LAFAYETTE -- Michael Lerma chose strategy over temptation and
left the ring a world champion Monday night.
Lerma backed off a late-round chance to knock out opponent Alfred Ankamah,
who was battling an ailing left shoulder. Judges unanimously voted Lerma the
winner in a 12-round, main event bout, which earned him the vacant WBC super
welterweight Continental Americas title.
Lerma's victory headlined a six-fight Cajundome card which attracted
about 2,000 spectators, according to promoters.
Fox Sports World and two Latin American networks associated with
Fox, televised the Lerma-Anakamah bout and the 10-round lightweight,
co-main event in which lightweight Courtney Burton scored an eighth-round
technical knockout over Gabriel Ruelas.
Other victories Monday went to Lafayette's Jason Papillion, who
knocked out Francisco Mendez with 1:43 gone in the third round
of a junior middleweight bout and junior welterweight Bobby Aucoin
of Scott, who unanimously decisioned Monroe's Thomas Grissom.
Junior middleweight Chance Leggett of Westlake also earned a unanimous
decision over Charles Sims in a four-round fight.
In the night's final matchup, heavyweight Greg Pickrom of Houston
scored a fourth-round technical knockout over Terry Porter.
Lerma, a 152-pounder, startled Ankamah with a right to the head
in the 10th round and again with another right seconds before the
final bell.
Ankamah hurt the shoulder in the second round after sending Lerma
in the ropes with the left hand.
"I didn't try to jump on him after hitting him with the right.
I figured I had won every round up to that point, so why take a
chance and get myself hurt," Lerma said. "After I stunned
him, I just wanted to keep fighting to win, because I knew (Ankahma)
was hurt."
Ankamah figured he had the early momentum after hitting Lerner
with several left jabs.
Then came the injury.
"I can't throw the left anymore or follow through with it
after the second round. I think if I have it, I could win," Ankamah
said.
Burton sent Ruelas, a former WBC super featherweight world champion,
to the canvas with a looping right in a 10-round match. Ruelas
dropped to his knees in the fourth after Burton pounded away in
one corner and along the ropes.
Papillion's third-round knockout of Mendez was No. 23 in Papillion's
professional career.
He said fighting before a home crowd for the first time since
1999, had its disadvantages.
"I wanted to end it too early. The crowd got to me and got
me so hyped. I wanted to shine for them," he said.
Papillion decked Mendez with a double right to the head after
setting up Mendez with a series of ferocious body punches.
Aucoin, a 135-pounder, won his fifth professional victory in as
many fights after four fight judges ruled the fight 40-36 in his
favor.
"I had (Grissom) under control the whole time. He was tough.
I was hitting him hard and he didn't show it," Aucoin said. |
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