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Denver Coliseum
Denver, Colorado
An excellent club show despite a numbing main
event, Friday's fights were
the last to be administered by the Colorado Boxing Alliance, a
private,
voluntary group that has administered boxing here since July 1994.
The state
Legislature resurrected the Colorado Boxing Commission effective
July 1.
Lawmakers had abolished Colorado's boxing commission in 1977 for
its failure
to develop rules and standards. Due to the path paved by the CBA,
the new
version of the agency should have a much smoother ride.
The state Department of Regulatory Agencies
named Josef Mason as its
director of boxing. Mason, a longtime Colorado resident who
already worked
for DORA as a compliance investigator, has been a boxing judge in
Colorado
and elsewhere since 1993. Appointments to the seven-member
commission should
be announced by mid-July.
Friday's feature saw Denver's Manuel Lopez,
Jr., (21-1, 10 KOs) pick up
the National Boxing Association middleweight title from reluctant
Elvis
Alexander (8-3, 6 KOs), posting a one-sided 12-round decision. The
38-year-old Alexander, based in Norfolk, Va., employed a hold,
clutch and
grab strategy that cost him a point in the fifth round and won him
very few
fans. Lopez, 158, was the aggressor throughout but also did his
share of
holding and was unable to mount a sustained attack. Alexander,
154, had held
the NBA title since April 1998 and was making his second defense.
Scores were
120-107, 119-109 and 117-107. Curtis Thrasher had the unenviable
task of
refereeing this bout.
A pair of former amateur stars launched their
pro careers in impressive
fashion. Aurora heavyweight DaVarryl "Touch of Sleep"
Williamson, 211, needed
only 69 seconds to wipe out 45-year-old Paul Dowdy, 208.5,
Bullard, Texas.
What appeared to be a glancing right hand dropped Dowdy, who arose
only to be
dropped again, prompting referee Joe Armijo to step in. Dowdy was
making his
pro debut as well. Williamson, 31, had won two National
Golden Gloves titles
and a host of other trophies on the way to an amateur record of
120-17-1
(103).
Four-time Colorado Golden Gloves champ Anthony
Mora, 131, cornered Las
Vegan Jamal Hodges, 130.5, with combinations to the head and body,
dropping
him with a right. Hodges got up but was unsteady, so referee Ed
Walsh smartly
stopped the bout at 2:10 of the opening round. Mora is 1-0 (1).
Hodges
dropped to 1-3-1 (1).
Former two-time 154-lb. world champ Verno
Phillips, 156, relentlessly
punished an outclassed Vincent Moses, 160.5, stopping him in the
fifth of a
schedule eight. Phillips, 31-8-1 (16), landed as he pleased
against the game
Moses (4-9-2), wobbling him in the third round and dropping him
with a right
in the fifth. Moses, a Las Vegas-based Nigerian, got up from the
knockdown
and Phillips battered him until Armijo stopped the bout at 2:53 of
the fifth.
The 30-year-old Phillips, who relocated to Aurora from Troy, N.Y.,
has held
the WBO and WBU titles.
Denver vets Tiliano "Tito" Tovar,
135.5, and Benji Marquez, 137.25, waged
an exciting six-round war, with Tovar gaining a split decision.
Tovar
improved to 19-17-2 (8), while Marquez dropped to 23-19-2 (12).
Marquez
appeared to control the early rounds with body-punching. Tovar
rallied with
sharp counters as Marquez's hands started to drop. Scores were
58-56 Marquez, 58-56 Tovar and 59-55 Tovar.
In a similar pairing of Denver trialhorses,
Steve Valdez, 137, survived a
slow start and cut left eyelid to stop Bobby Brewer, 133.5, in the
seventh of
a scheduled eight. Brewer, 16-20 (9), started quickly, pushing
Valdez back
for the most of the first two rounds. Valdez, 15-26-2 (11) warmed
to the task
in the third, as he started to break down Brewer with counters and
body
shots. In the seventh, Valdez dropped Brewer twice, the second
prompting
Thrasher to the stop the bout with Brewer attempting to rise on
unsteady pins.
An entertaining women's six-rounder closed the
show. Denver's Tracy
Moulton, 115.5, eked out a majority decision over Trena Drotar,
113.5,
Regina, Sask. Moulton scored a flash knockdown in the second
round, but
Drotar fiercely rallied. In the fourth, Walsh penalized Moulton a
point for
repeated backhanding. Drotar's sharp countering caused Moulton's
nose to the
bleed for the most of the fight. Drotar came out of the fray
sporting an
angry mouse under the left eye. Scores were 56-56, 57-55 and
58-54. Moulton
improved to 5-3-1 (2); Drotar is 2-2 (2).
Anthony Mora, 131, Thornton, W-TKO-1 (2:10) Jamal Hodges, 130.5,
Las Vegas
Mora 1-0 (1 KO); Hodges 1-3-1 (1 KO)
Tito Tovar, 135.5, Denver, W-SD-6 Benji Marquez, 137.25, Denver
Tovar 19-17-2 (8); Marquez 23-19-2 (12)
DaVarryl Williamson, 211, Aurora, W-TKO-1 (1:09) Paul Dowdy,
208.5, Bullard,
Texas
Williamson 1-0 (1); Dowdy 0-1 (0)
Manuel Lopez, Jr., 158, Denver, W-UD-12 Elvis Alexander, 154,
Norfolk, Va.
(Lopez wins National Boxing Association Middleweight Title)
Lopez 21-1 (10); Alexander 8-3 (6)
Verno Phillips, 156, Aurora, W-TKO-5 (2:53) Vincent Moses, 160.5,
Las Vegas
Phillips 31-8-1 (16); Moses 4-9-2
Steve Valdez, 137, Denver, W-TKO-7 (2:56) Bobby Brewer, 133.5,
Denver
Valdez 15-26-2 (11), Brewer 16-20 (9)
Tracy Moulton, 115.5, Denver, W-MD-6 Trena Drotar, 113.5, Regina,
Sask.
Moulton 5-3-1 (2), Drotar 2-2 (2)
Promoter: Touch'em Up Boxing
Matchmaker: George Durbin
Referees: Joe Armijo, Curtis Thrasher, Ed Walsh
Judges: Ed Kugler, John Maydan, Tyrone Short, Steve Waldman
Commissioner in Charge: Ed Avila, Nebraska State Athletic
Commission
Supervised by: Nebraska Athletic Commission in association with
the Colorado
Boxing Alliance
CBA Executive Administrator: Woody Kislowski
Physicians: Dr. Peter Schmid
Inspectors: Lee Peters, Buddy Moore, John Maydan
Timekeeper: John Ulibarri
Knockdowns: Jeanne McEvoy
Tally Judge: Jim Donahue
Announcer: Raul Rangel
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