PBC on Bounce TV: Malik Scott Topples Tony Thompson via Decision

Heavyweights Malik Scott and Tony Thompson battled each other over 10 workmanlike rounds in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions’ latest edition of PBC on Bounce TV. With the winner reportedly in line to get a crack at WBC champion Deontay Wilder, the stakes were high for the two veterans.

Scott (38-2-1, 13 KOs) did just enough in each round to warrant a unanimous decision, which he was awarded via tallies of 98-91, 96-93 and 95-94. The D.C.-area fighter survived a near-catastrophe late in the ninth when Thompson dropped him with a right but he was able to hang on until the end.

Scott used much better footwork behind a pesky jab throughout the contest, which wasn’t overly pleasing to watch at times. Thompson was much slower and the two men tied each other up throughout the encounter, but Scott was the much more effective puncher. In the end, Philadelphia’s Thompson (40-6, 27 KOs) just couldn’t keep his foe where he wanted and lost in lopsided fashion.

Related » PBC on Bounce Round-by-Round Scoring

Junior welterweight prospect Sergey Lipinets (8-0, 7 KOs) rocked Lydell Rhodes several times late in their 10-round affair and won a unanimous decision in the process. The Kazakh landed the much harder shots throughout and was awarded the win by the scores of 96-93 and 98-91 (twice). Rhodes, from Las Vegas, was docked appoint late for repeatedly holding; he fell to 23-1-1 with 11 KOs.

Welterweights Samuel Figueroa and Javontae Starks waged a moderately entertaining war for 10 rounds, but Figueroa came on late in the fight to edge his foe via unanimous nod. The Puerto Rican poured on the aggression in the latter stages of the tussle to edge Starks (13-1, 7 KOs) 77-75 (twice) and 78-74 to rise to 10-0 (4).

Lightweight Gervonta Davis tore apart aging former world champion Cristobal Cruz (40-19-4, 24 KOs), stopping him in the third. Davis, from Baltimore, floored his foe with a sizzling left late in the first, rocked him again in the second and finally closed out the mugging moments later. After Davis (13-0, 12 KOs) dropped the Mexican veteran with a scorching left-right, Cruz rose to his feet on very unsteady legs. Referee Frank Santore intelligently waived it off, ending the mismatch at the 1:31 mark of the frame.