Saturday, March 22, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Abelyan claims easy decision over Tula at Aladdin

Left-hander keeps minor featherweight belt

By ROYCE FEOUR
REVIEW-JOURNAL

William Abelyan, looking a lot like Johnny Tapia in style, won a unanimous 12-round decision over Jose Luis Tula on Friday in the main event of a boxing card at the Aladdin.

Abelyan dominated the fight until the final round to retain his minor featherweight belt.

He dropped Tula, 125, in the third round with a solid straight left hand, but the knockdown came late in the round and Tula was saved by the bell.

Judges C.J. Ross and Bill Graham scored the fight 117-110, and Patricia Jarman-Manning had it 115-112. The Review-Journal had it 119-108.

The left-handed Abelyan said he hurt the knuckle on his left hand early and couldn't finish off Tula.

"My knuckle was hurting me," Abelyan said. "I felt it. I wasn't hitting him so hard."

Abelyan, 24, constantly landed leap-in left hands and leap-in left-rights.

"I was not taking him out," Abelyan said. "He was moving around. He was having movement. He had the usual Mexican style with a hard head."

Abelyan boxed and moved, looking as if he was fighting like Tapia in his movements and mannerisms.

Abelyan said he wasn't trying to act like Tapia, though he noted he has sparred with Tapia before two of Tapia's fights.

"No, I have my own style," Abelyan said.

That may be so, but it looked like Tapia offensively and defensively.

Tula didn't do much until the final round, when he came out aggressively and landed several hard rights and cut Abelyan over the right eye. It was by far Tula's best round.

Abelyan said the cut came from a head butt.

Abelyan, who won his 12th straight, said he learned from the fight and considers it another step in gaining experience.

Abelyan, 22-4-1, received $10,000. Tula, 15-8-2, got $7,500.

Promoter Gary Shaw said he would like to match Abelyan with the winner of today's WBO title fight in Glasgow, Scotland, between champion Scott Harrison and Wayne McCullough of Las Vegas.

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