The International Boxing League

[SAL]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Yeah, it is a little weird to read a post without something about every fight but it is a good and needed change I think. You would probably never get these tournaments if you wrote out every bout. In the end, I don't think you've lost anything skipping over some of the weaker bouts.

Just finished catching up on what has happened around here. Great stuff as always KC. Good win for Javier. Good to see one of our own pick up the "W". Gotta agree with Romy, if you write about all of them, you may never see the light at the end of the tunnel.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by SAL

Just finished catching up on what has happened around here. Great stuff as always KC. Good win for Javier. Good to see one of our own pick up the "W". Gotta agree with Romy, if you write about all of them, you may never see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Thanks, Sal. Your guy's debut is only a week away. I'm really hoping he can make a victorious start to his career.

[kenyan_cheena]

Up next, live from Atlantic City...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111111%$#^&|?/\!!!!!!!

[Romdawg88]

Hm, wonder what that could mean. We either have the fight of the century coming up or Mickey Walker gets one shotted 5 seconds into his fight.

[kenyan_cheena]

!!!!
OLYMPIC CHAMPION MCCALLUM
STOPPED ON CUTS IN ATLANTIC CITY!

Thursday 29 August 2002

In the weeks leading up to the start of the International Boxing League's World Championship regional qualifiers there was quite a lot of talk in regards to how long it would be until the tournaments saw their first big upset. With so many highly regarded fighters involved it was considered only a matter of time before one of them tripped up. Well, tonight that question was answered and the answer was ... four days. Yes, on just the fourth day of IBL competition one of its biggest favourites suffered defeat in his first professional bout. And it wasn't just any fighter, either: it was Jamaican Olympic Light-Middleweight gold medallist Mike McCallum.

One of eight Sydney gold medallists contracted to the IBL McCallum was defeated by another Carribean fighter, Elisha Obed of the Bahamas in the Co-Feature of tonight's Boardwalk Hall fight card in Atlantic City. The contest was stopped midway through round four after Obed had opened a cut over McCallum's left eye, but according to the Jamaican's handlers his fate was sealed long before that moment. Despite his status as a gold medallist McCallum had been rarely spoken of in the months since the league's formation, even though he was pencilled in as one of the top five favourites for the Middleweight crown. Much of the talk in the US media has focused on the American fighters, a fact that would explain the lack of hype surrounding McCallum. A celebrity in his homeland, his trainers had mentioned in recent days that the 24 year-old's preparation for his debut had been "far from ideal" and at yesterday's weigh-in those words were seen to be true. McCallum looked underdone and uninterested, surprising many when he tipped the scales right at the Middleweight limit of 160 pounds. He didn't smile and his responses to the many questions posed by the media contingent were short and abrupt.

"He is his own man," said McCallum's trainer Bunnie Greenidge. "We can't help him be ready to fight if he doesn't want to help himself. If you ask me why he has turned up like this, you just have to look to the three P's: partying, pot and pu$$y. Still, I think he'll be okay tomorrow night. He's excited about the fight, despite how he looks today."

When asked if he felt responsible for McCallum's apparent lack of fitness, Greenidge replied in the negative.

"Like I said, he is his own man," he said. "He is 24 years old. He's not a boy anymore. We worked with what he was prepared to give us but you have to understand that life in Jamaica is very laid-back, relaxed. Mikey likes a good party just as much as anyone else but if something happens tomorrow night he'll know exactly who is to blame."

(to be continued)

[Romdawg88]

Well, it wasn't Mickey getting one punched but that is a huge upset. I have to say I love that three Ps line good times. Man, that was a stupid loss by McCallum with cats like Walker and Williams still ahead in his group he could easily end up with 3 losses or so and miss advancing to the next round. Question, I have a 14 and 11 rating for Mike in my database which one are you using?

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Well, it wasn't Mickey getting one punched but that is a huge upset. I have to say I love that three Ps line good times. Man, that was a stupid loss by McCallum with cats like Walker and Williams still ahead in his group he could easily end up with 3 losses or so and miss advancing to the next round. Question, I have a 14 and 11 rating for Mike in my database which one are you using?

The 14 rating is JMW. I'm using that one because I moved all the JMWs to the Middleweight division. Makes the loss even worse. There'll be some round-by-round detail of the fight in the next post.

[Ric915]

Huge upset That's why I love this game you never know what's gonna happen definately shaking things up

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation of post #325)

While McCallum had apparently put little effort into preparing for his professional debut, his opponent Elisha Obed had gone in the opposite direction. According to his minders the 17 year-old had "trained the house down", pushing himself day after day to exceed all expectations. Removing his robe after entering the ring all of that hard work was evident as Obed presented a ripped, muscular physique highlighted by an impressive six pack. He wore an expression of fierce determination, regarding McCallum with something much greater than anger. Obed would later say that he had concentrated on "hating" McCallum ever since finding out that the Jamaican would be his first tournament opponent.

Both men wore trunks in the colours of their nation's flags: McCallum in gold with black and green trim, Obed sky blue with yellow and black piping. When they were brought together for the pre-fight instructions it was clear that something was not right with the Jamaican: he avoided Obed's heated, intense gaze, preferring to stare at his feet. Obed shook his head and gestured at McCallum as he returned to his corner, confidence burning in his eyes.

The action was fast and furious in the opening round, Obed catching McCallum with a rapid-fire combination and then a jolting right cross within fifty seconds of the bell before the Jamaican replied with a sweetly-timed uppercut as Obed was closing in on him. The shot backed up the Bahamian but Obed was quick to fire back, staggering McCallum with a left jab/right hook/left hook salvo, the final punch of the trio wobbling the gold medallist. The crowd was going ballistic, on their feet cheering. McCallum wrapped up his hyped-up opponent, the action slowing during the final minute of the round as they took an early breather, content to probe with the jab.

Round two saw McCallum come out all guns blazing, rattling Obed with three seperate assaults before the round was a minute old: a straight right early followed by a flush right hook and then an uppercut that snapped Obed's head back. Obed actually had the better of the remaining two minutes, forcing McCallum to back off after a fierce exchange near the two minute mark. But the Jamaican's fantastic early work was enough to convince two of the judges to score the round in his favour.

The 3rd round started slowly, although Obed dictated the pace beihind a series of pinpoint jabs, keeping McCallum on the backfoot. Obed then found the mark with a left-right combo just before the round entered its third minute, the salvo hurting McCallum and opening up a cut above his left eye. But McCallum responded strongly, planting a hard right on Obed's cheekbone as part of another rapid-fire exchange and then staggering the teenager with a left-right-left combination. Obed fired back as the round was drawing to a close, a right hook to the body followed by a left hook and a straight right that worsened McCallum's cut. The Jamaican pawed at it as he returned to his corner, trying to wipe the blood out of his eye.

Referee Richard Steele asked the ringside doctor to inspect the wound during the intermission, bringing a rush of excited talk and consternation from the crowd. McCallum was allowed to continue and although looking tired he made a good start to the 4th, landing a hard combination, an uppercut and a pair of damaging body shots during the first minute. But when Obed responded with an uppercut of his own and then a smashing right hook Steele halted the contest. That single hook undid all the work McCallum's corner crew had done on the cut, splitting it open to where it was now a bleeding, inch-wide gash. Steele led McCallum to the ringside doctor who confirmed within moments that the bout should be stopped, Obed jumping in the air and then doing a backflip, so ecstatic he was. McCallum trudged back to his corner and sat on his stool, a bemused expression showing on his face. The official time of the stoppage was 1:09 of round four. The crowd applauded as Obed celebrated mightily, mounting the ring post in his corner, shouting, thumping his chest with his right glove and pumping his fists in the air.

"I really cannot believe it!" exclaimed an excited Obed. "People in my hometown, some of them tried to convince me that I couldn't win. They tried to make me think that there was no way I'd be able to defeat a gold medallist but I didn't listen to them. I just told myself that he's only a man and that if I work my hardest and prepare myself properly I could beat him. It helped me that he took the fight so lightly and it gave me a lot of confidence when I saw him at the weigh-in yesterday and the way he was when he stepped in the ring. It was like he didn't want to be here and even though he fought hard I always felt that I had a great chance to win. I don't really know what could have been going through his mind to be so underprepared for a fight but I'm not worried about that. I'm just so happy that I've achieved this victory."

Punch totals

McCallum: 90/156 (57.7%)
Obed: 96/192 (50.0%)

McCallum left the ring without speaking to HBO's reporting crew, moving up the aisle like a person traumatised. He was a mere shadow of the man who had achieved Olympic gold in Sydney two years ago and it will be interesting to see if his professional career ever reaches the heights that his amateur one did. As for Obed, this is obviously the greatest start that he could have dreamed of making to his campaign. The win will certainly give him great confidence for the bouts to come and should catapult him into contention for a berth in the World Championship tournament. The only question will be whether or not he suffers a let down in his upcoming bouts. If he prepares himself in the same fashion as he did for tonight's contest, that shouldn't be a problem.

(to be continued)

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

***

The unexpectedness of McCallum's defeat led to some in the crowd briefly forgetting that the fight they'd really come to see was about to start. The evening's Main Event was a matchup of two competitors from the New Jersey town of Elizabeth with highly touted Jersey Pride member Mickey Walker the clear favourite against Gene Armstrong. Walker had been spoken of as a real contender for the World Championship, tipped by a number of experts to top the North America East/Caribbean group. His aggression, fitness and killer instinct were the main attributes that had impressed so many during June's selection trials. Both fighters received warm applause as they made their way to the ring but it was clear that Walker was the crowd favourite. As was the case last night when HBF competitor Steve Hamas was in action at the Trump Taj Mahal, Walker was accompanied to the ring by a number of Jersey Pride members including Joe Jeannette, Ike Williams and Hamas. Fans of the entourage made their presence felt, an enthusiastic "Jersey Pride! Jersey Pride! Jersey Pride!" chant resonating throughout the Boardwalk Hall.

Walker may have been the favourite but he didn't fight like it in the opening round, Armstrong jumping out to a fast start and taking the stanza quite handily. Armstrong is not a powerful fighter and understandably went with volume, peppering Walker with a sharp, snapping jab throughout the round, keeping him off balance and on the outside. Round two was mostly uneventful with Walker landing some effective blows late, in particular a powerful right cross. Walker had wanted to show his abilities from the get go but he'd struggled to find a rhythm through the first two rounds.

Round three brought a big improvement for Walker as he started landing his shots with greater accuracy and pop, putting Armstrong on the back foot for the first time in the bout. His work was especially impressive in the last minute, a lead right jolting Armstrong, a flush uppercut and another one of those right crosses also finding the mark. Walker went into an even higher gear in the 4th as he displayed the type of punching power that had been expected from the opening bell. He was now simply walking through Armstrong's jab, unloading shots to the body and head. As in the previous two rounds most of Walker's success came late in the piece. He came out the better after a brief toe-to-toe flurry and finished by landing a sweetly-timed uppercut and a smashing left hook, snapping Armstrong's head around and almost dropping him. Walker had thrown a fantastic 102 punches in the round and landed fifty of them. Considering that, it was amazing Armstrong maintained his footing for the entire three minutes.

The 5th round was the best of the fight as the two combatants went at it from close quarters, Armstrong showing tremendous bravery to slug it out with an opponent who was clearly stronger than he was. The pace was fast, the action eye-popping as each man landed a number of flush shots. They almost seemed to be taking turns: Armstrong with an uppercut, then Walker landing a hard left hook, Armstrong replying by banging a right cross off his opponent's forehead, Walker then finding the mark with an uppercut before Armstrong connected with another right cross. Then they really let their fists go, both warriors eating at least a couple of hard power shots. And all that was just in the first minute! The action never wavered as the round continued and when Walker appeared to have done enough to win it Armstrong rallied strongly in the final thirty seconds, landing an uppercut and then a trio of jabs chased by a right hand to finish a fantastic round. The crowd were on their feet for most of the duration and they stayed there applauding once it was done. During those frantic three minutes Walker landed 34 of 54, Armstrong 33 of 77.

It had been a great fight and going into the final round it was either man's for the taking. But round six would be something of a letdown as Armstrong spent most of it backpedalling and jabbing while Walker chased and swung for the fences, missing often and landing only a half dozen shots. Armstrong finished with a brilliant flurry in the final seconds, planting his feet and letting his hands go. He won the round on all three cards and in the final outcome that would be vital.

The scorecards read 58-56 (Walker), 58-56 (Armstrong), ... 57-57. A draw. It was a decision that few could question. Walker had outlanded Armstrong 159-122, but all of that difference could be found in the 4th round (50-12).

"Paid the price for a slow start," lamented Walker. "Gene worked that jab of his beautifully and I had a lot of trouble getting inside of it. Once he started tiring a bit I was able to capitalise, but ... that ain't the way it should have gone. The plan was to get inside early and wear him down, pound the body. But I wasted those first two rounds and it's turned out the way it has."

"It ain't a loss but it ain't a win," Walker said, when questioned about the verdict. "I'm feeling pretty empty knowing I've already got a blemish on my record right out of the gate. I can't complain though, 'cause I didn't do enough to win."

Jersey Pride leader Joe Jeannette agreed that Walker's slow start cost him.

"Maybe Mick was a bit nervous at the start there," said Jeannette. "It's understandable. I remember in my own debut my mouth just bein' so dry I could hardly swallow. But I didn't have to face the same calibre of opponent that Mick did. Gene is a talented fighter and he'll give a lot of guys trouble throughout the tournament. He may not be very strong but that jab, it's just a weapon. It's a points scorer, no doubt."

Armstrong was very happy with his performance, speaking on those who had given him no chance beforehand.

"People was sayin' he was gonna tear my head off," Armstrong said, laughing. "Guess I should be happy I'm still alive. Ain't no one gave me a chance but I knew that if I could work the jab to the hilt, we be in with a chance. Came pretty close and I'm thinkin' if it be an eight or a ten rounder, maybe I win."

Punch totals

Mickey Walker: 159/495 (32.1%)
Gene Armstrong: 122/310 (39.4%)

It's amazing to think how close Walker actually was to defeat, as two of the judges scored that fantastic 5th round in his favour. If Dutch judge Larsen Oumgher had gone the other way, Armstrong wins it by split decision (Oumgher's card was the 57-57 verdict). After McCallum's shock defeat, a loss for Walker would have made it an extraordinary ending to the night.

(Still to come: The Boardwalk Hall Undercard)

[Romdawg88]

Damn, tough night for the favorites in the group. At least Mickey was able to get a draw instead of a lost. Hell of a card so far.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Damn, tough night for the favorites in the group. At least Mickey was able to get a draw instead of a lost. Hell of a card so far.

I think this group has the potential to be the best in the entire IBL. There are so many highly rated fighters in it, it'll be hard to pick the winners from one card to the next. And with the way I'm scheduling the cards, the standings could end up looking pretty surprising, also.

Well, that's enough for today. I gotta go make dinner (it's just before 5pm over here). I'll work on the undercard tomorrow and should be able to get most of it posted.

Good night, folks.

k_c

[kenyan_cheena]

The Boardwalk Hall Undercard

OPENING BOUT

Pensacola's Holman Williams was one of the standout fighters at the IBL's Miami selection trials, a slick boxer and intensely hard worker who had many talking about him as a definite chance to progress to the World Championship tournament. In the time since those June trials the 21 year-old had continued his preparations in his hometown, assisted by his uncle James Williams and younger cousin Roy Jones.

"Roy is like my little brother, y'all," said a smiling Williams back on Tuesday. "He been livin' with my family since he was eight so we may as well be brothers, see? He jus' thirteen but he so enthusiastic 'bout boxin'. Jus' loves helpin' me train."

Williams was up against Jersey Pride member Rubin Carter in his debut. Carter had trialed at the Boardwalk Hall back in June and although the Paterson native had shown promise he was facing an uphill battle against Williams. Unsurprisingly Carter was greeted enthusiastically by the parochial audience, Joe Jeannette and Ike Williams making the walk to the ring with him. The Pensacola native looked loose and confident when he stepped between the ropes, Williams wearing a robe of navy blue with white trim, trunks of a similar design and black boots. He was in fantastic shape, his physique rock hard and ripped. Williams pounded fists with his little cousin, the youngster looking up at him with reverence.

The crowd were hoping for a great start to the evening with a win for Carter but Holman Williams was only too happy to spoil the party. After dominating the contest he was only awarded a majority decision victory (59-55, 57-57, 59-55), judge Kim Dai-Won of Korea clearly influenced by the audience. To say that Williams lived up to the pre-fight hype surrounding him would be an entirely suitable description of what transpired in the fight. He showed that, without a doubt, he'll be contending for a World Championship tournament berth. Williams simply outclassed Carter, his quick hands and defensive prowess delivering an easy victory. After establishing command of the bout through the first three rounds Williams picked up his aggression in the 4th and 5th, pummeling Carter throughout and outlanding him 90-14 in those two stanzas alone.

Carter dug deep in the final round and produced his best work of the fight but it was only good enough to make him merely competitive. It was too little coming far too late and even the Atlantic City crowd acknowledged that Williams had been a class above. He looked like he could have gone another six rounds, despite having thrown 453 punches and landing 205 of them (the most in the regional qualifiers to date). Carter connected with 76 of 386 shots.

"Jus' show what happen when you prepared," said Williams matter-of-factly. "I did everythan' poss'ble to be ready fo' this fight, y'all. Everythan'. We be representin' Pen-sa-cola and the F.L.A. every time we steppin' in this ring, man. We proud of where we come from and we be presen'in' that to the world, y'all."

Williams was asked if any of the members of the Florida Alliance had approached him about joining their group.

"They ask me 'bout it couple o' weeks ago," he replied, smiling. "Elmer Ray, he call me up. Told 'em I be fine doin' what I'm doin' fo' now. But I wish those brothers all the bes', you know? That Jimmy Ray brother goin' up agains' Ray Leonard first off. That jus' gonna be a helluva fight, y'all."

Williams and his support team departed the ring soon after, the Pensacola native showing a smile from ear-to-ear, his cousin by his side as they walked up the aisle.

PRELIMINARY 1

In a matchup of two lightning-quick boxers New York's Joey Archer won an absolute barnburner against Cuba's Kid Tunero. Neither of these young men are going to score too many knockout victories during their careers but if they continue to produce the kind of effort they did tonight it won't matter. For six rounds they traded blinding flurries of punches and, truth be told, after such a fantastic fight a draw would have been a fair enough result. But Archer was victorious by a split decision verdict: 58-57, 57-58, 58-56.

It was during the middle rounds that the New Yorker won the contest as after Tunero took the 1st Archer swept the next three on two scorecards. It had been great entertainment through three rounds but from the 4th onwards the fight went to another level as the two combatants somehow accelerated their workrate. The final two rounds were very close affairs that had the crowd on their feet but it must be said that Tunero was dreadfully unlucky not to be awarded round six. He outlanded Archer 43-26 and had the New Yorker staggered late in the piece but all three judges scored it 10-10. It turned out to be the difference between defeat and a draw for the Cuban.

Punch totals

JOEY ARCHER: 144/436 (33.0%)
KID TUNERO: 164/422 (38.9%)

"I can't tell you how fortunate I feel," said a relieved Archer. "Tunero is gonna give some of these other guys fits as the tournament progresses. I'm a bit amazed that I've escaped with a victory, being totally honest. I'll have to capitalise on this in my upcoming fights, I guess."

(to be continued)

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

PRELIMINARY 2

Italian-born Canadian Donato Paduano scored a minor upset when he defeated Yama Bahama (of the Bahamas) by unanimous decision (58-56, 59-55, 58-56). Bahama had been held in higher esteem than his compatriot Elisha Obed (who would score a shock win over Mike McCallum later in the night) but against Paduano he found only frustration struggling to come to terms with the Canadian's evasiveness. Paduano took the fight out of Bahama's reach with a confident middle section, all three judges scoring the 3rd, 4th and 5th in his favour despite each round being well-contested. Bahama worked hard throughout the bout, throwing almost twice as many punches as his opponent. But he missed with a large dose of them, being made to look reckless and foolish on a number of occasions.

Like the evening's previous bout this was a clash between a pair of light hitters and while there were no knockdowns there were an abundance of flush shots and wild exchanges that had the crowd cheering entrhusiastically. Neither man is regarded as a threat to challenge for a spot in the World Championship tournament but if they continue to produce efforts like tonight's that could change, especially in regards to the Canadian.

Punch totals

Paduano: 148/274 (54.0%)
Bahama: 142/504 (28.1%)

"He was really aggressive," said Paduano. "But I have to say that was his downfall. Maybe he was too eager 'cause a lot of his punches were way off the mark. It wasn't something we bargained for but it definitely helped our cause so I ain't complaining."

SUPPORT BOUT

The unrelated but highly regarded Smiths of New York faced off in the evening's fourth contest, Harlem Harry and Manhattan Jeff engaging in an entertaining stoush that ended as a draw (58-56, 57-57, 56-58). Both men had been amongst the numerous trialists who had impressed in June at this very venue and tonight they showed why as, after Jeff appeared to be in control of the fight through four rounds, Harry rallied late to sweep the cards in the last two rounds and avoid defeat. There had been a deal of talk surrounding this contest in the weeks leading in, being billed as for the unofficial New York Middleweight Championship by some. The Smiths played down any talk of a rivalry, stating that they had never met each other before the trials and highlighting the fact that sharing the same surname and being from the same city was nothing to make a big deal over.

Manhattan Jeff set a cracking pace during those first four rounds and produced some fantastic offense, especially in the 3rd and 4th. But he went out too hard and his Harlem-born foe, who had been more circumspect, was able to finish strongly. Jeff Smith landed 175 of 489 punches (35.8%), Harry 114 of 284 (40.1%). Those numbers might indicate a comfortable victory for Jeff Smith, but it was not the case. The rounds that he won, he won convincingly. But there were only three of them and in a six rounder that's usually not good enough for a victory.

"Honestly, I really didn't think I had a chance going into round five," said Harry Smith. "Jeff was just incredible up to that point and I'm lucky that he ran out of steam. You might say I'd kept some in reserve but the truth is that Jeff's aggression wasn't allowing me much of a chance to fire back. Once he started tiring I made the most of it."

(to be continued)

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

***

After Mickey Walker and Gene Armstrong had slugged it out in the Main Event the schedule for series two was revealed. Understandably, one particular matchup drew a helluva reaction from the audience:

ELISHA OBED (1-0-0(1)) vs GENE ARMSTRONG (0-0-1)
JEFF SMITH (0-0-1) vs KID TUNERO (0-1-0)
MIKE MCCALLUM (0-1-0) vs MICKEY WALKER (0-0-1)
RUBIN CARTER (0-1-0) vs DONATO PADUANO (1-0-0)
HARRY SMITH (0-0-1) vs JOEY ARCHER (1-0-0)
HOLMAN WILLIAMS (1-0-0) vs YAMA BAHAMA (0-1-0)

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
INTERNATIONAL BOXING LEAGUE FIGHT CARD
THURSDAY 29 AUGUST 2002
BOARDWALK HALL, ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY, USA

IBL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
REGIONAL QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT, SERIES ONE
MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION
REGION: NORTH AMERICA EAST/CARIBBEAN


OPENING BOUT

Holman Williams MD6 Rubin Carter

PRELIMINARY 1

Joey Archer SD6 Kid Tunero

PRELIMINARY 2

Donato Paduano UD6 Yama Bahama

SUPPORT BOUT

Jeff Smith D6 Harry Smith

CO-FEATURE

Elisha Obed TKO4 Mike McCallum

MAIN EVENT

Mickey Walker D6 Gene Armstrong

[kenyan_cheena]

The busiest single day in the history of the HBF/IBL is over. Although the next two will be just as busy.