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kenyan_cheena · 04-29-2005, 07:07 PM

(...continuation of post #128)

Support Bout

In his HBF debut last month, 21 year-old Arizona native Zora Folley used a persistent left jab as he did just enough to score a unanimous decision victory over Roger Rischer. By his own assessment, he "didn't set the world on fire", but was happy with his performance.

On that same night, Lem Franklin of Alabama had worked a lot harder against a tougher opponent, losing a unanimous decision to Johnny Arthur. However, for Franklin, the result was not as important as the positives he took from the bout. He had turned in a truly gutsy performance and felt confident about his future in the World Championship tournament.

Tonight, the two men clashed in an exciting bout where once again, Lem Franklin showed a ton of heart and determination but, unfortunately for him, lost by unanimous decision.

Folley's quick, aggressive start in the opening two rounds would prove to be enough to secure the verdict. The 41st seed scored with a series of precision combinations. The two combatants treated their appreciative audience to some classic exchanges during the middle rounds, especially in the second and third as Folley and Franklin stood toe-to-toe for extended periods, trading hard shots. By the end of round four, both fighters were cut: Folley over his left eye, Franklin under his right. Without a doubt, Zora Folley knew he was in a war and that his opponent was made of sterner stuff than Roger Rischer. Going into the final third of the bout, two judges had it level at 38-38, while the third felt Folley had been more impressive, favouring him 39-37.

The action slowed in the fifth, with both men showing signs of fatigue following the furious pace they had set. The 73rd seed Franklin was hanging tough, and although he did not win the round, his performance in it served to simply increase the respect that Zora Folley was feeling towards him. That was what made it so sad to see Franklin unable to answer Folley's final round onslaught. The Arizona man landed two separate right hands - early in the round and late in the round - that should have dropped Franklin to the canvas. But he stayed on his feet until the final bell, when the two men were given a standing ovation.

Folley had landed 168 punches to 127, and was awarded the unanimous decision, 59-55, 58-56, 58-57.

"I can't tell you how much respect I have for this guy," Folley said, motioning to Franklin. "He showed a lot of heart last month, and he really brought out the best in me tonight. Anything less, and I think the result could have been quite different. I really hope that he can break through for a victory next time out."

(That won't be easy, as Lem Franklin's next opponent is the #25 seed Tony Tucker)

The audience responded warmly to Folley's kind words. But understandably, Franklin was not as upbeat as he had been after his opening night loss.

"So much hard work, and nothin' to show for it," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I knew when this thing started, it wouldn't be easy. Didn't know it would be this hard to handle the losing. But, guess I gotta just suck it up, and look ahead to the next fight."

Co-Feature

Tony Tucker's performance in his HBF debut was considered the most impressive of all those featured on the federation's first fight card. His 2nd round TKO of Johnny Boudreaux was a real eye-opener, a bout that showed off both the Michigan native's punching power and ability to finish off his opponent.

On the flipside, Chilean fighter Arturo Godoy was quite easily defeated by the #8 seed Sam McVey in his debut. Although he had fought gamely, Godoy had simply been no match for McVey.

Tonight, in his second bout, it would be a very similar story for the Chilean, as Tony Tucker improved his record to 2-0-0 (1) with a six round display of boxing skill that was every bit as impressive as his TKO of Boudreaux had been (and for entirely different reasons). Landing 173 punches to 70, the 25th seed in the World Championship tournament illustrated that he must be considered a chance to win this tournament, if not then at least to still figure in the latter stages of it. Despite once again showing his resilience, Godoy was never in this fight, with two of the judges giving him only the second round, leading to a unanimous decision for Tucker, 60-54, 59-55 (twice).

"I did what I had to do," said Tucker. "I'm not gonna get too excited about this. No offense to Arturo, he's a tough fighter. But I was supposed to win, and anything else would have been a big disappointment. So, I'm happy I got this fight out of the way without any trouble."

Godoy revealed soon after the bout that Tony Tucker gave him a much harder time than Sam McVey had on the HBF's opening night.

The signs for Tucker's future success in the tournament look very good. He knows that the really challenging fights are still to come, and hasn't allowed himself to get excited by results that are expected. As for Godoy, well, it can only get easier for him from here. He went the distance with the top two fighters in his group. Hopefully, he'll be able to taste some success in his upcoming bouts.

Main Event

In a truly dominating performance, #8 seed Sam McVey pitched a shutout against Houston's Johnny Boudreaux. The Californian was in control for the duration of the bout, never even looking like he would lose. He pounded the Texan, landing 204 punches to 55, destroying Boudreaux's will and determination with a steady stream of left jabs and dazzling combinations.

However, what most found to be truly exceptional about McVey's performance was the patience he displayed. It was obvious from early on that nothing short of a miracle would save Boudreaux from defeat. Knowing that he was simply too good for his opponent, McVey did not fall into the trap of becoming careless. He continued to show respect for Boudreaux's ability right up until the final bell, winning all but a single round on a single judge's card to take the unanimous decision, 60-54, 59-55, 60-54.

He may not be ranked amongst the strongest fighters in the World Championship tournament, but McVey has shown in his opening two bouts that he is a terrifically skilled boxer. His defense is proving impeccable, and his ring smarts are superior to most of his competitors. A look at some punching stats from his two fights, both 6 round unanimous decisions, show the ease with which he has achieved victory.

SAM MCVEY
punches landed per round: 29.7
punches thrown per round: 70

SAM MCVEY'S OPPONENTS
punches landed per round: 12.9
punches thrown per round: 36.6

"I'm so happy to make it to 2-0," McVey said, soon after the fight. "These first two bouts really made me nervous. I was frightened of losing, because the HBF thinks I have a shot at winning the Championship. I don't want to make them look bad for seeding me so high. So, yeah, I'm happy and relieved to have gotten to 2-0 unscathed. Everything's going just fine."

The HBF has decided that during the third series of fight cards, those top seeded fighters who have yet to fight in their home town, or even their home country, will be given that opportunity and honor. As a result, the third fight card for Group Eight will be held in the state of California, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, only 60 miles from McVey's hometown of Oxnard.

"I can't tell ya how much I'm looking forward to that," McVey said. "To be fighting in front of my own people ... that's gonna be somethin'."

McVey expressed how amazed he is at how far he's come in such a short timespan.

"Man, six months ago, I was unemployed. I was just an unemployed beachbum. I can't believe that I'm doin' this now. It's incredible."

04-29-2005, 07:07 PM	#133 (permalink)
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 4,574	(...continuation of post #128) Support Bout In his HBF debut last month, 21 year-old Arizona native Zora Folley used a persistent left jab as he did just enough to score a unanimous decision victory over Roger Rischer. By his own assessment, he "didn't set the world on fire", but was happy with his performance. On that same night, Lem Franklin of Alabama had worked a lot harder against a tougher opponent, losing a unanimous decision to Johnny Arthur. However, for Franklin, the result was not as important as the positives he took from the bout. He had turned in a truly gutsy performance and felt confident about his future in the World Championship tournament. Tonight, the two men clashed in an exciting bout where once again, Lem Franklin showed a ton of heart and determination but, unfortunately for him, lost by unanimous decision. Folley's quick, aggressive start in the opening two rounds would prove to be enough to secure the verdict. The 41st seed scored with a series of precision combinations. The two combatants treated their appreciative audience to some classic exchanges during the middle rounds, especially in the second and third as Folley and Franklin stood toe-to-toe for extended periods, trading hard shots. By the end of round four, both fighters were cut: Folley over his left eye, Franklin under his right. Without a doubt, Zora Folley knew he was in a war and that his opponent was made of sterner stuff than Roger Rischer. Going into the final third of the bout, two judges had it level at 38-38, while the third felt Folley had been more impressive, favouring him 39-37. The action slowed in the fifth, with both men showing signs of fatigue following the furious pace they had set. The 73rd seed Franklin was hanging tough, and although he did not win the round, his performance in it served to simply increase the respect that Zora Folley was feeling towards him. That was what made it so sad to see Franklin unable to answer Folley's final round onslaught. The Arizona man landed two separate right hands - early in the round and late in the round - that should have dropped Franklin to the canvas. But he stayed on his feet until the final bell, when the two men were given a standing ovation. Folley had landed 168 punches to 127, and was awarded the unanimous decision, 59-55, 58-56, 58-57. "I can't tell you how much respect I have for this guy," Folley said, motioning to Franklin. "He showed a lot of heart last month, and he really brought out the best in me tonight. Anything less, and I think the result could have been quite different. I really hope that he can break through for a victory next time out." (That won't be easy, as Lem Franklin's next opponent is the #25 seed Tony Tucker) The audience responded warmly to Folley's kind words. But understandably, Franklin was not as upbeat as he had been after his opening night loss. "So much hard work, and nothin' to show for it," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I knew when this thing started, it wouldn't be easy. Didn't know it would be this hard to handle the losing. But, guess I gotta just suck it up, and look ahead to the next fight." Co-Feature Tony Tucker's performance in his HBF debut was considered the most impressive of all those featured on the federation's first fight card. His 2nd round TKO of Johnny Boudreaux was a real eye-opener, a bout that showed off both the Michigan native's punching power and ability to finish off his opponent. On the flipside, Chilean fighter Arturo Godoy was quite easily defeated by the #8 seed Sam McVey in his debut. Although he had fought gamely, Godoy had simply been no match for McVey. Tonight, in his second bout, it would be a very similar story for the Chilean, as Tony Tucker improved his record to 2-0-0 (1) with a six round display of boxing skill that was every bit as impressive as his TKO of Boudreaux had been (and for entirely different reasons). Landing 173 punches to 70, the 25th seed in the World Championship tournament illustrated that he must be considered a chance to win this tournament, if not then at least to still figure in the latter stages of it. Despite once again showing his resilience, Godoy was never in this fight, with two of the judges giving him only the second round, leading to a unanimous decision for Tucker, 60-54, 59-55 (twice). "I did what I had to do," said Tucker. "I'm not gonna get too excited about this. No offense to Arturo, he's a tough fighter. But I was supposed to win, and anything else would have been a big disappointment. So, I'm happy I got this fight out of the way without any trouble." Godoy revealed soon after the bout that Tony Tucker gave him a much harder time than Sam McVey had on the HBF's opening night. The signs for Tucker's future success in the tournament look very good. He knows that the really challenging fights are still to come, and hasn't allowed himself to get excited by results that are expected. As for Godoy, well, it can only get easier for him from here. He went the distance with the top two fighters in his group. Hopefully, he'll be able to taste some success in his upcoming bouts. Main Event In a truly dominating performance, #8 seed Sam McVey pitched a shutout against Houston's Johnny Boudreaux. The Californian was in control for the duration of the bout, never even looking like he would lose. He pounded the Texan, landing 204 punches to 55, destroying Boudreaux's will and determination with a steady stream of left jabs and dazzling combinations. However, what most found to be truly exceptional about McVey's performance was the patience he displayed. It was obvious from early on that nothing short of a miracle would save Boudreaux from defeat. Knowing that he was simply too good for his opponent, McVey did not fall into the trap of becoming careless. He continued to show respect for Boudreaux's ability right up until the final bell, winning all but a single round on a single judge's card to take the unanimous decision, 60-54, 59-55, 60-54. He may not be ranked amongst the strongest fighters in the World Championship tournament, but McVey has shown in his opening two bouts that he is a terrifically skilled boxer. His defense is proving impeccable, and his ring smarts are superior to most of his competitors. A look at some punching stats from his two fights, both 6 round unanimous decisions, show the ease with which he has achieved victory. SAM MCVEY punches landed per round: 29.7 punches thrown per round: 70 SAM MCVEY'S OPPONENTS punches landed per round: 12.9 punches thrown per round: 36.6 "I'm so happy to make it to 2-0," McVey said, soon after the fight. "These first two bouts really made me nervous. I was frightened of losing, because the HBF thinks I have a shot at winning the Championship. I don't want to make them look bad for seeding me so high. So, yeah, I'm happy and relieved to have gotten to 2-0 unscathed. Everything's going just fine." The HBF has decided that during the third series of fight cards, those top seeded fighters who have yet to fight in their home town, or even their home country, will be given that opportunity and honor. As a result, the third fight card for Group Eight will be held in the state of California, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, only 60 miles from McVey's hometown of Oxnard. "I can't tell ya how much I'm looking forward to that," McVey said. "To be fighting in front of my own people ... that's gonna be somethin'." McVey expressed how amazed he is at how far he's come in such a short timespan. "Man, six months ago, I was unemployed. I was just an unemployed beachbum. I can't believe that I'm doin' this now. It's incredible."