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kenyan_cheena · 03-27-2005, 08:07 PM

THE MISSOURI MONSTER AND A
FASCINATING FIGHT CARD IN FRANCE HAS FLORIDA BUZZING

Saturday 2 February 2002

This evening, almost every boxing analyst, journalist and expert of note has made their way to Miami, Florida for the fight card that will complete the first series of bouts in the HBF's World Championship and 1st Defense tournaments. They're all here at the sold-out American Airlines Arena, along with a larger than usual contingent of celebrities and most of the top HBF officials, including, of course, President Michael Vincennes.

They've come because of the hype and hysteria that has spread during the past weeks in regards to the #2 seed in the World Championship tournament, 21 year-old Sonny Liston of St. Louis, Missouri.

Standing 6'1", Liston weighed in at a ripped, muscular 205 pounds for tonight's bout. Some might say that he doesn't sound that impressive, but they have obviously not seen him fight, or looked into his eyes. This young man, who served time in the Missouri State Penitentiary for armed robbery, is blessed with some extraordinary boxing skills. Many have said that he is the strongest fighter in this tournament, that his right hand is like a sledgehammer and his left hook just as effective. But even more impressive is the fact that he has a piledriver for a left jab. All these physical attributes do not even take into account Liston's intimidation factor. During the HBF's October auditions, Liston did not show a friendly face to anyone. This guy is mean, from head to toe, and it's quite possible that his opponent tonight, Nick Barone of Syracuse, New York, will have already been defeated before the opening bell.

An aura has developed around Liston. A mysterious aura of strength, fear and menace. He has not offered a single word to the media and has not even spoken to HBF President Michael Vincennes. Rumours have circulated that he has connections with the underworld, that he is a "button man" for the mafia. The fact that his trainers have had a lot of trouble keeping track of his whereabouts has only added to this theory. It seems that Liston is going to be his own man, beyond the control of the HBF, beyond the expectations of the media. And it seems that the general public are just fascinated by him because of it.

***

It's not just Liston they're talking about here in Miami.

The fight card that took place yesterday at the Palais Des Sports in Cannes, France, had just about everything you could ask for in a night of boxing entertainment. There was a gritty comeback, a three round slugfest that finished in a single punch KO, a disappointing effort by one who many have high hopes for, a dominant display of boxing skill by a proud Argentinian, and a mammoth upset to cap off the night.

"It really was a helluva card," said James Reynolds of the New York Age. "I mean, that young Irish kid Maher, he just turned that fight around in the most brutal, comprehensive fashion. It was like night and day. He really showed some terrific courage, I have to say. And then right after that, a real barnstormer between Williams and Snoek. That could have gone either way. Both of them were scoring with some big shots."

Reynolds is one of those who has a lot of time for Atlantic City native Bruce Seldon, and could not mask his disappointment over the young man's performance.

"Just a shame," Reynolds said. "That kid is tremendously talented, and he just didn't bring those skills to the table. I don't know what his problem was - stagefright, nerves, sickness - I don't know, but he just didn't show up yesterday. I really hope he can bounce back from that."

Adam Ryan of the Miami Post was especially impressed by the performance of Oscar Bonavena.

"Oscar Bonavena showed that he's going to be a force in this tournament," said Ryan. "And with Sharkey losing, his chances of winning the group have already improved. I'm looking forward to seeing how these guys perform in their second bouts."

Jack Sharkey's loss has resonated almost as strongly as that of the #3 seed Jack Johnson. Coming just six days after that shocking result, Sharkey's defeat has simply proven that no one is a sure bet in this tournament.

"There weren't many things that could have gone wrong for Sharkey in that fight," said Robert Horn of Boxing Monthly magazine. "But unfortunately, they all did. He forgot his gameplan and started brawling, and as a result, he got cut. The cut was bad, and so he decided he needed to finish off Arthur Pelkey quickly. It didn't work, because Pelkey is a tough fella, and withstood Sharkey's best punches. Even when he went down, he got back up straight away. And then Sharkey didn't defend well, and that cut got hit again and again. It was just a terrible outing for him."

From within the American Airlines Arena, President Vincennes spoke of his happiness with the progress of the HBF so far.

"Five months ago, we couldn't have dreamed that the federation would be as successful as it's been. I'm just delighted with the way everything has progressed, and I'm very excited about tonight's fight card. Tonight brings to an end our first series of bouts in the WC and 1D tournaments, and I really think we're in for a terrific night of boxing."

03-27-2005, 08:07 PM	#113 (permalink)
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 4,268	THE MISSOURI MONSTER AND A FASCINATING FIGHT CARD IN FRANCE HAS FLORIDA BUZZING Saturday 2 February 2002 This evening, almost every boxing analyst, journalist and expert of note has made their way to Miami, Florida for the fight card that will complete the first series of bouts in the HBF's World Championship and 1st Defense tournaments. They're all here at the sold-out American Airlines Arena, along with a larger than usual contingent of celebrities and most of the top HBF officials, including, of course, President Michael Vincennes. They've come because of the hype and hysteria that has spread during the past weeks in regards to the #2 seed in the World Championship tournament, 21 year-old Sonny Liston of St. Louis, Missouri. Standing 6'1", Liston weighed in at a ripped, muscular 205 pounds for tonight's bout. Some might say that he doesn't sound that impressive, but they have obviously not seen him fight, or looked into his eyes. This young man, who served time in the Missouri State Penitentiary for armed robbery, is blessed with some extraordinary boxing skills. Many have said that he is the strongest fighter in this tournament, that his right hand is like a sledgehammer and his left hook just as effective. But even more impressive is the fact that he has a piledriver for a left jab. All these physical attributes do not even take into account Liston's intimidation factor. During the HBF's October auditions, Liston did not show a friendly face to anyone. This guy is mean, from head to toe, and it's quite possible that his opponent tonight, Nick Barone of Syracuse, New York, will have already been defeated before the opening bell. An aura has developed around Liston. A mysterious aura of strength, fear and menace. He has not offered a single word to the media and has not even spoken to HBF President Michael Vincennes. Rumours have circulated that he has connections with the underworld, that he is a "button man" for the mafia. The fact that his trainers have had a lot of trouble keeping track of his whereabouts has only added to this theory. It seems that Liston is going to be his own man, beyond the control of the HBF, beyond the expectations of the media. And it seems that the general public are just fascinated by him because of it. *** It's not just Liston they're talking about here in Miami. The fight card that took place yesterday at the Palais Des Sports in Cannes, France, had just about everything you could ask for in a night of boxing entertainment. There was a gritty comeback, a three round slugfest that finished in a single punch KO, a disappointing effort by one who many have high hopes for, a dominant display of boxing skill by a proud Argentinian, and a mammoth upset to cap off the night. "It really was a helluva card," said James Reynolds of the New York Age. "I mean, that young Irish kid Maher, he just turned that fight around in the most brutal, comprehensive fashion. It was like night and day. He really showed some terrific courage, I have to say. And then right after that, a real barnstormer between Williams and Snoek. That could have gone either way. Both of them were scoring with some big shots." Reynolds is one of those who has a lot of time for Atlantic City native Bruce Seldon, and could not mask his disappointment over the young man's performance. "Just a shame," Reynolds said. "That kid is tremendously talented, and he just didn't bring those skills to the table. I don't know what his problem was - stagefright, nerves, sickness - I don't know, but he just didn't show up yesterday. I really hope he can bounce back from that." Adam Ryan of the Miami Post was especially impressed by the performance of Oscar Bonavena. "Oscar Bonavena showed that he's going to be a force in this tournament," said Ryan. "And with Sharkey losing, his chances of winning the group have already improved. I'm looking forward to seeing how these guys perform in their second bouts." Jack Sharkey's loss has resonated almost as strongly as that of the #3 seed Jack Johnson. Coming just six days after that shocking result, Sharkey's defeat has simply proven that no one is a sure bet in this tournament. "There weren't many things that could have gone wrong for Sharkey in that fight," said Robert Horn of Boxing Monthly magazine. "But unfortunately, they all did. He forgot his gameplan and started brawling, and as a result, he got cut. The cut was bad, and so he decided he needed to finish off Arthur Pelkey quickly. It didn't work, because Pelkey is a tough fella, and withstood Sharkey's best punches. Even when he went down, he got back up straight away. And then Sharkey didn't defend well, and that cut got hit again and again. It was just a terrible outing for him." From within the American Airlines Arena, President Vincennes spoke of his happiness with the progress of the HBF so far. "Five months ago, we couldn't have dreamed that the federation would be as successful as it's been. I'm just delighted with the way everything has progressed, and I'm very excited about tonight's fight card. Tonight brings to an end our first series of bouts in the WC and 1D tournaments, and I really think we're in for a terrific night of boxing." Last edited by kenyan_cheena : 10-11-2006 at 01:19 AM.