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Montreal`s Ngoudjo earns title shot with split decision win over Bailey (10.06.2007)
MONTREAL (CP) - Montreal`s Hermann Ngoudjo kept fighting long enough to earn the first title shot of his career.
Ngoudjo earned a split-decision victory Friday over former two-time world champion Randall Bailey of Miami, earning him a shot at the IBF 140-pound title.
"This was a very important fight for my career," said Ngoudjo, who turns 28 on June 25. "I knew I had to throw more punches and be determined with my punches. It wasn`t an easy fight, it never is with a title shot on the line. But the longer the fight went, the more I knew I would win."
The IBF 140-pound title is currently held by Australia`s Lovemore N`Dou, who has a defence scheduled for June 16 against Paul Malignaggi.
The winner of that bout will have to face Ngoudjo (16-1-0) next, an opportunity he has waited a long time for after losing a controversial split decision to Jose Luis Castillo in Las Vegas in January.
"What is happening to me now has been my dream since I left my native country," said the native of Douala, Cameroon. "I will work even harder to win that world title."
Friday`s fight looked to be deadlocked heading into the final two rounds.
Ngoudjo struck in the first with a hard left that stung Bailey (35-6-0) and knocked him down, but Bailey came right back in round two with a knockdown of his own on a quick counterpunch.
Ngoudjo controlled the fight over the next six rounds by using a very effective stiff jab that not only kept Bailey to the outside, but also caused major swelling under his left eye. Bailey began turning the momentum around in the eighth by landing some powerful rights, but in the ninth and 10th rounds Bailey was the aggressor and caught Ngoudjo with two or three vicious right hooks.
"I hit him very hard in the later rounds and he took it well,"
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Baileysaid. "But he didn`t let me catch him with it back to back."
Heading into the 11th round the fight was up for grabs, and that`s when Ngoudjo decided to take it, using the jab that worked so well all night to get inside and land some heavy shots on Bailey.
The judges scored the fight 115-112 and 114-112 for Ngoudjo, and 115-112 for Bailey. The Canadian Press scored it 114-112 for Ngoudjo, giving the final two rounds to the Montreal fighter.
The evening`s main event was nearly interrupted by a heavy downpour of rain in the third round that forced most of the fans at the outdoor Uniprix Stadium to head for cover, either indoors or huddled around the ring. The lights went out briefly before the fifth round, drawing loud boos from the remaining crowd, but the fight went on and the drenched fans encouraged the local boxer with loud chants of "Hermann, Hermann."
The evening`s main undercard was a fight so lopsided it seemed unfair.
Jean Pascal of Laval, Que., improved his record to a perfect 17-0-0 with a 10th round technical knockout of last-minute replacement Christian Cruz (12-8-1) of Sacramento, California. The victory gave Pascal, who already held the NABO 168-pound title, added the NABF and NABA titles as well.
Montreal native and Canadian 140-pound champion Antonin Decarie (15-0-0) didn`t hit Kansas City`s Aaron Drake (11-5-0) very hard, but he hit him often enough to win a unanimous decision in six rounds.
Montreal`s Paul Lo Greco (11-0-0) used a consistent strong left hook to open a cut over the right eye of Antonio Soriano (12-8-1) of Lakeside, California and claimed a six-round unanimous decision.
In the evening`s opening bout, Stephane Desormiers (17-2-1) of nearby Terrebonne, Que., knocked out Jesus Ortega (12-17-0) of Mexico City in the third round.
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