Sportsticker

ATLANTIC CITY (Ticker) -- Ivan Robinson used his superior hand speed and counterpunching to deal Arturo Gatti his third loss of the year tonight in the highly anticipated rematch of lightweight contenders.

In the doubleheader opener, the punching power of Fernando Vargas overwhelmed the experience of Yory Boy Campas with an eighth-round technical knockout that gave him the International Boxing Federation junior middleweight title.

Robinson, who took the first meeting with a close split decision in a classic battle, posted a narrow unanimous 10-round win. He was helped by referee Benji Estevez, who deducted a pivotal point from Gatti for a low blow in the eighth round.

"I can't take anything away from Arturo," Robinson said. "He hit me with some great body punches. Arturo is a great body puncher."

Judges George Colon and Joseph Pasquale scored the fight 95-94 in favor of Robinson, while Jean Williams had it 97-92. The deduction cost Gatti a majority draw.

"I don't know what to say. Ivan is a great fighter," Gatti said. "I guess I started too late. He is a good defensive fighter and blocks very well."

Although the bout had no knockdowns, it nearly matched the excitement of their first encounter. Robinson opened a huge early advantage before Gatti rallied over the final three rounds.

Using a left hook and effective counterpunching, Robinson (27-2) built a sizable lead through the first four rounds. He opened a cut on Gatti's left eyelid and nearly had him out in the third round, when he landed 59 punches.

In the fourth and sixth rounds, Gatti (29-4) was warned for low blows by Estevez. In the eighth, he began to rally with a body attack, but he lost momentum when he was deducted a point for a low blow 55 seconds into the round.

In the ninth, Gatti nearly had Robinson out, but Estevez halted the fight 75 seconds into the round to look at Gatti's bleeding eye.

Unlike the first fight, in which Gatti staggered Robinson in the 10th, Robinson opened the final round with a strong two minutes and held on.

Gatti's three straight losses have come with three different trainers. Hr dropped a split decision to Robinson on August 23rd and was knocked out by Angel Manfredy seven months earlier.

Gatti has earned three straight "Fight of the Year" awards and his bouts with Robinson and Manfredy could notch him a fourth consecutive award. But those fights have begun to take their toll on the 26-year-old, who has fallen out of the championship picture.

"We'll see what I'm going to do," Gatti said. "I will definitely fight again."

Robinson may have lined up a shot at the winner of next week's bout between Manfredy and World Boxing Council junior lightweight champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr. He also may fight IBF lightweight champion Shane Mosley.

"We'll take what comes," Robinson said. "If Shane Mosley wants to fight me, come on Shane."

Vargas came in with 36 career rounds to 351 for Campas, who was making his fourth title defense. But it never was a factor as Vargas became the second member of the 1996 United States Olympic team to capture a title, joining Mayweather.

"I didn't doubt that I could do it," Vargas said. "When (the media) doubted me, it just made me work hard. You don't have to be 30 years old to be a great fighter. I knew Yory Boy Campas was a great fighter, but I also knew that I could do it."

The 20-year-old Vargas, who had never gone more than six rounds, improved to 15-0 with 15 knockouts as he dominated throughout. He opened a cut under Campas' right eye with a right cross in the second round and continued to beat the slower Campas to the punch, landing the more punishing counterattacks.

After winning the first four rounds, Vargas slowed in the fifth and Campas was able to load up his punches. But in the sixth, Vargas rebounded, landing more combinations. After the sixth round, Campas tried to talk his corner into quitting, but he came out for the seventh and paid for it.

Using right crosses and left hooks, Vargas had Campas bleeding from the nose and mouth. At the end of the seventh round, Campas walked to his corner, turned back toward Vargas and quit, dropping to 72-3.

It was the second time in 75 fights that Campas has quit on his stool. Two years ago, he did not answer the bell for the sixth round against Jose Luis Lopez.

Copyright © 1998 SportsTicker Enterprises, L.P.