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BOOKER UPSTAGES FOX IN OMAHA
Wednesday 9 October 2002
Former amateur standout Eddie Booker spoiled the hometown debut of Omaha's Jack Fox tonight, defeating him by unanimous decision in a heated contest (58-56 on all three cards). Back in 2000 San Jose-born Booker lost out to eventual silver medallist Bob Foster in qualifying for the Sydney Olympics but is considered one of the favourites to progress to the World Championship tournament from the USA West group. He justified that favouritism tonight, starting impressively before withstanding a mid-fight Fox rally to take the decision.
Both men had been victorious on debut, Booker by majority decision against fellow Californian Jack Chase and Fox via a controversial split decision over bitter rival Michael Nunn. Fox is by far the stronger of the two but Booker was the more aggressive through the first two rounds, pressing Fox and controlling the tempo with an effective jab. Fox was able to score the occasional hard shot, including a smashing left hook at the end of round one but Booker was clearly outsmarting and outworking him.
Fox is known for a hair trigger temper and he let his frusration show at the end of the 2nd, hitting Booker after the bell. Booker retaliated and Fox got right in his face, the two men forehead to forehead before the referee seperated them. Booker was in command but that all changed in round three as the local favourite wrestled the momentum away and found the mark with a series of damaging blows. Booker was staggered twice during the round and when Fox's domination continued in round four it appeared the fight had swung completely in his favour. He verballed Booker at the end of the 4th and thumped his chest, exhorting the crowd to get behind him, which they did and then some.
But Booker wasn't going to just roll over and surrender and with the outcome poised on a knife edge late in a competitive 5th the Californian struck, wobbling Fox with a perfectly timed left hook and following it up with a barrage of scoring shots. Consternation overcame the Omaha Community Playhouse crowd and when Fox showed little in an anti-climatic final round it was evident that Booker's 5th round outburst had been devastatingly effective. Fox looked gassed in the concluding stanza, leaving Booker to pepper him with a series of jabs from the outside, taking the round and, as a result, the verdict.
(to be continued)
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