By Mark Vester
At the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California - Paul Williams (36-1, 27 KOs) stopped veteran Verno Phillips (42-11-1, 21 KOs) after eight rounds to capture the WBO interim-junior middleweight title.
The first round was slow, with both feeling each other out. There was a clash of heads that opened up a cut above the right eye of Williams. Phillips had a good second round, countering Williams often with an overhand right. They would trade punches at the end as Williams pressed forward. Williams came out strong in the third, punishing Phillips to the body and following up with punches to the head.
Williams went after the body in the fourth, making Phillips pay when backed into the ropes. The fifth was more of Phillips being banged to his body by Williams. Williams dished out a beating to Phillips' body in the sixth. Phillips tried to open up in the final minute of the seventh, but was countered and then beaten up some more by Williams, who continued to go after the body.
During the eight, Williams continued to put the hurt on Phillips and had his way for the entire three minutes. At the end of the eight, the ringside doctor stopped the fight after checking on Phillips in the corner and making a determination that Phillips had taken enough damage. It was the first time Phillips was stopped since 1988.
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