Thanksgiving Tournament of the Turkeys

[mikehoudini]

John Holman vs. Terry Daniels - Holman had stopped John Ferguson in the 4th after being well-down, while Daniels had stopped Jim Barry in the 9th. The Floridians were cheering Holman on, while quite a few felt that Daniels would weather the early rounds and then come on strong in the later stages.

Unlike the last fight, neither guy threw a power punch in the first, which ended 7-6, Holman landing some light hooks to offset Daniels’ efforts. The 2nd was quiet at first, the two trading punches, but Holman smashed home an uppercut in the last 30 seconds to take it, 12-6.

Things started heating up in the 3rd, Holman landing the power punches, two straight rights, while Terry connected for hooks and jabs. The second right at the end of the round enabled Holman to pull away, 12-8. Terry came on in the 4th, hammering uppercuts home in the last minute to capture the 4th, 12-6, and his backers nodded their heads, as he clearly won that round.

The 5th round saw Daniels open with a few nice crosses, but Holman ripped a combination home, going down and then upstairs, and Daniels dropped for a 5 count! Terry staggered to his feet, and Holman smashed him with a solid hook, a straight right, and a series of jabs and combinations that had Terry on Queer Street. Daniels hung on, losing 26-6, but he had been ravaged by this attack and would need to regroup!

Daniels came out defensively in the 6th, but Holman snaked a straight left in that staggered him. Holman poured it on, connecting for another combination and many other hooks and combinations that rained on Terry’s head and body. A hammering hook at the end left Terry with an ugly right eye, down, 24-2!

Holman was tired after throwing (and landing) so many punches in the 5th & 6th, so the 7th was more even, up until the point when Holman threw a wild overhand right that caught Terry on the jaw for a 5 count KD! Terry was on the ropes, but lasted the round, 17-4 Holman!

Desperate, Daniels fired off a vicious combination to start the 8th, and connected for a few other blows. Holman weather the storm, then fired a hook to Terry’s stomach, and Terry dropped for a 3 count. John punished Terry, blasting him with a combination, and Terry went down again for a 4 count! Up but reeling around, Terry waved at Holman to bring it on! Holman did, and another combination floored the courageous Daniels for a 3 count! Down 32-12, the ref stopped the fight on the 3 knockdown rule, Holman the winner by a TKO at 2:45 of the 8th!

The Floridians went wild as their man won in such a convincing fashion! And now I must go drink a few Guinness beers and try to behave meself for St. Paddy's Day! More postings to follow, but probably not tonight!

[Romdawg88]

Nice, good to see Holman go out there and take care of business with the convincing win.

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Nice, good to see Holman go out there and take care of business with the convincing win.

With his 5 knockdowns, he clearly dominated Daniels, which surprised me.

[mikehoudini]

Celebrating one's heritage can be a good thing, until the next day, but the Guinness was great, as were the Irish whiskey and Bailey's! This has been a loooong day, but at least I can post the results of one more fight!

George Arias vs. Johnny Paychek - George had decisioned Jose Ribalta, and Paychek had won a majority decision over Chuck Wepner. Paychek’s Connecticut fans were in attendance, hoping their man could make the Elite Eight!

Johnny won a slow 1st, 10-6, landing 11 hooks that piled up some points. He danced through the first 2 minutes of the 2nd, then Arias muscled in and connected with 10 combinations, none heavy, to take the round, 8-4.

Both fighters began to warm up in the 3rd. Paychek landing a searing jab that snapped George’s head back, and found the mark with many hooks and crosses! Arias rallied at the end to make it respectable, 15-11. The 4th was back and forth, Paychek’s hooks against various punches from Arias, but Johnny won the round, 11-8, on the strength of a last-minute booming cross!

George went back to his main weapon, the combination, in the 5th, landing a number of them, including one vicious body and head combo that put Johnny down for a 7 count, the points for the round being 16-2! At the midway point, I had the fight even!

Paychek was a bit angry with himself for being tagged by that combo, and was active and accurate in the 6th. He landed 16 crosses, one a massive one, and threw an uppercut that landed on the button! Arias was staggered, and lost the round, 22-4! He fought masterfully for 2 ½ minutes in the 7th, baffling Paychek with uppercuts and hooks, but Johnny blazed back in the last 30 seconds, nailing George with a hook to the head and a jolting straight right that evened the points, 14-14!

Johnny stayed with his hooks in the 8th. He landed a nasty one to the body, and later a punishing one to the head, and he dominated the round, 16-6! The 9th was going along fairly even, then Arias took a shot to the body and collapsed! He was up at the count of 4, but that knockdown cost him the round, 16-6, and the fight was slipping away from him!

George went for the KO in the 10th, but Johnny was avoiding his power attempts. The round was even, but for the fact that Paychek had a point deducted for mythical low blows, and almost over when Johnny saw an opening and dropped George for a 2 count! George bounced back up and threw a haymaker, which Johnny avoided and connected for a cross that sent Arias back to the canvas for a 3 count. The round ended just then, and Paychek’s knockdowns made the points differential 16-4.

Even with the deduction for a foul that wasn’t, I had Paychek the clear winner, 96-91. He had a great rounds 8-10! The judges scored the bout 94-92, 95-91 & 96-90, a win for Johnny Paychek! He outlanded Arias, 280-213, connecting 79 times with crosses and 72 times with hooks. Arias fought well, but the 3 knockdowns hurt him, literally and figuratively! Johnny’s fan base were happy that their man had come through!

[mikehoudini]

Leo Nolan vs. Frankie Swindell – This stacked up as a match between a lighter-hitting puncher and one who lands more powerful punches, but lands less frequently. Guest commentator Mike Hanson declined to pick a favorite. Nolan had won via a DQ in round 7 against Tom Cowler, while Frankie won on an injury TKO in round 5 against Lee Savold.

Nolan came in in better shape, as Swindell seemed a bit weary. They traded power hooks, Leo’s being a bit better, in the feeling out round, where Nolan scored more points, 11-9. Swindell jolted Nolan at the start of the 2nd with a straight left, but Leo slid to the side to avoid further punishment. He found the range with 15 hooks, one a thumper to the body, and jabbed nicely, building an 18-6 round!

The 3rd was all Nolan, as he got 12 jabs in and 10 hooks, moving nicely and accumulating a 12-0 points advantage. The Tennessee Stud fired home a big cross and stunning hook to salvage a tie, 10-10, in the 4th, but Leo came back in the 5th with a nice boxing clinic, landing a variety of punches and building a big lead. The round ended 13-8 as Frankie did get one of his bomber hooks in just before the bell!

The 6th round was quiet, with Nolan moving nicely and blocking, while Frankie clinched. Nolan landed some light punches, and Swindell made it close, 6-4, with a sweet uppercut that found Leo’s chin at the end of the round! At this point, I had Nolan way ahead, but the guest commentator had it much closer, giving Swindell the 5th & 6th based on his big punches at the end!

Leo made good use of uppercuts (11) and combinations (9) in punching out an easy 12-2 7th, and Frankie desperately needed a big round or punch! He nailed Nolan with a searing right at the end of the 8th to win the round and gain a little momentum, 7-2. Pressing harder, he smashed an uppercut home to start the 9th, but Nolan stayed on the outside, wanting to avoid a knockdown. Frankie landed a wild overhand right flush, and Leo staggered for an instant, but the round was over, 10-6, before Frankie could follow up!

Frankie came out throwing bombs in the 10th, while Leo stayed outside, seizing openings for quick combinations or uppercuts that caught Swindell coming in. Frankie couldn’t land any bombs, and ended up on the short side of the points, 12-4. I had Nolan the winner, 98-94, as he landed 282 punches to 122, connecting at a 63% rate! The judges scored it 98-94, 99-92 & 97-95, Leo Nolan the winner, while Mike Hanson had it 96-95, a much closer win for Leo!

Lee Savold, his injuries healing, watched the bout intently, planning to challenge one or both fighters once his injuries have healed.

Mike Schreck vs. Jeremy Williams – Schreck wrecked Jeremy with a supersonic uppercut to start the bout, and shortly after cut him over the left eyebrow. Williams found the range with a sweet cross, but Schreck got home a series of hooks and crosses, taking the action-packed 1st, 18-10.

Williams’ eye was still bleeding as the 2nd opened, and Schreck went after it. Jeremy had his hands high to protect the cut, so Schreck pounded him with a hook to the belly. When he lowered his hands, Mike connected for solid cross that made the cut worse, and he landed other punches to take the round, 14-2!

Jeremy’s corner did a great job, and the cut was closed as the 3rd began. He doubled up and got two hooks in, but Schreck came back with a booming one of his own. Undeterred, Williams traded blows effectively, and almost floored Schreck with yet another bruising hook, winning the round clearly, 16-9, and getting the added benefit of seeing Schreck’s right eye swelling up!

Neither man gave any quarter in the 4th. Williams connected for a huge uppercut and hook, building an early lead, and his punches were making the swelling worse! Schreck pounced like a panther at the end of the round, knocking Williams down, alas only for a 1 count, but also reopening the cut, which the doctor checked. Williams scored more points for the round, 19-12, but the knockdown and reopened cut may well have swayed the judges.

Jeremy had an excellent 5th, connecting on 11 jabs and making Schreck’s eye a wreck. He also landed a nice combination and searing straight right, and won handily, 17-5. His own cut had been closed and wasn’t reopened, to boot!

Schreck started off nicely in the 6th, pounding an uppercut home, and had a slight lead when a jab from Williams opened a gash on his right eyelid! This caused a halt in the action, and Schreck was distraught when the referee stopped the fight, declaring Williams the winner by a TKO at 2:14 of the 6th on cuts! Perhaps he could have avoided further injury and then have his corner work on the cut, but one strike was out! It was a shame, as it had been a lively fight, and the crowd cheered both participants, and the fight night concluded!

Now it's on to the Elite Eight!

[mikehoudini]

The Sweet Sixteen summary results are as follows:

James Ellis KO 8 Tom McNeeley
Fabio Moli Draw 10 Marvis Frazier
Fabio Moli KO 9 Marvis Frazier

Imamu Mayfield UD 10 over Dan Flynn
Ed Mahone KO 1 Joe Beckett

John Holman TKO 8 Terry Daniels
Johnny Paychek UD 10 over George Arias

Leo Nolan UD 10 over Frankie Swindell
Jeremy Williams TKO 6 (cuts) Mike Schreck

[mikehoudini]

The Elite Eight pairings are as follows:

James Ellis vs. Fabio Moli

Imamu Mayfield vs. Ed Mahone

John Holman vs. Johnny Paychek

Leo Nolan vs. Jeremy Williams

Holman and Paychek each have a good fan base, and they are on a collision course! Which one will prevail?

[mikehoudini]

Box-in Round
Danny Wofford (3-5-1 1) SD 8 over Lorenzo Zanon
Lee Oma (6-0 3) UD 8 over Arturo Godoy
Bill Tate (5-1 1) UD 8 over Garvin Sawyer
Keith McKnight (4-1 2) KO 5 Talmadge Griffis
Hans Birkie Draw 8 Steffen Tangstad (4-1-2 3)
Steffen Tangstad (4-1-3 3) MD 8 over Hans Birkie (0-0-1)
Pedro (Schoolboy) Agosto (10-2-1 9) UD 8 over Sherman (the Tank) Williams
Jean-Pierre Coopman (3-1-1 1) TKO 6 James Beattie
Larry Alexander (3-1-1 2) TKO 6 (cuts) Nick Barone
Dick Richardson TKO 8 David Vedder
Ed Mahone KO 2 China Smith (2-1 2)

Round 1
Jake Kilrain vs. 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)
Fabio 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 (0-0-1) MD 8 over James Broad (0-0-1)
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

John Holman MD 8 over George Johnson
John Ferguson MD 8 over Pat Valentino
Terry Daniels KO 6 Charley Mitchell
Jim Barry KO 4 Young Jack Johnson

George Arias KO 7 Corey Sanders
Jose Ribalta KO 3 Dangerous Danny Wofford (4-5-1 1)
Johnny Paychek KO 1 Gerhard Zeck
Chuck Wepner SD 8 over Denver Ed Smith

Tom Cowler MD 8 over Willi Fischer
Leo Nolan UD 8 over Jean-Pierre Coopman (4-1-1 2)
Frankie Swindell TKO 2 Keith McKnight (5-1 3)
Lee Savold KO 8 Jose Roman

Mike Schreck UD 8 over Archie McBride
Dick Richardson (1-0 1) UD 8 over Ray Austin
Jeremy Williams SD 8 over Arthur Pelkey
Ben Foord UD 8 over Bernard Thebault

Round 2
James Ellis (1-0) KO 7 Phainting Phil Scott (1-0 1)
Tom McNeeley (1-0 1) TKO 3 John Louis Gardner (1-0)
Fabio Moli (1-0) UD 10 over Taurus Sykes (1-0)
Marvis Frazier (1-0-1) DQ 10 over Battling Jim Johnson (1-0)

Dan Flynn (1-0-1) UD 10 over Joe Alexander (1-0 1)
Imamu Mayfield (1-0-1) TKO 8 cuts Brian London (1-0)
Joe Beckett (1-0 1) KO 7 Faruq (the Dream) Saleem (1-0)
Ed Mahone (2-0 2) TKO 4 Al Kaufmann (1-0)

John Holman (1-0) KO 4 John Ferguson (1-0)
Terry Daniels (1-0 1) TKO 9 Jim Barry (1-0 1)
George Arias 1-0 1) UD 10 over Jose Ribalta (1-0 1)
Johnny Paychek (1-0 1) MD 10 over Chuck Wepner (1-0)

Leo Nolan (1-0) DQ 7 over Tom Cowler (1-0)
Frankie Swindell (1-0 1) TKO 5 (Injury) Lee Savold (1-0 1)
Mike Schreck (1-0) TKO 1 Dick Richardson (2-0 1)
Jeremy Williams (1-0) TKO 10 Ben Foord (1-0)

Sweet 16 Round

James Ellis (2-0 2) KO 8 Tom McNeeley (2-0 2)
Fabio Moli (2-0) Draw 10 Marvis Frazier (2-0-1)
Fabio Moli (2-0-1) KO 9 Marvis Frazier (2-0-2)

Imamu Mayfield (2-0-1 1) UD 10 over Dan Flynn (2-0-1)
Ed Mahone (3-0 3) KO 1 Joe Beckett (2-0 2)

John Holman (2-0 1) TKO 8 Terry Daniels (2-0 2)
Johnny Paychek (2-0 1) UD 10 over George Arias (2-0 1)

Leo Nolan (2-0) UD 10 over Frankie Swindell (2-0 2)
Jeremy Williams (2-0 1) TKO 6 (cuts) Mike Schreck (2-0 2)

Time for a beverage!

[mikehoudini]

The Elite Eight fights were conducted on February 12 at the Washington, DC Convention Center, a shifting in venue from the Lincoln Theater. The fight crowd was out in force to see who would advance to the Final Four! The results of the first two fights on the card were as follows:

James Ellis vs. Fabio Moli – Ellis didn’t look to be quite in tip-top conditioning, but had come in after an impressive KO of Tom McNeeley. Fabio looked fabulous and had knocked out Marvis Frazier after earlier drawing with him.

Moli was magnificent in the 1st, pounding James with 12 hooks, two of which were monster ones! Along with a sharp combination, he dominated the round, 19-2. The 2nd round was dull by comparison, as the two moved around in the ring and missed on a lot of their attempts, but Moli came out on top, 6-2, as he landed several effective counterpunches.

Moli was busy in the 3rd, connecting on 10 uppercuts and 9 crosses. Ellis relied on his hook, landing a massive one at the end of the round, on the heels of a jolting uppercut, to halve the round point-wise, 10-10. Ellis started carrying his hands low in the 4th, and dazzled Moli with 14 hooks and a good number of combinations. One hook drove Moli into the ropes, and it was an easy round, 18-4, his best of the fight!

Fabio used his cross effectively in the 5th, as James still had his hands low, and he connected on 12 crosses! Ellis landed far fewer punches, but did smash home a straight left and a booming hook to make the points close, 12-10. Both men were tired in a lackluster 6th, which Foli arguably won, 7-6. Ellis did land one sweet uppercut, but Fabio got in more punches.

Moli again attacked Ellis and his low hands in the 7th, jabbing 13 times, one a searing jab that staggered Ellis and should have been the wakeup call to keep his hands higher! Ellis also was cut outside his left eyebrow, and took a beating, 14-3, giving Moli a nice lead!

The 8th round started off quietly, Moli circling and looking for an opening, while Ellis was going all out for a knockout. Moli unleashed a wild overhand right that Low-Hands Ellis couldn’t block, and Ellis crashed to the canvas! He struggled to his knee, but couldn’t beat the count, and Moli was declared the winner by a KO at 1:00 of the 8th! He had the fight well in hand. It was a disappointing loss for Ellis, and his conditioning may have played a part as the fight wore on!

Imamu Mayfield vs. Ed Mahone – Mayfield had outboxed Dan Flynn to reach this round, while Mahone had annihilated Joe Beckett in one round, and, coming in 4-0 with 4 KOs, was living up to his nickname, the Hammer!

Mahone pulverized Imamu in the 1st, trying for another 1st round stoppage! He opened with a smashing uppercut, then connected for a sizzling cross and a straight left that staggered Mayfield. Blasting Mayfield with 15 lighter combinations, it was a wonder that the fight wasn’t stopped, but Mayfield lasted, barely, down 24-2!

The 2nd round started quietly, but Mahone found Imamu’s jaw with a deadly hook and dropped him for a 5 count! Ed landed a sweet straight left, but then just missed connecting on a number of attempts, and Mayfield weathered the storm, down 11-2. Mahone had not been able to follow up on a golden opportunity.

Mayfield finally generated some offense in the 3rd, connecting on 8 crosses, but Mahone landed the one bomb, a straight right, and scored more points in a close round, 10-9. Mayfield was effective with his combinations in the 4th, but Mahone landed yet another pile-driving hook that carried the round, 10-8!

After two close rounds, Ed swarmed again in the 5th, getting in a solid cross, a series of hooks, and taking the round convincingly, 11-4! At the halfway point, Mahone was on some cards, 50-44!

The two traded leather in the 6th, and it was a close round, Mayfield actually slightly in the lead, when Mayfield landed a haymaker cross near the end of the round! Ed was up at the count of 9, and refused to cover up. He traded punches, then was on the receiving end of a series of combinations, and finally was floored yet again by another cross just as the bell sounded! The round was over, and the crowd was roaring as Malone got to one knee, then stood up, only to slip back down! He was counted out, and Mayfield was the surprise winner by KO at 3:00 of the 6th!

The stunned Mahone fans couldn’t understand why he didn’t cover up after the first KD, but that apparently just isn’t his style, so he who lived by the knockout was defeated by it! Mahone was disconsolate after the fight, demanding a rematch, as he had dominated the action until catching that fateful cross! Mayfield was ebullient after his surprise win, and said he’d take a rematch under advisement, possibly on February 30th or 31st!

[mikehoudini]

John Holman vs. Johnny Paychek – The Floridian Muckboys were in attendance, rooting for Holman, who’d stopped Terry Daniels, while the Connecticut contingent was backing Paychek, who had decisioned George Arias. This was the fight the fans had come to see, and they weren’t disappointed!

Paychek landed a searing straight right to open the contest, and connected on a bunch (12) of hooks and a nice cross to take the 1st, 13-7! Holman connected on a sweet hook to open the 2nd, and followed up with a savage combination interspersed with 12 jabs, winning easily, 14-4. The two dueled in a close 3rd, Johnny banging 12 crosses home, and rallying in the last half minute to take the most points, 10-8!

Paychek brought the crowd to their feet in the 4th, smashing a shot to the body that dropped Holman, who staggered to his feet at the count of 9! Johnny rained hooks and crosses, 12 of each, upon Holman, but John made it to the bell, down 22-2!

The 5th was a see-saw round, but Holman’s quantity of punched landed, including 13 hooks and 11 crosses, offset Paychek’s 10 hooks and one super uppercut, 17-11. Paychek led at the mid-way point!

Holman fired a hook that caught Paychek’s jaw to open the 6th, and Johnny staggered. He recovered and blocked punches well, but came up on the short end, 9-3, though he did cut Holman above the left eyebrow after an accidental head butt!

Rallying in the 7th, Johnny opened with a booming hook, and later connected for an even better uppercut, and he hooked his way to a 13-2 round! At this point, he was one or two points ahead.

The two went after each other in an action-packed 8th! Holman landed the first big punch, a hook to the body, but Paychek countered with a sonic cross that reopened Holman’s cut! Holman then took over the round, fearful of having a stoppage on cuts! He landed a bone-jarring cross, a sweet uppercut, and many combinations and jabs, keeping Paychek on the defensive and building up a points lead, 24-10!

Both warriors tried to take the 9th off, but Holman saw an opening and jammed a body shot in that dropped Paychek for a 6 count! Johnny bounced back up, but a well-timed hook sent him back down for another 6 count! His left eye was swelling, and he covered up once he got back to his feet. Holman pressed his advantage, but Paychek evaded or blocked his salvos, and landed a nice group of counterpunches at the end of the round to make the points totals respectable, 18-8!

Paychek was tired when they came out for the 10th, but there was no quit in him! Holman landed several light blows, then Paychek found the range on a cranium-cruncher that staggered Holman! Alas, there was little left in Paychek’s tank and he couldn’t do any further damage, but he won the round, points-wise, 9-7, as Holman was the one holding on at the end!

The fans were on their feet, saluting both fighters for this great contest! I had it a draw, 94 all! Paychek landed slightly more punches, 249 to 224, and they landed about the same number of power punches, but Holman won the KD numbers, 2 to 1. The ring announcer announced the verdict, 95-93, 96-93 & 95-93, for the winner by a unanimous decision….John Holman! There were cheers and boos at the verdict. Holman, in a post-fight interview, said that it had been a war, and that he’d gladly fight Paychek again, that this had been the toughest fight of his career. Romy and his Muckboys were dancing, while the Connecticut contingent vowed that their man would get another day!

[mikehoudini]

Leo Nolan vs. Jeremy Williams – The final bout of the night pitted Nolan, who’d decisioned Frankie Swindell, against Williams, who’d stopped dangerous Mike Schreck on cuts!

Williams started fast, getting a sonic hook in, and bashing Nolan with a cranium-cruncher at the end of the round. In between, he reached Nolan with 10 crosses, getting a big 18-7 round! Leo was the aggressor in the 2nd, even though he came out with his hands low. He boxed beautifully, connecting for 11 uppercuts and 10 jabs, swelling Jeremy’s left eye in a 15-7 round!

The 3rd was a stinker, 4-4 round. Nolan boxed and Williams slugged in the 4th, Leo landing 11 uppercuts to offset a hammering winged right and solid cross, 10-8, and Williams’ eye was swelling worse! Jeremy won the 5th, 11-8, on the strength of a big straight right, while Nolan was warned for hitting with an opened glove.

Williams landed a crushing cross to open the 2nd half of the fight. Nolan received a second warning for a head butt that cut Williams inside his right eyebrow, and Jeremy bashed him with an uppercut to pull it out, 10-6.

Williams notched more points in the 7th, 9-8, landing a sweet uppercut. Leo roared back in the last minute with a string of combinations, which worsened Jeremy’s swelling, but his own eye began to swell! The 8th was a pick-em round most of the way, though Jeremy’s cut was reopened and made him fret a bit. He hammered home a sweet hook to close the round and get the points lead, 13-8. At the end of the round in what was a close fight, both men looked the worse for wear!

Williams came out throwing in the 9th, and a thundering hook shook Nolan up and cut him on the left eyelid, a cut that caused a temporary halt to the action! The fight continued, blood trickled into Nolan’s eye and Williams pounded an uppercut home that decked the partially-blinded foe! He made it up at the count of 9, but went down again almost immediately as Williams picked his spot and floored him with a crushing cross! Leo got up at the 8 count, but Jeremy was on him like gravy on rice, and a wicked body shot floored Nolan for the 10 count! The points for the round were 40-0, a KO win for Jeremy Williams at 2:29 of the 9th! What an ending to what had been a close fight!

The fans in attendance went home knowing that they’d seen four good fights, well worth the admissions price. The Final Four will soon be back in action, as this tourney nears its completion! One TBCB favorite, John Holman, remains! Who will win?

[Romdawg88]

Great win for Holman. That 9th round was huge, those two KDs saved Holman's butt. Paychek put up a hell of a fight.

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Great win for Holman. That 9th round was huge, those two KDs saved Holman's butt. Paychek put up a hell of a fight.

It was an exciting fight! I'm having a lot of fun matching up these guys, and am learning about the fighters as well! How far do you think Holman can go? He's come back nicely at least twice!

[mikehoudini]

After several weeks of fights, we’re down to the Final Four at the DC Convention Center! On February 17, the following match-ups will take place to see who goes to the Big Dance:

Fabio Moli vs. Imamu Mayfield

John Holman vs. Jeremy Williams

Who will prevail?

[mikehoudini]

The DC Convention Center was filled to capacity for the semifinals in this tournament! From 64+, there are now four fighters left, survivors of the Elite Eight!

Fabio Moli (4-0-1 2) vs. Imamu Mayfield (4-0-1 2) – Moli came in on the heels of an 8th round KO of James Ellis, while Mayfield had come from way behind to KO Ed Mahone in the 6th round. Both exuded confidence as they awaited the bell.

Moli charged from the gate and pasted Mayfield with an uppercut that backed him up, and then followed up with a searing straight right, and Imamu was in trouble! Dazed, he clinched and tried to dance around the ring, but Moli caught him with a sweet combination, and the fans feared a first round stoppage! Mayfield regrouped, clinching again, and Moli was too wild in trying for the one punch that could end the fight, so the round ended, Fabio ahead, 15-0, a whitewash!

Imamu was wary coming out for the 2nd, and fought a defensive round, content to land an occasional jab. He landed enough to frustrate Moli, who was warned for rabbit punching in one of their clinches. Mayfield scored more points, 9-8, and may have got some of his confidence back!

The 3rd was an ugly round, filled with clinching and punches that either missed or were blocked, but Mayfield had a flurry in the last 30 seconds to take it, 7-2. Moli’s corner was concerned, as the fight was now more or less even after his dynamite start!

The 4th saw Moli belt Mayfield with a brutal hook to the body. Imamu stayed on the defensive, so Moli contented himself with peppering him with 13 crosses and 11 hooks. Mayfield got a few jabs in, then once again rallied on the strength of his jabs in the last 30 seconds to make it respectable, 17-9.

Fabio found the range in the 5th, connecting for a jolting uppercut and a vicious combination, as well as some lighter hooks that scored points. Mayfield fought back, catching him with a right cross that made him stop and blink, but Moli shook his head, ending the round by clouting Imamu with a nice uppercut, winning it, 20-10, and having the added benefit as Mayfield’s left eye was swelling badly!

Imamu came out tired, his hands low, to start the 6th, and Moli salivated and blasted him with a cross that floored him for a 5 count! Fabio was fabulous, peppering him with combinations, one a vicious head, body & head one, and he pitched a second shutout, 20-0! Mayfield’s eye was getting worse as well, which normally would happen in a round where he landed 0 punches!

Mayfield was tired, his hands still low, where they remained for the rest of the fight, but he was no quitter. He banged home 10 hooks in the 7th, but Moli was relentless, and Mayfield must have felt he was fighting an octopus! Fabio rained punches on Imamu, 66 of them in this round, landing 14 crosses, one of them that staggered the game Mayfield! The score for the round was 26-13, and Imamu’s left eye was swollen to a critical point, and his right eye now looked little better!

How many punches can an almost blind man land? In the 8th, the answer for Imamu was 0! Moli picked his shots, and shots were what he delivered, a searing uppercut, a straight right that made Mayfield wince, and a hook that had Mayfield clinging to the ropes. The score was 26-0, and many in the crowd were wondering why the ref didn’t stop the contest, as Mayfield resembled nothing more than a punching bag!

In the 9th, Moli took pity on Mayfield, thinking that it was a pity that he was so tired after connecting for so many blows in the last 4 rounds! Game, his face looking like it had been in a blender, Mayfield has his best round of the fight, landing a solid straight right despite being almost unable to see out of either eye. He won the round, 12-6, as Moli truly seemed to be making efforts to rest and not to punch him!

Moli covered up in the 10th, not wanting to suffer the same fate as Ed Mahone, and countered when he needed to make the round respectable, 10-9, as Mayfield threw wild punches that connected occasionally but more often with air!

I scored the fight 98-92, Moli winning easily, and the judges saw it the same way, 98-91, 97-92 & 97-92! Moli landed 306 punches as opposed to 177, 72 being hooks, and landed far more power punches. The game Mayfield was cheered, though he couldn’t duplicate his amazing comeback against Mahone! It may well be that he hadn’t fully recovered from the punishment Mahone had inflicted on him! Fabio Moli advances to the finals with an impressive performance!

[mikehoudini]

The second bout of the semifinals commenced after a short intermission.

John Holman (4-0 2) vs. Jeremy Williams (4-0 3) – Holman had decisioned Johnny Paychek in a close contest, and his Floridian Muckboys were ready to cheer! Williams had had a monster 9th round to KO Leo Nolan in what had been a close contest.

Williams came out in the feeling-out 1st and socked Holman with a double hook, and then a solid one to the head! Holman smiled and shook his head and waded in, landing 2 crosses that had Jeremy backing up! It was a boom-boom start to what promised to be a great fight!

Then Williams stepped in and, with brilliant hand speed, landed a seven punch combination, head, head, body, head, body, head, head! Holman dropped to the canvas after this ferocious assault. In 10 seconds, it was over, Holman’s fans shocked as he was counted out, Williams the winner by a KO at 2:17 of the 1st round! Holman had almost made it back up to his feet, but collapsed from the cumulative effect of that combination!

The Muckboys were stunned by this quick stoppage, but later showed their support for their champion with a rousing cheer as he was led from the ring! Jeremy Williams will advance to the finals with this impressive first round KO! And John Holman will jockey for position to challenge the champion!

[Jeff1787]

Well, I was wrong about Daniels so I will try to redeem myself. I think Williams beats Moli, probably by KO!

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by Jeff1787

Well, I was wrong about Daniels so I will try to redeem myself. I think Williams beats Moli, probably by KO!

I thought Daniels was going to win, as well, but John Holman had other thoughts!

[mikehoudini]

As interest is building as we near the championship fight, I thought I'd add a little bit of information so readers can select their favorites. as Jeff already has done!

Fabio Moli (5-0 1 2)
UD 8 over Marty Monroe, UD 10 over Taurus Sykes (1-0),
Draw 10 Marvis Frazier (2-0-1), KO 9 Marvis Frazier (2-0-2), KO 8 James Ellis (3-0 3), UD 10 over Imamu Mayfield (4-0-1 2)

Jeremy Williams (5-0 4)
Jeremy Williams SD 8 over Arthur Pelkey, TKO 10 Ben Foord (1-0), TKO 6 (cuts) Mike Schreck (2-0 2), KO 9 Leo Nolan (3-0), KO 1 John Holman (4-0 1)

Fabio was born in and resides in Villa del Rosario, Cordoba, Argentina. Standing 6 foot 4 1/2 inches tall and weighing often in the 250s but as high as 286, “La Mole” has a 37-7 record in real life, with 24 stoppages while being stopped 5 times. He has only fought twice outside Argentina. He believes that, with his height and weight advantage, he’ll wear down his smaller foe!

Born in Fort Dodge, IA and residing in Long Beach, CA, the 6 foot 1 “Half-Man, Half-Amazing” Williams has a 42-5-1 record in real life, with 35 stoppages and being stopped 3 times. Weighing in at anywhere from 200 to 226 pounds, he’ll be significantly lighter than his opponent. Asked about Moli’s height and weight advantage, Jeremy replied “The bigger they are, the harder they fall!”

I am considering having a consolation fight between Holman and Mayfield. Do they do that anymore in the NCAA or NIT?

[mikehoudini]

I've finished the championship bout, and the consolation, and should have the results posted in an hour or so. I am experimenting with a new reporting format (shudder).