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Saturday, October 23
 
Corrales stops Garcia in 7th, takes title

Associated Press

LAS VEGAS -- Diego Corrales didn't have a Web site like Roberto Garcia. He made up for it Saturday night with a much bigger right hand.

Corrales sent Garcia a message he didn't want to receive, knocking him down twice in the sixth round before finishing him off with an overhand right at 48 seconds of the seventh to take Garcia's IBF junior lightweight title.

It was the first loss in 33 fights for Garcia, making his third defense of the title he won in March 1998 from Harold Warren.

The fight topped the undercard of the Mike Tyson-Orlin Norris heavyweight fight at the MGM Grand hotel-casino.

Garcia, who had the name of his Web site, Robertogarcia.com, on the seat of his trunks, appeared to win most of the early rounds. But the taller Corrales began landing some good combinations in the fifth round and Garcia was bleeding around the right eye from an accidental head butt.

Corrales (29-0, 24 knockouts) hurt Garcia with a flurry of punches in the sixth, finally knocking him down with a short left followed by a right hand with a minute left in the round.

Garcia got up, but his legs were rubbery and he went to one knee after a big right hand with 15 seconds late. He managed to get up again and the round ended before he could be hurt further.

It was only a matter of time, though, as Corrales came out in the seventh and landed some big punches. He finally hit Garcia with an overhand right that put him down and prompted referee Joe Cortez to immediately stop the fight.

Corrales, 129½, of San Diego, was the IBF's top-ranked contender and earned $40,000. Garcia, 129, of Oxnard, Calif., was paid $200,000.

In another fight, heavyweight contender David Tua had no trouble with Shane Sutcliffe, finishing him with a right uppercut that prompted referee Jay Nady to stop the fight midway through the second round.

Tua, the No. 1 ranked heavyweight by the IBF, was much too strong for Sutcliffe, a Canadian who came into the bout with a listed record of 21-8-1.

Tua, of New Zealand, rocked Sutcliffe in the opening round, and was knocking him around the ring when he landed the uppercut that put Sutcliffe on the canvas. Sutcliffe got up and appeared ready to continue, but Nady stopped the fight.

"Our plan was to go out and knock this guy out, and I did," said Tua, who improved to 35-1. Tua weighed 238 pounds to 227 for Sutcliffe.




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