Boxing

Reggie Johnson of Long Beach won a 12-round majority decision from Steve Collins at East Rutherford, N.J., to gain the vacant World Boxing Assn. middleweight crown.

One judge scored it 115-113 for Johnson, another had it 115-114 and the third had it a draw.

Collins was bleeding from the left eye in the ninth round and was cut above the right eye in the 10th. However, Johnson appeared to slow in the 11th and 12th rounds. Johnson improved to 31-2-1 as Collins fell to 21-2.

On the undercard, heavyweight Francesco Damiani (29-1) knocked Michael Greer through the ropes midway through the first round and then knocked him out just before the bell.