Reclaims WBA 154-pound title with TKO

Travis Simms TKO9 Jose A. Rivera...  Travis Simms scored a dramatic blow against the disgusting politics of boxing, reclaiming the WBA junior middleweight title that was wrongfully stripped from him with a dominating victory over Jose Antonio Rivera in Hollywood, Florida. After more than two years of inactivity due to promotional difficulties and a truncated legal battle with the WBA, Simms is now living proof of the sport's redemptive power, as he became one of the few to survive a long layoff by returning to championship form. When the fight started, Simms switched effectively between lefty and orthodox and landed solid blows in the second round that caused heavy blood flow from Rivera's nose and sent Rivera reeling around the ring. Simms was credited with a knockdown when the referee ruled the ropes kept Rivera from touching the canvas. Simms continued to outbox and occasionally punish Rivera throughout the middle rounds, as Rivera's nose was a mess. In the ninth, Simms landed several damaging lefts from an orthodox stance that floored Rivera, who by now had his chest spattered with his own blood.  A few more hard shots, and Simms had his title back via technical knockout. Though the belt he won was more of a paper title created during Winky Wright's reign, Simms victory came against setbacks that would have crushed others and should not be minimized.  Simms won the WBA title back in 2003, but after one defense, he was stripped for having the temerity to ask the WBA to enforce its rules by ordering a fight with then super champion Winky Wright. Promotional difficulties with Don King followed, and suddenly Simms was an ex-champ despite an undefeated record. He sued the WBA, but the suit got derailed down when his lawyer unexpectedly died. Suddenly more than two years had passed and Simms was a forgotten man. While Simms will never get 2005 and 2006 back, he became someone who can be ignored no longer after nine rounds of outboxing and outslugging Rivera. source: showtime championship boxing