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kenyan_cheena · 02-15-2005, 06:11 AM

BUFFALO BOMBSHELL!!!
#3 SEED JOHNSON FLOORED IN 6TH ROUND!
LOSES BY UNANIMOUS DECISION!

Saturday 26 January 2002

HSBC ARENA, BUFFALO, NEW YORK, USA

In the first truly Jaw-Dropping "OH, MY GOD!" upset of the HBF's World Championship tournament, #3 seed Jack Johnson of Galveston, Texas was knocked to the canvas in the final round before losing the slimmest of unanimous decisions, 57-56 on all three cards to England's Joe Beckett, the 126th seed in the tournament.

Going into the final round against an opponent who had talked tough leading up to the fight (and backed it up in the ring), it seemed that Johnson had done just enough to win. He had not been nearly as impressive as some had expected, with the extra weight he had gained since the October tournament auditions appearing to have an adverse affect on his performance. Beckett, by comparison, had been everything he promised and more, taking the fight up to the cocky Texan and showing that he was more than up to the task. It was a heated, emotional fight, with punches thrown after the bell on three separate occasions. It looked as if the determined Englishman had gotten under the skin of the usually laid-back, gregarious Johnson, who showed a blistering temper during the "after the bell" exchanges.

Coasting comfortably through the final round, Johnson appeared to have the bout locked up. But all it took was one moment of carelessness to turn the fight around. With just eighty seconds remaining, Johnson had Beckett trapped near a neutral corner. As he came at his man with a looping left hook, the Englishman pounced. He stepped inside and unloaded a crushing left hook of his own. The punch landed square on the Texan's chin. Johnson's knees buckled and he fell onto his backside. This brought the crowd to their feet as one and a deafening roar filled the arena. Stunned, Johnson shook his head and struggled to his feet by the count of eight. Although looking shaky, referee Jose Medina-Solar allowed Johnson to continue. Beckett came in for the kill, scoring with a damaging hook/uppercut. Johnson clinched, holding on for dear life, blood trickling from a cut below his right eye. Then, with just twenty seconds remaining, Beckett landed a straight right that snapped Johnson's head back. It was a miracle that he stayed upright, even more so when a left hook bounced off his forehead ten seconds later. He held on, leaning back on the ropes and covering up as the final seconds ticked away, throwing a left and a right just before the final bell. Johnson returned to his corner a worried, exhausted man.

When the verdict was read, chaos erupted around the HSBC Arena. Beckett had done it. His final round heroics had wrestled the victory from Johnson, with the knockdown turning a one point deficit into a one point margin of victory on all three judge's cards. The man who had stated that his goal was to go through the tournament undefeated had stumbled at the first hurdle...

(COMING SOON ... JOHNSON VS BECKETT - ROUND-BY-ROUND)

02-15-2005, 06:11 AM	#78 (permalink)
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 7,582 Thanks: 80 Thanked 143x in 125 posts	BUFFALO BOMBSHELL!!! #3 SEED JOHNSON FLOORED IN 6TH ROUND! LOSES BY UNANIMOUS DECISION! Saturday 26 January 2002 HSBC ARENA, BUFFALO, NEW YORK, USA In the first truly Jaw-Dropping "OH, MY GOD!" upset of the HBF's World Championship tournament, #3 seed Jack Johnson of Galveston, Texas was knocked to the canvas in the final round before losing the slimmest of unanimous decisions, 57-56 on all three cards to England's Joe Beckett, the 126th seed in the tournament. Going into the final round against an opponent who had talked tough leading up to the fight (and backed it up in the ring), it seemed that Johnson had done just enough to win. He had not been nearly as impressive as some had expected, with the extra weight he had gained since the October tournament auditions appearing to have an adverse affect on his performance. Beckett, by comparison, had been everything he promised and more, taking the fight up to the cocky Texan and showing that he was more than up to the task. It was a heated, emotional fight, with punches thrown after the bell on three separate occasions. It looked as if the determined Englishman had gotten under the skin of the usually laid-back, gregarious Johnson, who showed a blistering temper during the "after the bell" exchanges. Coasting comfortably through the final round, Johnson appeared to have the bout locked up. But all it took was one moment of carelessness to turn the fight around. With just eighty seconds remaining, Johnson had Beckett trapped near a neutral corner. As he came at his man with a looping left hook, the Englishman pounced. He stepped inside and unloaded a crushing left hook of his own. The punch landed square on the Texan's chin. Johnson's knees buckled and he fell onto his backside. This brought the crowd to their feet as one and a deafening roar filled the arena. Stunned, Johnson shook his head and struggled to his feet by the count of eight. Although looking shaky, referee Jose Medina-Solar allowed Johnson to continue. Beckett came in for the kill, scoring with a damaging hook/uppercut. Johnson clinched, holding on for dear life, blood trickling from a cut below his right eye. Then, with just twenty seconds remaining, Beckett landed a straight right that snapped Johnson's head back. It was a miracle that he stayed upright, even more so when a left hook bounced off his forehead ten seconds later. He held on, leaning back on the ropes and covering up as the final seconds ticked away, throwing a left and a right just before the final bell. Johnson returned to his corner a worried, exhausted man. When the verdict was read, chaos erupted around the HSBC Arena. Beckett had done it. His final round heroics had wrestled the victory from Johnson, with the knockdown turning a one point deficit into a one point margin of victory on all three judge's cards. The man who had stated that his goal was to go through the tournament undefeated had stumbled at the first hurdle... (COMING SOON ... JOHNSON VS BECKETT - ROUND-BY-ROUND) Last edited by kenyan_cheena; 04-29-2005 at 12:10 AM.