Sharmba Mitchell Outpoints Vince Phillips, Jeff Lacy Wins Decision over Ross Thompson

All Photos © Tom Casino/Showtime

The Two Bouts Will Be Replayed In Their Entirety On SHO2 On Tuesday, November 11, At 11 PM ET/PT

09.11 - In a crossroads bout featuring two former 140-pound world champions, Sharmba Mitchell kept alive his hopes of a world title shot by taking a majority 10-round decision over Vince Phillips Saturday on SHOWTIME. In the co-feature, unbeaten Jeff Lacey recorded a hard-fought 12-round unanimous decision over Ross Thompson to capture the World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas super middleweight title. The telecast, which also aired highlights of WBC No. 2 super featherweight contender Phillip "Time Bomb" N'dou's impressive third-round knockout over Vicente Burgo, aired at 10 PM ET/PT from the Coca-Cola Bricktown Event Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, and Holden Productions, in association with The Sports Entertainment and Media Group PLC, Golden Lion Productions and Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing, promoted the fight card.

Mitchell (50-3, 29 KOs), of Takoma Park, Md., triumphed by the scores of 99-91, 96-94 and 95-95. The former World Boxing Association (WBA) super lightweight champion's advantages in speed, quickness and movement were the difference in a bout in which there were no knockdowns. After capturing the WBA belt with a 12-round decision over Khalid Rahilou on Oct. 10, 1998, the southpaw boxer-puncher made four successful defenses prior to losing to Kostya Tszyu in a unification fight Feb. 3, 2001, on SHOWTIME. The seventh-round TKO loss to Tszyu ended a six-and-one-half-year run in which Mitchell won 16 consecutive fights. The victory over Phillips was his third in a row. Prior to turning pro in September 1998, Mitchell compiled an outstanding amateur record of 153-7.

Phillips (44-7-1, 32 KOs), of Pensacola, Fla., came on strongly in the bout's second half but fell short. A former International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior welterweight champion, Phillips made three successful defenses of the title he won on May 31, 1997, with a 10th-round TKO over Tszyu. Following a 20-month reign as champion, Phillips lost his crown when Terronn Millett stopped him in the fifth round on Feb. 20, 1999. Phillips, who went 90-10 in the amateurs and was the 1985 National Golden Gloves and 1985-86 All-Army champion, turned pro at age 25 in February 1989. The 14-year ring warrior was coming off a surprisingly easy 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Nick Acevedo on March 29, 2002, in Las Vegas, Nev.

Lacy (12-0, 10 KOs), of Tampa, Fla., won his first title by the scores of 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112. Going 12 rounds for the first time, Lacy did not register a knockdown, but he had Thompson close to hitting the deck on several occasions, particularly in the second round when he rocked and staggered the game veteran. Lacy, who was making his sixth SHOWTIME appearance, went 209-12 in the amateurs, won numerous competitions and made it to the second round of the 2000 Olympics.

Thompson (25-7-1, 17 KOs) of Buffalo, N.Y., performed well while giving Lacy his toughest test as a pro. He tried hard throughout although he faltered a little in the last half of the match. Thompson was making the first defense of the crown he won by scoring a first-round knockout over Ron Johnson on March 29, 2002, in Las Vegas. The defeat was the second straight for Thompson, who dropped a disputed 10-round majority decision loss to Aaron Davis on July 23, 2002, in New Rochelle, N.Y.

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 Richard Gaughan producing and Bob Dunphy directing.

Press Quotes: Sharmba Mitchell, Vince Phillips, Jeff Lacy, Ross Thompson

Photo: TOM CASINO/SHOWTIME - From left: Jeff Lacy, Vince Phillips, Phillip N'dou, Sharmba Mitchell and
Ross Thompson pose after Thursday's press conference in Oklahoma City.

08.11 - SHARMBA MITCHELL (49-3, 29 KOs): "It is an honor and a pleasure to be fighting Vince Phillips. He is a great fighter. After I beat him up, I hope we can be friends again. I am going into this fight like I would any other. All fights are "do or die." My knee is as good as it has been and is going to get - about 80 percent. My hands are fine. I know I will go into the ring clear-headed with just one thing on my mind - winning. This is going to be a great fight. I am ready to go. I am the one on top. Phillips will have to adjust to me. I will not have to adapt to him.''

VINCE PHILLIPS (44-6-1, 32 KOs): "I have got to win this fight to get to the next level. The thing is, I should already be at that level. I beat the guy who is the guy yet I am not even ranked by some of the boxing organizations. I am ready to do what I have to do. I appreciate that Sharmba Mitchell is willing to fight me. There is no one else out there that wants to fight either of us. Mitchell at his best is a good boxer and a good mover, but at my best I am a destroyer. Whether he runs or slugs is not a concern because it will not matter in the end.''