[Ian Lord]

14th - Stuttgart, Germany

Bill topper at the Hans Martin Schleyer Halle, the first fight card to be held in Germany, featured Graciano Rocchigiani, Germany's light-heavy hope, and Venezuelan Fulgencio Obelmejias. It was scheduled for ten, and part of the light-heavy tourney to crown the inaugural world champion. The winner advances to the semi-final.
After a tepid opener, both men began to open up more, with Rocchiginai taking the second, [the first was even]. Then, in the third, Obelmejias began to take control of the action, taking the third to seventh rounds, and wobbling his foe in the process in the fifth, with a hard right to the head forcing Rocchigiani to stagger against the ropes. The South American failed to capitalise.
The eighth was a good round for the German favourite, in which he loaded up on his foe, and decking him for a two count after a flurry of punches. Obelmejias controlled the ninth, with Rocchigiani having a fine last round. Everyone knew it was going to be close, and eagerly awaited the decision.
A split decision was called, with the first judge going for the visitor with a score of 96-93. The second judge went for Rocchigiani, again with a score of 96-93. It all hinged on the last judge, who also scored it 96-93, to the winner, Graciano Rocchigiani. The crowd erupted, Obelmejias shook his head, feeling he had won, with this ringside observer agreeing with him. Alas, it can be a cruel sport, and Rocchigiani, now 2-0 [1], advances to the semi's. Obelmejias is now 1-1 [1].

What looked to be a cracking welterweight ten round match-up on paper turned out to be a mis-match in actual fact.
The frenetic Aaron 'The Hawk' Pryor squared of against Lloyd Honeyghan, and controlled his foe quite easily from the opening bell. After constantly eating leather for the first five rounds, Honeyghan's right eye beagn to swell in the sixth. In the seventh, he was down twice. The first knockdown followed a spiteful dig to the liver. He was up at five, only to be toppled again with a hook to the head, this time for eight. Pryor was landing at will, and Honeyghan's corner were releived when the bell rang.
By the eigth, the swelling around Honeyghan's eye was a mess, and he also sustained a nasty cut on it. Another bodyshot dropped him for six. Honeyghan bravely continued, even though by now he was taking punch after punch, and the referee waved it off mercifully at the 2.22 mark.
Pryor, an exciting fighter who looks like he can go a long way in an exciting division, moves to 5-1-1 [4]. The loser is now 3-2-1.

Other Results:
MW: Alan Minter W8[split] Juan Carlos Barretto
LHW: Murray Sutherland W8[u] Dana Rucker
LHW: Dennis Andries W8[u] Neil Simpson
LW: Viktor Baranov W6[split] Tirso Albia