Williams topples Munsen

WORLEY, Idaho – The King survived to fight another day.

Former world cruiserweight boxing champion “King” Arthur Williams scored an eighth-round technical knockout of hometown favorite Luke Munsen in the main event at the Coeur d’Alene House of Fury here Thursday.

Munsen absorbed seven rounds worth of punches, shaking them off with nothing more damaging than a bloody nose. But in the eighth he caught a powerful right hook to his temple by Williams and wobbled, falling through the ropes before referee Jerry Armstrong could stop the fight with 1 minute, 8 seconds remaining in the round.

“He just walked into one too many of those right hands,” said Munsen’s manager, promoter Moe Smith.

Williams, 39, came into the bout the loser in his last three fights but hungry to return to the list of top-10 challengers under any of the alphabet-soup of boxing organizations – holding on by virtue of his experience and the ring savvy garnered from 52 professional fights.

That may be a pipe dream at this point.

Williams, 39-12-1, was knocked down in the fourth – taking a vicious right cross from Munsen that sent him sprawling backward across the ring.

Both fighters shunned protecting themselves in favor of launching shot after shot at each other.

Munsen, 16-3, was stunned in the first round, dropping low to attack Williams’ body but walking into a solid right hand that buckled his knees.

Munsen was given a standing eight-count by Armstrong in the seventh after slipping during an exchange.

Munsen lost his first bid at a title last month, dropping a close decision to Chad Van Sickle at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma.

Perhaps the night’s most entertaining fight was a preliminary bout between Rodney “Hot Rod” Simpson, a last-minute fill-in from Great Falls, Mont., and Tony Sanza, a seasoned middleweight from Napa, Calif.

Simpson, a hyperactive banty rooster with a flair for showmanship, threw many punches that did little damage. Sanza, an effective counterpuncher, never completely solved Simpson’s stiff-legged style. The fight was scored a majority draw and preparations began for a rematch on a future card.

Danny Zee, a middleweight from Los Angeles, scored a unanimous decision over Boise’s Byron Sutherland. Zee scored knockdowns in the first, second and sixth rounds en route to the win.

Also, Hilario Lopez, from Parma, Idaho., scored a first-round TKO over Worley’s Frank Bybee – a loss that could mark the end of Bybee’s nine-fight professional career.

Spokane heavyweight Jeremy Munsen, Luke’s older brother, scored a unanimous decision over Cainan Monroe, from Arlee, Mont., in the professional debut for both fighters.

Portland middleweight Curtis Frost scored a superior decision over Spokane’s Rafeal Cansino, making his ring debut.