LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Bernard Benton won the World Boxing Council cruiserweight title Saturday with a stunning 12-round unanimous decision over Alfonzo Ratliff.
The bout was on the undercard of the Larry Holmes-Michael Spinks International Boxing Federation heavyweight championship fight.
In another title bout, unbeaten WBC junior lightweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez retained his crown with a unanimous decision over Dwight Pratchett.
Ratliff lost a possible shot against Holmes in November. It was his first defense of the title he won from Carlos DeLeon in June.
Benton took the fight to his lethargic opponent and pounded his head and body most of the way.
Benton dropped his previous two decisions to Marvis Frazier and Boone Pulz and is under suspension by the New Jersey Athletic Commission because he failed a post-fight urine test last month.
In improving his record to 18-3-1, Benton won by scores of 117-112, 115-113 and 115-113. He wept after the decision was announced.
Ratliff, 20-13, fell behind early and was cut over his left eye in the fourth round. He foolishly got into a toe-to-toe battle with the stocky Benton and failed to use his 6-inch height and 13-inch reach advantages. Ratliff tried to move and jab in the later rounds and landed some sharp combinations, but Benton countered by landing lunging punches to the head.
Bob Lee, the New Jersey Athletic Commissioner at the time of Benton's suspension, said he believes the Nevada Athletic Commission had Benton tested for drugs before allowing him to accept the title fight.
Benton, Toledo, Ohio, weighed 190 while Ratliff of Chicago weighed 194 for the 195-pound title fight.
Chavez, 46-0, fought with a black sash on his trunks in honor of those killed in the recent earthquake in Mexico. The Mexican fighter dominated the 12-round bout from the 10th round on and often wobbled Pratchett in the late rounds.
Pratchett, Gary, Ind., had his nose bloodied in the fourth round and his left eye swollen in the ninth. He fell to 13-7 in losing to a world champion for the third time. He previously lost non-title fights to IBF lightweight champion Jimmy Paul and former WBC featherweight champion Juan LaPorte.
Pratchett was penalized a point for rabbit punching in the fifth round and lost by scores of 118-110, 117-111 and 120-109.
