Thanksgiving Tournament of the Turkeys

[mikehoudini]

James Beattie (5-1-1 5) vs. John Holman (4-3 2) – This is the fight that shouldn’t have occurred, as Paychek was the rightful opponent, but Holman is a fighter and didn’t turn it down. Beattie opened with a savage cross that sent Holman crashing to the canvas! Up at the count of 8, but very unsteady, John absorbed another big cross, but somehow avoided Beattie’s other bombs, and lasted the round, though he lost, 14-0. His ring savvy had paid off!

Beattie came out looking to end it in the 2nd, and it was ended! He ran into a gonzo hook thrown by Holman and the fans were shocked as he dropped with a thud! On a knee at the count of 9, Beattie couldn’t make it to his feet, and Holman was the winner by a KO at 0:42 of the 2nd! What a turnaround! It was only later, a few days later in fact, that a disconsolate Beattie learned that he’d get another chance against his rightful opponent, Johnny Paychek. This bout didn’t count in terms of the challenge series, nor did the London-Holman fight that was held just before the mistake was announced!

So, in Don King-esque fashion, Beattie gets another fight despite being knocked out!

[mikehoudini]

In what would have been the final, (but an error was found after this fight was completed) Brian London took on John Holman in the finals, as both finalists had in fact been eliminated, Jeremy Williams by James Beattie and Fabio Moli by London. Completing the chain of errors, the bout was scheduled for 10 rounds, not 12. Would London be happy or angry once the error was announced?

Brian London 5-1 2) vs. John Holman (5-3 3) – London landed a series of 8 uppercuts in the 1st, while Holman relied on an awesome hook and, at round’s end, a solid combination. He took the round in terms of points, 10-8.

Holman, cheered on by his Muckboys, surprised everyone by putting on a boxing clinic in the 2d, landing 53 punches, 13 of them being hooks and another 11 crosses. The points went 21-4, and London had a nice mouse under his left eye. His pride hurt, as well as his body, London sparkled in the 3rd, connecting 40 times, with 12 crosses his major weapon, in coming back, 16-5!

They traded punches in the 4th, London landing a big uppercut, Holman answering with a straight right! London’s swelling was worse, and he came out on the short end of this pick-em round, 10-9! Holman landed a super cranium-crunching cross in the 5th, and a sweet hook. London’ whose eye was worse, rallied, but once again was on the short end of a close round, 10-9. Who knows how the judges would score these rounds?

London savaged Holman in the 6th, connecting 47 times, with jabs, hooks and uppercuts his main weapons! The score was 22-5, as he dominated, stunning Holman to boot with two sonic hooks! In the 7th, God and these two rested, and the resultant score was 4-2, Holman, in a round where his major weapon was the mighty clinch! Ugly didn’t accurately describe the “action.”

Going all out for a knockout, London smashed a hook home to start the 8th, later following with a plethora of punches, among them a sonic hook and savage combination, that had Holman covering up, 21-2! The fight at this point was extremely close, as three rounds were virtually even.

The 9th saw these gladiators going toe to toe! London landed a laser left, Holman came back with a super cross! London’s eye was getting worse as he landed 13 uppercuts, Holman doing damage with 12 hooks! A sweet straight right at the end won it for Holman, 17-12!

Holman landed first in the 10th, a powerful combination that made London grunt! Pressing on, he was willing to take punches to land some, and a jolting hook found its target! Finally, as the round was ending, Holman landed a thunderous hook that was almost obscene, and London fell like a big tree. He was still down when the bell sounded at the count of 7, saved by the bell! I had this round 20-5, Holman.

On the strength of a great last 2 rounds, and the knockdown, I had Holman the winner, 97-95! London had outlanded him, 247-207, but that knockdown was huge! The judges scored the bout 98-93, 96-95 & 96-94, for, the winner by a unanimous decision…John Holman!

The Muckboys went crazy, and London was dejected, but his mood changed to elation when he learned that Holman was the wrong opponent, and that he’d face the winner of the Beattie Paychek contest, this time in a 12 round contest! Holman also benefited, as he had a sweet comeback, one that'll keep him high up once rankings are announced!

So the suspense builds because of my scheduling errors, and Beattie and London each get another chance!

[mikehoudini]

James Beattie and Brian London were both on the card for the last challenge matches, the beneficiaries of a scheduling error that gave them new life. Would they make the best of this lifeline? Beattie was to fight Johnny Paychek, and the winner would take on London!

James Beattie (5-2-1 5) vs. Johnny Paychek (5-1 3) – Both sluggers felt each other out in a quiet 1st round, where Beattie scored more points, 9-7. Caution again ruled in the 2nd, a far cry from most of Beattie’s fights, but, then again, he had been kayod in the 2nd in his last fight. Paychek scored more points, 9-6, and Beattie was cut inside his mouth.

The 3rd was a round of trading punches, neither fighter throwing bombs, and it ended even, 9-9. Paychek landed a laser left in the 4th, the 1st big blow in the fight! Connecting on 10 crosses, he reopened Beattie’s cut and cruised to a 11-3 points spread.

Beattie sprang to life in the 5th. He smashed a hook to Paychek’s body, then hammered Johnny with a right hook. For the round, he pummeled Johnny with 13 jabs and 11 hooks, and landed a searing combination that rocked Paychek back on his heels. The points went 25-0, and Beattie had an added benefit, as he cut Paychek on the forehead, and the cut worsened twice from his savage blows! On the strength of this big round, I had Beattie up a point at the halfway mark!

Still bleeding as the 6th started, Paychek was game, landing 8 hooks, but Beattie launched two massive uppercuts, one that worsened Paychek’s cut, causing a temporary halt. Beattie scored more points, 10-6, and Paychek’s cut was looking ugly.

No quarter was asked or given in the 7th! Beattie started the round with a sonic straight right, and Johnny’s cut, still bleeding, again was worse, with another temporary stoppage! Beattie stepped in and bashed Johnny with a picture-perfect uppercut, and found the range with 10 hooks. His cut inside the mouth was reopened, but he easily outpointed Paychek, 16-10, though Johnny rallied with a sweet right that brought his fans to their feet! At this stage, I had Beattie definitely ahead.

With one of his main fans, Romultiltus, rooting him on, and with his corner finally having closed his cut, Paychek came out in the 8th and traded leather. He scored on a searing right, which Beattie answered with a sweet uppercut. Beattie landed 9 uppercuts in the round, while Johnny scored on 10 crosses and 11 hooks. A super right won Paychek the round, 17-13, and the fans applauded both fighters!

Both men came out swinging in the 9th! Beattie crashed a cranium-crusher home, moving Paychek back, but Johnny retaliated with a gonzo hook. Big Jim wasn’t deterred and connected on a jarring uppercut, and took the round, 11-6!

Paychek came out gunning in the 10th, and all Beattie needed to do was avoid him. Seizing the moment, Paychek blasted a combination home, and the tall Beattie crashed to the deck! Up again at the count of 4, and angry at himself for having caught that blow, Beattie covered up well for the rest of the round, as Paychek missed haymaker after haymaker. Paychek won in terms of points, 9-4, but Beattie did well to avoid further damage!

Beattie landed 220 times as opposed to 206, and at a 47% efficiency rate, as opposed to 28%. Even giving Paychek a 10-8 10th, I had Beattie the winner, 95-94, in a close fight! The judges scored the fight 95-94 Paychek, 96-93 Beattie, & 96-94 for the winner by a split decision…Johnny Paychek! The last round won it for him, though I still thought Beattie deserved the nod. Paychek was gracious after, saying he’d meet Beattie again anytime. Big Jim was dejected as Paychek advanced to meet London!

[mikehoudini]

Brian London (5-2 2) vs. Johnny Paychek (6-1 3) – Would London make the most of his second chance? Had Paychek had too much taken out of him in his battle against Beattie?

Paychek accelerated the action in the opening round, landing a devastating combination and following that up with a smashing hook that staggered London! Johnny won on points, 14-5, and was off to a great start! Paychek was more active and accurate in the 2nd, scoring more, 10-4, as London may still have been feeling the effects of the big punches from the 1st!

The 3rd round was more quiet, but Paychek saw an opening and fired a massive hook to the body, flooring London. The crowd was stunned as London couldn’t regain his feet, and the challenge match was over, Paychek the winner by a KO at 1:41 of the 3rd! London never really got his act together, and squandered a great opportunity!

[mikehoudini]

So the Thundering Threes Tournament ended with some great developments in the challenge rounds! Jeremy Williams was still the champion, but James Beattie had destroyed him in a non-title bout! Beattie’s aura of invincibility ended with his defeats at the hands of Holman and Paychek, but his stock rose considerably overall!

Brian London also rose with win after win, tarnished as well by defeats in his last two fights! Paychek and Holman are well positioned in the upper echelons, as are Fabio Moli and Imamu Mayfield. There will be more fights to see how things play out for these level 3 fighters!

And, soon, it’ll be on to the Fantastic Fours!

[mikehoudini]

I’ve been doing some behind-the-scenes work as I start getting ready for the Fantastic Fours Tourney. I’ve been establishing groups for the 2s and 3s. I need to do the same thing for the 1s, which were in their own separate database, and merge them into the 2/3s database. It’s tedious but it’s coming along.

Even as I set up the Fantastic Fours Tourney, I’ll be keeping the other levels active. Here are the major fighters that have made an impact at the conclusion of the first set of tourneys:

Level 3s

Jeremy Williams (6-1 4) - the champ, though I forgot to specify the final bout as for the title
James Beattie (5-3-1 5) – last 2 defeats may have sunset his meteoric rise in challenge rounds
James Ellis (4-1 3) – well positioned, needs more fights
John Holman (6-3 3) – came on in last challenge matches
Brian London (5-3 2) – impressive in challenges until last 2 fights
Ed Mahone (5-3 5) – the Hammer must be from Thor, but never covering up has led to defeats
Imamu Mayfield (5-3-1 3) – stock has slipped a bit, but had some great comeback wins
Fabio Moli (6-2-1 3) – was finalist in tourney
Johnny Paychek (7-1 4) – wins in challenge rounds have propelled him upward

Level 2s

Lee Oma (7-2 3) – the champion
Jean-Pierre Coopman (4-3-1 2) – the Lion of Flanders is still scrappy
Keith McKnight (7-3-1 4) – impressive, with narrow loss to Beattie
China Smith (3-3 3) – always entertaining for however long his fights last
Steffen Tangstad (5-2-3 3) – durable and the king of the draws to date
Bill Tate (6-2 1) – was a finalist

Level 1s

Levi Forte (10-1 5) – the champion
Pedro (Schoolboy) Agosto (12-4-1 9) – busiest fighter to date, active in 3s tourney
Derek (D-mos) Amos (6-3-1 2) – always a force
Eddie Gregg (7-2-2 5) – solid record to date
Soldier Kearns (4-2-3 3) – a warrior who never retreats
Charley Powell (5-2 4) – surprisingly good record
Bill Squires (6-2 6) – a crowd-pleaser with his non-stop action
Mel Turnbow (4-3 1) – still above 500!!!
Danny Wofford (6-7-1 1) – has advanced far beyond anyone’s expectations into 3s tourney

[mikehoudini]

The Fantastic Fours Tourney will be starting soon! Work has been abysmal, and we have to get one project completed by Friday or I may be leaving government service a bit earlier than planned!

I think my UTBA roster is almost complete, and I was able to replace my attic fan today without falling through the ceiling, so I'm gonna go have a few beers to celebrate, then do laundry, clean the kitchen, feed the cats and maybe get into Level 4 (what an exciting life, but at least my upstairs will be cooler as summer aproaches).

Not sure yet if I'll do this tournament in 2.0 or 2.5. I do want to be able to have some of the level 3 guys participate!

[mikehoudini]

After a long interlude, punctuated by UTBA startup and a swollen elbow, we are ready to begin the Fantastic Fours Tourney. I decided to keep going with the 2.0 version used for the prior tourneys, and 7 level 3 fighters have been included, namely Jeremy Williams, Fabio Moli, Johnny Paychek, John Holman, James Beattie, James Ellis and Ed Mahone.

There are 76 fighters in this group, so there will be a box-in round with 12 fights, including all 7 level 3 fighters and random level 4s. The box-in round will be held at Fenway Park in beautiful Boston, Massachusetts!

The box-in round fights are as follows:

Danny Williams vs. Red Burman
Freddie Beshore vs. Coley Wallace
Gerrie Coetzee vs. Toxie Hall
Shannon Briggs vs. Cliff Etienne
Curtis Sheppard vs. Agile Andre Anderson
Ed Mahone vs. Johnny Beadreaux
Fabio Moli vs. Billy Walker
Johnny Paychek vs. Floyd Cummings
James Beattie vs. Boone Kirkman
Jeremy Williams vs. Cedric Boswell
James Ellis vs. Thad Spencer
John Holman vs. Attila Levin

The bouts will commence shortly!

[mikehoudini]

Already, a controversy has ensued. The first two fights were concluded, then the database crashed, as the RATINGRECORDS file disappeared. After some painful investigation, I was able to recreate the database, and we started anew. Without further ado, here’s the first two:

Danny Williams vs. Red Burman – Williams won a split decision before the database crashed, though I had the fight even. He landed far more punches, but Burman’s carried more firepower. Both fighters came in fired up for this post-crash version. Burman landed 35 punches to get a quick start, 12-2. Danny fought brilliantly in the 2nd for 2 minutes, then walked into a searing straight right! Red poured it on as Danny, hurt, covered up, and Red scored enough for a narrow 11-10 margin!

Danny was still a little fuzzy coming out for the 3rd, and Red capitalized, landing a big cross to start the round. Landing a series of 11 combinations and uppercuts, one a savage smack square on the button, Burman ruled, 21-4, as Danny was rubber-legged! The 4th was just like the 3rd, 20-2, as Burman connected on 54 punches, one a sweet uppercut.

Red rested in the 5th, tired of throwing (and connecting) on so many punches, and Danny was unable to generate any offense. The round ended 4-2, advantage Burman, and Williams was in big trouble but not in Little China. The fight getting away from him, Danny came out smoking in the 6th, scoring well, but Red answered with a bunch of jabs and hooks, and a powerful hook just at the end won him yet another round, 17-9!

Desperate, Danny opened the 7th with a series of jabs, and boxed well, landing 12 uppercuts, to take the round, 14-6, but he couldn’t land a big blow! Throwing caution to the winds in the 8th, he caught a straight right that wobbled him to open the round, then went down with a huge thud to an uppercut, Burman getting the KO at 1:09 of the 8th! Red landed almost twice as many punches, 238-126.

So a controversy is brewing, as Williams arguably won the first match, but the computer rules, so it is Burman that is advancing.

Freddie Beshore vs. Coley Wallace – These guys have just staged a 32 round battle, broken up into 4 fights! I had Freddie winning their first match, 78-76, but the judges came out with a majority draw (Beshore had landed almost twice as much, 294-154, with 109 combinations). Wallace had poured it on in the last 2 rounds of their next match, earning a draw in my estimation, but the judges had the fight a majority decision for Beshore.

None of that mattered, as the computer did its magical thing, so they squared off again, Beshore with his combinations and jabs against the occasional power displays of Wallace. The opening 2 rounds went 6-5 & 7-6, Beshore slightly higher, though they were too close to call. Freddie connected for 16 jabs and 10 combos in the 3rd, and won, 12-8, despite two big hooks from Wallace at the end!

Round 4 was a lot of misses and blocks, and Beshore dancing, and he tippy-tapped 7 combinations in to get the nod, 6-4. He fired off 12 combinations in the 5th, which went 8-8, as Coley scored with a sweet left to halve the round. The 6th was a huge round for Wallace, who staggered Freddie with 2 uppercuts, and also connected on 15 jabs and 12 combinations, good for a huge 21-6 round!

The 7th was back-and-forth, Wallace getting 11 jabs home, and he slipped a huge hook in at the round’s end to take it, 13-9! Beshore rallied in the 8th with 8 combinations, taking it, 8-4, and it was all up to the judges! I had it 78-77, Beshore, though the punch count was close, 204-170. The judges scored it 76-76, 77-75 & 76-76, another majority draw!

In the 4th, and final, match-up, Wallace scored first with a jarring uppercut. He connected on 11 jabs, offsetting Beshore’s 10 jabs and combinations, and won a close 1st, 10-8. Stunning Beshore with a monster uppercut to open the 2nd, Wallace hung on to arguably win, 12-10, as Freddie came back with 10 each of his jabs and combos.

Freddie played tat-a-tat in the 3rd, landing 12 combinations and 10 jabs, peppering his way to a 12-2 round! Both fighters missed and blocked well in a quiet 4th, though Beshore scored more points, 8-7.

Freddie ruled the 5th, 18-6, as he connected for 62 punches, 19 of them combinations & 18 being jabs. Wallace was like a punching bag! Firing off 11 more combinations in the 6th, Freddie won handily, 9-4, as Coley was frustrated.

The 7th round was dead even, 6-6, though Wallace arguably won because Beshore was warned for a low blow, and the final round scoring went 3-2, Wallace, as his major weapon was clinching Beshore (5 or 6 times) and then not letting go!

Freddie outlanded Coley, 245-121 (with 75 being combinations and another 71 jabs), and was more efficient, 42-23%. I had the fight 78-77, Beshore, though I could have seen it as a draw. The judges scored the fight 77-75, 78-75 & 77-76 for the winner by a unanimous decision…Coley Wallace!

They fought 32 rounds, with Beshore getting the better of it in my opinion, but Wallace is the one advancing. Beshore’s corner was livid, as were most of the fans, as he deserved no worse than a draw! So, 2 fights, 2 controversies! These two must meet again! This tournament is off to a rousing start!

[mikehoudini]

Gerrie Coetzee vs. Toxie Hall – The computer hiccup occurred before this fight, so no more computer-generated controversies. Coetzee came out in the 1st and immediately got warned for a low blow. A bit under-trained, he shook off the foul (then again he wasn’t the recipient) and thumped Hall convincingly, 17-8. Both men landed bunches of crosses, but Gerrie got a sweet uppercut in and a smashing hook just before the bell.

He landed a jolting cross at the end of the 2nd, but it wasn’t enough to offset the 11 hooks that Toxie (gotta love that name) got in for a 10-8 points advantage. They went at each other in the 3rd, Toxie connecting with 14 hooks, Coetzee with 12 combinations & 11 jabs, and a power hook to the body, good for a 19-12 round!

Hall peppered Coetzee with 51 punches in the 4th, mainly hooks and crosses, and frustrated his opponent in winning easily, 16-2! Coetzee went south of the equator once too often in the 5th, and had a point deducted. Toxie won handily, 8-3, on the strength of 10 hooks.

Coetzee needed the 6th, but instead got a repetition of the 4th, as Hall hammered him, 14-2, connecting 48 times, the hook and cross being his major weapons! Even though none of Toxie’s blows was a true power punch, they took their toll, and Coetzee developed a serious swelling of his left eye in the 7th, helped out possibly by a head butt. Hall won, 6-3, in a low-scoring round where his defense was excellent.

Gerrie went for the KO in the 8th, while Toxie covered up. Coetzee connected with a booming hook early, and a nice one at the end, but couldn’t penetrate Toxie’s defenses otherwise. He won the round, 13-2, but I had Hall the winner of the fight by a 77-74 margin, and the judges agreed! He outlanded his burly opponent, 245-141, with hooks and crosses accounting for 146 of those punches!

Shannon “the Cannon” Briggs vs. Cliff “Black Rhino” Etienne – These two went after each other, and the crowd got into the action. They traded heavy punches in the 1st, Briggs with a hook and combination, Cliff with a hook and big uppercut, but Shannon landed a few lighter blows to win, 12-8. The 2nd was all Etienne, 18-2, as he connected on 12 hooks and 11 combinations, as well as a solid straight right and hook that moved Briggs back at the bell!

Shannon started the 3rd like a man possessed, clobbering Cliff with an uppercut to start the round, and later with a sonic straight right that had the Rhino backing up! But Cliff fought back with a series of hooks, one that jerked Shannon’s head back. The round ended all even, 12-12, and the next was similar, 8-8, Briggs landing a big left, Etienne a bunch of crosses in the last minute.

They were trading blows in the 5th, when suddenly Shannon connected with a wild overhand right that dropped Etienne for a 3 count! Shannon jolted him again, but Cliff weathered the storm, losing the round, 18-5. Etienne out-powered Briggs in the 6th, landing 3 heavy punches, two super crosses, to offset Shannon’s nice right, 17-6, and the momentum had shifted again!

Etienne won a hotly-contested 7th, 13-6, landing 8 crosses and a sweet body shot! I had the fight even at this point. They came out swinging in the 8th, and Briggs got the first big blow in, a nice hook. He followed with a cross that caught Cliff unawares, and he went down for another 3 count! His adrenalin pumping, Briggs smashed some uppercuts in, and ruled the round, 24-5, as Etienne was cut and bleeding as the bell sounded!

I had Briggs the winner, 77-75, on the strength of his big last round. He landed a little less, 165-183, but landed the more telling blows. The judges scored the fight 76-74, 75-75 & 77-73 for the winner by a majority decision, Shannon Briggs! Etienne was disappointed, but saluted his rival, who said he’d gladly meet him again once the tournament wrapped up. So Briggs moves on in a battle of sluggers, and the Rhino, like the Lion, sleeps tonight!

[mikehoudini]

Curtis Sheppard vs. Agile Andre Anderson – These two fought a donnybrook of a fight! Curtis connected on 2 super crosses, Anderson answered with a good hook, in the opening round. Sheppard landed many lighter hooks and crosses, winning, 20-8, and Andre’s right eye began to swell as a result of the cumulative punishment.

Carrying his hands low for the rest of the fight, Andre dominated the 2nd, 17-0, connecting on many hooks and crosses, and one gigantic cross put Curtis on the canvas for a 4 count! The 3rd round was a marvel of ineptitude, as neither fighter scored much, Sheppard being the arguable winner, 4-2, in a round filled with misses.

Sheppard sizzled in the 4th, landing 55 punches, raining 20 hooks & 17 crosses on Andre’s torso after an initial heavy cross seemed to stun Andre! A combination floored Anderson for a 1 count at the end of the round, which he lost, big time, 25-6!

Round 5 was exciting, Andre landing a sweet left and savage combination, after which Curtis drove a straight right home. Andre arguably won the round, 14-12, but his swelling was much worse!

The 6th was a highlight round in terms of offense! Curtis connected 50 times, including a booming hook to start the round. Andre was wailing away as well, finding the range with 63 punches, including a bone-jarring combination and searing straight right! His eye was a mess, but he won the round, 29-19, a round where almost every punch found its target!

Sheppard fired a beautiful right in the 7th, and Anderson’s eye was almost closed, but he rallied in the last few seconds with a walloping uppercut that sent Sheppard back to the canvas for a 6 count! The knockdown was too late to follow up, but Andre won in terms of points, 13-11!

Both men were tired after the mutual beating they had given/taken. Sheppard landed a sweet hook in the 8th, but Anderson answered with one that snapped Sheppard’s head back! Curtis somehow found the will to plaster Andre with a big hook to the body, and the round ended with him slightly ahead in a pick-em round, 10-9!

I had it a pick-em fight, a draw, 75-75. The judges scored it 75-74, 73-76 & 75-74 for the winner, by a split decision, Curtis Sheppard! The fans were on their feet, cheering both warriors, and neither deserved to lose. Sheppard outlanded Andre (who wasn’t very agile), 239-209, and at a 60, as opposed to 43% ratio. Points-wise, it was 101-98, a very even fight, perhaps the best so far in the tournament, one that was a true crowd-pleaser! Without a doubt, these two will meet again!

[mikehoudini]

Ed “the Hammer” Mahone (5-3 5) vs. Johnny Beadreaux – These guys had a tough act to follow, and Mahone signified the first of the level 3 fighters that sought to advance. Coming in a little under-trained, Ed promised an exciting fight.

He opened with a bang, with an uppercut that sent the water flying from Johnny’s hair! Johnny landed a few jabs to try to keep Ed at bay, but Mahone smashed a cranium-crusher home and seemed off to the races! Shook, Boudreaux pounced on an opening as Mahone came in slugging, and dropped Ed for a 7 count with a sonar cross at the end of the round, won by Johnny, 16-12!

Boudreaux came out boxing in the 2nd, landing 8 jabs as he sought to soften Mahone up. Ed bashed him with a hook upside the head to end the round, and had the slight nod on points, 9-8. Mahone fought a spirited 3rd, wearing Johnny down, 13-2, as he banged a big cross home and then clipped Johnny on the chin with a huge hook!

Mahone fired another hook to start the 4th, then clobbered Johnny with another one, causing Boudreaux to stumble and cover up! His killer instinct kicked in, and Mahone landed a series of crosses and one huge uppercut, and the referee halted the fight, with the score 25-2, giving Mahone a TKO at 2:48 of the 4th! Boudreaux did not complain about the fight being stopped. So the first level 3 fighter has advanced with a huge win! Think what Mahone could do if he trained!

Fabio Moli (6-2-1 3) vs. Billy Walker – The Golden Boy cut the huge Fabio on the forehead as the fight commenced, and the fight was briefly halted. Fabio did some effective rabbit punching, drawing a warning, then landed a rocking hook that cut Billy’s right eye so he didn’t look golden any more! Moli won the round, 12-8, and the fans were on their feet, as both men were bleeding!

Walker hooked Moli early in the 2nd, and the forehead cut was reopened and again checked. Furious, Fabio fired a hook that dropped Walker for a 3 count. Moli went for the KO, but kept missing as Billy dodged or blocked his bombs. Billy landed a series of light hooks, picking up points, and was ahead points-wide at round’s end, 8-6!

The two exchanged blows in the 3rd, and Moli’s cut was reopened yet again. The fight was stopped, and this time the doc had seen enough, and Walker was declared the winner by a TKO on cuts at 1:14 of the 3rd. Moli was distraught at the verdict, but his cut man couldn’t stem the flow, so the right decision was made! Moli, like almost everyone else so far, wants a rematch! Take a number, Dude!

[mikehoudini]

Johnny Paychek (7-1 4) vs. Floyd “Jumbo” Cummings – Paychek was awesome in the Thundering Threes Tourney, and boxed the ears off Jumbo in the 1st, landing 27 punches, getting a 10-0 shutout! Jumbo charged back in the 2nd. Warned for a low blow, he connected on 10 hooks, one a monster that drove Johnny back. He crashed a cross home as well, and cut Johnny outside the right eye, taking the round easily, 18-4!

Paychek took command in a quieter 3rd, slipping 9 crosses in, outpointing Cummings, who seemed content to counterpunch, 8-5. Cummings dominated the 4th, 21-2, landing 60 punches. His hooks and crosses were almost non-stop!

The action picked up in the 5th, with Cummings landing over 40 times, including 17 crosses. An uppercut staggered Paychek, and his cut reopened, and his left eye began to swell, to boot. But there is no quit in Johnny, and he blasted Jumbo with a hook and a series of crosses to make the round respectable, 18-12!

Tired, Johnny’s cut was reopened in the 6th, and his swelling worse, but he connected with a searing punch. Jumbo answered with a straight right, a huge cross and a series of lighter crosses to take it, 17-11. Jumbo landed a huge right in the 7th, a sweet uppercut, and Johnny’s cut was reopened and the fight temporarily halted. Johnny came back with a solid left, but Jumbo belted him with a hook. He landed 46 punches in the round, won it, 21-10, and Paychek’s eye was an ugly mess!

Still bleeding, Johnny went for the knockout in the 8th, but Jumbo covered up and countered his way to a 6-2 round! I had Cummings the winner, 78-74, over a game Johnny Paychek. The judges scored the fight 78-74, 76-76 & 79-73 for Floyd Cummings, the winner by a majority decision. The crowd cheered for Paychek’s gameness, and he was left to wonder what might have been if he hadn’t got cut and had his eye swell up.

James Beattie (5-3-1 5) vs. Boone Kirkman – This was a match-up between two sluggers, and neither gave any quarter! Boone lowered the boom with a thunderous uppercut early in the 1st, but Beattie came back with a nice uppercut of his own. He scored on some lighter punches, while Kirkman countered with a massive hook, and then another one as the round ended, which gave him the edge, 15-11.

Both men were more cautious in the 2nd, but they traded heavy punches, while Beattie was a little better, 11-8. Beattie had a nice 3rd, connecting on 8 hooks, as well as a straight left and an uppercut that made Boone blink! The round went, 13-4. The 4th was all Beattie, as he won, 22-5, punishing Kirkman with a solid straight right, then two booming uppercuts, and lastly with a combination that had Kirkman clinching and holding on for dear life! Beattie had a good lead at the halfway mark.

Coming out tired for the 5th, Boone got a lucky hook home, then dropped Big Jim for a 4 count with a major combination! He couldn’t do any more damage, but won easily, 17-2, and the fight’s complexion had changed. Beattie rallied in the 6th, banging home a huge jab and hook to offset a series of hooks from Kirkman, 14-11.

Needing the 7th, Boone socked Beattie with two fury-driven hooks. Beattie came back with a wicked hook to the body, but Kirkman plowed ahead with hooks and a smacking combination, taking the round, 18-11! The fight was now very close, and both men came out swinging in the 8th. Beattie was head-hunting and landed a cranium-cruncher that backed Boone up, but Boone rallied in the last minute with a flurry of punches that gave him a 17-10 advantage!

This fight was almost dead even, Beattie landing 187 punches, Kirkman 195. There was only one point separating them when I tallied up the round totals. I had the fight a draw, 75 all, with Kirkman making a great comeback. The judges scored it 77-75 Kirkman, 76-75 Beattie, and 77-74, for, the winner by a split decision, Boone Kirkman!

The two warriors saluted each other, and it looks like yet another rematch may be in order! This is the 5th (or 6th) of the 9 fights so far where a rematch may well be warranted! The fans cheered both men for their fisticuffs and their sportsmanship, and, with three fights remaining in the box-in round, Fenway Park was rocking like it does when the Red Sox spank the Yankees!

[mikehoudini]

Jeremy Williams (6-1 4) vs. Cedric Boswell – Williams was the champion of the Thundering Threes tourney. He connected on a nice uppercut and a hook to the body to take the 1st, 11-6. Boswell landed his own sweet hook in the 2nd, Williams responded with another uppercut, but Boswell had the last big blow, a cross at the end of the round, to take it, 13-8. Jeremy put on a clinic in the 3rd, getting 36 punches home for a 17-8 round.

He started the 4th with a rocking straight right, then Boswell brought out the heavy guns, connecting with a nice right, a booming hook and a wicked combination at round’s end, taking the round, 17-10, and getting the added benefit of swelling to Jeremy’s left eye. I had it even at the midway point.

Williams blasted a combination home in the 5th that rocked Cedric back on his heels! He landed a sweet hook and uppercut, and a bunch of crosses. A solid uppercut from Boswell kept it respectable, 17-11. They traded punches in the 6th, Boswell bringing the crowd to their feet with a searing combination, answered by a Williams uppercut. Jeremy was more precise with his punches, and took the round, 15-11, but his swollen eye was worse.

Needing a round in a big way, Boswell battered Williams in the 7th! A straight right and sonic hook had Jeremy’s eye almost closed. Cedric landed 48 punches total, taking advantage of the poor vision, and dropped Jeremy for a 3 count with a combination that came from nowhere! At this point, the fight was dead even, but the issue was Jeremy’s vision and whether he had anything left in the tank!

Cedric struck the first big blow in the 8th, a cross that Williams didn’t see, and he dropped, getting up almost instantly for a 2 count. Jeremy landed a sweet uppercut, but the damage had been done, and the round ended with Boswell the winner, 15-6.

I scored the fight as a unanimous decision for Cedric Boswell, 76-74, with the knockdowns in the last 2 rounds being the decisive factor! For once, the judges agreed with me!!! Williams fought well in moving up to this level, but wilted as his eye got worse.

James Ellis (4-1 3) vs. Thad Spencer – These two exchanged big blows in the 1st, and Ellis landed 10 jabs, but the round ended dead even, 10-10. The 2nd was similar. Ellis landed a sweet hook and bloodied Spencer’s nose. Thad retaliated with some extracurricular elbows work, but was caught by the ref, and Ellis arguably won the round, 9-8, another close one.

James was effective in the 3rd with uppercuts, and landed a winging right that stopped Spencer in his tracks and reopened Spencer’s cut. He won easily on points, 11-4, and then poured it on in the 4th, with 42 of his punches landing, including a searing straight right and a combination that again brought blood to Thad’s nose and a temporary halt to the fight. Landing 42 times, he was bound to get at least one on the nose, and won big, 23-8!

Another combination early in the 5th brought the blood back out, and this time the fight was halted temporarily. Spencer fought back, but a crushing cross sealed the round for Ellis, 15-10. Spencer’s nose was the target early in the 6th as well, and the fight was halted again. When the fight resumed, James knocked Thad down for a 6 count, then blasted another combination home, and the nose was an absolute gusher. The ref stepped in and stopped the fight (Ellis was ahead, 13-4), with James Ellis declared the winner by a TKO on cuts at 1:56 of the 6th. Ellis is now the 2nd level 3 fighter to advance, and he did so in convincing fashion, dominating Spencer from round 3 on.

[mikehoudini]

John Holman (6-3 3) vs. Attila “the Hun” Levin – This was the last of the box-in fights! Former Muckboy Holman excelled in the Threes tourney, and hoped to do well with his Florida fan contingent in Boston for this fight! Alas, he came in overweight, perhaps because of time spent partying with his fans. Still, he fought a spirited 1st, both men exchanging big punches as the round ended, with Levin the slight leader in a pick-em round, 11-10.

Holman rang the Hun’s bell with a big hook early in the 2nd, and connected with 45 punches as he punished Attila, 15-3. In frustration Attila retaliated with a low blow. The 3rd was shaping up as another pick-em round, each man landing one huge blow, but the Hun got a savage combination in just before the end of the round that took the wind out of Holman, and gave Attila the round, 16-10.

Attila was slightly more effective in a 10-8 4th, answering with a solid cranium-crusher after Holman got a nice cross in. The 5th was dead even, 10-10. Holman was effective with a string of crosses, but Attila neutralized these with a last second uppercut that landed with a smack! The fight was ever so close at this point.

Holman dominated the 6th, 16-4, landing an assortment of punches, 35 in all, cutting Attila over his right eyebrow, and causing his left eye to swell. Needing a round badly, the Hun savaged Holman with a straight left followed by a nice uppercut! With 15 seconds left, he dropped Holman for a 5 count with a five-punch combination, taking the round handily, 18-4!

Stung by the knockdown, Holman was a fury in the 8th. He reopened Attila’s cut with a solid right, fired two serious combinations that had Levin in trouble, his vision getting worse. The Hun landed one sweet hook, but Holman kept after him with a series of crosses, banging out a 19-5 closing round!

I had Levin the winner, 77-76, on the strength of his knockdown. All 3 judges scored the fight a 76-76 draw! Holman had outlanded Levin, 224-144, but they’d fight again!

In the rematch, Holman had, by the marvels of computerdom, came in in top shape, with a miraculous weight loss! The 1st round was dreadful, Holman clinching throughout, but he arguably won it, 4-2. The 2nd round was huge for Holman, 18-5. He landed 42 punches in total, and only caught one big blow, a straight left. He had jabbed effectively, and also connected on a right hook and a winging right.

Holman landed a nice cross early in the 3rd, Attila a few lighter blows, then the Hun (a far cry from a Baltimore hon) socked Holman with an uppercut that landed on the button. Holman dropped and made no motion to rise as he was counted out! So, with one big punch, Levin wins with a KO at 2:29 of the 3rd! Romy and Holman’s other fans were speechless as their man lost his chance to advance.

[mikehoudini]

Soon the first round of the 64 man tourney will commence, but the box-in round was full of action and controversy! A summary of the box-in results follows:

Red Burman KO 8 Danny Williams
Coley Wallace UD 8 over Freddie Beshore after a draw
Toxie Hall UD 8 over Pierre Coetzee
Shannon “the Cannon” Briggs MD 8 over Cliff Etienne
Curtis Sheppard SD 8 over Agile Andre Anderson
Ed Mahone TKO 4 Johnny Boudreaux

Billy Walker TKO 3 cuts Fabio Moli
Floyd Cummings MD 8 over Johnny Paychek
Boone Kirkman SD 8 over James Beattie
Cedric Boswell UD 8 over Jeremy Williams
James Ellis TKO 6 cuts Thad Spencer
Attila “the Hun” Levin KO 3 John Holman after a draw

[mikehoudini]

Now that the box-in round for the Fantastic Fours Tourney has been completed, the opening round is scheduled for April 11, 2008 at Fenway Park. The following are the pairings:

Lionel Butler vs. Kevin McBride
Rob Callaway vs. Red Burman (1-0 1)
Scott LeDoux vs. Marion Wilson
Mario Schresser vs. Roberto Davila
Leon Spinks vs. Boone Kirkman (1-0)
Heinz Neuhaus vs. John Lester Johnson
Kallie Knoetze vs. Attila Levin (1-0-1 1)
George Chaplin vs. Tom Kennedy

Willi Besmanoff vs. Omelio Agramonte
Al McCoy vs. Toxie Hall (1-0)
Floyd Cummings (1-0) vs. Peter Maher
Roger Rischer vs. Jean-Francois Bergeron
Ed Mahone (6-3 6) vs. Luis Firpo
Gus Ruhder vs. Mike DeJeon
Shannon Briggs (1-0) vs. Derrick Jefferson
Jim Savage vs. Maurice Harris

Reuben Vargas vs. David Bey
James Ellis (5-1 4) vs. Curtis Sheppard (1-0)
Sante Amonti vs. Jim Coffey
Jack Renault vs. Bernie Reynolds
Olle Tandberg vs. Al Reich
Alex Miteff vs. Timo Hoffman
Brian Nielsen vs. Ross Purity
Tommy Morrison vs. Cedric Boswell (1-0)

Gus Dorazio vs. Billy Walker (1-0 1)
Alfredo Evangelista vs. Dennis Bakhtov
Pedro Lovell vs. Bert Whitehurst
Bob Baker vs. Ron Stander
Johnny Williams vs. Stan Ward
Alejandro Lavorante vs. Gerald Nobles
Al Ettore vs. Jesse Ferguson
Denver Ed Martin vs. Coley Wallace (1-0-1)

May the best man win!

[mikehoudini]

The date was April 11, and the location was Fenway Park, where the first round of the Fantastic Fours Tourney was taking place, an all day event with 16 bouts on tap, the scene to be repeated the next day! Only 2 level 3 fighters had made it through the box-in round, an indication of the caliber of this set of fighters.

Experimenting with a slightly different format for reporting, with less round by round, the first 8 fights went as follows:

Lionel Butler vs. Kevin McBride – Butler barely won a hotly-contested first with a hook that dropped Kevin for a 2 count. McBride woke up and won the next four rounds in some good action, banging home several solid shots to carry both the 4th & 5th. Butler’s right eye was swelling at the midway juncture.

Butler had a nice 6th in a comeback effort, but was cut inside his right eye from an accidental head butt. After a quiet 7th, he came roaring back from a brutal winging right in the 8th, fighting like a fury after his swelling got worse. McBride burst his bubble with a hook that floored Butler for a 5 count in the 9th, and a desperate rally in the 10th by Butler was too little, too late. McBride won handily, 96-92.

Rob Callaway vs. Red Burman (1-0 1) – Red had a shutout 1st round, and won a close 2nd in which bombs were exchanged. Calloway dominated the 3rd & 4th with hooks and crosses that shook Red up. The Battler from Baltimore used a series of combination to keep Calloway at bay in the 5th, but Rob’s heavy artillery won him the 6th, as well as a quiet 7th.

Burman blasted a straight right home to start the 8th, and he bombarded Rob with punches in a brutal 25-4 round that left Calloway staggering and holding the ropes! That round was pivotal, as Red won or at least tied the last 2 rounds, low-scoring rounds that both fighters needed. Burman was declared the winner by a 96-94, 95-95 & 96-94 majority decision. I had him winning 96-95, as the Battler outlanded his foe, 245-162.

[mikehoudini]

Scott LeDoux vs. Marion Wilson – Scott dominated the action in the first 4 rounds, landing some sweet shots, cutting Wilson’s lip and bringing about a swelling to Marion’s right eye. Wilson won the 5th & 6th with some nice boxing, but his lip was still bleeding and his swelling was getting worse.

LeDoux regained the upper hand with solid shots in the 7th & 9th, and a big rally that broke Wilson’s heart in the 8th! Bleeding and his eye even worse, Wilson won an uneventful 10th, but dropped a unanimous decision, 97-94, to LeDoux, who was unblemished and excited by how he’d pounded his opponent.

Mario Schiesser vs. Roberto Davila – The 1st half of this fight was filled with defense, a lot of missed punches and a few that connected, and the biggest excitement was when Davila had a point deducted in the 5th for a questionable low blow. Schiesser connected with a big hook, uppercut and then a straight right in the 6th, and followed that success with a booming uppercut that staggered Davila and won him the 7th. I had him up 67-65 at that point.

Davila boxed beautifully to win the 8th going away, then split the final 2 rounds. I had it a draw, 95-95, and the judges agreed. Davila landed considerably more punches, but all the big shots came from Schiesser! In the rematch, Mario came out slugging, winning the opening 3 rounds, fueled by some awesome shots. He landed 54 punches in the 3rd, and Davila was dazed and in a hole!

Fighting with his hands low from then on, Roberto managed to be a little more effective in the 4th & 5th, but then Schiesser boxed carefully in the 6th and cut Davila in the 7th under the left eye, a gushing cut. The 8th was even and action-packed, and Davila rallied with a dynamite hook to start the 9th. He blasted Schiesser with and uppercut and body hook, but couldn’t put him away. Mario fought defensively in the 10th, while Davila was too played out to connect. The judges scored Schiesser the winner by a 96-94 unanimous decision, which he deserved as he landed the greater number of punches and most of the power ones!

[mikehoudini]

Leon Spinks vs. Boone Kirkman (1-0) – These two had the crowd roaring as they slugged it out in an action-packed fight! Kirkman had barely beaten James Beattie in a slugfest in the box-in round, and landed a crushing right that staggered Leon to start the bout! Following up with a searing combination and uppercut, he later blasted home a cranium-crusher, winning a big round, 19-10!

Spinks found the range with a beautiful hook to the body to take the 2nd, 15-11, and Boone was cut above his left eye. Kirkman took a spirited 3rd, 18-11, with some thunderous punches, and was in great shape after a 14-6 4th in which he rocked Spinks with an uppercut and a hook! Leon looked ready to go to sleep!

Leon came out slugging in the 5th, catching Kirkman with three punishing blows that had Boone dazed, and then Spinks lowered the boom with an uppercut that knocked Kirkman flat for a KO at 2:03 of the 5th! Kirkman had been winning big, but Leon’s mojo and grit won him the fight!