Williams punishes Phillips!
 

Williams punishes Phillips!
Saturday, November 29 2008
By Francisco Salazar at ringside

Now campaigning as a jr middleweight, former welterweight king Paul "The Punisher" Williams (36-1, 26 KOs) scored an eight round TKO over 39-year-old three-time champion Verno Phillips (42-11-1, 21 KOs) to claim the vacant WBO interim 154lb title on Saturday night at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California. Williams was cut over the right eye by an unintentional head butt in round one, and the blood flowed for the duration of the bout. Williams, however dominated the fight and the ring doctor stopped the bout after eight rounds due to the punishment administered by Williams. In an IBF eliminator for the #2 position, unbeaten heavyweight Cristobal Arreola (26-0, 23 KOs) scored a comeback third round TKO over Travis Walker (28-2-1, 22 KOs). Walker dominated round one and dropped Arreola in round two, but the knockdown only seemed to wake up Arreola. He floored Walker twice in the second, and knocked down Walker again in the third prompting a referee's stoppage 13 seconds into the round. The bout was also for the NABF and WBC Continental Americas belts.In his pro debut, 2008 USA Olympic team member Shawn Estradaneeded just 60 seconds to demolish Lawrence Jones (2-2-1, 1 KO) in a junior middleweight clash.Jr. welterweight Josesito Lopez (23-3, 14 KOs) scored a second round destruction of journeyman Alex Perez (23-32-4, 18 KOs). The bout was waved off after Lopez floored Perez at the 2:36 mark.Heavyweight Manuel Quezada (25-4, 15 KOs) punded out a workmanlike ten round decision over Teke Oruh (14-2-1, 6 KOs). Scores were 98-92 across the board for Quezada, who retained his WBC Cabofe belt.Unbeaten jr welter Michael Dallas Jr. (5-0-1, 1 KO) and Jose Alfredo Lugo (10-5-1, 5 KOs) fought to a six round majority draw. Scores were 58-56 and 57-57 twice.