By Ryan Burton at ringside

SILVERDOME, PONTIAC, MICHIGAN - Junior welterweight Vernon Paris (24-0) defeated Emanuel Augustus (38-34-6) via unanimous decision. The scores were 76-73 and 77-72 twice. Augustus, who took the fight on less than two weeks notice, had previously announced that this would be the final fight of his rollercoaster career. Paris started out strong in the first round display good handspeed.  He rocked Augustus on a few occasions with quick check left hooks.  Augustus came out as the agressor in the second round and Paris was very effective with his counter punching.  Augustus had trouble adjusting to Paris' speed. 

Despite his limited success Augustus kept coming forward in the 3rd round. Augustus was able to land punches but he couldn't match Paris' in the accuracy or power category.  Things got a little chippy in the fourth round as Augustus complained to no avail about being pushed.  Paris threw a punch as Augustus was talking to the ref and Augustus retaliated by pushing Paris into the turnbuckle.  The fighters were tangled up again as the bell sounded to end the round  and Paris ended up falling flat on his back.

The comedy continued as the bell sounded to begin the 5th round and the ring card girl was only about 3/4 of the way through her ring walk and the referee had to call for time to give the ring girl time to leave the ring before she ended up in the middle of the action.  The action definitely heated up in the 5th as the visibily upset Augustus had his most active round of the evening trading punches at will with Paris.  As Augustus waited for the 6th round to start he lept out of his stool and began dancing.  The Drunken Master had awakened. Paris seemed a little gassed in the 6th and Augustus took advantage of it as he threw combinations to the body and the head and Paris had to resort to holding. 

Augustus was deducted a point for hitting on the break at the end of the round when both men should have just been given a warning.  Paris went back to work landing several power shots to begin the 7th round but gassed again towards the middle of round.  In another bizarre twist Paris was deducted a point for holding in what appeared to be a make up call for the previous point deduction.  Moments later Augustus was deducted a 2nd point for pushing on the break as the comedy continued.  Both men were visibily tired in the 8th and final round as they both abandoned their defense and just chose to slug it out.  If this was truly Augustus' final fight he left everything he had in the ring and entertained the fans one final time in the type of bizarre fight we have grown accustomed to seeing him in.