Quick Start Lifts Moorer To Ibf Title

Boxing

Michael Moorer started strong Saturday and regained the vacant IBF heavyweight title with a split decision over Germany’s Axel Schulz in Dortmund, Germany.

Moorer, coming back two years after George Foreman took his IBF and WBA titles, was more in control than the scoring showed. The judges ruled the outdoor bout held in a German soccer stadium 116-113 and 115-113 for Moorer and 115-113 for Schulz.

“I think the decision was OK,” said Schulz, 27. “I can live with it, because I think Moorer’s one of the best fighters around.”

Schulz fell to 21-3-1. Moorer, 37-1 with 30 knockouts, dominated the first six rounds against a sluggish and passive Schulz, who always appeared a step too slow.

Camacho beats Duran; Douglas wins easily

The clock probably struck midnight for Roberto Duran as a major boxing attraction when he lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Hector Camacho a few minutes after 12 a.m. EDT today at Trump’s Taj Majal in Atlantic City.

The 45-year-old Duran tried to pressure the faster Camacho throughout and actually came on in the final rounds to make the fight close in the eyes of some ringsiders. But the three judges gave the match to Camacho by two to six points.

Duran seemed to land the harder punches throughout the 12-round bout but the left-handed Camacho had more hand speed and scored with counters and right jabs. “I thought I outboxed him, just like I wanted to,” the 34-year-old Camacho said. “He put up a big effort. God bless him.”

When the decision was announced, it was widely booed by many in the crowd of 5,200 in the Mark Etess Arena. Judge Tim Figley scored it 115-113, judge Dana De Paolo had it 116-113 and Paul Venti had it 117-111, all for Camacho. The AP card had it 114-114.

The fight followed James “Buster” Douglas’ return from a 5-1/2-year absence. The 36-year-old former undisputed heavyweight champion stopped outgunned Tony La Rosa after three rounds of a scheduled 10-round bout.

Douglas hammered La Rosa in what amounted to little more than a workout, and had him bleeding and swollen at the end. “It was pretty good to be back,” Douglas said. “I kept my poise. Tony took some good shots. He pressured me a little, and I fell back on my experience. By the end of the year, I should be in top form. This was a good test.”