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Bantamweights Third Round
George Dixon 37-3-1 (12) vs Daniel Zaragoza 34-7-2 (19)
Little Chocolate just had too many tools for the tough Mexican and he controlled the majority of the rounds with hard jabs and winging right hands while Zaragoza occasionally got inside and banged the body well. Shockingly the decision for Dixon was split, but the right guy won. 117-111, 113-115 & 116-113
Jeff Chandler 21-0 (15) vs Johnny Buff 33-5-6 (11)
Buff was able to frustrate Jeff early with some hit and run tactics, but Chandler rocked him early in the fourth with a right hand and he unloaded with both hands; busting open Buff's right eye with a hook before digging two vicious hooks to the body and dropping a right hand flush on the chin that put Johnny down for the count.
Ruben Olivares 38-2-1 (34) vs (WBC) Alphonse Halimi 14-7-1 (6)
Olivares worked his way in tight and banged the body while Halimi mainly used his jab in the first three rounds. Ruben opened a nasty gash over the champions left eye with a right hand in the fourth and he staggered him with a hook late in the round. A lead right and an uppercut widened the already ugly wound early in the fifth and the ref and doctor decided to call a halt.
Paulie Ayala 39-2 (12) vs (IBO) Mbulelo Botile 14-7-1 (8)
Ayala boxed circles around the champion in the opening round with deft movement and speedy combinations. In the second and third rounds, Botile scored heavily with his right hand and he drew severe swelling from the challengers left eye and staggered him badly with an uppercut late in round three. After a close fourth, Mbulelo hurt him again with two right hands in the fifth and carried the sixth with some heavy body shots.
Paulie came on in the seventh and eighth with a series of jabs and nice left hands behind it. Ayala's jabs puffed up the champs left eye in the ninth and he continued to land straight lefts behind it. Round ten was closer as Botile scored with some right hands to get himself back in play. With things in the balance, Botile was very aggressive in the final two rounds and his right hand was dialed in on Ayala's closing left eye and the underdog champion retained his belt with a tight UD. 115-113 & 115-114 x2
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