The Greatest Prize in Sports

[kenyan_cheena]

TheSweetScience.com

SUNDAY 10 MAY 2009

Norton pondering retirement
following KO loss to Johnson

Story by Andrew Michaels

The career of former world heavyweight champion Ken Norton is at a crossroads after he fell to a third consecutive defeat last night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Following on from his two world championship bout losses to Peter Jackson in June and November last year, Norton was knocked out in the 11th round by Texas-born, LA-based Olympic gold medallist Jack Johnson. The fight was the main event of the IBL's final card of stage one in its World Championship Conference, and it was the biggest win of Johnson's impressive career to date. The loss will see Norton tumble down the rankings and out of world title contention for the first time since the start of IBL competition almost three years ago. He came into the evening ranked #2, while Johnson, in his WCC debut, was ranked #10. While they won't swap places, it's certain that Johnson will find himself in the top five, while Norton will be at the tail end of the top ten, when the updated rankings are released tomorrow.

With a deal of bad blood between the two men, this showdown had been a long time coming. Norton and Johnson were mutual friends of former heavyweight boxer (and current NFL running back) Sam McVey when all three were signed to the IBL back in '06, and Norton was critical of Johnson's influence over McVey. He was more or less proven correct after the November '07 sex scandal that saw McVey quit boxing and end his relationship with fiancee Claudette James and friendship with Johnson. Norton has remained close with McVey since then, but there has been no love lost between himself and Johnson. The Galveston-born Johnson actually called Norton out in December, a challenge that Norton accepted, unwisely, in the opinion of many observers. Johnson, who has publicly embraced the role he was branded with of "The Bad Guy" during the last eighteen months, was vicious in his trash talking towards Norton in the lead up to last night's fight, saying that following his two defeats to Jackson, he would be the one to finish the job and send Norton into retirement.

Despite the aggression and nasty attitude he has often displayed outside of the ring, Johnson is known more for his defensive prowess when he steps between the ropes. That skill was on full show against Norton, as he frustrated the former world champion with his evasiveness through much of the contest. The opening two frames were less than eventful, with both men content to feel each other out and, in doing so, deflating some of the excitement amongst the crowd that had built up in the arena before the opening bell. However, the action picked up in the 3rd as, after Norton landed some solid blows early in the stanza, Jackson finished with a flurry of activity, catching his opponent with a pair of sizzling combinations to the head and a stinging body shot all in the last forty-five seconds. But Norton responded strongly in round four, connecting with a vicious right cross and a jolting uppercut to give his fans renewed hope.

Norton's chances took a hit in the 5th, though, with Johnson seizing the advantage thanks to a flsh straight right midway through the round and then a succession of scoring punches concluded by a crunching uppercut. Johnson maintained his advantage early in round six, planting a right cross on Norton's chin, but the San Diego slugger rallied bravely in the bottom half of the frame, landing a pair of flush right hands and a hard left hook to the body. Unfortunately, it would prove to be Norton's final act of resistance. Johnston took the 7th convincingly and did not surrender the upper hand for the remainder of the fight. He dominated a tiring Norton in rounds eight, nine and ten, but was content to administer just enough punishment to both win the rounds but also avoid finishing Norton off. Johnson appeared to delight in the situation, and he let the crowd at ringside know it as he returned to his corner at the end of the 9th, to which he received mostly jeers in response.

It was a surprise that referee Toby Gibson did not engage Norton's corner during this period to warn them he would stop the fight if their man did not increase his activity rate. But as if seemingly and suddenly having tired of carrying Norton this far into the bout, Johnson came out intent to finish the job himself in the 11th, and he did so in eye-opening style. After pummelling Norton with a three-punch salvo early in the round, he peppered him with crisp jabs and straight rights, worsening the already serious swelling around Norton's left eye. With barely a minute having passed, Johnson then stepped in and assailed Norton with a stiff jab and a straight right that jolted Norton's chin and buckled his knees. A follow-up trio of hard shots, left-right-left, all landed flush and dropped Norton to the canvas, flat on his back and near the ropes, for the first and final time in the fight.

Johnson stood over his fallen oppoenent for a good two or three seconds with his right fist raised before Gibson stepped in and pushed him aside, leading to a count that probably lasted a good fourteen or fifteen seconds before he waved the contest over at the 1:18 mark, Johnson the winner by knockout. He mounted the ringpost of his corner and made the throat-slitting gesture towards the audience with glee, drawing renewed howls of protest and disgust. When it was all over, Johnson had landed an impressive 341 of 640 punches (53.3%), Norton just 131 of 532 (24.6%). It took some time before the former world champion was able to just sit up, a number of medical officials attending to him with concern. Norton was eventually helped back to his corner, where he sat on his stool and underwent further examinations. With the win, Johnson improved his record to 24-2-1(14), while Norton fell to 34-6-1(28).

(to be continued)

[ttj0001]

I had started reading this years ago but have recently started to go back through. I love that you're still doing this after so long. It's quite the entertaining read and the creativity you've shown in coming up with this universe is simply amazing.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by ttj0001

I had started reading this years ago but have recently started to go back through. I love that you're still doing this after so long. It's quite the entertaining read and the creativity you've shown in coming up with this universe is simply amazing.

Thanks for the kind words. Very much appreciated.

There have been times when I've almost decided to give up on this thread completely, but that just means I need a break from it. I always find my way back here eventually.

Going to finish off the review of the Norton-Johnson card this weekend.

[kenyan_cheena]

Anyone else had trouble with the board today? I finished writing the review last night (Sydney time) and was going to post it but that was when the board decided to stop working for me. Couldn't post, couldn't log back in after doing a history delete. Oh, well. Will just have to post the review when I get home tonight.

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation of post #2221)

For the second time in his last three fights, Norton was assisted from the ring soon after the bout's conclusion to receive medical treatment in the dressing rooms and did not take part in the post-fight interviews. It left Johnson free to gloat and boast over his impressive victory. In an uncomfortable, unfortunate scene, he did not fail to deride his fallen opponent.

"That's three losses in a row for him, you know?" Johnson said with a smile. "Don't 'cha think he should retire now? I know that if it was me, and I had lost three fights in a row, I'd definitely be thinkin' about retirement. But then again, I'm younger than he is, so I've got that time on my side."

ESPN's Jay Freeman called Johnson out over the disrespect he was showing Norton, but Johnson didn't miss a beat.

"Ain't got nothing to do with respect or disrespect," he said in an irritated tone. "Yeah, Norton has been a great champion. He has been, at the top for a long time. But his time is over, man. No need to mince words, no need to sugar coat any of it. The man is a has been and needs to hang up them gloves."

The topic soon moved on to who Johnson's next opponent might be.

"Well I'm not sure about that right now," he admitted. "But I know one thing: it's gonna be a contender. I'm not gonna be satisfied with just beating Ken Norton and thinking that earns me a title shot. Lewis, Friedrich, maybe Ike? I'd like the chance to get some payback on Ike 'cause he cost me my spot here two years ago. I ain't forgotten that. But I'm hoping that another big win in stage two might get me a title shot at the end of the year. That's the plan, at least."

Johnson's future looks very bright after this victory. As for Norton's, it's uncertain at best. He's been knocked down four times and knocked out twice in the three losses he has suffered within the last twelve months, and also fought a total of 37 rounds in those fights. It's been a gruelling, punishing stretch for him with no success to show for all the hard work. The man himself confirmed that, for the first time, he might have to consider retirement when he was confronted by a swarm of media when leaving his dressing room at the end of the night, looking battered and bruised and wearing a pair of shades to disguise some of the damage Johnson had inflicted upon him. If not retirement, as Johnson suggested, perhaps some time away from the sport is in order. And if not that either, perhaps then a more judicious selection when it comes to who he faces in his next bout.

Molina and Darcy victorious on undercard

The evening's final preliminary bout was more than worthy of main event status, as it saw former world bantamweight champion Carlos Zarate on debut in the featherweight division and taking on #2-ranked contender and former multiple alphabet champion Jose Molina. The two men brought a combined 69-4-1(47) record into the evening and in the opinion of many, the bout was a virtual world title eliminator. Zarate finished his time in the IBL's bantamweight division with a six-fight winning streak that started at the beginning of 2007 and concluded with three world title fights. He had been out of action since last July though, when in an unusual situation he chose to relinquish the championship after stopping Jeff Fenech in four rounds and announcing that he would be campaigning as a featherweight in 2009.

Zarate claimed he would need the extra time out of the ring to bulk up to the 126-pound featherweight limit, saying that he wasn't planning to compete in the division as a "blown-up bantamweight". He didn't take the safer route when pursuing his first opponent, choosing to swing for the fences in taking on Molina, who has been undefeated since 2004. Hoping that a victory over the talented Puerto Rican would shoot him straight into a world title fight, it appears that 10th-ranked Zarate may have underestimated how tough the transition to featherweight would be, and also how difficult Molina would be to overcome. In a blow to his short-term chances at contending for the featherweight belt, Zarate suffered a unanimous decision defeat that was more decisive than the final scorecards of 116-114, 117-112 and 115-114 indicated.

Not only was Zarate outworked by Molina, he was also less efficient with his offense. Molina peppered Zarate throughout the contest with a stiff, piston-like jab and stinging three- and four-punch salvos. When it was all over, Molina had landed a superb 378 of 983 punches (38.5%), Zarate just 186 of 627 (29.7%). There were moments in rounds two, four and nine, and then in the final frame, where Zarate was able to tag Molina with some punishing blows, but they were fleeting eye-catching moments that were more than cancelled out by Molina's complete fight brilliance. The winner was incredulous at the closeness of the scorecards when the verdict was revealed, and directed some heated words at an IBL official in expressing his displeasure. Molina is now a perfect 4-0 in the WCC and 35-2-1(22) overall, while Zarate, who will have to go back to the drawing board, fell to 35-3(25).

Another former world champion was making a debut in a new division earlier in the night, as the Australian Les Darcy traded blows with Detroit's Michael King in a light-heavyweight clash. Unlike Zarate, Darcy was victorious, but it was by no means an easy night for the former middleweight titlist. Darcy took a unanimous decision verdict, with all three judges favouring him with identical 116-112 scorecards. He sent King to the canvas with a crushing uppercut late in the 5th round, part of a stretch that saw him dominate the middle rounds of the contest. While King was the more aggressive of the two, much of his offense was ineffectual and Darcy's accuracy made him look all the worse by comparison. Darcy outlanded King 277-223, but connected with 40% of punches thrown compared to just 18% for King.

The loss was another blow for the veteran King (30-10-1(21)) following a late-round TKO defeat to Freddie Mills in November, in a fight King was dominating and in which he had floored Mills three times. That loss saw him drop from #2 to #5 in the world rankings, and this loss to Darcy will see him fall further. Darcy improved to 34-3(25) with the win, and should make a healthy climb from his current ranking at #10. Nigeria's Celestine Amakochi, who regained the 175-pound world championship last weekend, has mentioned Darcy as someone he would like to fight at the end of the year. For that to happen, he will have to overcome the outstanding Canadian Sam Langford in stage two and also have Darcy be victorious over whoever he goes up against in stage two. Darcy himself poured a bit of cold water on the possibility of such a fight, though.

"I really don't know about that, to be honest," he said, shrugging. "And I don't know where the rumours came from that had me saying I'd really be up for such a fight. I've only just moved up to light-heavy, so it'd be a big step to be contesting the championship in only my third fight here, and against a talent like Amakochi, who has already established himself as a great of the division. Yeah, I'm not sure about that. I feel like it might take me a couple more fights just to get used to the fighting weight."

While some might label those words cowardice on Darcy's part, I call it being entirely sensible. He has already proven himself as a champion at 160 pounds, but he is smart enough to know that 175 is a completely different beast. However, he has also expressed intrigue towards the IBL's announcement last month about the possibility of expanding to thirteen weight classes next year, an expansion that would include a 168-pound super-middleweight division where Darcy might feel more comfortable than at 175. If that occurs, it's likely that his time at light-heavyweight won't extend beyond 2009. Fighting for the world title at the end of this year would be redundant if he ends up as a super-middleweight in 2010, so it seems the IBL have set some uncertainty in motion in regards to the future.

[kenyan_cheena]

That was the last write-up for stage one of the WCC. Next up is a review and summary post for the bouts that weren't featured in the individual articles for the first two weekends of May.

[kenyan_cheena]

IBL ONLINE

The Official Website of the
International Boxing League

Sunday, May 10, 2009

(Following are selected entries from the website's "Inside the Ropes: Fight Focus" section for competition bouts in the World Championship Conference for the month of May 2009).

SATURDAY 2 MAY: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
(WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION)
#3 CARMELO BAREA (PUERTO RICO, 34-4-1(20)) UD12 #9 IFEANI ADAMU (NIGERIA (28-5-1(19))

Puerto Rico's Carmelo Barea kept himself in the picture for a possible world title shot later in the year with his second consecutive victory, following up November's upset of Marcelo Smith with a convincing domination of Nigeria's Ifeani Adamu. It was expected to be a closer contest but Adamu, who ended '08 with a pair of unsatisfying clashes against his compatriot Ademola Udeze, was never in it, and Barea took the verdict by scores of 120-108, 117-111 and 118-110. he outlanded Adamu by more than twice as many punches, 422-199. With world champion James Ray defending the title against #1-ranked Meldrick Taylor next month and #2-ranked Michael Lincoln's loss to Max Rasmuth last month, Barea will be looking for another impressive performance in stage two to secure himself a place as Ray's next challenger.

SATURDAY 2 MAY: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, USA
(LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION)
#14 IRAN BARKLEY (USA, 27-3-1(20)) UD12 #7 MELIO BETTINA (USA, 15-3(7))

After a perfect 5-0 run through the '08 International Conference Bronx slugger Iran Barkley made a victorious WCC debut, outclassing Connecticut's Melio Bettina and taking a comfortable unanimous decision verdict (118-111 on all three cards). Bettina has now lost three of his last four bouts since April '08, a downward trend that started when he challenged Celestine Amakochi for the world title. Barkley missed out on a spot in last year's WCC when he was defeated by Steve Finley in the September '07 qualifiers and said that he's looking to make up for lost time. He dropped Bettina with a jolting right cross midway through round ten and outlanded him 449-257. The win will certainly see Barkley move into the top ten, and he confirmed afterwards that he'll be pursuing a clash with a top five contender in stage two.

SATURDAY 2 MAY: DALLAS, TEXAS, USA
(BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION)
#15 CARMELO ALEMAN (USA, 13-2-3(7)) MD12 #8 ORLANDO CANIZALES (USA, 24-4-2(18))

Florida-born bantamweight Carmelo Aleman sprung a considerable upset in his WCC debut, dominating local favourite and former IBL Americas champion Orlando Canizales at Texas Stadium in Dallas. Aleman, who turns 23 on July 22, showed once again that he is possibly the best young bantamweight in the world and a definite future world title contender as he outlanded Canizales 419-191 and connected with 48% of the punches he threw. Somehow, Italian judge Remigio Ruggeri scored the fight a 114-114 draw, but his US counterparts Jesse Reyes and Richard Houck got it right, favouring Aleman 116-112 and 118-110 respectively. Aleman has been undefeated since a DQ loss to Johnny Bredahl in March '07, going 8-0-2(3) since then, a run that now includes a five-fight winning streak. This victory should see him jump to the tail end of the top ten in the world rankings and also position him for a stage two clash with a top contender, if he wants it.

SATURDAY 9 MAY: LONDON, ENGLAND
(JUNIOR-HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION)
#2 TOM SHARKEY (IRELAND, 22-3-1(19)) MD12 #7 ROBERT DANIELS (USA, 26-8-2(20))

Ireland's Tom Sharkey was feeling the weight of expectation going into his showdown with Robert Daniels. There were two reasons for this. The first was that Maurice Holmes, who had been dethroned as world junior-heavyweight champion by Michael Vaughan in March, had announced soon after his defeat that he would not be attempting to regain the title, as he planned to move up to heavyweight in 2010. This led to the IBL confirming that Sharkey would be elevated to the #1 world ranking if he was to defeat Daniels. Then, only two weeks ago, Vaughan stated that if Sharkey was successful in that endeavour, then his intention was to make his first defense against the Irishman in stage two.

Tom Sharkey has been defying expectations for most of his life though, and against Daniels he pulled through with a majority decision verdict, but only just, and only after two knockdowns in a wild final round erased a losing deficit on two scorecards. For most of the fight, Daniels was the better man and when it was over, he had outlanded Sharkey 297-209. He also had Sharkey out on his feet after unleashing an eye-opening assault on him in the 5th, which the tough Irish slugger somehow survived. When he appeared to be on his way to defeat, Sharkey floored Daniels with a left hook one minute into the 8th, a knockdown that would prove vital to the outcome. Daniels would regain control in round nine and then dominate the 10th, once again seeming to be on his way to an outstanding victory.

However, when Sharkey rallied to hurt Daniels and take the 11th convincingly, he still had hope, but that hope slowly evaporated through the final frame ... until he was somehow able to conjure up a miracle and floor Daniels twice in the final minute of the fight. The first knockdown came from a flurry of desperate punches, while the second was from a punch that seemed to be right our of a movie, a jolting uppercut that took Daniels' legs out from under him less than twenty seconds from the final bell. Sharkey had pulled off a four-point swing in two rounds and it saw him announced as the victor by scores of 114-110, 112-112 and 113-111.

SATURDAY 9 MAY: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
(BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION)
#11 SERGIO MILITO (ARGENTINA, 25-2(16)) UD12 #6 ERNESTO MIRANDA (ARGENTINA, 30-7-1(17))

In an all-Argentinian bantamweight battle, the younger, up-and-coming talent Sergio Milito put an end to the veteran Ernesto Miranda's chances of ever securing a shot at the IBL world championship. Despite a number of losses, Miranda had been able to stay in the title picture because of the quality of his opposition, with the likes of former world champ Carlos Zarate, former world title challenger Jeff Fenech and future world title challenger Atsuto Hasebe all inflicting defeats upon him. But this month's loss to Milito will surely be the last straw in the eyes of the IBL rankings committee. Milito recorded a victory that was not as close as the final verdict of 115-114, 118-111, 116-113 indicated. Miranda tried valiantly, but was simply outclassed and this win will have many observers who were not already convinced now believing that Milito is a future world champion.

SATURDAY 9 MAY: LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA
(MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION)
#14 FABIO AUTRAN (BRAZIL, 20-3-3(7)) KO12 #7 JOHN MUGABI (UGANDA, 36-5-2(33))

The downward spiral continued for former WBO junior-middleweight champion John Mugabi, falling to his third consecutive defeat in a fight he was expected to win quite handily. After being stopped in the 10th round by both Les Darcy (in a world title fight) and Holman Williams to end 2008, Mugabi was looking to get back on track against the talented Brazilian Fabio Autran, who went through the '08 IC a perfect 5-0. Making his WCC debut, Autran showed no fear against the power-punching Ugandan, but he trailed by no less than three points on all three scorecards heading into the final frame after Mugabi controlled and swept rounds three to seven.

But Mugabi had begun to tire by the 9th and he appeared to be gassed at the start of the 12th. Even so, no one could have predicted the stunning and crushing end to the bout. With just under a minute remaining, a right cross dropped Mugabi onto the seat of his pants. He was up at seven but on unsteady legs, and tried to make it to the bell by tying Autran up and then backpedalling. But with just fifteen seconds remaining, a crunching uppercut snapped his chin back and floored him for a second time. If Mugabi had made it to his feet, the round would have been scored 10-7 to Autran, which would have led to a drawn verdict - but Mugabi did not make it to his feet, and was sensationally counted out at 2:56 of the final round.

***

(Following are selected entries from the website's "Inside the Ropes: Results at a Glance" section for competition bouts in the World Championship Conference for the month of May 2009).

5/2: MANILA, PHILIPPINES

(FW) #19 DANIEL ZARAGOZA (MEXICO, 25-8-1(14)) SD12 #9 NOBUHIRO YOKOYAMA (JAPAN, 19-6-2(14))

5/2: DALLAS, TEXAS, USA

(BW) #16 RUBEN OLIVARES (MEXICO, 15-4(15)) TKO11 #17 JOHNNY KING (ENGLAND, 20-6(9))
(FLY) #14 BEIBIS MENDOZA (COLOMBIA, 21-7(14)) KO7 #19 FRITZ CHERVET (SWITZERLAND, 29-7-2(20))
(FW) #13 PATRICK FORD (GUYANA, 13-3-3(5)) TKO2 #7 KEITH HARRISON (USA, 36-7-1(23))

5/9: LONDON, ENGLAND

(FW) #18 ANTONIO ESPARRAGOZA (VENEZUELA, 23-5-1(15)) SD12 #14 RONNIE CLAYTON (ENGLAND, 17-4-2(8))
(LHW) #4 LEN HARVEY (ENGLAND, 26-4(15)) UD12 #12 JOHN CONTEH (ENGLAND, 32-5-2(21))

5/9: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

(HW) #18 ADAM BROOKS (USA, 13-5-1(6)) UD12 #13 ARTURO GODOY (CHILE, 22-6-2(17))

[kenyan_cheena]

About to get started on working out the world rankings as at the end of stage one of the WCC. Could take a while to get them done, depending on how much time I am able to dedicate to it.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

About to get started on working out the world rankings as at the end of stage one of the WCC. Could take a while to get them done, depending on how much time I am able to dedicate to it.

Five divisions down, four to go...

[Romdawg88]

That's my boy Melo getting it done

[kenyan_cheena]

IBL ONLINE

The Official Website of the
International Boxing League

Monday, May 11, 2009

INTERNATIONAL BOXING LEAGUE
2009 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CONFERENCE

World Rankings as at
the end of Stage One (Sunday, May 10, 2009)

HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION

WORLD CHAMPION: (WC). PETER JACKSON (AUSTRALIA, 21-1-0(12)) (#)

01. (01). TERONE HAYNES (USA, 29-1-0(25)) (#)
02. (03). LENNOX LEWIS (ENGLAND, 21-2-2(13)) (W)
03. (10). JACK JOHNSON (USA, 24-2-1(14)) (W)
04. (05). MARKO FRIEDRICH (GERMANY, 32-2-1(25)) (W)
05. (08). IKE IBEABUCHI (NIGERIA, 33-5-1(27)) (W)
06. (12). CHEETAH BROWN (USA, 19-2-0(13)) (W)
07. (16). SCOTT MUNDT (GERMANY, 22-4-0(14)) (W)
08. (09). ALEXANDER ZOLKIN (RUSSIA, 24-9-4(19)) (W)
09. (02). KEN NORTON (USA, 34-6-1(28)) (L)
10. (04). MAX SCHMELING (GERMANY, 22-3-0(15)) (L)
11. (19). RAY MERCER (USA, 40-9-2(25)) (W)
12. (07). ROMY ALVAREZ (USA, 13-5-0(7)) (L)
13. (06). ANDREW GOLOTA (POLAND, 33-9-0(29)) (L)
14. (18). ADAM BROOKS (USA, 14-5-1(6)) (W)
15. (11). JOHN FEHNER (USA, 16-3-0(13)) (L)
16. (15). DAVID KANE (USA, 16-7-1(14)) (L)
17. (17). RON E. VINCENT (USA, 17-3-0(9)) (L)
18. (13). ARTURO GODOY (CHILE, 22-7-2(17)) (L)
19. (14). LEON HIGGINS (USA, 30-10-0(21)) (L)

===============

JUNIOR-HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION

WORLD CHAMPION: (01). MICHAEL VAUGHAN (USA, 26-3-0(16)) (W)

01. (02). TOM SHARKEY (IRELAND, 23-3-1(19)) (W)
02. (03). PIET CROUS (SOUTH AFRICA, 25-6-2(17)) (W)
03. (WC). MAURICE HOLMES (USA, 47-6-1(39)) (L)
04. (04). CARL THOMPSON (ENGLAND, 33-6-1(21)) (W)
05. (06). LEE ROY MURPHY (USA, 29-7-2(19)) (W)
06. (05). ANGELO ROTTOLI (ITALY, 33-7-4(23)) (L)
07. (08). TORSTEN MAY (GERMANY, 36-7-1(25)) (W)
08. (07). ROBERT DANIELS (USA, 26-9-2(20)) (L)
09. (09). TAOUFIK BELBOULI (FRANCE, 33-6-0(22)) (W)
10. (10). MARK ELWOOD (USA, 20-5-1(14)) (W)
11. (14). WAYNE BRAITHWAITE (GUYANA, 27-9-1(20)) (W)
12. (11). BRUCE SCOTT (ENGLAND, 29-8-4(19)) (L)
13. (12). ORLIN NORRIS (USA, 19-4-0(10)) (L)
14. (16). PIETRO AURINO (ITALY, 29-6-0(16)) (W)
15. (13). ANACLET WAMBA (FRANCE, 29-6-4(18)) (L)
16. (18). ENZO MACCARINELLI (WALES, 22-6-1(15)) (L)
17. (15). ERIC FIELDS (USA, 29-8-1(16)) (L)
18. (17). URIAH GRANT (JAMAICA, 33-11-2(22)) (L)
19. (19). JOHNY JENSEN (DENMARK, 18-7-4(8)) (L)

===============

LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION

WORLD CHAMPION: (01). CELESTINE AMAKOCHI (NIGERIA, 28-2-0(20)) (W)

01. (02). SAM LANGFORD (CANADA, 24-2-0(17)) (W)
02. (WC). RAY LANDIS (USA, 33-4-0(25)) (L)
03. (04). LEN HARVEY (ENGLAND, 27-4-0(15)) (W)
04. (10). LES DARCY (AUSTRALIA, 34-3-0(25)) (W)
05. (09). TARIBO KESHI (NIGERIA, 29-5-0(22)) (W)
06. (08). MARK SOMOGYI (AUSTRALIA, 20-2-0(15)) (W)
07. (11). ALEXANDER LUCAS (ENGLAND, 27-4-0(19)) (W)
08. (14). IRAN BARKLEY (USA, 28-3-1(20)) (W)
09. (03). MAURO MINA (PERU, 18-4-1(10)) (D)
10. (16). STEVE LITTLE (USA, 18-6-3(8)) (D)
11. (05). MICHAEL KING (USA, 30-10-1(21)) (L)
12. (07). MELIO BETTINA (USA, 15-4-0(7)) (L)
13. (06). DICK TIGER (NIGERIA, 31-4-2(20)) (L)
14. (19). JACK CHASE (USA, 26-6-1(15)) (W)
15. (12). JOHN CONTEH (ENGLAND, 32-6-2(21)) (L)
16. (13). STEVE GAYLE (USA, 28-4-2(18)) (L)
17. (15). YOLANDE POMPEY (TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, 21-9-1(14)) (L)
18. (17). EDDIE DAVIS (USA, 13-5-3(8)) (L)
19. (18). JASON WANGANEEN (AUSTRALIA, 13-8-2(8)) (L)

===============

MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION

WORLD CHAMPION: (WC). KOICHI WAJIMA (JAPAN, 28-3-2(18)) (#)

01. (01). HOLMAN WILLIAMS (USA, 23-3-2(12)) (W)
02. (02). FREDDIE STEELE (USA, 42-3-2(35)) (#)
03. (11). IAN LORD (ENGLAND, 21-1-0(11)) (W)
04. (12). JEMAR LOFTON (USA, 29-1-1(22)) (W)
05. (13). MAURICE HOPE (ENGLAND, 22-4-2(13)) (W)
06. (16). JAKE MORRISON (USA, 18-4-0(18)) (W)
07. (14). FABIO AUTRAN (BRAZIL, 21-3-3(8)) (W)
08. (10). EMILE GRIFFITH (USA, 34-3-2(23)) (W)
09. (09). GREG GORECKY (CANADA, 15-2-1(8)) (W)
10. (05). JOE GANS (PANAMA, 18-5-0(10)) (L)
11. (06). JOSE NAPOLES (USA, 31-4-0(25)) (L)
12. (03). NIGEL BENN (ENGLAND, 21-3-1(16)) (L)
13. (07). JOHN MUGABI (UGANDA, 36-6-2(33)) (L)
14. (08). FRED BOATWRIGHT (USA, 15-3-1(5)) (L)
15. (04). MICKEY WALKER (USA, 17-4-0(13)) (L)
16. (18). WILLIE MONROE (USA, 14-4-2(8)) (W)
17. (15). ROBBIE SIMS (USA, 20-6-2(11)) (L)
18. (17). GENE ARMSTRONG (USA, 22-5-3(12)) (L)
19. (19). COLEY WELCH (USA, 14-5-1(4)) (L)

===============

WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION

WORLD CHAMPION: (WC). JAMES RAY (USA, 20-1-1(11)) (#)

01. (01). MELDRICK TAYLOR (USA, 30-5-0(17)) (#)
02. (03). CARMELO BAREA (PUERTO RICO, 35-4-1(20)) (W)
03. (04). ADEMOLA UDEZE (NIGERIA, 28-5-1(20)) (W)
04. (10). MAX RASMUTH (USA, 17-3-1(8)) (W)
05. (06). SHOJI OHASHI (JAPAN, 23-3-1(16)) (W)
06. (07). ENRIQUE DIAZ (MEXICO, 35-4-0(26)) (W)
07. (18). JUAN VILLEGAS (ARGENTINA, 27-6-0(16)) (W)
08. (17). MARVYN ROLLINS (USA, 37-6-2(26)) (W)
09. (02). MICHAEL LINCOLN (USA, 29-3-0(21)) (L)
10. (16). EMMANUEL TORRES (PHILIPPINES, 23-8-1(13)) (W)
11. (15). WILFRED BENITEZ (PUERTO RICO, 22-3-2(13)) (W)
12. (09). IFEANI ADAMU (NIGERIA, 28-6-1(19)) (L)
13. (05). HUGO PINEDA (COLOMBIA, 25-7-1(17)) (L)
14. (08). MARCELO SMITH (USA, 29-5-1(19)) (L)
15. (13). JIRO SUZUKI (JAPAN, 27-5-1(15)) (L)
16. (11). ELFORD COLES (USA, 14-1-1(4)) (L)
17. (12). ORLANDO SIERRA (PUERTO RICO, 28-3-1(22)) (L)
18. (14). ASHLEY JACKSON (ENGLAND, 17-3-1(12)) (L)
19. (19). JASON MORRIS (USA, 18-8-3(11)) (L)

===============

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION

WORLD CHAMPION: (WC). PATRICIO MARQUEZ (MEXICO, 47-3-1(37)) (#)

01. (01). BEN VILLAFLOR (PHILIPPINES, 25-2-0(12)) (W)
02. (03). HECTOR HERNANDEZ (MEXICO, 36-2-2(24)) (W)
03. (04). JOE BROWN (USA, 36-3-2(25)) (#)
04. (11). PERNELL WHITAKER (USA, 25-0-0(15)) (W)
05. (08). RAFAEL LIMON (MEXICO, 35-4-0(24)) (W)
06. (05). CORNELIUS BOZA-EDWARDS (UGANDA, 25-2-3(20)) (D)
07. (13). RADAMEL RAMOS (COLOMBIA, 27-2-2(15)) (D)
08. (12). AZUMAH NELSON (GHANA, 18-3-0(12)) (W)
09. (07). JIM WATT (SCOTLAND, 19-5-1(12)) (L)
10. (18). IKE WILLIAMS (USA, 16-3-0(8)) (W)
11. (16). HIROSHI KOBAYASHI (JAPAN, 35-6-1(23)) (W)
12. (02). FRANCISCO ORTIZ (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, 39-5-0(31)) (L)
13. (06). JIM DRISCOLL (WALES, 38-3-3(28)) (L)
14. (15). NICOLAS FILLION (CANADA, 17-3-0(5)) (W)
15. (10). ORLANDO ZULUETA (CUBA, 23-2-3(13)) (L)
16. (09). OBAFEMI ROTIMI (NIGERIA, 24-6-1(19)) (L)
17. (14). RUBEN NAVARRO (USA, 22-8-2(13)) (L)
18. (17). YURI ROMANOV (BELARUS, 14-4-2(10)) (L)
19. (19). LEONEL HERNANDEZ (VENEZUELA, 38-9-1(27)) (L)

===============

FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION

WORLD CHAMPION: (WC). SALVADOR SANCHEZ (MEXICO, 24-1-0(18)) (W)

01. (02). JOSE MOLINA (PUERTO RICO, 35-2-1(22)) (W)
02. (04). VICENTE SALDIVAR (MEXICO, 23-3-0(20)) (W)
03. (05). CHARLIE BENISTON (ENGLAND, 17-1-0(7)) (W)
04. (01). GILBERTO VASQUEZ (MEXICO, 32-4-1(19)) (L)
05. (06). JESUS CARRILLO (MEXICO, 33-4-1(18)) (W)
06. (17). JUAN LAPORTE (PUERTO RICO, 21-5-1(14)) (W)
07. (11). JULIUS SIASIA (NIGERIA, 35-4-1(21)) (W)
08. (13). PATRICK FORD (GUYANA, 14-3-3(6)) (W)
09. (19). DANIEL ZARAGOZA (MEXICO, 26-8-1(14)) (W)
10. (07). KEITH HARRISON (USA, 36-8-1(23)) (L)
11. (08). WITHAYA PAHOLPAT (THAILAND, 15-5-0(6)) (L)
12. (10). CARLOS ZARATE (MEXICO, 35-3-0(25)) (L)
13. (03). MIGUEL BAUTISTA (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, 30-7-1(18)) (L)
14. (18). ANTONIO ESPARRAGOZA (VENEZUELA, 24-5-1(15)) (W)
15. (12). MICHAEL SCHNEIDER (GERMANY, 38-6-2(25)) (L)
16. (14). RONNIE CLAYTON (ENGLAND, 17-5-2(8)) (L)
17. (09). NOBUHIRO YOKOYAMA (JAPAN, 19-7-2(14)) (L)
18. (16). RAUL CRUZ (MEXICO, 20-8-1(9)) (L)
19. (15). KAZUO TAKAYAMA (JAPAN, 15-8-0(5)) (L)

===============

BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION

WORLD CHAMPION: (WC). GILBERTO ROMAN (MEXICO, 29-3-0(21)) (#)

01. (02). JEFF FENECH (AUSTRALIA, 23-2-0(19)) (W)
02. (01). OWEN MORAN (ENGLAND, 28-3-1(16)) (D)
03. (03). ATSUTO HASEBE (JAPAN, 25-1-0(15)) (#)
04. (04). LUIS GALVANI (CUBA, 22-4-1(12)) (D)
05. (12). SIXTO ESCOBAR (PUERTO RICO, 25-2-0(10)) (W)
06. (07). RICARDO BEDIC (PHILIPPINES, 30-2-1(19)) (W)
07. (11). SERGIO MILITO (ARGENTINA, 26-2-0(16)) (W)
08. (09). SILENCE MABUZA (SOUTH AFRICA, 18-4-2(13)) (W)
09. (15). CARMELO ALEMAN (USA, 14-2-3(7)) (W)
10. (05). JEFF CHANDLER (USA, 20-5-3(12)) (L)
11. (06). ERNESTO MIRANDA (ARGENTINA, 30-8-1(17)) (L)
12. (08). ORLANDO CANIZALES (USA, 24-5-2(18)) (L)
13. (19). JIMMY KRUG (USA, 15-2-2(7)) (W)
14. (16). RUBEN OLIVARES (MEXICO, 16-4-0(16)) (W)
15. (10). CANDIDO TELLEZ (MEXICO, 32-3-2(22)) (L)
16. (14). PAULIE AYALA (USA, 25-3-2(13)) (L)
17. (18). NANA KONADU (GHANA, 26-10-1(18)) (L)
18. (13). SATOSHI IIDA (JAPAN, 21-6-0(7)) (L)
19. (17). JOHNNY KING (ENGLAND, 20-7-0(9)) (L)

===============

FLYWEIGHT DIVISION

WORLD CHAMPION: (WC). YURI ARBACHAKOV (RUSSIA, 36-4-1(25)) (W)

01. (02). TEKO DAVIDS (SOUTH AFRICA, 33-1-1(22)) (W)
02. (01). BENNY LYNCH (SCOTLAND, 30-5-1(18)) (L)
03. (04). KOKI KAMEDA (JAPAN, 25-6-0(16)) (W)
04. (06). HUMBERTO GONZALES (MEXICO, 19-3-1(13)) (W)
05. (05). ICHIRO OKUBO (JAPAN, 37-5-1(22)) (W)
06. (03). MARK JOHNSON (USA, 27-0-4(16)) (D)
07. (07). HIROYUKI EBIHARA (JAPAN, 24-5-2(17)) (W)
08. (09). RATON MOJICA (NICARAGUA, 23-6-4(14)) (W)
09. (10). PANCHO VILLA (PHILIPPINES, 25-3-1(15)) (D)
10. (13). CHOKCHAI CHOCKVIVAT (THAILAND, 18-7-1(15)) (W)
11. (08). SAMAN SORJATURONG (THAILAND, 24-5-3(16)) (L)
12. (14). BEIBIS MENDOZA (COLOMBIA, 22-7-0(14)) (W)
13. (16). BRAHIM ASLOUM (FRANCE, 36-10-0(24)) (L)
14. (11). LUIS MALDONADO (MEXICO, 42-8-0(32)) (L)
15. (12). JORGE ARCE (MEXICO, 15-5-0(10)) (L)
16. (17). TAE-SHIK KIM (SOUTH KOREA, 20-9-2(12)) (L)
17. (15). HITOSHI MISAKO (JAPAN, 22-7-1(11)) (L)
18. (18). ERBITO SALAVARRIA (PHILIPPINES, 24-6-5(11)) (L)
19. (19). FRITZ CHERVET (SWITZERLAND, 29-8-2(20)) (L)

===============

[kenyan_cheena]

Will get back to this soon. Have to figure out what's next first, as we are midway through May...

[kenyan_cheena]

So, the first stage of the double elimination tournament for qualifying from the International Conference to the World Championship Conference starts on Monday 25 May. That first week will feature the junior-heavies, lightweights and middleweights, with the other divisions to follow in the first two weeks of June. I'll do a little review of that first week at the end of May.

Stage two commences ten weeks later on 3 August. Stage three commences on 12 October and concludes on 1 November.

Stage one bouts are 10 rounders. Stage two and three are 12 rounders.

I'll also do a brief Development League review at the end of May. In between now (current uni date 11 May 2009) and then I will do at least one article, maybe two, but that "at least one" will cover early match-ups that have been confirmed for stage two of the WCC, such as rumoured rematches from stage one and world championship bouts that had already been arranged earlier in the year.

So that's the plan.

[kenyan_cheena]

k_c has been feeling nostalgic about this lately...

[Tomato Can]

One of the best Dynasties ever!!! Thank you KC!!