Busy Welliver defends title

ST. LOUIS – After a successful title defense, Chauncy Welliver heads back into the gym today to prepare for another.

The Spokane heavyweight punched out a unanimous 12-round decision Saturday night over Joell Godfrey for a successful first defense of his World Boxing Council Continental Americas championship. Welliver, now 43-5-5, was a 115-113 winner on one judge’s card, with the other two scoring it 117-111 in his favor.

“It was a good, tough fight,” said Welliver, who at 250 pounds held a 45-pound edge on his opponent. “He was ready, and thankfully so was I. There have been other times when that guy would have beat me.”

Welliver will return to Spokane to resume training for an Aug. 21 bout in Panmure, New Zealand, against Moyoyo Mensah (21-8-1), a defense of the World Boxing Organization Asia Pacific heavyweight title Welliver won last year.