All-Time Great Jr. Lightweight Tournament

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Waiting for some of the lower divisions to wrap up, it’s possible to run through a couple of rounds of qualifying to set the field for the next weight division (going up from small to large), which would be the Jr. Lightweights. Total of 115 fighters rated for this division, and the 16 guys rated “9” and above will be exempt from qualifying and also inactive until the first full round of the tournament, which will be the round of 16. There will be 32 additional fighters – 9 rated “8” and above plus 23 from the qualifying – who will compete in the preliminary round of the tournament.

This leaves a total of 90 JLWs rated “7” and below who will be vying through three rounds of qualifying. The first round of qualifying action will see 15 bouts, including all 25 fighters rated “4” and below plus five of the “5”-rated guys. Then, the remaining “5” and “6” rated fighters check in for round two of the qualifying, followed by a final round of qualifying – 23 bouts – that will include the survivors of qualifying round two with 17 fighters rated “7” each of whom received a bye to the final round of qualifying.

So, on to the results from the first qualifying round.

FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND RESULTS

Ryuhei Sugita (JPN) SD 10 David Santos (USA)
Craig Docherty (UK) TKO 5 Dean Pithie (UK)
Boris Sinitsin (RUS) DQ 9 Johnny Verderosa (USA)
Darryl Pinckney (USA) UD 10 Harold Gomes (USA)
Danny Alicea (PUR) KO 10 Nobuhiro Honmo (JPN)
Yoshiaki Numata (JPN) UD 10 Yasatune Uehara (JPN)
Steven Luevano (USA) UD 10 Alfredo Layne (PAN)
Tom Johnson (USA) TKO 4 Jose Estrella (ARG)
Edwin Santana (DOM) MD 10 Anthony Tshehla (SAF)
Harold Warren (USA) UD 10 Lamont Pearson (USA)
Justin Juuko (UGA) TKO 5 Isidro Tejedor (COL)
Ali Funeka (SAF) UD 10 Keith Manabe (JPN)
Aaron Zarate (MEX) TKO 3 Carl Greaves (UK)
Mike Juarez (USA) KO 9 Kuniaki Shibata (JPN)
Juan Herrera (ARG) MD 10 Walter Seeley (USA)

Comments: Only two “1” rated boxers in the field, and two of them came through, Pinckey with a decision win over Gomes (a “2), and Juarez with a KO of the only other “1” rated guy. Only one of the five “5” rated guys lost: Manabe, to a fellow 5 (Funeka). Tough draw for guys like Johnny “The Heat” Verderosa, David Santos and Lamont Pearson, who might have been expected to go further. In one oddity, 14 of the 15 bouts were won by fighters from the blue corner, a rather weird coincidence.

Anyway, no draws and no need for rematches, so it’s on to the second round of qualifying before the inevitable hold-up waiting for more results from the lower divisions for guys in multiple weight classes yet to be eliminated there.

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SECOND QUALIFYING ROUND RESULTS

Chamaco Ortiz (MEX) MD 10 Mike Anchondo (USA)
Javier Oswaldo Alvarez (ARG) UD 10 Aaron Zarate (MEX)
Tom Johnson (USA) SD 10 Alton Colter (USA)
Steven Luevano (USA) UD 10 Mike Juarez (USA)
Edwin Santana (DOM) MD 10 Gregorio Vargas (MEX)
Juan Pablo Chacon (ARG) UD 10 Harold Warren (USA)
Daniel Jimenez (PUR) SD 10 Ugo Poli (ITA)
Ryuhui Sugita (JPN) MD 10 Mzonke Fana (SAF)
Mario Martinez (MEX) UD 10 Sirimongkol Singmanasak (THA)
Steve Forbes (USA) UD 10 Craig Docherty (UK)
Mbulelo Botile (SAF) TKO 6 Cassius Baloyi (SAF)
Johnny Sato (PHI) UD 10 Boris Sinitsin (RUS)
Yong-Soo Choi (KOR) UD 10 Idelfonso Bethelmy (VEN)
Nate Campbell (USA) UD 10 Yoshiaki Numata (JPN)
Carlos Navarro (USA) D 10 Michael Gomez (UK)\
Claudio Martinet (ARG) TKO 7 Jackie Beard (USA)
Carlos Rios (ARG) UD 10 Alfredo Marcano (VEN)
Alex Arthur (UK) TKO 8 Tracy Patterson (USA)
Carlos Hernandez (ELS) KO 6 Carlos Gerena (PUR)
Anatoly Alexandrov (KAZ) TKO 2 Tiger Ari (PHI)
Danny Alicea (PUR) KO 8 Hwan-Kil Yuh (KOR)
Ali Funeka (SAF) KO 5 Darryl Pinckney (USA)
Ever Beleno (COL) TKO 5 Kang-Il Suh (KOR)
Rolando Navarette (PHI) SD 10 Edelmiro Martinez (USA)
Randy Suico (PHI) KO 1 Jong-Kwan Baek (KOR)
Daniel Attah (NGR) MD 10 Walter Abend (GER)
Juan Arias (MEX) SD 10 Rene Barrientos (PHI)
Justin Juuko (UGA) DQ 8 Garry St. Clair (GUY)
Radford Beasley (USA) KO 5 Juan Herrera (ARG)

One draw – the Navarro-Gomez match – needed to be re-fought. The result:

Carlos Navarro MD 10 Michael Gomez (UK)

Anyway, the two remaining “1” fighters went down to defeat; in fact, no one rated below a “4” is left. Things will need to be put on hold for the final qualifying round, pending the results from the next round of the FW tournament, as one of the guys remaining in that tournament is slated to appear in the final round of JLW qualifying.

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THIRD QUALIFYING ROUND

Yodsanan Nanthachai (THA) UD 10 Steve Forbes (USA)
Bobby Chacon (USA) UD 10 Frankie Otero (USA)
Robbie Peden (AUS) TKO 9 Rolando Navarette (PHI)
Ryuhei Sugita (JPN) TKO 8 Randy Suico (PHI)
Frankie Klick (USA) UD 10 Sammy Goss (USA)
Hiroshi Kobayashi (JPN) UD 10 Antonio Amaya (PAN)
Mario Martinez (MEX) TKO 10 Ricardo Arredondo (MEX)
Claudio Martinet (ARG) MD 10 Juan Pablo Chacon (ARG)
Ali Funeka (SAF) D 10 Johnny Sato (PHI)
Jorge Barrios (ARG) KO 2 Mbulelo Botile (SAF)
Arturo Leon (USA) KO 7 Mike Ballerino (PHI)
Roberto Garcia (USA) TKO 4 Vicente Derado (ARG)
Ever Beleno (COL) KO 7 Juan Arias (MEX)
Carlos Rios (ARG) UD 10 Tom Johnson (USA)
Yong-Soo Choi (KOR) KO 6 Frankie Baltazar (USA)
Danny Alicea (PUR) UD 10 Nate Campbell (USA)
Carlos Navarro (USA) TKO 5 James Nagy (HUN)
Justin Juuko (UGA) TKO 4 Carlos Hernandez (ELS)
Anatoly Alexandrov (KAZ) UD 10 Steven Luevano (USA)
Alex Arthur (UK) TKO 8 Daniel Attah (NGR)
Daniel Jimenez (PUR) SD 10 Radford Beasley (USA)
Chamaco Ortiz (MEX) UD 10 Vicente Mosquera (PAN)
Javier Osvaldo Suarez (ARG) UD 10 Edwin Santana (DOM)

One draw, so one replay is needed.

Funoka UD 10 Sato

On the main event, where more progress in the ATG FW tournament will be required. Lowest ranked fighters to advance are two “4”s: Alicea and Juuko.

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FIRST PRELIMINARY ROUND RESULTS


Cutting the field to 32 where the 16 top seeded boxers will join in.

Danny Alicea (PUR) TKO 4 Yodsanan Nanthachai (THA)
Leonel Hernandez (VEN) SD 10 Arturo Leon (USA)
Ryuhei Sugita (JPN) TKO 9 Javier Osvaldo Alvarez (ARG)
Alex Arthur (UK) TKO 5 Claudio Martinet (ARG)
Jorge Barrios (ARG) TKO 9 Justin Juuko (UGA)
Cornelius Boza-Edwards (UGA) TKO 9 Ali Funeka (SAF)
Tony Lopez (USA) TKO 9 Anatoly Alexandrov (KAZ)
Jack Bernstein (USA) UD 10 Frankie Klick (USA)
Mario Martinez (MEX) KO 1 Ever Beleno (COL)
Carlos Rios (ARG) TKO 9 Roberto Garcia (USA)
Johnny Dundee (USA) UD 10 Chamaco Ortiz (MEX)
Steve Sullivan (USA) UD 10 Robbie Peden (AUS)
Zahir Raheem (USA) UD 10 Daniel Jimenez (PUR)
Genaro Hernandez (USA) MD 10 Hiroshi Kobayashi (JPN)
Carlos Navarro (USA) KO 5 Bobby Chacon (USA)
Yong-Soo Choi (KOR) D 10 Rafael Limon (MEX)

All decisive results except for the last bout, which necessitates a replay.

Limon UD 10 Choi

This sets the field for the first round of the tournament proper. Only one “4” rated boxer, Alicea, gets through. The other, Juuko, is entered in the qualifying rounds for the LW tournament.

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Ready to go with the first round of the tournament proper. All the 16 seeded fighters now join the fray, and the pairings look like this:

Alexis Arguello (NIC) (1) vs Danny Alicea (PUR)
Joel Casamayor (CUB) (16) vs Johnny Dundee (USA)
Erik Morales (MEX) (9) vs Cornelius Boza-Edwards (UGA)
Ben Villaflor (PHI) (8) vs Jack Bernstein (USA)
Hector Camacho (PUR) (4) vs Mario Martinez (MEX)
Jesus Chavez (MEX) (13) vs Tony Lopez (USA)
Tyrone Everett (USA) (12) vs Leonel Hernandez (VEN)
Alfredo Escalera (PUR) (5) vs Alex Arthur (UK)
Tod Morgan (USA) (6) vs Carlos Rios (ARG)
Brian Mitchell (SAF) (11) vs Zahir Raheem (USA)
John John Molina (PUR) (14) vs Steve Sullivan (USA)
Azumah Nelson (GHA) (3) vs Carlos Navarro (USA)
Flash Elorde (PHI) (7) vs Jorge Barrios (ARG)
Sammy Serrano (PUR) (10) vs Rafael Limon (MEX)
Rocky Lockridge (USA) (15) vs Genaro Hernandez (USA)
Julio Cesar Chavez (MEX) (2) vs Ryuhei Sugita (JPN)

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A couple of upsets thus far ...

Alexis Arguello (1) KO 4 Danny Alicea

Alicea’s run ends as he faces the #1 seed. Arguello goes to work right away, dropping Alicea in the opening round with a solid combination. Two more KDs follow in rounds two and three, with Alicea being saved by the bell at the end of the third round. The end comes a round later with the fourth KD as Arguello unleashes a three-punch combination that puts Alicea down and out. Great start for the top seed in the tournament.

Joel Casamayor (16) MD 10 Johnny Dundee

Early edge in a close fight goes to Dundee, the “Scotch Wop.” It takes a late surge from Casamayor, who takes the final two rounds from all three judges, to secure the win (score counts are 96-94, 95-95, 97-93).

Cornelius Boza Edwards KO 9 Erik Morales (9)

After a close opening round, it is Boza-Edwards who seizes the initiative and pulls ahead, holding a slight points lead (48-47 on the unofficial card) at the midway point. Morales struggles with his timing and the awkward style of his opponent. The end comes when Boza-Edwards unleashes a wicked hook to the head that puts Morales down and out.

Ben Villaflor (8) UD 10 Jack Bernstein

Two boxers do battle, and Villaflor proves to be the more effective, building a solid points lead (49-46 at the midway point on the unofficial card). By the later rounds, Bernstein has been worn down, has swelling around both eyes, and lacks the firepower to stage a significant rally. Thus, the decision goes to Villaflor by a comfortable margin (97-93, 98-92, 97-93).

Hector Camacho (4) TKO 9 Mario Martinez

“Macho” Camacho takes charge early in round three, raining a combination of blows on Martinez, who goes down and takes a six-count. Martinez’s right eye is also beginning to puff up from the impact of Camacho’s blows. Camacho is well ahead at the midway point (50-44 on the unofficial card). A second KD follows in round six, then two more in round nine leading to an eventual stoppage to save Martinez from further punishment.

Jesus Chavez (13) KO 5 Tony Lopez

The bout commences with a good action round in the opening stanza. Lopez gets lucky and lands a big shot in round two, putting Chavez on the deck for an eight-count. Chavez bounces back with a big round four. The end comes in round five when Chavez connects with a cross to the head that puts Lopez down and out.

Tyrone Everett (12) UD 10 Leonel Hernandez

After a big round two for Everett, the bout devolves into a defensive struggle. Slight edge for Hernandez on the unofficial card (48-47) at the midway point, but Everett shows superior stamina and takes the decision (98-92, 97-93 twice) in a bout with no cuts or knockdowns.

Alex Arthur TKO 10 Alfredo Escalera (5)

In the early rounds, this appears to be a mismatch as Escalera quickly gains the upper hand, landing some good shots in round three. However, Escalera also shows signs of swelling around his left eye. Then, in round seven, Escalera is cut over his right eye, while Arthur shows the effects of the bruising battle with a rapidly swelling left eye. Escalera puts Arthur down with a cross, but Arthur arises at the count of five and covers up to last the round. Escalera appears to be well on his way to a decision when the cut is reopened in the final round. An immediate stoppage is ordered, and it is Arthur who advances on the cuts stoppage – a peek at the judges’ scorecards reveal that all three had Escalera well ahead.

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Even more upsets in the bottom half …

Carlos Rios MD 10 Tod Morgan (6)

Rios has a big round three, breaking open a bout that was close for the first two rounds. Rios continues to surprise, holding a solid points lead (49-46, according to the unofficial scorer at ringside) at the midway point. By the end of round six, it is clear Morgan is taking a beating, as his right eye has begun to puff up; after seven, Morgan’s other eye begins to show signs of swelling. Nonetheless, Morgan is able to mount a late rally that is snuffed out when Rios takes command with another big round in round nine. Rios goes on to pull off the upset (two judges have it 96-94 for Rios, while a third calls it even at 95 apiece).

Zahir Raheem TKO 5 Brian Mitchell (11)

Mitchell sustains a cut lip in the opening round. Not much action for the next few rounds, but it turns out the cut proves to be a factor, after it is reopened and some swelling appears under the right eye of Mitchell. To the surprise of many, the bout is halted, and Raheem is awarded a TKO win, even though Mitchell was leading on all three cards after four. Another seed eliminated early in an upset-plagued opening round.

Steve Sullivan UD 10 John John Molina (14)

Strong start for Sullivan, who takes charge in round two and follows up with an even better round in round three. Molina tries to force his way inside, but he is stymied by Sullivan’s excellent defense. Sullivan pulls out to a substantial points lead by the midway point (49-46 on the judges’ cards), and he calmly remains on the outside as Molian continues to flail away with an ineffective attack. Solid UD 10 win – and another seed falls – as the cards read 98-92 and 97-93 twice, all for Sullivan.

Azumah Nelson (3) KO 5 Carlos Navarro

Nelson takes charge from early in round two, following up with a big round three and then, in round four, he rocks Navarro with a big combination. Nelson lands an uppercut that puts Navarro down late in the round, with Navarro being saved by the bell. There is no saving Navarro in the next round, when he is counted out, victim of a Nelson uppercut.

Flash Elorde (7) TKO 8 Jorge Barrios

Elorde gets off to a strong start, taking the lead in the punches landed stat. Then, in round five, Elorde sustains a cut under his left eye. Halfway through the bout, Elorde holds a comfortable points lead (49-46) on the unofficial card. Barrios continues to take a beating, as shown by some noticeable swelling under his left eye from round seven on. Then, in round eight, Elorde goes on the offensive, and Barrios finds himself battling cuts both above and below the right eye – enough for the ref to call a halt. Elorde advances on the cuts stoppage.

Sammy Serrano (10) UD 10 Rafael Limon

Slick boxing from Serrano impresses the judges, and Limon’s efforts to press the action on the inside are unsuccessful. Solid points lead (50-45 on the unofficial card) at the midway point. Limon is the aggressor while Serrano elects to remain outside, largely out of range. Limon does manage to land a few good shots, enough to cause a trace of swelling to appear under the left eye of Serrano by the end of round eight. Nevertheless, the outcome is a comprehensive win for the stylish Serrrano (98-92 and 99-91 twice are the judges’ cards).

Genaro Hernandez UD 10 Rocky Lockridge (15)

Lockridge gets off to a good start, but Hernandez turns the tables in round five, when he puts Lockridge down with a wild overhand right. While Rocky is able to arise after taking an eight count, he appears visibly shaken. The unofficial card has Hernandez up by two (48-46) at the midway point. Lockridge, trailing, tries to work his way inside and become more aggressive in the second half of the fight, but to no avail. Lockridge is cut over his right eye in round nine, and Hernandez goes on to register a mild upset, taking a close but unanimous decision (96-93 from two judges, 95-94 according to a third).

Julio Cesar Chavez (2) TKO 8 Ryuhei Sugita

Sugita, the lowest rated boxer remaining, appears to be overmatched in this fight. At the outset of round two, Chavez connects with a cross that puts Sugita down for a five-count. More trouble in round four, when Chavez stuns Sugita with a sharp combination, then follows up with a hook that puts Sugita on the deck for a second time. Then, in round five, Sugita suffers a cut and swollen right eye. Chavez, not content to await a decision, moves inside and continues to fire away, dropping Sugita in round seven and, again, near the end of round seven, with only the bell there to save Sugita. The end comes a round later, after the fifth KD, with Sugita being helpless against the ropes. Very impressive performance by Chavez.

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With six of the 16 seeded fighters eliminated, quite a bit of re-bracketing is required for the second round (round of 16) pairings.

Arguello (1) vs Arthur
Everett (12) vs Jesus Chavez (13)
Camacho (4) vs Rahim
Elorde (7) vs Boza-Edwards
Villaflor (8) vs G. Hernandez
Nelson (3) vs S. Sullivan
Serrano (10) vs Casamayor (16)
J. C. Chavez (2) vs Rios

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Alexis Arguello (1) KO 7 Alex Arthur

Arguello, the #1 seed, dominates the action from the early going. In round three, he decks with Arthur with a nice combination. A second KD follows in round five, and the end comes two rounds later as another Arguello combination puts the overmatched Arthur down and out.

Tyrone Everett (12) SD 12 Jesus Chavez (13)

Slight punches landed edge for Everett in a close bout, although the unofficial ringside observer had Chavez up (59-55) at the midway point. The gap is closed to one (86-85) after nine, and – after the bout reaches the distance – the judges wind up in disagreement, two going for Everett (by scores of 115-113 and 117-111) and a dissenter, for Chavez (115-113), allowing Everett to advance.

Hector Camacho (4) UD 12 Zahir Raheem

In round two, Raheem decks the heavily favored Camacho with a wild overhand right. Camacho arises after taking a seven-count and continues. The rest of the bout goes Camacho’s way, and by the midway point there is noticeable swelling around the left eye of Raheem. A barrage of blows from the “Macho Man” decks Raheem for a three-count in round 10, and Camacho goes on to a comfortable points win (117-109 twice, 118-111) despite the early knockdown.

Flash Elorde KO 3 Cornelius Boza-Edwards

Elorde looks sharp early, and he opens a gash over the right eye of Boza-Edwards in round two. The end comes a round later when an Elored hook puts Boza down and out.

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Genaro Hernandez SD 12 Ben Villaflor (8)

The bout is close for the opening three rounds, then Villaflor pulls slightly ahead with a big round four. At the midway point, the unofficial card has Villaflor up by one (58-57). Then, Hernandez bounces back with a big round in the seventh. After taking a beating in this round, there is noticeable swelling around the right eye of Villaflor. Hernandez follows up with another strong showing in round eight, but then in round nine it is Villaflor once again in charge, and this time there is swelling around the right eye of Hernandez. The see-saw battle continues into the final round, when Villaflor puts Hernandez down with a seven-count with a barrage of blows. However, the final round also sees Villaflor docked a point for an intentional foul. In the end, two of the three judges go for Hernandez (by counts of 114-112 and 115-11) while a third has Villaflor (by 114-112).

Azumah Nelson (3) UD 12 Steve Sullivan

Sullivan starts well and holds the early edge in punches landed. Nelson is ahead slightly at the midway point (58-57 on the unofficial card) and he gradually gets stronger as the bout wears on. In the final round, Nelson drops Sullivan who takes an eight count before resuming. The bout goes to decision, but it is a lopsided win for Nelson (118-108, 119-107, 118-108) who is looking to make a deeper run at JLW than he did in the FW tournament.

Sammy Serrano (10) UD 12 Joel Casamayor (16)

Serrano dominates the action in the opening three rounds. Casamayor takes control with a huge round four, by the end of which Serrano is sporting a rapidly swelling left eye. An accidental butt in round six causes a gash to appear over Casamayor’s left eye. From this point onward, Serrano pulls away to a comfortable points win (118-112, 117-112, 118-112 are the final scores).

Julio Cesar Chavez (2) TKO 9 Carlos Rios

Rios, who pulled off an upset win over #6 Tod Morgan in the opening round of the tournament, proved a difficult opponent for Chavez, who struggled with his timing for most of the first half of the bout. Leading by a narrow one-point margin at the midway pint (58-57 on the unofficial card), Chavez finally exploited an opening in round nine when he connected with a cross, a solid right hand, and another cross to put Rios out on his feet. The ref called a halt, and Chavez advanced via the TKO win.

QUARTERFINAL ROUND PAIRINGS

Some re-jiggering of the draw is needed to produce the following pairings, with Hernandez – the only remaining unseeded fighter – slated to face the top seed.

Arguello (1) - Hernandez
Camacho (4) - Elorde (7)
Nelson (3) – Serrano (10)
Chavez (2) – Everett (12)

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QUARTERFINAL ROUND

Alexis Arguello (1) TKO 4 Genaro Hernandez

Both men work outside, with Arguello taking charge near the end of round two. In round three, Arguello puts Hernandez on the deck with a big shot. Hernandez arises after taking a four-count, but the damage is done. More of the same in round four, when mercifully the bout is halted to save Hernandez from further punishment. Solid performance for Arguello, and the last unseeded fighter is eliminated from the tournament.

Hector Camacho (4) UD 12 Flash Elorde (7)

Elorde works outside, but it takes little time for Camacho to locate him, scoring with a three-punch combo to take round two. After another big round in round three, Camacho begins to relax in the middle rounds, allowing Elorde back into the bout. By round seven, Elorde shows signs of swelling under his left eye. Elorde, who has gradually become more aggressive, wins rounds seven through nine to cut the margin to two (87-85) on the unofficial card. Camacho responds by winning rounds 10 and 11 and then goes on to record a UD 12 win (116-113 on all three cards).

Azumah Nelson (3) KO 10 Sammy Serrano (10)

Nelson puts Serrano on the defensive from the outset, taking the opening round. After an even round in the second round, Serrano’s boxing skills are on display as he takes rounds three and four. After round four, there is a trace of swelling under the left eye of Nelson. Nelson responds with a strong round in the fifth, dropping Nelson with a short, clean cross. Serrano takes an eight-count and attempts to cover up, but Nelson scores a second KD (again resulting in another eight-count for Serrano). Scores are even (57-all) on the unofficial card, but Nelson has the momentum heading into the second half of the fight. After a big round eight for Nelson, there is swelling under both eyes of Serrano. A Nelson cross results in a third KD in round nine, with Serrano being saved by the bell despite a mammoth 41-point round for Nelson! The coup-de-grace occurs with a fourth and final KD in round 10, after which Serrano is counted out.

Tyrone Everett (12) UD 12 Julio Cesar Chavez (2)

Action is slow to develop, with Everett showing some excellent boxing skills, particularly after rocking Chavez with an uppercut in round three. Chavez moves inside and has a slight punches landed edge in round four. Everett takes round five, after which a mouse forms under the left eye of Chavez. Rounds seven and eight fall to Everett, and it is a weary Chavez who comes out for round nine. However, Chavez manages to stage a nice rally, working inside and scoring well for his best round of the fight. Nonetheless, Everett battles back, taking round 11 and holding off Chavez to take a close but unanimous decision – three points (116-113) on one judge’s card, one point (115-114 and 114-113) on the other two.

This sets up the following matchups for the semifinal round:

Arguello (1) vs Everett (12)
Nelson (3) vs Camacho (4)

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SEMIFINAL#1 - Alexis Arguello (1) vs Tyrone Everett (12)

Round-by-Round:

Round 1: Arguello connects with a big left. Everett is trapped in a neutral corner and goes down for a four-count when Arguello lands a big shot. Great start for Arguello.

Round 2: Arguello lands with a hook and an uppercut. Everett, momentarily staggered, recovers to land some good shots later in the round. Edge to Arguello.

Round 3: Both men appear to be comfortable trading blows from the outside. Arguello lands a hard cross, Everett responds by doubling up on a hook. Slight edge to Everett.

Round 4: Arguello tries to work inside, landing a hook that sends Everett back against the ropes. Everett again recovers quickly, gets in a few shots. Even round.

Round 5: Arguello lands a big hook. Everett is staggered, but bounces back by landing a quick hook to the head. Good action round, with each man landing some heavy leather. Unofficial card at this point has Arguello ahead (49-47).

Round 6: Arguello works inside, but not much happens until the last 30 seconds of the round when a straight right scores for Everett, who manages to take the round.

Round 7: More inside action being forced by Arguello, who lands a couple of hard hooks and does enough to capture the round with his aggressiveness.

Round 8: Everett catches Arguello with a nice uppercut. Arguello comes back, landing a hook to make it another essentially even round.

Round 9: Arguello continues to stalk his opponent, pressing forward and trapping Everett in a corner. Arguello then unleashes some heavy leather, but Everett remains upright despite the barrage. Big round for Arguello.

Round 10: Arguello lands a big uppercut, and Everett goes down for the second time in the bout. Arguello’s killer instinct kicks in, and he fires a three-punch combo. Everett tries to cover up, but he has trouble seeing due to a rapidly swelling right eye. Arguello lands some more unanswered blows before the ref calls a halt to save Everett from further punishment.


Alexis Arguello is the winner via TKO at 2:14 of the 10^th round

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SEMIFINAL #2 -- Azumah Nelson (3) vs Hector Camacho (4)

Round-by-Round:

Round 1: Camacho opens the scoring, landing an uppercut. A gash is opened above Nelson’s left eye. Nelson battles back, mixing it up on the inside an landing an uppercut of his own. Camacho, trapped in a neutral corner, covers up. Slight edge to Camacho, who dominated the first half of the round.

Round 2: The cut over Nelson’s eye is patched up; Camacho lands an uppercut, re-opening the cut. Camacho connects with a cross, pushing Nelson back against the ropes. Nelson, cornered, remains active and does enough to keep the round close.

Round 3: Camacho works his jab, and once again the cut is re-opened. Camacho fires a left, then lands an uppercut, doing more damage with a follow-up cross. Big round for Camacho, and Nelson retreats to his corner for more work on the cut.

Round 4: Camacho pops a jab. The cut over Nelson’s eye is bleeding again, and this time it is too much to allow the bout to continue.

Hector Camacho is the winner via a TKO on a cuts stoppage at 0:24 of the 4^th round

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Alexis Arguello (1) vs Hector Camacho (4)

Their prior results in this tournament:

Alexis Arguello, 4-0 (4 KO)

KO 4 Danny Alicea
KO 4 Alex Arthur
TKO 10 Genaro Hernandez
TKO 4 Tyrone Everett (12)

Hector Camacho, 4-0 (2 KO)

TKO 9 Mario Martinez
UD 12 Zahir Raheem
UD 12 Flash Elorde (7)
TKO 4 Azumah Nelson (3)

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ALEXIS ARGUELLO (1) vs HECTOR CAMACHO (4)

Round-by-Round:

Round 1: Arguello fires and misses, then pins Camacho in a corner. Both men clinch, then Camacho breaks free and unleashes a flurry of punches that are mostly blocked by Arguello. Camacho sticks a right to the chest of his opponent, then follows with a left to the head of Arguello. Arguello stuns Camacho with a big cross. A straight right from Arguello is blocked. In the final minute of the round, Camacho seizes control, ripping a hook to the head and following with a jab. Camacho’s round.

Round 2: Camacho fires a combination, then jolts Arguello with a hard jab. A big left is side-stepped by Alexis. Arguello misses with an uppercut on the inside. Camacho works to the chest and neck of Arguello. “Macho Man” scores with a right cross and then a quick hook to the head. At this point there is some puffiness under the left eye of Arguello from the accumulated blows. Arguello regroups, then stuns Camacho with an uppercut. Camacho scores with a right that lands flush of the chin of Arguello. Huge round for Camacho.

Round 3: The round starts with some clinching by Arguello. Camacho breaks free, circles Arguello and lands a punch that is part hook, part uppercut. Camacho lands a stinging jab, then follows with a sharp combination. Arguello retreats. The two men take a breather. Arguello lands a straight right. Camacho scores with an uppercut. Excellent ring movement from Camacho, who takes the round.

Round 4: Arguello moves inside, taking a more aggressive approach. Camacho lands a couple of hard body shots. Arguello hurts Camacho with a sharp combination. “Macho Man” clinches to buy some time, then pops home a jab. Arguello lands a couple of body shots, then shoots an uppercut to the head of Camacho. “The Explosive Thin Man” connects with a three-punch combo, then a left hook followed by a right hook, and Camacho is in trouble. Arguello catches Camacho with an uppercut, best round of the fight for Arguello thus far.

Round 5: Arguello continues to press the action on the inside, while Camacho seems to content to adopt a more defensive role. Camacho traps Arguello in a neutral corner and lands an uppercut to the chin. The two men step back, then a jab scores for Camacho. Arguello lands a cross, then follows with a quick left hook to the body. Camacho appears to be shaken. Arguello misses with the left and again with a right. An uppercut scores for Arguello. Camacho lands an uppercut of his own. Slight edge to Arguello, and the unofficial scorer has Camacho leading (48-47) at this point.

Round 6: Camacho lands a grab. Arguello, trapped against the ropes, clinches. Not much action as both men take a breather. Camacho doubles up on the jab but is wild with a hook. Arguello is off target with his punches. More clinching before the bell. Slight edge to Camacho but not much happening in round six.

Round 7: Arguello continues to work inside. Camacho uses his superior ring movement to dance out of range. Arguello closes the distance and clinches. After the break, Arguello scores with a cross. Camacho clinches and is warned by the referee for holding and hitting. A cross from Arguello is off target. Arguello connects with a hard cross. An uppercut from Camacho is just short. More clinching by Arguello. Slight edge to Arguello.

Round 8: Arguello scores with a big left then a stinging hook. Camacho appears to be hurt, but then “Macho Man” unleashes a three-punch combination. A straight right from Camacho finds the range. A solid hook for Arguello. Camacho shoots a jab to the chest. Good footwork from Camacho, who manages to keep Arguello off balance, landing to the chest and neck. Edge to Camacho in this round.

Round 9: Noticeable swelling under Arguello’s eye seems even worse now. Arguello misses, then clinches. Arguello is off target with a jab and a follow-up left. More clinching. Arguello is short with a right. Camacho dances into a neutral corner then lands a straight right. Arguello appears shaken. Not much action, but what few punches that landed were thrown by Camacho.

Round 10: Arguello goes on the offensive. A leaping shot falls short. Camacho misses. Arguello connects with a three-punch combo. Camacho works the jab. Arguello fires a volley of punches, then Camacho moves out of range. Camacho flicks a jab. Arguello is off target. Camacho lands a straight right, then steps back and lands a crushing right to the jaw of Arguello. The bell sounds before further damage is done. Big round for Camacho, who is now ahead by two (97-95) on the unofficial scorecard.

Round 11: Camacho blocks a punch from Arguello, then lands to the chest and neck. Arguello is short with a return shot. Camacho connects with an uppercut. Arguello appears to be stunned. Camacho proves to be an elusive target, dancing out of range. More clinching by Arguello who is unable to find the range with his punches. Camacho bangs home a cross, then follows with a hook. Arguello clinches, then connects with a hard shot off the top of Camacho’s head. Camacho covers up and lasts the round. Camacho’s round despite the one big shot from Arguello near the end.

Round 12: Arguello ramps up the attack, going all out for a knockout. A quick left hook to the head scores for Arguello. Cross from Arguello bounces off Camacho’s shoulder. Arguello lands a big left, and once again Camacho covers up. Arguello fires a lead right, then catches Camacho with an uppercut. Good round for Arguello, who continues to stalk Camacho, landing a final cross right before the bell. There is a trace of swelling under the left eye of Camacho as a result of the impact of Arguello’s blows.

Round 13: Camacho is being to tire, while Arguello appears to have enough energy left for a late surge. A left from Arguello bounces harmlessly off Camacho’s shoulder. Then, Arguello steps back and connects with a crushing right to the head of Camacho. “Macho Man” retreats to a defensive posture, and his punches lack sting. Arguello follows Camacho into a neutral corner, bangs home a right cross but misses with a left hook. Camacho launches a two-fisted attack, then sticks a jab. Camacho traps Arguello in a corner, landing a cross before Alexis works free. Arguello scores with a right uppercut. Camacho is shaken but able to drill a hook to Arguello’s midsection. Great action round that has the crowd on its feet, edge to Camacho.

Round 14: Arguello goes on the offensive, while Camacho is defense-first. Early exchange of blows favors Camacho. Arguello is beginning to fatigue. Camacho lands a three-punch combo, then shoots home a right. There is a lull in the action as Camacho retreats to a neutral corner. Arguello lands a straight right. Camacho responds with a hard shot that catches Arguello flush, and Arguello goes down, taking a six-count before arising, leaning against the ropes for support. The bout continues. Camacho throws a flurry but catches air with a hook. He corners Arguello and lands a quick hook to the head right before the bell. Huge round for Camacho, quelching a late rally by Arguello with the knockdown.

Round 15: Arguello rushes in and traps Camacho in his own corner. Arguello misses with an uppercut from the outside, and Camacho flicks a jab. Camacho moves off the ropes but is nailed by a quick hook to the head from Arguello. Alexis follows with a big hook to the jaw and follows with a flurry of punches. Back at ring center, Arguello reaches Camacho’s chin with a piston-like jab. Arguello continues to jab away, using it to set up a hard shot off the top of Camacho’s head. Arguello is wild with a hook before the final bell sounds. Arguello’s round, but was it a case of too little, too late? Only the final scorecards will tell …

The bout goes to the scorecards and, after a long wait, the results are announced …

The winner via unanimous decision is Hector Camacho (scores are 144-140, 143-141, 145-139)