B-town Boxing: A Heavyweight Universe

[btown32]

Jack Gardner, UK 15-3-0 (14) (KO8) Tim Witherspoon, USA 11-1-0 (11)
Lamon Brewster, USA 17-3-0 (16) (UD15) Frank Rylands, UK 13-2-0 (5)
Billy Miske, USA 16-1-1 (13) (UD15) Matt Skelton, UK 5-0-0 (4)
David Haye, UK 10-2-0 (10) (KO1) Mike Weaver, USA 15-1-0 (13)

Attendance - 100,000

*Thanks for showing up and representing your country, Mike!

[btown32]

Chris Byrd, USA 13-3-2 (6) (SD15) Tommy Farr, UK 12-3-0 (5)
Greg Page, USA 14-2-1 (11) (KO7) Sir Henry Cooper, UK 18-3-0 (15)

“Merciless” Ray Mercer, USA, 11-0-0 (10) vs. Bob Fitzsimmons, UK, 15-1-0 (15)

This would normally be the featured match here at Wembley Stadium, but this is not a normal night. The electricity is in the air and it has nothing to do with the weather. Tonight’s last fight,will feature the first public, professional boxing appearance of the U.K.’s, Joe Calzaghe. Let’s get back to our present fight. Fitzsimmons comes out of his corner like he was shot out of a cannon a lands a hard uppercut. 57 seconds into the fight, “Ruby Robert” lands a hook out of nowhere, and the American fighter is put flat on his back. Mercer is able to get up and finish the round, but he looks dazed going to his corner. Mercer goes down for the 2nd time in the fight with 1:41 left here in the 2nd round. Mercer is really hurt but the referee allows the fight to go on as Mercer finishes the 2nd on barely on his feet. The massive crowd has been standing for the entire fight. The “Yankee” fighter is finally able to show some life as he exchanges punches in an even third round. The fans continue to cheer as both fighters throw bombs. The action is fast and furious. There is no way that this fight is going the distance! The home fighter is relentless and wins another round with a 15-3 total after a 22-20 4th. The visitor seems to have won his first round here in the 6th. We go to the 9th and the crowd favorite has a comfortable lead. Mercer looks completely spent while Fitz is still throwing combinations of punches without any hesitance. Mercer is knocked down again here in the 9th by a violent hook. I cannot see this fight going much longer. Down again in the 10th, Mercer courageously gets back up. This is either a great showing of pride or hopeless stupidity, but this is what can happen when you are fighting for your country and not for money. There is no way for Mercer to win this fight unless the heavens open up and a lightning bolt strikes Bob Fitzsimmons where he stands! Fitzsimmons finally ends the night when Mercer cant get up at the :55 mark of the 12th. Winner is U.K.’s Bob Fitzsimmons (KO12).

[btown32]

Joe Mesi, USA 14-2-0 (12) vs. “The Pride of Wales” Joe Calzaghe, UK 4-0-0 (4)

The crowd hasn’t been in their seats since the beginning of the Fitzsimmons-Mercer fight. Wembley Stadium is rockin’ and rollin’ again and this is a scene that hasn’t been viewed since the Beatles. Will the anticipated public debut live up to a nation’s desire for an eventual world champion? Calzaghe comes out and lands the first two punches of the fight. There is no feeling out process here. The adrenaline from the excitement and boisterous crowd helps to propel both fighters into a slugfest. I believe the home favorite did the most damage and landed the better blows here in the 1st. The less-experience Calzaghe, treats Mesi like a punching bag and scores better in the 2nd. Another impressive round for the Brit, here in the 3rd. Mesi is unable to land more than one punch at a time. Calzaghe’s speed and skill level seem to be frustrating the bigger, Mesi. 14-2 for Calzaghe in the 4th. Will Mesi win a round? Mesi lands a couple of jabs but is quickly countered in a relatively uneventful 5th. Mesi goes down from a combination 33 seconds into the 6th and the crowd is going crazy! Mesi is up at the count of seven…let’s see if Calzaghe has the patience and experience to finish the fight here or if he throws wildly and let’s Mesi survive. I think Mesi showed his ring experience by tying up his opponent while avoiding any more damage. Mesi is down again from a clean, short combination. There is still over two minutes left in the round. This will be the second consecutive round that Mesi has had to try to survive with so much time left before the bell. “Baby Joe” survives the round again. The crowd is excited for their hometown favorite, but Calzaghe’s corner might be a little worried that they couldn’t finish the show. Mesi has decent power, so he will always have a puncher’s chance. This situation reminds me of an interesting quote I heard from another Brit, Lennox Lewis, “It only take one punch to alter history.” Calzaghe will learn to close out fights better as he gains experience down the road. A third knockdown in round 8 and a third chance to end the fight doesn’t come to fruition. We have Calzaghe winning every single round. The question is whether “The Pride of Wales” will want to impress his supporters by going for the knockout or play it safe and not make a mistake that could cost him this fight. As we speak, Mesi lands a couple of hard shots and backs Calzaghe up. Will this play into the minds of Calzaghe and his corner? We go to the 11th. More of the same in the 11th and 12th. Mesi is having some problems with a cut underneath his left eye. The referee finally stops the fight at the 2:53 mark in the 14th with Calzaghe out pointing his opponent 28-0 in the round. The winner by (TKO14) is Joe Calzaghe. The scorecards were 130-114, 130-114, 129-115 when the fight was stopped. The stadium sure has changed since the 5th and 6th fight. The United States had taken a 4-2 lead with victories by Greg Page and Chris Byrd. The United Kingdom evened the series with their best fighter, Bob Fitzsimmons, and their hottest prospect, Joe Calzaghe, stepping up for their country by completely destroying their opponents in front of a raucous crowd of over 100,000 people. What a debut. Can Calzaghe carry a country's hope all the way to the mountain-top? We will sure be interested to follow the path of this heralded fighter.

[btown32]

United Kingdom 4, United States 4.

[btown32]

Three hot, new prospects enter the professional ranks after having stellar outings in the amateur ranks.

1. Jeff Shelburg, USA, Managed/Trained by Lee Skye.

2. Charles Hadley, USA, Managed/Trained by London Tosti.

3. George Stankovich, New Zealand, Managed/Trained by G.C.G. (GoCubsGo)

Each of these fighters have had their trainers with them for their entire amateur career, but it is not determined if they will keep their relationships here in the pros. (If you are interested, just let me know who you want your fighter to face as I put up a list) Just thought it may keep some interest. If not, no big deal. If yes, I will do a summary of each fight like most of my posts.

B-town Boxing Promotions is looking over the lists of fighters to schedule for their debut.

Russell Alexander, USA 2-3-0 (1)
Johnny Allen, USA, 1-0-0 (0)
Eddie Bowen, USA 1-0-0 (0)
Kent Clark, USA 1-2-1 (1)
Cliff Fritz, USA 1-2-0 (1)
Herman Heintzenroeder, USA 1-2-0 (0)
Dino Homsey, USA 0-0-0 (0)
John Basil Jackson, USA 0-0-0 (0)
Lopez McGee, USA 1-3-0 (1)
Roberto Ramirez, USA 1-2-0 (1)
Larry Watson, USA 1-2-0 (1)
Joe Yorfino, USA 0-0-0 (0)

Fai Falamoe, New Zealand 0-0-0 (0)
Bill Pascoe, New Zealand 1-4-0 (0)
Ray Wheatley, Australia 0-2-0 (0)
Jim Tracey, Australia 0-0-0 (0)
John Justice, Australia 0-0-0 (0)
Les Bowtell, Australia 1-1-0 (0)

[btown32]

Fossie Schmidt, Tonga, 9-1-1 (8)
Sinan Samil Sam, Turkey, 10-2-0 (9)
Albert Pooley, New Zealand, 11-1-0 (11)
Funso Banjo, Nigeria, 15-2-0 (11)
Vic Darchinyan, Australia, 5-0-0 (5)

[btown32]

Joe Calzaghe, United Kingdom, 5-0-0 (5)
Joe Goss, United Kingdom, 4-0-0 (1)
Nicolay Valuev, Russia, 11-1-0 (10)
Marco Huck, Yugoslavia, 13-0-0 (11)
James Figg, Scotland, 16-1-0 (14)

[btown32]

Gregorio Peralta, Argentina, 11-1-0 (8)
Oscar Bonavena, Argentina, 8-0-1 (8)
John Dwyer, Canada, 9-0-0 (7)
Yoan Pablo Hernandez, Cuba, 8-0-0 (5)
Wayne Braithwaite, Guyana, 12-1-0 (12)

[gocubsgo]

Mr Stankovich would like to face Fia Falamoe. George faced Fia previously in the amateur ranks and their is some bad blood betweent the two.

[btown32]

Nice, your fight will fill out the "Thunder Down Under" card that was revived after allegations against Balboa were questioned and put on hold. The card will be announced later tonight.

[Lee]

Shelburg would like Lopez McGee....just cause the name is cool.

[btown32]

Australia,

Main Event:

#15 Ivan Drago, Russia, 21-5-0 (20) vs Tom Lees, Australia, 19-2-0 (14)

Supporting Bouts:

Rocky Balboa, USA, 9-1-0 (9) vs George Cook, Australia, 12-4-1 (6)
Apollo Creed, USA, 16-3-0 (12) vs Larry Foley, Australia, 11-0-0 (7)
Clubber Lang, USA 16-4-0 (16) vs Bowie Tupou, Australia, 11-4-0 (9)
Fai Falamoe, New Zealand, pro debut vs George Stankovich, New Zealand, pro debut

[btown32]

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Main Event:

Gregorio Peralta, Argentina, 11-1-0 (8) vs Owen Beck, Jamaica, 7-2-1 (7)

Supporting Bouts:

Marco Huck, Yugoslavia, 13-0-0 (11) vs Vasily Jirov, Kazakstan, 12-1-0 (12)
Vic Darchinyan, Australia, 5-0-0 (5) vs Rufus Brassell, USA, 6-1-0 (3)
Jeff Shelburg, USA, pro debut vs Lopez McGee, USA, 1-3-0 (1)

[btown32]

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has decided to relinquish his UFC Title. Jackson will give up the octagon to focus solely on the sweet science. "Rampage" is coming off his 1st round TKO of previous champion, Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell. Jackson says, "I have nothing more to conquer here in MMA. I won in Pride and I came over to the UFC and thoroughly beat their posterboy. I want to show the world that I can conquer both worlds and be the first to win championships in both boxing and mixed martial arts."

[Romdawg88]

Sweet, it should be fun to have Rampage in the league just for his interviews. It'll be fun to see how he does.

"My biggest strength is my strength because I'm strong. That's my biggest strength." A Rampage quote from his first fight with Chuck Liddell. I love this guy.

[btown32]

Rom, I couldn't stop laughing after I read that quote. I don't remember hearing him say that, but I did see him win that first fight. Liddell is more of a traditional stand-up fighter and Jackson fights the same way and isnt afraid to trade with Chuck. We will see how that translates to this boxing world.

[btown32]

Jimmy Young, USA, 13-2-2 (5) (TKO12) Frank Bruno, UK, 15-4-0 (15)
Joe Bugner, UK, 13-1-0 (11) (KO1) Cleveland Williams, USA, 12-1-0 (12)

Alex Stewart, UK, 15-4-0 (15) vs. Gerry Cooney, USA, 10-3-0 (9)

Stewart controls the beginning of the fight and uses his quickness advantage to avoid Cooney’s punching power. Cooney lands a big punch and floors Stewart in the 3rd. Stewart rebounds by landing a right hook that sends Cooney to the canvas in the 4th. Cooney is able to get up twice, but is able to avoid the knockout at the 2:49 mark of the round. Alex Stewart is the winner by (KO4).

Lennox Lewis, UK, 13-1-0 (10) vs. Hasim Rahman, USA, 18-3-0 (16)

After 15 fights, it all comes down to this one, last fight. The U.K. boxers are ahead right now having won 8 bouts to 7 for the U.S.A. contingent. Each side split the 8 bouts at the United Kingdom venue in Wembley Stadium. Lewis is the odds-on-favorite right now but Rahman does have the home crowd of over 100,000 fans behind him. There are no pleasantries here as both fighters trade heavyweight blows. Rahman is sent flying by a hard cross in the 1st. Rahman is hurt again in the 2nd and loses the round, getting out-pointed 22-8. Lewis is completely controlling the fight, we have it 30-26 after three. Rahman is finally able to get inside Lewis’ jab to score some points but it looks as though a cut has opened up over his right eye. Lewis is using his reach to keep his opponent outside of range. Rahman is getting frustrated from eating all the jabs. Rahman is completely spent in the 7th and is unable to answer the flurries of punches landed by Lennox Lewis. The ref steps between the two fighters and stops the fight at the 2:48 mark. Winner is Lennox Lewis (TKO7). Lewis showed everybody that he was the superior fighter and had better skills. The United Kingdom finishes the UK/USA Challenge winning the last two bouts and ends up leading the overall tally at 9-7.

[btown32]

United Kingdom 5, United States 3

[btown32]

United Kingdom 9, United States 7.

[btown32]

Melbourne Stadium, Australia

Main Event:

#15 Ivan Drago, Russia, 21-5-0 (20) (KO15) Tom Lees, Australia, 19-2-0 (14)

Supporting Bouts:

Rocky Balboa, USA, 9-1-0 (9) (KO8) George Cook, Australia, 12-4-1 (6)
Larry Foley, Australia, 11-0-0 (7) (SD15) Apollo Creed, USA, 16-3-0 (12)
Clubber Lang, USA, 16-4-0 (16) (TKO10) Bowie Tupou, Australia, 11-4-0 (9)

A Successful Professional Debut:

Fai Falamoe, New Zealand, Pro Debut vs. George Stankovich, New Zealand, Pro Debut

Our opening bout features two former amateur foes who do not like each other. Each fighter could have taken an easier initial fight to enter the pro ranks, but they jumped at the chance to square off in the ring on this great fight card. George Stankovich has signed with the G.C.G. Management Team, who will be responsible for promoting, training and managing the professional boxing career of this potential ICBA star. Both fighters enter the ring in great shape. The first round gets off to a slow and controversial start. It looks as though both fighters are feeling each other out. There was more preflight trash-talking than punches thrown here in the 1st. Stankovich has a point deducted from him already, here in the opening round for a head butt that doesn’t seem to have been seen by anybody except the referee. You would hate to see the outcome of this fight determined by a point deduction. Stankovich is warned for holding here at the beginning of the 2nd. Suddenly, a solid combination by Stankovich sends Falamoe to the canvas with 1:02 left in the round. Falamoe is up at the count of six and survives the round even though he suffered a great deal of punishment, 19-4. The 3rd is sloppy with both fighters receiving warnings for fouls, Falamoe for a low blow and Stankovich for hitting on the break. Both men finally let their hands go and each fighter lands several good shots. Falamoe has a point deducted for another low blow in what would have been a pretty even 4th round. Stankovich has a good round, 17-9, and Falamoe could be in trouble with a cut and swelling that has developed here in the 5th. Conditioning could be a factor as this fight goes into the latter rounds. Both fighters have never experienced this length of fight in the amateur ranks. Round 6 seems pretty even as both boxers seemed to have downshifted a little, 8-8 in points. Falamoe has another point taken from him for another low blow. These deductions are putting Falamoe in a situation where he may need a knockout to win the fight. Stankovich is landing punch after punch and sends Falamoe down on his back with less than ten seconds here in the 7th. Falamoe is able to get up but the referee stops the fight due to the cut over the eye. George Stankovich has a successful professional debut with a (TKO7). 59-53, 56-56 (what!?), 58-55. 2nd judge must have been a relative of Falamoe.