ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey, 15 December 2003 — John Ruiz put himself in position to reclaim a piece of boxing’s heavyweight title, but his ugly victory over Hasim Rahman will not be bringing him fights against Roy Jones or Lennox Lewis.
Ruiz took the World Boxing Association interim crown here Saturday with a unanimous 12-round decision over Rahman, winning the all-American battle of former world champions by judges scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 115-114.
But a sellout crowd of 12,346 booed through most of the inactive final rounds, cheering the news the last round was about to start and booing both fighters at the closing bell after paying up to $600 to attend.
“He tried to make it an ugly fight,” Rahman said. “He grabbed me every time I threw a punch. I don’t know what the judges were watching.
“I felt like I won. I threw the more effective punches. He wasn’t even trying to make it a fight.
“I had a powerful jab. I would throw it and he would grab it. This is ridiculous. I couldn’t do nothing with that.”
Ruiz, 38-5 with one drawn, will become the WBA champion unless WBA champion Jones fights him within 120 days. Jones has said he will not defend the crown, opting instead for trying to fight bigger-money opponents such as Mike Tyson.
Jones beat Ruiz last March for the WBA crown, becoming the first former middleweight champion in more than a century to take the heavyweight title. There was nothing in Ruiz’s triumph to spark interest in a rematch by Jones.
“They all can’t be pretty fights,” Ruiz said. “I can’t always look good. Some fights are grueling. I need an easier fight to look pretty.”
Rahman’s dream of a third fight against World Boxing Council champion Lewis is dead. Rahman, 35-5 with one draw, is winless in four fights since knocking out Britain’s Lewis in South Africa in 2001 for two world titles.
Rahman lost a 2001 rematch with Lewis, a 2002 fight here with Evander Holyfield and was out of shape in fighting New Zealand’s David Tua to a draw last March. Rahman protested the loss but did little to merit a triumph.
“That decision is crazy,” Rahman said. “Look at his face. It’s all busted open. How can you say he won the fight?”
Ruiz, who has not knocked out a foe in four years, staggered Rahman with a hard right midway into the second round, but was unable to press the advantage.
“After the second round I knew I had him so I just kept boxing him,” Ruiz said. “But even though I wobbled him, I needed to be careful because every time I hit him hard he came back at me with wild right hands.”
Ruiz landed combinations that kept Rahman against the ropes much of the eighth round and backed him into a corner in the ninth, but spent more time getting him into a headlock to smother any potential excitement. “I jabbed him the whole fight and beat him to the punch,” Ruiz said. “I felt good for the first few rounds and I just settled in for the fight.”
Spinks Extends Legacy, Wins Undisputed Welterweight Crown
Cory Spinks continued a family championship tradition, taking the undisputed world welterweight title with a controversial majority decision over Nicaragua’s Ricardo Mayorga.
The son of former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks and nephew of former heavyweight champion Michael Spinks continued the family championship legacy by handing Mayorga his first loss in five years after 18 bouts without a defeat.
Two judges gave the American the verdict by scores of 117-110 and 114-112 while his father and uncle looked on. The third judge scored the fight a 114-114 draw.
Spinks, 25, rose to 32-2 and retained the International Boxing Federation title while taking the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council crowns from Mayorga, 30, who fell to 25-4 with one draw.
Meanwhile, Bernard Hopkins retained the undisputed world middleweight boxing title by taking a unanimous 12-round decision over fellow American William Joppy.
Hopkins won by judges’ scores of 119-109, 118-109 and 119-108.
