02.06.04 – Following a day of anxiously awaiting word of his fate, IBF No. 2 contender Verno Phillips indeed will receive a world title shot when he battles former Pernell Whitaker nemesis and current IBF No. 15 contender, Carlos Bojorquez, for the vacant IBF junior middleweight championship Saturday, June 5, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING at 9 p.m. ET/PT*.
Bojorquez replaces IBF No. 1 contender Kassim Ouma, who was forced to withdraw on Tuesday due to a training injury.
Phillips and Bojorquez will fight in a scheduled 12-round bout for the title previously owned by Winky Wright, who was stripped of the belt. In the SHOWTIME co-feature from The Leggett & Platt Athletic Center at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri, Jeff “Left Hook’’ Lacy will defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas/North American Boxing Association (NABA) and United States Boxing Association (USBA) super middleweight crowns when he meets IBF/World Boxing Association (WBA) International titleholder Vitali Tsypko. Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, in association with Tony Holden Productions, will promote the doubleheader.
Phillips (37-9-1, 19 KOs), of Troy, N.Y., has won six consecutive bouts since he fell short against Ouma more than two-and-one-half years ago. Game throughout, Phillips landed the more explosive punches, including many hard left hooks and clubbing right hands that kept Ouma honest. However, a 14-month layoff took its toll, and Phillips tired late. In his most recent outing, the rejuvenated 16-year veteran scored an impressive first-round knockout over highly regarded Julio “The Cuban Lover’’ Garcia on March 5, 2004. The hard-working Phillips is a former World Boxing Organization (WBO) 154-pound champion. He captured the title by scoring a seventh-round TKO over Lupe Aquino on Oct. 30, 1993, and made three successful defenses. A seasoned boxer-puncher, who has been victorious in 11 out of his past 12 starts, Phillips owns victories over former world champions Julian Jackson, Gianfranco Rosi, Aquino and Julio Cesar Vasquez.
Bojorquez (22-4-6, 18 KOs), of Los Mochis, broke former world champion Whitaker’s clavicle and sent the legendary fighter into retirement by scoring a fourth-round TKO on April 27, 2001, in Stateline, Nev. After winning both the California State and FECARBOX 154-pound championships, Bojorquez captured the IBA Continental junior middleweight title with an 11th-round TKO over Luiz Vazquez on April 26, 2002, in Fresno, Calif. The “Mochis muchacho”, who has gone 6-1-1 in his past eight bouts, successfully retained the IBA belt with consecutive knockout victories over Grady Brewer (Jan. 13) and Tony Marshall (April 21) to open the 2003 campaign. In his last outing on April 24, 2004, Bojorquez scored a fourth-round TKO over Ron Weaver on the undercard of Vitali Klitschko-Corrie Sanders at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.
Lacy (16-0, 13 KOs), of St. Petersburg, Fla., will make his ninth SHOWTIME appearance. In his most recent start, the undefeated youngster retained his WBC/CA/USBA/NABA belts with a hard-fought eighth-round TKO over NABF light heavyweight champion Donnell Wiggins Dec. 13, 2003, on SHOWTIME. The talented Lacy retained his WBC/CA and USBA titles, and added the vacant NABA super middleweight crown with a 12-round decision over Richard Grant on July 15, 2003. Lacy, who steadily has ascended the super middleweight world rankings since turning pro, currently is ranked No. 4 by the IBF, WBA and WBO, as well as No. 5 by the WBC. He earned the USBA belt with a third-round TKO on Feb. 22, 2003. Lacy won the WBC Continental Americas crown with a hard-fought decision over defending champion Ross Thompson Nov. 9, 2002, on SHOWTIME. The rising contender went 209-12 in the amateurs, won numerous competitions and made it to the second round of the 2000 Olympics.
Tsypko (15-0, 8 KOs), of Dniepropetrovsk, Ukraine, is a highly regarded 168-pounder who possesses the power to end a fight early and the stamina to go the distance. He captured the vacant WBA International super middleweight title by winning a 12-round unanimous decision over Charles Adamu on Feb. 28, 2004. Tsypko successfully defended the title in his most recent outing with a 12-round decision over Alexander Zaitsev on April 17, 2004. The undefeated Ukranian earned the IBF Intercontinental super middleweight title by scoring a seventh-round knockout over Vincenzo Imparato on Nov. 16, 2002. Tsypko, who will make his United States debut, has fought all but one of his contests in his homeland and Germany since turning pro on Oct. 16, 1999.
*Tape delayed on the West Coast