Banks beats Mora on Klitscko-Arreola undercard
Posted Sep. 26, 2009 at 09:32pm
By Doug Fischer
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LOS ANGELES -- In the lead undercard bout to the Vitali Klitschko-Chris Arreola main event at Staples Center, former cruiserweight title challenger Johnathan Banks scored a majority decision over Javier Molina in an eight-round heavyweight bout.
Banks (22-1, 15 knockouts), of Detroit, Mich., out-maneuvered Mora (22-5-1, 18 KOs) for the majority of the bout, which he won by scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 76-76, but he occasionally planted his feet and traded with larger man.
Banks, who was stopped by cruiserweight champ Tomasz Adamek in February, got the better of Mora in most of their exchanges, but he also caught a few hard right hands from the natural heavyweight.
“I give my performance a D, maybe an F,” Banks said after the fight. “I wasn’t doing what I know I can do in there. I’m still not putting it all together.”
Banks wobbled Mora with a series of left-right combinations and lead rights in the fifth round but couldn’t put his 20-pounds heavier foe down. However, he didn’t blame his performance on his size disadvantage.
“I spar with heavyweights all the time, much bigger men,” said Banks, who is the chief sparring partner for heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko and helped prepare Vitali Klitschko for Arreola. “I just need to do what I do in the gym when I get in the ring.
In other undercard action, lightweight prospect John Molina (18-0, 14 KOs), of Covina, Calif., made quick work of Efren Hinojosa (30-7-1, 17 KOs), of Mexico City, Mexico, stopping the former fringe contender 34 seconds into the first round with a right to the body.
“I went after him,” Molina said after the fight. “I set the tone quick and I him with a liver shot. I think I broke his rib, to be honest with you.”
Featherweight prospect Salvador Sanchez (14-3-2, 7 KOs), the nephew of the late featherweight great of the same name, stopped veteran journeyman Trinidad Mendoza (28-25-2, 3 KOs) with a body shot at 1:23 of the third round of their scheduled six rounder. Sanchez, of Tianguistenco, Mexico, also dropped Mendoza with a body punch in the second round.
“I stopped him with a left hook to the liver,” Sanchez said afterward. “It was a good shot.”
Featherweight prospect Rico Ramos (13-0, 8 KOs), of Los Angeles, dominated aging veteran Kermin Guardia, of Colombia, to a six-round unanimous decision. Ramos, who won by scores of 60-54 (twice) and 59-55, was too big and too fast for the former title challenger who began his career at strawweight.
Heavyweight fringe contender Cedric Boswell (31-1, 24 KOs), of Atlanta, Ga., outclassed late-sub Cisse Salif (23-15, 21 KOs), of Las Vegas, Nev., in an eight-round bout, winning by unanimous scores of 80-72.
Banks (22-1, 15 knockouts), of Detroit, Mich., out-maneuvered Mora (22-5-1, 18 KOs) for the majority of the bout, which he won by scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 76-76, but he occasionally planted his feet and traded with larger man.
Banks, who was stopped by cruiserweight champ Tomasz Adamek in February, got the better of Mora in most of their exchanges, but he also caught a few hard right hands from the natural heavyweight.
“I give my performance a D, maybe an F,” Banks said after the fight. “I wasn’t doing what I know I can do in there. I’m still not putting it all together.”
Banks wobbled Mora with a series of left-right combinations and lead rights in the fifth round but couldn’t put his 20-pounds heavier foe down. However, he didn’t blame his performance on his size disadvantage.
“I spar with heavyweights all the time, much bigger men,” said Banks, who is the chief sparring partner for heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko and helped prepare Vitali Klitschko for Arreola. “I just need to do what I do in the gym when I get in the ring.
In other undercard action, lightweight prospect John Molina (18-0, 14 KOs), of Covina, Calif., made quick work of Efren Hinojosa (30-7-1, 17 KOs), of Mexico City, Mexico, stopping the former fringe contender 34 seconds into the first round with a right to the body.
“I went after him,” Molina said after the fight. “I set the tone quick and I him with a liver shot. I think I broke his rib, to be honest with you.”
Featherweight prospect Salvador Sanchez (14-3-2, 7 KOs), the nephew of the late featherweight great of the same name, stopped veteran journeyman Trinidad Mendoza (28-25-2, 3 KOs) with a body shot at 1:23 of the third round of their scheduled six rounder. Sanchez, of Tianguistenco, Mexico, also dropped Mendoza with a body punch in the second round.
“I stopped him with a left hook to the liver,” Sanchez said afterward. “It was a good shot.”
Featherweight prospect Rico Ramos (13-0, 8 KOs), of Los Angeles, dominated aging veteran Kermin Guardia, of Colombia, to a six-round unanimous decision. Ramos, who won by scores of 60-54 (twice) and 59-55, was too big and too fast for the former title challenger who began his career at strawweight.
Heavyweight fringe contender Cedric Boswell (31-1, 24 KOs), of Atlanta, Ga., outclassed late-sub Cisse Salif (23-15, 21 KOs), of Las Vegas, Nev., in an eight-round bout, winning by unanimous scores of 80-72.
