Bowe Goes High and Low, Wins in 7th : Boxing: A bout with Holyfield is next. Whitaker beats Pineda on decision.

It was the night of the uppercut and the lowercut Saturday at the Grand Ballroom of the Mirage.

Riddick Bowe inflicted serious damage with both to stop Pierre Coetzer in the seventh round and ensure a Nov. 13 match with heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield.

In the co-feature, Pernell Whitaker won the International Boxing Federation junior-welterweight championship by outboxing and outpunching champion Rafael Pineda over 12 rounds.

Bowe could not knock down Coetzer with any punches above the waist, but had him reeling against the ropes and bleeding from both eyes when referee Mills Lane called a cease-fire with only one second remaining in the seventh.

A right uppercut to the face had turned Coetzer sideways.

But it was a right to the left leg that had caught the South African’s attention moments before.

In the sixth, Coetzer hit the canvas from another low right hand that cost Bowe a point.

Bowe, the No. 2-ranked World Boxing Assn. contender, was in control throughout, but Coetzer, ranked No. 1, was willing, aggressive, and crowd pleasing.

In fact, the standing-room-only crowd of 4,368 booed when Bowe got his hand raised.

Lane, the referee who is a court judge in Reno, said he saw the low blow in the seventh round.

However, he didn’t separate the fighters.

“That wasn’t what hurt Coetzer,” Lane said. “It was the uppercut that did him in. He didn’t have it, anymore.”

The judges had Bowe, a 10-1 favorite, ahead, 58-55, 58-55 and 57-56. The Times card was 59-54.

“I needed some rounds, and I got them,” said Bowe, who raised his record to 31-0 and registered his 27th knockout.

“The guy took a hell of a shot. He was strong, but he wasn’t crafty. I knew I would get him at some time.”

Coetzer, who suffered his third defeat in 42 fights, took a good punch, but he didn’t throw a particularly strong one.

Outweighed 245-215, he was cut on the bridge of the nose in the second round, in the corner of the left eye in the third, and above the right eye in the fourth.

Also damaged were Bowe’s trunks. They were split in the back in the second round. Just another touch of burlesque on the Las Vegas Strip.

It was apparent that the 24-year-old from Brooklyn didn’t respect his opponent’s punch.

Bowe stood flat-footed most of the night, threw a stiff jab in center ring, and jolted Coetzer often with the uppercut.

After that, Whitaker threw what could have been scored a shutout at Pineda.

The cards were 117-108, 117-108 and 116-110.

Pineda landed even more low blows than Bowe, but not nearly as many legal ones.

The Colombian floored Whitaker with a low blow in the eighth and was also deducted a point in the sixth.

What put Pineda on his knees in the eighth for an eight-count was a swift combination.

Whitaker, 140, who improved his record to 30-1 after relinquishing the lightweight championship, frustrated Pineda, 139, with his southpaw stance and foot and hand speed.

“I was never able to catch him,” Pineda said. “He is a difficult fighter.”