US boxers Easter, Jacobs capture world titles

WASHINGTON: Undefeated Robert Easter and once-beaten US compatriot Daniel Jacobs captured world boxing titles in fights on Friday at Reading, Pennsylvania.

Easter claimed the vacant International Boxing Federation lightweight crown with a 12-round split-decision triumph over previously unbeaten Richard Commey of Ghana.

Easter and Commey each won 114-113 in the eyes of one judge, while the deciding judge scored the bout 115-112 for Easter.

“In the last round, when I needed the round, I went out and got it,” Easter said. “I took everything that I had, all 16 years in the sport, and I used it to go get that belt.”

Jacobs kept the World Boxing Association middleweight title by stopping fellow American Sergio Mora in the seventh round, his fifth knockdown of the bout.

“I didn’t expect to knock him down as much, but I did see the fight ending in a knockout,” Jacobs said. “It took a while because he’s so tricky. I wasn’t able to jab the way I wanted.”

Jacobs’ claim to the throne in the weight class is below that of the WBA’s “super” champion, Kazakstan’s Gennady Golovkin, who fights Britain’s Kell Brook in London on Saturday.

“I want to prove to the world that I’m the best middleweight,” Jacobs said. “If (Golovkin) gets the victory, that’s who we want.”

Easter improved to 18-0 with 14 knockouts while Commey fell to 24-1 with 22 knockouts, having won his five prior fights inside the distance.