Popo Freitas back in business

Acelino Freitas, a former two-division champion, is back in business after an absence of five years.

Acelino Freitas © Reuters Images

The Brazilian, a former super-featherweight and lightweight champion, returned to the ring as a junior middleweight and stopped Michael Oliveira in the ninth round in Punte del Este in Uruguay on Saturday night.

“Popo” Freitas improved his record to 39-2, including 33 knockouts as Oliveira’s record dropped to 17-1; 12.

In Tijuana, Mexico, WBO strawweight champion Moises Fuentes improved his record to 15-1-0; 7 and retained his title when he knocked out Julio Cesar Felix (17-4-0; 7) two minutes and 16 seconds into the first round.

Felix was also knocked down early in the first round.

In Indio, California, former Olympian Rocky Juarez suffered another defeat as his career continued sliding.

Junior lightweight Andrew Cancio moved to 14-1-2; 11 when he beat the 2000 Olympic silver medallist on points. Juarez’s record dropped to 28-10-1.

Juarez suffered a questionable knockdown in the first round, dropped Cancio in the second and took another count in the fifth. Cancio won 97-90 on two cards and 98-89.

Junior middleweight Hugo Centeno (14-0; 8) stopped Rahman Yusubov (8-8; 6) after 2 minutes and 39 seconds of the fourth round.

OTHER WEEKEND RESULTS

Tokyo: Akio Shibata (18-7-1; 8), a former OPBF champion, won the Japanese super-welterweight title when he beat Daisuke Nakagawa (19-3-2; 15) by 98-93, 96-95 and 96-94 over ten rounds.

Newcastle, Australia: Chad Bennett, a 39-year-old junior welterweight, improved his record to 29-4-3; 20 by stopping 36-year-old Ghana-born James Armah (17-2; 7) in the eighth round in a bout for the WBO Oriental title.

Orange, Australia: Lenny Zappavigna (27-2; 18), rated The IBF’s No 6 lightweight, outpointed Joel Dela Cruz (17-14-2; 13) from the Philippines over twelve rounds.

Herning, Denmark: Luke Blackledge (10-0; 4) stopped former European champion Mads Larsen (51-4; 38) in the fourth round of light-heavyweight bout.

Larsen started well but the English fighter knocked him out 1 minute 20 seconds into the fourth.

Junior middleweight Reda Zam Zam improved his record to 26-1, with 13 knockouts, when Italian Giuseppe Langella (18-7-2) suffered a leg injury in the third round and was unable to continue.

IBF No 2 light-heavyweight Karo Murat moved to 24-1-1; 14 when he stopped Sandro Siproshvili (25-13; 12) in the seventh round.

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: Gabriel Rosado knocked out Sechew Powell 2 minutes 43 seconds into the ninth round of a junior middleweight bout.

Rosado, who is fifth on the IBF rankings list, improved to 20-5; 11. Powell, ranked No 9, dropped to 26-5; 15.

Welterweight Ronald Cruz (17-0; 12) beat Prenice Brewer (16-2-1; 6) on points over twelve rounds to take the vacant WBC Continental Americas title.

Atlantic City, New Jersey: Light-heavyweight Dennis Hasson remained unbeaten at 14-0; 5 when he outpointed George Armenta (14-9; 11) over eight rounds – 78-74 and 79-73 on the other two cards.

SuperSport.com 

Source:  www.supersport.com/boxing/international/news/120603/Popo_Freitas_back_in_business