O'Neil Bell, Shannon Briggs win with knockouts

O'Neil Bell of Jamaica overcame two point deductions and close scorecards to retain his IBF cruiserweight title with an 11th-round knockout over Sebastian Rothmann on Friday night.

Bell, now living in Atlanta, came off the ropes and landed two rights to Rothmann's head, the second shot sending Rothmann face first to the canvas. Rothmann, who was knocked out cold, remained on the canvas long after referee Tommy Kimmons had counted him out at 2:09 of the round.

Bell (25-1-1, 23 KOs) was deducted points for hitting below the belt in the seventh and ninth rounds after a warning from Kimmons for a similar infraction earlier in the bout.

When the bout ended, Bell was ahead on one judge's card 95-93, while the other two had the fight even.

A native of Israel and now living in South Africa, 31-year-old Rothmann (18-4-2) kept Bell on the defensive during the bout, scoring repeatedly with lead left jabs and rights to the head.

Rothmann pressured Bell to the ropes late in the fourth as he found the short range to land lefts and rights to the head. With the round about to expire, Rothmann hurt Bell with a right to the head, sending Bell to the canvas, but Kimmons ruled the knockdown occurred after the round had ended.

After a cautious first round, the action intensified in the final minute of the second, when Rothmann pinned Bell on the ropes and landed solid lefts to the head, while Bell countered with combinations to the head.

The 30-year-old Bell won the cruiserweight crown with a unanimous decision over Dale Brown on May 20.

Bell weighed the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds, six more than Rothmann.

In another bout, Shannon Briggs knocked out former WBO heavyweight champion and 1988 Olympic gold medalist Ray Mercer in seven rounds.

Briggs (43-4-1, 37 KOs) landed three rights to the head as both fighters came off a clinch. Mercer (34-6-1) fell to the canvas and couldn't beat referee Brian Garry's 10-count, ending the bout 41 seconds into the round.