WORCESTER, Mass. (April 3, 2005) – World Boxing Association (WBA) champion Jean-Marc Mormeck became the first boxer from France in any weight division to become a unified world champion when he scored a unanimous 12-round decision over previously unbeaten World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Wayne “Big Truck” Braithwaite in a cruiserweight world title unification bout Saturday on SHOWTIME. The fight, which aired at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on West Coast) from the DCU Center, was promoted by Don King Productions..
Mormeck (31-2, 21 KOs), of Noisy-le-Grand, France, won the first world cruiserweight unification match since 1988 when Evander Holyfield defeated Carlos De Leon by the scores of 116-110, 115-111 and 114-112. It was the 28th consecutive victory for the strong, muscular Mormeck, who scored the bout’s lone knockdown in the seventh round when he dropped Braithwaite with an overhand right. Mormeck seemed to hurt the smaller, quicker Braithwaite with every punch he landed. The biggest victory of Mormeck’s career came in his first start since he retained his WBA belt for a third time by registering a 12-round unanimous decision over four-time world champion Virgil Hill in a rematch on May 22, 2004, in South Africa.
Braithwaite (21-1, 17 KOs), of Georgetown, Guyana, had won 15 out of his last 16 starts by knockout but he did not come close to matting Mormeck. The southpaw boxer-puncher had success when he could utilize his speed to outbox the slower Mormeck in the middle of the ring, but he was not strong enough to keep the Frenchmen off him. Braithwaite, who was cut on the left eyelid, lost a point in the eighth round for holding. The Brooklyn resident was making the fourth defense of the WBC title he won with a 10th-round TKO over Vincenzo Cantatore on Oct. 11, 2002.
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING’s Steve Albert and Al Bernstein called Saturday’s action from ringside with Steve Farhood serving as roving reporter. The executive producer of the SHOWTIME telecast was Jay Larkin, with David Dinkins, Jr. producing and Bob Dunphy directing
The next SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast is Saturday, May 7, at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) and will feature a world championship doubleheader. In a sensational match-up, the two best 135-pound boxers in the world will square off in a world lightweight unification bout off when two-time WBC champion Jose Luis Castillo (52-6-1, 46 KOs) faces World Boxing Organization (WBO) titleholder Diego “Chico’’ Corrales (39-2, 33 KOs). In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature, International Boxing Federation (IBF)/WBA featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (43-2-1, 33 KOs) will defend his titles against WBA No. 5 contender, Victor Polo (34-4-3, 24 KOs). The bouts will take place at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
For information on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and “ShoBox: The New Generation” telecasts, including complete fighter bios and records, related stories and more, please go the SHOWTIME website at http://www.sho.com/boxing.