[mikehoudini]

Joe Goddard vs. Andrew Golota – Goddard had survived a knockdown to post a split decision over Tyrell Biggs, while Golota had KOd Joe Choynski in the 8th round, after pounding away at Joe for five straight rounds. This shaped up as the battle of the Killer Gs!

They both were feeling each other out in the 1st round. Joe landed a few punches, Golota one or two, and the fans were bored through the first 2 minutes. Golota caught Goddard going the other away and almost obliterated him with a savage combination! Joe fell hard to the canvas, but managed to get back up at the count of 7. Andrew went for the kill, Joe covered up, and 30 seconds went by, then Golota landed a haymaker and Goddard slumped to the canvas! The round was over, and it looked like Goddard was toast, as well! He made it up, barely, at the count of 8, but seemed almost out of it. Golota won the point total, 22-4, and was probably just a few seconds away from a first round stoppage!

Golota went for the kill again in the 2nd, and Goddard caught a few punches, but nothing serious, as Golota was overanxious and telegraphing his punches. Joe saw an opening and landed a sneaky right, backing Golota up for an instant, but Andrew came back with a solid right of his own. The round ended before he could do any more damage, a round he won, 9-6, but had failed in his mission to stop his battered foe!

The 3rd round was cat-and-mouse, Goddard landing some counters, while slipping Golota’s big bombs. Joe landed a nice left hook to the body, and was busy enough to possibly take the round, 12-10. He opened the 4th boxing well, showing no effect from the beating he’d taken earlier. He landed an eye-popping hook, and suddenly Golota was in a bit of trouble! Angry, Golota lashed out with a left, jarring Goddard, but Joe eeked out the round, 12-9.

Joe started the 5th with a sweet cross, then followed up with several speedy combinations. Golota got on board with a straight left, took another combination, then blasted home a lethal right! Goddard stumbled backward, Golota rushing in, then suddenly Joe planted himself and floored Andrew with a wicked combination! Golota stood up at the count of 5, covering up, angry that he had been suckered in a bit. Goddard studied his foe, then tossed a few combinations, finishing with a night train cross that scored another knockdown just as the round was ending Golota jumped up at the count of 2, took a moment to steady himself, then plopped down in his corner, having dropped the round, 25-8, the fans wondering if he’d be able to answer the bell for the 6th!

Comiskey Park was bedlam, the fans screaming as first Golota, and now Goddard, seemed to have the match in control! Andrew seemed unsteady coming out for the 6th, the minute’s respite hardly enough, and Joe threw a tester cross that crashed into Golota, sending him stunned to the canvas yet again! No quitter, Golota used the ropes to pull himself back up at the count of 5, and somehow assured the ref he was ready to continue, so the fight resumed! He looked like he was exhausted, but evaded most of the blows Joe was raining on him. Goddard tried every punch in his arsenal, landing a series of crosses, but Golota wouldn’t go down! Indeed, he caught Joe with a Bogota-special hook, gaining some time just as the ref looked ready to step in and stop the fight. The round ended, Goddard the winner by a 21-6 margin, Golota hanging on by a thread!

An arm-weary Golota came out with his hands low for the 7th, and actually was landing more for the first minute. Goddard bided his time, then fired off a series of combinations, and Golota was in trouble. Joe kept connecting, but was tired himself from the punches he was throwing. As the round was ending, he put all he had left into a ferocious cross, knocking Golota almost onto his stool! Andrew grabbed the ropes and stood upright, at the count of 2, then dropped back down to try to clear his mind, having been slaughtered again, 23-3!

The bell tolled to begin Round 8, but for whom did it toll? Few thought Golota would be able to answer the bell, but he shuffled out, like a steer being herded to the slaughter. He blocked a Goddard bomb, then brought his fans to their feet with a solid uppercut that knocked a shocked Goddard heels-over-head! Stunned, Joe made it upright at the count of 6, looking shaky, and he immediately, and prudently, covered up. Trying to end it with one punch, Golota missed at least 5 times, then smashed a monster hook home, followed by one almost as powerful, and Goddard almost flew into the ropes! Golota lunged after him, throwing more hooks, but he was so tired that they missed their mark, and Joe landed a few counters to stave off slugger. The bell tolled, Golota having won the round, 18-4, but he had lacked the strength to put Joe away!

It was Goddard 4 KDs, Golota 3, as the war resumed in the 9th! There wasn’t a fan still sitting in what was proving to be the Fight of the Tournament, maybe of this entire thread! Golota nailed Joe with an almost-perfect uppercut, Joe answering with a wicked body shot that decimated an exhausted Andrew! Golota just beat the count, at 9, then waved his gloves at Goddard, daring him to bring it on! Joe did, rocking his game opponent with a fierce uppercut, only the turnbuckle and an iron will keeping Golota from falling!

At the 2 minute mark, Joe bulled in and threw an awesome uppercut. Golota blocked it, twisted and connected with a battering-ram straight right, backing Goddard up to give him some room! Goddard walloped Golota with another uppercut, but there is no “Q” in Golota, only a “G”, and he whistled a hook home at the round’s end that, if it had been just an inch over, would have ended the fight! Goddard staggered back, the bell rang, and the fans cheered non-stop for both men!

Both men staggered out for the 10th and touched gloves, a nice act of sportsmanship! Was there anything left in the Golota tank? Had his last-second hook sapped Goddard’s strength? Forty seconds into the round, Golota having landed a nice punch, Goddard hooked to the body, toppling Golota once more. He was up at the count of 2, smiling at the ref, but Goddard wasn’t fooled. He slammed home a searing cross and a few lighter ones, then fired off a lethal combination, and Golota was down again, for the 7th time in the fight! He rose at the count of 6, then was sent flying by a Goddard uppercut. Helpless as he lay against the ropes, he could do nothing as Joe poured it on, landing cross after cross. Goddard pleaded to the ref, who nodded and jumped between the two! Goddard, who was leading in the round, 27-3, was declared the winner by a TKO at 2:11 of the 10th round!

What a fight! Goddard, who had been only a few seconds from having the fight stopped in the first, had rallied for an awesome win. The two gladiators stood at the center of the ring, and Goddard raised Golota’s hand, saluting his brave opponent! He had outlanded him, 278-161, out knockdowned him, 7-3, but the two were tired when it came to courage and a will to fight! You could hear the cheering for blocks around the stadium!