Hill beats Bates in first round

NEW TOWN, N.D. (AP) -- Former world champion Virgil Hill started his comeback toward another title fight by stopping Carlos Bates in the first round Friday night.

The North Dakota native knocked down Bates twice with left hands before referee Eddie Obregon stopped the bout at 1:50 in the first round. The fight, held at the Four Bears Casino, was Hill's first fight in his home state since May 1999.

Bates (30-17) has lost six straight fights by knockout in the first or second round.

"I tried to counterpunch," Hill (47-7) said. "Whenever they're throwing punches and a guy doesn't know where they're going, you can wind up on your butt."

Hill was the WBA's cruiserweight champion until last March, when he lost to Jean-Marc Mormeck in France. The fight was stopped in the ninth round, with Hill bleeding profusely from a cut over his right eye.

Hill, 38, described this fight as the start of what he hoped would be a busier schedule. He has fought only five times in the last five years.

Hill said he paid more attention to his training and diet heading into the fight. Against Mormeck, Hill sweated off 14 pounds in the day leading up to the fight. This time he came in at 192 pounds.

"In my last outing, I was so disappointed in myself because I did not do everything I could have done," Hill said. This time, he said, "I was doing things I did as a young guy, and it worked."

He looked younger than Bates, 34, whose latest loss was his 14th in the past 10 years, all by knockout.

Hill's manager, Bill Sorensen, said the victory almost guarantees Hill a title shot in November, perhaps against WBO champion Johnny Nelson.

"We can get our world title fight," Sorensen said. "We have a TV date and an agreement, pending this win."

 

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