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kenyan_cheena · 12-05-2004, 03:53 AM

The ring was cleared, and soon, the second bout of the night was underway. It was also part of the HBF's 1st Defense tournament and featured the tournament's #24 seed, Stan Ward of Sacramento, California against the #48 seed from Australia, Frank Slavin.

Unlike the opening bout, this fight proceeded along more conventional lines. The two combatants were hesitant to engage each other in the first round. However, as the contest proceeded through the 2nd and 3rd rounds, it appeared obvious that the 11 year age difference between Ward (32) and Slavin (21) was of an advantage to the man from down under. Slavin was the much busier of the two, throwing more punches and keeping Ward unsettled, on the back foot.

Ward seemed to be sleepwalking during the first half of each round, but in the fourth, he showed signs of desparation, starting impressively. But by round's end, Slavin had really done enough to convince two of the three judges to give him the round. During the last two rounds, Ward dug deep, but in the end, it was not quite enough. In a minor upset, Slavin was declared the winner by a majority decision, 59-55, 58-56, 57-57.

Ward could not mask his disappointment, feeling that he had done enough to win the decision, surprised that one of the judges had only given him one round.
"I don't know what fight he was watching, but it sure wasn't this one," said Ward.

Slavin, of course, was over the moon. "I think I outworked him," the moustached Australian said. "I'm so happy that I've won this fight, because according to the seeds I wasn't supposed to. He's #3 in the group and I'm #6. So this win could prove to be a real bonus for me as the tournament goes on."

* * *

The third bout on the card would prove to be an action-packed slugfest that had the crowd on their feet. It was the very first fight of the HBF's World Championship tournament, so that was almost enough significance in itself. However, the quality of the exchanges between 20-year-old Johnny Arthur of South Africa and 21-year-old Lem Franklin of Mobile, Alabama was something to watch.

The fight started out innocently enough, with both men exchanging some solid punches, but then Franklin exploded during the last minute of round one, landing an abundance of hooks, jabs and right hands that left Arthur stunned and in trouble as the bell sounded to end the round, bringing an outpouring of applause from the crowd.

It seemed that Franklin was going to make a short night's work of it, but 1:16 into the 2nd round, the momentum swung violently into Arthur's favour, as he landed a crushing right hand flush onto Franklin's chin. This was followed soon after by a thunderous combination that sent Franklin rolling along the ropes, barely maintaining his footing as screams and shouts rained from the crowd. Johnny Arthur's corner shouted their encouragement, as Franklin struggled to regain his senses. He weathered the storm, but as the round came to a close, Arthur landed a trio of punches, a left jab followed by a right hand and a left hook moments before the bell. And so Arthur had dominated the second round just as thoroughly as Franklin had the first.

The action didn't stop in the third round, as neither man took a backward step. It was hard to believe that both of these young boxers were involved in only their first professional fight. It was Arthur who started the round more aggressively, continuing on from the second. But Franklin finished strongly, landing a punishing right cross and a left hook that bounced off Johnny Arthur's forehead. Each of the three judges scored it an even round, and many in attendance would have agreed with them. Sections of the crowd offered a sustained period of standing applause as the two fighters acknowledged each other's efforts and returned to their corners.

The fourth round would be a turning point in the fight, as Arthur started to dominate, landing a series of damaging punches that visibly hurt Franklin. In the fifth, the action finally slowed, as both fighters showed a more defensive mindset. It was a close round, but each judge gave it to Arthur.

Arthur continued to impose his will on the fight as the final round drifted away. But just when he appeared spent, Franklin rallied, going toe-to-toe with Arthur during the last minute of the round. He pounded away at Arthur's body, landing a vicious left hook. The South African responded in kind, a volley of hard shots rocking Franklin. But he immediately returned fire, buckling Arthur's legs with a crushing four punch combination. But he couldn't follow it up, and as the final bell sounded, the two combatants embraced and the crowd rose to their feet, clapping and whistling and shouting their approval of what was a classic confrontation.

When the judges verdict came, no one was really surprised. Johnny Arthur by unanimous decision, 59-56 on all three cards.

Punch totals for the fight:

Johnny Arthur - punches thrown: 308 punches landed: 163
Lem Franklin - punches thrown: 298 punches landed: 153

ESPN's Bill Farris brought both of the combatants together for his post-fight interview.

"Gentlemen, I think everyone in the Plaza tonight would like to thank you for putting on a great show," Farris said.

A fresh round of applause came from the crowd.

Each fighter acknowledged the crowd's applause, before Farris continued.

"That was an incredible way for both of you to make your professional debuts. I have to say that I didn't feel I was watching two rookies. You guys really looked like seasoned pros tonight."

Arthur and Franklin both thanked Farris.

"Johnny, congratulations on your victory. But you didn't have it all your way, did you?"

"Certainly not," Arthur said, in his strong South African accent. "Lem really showed his desire and hunger to win tonight. I feel quite lucky that I was able to survive even the first round, because he really did hurt me a few times. I'm just very fortunate to get the win."

Farris addressed Franklin. "Lem, that was a great effort from you tonight. Unfortunately though, no victory, but I'm sure you must feel positive about your future in the tournament."

Franklin nodded. "Absolutely," he said. "I mean, if I had executed better towards the end of the first round, it could have been over right there. But I'm not gonna take anything away from Johnny. He's a tough competitor, we both are. That's why it was such a great fight, I guess."

"Well, gentlemen, once again, congratulations on a great performance tonight. We look forward to seeing you in the ring again next month."

12-05-2004, 03:53 AM	#16 (permalink)
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 7,424 Thanks: 73 Thanked 130x in 113 posts	The ring was cleared, and soon, the second bout of the night was underway. It was also part of the HBF's 1st Defense tournament and featured the tournament's #24 seed, Stan Ward of Sacramento, California against the #48 seed from Australia, Frank Slavin. Unlike the opening bout, this fight proceeded along more conventional lines. The two combatants were hesitant to engage each other in the first round. However, as the contest proceeded through the 2nd and 3rd rounds, it appeared obvious that the 11 year age difference between Ward (32) and Slavin (21) was of an advantage to the man from down under. Slavin was the much busier of the two, throwing more punches and keeping Ward unsettled, on the back foot. Ward seemed to be sleepwalking during the first half of each round, but in the fourth, he showed signs of desparation, starting impressively. But by round's end, Slavin had really done enough to convince two of the three judges to give him the round. During the last two rounds, Ward dug deep, but in the end, it was not quite enough. In a minor upset, Slavin was declared the winner by a majority decision, 59-55, 58-56, 57-57. Ward could not mask his disappointment, feeling that he had done enough to win the decision, surprised that one of the judges had only given him one round. "I don't know what fight he was watching, but it sure wasn't this one," said Ward. Slavin, of course, was over the moon. "I think I outworked him," the moustached Australian said. "I'm so happy that I've won this fight, because according to the seeds I wasn't supposed to. He's #3 in the group and I'm #6. So this win could prove to be a real bonus for me as the tournament goes on." * * * The third bout on the card would prove to be an action-packed slugfest that had the crowd on their feet. It was the very first fight of the HBF's World Championship tournament, so that was almost enough significance in itself. However, the quality of the exchanges between 20-year-old Johnny Arthur of South Africa and 21-year-old Lem Franklin of Mobile, Alabama was something to watch. The fight started out innocently enough, with both men exchanging some solid punches, but then Franklin exploded during the last minute of round one, landing an abundance of hooks, jabs and right hands that left Arthur stunned and in trouble as the bell sounded to end the round, bringing an outpouring of applause from the crowd. It seemed that Franklin was going to make a short night's work of it, but 1:16 into the 2nd round, the momentum swung violently into Arthur's favour, as he landed a crushing right hand flush onto Franklin's chin. This was followed soon after by a thunderous combination that sent Franklin rolling along the ropes, barely maintaining his footing as screams and shouts rained from the crowd. Johnny Arthur's corner shouted their encouragement, as Franklin struggled to regain his senses. He weathered the storm, but as the round came to a close, Arthur landed a trio of punches, a left jab followed by a right hand and a left hook moments before the bell. And so Arthur had dominated the second round just as thoroughly as Franklin had the first. The action didn't stop in the third round, as neither man took a backward step. It was hard to believe that both of these young boxers were involved in only their first professional fight. It was Arthur who started the round more aggressively, continuing on from the second. But Franklin finished strongly, landing a punishing right cross and a left hook that bounced off Johnny Arthur's forehead. Each of the three judges scored it an even round, and many in attendance would have agreed with them. Sections of the crowd offered a sustained period of standing applause as the two fighters acknowledged each other's efforts and returned to their corners. The fourth round would be a turning point in the fight, as Arthur started to dominate, landing a series of damaging punches that visibly hurt Franklin. In the fifth, the action finally slowed, as both fighters showed a more defensive mindset. It was a close round, but each judge gave it to Arthur. Arthur continued to impose his will on the fight as the final round drifted away. But just when he appeared spent, Franklin rallied, going toe-to-toe with Arthur during the last minute of the round. He pounded away at Arthur's body, landing a vicious left hook. The South African responded in kind, a volley of hard shots rocking Franklin. But he immediately returned fire, buckling Arthur's legs with a crushing four punch combination. But he couldn't follow it up, and as the final bell sounded, the two combatants embraced and the crowd rose to their feet, clapping and whistling and shouting their approval of what was a classic confrontation. When the judges verdict came, no one was really surprised. Johnny Arthur by unanimous decision, 59-56 on all three cards. Punch totals for the fight: Johnny Arthur - punches thrown: 308 punches landed: 163 Lem Franklin - punches thrown: 298 punches landed: 153 ESPN's Bill Farris brought both of the combatants together for his post-fight interview. "Gentlemen, I think everyone in the Plaza tonight would like to thank you for putting on a great show," Farris said. A fresh round of applause came from the crowd. Each fighter acknowledged the crowd's applause, before Farris continued. "That was an incredible way for both of you to make your professional debuts. I have to say that I didn't feel I was watching two rookies. You guys really looked like seasoned pros tonight." Arthur and Franklin both thanked Farris. "Johnny, congratulations on your victory. But you didn't have it all your way, did you?" "Certainly not," Arthur said, in his strong South African accent. "Lem really showed his desire and hunger to win tonight. I feel quite lucky that I was able to survive even the first round, because he really did hurt me a few times. I'm just very fortunate to get the win." Farris addressed Franklin. "Lem, that was a great effort from you tonight. Unfortunately though, no victory, but I'm sure you must feel positive about your future in the tournament." Franklin nodded. "Absolutely," he said. "I mean, if I had executed better towards the end of the first round, it could have been over right there. But I'm not gonna take anything away from Johnny. He's a tough competitor, we both are. That's why it was such a great fight, I guess." "Well, gentlemen, once again, congratulations on a great performance tonight. We look forward to seeing you in the ring again next month." Last edited by kenyan_cheena; 04-28-2005 at 11:59 PM.