[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

***

The unexpectedness of McCallum's defeat led to some in the crowd briefly forgetting that the fight they'd really come to see was about to start. The evening's Main Event was a matchup of two competitors from the New Jersey town of Elizabeth with highly touted Jersey Pride member Mickey Walker the clear favourite against Gene Armstrong. Walker had been spoken of as a real contender for the World Championship, tipped by a number of experts to top the North America East/Caribbean group. His aggression, fitness and killer instinct were the main attributes that had impressed so many during June's selection trials. Both fighters received warm applause as they made their way to the ring but it was clear that Walker was the crowd favourite. As was the case last night when HBF competitor Steve Hamas was in action at the Trump Taj Mahal, Walker was accompanied to the ring by a number of Jersey Pride members including Joe Jeannette, Ike Williams and Hamas. Fans of the entourage made their presence felt, an enthusiastic "Jersey Pride! Jersey Pride! Jersey Pride!" chant resonating throughout the Boardwalk Hall.

Walker may have been the favourite but he didn't fight like it in the opening round, Armstrong jumping out to a fast start and taking the stanza quite handily. Armstrong is not a powerful fighter and understandably went with volume, peppering Walker with a sharp, snapping jab throughout the round, keeping him off balance and on the outside. Round two was mostly uneventful with Walker landing some effective blows late, in particular a powerful right cross. Walker had wanted to show his abilities from the get go but he'd struggled to find a rhythm through the first two rounds.

Round three brought a big improvement for Walker as he started landing his shots with greater accuracy and pop, putting Armstrong on the back foot for the first time in the bout. His work was especially impressive in the last minute, a lead right jolting Armstrong, a flush uppercut and another one of those right crosses also finding the mark. Walker went into an even higher gear in the 4th as he displayed the type of punching power that had been expected from the opening bell. He was now simply walking through Armstrong's jab, unloading shots to the body and head. As in the previous two rounds most of Walker's success came late in the piece. He came out the better after a brief toe-to-toe flurry and finished by landing a sweetly-timed uppercut and a smashing left hook, snapping Armstrong's head around and almost dropping him. Walker had thrown a fantastic 102 punches in the round and landed fifty of them. Considering that, it was amazing Armstrong maintained his footing for the entire three minutes.

The 5th round was the best of the fight as the two combatants went at it from close quarters, Armstrong showing tremendous bravery to slug it out with an opponent who was clearly stronger than he was. The pace was fast, the action eye-popping as each man landed a number of flush shots. They almost seemed to be taking turns: Armstrong with an uppercut, then Walker landing a hard left hook, Armstrong replying by banging a right cross off his opponent's forehead, Walker then finding the mark with an uppercut before Armstrong connected with another right cross. Then they really let their fists go, both warriors eating at least a couple of hard power shots. And all that was just in the first minute! The action never wavered as the round continued and when Walker appeared to have done enough to win it Armstrong rallied strongly in the final thirty seconds, landing an uppercut and then a trio of jabs chased by a right hand to finish a fantastic round. The crowd were on their feet for most of the duration and they stayed there applauding once it was done. During those frantic three minutes Walker landed 34 of 54, Armstrong 33 of 77.

It had been a great fight and going into the final round it was either man's for the taking. But round six would be something of a letdown as Armstrong spent most of it backpedalling and jabbing while Walker chased and swung for the fences, missing often and landing only a half dozen shots. Armstrong finished with a brilliant flurry in the final seconds, planting his feet and letting his hands go. He won the round on all three cards and in the final outcome that would be vital.

The scorecards read 58-56 (Walker), 58-56 (Armstrong), ... 57-57. A draw. It was a decision that few could question. Walker had outlanded Armstrong 159-122, but all of that difference could be found in the 4th round (50-12).

"Paid the price for a slow start," lamented Walker. "Gene worked that jab of his beautifully and I had a lot of trouble getting inside of it. Once he started tiring a bit I was able to capitalise, but ... that ain't the way it should have gone. The plan was to get inside early and wear him down, pound the body. But I wasted those first two rounds and it's turned out the way it has."

"It ain't a loss but it ain't a win," Walker said, when questioned about the verdict. "I'm feeling pretty empty knowing I've already got a blemish on my record right out of the gate. I can't complain though, 'cause I didn't do enough to win."

Jersey Pride leader Joe Jeannette agreed that Walker's slow start cost him.

"Maybe Mick was a bit nervous at the start there," said Jeannette. "It's understandable. I remember in my own debut my mouth just bein' so dry I could hardly swallow. But I didn't have to face the same calibre of opponent that Mick did. Gene is a talented fighter and he'll give a lot of guys trouble throughout the tournament. He may not be very strong but that jab, it's just a weapon. It's a points scorer, no doubt."

Armstrong was very happy with his performance, speaking on those who had given him no chance beforehand.

"People was sayin' he was gonna tear my head off," Armstrong said, laughing. "Guess I should be happy I'm still alive. Ain't no one gave me a chance but I knew that if I could work the jab to the hilt, we be in with a chance. Came pretty close and I'm thinkin' if it be an eight or a ten rounder, maybe I win."

Punch totals

Mickey Walker: 159/495 (32.1%)
Gene Armstrong: 122/310 (39.4%)

It's amazing to think how close Walker actually was to defeat, as two of the judges scored that fantastic 5th round in his favour. If Dutch judge Larsen Oumgher had gone the other way, Armstrong wins it by split decision (Oumgher's card was the 57-57 verdict). After McCallum's shock defeat, a loss for Walker would have made it an extraordinary ending to the night.

(Still to come: The Boardwalk Hall Undercard)