Wilson deals Mora first loss!

Fightnews.com | October 18, 2002
By Dave Nelmark at ringside

Heavyweight Javier Mora suffered his first loss Friday night when he dropped a five round technical decision to Charles Wilson at the San Francisco Concourse. Wilson dropped Mora in round three en route to winning the vacant California heavyweight championship on a unanimous decision with scores of 49-46 and 48-46 (twice). The fight, scheduled for eight rounds, was stopped early by ringside physician Smith Ketchum due to a cut over Wilson's eye caused by an accidental headbutt.

Wilson, coming off a big upset win of King Ipitan, looked sharp from the opening bell. He landed several counter right hands to the head and was effective with a jab that echoed upon impact.

Mora turned things around in the second, backing Wilson to the ropes and raking the body. Wilson withstood the barrage but was forced to retreat to the other side of the ring under an assault of right crosses. This was Mora's best round of the night, but Wilson demonstrated a great chin throughout the non-stop action and landed two clean rights at the bell. The number of punches Mora threw in the second appeared to catch up with him in the third. Wilson began to land cleanly and put Mora down hard with a combination to the head. Mora easily beat the count but looked shaky until the end of the round.

Wilson started another rally in the fourth with a big left hand. In the final minute he had Mora pinned against the ropes and was working the body when the fighters' heads collided. The butt, ruled accidental, opened a gash over Wilson's left eye which ultimately ended the fight.

In the fifth, which started late due to the doctor's examination and subsequent work done by the corner on Wilson's eye, Mora regained momentum. He used his reach advantage against the smaller man and threw uppercuts when Wilson managed to get inside. Winning this round would not be enough, however. Wilson's cut worsened and the doctor advised the referee to call a halt to the bout before the start of the sixth. Despite the premature ending, the fight was packed with action. Neither fighter displayed any defense, but their toeto- toe battle brought the crowd to its feet. After the match, referee Marty Sammon described the opening two rounds of action as better than the last 20 he'd seen combined, adding, "I just stayed the hell out of the way and let 'em fight."

Mora's record now stands at 16-1-1, 14 KOs, while Wilson goes to 9-5, 6 KOs.

Kelsey Jeffries upped her record to 16-8 with a unanimous six round decision over the game Jo Jo Wyman (9-6-1) in the semi-main event. This fight for Jeffries' California womens featherweight title was filled with lots of action but little drama. In the early rounds, Jeffries continually backed her opponent to the ropes, but Wyman would counter nicely and escape. In the fourth round the champion began to take charge, getting in some hard head and body shots. In the fifth, both fighters looked tired, but Jeffries got inside Wyman's punches and landed a clean combination near the end of the round. Wyman was active throughout the fight, but lacked the power to do any real damage. In the end, Jeffries=E2=80=99 accuracy was the difference and she retained her title with scores of 60-54, 58-54, and 59-55. "Sweet Power" now looks ahead to her Nov. 7 IFBA world title bout against Layla McCarter.

Middleweights Juan Gil (2-2-2, 1 KO) and James Buggs (1-1-1), entered the ring with even records and left sharing a three-way draw. Scores were 40-36 for Gil, 39-37 for Buggs and 38-38.

In bantamweight action, local favorite Enn Faritex moved to 2-0 with a split decision victory (40-36 twice; 37-39) over Hector Simon who was making his pro debut.

Carter Williams won his professional debut via TKO over Jermaine Johnson when referee Ray Balewicz called a halt to the bout at 1:10 of round two. Williams, who had a 244 lb. to 188 lb. weight advantage, had knocked Johnson down earlier in the round, but fans in attendance still thought the stoppage was early.

The packed house at the San Francisco Concourse was not disappointed. The Peter Howes produced card featured competitive fights, good production values and a hint of glamour with Michael Buffer serving as the master of ceremonies. Buffer was joined by local celebrities including San Francisco District Attorney Terence Hallinan and Mayor Willie Brown who awarded the California heavyweight championship belt to Charles Wilson at the end of the night.