Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

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Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

In this thread, I'll address the "true" lineage of the featherweight division and then go into a detailed account of the recent history regarding featherweight championships. I could have gone back further but I would have had to deal with a plethora of versions- California-Mexico, original NBA (which would later become the WBA), NYSAC, Maryland State, etc. I opted for a little saner period when the major titles were those of the NYSAC and the NBA.

In 1942, Willie Pep won the lineal featherweight title from Chalky Wright. It was the NYSAC version and was recognized by The Ring. Pep unified the NYSAC and NBA titles when he knocked out Sal Bartolo in 1946.

Until the title becomes split again, I'll simply refer it as the world title.

Pep lost the world title to Sandy Saddler in 1948, regained it from Saddler in 1949, and lost it back to Saddler in 1950. Saddler held the world title until his retirement in early 1957. During Saddler's reign, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. Teddy "Red Top" Davis won the interim title by outpointing Percy Bassett in 1954 but lost to Saddler, with the world title on the line, in 1955.

Hogan "Kid" Bassey, who had defeated Miguel Berrios in an eliminator, stopped European champ Cherif Hamia to win the vacant lineal world title in 1957. Bassey lost it to the ill-fated Davey Moore in 1959. Moore retained the world title until March 21, 1963 when he lost it to Sugar Ramos. Moore's corner let the referee know Moore had had enough after the 10th round of the scheduled 15-rounder. Sadly, Moore would collapse in his dressing room and never regain consciousness. He was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital where he would he linger a bit before dying.

Ramos would make three successful defenses including a controversial win over Floyd Robertson (How controversial?- so controversial that the Ghanaian commission declared Robertson the new champ; a decree not recognized by the rest of the boxing world). Anyway, Ramos would be dethroned officially by Vicente Saldivar in 1964. Saldivar held the titles (lineal, The Ring, WBA, and WBC) until his retirement (not a permanent retirement) in 1967.

It gets messy at this point.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

In December 1967, the California State Athletic Commission was the first to act by sanctioning a bout between Raul Rojas, who held the California version of the world junior lightweight title, and Colombian veteran Antonio Herrera. Rojas, who once unsuccessfully challenged for the world featherweight title during Saldivar's reign, unanimously outpointed Herrera over 15 rounds.

Next up was the WBC which sanctioned the January 1968 bout between perennial contenders Howard Winstone of Wales and Mitsunori Seki of Japan. Winstone had gone 0-3 versus Saldivar in world title bouts while Seki was 0-4 as a world title challenger- 0-3 in world featherweight title bouts (0-2 versus Saldivar and 0-1 versus Sugar Ramos) and had lost to then defending world flyweight champion Pone Kingpetch earlier in his career. Winstone stopped Seki in the ninth round.

In March 1968, Rojas faced Enrique Higgins of Colombia for the vacant WBA title. After fifteen rounds, Rojas was new champ via anothr unanimous decision.

The Australian Commission, upset that highly ranked Commonwealth champion Johnny Famechon had not been included in either the WBC's or WBA's title bouts, sanctioned a bout between Famechon and American Bobby Valdez for their versio of the vacant world title. Famechon won when Valdez was disqualified in the thirteenth round.

In July of 1968, Spain-based Cuban Jose Legra improved to 106-5-4, avenged an earlier decision loss, and annexed the WBC title by stopping Winstone in the fifth round.

In September of that year, Famechon retained both the Australian version of the world title and the Commonwealth championship by stopping Billy McGrandle of Canada in the 12th round.

Two weeks after Famechon's win, Rojas lost the WBA title to Shozo Saijo of Japan via a 15-round unanimous decision.

The stage was set for the lineal title, vacated by Saldivar's retirement, to be filled.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

On January 21, 1969, at the Royal Albert Hall in Kensington, London, England, the consensus top two featherweights met with the WBC, vacant lineal, and vacant Ring Magazine titles at stake. After 15 rounds, Johnny Famechon ooutpointed Jose Legra by the score of 74 1/2-73 1/4.

Famechon would make two memorable defenses against Fighting Harada, the former world flyweight and world bantamwight champion- winning a razor-thin, controversial 15-round decision in Australia and knocking Harada out in the fourteenth round in Japan.

Saldivar returned to the ring in July 1969 and got off the canvas to outpoint Legra. Ten months later, he challenged Famechon in Rome and, after fifteen rounds, regained the lineal, WBC, and Ring Magazine titles by unanimous decision.

His second reign would not be as memorable as his first as he would lose the title(s) to Kuniaki Shibata via a 12th round TKO in his first defense.

Shibata made two successful defenses (Raul Cruz- KO-1; Ernesto Marcel- Split Decision Draw-15) before being upset by Clemente Sanchez (KO-3) in 1972.

Meanwhile, Saijo made five succesful defenses of the WBA belt before losing it to Venezuela's Antonio Gomez (KO-5) in 1971. Gomez successfully defended it against Raul Martinez (TKO-7) before being dethroned in Venezuela by the Panamanian Marcel (Majority Decision- 15) in 1972.

Before 1972 was over, Sanchez lost the lineal, WBC, and Ring titles on the scales prior to his defense against Legra. The bout went on as scheduled and Legra emerged with the vacant lineal and vacant WBC championships by halting Sanchez in the 10th round. The Ring didn't recognize Legra because Sanchez failed to make weight.

Legra's reign would not last long. In May of 1973, he traveled to Brazil and lost his titles via majority decision to former world bantamweight champion Eder Jofre. Jofre successfully defended the title against Saldivar (KO-4) in October 1973.

Jofre was stripped by the WBC in June 1974 for failing to fight mandatory challenger Alfredo Marcano. He remained inactive until December 1974 when he outpointed a non-ranked opponent in a non-title bout. By then, his lineal reign was considered over. After taking 1975 off, Jofre returned in 1976, won six bouts and retired.

Marcel defended the WBA title four times, including a TKO-12 over Gomez and a UD 15 over Alexis Arguello, before retiring (after defeating Arguello) in February 1974.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

In July 1974, the WBA filled their's when former two-time world bantamweight champion Ruben Olivares knocked out Zensuke Utagawa. Two months later, Bobby Chacon won the vacant WBC title by stopping Alfredo Marcano (see previous post). In November 1974, Olivares lost the title in a war with Alexis Arguello with Arguello winning by a 13th round knockout. Chacon made one successful defense before being stopped in two by Olivares in June 1975. By that time, Arguello had defended the WBA title twice and when he defended for the third time, he did so as the lineal and Ring champ as well.

Logic prevailed when there were just two major organizational titles and the lineal title was vacant. Arguello had beaten Olivares in a title bout and thus ascended to the vacant lineal throne when Olivares beat Chacon. He reigned as lineal, Ring, and WBA champ until he moved up to the junior lightweight division in 1977.

Olivares lost the WBC title to David Kotey later in 1975 and Kotey, after two successful defenses, lost it to Danny "Little Red" Lopez in 1976.

Rafael Ortega won the vacant WBA title in 1977 and lost it in second defense to Cecilio Lastra later that year. Lastra, in his first defense, lost the WBA belt to Eusebio Pedroza in 1978. Pedroza would reign as the WBA champion for over seven years finally losing the title in his 20th defense (more on that later).

Meanwhile, WBC champ Lopez, in 1977-78, made five successful defenses and in 1979, made three more successful defenses including winning the vacant lineal and Ring Magazine titles (KO-2 over previously unbeaten European champion Roberto Castanon) and winning the Ring Magazine Fight of the Year (KO-15 over Mike Ayala).

In 1980, "Little Red" lost his championships (lineal, Ring, and WBC) to Salvador Sanchez who made made nine successful defenses before his death in a car accident on August 12, 1982. Sanchez was only 23 years old at the time.

Juan Laporte, who had lost to both Sanchez and Pedroza in title bouts, won the vacant WBC title in September of 1982. At that point, Pedroza gained recognition as the lineal champion and was awarded The Ring's title. His last six defenses of the WBA title including the one in which he lost to Barry McGuigan in 1985 were made as the lineal and Ring Magazine champ as well.

Laporte, after two successful defenses, lost the WBC belt in March 1984 to Wilfredo "Bazooka" Gomez who in turn lost it to Azumah Nelson in December of the same year. Nelson successfully defended the WBC title six times before moving up to 130 in 1988.

McGuigan, after two successful defenses including stopping Bernard Taylor who had held Pedroza to a draw in his previous title shot, was upset by Steve Cruz in 1986. Cruz did not hold on to the lineal, Ring, and WBA titles for long. He was stopped in his first defense by Antonio Esparragoza in 1987. Esparragoza ran off a streak of seven succesful defenses before being dethroned by Yong-Kyun Park (also listed as Young Kyun Park) in 1991. It should be noted that Esparragoza was the last featherweight champion recognized by the Ring before their policy change. He lost the lineal and WBA championships to Park during the time The Ring was not recognizing its own champ.

It should be noted that during the period of 1984-1989, the IBF and the WBO also crowned featherweight champions with Min-Keun Oh winning the IBF's inaugural title bout at 126 in 1984 and Maurizio Stecca winning the WBO's in 1989.

So, in 1991, Yong-Kyun Park held the lineal and WBA titles. Let's quickly see what the other organizations were up to into 1991.

Jeff Fenech won the vacant WBC title in 1988, made three successful defenses, then moved up to 130.

Marcos Villasana, who Fenech had outpointed in his last defense, stopped Paul Hodkinson to win the vacant WBC title in 1990. He made three successful defenses before losing the title to Hodkinson in November 1991.

Oh lost the IBF belt in his third defense as he was stopped by his countryman Ki-Young Chung in the 15th round in November 1985. Chung, in his third defense, was stopped by Antonio Rivera in 1986. Rivera lost the IBF title to Calvin Grove by TKO-4 in his first defense.

In 1988, Grove outpointed Myron Taylor over 15 rounds to retain the title but in his second defense, lost by majority decision to Jorge "Maromero" Paez. It didn't help Grove's cause that Paez floored him three times in the 15th and final round.

Paez made eight successful defenses including unifying the IBF and WBO titles in his 7th IBF defense and defending both in his 8th. He vacated the IBF title in 1990 and would vacate the WBO's in '91.

Troy Dorsey, who had had two shots at the IBF title (and one at the WBO's) while Paez reigned, won the vacant IBF title in June of '91 but lost to Manuel Medina in his first defense in August. Medina would retain the belt by turning back Tom Johnson's first challenge in November 1991.

Stecca, after one successful title defense lost the WBO diadem to Louie Espinoza in 1989. Espinoza then lost the title unifier against Paez in 1990.

In 1991, Stecca regained the vacant title after Paez relinquished it and made two successful defenses later that year.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

Park continued to reign as the lineal and WBA champion. He made six successful defenses in 1992 and 1993 until meeting Elio Rojas in a rematch on December 4, 1993. Park had unanimously outpointed Rojas in a 1991 title defense but their second bout would see Rojas win the WBA belt as well as lineal recognition by split decision.

Hodkinson successfully defended the WBC title twice in 1992 and once in 1993 before losing it to Gregorio "Goyo" Vargas on April 28, 1993. On December 4, 1993, Vargas, in his first dense, lost the WBC bauble to Kevin Kelley.

IBF champ Medina made three successful title defenses in 1992 but, on February 16, 1993, lost the title by split decision to Tom "Boom Boom' Johnson, who he had beaten in 1991. Johnson went on to make 11 successful title defenses, including unanimously outpointing Medina in their rubber match, before fighting in an IBF-WBO title unifier in 1997.

Speaking of the WBO title, Stecca lost it to Colin McMillan on May 16, 1992. McMillan lost it in his first defense when he was stopped by Ruben Dario Palacios on September 26, 1992. In 1993, Palacios, scheduled to defend against John Davison, failed an AIDS test and retired from boxing. Davison and late sub Steve Robinson fought for the vacant title on April 17 of '93 and Robinson emerged with it by an upset split decision. Robinson continued to surprise and made seven successful defenses, including ones against McMillan (UD 12), Hodkinson (KO-12), and Duke McKenzie (KO-9), before being stopped by Prince Naseem Hamed on September 30. 1995.

Rojas reigned as the lineal and WBA champion into 1996. He successfully defended the titles six times including a TKO-8 over Samart Payakaroon, a UD 12 over Luis Mendoza, and a split, 12-round decision over Park in their rubber match. On May 18, 1996, Rojas was dethroned by Wilfredo Vazquez, the former WBA bantamweight and super bantamweight champion, who stopped Rojas in the eleventh round. Vazquez then went on to defend the lineal and WBA world featherweight titles four times before being stripped of the WBA title for signing to fight WBO champ Hamed.

Kelley, after two successful title defenses in 1994, lost the WBC title on January 7, 1995 to Alejandro Gonzalez. Gonzalez made two successful defenses including one against Louie "Sharpshooter" Espinoza, before losing a split decision to former IBF champ Manuel Medina on September 23, 1995.

Medina, in his first defense of the WBC title, lost it by UD 12 to Luisito Espinosa, the former WBA World bantamweight champion, on December 11, 1995.

Espinosa, by the end of 1998, had successfully defended the WBC title seven times including wins over Alejandro Gonzalez (avenging an earlier loss), Cesar Soto, Medina in a rematch, and Kennedy McKinney.

Prince Naseem Hamed had defended the WBO title four times (including a TKO-11 win over Medina) before his title unifier with IBF champion Johnson. He and Johnson fought on February 8, 1997 and Hamed won by TKO-8. He made two defenses of the unified titles before vacating the IBF title in July 1997 and made two more defenses of the WBO title, including a KO-4 over Kevin Kelley, in the latter part of 1997.

On April 18, 1998, Hamed fought Vazquez with Vazquez' lineal championship and Hamed's WBO title on the line. Hamed won by TKO in the seventh round.

Six and one-half months later, on October 31, Hamed successfully defended the lineal title for the first time and the WBO belt for the 11th time when he unanimously outpointed 1996 Olympic Silver Medalist and former WBA World bantamweight champion Wayne McCullough.

With Hamed having voluntarily relinquished the iBF title in 1997 and with Vazquez being stripped by the WBA in 1998, there were vacant titles to be filled. The IBF filled their's by sanctioning the 12/13/97 bout between former IBF World junior featherweight champion Welcome Ncita and Hector Lizarraga. Lizarraga won when Ncita, trailing on all three scorecards, retired in his corner after the tenth round.

The WBA filled their's by sanctioning the 4/3/98 bout between Freddie Norwood and Antonio Cermeno which Norwood won by UD 12.

Lizarraga, in his first title defense, lost the IBF diadem to Manuel Medina by UD 12 on 4/24/98. Medina, at that point, became a three-time champ with two IBF reigns sandwiching a stint as the WBC champion.

Norwood made three successful title defenses before the losing the WBA title on the scales on September 22. 1998. His bout with challenger Koji Matsumoto went on as scheduled with the vacant title available to Matsumoto only. It remained vacant because Norwood won by TKO in round 10.

Cermeno won the vacant WBA title when he knocked out Genaro Rios on October 3, 1998.

Thus, at the end of 1998, the lineal and WBO champ was future Hall of Famer Prince Naseem Hamed, the WBC champ was Luisito Espinosa, the WBA champ was Antonio Cermeno, and the IBF champ was Manuel Medina.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

World featherweight title activity in 1999 went as follows:

On February 5, Cermeno successfully defended the WBA title by knocking out Eddy Saenz in the second round.

On April 10, Hamed stopped Paul Ingle in the 11th round to retain the lineal and WBO championships.

Six days later, Medina retained the IBF title woth a nine-round technical decision over Victor Polo.

On May 15, Cesar Soto dethroned WBC champ Espinosa via a 12-round, unanimous ponts verdict.

Exactly two weeks later, Freddie Norwood regained the WBA title by winning a 12-round, split decision over Cermeno.

On September 11, Norwood retained the WBA title with a 12-round, unanimous decision over Juan Manuel Marquez.

On October 22, Hamed successfully defended the lineal and WBO championships and won the WBC belt with a 12-round, unanimous decision over Soto after a bout marred by unsportsmanlike tactics by both fighters. (The titles didn't remain unified for long. The WBC ordered Hamed to vacate the WBO title and, in early 2000, he responded by relinquishing the WBC title instead.)

In the last featherweight title bout of 1999, Paul Ingle, bouncing back from his loss to Hamed, unanimously outpointed Medina to capture the IBF title on November 13.

2000 and on later but before we get to that, let's remember that from 1991 or so on to the present, there have been many other featherweight title claimants due to the plethora of lesser sanctioning bodies- some like the IBO, the International Boxing Association (for a period), and the original WBU of some relevance and others, the NBA, the World Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Foundation, the Universal Boxing Organization, the Universal Boxing Federation, the World Pugilism Commission, the World Boxing Board, the Global Boxing Union, the Global Boxing Council, the Global Boxing Federation (which has not, at least of yet, sanctioned a "world" featherweight title bout), the World Profesional Boxing Federation, etc. of lesser or of no relevance.

I'm going to provide quick synopses of the featherweight history up to 2000 of the IBO, because it will pop into the conversation from time to time, the WBU, because it was viewed as a legitimate sanctioning body by the BBBofC, and the IBA, who like both the IBO and WBU, had a number of well-known champions.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

Here are the brief synopses of the pre-2000 IBO, WBU, and IBA world featherweight contests:

IBO-

Derrick Gainer won the inaugural IBO world featherweight title bout with a 12-round, unanimous decision over Julian Flores on November 30, 1993 but he never defended the belt.

The vacant title was finally filled on April 10, 1999 when Junior Jones stopped Richard Evatt in the 11th round.

WBU-

On September 9, 1995, the initial WBU world featherweight title match, which featured Kevin Kelley and Clarence "Bones" Adams, ended in a draw.

On February 2, 1996, Kelley unanimously outpointed Louie Espinoza over 12 rounds to win the title. He made four successful title defenses, including a KO-8 over Gainer and a UD 12 over Jesus Salud, before vacating it to challenge for Hamed's WBO title in December 1997.

On April 24, 1998, Cassius Baloyi won the vacant WBU title with a UD 12 ovr Sergio Rafael Liendo. Baloyi made one successful defense in 1998 and two more in 1999.

IBA-

The International Boxing Association's title's early history is confusing. Future Hall of Famer Orlando Canizales won the inaugural IBA featherweight title bout on November 3, 1996 by stopping Sergio Reyes in the 11th round.

However, Max Gomez was billed as the defending IBA champ when he fought David Santos on April 5, 1997. Santos won by a split decision after 12 rounds but never defended the belt and was said to have been stripped by the IBA.

Whatever the case, on July 25, 1997, Canizales successfully defended the IBA title with a 12-round, majority decision over Edwin Santana. This was Canizales' first and last defense of this title as he fought the rest of his career in the lightweight and junior lightweight divisions.

So, going into 2000, Junior Jones held the IBO title, Cassius Baloyi was the WBU champ, and the IBA title was vacant.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

2000 saw Hamed defended the lineal and WBO titles twice. On March 11, he stopped former long-time IBF world junior featherweight champion Vuyani Bungu in the fourth round. Bungu had vacated the IBF title at 122 to campaign at 126 after making thirteen successful title defenses. Then after WBO #1 ranked Juan Manuel Marquez turned down the shot at Hamed he had claimed to covet, Hamed fought Augie Sanchez, who had once beaten Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in an amateur contest. The August 19 bout between Hamed and Sanchez was an all-out war which Hamed won by another fourth round TKO.

Before the year was over, Hamed would vacate the WBO title. The WBO wanted him to defend against their new #1 contender Istvan Kovacs but Hamed was committed to a bout with WBO world junior featherweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera.

Norwood successfully defended the WBA title against Takashi Koshimoto (KO-9 on 1/30) and Julio Pablo Chacon (UD 12 on 5/25) but lost it on September 9 when he was stopped in the 11th round by Derrick Gainer.

On April 14, Guty Espadas, Jr. won the vacant WBC title via an 11-round technical decision over Luisito Espinosa and on June 23, retained it by winning a 12-round, unanimous decision over Wethya Sakmuangklang.

When Espadas broke his collarbone while training for a scheduled September defense against Erik Morales, the WBC sanctioned a bout between Morales and Kevin Kelley for their interim title. On September 2, Morales won the interim title by TKOing Kelley in the seventh round.

On April 29, Ingle unfied the IBF and IBO titles by halting Jones in the 11th round. He lost both titles to former IBF World bantamweight champion Mbulelo Botile on December 16 when he was stopped in the 12th round of a bout which ended his career. Removed from the ring on a stretcher, Ingle had to undergo brain surgery. Fortunately, he survived.

Baloyi made three successful defenses of the WBU title including a KO-1 over former IBF champ Hector Lizarraga and a 12-round, majority decision over former WBO champ Steve Robinson.

Hector Velazquez won the vacant IBA title on March 25 by knocking out Jesse Magana in the seventh round. Apparently, he never defended it. Oddly, his next bout, a fourth round No Contest versus Carlos Alberto Ramon Rios on April 29, is listed by BoxRec as being for the IBA's Continental Americas title.

2001, a very important year in featherweight history, is up next.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

The 2001 featherweight title bouts In chronological order:

1/27- Kovacs won the vacant WBO title by stopping Antonio Diaz in the 12th round.

2/17- Morales unified the WBC title by unanimously outpointing Espadas over 12 rounds.

2/24- Gainer retained the WBA title (and won the vacant NBA title) with a 12-round, split decision over perennial contender Victor Polo.

4/6- Botile, who had relinquished the IBO title, lost the IBF title to underdog Frankie Toledo by a 12-round, unanimous decision.

4/7- Barrera, also a heavy underdog, won the lineal and vacant IBO titles with a convincing 12-round, unanimous decision over Hamed. Although he won the IBO title, Barrera did not claim it.

6/16- Kovacs lost the WBO title when Julio Pablo Chacon stopped him in the sixth round.

7/28- Morales retained the WBC title when he unanimously outpointed WBC #1 ranked In-Jin Chi over 12 rounds.

8/11- Chacon retained the WBO title by knocking out Edward Barrios in the fifth round.

8/22- Baloyi retained the WBU title with a TKO-7 over Jorge Antonio Paredes. It was Baloyi's last bout as a featherweight as he moved up to the junior lightweight division where he would win the IBO title twice and the IBF title twice as well.

9/8- Barrera retained the lineal title (note: no sanctioning bodies involved) when he scored a TKO-6 over Enrique Sanchez.

11/15- Toledo, in his first defense, was stopped in the fifth round by Manuel Medina who became a world featherweight champion for the fourth time (3-time IBF; one-time WBC).

12/7- The IBA filled their vacant title when former WBA world bantamweight champion and reigning IBA world super bantamweight titleholder John Michael Johnson knocked out Augie Sanchez in the first round.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

Keeping with same format, the 2002 featherweight title contests in chronological order:

1/19- Juan Pablo Chacon retained the WBO title with a 2-round, split decision over Victor Polo.

4/5- Johnson loses the IBA title to Oscar Leon via UD 12. Leon later vacates the IBA title to pursue an opportunity to fight for the WBA championship.

4/27- Johnny Tapia, who had held WBO anf IBF titles as a junior bantamweight and WBA and WBO titles as a bantamweight, won the IBF title from Medina by a 12-round, majority decision.

5/18- In what would prove to be the last bout of his career, Hamed won the vacant IBO title by unanimously outpointing Manuel Calvo over 12 rounds.

6/8- Scott Harrison won the WBO's interim title by TKOing Victor Santiago in the sixth round.

6/22- In a bout contested for Barrera's lineal title, Morales' WBC title, and the vacant Ring Magazine title, Barrera unanimously outpoints Morales over 12 rounds. Referring to himself as the People's Champion, Barrera refuses to claim the WBC title.

It should be noted that the last featherweight champion recognized by The Ring before they went a decade plus of not recognizing champions was Antonio Esparragoza. Esparragoza was also the reigning lineal champion at the time. The lineage from Esparragoza was uninterrupted- Esparragoza to Park to Rojas to Vazquez to Hamed to Barrera.

7/27- A battle between former long-reigning IBF World junior featherweight champions produced the new WBU champion. Lehlohonolo Ledwaba won the vacant WBU title with a 12-round, unanimous decision over Vuyani Bungu.

8/24- Cut by an accidental head butt, Gainer retained the WBA title as the result of a 2-round technical draw with Daniel Seda.

9/30- The IBF stripped Tapia for signing to fight Barrera.

10/19- Interim champ Harrison unifies the WBO title by unanimously outpointing champion Juan Pablo Chacon over 12 rounds.

10/27- Angel Chacon won the vacant IBA title with a 12-round, unanimous decision over Johnson. Like Leon, Angel Chacon never defended the title.

11/2- Barrera retained the lineal and Ring Magazine titles with a 12-round, unanimous decision over Tapia.

11/16- Morales won the vacant WBC title by unanimously outpointing Paulie Ayala over 12 rounds. Former WBA World bantamweight champion Ayala's IBO and Ring Magazine titles at 122 were not on the line.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

The 2003 featherweight title bouts in chronological order:

2/1- Juan Manuel Marquez won the vacant IBF title by stopping Manuel Medina in the seventh round.

2/22- Morales retained the WBC title with a TKO-3 over Eddie Croft. The bout received a great deal of criticism because Croft had been inactive for over three years and had lost his last 3 bouts. However, the purpose of the card was to raise money for a charity benefiting Mexico's poor children and to that end, the fighters on the card donated their purses.

3/22- Harrison retained the WBO title by unanimously outpointing Wayne McCullough over 12 rounds.

4/12- Gainer retained the WBA title with a 12-round, split decision over Oscar Leon.

4/12- Barrera retained the lineal and Ring Magazine titles by stopping Kevin Kelley in the fourth round.

5/3- Morales stopped Fernando Velardez in the 5th round to retain the WBC title (and avenge his brother Diego's 2002 DQ loss to Velardez}. This was Morales' last bout as a featherweight . He vacated the WBC title to campaign at 130.

6/21- Michael Brodie, who relinquished the World Boxing Federation World title to fight for the vacant IBO title, captured the IBO belt with a 12-round, unanimous decision over Juan Geraldo Cabrera. Brodie would then vacate the IBO title to fight for the vacant WBC title.

7/12- Medina became a five-time world featherweight champ when he won the WBO title from Harrison via a 12-round, split decision.

9/26- Chris John won the vacant WBA interim title with a SD 12 over Leon.

10/18- Fighting for the vacant WBC title, In-Jin Chi and Brodie battled to a 12-round draw.

11/1- Marquez retained the IBF title and won the WBA Super World title with a 7-round, unanimous technical decision over Gainer.

11/1- With Gainer losing to Marquez, the WBA elevated John from interim champion to champion.

11/15- Manny Pacquiao won his third divisional title, his second lineal title, and his first Ring Magazine title by stopping Barrera in the 11th round.

11/29- Harrison regained the WBO title by TKOing Medina in the 11th round.

Note: WBU champion Ledwaba did not fight in 2003 and when he returned to the ring in 2004, he made no title defenses. The WBU did not fill their vacant title until 2005.

Also note: The IBA also went through a down period at 126 and like the WBU, did not fill their vacant title until 2005.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

2004 Featherweight Title Bouts in chronological order:

2/7- Former IBF world junior featherweight champion Vuyani Bungu won the vacant IBO title with a 12-round, split decision over future IBO and IBF world junior featherweight champion Takalani Ndlovu.

3/6- Scott Harrison retained the WBO title by stopping Walter Estrada in the fifth round.

4/10- In-Jin Chi won the vacant WBC title by knocking out Michael Brodie in the seventh round. This was a rematch. The pair had fought to a draw in October of 2003.

5/8- Manny Pacquiao retained the lineal and Ring Magazine titles and Juan Manuel Marquez retained the WBA Super and IBF titles when they fought to a 12-round, split decision draw. Marquez rallied after being knocked down three times in the first round. Had judge Burt Clements, who scored the opening stanza 10-7, properly scored the round 10-6 the way his fellow judges John Stewart and Guy Jutras did, Pacquiao would have won by split decision.

6/4- Chris John scored a 12-round, unanimous decision over Osamu Sato to retain the WBA title.

6/19- Harrison TKOed William Abelyan in the third round to retain the WBO belt.

7/24- Chi retained the WBC title by stopping Eiichi Sugama in the 10th round.

9/18- Marquez retained the WBA Super and IBF titles by unanimously outpointing Orlando Salido over 12 rounds.

10/29- Harrison retained the WBO championship by TKOing Samuel Kebede inthe first round.

12/3- John kept the WBA title when he and late substitute Jose "Cheo" Rojas fought to a 4-round, technical draw. John's originally scheduled opponent Derrick Gainer had withdrawn amidst contractual problems.

12/19- Pacquiao retained the lineal and Ring Magazine titles by stopping Fahsan 3K Battery in the fourth round of a bout which also served as an eliminator for the #2 spot in the IBF's ratings.

Note: Pacquiao would move up to the junior lightweight class in 2005 thus vacating the lineal and Ring titles. There has not been a lineal featherweight champion since then. The Ring title was filled briefly in 2013. More on that later.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

2005 Featherweight Title Bouts (and related information) in chronological order:

1/28- Scott Harrison retained the WBO title as the result of fighting to a 12-round, split decision draw with Victor Polo.

1/30- In-Jin Chi retained the WBC title by unanimously outpointing Tommy Browne over 12 rounds.

2/11- The WBU filled their vacant title when Stephen Foster knocked out Livinson Ruiz in the 10th round.

4/22- Chris John unanimously outpointed Derrick Gainer over 12 rounds to retain the WBA title.

5/7- Juan Manuel Marquez retained the WBA Super title and the IBF title by winning a 12-round, unanimous decision over perennial contender Victor Polo.

6/3- Harrison successfully defended the WBO belt by knocking out Michael Brodie in the fourth round.

6/25- Thomas Mashaba unanimously outpointed defending champion Vuyani Bungu over 12 rounds to annex the IBO title.

8/7- Chris John TKOed Tommy Browne in the tenth round to retain the WBA title.

8/17- Marquez is stripped of the IBF title when no promoter enters a purse bid for his mandatory defense against Fakprakorb Riakkiatgym. Marquez is later stripped of the WBA Super title because he no longer holds more than one championship. He could have been demoted to "regular" champion had the regular title been vacant. Unfortunately for Marquez, the regular title was held by Chris John. The WBA did name Marquez their official (AKA mandatory) challenger for John's title.

8/20- Humberto Soto unanimously outpointed Rocky Juarez over 12 rounds to win the vacant WBC Interim title.

10/13- The IBA's vacant title was filled when Jose Alberto Gonzalez unanimously outpointed Marcos Licona over 12 rounds. [Note: BoxRec also lists the 10/15 12-rounder between Adolfo Landeros and Jorge Martinez as being for the vacant IBA title. Landeros won that bout by split decision. One) The title wasn't vacant. It had been filled two days earlier. Two) It was Gonzalez, not Landeros, who went on to defend the title.]

11/5- Harrison retained the WBO title again when he unanimously outpointed Nedal Hussein over 12 rounds.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

2006 Featherweight Title Bouts (and related information) in chronological order:

1/20- Valdemir Pereira unanimously outpointed Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym over 12 rounds to win the vacant IBF title.

1/29- Takashi Koshimoto scored an upset 12-round, split decision over defending champion In-Jin Chi to win the WBC title.

2/17- Humberto Soto retained the WBC interim title by TKOing former IBA champion and perennial contender Oscar Leon in the ninth round. This would be Soto's last bout as a featherweight as he would move up to the super featherweight class thus relinquishing the WBC interim world featherweight title.

3/4- Chris John unanimously outpointed mandatory challenger and former WBA Super/IBF champion Juan Manuel Marquez over 12 rounds to retain the WBA title.

3/24- Thomas Mashaba successfully defended the IBO title with a 12-round, unanimous decision over former WBA world super bantamweight champion Yober Ortega.

4/1- Stephen Foster retained the WBU title by unanimously outpointing John Simpson over 12 rounds.

4/13- Jose Alberto Gonzalez retained the IBA title by knocking out Verquan Kimbrough in the fourth round.

May- WBO champion Scott Harrison withdrew from a bout with Gairy St. Clair to enter a rehabilitation center because of alcohol abuse and depression.

5/13- Eric Aiken won the IBF title when defending champion Valdemir Pereira was disqualified for repeated low blows in the eighth round. Pereira had been penalized a point in both the sixth and seventh rounds for the same infraction.

7/21- Thoms Mashaba retained the IBO title by unanimously outpointing South American champion Juan Geraldo Cabrera over 12 rounds.

7/30- Rodolfo "Rudy" Lopez won the WBC title by stopping defending champion Takashi Koshimoto in the seventh round.

8/5- Juan Manuel Marquez won the vacant WBO interim title by stopping Terdsak Jandaeng (who would later fight as Terdsak Kokietgym) in the seventh round.

9/2- Robert Guerrero stopped defending champ Eric Aiken at the end of the eighth round to capture the IBF title.

9/9- John successfully defended the WBA title with a 12-round, unanimous decision over Renan "Bam Bam" Acosta.

10/14- Derry Mathews posted a 12-round, unanimous decision over defending champion Stephen Foster to annex the WBU title.

11/4- Orlando Salido won the IBF title by unanimously outpointing defending champ Robert Guerrero but tested positive for nandrolone. A follow-up test was negative. Despite the second test being negative, the bout was declared a No Decision and the title was declared vacant.

11/13- WBO champion Harrison is released from a jail in Spain after being arrested five weeks earlier for assault.

11/17- Daniel Maldonado won the IBA title with a 12-round, split decision over defending titleholder Jose Alberto Gonzalez. Maldonado never defended the title. He was inactive all of 2007 and when he returned to the ring for one bout in 2008, it was as a lightweight.

11/25- Marquez knocked out Jimrex Jaca in the ninth round to retain the WBO interim title.

12/6- Harrison vacated the WBO title after withdrawing from a mandatory defense against Nicky Cook scheduled for 12/9/06. Harrison pulled out of the bout because he was way overweight.

12/6- The WBO elevated Marquez from interim world champion to world champion.

12/15- Mashaba retained the IBO title by knocking out Oscar Leon in the third round.

12/17- In-Jin Chi regained the WBC title by unanimously outpointing defending champion Rudy Lopez over 12 rounds.





2007 Featherweight Title Bouts (and related information) in chronological order:

2/23- Robert Guerrero scored an eighth round TKO over Spend Abazi to regain the vacant IBF title. Abazi could not continue after the eighth round because of a severe cut by his right eye.

3/3- Chris John retained the WBA title with a 12-round, unanimous decision over mandatory challenger Jose "Cheo" Rojas.

3/10- Derry Mathews retained the WBU title by unanimously outpointing John Simpson over 12 rounds.

4/1- Juan Manuel Marquez voluntarily relinquished the WBO title to campaign as a super featherweight.

July- In-Jin Chi voluntarily relinquished the WBC title to compete in kickboxing.

7/14- Steven Luevano knocked out Nicky Cook in the 11th round to win the vacant WBO title.

7/21- Jorge Linares stopped fromer WBC world super bantamweight champion Oscar Larios in the 10th round to win the vacant WBC title.

8/19- Chris John retained the WBA title with a TKO-9 over Zaiki Takemoto.

10/6- Luevano unanimously outpointed Antonio Davis over 12 rounds to retain the WBO title.

10/13- Mathews successfully defended the WBU title by stopping Matthew Marsh in the 11th round.

11/3- Robert Guerrero retained the IBF title with a first round TKO over Martin Honorio.

11/12- Thomas Mashaba successfully defended the IBO title by stopping former IBF champion Eric Aiken in the ninth round.

12/15- WBC champ Linares kept his belt by knocking out Gamaliel Diaz in the eighth round.


So, at the end of 2007, the lineal title, last held by Manny Pacquiao, was still vacant, the Ring Magazine title, also last held by Pacquiao, was still vacant, the WBA champion was Chris John, the WBC champion was Jorge Linares, the IBF champion was Robert Guerrero, the WBO champion was Steven Luevano, the IBO champion was Thomas Mashaba, the WBU champion was Derry Mathews, and the quickly-becoming-less-relevant IBA title, last held by Daniel Maldonado, was vacant.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

2008 Featherweight Title Bouts (and related information) in chronological order:

1/26- Chris John retained the WBA title stopping mandatory challenger Roinet Caballero at the end of the seventh round.

2/29- Robert Guerrero successfully defended the IBF title by knocking out Jason Litzau in the eighth round.

3/7- Cristobal Cruz won a 12-round, unanimous decision over defending champion Thomas Mashaba to capture the IBO title. (Cruz, later in 2008, vacated the IBO title to fight for the vacant IBF title.)

3/15- Steven Luevano unanimously outpointed Terdsak Jandaeng over twelve rounds to retain the WBO championship.

3/22- Orlando Cruz won the vacant IBA title with a 12-round, unanimous decision over Carlos Guevara. (Cruz voluntarily relinquished the IBA title without defending it.)

4/5- In the last world featherweight title bout sanctioned by the original WBU, Choi Tseveenpurev, who had given up the World Boxing Foundation world title to challenge for the WBU belt, knocked out defending champion Derry Mathews in the fifth round.

5/31- Oscar Larios TKOed Feider Viloria in the fifth round to win the vacant WBC interim title.

6/23- Guerrero vacated the IBF title to campaign as a junior lightweight.

6/28- Luevano retained the WBO title by fighting to a 12-round, split decision draw with Mario Santiago.

7/18- Tomas Villa won the vacant IBA title by knocking out Gilberto Sanchez Leon in the fourth round. (Villa, like his predecessor, Orlando Cruz, never defended the title. Both he and Cruz did, however, go on to unsuccessfully challenge for recognized world titles- Villa was TKOed in the fourth round by then defending WBC featherweight champ Jhonny Gonzalez in 2011 while Cruz was knocked out in the seventh round By Orlando Salido in a 2013 bout contested for the vacant WBO junior lightweight title and was stopped in the eighth round by then defending WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan in 2016.)

8/2- Larios successfully defended the WBC interim title by knocking out Marlon Aguilar in the seventh round.

August- Jorge Linares vacated the WBC title to campaign as a super featherweight; the WBC then upgraded Oscar Larios from interim champion to world champion.

8/22- In a bout fought for the vacant IBO tutle, Fernando Beltran won a 12-round, split decision over Takalani Ndlovu. (Beltran never defended the IBO title but instead relinquished it to fight for the vacant IBF Latino championship.)

10/16- Larios retained the WBC title with a 12-round, split decision over Takahiro Ao.

10/18- Luevano retained the WBO title by unanimously outpointing Billy Dib over 12 rounds.

10/23- Cristobal Cruz won the vacant IBF title with a 12-round, split decision over Orlando Salido.

10/24- John retained the WBA title with a 12-round, unanimous points win over Hirioyuki Enoki.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

2009 Featherweight Title Bouts (and related information) in chronological order:

2/14- Cristobal Cruz successfully defended the IBF title by unanimously outpointing Cyril Thomas over 12 rounds.

2/28- Chris John retained the WBA title by battling to a 12-round draw with Rocky Juarez. All three judges scored the bout 114-114.

3/12- Takahiro Ao won the WBC title by unanimously outpointing defending champion Oscar Larios over 12 rounds.

4/17- Yuriorkis Gamboa won the vacant WBA interim title by stopping perennial contender Jose "Cheo" Rojas in the 10th round.

6/27- The WBA upgraded John to Super Champion and Gamboa to World Champion.

7/11- After 12 foul-filled rounds, Cristobal Cruz won a close, unanimous decision over Jorge Solis to retain the IBF title.

7/14- Elio Rojas won the WBC title by unanimously outpointing defending champion Ao.

8/5- Steven Luevano retained the WBO title when Bernabe Concepcion was disqualified. Concepcion had clocked Luevano after the bell ending the seventh round had sounded.

9/19- In a much anticipated rematch, John retained the WBA Super championship by unanimously outpointing Juarez over 12 rounds.

10/10- Gamboa retained the WBA title by stopping Whyber Garcia in the fourth round.

11/6- Jackson Asiku won the vacant IBO title by knocking out Heriberto Ruiz in the eighth round.

12/9- Cristobal Cruz retained the IBF title via a 3-round technical draw with Ricardo Castillo. Cruz was unable to continue due to a cut caused by an accidental clash of heads.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

2010 Featherweight Title Bouts (and related information) in chronological order:

1/23- Yuriorkis Gamboa retained the WBA title with a second round TKO over Rogers Mtagwa.

1/23- Juan Manuel Lopez won the WBO title by stopping defending champion Steven Luevano in the seventh round.

2/20- Elio Rojas retained the WBC title by unanimously outpointing Guty Espadas, Jr. over 12 rounds. Rojas is later declared Champion in Recess because he was sidelined by a hand injury.

3/27- Gamboa scored a 12-round, unanimous decision over Jonathan Victor Barros to retain the WBA title.

2010- Chris John's status was changed from WBA Super Champion to Champion in Recess while he recovered from injury. His Super Championship was restored to him when he was able to return to the ring.

5/15- Orlando Salido won the IBF title by a 12-round, unanimous decision over defending champion Cristobal Cruz.

7/10- Lopez retained the WBO belt by stopping Bernabe Concepcion in the second round of a mini-war.

9/11- Gamboa unfied the WBA and vacant IBF titles by unanimously outpointing Salido over 12 rounds. Salido weighed in at 126 the day before the fight but at the second weigh-in conducted the morning of the fight, he weighed in more than ten pounds over the limit. He was then stripped of the IBF title. The vacant IBF title was available to Gamoa only. The WBA title remained available to both combatants.

9/15- Jhonny Gonzalez TKOed defending champion Jackson Asiku in the sixth round to win the IBO title. Gonzalez would eventually vacate the IBO title to challenge for the WBC title in 2011.

11/6- Lopez retained the WBO title when Raul Marquez failed to answer the bell for the ninth round.

11/26- Former long-time WBC bantamweight champ Hozumi Hasegawa won the vacant WBC title by unanimously outpointing Juan Carlos Burgos over 12 rounds.

12/4- With John and Gamboa both considered Super Champions by the WBA, the vacant "regular" world championship was on the line when Barros fought Irving Berry. Barros stopped Berry in the seventh round to capture the vacant title.

12/5- John returned by retaining his WBA Super title with a 12-round, unanimous decision over Fernando David Saucedo.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

2011 Featherweight Title Bouts (and related information) in chronological order:

3/12- Jonathan Victor Barros retained the WBA title via a 12-round, unanimous decision over Miguel "Mickey" Roman.

3/26- Yuriorkis Gamboa isstripped of the IBF title for skipping the IBF's mandatory morning-of-the-fight weigh-in. Gamboa had weighed in at 126 the previous day. The vacant IBF title was therefore available to challenger Jorge Solis only. Gamboa stopped Solis in the fourth round to retain the WBA Unified title and to leave the IBF title vacant.

4/8- Jhonny Gonzalez annexed the WBC title by stopping defending champion Hozumi Hasegawa in the fourth round.

4/16- Orlando Salido won the WBO title by halting defending champion Juan Manuel Lopez in the eighth round.

4/17- Chris John retained the WBA Super championship by unanimously outpointing his fellow Indonesian Daud "Cino" Yordan over 12 rounds.

6/11- The WBA stripped Gamboa of its Unifird title because Gamboa was no longer a unfied champion.

7/2- Barros retained the WBA title with a 12-round, split decision over Celestino Caballero.

7/9- Gonzalez retained the WBC title by halting Tomas Villa in the fourth round.

7/23- Salido scored an eleventh round TKO over Kenichi Yamaguchi to retain the WBO title.

7/29- Billy Dib won the vacant IBF title by unanimously outpointing Jorge Lacierva over 12 rounds.

9/15- Gonzalez stopped Rogers Mtagwa in the second round to successfully defend the WBC title.

10/14- Celestino Caballero unanimously outpointed Barros over twelve rounds to win the WBA title.

11/19- Dib retained the IBF title by knocking out Alberto Servidei in the first round.

11/30- John won a 12-round, unanimous decision over Stas Merdov to retain the WBA Super championship.

12/3- Gonzalez knocked out Roinet Caballero in the second round to retain the WBC title.

12/31- Celestino Caballero unanimously outpointed Satoshi Hosono over 12 rounds to retain the WBA title.

So, at the end of 2011, the lineal, Ring Magazine, and IBO titles were vacant, Chris John held the WBA Super championship, Celestino Caballero held the WBA title, Jhonny Gonzalez was the WBC champion, Orlando Salido was the WBO champ, and Billy Dib was the IBF champ.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

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2012-

3/7/12- Hobart, Tasmania, Australia- IBF champion Billy Dib made his only title defense of the year stopping Eduardo Escobedo. Escobedo retired in his corner at the end of the sixth round.

3/10/12- San Juan, Puerto Rico- WBO champ Orlando Salido made his only defense of the year stopping Juan Manuel Lopez in the 10th round of their rematch.

4/28/12- Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico- Jhonny Gonzalez retained the WBC title by unanimously outpointing former WBC champion Elio Rojas over 12 rounds.

5/5/12- Singapore- Chris John retained the WBA Super title witj a 12-round, unanimous decision over Shoji Kimura.

5/5/12- Singapore- Daud "Cino" Yordan won the vacant IBO title by getting up off the canvas in the first round and knocking out Lorenzo Villanueva in the second.

9/15/12- Las Vegas- Daniel Ponce De Leon won the WBC title from Jhonny Gonzalez via an eight-round, unanimous technical decision. Gonzalez had been cut by an accidental clash of heads.

11/9/12- Singapore- WBA Super champion Chris John improved to 48-0-2 by unanimously outpointing previously unbeaten challenger Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo over 12 rounds. Piriyapinyo came into the bout with a 43-0 record.

11/9/12- Singapore- Daud "Cino" Yordan retained the IBO belt with a 12-round, unanimous decision over former World Boxing Federation and former World Boxing Union champion Choi Tseveenpurev.

12/8/12- Kingston, Jamaica- Nicholas Walters won the vacant WBA title by stopping Daulis Prescott in the seventh round. (Already disapppointed because a proposed big money bout versus Mikey Garcia had failed to materialize, Celestino Caballero had relinquished the WBA title because he was not satisfied with the money he was offered to defend it against mandatory challenger Walters.)

12/8/12- Las Vegas- Javier Fortuna won the vacant WBA Interim title with a 12-round, unanimous decision over Patrick Hyland. (Hyland had won the vacant World Boxing Federation title in June of 2011 but never defended it. He engaged in four consecutive non-title bouts, all wins, before fighting Fortuna.)
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

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2013-

1/19/13- Mikey Garcia, ranked #3 by The Ring, won the WBO title and the vacant Ring Magazine title, with a one-sided, eight-round technical decision over defending WBO champion Orlando Salido. Garcia floored Salido, who was ranked #1 by The Ring, four times but suffered a broken nose as the result of a head butt.

3/1/13- Mashantucket, Connecticut- Evgeny Gradovich annexed the IBF title via a 12-round, split decision over defending champion Billy Dib.

4/14/13- Jakarta, Indonesia- Chris John retained the WBA Super title when his bout with Satoshi Hosono ended as a three-round technical draw. John had been cut by an accidental head butt in the third round. The scores were 20-18 in favor of John, 19-19, and 19-19 after two rounds.

4/14/13- Jakarta, Indonesia- Simpiwe Vetyeka won the IBO title by stopping defending champion Daud "Cino" Yordan in the 12th round.

4/19/13- Atlantic City- Javier Fortuna lost the WBA Interim title on the scales. His bout with challenger Miguel zamudio went on as scheduled but with the now vacant interim title available to Zamudio only. Fortuna knocked Zamudio out in the first round. As a result, the interim title remained vacant.

5/14/13- Las Vegas- Abner Mares seized the WBC title by stopping defending champ Daniel Ponce De Leon in the ninth round.

6/15/13- Dallas, Texas- Mikey Garcia lost the WBO title on the scales. The Ring continued to recognize Garcia as the champ. Garcia's bout with Juan Manuel Lopez went on and Garcia stopped Lopez in the fourth round. The WBO title thus remained vacant. (Garcia would relinquish The Ring title when he officially moved up to the junior lightweight division later in 2013.)

7/27/13- Macao, Macao S.A.R., China- Evgeny Gradovich retained the IBF title with a 12-round, unanimous decision over Mauricio Javier Munoz.

8/23/13- Verona, New York- Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar won the vacant WBA Interim title by unanimously outpointing Claudio Marrero over 12 rounds.

8/24/13- Carson, California- Jhonny Gonzalez regained the WBC title by knocking out defending champion Abner Mares in the first round.

10/12/13- Las Vegas- Orlando Salido began another reign as the WBO champion. He captured the vacant title by knocking out Orlando Cruz.

11/9/13- Corpus Christi, Texas- Nicholas Walters retained the WBA title by stopping Alberto Garza in the fourth round.

11/24/13- Macao- Defending IBF champion Evgeny Gradovich stopped former champ Billy Dib in the ninth round;

12/6/13- Northbridge, Western Australia- Simpiwe Vetyeka retained the IBO title and won the WBA Super title from Chris John. John suffered a beating in the fifth and sixth rounds, including being knocked down in the sixth, and opted not to continue after the sixth round.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

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2014-

3/1- San Antonio, Texas, USA- Orlando Salido, who had forfeited the WBO title by failing to make the divisional limit, won a split decision over Vasyl Lomachenko after 12 rounds. As a result, the title remained vacant.

5/2- Las Vegas, Nevada, USA- Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar retained the WBA Interim title with a 12-round, unanimous decision over Rico Ramos.

5/24- Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico- Jhonny Gonzalez won a 10-round, unanimous technical decision over Clive Atwell to retain the WBC title.

5/31- Macao, Macao S.A.R., China- Nonito Donaire won the WBA Super title from Simpiwe Vetyeka via a 5-round, unanimous technical decision.

5/31- Macao, Macao S.A.R., China- Nicholas Walters retained the WBA title by knocking out Vic Darchinyan in the fifth round.

5/31- Macao, Macao S.A.R., China- Evgeny Gradovich unanimously outpointed Alexander Miskirtchian over 12 rounds to retain the IBF title.

6/1- Carson, California, USA- Vasyl Lomachenko won the vacant WBO title via a 12-round, majority decision over Gary Russell, Jr.

7/18- East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa- Lusanda Komanisi won the vacant IBO title by stopping Macbute Sinyabi in the fifth round.

9/11- Las Vegas, Nevada, USA- Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar knocked out Juan Manuel Lopez in the second round to retain the WBA Interim title.

10/14- Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico- Jhonny Gonzalez retained the WBC title by stopping Jorge Arce in the 11th round.

10/18- Carson, California, USA- WBA World champion Nicholas Walters won the WBA Super World championship by stopping defending Super champion Nonito Donaire in the sixth round.

11/23- Macao, Macao S.A.R., China- Vasyl Lomachenko retained the WBO title with a 12-round, unanimous decision over Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo (birth name: Suriya Tatakhun).

11/29- Omaha, Nebraska, USA- Evgeny Gradovich retained the IBF title via a 12-round, split decision draw with Jayson Velez.

12/15- East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa- Lusanda Komanisi retained the IBO title by winning a 12-round, split decision over Roli Gasca.

12/20- Shelton, Washington, US- Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar TKOed Ruben Tamayo in the fifth round to retain the WBA Interim title.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

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2015-

2/21- The WBA upgraded Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar from Interim champion to World champion.

3/28- Las Vegas, Nevada, USA- Gary Russell, Jr. stopped Jhonny Gonzalez in the fourth round to win the WBC title.

3/28- Lima, Peru- Carlos Zambrano unanimously outpointed Daniel Ramirez over 12 rounds to win the vacant WBA Interim title.

5/2- Las Vegas, Nevada, USA- Vasyl Lomachenko knocked out Gamalier Rodriguez in the 9th round to retain the WBO title.

5/30- Greenwich, London, England- Lee Selby won the IBF title from Evgeny Gradovich via an eight-round, unanimous technical decision.

6/6- Carson, California, USA- Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar retained the WBA title by stopping Vic Darchinyan in the eighth round.

6/13- New York, New York, USA- Nicholas Walters forfeited the WBA Super title by failing to make weight for his scheduled defense against Miguel Marriaga. The fight went on with the vacant Super title available to Marriaga only. Walters won a 12-round, unanimous decision thus leaving the Super title vacant.

8/1- Chincu, Peru- Carlos Zambrano retained the WBA Interim title by unanimously outpointing Jose Sanmartin over 12 rounds.

8/29- Los Angeles, California, USA- Leo Santa Cruz won the vacant WBA Super title with a 12-round, majority decision over Abner Mares.

10/14- Glendale, Arizona- Lee Selby unanimously outpointed Fernando Montiel over 12 rounds to retain the IBF title.

10/16- East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa- Lusanda Komanisi retained the IBO title by knocking out Roli Gasca in the fifth round.

11/7- Las Vegas, Nevada, USA- Vasyl Lomachenko KOed Romulo Koasicha in the tenth round to retain the WBO title.

12/5- Brooklyn, New York, USA- Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar retained the WBA title with a 12-round, unanimous decision over Jonathan Oquendo.
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Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

2016-

2/27- Anaheim, California, USA- Leo Santa Cruz retained the WBA Super title with a fifth round TKO over Kiko Martinez.

3/5- Washington, D.C., USA- Oscar Escandon knocked out Robinson Castellanos in the seventh round to win the vacant WBC Interim title.

4/9- Greenwich, London, England- Lee Selby unanimously outpointed Eric Hunter over 12 rounds to retain the IBF title.

4/16- Mashantucket, Connecticut, USA- Gary Russell, Jr. stopped Patrick Hyland in the second round to retain the WBC title.

May 2016- Vasyl Lomachenko vacated the WBO title to campaign as a junior lightweight.

7/23- Las Vegas, Nevada, USA- Oscar Valdez TKOed Matias Carlos Adrian Rueda in the second round to win the vacant WBO title.

7/30- Brooklyn, New York, USA- Carl Frampton won a 12-round, majority decision over Leo Santa Cruz to annex the WBA Super title.

11/5- Las Vegas, Nevada, USA- Oscar Valdez retained the WBO title by stopping Hiroshige Osawa in the seventh round.

12/10- Los Angeles, California, USA- After 12 rounds, Abner Mares won the WBA title from Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar via a split decision.



2017-

1/28- Las Vegas, Nevada, USA- Leo Santa Cruz regained the WBA Super title by winning a 12-round, majority decision over Carl Frampton.

4/22- Carson, California, USA- Oscar Valdez retained the WBO title by winning a 12-round, unanimous decision over Miguel Marriaga.

4/29- Las Vegas, Nevada, USA- Claudio Marrero knocked out Carlos Zambrano in the first round to win both the WBA Interim title and the vacant IBO title.

5/6- Oxon Hill, Maryland, USA- Champion Gary Russell, Jr. "unified" the WBC title by stopping Interim champion Oscar Escandon in the seventh round.

7/15- Wembley, London, England- Lee Selby unanimously outpointed Jonathan Victor Barros over 12 rounds to retain the IBF title.

9/15- Las Vegas, Nevada, USA- Jesus Rojas knocked out Claudio Marrero in the seventh round to win the WBA Interim title. (Rojas did not pay the IBO's sanctioning fee. As a result, the IBO title was declared vacant.)

9/22- Tucson. Arizona, USA- Oscar Valdez retained the WBO title by winning a 12-round, unanimous decision over Genesis Servania.

10/14- Carson, California, USA- Abner Mares retained the WBA title by winning a 10-round, unanimous technical decision over Andres Gutierrez.

10/14- Carson, California, USA- Leo Santa Cruz retained the WBA Super title by knocking out Chris Avalos in the eighth round.

12/9- Hackney Wick, London, England- Lee Selby retained the IBF title by winning a 12-round, unanimous decision over Eduardo Ramirez.
KSTAT124
TTR Rankings & Results Editor
TTR Rankings & Results Editor
Posts: 23953
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:22 pm
Location: Valley Stream, New York

Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

2018-

3/10- Carson, California, USA- Oscar Valdez unanimously outpointed Scott Quigg over twelve hard-fought rounds to retain the WBO title. (Quigg had weighed in over the divisional limit and was ineligible to win the title.)

4/21- Belfast, Northern Ireland- Carl Frampton unanimously outpointed Nonito Donaire over twelve rounds to win the vacant WBO Interim title.

5/19- Leeds, Yorkshire, England- Josh Warrington won a split, 12-round decision over defending champion Lee Selby to annex the IBF title.

5/19- Oxon Hill, Maryland, USA- Gary Russell, Jr. won a 12-round, unanimous decision over Joseph Diaz, Jr. to retain the WBC title.

6/9- Los Angeles, California, USA- WBA Super champion Leo Santa Cruz unanimously outpointed WBA champion Abner Mares over 12 rounds. Santa Cruz retained the WBA Super title while the WBA title was declared vacant.

July 2018- Jesus M. Rojas was elevated from WBA Interim champion to WBA champion.

7/15- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia- Jhack Tepora TKOed Edivaldo Ortega in the ninth round to win the vacant WBA Interim title.

8/11- Hollywood, California, USA- Joseph Diaz, Jr. unanimously outpointed Jesus M. Rojas over 12 rounds. However, Rojas retained the WBA title because Diaz, having failed to make the 126-pound limit, was ineligible to win it.

8/18- Belfast, Northern Ireland- Carl Frampton retained the WBO Interim title by stopping Luke Jackson in the ninth round.

12/22- Manchester, Lancashire, England- Josh Warrington unanimously outpointed Carl Frampton over 12 rounds to retain the IBF title. Frampton's WBO Interim title was not on the line but was later declared vacant.
KSTAT124
TTR Rankings & Results Editor
TTR Rankings & Results Editor
Posts: 23953
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:22 pm
Location: Valley Stream, New York

Re: Featherweight Title History Since Wright-Pep I

Post by KSTAT124 »

2019-

1/26- Brooklyn, New York, USA- Tugstsogt Nyambayar won a 12-round, unanimous decision over Claudio Marrero to capture the vacant IBO title.

1/26- Houston, Texas, USA- Can Xu unanimously outpointed Jesus M. Rojas over 12 rounds to win the WBA title.

2/2- Frisco, Texas, USA- WBO champion Oscar Valdez retained his title by knocking out Carmine Tommasone in the seventh round.

2/16- Los Angeles, California, USA- Leo Santa Cruz won a 12-round, unanimous decision over Rafael Rivera to retain the WBA Super championship.

5/18- Brooklyn, New York, USA- Gary Russell, Jr. retained the WBC title by TKOing Kiko Martinez in the fifth round.

5/26- Fuxhou, China- Can Xu scored a technical knockout over Shun Kubo in the 6th round to retain the WBA title.

6/15- Leeds, Yorkshire, England- Josh Warrington retained the IBF title via a 12-round, split decision over mandatory challenger Kid Galahad.

6/18- Reno, Nevada, USA- Oscar Valdez won a 12-round, unanimous decision over Jason Sanchez to retain the WBO title.

8/2- Oscar Valdez voluntarily relinquished the WBO title to campaign as a super featherweight.

10/12- Leeds, Yorkshire, England- Josh Warrington stopped Sofiane Takoucht in the second round to retain the IBF title.

10/26- Reno, Nevada, USA- Shakur Stevenson unanimously outpointed Joet Gonzalez over twelve rounds to win the vacant WBO title.

11/17- Batu, Indonesia- Ongen Saknosiwi unanimously outpointed Marco Demecillo over twelve rounds to win the vacant IBA title.

11/23- Indio, California, USA- Can Xu won a 12-round, unanimous decision over Manny Robles III to retain the WBA title.

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