Yory Boy Is a Champion at Long Last

The underdogs ruled the undercard Saturday night.

And two champions surrendered their crowns.

Yory Boy Campas, a longtime favorite at the Grand Olympic Auditorium and a 7-5 underdog at the Atlantic City Convention Hall, upset previously unbeaten Raul Marquez on an eighth-round TKO to win the International Boxing Federation junior middleweight championship.

And Keith Mullings, a 10-1 underdog, stopped Terry Norris 51 seconds into the ninth round to win the World Boxing Council super-welterweight title.

At the age of 26, after 70 previous professional fights, after two unsuccessful title shots, Campas won his first championship at the 2:29 mark of the eighth round when the fight was mercifully stopped by referee James Condon with Marquez barely able to defend himself because of a right eye nearly swollen shut.

“I couldn’t see out of my right eye at all,” said Marquez (28-1, 20 knockouts).

Campas (69-2, 59 knockouts) expects to be back at the Grand Olympic in the next three months, defending his new title against Anthony Stephens, the mandatory challenger.

Norris (47-7, 31 knockouts), his nose bruised and perhaps broken, went down from a Mullings straight right in the eighth and was unable to defend himself on the ropes in the ninth when the fight was stopped by referee Tony Perez.

“I deserve this,” said Mullings (15-4-1, 10 knockouts). “It’s been a long time coming.”

In a preliminary match, Eric “Butterbean” Esch retained his dubious title as the king of the four-rounders by winning an unanimous decision over a dubious opponent, Doug Phillips.

Esch improved to 35-1-1 with 26 knockouts by swarming over Phillips (6-2, four knockouts), who gave away 111 pounds to the 330-pound Esch.