***
SATURDAY 20 JULY 2002
RELIANT PARK PAVILION,
HOUSTON, TEXAS, USA
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION
FIGHT CARD
THE MAIN EVENT
"THE BATTLE FOR SOUTHERN TEXAS"
JACK JOHNSON
GALVESTON, TEXAS, USA
4-1-0(2)
6'1", 209 pounds
#3 seed in the HBF's World Championship tournament
vs
CLEVELAND WILLIAMS
HOUSTON, TEXAS, USA
4-0-1(1)
6'3", 211 pounds
#30 seed in the HBF's World Championship tournament
***
Anyone who had been following the last month or so of build-up to tonight's Main Event would have known who the favoured fighter was amongst Texans. Williams, who celebrated his 19th birthday three weeks ago, had enamoured himself to his fellow Lone Star state natives with a modest, reserved nature. He hadn't taken the bait, declining to indulge in the trash-talking of his bragadocious opponent and as a result most of the state and without a doubt all of Houston were in his corner.
By comparison, Johnson had relished playing the role of villain. Having briefly tried to win over the state, "The Galveston Giant" had done some serious bridge burning during the past couple of weeks and had said only yesterday that he couldn't wait to see the faces of those in the Pavilion after he decimated "their boy".
(to be continued)