Advertiser, Australia
Brisbane Courier Mail, Australia
Townsville Bulletin, Australia
Fox Sports, Australia
Dec 29 2004

Vazquez stops Armenian challenger

>From correspondents in El Cajon, California

MEXICO’s Israel Vazquez has stopped Artyom Simonyan of Armenia in the
fifth round to retain his International Boxing Federation junior
featherweight title.

Referee James Jen-Kin called a halt when Vazquez rocked Simonyan
2min:01sec into the fifth round.

He had already sent Simonyan to the canvas twice in the third round
and once in the fifth.

Vazquez, making his first defence of the title he claimed in March
with a victory over Venezuelan Jose Valbuena, improved to 37-3 with
27 wins inside the distance.

Simonyan, who now lives in the United States, suffered the first
defeat of his career as he fell to 14-1-1.