Jose Antonio Rivera vs. Travis Simms

From BoxRec
Jump to: navigation, search

2007-01-06 : Jose Antonio Rivera 153 lbs lost to Travis Simms 153¾ lbs by TKO at 2:00 in round 9 of 12

Bout Summary

Simms regained the title in his first fight in two years by bloodying the nose of the champ and twice sending him to the canvas, in rounds two and nine. Simms put Rivera down in the ninth round with a series of lefts. Rivera was able to beat the count and continue, but referee Santore stopped it a few seconds later after Simms landed several more hard shots.


Simms had been stripped of his title by the WBA for filing a prior lawsuit against that organization for not enforcing his mandatory against Shane Mosley after Simms gracefully stepped aside without being offered a compensation to let Mosley unify the titles against Ronald Wright; he actually received a signed contract from the WBA stating that the winner would have to fight Simms within 90 days after Mosley vs. Wright I, but instead of enforcing their obligation to Simms the WBA ignored their by-laws as well as their signed contract to Simms and decided to let Wright and Mosley negotiate a second fight, when the WBA by-laws clearly stated that there are no rematches in Super Championship bouts. But the WBA granted Mosley and Wright the rematch without ordering or offering Simms a compensation fee again, instead decided to strip him because he did not defend against Alejandro Garcia, whom Simms KOed in round five to win the WBA super welterweight title and had to threaten to sue to get that fight, when Simms was mandatory to fight Santiago Samaniego for the WBA regular championship, but by the time the WBA decided to enforce that mandatory match, Simms had already signed a promotional deal with Don King Production who also promoted Samaniego, Garcia, and Rhoshii Wells, but Samaniego was KOed by Garcia in an optional defense. Simms then became mandatory to Garcia and Don King and the WBA decided to let Garcia defend the title against Wells instead of Simms, then finally Simms got his deserving shot to fight for the title. Now, since beating Rivera, he was forced to make a mandatory defense against Canadian Joachim Alcine.