|
Date: 12th June, 2004
Venue: Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, NV
TYSON HALTS HOLYFIELD TO BECOME HEAVYWEIGHT KING
Before a full house at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, New Yorks 'Iron' Mike Tyson stopped Evander 'The Real Deal' Holyfield of Atlanta, Georgia, in the seventh of a scheduled twelve.
Holyfield had been in control of the fight up until that point, winning every round except the second. Tyson, however, caught up with him in the seventh when Holyfield went down for a count of seven from a vicous hook. He got up but looked vacant and Tyson went in for the kill. Holyfield tried to clinch and it looked as though Tyson headbutted him from in the clinch. Holyfield staggered back, and Tyson followed, bulling Holyfield into his own corner. Tyson let loose a combination of punches, then let fly with a wild overhand right, just grazing the top of Holyfields head. Tyson then connected with an uppercut, a hook to the head, and a punishing hook to the body, and Holyfield crumbled to the floor. Somehow, in a display of pure courage, Holyfield pulled himself to his feet at the count of eight, but referee Richard Steele saw he had nothing left and saved him from further punishment by waving the fight of at the 2:44 mark, to make Mike Tyson the first GBA World heavyweight champion.
There were scenes of elation from Tysons corner, as his cornermen Kevin Rooney and Steve Lott jumped into the ring and mobbed the new champion. Holyfield looked dejected. Michael Buffer made the announcements and the blue and gold strap was placed around the new champions waist.
"I'm so happy," shouted an ecstatic Tyson. "I'm going to be a champion the public can be proud of, and I'm going to defend against all comers."
"Bring it on," came the shout from Riddick Bowe, who was sat in the front row and had been calling Tyson out for a rematch since their bout two months previously.
"Antime Riddick," Tyson called back, "anytime." And with that he went back to the changing room, ready for a night of celebrations.
In the chief support, Greg Page dominated Mike 'Hercules' Weaver before knocking him out at the end of the third round. Page put Weaver down in the first round from a wild overhand right, then completely outboxed Weaver in the second, making his right eye begin to swell. The end came in the third when Page caught Weaver coming in with an uppercut. He then banged Weaver with another uppercut, sending him into the corner where he began to land a barrage of punches. Referee Eddie Cotton looked as if he was about to step in and stop the fight when Page landed a right cross which put his opponent down for the count at the very end of the third round.
Undercard Action.
Tony 'TNT' Tucker won a close but unanimous decision over Pinklon 'Pinky' Thomas, thanks in the most part that he dropped his foe in the sixth round with a right hand. Scores were 95-94 [twice], and 97-94.
'Big' John Tate decisioned James 'Bonecrusher' Smith over eight rounds in an absolute stinker of a fight. Scores were all 76-75 to the winner.
Gerrie Coetzee sored his first win by taking a unanimous decision over Derek Amos with scores of 78-73 [twice], and 79-72. Amos was dropped twice in the seventh.
In the opening bout, Lennox Lewis made a winning start in the pro ranks by winning three of the four rounds against the limited but durable Derek Banks. All three judges scored the bout 39-37.
|