VERO BEACH, Florida (August 3, 2006) – A funny thing happened to former International Boxing Federation light heavyweight champion William “KO King” Guthrie (34-3-1, 27 KOs) on his way back to the 175-pound division. Last Saturday night in Boise, Guthrie stopped Luke Munsen (19-6, 13 KOs) in the fifth round to capture the vacant International Boxing Federation International cruiserweight title on the “Hold Nothing Back!” pay-per-view show at Qwest Arena in Boise, Idaho..
“On my way to light heavyweight,” the 39-year-old southpaw explained, “I got the call for his title bout at cruiserweight. Maybe I’ll stay here. I hit rock bottom, and I climbed my way back.”
Guthrie captured the IBF title belt in 1997 by way of a third-round TKO of Darrin Allen. William later took off 2 1/2 years and he’s been unbeaten in his comeback bid, starting in the fall of 2004, including six victories and two draws. Last Saturday evening’s fight was his fourth in 2006.
From the start against Munsen, Guthrie successfully counter punched off the ropes and got Munsen’s attention in the second round. William continued his dominance in the third from the same area. In the fourth round, however, he fought in the center of the ring, landing a double left hook, followed by a straight right-left hook combination that caused serious damage. Munsen, however, kept coming forward and Guthrie dropped his tough opponent to one knee with a right hook. A barrage of punches left Munsen jelly-legged at the end of the round. A series of unanswered combinations snapped Munsen’s head several times, forcing referee Tony Weeks to halt the action at 1:31 of the fifth round.
“This was a huge win for me,” Guthrie said. “I took some time off and I’m 39 now. I started back from scratch, taking four round fights, and now I’m a champion again. Just look at the team I have: Jim Rider is the best manager in boxing; Silverhawk Boxing and Dennis Rider is the best promoter; Buddy McGirt is the best trainer. Bring anybody on, I’m back!”
Philadelphia-native Guthrie grew-up in St. Louis, where he was a four-time Golden Gloves winner and National Golden Gloves champion, earning him an induction into the St. Louis Boxing Hall of Fame. He also was a finalist at the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials. Now living in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida,
Last Saturday, Guthrie turned back the clock in Idaho, and now he’s ready for another world title shot.