HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - Samuel Peter won a unanimous decision over Robert Hawkins in a heavyweight bout Thursday night, his first fight since losing to Wladimir Klitschko. Peter, from Nigeria, outclassed Hawkins with a lead left jab and rights to the head. Late in the first round, Peter dropped Hawkins with a left hook to the ribs for the bout's only knockdown.
Peter (25-1) won on two judges' scorecards 99-90, while the third scored it 98-91. Peter weighed in at 250 pounds, six more pounds than Hawkins, who is now 21-5-1.
In another bout, 2000 Olympic silver medalist Sultan Ibraginov, scored the most impressive victory of his five-year professional career with a seventh-round technical knockout over former heavyweight contender Lance "Mount" Whitaker.
Ibraginov, of Russia, frustrated Whitaker (31-4-1) with combinations to the body and lefts to the head. He scored knockdowns in the first, second and sixth rounds. Unable to slip Ibraginov's shots, Whitaker suffered deep cuts in both eyes. Referee Telis Assimenios stopped the fight at 2:01 of the seventh.
Ibraginov (19-0, 16 KOs) weighed 220 pounds for the bout while Whitaker weighed 272.
Following the bout, Carlos "Panama" Lewis, who serves as Ibraginov's adviser collapsed at ringside and was transferred to a local hospital. His condition was not available. Lewis is prohibited from working corners in the United States after a gloves tampering incident during a fight in 1983 but has advised Ibraginov.
Cruiserweight contender Dale Brown easily outpointed Dennis McKinney in a six-round bout. All three judges scored the bout for Brown, 60-54 on two cards and 60-53 on the other.
Brown improved to 35-4, while McKinney is now 27-36-1.
