[mikehoudini]

I tinkered some with the style used to write up this finale, which will be presented over a few posts. For those that just want the result, skip down a few posts!

February 22nd was fight night for the championship of the Thundering Threes Tourney at the spacious Washington DC Convention Center! 74 men entered, only 2 remained in the battle for the title! La Mole, Fabio Moli, fighting for the honor of all Argentina, would take his 5-0-1 record, with 2 stoppages, against Jeremy “Half-Man, Half-Amazing” Williams, the Long Beach Legend with a 5-0 record, including 4 stoppages!

Not an empty seat was to be found as the time for the fight neared. The consolation match-up between Imamu Mayfield and John Holman had recently concluded, and the crowd was at fevered pitch!

After the participants entered the ring, to roars from their respective fan bases, ring announcer Frank Shain announced some of the other boxers in attendance for the evening. From the northern suburb of DC known as Baltimore, heavyweights Larry Middleton, George Chaplin and former champion Hasim the Rock Rahman were introduced, then two of the lighter weights, former light middleweight champion Vince Pettway and the immortal Joe Gans! Ralph Palladin from nearly Hyattsville, MD, was also introduced, then the crowd roared as Muhammad Ali entered the ring and waved.

HBO was televising the event, and big George Foreman chatted with Ali to see why he was here. Ali replied that “These are two mean dudes! I just might have to give the winner a chance at my belt, as I’ve almost run out of worthy opponents. So I guess you could say this was a scouting mission, George! Who do you think will win?”

“Well, that Moli is a big man, much as I was. He’s got a 3+ inch height advantage, and weights a lot more than Williams, who is more of a cruiserweight! I’ve got to go with the big man wearing the little one down, then finishing him off in the late rounds! But how about you, Ali? Who do you think will win?”

“I don’t know. Like I said, I’m on a scouting mission. I’ve seen plenty of smaller men outbox bigger opponents! Depending on what I see, I might take both of these guys on in the same night! You can quote me on that, George!”

Their conversation was cut short as Frank Shain once again took center stage. He introduced the referee, Luis Guzman, then the three judges: Robert Gilson (United States), Ferdinand Estrella (Philippines) and Gustavo Padilla (Panama). The ring card girl, Diana A., the Hagerstown Hottie, exited, and the bout, scheduled for 12 rounds, was ready to commence!

Moli and Williams were getting their final instructions from their corners. Moli was trained by Mickey Duff, and his cut man was Doi Dollings. Williams had Richie Sandoval as his trainer and Al Braverman as his cut man. The fighters were chafing, awaiting the bell! The guest commentator for TBCB was Andreas Raht!

[mikehoudini]

Round 1

The fight began, and I’ll be using the present tense to describe the action. Moli scores first blood, landing a nice jab at the 0:23 mark. He tries to follow it up with a cross but it misses. Moli scores with a nice short hook inside the defense of Williams. Jeremy retreats into his own corner, while Fabio is trying to move in behind the jab, which lands, and Williams retreats again, this time into a neutral corner.

Fabio Moli drills Williams with a left and right and another left at the 1 minute mark! Moli misses with the left and then fails to connect with the right as well. Williams finally shows some attempt at offense, but his punches land on the arms of Moli. Fabio is told to watch holding and hitting by Guzman. At the 2 minute mark, Moli just misses with a huge shot. Moli dips as if to launch a body shot, then goes upstairs with a quick hook to the head that puts Williams back on his heels! Williams is trying to reach for the ropes! His legs have turned to jelly! He clinches, then Moli misses with an uppercut from way outside. As the round ends, Williams lands a little uppercut. The points are.15:2, Moli! Andreas cautions against putting too much stock into Moli’s dominance, as many of the fights in this tournament have been see-saw affairs!

Round 2

Fabio Moli digs a short hook to the ribs of Williams. Williams clinches, then.Moli lands to the chest and neck of Williams, then glides into the corner. Jeremy finally gets a bit untracked, snapping Fabio Moli's head back with a jolting uppercut, his first power punch! Moli gets inside and fires a hook to Williams' body, then moves into a neutral corner.

Moli leaves the jab just short, and the fighters clinch. Now they back away from each other. Fabio Moli fires a short, ripping uppercut inside. Just a few seconds later, at the 2:00 mark, he goes to the head and the body. Jeremy Williams scores with a tremendous left, and Moli is suddenly in trouble!

Moli is trapped in Williams's corner, and Jeremy sneaks in a quick uppercut which lands cleanly. At the 2:51mark, a right cross from Williams gets through Moli's guard. Guzman separates the fighters and sends them to their corners but the bell has not sounded yet to end the round. We're not sure what happened but Guzman is obviously confused. Williams leads on points, 10:11, in a tight round! Andreas believes that the late flurry offset the punches landed by Moli, and had the round dead even!

Round 3

Moli lands a jab, a punch that keeps Williams at bay! Backing into a neutral corner, Moli evades a Williams cross. Moving quickly to ring center, both fighters are staying cautious. Then they trade blows, Moli seeming to win the exchange. Moli blasts away with both hands and bangs home some clean shots as the round nears the halfway point, while Williams is off target with his latest punch.

Moli misses wildly with the hook. Williams lands a smashing cross at the 2:00 mark, and Moli's knee almost touched the canvas! It’s 8-6, Moli, points-wise, but Williams is starting to connect! Moli has Jeremy Williams blocked in, but he's just missing with some of his shots. And there’s another miss, a wild one, with the hook. Williams lands with a short, quick uppercut in close.8:8.

The round is nearing the end. Jeremy Williams drops his shoulder as if to throw a right, then quickly rips a quick left hook to the body that makes Moli wince! As the bell rings, the two fighters nod at each other as the crowd applauds both the action and the sportsmanship being displayed. The points go 10:12 (Williams), and Andreas believes Williams landed more and better, and now the fight is even, 28-28, on his card!

[mikehoudini]

Round 4

Jeremy Williams lands with a short, quick uppercut in close. Moli's punch actually goes behind Williams, who counters and scores with a punch that's part uppercut, part hook! Just like he’s half-man, half-amazing, says Andreas. Moli pins Williams in the corner! He wings a big left hand at Williams but the latter sidesteps the punch, and rips a hook to the body. Williams lands a devastating uppercut at the 1:05 mark and leads, 0:10.

Moli was stopped in his tracks by that last shot. Williams has Moli trapped in the lower right neutral corner, and hammers Fabio with a short, crisp uppercut that had to hurt. Fabio works himself free and the fighters move back to ring center. Showing good footwork for such a big man, Moli slides into a neutral corner, but none of this is scoring him any points! Williams pins Moli's arms against his body, stopping him from throwing any punches, and now Moli has Williams pinned! Alas, this isn’t a wrestling match! Moli scores with a jolting uppercut inside, his first points of the round, and Williams retreats into the upper corner at the 2:00 mark!

Moli shoots the jab. He doubles up on it and the second one carried some power with it. He lands a strong uppercut, and Williams spins wildly into the ropes! He's trying to hang on! Fabio the Fabulous charges in, and Williams lands a crushing cross! Moli appears to be stunned! He throws a leaping shot that fails to hit the target. Williams counters with a short right cross that lands square. That was a damaging punch. The round ends, the points going 9:20. Andreas has Williams the leader, 38-37!

Round 5

Jeremy Williams traps Moli in the corner! He throws a fusillade of punches and at least one scored cleanly. Williams continues to stalk Moli about the ring. He lands a hard jab, and Moli felt it! Williams fails to connect with that punch. He pushed it out there instead of cutting loose with it.

As the second minute of the round begins, Williams has Moli cornered! Williams misses with that punch. He misses again! Williams lets his hands go but his punches land on the arms of Fabio Moli. Williams can't score with short uppercut inside. Moli got his gloves in front of the punch. Moli backs into the lower corner.

At the 2:00 mark, Williams lands a sharp combination that rocks Moli back on his heels! Williams is really hitting his stride, and Moli is going to need to regroup after that series of blows. Jeremy Williams tries a straight right that's blocked by the gloves of Fabio. Whoa, Williams just landed a savage three punch combo! Moli looks bad after that series of blows. Moli retreats into the near right corner, and the round ends, 0:16! With several power punches getting through, Andreas feels that Jeremy has had his best round of the fight, even forcing Moli to cover up. Moli needs to start punching. 48-46, Williams!

Round 6

Fabio Moli pins Williams in the corner! Guzman tries to separate the boxers but Moli has a vice-like grip on Jeremy Williams. Here comes Guzman to break them up. Moli fires a shot, but it glances off Williams's shoulder. Moli unloads a flurry of punches and several score cleanly. Moli gets his head on the chest of Williams. He tries to outmuscle him on the inside with his bulk, and scores with a nice short hook to the head. The uppercut just landed by Moli is a nice weapon on the inside.

Fabio has been landing solid uppercuts with both hands and he does it again for a 9:0 lead! Moli sneaks home the right cross. Williams traps Moli in the corner! He tries to double up on the jab but neither hits the mark. Both fighters are feinting with the shoulders, and now Moli lands the right hand, and another combination!

Williams fires the jab for his first points of the round. Moli is clinching, and the referee breaks it up. With 15 seconds remaining, Moli scores with one, two, three hard shots in a row! Following up, he goes to the head and the body, though neither punch had much on it. The bell ends the round, Williams on the short end, 20:2. At the halfway point, Andreas has it 57-56, Williams, but Fabio came on with 54 punches that landed this round! Big George Foreman states that Moli is beginning to wear down his lighter foe, just like he’d thought he would. Moli’s game plan is working perfectly, in George’s opinion!

[mikehoudini]

Round 7

Jeremy Williams has Moli trapped and lands a quick jab. He fakes with a left and scores with a winging right! Moli's head has turned halfway round with that punch! Moli is trying to regain his senses after that punch, and moves into a neutral corner. Moli sneaks a hook in. He'd better get a little closer when he throws it or Williams is going to beat him to the punch and hurt him!

Williams grabs Moli again. If this were football, there'd be a penalty flag for holding! Moli has been trying to sneak in a bit of extra damage by using his shoulders in close and now he's drawn a caution! Williams lands yet another short uppercut. There’s a quick combination by “Half-Man”!

Just into the 3rd minute, Williams tries to drop the right hand over the top but Moli ducks under it. The action is back at ring center, the two trading punches and Williams seems to have won that exchange! Inexplicably, Williams is holding on to Moli after missing with a bomb. The round ends, 4:13, and Andreas has it 67-65. Big George seems a little perplexed, but still is confident in Moli’s ability to wear Williams down.

Round 8

Moli fires and misses. Whoa, that was a searing straight right by Williams, and Moli is trying to regroup! Moli cuts loose with a combination and the crowd roars, but the truth is none of those punches landed. Guzman is telling Williams to watch holding and hitting. Moli backs into a neutral corner. At the minute mark, Williams delivers a cross to the nose of Moli, and the points stand at 0:11.

Stung by the cross, Fabio unleashes a short, clean combination that caught Williams flush. Williams dropped like he'd been shot. What a turnaround, and Big George nods sagely as the countdown begins! At the count of 5, Williams finds his legs and stands up but who knows for how long, as the KD punch just turned Williams's legs to Jell-O! Williams does a little dance and he's trying to regroup. Moli moves in for the kill. Williams smothers Fabio’s attack as Moli tries to get off some shots inside. Moli has Williams trapped in the near right neutral corner, and fires and misses. Williams retreats into a neutral corner, but Moli bulls his way inside and lands a nice uppercut to the chin of Jeremy Williams. At 2:00, Moli may have Williams on the ropes but he's never had the reputation for being a great finisher.

Williams picks off the jab thrown by Fabio. Moli swings...and misses. He just comes up short with that shot. Ouch, Williams blasts home a right hand! He telegraphed it but he got away with it as Fabio was pressing for the kill! Williams slides into a neutral corner. Williams is going to come out on the short end of this exchange of punches. Williams clinches and the round ends, 12:16! Andreas scores the round 10-8 Moli (I had it 10-9), but notes that Williams seemed to be recovering nicely by the end of the round. He’s got the fight 75-75, up for grabs!

Round 9

Jeremy Williams misses with the left and then fails to connect with the right as well. Moli fires a volley of punches but they miss as Williams was already moving laterally. Williams misses with the jab but scores with the follow up cross. After a dull period, Williams works his way in and leans on Moli. Jeremy lets his hands go inside and scores with at least two hard shots to Moli's ribcage and neck. The point totals are 0:5.

As the 2:00 mark passes, Moli is getting frustrated as Williams continues to hold on to him. Williams may still be recovering from the knockdown, or may just be getting a rest. Williams throws a flurry of punches but Moli either blocks or slips them. The cross scores for Fabio Moli in the last half minute! Moli backs into a neutral corner. Jeremy unleashes a bomb, but misses. He had an opening and whiffed with the punch.2:5. A sizzling right hand lands for Moli, knotting the points at 5:5. Moli fires and misses at the bell. Not quite the best round of the fight! Andreas has this round even, and it’s still even, 85-85. Moli missed out on a chance to follow up on his knockdown!

[mikehoudini]

Round 10

Jeremy Williams misses with the jab. He lets go with a left and that fails to find its mark, as well. Moli is pinned in his own corner, but Williams just comes up short with that shot. At 0:55, Williams lands a stinging jab to break the points drought!

Moli pushes Williams away to give himself a little more space to work with. He fires and misses. Williams dances, then shoots a stinging jab into the chest of Moli. Williams lands a hard cross, and, at the 2:05 mark, a cranium-crunching hook! Mori was shaken by that clout!

Williams hooks beautifully off a double jab and is in complete control, 0:14. Moli moves into a neutral corner, but Williams follows and wings a right cross and it gets in. Uh oh, there seems to be a bit of puffiness under Moli's right eye. Jeremy continues to punish Moli, scoring with the jab and cross. The round ends with Moli scoreless, 0:20, as Williams connected 48 times! Andreas has it 95-94, and Moli needs to do something quickly!

[mikehoudini]

Round 11

There's the uppercut from Moli to start the round! That opening has been there all fight for him. Williams fires a left hand that Moli takes high on the shoulder, then comes up just short with that shot. Moli slides into the corner. Williams throws a straight right that glances off the shoulder of Moli but it's enough to keep him off-balance. Moli connects with an uppercut, albeit it a light one, and leads at the minute mark, 4:0!

Williams clinches and Guzman has to force Williams to let go. The referee is cautioning Moli about using his shoulders a bit too enthusiastically when he gets inside. Wait a second, he has taken a point away from Moli! Moli traps Williams in the corner! He gets a jab in but it was more of a push than a punch. Williams fires a haymaker, which missed landing by a fraction of an inch! The two fighters have chosen to work on the inside and it's Williams who scores with a short hook to the chest. Jeremy has Moli pinned, but his lead right misses.

Williams lands the jab but comes up short with a second one right behind it. The two men are bumping heads as they wrestle on the inside! Williams lands a short uppercut to the chin of Moli to knot the score, 6:6. With 12 seconds remaining, Williams lands a ferocious hook, staggering Moli! Fabio's right eye is looking bad as the swelling increases. The round end, 6:10! Andreas sees this as another round for Williams, a round Moli desperately needed and had up until the last half minute! But he didn’t believe the point deduction was warranted. He has the fight 105-103.

[mikehoudini]

Round 12

Moli needs to be aggressive, but it is Williams who lands first, tagging Moli with a nice combination. The swelling at Moli's right eye is worsening, and his restricted vision is lessening his chances. Williams has Moli pinned, but misses with that punch. Fabio hooks off the jab and bangs a shot to the body. Oh my, it's a sweet uppercut by Williams! He snapped Moli's head straight back with that punch! Williams rips off two quick jabs and one finds the mark.2:8. He doubles up on the jab and he managed to score with the second for a 2:10 advantage at the end of the first minute!

Both fighters move back to ring center. Moli ties up Williams. Moli and Williams each take a step back. Moli isn’t going to win if he doesn’t connect with a bomb, or at least some sort of punch! Williams has Moli trapped in the near right neutral corner, but is content to clinch.

Williams lands to the chest and neck of Moli. Moli's swelling isn't getting any better; as a matter of fact it's even more swollen here in the 12th. Williams looks for a breather; while Moli looks for an opening. Moli traps Jeremy Williams in the corner! He has his head on Williams's chest and blasts home a hook. His fans leap to their feet! But, with 6 seconds left, it’s Williams who lands the right hand. The fight ends with the points for round 12 4:14!

[mikehoudini]

Andreas has scored the fight 115-112, Williams, as he won the last 3 rounds! Frank Shain has the official verdict. Ladies and Gentlemen, the judges have tallied their scorecards and here is your decision…Robert Gilson, United States scores the bout 114 to 113 for Jeremy Williams, Ferdinand Estrella, Philippines scores the bout 114 to 114 – even, and Gustavo Padilla, Panama scores the bout 116 to 112 for......Jeremy Williams, the winner by a majority decision!

I thought the fight should have been a unanimous decision for Williams. For 2 of the judges, the 11th & 12th were pivotal! Estrella had Moli winning the 1st, 3rd & 4th, and being even in the 2nd! The 4th was baffling to me, as Jeremy outlanded him, 40-18, and won the power punch battle, 3-1! Maybe Moli was leading with his jaw? For the fight, Moli landed 230 of 677 for a 34% connection rate, while Williams was 296 of 744, a 39.8% rate. Moli was unable to wear Jeremy down, and Big George was silent and confused after the fight. Indeed, the beating Williams gave in the 10th seemed to take the starch out of Fabio! Jeff correctly predicted the winner, though it wasn’t by a KO!

Williams was gracious in the post-fight interview, praising Moli for his durability. Muhammad Ali praised the winner, and said he’d take both men on in one night of boxing! He told Williams, “You may be Half-Man, Half-Amazing, but I AM the Greatest, and you’ll be half on the canvas, half through the ropes when I’m done with you!”

Moli was downcast during his interview, indicating that he didn’t quite execute his game plan. But he was likewise gracious to Williams, saying that, while he hadn’t been hurt by his punches, Jeremy certainly had landed enough of them, as his eye could attest! When told about Ali’s claim, he smiled and said “I’ll let the champ fight him first!”

The crowd cheered for both fighters, and the promoters were pleased with the attendance and action in this tourney! More fights will be scheduled, as some who feel they got a bad decision are demanding rematches. So there you have it, folks. Jeremy Williams is the champion of the Thundering Threes Tourney!

[mikehoudini]

There in fact was a consolation match for thrid place that took place before the championship bout. Here's the reporting thereof.

I’ve broken the action down into 3 one minute intervals per round.

Ring announcer Frank Shain took center stage and introduced the battlers for this consolation 3rd place bout! “Ladies and gentlemen, here are the boxers for this contest! Fighting out of the red corner, with a record of 4-1-1, with 2 stoppages, Imamu Mayfield! And, fighting out the blue corner, with a record of 4-1, with 2 stoppages, John Holman!”

He introduced the referee, Benji Esteves, then the three judges: Esa Lehtosaari (Finland), Humbert Frugoni (France) and Carol Polis (United States). The bout, scheduled for 12 rounds, was ready to commence!

Mayfield and Holman were getting their final instructions from their corners. Mayfield was trained by Billy Giles, with Al Gavin as his cut man. Richie Giachetti trained Holman, and Doc Bagley was his cut man.

Mayfield looked a little tired coming into the ring, as if he had overtrained. Holman, on the other hand, was carrying quite a few extra pounds, and must have been out eating with Butterbean. Would this weight make a difference as the fight wore on?

Holman’s fan club of loyal Floridians was in attendance, cheering loudly for their man as they awaited the starting bell!

Round 1
Holman lands a smashing hook to start the fight! Imamu is already a bit wobbly! Holman fires and misses a cross. Mayfield just comes up short with that shot. Holman lands two quick, hard uppercuts that make Mayfield take a half step backwards. Holman scores with a nice two-punch combination.0:9

Holman retreats into a neutral corner. Mayfield is holding, and Esteves pries them apart. Mayfield is forced into his own corner. Holman fires and misses. What a dull minute!

The cross scores for Holman. He sneaks in a quick uppercut. Mayfield lands to the chest and neck of John Holman for his first points of the round. Holman grabs Imamu, and the round concludes, 2:13. Holman wins on my card.

Round 2
Holman just landed a savage three punch combo! Mayfield was staggered by those punches, but moves and then misses with a hook. Holman scores to both the head and body and then moves away. Back in the middle of the square, Holman tries to muscle inside but Mayfield clinches him.0:7

John Holman pushes Mayfield away. They trade blows but Mayfield lands the more telling punches. He fires and misses. He had an opening and whiffed with the punch. Holman scores with a piston-like jab to re-establish his lead this round. Mayfield grabs and holds Holman.

Mayfield throws an uppercut from way outside. It lands but he's lucky! Holman slides into his own corner. Mayfield misses with that punch. Holman blasts home a short hook to the body. Imamu retaliates with an uppercut but there wasn't much on it. The round ends, 7:15. Holman is off to a fine start, 20-18, despite the extra weight he’s carrying!

Round 3
Holman lands the right hand. He moves into the right corner, where Mayfield lands a stinging jab. Imamu scores with a nice short hook to the head, and is building a little momentum. Holman gets a jab in but it was more of a push than a punch. Mayfield pins Holman's arms, and the first minute ends.4:4.

Holman smothers Mayfield's attack as Mayfield tries to get off some shots inside. Holman is pinned in his own corner. After an Imamu clinch, Mayfield lands a right cross but Holman turned with it, diluting most of its power.6:4.

Mayfield lands a solid shot to the head and follows up with a better one! He’s looking good this round! Holman scores with a short hook to the chest. Mayfield is just missing with a few punches. Ouch!!! Holman unleashed a crippling right hand to the head, a real cranium-cruncher! Imamu was stopped cold by that punch! Holman fails to connect with a hook. He pushed it out there instead of cutting loose with it. The round ends, 8:11. I scored this one for Holman, on the basis of that booming right. I’ve got it 30-27, all Holman.

[mikehoudini]

Round 4
Holman again starts a round with a bang, sending the sweat flying with that cross to the head of Mayfield. Holman misses with a looping right. Holman cuts loose with a combination and the crowd roars, but the truth is none of those punches landed. Mayfield lands a nice jab. He tries to follow it up with a cross but it misses.2:3.

Mayfield swings and misses, yet again. Mayfield misses with the jab. He lets go with a left and that fails to find its mark, too. In baseball he would have struck out! Holman's right cross gets in, making Mayfield blink. Holman shoots the jab into the chest of Mayfield. Both fighters are scoring in this exchange but Holman is coming out on top. Holman slides into the corner...4:10

Mayfield wings a big left hand at John Holman but the latter easily sidesteps the punch! John goes upstairs with a quick but vicious hook to the head that puts Mayfield back on his heels! Holman fires a short, ripping uppercut inside. Mayfield lurches forward and his legs look bad. Holman throws a leaping shot that fails to hit the target, and Mayfield wisely retreats into his own corner. Holman smashed home a quick left hook to the body that makes Mayfield wince! The crowd roars as Imamu is obviously hurt! Holman misses with the left and then fails to connect with the right as well, as the round ends, 4:21. Holman dominates, and is pitching a shutout, 40-36!

Round 5
Who jumps out first? Duh, that was a straight right by Holman that forces Mayfield to take a step back. Holman pounds the body with short ripping hooks. Imamu takes a half step back as he tries to create some punching room, and he successful, for Holman, as John rips a hook to the body. A cross lands for Holman. Mayfield didn't see that one coming. As the minute ends, Mayfield goes to the head and the body, though neither punch had much on it.2:11.

Holman drives the hook home, and follows with a textbook combination! They exchange punches, and it looks like Mayfield got the better blow in. He goes on the attack with a booming hook, but it misses the mark.

Mayfield has Holman pinned and lands a sweet uppercut. He needs to land more to take this round! Both boxers are in the middle of the squared circle. Imamu lands a sizzling right hand, then glides into a neutral corner. Its 10:18 at round end. Imamu rallied nicely, but it was too little, too late. 50-45 Holman, as his lead is becoming virtually insurmountable!

Round 6
Mayfield shoots the right home. Holman counters with a hook. Mayfield is clinching as the minute draws to a close. 2:2.

The two men are bumping heads as they wrestle on the inside, now Holman lands a short uppercut to the chin of Mayfield. Imamu works free! Holman is blocked in his own corner. Mayfield lands with a short, quick uppercut in close. Mayfield moves into a neutral corner. He needs to be punching more! Holman lands a glancing, overhand right. He comes back with a short hard right to the chest and follows up immediately with a crushing left to the head of Mayfield.4:9

Holman shoots a sneaky right home. Looking for a rare breather; he grabs Mayfield and holds on. Imamu pushes him off and looks for an opening. Esteves is telling Mayfield to quit leaning on the neck. Mayfield lands the jab but comes up short with a second one. 6:11 for the round! The fight has reached the miswat point and Holman still has his shutout going, 60-54. Imamu needs a miracle like he got against Ed “the Hammer” Mahone when he KOd Mahone in the 6th after being battered for the preceding 5 rounds.

[mikehoudini]

Round 7
Mayfield doesn't connect with the cross. Holman goes to the head and the body. Holman throws a flurry of punches but Mayfield either blocks or slips them. Mayfield lands to the chest and neck of Holman. Imamu misses wildly with the hook. Mayfield does land an uppercut, shocking the fans! 4:2.

There's a thundering right that scores for Holman. Mayfield tries to double up on the jab but neither hit the mark. Mayfield rips off two quick jabs and one finds the mark.6:5.

Mayfield shoots the right home. Mayfield traps Holman in the corner! There's a straight right by Mayfield! Imamu made Holman blink with that shot, and he’s having by far his best round of the fight, 13:5! Mayfield finally wins a round on my card, which is 69-64. If he wins the next five, he could eke out a draw!

Round 8
A sonic right hook by Holman brings Mayfield up short, and Imamu looks like he was hurt by that punch! Holman tries a combo but his punches land on the arms of Mayfield.0:4.

The crowd leaps to its feet, stunned, as Mayfield lands a tremendous shot under Holman's ribcage and John crumbles to the canvas! Holman gets back up at the count of 8 but he looks badly shaken. A revitalized Mayfield just comes up short with a booming cross. He throws a leaping shot that fails to hit the target. Holman backs away, but Mayfield wings right cross and it gets in, though without a lot of steam on it.11:4

Holman backs into his own corner. Mayfield leaves the jab just short. Holman throws another good combination that temporarily slows Mayfield. Imamu reels backward from what might have been a head butt! Holman lands a jab, and seems to be recovering. That last shot has opened a cut on Mayfield because there's blood flowing from the corner of Imamu Mayfield's mouth. 11:9. Holman recovered nicely and hurt Imamu at the end, so I scored the round 10-9, Mayfield, making the fight 78-74 on my unofficial card!

Round 9
Holman fires and misses, then fires a left hand that Mayfield takes high on the shoulder. Back on the offensive, Holman pins Mayfield in the corner! Upstairs and downstairs! Holman lands two quick blows and then moves away from Mayfield's counters.0:2

It's a jolting uppercut by Holman! He snapped Mayfield's head straight back with that punch, and Mayfield appears to have been staggered. Wow, Holman smashes Imamu with a pulverizing straight right! Mayfield was definitely staggered by that punch! Holman bashed Mayfield with a solid hook, stunning him! It’s amazing that he’s still standing! And now some swelling has started under Mayfield's left eye. Holman lands two solid jabs that snap back the head of Mayfield.0:19

Holman just misses with a huge shot that might have ended the fight! Mayfield retreats into the right corner. OMG, Holman scores with a winging right that turned Mayfield's head halfway round! The swelling under Mayfield's left eye is increasing, making it tougher for him to see punches coming. There's a lead right hand that finds its mark for Mayfield as the round expires, 2:24. Holman savaged Mayfield in this one. In the interests of fairness, I scored it 10-9, making the cumulative 88-83! I’m amazed that the fight wasn’t stopped.

[mikehoudini]

Round 10
Holman drills Mayfield with a left and right and another left. Holman misses with the left and then fails to connect with the right as well. Maybe, with the extra weight, he’s getting tired. Mayfield pins Holman in the corner! Esteves is telling Mayfield to quit kidney punching. Holman scores with yet another tremendous left!2:6

Holman fires a volley of punches but Mayfield was already moving out of harm's way. Holman pushes Mayfield away to give himself a little more space to work with, but Mayfield grabs him and clinches. Mayfield blasts home a hook.4:6, and now Holman is bleeding from that last punch! The cut appears to be an ugly one outside the right eyebrow. If his corner can't staunch the gash, Holman got lucky, at least in the location of the cut. He shouldn't have vision problems from it. The ref stops the fight so the cut can be checked. The ringside physician has indicated to the referee that the bout can continue. It’d be a shame to lose that way after Holman’s impressive performance to date, and he has Doc Bagley, a great cut man, waiting to work on it! 6:6

Holman is trapped in the corner, and Mayfield glances a hook off Holman's side. Imamu slides into the corner, where Holman clinches for a breather. Holman just landed a three punch combo, up, down, up! Mayfield was shaken by those blows, and there appears to be an increase in the amount of swelling under Mayfield's left eye. Holman lets fly a bomb but it misses badly. 8:11. This was a closer round, but Holman gets the nod, and the fight is now 98-92! Can Doc Bagley work his magic?

Round 11
Quick efficient work in the corner of Holman has the cut outside the right eyebrow under control. There's not even a trickle of blood! Mayfield's corner didn't ignore the swelling he's suffered so far in this bout; however, even with the attention that they gave it, the puffiness doesn't look lessened much, if at all. Holman tries to drop the right hand over the top but Mayfield ducks under it. Imamu misses with the jab but scores with the follow up cross, which has reopened Holman's cut. Holman's pawing at his eye and there may be some blood trickling into that eye from the cut above it. The referee must have noticed because we have a stop in the action as Esteves motions toward the ringside physician. They're going to take a close look at it. I don’t believe it! Esteves is calling a halt to this fight. The gash over Holman's eye is too bad for him to continue. The huge fan contingent of Holman’s is stunned at this sudden turn of events, especially with an ace like Doc Bagley waiting in the rings!

Here's Frank Shain with the call…Ladies and Gentlemen! The winner by technical knockout at the 0:20 mark in Round 11 is…Imamu Mayfield!

What an upset! The judges had the fight 97-92, 97-92 and 96-93, all for Holman. Holman had landed 285 punches, at a 46% rate, compared to 172 at a 35% rate, and had landed far more power punches! Doc Bagley shook his head when asked about the stoppage. He felt he easily could have had it under control, and there were less than six minutes of boxing left in any instance! Mayfield’s eye looked more deserving of a stoppage than Holman’s cut, in his opinion.

Holman was a professional and very diplomatic when interviewed, but did state that he believes he’s entitled to a rematch. He vowed to be in better shape, and said that way he’d do his best to take the verdict out of any decision-maker’s hands. He saluted his loyal fans, saying they were the best, and left to the sound of applause.

Imamu stated that this was a 12 round fight, and that the right verdict had been rendered. He had lost most of the rounds, but caused the stoppage. This is what makes boxing exciting, as you never know how a fight will end!

[mikehoudini]

Now that the Thundering Threes Tourney has been concluded, though several fighters have demanded rematches, I am considering proceeding on two fronts. The first would be to continue on with the Fantastic Fours and Fabulous Fives and so on. I am also considering going back and having additional fights on the 1s, 2s and 3s so that I can get ranked fighters for each of these sets, and occasionally allow a fighter to upgrade to challenge the ones at the next higher level, as the 1s and 2s did with varying degrees of success.

Does anyone have any thoughts or preferences? Also, I don't plan on the loooong fight writeups that I just used for the championship and consolation bouts, except for major title bouts. Were the expanded round-by-round interesting or should I scrap that concept?

Hope you all have enjoyed the tournaments to date!

[mikehoudini]

Challenges

There have been a ton of challenges issued during and after the Thundering Threes Tourney, so the mayhem may well continue. The challenges are as follows:

Box-in Round
James Beattie wants another shot at Jean-Pierre Coopman, as he feels the 6th round TKO was unwarranted.

Round 1
China Smith vs. Ed Mahone - China was KOd in 2, but was way overweight. He now is fit and trim, so he says.
Pedro Agosto vs. Taurus Sykes - Pedro feels the majority decision should have been at worst a draw!
James Broad vs. Imamu Mayfield – They drew, then there was a MD that I had a D. Broad wants another go.
Lee Oma vs. Joe Beckett – Oma lost on cuts and wants a rematch.
Scrapiron Johnson vs. John Holman – it was close.
Pat Valentino vs. John Ferguson – Valentino was ahead until 7-10 8th.
Danny Wofford vs. Jose Ribalta – Danny led until his 3rd round KOd
Keith McKnight vs. Frankie Swindell – could have been a TKO either way.
Arthur Pelkey vs. Jeremy Williams – I had it a draw, the judges a SD.

Round 2
Battling Jim Johnson vs. Marvis Frazier – it was a DQ in R10. There is bad blood here, and Joe Frazier would like a shot!
Brian London vs. Imamu Mayfield – London was slightly ahead before the R8 cuts TKO.
Jose Ribalta vs. George Arias – he thinks the UD was unwarranted.
Lee Savold vs. Frankie Swindell – fight was stopped due to injury in R5.

Sweet 16
Tom McNeeley vs. James Ellis – was a donnybrook until R8 TKO.
Gerhard Zeck vs. Joe Beckett – not really a sweet 16, both KOd in 1.
Mike Shreck vs. Jeremy Williams – was up until TKO in 6th on cuts

Elite 8
Ed Mahone vs. Imamu Mayfield – was way up until R6 KO!
Johnny Paychek vs. John Holman – I had this close fight a draw.

Final 4
John Holman vs. Jeremy Williams – he says his R1 KO was an aberration.

Consolation match
John Holman vs. Imamu Mayfield – was way up when R11 TKO on cuts occurred.

As the champ, Williams isn’t too inclined to accept any challenges. Should any of the other ones be accepted, and should Williams honor the challenges?

And, as a sidelight, I am now up to being a major leaguer!

[mikehoudini]

I have finished the first 6 challenge matches, those of James Beattie, China Smith, Pedro Agosto, Lee Oma, Danny Wofford and Keith McKnight, and should post the results around lunchtime tomorrow. New winners will then take on those they would have met in the next round.

It's been a hectic time, with my great-nephew Owen, 33 days old, having to go back into the hospital a 3rd time Friday night (last time it was for emergency surgery 12 days ago), my 87 year old Dad having fallen and broken his wrist, my best friend's mother passing Friday evening at age 88, and a lady friend undergoing surgery today. Too many things happening in too short a time period!

On the lighter side, today was the first day of golf season, and a LOT of guys are going to have to pass or give up the sport before I can join the senior tour - so I'm not quitting the day job! I'll be posting the results tomorrow!

[mikehoudini]

The first of the challenge matches resulting from the Thundering Threes Tourney was held on February 26 at the DC Convention Center. James J Beattie felt that his 6th TKO loss in their donnybrook in the box-in round was unwarranted, and Jean-Pierre Coopman was gracious to accept the challenge.

James Beattie (0-1) vs. Jean-Pierre Coopman (4-2-1 2) – Beattie may have taken the Lion of Flanders too lightly in the first fight, but he came into this contest ready to go! The opening rounds were touch and go! Beattie outpointed Coopman, 12-10, in both the 1st & 2nd rounds. He landed a searing uppercut, and 10 lighter combinations, whereas Coopman connected for 8 hooks. Close throughout the opening stanza, Beattie smashed a cross to the head and piled up an early lead in the 2nd, but Coopman landed 9 hooks, most in the last minute, to make the round extremely close!

Beattie fired off a sweet combination to start the 3rd, and the two seemed to trade combinations throughout the round! Beattie landed a five punch combination that hurt the Lion, who fought back valiantly, connecting for 11 combinations of his own, trying to offset the cut he suffered in his mouth! Beattie found the range with 13 combinations, and a booming hook at the end of the round sealed it for him, 22-15!

Coopman’s hands were low starting the 4th, and remained so for the rest of the fight. Beattie bashed him with another hard hook, and got 10 uppercuts in, winning the round, 14-4, despite having his right eye swelling considerably, which caused his corner some concern.

Beattie connected for two power punches in the 5th, a sonic straight right and a cranium-crunching cross, and took advantage of Coopman’s low hands for a 17-4 advantage! The lion’s left eye was now swelling quite a bit, but Beattie’s right eye was even worse! Perhaps trying to protect the eye, the 6th was a quiet round, Beattie getting the nod in points, 9-8, landing one smashing uppercut, while the Lion again used his hook, landing 10 of them.

Beattie hadn’t lost his focus, mindful of the back-and-forth nature of their prior fight, and was boxing well in the 7th, keeping Coopman on the defensive. Beattie, who was using combinations as his principal weapon early, connected with a wild overhand right and the Lion went down for a 3 count! Once back on his feet, he went down again like the stock market on a savage hook, and barely beat the count! Beattie couldn’t finish him off, as the round was almost over, but the 24-2 points indicated how much he had punished the Lion!

Knowing he was down, Coopman went for the KO in the 8th. A half minute into the round, he fell prey to a five punch combination, and dropped yet again. This time, the valiant Lion couldn’t get back up, and Beattie was declared the winner by a KO at 0:45 of the 8th! He was well ahead on points, and now hopes to take on Coopman’s Round 1 opponent, Leo Nolan.

[mikehoudini]

The second box-in round challenge match featured China Smith’s rematch against Ed “the Hammer” Mahone, and the seats were filled to capacity. A badly-overweight China had bashed Ed in the 1st round of their fight, then the Hammer had struck to knock Smith out in the 2nd! This time, China came into the ring in superb shape. Would the result be any different?

China Smith (2-2 2) vs. Ed Mahone (4-1 4) – There is no such thing as a feeling out round when they two bruisers are opposing each other! Mahone set out to prove that the 1st KO was no fluke, and wasn’t attributable to China’s conditioning, as the Hammer hammered home an uppercut and a ferocious hook, and the issue was if China would even last into the 2nd! China jolted Mahone with a massive hook as the round ended, but came up on the short-side, 13-7!

China opened the 2nd by stepping in and hammering “the Hammer” with a thunderous right that backed Mahone up, then connected later with a sweet uppercut and savage combination, dominating Ed, 15-2! In a wild and wooly 3rd, both men fouled the other early on, then China smashed an uppercut home, and Mahone retaliated with an equally-impressive one! China used his jab as a weapon, scoring 16 times, while Ed countered with 10 crosses. Toward the end of the round, china seized the moment with an uppercut that landed squarely on Ed’s chin, stunning him and winning the round for Smith, 22-12!

China came out smoking in the 4th, landing a vicious head/body/head combination and, soon after, a straight right that made Ed blink! No quitter, Mahone’s straight left made China’s legs wobbly, but he was able to weather the moment, though he was warned for holding and hitting. He won the round, 18-7, and was clearly in the lead at the midway point!

In the 5th, China landed his patented 7 punch combination, head, head, body, head, body, head, head, and Mahone crashed to the canvas! Ed was able to get up at the count of 7, and eschewed covering up, waving at China to bring it on! He did, they exchanged punches, and a China hook sent Ed back down for a 4 count! Mahone refused to cover up, and China rained punches on him, until the referee halted the fight, Smith the winner by a TKO at 2:19 of the 5th.

China felt vindicated by his impressive win, and vowed to give the valiant Mahone a rubber match! China is now itching to take on Tony Ross and see how far he can go against Mahone’s opponents. The crowd saluted these brawlers, but Ed Mahone may need to learn that covering up isn’t necessarily a sissy thing to do!

[mikehoudini]

There were 4 challenges accepted from the Round 1 results. The first match featured Pedro “Schoolboy” Agosto taking on Taurus Sykes, as he felt that the majority decision given to Sykes should have been no worse than a draw.

Pedro Agosto (11-3-1 9) vs. Taurus Sykes (1-1) - The first round established how the fight would go, as the issue was whether Agosto’s power punches could offset the lighter ones of Sykes. Pedro landed a sizzling cranium-crusher, but Sykes rallied at the end to lead in points, 8-7. Agosto walloped Taurus with a hook to start the 2nd, and again Sykes rallied late, and a solid cross won it for him, 14-8.

Worried that he was digging himself a hole, Pedro landed early and often in the 3rd & 4th. A savage combination and sweet hook carried the 3rd, 15-6, and Sykes’ right eye was swelling badly. Pedro won the 4th, 10-4, on the basis of a jolting uppercut and a series of hooks. I had it even at this point.

They trades blows in a slower 5th, but Agosto’s hooks and a big straight right won it for me, 10-8. Agosto was cut on the forehead, and the fight temporarily halted, in a 12-12 6th. Still bleeding at the start of the 7th, Pedro tried to turn it up a notch in the 7th. He scored on a sizzling cross, and connected for 11 hooks, taking the points, 14-8, and benefited when a point was deducted for a low blow by Sykes!

Both men went all out in the 8th. Pedro socked Sykes with a cross, and kept throwing his hooks. Taurus saw an opening and decked Agosto at the bell, but Pedro was up at the count of 1. The knockdown sealed the round for Sykes, 14-12, and the close fight went to the scorecards!

I had it 76-75, Agosto the winner despite being knocked down in the last seconds of the fight. The judges scored it, 76-75, 76-75 and 76-75 for, the winner by a unanimous decision…Pedro Agosto! He landed more punches, 209-186, threw more punches, and landed far more power punches. He said he’ll be willing to take Sykes on in a rubber match once he’s cleaned the table with the rest of the tournament fighters. Savvy fight fans were concerned, as he savaged his fellow level 1s and some level 2s, but maybe he’s not nearly as powerful a puncher to the level 3 fighters!

The next fight matched Lee Oma, the champion of the 2s, against Joe Beckett, who had stopped him on cuts. Could Oma continue the charge of the challengers, who have won all 3 fights to date?

Lee Oma (7-1 3) vs. Joe Beckett (2-1 2) – Could this be déjà vu? Oma was cut inside the left eyebrow with the 1st punch thrown by Beckett! Joe belted him with a straight right, and withstood a series of crosses and jabs to lead in points, 11-8. Oma arguably won the 2nd round, 4-3, with a brief flurry at the end, but he mainly protected his still-bleeding cut and evaded Joe. Oma landed a sweet uppercut early in the 3rd, but Beckett came back with a solid cross, a series of hooks, and a dynamite right at the end to lead, 16-8, and Oma’s right eye was swelling, to boot!

His cut finally closed as the 4th started, Lee boxed cleverly and cautiously, flicking his rapier-like jab in 13 times, flurrying at the end to outpoint Joe, 12-8! Oma started nicely in the 5th, landing jab after jab, but Beckett landed 3 massive shots, the last a booming hook as the round ended, which notched the points, 13-13. The 6th was a carbon copy, Lee firing 16 jabs, Beckett rallying to make it 14-14 with a jolting uppercut and cross at the round’s end. Lee’s swelling was worse, and Joe’s rallies had to be disheartening. I had Beckett up by a round after the 6th.

They went after each other in the 7th. Oma’s eye was a mess, and he couldn’t avoid a searing jab or a savage combination, and he lost the round, 19-11. Going for broke in the 8th, Oma landed a nice combo, a scorching straight right and a jarring left, but Beckett weathered the storm, losing 19-5!

Oma outlanded Beckett, 269-191, but Joe’s power was far more. I scored it 78-77, Beckett the winner by a nose (or swollen eye). The judges scored it 77-76, 78-75 & 77-76 for, the winner by a unanimous decision…Joe Beckett! He had had just enough to eke out a win, with Oma’s swollen eye possibly a factor. Lee would like one injury-free fight, but graciously congratulated Beckett on his hard-fought win!

[mikehoudini]

Dangerous Danny Wofford (4-6-1 1) vs. Jose Ribalta (1-1 1) – Jose came into this fight a bit under-trained, as he felt he had easily handled the Round Mound in their prior bout. Danny came in in top shape, weighing a trim 306! He looked determined to avenge his loss!

Jose connected with a searing hook to take the opener, 8-6, then he landed one almost as telling and a huge straight right to dominate the 2nd, 15-2, and Danny had dug a hole for himself! Danny roared back to take the 3rd, 12-4, landing 14 jabs and 13 hooks, frustrating Ribalta with his incessant attack. Danny’s momentum carried over into the 4th, as he won, 9-4, landing enough blows and blocking most of Ribalta’s attempts!

Never one to deviate from a successful strategy, Danny used his rapier-like jab, oft confused with that of Muhammad Ali, and his pile-driving hooks to outscore Jose in the 5th, 11-9, as Jose rallied in the last minute to make it respectable. The 6th was dead even, 9-9, as Jose connected more frequently while Danny relied on his main weapons, the jab and the belly-bump! At this juncture, I had Danny up by one point!

Jose solved Danny’s dynamo attack in the 7th, rocking him with a savage combination and winning handily, making the fight even on my card. Danny had rallied in the last 30 seconds to make it a bit closer, but would need a better effort in the last round. In the 8th, Danny fought at a fevered pitch, like a human buzzsaw, and peppered Jose with 18 jabs and 14 hooks! Avoiding Jose’s bombs, Danny won easily, 18-7, and the fight went to the judges’ cards!

I had Danny the upset winner (then again, is there any other kind of him for him?), 77-76, based on his strong last round! The judges’ totals were 77-75, 76-76 & 77-75 for the winner by a majority decision…Danny Wofford! He landed 237 times as opposed to 162, and at a higher connect rate, 44 to 30%! The Man continues to amaze and move on, as he and Pedro Agosto are the only level 1fighters still active, and Pedro is pretty select company!

Keith McKnight (5-2 3) vs. Frankie Swindell (2-1 2) – Keith had come into the first fight with emotional problems and, after a superb first round, had had the tables turned in a 2nd round TKO! He came into this rematch in a much better state of mind, focused and intending to avenge his defeat!

The first round had little action, but McKnight landed a few punches around a sweet hook to outpoint Frankie, 8-5, as Frankie’s only scoring came on a vicious combination as the round expired. Keith boxed effectively in the 2nd, with 10 hooks reaching home as well as a jolting right. Swindell landed a right of his own, but came up short points-wise, 13-6.

Frankie landed a winging right part way through the 3rd, but the Fighting Knight shook it off and landed an uppercut square, flooring Frankie for a 7 count! He connected after that on a solid hook, but was a little more cautious, remembering the last fight and Swindell's counterattack, and won easily, 14-4. McKnight boxed under control in the 4th, his hooks finding the range, and he outpointed Frankie, 11-8, despite being clocked by a straight left!

Swindell hammered home an uppercut to start the 5th, but Keith again stayed cool, connecting for a nice cross that snapped Frankie’s head back, as well as a series of hooks, to take, for me, his fifth straight round, 10-7. Frankie reached him with two bombs in the 6th, both combinations, and captured his first round, 11-5.

He tried to press the action in the 7th, but McKnight deflected his attempts, landing a huge cranium-crusher and straight right en route to a 13-2 scoring. Swindell connected with a booming hook to start the 8th, but that was his last hurrah, as Keith outboxed him, 12-6.

I had it 79-72, McKnight. The judges scored it a bit closer, 79-72, 77-75 & 77-74, all for Keith McKnight! He landed almost twice as many punches and far more power punches, in achieving a convincing victory! He and China Smith are the remaining level 2 boxers in the challenge series.

The challengers have won 5 of the 6 challenge matches so far, and the two who won in the box-in round still have to fight who their victim fought in the first round. Three of the challenge matches have been close, the others not nearly so.

[mikehoudini]

Having triumphed in their box-in round challenge matches, James Beattie and China Smith moved on to fight who they would have fought if they’d won initially.

The results of their fights are as follows:

James Beattie (1-1 1) vs. Leo Nolan (3-1) – Beattie was pumped after his 8th round KO of the Lion of Flanders, and was all over Paco in the 1st round! He connected on 13 jabs and 11 uppercuts, one that wobbled Leo, capturing the round, 17-4! The next 2 rounds were more of a defensive nature, Beattie landing early and then Nolan coming on in the last minute. Beattie outpointed Leo in both, 8-6 & 10-6, and did get one bone-jarring jab in that backed Leo up!

They traded leather in a spirited 4th, which was close until Beattie landed a booming hook and ferocious uppercut at the round’s end! Beattie’s hooks and combinations, one a jarring one, were telling, as he won on points, 20-8, while poor Leo was cut outside his right eyebrow, causing a temporary halt, and his left eye was swelling badly!

Beattie dominated the 1st 4 rounds, on my card, but Nolan, even though tired and still bleeding, came out punching, landing a variety of punches. Unfortunately for him, Beattie landed the heavier blows, a searing cross and uppercut, and finally a straight right at the end that left Leo wobbly and won the round, 14-11. Nolan’s eye had gone to dark orange status, a mess.

There is a saying we have at work, “the beatings will continue until morale improves.” The bleeding had stopped for Nolan, but his morale must not have improved, as Beattie pounded him yet again in the 6th, 20-10, connecting on a smashing cross, then another and finally a sonic straight right! Leo was plucky, but his swelling was worse and his vision impaired so, while he landed some punches, he was on the receiving end of the big blows.

The 7th was like a Christian being thrown to the lions. Two majestic uppercuts and a savage combination sapped Leo, whose eye color was now red as the eye was almost closed! The points were 21-8, and he deserved credit for his courage. Beattie was begging the ref to stop the fight as he landed uppercut after uppercut, and Nolan was closely resembling Thunder’s old avatar!

A searing Beattie hook reopened Nolan’s cut early in the 8th, and the referee used this as an excuse to mercifully end the carnage. Beattie was the winner by a TKO on cuts at 0:30 of the 8th, and Nolan was led to his corner! In the post-fight interview, Beattie praised Nolan’s courage, and Nolan said he’d never been hit harder so many times! The fans cheered both of these gallant fighters!