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(continuation)
CO-FEATURE
Numbered amongst the most destructive Middleweight punchers Chicago's bronze medal winner Tony Zale and the hot-headed Chippewa Falls native Jake Morrison were now only minutes away from colliding inside the squared circle, a bout that was one of the most anticipated of series two in any weight division. Zale had schooled Missouri's Greg Moe on debut while Morrison stopped Wilfie Greaves on cuts in a fight where he was never really able to show what he's capable of. Morrison made his way to the ring first, the 20 year-old draped in black and accompanied by Ice-T's old school classic "Lethal Weapon" and fellow Wisconsin fighter Eric Bengtson. Zale's entrance was much more low-key in keeping with his understated personality, the Windy City native showing a focused countenance.
Morrison had sported a mohawk for his debut bout but it was now gone, replaced by a buzz cut. He regarded Zale with an intensity that was palpable, sweat bubbled upon his forehead. The crowd seemed evenly split over who they were supporting, engaging in some good-natured but passionate back and forth chants of "Zale!" and "Morrison!" The two combatants didn't appear to be paying attention as referee Armando Garcia went thorugh his pre-fight spiel, their eyes locked in a gaze that neither was willing to break. When Gardia told them to touch gloves they did, but only after a further prompting from each man's trainer. They walked backwards to their corners, maintaining eye contact right up to the moment when the corner crews were ordered out of the ring and the opening bell sounded.
A wave of excitement passed around the arena as the action started, Morrison making a fantastic start in the 1st as he let his hands go and caught Zale with a number of hard shots. A right hook jolted Zale early before a flush uppercut and a punishing three-punch salvo wobbled him around the two minute mark. The Olympian appeared shaken but he fired back quickly, landing a booming straight right to bring a pained expression to Morrison's face. The Wisconsin slugger ended the round nicely, a pair of jabs and a straight right finding the target moments before the bell. He returned to his corner with a spring in his step, deep concentration evident in his eyes during the intermission. Zale mounted an impressive, busy retort in round two as, after Morrison connected with a solid combination thirty seconds in, he controlled most of the frame, a pair of left hooks sending the sweat flying from Morrison's head before a succession of scoring shots had him on the back foot. Working inside, Morrison found the mark with a pair of solid uppercuts late in the piece but Zale had already sealed the round by that stage.
Zale was heard speaking of Morrison's quickness and aggression seconds before rising for round three, a concerned expression on his face. His fears were well founded as Morrison dominated the 3rd, swinging for the fences with little regard for his own safety. He tagged Zale with a pair of uppercuts early on, the blows staggering Zale and making him backpedal, shaking his head at Morrison's power. It got worse in the final minute as Morrison unloaded a wicked left hook and a hard right that bounced off Zale's head. Seconds before the bell another left hook impacted with his face, opening a nasty cut under the right eye. Blood flowed down Zale's cheek, his corner crew going to work on it in a seemingly panicked fashion between rounds. Even so, they did a good job of stopping the bleeding but Morrison maintained his momentum through the early stages of the 4th, scoring with some stinging body shots before sneaking in another one of those damaging uppercuts. But Zale roared back with an astonishing thirty second outburst during which he caught Morrison with a smashing right cross, a left-right salvo and a flush left hook, forcing Morrison into a clinch. Morrison had the best of the stanza's tailend, dropping a straight right on Zale's chin that had him moving sideways and out of trouble.
The action slowed for the first time in the contest through the first two minutes of round five before Morrison stole it with a pair of right hands in the final thirty seconds, Zale looking tired and weary as he trudged back to the red corner with the sound of the bell. Those slumped shoulders weren't an act as Morrison thoroughly dominated the final round, a wicked combination right out of the gates followed by Morrison getting the better of a furious exchange, a right hand then snapping Zale's head around. A left hook thudded off his forehead and the Olympian looked beaten, offering little resistance. The crowd was favouring Morrison, applauding his great performance as the round entered its final minute. But he wasn't done yet and finished the bout brilliantly, an uppercut that appeared to catch Zale in the throat followed by some merciless rips to the body and another pulverizing uppercut that had Zale staggered and reaching for the ropes. A left-right-left barrage scrambled the Olympian's circuits further as the bell sounded and he had to be held up by referee Garcia. Despite that, Zale had survived the onslaught and the result was in the hands of the judges.
In the minutes before the verdict was revealed Morrison prowled around the ring, only speaking to Zale briefly and clearly on edge. When he was declared the winner by unanimous decision (58-56 on all three cards) he let out a jubilant shout and high-fived Bengtson and his corner crew, ecstastic with what was a damn impressive victory over such an accomplished opponent.
Punch totals
Morrison: 147/401 (.367)
Zale: 106/458 (.231)
(to be continued)
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