BILOXI, Mississippi King Arthur Williams won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) cruiserweight title here Friday when he dethroned fellow-American Imamu Mayfield by stopping the champion in the ninth round. Williams, 33, who used an explosive left and right combination to send Mayfield crashing to the canvas one minute 50 seconds into the round, had also floored the titleholder in the fourth round.

It was his 29th win against four defeats and one draw and it made up for the disappointment of losing both of his previous world title chances to Orlin Norris four years ago. It was a long time coming back. I did what I had to do, said Williams, adding: He tried to put pressure on me. I wasn't going to have that.

I feel like I am one of the great cruiserweight fighters in the world. It doesn't come easy. I had to work hard, stay focused to keep the dream alive. Mayfield, 26, has now lost two of his 20 contests. He took the title from Uriah Grant last November and defended it in England last March by stopping Terry Dunstan. (AFP)