Skip to main content

Dominant Mike Jones stunned by Randall Bailey

Phil D. Jay 
WBN Editor
‘KO King’ lives up to his name in Las Vegas

Randall Bailey produced a stunning stoppage win against Mike Jones at the MGM Grand tonight to pick-up the vacant IBF welterweight title after being dominated for most of a forgettable fight in Las Vegas.

Both fighters started off tentatively, with Bailey taking the first round on work-rate alone, before Jones came into the fight from the second round and stamped his authority on the contest to take the centre of the ring.

Bailey went into a shell, allowing Jones to bank round after round until the fifth round, when some exchanges brought the fight to life with Jones looking the more assured going into the middle of the fight.

Jones, 29, continued to dictate the fight from round six, whilst Bailey waited far too long to get his punches off and ‘MJ’ was able to get inside to go to work with much more ease than the ‘KO King’ should have allowed.

In the eighth, a comfortable Jones caught the tiring 37 year-old with a smart right hand that seemed to stun the 50-fight veteran and just reiterated the Philadelphian’s dominance of the fight going into the final four rounds.

With his right hand cocked throughout, Bailey continued to look for that one knockout punch to live up to his name and found it in the tenth, striking straight through the guard and sent Jones to the canvas with his legs gone.

The bell to end the round saved Jones from testing if he still possessed his senses and he came out for the eleventh a little more weary of the power that Bailey held, attempting to dance his way through the session.

As the last seconds of the round ticked away, Bailey produced an amazing uppercut that took everything out of Jones and as the back of his head smashed to the canvas the bout was over.

Experienced referee Tony Weeks watched as a dazed Jones tried and failed to get up twice and called the bout off with the previously undefeated fighter completely out of it to crown Bailey a two-weight world champion.

The new champion weeped with joy when questioned by HBO’s Max Kellerman as the end of the fight a stated that he ‘hoped Jones would go down’ as he was a ‘one tough dude.’

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

WBN Remembers: "Gypsy Boy" Ernie Smith

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor  (picure by boxrec.com)  After almost a year and a half without one of boxing’s great journeymen, World Boxing News is looking back at the 161-fight career of Worcestershire warrior Ernie Smith, concentrating on his contribution in the ring, rather than the tragic way his life ended out of it. Smith turned professional at super-featherweight in 1998 at the Park Hall Hotel in Wolverhampton, losing a six rounder against Welshman Woody Greenaway.  One month later, Ernie was thrown in with an unknown prospect by the name of Gavin Rees (former world champion and current British Lightweight Champion) who he also took the distance over four rounds. The “Gypsy Boy” then managed to string together a four fight unbeaten run together in early 1999 and ended the year winning five out of his twelve contests, but by this time had already delved into the journeyman pool of boxers with a record of 5-8-1. After settling at the welterweight limit, Ernie ga...
Read more

Ashley Theophane talks US return, Ricky Burns sparring and future fights

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor ‘Treasure’ training for August 24 return Former British light-welterweight champion Ashley Theophane is aiming to put the disappointment of his loss to Darren Hamilton behind him when he makes his comeback in Charlotte, North Carolina on August 24. The 31 year-old, who has fought some of the top fighters between 140 and 154lbs, planned to take 18 months out of chasing his world title dream to win a British Lonsdale belt outright and just fell short with points defeat to Hamilton in May after making two defences. The Londoner is now returning to the US to re-establish his headline status on American soil. He fights for the 38th time in his career against an opponent yet to be named at NC Music Factory’s Reelworks Studios and is currently preparing to get back to winning ways. “Training has gone well for this fight. I've been in the gym for nearly nine weeks so I'm in great shape and ready to go,” Theophane told World Boxing News. ...
Read more

WBO #4 Orlando Cruz comes out as the first openly gay boxer in history

Orlando Cruz, a professional boxer from San Juan Puerto Rico (18-2-1, 9 KOs), former Olympian and currently ranked No. 4 Featherweight by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), is announcing today that he ”Is a proud gay man.” Cruz is the first openly gay man in boxing history.  “I’ve been fighting for more than 24 years and as I continue my ascendant career, I want to be true to myself,” said Cruz.  “I want to try to be the best role model I can be for kids who might look into boxing as a sport and a professional career.  I have and will always be a proud Puerto Rican.  I have always been and always will be a proud gay man.” Orlando Cruz began boxing at the age of 7 and posted an amateur career record of 178-11.  He won 7 Puerto Rico National Title's and spent 4 years on The Puerto Rican National Team.  Cruz won 7 Gold Medals, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze in various international tournaments.  His amateur career culminated as a representative of the 2000 ...
Read more