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kenyan_cheena · 01-23-2005, 04:07 AM

CHUVALO STRUGGLES FOR
SPLIT DECISION IN CINCY

Wednesday 16 January 2002

CINCINNATI, OHIO

19 year-old Canadian George Chuvalo was lucky to escape with a 6 round split decision victory tonight at Cincinnati's Cintas Center.

Chuvalo's determined 21 year-old opponent, Brian London of Blackpool, England, proved to be more than a handful for the 12th seed in the HBF's World Championship tournament. If not for the knockdown that Chuvalo scored in the 4th round, the fight would have been a draw.

The Cintas Center was packed to its 10,250 seat capacity for the HBF's sixth fight card, with the audience eager to see an entertaining night of boxing.

And that's exactly what they got.

* The night started with an exciting bout between two west coast sluggers: 26 year-old Carl Morris of Pasadena, California and 21 year-old Johnny Riggins of Spokane, Washington. Morris was the 12th seed in the HBF's 1st Defense tournament and Riggins was the 52nd seed.

Morris appeared dangerously overconfident in the moments before the opening bell, and his cockiness only increased as he easily won the first and second rounds of the fight. But just 36 seconds into the third round Riggins wiped the smile from the Californian's face, a wild right hand landing flush and sending Morris to the canvas. He was up at the count of two, now wearing a sobered expression. Riggins rocked him again during the final minute of the round, a left hook staggering Morris. He was able to stay on his feet though, and managed to land a nice right hand of his own during the closing seconds of the round.

Morris's cornerman did much more than tear into him during the intermission, and Morris came out for the fourth realising that he was in a hell of a fight. Scoring the knockdown did wonders for Riggins confidence, and he showed much more aggression in the fourth and fifth rounds, outworking a rapidly tiring Morris and cutting him above the right eye late in the fifth.

Going into the final round, the man from Pasadena was merely a shadow of the braggart who had entered the ring less than a half-hour earlier. Riggins was running downhill to the finish line, dominating the first two minutes of the final round. Morris, knowing that this was a fight that (according to the seedings) he should have won with ease, dug deep, trying for a late knockout. He landed a crushing left hook that stunned his opponent. He pursued Riggins across the ring and the two fighters traded leather right up until the final bell, with Morris landing his best punch of the fight just four seconds from the end. It was a smashing right hand that buckled the Washington native's legs, and he leaned back against the ropes for support. Unfortunately, Morris's rally had come too late, and he would now have to take his chances with the judges.

When the decision was announced, it was triumph for Riggins and heartbreak for Morris. The 52nd seed had taken a razor-thin split decision; 57-56, 56-58, 57-56. The crowd showed their appreciation with a sustained round of applause as the two combatants departed the ring.

* For the second bout of the night, the Cincinnati crowd was treated to a masterful display of boxing by a young man from Cuba who will be worth watching as the tournament progresses.

Over the course of six rounds, Nino Valdes, the 5th seed in the 1st Defense tournament, outpunched Philadelphia native Don Warner to the tune of 189 to 38, leaving him with cuts above his right eye, below his left eye and inside his mouth, aswell as a bunch of swelling.

Warner was sent crashing to the canvas early in the final round courtesy of a thunderous left hook, and Valdes went on to take an easy unanimous decision, 60-53 on all three cards. Perhaps the only good thing to be said for Warner is that he can take a helluva beating!

Those thinking that Brockton's Rocky Marciano can just sleepwalk into a World Championship fight might be reconsidering such thoughts after the performance that Nino Valdes put on here tonight. Valdes is just 17 years-old, a shy young man whose English is quite poor. He required a translator to assist him during the post fight interview, but it was more than enough to convey to the crowd his sense of humility. Nino Valdes is definitely a fighter to keep an eye on in the future.

* The third fight on the card featured two Tommys: 19 year-old Tommy Gomez of Tampa, Florida and 21 year-old Tommy Jackson of New York City. It was a World Championship tournament bout, with Gomez the 53rd seed and Jackson the 69th seed. This was indeed a hard-fought battle, where the momentum shifted from round to round. But it would be the man from Florida who emerged victorious by majority decision: 58-56, 57-57, 58-56.

* For the fourth bout of the evening, the crowd was treated to a battle of David versus Goliath proportions. 24 year-old Al Jones of Miami, Florida was a 6'6", 245 pound giant who towered over his Californian opponent, 23 year-old Rueben Vargas. Standing just 5'10" and weighing 185 pounds, Vargas nonetheless performed admirably, coming terribly close to stealing a victory.

The fight was fiercely competitive through three rounds, with Vargas dominating the fourth and seemingly on the verge of what most would have considered a huge upset. However, those in the know had realised early in the fight that Jones' size was misleading. He was not a terribly strong fighter, and it was only a determined, jab-infested finish in the fifth and sixth rounds that secured him a split decision victory: 58-56, 56-58, 58-56.

***

By this stage in the night, the audience had already been treated to a quartet of tough, close, hard-fought battles, but there was still more excitement to come. Most of the general public had come to see the young Canadian they had heard so much about, George Chuvalo. He was being spoken of as a tough SOB by some in the media, and the crowd was looking forward to seeing him prove it. However, boxing columnists who had attended the HBF's October auditions were just as excited about the professional debut of the man who would appear in the Co-Feature, Ray Mercer...

* The night's Co-Feature heralded the third appearance of a Florida native on the card. Following on from Tampa's Tommy Gomez and Miami's Al Jones came Jacksonville's Ray Mercer.

At 28 years of age, Mercer was numbered amongst the older fighters in the tournament, but he presented an impressive physique and an intimidating aura as he prowled the ring at 6'1", 232 pounds. His opponent was ten years his junior. Al Ettore of Philadelphia came across as somewhat less of a physical presence than Mercer, but showed a determined, resolute countenance in the moments before the opening bell.

Living up to the buzz about him, Mercer opened the fight strongly, imposing his will upon Ettore in the first and second rounds. Mercer almost finished the fight with a single punch at the end of the second, a smashing uppercut that staggered Ettore as the bell sounded. The audience awarded Mercer with a strong round of applause as he returned to his corner, confidence in his strides. Judging by the first two rounds, it seemed to be only a matter of "when" rather than "if".

But then, the Boxing Gods decided to intervene. Just seventeen seconds into the third round, an accidental headbutt opened a terrible gash on Ettore's forehead. The two fighters had been embraced in a clinch and as the referee attempted to separate them, Ettore appeared off balance and his head lurched forward, crashing into Mercer's. Both men reeled away in opposite directions, clutching at their foreheads in pain. But it was Ettore who was bleeding, not Mercer. Within moments, blood was trickling down the side of the Pennsylvanian's face from the wound, high on the left side of his forehead. The ring doctor was quickly on hand to inspect the wound, and the fight was immediately called off, declared a 3rd round Technical Draw.

Mercer, a lump showing on his own forehead form the clash, looked on in disappointment as Al Ettore left the ring to receive medical attention. Mercer could not hide his bitterness over having been robbed of the chance to start the tournament with an easy win. He was interviewed in the ring by ESPN's Bill Farris shortly after.

Mercer sighed. "It's just unfortunate, I guess. There was no doubt that I was going to win this fight pretty easily. Just a second of bad luck, and now instead of being 1-0-0, I'm 0-0-1. Just real disappointing."

"I have to agree with you there, Ray," said Farris, nodding. "But you must be happy about the way you fought in the opening two rounds?"

Mercer shrugged. "No, not really. I expected it. I've trained so hard for this night, I really have. I'm the 21st seed in this tournament and that means that the HBF expects me to qualify for the second stage. I've set high expectations for myself, but I didn't win tonight. I should have won this fight, but I didn't and it's very disappointing."

"Well, we can only offer you our commiserations Ray, and hope that you have better luck next time out. Ladies and gentlemen, Mister Ray Mercer!"

Mercer departed the ring a dejected individual, in stark contrast to the way he had entered it. The applause from the audience did little to change his mood...

(COMING UP SHORTLY: GEORGE CHUVALO vs BRIAN LONDON, ROUND-BY-ROUND)

01-23-2005, 04:07 AM	#47 (permalink)
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 4,175	CHUVALO STRUGGLES FOR SPLIT DECISION IN CINCY Wednesday 16 January 2002 CINCINNATI, OHIO 19 year-old Canadian George Chuvalo was lucky to escape with a 6 round split decision victory tonight at Cincinnati's Cintas Center. Chuvalo's determined 21 year-old opponent, Brian London of Blackpool, England, proved to be more than a handful for the 12th seed in the HBF's World Championship tournament. If not for the knockdown that Chuvalo scored in the 4th round, the fight would have been a draw. The Cintas Center was packed to its 10,250 seat capacity for the HBF's sixth fight card, with the audience eager to see an entertaining night of boxing. And that's exactly what they got. * The night started with an exciting bout between two west coast sluggers: 26 year-old Carl Morris of Pasadena, California and 21 year-old Johnny Riggins of Spokane, Washington. Morris was the 12th seed in the HBF's 1st Defense tournament and Riggins was the 52nd seed. Morris appeared dangerously overconfident in the moments before the opening bell, and his cockiness only increased as he easily won the first and second rounds of the fight. But just 36 seconds into the third round Riggins wiped the smile from the Californian's face, a wild right hand landing flush and sending Morris to the canvas. He was up at the count of two, now wearing a sobered expression. Riggins rocked him again during the final minute of the round, a left hook staggering Morris. He was able to stay on his feet though, and managed to land a nice right hand of his own during the closing seconds of the round. Morris's cornerman did much more than tear into him during the intermission, and Morris came out for the fourth realising that he was in a hell of a fight. Scoring the knockdown did wonders for Riggins confidence, and he showed much more aggression in the fourth and fifth rounds, outworking a rapidly tiring Morris and cutting him above the right eye late in the fifth. Going into the final round, the man from Pasadena was merely a shadow of the braggart who had entered the ring less than a half-hour earlier. Riggins was running downhill to the finish line, dominating the first two minutes of the final round. Morris, knowing that this was a fight that (according to the seedings) he should have won with ease, dug deep, trying for a late knockout. He landed a crushing left hook that stunned his opponent. He pursued Riggins across the ring and the two fighters traded leather right up until the final bell, with Morris landing his best punch of the fight just four seconds from the end. It was a smashing right hand that buckled the Washington native's legs, and he leaned back against the ropes for support. Unfortunately, Morris's rally had come too late, and he would now have to take his chances with the judges. When the decision was announced, it was triumph for Riggins and heartbreak for Morris. The 52nd seed had taken a razor-thin split decision; 57-56, 56-58, 57-56. The crowd showed their appreciation with a sustained round of applause as the two combatants departed the ring. * For the second bout of the night, the Cincinnati crowd was treated to a masterful display of boxing by a young man from Cuba who will be worth watching as the tournament progresses. Over the course of six rounds, Nino Valdes, the 5th seed in the 1st Defense tournament, outpunched Philadelphia native Don Warner to the tune of 189 to 38, leaving him with cuts above his right eye, below his left eye and inside his mouth, aswell as a bunch of swelling. Warner was sent crashing to the canvas early in the final round courtesy of a thunderous left hook, and Valdes went on to take an easy unanimous decision, 60-53 on all three cards. Perhaps the only good thing to be said for Warner is that he can take a helluva beating! Those thinking that Brockton's Rocky Marciano can just sleepwalk into a World Championship fight might be reconsidering such thoughts after the performance that Nino Valdes put on here tonight. Valdes is just 17 years-old, a shy young man whose English is quite poor. He required a translator to assist him during the post fight interview, but it was more than enough to convey to the crowd his sense of humility. Nino Valdes is definitely a fighter to keep an eye on in the future. * The third fight on the card featured two Tommys: 19 year-old Tommy Gomez of Tampa, Florida and 21 year-old Tommy Jackson of New York City. It was a World Championship tournament bout, with Gomez the 53rd seed and Jackson the 69th seed. This was indeed a hard-fought battle, where the momentum shifted from round to round. But it would be the man from Florida who emerged victorious by majority decision: 58-56, 57-57, 58-56. * For the fourth bout of the evening, the crowd was treated to a battle of David versus Goliath proportions. 24 year-old Al Jones of Miami, Florida was a 6'6", 245 pound giant who towered over his Californian opponent, 23 year-old Rueben Vargas. Standing just 5'10" and weighing 185 pounds, Vargas nonetheless performed admirably, coming terribly close to stealing a victory. The fight was fiercely competitive through three rounds, with Vargas dominating the fourth and seemingly on the verge of what most would have considered a huge upset. However, those in the know had realised early in the fight that Jones' size was misleading. He was not a terribly strong fighter, and it was only a determined, jab-infested finish in the fifth and sixth rounds that secured him a split decision victory: 58-56, 56-58, 58-56. *** By this stage in the night, the audience had already been treated to a quartet of tough, close, hard-fought battles, but there was still more excitement to come. Most of the general public had come to see the young Canadian they had heard so much about, George Chuvalo. He was being spoken of as a tough SOB by some in the media, and the crowd was looking forward to seeing him prove it. However, boxing columnists who had attended the HBF's October auditions were just as excited about the professional debut of the man who would appear in the Co-Feature, Ray Mercer... * The night's Co-Feature heralded the third appearance of a Florida native on the card. Following on from Tampa's Tommy Gomez and Miami's Al Jones came Jacksonville's Ray Mercer. At 28 years of age, Mercer was numbered amongst the older fighters in the tournament, but he presented an impressive physique and an intimidating aura as he prowled the ring at 6'1", 232 pounds. His opponent was ten years his junior. Al Ettore of Philadelphia came across as somewhat less of a physical presence than Mercer, but showed a determined, resolute countenance in the moments before the opening bell. Living up to the buzz about him, Mercer opened the fight strongly, imposing his will upon Ettore in the first and second rounds. Mercer almost finished the fight with a single punch at the end of the second, a smashing uppercut that staggered Ettore as the bell sounded. The audience awarded Mercer with a strong round of applause as he returned to his corner, confidence in his strides. Judging by the first two rounds, it seemed to be only a matter of "when" rather than "if". But then, the Boxing Gods decided to intervene. Just seventeen seconds into the third round, an accidental headbutt opened a terrible gash on Ettore's forehead. The two fighters had been embraced in a clinch and as the referee attempted to separate them, Ettore appeared off balance and his head lurched forward, crashing into Mercer's. Both men reeled away in opposite directions, clutching at their foreheads in pain. But it was Ettore who was bleeding, not Mercer. Within moments, blood was trickling down the side of the Pennsylvanian's face from the wound, high on the left side of his forehead. The ring doctor was quickly on hand to inspect the wound, and the fight was immediately called off, declared a 3rd round Technical Draw. Mercer, a lump showing on his own forehead form the clash, looked on in disappointment as Al Ettore left the ring to receive medical attention. Mercer could not hide his bitterness over having been robbed of the chance to start the tournament with an easy win. He was interviewed in the ring by ESPN's Bill Farris shortly after. Mercer sighed. "It's just unfortunate, I guess. There was no doubt that I was going to win this fight pretty easily. Just a second of bad luck, and now instead of being 1-0-0, I'm 0-0-1. Just real disappointing." "I have to agree with you there, Ray," said Farris, nodding. "But you must be happy about the way you fought in the opening two rounds?" Mercer shrugged. "No, not really. I expected it. I've trained so hard for this night, I really have. I'm the 21st seed in this tournament and that means that the HBF expects me to qualify for the second stage. I've set high expectations for myself, but I didn't win tonight. I should have won this fight, but I didn't and it's very disappointing." "Well, we can only offer you our commiserations Ray, and hope that you have better luck next time out. Ladies and gentlemen, Mister Ray Mercer!" Mercer departed the ring a dejected individual, in stark contrast to the way he had entered it. The applause from the audience did little to change his mood... (COMING UP SHORTLY: GEORGE CHUVALO vs BRIAN LONDON, ROUND-BY-ROUND) Last edited by kenyan_cheena : 05-10-2005 at 11:16 PM.