Cuello, currently the 7th ranked strawweight in the world by The Boxing Tribune, scored his last major win in the 105 lb. division against former champ and fringe contender, Muhammad Rachman, in September of 2010. However, since the TKO 9 victory over Rachman, the well-traveled 25-year-old has also notched divisional wins over Samartlek Chaiyonggym, Omar Soto, and Carlos Perez.

The unranked Lopez is considered a solid fringe contender, but has yet to defeat a high-end divisional rival. To date, the 30-year-old southpaw’s biggest victory has been against mutual Cuello opponent, Omar Soto. Lopez also dropped a 2010 split decision to former world titlist, Adrian Hernandez.

The WBC’s current strawweight titlist is Japan’s Kazuto Ioka.

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Lawrence (17-2-2, 12 KOs) is on a five-fight win streak since losing a ten round decision to Oliver McCall in 2009. Included in that run of victories are decent names such as Lance Whitaker and Jason Estrada, so there is some reason for the Indianapolis native to boast a modest club-level buzz. As a matter of fact, some already have the 36-year-old on the fringes of the American heavyweight top 10.

Chicago’s Mollo (20-3-1, 12 KOs) has never really scored a major victory, unless one considers a TKO 2 win over Kevin McBride in 2006 as major. The heavyweight battler is best known for an entertaining back and forth 2008 battle with Andrew Golota that wound up as a unanimous decision loss. This will be Mollo’s first fight since August of 2010, when he fought to a draw with Gary Gomez.

The Lawrence-Mollo card will be televised Friday night on www.gfl.tv, starting at 7:30 PM for a charge of $9.99.

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It’s difficult not to get drawn into the hype that surrounds Englishman David Price, the UK’s latest heavyweight hope. On Saturday night at Liverpool’s Olympia, local boy Price gets his chance at the vacant British title when he takes on Norwich’s Sam Sexton.

Price, 28, is the next big thing, and follows a couple of years in which British heavyweights have been crawling out of the woodwork. David Haye flattered to deceive, Dereck Chisora achieved a certain kind of notoriety, and Tyson Fury continues to impress and intrigue.

Beside these three mavericks Price represents the establishment – a bronze medalist in Beijing, and captain of the English team, Price has done things by the book both as an amateur and professional. He’s compiled an impressive 12-0 record, with 10 wins inside distance, and has looked mightily good doing so. In his last two fights Price accepted his biggest challenges with aplomb – knocking out fellow prospect Tom Dallas in two rounds, and then dispatching the not untalented John McDermott in just over a minute.

Saturday’s opponent Sam Sexton represents another step up and forward for Price. Sexton, 15-2, 6 KO’s, has only lost to Chisora (twice), once while challenging for this title, and is a former Commonwealth champion in his own right. He’s a tough and relentless campaigner who carries a dig and won’t roll over easily.

Price, of course, has all the physical advantages. At 6 feet 8 inches he would tower over a Klitschko, and he’ll take around a twenty pound advantage into the ring with Sexton. He is favoured to win, but there’s a hidden constituency that aren’t yet buying into the hype. As an amateur Price at times demonstrated a brittle chin, and that part of his game has yet to be tested in the pro ranks, along with his stamina and willingness to go into the trenches in a long, hard fight. Sexton could be the man to put those qualities to the test, and after this contest we’ll have a much more accurate idea of Price’s world title credentials.

On the undercard, British light-welterweight champion Ashley Theophane defends against Darren Hamilton. Hamilton, 11-2, 3 KO’s came to boxing late, and at 33 will find things tough against the up-and-coming Theophane, 31-4, 9 KO’s, who’s on a six fight winning streak, and looking better with every outing. The well-travelled British champion should win this one handily, and begin looking towards European honours.

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Saturday from Copenhagen, Denmark former super middleweight’s Mikkel Kessler and Allan Green look to get back on track after dropping key fights and spending extended time out of the ring.  They are stepping up in weight to meet in a twelve round light heavyweight bout after participating in the Showtime Super Six tournament.

Kessler (44-2, 33 KO) was once considered one of the two best super middleweights in the world, but has fallen on hard times over the last two years.  The Copenhagen native, who will be fighting at home Saturday, is now five years removed from being in one of Europe’s biggest fights of the last twenty years.  It was November 3, 2007 when Kessler met Joe Calzaghe in Wales for supremacy of the 168lb division in a unification bout of three major titles.  Kessler and Calzaghe had cleaned out the division to set the stage.  Kessler had wins over Eric Lucas, Markus Beyer, and Librado Andrade leading into the showdown.

Kessler had early success in the bout, but as the rounds moved on he simply could not keep up with Calzaghe’s activity and suffered his first loss as a professional.  Kessler would rebound with three straight wins over lesser competition and picked up the WBA 168lb strap along the way.

Then Showtime announced their groundbreaking tournament series to crown the 168lb king.  Kessler was two years removed from the Calzaghe fight and anxious to get back to the top.  Along with Arthur Abraham, Kessler was the clear favorite in the tournament and was favored to dispatch of his first round opponent ,Andre Ward.  The American, Ward was considered a top talent but far too green to handle Kessler at this point of his career.

If Kessler was outlasted by Calzaghe, he was severely outclassed by the young American, anxious to show he belonged in the tournament.  Ward dominated Kessler from the opening bell until the eleventh round when the fight was stopped due to several cuts on Kessler from head butts.  Ward took home a wide technical decision, Kessler’s WBA title, and an opening round victory in the tournament.

Kessler would again re-group.  In his second tournament bout he defeated Carl Froch for the WBC title in what may have been the most exciting and action-packed bout of the tournament.  Unfortunately for Kessler, that would be his one and only tournament achievement.

Kessler withdrew from the tournament several months after the Froch fight due to the worsening of an eye injury.  Kessler stated he was advised by doctors to take at least nine months off, which took away the opportunity to continue competing in the tournament.

Kessler has fought once since that time stopping Mehdi Bouadla in six rounds last June.  Now Kessler meets Allan Green as a light heavyweight.  Ironically, Green would have been Kessler’s next opponent had he remained in the Super Six tournament.

Allan Green (31-3, 21 KO), for his part, had high expectations early in his career, but has not been able to get over the hump and fulfill the promise many thought he had.  Green was turning heads when he won his first twenty-three pro fights and won sixteen of them by knockout.  Green was quickly becoming known as a feared puncher, showcased by his highlight reel KO of Jaidon Codrington in 2005, when he only needed eighteen seconds to stop his opponent on a Showbox event.

Green took on Edison Miranda in March of 2007 in what was considered a match-up of young heavy hitters.  Green was out-boxed and he dropped a unanimous decision to suffer his first loss.  From that point to 2010 Green would win six straight, including a win over the tough Tarvis Simms.  During that time, Green lobbied with no success for another opportunity at a big fight.

His opportunity came when Jermain Taylor dropped out of the Super Six tournament and Green got the call to fill in.  Feeling slighted he was not one of the original invites into the tournament, Green was anxious to prove he belonged.  He would square off with Andre Ward, who was fresh off beating Kessler.

It would be a night Allan Green would rather forget.  The emerging star, Ward, gave Green a lesson in boxing technique, dominating him to a shutout on all three cards.  Ward beat Green inside, outside, and in every facet of the sport.  It was clear early on that Green would have no answer and seemed to have little interest in doing anything other than surviving to the final bell.

Green would get one more opportunity to make his presence felt in the tournament, facing veteran Glen Johnson, another late addition to the tournament.  With fighters falling out of the tournament left and right Green still had a shot at getting to the semi-finals with a win over Johnson.  Again it was not meant to be as Johnson stopped Green in the eighth round of a close fight.

Since the tournament, Green has won two straight.  A second round knockout of Craig Gandy and decision over Sebastien Demers.  Green once again will have a chance against a big name Saturday against Kessler, but to win he will have to defeat the veteran on his home turf.

Both Green and Kessler have an opportunity to get on track Saturday night in a new division.  Kessler will be looking to show he is still relevant and make one last run at a title.  Green would badly like to prove he is more than a gate keeper that cannot get over the hump and defeat the elite of the sport.  With Bernard Hopkins on his way out and young talent including Chad Dawson, Tavoris Cloud, and Jean Pascal ready to take over the 175lb class, the opportunity is available for a veteran to make his mark.  Kessler and Green each want to be the one to do so starting Saturday night.

Question, comment, agree, disagree, or anything at all, send it to gboxing3@gmail.com

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Apparently, Manny Pacquiao, 8-division champ, pop culture icon, etc., gave an interview to the National Conservative Examiner where he quoted the following Bible passage from Leviticus regarding gay people:

If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

But don’t go back and try to find that actual interview. Examiner.com apparently pulled the piece and replaced it with another version. Who knows, maybe “citizen journalist,” Granville Ampong, the writer of the original article,  pulled and edited it, himself, after getting a taste of the heat quickly generated.

Those who read the original interview, however, definitely claim that some major editing work has been done. James King, of The Village Voice, says the current version of the Examiner article “wasn’t like that yesterday. It’s not the same story that was up there.”

In any case, the accounts of the original interview featured Pacquiao pontificating on President Obama’s pro-gay marriage stance and offering up Bible quotes to justify his opposition to Obama’s take on the issue.

It was all a very innocuous thing, until the quote in question surfaced.

Now, Pacquiao, the Bible expert and alleged future missionary for Christ, is denying that he ever quoted that Bible passage.

“I don’t even know that verse from Leviticus because I never read Leviticus,” Pacquiao told long-time cheerleader and Team Pacquiao hanger-on, Ronnie Nathanielsz.

So, Pacquiao is a Bible expert, except for the parts that could get him in trouble? Are we expected to believe that a guy being billed as a born again true believer– one who routinely ministers the gospel to friends, family, and the media– is unfamiliar with an entire book of the Bible?

Maybe he’s really not so born again. Maybe it’s an act. Maybe he’s back-peddling in the face of controversy. Maybe Ampong did put words in his mouth.

We’ll never know now because the spin cycle has begun and the truth is already being twisted and shaped to fit Manny’s hard-peddled image. There are articles already being posted about Manny liking gays and having gay family members. Hell, within 48 hours, Pacquiao may even BE gay.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Pacquiao promoter, Top Rank, had to work overtime to nullify statements made by the fighter and his close associates. There was the infamous “I’m afraid of needles” statement after the issue of random blood testing came up in negotiations with Floyd Mayweather. Then, there was the “I’m superstitious about giving blood” line. Most recently, there was the “I have agreed to all testing demands,” declaration that, to this day, will elicit ten different responses from ten different members of Team Pacquiao if one would try to clarify.

But that’s the job of a good promotional team– to smooth over the rough edges and spin things in a positive light.

If Manny’s religious awakening is true, though, the quote attributed to him is consistent with his beliefs. Unless, of course, his beliefs are just for show.

Again, we’ll never know because Manny Pacquiao never owns up to the unpleasantries in life. In his life as a pop culture icon, everything is always merry and bright. Those who question him are liars, those who challenge his domain are cowards. One website owner went so far as to personally tell me that he only prints favorable articles about Manny Pacquiao because Pacquiao is a “good role model for the youth of America.”

Whether Pacquiao actually feels that gays should be murdered for their “sins” or simply shunned until they burn for all eternity in a lake of fire, this shouldn’t be an indictment of a Hall of Fame boxing career, nor should it be a call to arms to diminish his in-ring legacy. This incident will likely fall on deaf ears in the rough, testosterone-heavy world of boxing fandom, anyway. And, maybe it should. Work is work, personal stupidity is between you and your conscience.

But, it does speak volumes about the fighter as a man.

Unlike Floyd Mayweather, who actually lives the vapid lifestyle he professes, Manny Pacquiao is a hypocrite– a perpetual man-boy who will never stand on the weight of his own words. He doesn’t have to. There’s big money in speaking for him.

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33-year-old Filipino congressman, Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38KOs) has recently gone on record, admonishing American president, Barack Obama for his stance regarding gay marriage. “God only expects man and woman to be together and to be legally married, only if they so are in love with each other,” stated the 8-division champion, in stark contrast to President Obama’s position.

Manny Pacquiao was well known in his native country for living a life of debauchery and excess; owning nightclubs, gambling establishments, arenas dedicated to animal warfare and of course, pubs. Pacquiao, though, has recently shut down many of those institutions of ill-repute, citing his rekindled love for God as the reason. He has also reportedly grown closer than ever with his wife, Jinkee following rumors that she had filed divorce papers ahead of his 2011 rubber-match with Juan Manuel Marquez.

“Pacman”, now a devout Roman Catholic, has also listed God as his principal reason for wanting to give up boxing.

Clarification should be sought from the representative of the Sarangani Provence, however, because shortly after condemning all his Earthly vices, Chairman Pacquiao received 1 million dollars for starring in a commercial promoting popular liquor brand, Hennessy.

The idea of retiring from the sport of boxing is nothing new to Manny Pacquiao, having already stated that he plans on running for governor and eventually President of the Philippines. Seeing how most political races are based on popularity rather than substance, it seems quite likely that we will be seeing Pacquaio’s legendary run come to an end sooner rather than later.

Loose ends in the Philippines would need to be tied with a pretty ribbon for Pacquiao’s plan to come to fruition, though, as he is currently being scrutinized by the nation’s Bureau Of Internal Revenue (similar to the United States’ IRS) for non-compliance regarding filing his tax claims – Congressman Pacquiao claims that the BIR is guilty of “graft and corruption”.

This news shouldn’t be surprising to regular readers of this website, and given this years’ VisionQuest debacle that Pacquiao, adviser Mike Koncz and long-time promoter Bob Arum were associated with (conflicts of interests, financial inconsistencies and concealed agendas outlined in superb detail by The Boxing Tribune’s own Paul Magno, HERE ), one would assume that Pacquaio’s problems are perhaps a bit more deep-seated than anyone in his camp would care to admit.

In any case, President Barack Obama is the first leader from the United States to openly back gay marriage and Manny Pacquiao is the first boxer to openly oppose such a notion saying “…It should not be of the same sex so as to adulterate the altar of matrimony, like in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah…” To quote wikipedia for the unfamiliar, Sodom and Gomorrah have been used as metaphors for vice and homosexuality, viewed as a deviation (from God’s plan). Strong words from a man who has had enough immorality to last him several lifetimes – but hey, no one is perfect.

Manny Pacquiao takes on the unbeaten Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley on June 9 live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Saturday from the Convention Center in Pharr, TX Cuban heavyweight Odlanier Solis makes his return to the ring in a twelve round bout for the vacant IBF Inter-Continental title.  Solis was last seen challenging Heavyweight title holder Vitali Klitschko in March of last year.  Solis lost the bout by first round knockout after suffering a leg injury at the end of the opening round.

Solis (17-1, 12 KO) was a highly decorated amateur, winning the gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.  In 2006 Solis defected from his native Cuba with two other boxers, including Yuriorkis Gamboa, to have the opportunity to fight as a pro.  Solis started out winning his first seventeen fights, despite often weighing over two hundred and fifty pounds, fifty pounds more than his amateur limit.  Included in the victories were wins over Monte Barrett and Ray Austin.  Solis seemed to have a ton of talent but his out-of-ring dedication was often called into question.

Solis got the opportunity to show his potential when he was selected to face Vitali Klitschko, who along with his brother Wladimir, make up the two-headed heavyweight beast that has long dominated the division.  Solis appeared to take the bout more seriously, entering in far better shape.

At the end of the first round, Solis was hit by a left hook.  He stumbled back and the debate began about whether the damage was caused by a punch or a fluke knee injury.  Either way, the end result was Solis laying on his back with an injury that would cost him the bout and his chance at being champion. The injury would also cost him the last year of his career as he received surgery on the knee and had to rehab.

Solis now makes his return Saturday against Konstantin Airich (23-5-2, 17 KO).  If Solis is a fraction of what he was prior to the injury, he should easily get past Airich, who has made his record against competition that does not come close to the level of Solis.  Airich’s career high-water mark has come in losses to fringe contenders, Danny Williams and Tye Fields.

If Solis can return from the injury and has the dedication to be in shape he could present a talented addition to the heavyweight pool.  He has top level skills and decent power to go along with an outgoing personality that could bring excitement to the division.

Question, comment, agree, disagree, or anything at all, send it to gboxing3@gmail.com

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Another “0 Must Go” scenario unfolds on ESPN2′s Friday Night Fights series this Friday, May 18^th, as junior welterweight Karim Mayfield (15-0-1, 9 KOs) seeks to retain his unblemished record at the expense of Raymond Serrano (18-0, 8 KOs). In the co-feature, light heavyweight prospect Jason Escalera (13-0, 12 KOs), doubtless to be questioned by Teddy Atlas as “is it his power or his level of opposition?”, seeks to answer that question with the former option against once-stopped Nick Brinson (9-1-1, 5 KOs).

Mayfield and Serrano are both familiar names to regular viewers of boxing on the Worldwide Leader. Mayfield’s last appearance on the network was last June as he became the first (and so far, the only) man to deliver a knockout against Steve Forbes. Mayfield made a meal of that fight, looking lackluster for nine rounds and explosive in the tenth, although he was never in any real danger of losing the decision. It was purely a question of whether Mayfield would recognize that fighting on television as a highly-touted prospect tends to require a fighter to step up his game and deliver something that suggests to the viewer that he is worth tuning in for again in the future.

Meanwhile, Raymond Serrano has to his credit four appearances on basic cable’s flagship boxing show. His first appearance on ESPN2 came in a swing fight in 2009, winning an easy six-round decision over then 12-1 Jay Krupp in one-sided fashion. Elevated to co-featured attraction, Serrano has appeared twice, first defeating the questionably-named Ronnie Warrior Jr. as the appetizer for Jesse Brinkley in Reno, then delivering a forgettable performance in a win over Daniel Sostre that was all the more forgettable in light of the fact that the next fight on the card was Pawel Wolak and Delvin Rodriguez in the Fight of the Year. Most recently, Serrano delivered a “really, you couldn’t get rid of that guy?” decision over Kenny Abril three months ago fighting as the opening act for Demetrius Andrade.

Raymond Serrano has bigger problems in front of him than simply being forgotten in light of his following act this week. Karim Mayfield beat a guy who, while admittedly on the downside of his career, was once a world champion. Serrano has never fought anywhere close to that level of opposition, and against the minor leaguers Serrano has shown a level of power that suggests that he cannot punch hard enough to force his opponent to respect him. Steve Forbes found out the hard way what happens when you can’t make Karim Mayfield respect you, so unless Serrano is able to keep Mayfield at bay with a stiff jab and plenty of good counter-punching, he may find himself hoping for a lack of killer instinct rather than his own superior ability to keep Mayfield off him.

Meanwhile, Jason Escalera may not be in for the fight of his life in the co-feature. Twelve of his thirteen bouts have ended in a knockout victory, and the thirteenth was a four-rounder in which he may simply have run out of time. Nick Brinson, for his part, was knocked out in his only loss, a seventh-round stoppage at the hands of Guyana-born Lennox Allen. Brinson also has going against him that most of his fights have been at super middleweight, and he even had a fight at junior middleweight only two fights ago. Escalera has fought his entire career between super middleweight and light heavyweight and may very well be the bigger man when they step into the ring on television. On paper this looks like a showcase fight against a guy who is not as good as his record; Jason Escalera’s handlers hope this is the case and that their charge can advance his career in impressive fashion in front of a national audience.

Friday Night Fights airs on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes on Friday, May 18^th, at 9 PM Eastern/6 PM Pacific. The Boxing Tribune will have a full recap of the night’s action, including any swing fights that make air, shortly after the conclusion of the telecast.

Fox Doucette covers Friday Night Fights for The Boxing Tribune. His weekly column, The Southpaw, appears on Thursdays. One of the Tribune’s writers will be pinch-hitting on the Recap this week; tune in to this week’s Southpaw to learn why (hey, a teaser!) Fan mail, hate mail, and invitations to the Hobo Jamboree of Jason Escalera’s past opponents can be sent to beatcap@gmail.com.

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The secret to killing any con job– and much of what goes on in boxing can be described as a con– is to take the money out of it.

In the case of boxing, the beginning and end of all graft lies with the promoter’s exclusive contract with his fighters. End the ability to sign exclusive promotional deals with fighters and there would be little money to be had in manipulating the system.

The promoter’s job, obviously, is to promote (although you wouldn’t know it from the often shoddy job boxing promoters do). When a promoter is tied to one fighter, exclusively, his focus shifts from making a quality fight to making his guy look good– two often mutually exclusive concepts.

Essentially, the current system encourages the promoter to act as a second manager, guiding his guys to bouts good enough to make his fighter look like a star, but not so good as to actually risk a loss. When there’s enough money in a risky fight, the bout usually gets made, but more and more, the temptation is to keep a fighter far away from the most challenging fights and grow rich off the corpses of second and third-tier fighters.

This need to protect their investment also leads to some of the shadier stuff, like poor scoring and the usual madness that comes from the sanctioning bodies. Please spare me the bunk about the poor judging being as a result of incompetence rather than corruption. When a promoter foots the bill for the officiating and basically has the power to hand-pick two of the three judges, you’d have to be a fool to rule out corruption– especially seeing as how the lead promoter’s fighter never seems to come out on the short end of the poor scoring.

But the spotty matchmaking, rotten scoring, and just about every other ill plaguing the sport could be solved by ending a promoter’s ability to sign exclusive deals with specific fighters.

The end of exclusive promotional deal would force promoters to bid on fights rather than fighters. Suddenly, it would be in their best financial interest to make quality fights.

The promoters would have no vested interest in the outcome so, again, there would be no need for any shenanigans. As a matter of fact, it would actually be in the promoter’s best interest to have quality officiating and honest judging.

Obviously, some fighters would have a natural affinity for one particular promoter, but the end of the exclusive contract would allow them the freedom to explore other opportunities.

For example, Manny Pacquiao wouldn’t likely leave Bob Arum’s side, even if his promotional deal was ruled null and void. But ending Top Rank’s stranglehold on Pacquiao would free him to pursue a fight with Mayweather or the winner of Berto-Ortiz II if Arum couldn’t produce another blockbuster for him.

I’m not so naive as to think that this is workable under the current system, but it’s certainly worth pursuing and/or investigating by voices much louder than mine. As we’ve explored previously, though, the mainstream boxing media is not interested in doing anything other than stroking their egos and loading their own pockets with as much free swag as possible. So, as one particularly douchey scribe once told me, I’m probably just shooting spitballs at a battleship.
*******************

As some of you may know, my other gig is as a Featured Contributor at the Yahoo Contributor’s Network. The stuff I do there is generally tamer than what you see here in the Monday Rant and aimed more towards the casual fan. I do enjoy the gig, though, and reaching 3 million sets of eyeballs is never a bad thing.

If you have time, check out my latest article for them, talking about the sad state of affairs in the middleweight division. It’s a little more “Paul Magno-y” than what I often post there:

Middleweight Disgrace– The Fall of the 160 Lb. Division

You can email Paul at paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com or catch him as he casts upwardly mobile swine into the pits of Heck . Paul is a full member of the Burger King Kids’ Club, a born iconoclast, and an ordained minister in the Universal Life Church.

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EWS Arena, Goeppingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany–

Alexander Alekseev (23-2-1, 20 KOs) and Firat Arslan (32-5-2, 21 KOs) fought to a majority draw in a bid for Alekseev’s European cruiserweight title.

Texas Station Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada–

Willie Nelson (18-1-1, 11 KOs) took a ten round unanimous decision over Yudel Jhonson (12-1, 8 KOs) by scores of 97-92, 97-92, and 95-94.

Saturday

Yñares Sports Arena, Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines–

Brian Viloria (31-3, 18 KOs) defended his WBO flyweight title via TKO 9 over Omar Niño Romero (31-5-2, 13 KOs)

Rodel Mayol took a one-sided unanimous ten round decision over Julio Cesar Miranda by scores of 100-87, 99-90, and 97-91

Ice Palace “Terminal”, Brovari, Ukraine–

Gennady Golovkin (23-0, 20 KOs) stopped Makoto Fuchigami (19-7, 10 KOs) in the third round of a scheduled twelve round bout in defense of his minor middleweight title.

Zaurbek Baysangurov (27-1, 20 KOs) took a twelve round unanimous decision over Michel Soro (18-1, 11 KOs) in defense of his WBO junior middleweight belt.

Woodland Community Senior Center, Woodland, California–

Vicente Escobedo (26-3, 15 KOs) scored a one-sided unanimous decision over Juan Ruiz (23-10, 7 KOs) by scores of 100-90, 100-90, 99-91.

Hillsborough Leisure Centre, Sheffield, Yorkshire, United Kingdom–

Junior Witter (41-5-2, 22 KOs) won a unanimous twelve round decision over Colin Lynes (36-10, 12 KOs) by scores of 115-114, 116-114, 117-112.

Newtown A.C. – “The NAC”, Newton Township, Pennsylvania–

Ray Robinson (14-2, 6 KOs) stopped Terrance Cauthen (36-8, 9 KOs) in the second round of a scheduled ten round contest.