[Crimson]

Tuesday, July 21^st, 1992
Deutschlandhalle; Berlin, Germany
6# Leeonzer Barber 16-1 (10) Michigan WBO
vs.
5# Gracianno Rocchigiani 36-1-1 (16) Germany

· Barber was a 2-1 favorite.
· The referee was from Nevada. The 3 judges were from Puerto Rico, Belgium, and Norway.
· In round 4 a bad gash was opened up “literally inside the right eyebrow" of Rocchigiani. Whether the cut was from a punch or head butt could not be determined by replay, however the ruling by the referee was that it was a from a punch.
· Barber took the fight to Rocchigiani and had the German reeling with his left eye quickly closing at 35% shut.
· At 2:05 of round 6 with Barber increasing his attack, and Rocchigiani unable to see many of the punches coming his way due to the mask of blood covering his face, the referee stopped the fight declaring Barber the winner by TKO. Rocchigiani vehemently complained about the stoppage as did the several thousand Germans who had turned up in force at Berlin’s Deustlandhalle to cheer on their countryman.
· Michigan’s Leeonzer Barber will next travel to Australia where he has the unenviable task of meeting Jeff Harding in a September WBO/WBC unification match.
Leeonzer Barber TKO6 Graciano Rocchigiani (defends WBO title)