VERNO PHILLIPS

Former IBF, WBO and WBU Junior Middleweight Champion
Born on Nov. 29, 1969, in San Pueblo, Belize, now residing in Denver, Colo.
Height: 5’ 7½”– Weight: Junior Middleweight (154)
Record: 41-11-1, 21 KOs

In an illustrious career that has seen him become junior middleweight world champion on three separate occasions (International Boxing Federation, World Boxing Organization and World Boxing Union), Verno Phillips has stepped into the ring with more than his fair share of greats including Kassim Ouma (twice), Ike Quartey, Bronco McKart, Julian Jackson, Gianfranco Rosi (twice), Julio Cesar Vasquez, Lupe Aquino, Santos Cardona (twice), Silvio Branco and Peter Venancio.

He is less than four years removed from his last world title and still a high performer, having won three of his last four since that time.  At age 38, he still believes he’s got another title in him.

Phillips had run his record to a respectable 21-4-1 when he entered his first world-title fight on Oct. 30, 1993.  He scored a seventh-round technical knockout over former World Boxing Council junior middleweight champion Lupe Aquino (45-5-2) to win the vacant WBO junior middleweight crown. 

Phillips was knocked down in the first round, but came back to outwork Aquino and break his nose in the fifth.  The onslaught continued into the sixth round.  Aquino turned his back in resignation and the referee stopped the fight.

Phillips successfully defended his title three times: by seventh-round knockout over Jaime

Llanes (27-2) and by decision, twice, over Santos Cardona (29-4). 

Phillips’ fourth title defense was a loss that was later ruled no contest. 

On May 17, 1995, Phillips dropped a 12-round unanimous decision (115-113, 116-114, 116-112) to former two-time world champion Gianfranco Rosi (57-4-1); however, Rosi tested positive for amphetamines after the fight and Phillips retained his title. 

Rosi was cut by a clash of heads in the second round, but rallied in the third.  The judges agreed on only five of the 12 rounds.  (Phillips avenged Rosi in a subsequent rematch.)

On Nov. 22, 1995, Phillips lost his title after dropping a close, 12-round majority decision (113-113, 114-113, 116-111) to Paul "Silky" Jones (24-8-1).  Phillips scored a knockdown in the opening round, but Jones recovered and frustrated him with constant movement.

After splitting his next four bouts—losing to Peter Venancio (32-1-1) and Silvio Branco (29-2-2)— Phillips obtained a rematch with an amphetamine-free Rosi on May 21, 1997, where captured the vacant WBU 154-pound title by winning a majority decision (118-110, 116-113, 114-114).    

Phillips successfully defended the WBU title twice, by knocking out Godfrey Nyakana (29-2-1) in the 11^th round on Aug. 29, 1997, and by knocking out former two-time world champion Julian Jackson (55-4) in the ninth round on Jan. 23, 1998. 

Jackson would not fight again for two-and-a-half years.

Phillips shook off the rust with a fifth-round TKO over Vincent Moses on June 30, 2000, before agreeing to face rising star, and future world champion, Kassim Ouma (12-1-1) on Sept. 7, 2001. 

The busy fighters broke some punch stat records in one of the most competitive fights of the year.  Ouma scored a knockdown in the ninth round and staggered Phillips in the 10^th, but the fight was still close.  Ouma earned a 10-round decision by scores of 95-94, 96-93 and 97-93.  

“I did not know who Ouma was,” Phillips said after the fight.  “I went in there and gave him a good fight.  I am not disappointed that I lost.  I had been off for a long time.  That fight showed me where I was and that I am still in the game.”

Phillips proved his post-fight assessment true by reeling off seven straight victories between 2002 and 2004—including a win over Bronco McKart (45-4) on April 25, 2003, where he sent the veteran down in the second round.  Phillips dominated the fight, coasting to a unanimous decision by scores of 99-90, 98-91, 97-92.

Phillips faced Carlos Bojorquez (22-4-6) for the vacant IBF 154-pound crown on June 5, 2004.  Phillips did not come close to losing a round before scoring a sixth-round TKO to win the title previously owned by Winky Wright, who was stripped of the belt.  

Assuming total command from the outset, Phillips punished Bojorquez with both hands to the head and body.  He scored the bout’s lone knockdown after landing a series of blows that dropped Bojorquez in the closing seconds of the sixth round.

His first defense came in a rematch with Ouma, now 19-1-1, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Oct. 2, 2004 (after their June 5 meeting was postponed after the No. 1-ranked Ouma pulled out due to injury the week of the fight).

Phillips came out of the gate fast and outworked one of the hardest-working fighters in boxing in the early rounds.  Ouma rallied midway through the fight, and Phillips rallied himself in the eighth. 

The difference came in the last two rounds when Ouma finished strongly, narrowly out-pointing Phillips by scores of 114-113, twice, and 117-110.

 “I trained very hard for this and have no excuses. He kept up the pressure and I couldn’t move the way I wanted. I thought I could box and move, but he was the better man tonight.”

Always up for a challenge, Phillips agreed to take on Ike “Bazooka” Quartey (35-2-1) on June 18, 2005, at FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn. 

Phillips started strong, staggering the Ghanaian legend in the first round and rocked him again in the second.  Quartey rallied, winning every round from three through eight on all three judges’ scorecards, until Phillips shocked Quartey with a left hook that sent him down and left him in trouble in round nine.  Phillips dropped Quartey again at the bell ending the round, but it was controversially ruled a slip.  (Had the knockdown been counted, the fight would have been a draw.)

Phillips won the 10^th round on two cards but lost by razor-thin scores of 95-94, twice, and 96-93.

“I didn't think Verno was that hard of a puncher but he landed a perfect shot and I was just trying to hang on,” Quartey said after the fight.  Phillips revealed later he broke his hand in the third round. 

Obviously still a world-championship-caliber fighter, Phillips has won his last three fights.  He won a lopsided, 10-round decision over Juan Carlos Candelo (26-8-4) on April 5, 2006; notched a 12-round TKO over Teddy Reid (23-7-2) on Aug. 9, 2006; and won a 10-round unanimous decision over Edaurdo Sanchez on Feb. 16, 2007. 

BEFORE THE BELL – A GLIMPSE OF VERNO PHILLIPS

STYLE: A tough and durable veteran that has won his last three fights…He can box or slug, comes to fight and always gives a great effort…. At best when he can set and maintain a blistering pace and apply continual pressure.

STRENGTHS: Has an aggressive style and good skill…. Chin…. Throws accurate combination punches in bunches…. Has faced a high quality of opposition….  Sneaky power….

WEAKNESSES: Can be inconsistent at times… Not known for big-time punching power, but his hands are heavy enough that he has displayed fight-changing ability from time to time.

QUESTION MARKS: At age 38, can he continue to thwart Father Time and muster one more world-championship performance to win another title?