Thanksgiving Tournament of the Turkeys

[mikehoudini]

It's a pleasure to give crossover coverage to the author of a great thread/uni! And I was impressed that Beattie started so well and got to fight Ali, and may have even knocked him down, if my memory serves me correctly. I was surprised when Beattie lost to Coopman in my tourney, after decking him in the 5th.

[mikehoudini]

Here are the pairings for the Thundering Threes Tourney. The opening round will be held at the Lincoln Theater in Washington, DC. Let me know who you are rooting for. The results may be delayed a day or two, as I have a chicken stew to finish cooking tonight and a mandatory bull and oyster roast to attend tomorrow in lovely Hagerstown, MD. When I return, I’ll get cranking. Here’s the pairings, and we’ll see how far the level 1 and 2 guys can get:

1 Jake Kilrain vs James Ellis
2 Phil Scott vs Bill Tate
3 John Louis Gardner vs David Bostice
4 Mike Koranicki vs Tom McNeeley

5 Pedro Agosto vs Taurus Sykes
6 Marty Monroe vs Fabio Moli
7 Nick Barone vs Marvis Frazier
8 Battling Jim Johnson vs Vittorio Campolo

9 Steffen Tangstad vs Joe Alexander
10 Dan Flynn vs Sam Berger
11 Imamu Mayfield vs James Broad
12 Dante Cane vs Brian London

13 Kent Green vs Faruq Saleem
14 Lee Oma vs Joe Beckett
15 Domingo D'Elia vs Al Kaufmann
16 Tony Ross vs Ed Mahone


17 John Holman vs George Johnson
18 Pat Valentino vs John Ferguson
19 Terry Daniels vs Charley Mitchell
20 Young Jack Johnson vs Jim Barry

21 Corey Sanders vs George Arias
22 Jose Ribalta vs Danny Wofford
23 Johnny Paychek vs Gerhard Zeck
24 Denver Ed Smith vs Chuck Wepner

25 Tom Cowler vs Willi Fischer
26 Leo Nolan vs Jean-Pierre Coopman
27 Keith McKnight vs Frankie Swindell
28 Jose Roman vs Lee Savold

29 Archie McBride vs Mike Schreck
30 Ray Austin vs Dick Richardson
31 Arthur Pelkey vs Jeremy Williams
32 Bernard Thebault vs Ben Foord

[aaaaaaaaa]

Originally Posted by mikehoudini

It's a pleasure to give crossover coverage to the author of a great thread/uni! And I was impressed that Beattie started so well and got to fight Ali, and may have even knocked him down, if my memory serves me correctly. I was surprised when Beattie lost to Coopman in my tourney, after decking him in the 5th.

He knocked down Joe Frazier (first ever in his career) but never Ali in my uni.

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by aaaaaaaaa

He knocked down Joe Frazier (first ever in his career) but never Ali in my uni.

My memory was and is faulty, but at least he knocked down one of the pre-eminent stars!

[Romdawg88]

I'm backing Lee Oma and John Holman in this tournament. I have to support anyone who was part of the Muckboys.

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

I'm backing Lee Oma and John Holman in this tournament. I have to support anyone who was part of the Muckboys.

Oma ruled the Terrible Twos Tourney! We'll see how far he gets in this one! Perhaps the Muckboys will rule!

[mikehoudini]

The first 4 fights in Round 1 of the Thundering Threes Tourney have been completed, and the results are as follows:

Jake Kilrain vs. James Ellis – In 5 of the 1st 6 rounds, the two either had the same point total or were 1 different! The opening round was a somnambulist’s delight. As Ellis theoretically had a 4-3 advantage, but his main weapon was the clinch!

Ellis started the 2nd by landing 3 quick jabs, but Kilrain fought well in the last two minutes, hitting Ellis with uppercuts, crosses and hooks, to take a 12-11 advantage that had the crowd back in the action! The 3rd was quiet again, Ellis landing a punishing hook to “take” the round, 7-6, while Jake had a flurry of hooks and crosses just to get back in it!

Kilrain landed a wild right early in the 4th that made Ellis retreat, then James answered with a sonic hook and other less-powerful hooks to take the round, 11-7. He was warned for holding & hitting, and was warned in the 5th for low blows. He smashed Kilrain with a cross midway through the round, but Jake had him reeling from a booming hook, as he won, 13-12.

The crowd, which had comes to its feet, settled back for a snooze in the 6th, as both tired men missed a lot and ended up even, 6-6. Fully rested, Ellis came out smoking in the 7th, punishing Kilrain with a savage combination and landing a variety of lesser punches that still scored points. Kilrain rallied furiously in the last minute, and Ellis had to resort to more clinching, but Jake came out on the short end, 20-12!

Needing the 8th, Kilrain connected for a sweet hook, but Ellis still had a bit in the tank, responding with a series of punches, culminating with a combination that left him in command, 13-8. I scored it 78-77 Ellis, as he clearly was superior in the 7th & 8th. The judges scored the bout 77-76, 80-75 & 80-76, all for the winner by a unanimous decision, James Ellis! I thought it was much closer, but the last 2 rounds pulled it out for Ellis, as he mixed his punches nicely.

Phil Scott vs. Bill Tate (6-1 1) – For the second fight in a row, Big Bill Tate came in badly overweight, but he ruled the 1st, 13-3, boxing nicely and landing when he needed to. He was warned for holding & hitting, as was Scott in the 2nd. The two exchanged punched and had a see-saw 2nd going, but Scott rallied in the last half-minute to take it, 17-11. Was this a sign that Big Bill’s conditioning might affect the outcome?

Phil poured it on in the 3rd through 6th, winning a series of exchanges in the 3rd, 11-8, as his combinations were effective, hammering Tate with a huge hook and many other punches in an 18-2 4th, going back to his combinations to outbox Tate in the 5th, 11-4, then withstanding a flurry from Tate in the 6th to come back and punish him, 18-6, landing a bone-jarring cross at the end of the round!

Tate’s arms were low as he began the 7th, but he rallied his rotund body, hitting Scott repeatedly en route to a badly-needed 16-4 round! He landed a monster cross to start the 8th, but ran out of gas, and Scott landed flush on his jaw with a cross that sent his legs skyward! Scott got the KO at 0:47 of the 8th, and Tate needs to be a little less over-confident, especially when moving up in class, if he wants any future bouts!

John Louis Gardner vs. David Bostice – The opening 2 rounds were quiet and dead even, Bostice landing more punches while Gardner mainly missed but excited the crowd with a sharp combination and a solid cross! Then, Garner got warmed up and began to hammer Bostice!

He landed a series of uppercuts to start the 3rd, then a booming hook and a straight left that won the round, 20-3, and had David wobbly! The 4th was more of the same, and Bostice landed a few punches, but Gardner landed more, among them a cross and a hook that gave him a big 22-8 round! He gave Bostice a bloody nose in the 5th from a cross that Bostice ran into, and poured it on for a 22-4 round!

Bostice rallied a bit in the 6th, but a straight right caused his nose to bleed again, and his left eye was badly-swollen as he came out on the short end, 12-10, largely because of a combination that hurt him as the round ended!

Gardner smashed home an uppercut in the 7th, causing a temporary stoppage because of the bloody nose, and Bostice rallied to halve the round, 10-10. Bostice was desperate, and landed his best punch of the night, a big hook, but Gardner avoided his other bombs, easily lasting the round, though on the short end, 16-2. Everyone agreed that this was an easy 79-75 or so win for Gardner, as he savaged Bostice in the middle rounds!

Mike Koranicki vs. Tom McNeeley – McNeeley landed three combinations to start the fight, then rocked back as Koranicki hurt him with a big right hand! He recovered, connecting with two jolting uppercuts, the last ending the round, good for a 20-6 advantage!

Koranicki boxed well in the 2nd, moving nicely and landing hook after hook, taking the round, 12-7. The 3rd was an absolute war! Mike landed a straight left, and Tom answered with an uppercut that snapped his head back. Koranicki countered with one of his own, which McNeeley returned to possibly win the round, 17-16. The fans cheered the mighty exchanges and wondered who would falter!

Tom was the first to score in the 4th, with a sweet combination, then he decked Mike for an 8 count on a night-train cross. Once Koranicki made it back to his feet, Tom belted him with a hook, pasted him with a combination and then added a jarring cross. The score for the round was 28-4, and the ref jumped in to halt any further damage! McNeeley won on a TKO at 2:35 of the 4th. For the fight, he landed 77% of his punches. Koranicki was game but needed to show some better defense!

[bear]

I'll be in Lee Savold's corner in this one.

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by bear

I'll be in Lee Savold's corner in this one.

Hmm, this could be a battle of the Lees, Oma and Savold!

[mikehoudini]

Pedro Agosto (11-2-1 9) vs. Taurus Sykes – Agosto won in the box-in, but Sherman Williams made him go the distance. Perhaps his KO power isn’t as effective against these higher caliber boxers?

Schoolboy and Sykes traded blows in a close 1st, which Sykes won in terms of points, 11-9, connecting with a variety of light punches. Agosto returned the favor in the 2nd, demonstrating that he’s capable of throwing any punch, and won on a flurry at the end, 9-5.

Gaining confidence, Pedro smacked Sykes with a booming hook in the 3rd, which caused Sykes to cover up. Pedro landed a series of hooks, but not the big one, still winning, 16-5. Sykes boxed a good two minutes to begin the 4th, landing a number of blows, but was again hurt by another big hook at the end of the round, in which he outpointed Agosto, 8-6.

The 5th was a dull round, as Taurus connected for jabs and avoided Agosto’s power punches, 8-5. Schoolboy socked Sykes with a punch to the top of the head to start the 6th, causing his legs to buckle! He hooked nicely and landed a jolting cross to take the round easily, 13-8.

Pedro dominated the 7th with power punches that offset Taurus’s taps. He landed a booming hook, then followed in mid round with a straight right and then a winged right that had Taurus in trouble, winning the round, 14-8!

Smelling victory, Pedro pulverized Sykes with a right to open the 8th, and Sykes was hurt. Agosto followed with a cross that made Sykes cover up, but couldn’t land any other blows, and Sykes was able to land a series of hooks and crosses, piling up points to take the round, 12-9, as Pedro was wild and paid the price!

I scored the fight a draw, 76-76, as they both landed about the same amount of punches, 182-198, advantage Sykes, but Pedro landed all the power punches! The judges scored it 77-75 Sykes, 76-76, & 77-75 for…Taurus Sykes, the winner by a majority decision! One judge gave Sykes round 2, the other round 6, both rounds where Agosto ruled. Pedro the Schoolboy deserved better, while Sykes benefited as Ford named a car line after him!

Marty Monroe vs. Fabio Moli – Moli boxed beautifully in the first half of the fight. He landed a variety of punches to take the 1st, 14-6, then rallied in the last minute of the 2nd to outscore Monroe, 12-10! In the 3rd, he landed a series of combination, and evaded or blocked Monroe’s attempts, winning the round, 6-2. Monroe connected for a punishing cross in the 4th, but Moli countered and landed another impressive volley of punches toward the end, winning, 18-9!

Having dug himself a hole, Marty came out roaring in the 5th, only to run into a smashing left from Moli. Well down in points, Marty landed a searing combination at the end of the round, putting Fabio down for a 2 count, but still coming up on the short end point-wise, 14-8! Moli danced in the 6th and evaded Monroe, who did land a few jabs to arguably win the round, 6-4.

Fabio fought well in the 7th, landing a nice hook and winning easily, 15-4, and Monroe knew he was running out of time! Throwing caution to the winds, he landed a booming cross that staggered moli, followed by a solid winging right and then a dazzling uppercut! He was up, 17-4, with plenty of time left, when Moli countered with a beautiful hook that sent him crashing to the canvas! He got up at the count of 7, but had little left, and Moli was content to let the round end, 19-14!

I scored it 78-74, Moli, and, holy moly, the judges saw the same fight, all of them going 77-73 for Moli, the winner by a unanimous decision! I thought that it was interesting that all the judges scored the knockdown rounds 10-8 for the party with the lesser points total!

Nick Barone (1-0 1) vs. Marvis Frazier – Barone landed 4 combinations to win the hotly-contested opening round, 11-8. Frazier connected for numerous hooks to win the 2nd, 10-4, then landed a big hook and another cranium-cruncher in the 3rd, which he won 12-8, as Nick rallied with a huge right at the end of the round!

The 4th was a snoozer, Barone landing a few punches and blocking Frazier’s attempts, 6-2. Marvis switched to his jab in the 5th, connecting for several nice shots, piling up the points and winning 13-2! Barone won a quiet 6th, 9-4, then arguably nudged Frazier in the 7th, 8-6, as both men seemed tired!

Both men needed the 8th, but inexplicably, neither could connect or even show much attempt at any offense, and the round was 2-2! I had it 77-76 for Barone, while the judges went 77-76 Frazier, 76-76 and 76-76, for a majority draw! All three gave Frazier the 8th, a round in which he clinched very nicely!

Barone came out smoking in the rematch, dominating the 1st round, landing a big hook and then flooring Frazier for a 1 count as the round expired, 19-4! The 2nd was a round of clinching and dancing, Frazier working off the effects of the cross the round before. The score was 2-2, but Frazier’s head cleared!

He took the 3rd, 14-6, landing hooks and crosses that had a snap to them! He landed a cosmic cross in the 4th, punched well and won handily, 16-2, all despite showing a penchant for clinching! Frazier was aggressive in the 5th, throwing and missing a lot, and Nick outpointed him, 8-6!

Marvis once again put his wrestling talent to use in the 6th, clinching a lot while accumulating a lead, which almost evaporated (8-6) when Barone rallied in the last half minute! The 7th was a pivotal round, and Frazier seized the moment, knocking Barone down with a big cross for a 4 count! He landed after that, winning the round, 15-0, but couldn’t connect for the big punch!

The 8th was almost anticlimactic, as Marvis avoided Nick until the end of the round, when Barone connected with an uppercut to salvage a split, 6-6! I had Frazier the winner, 77-75. The judges all scored it 77-74 for Frazier, who outlanded Barone, 186-121. With the knockdown, there was no controversy to this fight!

Battling Jim Johnson vs. Vittorio Campolo – Battling Jim won a quiet first, 8-2, as his uppercuts found a home. Campolo came back with a smashing cross to open the 2nd, and later nailed Jim with an uppercut right on the button! Johnson rallied in the last minute, but not enough, 18-8. The 3rd & 4th were quiet, Johnson connecting on 3 hooks to take the 3rd, 8-6, then coming out barely on top, 6-5, in the snoozer 4th!

Battling Jim stepped up the pace in the 5th, connecting on combinations and hooks, offsetting Campolo’s one big bomb, 16-7. Jim may have incurred an injury toward the end of the round. Vittorio lashed out in a monster 6th, winning 19-4, landing a humongous hook, and later two straight rights that rocked Johnson’s world!

The 7th was even, Johnson landing more punches while Campolo landed a power hook, 8-8, but Johnson was penalized a point for a second low blow infraction! The 8th was a round of futility, as both missed on many attempts, and Jim landed the only punches, winning, 2-0!

I had Johnson the winner, 77-76, though it could easily be called a draw, as the last round was really a nonentity! Johnson did land more punches, 180-132, and at a 51% efficiency rate. The judges scored it 77-75 Johnson, 76-76, and 76-75 for…the winner by a majority decision, Battling Jim Johnson!

So powerful Pedro Agosto is out, though he deserved better! He plans on demanding a rematch against Sykes, but may well return to challenging level 1 and 2 fighters, where he is a big fish in a small pond!

[mikehoudini]

Here’s a summary of the first 8 fights in the opening round of the Thundering Threes Tourney (records are pre-fight):

James Ellis UD 8 over Jake Kilrain
Phil Scott KO 8 Bill Tate (6-1 1)
John Louis Gardner UD 8 over David Bostice
Tom McNeeley TKO 4 Mike Koranicki
Taurus Sykes MD 8 over Pedro Agosto (11-2-1 9)
Fabil Moli UD 8 over Marty Monroe
Nick Barone (1-0 1) vs. Marvis Frazier, Draw
Marvis Frazier (0-0-1) UD 8 over Nick Barone (1-0-1 1)
Battling Jim Johnson MD 8 over Vittorio Campolo

[Romultiltus]

I'll throw my $$$ behind Johnny Paychek!!!

[mikehoudini]

We have three backers to date:

Romy going for his current or former Muckboys, Lee Oma and John Holman
Bear pulling for Lee Savold
Romultiltus favoring Johmmy Paychek

We'll see how they fare!

[mikehoudini]

Steffen Tangstad (5-1-3 3) vs. Joe Alexander – Tangstad landed a solid right to start the fight, while Alexander missed a number of times, then threw a wild overhand right that landed flush on Tangstad’s jaw, and Steffen went down with a thud! He got to his feet at the count of 8, but fell back, and Alexander was the winner by a KO at 1:57 of the opening round!

Dan Flynn vs. Sam Berger - Dan and Sam traded the first 4 rounds, 10-4, 7-10, 17-8 & 2-14. Berger’s power right at the end won the 2nd, and he landed 2 huge hooks in the 4th to dominate that one. Dam neutralized Sam’s power in the 1st and 3rd, landing better punches in several exchanges!

The 5th was dead even until Sam found the range with a crunching cross at the end of the round to win, 11-6, and he carried that momentum into the 6th, where he edged Dan, 10-6. Needing a round badly, Porky Flynn had a sensational 7th, landing a jolting jab that snapped Sam’s head back, as well as a series of uppercuts, to win easily, 24-5!

Dan threw a number of hook s that landed in the 8th, and their cumulative effect was greater than the one big right Sam got in, the round going 12-7. I scored it 76 all, as did the judges, for a draw! Sam landed fewer punches, 178-246, but almost all the power punches!

In the rematch, Porky Dan got in a rare power hook to win the 1st, 8-5, then danced and defended nicely to win the 2nd, 8-4. Sam came on in the 3rd, but didn’t connect for any big punches, and Dan rallied in the last minute for a 12-10 advantage! Seeing the fight slip away, Berger had a huge 4th, bashing Dan with a monster hook and several low blows, winning 19-4! Flynn’s right eye was swelling up a lot at the end of this round.

The 5th was low-scoring, as Dan sought to protect his eye. He blocked most of Sam’s punches, and landed a flurry in the last half minute to take the scoring lead, 6-5. He carried that over into the 6th, landing punches while clinching and avoiding Sam’s, but Sam got the good half-minute to make the round closer, 8-6!

Knowing he was losing, Sam poured it on in the 7th, and Flynn’s swelling got even worse. Sam landed a thumping hook to start the round and the swelling, and later landed a stunning hook that staggered Dan, winning easily, 21-4! He came out firing in the 8th, but Flynn was covering up and clinching effectively. Sam, frustrated, came out on the short end, 8-2, though the crowd was booing Dan for his constant clinching.

I scored it 77-75, Flynn, as he won a number of rounds, albeit by small margins, offsetting Berger’s huge 4th & 7th! Berger actually outlanded Flynn, 190-168, but Dan was just effective enough in many of the rounds! The judges scored it 78-75 Flynn, 76-76 and 77-76…for Dan Flynn, the winner by a majority decision! I think these two could have fought all night, they were so evenly matched!

Imamu Mayfield vs. James Broad – These two traded punches in a rock-em, sock-em war with only two quiet rounds. The 1st was a feeling-out round, won by Mayfield, 8-4. Broad bashed him with a left to open the 2nd, and the feeling out was done! James poured it on, landing a bone-jarring uppercut to end the round that hurt Mayfield, the round score being 20-9.

Mayfield jabbed in the 3rd to recover from the 2nd. Though Broad touched him for a big cross to start the round, he jabbed nicely, winning the round, 13-4, and recovered from the prior blows! Broad was able to penetrate his defenses in the 4th, blasting home a vicious combination and another huge uppercut! Mayfield retaliated with a sweet uppercut of his own at the end of the 4th, but lost, 17-8, and he had a big mouse now under his right eye!

Imamu landed another big uppercut in the 5th, scoring effectively to take it, 19-11. They traded blows in the 6th, Broad winning, 10-8, on the strength of an eye-popping hook! He landed a savage combination in the 7th, winning several exchanges in a 17-8 round! The 8th was critical, and Imamu was the one who landed the big blow, a cross that staggered Broad, and this carried him to a 9-2 round!

I had it 76-76, as did two of the judges! The third went 77-75 Mayfield, so it went into the books as a majority draw! Broad outlanded Mayfield, 219-198, in this closely-contested contest!

The rematch was more of the same! Broad hooked his way to a 10-7 advantage in the 1st, then connected for a big blow to start the 2nd, but Mayfield hammered home a huge hook and many lighter punches, winning, 16-9. He landed combination after combination in a dominating 3rd, 17-2, and Broad’s eye was swelling!

They went toe to toe in the 4th, Broad finishing the round with a smashing hook to gain the nod, 11-8! Broad got in a big left in the 5th, which he won, 8-6, despite his eye getting worse! Mayfield used the swelling to his advantage in the 6th & 7th, clobbering Broad, 17-2, in the 6th, punctuated by a big combination and uppercut, then continuing in a 17-10 7th, as Broad’s eye was a mess!

James landed a big (and needed) hook to start the 8th, and hung on in an 8-6 round. Mayfield landed far more punches, 246-155, and won his rounds in more dominating fashion, but I still had the fight a 76-76 draw! The judges scored it 77-75 Mayfield, 76-76 & 78-75 for…the winner by a majority decision, Imamu Mayfield! Again, I thought these two, who in fact did fight all night, were even, even though Broad’s face was much the worse for wear! I thought they’d fight at least 24 rounds this night!

Dante Cane vs. Brian London – Cane didn’t come into this fight in the best of shape, and that could tell in a bout with the durable London! The first 2 rounds were action-packed, Cane landing a massive hook at the bell to win 1, 12-7, then London connecting for a series of jabs that offset two booming hooks from Cane, 12-10!

Cane slowed down in the 3rd, and London tagged him with a hook and then a combination, winning a low-scoring affair, 8-4. Brian had a huge 4th, finding the range with uppercuts and finally decking Cane for a 3 count at the end of the round, which went 20-3! A little woozy, Cane was hit by some uppercuts, among other punches, in the 5th. He did land a big uppercut at the end to make it more respectable, 12-8!

Needing a round (or rounds) badly, Dante fought a solid 6th, winning, 13-6, with a left that moved London back as the highlight punch! He was shaking his hand at the end of the round, leaving the concern of a possible injury! The two traded fouls and punches in a spirited 7th, but a smoking right may have given Cane the round, 12-11!

Desperate, Cane came out in the 8th throwing the heavy artillery. London ducked most, but Cane was able (ouch) to connect for 2 sweet uppercuts and a right that staggered Brian. Cane won the round handily, 13-4, but was it enough?

I had it 76-75, London the winner because of his knockdown. The judges scored it 77-74, 74-77 and 77-74, a split decision win for…Brian London! Both of the London judges gave him the nod in rounds 6 and 8! I thought London won it, but only by a hair, or punch!

[mikehoudini]

Kent Green vs. Faruq Saleem – Faruq found Green’s chin with his first punch, a powerful uppercut, and later landed a big hook. Green rallied in the last seconds and decked Saleem for a 7 count, and the round ended with both having scored 10 points.

That punch was the high moment for Green. Saleem decimated him in the 2nd, 21-5, smashing him with a vicious hook, right, and then a cross! The 3rd was an even better round for Saleem, 26-8, as he landed a left and an uppercut that had Kent staggering!

Kent landed a monstrous uppercut of his own to start the 4th, but proved no Superman, wobbling after being hammered by a hook and straight right at the round’s end, which went 13-11 against him!

Faruq put him down for an 8 count in the 5th on a cranium-crushing cross in a 16-2 stanza. Green won a quiet 6th, 8-4, but Faruq wasn’t done! They trade big punches to start the 7th, then Kent wilted under Saleem’s relentless assault, going down for a 7 count and losing the round, 27-6, almost out on his feet!

The 8th was more of the same, Green absorbing a tremendous beating starting with an opening uppercut and ending in a 1 count knockdown at the bell, which saved him, 21-6! I had it 78-69, the judges were kinder and went 77-72, Saleem the winner by an easy and brutal unanimous decision!

Lee Oma (7-0 3) vs. Joe Beckett – Lee’s Florida fan contingent was hoping he’d keep his spotless record, during which he’d outboxed all his opponents! He used combinations and jabs to offset Joe’s one jolting cross in taking the opener, 9-6, but was cut above the right eye, a harbinger of things to come. After catching a big right, he jabbed and hooked well in the 2nd, outscoring Joe, 10-9, even after catching a last second cross that made things close!

Beckett took the 3rd, 13-10, on the strength of two power crosses, then won the 4th, 10-7, reopening the cut over Lee’s eye. Oma’s corner did their best with the cut, but Joe opened it again as soon as the 5th started, and it was clear that it was affecting Lee’s vision. The ref temporarily halted the fight and, when it resumed, Beckett bashed Lee with a huge hook, then a jarring jab and finally a mean cross. The round totals were 18-4.

Beckett landed a jab to start the 6th, and the cut gushed, causing a stoppage. Beckett was declared the winner by a TKO at 0:39 of the 6th, while Lee was upset as he felt he was hitting his stride and, while a round down, ready to step it up! A great run is done, but Oma’s followers can be proud, and assured that he’ll be issuing challenges after the tournament’s completion!

Domingo D’Elia vs. Al Kaufmann – These two engaged in a crowd-pleasing bout! Kaufmann won the 1st, 15-8, as a straight right clinched a round where there was good back and forth! Al hammered Domingo with an uppercut, but D’Elia countered with two huge rights, good for a 14-12 round in which Kaufmann was hurt!

Both men took a breather in the 3rd, but D’Elia connected with 3 uppercuts to take it, 8-6. Al’s power was evident in the 4th, where an uppercut and savage combination salvaged a good round of action, 12-8! The 5th was similar, as a jarring hook at the end gave him the nod, 14-8, but Domingo had no quit in him!

Domingo won a bash-em 6th, 15-13, withstanding a cranium-crushing blow to the head and answering with a bunch of punches, but that flurry may have depleted him, as Kaufmann ruled the 7th, 17-2, and the 8th, 20-4!

I had it even through the 6th, with Kaufmann winning 77-75 on the strength of his dominance in the last 2 rounds. The judges went even more Kaufmann’s way, and he was awarded a 79-75, 79-74 & 78-75 win!

Tony Ross vs. Ed Mahone (1-0 1) – Mahone had stopped the crowd-favorite China Smith, admittedly overweight, in the box-in (just like he stopped him, but in 10 rounds, in real life). Ross came out determined not to succumb in two rounds, like China did!

Ross whitewashed Malone in the 1st, 12-0, as his jabs found their mark and Mahone couldn’t land a punch! The 2nd was almost as bad, 15-3. While Mahone did land a few punches, Ross connected almost at will, and cut Ed over the right eyebrow, in a bad place!

Mahone finally got some offense going in the 3rd, worried by the state of his cut. He drove a smashing uppercut to Tony’s jaw, then put him down and out with a savage hook to the midsection! Mahone was the winner at 2:00 of the 3rd by KO, and breathed a sigh of relief, as he’d been losing badly up until that time! At least Ross lasted longer than China, but that was poor consolation for the man who seemed in control of the fight!

[mikehoudini]

We’re now at the halfway point of the opening round. Here’s a summary to date (records are pre-fight):

Opening Round:

James Ellis UD 8 over Jake Kilrain
Phil Scott KO 8 Bill Tate (6-1 1)
John Louis Gardner UD 8 over David Bostice
Tom McNeeley TKO 4 Mike Koranicki

Taurus Sykes MD 8 over Pedro Agosto (11-2-1 9)
Fabil Moli UD 8 over Marty Monroe
Nick Barone (1-0 1) Draw Marvis Frazier
Marvis Frazier (0-0-1) UD 8 over Nick Barone (1-0-1 1)
Battling Jim Johnson MD 8 over Vittorio Campolo

Joe Alexander KO 1 Steffen Tangstad (5-1-3 3)
Dan Flynn Draw Sam Berger
Dan Flynn (0-0-1) MD 8 over Sam Berger
Imamu Mayfield Draw James Broad
Imamu Mayfield MD 8 over James Broad
Brian London SD 8 over Dante Cane

Faruq Saleem UD 8 over Kent Green
Joe Beckett TKO 6 (cuts) Lee Oma (7-0 3)
Al Kaufmann UD 8 over Domingo D’Elia
Ed Mahone (1-0 1) KO 3 Tony Ross

[bear]

Phainting Phil Scott won. He has my all time favorite boxing nickname.

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by bear

Phainting Phil Scott won. He has my all time favorite boxing nickname.

He didn't faint - yet! How far can he go?

[mikehoudini]

Back to the tournament after a weekend of celebrating my birthday and then recovering from it and realizing how old I am getting to be! The Lincoln Theater was jumping for the second half of Round 1 in the Thundering Threes Tourney. None of the 3 level 1 and 2 fighters in the upper half had advanced to the next round, though Pedro Agosto had come close! The fans were ready as the first four bouts of the second half took place. The results are as follows:

John Holman vs. George Johnson – Holman may have injured his hand in the 1st round, after connecting for a big cross. Johnson slammed him with a big hook to drive him into the ropes as the round ended, 9-4. Scrapiron won the 2nd, 8-6, but was warned for using his elbows. Holman landed a massive uppercut at the end to take the 3rd, 11-8, but Johnson won a spirited 4th, 19-8, aided bt a last minute rally and a huge straight right!

Holman won the 5th, 5-2, avoiding George’s attempts, then took a very close 6th, 7-6, as he danced and avoided Scrapiron! Scrapiron wasn’t to be denied in the 7th, landing at will, 16-2, and cutting Holman on the left eyebrow. John, bleeding and possibly with an injured hand, needed the 8th, and he fought courageously and well, taking it, 10-0!

I had it a draw. The judges went 78-74 Holman (what fight was he watching?), 76-76 and 77-76 for…John Holman, the winner by a majority decision! Holman fought well considering his potential injury, but was outlanded, 194-144, and should have been happy to escape with a draw! But Romy’s man moves on, and the Muckboys are happy!!!

Pat Valentino vs. John Ferguson – The first 3 rounds were deplorable. Valentine won the 1st, 7-2, landed a huge winging right in the 2nd, but losing, 6-5, as Ferguson had a great last 30 seconds. Fergie won the 3rd, 7-1, but the fans were booing!

Both men came out firing in the 4th, trading punches, but a huge hook won it for Valentino, 17-10! He savaged Ferguson, 18-7, in the 5th, cutting him on the forehead with a bashing right!

Valentino picked up the pace even more in the 6th, buoyed by the animated crowd, connecting for hook after hook, one that had some cheese on it, and he won convincingly, 18-5, and Ferguson’s eye was swelling badly! The 7th was a tight round, 8-8, Pat landing another big hook, while Ferguson fought bravely on despite his eye getting worse!

Ferguson needed a miracle in the 8th, and, instead, his cut was reopened and the fight halted to check on it. Allowed to continue, despite both eyes having limited vision, he suddenly hammered Valentino with a pulverizing uppercut, flooring him. Blood streaming down his face, he squinted and sighed as Valentino reached his feet at the count of 9, and the bout continued!

Charging in, Ferguson again connected, and Valentino dropped like a shot. He regained his feet at the count of 8, and Ferguson shook his head and charged yet again, but Valentino was able to cover up, and the round ended, 23-2!

Both fighters saluted each other while they awaited the decision! I had it 76 all, a draw, with Ferguson winning the 8th, 10-7. The judges scored the fight 76-74 Ferguson, 75-75 and 76-74 for…the winner by a majority decision, John Ferguson! The last round propelled him to an unlikely, Rocky-esque victory!

Terry Daniels vs. Charley Mitchell – This fight had to be dull in comparison to the last one, and it was close all the way. Daniels won the 1st, 11-8, getting a big cross home, and surviving Mitchell’s last-second uppercut! They traded punches in a close, 8-8 2nd, then Mitchell rallied to win the 3rd, 10-4, landing a series of hooks!

The 4th was even-Stephen until Terry threw a savage combination at the end for an 11-6 advantage! The 5th was dead even, 8-8. Daniels saw an opening at the start of the 6th, and landed a big hook flush, and Mitchell landed on the canvas with a thud! He was counted out, Daniels the winner by a KO in the 6th at 0:34.

Young Jack Johnson vs. Jim Barry – Barry landed a monster uppercut to capture a low-scoring 1st, 7-4, then got a nice hook in to open the 2nd. Johnson came back behind his jab, and may have done enough to win the round, 12-11. Young Jack connected with a variety of punches to take the 3rd, 11-6, then continued in the 4th, taking an 11-0 lead as he frustrated Barry with his boxing acumen! Barry tried a wild overhand right, and somehow it landed on Johnson’s jaw, and all the fine boxing went for naught, as he couldn’t beat the bell. Outboxed, Barry was the winner by KO at 2:56 of the 4th!

[bear]

Originally Posted by mikehoudini

He didn't faint - yet! How far can he go?

With him and Savold I have two guys to root for.

Lee Savold was once recognized as World Heavyweight Champion, if only by the BBBoC, after beating Woodcock in 1950. This was the ultimate achievement for any in and outer. When everyone on the Ring staff except Nat Fleischer was looking at Lem Franklin as the greatest thing since sliced bread Savold took a cue from Bob Pastor and stopped Franklin twice.

Scott on the other hand did so much to maintain the English horizaontal heavyweight tradition that began in the oughts. His grand ring strategy of grabbing his groin and flopping to canvas with any body shot helped advance the sport. Really, it did. He was one of the fighters that helped get the no foul ruling passed.