Las Vegas, NV (My Sportsbook) - Wladimir Klitschko returned from a knockout loss to post a five-round, split decision victory Saturday over DaVarryl Williamson.
The bout was halted because of a head butt that caused a deep cut over Klitschko's right eye in the fifth round, sending it to the scorecards.
Despite Williamson flooring Klitschko with a right hand in the fourth round, Williamson lost the decision. One judge had it 48-47 for Williamson. The other two saw it 49-46 for Klitschko.
Klitschko improved to 43-3 in his first bout since a shocking, knockout loss to Lamont Brewster. Williamson fell to 20-3.
On the undercard, Jeff Lacy overcame a valiant effort by Syd Vanderpool and scored an eighth round knockout to capture the IBF super middleweight belt.
Vanderpool (35-3) landed some big combinations in the early rounds, but Lacy started landing counterpunches late in the third round, and began to connect on the inside in the fourth round.
The sixth round was action packed. The Canadian Vanderpool landed several punches on the inside, before Lacy landed a crushing right uppercut that snapped the head of Vanderpool back and got the crowd to its feet.
Lacy began landing bombs in the seventh round, beginning the round with a huge right hand and ending it with several combinations.
Lacy landed a barrage of punches in the final minute of the eighth round, and a reeling Vanderpool was rescued from further damage by referee Robert Byrd. The official time was 1:37 of the eighth round.
Lacy, who improved to 17-0, is the first 2000 Olympian to win a world title.
Also on the undercard, Kassim Ouma captured the IBF junior middleweight belt with a unanimous decision over Verno Phillips.
Phillips (38-9-1) was hurt by a shot to the right side of his body in the 11th round. He spent the 12th round reeling around the ring, holding on to survive until the decision.
Phillips began strong, but appeared to tire in the middle round. Ouma (20-1-1) just missed scoring a knockout on several occasions late. He won by scores of 114-113, 114-113 and 117-110.
