The International Boxing League

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

I'll be posting the first half of the Pittsburgh card within the next six hours...

Sorry, ain't gonna happen today. Family matter came up during my lunch break.

[kenyan_cheena]

GREB VERSUS BURLEY,
LIVE FROM PITTSBURGH

Monday 30 September 2002

The second series of the International Boxing League's World Championship regional qualifiers commenced tonight at Pittsburgh's Mellon Arena, the Middleweight division's talent-laden North America Central group kicking off proceedings. It was a card highlighted by a trio of stellar matchups with the main event between local fighters Harry Greb and Charley Burley expected to be the pick of them. IBL Chief Director James Molk was in attendance at ringside, looking forward to what, in his own words, would be a "fantastic night of boxing". The build-up to the evening had been well publicised and now that it had arrived, those who had numbered "The Igloo Gathering Part II" were in loud voice throughout the arena, even before the opening contest had started.

Following is a bout-by-bout review of the card...

OPENING BOUT

Having given Harry Greb a fright back on August 26 Canton's Ronnie Harris scored his first professional victory tonight, defeating fellow Ohio native Paul Pirrone by majority decision in a wonderfuuly entertaining bout (59-55, 57-57, 59-55). Pirrone himself had kept Charley Burley honest in his own debut and he never backed down against Harris. Unfortunately for him the afro-haired 22 year-old was too aggressive and determined in a bout that featured some eye-popping exchanges, especially in rounds three, five and six. Some at ringside said that the 6th may very well have been one of the most action-packed three minutes they've seen in the league to date.

PRELIMINARY 1

Canada's Frank Battaglia followed up last month's victory over Ted Wright with a more polished and assured performance, defeating Wilfie Greaves by unanimous decision (59-56, 58-56, 59-55). This bout didn't come close to the opener as far as excitement is concerned but Battaglia didn't seem at all concerned, showing a jubilant countenance when the verdict was revealed. Greaves was stopped on cuts by Wisconsin's Jake Morrison in his debut and it would be fair to say he showed more promise in the three rounds of that contest than he did tonight. He struggled to make much of an impression, only having success in the final two rounds when Battaglia had put up the shutters. The Winnipeg-born slugger is now 2-0(1) and must be happy about his start, but it will be interesting to see how he performs when he eventually comes up against some of the group's top contenders.

(to be continued)

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

PRELIMINARY 2

Polish-born Grand Rapids extrovert Stanley Ketchel made an explosive IBL debut last month, destroying Mike O'Dowd inside of two rounds. Tonight he improved to 2-0(1) with a convincing unanimous decision victory over fellow Michiganite Ted Wright (59-54 on all three cards). Once again Ketchel entered the ring dressed in solid black, Metallica's "Fight Fire With Fire" smashing its way out of the arena speakers. Wright was KO'd at the end of round five by Frank Battaglia in his opening pro outing. The Detroit native had been right in the fight before that disasterous 5th and despite the defeat took an optimistic attitude into his clash with Ketchel.

That mindset helped Wright survive for the full six round distance but did little else. Ketchel controlled all but the final stanza of the contest, bullying and punishing Wright throughout the opening two rounds before flooring him with a crushing combination early in round three. Somehow Wright beat the count and then made it to the bell despite Ketchel's intentions. He returned to his corner with cuts below the right eye and on the bridge of his nose. He showed little resistance through the next two rounds, Ketchel pounding him with hard lefts and rights and opening a third cut over Wright's left eye. But the underdog refused to quit, maintaining his footing much to Ketchel's frustration. Wright looked a mess but he defied the odds by coming out and taking the final round with an admirable rally in its bottom half, landing a number of scoring blows. It could be said that Ketchel had given up on a stoppage victory but the shots that Wright connected with were surprisingly hard considering the punishment he'd absorbed.

Ketchel displayed a self-deprecating streak in his assessment of the bout. At the same time, the 18 year-old commended Wright on his determination and courage.

"I was pretty useless there," Ketchel said, shaking his head. "Had the guy out on his feet in the 3rd but I couldn't finish the job. That's disappointing 'cause I didn't want it to go the distance. But I have to say he's one tough SOB. I busted him up pretty bad but he just kept on coming. He never quit and he even caught me with a couple of good punches in that last round there."

Punch totals

Ketchel: 190/624 (.304)
Wright: 115/259 (.444)

"Whoever I'm up against they won't be so lucky," proclaimed Ketchel, in regards to his series three bout. "Gonna make sure my execution's perfect next time out."

Those words must rank as some of the more chilling uttered by an IBL competitor in recent weeks.

(to be continued)

[Jeff1787]

I'm on pins and needles...the suspense is killing me!!!

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Jeff1787

I'm on pins and needles...the suspense is killing me!!!

You'll KNOW by this time tomorrow...

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation of post #543)

SUPPORT BOUT

The first of the evening's blockbuster trio of bouts had arrived, and although its two combatants suffered defeat on debut they were expected to produce an enthralling contest. Missouri's Greg Moe and Minnesota's Mike O'Dowd had both been predicted to compete for a top four finish so neither one wanted to start 0-2. After a fantastic tussle it was Moe who emerged with his first victory, the former high school and college football star winning by unanimous decision in a fight that was much closer than the scorecards indicated (60-54, 58-56, 60-54).

As has been well publicised, Moe received some generous financial backing from a number of businessmen in his home town of Independence. This has enabled him to gain access to high-tech training facilities but that apparent advantage wasn't enough to help Moe in his debut, where he was outhustled by Olympic bronze medallist Tony Zale. The defeat hit Moe hard, leading him to say that he would have to "re-evaluate how far along" he was. According to his support team the 22 year-old had "trained the house down" leading into tonight and it showed when he removed his robe, his physique chiselled and ripped.

O'Dowd had been hit by a freight train in his own debut, the St. Paul native decimated by Michigan's Stanley Ketchel in two rounds. He knew that he'd need to come out more aggressively against Moe and take the upperhand early. O'Dowd tried to do exactly that but as it turned out Moe was just a little bit more determined. After an action-packed opening two rounds the Missouri slugger became more dominant in the 3rd and 4th. O'Dowd was a willing opponent and was having a lot of success but it wasn't enough against an opponent of such high quality and in a fight where brilliance was the least that was required to triumph.

It was a contest that brought the crowd to their feet on numerous occasions, the two men often standing toe-to-toe and trading head-snapping bombs and furious flurries. The pace was frenetic but unlike in his fight against Ketchel, O'Dowd stayed in the bout and was able to show his abilities. He might be 0-2 but there's little doubt that if he can get some wins under his belt he can still challenge for a World Championship berth. When the final verdict was revealed even Moe had to shake his head in disagreement, knowing that he had not been so much the better fighter.

"Mike doesn't deserve those scorecards," Moe said. "He fought a helluva fight and I'm amazed that two of the judges weren't able to see a single round in his favour. Those first two could have gone either way and I thought he had my measure in the 5th there, also. I'm really happy about the win, though, and I think I earned it, to say the least. Mike's a great fighter and I'm confident that he'll go on to bigger and better things during the rest of the tournament."

O'Dowd didn't see any significance in the scores, admitting that he'd been defeated by a superior opponent.

"Doesn't matter what the scorecards show," he said, shaking his head. "I know I lost the fight and that's all that matters. I've made some progress, which is good. But it's still not good enough. I have t' beat these guys, these guys that are favoured to qualify. These are the fights I really have to excel in and I'm 0-for-2 in them so far. That's my reality and I'll have to deal with it and work hard to get back into this tournament."

Punch totals

Greg Moe: 164/382 (.429)
Mike O'Dowd: 150/364 (.412)

(to be continued)

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

CO-FEATURE

Numbered amongst the most destructive Middleweight punchers Chicago's bronze medal winner Tony Zale and the hot-headed Chippewa Falls native Jake Morrison were now only minutes away from colliding inside the squared circle, a bout that was one of the most anticipated of series two in any weight division. Zale had schooled Missouri's Greg Moe on debut while Morrison stopped Wilfie Greaves on cuts in a fight where he was never really able to show what he's capable of. Morrison made his way to the ring first, the 20 year-old draped in black and accompanied by Ice-T's old school classic "Lethal Weapon" and fellow Wisconsin fighter Eric Bengtson. Zale's entrance was much more low-key in keeping with his understated personality, the Windy City native showing a focused countenance.

Morrison had sported a mohawk for his debut bout but it was now gone, replaced by a buzz cut. He regarded Zale with an intensity that was palpable, sweat bubbled upon his forehead. The crowd seemed evenly split over who they were supporting, engaging in some good-natured but passionate back and forth chants of "Zale!" and "Morrison!" The two combatants didn't appear to be paying attention as referee Armando Garcia went thorugh his pre-fight spiel, their eyes locked in a gaze that neither was willing to break. When Gardia told them to touch gloves they did, but only after a further prompting from each man's trainer. They walked backwards to their corners, maintaining eye contact right up to the moment when the corner crews were ordered out of the ring and the opening bell sounded.

A wave of excitement passed around the arena as the action started, Morrison making a fantastic start in the 1st as he let his hands go and caught Zale with a number of hard shots. A right hook jolted Zale early before a flush uppercut and a punishing three-punch salvo wobbled him around the two minute mark. The Olympian appeared shaken but he fired back quickly, landing a booming straight right to bring a pained expression to Morrison's face. The Wisconsin slugger ended the round nicely, a pair of jabs and a straight right finding the target moments before the bell. He returned to his corner with a spring in his step, deep concentration evident in his eyes during the intermission. Zale mounted an impressive, busy retort in round two as, after Morrison connected with a solid combination thirty seconds in, he controlled most of the frame, a pair of left hooks sending the sweat flying from Morrison's head before a succession of scoring shots had him on the back foot. Working inside, Morrison found the mark with a pair of solid uppercuts late in the piece but Zale had already sealed the round by that stage.

Zale was heard speaking of Morrison's quickness and aggression seconds before rising for round three, a concerned expression on his face. His fears were well founded as Morrison dominated the 3rd, swinging for the fences with little regard for his own safety. He tagged Zale with a pair of uppercuts early on, the blows staggering Zale and making him backpedal, shaking his head at Morrison's power. It got worse in the final minute as Morrison unloaded a wicked left hook and a hard right that bounced off Zale's head. Seconds before the bell another left hook impacted with his face, opening a nasty cut under the right eye. Blood flowed down Zale's cheek, his corner crew going to work on it in a seemingly panicked fashion between rounds. Even so, they did a good job of stopping the bleeding but Morrison maintained his momentum through the early stages of the 4th, scoring with some stinging body shots before sneaking in another one of those damaging uppercuts. But Zale roared back with an astonishing thirty second outburst during which he caught Morrison with a smashing right cross, a left-right salvo and a flush left hook, forcing Morrison into a clinch. Morrison had the best of the stanza's tailend, dropping a straight right on Zale's chin that had him moving sideways and out of trouble.

The action slowed for the first time in the contest through the first two minutes of round five before Morrison stole it with a pair of right hands in the final thirty seconds, Zale looking tired and weary as he trudged back to the red corner with the sound of the bell. Those slumped shoulders weren't an act as Morrison thoroughly dominated the final round, a wicked combination right out of the gates followed by Morrison getting the better of a furious exchange, a right hand then snapping Zale's head around. A left hook thudded off his forehead and the Olympian looked beaten, offering little resistance. The crowd was favouring Morrison, applauding his great performance as the round entered its final minute. But he wasn't done yet and finished the bout brilliantly, an uppercut that appeared to catch Zale in the throat followed by some merciless rips to the body and another pulverizing uppercut that had Zale staggered and reaching for the ropes. A left-right-left barrage scrambled the Olympian's circuits further as the bell sounded and he had to be held up by referee Garcia. Despite that, Zale had survived the onslaught and the result was in the hands of the judges.

In the minutes before the verdict was revealed Morrison prowled around the ring, only speaking to Zale briefly and clearly on edge. When he was declared the winner by unanimous decision (58-56 on all three cards) he let out a jubilant shout and high-fived Bengtson and his corner crew, ecstastic with what was a damn impressive victory over such an accomplished opponent.

Punch totals

Morrison: 147/401 (.367)
Zale: 106/458 (.231)

(to be continued)

[Jeff1787]

I'm glad my guy won, but with your writing style, it is so good, it wouldn't matter who won!

[kenyan_cheena]

I was very happy your guy won, Jeff. Thanks for the kind words.

I'll be working on the Greb-Burley bout tomorrow and should be able to post it then.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

I'll be working on the Greb-Burley bout tomorrow and should be able to post it then.

Sorry, folks. Didn't get started on it. I was working out the UTBA sched I just posted details of in the thread (see ).

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation of post #547)

"I said after my last fight that I wasn't satisfied," said Morrison. "I wasn't happy with how it finished but right now I couldn't be happier. I really can't believe that I've beaten an Olympic medallist, a guy I watched on the television and admired. Tony gave me a tough time but I guess I was a little bit fitter, a little bit more determined because when I stepped it up in the final round, he couldn't run with me. There's no disrespect meant there, it's just the absolute truth and I'm sure he'd agree with me."

"A lot of people were saying it wouldn't go the distance," continued Morrison. "I never thought that would be the case myself because I know how tough he is and I also know there was no way I was gonna let him KO me. Sometimes you don't see that killer punch coming but I made sure to guard against him getting me with it tonight. My pride would never allow that and I don't think his would, either. I'm looking forward to following his progress through the rest of the tourney 'cause I don't think there's many other guys who'll be able to handle him."

Morrison's words certainly served to shine some new, positive light on the 20 year-old, who had only been regarded as a hot-headed, ill-mannered thug by many before tonight. He left the ring to the applause of the crowd, in stark contrast to the boos and jeers that had rained down upon him five weeks ago in the very same venue. Perhaps he took last month's negative crowd reaction to heart. Then again, it could be he was simply so happy about scoring such a fantastic win that he had no reason for anger and hostility. Obviously, Morrison's behaviour during the coming weeks will give us the answer.

(to be continued)

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

MAIN EVENT

It wasn't long after Zale and Morrison had departed the ring when the chants started in earnest, chants of "Burley!" and "Greb!" going back and forth in competition as the audience awaited the arrival of the two combatants. When they finally made their way up the aisle each man was greeted with thunderous applause, both reprising their debuts by being decked out in the colours of the Pittsburgh Steelers: Burley gold with black trim, Greb black with gold trim.

Once in the ring they prowled in their opposing corners, eager to get started. Much had been made of their friendship leading into the fight but they looked like pure enemies when coming together at ring's centre before the opening bell. As referee Enzo Montero delivered his instructions Greb and Burley appeared to be staring right through each other, Burley showing a hint of confidence, Greb a steely gaze.

Following is New York Sun journalist Peter Roman's round-by-round account of the contest...

ROUND ONE

The Mellon Arena sounds like it's ready to explode as the opening bell sounds for what promises to be an exceptional contest. If it matches the excitement of Leonard-Ray we'll be in for a great one. Burley makes the first move, stepping in and landing a hard right cross, Greb taking a couple of rapid steps backwards, putting some distance between them. He replies soon after with a cross of his own but it doesn't land cleanly, Burley hitching up his trunks, feinting with the left and looking for an opening. They're stalking each other and when Burley moves in close Greb grabs him and inititates the clinch, pulling Burley's head down. Montero seperates them, telling Greb to cut it out.

Burley looks to come inside again and OH!!! He's down! Charley Burley is on the canvas! Greb smoked him with a flush left hook and Burley hit the deck like he'd been shot! The crowd's going crazy! Burley pushes himself up at five, wearing a bemused expression. We're less than halfway through the round here and Montero asks Burley if he's okay before moving aside. Greb steps in looking to finish the job, loading up and missing with a hard right. Burley is backpedalling, trying to clear his head and Greb catches him with the uppercut, following it up with a jolting left hook.

My, Burley is in trouble and will do well just to last out the round. He's in defense mode and Greb is firing away, missing with a wild left hook before connecting with a short uppercut from inside. They're banging shoulders, arms and heads and better be careful if they want to avoid cutting each other open. The final seconds tick away and Burley's cornered, Greb working the body before Burley fires back with a left-right salvo as the bell sounds. The crowd's applause is deafening, Greb almost running back to his corner in an excited fashion.

***

My, my. That was one thing I did not expect, to see a knockdown so early. Greb has definitely taken the upperhand right out of the gate and it'll be important for him to back it up in round two, to consolidate on the 10-8 effect of the knockdown. Burley's a fantastic fighter and is going to have to show more aggression to get into the bout.

***

My scorecard for round one: Greb 10-8

Punch totals for round one

Harry Greb: 30/101 (.297)
Charley Burley: 6/35 (.171)

(to be continued)

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

ROUND TWO

Greb stays aggressive through the opening stages of the 2nd but doesn't land that many shots, Burley showing a cautious disposition and staying just out of range. As the stanza enters its bottom half Greb hits paydirt, connecting with a hard left hook and then rattling Burley with a smashing right cross, bringing shouts of delight from some sections of the crowd. Greb steps up his assault, peppering Burley with lefts and rights, one right hook bringing a concerned look to Burley's face. He's really struggling and not looking even close to getting into the fight, Greb now digging a left hook into his ribs.

Greb is working at an astonishing pace and if he keeps it up he'll win with ease. Late in the round he finds the target with another right cross and plants a straight right square on Burley's nose a second before the bell rings, ending a spirited exchange where Burley mananged to land a left hook. Greb glares at Burley for a couple of seconds before returning to his corner with an extra spring in his step.

***

I can't understate how impressive Harry Greb has been through those first two rounds. He has totally dominated Burley and the Bessemer-born slugger will have to produce in a major way just to avoid losing this bout. Many predicted a terribly close fight but it looks like being nothing of the sort right now.

***

My scorecard for round two: Greb 10-9
My scorecard after round two: Greb 20-17

Punch totals for round two

Harry Greb: 34/151 (.225)
Charley Burley: 8/42 (.190)

Punch totals after round two

Harry Greb: 64/252 (.254)
Charley Burley: 14/77 (.182)

ROUND THREE

As would be expected, Burley's trainer has given him a real spray during the intermission, telling the 20 year-old to get his act together. He's wearing a deer-in-the-headlights type expression as he sits on his stool, seemingly unable to handle the predicament he's in. But in what is an uneventful 3rd round Burley actually gets himself into the contest, finding the mark with some effective jabbing early on before landing a flush right hand late that clearly hurts Greb. For his part, I can't understand why Greb would have been content to sit back and let the round pass by like he did. He's in the driver's seat and the best way to stay there is to maintain his aggression, to keep his foot on Burley's neck. That was a slack effort and hopefully it won't come back to haunt him.

***

As I said, a round devoid of anything remarkable save for that nice right that Burley connected with near the end. He looked much more comfortable and if he can produce what he's capable of still has a reasonable chance to win.

***

My scorecard for round three: Burley 10-9
My scorecard after round three: Greb 29-27

Punch totals for round three

Harry Greb: 6/32 (.188)
Charley Burley: 14/41 (.341)

Punch totals after round three

Harry Greb: 70/284 (.246)
Charley Burley: 28/118 (.237)

ROUND FOUR

A fierce exchange only seconds after the bell has the crowd cheering, Greb coming out of it the better courtesy of a short right jolt that backs Burley off. Burley works the body nicely but Greb shakes him up a little with a short uppercut from in close, Burley inititating a clinch. Both men let their hands go once again and the crowd loves it. This is the most even round of the bout so far, without a doubt. Another ferocious exchange there! My, this is great stuff! A nice uppercut lands for Burley, snapping Greb's head back. Burley appears to be finally in the fight now. OH! Big uppercut from Burley there! Greb looks hurt! That shot was huge and I don't know how Greb is still standing!

Greb backs off and Burley doesn't immediately follow, wasting precious seconds where he could have consolidated on his good work. Greb fires away with a trio of jabs, two of them sneaking through Burley's defenses before a solid uppercut also lands, Greb looking fine now. The final stretch of the round is ticking away and Burley makes the most of it, connecting with a short left hook and then a right hand as he has Greb pinned in a neutral corner. The bell sounds and the crowd cheers, ecstatic after a fantastic round of boxing.

***

Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a contest! Charley Burley is back in the running after a dreadful start and Greb needs to do something in round five to halt his momentum. We're in for a fascinating finish, without a doubt.

***

My scorecard for round four: Burley 10-9
My scorecard after round four: Greb 38-37

Punch totals for round four

Harry Greb: 19/80 (.237)
Charley Burley: 33/67 (.493)

Punch totals after round four

Harry Greb: 89/364 (.245)
Charley Burley: 61/185 (.330)

(to be concluded! later today!)

[kenyan_cheena]

(conclusion)

ROUND FIVE

The 5th starts slowly and through its first ninety seconds Greb holds a slight edge, although only connecting with some solid jabs. There's a sense in the air that the verdict is balanced on a knife's edge right at this moment and when Burley unleashes a smashing uppercut it looks like the outcome may have tipped in his favour. Greb is hurt by the punch, stumbling backwards into the ropes, the audience in an uproar. Burley hunts him down and lands a trio of solid shots, Greb covering up.

Burley scores with a hard right and Greb wraps him up, really looking in trouble now. His corner is imploring him to be aggressive but being honest, he appears to be out of gas. The bell sounds and Burley pumps his fist in the air as he returns to his corner.

***

The comeback is now complete. Charley Burley has made one of the most extraordinary rallies I've seen in either the HBF or IBL to put himself in a position to win this bout. It's clear now that throwing 256 punches in the first two rounds was not a good idea for Greb because he hasn't been the same fighter in the three rounds since. I'm almost certain that Burley is going to finish strongly and claim an outstanding victory.

***

My scorecard for round five: Burley 10-9
My scorecard after round five: 47-47

Punch totals for round five

Harry Greb: 9/51 (.176)
Charley Burley: 22/46 (.478)

Punch totals after round five

Harry Greb: 98/415 (.236)
Charley Burley: 83/231 (.359)

ROUND SIX

Greb is wearing an almost resigned gaze as he sits on his stool throughout the intermission. Truly, he looks exhausted which is quite surprising really. One would have thought he'd be ready to produce six strong rounds. The two combatants touch gloves for the start of the final stanza, the audience on their feet applauding. Burley's appearance is in sharp contrast to Greb's as he moves forward aggressively, peppering Greb with a series of pinpoint jabs. After a minute he's already on his way to securing the round as Greb is putting everything he has left behind the occasional big left or right and missing.

Oh! A big left hook from Burley sent the sweat flying from Greb's head! What a thunderous blow! Burley is pumping that jab into Greb's face beautifully, keeping him off balance, his eyes alive with determination. He works the body and then goes upstairs, the right hand bouncing off Greb's forehead. I'll say it now before it's too late: Harry Greb is done. He's got nothing left in this fight and when Burley connects with a knee-buckling uppercut it's crystal clear. There's a minute left in the contest but I'm not sure if Greb will make it to the bell. Most of the crowd is behind Burley now, calling for a knockout or at the least a knockdown.

Jab-jab-right hand! Burley is on fire now and he collects Greb with another smashing uppercut, referee Montero watching very closely. Greb leans on Burley to keep himself upright, only seconds left in the bout now. When Montero separates them Burley steps in and unloads! Oh, my! Left-right-left-right-left! Greb collapses to the canvas in a heap! The count is at three, four, somehow he's getting up, the bell sounding but if he doesn't beat the count it'll all be over. Greb is up at eight and that's it, folks. The fight has gone the distance and now it's in the hands of the judges. Greb and Burley embrace in the centre of the ring, one almost forgetting during the past half hour that they're good friends.

***

What a fantastic finish from Charley Burley! Incredible! I know I expected it but he went beyond what I thought would be possible. This will be a great win for Burley and something that's going to give him a huge confidence boost for the remainder of the tournament.

***

My scorecard for round six: Burley 10-8
My scorecard after round six: Burley 57-55

Punch totals for round six

Harry Greb: 3/20 (.150)
Charley Burley: 46/90 (.511)

Punch totals after round six

Harry Greb: 101/435 (.232)
Charley Burley: 129/321 (.402)


***

Ten minutes after the final bell announcer Sam Taub climbed into the ring with the scorecards in hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the judges have tallied their cards for tonight's fantastic main event and here is your decision," he said. "Judge Clark Sammartino scores the bout 57-55 to Charley Burley. Judge John Femia sees it 56-56, a draw. Judge Jose A. Torres sees it 57-55 to the winner, by majority decision, Charley Burley!"

Burley's supporters erupted the moment Taub started saying "to the winner", ecstatic over their man's triumph. Burley shook Greb's hand and embraced him once more. When he stepped away from his friend he let out a jubilant shout and punched his right fist in the air, moving to each side of the ring and smiling and waving out to the crowd. He applauded their support, pumping his fist once again.

"I really can't believe it, to be honest," said an overwhelmed Burley. "I wasn't even in the building for those first two rounds and I don't know how I turned it around after that. I didn't have any margin for error but I pulled through and I'm shocked. Maybe Harry went out a bit hard there but he was still throwing punches in that fourth round. That's where it turned around I think, 'cause I made him miss with a lot of shots and maybe that frustrated him. I don't know. I can't believe that I've done it!"

Greb gave all credit to Burley, making no excuses.

"The guy was just better than me," he said, shrugging. "I don't think I came out too fast at all. I was in control after those first two rounds but he was never out of the fight and he was good enough to overcome that and win. Everyone knows he's my buddy but he's got even more of my admiration after this. In my opinion he should o' been the favourite to win the title from the beginning so maybe after this people will change their opinion on him."

When their media commitments were completed Greb and Burley made a round of the ring side by side, Greb holding the victor's hand aloft in recognition of his performance. It was a wonderfully sporting way to end what had been an incredible night of boxing...

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
INTERNATIONAL BOXING LEAGUE FIGHT CARD
MONDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2002
MELLON ARENA, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, USA

IBL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
REGIONAL QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT, SERIES TWO
MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION
REGION: NORTH AMERICA CENTRAL


OPENING BOUT

Ronnie Harris MD6 Paul Pirrone

PRELIMINARY 1

Frank Battaglia UD6 Wilfie Greaves

PRELIMINARY 2

Stanley Ketchel UD6 Ted Wright

SUPPORT BOUT

Greg Moe UD6 Mike O'Dowd

CO-FEATURE

Jake Morrison UD6 Tony Zale

MAIN EVENT

Charley Burley MD6 Harry Greb

***

Series Three Matchups...

WILFIE GREAVES (0-2-0) vs TED WRIGHT (0-2-0)
GREG MOE (1-1-0) vs RONNIE HARRIS (1-1-0)
HARRY GREB (1-1-0) vs PAUL PIRRONE (0-2-0)
FRANK BATTAGLIA (2-0-0(1)) vs STANLEY KETCHEL (2-0-0(1))
CHARLEY BURLEY (2-0-0) vs TONY ZALE (1-1-0)
MIKE O'DOWD (0-2-0) vs JAKE MORRISON (2-0-0(1))

[kenyan_cheena]

IT GETS NO EASIER FOR BURLEY

Tuesday 1 October 2002

Last night Middleweight boxer Charley Burley scored a fantastic come from behind victory over fellow Pennsylvanian Harry Greb in the main event of an International Boxing League fight card at Pittsburgh's Mellon Arena. Burley rallied from being knocked down in round one and further dominated in round two to sweep the final four rounds on two scorecards, flooring Greb moments before the final bell for good measure. Burley was overwhelmed by the nature of his triumph but soon after he received some sobering news when the schedule for series three was revealed. Greb was drawn to take on Olympic bronze medallist Tony Zale, an opponent who will pose just as much a challenge as Greb did. Speaking this morning Burley played off any concern about the clash.

"It's not a big deal to me," he said. "I'm gonna have to fight them all eventually: Zale, Ketchel, Morrison, all those guys that they're saying will qualify for the World Championship tourney. It's a tough group, probably tougher than what some of us might face if we