sessions that he landed with his best punches, a tremendous right to the body in the ninth almost dropping De La Hoya. Having being cut over the right eye in the fourth following a clash of heads, De La Hoya may well have been more protective than usual, but even when on the retreat he scored well with countering jabs and deserved better. Mosley became a three-weight world champion on the result, having previously been an undefeated IBF lightweight champion and a WBC welterweight title holder.

On 20 September, at the Mohegun Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut, Alejandro Garcia retained the WBA ‘second tier’ crown when retiring Rhoshii Wells in the tenth round, but was parted from the so-called title when crushed by Travis Simms (l co 5 at the Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey on 13 December).

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28 June 2003. Daniel Santos w pts 12 Fulgencio Zuniga.

Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium, Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Luis Pabon.

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

Fight Summary: Despite coming out like a train, blasting in punches from both hands, the southpaw champion was unable to drop the ponderous Zuniga (153), who ate the jab all the way to the final bell. Although Zuniga tried hard enough he lacked the class to be able to tie Santos (154) down, being so predictably one-paced that the latter often took time out. Only in the eighth and ninth did Zuniga show, when mounting frenetic attacks to steal the rounds on the cards, and from there to the end of the fight Santos began to land solidly in an effort to finish inside the distance.

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3 May 2003. Oscar De La Hoya w rsc 7 Luis Ramon Campas.

Venue: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBA/WBC/The Ring. Referee: Vic Drakulich.

Fight Summary: Defending his three championship belts against Campas (153½), despite not being able to put the latter down the ‘Golden Boy’ virtually used his challenger as target practice as he flitted through the rounds with jabs and combinations to head and body. The problem for the brave Campas was that he only ever threw one punch at a time, while his lack of defence saw him hit flush again and again as De La Hoya (154) teed up. In the sixth, finding it hard to breathe, Campas was deducted a point for spitting out his gumshield. Finally, in the seventh, with Campas almost being hit at will his chief second stood up on the ring apron to implore the referee to stop the unequal contest, which he did with just ten seconds of the session remaining.

At the Cubierta Bullring, Leganes, Spain on 9 May, Javier Castillejo successfully defended the WBC ‘interim’ title when stopping Diego Castillo in the first round.

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1 March 2003. Ronald Wright w pts 12 Juan Carlos Candelo.

Venue: Thomas & Mack Centre, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Robert Byrd.

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

Fight Summary: Setting off at a fair pace Wright (153½) was expected to have a relatively easy time with Candelo (153), but was made to fight all the way as the challenger stayed in there throwing punches. Countering with rights and lefts as Wright pumped out the southpaw jab, Candelo had a fair amount of success, especially in the fourth and sixth when forcing the champion to fight every inch of the way. While Wright, who finished the contest with a badly swollen right eye, was always in front he could never relax as Candelo matched him, and had the latter packed a punch there might have been a different ending. Having hurt Candelo in the 11th with a right-left to the head, unable to find a finishing punch Wright concentrated on outboxing his man by a wide margin in the final session just in case any of the judges felt there was little in it.

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14 September 2002. Oscar De La Hoya w rsc 11 Fernando Vargas.

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

Fight Summary: With both men putting up their titles, as well as The Ring Championship Belt being up for grabs, even though it was not one of De La Hoya’s better nights he did more than enough to win. Both men had their successes, but at the end of the tenth De La Hoya (154) was ahead by a couple of rounds, having had Vargas (154) wobbling when sending in solid blows to head and body in the last session. Starting the 11th very much as he had ended the tenth, De La Hoya kept the punches going before finding a cracker of a left hook to the jaw to drop Vargas, and despite the latter getting up he was under so much pressure that the referee stopped it on the 1.48 mark.

Now that De La Hoya was recognised by the WBA as their ‘super’ champion, Alejandro Garcia won the vacant WBA ‘second tier’ title when stopping Santiago Samaniego, the WBA ‘interim’ champion, in the third round at the Thomas & Mack Centre, Las Vegas on 1 March 2003.

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7 September 2002. Ronald Wright w disq 8 Bronco McKart.

Venue: Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Mike Fischer.

Fight Summary: Having already outpointed the challenger twice, with Wright (153¾) confidently expected to do the hat-trick he made a good start against his fellow southpaw when taking the opening round. Although McKart (153½) came back well in the second, Wright was soon beginning to vary his shots, especially when driving in body blows. Unfortunately, McKart did not have the same accuracy as Wright when going to the body, receiving two point deductions in the sixth, one in the seventh and another in the eighth, before being disqualified at 2.33 of that session. On being outboxed comprehensively, at that stage it was just one warning too many.

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17 August 2002. Daniel Santos w pts 12 Mehrdud Takaloo.

Venue: Cardiff Castle, Cardiff, Wales. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Genaro Rodriguez.

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

Fight Summary: Cut over the right eye as early as the opening round, although Takaloo (154) bravely stuck to the task he never looked likely to upset the smooth-moving southpaw champion. It was a solid performance from Santos (154), his accurate punching and excellent movement keeping him in control, and although the English-based Iranian did his best he was up against a man who was always one move ahead.

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16 March 2002. Daniel Santos w rsc 11 Luis Ramon Campas.

Venue: Bally’s Park Place Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Joe Cortez.

Fight Summary: In a battle to decide the vacant title, Santos (154), who was a former undefeated WBO welterweight champion, made a solid start with the southpaw jab against a man who looked like his best days were behind him. There was no doubt that Campas could still bang a bit, but always on the move Santos gave him too few opportunities. At the end of the seventh Santos had won virtually everything, but in the eighth Campas came on strong for the first time after landing a terrific left hook to the body. It was not to be though, and by the end of the tenth Santos had Campas cut up and disillusioned. After taking an elbow and recovering in the 11th, Santos was soon back cherry picking, and when a big left cross tore into Campas’ already injured right eyebrow, forcing the blood to gush, the referee called a halt at 1.36 of the session.

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2 February 2002. Ronald Wright w rsc 5 Jason Papillion.

Venue: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Bill Connors.

Fight Summary: Although Papillion (149½) threw nearly as many punches as Wright (153¼) he was far less effective, landing just 55 to the champion’s 157. With Wright’s southpaw jab being the deciding factor he was soon in control, pushing Papillion back around the ring before opening up with lefts and rights in the fifth. The outclassed Papillion was under constant pressure from the moment the round started, as Wright blasted in punches from head to body, and while not going down the referee stopped the contest on the 2.44 mark to save him from taking unnecessary punishment.

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12 October 2001. Ronald Wright w pts 12 Robert Frazier.

Venue: Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California, USA. Recognition: IBF. Referee: Jon Schorle.

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

Fight Summary: Contesting the title vacated by Felix Trinidad, Wright (153¾), who dropped his man in round one, proved far too good for Frazier (153) when winning the unanimous decision by a wide margin. Starting aggressively, although not as smooth as normal due to him being out of the ring for ten months, while Wright tried to get the southpaw jab going he had some difficulty in catching up with Frazier who spent most of his time retreating without even bothering to counter. By the fifth, however, Wright was slotting his right home as Frazier tired, but it was not much of a spectacle. A big loser, despite taking a pounding in the final session Frazier somehow survived to the bell.

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22 September 2001. Fernando Vargas w rsc 7 Jose Flores.

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

Fight Summary: Just two fights earlier Vargas (153½) had lost the WBA title to Felix Trinidad, but when the latter handed his belt back in to move up amongst the 160lbs men ‘The Aztec Warrior’ was matched to meet Flores (153½), his former sparring partner, in order to find a new champion. After making a tentative start and being knocked off balance in the second round, Vargas came back immediately with a cracking left uppercut to the head to drop Flores on one knee. Although Vargas was finding it difficult to get himself up for the fight, being hit more than he would have liked, he eventually found the punches to finish it after lambasting Flores throughout the sixth. Coming out for the seventh, it was clear that Flores, his right eye badly swollen, would not be around much longer, and after Vargas smashed in blows to head and body he sunk to the floor to be rescued by the referee with one second of the session remaining. Despite the WBA calling it a kayo win for Vargas, the referee actually called the fight off before the count was completed.

On 10 August 2002, at the Gaston Defere Skate Park, Marseilles, France, Santiago Samaniego stopped Mamadou Thiam in the 12th round to land the vacant WBA ‘interim’ title.

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23 June 2001. Oscar De La Hoya w pts 12 Javier Castillejo.

Venue: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Vic Drakulich.

Scorecards: 119-108, 119-108, 119-108.

Fight Summary: Moving up to win the title, De La Hoya (154) had just too much of everything for the upright, pedestrian champion, who was outspeeded throughout. After making a poor start, when Castillejo (154) began to motor in the third although he was unable to get his normal punches off he occasionally hurt De La Hoya, especially with left-rights to the head. It was only in the tenth that all three judges gave Castillejo the round, when he tore into De La Hoya with solid blows from both hands. However, De La Hoya was well on top again thereafter, eventually dropping the Spaniard for the mandatory count immediately prior to the final bell. De La Hoya became a five-weight world champion on winning, having been an undefeated WBO champion at junior lightweight, an undefeated IBF/WBO champion at lightweight, an undefeated WBC champion at junior welterweight and a WBA/WBC champion at welterweight.

At the Americas Stadium, Parla, Spain on 12 July 2002, Castillejo won the vacant WBC ‘interim’ title when outpointing Roman Karmazin over 12 rounds.

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10 February 2001. Harry Simon w rsc 5 Wayne Alexander.

Venue: Kingsway Leisure Centre, Widnes, England. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Paul Thomas.

Fight Summary: Coming in at 24 hours’ notice for America’s Robert Allen who pulled out following a dispute over his weight, Alexander (154) made a good start before the champion began to get himself going in the second round. Having taken a cracking right from Alexander that shook him right down to his boots, Simon (152¼) started to open the Englishman up with uppercuts and by the fourth he was ripping in solid body shots. In the fifth, after being floored by hits to the body and a left hook to the jaw, Alexander took the mandatory count before facing Simon again, but when not firing back the referee stopped the contest at 2.43 of the session.

On winning the WBO middleweight championship on 21 July, it was expected that Simon would give up the junior middleweight title immediately, but when his win over Hacine Cherifi was later declared to have been for the ‘interim’ title it was not until November that the championship was officially vacated. Once that decision was made, Daniel Santos and Luis Ramon Campas were signed up to contest the vacant title.

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2 December 2000. Felix Trinidad w rsc 12 Fernando Vargas.

Venue: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: IBF/WBA. Referee: Jay Nady.

Fight Summary: Meeting to decide two title belts, Vargas (154) had a disastrous opening round when he was twice hammered to the floor by cracking left hooks to the jaw, before fighting back to have Trinidad (154) over from a left hook in the fourth. Trinidad came roaring back to get himself in front again, dropping Vargas with two terrific right hands in the 12th, prior to decking him again almost immediately he had got to his feet. He then forced the stoppage at 1.33 when smashing Vargas down with a long right to the head. Both men had points deducted for low blows, Trinidad in the fourth and seventh and Vargas in the tenth, and many felt that the latter was badly disadvantaged when having to be given time out to recover on the first occasion. It had been a great fight regardless of recriminations and took Trinidad to his 19th world championship victory at the young age of 27.

Trinidad relinquished the IBF/WBA versions of the title on 12 May 2001 in order to take part in the middleweight unification tournament. In order to find new champions, the WBA made a match between Vargas and Jose Flores, while the IBF settled on Ronald Wright and Robert Frazier.

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21 October 2000. Javier Castillejo w rsc 4 Javier Martinez Rodriguez.

Venue: Salon 21 Nightclub, Mexico City, Mexico. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Lupe Garcia.

Fight Summary: Contested the day before the WBC Convention, as soon as the fight got underway it was apparent that Castillejo (154) was looking to retain his title in the quickest possible fashion. In a battle between Spaniards on foreign soil, Martinez (152¾) was forced to suffer three knockdowns and a badly cut right eye before being rescued by the referee after 1.43 of the fourth round had elapsed.

In the aftermath, Castillejo was lined up to defend his title in a big-money match against Oscar De La Hoya.

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23 September 2000. Harry Simon w pts 12 Rodney Jones.

Venue: The Casino, Rama, Ontario, Canada. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Mark Nelson.

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

Fight Summary: Despite winning clearly on points, Simon (154) disappointed against a journeyman southpaw challenger whom he was expected to deal with in quick fashion, and more often than not was unable to cut the ring down. With Jones (153½) sticking out the jab, occasionally Simon walked straight into one as well as being caught by a number of other punches, but he generally outworked the American to deserve the win. Although two of the judges had Simon winning nine rounds, the third had them dead level, which made you wonder what fight he had been watching.

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26 August 2000. Fernando Vargas w rsc 4 Ross Thompson.

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

Fight Summary: Refusing to touch gloves with Thompson (153½), who had attacked him at the pre-fight press conference, with the champion being too pent up to settle immediately it was not until the third round that he eventually got going with a vengeance. After being messed about early in the session by Thompson and then having a point deducted for hitting behind the head, Vargas (153) got the message. Storming into the attack, Vargas hurt Thompson with a big left and moments later floored him. Back on his feet and attacked by a barrage of blows, Thompson was saved by the bell, having been floored again, and was still badly dazed when a hard left-right decked him early in the fourth. Clearly looking to bring the fight to a conclusion, when Vargas rifled in punch after punch to leave Thompson half sitting on the bottom rope, the referee jumped in quickly to call it off, the finish being timed at 1.07.

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22 July 2000. Felix Trinidad w rsc 3 Mamadou Thiam.

Venue: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida, USA. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Jorge Alonso.

Fight Summary: Making his first defence, Trinidad (154) hardly gave Thiam (152½) time to settle before he jumped on him and began blasting away with power-laden blows from both hands. How Thiam stayed on his feet as he was blasted around the ring was amazing, but when he finally made it to the bell his right eye was already closed shut with the prospect of more to come. Although Thiam remained upright in the second round, even firing back at Trinidad on occasion, with just 12 seconds remaining in the third the referee called it off. With Thiam staggering about and turning towards his corner, having been knocked sideways by a long left uppercut, the third man’s decision was an easy one.

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21 July 2000. Javier Castillejo w pts 12 Tony Marshall.

Venue: Cubierta Bullring, Leganes, Spain. Recognition: WBC. Referee: Daniel Van de Wiele.

Scorecards: 116-114, 117-112, 118-110.

Fight Summary: Stronger than his American-based challenger, Castillejo (153¾) quickly got down to work with the jab, being in the main unconcerned by anything coming his way. There was no doubting that Marshall (154) had a good, tight defence and was especially adept at moving his head to let punches miss, but he lacked the aggression to gain a foothold in the contest to any extent, apart from throwing the odd right uppercut. How one judge made it just two points between them was strange, as Castillejo, throwing sharp combinations and solid right hands to head and body, had won clearly in the eyes of the vast majority.

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15 April 2000. Fernando Vargas w pts 12 Ike Quartey.

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

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

Fight Summary: Defending his title against the dangerous Quartey (152) was always going to be a tough one for Vargas (153½), but despite his left eye being badly swollen and losing a point in the fourth round when going low he came through with flying colours to take a unanimous points decision. It was the left lead that won it for Vargas, as it not only scored him points but also stopped Quartey from getting off power punches. The last three sessions saw Vargas pick it up with combinations and left hooks to head and body to make sure of victory.

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3 March 2000. Felix Trinidad w pts 12 David Reid.

Venue: Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Recognition: WBA. Referee: Mitch Halpern.

Scorecards: 114-107, 114-106, 114-107.

Fight Summary: Having been dropped by a lead right in the third, Trinidad (153) came back to floor the champion, once in the seventh and three times in the 11th, as he pushed on to a well-earned points win after being deducted two points for low blows, in the sixth and 11th. Reid (153) also lost a point in the ninth for going low. Although Reid showed up well, especially when blocking and moving adroitly to avoid punches, it was the harder hitting IBF/WBC welterweight title holder who gradually took over to take every round from the fifth onwards when moving up a gear. How Reid managed to survive the 11th was amazing, and with his right eye closing fast he bravely endured another battering in the 12th to make sure he reached the final bell.

Within days, on 9 March, Trinidad relinquished his IBF/WBC welterweight titles to concentrate on the 154lbs weight class, feeling that he had increased his punch power by moving up.

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19 February 2000. Harry Simon w rtd 10 Enrique Areco.

Venue: Goresbrook Leisure Centre, Dagenham, England. Recognition: WBO. Referee: Raul Caiz.

Fight Summary: Working well with the southpaw jab and showing plenty of movement, the 37-year-old challenger made life difficult for Simon (153½) despite failing to win a round on the cards. Although Simon was doing his best to take Areco (154) out he was having great difficulty in trapping a man who could work inside or on the back foot equally well, and it was only when the latter began to feel the pace that things changed. By the eighth Simon was beginning to connect heavily, a left hook producing a nasty swelling under Areco’s eye in the ninth as he stepped up a gear. With Simon now looking to finish it after a left uppercut dropped Areco for ‘nine’ towards the end the tenth, leaving the Argentine with a bad swelling on his good eye, he was retired during the interval.