Boxing

 

Corley Outpoints Bailey To Retain Title, Perez Upsets Machado

Photos © Tom Casino/Showtime

05.01 - In the first major world championship fights of 2003, World Boxing Organization (WBO) Junior Welterweight Champion DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley successfully defended his title a second time with a unanimous 12-round decision over former WBO and WBA 140-pound titleholder and current WBO No. 7 contender Randall Bailey, while challenger Luis Perez registered an upset 12-round split decision over defending champion Felix Machado to win the International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior bantamweight crown Saturday on SHOWTIME. The bouts aired on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on Saturday, Jan. 4, at 10 PM ET/PT and were promoted by Don King Productions, Inc.

Corley (28-1-1, 16 KOs), of Washington, D.C., triumphed by the scores of 117-111 twice and 116-112. Busier and in almost total command throughout, Corley was accurate with both hands as he dictated the pace. The flashy southpaw, who captured the vacant WBO 140-pound crown on SHOWTIME by scoring a first-round TKO over Felix Flores on June 30, 2001, made his initial WBO title defense in his last start on Jan. 19, 2002, when he floored former world champion Ener Julio twice en route to registering a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision on SHOWTIME. The victory was Corley's 11th in a row since he suffered his only defeat on March 20, 1999.

Bailey (26-3, 26 KOs), of Miami, came forward the entire fight but was unable to consistently land his vaunted right hand. The loss was the third in the last four world title fights for Bailey, who won the WBO title by knocking out Carlos "Bolillo" Gonzalez in the first round on May 15, 1999, and the WBA version of the 140-pound title by scoring a third-round KO over Demetrio Ceballos on Feb. 2, 2002.

Perez (21-1, 14 KOs), of Managua, Nicaragua, won a crowd-pleasing bout that featured spirited exchanges by the scores of 115-112, 114-113 and 110-117. The pinpoint-punching Perez, who was making his SHOWTIME debut, did most of the damage with his left hand. He had Machado's right eye totally swollen shut by the 10th round. The victory evened Perez' record in the United States to 1-1. In his stateside debut and lone fight outside his homeland, Perez suffered his first defeat after 15 victories when he dropped a 12-round decision to Vernie Torres in a bout for the WBO Intercontinental title on Sept. 7, 2000, in Gulfport, Miss.

Machado (22-4-1, 11 KOs), of Bolivar, Venezuela, was making the fourth defense of the IBF title he won with a 12-round decision over Julio Gamboa on July 22, 2000, in Miami. Machado, whose right eye began to swell in the fifth, lost a point in that round for a low blow. Despite an eye that continued to worsen as the bout progressed, he landed some solid shots and performed gamely to the finish. It was not enough, however, to prevent him from losing for the first time in 12 starts.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING's Steve Albert and former world champion Bobby Czyz called the action from ringside with Jim Gray serving as roving reporter. The executive producer of the SHOWTIME telecast was Jay Larkin with Ray Smaltz producing and Bob Dunphy directing.

For information on upcoming SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecasts, including fighter bios and records, please go to the SHOWTIME website at http://SHO.com.

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