Originally Posted by Ian Lord
23rd - Reading, PA.
World heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, from nearby Easton, made the first defense of his title against North Carolina's James 'Bonecrusher' Smith. Smith, who seemed to be going nowhere at the beginnining of his career before turning his fortunes around, had won eight of his last eleven, including a points win over Pinklon Thomas, to get a shot at the title. However, it was soon clear for everyone to see that he was in a lower league to the champ.
Smiths left eye was beginning to swell as early as the first round, due to Holmes' ramrod jab that was to pump into it all night. Near the end of the round Smith grabbed Holmes' head and used it as a battering ram. It was the best bit of work that Smith done all night until the ninth round.
Holmes worked away at Smiths swelling all night, and it ballooned up grotesquely. The referee called a halt in the seventh for the ringside doctor to inspect it. The fight was allowed to continue.
There was another doctor inspection in the eighth. It was allowed to continue, despite the fact that Holmes was landing at will and Smith was having great difficulty seeing out of it.
In the ninth, with Holmes pumping jabs after jab into the face of his opponent, the referee again called a halt to the procedings. Again it was allowed to continue, when all of a sudden Smith, who probably knew the end was near, landed a haymaker which opened up a nasty cut above the right eye of the champ. This stung Holmes into even more action and again the referee stopped the procedings. The doctor motioned for the fight to be stopped, which the referee did with one second remaining in the ninth. It had been a one sided fight, with Holmes winning every round. He now moves to 13-1-1 [9], and must now make a mandatory against the man he won the title from, Riddick Bowe. Smith drops to 11-9 [4].
Former world heavyweight champion 'Iron' Mike Tyson met Pinklon 'Pinky' Thomas in the chief support, scheduled for ten rounds. It was billed as an eliminator for the North American and United States heavyweight titles, currently held by Evander Holyfield.
It was the second time these two had met, with Tyson finishing Thomas off in the opener when they met previously. It looked as though the same might happen again, when Thomas hit the deck after shipping a hook for a count of five. He was shaken when he regained his feet, but made it to the end of the round. It became an interesting and entertaining fight, with Thomas dancing around the ring in the second and taking the round. Plenty of leather thrown in the third, with Tyson getting the better of the exchanges and taking the round. However, in the fourth Thomas was back on his toes and boxed the ears of Tyson. Tyson was back in control in the fifth, catching 'Pinky' with some heavy shots. Thomas ended the round with a slight swelling under his right eye. In the sixth,Thomas, much to the surprise of everyone, went toe to toe with Tyson, and done all right. It was give and take, although Tyson landed the heavier shots, and this told in the seventh, when, after taking a few heavy ones, Thomas suddenly looked out on his feet. Tyson's killer instinct kicked in, and he began punching Thomas at will with some sickening shots.
The referee jumped between the two at 2.57 of the round, with Thomas leaning against the ropes, taking punch after punch.
Tyson, who improved to 14-5 [13], will now challenge Evander Holyfield for the North American and United States titles. Thomas dropped to 10-9 [7].
Surprise of the night was the world middleweight eliminator between the formwer champ, Gerald McClellan, and Mike 'The Bodysnatcher' McCallum. It wasn't the fact that McCallum, the reigning Commonwealth champ won, it was the ease with which he won. McClellan was never in the fight. It was a one sided beating, with McCallum winning every round, bar one, easily until the fight was stopped in the eleventh, which was way too late in most peoples opinions.
McClellans right eye was puffy by the end of the second, and he was down in the sixth following a bombardment of blows. He only just beat the count and by know his eye had ballooned up.
The seventh was McClellans only good round of the fight, and one which he won, causing a slight swelling around McCallums right eye. McCallum was back in the driving seat in the next round, and stayed there until the end of the fight.
The doctor inspected McClellans eye in the tenth and allowed the fight to continue. He should have stopped it.
The end came in the eleventh when McClellan, after hitting the canvas twice, was trapped against the ropes and shipping heavy punishment, whilst no longer being able to see out of his right eye. The referee mercifully called a halt to the procedings at the 2.49 mark.
McCallum, who improved to 8-2 [3], will now challenge the winner of next months world title fight between current champ Marvin Hagler, and challenger Frank Tate.
McClellan, who dropped to 10-3 [8] and has now lost his last two, could probably do with an easier opponent next time to get back on the winning track and regain some confidence.
North American middleweight champion James 'Lights Out' Toney made asuccesful defense of his title against the outclassed Mark Medal. Toney took every round en route to a ninth round knockout win. Medal was never really in the fight.
Toney improves to 7-1 [3], whilst Medal drops to 7-6-1 [2].
An eliminator for Toney's North American middleweight title pitted Philadelphia's Bernard 'The Executioner' Hopkins against Idaho's undefeated Michael 'Second To' Nunn. It was definately one for the purists amongst us. It was close all the way through, with no highlights to speak off, apart from Hopkins suffering a cut over his left eye in the sixth, and having it re-opened in the tenth. By the final bell, the decision could have gone either way, and it went to Hopkins by split decision with scores of 96-95 [x2], and 94-97. Hopkins, who now moves to 8-4 [4], will now challenge Toney for the North American title. The vacant United States title will also be on the line. Nunn, who lost his unbeaten record, slipped to 11-1 [5].
The entertaining heavyweight opener saw Tim Witherspoon and Trevor Berbick box to a ten round majority draw. Scores were 95-93 Berbick, and 94-94 [x2]. Witherspoon hit the deck twice in the eighth. Witherspoon is now 11-9-2 [7], Berbick 8-9-2 [5].
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After the post fight press conference, the announcement was made for the boxers who will be taking part in the tournament to crown the world welterweight champion, beginning next month.
The boxers are as follows, in order of seeding;
1. Sugar Ray Leonard
2. Aaron Pryor
3. Antonio Cervantes
4. Tommy Hearns
5. Wilfred Benitez
6. Simon Brown
7. Don Curry
8. Saoul Mamby
9 Lloyd Honeyghan
10.Marlon Starling
11.Pipino Cuevas
12.Milt McCrory
13.Maurice Blocker
14.Mark Breland
15.Sang-Hyun Kim
16.Jorge Vaca
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