
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, August 7, 1993                   TAG: 9308070181
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: BAYAMON, PUERTO RICO                                LENGTH: Short

BOXER HAS FASTEST TITLE-BOUT KNOCKOUT EVER

Gerald McClellan recorded the fastest knockout in title-fight history Friday night when he defended his World Boxing Council middleweight crown in 20 seconds against Jay Bell.

At the sound of the bell, the fighters took a look at each other and McClellan landed a powerful left hook to the kidneys, which immediately sent Bell to the canvas. Bell never got up and was attended by ringside doctors for a few minutes.

The previous record for a title knockout was 40 seconds by Lloyd Honeyghan over Gene Hatcher for the WBC welterweight championship on Aug. 30, 1987, in Marbella, Spain.

The co-feature on the card also ended in the first round as undefeated Felix Trinidad, fighting as a champion in his home country for the first time, defended his International Boxing Federation welterweight title by stopping Luis Garcia at 2 minutes, 31 seconds.

McClellan, who won the title May 8 with a fifth-round knockout of Julian Jackson in Las Vegas, improved his record to 29-2 with 27 knockouts. It was the first title defense for the Detroit native. Bell, of Chattanooga, Tenn., is 17-2.

by CNB