Mormeck Wins Against Bell

Mormeck Wins Back Cruiserweight Title
17 March 2007

Frenchman Jean-Marc Mormeck regained his WBA/WBC cruiserweight titles from O’Neil Bell in Saturday’s rematch. Just over a year on from their explosive first fight, Mormeck won out on points in a very good fight at the Levallois-Perret, France, Saturday night.

The difference on was Mormeck was able to weather Bell’s late surge to finish the fight and win a close, unanimous decision in front of a raucous sellout crowd of 4,000 at the Palais des Sports Marcel Cerdan.

Mormeck (33-3, 22 KOs), from Point-a-Pitre, Guadalupe, France, now residing in Rosny-sous-Bois, had been the first French fighter to become a unified world champion, and he said he felt tremendous pressure attempting to regain the titles in his home country.

“I felt the whole country of France on my shoulders going into this fight,” Mormeck said, “but it helped me. I was fighting for them tonight. We were in it together. I couldn’t let them down.”

Saturday’s match resembled the first fight in many ways as Mormeck built an early lead by staying busy and landing power shots. While he faded at Madison Square Garden in what became a “Fight of the Year” (and “Round of the Year”) nominee that took place on Jan. 7, 2006, Mormeck was able to box his way to a win in the later rounds when Bell asserted himself most strongly.

Bell had commented at the weigh in on Friday that Mormeck looked like he had trained harder for the rematch by the looks of his physique, and Mormeck came out aggressively from the opening bell.

Bell tried to establish his jab and often followed with one-two combinations while Mormeck—just as he had done in the first fight—landed power shots, including four tremendous right hands in the opening stanza.

Mormeck added an uppercut, some left hooks and body shots in the second round. Bell tried to answer but Mormeck landed the harder shots.

Bell landed an uppercut of his own in the third round before Mormeck fell to the canvas at 2:15 into the round from a low blow. When the action resumed after a one minute break, Mormeck showered a vicious assault on Bell that, ironically, may be best remembered for the fact that Bell didn’t go down.

The non-stop action continued in round four as Bell attempted to counter Mormeck’s power shots, but the Frenchman seemed unwilling to lose exchanges in the early going of this seesaw battle.

The brisk pace slowed a bit in the beginning of the fifth round before the staggering blows returned. Seeking ways to break Mormeck down, Bell even acted like he was hurt near the end of the round to only try to gain an advantage by exploding with combinations.

Bell had his best round of the fight in the sixth. The referee warned Mormeck for punching in the back of the head at 1:40 into the round. Bell then deployed a rope-a-dope strategy in an attempt to get Mormeck to exhaust his seemingly boundless energy.

The tactic worked wonders for Bell, who appeared to have Mormeck on the verge of a knockdown before the bell sounded ending the round.

Bell tried to keep his momentum rolling into the seventh, and a referee’s warning to Mormeck for hitting behind the head seemed to encourage him. Bell used more rope-a-dope before returning to the center of the ring for more brawling.

Bell responded to a belt-line shot in the eighth round with a delayed-response pratfall, apparently mocking Mormeck’s low-blow fall to the canvas in the third round.

Mormeck sensed or learned from the open scoring announcements spoken in French on the public address system that he had built a sizeable lead going into the ninth round.

Bell knocked a fading Mormeck out in the 10th round in their first fight, and Mormeck made a deft decision to box more and conserve energy for the championship rounds.

Mormeck lowered his punch output and displayed boxing skills in the closing rounds while Bell wanted to continue brawling to pick up some desperately needed rounds from the judges.

In the end, Bell’s rally came a few rounds too late. All three judges scored the fight for Mormeck by scores of 116-112 and 115-113, twice.

Bell (26-2-1, 24 KOs), from Jamaica now fighting out of Atlanta, did not agree with the decision.

“Mormeck is a monster in the ring,” Bell said. “I spared him the knockout this time but I think I did enough to win.

“I am disappointed by this decision. I thought I won every round. I am appalled by the judges. He never hurt me.

“I’ve been off for 14 months and my promoter Warriors Boxing needs to answer for that.”

Bell prowled the dressing room hallways looking for Mormeck after the fight, and he stormed into the post-fight press conference with his anger festering while he waited for the Frenchman to arrive.

After Mormeck commented on the fight, he responded to a reporter’s question by saying, “I don’t like O’Neil Bell.” Before the translator could say, “but I do have tremendous respect for him as a fighter,” Bell rushed toward Mormeck and a brief melee broke out that promoter Don King would later characterize as “deplorable after such a great match took place.”

The victor was understandingly more positive in his comments.

“Bell was in good shape,” Mormeck said. “He always has surprises for me and tonight was no different. He was still standing after 12 rounds.

“I do not respect him as a person but I do have tremendous respect for him as a fighter.”

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Klitschko vs. Austin

Klitschko Enjoys Easy Win Over Austin
10 March 2007

Wladimir Klitschko made light work of American challenger Ray Austin with an easy second-round TKO win to successfully defend his IBF and IBO heavyweight titles on Saturday.

Klitschko was back at Mannheim’s SAP Arena where he won his two titles last April in a one-sided win over American Chris Byrd, and Austin proved to be just as weak after the Ukrainian unleashed a flurry of punches.

Austin, 36, barely troubled the 30-year-old champion and was left slumped on the canvas and counted out after Klitschko landed several heavy blows after 1 minute 23 seconds of the second round to claim his 48th career win.

“He was slower than my sparring partner,” said an unimpressed Klitschko.

“I am pleased with the win, back in the place where I won the titles, and I am looking forward to my next fight.”

The fight was thrown into doubt on Friday following a squabble when Austin’s flamboyant promoter Don King hinted the showdown could be scrapped in a row over Klitschko’s choice of gloves.

But both fighters took the ring in Klitschko’s second defence following last November’s decisive seventh-round victory over Calvin Brock at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Klitschko’s record is now 48 wins and 3 losses, while this was the Austin’s first defeat in thirteen fights since he suffered a technical knock-out defeat by Attila Levin in 2001.

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Cotto Halts Urkal On 11th Round TKO

By Luis Escobar
March 3, 2007

San Juan, Puerto Rico (Coliseo Roberto Clemente) — Perhaps it was the full moon but Miguel Cotto’s odd TKO victory over the veteran German Oktay Urkal proved once again the open scoring is not the way to go in professional boxing.

The WBA welterweight champion, Cotto repeatedly hammered the 37-year-old Urkal around the ring but he was unable to drop the challenger. Trailing badly on points and penalized for repeatedly using his head in close quarters, Urkal’s evening ended when his trainer Ulli Wegner climbed up on the ring apron waving a white towel.

Fully aware that Urkal would be unable to beat the champion because he knew the score, Wegner surrendered and ended the 147-pound title fight in a move that could only be described as anticlimactic. The Puerto Rican boxing officials announced the scores to the crowd following the 4th and the 8th rounds, much to the dismay and consternation of anyone with a wit of boxing experience, or expertise.

Speaking with the aid of a translator, Wegner conveyed his frustration with the officiating and his charge that Cotto repeatedly landed kidney punches throughout the fight that the referee did nothing to stop.

“The other one was leading through all the rounds and he was doing punches that are not allowed. And the judging allowed it [to] slide,” Wegner translator explained. “He [Urkal] was totally red and blue in the back and that is what I was talking about. I definitely was opened by the open scoring but I also have to say that Cotto is a world class fighter. My fighter did not have a chance with this judge in the ring.”

Cotto did not escape unscathed and in the 5th, he suffered a cut over his left eye that left him bleeding, as a result of a headbutt. Just like everyone else, Cotto was somewhat surprised when the bout was halted.

“I’m a little bit confused with the head of my opponent and he [Wegner] thinks they should stop the fight,” Cotto said after the win. “I don’t know if he did it [intentionally or not] but he hit me with his head. In a few moments of the early rounds the blood bothered me.”

–Full Moon Rising–

The mandatory challenger from Berlin, Urkal (38-4, 11 KO’s) entered the ring with a 0-3 record in title fights and he exited with another goose egg on his resume.

Cotto (29-0, 24 KO’s) repeatedly scored in the opening round with a variety of digging body shots that thudded off the challenger’s midsection and within the first minute, Urkal (146) was turning and complaining to the referee Luis Pabon about the location of the Puerto Rican’s heavy lumber. Urkal returned fire with stiff jabs and right hands down the middle but with 1:07 to go in the 1st, he was drilled with a sharp left hook to the liver.

In the opening moments on the 2nd, Cotto, Caguas, Puerto Rico dipped at the waist and got extra leverage with a whistling right hand that detonated off of the challenger’s ribcage. The champion returned to winging in hard body shots and Urkal answered by firing low and blasting Cotto with a crisp left hook below the belt and then falling into a clinch. Both men continued to trade body shots and with 1:46 remaining in the 2nd, Cotto, 26, clipped Urkal with a solid left hook to the chin.

A left uppercut to the face caught Urkal on the jaw and the crowd responded with the necessary groans but the challenger seemed unfazed with Cotto’s power. With 1:06 remaining in the round, Urkal stepped inside and unloaded a sharp four-punch combination before reloading and firing another salvo. The challenger attempted to defend his body by tucking in his elbows and using his arms as shields. However, with 29-seconds remaining in the round, Cotto landed a left hook to the face before dropping low and landing another blast just above the challenger’s beltline. At the bell, Urkal held out his glove in a display of mutual respect, however, Cotto was not in the mood to exchange pleasantries.

Cotto returned to banging away the body whenever the opportunity permitted and to his credit the veteran challenger repeatedly was able to answer, counter and fire combinations. However, at times it appeared as if Cotto was so strong and so focused he simply walked through Urkal’s punches, intent on landing his own screaming shots.

Early in the 4th, Cotto tagged the challenger with a right hand to the ear followed by a solid left hook to the body. Urkal attempted to cover up, however, the champion staggered the challenger with a short but swift left jab on the button. The punch drove Urkal backwards and the crowd roared in anticipation of more heavy artillery from the local island hero. Cotto flurried and scored with another crisp combination and the only thing that Urkal hit was reverse. The challenger responded with two sharp right hands but the champion simply walked through the punches and answered by firing leather.

Cotto repeatedly landed hammering shots and with 1:02 to go in the 4th, once again he unloaded a vicious right hand to the body that seemingly curved around Urkal’s left elbow and exploded off of his bottom rib. Urkal answered with two of his body shots but it was the champion who scored with the heavier leather. The challenger continued to lean inside and in the next exchange the referee Pabón called time and warned the challenger about using his head in close quarters. Two more searing body blasts thudded off of Urkal’s torso and he was driven into the ropes. Just before the bell to end the 4th, Cotto wobbled the challenger with a short left uppercut to the chin that rocked Urkal back on his heels and into the ropes.

After the conclusion of the fourth round the score with announced to crowd with Cotto leading on all three cards, 40-36.

–Billy Goat Time–

Cotto went right back to work doing what he does best; and at the 2:34 mark of the 5th, he ripped Urkal with a scorching left hook just above the liver. The champion continued to tattoo the German with blazing body shots and Urkal’s frustration to being on the receiving end of so much heavy lumber took a turn. With 1:28 to go in the round, Cotto dropped low to land a punch, as did the challenger, however, Urkal led with his head and caught the champion with the top of his skull over his left eye. Cotto winced in pain and blood began dripping from the wound, as the referee Pabon separated the boxers.

Cotto answered with a little more than a minute to go and tagged the German with an arcing left hook flush on the jaw. Urkal attempted to cover but he was forced to return fire after the champion unloaded a whistling four-shot sequence to the ribs that was not for the feint of heart. Just before the bell to end of the round, there was another clash of heads and Cotto again was caught over his left eye by Urkal’s skull.

Between rounds, Cotto’s cutman Miguel Diaz went to work on the champion’s damaged left eye and the local hero gestured at his opponent and the referee Pabon while sitting on his stool.

Cotto jolted Urkal at the 2:02 mark of the 6th, with a rapid-fire three shots combination that richochtted off of the challenger’s skull. However, after the German retreated to the ropes and the champion landed several more digging body shots, Urkal lowered his shoulder and his head. Urkal simply used his skull as a battering ram to escape his confinement. The referee Pabon called time and cautioned the boxer not to use his head as a third glove.

Blood continue to drip down Cotto’s damaged left eye and began effecting his vision, nevertheless, he was resolute and returned to firing searing body shots that made you wonder if the German was wearing armor plating. With 1:51 to go in the round, Urkal clearly attempted to use his head to butt the champion and referee called time and issued his second warning.

Given that Cotto was clearly bleeding and with open scoring everyone was aware of just how far Urkal was behind on the judges’ scorecards, it seemed the only logical but illegal tactic left for him to try.

–Body Work–

The champion simply returned to firing merciless left hooks that looked like tracer rounds as they hit the target and seemingly shook the challenger every time they landed.

With 1:36 remaining in the 7th, Cotto just about carved his initials into Urkal’s hide with a searing left hook to the body and the sound of the blast just stopped shy of echoing into the cool evening air. Urkal responded by clinching and then using his skull to rub against the left side of the champion’s face. The referee Pabon stepped inside and deducted a point from the challenger for headbutting.

Blood continue to drip from the corner of Cotto’s left eye for the remainder of the evening. Everytime that Diaz seemed to halt the flow of blood, once again the champion would return to banging away in close quarters and the slice would reopen. With 13-seconds to go in the round, Cotto sank a right hand into the German’s flank and Urkal answered with a noticeable car wash move of using his skull to try and scrape against the champion’s profile. The referee called time and had the ringside doctor examine the wound. After a quick exam the action resumed and Cotto responded by whacking Urkal with yet another shot to the ribcage.

Just before the bell to end the 8th, Cotto became angry with the challenger and his head banging style, and he nailed Urkal with a left hand to the kidneys. The challenger grimaced in pain, rubbed his back and with the fans standing and screaming Urkal managed to land one more headbutt as the bell sounded.

Pabon had simply lost control and the fouling was so over the top, he could have easily deducted another point or disqualified the challenger, however, the referee let the fouling and the infractions continue.

In the 9th, Cotto nearly removed Urkal’s head from his shoulders as he caught the challenger leaning inside and he ripped the German with a skull snapping left uppercut just under the chin. Amazingly, Urkal gestured to bring it on and Cotto responded over the last several rounds by scoring with enough screaming body shots to make a number of ringsiders wince when everytime the punches landed.

Cotto’s frustration almost spilled over at the end of the 10th, when he ducked low and Urkal’s momentum carried him forward and up on the champion’s shoulders. Cotto lifted Urkal off the canvas in a fireman carry before disgustedly dropping the German back down to the floor.

Cotto returned to blasting away at both sides of the challenger’s flanks in the 11th, however, with Urkal so far behind on all the judges’ scorecards, his trainer Wegner decided to pull the plug. As soon as the ref took another point away from the challenger for using his skull Urkal’s night had come to a conclusion and Wegner started waving his towel.

Cotto had retained his crown, open scoring was yet a failure again and the full moon beamed down upon Puerto Rico. The only thing you could be sure of was that neither Miguel Cotto, or Oktay Urkal would be exchanging Christmas cards next December.

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Sugar Beats Collazo

Mosley looks ahead to bigger fights after win over Collazo
By Tim Dahlberg
February 11, 2007

LAS VEGAS — Shane Mosley looked so good that even Floyd Mayweather Jr. paid him some grudging respect.

“He’s pretty good at what he does,” Mayweather said.

What Mosley did Saturday night was turn back the clock with a win over Luis Collazo that was impressive for several reasons. In doing so he also staked a claim as the second-best welterweight in the world behind Mayweather.

Not a bad night’s work for a fighter who seems to be coming into his second prime at an age when most others are long gone from the sport.

“I want to keep myself in shape and maybe fight again in June,” Mosley said. “I am going to keep myself in shape and tuned up.”

Mosley moved back to 147 pounds for the first time in nearly five years, promising he would be faster and better than before. He delivered on those promises by consistently beating an opponent 10 years younger to the punch and winning a lopsided 12-round decision.

Mosley, who was smiling when he entered the ring and smiling after almost every round, also showed he still has some sock at 147 by knocking Collazo down with a right hand late in the 11th round.

“It feels good to be a welterweight again,” Mosley said.

The win gave Mosley what the WBC said was an interim title that he will collect when Mayweather goes through with his May 5 fight against Oscar De La Hoya at 154 pounds. But the title doesn’t make much difference for a boxer who seems re-energized at the age of 35.

There are now bigger fights ahead, including a possible fight with Miguel Cotto in June and maybe later a fight with Mayweather, who figures to return to the 147-pound division after his bout with De La Hoya.

“I respect him, but only one man can be king,” Mayweather said.

Mosley earned $1 million and raised his record to 44-4 against a tough southpaw who fought hard but didn’t have the speed or experience of his older opponent. Collazo said he hurt his left hand in the third round, but it likely wouldn’t have made a difference in a fight where Mosley consistently got off the first punches.

Ringside punch statistics showed Mosley landing 200 of 601 punches to 87 of 639 for Collazo, who briefly held a piece of the welterweight title before losing a controversial decision to Ricky Hatton last year.

“I wish I could have been more effective,” Collazo said. “But that was the best I could do.”

Mosley’s career seemed re-energized after two wins over Fernando Vargas last year, and he’s now got his father, Jack, back in his corner. The two decided he would be more effective at 147 pounds, where he could use his fast hands and not have to fight as flat-footed as he did at 154 pounds.

The strategy worked against Collazo and now Mosley seemingly has his pick of fights with higher profile fighters. That could include Cotto, whose planned June fight with Antonio Margarito may be off because Margarito signed to fight mandatory WBO challenger Paul Williams instead.

“It’s not like I have to fight for money anymore,” said Mosley, who earned millions in big money fights against De La Hoya and Vargas. “If I’m going to be the best fighter out there I have to stay busy. I have to fight these young, hungry fighters.”

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Abell vs. Ellis

Coon Rapids’ Abell scores TKO in Philly
by Don Steinberg, Special to the Star Tribune
February 10, 2007

PHILADELPHIA – Heavyweight Joey Abell of Coon Rapids advanced his professional boxing record to 12-1 Friday night, knocking out Cornelius Ellis of Wilson, N.C., in three rounds of their scheduled six-round bout.
It was a night of knockdowns.

Abell, who boxes as a southpaw, came out using a hard right jab to set up his straight left, and with 10 seconds left in the first round he landed that left hard, putting Ellis down in a neutral corner.

Ellis barely was able to stand by the count of 10 and survive the round.

With about 30 seconds remaining in the second round, Abell caught Ellis on the ropes, this time sending Ellis out of the ring onto a judge’s table. Ellis again was able to stand and continue.

In the third round, a disoriented Ellis again found himself outside the ropes. The round ended, but the bout was stopped, and Abell won by TKO.

“I’ve had opponents fall out of the ring before,” Abell said. “I think it was a combination of his balance and my punches.”

Ellis, a late fill-in after Abell’s intended opponent broke an arm in training this week, saw his record fall to 10-13-1.

All 12 of Abell’s victories have come by knockout or technical knockout, and six of them have been in Philadelphia’s fabled Blue Horizon boxing ballroom, site of Friday’s fight.

He has fought in the Blue Horizon seven times and become a crowd favorite in the hometown of Rocky (who also was a lefthanded heavyweight). Abell boxes with the nickname “Minnesota Ice.”

In the night’s co-feature, Marty Lindquist (12-5), a light heavyweight from Blaine, lost an eight-round decision in his rematch with Philadelphia’s Max Alexander (13-0).

The previous time the two had met, in October, Lindquist had landed a single punch to win the fight in 10 seconds of the first round. The fight later was ruled a “no contest.”

This time Alexander took control slowly. He knocked Lindquist down four times on the way to a lopsided unanimous decision.

Even while absorbing heavy punches from the more active Alexander, Lindquist continued to walk forward gamely.

“He’s a tough kid, he’s real durable,” Alexander said. “My objective wasn’t to knock him out.”

After having decked Alexander in 10 seconds last time, Lindquist said he was suffering from “one-punch syndrome” this time, expecting to end it with one shot again.

“I expected to knock him out,” he said.

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Cory Spinks, Chad Dawson and Julio Diaz Beat Their Opponents

Spinks ‘outsmarts’ opponent
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sunday, Feb. 04 2007

St. Louisan Cory Spinks successfully defended his IBF junior middleweight title Saturday night in Kissimmee, Fla., unanimously outpointing Rodney Jones.

Two other title fights also were on the card, including one between two unbeaten light heavyweights. Champion Tomasz Adamek of Poland faced Chad Dawson in a WBC matchup in the marquee bout following IBF lightweight champion Jesus Chavez’s fight against Julio Diaz.

Dawson’s left-handed style, quickness and reach were too much for Adamek during much of the bruising fight. The American improved to 23-0 with the unanimous decision in the 12-round bout.

“He was much quicker … that’s why I lost,” Adamek said through an interpreter.

Earlier, Diaz took the IBF lightweight title when Chavez crumbled early in the third round after his right knee buckled while avoiding a punch.

The 34-year-old Chavez (42-4) was making his first title defense since his Sept. 17, 2005, victory over defending champion Leavander Johnson, who died a few days later from injuries sustained in the fight.

“It felt a little weird when my knee went out,” Chavez said. “This was my good leg. I wear the brace just for support.”

Spinks (36-3) won nine rounds on one judge’s card and all 12 on the other two. There were no knockdowns.

“He’s a long, rangy guy so I had to outsmart him,” said Spinks, the son of former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks. “I used my athletic talent and smarts to win.”

Jones, 38, the IBF’s top-ranked challenger, was fighting for the first time in nearly a year. He dropped to 37-4-1.

“I was trying to box with him a little bit and tried to hit him with the left hand,” Jones said. “I tried to get in on him, but I couldn’t.”

Also, 249-pound heavyweight Bermane Stiverne of Las Vegas improved to 10-0, stopping Harold Sconiers of Clearwater, Fla., in the first round. Stiverne has had knockouts in all of his wins.

The fights, which attracted 5,270 fans, originally were scheduled for Miami around the city’s Super Bowl activities, but were moved less than three weeks ago after a third-party investor bounced a $500,000 check.

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