LAS VEGAS ? Beibut Shumenov scored a unanimous but unpopular decision over B.J. Flores to win the WBA interim cruiserweight title on Saturday night.
The fight was the second at the 200-pound cruiserweight limit for Shumenov, who held the light heavyweight belt from 2010 to 2013 but moved up because of problems making weight.
All three judges scored the fight 116-112 for Shumenov, but the decision was roundly booed by the crowd at The Palms Casino Resort.
Although Flores, a part-time boxing analyst for NBC, was the busier fighter, Shumenov (16-2) threw effective combinations in spurts and avoided tough exchanges. Flores (31-2-1), from Chandler, Arizona, was an effective counterpuncher and staggered Shumenov seconds before the final bell.
