Joppy wants more titles, Botha happy chasing first

Monday, May 12, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

MIAMI -- William Joppy wants more world boxing titles, while Francois Botha is still working on his first.

Both fighters came closer to their goals Saturday. Joppy successfully defended his World Boxing Association middleweight crown with a unanimous decision over Brazil's Peter Venancio. Botha won the newly created WBA North American heavyweight title, knocking out Philadelphia's James Stanton.

"I just knocked off the No. 1 contender," Joppy said of Venancio. "Now I want unification of the titles."

Two other world champions retained their titles Saturday night and a third lost his belt without stepping into the ring.

Russia's Gussie Nazarov scored a seventh-round technical knockout over Atlantic City's Leavander Johnson in defending his WBA lightweight crown.

Venezuela's Antonio Cermeno made the fifth successful defense of his WBA junior-featherweight title with a unanimous decision over Puerto Rico's Angel Chacon.

Botha wants another world title bid. Last November, he was stopped by Michael Moorer for Moorer's International Boxing Federation heavyweight crown.

Despite the loss, Botha was praised for a tough challenge to Moorer and now is a contender in the division. He is ranked No. 2 by the WBA with a 36-1 record.

"I've heard a rumor Lennox Lewis wants to fight me," Botha said of the current World Boxing Council champion. "That's one I'm ready for."

Unifying titles would enhance Joppy's status. When world titles began to splinter with the formation of new organizations, the middleweights somehow claimed undisputed champions Carlos Monzon in the 1970s and Marvin Hagler in the 1980s.

Joppy is setting his sights on possible unification bouts with WBC champion Keith Holmes or IBF titleholder Bernard Hopkins.

"There's no reason it can't be done," Joppy said. "I want Keith Holmes and Bernard Hopkins."

Joppy, 26, of Silver Spring, Md., strives for the recognition once common for middleweight champions. Overcoming Venancio's tough challenge in the nationally televised bout will help, but not until the other belts are conquered.

"I had him early, but let him get away," Joppy said. "He came out and fought. He had a good heart."

Joppy (24-0-1) scored knockdowns in the fourth and 10th rounds, but couldn't finish off Venancio, who sought to become Brazil's only current world champion. Venancio rebounded from both knockdowns and took the fight to Joppy, especially in the final three rounds.

Joppy withstood Venancio's late flurry of combinations and managed to win on all three judges' scorecards, 114-112, 114-113 and 115-112.

Botha, of South Africa and now living in Newport Beach, Calif., gradually wore down Stanton, who gamely fought back after a third-round knockdown. Stanton also had impressive middle rounds, scoring effectively with lead rights.

But Botha, 28, countered with rights to the head. In the final seconds of the 10th, Botha unloaded head and body combinations, which floored Stanton for good.

Another world title bout between IBF junior-flyweight champion Mauricio Pastrana of Colombia and Manuel Herrera of the Dominican Republic was cancelled when Pastrana failed to appear for Friday's mandatory weigh-in.

The IBF stripped Pastrana of his title, declaring it vacant.