Goossen Takes World Title by Outpointing Lonon

P.J. Goossen of North Hollywood won the International Boxing Organization junior middleweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Greg Lonon of Las Vegas on Wednesday night at the Warner Center Marriott’s Grand Ballroom.

Goossen (17-0), whose next matchup might be against former world champion Roberto Duran, outslugged Lonon (16-7) in a sluggish display in which both fighters appeared to be looking for the knockout punch.

Goossen, fighting for the first time since September, weathered a handful of sharp shots to the head and appeared stunned by a long right from Lonon in the eighth round. But Goossen gave as good as he got, punishing Lonon with body blows and landing hard shots to the head late in the fight.

Two judges had Goossen ahead, 118-110. A third scored the fight 115-113.

“I should have made it a lot easier on myself,” Goossen said. “I was sloppy and sluggish. I don’t know why. A nine-month layoff, I guess.

“He hit me, but it was nothing fatal.”

Goossen, who has 11 knockouts in his four-year career, appeared to free of pain from a sprained right hand that had plagued him the past 18 months. He threw combinations and landed blows that appeared to be of equal strength.

“The hand is fine,” Goossen said.

And the future looks promising. Goossen, the reigning California State champion, strode from the ballroom wearing the IBO belt. Promoter Gerrie Coetzee has said that a fight with Duran--probably in Las Vegas--likely is next on Goossen’s agenda.

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Lightweights Paul Mayorquin of East Los Angeles and Carlos Guzman of Canoga Park battled for six furious rounds in the evening’s most-exciting contest before Mayorquin, rallying from a first-round knockdown, earned a narrow unanimous decision.

Mayorquin (9-1) responded by opening a gash above Guzman’s left eye and increased pressure from there. Mayorquin also landed a good left uppercut in the second round that appeared to stagger Guzman.

Guzman (7-4) worked out of trouble and landed his share of blows in the middle rounds.

In the sixth, both fighters brought the crowd to its feet with a tremendous flurry of exchanges in a neutral corner. Mayorquin, who had slipped to the canvas in the fifth, appeared in control as the fight came to an end.

In a six-round heavyweight bout, Joe Pudar of Los Angeles punched and punished Jim Mullen of Simi Valley to earn a unanimous decision.

In another heavyweight bout, Fabian Meza of Van Nuys and Raso Radusinovic of Yugoslavia exchanged heavy blows in a four-round bout that ended in a unanimous draw.