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Summary Cloud (24-0, 19 knockouts) won on two of the three judges' scorecards.
Unbeaten Tavoris Cloud retained his International Boxing Federation light-heavyweight title with a split decision over Gabriel Campillo on Saturday at the American Bank Center arena.The 30-year-old American Cloud (24-0, 19 knockouts) won on two of the three judges scorecards, 116-110 and 114-112. The other judge scored it 115-111 for Spanish southpaw Campillo.Campillo was dropped to the canvas twice in the first round but rebounded to cut Cloud in round three. The fight was close right up to the final bell with some thinking Campillo (21-4-1, 8 knockouts) did enough to win.This was the fourth successful title defense for Cloud, who won the title in 2009 by unanimous decision over Britains Clinton Woods.He followed with 2010 triumphs over Jamaican-born Glen Johnson and Colombian Fulgencio Zuniga, then stopped compatriot Yusaf Mack in the eighth round last June.Campillo, 34, was coming off a draw with Germanys Karo Murat last October. The Spaniard lost the WBA version of the light-heavyweight crown to Beibut Shumenov of Kazakstan in 2010.Former world champ Paul Williams (41-2, 27 KOs) earned a one-sided, 12-round unanimous decision over Japans Nobuhiro Ishida in a non-title light-middleweight bout.Williams, who lost the WBC middleweight title to Argentine southpaw Sergio Martinez in 2010, won by identical scores of 120-108 from all three judges.Ishida (24-7-2, 9 KOs) lost his interim WBA light-middleweight title to Mexicos Rigoberto Alvarez in a split decision in 2010.Williams is hoping this win earns him a rematch with Martinez.
