The International Boxing League

[kenyan_cheena]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

Friday 6 September 2002

Harlem's Maxie Rosenbloom gave himself a 20th birthday present he'll long remember when he scored a majority decision victory over Camden's Dwight Braxton tonight at the Amazura Ballroom in Queens, New York. Fighting in the Main Event of the International Boxing League's Light-Heavyweight division regional qualifier, Rosenbloom made his professional boxing debut a successful one with a display of eye-catching skills against an opponent who pressed him throughout the contest.

Rosenbloom was regarded as one of the finds of the IBL's Atlantic City trials. The young man's extroverted ways and claims that he'll be the IBL's first Light-Heavyweight World Champion have led to him becoming something of a celebrity in the tough Harlem neighbourhood where he was born and raised. The gym Rosenbloom's trained at during these past few months has become a popular place to gather, locals clamouring to hear one of the fighter's numerous, colourful and boastful spiels.

The bout had been promoted as another chapter in the New York-New Jersey sporting rivalry, Braxton making his way to the ring accompanied by fellow Jersey Pride members Joe Jeannette, Steve Hamas, Ike Williams and Mickey Walker. Rosenbloom followed soon after, further enamouring himself to his fellow New Yorkers when he appeared wearing an oversized black Mets jersey, hair slicked back off his forehead.

It only took the opening round for the crowd to be exposed to Rosenbloom's skill. He was able to frustrate and keep the aggressive Braxton on his outside with a consistant, probing jab. Rosenbloom was constantly circling, quick to make angles that made any sort of offense from Braxton difficult. The highlight of the round was one opportunistic moment when Rosenbloom stepped in and snapped Braxton's head back with a jolting uppercut before his feet quickly took him back out of range.

Round two appeared to be progressing in identical fashion before Braxton connected with his first telling punch of the fight at the two minute mark, a hard uppercut that rocked the Harlem native and had him backpedalling. Braxton was able to find the target with a flush right cross and a left hook before the round was through, Rosenbloom shaking his head in disgust as he returned to his corner. He'd find more trouble in the 3rd as Braxton won the round convincingly, a smashing right hand to the forehead wobbling Rosenbloom early before some effective bodywork achieved similarly positive results through the middle section of the round. Braxton was a cyclone of activity, throwing punches in bunches of five, six and sometimes seven at a time, although many of them were airballs. He finished an impressive three minutes by backing Rosenbloom up after a spirited exchange and then landing a shot that was part uppercut, part left hook right on the bell.

Rosenbloom wore a perplexed expression during the intermission, his trainer Mannie Seamon pleading with him to "get out of the trenches" and return to his strategy of the opening round. Unsurprisingly, those words led to Rosenbloom wrestling back control of the contest as he peppered Braxton with that left jab throughout round four. But Braxton came back strongly in the 5th, finishing with a rush after what were an uneventful first two minutes. He caught Rosenbloom with a crunching uppercut and followed it with a flush left hook, Rosenbloom's face a mask of pain.

The final round started slowly and through the first half neither man had asserted themselves. Rosenbloom pushed himself to finish out the fight in a more desperate manner, plugging the jab into Braxton's face through the final minute before (some would say unwisely) trading hard shots with the New Jersey slugger as the last seconds ticked away.

When the verdict was announced it revealed what a close bout it had been. Two judges favoured Rosenbloom by the same 58-56 scoreline, the third seeing it a 57-57 draw. Rosenbloom was up by a single point on all three cards going into the final stanza and so it was his effort in those final three minutes that won him the contest.

Punch totals

Maxie Rosenbloom: 177/347 (.510)
Dwight Braxton: 102/556 (.183)

"Aggression's all fine and good but if you can't land a punch what good does it do you?" said Rosenbloom, clearly satisfied with his showing. "The guy could have thrown the kitchen sink at me and he still would have missed. Sure, he got me with some hard shots at times but he struck out more often than not. People will say that I've got no power, that I can't knock anybody out but I'll take what I've got over power and aggression and day of the week and twice on Sunday."

Rosenbloom continued to display a boisterous attitude as he spoke to other members of the media, Braxton showing a much more humble disposition.

"It's hard to land a clean punch on him," he admitted. "When I did, I couldn't back it up with anything but ... I'm not too disappointed. They've been saying he's one of the favourites. He's been sayin' it, too, but I came pretty close to getting a win against him. I can take a lot of positives out of this fight."

(Still to come: The Amazura Ballroom Undercard)

[kenyan_cheena]

The Amazura Ballroom Undercard

OPENING BOUT

The night got off to an explosive start with New Jersey native James Scott obliterating Guyana's Dennis Andries in the 2nd round. The Caribbean fighter actually had the better of round one but when Scott landed a crunching uppercut and a hard left to the body early in round two, Andries looked in trouble.

Scott pressed him and after a straight right wobbled Andries, a follow-up left-right salvo sent him to the canvas two minutes into the round. He was up at four but down again thirty seconds later as, still unsteady, he walked into a right cross. This time he only just managed to beat the count but when he stumbled back into the ropes, referee Benji Esteves waved the contest over with Scott the winner by TKO at the 2:56 mark of round two.

PRELIMINARY 1

In a clash of two New Yorkers, Bronx native Iran Barkley came out on top against Tom Bethea, the 23 year-old scoring a decisive unanimous decision victory (59-55, 60-54, 58-56). Barkley dominated the opening four rounds with aggression and hard work, landing an average of 32 punches per round through that period before easing off somewhat in the final two frames.

When it was all over the Bronx slugger had landed 163 of 429 punches (.380) while Bethea connected with 82 of 156 (.526). Although not physically strong, it's clear that Barkley makes up for it with his belligerent, pressing style. He has a personality to match, having rubbed several fellow competitors the wrong way during the Atlantic City selection trials. It's been said that he had a difficult childhood, growing up in the tough South Bronx neighbourhood of Tremont. If tonight's display is any indication, boxing could most definitely offer Barkley a future brighter than what he's been through in the past.

PRELIMINARY 2

In another victory for Gotham, Virginia-born Brooklynite Jimmy Slade defeated Dominican Republic native Merqui Sosa by unanimous decision (59-56, 58-56, 59-56). It was quite a disappointing showing from Sosa, copnsidering how the 22 year-old had impressed at June's Santo Domingo selection trials. Slade never allowed him to get into the fight, sticking a lightning fast left jab in Sosa's face throughout the contest. He took a three point lead on two scorecards into the 5th round and put quite an exclamation point on his efforts when he landed a fantastic 54 blows in the final stanza.

Sosa had himself lived in Brooklyn as a child and there was a strong Dominican Republic presence in the audience to cheer him on. But it did little good as Slade romped to a clinical victory, landing almost twice as many punches as his opponent while throwing considerably less.

Punch totals

Slade: 189/355 (.532)
Sosa: 100/410 (.244)

SUPPORT BOUT

Like the second, the evening's fourth contest was a matchup of New Yorkers. Paul Berlenbach floored Johnny Persol twice on the way to a unanimous decision victory (59-55, 59-54, 59-55). Persol tasted the canvas late in round two after a smashing ribshot took all the air out of him and was down again in the 4th from a jolting uppercut.

Those two incidents aside it was a pretty close contest. Berlenbach was a whirlwind of activity throughout, throwing over 600 punches and dominating the stretch from round two through to the end of the 4th. But Persol finished quite strongly, making the most of his tiring opponent. But as the saying goes it was too little, too late.

CO-FEATURE

One of the favourites for a top four finish, 23 year-old Puerto Rican Jose Torres got his campaign off to a strong start with a punishing 6th round KO of Trinidad and Tobago's Yolande Pompey. It didn't look like it would be the case though after the 1st round with Pompey keeping Torres at a distance with a penetrating jab. Torres answered back nicely in round two before getting down to the business of decimating his opponent.

Starting the 3rd by landing a pair of crunching left hooks, Torres sent Pompey to the canvas two minutes in with a flush, chin-turning right hook. Up at six, the Caribbean fighter survived the round before finding himself on the canvas for a second time just twenty seconds into the 4th. This time it was a hard left rip to the body that did the damage and Pompey pushed himself to his feet at the count of eight. Somehow he managed to withstand the barrage Torres unleashed through the remainder of the round and then surprisingly rallied in the 5th, outslugging Torres in the most entertaining three minutes of the fight.

But the Puerto Rican went back to work in the 6th, a left-right salvo dropping Pompey for a third time thirty seconds in. He refused to give in and was up at six. After absorbing a wicked straight right he was then knocked down for the fourth time in the fight at the round's midpoint, a wild overhand right catching him on the chin. Once again Pompey climbed back to his feet but referee Harry Ertle hesitated before allowing the fight to continue. Torres walked in and unleashed the final punch of the contest, a perfect right cross that put Pompey on his back. This time he was out cold and counted out 1:58 into the final round.

***

Matchups for Series Two...

JAMES SCOTT (1-0-0(1)) vs JOHNNY PERSOL (0-1-0)
DWIGHT BRAXTON (0-1-0) vs MERQUI SOSA (0-1-0)
PAUL BERLENBACH (1-0-0) vs JOSE TORRES (1-0-0(1))
YOLANDE POMPEY (0-1-0) vs JIMMY SLADE (1-0-0)
MAXIE ROSENBLOOM (1-0-0) vs TOM BETHEA (0-1-0)
IRAN BARKLEY (1-0-0) vs DENNIS ANDRIES (0-1-0)

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
INTERNATIONAL BOXING LEAGUE FIGHT CARD
FRIDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2002
AMAZURA BALLROOM, QUEENS, NEW YORK, USA

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


OPENING BOUT

James Scott TKO2 Dennis Andries

PRELIMINARY 1

Iran Barkley UD6 Tom Bethea

PRELIMINARY 2

Jimmy Slade UD6 Merqui Sosa

SUPPORT BOUT

Paul Berlenbach UD6 Johnny Persol

CO-FEATURE

Jose Torres KO6 Yolande Pompey

MAIN EVENT

Maxie Rosenbloom MD6 Dwight Braxton

[kenyan_cheena]

MATTHEWS STROLLS TO VICTORY IN JAPAN

Saturday 7 September 2002

Back during the IBL's May selection trials Idaho's Harry Matthews had impressed with his punching power and aggression. But the 16 year-old Light-Heavyweight had also displayed a penchant for going out too hard too early and the league decided he'd be better suited to the Future Contender series than the regional qualifiers.

"That Matthews kid has a ton of potential," IBL Chief Director Douglas Moran had said. "But he needs someone to get in his ear and tell him that he doesn't need to knock every guy out in the first round. We think that by putting him in the Future Contenders series, it will give him time to learn more about the science of the sport."

Today Matthews made his FC series debut in Japan and it's clear that in the time since those trials, someone has gotten "in his ear". Matthews showed a steady, unhurried disposition on the way to a confident if unspectacular unanimous decision victory against Miami's Greg Tanner (58-56 on all three cards). The Idaho native spoke afterwards of how he'd enjoyed pacing himself throughout the bout.

"In the amateurs I'd try to knock every guy's head off in the 1st round," he said. "But my trainer Steve has really helped me to learn how to build a victory: how to wear an opponent down. I have to say I enjoyed tonight a lot."

In the Co-Feature, Boston's Tony Shucco dominated the Jamaican Bob Thornington and won by unanimous decision (60-54, 59-55, 60-54). Shucco outlanded the Caribbean fighter by a ration of more than 4:1 (156-35)...

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
INTERNATIONAL BOXING LEAGUE FIGHT CARD
SATURDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2002
SAITAMA SUPER ARENA, TOKYO, SAITAMA, JAPAN

IBL FUTURE CONTENDER SERIES
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION - GROUP THREE, SERIES ONE


OPENING BOUT

Richie Kates UD6 Leo Lomski

PRELIMINARY 1

Billy Smith MD6 Sam Baroudi

PRELIMINARY 2

Anton Christoforidis D6 Jukka Koivisto

SUPPORT BOUT

Holly Mims UD6 Brad Garrison

CO-FEATURE

Tony Shucco UD6 Bob Thornington

MAIN EVENT

Harry Matthews UD6 Greg Tanner

[kenyan_cheena]

CONN-VINCING:
PITTSBURGH TEENAGER
TRIUMPHANT IN TENNESSEE

Saturday 7 September 2002

Fighting in the Main Event of tonight's Memphis IBL fight card, Pittsburgh native Billy Conn made a victorious start to his professional boxing career with a majority decision win against Toledo's Lindell Holmes (58-56, 57-57, 58-56). Having never fought as an amateur the 17 year-old was one of the big discoveries at the league's Atlantic City selection trials and he was entered straight into the Light-Heavyweight regional qualifiers.

Conn is not gifted with KO power but what he does have is tremendous hand and foot speed aswell as an excellent defense. For someone with no previous experience, he possesses a remarkable understanding of the strategy involved in boxing. He displayed this against Holmes, taking advantage of the fact that Holmes had (according to reports) overtrained for the bout and might fade in the latter stages. After an even first four rounds, Conn pounced in the 5th and 6th, dominating the tiring Ohio native and landing exactly half of the 146 punches he connected with in those two rounds alone.

This was a tough first-up challenge for Conn as Holmes really came to fight. He looked to be in the driver's seat following an excellent showing in the 4th where he caught Conn with a pair of bone-rattling combinations late in the piece. But as noted earlier he ran out of steam in those last two rounds, Conn sweeping them on all three cards to take the verdict.

Conn is one of a number of talented fighters to hail from the Pittsburgh area, the list also including IBL Middleweights Harry Greb and Charley Burley and undefeated HBF slugger Frank Moran. It would be a fantastic achievement if each member of the quartet finds World Championship success in their respective weight divisons.

***

(to be continued)

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

The evening's Co-Feature was a clash of two 19 year-olds who had both stood out at their respective selection trials. Laid-back Milwaukee native Eric Bengtson had impressed in Indianapolis with his punching power and fitness while Philadelphia's Harold Johnson caught the eye of scouts in Atlantic City with his quick hands, superb defense and ring movement. All the ingredients were there for a classic boxer versus puncher stoush.

Having claimed to be one who doesn't like to draw attention to himself, Bengtson had done just that when he turned up at a promotional event earlier in the week accompanied by fellow Wisconsin fighter Jake Morrison, the two dressed in dark pinstripe suits and sporting identical shaved heads. Morrison has been a controversial figure since coming into the public spotlight during the same Indianapolis trials that uneartherd Bengtson, his hair-trigger temper and aggressive attitude leading to a number of run-ins with other trialists, including fellow Middleweight Stanley Ketchel. Morrison was involved in an assault incident in July and drew the ire of the Mellon Arena crowd following his debut last week when he verbally abused a young child on the way back to the dressing rooms.

It was a surprise to see Morrison and Bengtson, two polar opposite personalities standing side-by-side in apparent alliance with each other. The assumption was made that, like the members of the Florida Alliance, Jersey Pride and USC, the two had decided to start training and preparing for their fights together, although they never confirmed it.

Bengtson had alluded to their partnership back on Wednesday with what was meant to be a comical remark, saying "I guess we're the Wisconsin mafia." Although he'd only been playing the media had run with the remark and they've been referring to the two fighters as the "Wisconsin mafia" ever since.

Tonight Morrison made the walk to the ring with Bengtson, dressed in a similar dark suit to the one from the promotional event. Bengtson wore a robe of black silk around his torso and a sneer of hostile intentions upon his countenance, eyeing Johnson in the moments before the two were brought together in the centre of the ring.

(to be continued)

[Jeff1787]

The Wisconsin boys better look out for each other....no one else will...

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation of post #406)

The jury was out over who would emerge victorious, some favouring Bengtson's power, others pointing to Johnson's speed. After three rounds it appeared that the night would belong to the Pennsylvanian as he was picking off Bengtson almost at will. Johnson's jab was a thing of beauty, piercing his opponent's defenses time and again. Bengtson looked incapable of keeping Johnson at bay, his efforts to mount a counter attack failing miserably. Johnson was in complete control after a dominating 3rd where he started landing some harder punches, including a jolting, flush straight right late in the round. The one thing that had gone in Bengtson's favour took place in round two, when referee Brian Garry deducted a point from the quick-fisted Philadelphian for leading with his head. It was a decision that bemused Johnson, one that many observers felt was rash and unnecessary, at least at that point of the fight.

Round four was going in a similar direction to the previous three before Bengtson landed his first damaging shot of the fight, a hard right cross that staggered Johnson and had him on the backfoot. Bengtson followed it up with a left rip to the body, ending the round strongly to the enthusiasm of the Memphis crowd. The 5th was another close affair, both men having their share of success through the first two minutes although Johnson seemed to have a slight edge.

Then came the moment that turned the bout on its head. With some forty seconds remaining in the frame Johnson backed his man up with a left hook from in close, but Bengtson stepped right back in and caught Johnson with a right uppercut bang on the chin. The Philadelphia native was stunned and when Bengtson followed up with a left-right-left salvo Johnson was on the canvas, staring up in a confused manner at referee Garry. Up at four, Johnson survived Bengtson's haphazard attempts to finish the job but the contest had suddenly become much closer. Bengtson started the final round fantastically, landing another big uppercut before catching Johnson with a pair of solid left hooks, all within the first minute. But as the round progressed Johnson worked his way into it, peppering Bengtson with the jab before a left hook snapped the Wisconsin slugger's head around. The fight ended with the two men locked in a clinch, which a tiring Bengtson had initiated.

Five minutes later the verdict was announced and depending on the point of view you were looking at it from, it was either a choke job or a brave fightback. One judge favoured Bengtson 57-55 but the other two had scored it a 56-56 draw, making the result a draw. Despite landing 100 more punches than his opponent and almost 200 overall, Johnson had somehow not won the fight. He could only shake his head, face buried in his hands to mask his deep disappointment. The scorecards showed that he had paid a big price for the one point deduction he was given in round two as he would have been a winner by split decision without it. Bengtson was in a jubilant mood on the other side of the ring, having avoided what looked to be a decisive defeat after the opening half of the bout.

Punch totals

Harold Johnson: 192/414 (.464)
Eric Bengtson: 92/236 (.390)

"I had it in my back pocket," lamented Johnson. "Ain't gonna blame the referee 'cause I should have locked it up, should have put him away. It's all on me for lettin' him into the fight. There's nothing positive to come out o' this for me. All it is is a wasted chance."

A look at the individual scorecards show that without his strong finish to the final round Johnson would have been a loser by unanimous decision, as the two judges who found the contest a draw gave the 6th to him. Without a doubt, this was one of the more extraordinary turnarounds in a HBF or IBL bout.

(Johnson's scores listed first)

Judge Joe Horn, South Africa

10-9, 9-9, 10-9, 9-10, 8-10, 9-10 (55-57)

Judge Paolo Scarso, Italy

10-9, 9-9, 10-9, 9-10, 8-10, 10-9 (56-56)

Judge Anek Hongtongkam, Thailand

10-9, 9-9, 10-9, 9-10, 8-10, 10-9 (56-56)

"I couldn't believe how quick he was," said Bengtson. "In those early rounds I felt a little helpless, just wondered how I was gonna land a shot. I'm not sure if it was tiredness or cockiness on his part, but it was a lot easier for me to get in range in the bottom half. Feel like I've dodged a bullet, to be honest, 'cause after round three it looked like I had no chance in hell of getting close to a draw."

(Still to come: The Memphis Undercard)

[Jeff1787]

Very entertaining write-up on the last fight. I look forward to each new post!! I feel like starting up my universe again, but now it seems so boring, especially after reading these. I may start up a new one when the new version comes out...

[Claybor]

Very entertaining write-up on the last fight. I look forward to each new post!! I feel like starting up my universe again, but now it seems so boring, especially after reading these.

Agreed.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Jeff1787

Very entertaining write-up on the last fight. I look forward to each new post!! I feel like starting up my universe again, but now it seems so boring, especially after reading these. I may start up a new one when the new version comes out...

Originally Posted by Claybor

Agreed.

Thanks, guys. It was a pretty incredible fight, IMO. Johnson really should have won it but with him losing the point and then being knocked down, that's a three point swing in the space of a handful of seconds. Anyway, it'll be something for franklin1 to be happy about when he reads it.

[kenyan_cheena]

The Memphis Undercard

OPENING BOUT

The evening kicked off with an absolute slugfest, Indiana's Marvin Johnson withstanding a late fightback to win by unanimous decision against Cincinnati's Alexander Wright (59-54, 58-55, 59-54). In what was something of a regional rivalry, Johnson appeared to be in for an easy night after dominating the opening two rounds but Wright showed signs of improvement in the 3rd. He then gave Johnson an almighty scare in round four, landing a series of rapid-fire combinations and powerful single punches to have the Indianapolis native reeling.

The action continued fast and furious in the 5th, a late flurry from Johnson being just enough to edge it in his favour before Wright gave his all in the final stanza. He weathered an early barrage before controlling much of the round. But Johnson gave the bout a dramatic finish when he floored the Ohio native with a left-right-left salvo, Wright hitting the canvas just eight seconds before the final bell. He beat the count but as referee Joe O'Neil signalled for the fight to continue the bell sounded to end it. Johnson landed 153 of 467 punches (.328), Wright 160 of 396 (.404).

PRELIMINARY 1

In an all-Pennsylvania matchup, Monessen's Michael Moorer pitched a shutout against Philadelphia's Dan Bucceroni (60-53, 60-54, 60-53). Expectations are high in regards to the heavy-hitting Moorer and he set the tone for the fight early when he caught Bucceroni with a flush right hand and a jolting uppercut within the first forty seconds. He was never troubled for the duration of the bout and sent the Philadelphian to the canvas with a stinging body shot two minutes into round four. American judge Sid Rubenstein must have missed it because he only scored the round 10-9.

Punch totals

Moorer: 162/646 (.251)
Bucceroni: 60/252 (.238)

It would be true to say that Moorer's showing was probably the most impressive of the evening, the 21 year-old's high workrate giving an indication that he'll be tough to beat as these regional qualifiers progress.

PRELIMINARY 2

In a considerable upset, Detroit's Jimmy Adamick scored a unanimous decision victory over Georgia native Joe Knight (58-55, 59-54, 58-55). Knight had been a standout at the IBL's Florida selection trials but Adamick made a fast, fantastic start, one that had the Cairo-born fighter struggling to catch up for the remainder of the contest.

Knight had been accompanied to the ring by HBF World Championship contender and fellow Georgian Young Stribling, but his presence meant nothing as far as the result was concerned. Adamick jumped on Kinght from the opening bell, landing a solid right cross early and then a trio of smashing left hooks later. hH then showed he was serious about his intentions by sending Knight to the canvas with a left rip to the body thirty seconds into round two. Adamick followed up with a hard right cross and a flush left hook to take the round convincingly.

After winning both the 3rd and 4th with relative ease, Knight appeared to be back in the fight but Adamick would not be denied. He stole back the momentum in round five and then put the result beyond doubt with a strong finish in round six. Knight actually landed more punches in both rounds but Adamick's superior workrate swayed the judges to award them to him. Adamick's corner erupted jubilantly when the verdict was announced, the Michigan slugger shouting and hollering his delight.

Adamick threw 486 punches and landed 118 of them (.243) while Knight connected with 162 of 284 (.570). He lamented his lack of aggression afterwards.

"The guy outworked me, plain and simple," he said. "He jumped out of the gates and I was already three points down goin' into the 3rd. That's a hard deficit to make up, no matter the opponent."

SUPPORT BOUT

Cleveland's Jimmy Bivins was victorious in his IBL debut, defeating Pennsylvanian Steve Little by a convincing unanimous decision verdict (60-55 on all three cards). Little never looked like winning and it was only during an exciting, action-packed 3rd round that he came close to threatening his highly-regarded opponent.

Bivins was one of a trio of Cleveland natives discovered at the league's Indianapolis selection trials and he certainly looks capable of claiming a top four spot and berth in the World Championship tournament.

***

Matchups for Series Two...

ERIK BENGTSON (0-0-1) vs MARVIN JOHNSON (1-0-0)
ALEXANDER WRIGHT (0-1-0) vs JOE KNIGHT (0-1-0)
BILLY CONN (1-0-0) vs STEVE LITTLE (0-1-0)
MICHAEL MOORER (1-0-0) vs JIMMY BIVINS (1-0-0)
JIMMY ADAMICK (1-0-0) vs DAN BUCCERONI (0-1-0)
LINDELL HOLMES (0-1-0) vs HAROLD JOHNSON (0-0-1)

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
INTERNATIONAL BOXING LEAGUE FIGHT CARD
SATURDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2002
THE PYRAMID, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, USA

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


OPENING BOUT

Marvin Johnson UD6 Alexander Wright

PRELIMINARY 1

Michael Moorer UD6 Dan Bucceroni

PRELIMINARY 2

Jimmy Adamick UD6 Joe Knight

SUPPORT BOUT

Jimmy Bivins UD6 Steve Little

CO-FEATURE

Harold Johnson D6 Erik Bengtson

MAIN EVENT

Billy Conn MD6 Lindell Holmes

[kenyan_cheena]

Sorry it took me so long to get that card done. It concludes all the activity for Saturday 7 September. Only one FC series card to review to complete the week. There'll also be some posts previewing the coming week's action in both the HBF and IBL.

[Romdawg88]

Well, that was a good day of fights on my birthday. The next card looks pretty nice for this group. Bengtson has another tough draw with Marvin and Moorer/Bivnins is a huge matchup.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Well, that was a good day of fights on my birthday. The next card looks pretty nice for this group. Bengtson has another tough draw with Marvin and Moorer/Bivnins is a huge matchup.

I'm sure Mike will be happy that Marvin was victorious in his debut. That one was a great fight, much better than I expected. Yep, Moorer/Bivins should be a classic. They both looked good in their debuts so it'll be interesting to see who emerges victorious.

Well, here's the last fight card from the first week of Light-Heavyweight action...

MAXIM WINS IN CANTON

Sunday 8 September 2002

Last night Cleveland's Jimmy Bivins was victorious in his International Boxing League debut. Tonight his good friend and fellow Forest City native Joey Maxim equaled that achievement with a unanimous decision win against the Texan Julio Gabaldon (58-56, 59-55, 58-56) at the Canton Memorial Civic Center. Maxim was never really in trouble in what was a less than enthralling contest.

Having been earlier tipped as one of the top contenders for the World Championship tournament, the IBL decided rather late in the piece that Maxim would instead be placed into the Future Contender series. It's a decision that the 20 year-old was not initially impressed with but speaking earlier this week he said that he's now accepted it and is ready to concentrate on the task at hand.

There were a pair of impressive victories earlier on the card with New Orleans native Willie Pastrano dominating the Englishman Albert Finch and New Jersey's Bobby Czyz landing 138 punches in less than three rounds before being declared a victor by TKO against Germany's Willi Hoepner.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
INTERNATIONAL BOXING LEAGUE FIGHT CARD
SUNDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 2002
CANTON MEMORIAL CIVIC CENTER, CANTON, OHIO, USA

IBL FUTURE CONTENDER SERIES
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION - GROUP FOUR, SERIES ONE


OPENING BOUT

Herschel Jacobs MD6 Nate Simpson

PRELIMINARY 1

Battling Siki SD6 Clarence Hinnant

PRELIMINARY 2

Charles Williams UD6 Mike Rossman

SUPPORT BOUT

Bobby Czyz TKO3 Willi Hoepner

CO-FEATURE

Willie Pastrano UD6 Albert Finch

MAIN EVENT

Joey Maxim UD6 Julio Gabaldon