World Boxing Weekend Roundup

Shane Mosley heads our weekend review as the 35 year old looked ten years younger in largely shutting out Luis Collazo last night at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Mosley, 44-4 (37), had a rough start as Collazo’s left hand found range a few times in the early going but starting in the third round, Sugar Shane timed the New Yorker with countless shots.

By the later rounds Collazo, 27-3-1 (13), looked to be discouraged and was sent to the deck in the eleventh round by a sizzling Mosley right hander. Collazo regrouped to finish on his feet but Mosley swept the scorecards 119-108 and 118-109 (twice) to take the Interim WBC Welterweight title.

On the undercard, ex-WBA Light Welter titlist Vivian Harris had all he could handle with former lightweight world title challenger Juan Lazcano over twelve rounds. Harris looked to be in charge early on as “Vicious” Vivian used his height and reach advantage to pick off the forward marching Lazcano. The Californian refused to buckle however and enjoyed some success in the later rounds before being hurt by Harris in the seventh.

Lazcano came back to hurt Harris in the ninth but couldn’t finish the job as the New Yorker wisely kept Lazcano at arm’s length the rest of the way. Lazcano, 37-4-1 (27), lost a point in the last round for low blows and also lost the bout by scores of 115-112 (twice) and 114-113. With the win Harris, 28-2-1 (18), secures the top spot in the WBC 140 lb rankings and earns a shot at that organization’s champion, Junior Witter.

Leading the rest of our Saturday recap, Six foot six Vonda Ward, 22-1 (17), towered over the 5 foot 9 Martha Salazar, 11-4 (3), but had a difficult time containing the determined San Francisco woman at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland. Despite the height difference, Ward couldn’t keep the 234 lb Salazar from surging forward yet managed to bang out a majority decision victory via scores of 97-93 (twice) and 95-95. Ward, having now beaten Salazar three times, wins the vacant Women’s WBC and WIBA Heavyweight titles.

It was knockout city at the Klein Jewish Community Center in Philadelphia, 40 year old ex-WBA Heavyweight titlist Bruce Seldon, 36-6 (32), returned to the ring after a sixteen month absence to rub out trial horse Marcus Rhode, 31-31-2 (26), in the very first round. Also on the bill, local man Chazz Witherspoon, 16-0 (10), kept his record pristine with a second round shattering of Colorado journeyman Patrick Smith, 5-9-2 (4), who ceded a 44 pound weight advantage to the 273 lb Witherspoon.

North of the border, Montreal, Quebec saw IBF International Middleweight boss Sebastian Demers, 20-0 (9), finish Ian Mackillop, 25-8-2 (14), in the third frame to win their rematch and heavyweight Ross Purrity, 30-20-3 (27), dropped his third straight bout via a ten round points loss to prospect David Cadieux, 15-1 (10).

On the other side of Canada, ex-WBC Women’s Super Feather supremo Jelena Mrdjenovich, 19-2 (11), decisioned Belinda Laracuente, 22-17-3 (9), over eight rounds in Edmonton. Laracuente has now gone 1-12-1 with 1 no contest over the last two years.

Going many, many miles south, in sunny Buenos Aires, Argentina, two time flyweight world title challenger Luis Alberto Lazarate, 35-7-1 (16), won his bout with Carlos Pramacio Villagran, 13-7-1 (7), by second round disqualification.

Heading across the Atlantic to the emerald isle, former Commonwealth Welterweight Champion Eamonn Magee, 27-5 (17), made his first ring appearance since losing the WBU title to Takaloo by posting a six round decision over Hungarian import Janos Petrovics, 9-5 (6), in Letterkenny, Ireland.

In Hamburg, Germany, former longtime WBC Cruiserweight Champion Juan Carlos Gomez, 45-1 (35), won the WBO Latino Heavyweight title by stopping chinny Brazilian Adenilson Rodrigues, 20-6 (15), in the very first round of their scheduled 12 round contest. On the undercard, WBO Asia Pacific Light Welter kingpin Sergey Sorokin, 24-1 (18), knocked out Kenya’s Michael Muya, 13-9 (3), in the seventh round.

To start off Friday’s results we go back to America where in Tuscon, Arizona, super featherweight Rocky Juarez, 26-3 (19), began his comeback after losing two WBC title challenges to Marco Antonio Barrera with

a fifth round stoppage against Emmanuel Lucero, 23-4-1 (14). In a preliminary bout, light heavyweight Otis Griffin, 16-1-2 (5), posted an eight round points victory over Steve Pannell, 12-3 (6).

On the east coast, heavyweight “Fast” Eddie Chambers, 28-0 (16), remained undefeated by stopping highly touted prospect Derric Rossy, 15-1 (9), in the seventh round in Selden, New York and may have set up a showdown with another promising heavy, Chris Arreola, 19-0 (17), who stopped Zakeem Graham, 10-2-1 (7), in the third round on the same bill.

In Providence, RI, Jamie Clampitt, 17-4-1 (7), annexed the vacant IWBF Lightweight title with a dominating win over veteran Mia St. John, 43-8-2 (18). Ex-Commonwealth Light Middle titlist Ossie Duran, 43-8-2 (18), turned back Johnathan Reid, 34-5 (19), over eight rounds.

In merry old England, Carl Johanneson, 26-2 (18), retained his British Super Featherweight crown with a twelve round points win against Ricky Burns, 15-2 (3), at Town Hall in Leeds. Former British and Commonwealth Flyweight and IBO Super Flyweight Champion Jason Booth, 27-4 (10), continued his comeback with a six round decision over novice Jamil Hussain, 3-2-2 (2).

On the west coast of England, former European Super Middle Champ Dean Francis, 27-3 (22), stopped Ovill McKenzie, 13-7 (4), to cage the Commonwealth Light Heavyweight title.

Taking a trip halfway around the world, Denkaosan Kaovichit, 37-1 (15), retained his PABA Flyweight title for the twelfth consecutive time with a unanimous decision against an overmatched Alfred Nagal, 5-14 (4), in Nonthaburi, Thailand.

In our last bout in this week’s roundup, Seoul, South Korea saw Czar Amonsot, 18-2-1 (10), win the vacant WBO Asia Pacific Lightweight title with a split decision victory over Duan Chun, 8-2 (3).