By Amy Green

A champ KO’s in two; a Highlight Reel ends; a young gun prevails.

 

Kermit Cintron/Walter Matthysse

Kermit Cintron nailed Walter Matthysse and scored a second round KO in defense of his IBF title. The rugged Matthysse (26-2) who lasted 10 rounds with Paul Williams before losing by TKO in the tenth round in May of 2006, was no match for Cintron’s "Killer" attack, which dropped him in round one, and ended his night for good with a right-left right combination twenty nine seconds into round two.

Cintron (28-1-0) targeting Shane Mosley in his post fight remarks as his next opponent, has adapted well to trainer Emanuel Steward’s guidance and now the uncertainty of his career is over. Taking Matthysse out in such a precise and dramatic fashion beckons for a money fight like Mosley to be sure, but a match up with Miguel Cotto would be more entertaining, especially after Antonio Margarito’s loss to Paul Williams.

 

Arturo Gatti/Alfonso Gomez

In familiar Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City with Chuck Zito and Pat Lynch by his side and Micky Ward in his corner, Arturo Gatti lost by seventh round knockout to Contender favorite Alfonso Gomez.

From the beginning bell, Gatti (40-9-0) was out of time and almost a perfect target for Gomez (16-3-2) who controlled the fight and outboxed the tentative Gatti, who could not summon the warrior’s magic in this outing. The end of the fight came with Gatti defenseless in the corner, then finally on the canvas after an onslaught of Gomez punches.

The end of this fight also brought Gatti’s retirement- his statement was made with thanks and love to his fans that have been there for him throughout his thrilling career. For Gomez, a win over Arturo Gatti represents the most significant victory by any Contender alumni, but beating an in demise Gatti is hardly the occasion for Gomez to look to the likes of Miguel Cotto, Kermit Cintron or Shane Mosley anytime soon.

 

Paul Williams/Antonio Margarito

1256 punches and 12 rounds of non-stop action later, Paul Williams became the new WBO welterweight champion, and Antonio Margarito searched for "denial" in Southern California instead of Egypt.

Williams (33-0) remained effective during a long twelve rounds with angles, jabs, volume punching and perfect conditioning to weather any opposition Margarito (34-4-0) offered. He was composed from his ring entrance to the final bell, enduring a cut and three or four offensive rounds from the disgruntled Margarito. Williams caught come good clean shots from Margarito but his response throughout the fight was the same- volume, volume, volume punching, only seeming to slow his pace slightly in the eleventh round.

Post fight, Margarito hardly needed an interpreter during his remarks. His sullen countenance clearly stated he believed himself to be the winner and the victim of a heinous robbery.

Margarito’s sore loser attitude continued on to the post fight press conference, where even his promoter, Bob Arum, objected to the former champ’s cries of robbery. In sharp contrast, Williams was gracious and polite to the end, thanking his team, trainers and promoter saying he is "ready for anything my team has in mind."

 

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