Bell stripped of IBF title:contenders named

http://www.tigerboxing.com/articles/...aid=1001245533

IBF Strips Bell, Jones to Face Cunningham for Title
TigerBoxing.com
04/06/2006 - New York


NEW YORK (April 6, 2006) - Guillermo "El Felino" Jones will face Steve "USS" Cunningham for the IBF cruiserweight title when the 20th anniversary celebration of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING continues on Cinco de Mayo weekend with a world championship doubleheader Saturday, May 6, on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass.

The main event, as previously announced, will feature hard-hitting Alejandro "Terra" Garcia (25-1, 24 KOs) making his first defense in his second stint as WBA super welterweight champion against enormously popular local favorite and former WBA welterweight titleholder Jose Antonio "El Gallo" Rivera (37-4-1, 24 KOs).


Jones (33-3-2, 26 KOs), who is ranked No. 2 by the IBF, and the No. 1-ranked Cunningham (19-0, 10 KOs), will clash in the co-feature for the title made vacant recently when O'Neil Bell was stripped by the IBF. Bell was supposed to defend against Cunningham on May 6.


Cunningham-Jones will be a rematch of their April 2, 2005 meeting in which Cunningham narrowly edged Jones on a 10-round split decision.


Jones, of Colon, Panama, is 10-1-1 in his last 12 starts. He has won two straight since falling just short against Cunningham, both victories coming against former cruiserweight champions. In his last start, Jones produced a career-best performance when he scored an upset fourth-round TKO over Wayne Braithwaite Sept. 3, 2005, on SHOWTIME. In his outing before last, he registered a fourth-round TKO over Kelvin Davis on May 21, 2005. Jones, who turned pro at welterweight, twice fought for the WBA junior middleweight title, but has been campaigning as a cruiserweight since April 2002. Jones fought to a controversial 12-round draw against WBO cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson on Nov. 23, 2002.


Cunningham, of Philadelphia, is ranked No. 1 in the IBF, No. 2 in the WBC and WBO and No. 4 in the WBA. A talented boxer-puncher who was an All-Navy Military champion is trained by the legendary Richie Giachetti. Cunningham, who recorded a fifth-round TKO over Lloyd Bryan in his last start on Jan. 7, 2006, earned his biggest win when he outpointed Davis across 12 rounds in an IBF eliminator on Sept. 3, 2005.


Garcia, of Tijuana, Mexico, was reinstated by the WBA as its 154-pound champion when Travis Simms refused to give him a rematch. The only defeat in Garcia\'s career came when he was dethroned by Simms on a controversial, fluke fifth-round knockout in December 2003. Garcia captured the WBA interim 154-pound crown with a ninth-round TKO over Rhoshii Wells on May 21, 2005. In his last start, Garcia retained the interim belt with a 12-round decision over Luca Messi on Aug. 13, 2005.


Rivera, of Worcester, by way of Philadelphia, is the WBA No. 3 super welterweight contender. He is stepping up a notch in weight and making his first start since losing his WBA 147-pound crown to Luis Collazo on a 12-round split decision in a thrilling, give-and-take slugfest on April 2, 2005, in Worcester. Rivera, who came up short by the scores of 115-113 twice and 113-115, was supposed to challenge the then-WBO 154-pound kingpin Daniel Santos last September on SHOWTIME, but was forced to withdraw with an elbow injury that required surgery.

Good ol' IBF; strip your legitmate Cruiserweight World Champ, and create a Bastard off spring. ;)

Why was it stripped this time, has Bell even got another fight coming up?

Yea that's junk.. these guys should fight in an eliminator to fact Bell, not for the vacant belt.. But it almost never happens like that it seems. Although, I wouldn't be shocked if Bell was ducking these guys he never gave Dale Brown a rematch even when offered a much larger share of the purse in a fight that he lost anyways... Also, anyone care to explain this.. Ive never heard of a contraversial fluke knockout ???

"The only defeat in Garcia\'s career came when he was dethroned by Simms on a controversial, fluke fifth-round knockout in December 2003."

if you're talking about Mormeck/Bell knockout yea it was controversial, mainly only cause Bell should have been DQ'd

1st JMM get's stripped now Bell, then they leave the IBF belt with Zab after loosing to Carlos good job IBF keep droping your rate as far as the belts that matter ;)

Does this mean anything? Bell is still the undisputed Champ no matter what the IBF does. or is this a make up call for letting Judah keep his title? ;) It's the "IBF" saying, see, there's nothing special about Judah, we strip everybody and give the title to someone else.

Maybe the IBF knows that Cunningham can't beat Bell, so they place him against Jones, a guy he beat controvertially. And it will probably be a one sided fight this time. Waste of time, and killing boxing, next!

I don't like it when they strip a guy but this is an interesting fight cause they're both good fighters and I heard that Jones got robbed a bit last time in with Cunningham so this will be interesting to see who's the real number one contender to Bell. I definitely think Jones could beat Bell, haven't seen Cunningham so its hard to say

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Starr

Does this mean anything? Bell is still the undisputed Champ no matter what the IBF does. or is this a make up call for letting Judah keep his title? ;) It's the "IBF" saying, see, there's nothing special about Judah, we strip everybody and give the title to someone else.

Maybe the IBF knows that Cunningham can't beat Bell, so they place him against Jones, a guy he beat controvertially. And it will probably be a one sided fight this time. Waste of time, and killing boxing, next!

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Give the belt? No one said give.....HAVE THE #2 & #3 ranked fighters by the IBF fight for the belt.....Give, only a Judah fan would say something like that....Give...please!!
































P.S. Welcome back ain't seen ya' in a minute did you get my PM. :-*

But they stripped the Champ Bell like they stripped Baldomir the difference is they GAVE Judah the belt. and these guys have to fight for it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Starr

But they stripped the Champ Bell like they stripped Baldomir the difference is they GAVE Judah the belt. and these guys have to fight for it.

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And your OK with that right? ;)












































Wonder why? ::**