Simms knows his place in boxing

STATELINE - Sacramento's Michael Simms' ability to fight as both a right-hander and left-hander allowed him to escape the heavyweight division with a victory and much-needed momentum.

Simms switched to a right jab in the fourth round of a scheduled six-rounder to keep away his shorter opponent, Marcelino Novaes. Then in the sixth Simms landed 22 unanswered punches before referee Victor Alegria stopped it at the 1 minute, 47 second mark.

It was the first win in more than a year for Simms, who trailed on two of the three judges' scorecards when he showed the flash of brilliance that once made him one of the nation's top prospects.

Simms, who lost his previous fight to Yamplier Azcuy in his heavyweight debut, upped his record to 13-1-1. Before the Azcuy bout, Simms fought to a draw with cruiserweight Felix Cora in March 2003.

Cora and Simms will fight a rematch April 30 for the USBA cruiserweight title in Sacramento, according to Simms' manager Don Wanland.

The decision to go back to the 190-pound level was easy to make. Simms was 204 Saturday, but that wasn't a true indication of his size, he said.

"I don't weigh that with my clothes on," he said. "I'm actually 190. This was my last fight as a heavyweight. I'm going back down."

Novaes (a reported 6-2 record, with his first seven fights being in his native Brazil) said Simms was making the right decision. "Simms can box but he can't punch," Novaes said through interpreter and trainer Murilo Lima.

Novaes, who expected Simms to switch to lefty earlier in the fight, admitted he was confused when he did so in the fourth.

Simms, who had trouble moving laterally and was a stationary target for much of the fight, relied totally on the jab.

"I was able to keep the jab going," he said. "I got a little stiff so I turned southpaw in the fourth round and I had a fresher hand. It kept him at bay and made him lunge and miss and I was able to counter with some clean hard shots."

His best blows came in the sixth-round flurry that ended the bout. Novaes and several fans protested the TKO.

"I was taking punches, but I could see them and I was reacting to them," he said. "I should have taken a knee."

Simms, who had 164 amateur fights and, before being kicked off the team, was the 2000 U.S. lightheavyweight Olympic representative, agreed with the referee's decision to stop the bout.

"The fans weren't booing me." he said. "They were booing the referee. They want to see an Arturo Gatti-Mickey Ward-type fight. They want to see someone get there brains bashed in. I thought it was a good stoppage."