The International Boxing League

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
INTERNATIONAL BOXING LEAGUE FIGHT CARD
WEDNESDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2002
STADIO OLYMPIC, CARACAS, VENEZUELA

IBL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
REGIONAL QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT, SERIES ONE
FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION
REGION: SOUTH AMERICA


OPENING BOUT

Ernesto Marcel UD6 Ricardo Cardona

PRELIMINARY 1

Daniel Blanco UD6 Rafael Ortega

PRELIMINARY 2

Ricardo Gonzalez KO2 Ruben Palacios

SUPPORT BOUT

Sergio Palma UD6 Antonio Herrera

CO-FEATURE

Eusebio Pedroza MD6 Antonio Esparragoza

MAIN EVENT

Cruz Marcano D6 Victor Leon


***

Series Two Matchups...

ANTONIO HERRERA (0-1-0) vs RICARDO CARDONA (0-1-0)
RUBEN PALACIOS (0-1-0) vs EUSEBIO PEDROZA (1-0-0)
RAFAEL ORTEGA (0-1-0) vs RICARDO GONZALEZ (1-0-0(1))
ANTONIO ESPARRAGOZA (0-1-0) vs DANIEL BLANCO (1-0-0)
CRUZ MARCANO (0-0-1) vs SERGIO PALMA (1-0-0)
ERNESTO MARCEL (1-0-0) vs VICTOR LEON (0-0-1)

[kenyan_cheena]

DIXON LOSES BY SPLIT DECISION
AT MONTREAL'S BELL CENTRE

Thursday 26 September 2002

In a real slugfest Canadian Featherweight George Dixon became the latest Olympic medallist to lose his professional debut, the 20 year-old dropping a split decision verdict to the talented Pennsylvanian teenager Terry McGovern (58-56, 56-58, 58-56). The Nova Scotia native had been looking forward to this night with great enthusiasm but it all went terribly wrong for him, and in front of his fellow Canadians at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The venue was hosting its second boxing event in three nights following Tuesday's HBF card. But unlike on that night there was no Canuck victory in the main event, Dixon paying the price for a lack of aggression against an opponent who had it in spades.

McGovern had been one of many standouts at the league's Atlantic City selection trials so to be honest his victory was not really an upset. However most felt that, fighting in his homeland, Dixon would be too hungry and determined for him. The opening round was an absolute cracker, McGovern coming out firing before Dixon evened the ledger with some precision combinations in its bottom half. The action intensified in the 2nd, Dixon picking up where he'd left off and taking the round convincingly, his fists a blur as he peppered his man with lefts and rights. McGovern rallied somewhat late in the piece but his efforts were nowhere near enough to negate what Dixon had already achieved. Round three saw both men fight more within themselves, almost as if they'd come to a mutual agreement to take the round off.

As the contest entered its second half McGovern stepped up his aggression, throwing a total of 120 punches in round four alone. Understandably his strategy kept Dixon on the backfoot but the Canadian displayed an exquisite countering ability, sneaking in a number of effective shots and outlanding McGovern 29-16 during the round. The 18 year-old Johnstown native maintained his approach in the 5th, casting a stunned silence around the Bell Centre when he dropped Dixon with a barrage of punches a minute into the frame. A left jab/straight right combination staggered Dixon and a follow up left-right-left salvo put him on his back, the final punch a jolting shot that snapped the silver medallist's head around. For a moment it looked like he'd fail to beat the count but Dixon made it to his feet at eight. McGovern went to work on him for the rest of the round, the crowd imploring Dixon to stay in the contest. No one could have complained if the referee had decided to stop the fight because Dixon wore a number of flush blows, the worst of them a smashing uppercut a minute from the bell.

Dixon showed his courage as he finished the fight brilliantly, outslugging McGovern in the final round and almost flooring him with a haymaker of a left hook shortly before the final bell. But despite that effort he came up just short, McGovern's work in rounds three through five turning out to be the difference. Two of the judges favoured him by a total of three points in that stretch, Dixon not winning a single one of the rounds on either card. McGovern exclaimed jubilantly when the verdict was announced, Dixon lowering his eyes and shaking his head but showing graciousness in defeat.

Punch totals

Terry McGovern: 134/444 (.302)
George Dixon: 167/407 (.410)

"Helluva fight," said a relieved McGovern. "I can't quite believe I managed to pull it off, to be honest. He's a bit of a national hero here in Canada so to defeat him at home, that's something pretty special."

Dixon lamented his lax attitude through the middle rounds.

"He wanted it more than I did," he said. "It's as simple as that. Although I have to say it hurts knowing I lost because I was outhustled in a fight I've been looking forward to for so long."

(to be continued)

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

***

While the main event was an entertaining affair it was preceded by perhaps the most brilliant performance seen to date in either the HBF or IBL. Fighting in the Co-Feature Connecticut's Willie Pep defeated Toronto native Keith Nance by unanimous decision (60-54, 59-53, 60-52). Pep's victory was built on an extraordinary opening four rounds, during which he landed 228 punches and had the crowd in awe of his aggression and skill. By the time the bout was over Pep had connected with 291 shots, a new record across all weight divisions in the sport.

Back in June at the league's Atlantic City selection trials IBL scout Harry Redgrave had called Pep "an incredible fighter", lauding his "defensive mastery and elusiveness". Those talents were also on display tonight but they weren't the highlight. It was his accuracy and precision that stood out as he found the mark with 58.8% of his blows (291/495). In way over his head, Nance did well to stay on his feet throughout the contest. Against an opponent with more pop than Pep possesses there's no way he would have lasted the distance. Nance landed 53 of 201 punches (.264).

Pep was in a talkative mood after the verdict was revealed, the 19 year-old wearing an excited countenance as numerous reporters surrounded him in the ring. His trainer Bill Gore was by his side smiling in an "I told you so" fashion. Pep was asked how he was able to come up with such an incredible effort and if he thought he could win the World Championship.

"I trained so hard to be ready for this fight," was his reply to the opening question. "To be more than ready, really. We treated it like I was going to have to go twelve rounds so even when that final bell rang I still had plenty left. It's also why I was able to go out so hard in those early rounds. Uh, as for the World Championship, there's still a helluva long way to go before I can start thinking about that. It would be absolutely fantastic and, of course, it's my ultimate goal but I just want to take it one fight at a time. Tonight was a good one for us but if I can't back it up in five weeks ... it won't mean much, I guess."

At a slight 5'5" Pep is not much bigger than a pretzel but if he can reproduce the form he showed tonight throughout the rest of the tournament he'll be regarded as a giant of the sport before long. He's guaranteed that his next outing (scheduled for October 31) will be eagerly anticipated and must-watch event.

***

Earlier on the card Olympic Bantamweight bronze medallist Freddie Miller was a comprehensive winner against Mississippi's Kennedy McKinney (60-55, 59-56, 60-55). Miller put on a clinic, cutting McKinney twice and outlanding him by more than one-hundred punches (189-86).

Meanwhile, Cleveland's Johnny Kilbane suffered a surprising split decision defeat at the hands of unfancied Nova Scotia native Art Hafey (59-55, 57-58, 59-56). The Canadian made a fast start and Kilbane struggled to get into the contest. He had some success in the final two rounds but the horse had already bolted by then.

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
INTERNATIONAL BOXING LEAGUE FIGHT CARD
THURSDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2002
BELL CENTRE, MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA

IBL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
REGIONAL QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT, SERIES ONE
FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION
REGION: USA/CANADA


OPENING BOUT

Kevin Kelley UD6 David Donald

PRELIMINARY 1

Freddie Miller UD6 Kennedy McKinney

PRELIMINARY 2

Solly Smith SD6 Maurice Lincoln

SUPPORT BOUT

Art Hafey SD6 Johnny Kilbane

CO-FEATURE

Willie Pep UD6 Keith Nance

MAIN EVENT

Terry McGovern SD6 George Dixon

***

Series Two Matchups...

DAVID DONALD (0-1-0) vs SOLLY SMITH (1-0-0)
JOHNNY KILBANE (0-1-0) vs WILLIE PEP (1-0-0)
KENNEDY MCKINNEY (0-1-0) vs ART HAFEY (1-0-0)
KEVIN KELLEY (1-0-0) vs GEORGE DIXON (0-1-0)
MAURICE LINCOLN (0-1-0) vs FREDDIE MILLER (1-0-0)
KEITH NANCE (0-1-0) vs TERRY MCGOVERN (1-0-0)

[kenyan_cheena]

SENSATIONAL SADDLER
SIZZLES AT STAPLES CENTER

Thursday 26 September 2002

Regarded as one of the finds of the IBL's Atlantic City selection trials, 19 year-old Boston Featherweight Joseph "Sandy" Saddler was disappointed when the league confirmed that he'd been placed in the Future Contender series rather than the World Championship regional qualifiers. He felt he'd earned the right to compete for a shot at the championship and was not impressed that he'd have to bide his time for a good eighteen months before fighting against ranked opponents. League scouts had actually pointed to his maturity in deciding to place him in the FC series, saying Saddler had taken to "sulking" and acted in a "temperamental" fashion at times during the course of the New Jersey trials. Saddler had denied those claims but tonight he put his unhappiness to one side and made a spectacular professional debut, knocking out Ghana's Joe Tetteh in round three at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Saddler made his way into the ring wearing an oversized Troy Brown #80 New England Patriots jersey and a Red Sox baseball cap turned sideways, a pounding hip hop anthem accompanying him with each step. He looked cocky, confident and excited, his trunks mainly white with red and navy blue trim, SADDLER stenciled in white on the waistband. He came out aggressively in round one, tagging his unfancied opponent at will with punishing combinations. At 5'8" Saddler is one of the taller Featherweights and he used his three-inch height advantage to the fullest, striking at Tetteh from long range. To his credit the African fighter gave a good account of himself in the 2nd round, an exciting three minutes that featured some explosive exchanges. Tetteh was able to get inside with success, working the body and also catching Saddler with a pair of hard uppercuts. All three judges scored the round in his favour.

Unfortunately for the African that would be as close as he came to victory as, after controlling most of the round, Saddler caught him with a flush, smashing right hook eight seconds from the bell. The shot dropped Tetteh like a bullet from a sniper and he didn't move for the duration of the count, the fight declared over at the end of round three. Saddler made a trio of circuits around the ring, nodding and smiling to the crowd, right fist raised high. With one punch he illustrated that he's not just a talented boxer, also possessing serious knockout power. He landed 81 of 229 punches (.354), Tetteh 54 of 124 (.435).

"It was a lot of fun," said Saddler, a grin from ear to ear. "Just bein' in the ring after waitin' so long, it's a real rush. Maybe I got a bit excited, bit too aggressive there in round two, but damn it felt good landing that right hand. When you land a shot like that you feel it right up your arm, you know? Like crushin' a fas'ball, man. I'm already up for the nex' one, no doubt."

His opponent may have been of limited ability, but "Sandy" Saddler showed enough tonight to say that he'll be a serious contender further down the road...


SUMMARY OF RESULTS
INTERNATIONAL BOXING LEAGUE FIGHT CARD
THURSDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2002
STAPLES CENTER, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA

IBL FUTURE CONTENDER SERIES
FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION - GROUP ONE, SERIES ONE


OPENING BOUT

Ray Famechon TKO5 Stephen Morris

PRELIMINARY 1

Jack Wolfe UD6 Luiz Feola

PRELIMINARY 2

Carmelo Negron SD6 Ricardo Morales

SUPPORT BOUT

Howard Winstone MD6 Alan Sigurdsen

CO-FEATURE

Alberto Martinez TKO5 Carlos Mendoza

MAIN EVENT

Joseph Saddler KO3 Joe Tetteh

[kenyan_cheena]

I like how Saddler and Pep debuted on the same night. Hopefully they'll have a rivalry in the IBL that will equal or even better the one they enjoyed in reality.

[kenyan_cheena]

LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE
FOR KHUMALO BROTHERS

Friday 27 September 2002

Back on the 11th of September South African Welterweight Benedict Khumalo was stopped on cuts in round five of his professional debut against the Englishman Lloyd Honeyghan. Tonight his younger brother Delron suffered the same unfortunate result, the Featherweight's bout against Japan's Masashi Kaneda ending just 44 seconds into round two. A hard-punching, aggressive fighter, Khumalo had controlled the opening round but was caught by a smashing right cross that opened a sickening gash on his left eyebrow. The ring doctor was quick to decide that the contest should be stopped.

Khumalo wailed in anger, the images from his brother's defeat still fresh and painful in his mind. He protested, insisting that he at least be allowed to finish the round and let his trainers work on the cut during the intermission. His behaviour was in contrast to the gracious, well-mannered attitude he'd displayed during the IBL's selection trials but his frustration was perfectly understandable. He was expected to defeat Kaneda quite easily and it devastated him that a single punch had ended his chances of victory. The fact that the fight took place in his homeland at the Carnival City Big Top Arena made the result an especially bitter pill to swallow.

The Khumalo brothers are Zulus who hail from one of South Africa's poorest regions. Hopefully they'll find more success in their upcoming bouts, as they are both talented fighters.

***

In the Co-Feature Mexico's Alberto Arizmendi made a great start to his career, scoring a dominant unanimous decision win over Peru's Fernando Zamacola (59-55, 58-57, 59-55). The 16 year-old was always in control, with Zamacola only coming close to his level in round three. Arizmendi displayed lightning fists, constantly tagging the Peruvian with pinpoint combinations and a piston-like jab. After doing just enough through the first five rounds Arizmendi opened up in the final stanza, pummeling Zamacola with a relentless assault and coming close to flooring him. Arizmendi outlanded his opponent 230-89 and showed that he'll be one to watch as the Future Contender series continues.


SUMMARY OF RESULTS
INTERNATIONAL BOXING LEAGUE FIGHT CARD
FRIDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2002
CARNIVAL CITY BIG TOP ARENA, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

IBL FUTURE CONTENDER SERIES
FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION - GROUP TWO, SERIES ONE


OPENING BOUT

Stevie Cruz D6 Gracieux Lamperti

PRELIMINARY 1

Jesan Valenzuela D6 Everett Rightmire

PRELIMINARY 2

Rolly Santiago UD6 Fernando Tavarez

SUPPORT BOUT

Paul Jorgensen UD6 Bruno Alves

CO-FEATURE

Alberto Arizmendi UD6 Fernando Zamacola

MAIN EVENT

Masashi Kaneda TKO2 Delron Khumalo

[Romdawg88]

Damn, rough starts for the Khumalos. Pretty crappy that both brothers lose due to a cut in their debut. Hopefully, their luck starts to turn around soon.

[kenyan_cheena]

SALDIVAR DRAWS FIRST BLOOD
IN RIVALRY WITH SANCHEZ

Friday 27 September 2002

One of the most anticipated fight cards of the International Boxing League's opening month took place tonight at the Estadio Saltillo in Saltillo, Mexico. The action was in the Featherweight division with the first series of bouts for the Mexican region of the World Championship qualifiers. The venue was packed to capacity, the atmosphere celebratory and akin to a big league football game with chants resonating throughout the evening. Some of Mexico's biggest celebrities were in attendance while IBL competitors Jose Luis Ramirez (Lightweight) and Javier Aguirre (Middleweight) were also amongst the crowd. The big story of the night was always going to be the performances of Sydney Olympic gold medallists and bitter rivals Salvador Sanchez and Vicente Saldivar and for those keeping score, you'd have to say that Saldivar took the points.

Up against Juan Antonio Lopez in the Co-Feature the 18 year-old Mexico City native was spectacular, stopping Lopez in the 4th round. Saldivar came out aggressive and didn't let up, dominating the opening two rounds and taking his performance to another level when Lopez tried to match him in the 3rd. But what came in round four capped it off brilliantly, Saldivar decimating his opponent with a series of smashing power shots before knocking him to the canvas two minutes in. Lopez made it to his feet at the count of seven but when he stumbled back into the ropes on wobbly legs the referee halted the contest, Saldivar the winner by TKO at the 2:16 mark. Saldivar pumped his fist in the air and mounted one of the corner posts, shouting to the crowd in an excited manner.

Punch totals

Saldivar: 135/267 (.506)
Lopez: 35/101 (.347)

An emotional individual, Saldivar called out Sanchez during the post-fight interview, challenging him to produce an effort superior to his own. It didn't work out that way as, although Sanchez was a unanimous decision winner against Daniel Zaragoza (58-57, 59-56, 58-57) he was not quite as impressive as Saldivar. Both Sanchez and Zaragoza were frustrated by each other's defensive ability, as although the punches were flying thick and fast most of them were off target, the two combatants constantly on the move. The totals shown below indicate what a struggle it was:

Sanchez: 112/448 (.250)
Zaragoza: 63/451 (.140)

"I can't see why you are all complaining," said Sanchez defensively. "I made him look like a fool with the way he was missing me. His defense was also very good but just take a look at his face. That's all you need to see to know he took some hard shots."

Sanchez was correct in that assessment as Zaragoza's face showed swelling under and around his right eye and a nasty cut on his left eyelid. Even so, some will say that Sanchez is overrated and overhyped, that Saldivar is the real deal of the two teenagers. They'll point to the lack of explosiveness in Sanchez's performance compared to Saldivar's and say that when they meet Saldivar's power will win the day. One thing's for certain: that bout figures to be perhaps the most anticipated throughout the rest of these regional qualifiers.

***

Earlier on the card the highly-regarded 19 year-old Ruben Olivares was held to a draw against Mexico City's Fili Nava (57-57, 58-56 (Nava), 57-57). The opening two rounds were quite close but Olivares looked to have a slight advantage. But he struggled through the middle of the bout, Nava sweeping rounds three through five on two cards and appearing set for an upset victory before Olivares saved himself from what would have been an embarrassing defeat with a dominant final stanza.

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
INTERNATIONAL BOXING LEAGUE FIGHT CARD
FRIDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2002
ESTADIO SALTILLO, SALTILLO, MEXICO

IBL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
REGIONAL QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT, SERIES ONE
FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION
REGION: MEXICO


OPENING BOUT

Juan Estrada UD6 Ramon Perez

PRELIMINARY 1

Juan Meza SD6 Clemente Sanchez

PRELIMINARY 2

Ricardo Moreno TKO6 Raul Cruz

SUPPORT BOUT

Fili Nava D6 Ruben Olivares

CO-FEATURE

Vicente Saldivar TKO4 Juan Antonio Lopez

MAIN EVENT

Salvador Sanchez UD6 Daniel Zaragoza


***

Series Two Matchups...

JUAN ANTONIO LOPEZ (0-1-0) vs CLEMENTE SANCHEZ (0-1-0)
DANIEL ZARAGOZA (0-1-0) vs FILI NAVA (0-0-1)
SALVADOR SANCHEZ (1-0-0) vs RUBEN OLIVARES (0-0-1)
RAMON PEREZ (0-1-0) vs RICARDO MORENO (1-0-0(1))
VICENTE SALDIVAR (1-0-0(1)) vs JUAN MEZA (1-0-0)
JUAN ESTRADA (1-0-0) vs RAUL CRUZ (0-1-0)

[kenyan_cheena]

DRISCOLL OVERCOMES STECCA
IN CARDIFF DEBUT

Saturday 28 September 2002

Former amateur standout Jim Driscoll had to call on all his abilities to defeat Italy's Loris Stecca in his professional boxing debut tonight, the Welshman taking a slim unanimous decision verdict in the main event at the Cardiff International Arena (58-57 on all three cards). If not for his defensive brilliance Driscoll could have found himself on the other side of the result, Stecca producing an aggressive performance to cause him all kinds of trouble.

Both men came out all guns blazing in the 1st, Driscoll stunning Stecca with a flurry of shots midway through the frame before the Italian replied strongly in its final minute, a punishing combination and a hard right hand backing Driscoll up. The local-born hero had Stecca looking foolish in round two, using fleet footwork and head movement to avoid a series of offensive raids. Driscoll maintained control in the 3rd before Stecca upped his aggression in round four, perhaps frustrated by his inability to land a clean shot. He threw a bunch of them during the round, landing enough to bring him back into the contest. But while Stecca was relying on volume Driscoll employed precision and economy. He was fantastic in the 5th, peppering his man with trios of jabs and left-right salvos before what was a grandstand finish in the 6th, the two combatants teeing off at will and bringing the appreciative crowd to their feet.

Driscoll wore an expression of relief when the verdict was revealed, congratulating Stecca on a great performance.

Punch totals

Driscoll: 156/296 (.527)
Stecca: 106/680 (.156)

"His workrate was just incredible," Driscoll said. "I feel pretty lucky that I stayed on my feet for the whole fight because some of those haymakers he was loading up with missed by a whisker. If he can produce that type of effort through the rest of the tournament he should go far."

***

In the Co-Feature England's Naseem Hamed came up with an unconvincing effort but was the beneficiary of some questionable judging, able to escape with a unanimous decision win against Nigeria's Hogan Bassey (59-57 on all three cards). Hamed was regarded as an exciting prospect at the league's Manchester selection trials, lauded for his "stunning power, excellent hand speed, and slick defense" but there was pecious little of that in evidence during the first two rounds, Bassey not only outhustling Hamed but also outlanding him. The Nigerian took a 63-19 punches landed edge into round three but all three judges showed scorecards of 19-19.

Hamed became more aggressive in the 3rd and while the quickness of his punches was something to behold he wasn't landing many of them, Bassey showing a great elusive ability. Round three was an edge-of-your-seat three minutes, both men working hard before the action slowed somewhat in the 4th. The judges were unable to split them in either of those two rounds, which they all scored 10-10. When Hamed produced his best work of the bout in round five the tide appeared to have turned in his favour and despite landing less punches than Bassey in the 6th he was much busier than the Nigerian, swaying the judges to award him the round and, as a result, the fight.

A brash, loud and extroverted individual, Hamed was smiling at Bassey through much of the contest, saying afterwards that he was simply "enjoying himself" and that he meant no disrespect by it.

"I've been waiting a long time for this moment," Hamed said. "So there's no way I wasn't going to enjoy it. Just being in the ring and competing, putting myself in this testing position ... it was one of the biggest rushes I've ever felt in my life. I can't wait to do it again."

As the punch totals show, Hamed's activity clearly won him the fight:

Hamed: 75/501 (.156)
Bassey: 129/447 (.289)

The Nigerian was incredulous afterwards, disgusted with the verdict and Hamed's attitude.

"He spent the whole night missing me!" Bassey exclaimed. "How the hell can they say he won that fight? It's ridiculous! He thought it was some kind of joke but it really looks like I'm the one that the joke was played on. I really can't believe this."

Hamed didn't seem at all concerned by Bassey's comments as he left the ring, talking in an animated fashion with his corner crew and the crowd. Even so, it's obvious that he'll need to improve in his next outing. If he produces more of the same with judges who aren't so easily won over, he'll surely pay dearly for it...

[Romdawg88]

Damn, how can you throw 500+ punches yet not break triple digits in connections. Thats down right pathetic.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Damn, how can you throw 500+ punches yet not break triple digits in connections. Thats down right pathetic.

Yep, I feel pretty bad for Bassey. He outlanded the guy in four of the six rounds but still loses.

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
INTERNATIONAL BOXING LEAGUE FIGHT CARD
SATURDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2002
CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL ARENA, CARDIFF, WALES

IBL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
REGIONAL QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT, SERIES ONE
FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION
REGION: EUROPE/AFRICA


OPENING BOUT

Nel Tarleton MD6 Welcome Ncita

PRELIMINARY 1

Rudel Dietrich SD6 Davey Kotey

PRELIMINARY 2

Eugene Criqui SD6 Barry McGuigan

SUPPORT BOUT

Shaun Smith UD6 Rafiu King

CO-FEATURE

Naseem Hamed UD6 Hogan Bassey

MAIN EVENT

Jim Driscoll UD6 Loris Stecca


***

Series Two Matchups...

HOGAN BASSEY (0-1-0) vs SHAUN SMITH (1-0-0)
EUGENE CRIQUI (1-0-0) vs DAVEY KOTEY (0-1-0)
JIM DRISCOLL (1-0-0) vs RAFIU KING (0-1-0)
BARRY MCGUIGAN (0-1-0) vs NEL TARLETON (1-0-0)
WELCOME NCITA (0-1-0) vs NASEEM HAMED (1-0-0)
RUDEL DIETRICH (1-0-0) vs LORIS STECCA (0-1-0)

[kenyan_cheena]

SANCHEZ VERSUS OLIVARES HAS
MEXICAN FIGHT FANS TALKING

Saturday 28 September 2002

Boxing fans in Mexico finally got what they'd been waiting for last night, the opening card of the Featherweight division's regional qualifiers. It was an event that lived up to the hype, with gold medallists Salvador Sanchez and Vicente Saldivar both scoring victories. At the card's conclusion the schedule for the second series of bouts was revealed and it's been one of the major talking points today, almost all of it due to the matchup of Sanchez against Ruben Olivares. Expected to be one of the other two fighters to join Salvador and Sanchez in the World Championship tournament, Olivares was disappointing in being held to a draw by Fili Nava but few doubt that he'll give Sanchez one hell of a fight in five weeks time.

"There's three fights that we're really, really looking forward to," said Emmanuel Morales of ESPN Deportes. "Firstly there's Sanchez-Saldivar, which is just the one everyone's waiting for. But there's also Saldivar-Olivares and Sanchez-Olivares. Honestly, there are a lot of people who are hoping that Ruben can pull off an upset against one or both of them. He's one of the most talented Featherweights in the world but he was beaten by Salvador in the Olympic trials, so no one really knows about him. I think he might have had a bit of stage fright last night 'cause that wasn't the real Ruben Olivares on display. I can say with real confidence that Sanchez will be in for a tough night against him come the 1st of November."

Based on last night's performances one would think that Sanchez will be too much for Olivares to handle. However, there have already been a number of upsets in these regional qualifiers so it would be foolish to dismiss Olivares as having no chance. Their clash promises to be an exciting tussle and one of the highlights of series two...

[kenyan_cheena]

BASS IS ON THE BEAT IN VEGAS

Saturday 28 September 2002

Philadelphia's Benny Bass made a victorious start to his Future Contender series campaign tonight, the 15 year-old scoring a unanimous decision win against the Englishman George Smith (58-56, 57-56, 58-55). After controlling the opening three rounds and sweeeping them on each scorecard Bass ran into some trouble in the 4th as Smith dropped him with a trio of blows thirty seconds in, perhaps one of the most unexpected knockdowns seen for some time.

Bass survived the round and went back to work in the 5th, sealing the win with a more focused finish to the bout. The Pennsylvanian is one of the youngest competitors in the IBL and was not permitted to enter certain sections of the Monte Carlo casino before or after his bout.

***

Michigan's Auburn Copeland had too much speed for the rugged Thailander Anucha Thonglao in the Co-Feature, Copeland taking a hard-earned majority decision verdict (59-55, 57-57, 58-56). The 18 year-old started impressively in round one but from the 2nd onwards Thonglao tested him, although he couldn't quite handle Copeland's potent left jab.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
INTERNATIONAL BOXING LEAGUE FIGHT CARD
SATURDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2002
MONTE CARLO, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA

IBL FUTURE CONTENDER SERIES
FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION - GROUP THREE, SERIES ONE


OPENING BOUT

Ruben Castillo MD6 Jorge Jiminez

PRELIMINARY 1

Claudio Redondo SD6 Juan Sanchez

PRELIMINARY 2

Patrick Ford UD6 Dwight Hawkins

SUPPORT BOUT

Gene Smith D6 Ryan Parker

CO-FEATURE

Auburn Copeland MD6 Anucha Thonglao

MAIN EVENT

Benny Bass UD6 George Smith