Molinares Knocks Out Starling; Honeyghan Wins
Tomas Molinares of Colombia landed a wild roundhouse punch apparently after the bell sounded ending the sixth round, knocking out Marlon Starling to win the World Boxing Assn. welterweight title Friday night.
The punch seemed to catch Starling somewhat off guard, and he quickly fell to the canvas as referee Joe Cortez began to count, while many at ringside questioned whether the blow had landed in time.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. Oct. 20, 1988 For The Record
Los Angeles Times Thursday October 20, 1988 Home Edition California Part B Page 4 Metro Desk 2 inches; 72 words Type of Material: Correction
Some California Assessment Program scores for the third grade at 3rd Street Elementary School in the Los Angeles Unified School District were inadvertently omitted from last Sunday’s listings in The Times. The school’s scores for 1987-88 were 286 in reading, 316 in writing and 317 in math. An incorrect third-grade reading score was listed for La Canada Elementary School in the La Canada Unified School District. The correct 1987-88 score was 365.
Starling, whose record fell to 43-5-1, never made an attempt to get up and was counted out. The biggest question was whether officials would allow the knockout to stand. After about three minutes, it was announced that Cortez had been correct in ruling that the punch landed before the bell sounded, and the bell cannot “save” a fighter in a WBA championship fight.
Molinares’ 23rd consecutive victory and 20th knockout was greeted by boos from the crowd in the ballroom of the Atlantic City Convention Center. Some patrons threw peanuts, paper and ice into the ring.
Moments after the fight, Starling, of Hartford, Conn., was helped out of the ring with what appeared to be a splint on his right ankle.
An earlier title fight on the card also ended in controversy. Lloyd Honeyghan retained his World Boxing Council welterweight title when challenger Youngkil Chung was unable to continue after being hit by a low blow 42 seconds into the fifth round.
Honeyghan is 33-1 with 22 knockouts, while Chung fell to 25-4-2.
Honeyghan, of London, seemed in control of the fight when the low blow sent Chung to the canvas.
The South Korean rolled on his back and then onto his stomach as referee Tony Orlando directed Honeyghan to a neutral corner.
Larry Hazzard, the New Jersey state athletic commissioner, entered the ring and talked with Orlando while handlers from Chung’s corner tended to the fighter, who was given five minutes to recover. But after about three minutes, his handlers said he could not continue.
Under WBC rules, a point was deducted from Honeyghan, but Chung was disqualified for not being able to return to action.
Honeyghan was ahead on two of the three judges’ scorecards, 40-36, and on the other, 39-37.
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