LAS VEGAS, NV - Referee Robert Byrd stepped in and stopped the fight after Jeff 'Left Hook' Lacy pounded Syd 'The Jewel' Vanderpool with a series of left uppercuts in the eighth round of their IBF super middleweight championship bout last night at Ceasers Palace.
Lacy, fighting for a title in only his 17th pro fight, was the bigger puncher but had trouble with Vanderpool's movement and counter punching in the early rounds of their fight for the vacant 168-pound title.
Lacy hurt Vanderpool with a right uppercut in the sixth round but was unable to put him down. In the eighth round, though, he unloaded a series of left uppercuts that staggered Vanderpool and then chased him across the ring throwing more punches.
Referee Robert Byrd moved in to stop the fight at 1: 37 of the eighth round as Vanderpool was unable to defend himself.
"This was my Olympics tonight," Lacy said. "I got my gold medal."
Lacy, 17-0 (14 KOs) lost in the first round of the Sydney Olympics but hasn't lost in his pro career. Still, he was taking a step up in class against Vanderpool, 35-3 (23 KOs), who had the edge in experience.
"A lot of people expect a lot out of me," Lacy said. "I just want to make everybody happy."
Vanderpool said he thought he would survive the round and eventually wear Lacy down.
"Lacy was throwing everything he had and was getting tired," Vanderpool said. "I'm a gladiator, but we have to trust the ref's judgement, that he'll protect us."
In other action, Kassim 'The Dream' Ouma captured the IBF junior middleweight crown, taking a unanimous 12-round decision from Verno Phillips in their rematch on Saturday at Ceasers Palace.
Ouma raised his record to 20-1-1 (13 KOs) and posted his second win over Phillips in three years. He won the other fight by a decision as well.
All three judges scored the fight (114-113, 114-113, 117-110) in favour of Ouma. The 34-year-old Phillips 38-10-1 (20 KOs) was making his first title defence against the top-ranked challenger Ouma.
Phillips was sharp early, but Ouma picked up the pace and began to take over. Ouma's pressure began to lessen in round eight and Phillips again began to connect regularly.
He had a big round in round eleven, battering Phillips mercilessly after hurting him with a superb bodyshot.
Phillips managed to survive the twelfth.
"This means a lot to me because I've been through so much," said Ouma. "I tried so hard to take [Phillips] out because I had promised to do that, but Verno is the toughest fighter I have ever faced."
Ouma raised his record to 20-1-1 (13 KOs) and posted his second win over Phillips in three years. He won the other fight by a decision as well.