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kenyan_cheena · 02-15-2005, 02:51 AM

TENSION REIGNS AT BUFFALO WEIGH-IN

Friday 25 January 2002

The Heavyweight Boxing Federation almost experienced their second pre-fight brawl this afternoon. A single comment by 20 year-old Englishman Joe Beckett (the 126th seed in the World Championship tournament) was all it took to draw the ire of one of the minders of his opponent in tomorrow night's fight card, #3 seed Jack Johnson of Texas.

More than a few people have said during the past weeks that the highly-regarded Johnson has spent too much time partying and "being seen" and not enough time in serious training. They've said that he seems to think that all he has to do is turn up against Joe Beckett and he'll win. This belief seemed to have some credence at the weigh-in when the 6'1" Johnson did not appear as trim and fit as he had during the October auditions. Not that he looked unprepared, but he did weigh in a full fifteen pounds heavier than he was back in October. Beckett, on the other hand, appeared as if he had trained his heart out. The 5'9" Englishman was an impressive looking 197 pound ball of muscle and determination. He showed a stern, serious countenance, while Johnson was more concerned with joking with his considerable entourage and playing up for the cameras.

When the two men came together to exchange handshakes, Beckett allegedly made a derogatory comment about Johnson's waistline, in a joking manner, which one of the larger members of Johnson's entourage overheard. Within moments, the man was in Beckett's face, all 6'4" of him staring down the much shorter Englishmen and letting go with a stream of expletives. For his part, Beckett looked to have given as good as he got. The two men were separated a few seconds later and a stand-off ensued between Beckett's five-man team and Johnson's much larger one. It was Johnson himself who acted as a peacemaker, appeasing his steamed associate and offering another handshake to Beckett. That signalled the end of the incident.

"He's a determined dude," Johnson later said. "But, you know, he really thinks he can beat me. That's good for him, and good for me. Be a bit of a challenge. I think the only way he can even challenge me is if he's at his absolute best."

Johnson was asked about the extra weight he had put on since the auditions.

"Ain't a problem," he said. "I mean, I'm undersized compared to some of the other guys in the tournament anyway, so a bit of extra bulk ain't gonna hurt me. I'm ready, no doubt. "

Beckett is thinking only positive thoughts. "I'm not even contemplating losing," he said. "If I step into that ring with a single shred of doubt, I'll fail. I have to believe that I can do this."

And he has a large number of supporters. Many local Buffalo residents were present at the weigh-in, which was held within the same building that will stage the fight card, the HSBC Arena in Buffalo. These locals have taken a shine to Beckett, as he has been living and training in the city for quite some time.

A superstar touted as a future Champion, and a scrapper full of self-belief who only just scraped into the tournament?

Should be an interesting night...

02-15-2005, 02:51 AM	#76 (permalink)
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 4,181	TENSION REIGNS AT BUFFALO WEIGH-IN Friday 25 January 2002 The Heavyweight Boxing Federation almost experienced their second pre-fight brawl this afternoon. A single comment by 20 year-old Englishman Joe Beckett (the 126th seed in the World Championship tournament) was all it took to draw the ire of one of the minders of his opponent in tomorrow night's fight card, #3 seed Jack Johnson of Texas. More than a few people have said during the past weeks that the highly-regarded Johnson has spent too much time partying and "being seen" and not enough time in serious training. They've said that he seems to think that all he has to do is turn up against Joe Beckett and he'll win. This belief seemed to have some credence at the weigh-in when the 6'1" Johnson did not appear as trim and fit as he had during the October auditions. Not that he looked unprepared, but he did weigh in a full fifteen pounds heavier than he was back in October. Beckett, on the other hand, appeared as if he had trained his heart out. The 5'9" Englishman was an impressive looking 197 pound ball of muscle and determination. He showed a stern, serious countenance, while Johnson was more concerned with joking with his considerable entourage and playing up for the cameras. When the two men came together to exchange handshakes, Beckett allegedly made a derogatory comment about Johnson's waistline, in a joking manner, which one of the larger members of Johnson's entourage overheard. Within moments, the man was in Beckett's face, all 6'4" of him staring down the much shorter Englishmen and letting go with a stream of expletives. For his part, Beckett looked to have given as good as he got. The two men were separated a few seconds later and a stand-off ensued between Beckett's five-man team and Johnson's much larger one. It was Johnson himself who acted as a peacemaker, appeasing his steamed associate and offering another handshake to Beckett. That signalled the end of the incident. "He's a determined dude," Johnson later said. "But, you know, he really thinks he can beat me. That's good for him, and good for me. Be a bit of a challenge. I think the only way he can even challenge me is if he's at his absolute best." Johnson was asked about the extra weight he had put on since the auditions. "Ain't a problem," he said. "I mean, I'm undersized compared to some of the other guys in the tournament anyway, so a bit of extra bulk ain't gonna hurt me. I'm ready, no doubt. " Beckett is thinking only positive thoughts. "I'm not even contemplating losing," he said. "If I step into that ring with a single shred of doubt, I'll fail. I have to believe that I can do this." And he has a large number of supporters. Many local Buffalo residents were present at the weigh-in, which was held within the same building that will stage the fight card, the HSBC Arena in Buffalo. These locals have taken a shine to Beckett, as he has been living and training in the city for quite some time. A superstar touted as a future Champion, and a scrapper full of self-belief who only just scraped into the tournament? Should be an interesting night... Last edited by kenyan_cheena : 04-29-2005 at 06:16 PM.