Klitschko KO's Brock!!!

On Saturday night, Wladimir Klitschko took another step to claiming supremacy in the cluttered heavyweight division when he retained his IBF heavyweight title with a picture-perfect seventh-round knockout over former US Olympian Calvin Brock.

Fighting in the main event of HBO's World Championship Boxing at the arena in Madison Square Garden, Klitschko (47-3, 42 KOs) had trouble with the awkward, grabbing style of his smaller opponent early on and appeared to have difficulty landing his powerful right hand.

As the fight wore on, Klitschko actually appeared the worse for wear with a cut on his left eyelid and bruises along the left side of his face. The left side of his muscled body was reddened by an effective albeit sloppy body attack by Brock.

Klitschko finally broke through in the fourth, landing a hard 1-2 in the final seconds of the frame that had Brock hurt. Klitschko did well in the fifth and both men exchanged decent shots in the sixth before the end came in the seventh when a hard Klitschko right dropped Brock face forward to the canvas.

Ironically it was the punch Klitschko appeared to throw the least (the right) that won him the fight. "I should've landed it earlier in the fight," Klitschko said afterwards, "but it took me time to get my rhythm and my distance"

"I saw the punch that hurt me, but I couldn't get out of the way fast enough," Brock (29-1, 22 KOs) would say directly after the bout's conclusion. "Klitschko had a better jab than I thought," he said.

At the time of the knockout, Klitschko led on all three scorecards by 59-55 (twice) and 59-56.

Brock appeared nervous in the first, slipping to the canvas in the opening minute. Klitschko looked for an opening to land his jab but rarely found it. Every time Brock came in on Klitschko, he would grab his taller opponent's mid-section.

Klitschko appeared to be measuring Brock for his right in the second, but every time there appeared to be an opening, Brock tied him up. Klitschko suffered a slight abrasion under his left eye at the round's end.

Brock was warned for hitting behind the head in the first minute of the third. Unfazed, Brock went about his business mixing it up more with Klitschko than he had earlier. Still, the title-holder had trouble getting off his money punches and both fighters frequently held and hit in the clinches.

The abrasion under Klitschko's left eye grew darker in the fourth and he was marked over the left temple as well. Both fighters landed significant punches.

Brock unsuccessfully tried to jump in with a left hook while Klitschko was warned for pushing his opponent in the clinches.

Klitschko's left torso was noticeably reddened from Brock body shots in the clinches in the fifth. Klitschko throw a solid 1-2 in the final twenty seconds of the round, his first successful right hand punch in the fight and it put Brock back on his heels. Another hard right had the former Olympian backing up into his corner but there was not enough time remaining in the round for Klitschko to capitalize.

Chants of "USA" erupted early in the sixth. Shortly afterwards blood began to drip down Klitschko's left cheek from a cut on his left eyelid. Both men got tangled up and fell to the canvas and referee Wayne Kelley properly called it a slip.

Klitschko and Brock exchanged hard punches in the middle of the round but it was Klitschko who took the last hard punch of the frame - a hard right down the middle.

A hard right by Klitschko rocked Brock backed in the beginning seventh, and another left and a right at the mid-point of the round hurt Brock badly and his arms flailed in into the air. Brock courageously fought back, winging wild left hooks to the crowds delight. But Klitschko took a step back and landed his hardest (and best) punch of the night, knocking Brock down face first with a hard right.

Referee Kelley began a count, but the result was inevitable. Brock rose unsteadily at eight but was clearly in no shape to continue the contest and Kelley promptly and correctly called it off at 2:10 of the round. -- Matt Richardson

Klitschko vs Brock

Ali Outclasses Burton!!!

Laila Ali retained her unbeaten record and her WBC Women's Super Middleweight Championship when she stopped a game but outclassed Shelley Burton in the fourth round of a scheduled twelve.

Burton (8-3, 2 KOs) came to fight and was the more active of the two early on, but she gradually took more punishment from the taller Ali.

Eventually the hard shots caught up with her and referee Arthur Mercante called a halt to the bout after an Ali barrage with two seconds remaining in the fourth.

It was a special moment for Ali and the 14,260 fans in attendance as her legendary father was seated prominently at ringside to take in the action. Muhammad Ali was bombarded by fans and media alike throughout the four round encounter between his daughter and Burton.

Burton was busier for the majority of the first, but was rocked by two hard rights in the final 15 seconds of the round. Ali found more success with her right in the second; landing it repeatedly in the second and even Burton had to acknowledge the power of the punch towards the end of the round.

The pace continued in the third, but Ali got back to hurting Burton in the fourth. She was rocked by a hard left hook in the final twenty seconds of the fourth and after throwing another assortment of punches, including another right that had Burton bending down, referee Arthur Mercante Jr. called it off. -- Matt Richardson

Ali vs Burton

Medina Squeaks by Kelley!!!

Former world champions Kevin Kelley and Manuel Medina squared off in an IBF Super Featherweight title elimination bout.

The 39-year-old Kelly (59-8-2, 39 KOs) was hoping to return to old glory at the "Mecca of Boxing", but ended up on the wrong end of a majority decision against the much-traveled Medina (67-15, 31 KO's). Medina was able to sweep the last round on all three judges' scorecards, allowing him to eke out a 115-113, 115-113 edge on two judges' scorecards (the last judge scored it even 114-114).

With the victory, Medina now becomes the mandatory opponent to IBF Junior Featherweight champion Malcolm Klassen. After the fight, Kelley alluded to the fact that Medina was guilty of several head-butts, and acknowledged that he was a lot trickier than he had expected. -- Jason "J-Gon" Gonzalez

Medina vs Kelley

"El Gato" Wins Close Decision!!!

In a spirited ten-round battle for the New York State Junior Welterweight title as well as Bronx bragging rights, Francisco "El Gato" Figueroa improved to 14-2 and 10 KOs by edging out fellow Puerto Rican prospect "Mr." Joey Rios via a majority decision.

Figueroa started early and took the opening round by imposing his sheer strength, however, Rios showed that he could stand in there and exchange with the stronger Figueroa over the next nine rounds.

At the end, it seemed that Rios had done enough to win the fight; however, there were some close rounds. FightNews scored it 97-93 for Rios. -- Jason "J-Gon" Gonzalez

Figueroa vs Rios

Rossy Impressive!!!

New York State heavyweight champion Derrick Rossy retained his title while improving to 14-0 and 8 KOs after defeating a very game Shannon Miller (14-3, 8 KO's) via lopsided unanimous decision (110-90 twice and 98-81). Rossy imposed his size and will and consistently beat Miller to the punch, but Miller's courage allowed him to remain in the fight. -- Jason "J-Gon" Gonzalez

Rossy vs Miller

Lee Blanks Sharpe!!!

Unbeaten middleweight prospect Andy Lee (6-0, 3 KOs) maintained his unblemished record with a six-round unanimous decision over Dennis Sharpe (17-3, 4 KOs).

The Emanuel Steward-trained Lee was in command throughout (as the three shut-out scores of 60-54 would indicate) though he did suffer a bloody cut over his right eye in the second half of the bout. "I didn't box too well tonight," Lee said directly after the fight. "I'll make sure it won't happen again. But that's what this stage of my career is all about - getting experience." Steward, meanwhile, said that Lee will likely not spar in the gym for approximately two and a half weeks. -- Matt Richardson

Lee vs Sharpe

LaCrete Defeats Lozado!!!

Light Heavyweights: Reggie LaCrete (1-0, 1 KO) TKO 3 Denys Lozada (2-1) -- Matt Richardson

LaCrete vs Lozado

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