Night of the Upset in Cleveland.
Showtime’s weekend card from the Gund Arena in Cleveland was capped off with a bang when cruiserweight Guillermo Jones ended former world champion Wayne Braithwaite’s comeback dreams during a thrilling punch-up. Jones almost had “Big Truck” out of there in the first round but the native Guyanese held on and came back in the second and third frames where it was Jones who was looking to survive. The two waged open warfare in the fourth and both landed crippling shots. It was Jones who gained the upper hand however and as the Panamanian was unloading on Braithwaite the action was stopped. The cessation appeared to have been a bit premature and Braithwaite protested the outcome vehemently. With the victory, the six-foot-four-inch tall Jones, 33-3-2 (26), who amazingly enough was a welterweight for the first three years of his career, retains the WBA Fedelatin and WBC Latino belts but more importantly secures a mandatory shot at WBC/WBA Champion Jean Marc Mormeck. For southpaw Braithwaite, 21-2 (17), it’s the second consecutive stoppage loss but the Brooklyn resident may have a good chance at facing the winner of the likely Mormeck – Jones bout.
In other action heavyweight Owen Beck, 24-2 (18), also lost for the second straight time. Beck, of Nashville, Tennessee, enjoyed an early margin but was ground down by opponent Ray Austin, 25-3-3 (15), who had “What The Heck” on thin ice in the eleventh to take the split decision victory. Steve Cunningham, 18-0 (9), solidified his can’t miss status in the cruiserweight class as the undefeated Philadelphian used his superior boxing skills to widely outpoint perennial top flight contender and former IBF titlist Kelvin “Koncrete” Davis, 21-4-1 (16).
Ex-longtime IBF bantamweight champion Tim Austin returned for the ring for the first time in two-and-a-half years to finish Reynaldo Hurtado within five rounds. Now fighting as a featherweight, Austin, 26-1 (23), hadn’t been inside the ropes since losing his IBF crown in a shocking eighth round stoppage at the hands of dynamite fisted Rafael Marquez in February of 2003.
Contact Curtis McCormick at thomaspointrd@aol.com