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Potchefstroom - Francois Botha beat Ron Guerrero on points over 12 rounds at Potchefstroom on Friday night to win the vacant World Boxing Foundation heavyweight title.
The South African veteran, a former IBF champion, won 118-114, 117-111 and 117-110 in a bout that will not be considered as one of the top 100 anywhere in the world in 2009.
Coming in at 121.85kg to the Mexican-American's 108.6kg, Botha improved his record to 47-4-2, with 28 knockouts.
Guerrero, six years younger than the 40-year-old "White Buffalo," dropped to 20-16-3.
The bout was no advertisement for the sport, the heavyweight division and especially not for the WBF.
Referee Darryl Ribbink had to instruct the "boxers" to break on what was probably more than 80 occasions. After calling for "a good, clean" last round, he had to separate the two 10 times in the final three minutes.
Ribbink, the busiest man in the ring, also had to deliver several lectures to bring some order to the bout.
He took away a point from Botha for hitting after the break in the seventh round. At one stage, as early as the fourth round, he issued a "come on, you guys" plea to the two.
It was that kind of evening.
Botha and Guerrero both relied on overhead rights to finish the bout in the early rounds. Unfortunately neither succeeded, and the spectators had to sit through the whole affair.
Guerrero at least showed some mobility and threw more punches than Botha, but he also come closest to being dropped when Botha rocked him in the eleventh.
Botha won the IBF belt in December 1995 when he outpointed Axel Schulz. In July 2007, he outpointed Bob Mirovic of Australia in a bout for the WBF interim heavyweight title; his first fight in five years.
Now that he holds the WBF belt, he is likely to continue boxing, even though some observers will believe he qualifies for retirement.
Guerrero, who is of Mexican descent but was born in Texas, made his professional debut in June 1998. He has lost to Jameel McCline, Sherman Williams, Attila Levin, Jeremy Williams, Tony Thompson, Chazz Witherspoon and former WBO heavyweight champion Serguei Lyakhovich. Now he can add Botha's name to that list.
The judges were Ace Makuluza, Eddie Marshall and Rassie Ersamus, all South Africans.
The South African veteran, a former IBF champion, won 118-114, 117-111 and 117-110 in a bout that will not be considered as one of the top 100 anywhere in the world in 2009.
Coming in at 121.85kg to the Mexican-American's 108.6kg, Botha improved his record to 47-4-2, with 28 knockouts.
Guerrero, six years younger than the 40-year-old "White Buffalo," dropped to 20-16-3.
The bout was no advertisement for the sport, the heavyweight division and especially not for the WBF.
Referee Darryl Ribbink had to instruct the "boxers" to break on what was probably more than 80 occasions. After calling for "a good, clean" last round, he had to separate the two 10 times in the final three minutes.
Ribbink, the busiest man in the ring, also had to deliver several lectures to bring some order to the bout.
He took away a point from Botha for hitting after the break in the seventh round. At one stage, as early as the fourth round, he issued a "come on, you guys" plea to the two.
It was that kind of evening.
Botha and Guerrero both relied on overhead rights to finish the bout in the early rounds. Unfortunately neither succeeded, and the spectators had to sit through the whole affair.
Guerrero at least showed some mobility and threw more punches than Botha, but he also come closest to being dropped when Botha rocked him in the eleventh.
Botha won the IBF belt in December 1995 when he outpointed Axel Schulz. In July 2007, he outpointed Bob Mirovic of Australia in a bout for the WBF interim heavyweight title; his first fight in five years.
Now that he holds the WBF belt, he is likely to continue boxing, even though some observers will believe he qualifies for retirement.
Guerrero, who is of Mexican descent but was born in Texas, made his professional debut in June 1998. He has lost to Jameel McCline, Sherman Williams, Attila Levin, Jeremy Williams, Tony Thompson, Chazz Witherspoon and former WBO heavyweight champion Serguei Lyakhovich. Now he can add Botha's name to that list.
The judges were Ace Makuluza, Eddie Marshall and Rassie Ersamus, all South Africans.
