The International Boxing League

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation of post #377)

The evening's Co-Feature was one of the most anticipated clashes of series one, regardless of weight division. Considered the best Light-Heavyweight in the USA, Olympic silver medallist Bob Foster faced a tough proposition in the shape of Missouri-born southpaw Scot Long, a durable 23 year-old who had really impressed IBL scouts during the June St. Louis selection trials. Long makes his home in McCune, Kansas and by his own admission was shocked when he was drawn to face Foster on debut.

"At first I could only look at the negatives," Long had said last month. "I just thought "How the hell am I going to beat him?" The guy is a fantastic fighter and I guess I was a bit overwhelmed by that. But I've turned it around in my mind and now I'm just relishing the opportunity. I'm looking at it from the point of view where I have nothing to lose and everything to gain."

Long stepped into the ring at the Staples Center in fantastic shape, sporting a chiselled physique and a shock of blonde hair. In recent days he had reiterated his positive thoughts on the bout, once again using the "nothing to lose" phrase. He wore trunks of solid navy blue and black boots, in addition to a focused countenance. Foster followed soon after, the Albuquerque native receiving a huge round of applause. Dressed in white trunks with black trim, he regarded Long with a stoney, intimidating gaze. As expected Foster came ripped and ready to go, his frame lanky in contrast to Long's broad-shouldered build.

The two combatants exchanged an extended, hard stare as referee Ernesto Magana went over the final instructions...

ROUND ONE

The crowd is excited immediately by a flurry of shots only seconds after the bell, Foster coming out of it the better. The Olympian is a good three inches taller than Long and he presses his opponent in the early going, walking him down and firing away with that jab while remaining cautious of Long's own lead right. Foster cuts loose with a combination , bringing a roar from the crowd even though none of the shots land, Long blocking or slipping them.

Long finds the mark with a jab but misses as he tries to chase it with a hard left, Foster catching him with a left hook soon after. Foster is busy with that jab, keeping Long on the back foot. But the southpaw connects with a jolting uppercut as the round enters its bottom half, the shot sending Foster into the ropes, the audience applauding. That was a flush uppercut and it appears to have rattled Foster. Long launches another attack but Foster ties him up, Magana stepping in to separate them.

Two minutes down now and Foster misses with the uppercut from inside, Long unable to produce a retort. He's more than held his own through this opening round but when Foster lands a crushing hook Long stumbles briefly, a stunned look on his face. As they come back together in the middle of the ring Foster fires off another volley of shots, catching Long with a jab, a straight right and a left hook to finish with. Oh, my. There's blood coming from under Long's left eye after that last exchange and Foster unloads a left-right combination unsuccessfully.

The bell sounds to end the round and Long wipes at the cut, shaking his head as he returns to his corner.

ROUND TWO

Long's corner appeared to do a good job on that cut during the intermission but Foster comes out more aggressive in the 2nd, landing a flush uppercut about twenty seconds in that jolts Long's head back. My, Foster is throwing some leather here, snapping that jab out and following it up with hard rights. It's all Long can do just to avoid these shots. He's weaving and blocking but can't get off many punches of his own, Foster not allowing him a moment's rest. Even so, it must be said that the Kansas resident is doing mighty well to stay out of trouble. Oh! Foster drops a hard right hand on him, sending the sweat spraying from Long's head!

Approaching the two minute mark now and Long is finally able to mount a sustained offense, holding his own in a lively exchange. Foster has his man trapped in a corner now and he lets his fists go: left right left right left in quick succession, Long firing back with a straight left of his own. I have to say it again, Long has done an admirable job of evading so many of these shots. Foster is working his backside off but it's Long that ends the round the better, catching his man with a solid right hook shortly before the bell.

That round's over folks, and if these CompuBox punch stats can be believed, Bob Foster just threw exactly 200 punches in a single round...

ROUND THREE

Seen shaking his head during the intermission, Long is clearly daunted by Foster's workrate but he should be looking at the positives. He's shown a great defense and despite the one-sided punch count, has only landed thirteen less shots through the first two rounds (41-28). Foster keeps his foot to the floor in round three, finding the target with a pair of uppercuts and a jab, Long responding with a lead right. The Missouri native is able to muscle his way inside and plant his head on Foster's chest, swinging from point blank and landing a short right hook.

Foster keeps on working behind that jab, keeping Long on the defensive for some extended periods before getting inside and unleashing a nice uppercut. That shot appeared to hurt Long as his legs seemed to buckle ever so briefly. Foster follows up with a left to the body and another to the head, Long intiating a clinch. They move apart and Foster finds the mark again, a right hand snapping Long's head back once more.

The New Mexico slugger is having his way with Long at the moment but the southpaw is able to claw back some of the deficit in the final minute, landing a nice uppercut and a series of right-left combos. He's able to smother one of Foster's assaults and then as the round ends sneaks in another uppercut, the crowd cheering his late fightback.

Punch totals after Round Three

Bob Foster: 68/426 (.159)
Scot Long: 49/75 (.653)

(to be continued)

[Jeff1787]

I hope Foster is in prime shape or he is gunna punch himself out. Man he is slinging leather, but missing a bunch!

[Romdawg88]

Damn, that is an insane workrate Foster is putting out. SAL just can't do anything with that onslaught expect pray that Foster punches himself out soon.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Jeff1787

I hope Foster is in prime shape or he is gunna punch himself out. Man he is slinging leather, but missing a bunch!

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Damn, that is an insane workrate Foster is putting out. SAL just can't do anything with that onslaught expect pray that Foster punches himself out soon.

I couldn't believe it either when I saw the breakdown of the punches thrown in each round. Never seen anything like it in this uni to date.

Well, here's the conclusion of the fight...

(continuation)

ROUND FOUR

Long is wearing a frustrated expression as the 4th gets underway and Foster gives him reason to be moreso as the round progresses. His workrate barely drops and he dominates the opening two minutes, catching Long with a nice combination early, an even more impressive one about a minute in and then a hard hook to the body at the midpoint. Long is looking worn out from all the punches he's absorbed on his arms, his face a mask of concern.

However, as was the case in round three the southpaw is able to find some success in the final minute, tagging Foster with a hard lead right and producing some effective body work before landing a flush right hook moments before the bell. As he returns to his corner Foster is showing the first signs of tiredness, his breathing quite heavy. It's understandable as he's set a ridiculous pace, throwing 548 punches through the first four rounds. If he can keep it going he'll smash the record for most punches thrown in a fight.

ROUND FIVE

Those signs of weariness from the silver medallist become more evident in the 5th round as his workrate drops dramatically. But Long doesn't take advantage of it, four rounds of resisitance having taken much of the fight out of him. It's an ugly round full of clinching and only the occasional exchange but the man from McCune does enough in the latter stages to take it. Even so, it's clear that he could have done more.

ROUND SIX

They come out for the final round to a standing ovation, touching gloves before getting down to business. Foster really has faded since the end of the 4th and Long is able to put in his best three minutes of the contest. He finds the mark with a series of combinations through the first half of the round, Foster merely probbing with the jab as if limping to the finish line.

Long rattles the Olympian late for what is really the first time in the bout, a right-left combo sending the sweat flying from Foster's head. Long lands a flush uppercut and then is finally able to let his hands go, pounding Foster with at least a half-dozen unanswered shots, the crowd on their feet in ovation before the final bell brings this cracking contest to an end.

Punch totals after Round Six

Bob Foster: 102/612 (.167)
Scot Long: 108/212 (.509)

***

Five minutes later the ring was crowded by media and IBL personnel, the two combatants and their corner crews having exchanges words of admiration and respect. Announcer Frank Shain climbed between the ropes with the scorecards in hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the judges have tallied their scorecards and here is their decision," said Shain. "Judge John Keane of the United Kingdom scores the bout 57 to 57 - even. Judges Mickey Vann of the United Kingdom and Eugenia Williams of the USA have both scored the bout 58 to 56 for the winner by majority decison, Bob Foster!"

Foster was not overly joyed, closer to relieved to be truthful. He raised his right fist in the air before shaking Long's hand. Some in the crowd were not pleased by the result although most of them applauded.

"Tough fight," said Foster, shaking his head. "You know, I went out really hard through those first four rounds. Probably too hard, I guess. Didn't have much left at the end so that's something I'll have to work on in my next fights. Pacing myself. But then again if I didn't go at like that, maybe I don't win it..."

The silver medallist was asked about his lack of accuracy, to which Foster shrugged his shoulders.

"I was a bit reckless with some of my shots," he conceeded. "Like I said, maybe I went out too hard. But Scot's got a great defense. I was surprised by how many of my punches he was able to slip or block. That's something that'll really help him throughout the tourney."

HBO commentator Dave Martinez spoke to Long soon after.

"The guy was just too aggressive," said Long. "He won it in those first four rounds, no doubt. When he ran out of steam I had nothing left to take advantage of it with. Maybe if it was eight or ten rounds I could have gotten over the line, 'cause he was really tired at the end there."

"Probably went better than I thought I would," Long continued when asked for an assessment of his efforts. "Some people thought he'd blow me away inside of three rounds but I think I've proven tonight that I belong in this tournament. Yeah, I lost, but I took a lot out of this fight. I'm positive about my chances going forward from here."

As Long said, Foster was very tired at the end of the bout. A look at the splits for his punch totals shows how quickly he faded. After averaging 137 punches thrown per round through the first four, he averaged just 32 in the final two. After being on track to set a new record for punches thrown, he ended up 75 shy of that mark. That's a pretty clear indication that he'll need to temper his aggression in his future bouts, especially against some of the other fancied competitors in the group.

(Still to come: The Staples Center Undercard)

[SAL]

I'm finally seeing something in front of my eyes other than leather attached to Foster's arms so I can write.

What a fight. Light heavies of the IBL better take note. I just took the best from the best as far as I'm concerned and I'm still standing and ready to fight another day. I think I gained some valuable experience against Foster. I just wished I'd had the chance to throw more leather than I did but when you're constantly ducking and avoiding.....it's kind of hard to mount any kind of offense.

Well I'm of to the pub to grab a six-pack.........4 to use as ice-packs and the other 2 to knock back.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by SAL

I'm finally seeing something in front of my eyes other than leather attached to Foster's arms so I can write.

What a fight. Light heavies of the IBL better take note. I just took the best from the best as far as I'm concerned and I'm still standing and ready to fight another day. I think I gained some valuable experience against Foster. I just wished I'd had the chance to throw more leather than I did but when you're constantly ducking and avoiding.....it's kind of hard to mount any kind of offense.

Well I'm of to the pub to grab a six-pack.........4 to use as ice-packs and the other 2 to knock back.

That was a great effort from your guy, Scot. He was starting to get the better of Foster in those last two rounds so that must be a positive sign for if they meet down the track in a longer fight. I think you'll do quite well for the rest of the tournament after this showing.

[kenyan_cheena]

THE STAPLES CENTER UNDERCARD

Opening Bout

In an action-packed start to the evening, Tennessee's Gordon McKenzie scored a hard-earned unanimous decision victory over Californian fighter Alvaro Lopez (59-57, 58-56, 59-55). After McKenzie dominated the 1st round, Lopez was competitive the rest of the way but come up just a little bit short in most of the rounds.

As part of such a deep group, neither man is expected to qualify for the World Championship tournament but if tonight's contest is any indication they'll be doing their best to defy those beliefs. This was a fantastic fight, one that had the audience on their feet on several occasions. McKenzie landed 178 of 580 punches (.307), Lopez 127 of 441 (.288).

Preliminary 1

Another high-quality matchup, with 18 year-old San Jose native Eddie Booker winning by majority decision against Hollywood local Jack Chase (58-56, 57-57, 58-56). This was a clash of two of the less explosive fighters of the Light-Heavyweight division, with Booker using a pinpoint left jab to wear Chase down throughout the fight. The former amateur star won the contest during the middle rounds as he swept the 2nd through to the 4th on all three judge's scorecards.

Punch totals

Booker: 162/380 (.426)
Chase: 96/292 (.329)

Booker is considered a good chance of progressing to the World Championship tournament and hasn't been afraid to say that he's eager to take on Bob Foster. The New Mexico native eliminated him from the selection trials for the 2000 Olympics and Booker is keen to get some measure of payback against the silver medallist. That will certainly be an exciting fight when it happens.

Preliminary 2

One of the finds of the IBL's Los Angeles trials, Arizona's John Henry Lewis commenced his campaign with a majority decision victory over Oakland's Leroy Grace (59-56, 57-57, 59-55). Lewis was only just the better man through most of the rounds, although Grace finished with a fantastic final flurry. On the whole the Californian was often frustrated by Lewis' speed, defense and ability to hurt him with both fists.

Although Grace found the mark with a flush uppercut early in the 1st Lewis was quick to establish dominance, picking his man off with a piston-like jab. It must be said that the remaining five rounds were all close affairs but Lewis had the knack of doing just enough in most of them to sway the judges.

Back during those May trials IBL scouts were shocked to learn that Lewis had never boxed as an amateur, his natural ability and flair for the sport making such a claim seem impossible. Tonight he was not overly spectacular but he showed enough to let everyone know that he'll be a contender to finish in the top four, without a doubt. Lewis conencted with 141 of 455 shots (.310), Grace 112 of 462 (.242).

Support Bout

The evening's fourth contest was a grudge match that boxing fans had been looking forward to ever since announced on the IBL's opening night. Nebraska's Jack Fox and Iowa's Michael Nunn had struck up a potent animosity during the St. Louis selection trials. Intense and aggressive, Fox seemed to dislike the lanky, cheeky Nunn from the moment he laid eyes on him. They tangled with fists and words, Nunn going out of his way to get under Fox's skin. While he had treated the situation as something of a game, Fox had been deadly serious, a fact that Nunn had called him out over.

"The brother needs to chill a little," he'd said. "Not take himself so seriously. Not try to be so hard, you know? But, he's been bringin' it more than anyone, and I ain't the type to turn the other cheek."

The verbal sparring had continued in the lead up to tonight's clash, with yesterday's weigh-in almost descending into a full-blown brawl when the two men started eyeballing each other. They entered the ring as contrasts: Fox in solid black, Nunn in solid white. The hatred, in particular from Fox, was fiercely evident at the staredown in the moments before the opening bell...

***

Nunn is considered one of the most gifted boxers amongst the ranks of the IBL and from the opening round he sets out to establish his jab, spearing it out at his shorter opponent whenever Fox makes an attempt to get inside. Fox is a ball of ripped muscle in contrast to Nunn's long-limbed frame. Midway through the round the Omaha native is able to pin Nunn in a neutral corner and he blazes away, landing a hard shot to the chest and another to the head before a stiff jab pierces Nunn's defenses and snaps his head back, bringing an excited round of applause from the crowd. Nunn is able to move out of trouble though and keeps Fox at bay for the remainder of the round with that stiff jab.

The action heats up in the 2nd, Fox finding more success working on the inside. But it's Nunn that starts out better, catching his man with a crisp combination early before continuing to pepper Fox with that potent left. Fox's strategy of pressing pays off when he gets in close and drives a hard right into Nunn's midsection before snapping his head back with a crunching uppercut! Nunn looks concerned and when Fox drops a fierce right hand on him the Iowa native is stunned, the shot turning his head halfway round. Nunn goes back to the jab, backpedalling and firing at the same time. When Fox comes in for another assault Nunn unloads with a sweet uppercut, catching Fox right on the chin. It backs him off and gives Nunn some room to work the jab, which he does for the last ten seconds of the round.

The top half of round three is uneventful but when Fox connects with a hard straight right Nunn is sent into the ropes and the crowd shoot to their feet. Fox moves in and although Nunn tags him with a left-right salvo he keeps coming forward, unleashing a right hook-left hook barrage, a straight right finding Nunn's jaw and forcing him to cover up. There's a minute left in the round and Fox has his adversary pinned on the ropes. But Nunn fires away with a left and a right, putting Fox on the backfoot and allowing Nunn some breathing room. He circles Fox, probing with the jab before the bell sounds to signal that the midpoint of the contest has been reached.

Nunn makes a good start to the 4th, finding the target with his jab before landing a jolting right cross. But when he allows Fox to get in close the muscle-bound slugger tees off, catching Nunn with not one, not two, but three hard shots! Nunn maintains his footing but he looks perturbed. Nunn doesn't run though, trying to catch Fox with an uppercut but missing. Fox is smiling now and he pounds away at Nunn's body before doing what the lanky 22 year-old could not, which is land the uppercut. Two minutes down and Fox blasts away with a right to the body, Nunn's retort a smashing left hook. Having completely abandoned his jab and move policy during this round could cost Nunn but as the stanza draws to a close he returns to it, pawing away at Fox in the final moments of the round.

Into the 5th now and it seems the fight is either man's for the taking. It's the best round of the fight for Nunn so far as he frustrates Fox with that jab, keeping him at a distance for most of the three minutes. According to the punch stats shown when it's over Nunn outlanded his man 36-5, the majority of those shots stiff jabs that Fox wore on the face. Could this be the turning point? That was a masterful round from Nunn and Fox looked mighty annoyed as he returned to his corner.

The last three minutes of this great contest are upon as and Nunn begins it fantastically, catching a tiring Fox with a procession of jabs aswell as two hard, aggressive combinations. As it approaches the midpoint Fox has done little but he soon lands a big right hook, forcing Nunn to backpedal. Fox unleashes a flurry of shots but Nunn slips all but one of them, his feet keeping him out of danger. When he steps in and lands a hard left hook Fox is cut above the right eye, the Nebraska slugger pawing at the cut briefly before refocusing on the task at hand. Nunn is working the jab and it seems he's done enough to win the round and perhaps the fight but Fox catches him with a jolting left hook, hurting Nunn! His legs appear momentarily rubberised and Fox tracks him down, swinging for the fences with the right and missing. As the final ten seconds are signalled the crowd rise as one, applauding a fantastic contest. A weary Nunn is keeping at a distance as the bell sounds.

The dislike between the two continues after the bell, a brief touching of gloves before Fox sends some choice words in Nunn's direction, Nunn spitting back a reply...

***

The tension is palpable during the wait for the verdict, announcer Frank Shain finally putting the two fighters and the crowd out of their misery.

"Judge Ricardo Duncan of Panama scores it 59-56, to Michael Nunn. Judge Renato Caddeo of Italy has it 58-57 to Jack Fox. Judge Michael Pernick of the USA has scored the bout 59-56, to the winner by split decision, Jaaack, Foxxx!!!!"

The moment Shain started saying Fox's name, Nunn could be heard to exclaim "Oh, hell, no!!!" The 22 year-old turned and walked to his corner in anger, throwing down the water bottle he'd been drinking from before walking towards Shain, asking him if he "was sure" if that was the correct verdict.

Nunn refused to shake Fox's hand or congratulate him, giving each judge a verbal spray, even the Panamanian who had scored the fight in his favour. He departed the ring in disgust soon after, before HBO had a chance to interview him.

Punch totals

Jack Fox: 100/292 (.342)
Michael Nunn: 163/325 (.502)

"Think it was clear that I was the aggressor," said Fox, smiling. "He may have landed more shots but I landed the harder ones. I made the fight what it was 'cause I kept on comin' forward while he kept on backpedallin'. Just prove what I thought o' the guy back in Missouri. He don't like the rough stuff and that's why his punk ass lost the fight."

"I'm lookin' forward to findin' out," said Fox, when asked who he thought his next opponent will be. "Hope it's that Long dude, to be honest. I think Foster's gonna take care o' business 'gainst him and it'd be my pleasure to make him 0-2."

***

Of course, once the main event was over, everyone knew what the series two matchups were. Fox didn't get his wish, but there were a couple of interesting bouts on the schedule...

BOB FOSTER (1-0-0) vs JACK CHASE (0-1-0)
TOMMY HARRISON (0-1-0) vs GORDON MCKENZIE (1-0-0)
LEROY GRACE (0-1-0) vs MICHAEL SPINKS (1-0-0)
JACK FOX (1-0-0) vs EDDIE BOOKER (1-0-0)
MICHAEL NUNN (0-1-0) vs SCOT LONG (0-1-0)
ALVARO LOPEZ (0-1-0) vs JOHN HENRY LEWIS (1-0-0)

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
INTERNATIONAL BOXING LEAGUE FIGHT CARD
WEDNESDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 2002
STAPLES CENTER, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA

IBL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
REGIONAL QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT, SERIES ONE
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION
REGION: USA WEST


OPENING BOUT

Gordon McKenzie UD6 Alvaro Lopez

PRELIMINARY 1

Eddie Booker MD6 Jack Chase

PRELIMINARY 2

John Henry Lewis MD6 Leroy Grace

SUPPORT BOUT

Jack Fox SD6 Michael Nunn

CO-FEATURE

Bob Foster MD6 Scot Long

MAIN EVENT

Michael Spinks UD6 Tommy Harrison

[kenyan_cheena]

NUNN STILL FUMING AFTER LOSS TO FOX

Thursday 5 September 2002

Speaking on an Iowa radio talk show this morning, International Boxing League Light-Heavyweight competitor Michael Nunn has voiced his disgust over the result of his bout against Jack Fox last night at LA's Staples Center. In a fight where Nunn landed sixty more punches than his opponent and appeared to be in control most of the time the native of Davenport lost by a split decision verdict (58-57, 56-59, 59-56). Nunn did not disguise his disappointment in the moments after the result was revealed, questioning the announcer and hurling abuse at the judges before storming from the ring.

"I was robbed," he said this morning. "Anyone who watched the fight would have known that. It's really frustratin' 'cause we've only got eleven fights to secure a berth in the World Championship tournament. It's gonna be real competitive as far as who moves on and who don't and this result could really come back to haunt me when the regionals are over."

Nunn and Fox had developed a deep animosity during IBL selection trials earlier this year and that hostility has made the result even harder for Nunn to swallow.

"No doubt about that," he agreed, when questioned on the point. "I don't like the guy and he hates me even more, so I can guarantee he's feelin' mighty satisfied this mornin'. But deep down he has to know he didn't win that fight and I'm gonna be talkin' to Mr. Molk about it."

When asked if he'd like a rematch with Fox, Nunn replied positively.

"Oh, yeah," he replied. "I'd love to fight the guy again. I'd do it tomorrow if it was possible but I know that ain't gonna happen. As much as I'd love it there ain't no way the IBL'll let it happen 'cause it would interrupt the tournament. But, yeah, I'd love to school the guy again."

Last night's card was a fantastic one, with the bout between Nunn and Fox one of the highlights. Another was the clash between Olympic silver medallist Bob Foster and Kansas native Scot Long. After a bruising encounter in which Foster set a cracking pace in the early rounds he was able to hold on to win by majority decision. Long will be Nunn's next opponent and he spoke about the matchup.

"The guy is tailor-made for me," Nunn boasted. "He's tough and durable, but he'll come right at me and that's just gonna allow me to pick him off at will. I can see it being an ugly night for him."

It's highly unlikely that anything Nunn says to IBL Chief Director James Molk will change the result of his bout against Jack Fox. Nunn would be better suited to accept the verdict and concentrate on his next fight. Even so, he reiterated that he'll be talking to Molk in the next day or two.

"I ain't joking," Nunn said. "And I'll have some choice words for him. You believe that."

[kenyan_cheena]

FOURIE AND CARPENTIER VICTORIOUS IN CANNES

Thursday 5 September 2002

In wildly contrasting fashion, France's two premier Light-Heavyweights made successful starts to their IBL regional qualifying campaigns today at the Palais Des Sports in Cannes.

Fighting in the Main Event, 28 year-old Marseilles native Petite Fourie scored a more-or-less uneventful unanimous decision win over England's Len Harvey (58-57, 59-56, 58-57). Due to his lack of aggression Fourie had earned the nickname of "The French Pastry" during the league's May selection trials and that same disposition was in action against Harvey. This was a contest that lacked fireworks, Fourie mostly content to work from the outside behind a solid jab while his fancy footwork kept him out of harm's way. It was clear that he was the superior fighter, as was his unwillingness to press his opponent for any extended period of the fight.

Harvey was unlucky not to salvage a draw as he stepped up his aggression in the final two rounds and appeared to win each quite handily. Even so, only one judge awarded both to him. Fourie was in a laid-back mood afterwards, preferring to speak of the jazz festival he'd be attending next week than of the fight he'd just taken part in. He gave vague, seemingly uninterested answers to the questions posed to him before rambling on about a particular drummer or trumpeter he was looking forward to hearing. It was revealed later that Fourie had indulged in an extended period of pipe smoking in the dressing room before the fight, leading to his mellowed disposition. Considering this and his distracted state of mind, it was surprising that Fourie was able to produce the six rounds of boxing he did.

Without a doubt, Petite Fourie is one of the more unusual competitors in the International Boxing League.

(to be continued)

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

Punch totals

Fourie: 114/446 (.256)
Harvey: 113/353 (.320)

***

While Fourie's showing was somewhat underwhelming, the same could not be said for the one put in by Lens teenager Georges Carpentier. Appearing in the Co-Feature, the 17 year-old decimated Zambia's Lotte Mwale inside of three rounds, dominating the 1st and 2nd before knocking the African out cold two minutes into round three.

Considered one of the most talented teenagers in the IBL, Carpentier had enjoyed a great preparation for his debut. He didn't put a foot wrong during the May selection trials and had continued to employ a disciplined training regime in the time since. He came out firing from the opening bell, his quick fists catching Mwale with an assortment of damaging blows.

The Zambian looked almost helpless as he struggled to stay on his feet through the first two rounds, barely landing a punch of his own in the face of Carpentier's relentless onslaught. When the end came it was jaw-dropping, to say the least. After staggering Mwale with a flurry of lefts and rights Carpentier tracked him down in a neutral corner and caught him right on the chin with a perfect left hook. The shot brought a howl of amazed approval from the crowd and Mwale crumbled to the canvas to be counted out 2:16 into round three.

Carpentier was remarkably low-key considering the fantastic display he'd just put on, showing an almost indifferent countenance as his cornerman cut the gloves off him. His maturity was clear when interviewed afterwards.

"This was a fight we expected to win," he said. "So the only thing that would have brought a reaction from me was a draw or a loss. I'm not going to be like these other fighters, jumping around when they beat someone they're supposed to. There's a lot of great fighters in this group but, no respect to him, Lotte Mwale is not one of them."

In just over eight minutes of work, Carpentier connected with an impressive 109 of 157 punches (.694), Mwale just 6 of 54 (.111). Whichever way you look at it, regardless of the quality of his opposition, this was a fantastic debut for Georges Carpentier.

(Still to come: The Palais Des Sports Undercard)

[Ric915]

Awesome Stuff KC... These write ups are awesome. Tough draw for SAL in the first round but he did his thing.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Ric915

Awesome Stuff KC... These write ups are awesome. Tough draw for SAL in the first round but he did his thing.

Thanks, Ric. Only two universe weeks until your guy's debut. That's a fight I'm really looking forward to writing about.

[kenyan_cheena]

The Palais Des Sports Undercard

OPENING BOUT

21 year-old Englishman Bob Fitzsimmons passed a tough first-up test in taking a unanimous decision victory against South Africa's Allan Pollock (59-54, 58-55, 59-54). This was definitely a case of the scores not telling the true story as Pollock was right in the contest through the first four rounds.

Fitzsimmons had been a standout at the league's Manchester trials and was expected to handle Pollock quite easily but the rugged 23 year-old had other ideas. After Fitzsimmons came out strong in round one Pollock rebounded with an aggressive showing in the 2nd. That was, until Fitzsimmons dropped him with a short, jolting left hook ten seconds before the bell. The South African had dominated the round to that point but despite this, all three judges gave it 10-8 to Fitzsimmons.

Pollock didn't give in, though, pressing the Englishman in rounds three and four and earning himself a deal of applause from the French crowd. But he faded in round five, Fitzsimmons taking the stanza with ease and doing the same but to an even greater extent in the final round.

Considered one of the favourites to finish on top of the Europe/Africa group, Fitzsimmons gave an impressive account of himself against a determined opponent but he was merely satisfied with his performance.

"Well, there were some things I could have done to make it easier on myself," he said. "Like defend, to start with. He caught me with far too many shots and that's disappointing. My own workrate wasn't what I was hoping for, either. So, we've got a lot to work on before the next fight."

Punch totals

Fitzsimmons: 181/365 (.496)
Pollock: 157/393 (.399)

PRELIMINARY 1

German bronze medallist Graciano Rocchigiani had not been a happy man in the days leading into tonight's event. The reason? Simple. He did not believe that an Olympic medallist should be appearing as low on the card as league officials had placed him. The 20 year-old had not been shy about expressing his unhappiness, either, criticising the IBL during an interview on German television last week.

His trainers had told him to forget about the apparent slight and concentrate on winning his debut bout, which was against the Congo southpaw Shabani Mputu. Even so, Rocchigiani made his way to the ring with a disgruntled expression showing on his face. Besides his corner crew, he was accompanied by HBF Qualifying League competitor Scott Mundt, who he'd struck up a friendship with at the May selection trials in Berlin.

Perhaps Rocchigiani didn't listen closely enough to his trainers, or maybe he was just unlucky with the judges. Whichever the reason, he became the second Sydney medallist to lose on debut as Mputu was victorious by split decision (60-54, 56-58, 58-56). It was a fight where most of the rounds were close and in the eyes of some Rocchigiani came out on the wrong end of the scorecards in a couple of them.

The German looked confident through the first two rounds, not setting the world on fire but doing enough to convince most he'd been the better man. After a close 3rd Mputu exploded in round fire, staggering Rocchigiani with a jolting left cross and a right-left-right salvo in the opening minute before a hard left hook found the mark not long after. The outburst excited the crowd and they cheered enthusiastically for the African, Mputu controlling the rest of the round.

Like the earlier rounds, the 5th and 6th were close affairs but the German looked to have finished the fight in a stronger manner. Even so, when the verdict was announced all he could do was shake Mputu's hand and then shake his head, unable to comprehend that he had been defeated in his professional debut. Mputu connected with 115 of 351 punches (32.8%), Rocchigiani 127 of 418 (31.1%).

After the failure of Max Schmeling in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament, German fight fans had been looking to Rocchigiani to restore some pride. Those hopes might not have been dashed, but they've certainly taken a hit after this result.

PRELIMINARY 2

One of a number of promising Nigerian fighters in the IBL, Taribo Keshi scored a split decision win over the Irishman Steve Collins in the third contest of the evening (58-56, 57-58, 58-56). Despite what was a lopsided punch count (in Keshi's favour) this was as close a contest as the cards indicated.

While Keshi employed power, Collins went with volume and he landed some scorching combinations. Keshi looked fantastic at times, especially in rounds two and five, which he thoroughly dominated. But at other moments it appeared that he was on the verge of tasting the canvas as Collins hurt him with some damaging four and five punch salvos. But Collins missed far more than he landed while at the same time having great difficulty avoiding Keshi's more economical offense.

The Nigerian landed an impressive 182 of 304 shots (.599), Collins connecting with 111 of 469 (.237). Keshi was in a jubilant mood afterwards.

"We are doing this for Nigeria," he said adamantly. "All of us, in both the IBL and HBF ... we are going to show the world what Nigeria is capable of."

SUPPORT BOUT

Taribo Keshi's victory over Steve Collins may have been impressive, but it paled in comparison to that of his fellow Nigerian Celestine Amakochi. In the most dominant showing of the night (and the week to date), Amakochi defeated South Africa's Mike Holt by unanimous decision (60-54, 59-55, 60-54). It's true that Holt might not be one of the better fighters in the group but with the form that Amakochi was in, he may have beaten anyone on this night. Prefering to rely on his handspeed rather than power, Amakochi mesmerized Holt throughout the contest, picking him off at will with a piston-like jab.

When the fight was all over, the Nigerian had landed an IBL-best 222 punches, having thrown 414 for an accuracy rate of 53.6%. He'd cut the South African twice and had asked the referee on three separate occasions to stop the bout. Holt was only able to land 33 of 299 punches (.110), Amakochi's defensive prowess also impressing.

Having made the walk to the ring with a trio of fellow Nigerian fighters (Tebiro Diaw, Omovo Okocha and Samuel Peter), Amakochi tempered their celebrations after the verdict was revealed. His friends were more excited about his win than he was and he spoke of the future with much more interest.

"This fight is over and I've already forgotten about it," said Amakochi. "No offense to Mike Holt, but I have to focus on my next fight because I know it will be much more difficult for me than this one was."

***

While his debut bout opponent was not of a high standard, Amakochi won't have that problem in series two, as he's been drawn to face the man who defeated Rocchigiani, Shabani Mputu...

Series Two matchups:

GEORGES CARPENTIER (1-0-0(1)) vs MIKE HOLT (0-1-0)
GRACIANO ROCCHIGIANI (0-1-0) vs TARIBO KESHI (1-0-0)
BOB FITZSIMMONS (1-0-0) vs STEVE COLLINS (0-1-0)
SHABANI MPUTU (1-0-0) vs CELESTINE AMAKOCHI (1-0-0)
ALLAN POLLOCK (0-1-0) vs LEN HARVEY (0-1-0)
LOTTE MWALE (0-1-0) vs PETITE FOURIE (1-0-0)

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SUMMARY OF RESULTS
INTERNATIONAL BOXING LEAGUE FIGHT CARD
THURSDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 2002
PALAIS DES SPORTS, CANNES, FRANCE

IBL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
REGIONAL QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT, SERIES ONE
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION
REGION: EUROPE/AFRICA


OPENING BOUT

Bob Fitzsimmons UD6 Allan Pollock