MAJOR UPSET

By Christophe Neyts

WORLD CUP OF BOXING

In a lightweight encounter at the LA Staples Center on saturday, Zahir Raheem (#40, v220 at 135lbs) won a unanimous points decision over Mexican superstar Erik Morales (#1, v2000 at 130lbs). 1996 US Olympian Raheem was the stronger throughout the fight. In the fifth he hurt Morales with a right shot to the head. Former three-time world champ Morales, in his turn, almost floored his opponent in the eleventh. After twelve rounds the scorecards read 118-110, 116-112 and 115-113.

Morales moved from super featherweight to lightweight for this fight. He had 3600 total points at 130lbs, so more than 2000. If a boxer moves to another weight division, he keeps a maximum of 2000 total points. Morales, with 2000 points at lightweight, is now worth 1600 points. These 1600 points are added to the 64 WCup points Raheem already held. Raheem jumps to second spot in the lightweight WCup ranking with 1664 points! WBC/WBO champion Diego Corrales still heads the affairs with 2000 points. Third is Jose Luis Castillo with 1400 points.

In the 135lbs total ranking, Zahir Raheem finds himself now in third position with 1878 points. Corrales also tops this ranking with a massive total of 4000 points. He is followed by Jose Luis Castillo (2900 pts). Erik Morales is now also ranked at lightweight: he finds himself at rank 7 with 1310 total points (2000 total points - 690 penalty points = 1310 total points). However, the Mexican is still leading the total ranking at 130lbs, but also there he is deducted 690 penalty points, resulting in 2910 total points.

On the Staples Center undercard, light flyweight champ Eric Ortiz (#2, v1800) suffered a first-round knock-out by 2000 Olympian Brian Viloria (#17, v430 at 112lbs).
Viloria thus acquires the WBC 108lbs crown and becomes the new WCup leader at 108lbs with 1805 WCup points. He precedes Eric Ortiz and Roberto Vasquez, who are now second, by 200 points.
the Hawaii fighter becomes second in the 108lbs total ranking, with 2265 points. Eagle Kyowa still leads with 2440 points. Third is Roberto Vasquez with 1600 points. Ortiz drops to fifth spot with 1435 points.

WBO super middleweight titlist Joe Calzaghe (#2, v1800) kept his laurels thanks to a clear unanimous points victory over Evans Ashira (#22, v380 at 160lbs) in Cardiff, Wales. The scores were 120-108 (twice) and 120-107. However, the Welshman injured his left hand during the fight, which will probably delay a November 5 unification showdown with IBF champ Jeff Lacy.

In WCOB terms, Calzaghe ups his WCup total to 900 points, climbing from rank 6 to 4 in the super middleweight WCup ranking. Danilo Häussler leads with 1200 points, followed by WBA titleholder Mikkel Kessler with 1000 points. Third is WBC champ Markus Beyer, who also has 900 WCup points, but scored more points in one of his fights during this series (Beyer: 600 + 300 = 900; Calzaghe: 450 + 450 = 900).
In the 168lbs TR Calzaghe remains in second spot, but the gap with leader Beyer, who defeated Omar Sheika on a unanimous points decision last week, has been reduced to 200 points (2900 versus 2700 points). Mikkel Kessler is third with 2200 points.