Thanksgiving Tournament of the Turkeys

[PWillisTheMan]

Originally Posted by mikehoudini

Buddy Baer vs. Mike Weaver – Buddy had stopped Rex Layne in his in his prior bout, and Weaver had done the same thing, same round, against Gary Mason. PWillisTheMan was there at ringside to root Weaver on!

Hercules took the early lead in this bout, landing a stiff cross. Minute 2 was ruled by Buddy, who landed a pile-driving cross that made Weaver wince and take a step backward! Mike came back with a savage combination, then banged hook after hook home, his fusillade carrying the round, 19-11! He landed 42 times in all and had Baer befuddled after absorbing all those hooks!

Hercules hammered Buddy with an uppercut to open the 2nd, stopping him in his tracks. After a few pawing attempts by Baer, Weaver went for broke, throwing a wild overhand right from downtown! It landed flush, and Buddy went to Dreamland, a KO victim at 0:53 of the 2nd! It was a huge one-punch win for Hercules, who had to be considered a contender for top honors based on his showing thus far!

Woo Hoo! Glory shall be his.

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by PWillisTheMan

Woo Hoo! Glory shall be his.

He has lived up to his nickname to date! If he gets past Risko, he could run into another fitness freak, Two-Ton Tony Galento!

[mikehoudini]

Bob Foster vs. Mike Evans – Foster had decisioned Don Cockell, getting huge knockdowns in both the 9th and 10th rounds! It had been his second straight big finish! Mighty Mike had knocked down Pierre Coetzer 3 times, then suffered knockdowns in the 9th & 10th, but still prevailed, in part because he decked Coetzer for a fourth time at the end of the fight!

Evans started quickly, landing some punches and keeping Foster from connecting for the first 2 minutes. Bob, who may have overtrained, came on strong in the last minute, but a huge cross from Evans at round’s end, on top of the hooks he’d connected with earlier, carried the round, 13-8.

Foster connected early in a slow-moving 2nd. But, a minute into the round, he winced after connecting for a cross, shaking his right hand. It looked like he may have suffered a broken hand, from the pain he was in. The ref stepped in, but Foster waved him away, and Evans took advantage of the situation to belt Bob with a hook. Foster was throwing punches only with his left hand, and an emboldened Evans stepped in and plastered him in the body, dropping him to the floor! Bob was up at the count of 6, and weathered the storm without further damage, but the damage had been done, all too literally, and Evans took the round, 14-8!

Mighty Mike rushed in to end things in the 3rd, but Foster shifted and blasted home a left hook, and Evans was reeling. Foster landed a few more punches, then ripped a double hook home, sending the water flying from Evans’ head! Fighting virtually one-handed, he took an impressive round, 13-2! Evans regained his composure between rounds, and was effective with jabs & combinations in the first part of the 4th. Then Foster rallied in a series of exchanges, but Mike kept his jabs & combos coming, and won the round, 14-7!

Foster, who was clearly picking his spots, surprised Evans with a searing straight right, but winced at the resultant pain to his hand! Landing a jarring left uppercut, he then jabbed the rest of the way, taking another round, 15-6! Evans’ right eye was beginning to swell badly as a result of all those jabs he was eating.

Foster looked exhausted coming out for the 6th, with the energy he had expended to fight virtually one-handed! Evans ate a few small punches, his confidence growing, then landed a savage combination! Foster came back with an uppercut to slow the series of combination Evans was landing, and somehow landed a massive right uppercut as the round was ending. Evans led on points, 17-14, but both men had fought a huge round! Foster was shaking his right arm, having paid a price for the damage he had done!

It was Evans who seized the moment in the 7th. Seeing how Foster had favored his hand as the last round ended, he came out smoking in the 7th, landing a big hook to the body. Fighting on the inside, he brushed away Foster’s jabs and kept banging away, piling up the points. Bob rallied in the last minute with several hooks, but Evans was the clear winner, 13-4, and was building up a lead.

Evans was tired as the 8th began, and Foster landed a few light punches. Evans waited, then launched a left hook that drove past Foster’s injured hand and caught him on the jaw. Bob dropped, then slowly began to pick himself up off the canvas. He stumbled when he tried to use his right arm for leverage, then stood, a second too late! Mike Evans was the winner by a KO at 1:05 of the 8th! Evans had landed 202 punches at a 64% proficiency rate, but Foster had fought courageously and the fans saluted both men.

When interviewed after the fight, Foster refused to cite his injury. “Sure, the hand hurt some,” he said, “but those were just the breaks of the game. Evans fought a great fight!” I don’t think he realized he had made a pun of sorts. Infinity, who was in the audience, was crestfallen, but brightened up when Evans, in his interview, said he’d be happy to fight again the man with the courage of a lion! The crowd cheered his graciousness, knowing a rematch would be in store!

[mikehoudini]

Joe Goddard vs. Andrew Golota – Goddard had survived a knockdown to post a split decision over Tyrell Biggs, while Golota had KOd Joe Choynski in the 8th round, after pounding away at Joe for five straight rounds. This shaped up as the battle of the Killer Gs!

They both were feeling each other out in the 1st round. Joe landed a few punches, Golota one or two, and the fans were bored through the first 2 minutes. Golota caught Goddard going the other away and almost obliterated him with a savage combination! Joe fell hard to the canvas, but managed to get back up at the count of 7. Andrew went for the kill, Joe covered up, and 30 seconds went by, then Golota landed a haymaker and Goddard slumped to the canvas! The round was over, and it looked like Goddard was toast, as well! He made it up, barely, at the count of 8, but seemed almost out of it. Golota won the point total, 22-4, and was probably just a few seconds away from a first round stoppage!

Golota went for the kill again in the 2nd, and Goddard caught a few punches, but nothing serious, as Golota was overanxious and telegraphing his punches. Joe saw an opening and landed a sneaky right, backing Golota up for an instant, but Andrew came back with a solid right of his own. The round ended before he could do any more damage, a round he won, 9-6, but had failed in his mission to stop his battered foe!

The 3rd round was cat-and-mouse, Goddard landing some counters, while slipping Golota’s big bombs. Joe landed a nice left hook to the body, and was busy enough to possibly take the round, 12-10. He opened the 4th boxing well, showing no effect from the beating he’d taken earlier. He landed an eye-popping hook, and suddenly Golota was in a bit of trouble! Angry, Golota lashed out with a left, jarring Goddard, but Joe eeked out the round, 12-9.

Joe started the 5th with a sweet cross, then followed up with several speedy combinations. Golota got on board with a straight left, took another combination, then blasted home a lethal right! Goddard stumbled backward, Golota rushing in, then suddenly Joe planted himself and floored Andrew with a wicked combination! Golota stood up at the count of 5, covering up, angry that he had been suckered in a bit. Goddard studied his foe, then tossed a few combinations, finishing with a night train cross that scored another knockdown just as the round was ending Golota jumped up at the count of 2, took a moment to steady himself, then plopped down in his corner, having dropped the round, 25-8, the fans wondering if he’d be able to answer the bell for the 6th!

Comiskey Park was bedlam, the fans screaming as first Golota, and now Goddard, seemed to have the match in control! Andrew seemed unsteady coming out for the 6th, the minute’s respite hardly enough, and Joe threw a tester cross that crashed into Golota, sending him stunned to the canvas yet again! No quitter, Golota used the ropes to pull himself back up at the count of 5, and somehow assured the ref he was ready to continue, so the fight resumed! He looked like he was exhausted, but evaded most of the blows Joe was raining on him. Goddard tried every punch in his arsenal, landing a series of crosses, but Golota wouldn’t go down! Indeed, he caught Joe with a Bogota-special hook, gaining some time just as the ref looked ready to step in and stop the fight. The round ended, Goddard the winner by a 21-6 margin, Golota hanging on by a thread!

An arm-weary Golota came out with his hands low for the 7th, and actually was landing more for the first minute. Goddard bided his time, then fired off a series of combinations, and Golota was in trouble. Joe kept connecting, but was tired himself from the punches he was throwing. As the round was ending, he put all he had left into a ferocious cross, knocking Golota almost onto his stool! Andrew grabbed the ropes and stood upright, at the count of 2, then dropped back down to try to clear his mind, having been slaughtered again, 23-3!

The bell tolled to begin Round 8, but for whom did it toll? Few thought Golota would be able to answer the bell, but he shuffled out, like a steer being herded to the slaughter. He blocked a Goddard bomb, then brought his fans to their feet with a solid uppercut that knocked a shocked Goddard heels-over-head! Stunned, Joe made it upright at the count of 6, looking shaky, and he immediately, and prudently, covered up. Trying to end it with one punch, Golota missed at least 5 times, then smashed a monster hook home, followed by one almost as powerful, and Goddard almost flew into the ropes! Golota lunged after him, throwing more hooks, but he was so tired that they missed their mark, and Joe landed a few counters to stave off slugger. The bell tolled, Golota having won the round, 18-4, but he had lacked the strength to put Joe away!

It was Goddard 4 KDs, Golota 3, as the war resumed in the 9th! There wasn’t a fan still sitting in what was proving to be the Fight of the Tournament, maybe of this entire thread! Golota nailed Joe with an almost-perfect uppercut, Joe answering with a wicked body shot that decimated an exhausted Andrew! Golota just beat the count, at 9, then waved his gloves at Goddard, daring him to bring it on! Joe did, rocking his game opponent with a fierce uppercut, only the turnbuckle and an iron will keeping Golota from falling!

At the 2 minute mark, Joe bulled in and threw an awesome uppercut. Golota blocked it, twisted and connected with a battering-ram straight right, backing Goddard up to give him some room! Goddard walloped Golota with another uppercut, but there is no “Q” in Golota, only a “G”, and he whistled a hook home at the round’s end that, if it had been just an inch over, would have ended the fight! Goddard staggered back, the bell rang, and the fans cheered non-stop for both men!

Both men staggered out for the 10th and touched gloves, a nice act of sportsmanship! Was there anything left in the Golota tank? Had his last-second hook sapped Goddard’s strength? Forty seconds into the round, Golota having landed a nice punch, Goddard hooked to the body, toppling Golota once more. He was up at the count of 2, smiling at the ref, but Goddard wasn’t fooled. He slammed home a searing cross and a few lighter ones, then fired off a lethal combination, and Golota was down again, for the 7th time in the fight! He rose at the count of 6, then was sent flying by a Goddard uppercut. Helpless as he lay against the ropes, he could do nothing as Joe poured it on, landing cross after cross. Goddard pleaded to the ref, who nodded and jumped between the two! Goddard, who was leading in the round, 27-3, was declared the winner by a TKO at 2:11 of the 10th round!

What a fight! Goddard, who had been only a few seconds from having the fight stopped in the first, had rallied for an awesome win. The two gladiators stood at the center of the ring, and Goddard raised Golota’s hand, saluting his brave opponent! He had outlanded him, 278-161, out knockdowned him, 7-3, but the two were tired when it came to courage and a will to fight! You could hear the cheering for blocks around the stadium!

[mikehoudini]

Wayne Bethea (2-0-1 1) vs. Cedric Boswell (level 4) (10-2-1 7) – Bethea had won a majority decision over Tony Alongi. Boswell, the battling Boss of the level 4 fighters, had drawn with Young Bob Fitzsimmons, then knocked him out in Round 7 of their rematch.

It took quite a while to get this match going, after the phenomenal Goddard-Golota slugfest, and these guys had the unenviable job of trying to follow up after that! Bethea, a bit overconfident, hadn’t trained much, feeling a certain disdain for the plucky level 4 Boswell!

The first 2 rounds were quiet, and so was the crowd! Bos won the 1st, 10-4, on the strength of a sweet uppercut and a laser left. They both went with crosses in the 2nd, but Bethea missed a lot, and Boswell may have escaped with a 9-8 round. A minute into the 3rd, Cedric asserted himself with a rocket uppercut, then banged away with hooks and jabs. He jolted Wayne with a nasty straight right and won convincingly, 17-4.

The 4th was similar to the 3rd, Bos getting active after the first minute, this time scoring well on counterpunches. He won handily, 14-4, repeatedly connecting on hooks and crosses. He was off to a good start in his bid to make the Elite Eight!

Bethea came to life in an action-packed 5th, reminiscent of the prior bout! He opened with a nice lead, then Boswell came back with a searing hook. Wayne kept pouring it on with hooks & crosses (31 in all), landing 50 punches for the round! Boswell was no slouch, either, landing 48 times, most often with crosses, and he rode a punishing left hook to the body to a 21-17 round. Bethea had to be a bit disheartened, having landed 50 times, yet being outpointed! The Boswell fans were cheering loudly!

Wayne was tired after his exertions from the 5th, and Bos landed a straight right that staggered him early in the 6th. Wayne rallied on a series of hooks, and the round ended dead-even, 10-10. He needed to start a rally big time!

Boswell was the one to come out smoking in the 7th, opening with a nasty uppercut and then hurting Bethea with a right-handed cranium-crusher! Bethea landed a few counters, but a night train combination from the Bos staggered him, making it clear who The Boss was! Wayne covered up, but no one wanted to be Welcomed to Wayne’s World, as Bos blasted him with a thunderous hook. Staggering around the ring, it was apparent that his left eye was swelling up, not a good sign. Boswell won the round going away, 26-8, and was in complete control!

Cedric was landing his hooks to great effect early in the 8th, and Bethea’s eye was getting much worse. Wayne abandoned caution and went toe-to-toe with the slugging Bos, and landed a massive cross that wobbled his foe’s legs for an instant. Bos recovered, pasting Wayne with a cross and a ferocious uppercut, and Bethea’s eye was more than half-shut! He lashed out with another cross, and Bos almost fell over, then went back to his hooks. The round ended with Bos leading, 19-12, but Wayne had hurt him with those crosses!

An exhausted Bethea came out with his hans low to open the 9th, and Bos licked his chops and fired a murderous uppercut home. Bethea staggered backwards, and Bos followed with a deadly shot to the body, Wayne pitching to the floor! Back up at the count of 6, he was in a bad way. His hands were even lower after that body shot, and Boswell went upstairs with another uppercut, and he dropped once again! He jumped up at the count of 2, and the round ended before Cedric, who had dominated, 22-4, could finish him off!

Boswell came out hoping to add to his stoppages in the 10th, and a desperate Bethea landed a huge body shot of his own, and Cedric was down, to the dismay of his followers! He was up at the count of 3, and covered up, wisely, albeit belatedly, deciding he didn’t need a KO. Bethea blasted home a hook, and Boswell was hurt! Wayne fired off his best shots but, tired and overeager, they didn’t landed, and Boswell escaped, dropping the round, 15-4, but probably not the fight!

There was no suspense here. Bos lad outlanded wayne, 304-232, hooks being his weapon of choice. The judges scored this fight 98-90, 98-90 & 97-91, a unanimous decision for the level 4 survivor, Cedric Boswell!

Next up, Jim Maloney taking on Two Ton Tony Galento!

On deck, Mike Weaver and Johnny Risko!

[bear]

Does anyone have a fighter they would like to see lose?

If you ask me, I'll root for them.
My rooting for guys seems to be the kiss of death.

bear

[mikehoudini]

Before you can throw your allegiance and doom him, I'm posting the results of the Galento fight!

[mikehoudini]

Jim Maloney (2-0 1) vs. Tony Galento (2-0 1)- Maloney had ridden 2 last round knockdowns to a unanimous decision over Hein Ten-Hoff. Galento had won by DQ over Henry Akinwande, a bout in which Henry had been out-thumping Tony and had a KD, and, sorry to say, had been out-fouling Tony, which resulted in 2 separate point deductions and the disqualification!

Maloney came in looking a bit over-trained. Needless to say, Two Ton didn’t. Train was something you rode, or something you did every now and then. Still smarting and angry from the beating Akinwande had been giving him, Tony opened the fight with a sizzling signature hook, followed by a smashing uppercut, and Maloney suddenly was in trouble! Tony kept hooking, winning emphatically, 17-2.

Maloney landed a number of times in the 2nd, but Tony had his hook whistling, time after time. One with some Chinese mustard on it hurt Maloney, and another sneaky uppercut sealed the round, 12-6. Tony’s big hook again had Jim reeling early in the 3rd, but he came back later with a rapier right cross. Tony, who was missing more frequently in this round, may have got the nod, 9-8.

Tony faked upstairs and hammered Maloney downstairs with a hook to start the 4th, and big Jim hit the floor. He got up, wobbly, at the count of 8, and Galento moved in for the kill. Landing 46 punches total, 21 being hooks, Tony savaged Maloney, but Jim withstood the beating, albeit dropping the round, 24-2!

Galento had pretty much ruled the fight thus far but, early in the 5th, he was sent flying to the canvas! The crowd was shocked, but the ref ruled that the fall was from a push, so no knockdown occurred. Tony got up, angry, and threw a haymaker. Maloney stepped inside, ducked and fired a thunderous cranium-crusher, and Tony was now reeling for real! Big Jim seized on his opportunity and slammed Tony with a left, followed by a series of punches. Tony looked almost helpless, generating no offense, and a blistering cross near the end of the round sent him into the ropes! The bell sounded, and he used his sailor’s legs to wobble to his corner, down 26-0. The complexion of the fight had suddenly changed!

Tony was back under control in the 6th, and fighting more cautiously. Jim tried to take him out with a cross, but Tony beat him to the punch with a signature hook to the belly! They circled and Tony shocked Maloney with a straight right. Maloney’s right eye was swelling badly, he was dead on his feet, and another hook found his stomach. Desperate, he rallied in the last minute with a series of blows, culminating with a crushing cross, at least making the round respectable, 15-10!

Maloney boxed nicely for the first 2 minutes of the 7th, rebounding after a smoking cross, and was leading. Then Tony, who had banged home 13 hooks, went upstairs twice with uppercuts, taking another round, 19-11, and Maloney’s swollen eye was becoming a liability.

Tony was tired coming out for the 8th, and the first minute seemed like it lasted a week, as neither fighter did anything but clinch. Tony unleashed a sonic hook to the body, and the fight suddenly perked up, even as Jim crumbled and fell. Up at the count of 3, he walked right into another superman hook, then dropped like a shot after a wild overhand right landed flush on his jaw! He climbed up to his feet at the count of 8, using the rope for leverage, and somehow assured the ref he was fit to fight. Galento banged his gloves together and moved in, quicker than Maloney could back up. Faking with his left hand, Tony uncorked a giant cross, and Maloney went down for the third time! He was back up at the count of 8, but this time the ref wasn’t fooled, and Galento was awarded a TKO at 2:47 of the 8th! Jersey-Jim and his many other fans went wild, as their man had won convincingly this time, not through some fluke.

He had pounded away relentlessly, cutting Maloney down to size with hook after hook, and the occasional uppercut or cross. There’s an old saying. “You don’t trod on Superman’s cape. You don’t spit into the wind. You don’t pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger, and you don’t mess with Tony who ain’t slim! Bump-bump-bum!” Tony moves on to the Elite Eight, where he’ll meet the winner of the Weaver-Risko bout! The Bear-less Galento fan club is pictured below:

[bear]

Originally Posted by mikehoudini

Before you can throw your allegiance and doom him, I'm posting the results of the Galento fight!

LOL
I did keep quiet about Tony. I was good. I'll still keep quiet about him.

[Mike Rodgers]

Originally Posted by mikehoudini

Here are the results from Round 3, as we are now down to the Sweet Sixteen! Several favorites fell, but several still remain. My apologies for the length of this post! If you are just looking for the results without any commentary, skip to the next post! This is probably the only tournament where this caliber of fighters will ever get detailed fight write-ups. So here they are:

Joe Cox vs. Joseph Smith The Battle of the Joes was just that, as Joe Cox rallied in the last 2 rounds to get a draw in a very even contest. In the rematch, it was even until Cox landed a wild overhand right at the end of Round 4, and Smith couldn’t beat the count! Cox KO 4

Wild Bill Hardney vs. Lou Strydom Wild Bill came out swinging, and was stunned by a hard right from Strydom. Bill battled back, and the round was almost even when Lou landed another huge punch, and Wild Bill was counted out at 2:46 or the first round!

Unknown Winston vs. Mario Cawley Cawley opened well, and had a slight lead through 4 rounds. Winston scored for a 7 count KD at the start of the fifth, but couldn’t put a game Cawley away! Winston landed another 7 count KD in round 6, but Cawley fought back and staggered him in Round 7, when Winston’s arms were low from having thrown so many punches! Both fighters notched cuts in round 7, with Cawley’s being worse, as the bout was temporarily halted. His cut man, Bill Gibson, was rated a 7, as opposed to Winston’s Frank Bagley, a 13, and this proved disastrous, as Winston reopened Cawley’s forehead gash and got a stoppage for cuts at 0:49 of the 9th round. Winston was ahead at that point in time, because of his 2 KDs, but Cawley put up a good fight! The crowd applauded these warriors.

Garing Lane vs. Charley Powell Lane hammered Powell in round 1, then Charley returned the favor in round 2, landing a huge right hand! Round 3 was even, as both landed frequently. Lane decided to fight on the inside in round 4, and that strategy backfired, as Powell landed at will, scoring 29 points (to 2), until the referee was forced to stop the fight at 2:56 to protect a helpless Lane! Powell TKO 4

Johnny Erjavec vs. Rudi Lubbers Lubbers pounded out an easy 97-93 win. Rudi (land) started slowly, and the fight was even until he landed an 8 count KD in round 4. He then cut Johnny in round 6, and the cut worsened in later rounds, being reopened twice. Johnny fought on despite the cut and eye swelling, but Rudi had too much of a lead.

Derek Amos vs. Mel Turnbow Mel opened up strong, winning the first 3 rounds as he landed significantly more punches. D-mos Amos had a good fourth round, and Mel’s eye was beginning to swell. They split the 5th and 6th rounds, then Derek peppered the head, and Mel’s eye was swelling much worse in the 7th round, which was even. Amos realized he needed a big finish, and went all out for a KO in the 8th. He staggered Mel with several shots, but Mel weathered the round, losing 20-4 in points.

Trying to protect his eye, Turnbow fouled in the 9th, and had a point taken away for his 3rd foul. Still, he outpointed Amos, who was swinging wildly when not recovering from the low blow! D-mos came out strong in the 10th, and Mel’s eye was severely swollen. Knowing the fight was on the line, Mel battled back with a late flurry of punches, barely winning the round! For the fight, Mel outpointed Amos 90-76, and he escaped with a narrow 96-94 decision. So Mel Turnbow, the Sultan of Squat, moves on, and he saluted his game opponent, as he dodged another bullet! Next, he’ll meet Rudi (Land) Lubbers!

Robbie Robinson vs. Wayne Llewelyn After the Amos-Turnbow fight, the crowd was hoarse (or sated from going out to get some food). Llewelyn decked Robinson for a 5 count in the 3rd round, and knocked him out in the 6th. The fight was close otherwise, but those two big punches won it!

Terrence Lewis vs. Levi Forte Lewis won the first 2 rounds, but went down for a 4 count in Round 3 and was hammered for the rest of the round. Forte finished the job at the 0:32 mark of round 4 with a KO!

Randy Neumann vs. Jody Ballard Ballard landed a cross for a 4 count KD in round 2, but Neumann controlled the rest of the fight, getting a 96-94 decision as he committed 4 fouls. Ballard had his chances, but tired and lost the last 3 rounds, which were low-scoring affairs.

Jim Stewart vs. Rocky Gannon These guys fought a war! They both fought on the inside from rounds 4 through 7. Gannon was cut badly from an accidental head butt in round 4, and Stewart capitalized, outscoring him 27-3 in this round! Rocky won rounds 5 & 6, and was losing in the 7th until he got a 3 count KD. Stewart returned the favor in Round 8, as both men were going for a KO. After that, neither could score in the last 2 rounds. Gannon got the nod in a split decision, 96-93, 93-96, 96-95. I had Stewart the winner by a 95-93 count, but the judges weren’t impressed by his 27-3 margin of points in round 4, and all had it 10-9, which was crazy! These two deserve a rematch!

Irish Pat Duncan vs. Bill Squires What a donnybrook these two staged! Duncan landed 2 KDs at the end of round 1, one for a 2 count, the other for a 1 count. Squires was in big trouble (then again, he got up quickly). Squires won the 2nd round, and plastered Duncan, 28-4, in the 3rd. Pat was wobbly, but came back in the 4th, with 6 and 3 count KDs, outscoring Bill 26-2. Duncan won round 5, as the two continued to fight each other on the inside. Squires won round 6, but Duncan won a 20-4 round 7, as he reopened a cut on Bill’s head, causing a temporary halt.

Going all out for a KO in the 8th, Squires hurt Duncan with 3 huge punches, then put him down for an 8 count toward the end of the round! The ref stopped the fight at 2:59, as the points score was 30-2! Duncan insisted he could go on, and pointed to Squires, who looked worse than he did! In my mind, the bout would have been even if the 8th had been completed, so Squires just did escape by a second with the win! Squires TKO 8

Marty Franklin vs. Sailor Jack Carroll Franklin was cut over the right eyebrow in the 2nd round from an accidental head butt. Carroll just outpointed him in the first 2 rounds, then did a little better in the next two. The cut was reopened and the bout halted for a moment in round 5, and opened a last time as the bout was stopped in round 6. Going to the scorecards, the judges saw it the way I did, with Carroll well ahead, but not winning any round by a large margin.

Stamford Harris vs. Pedro Agosto Agosto won the first 2 rounds handily, then just kept pounding Harris in the 3rd until the referee mercifully stopped it at 2:52 of the round. Agosto is looking like a solid contender for the title with impressive wins!

Jack Roper vs. Mike Rodgers Roper got a 96-95 decision in this war that I thought could have been a draw. Cut on the left eyebrow in Round 1, Rodgers fought on. He was ahead until the cut was reopened and the bout halted briefly in the 4th. Roper won the 5th & 6th, but Rodgers won a stirring round 7, and the 8th with a huge punch at the end. Roper got a needed round in the 9th, as the cut worsened, but Rodgers finished strongly. These guys should fight again!

Al Benedict vs. Jack Munroe Jack lost the first round, then floored Al with a devastating hook to win at 0:56 of round 2!

Soldier Kearns vs. Eddie Gregg Both of these guys have been crowd-pleasers throughout the tournament, and this was no exception, as they fought a stirring battle! Soldier was hurt in the 1st, as he was outpointed 20-4. He stormed back out in the 2ns, catching Gregg with a huge uppercut for an 8 count KD, but Gregg barely lasted the round!

Round 3 was uneventful, but Gregg landed 2 huge shots in the 4th. Soldier rallied in the 5th, and it seemed both fighters took the 6th off. Soldier landed a big shot to win the 7th, and the two were even in the 8th until Soldier met his Waterloo. Gregg got a 4 count KD at the end of the round, then followed that up with a 7 count KD at the start of Round 9! Soldier fought gamely on, and was decked as the bell rang ending the round for a 1 count! He battled bravely in the 10th, but Gregg got the judges’ nod, 95-90. I had it 96-92.

So Turnbow eeks out a win and a Cubs fan is angry because the valiant Soldier Kearns met his match! On to Round 4, the Sweet Sixteen, with the pairings in the next, Reader’s Digest post!

That is pretty cool. My shoulder must have gone out. I saw where Chris Conn had me as the Southland champ or something like that! How did that turn out Chris??

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by bear

LOL
I did keep quiet about Tony. I was good. I'll still keep quiet about him.

I know you have been rooting for him after the Firpo fight! But we'll see if the curse holds true in the Elite Eight!

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by Mike Rodgers

That is pretty cool. My shoulder must have gone out. I saw where Chris Conn had me as the Southland champ or something like that! How did that turn out Chris??

Thanks, Mike. I have a feeling that a rematch may be coming soon, or a bout against someone like Firpo or Galento! We can't let a true boxer not have his day in the ring! My Dad got us some boxing gloves when we were kids. When he saw me in action, he said "Son, you'd better hit the books, figuratively, if you want to earn a living some day!" Hope all is going well with you.

[mikehoudini]

Mike Weaver vs. Johnny Risko – Weaver had outslugged Buddy Baer, getting a 2nd round KO. Risko had outboxed Orlin Norris for a clear unanimous decision. It would be the power of Hercules against the boxing skills of the Cleveland Rubber Man! PWillisTheMan was singing the praises of Weaver. If Bear were picking Risko, that might seal Johnny’s fate!

Weaver didn’t seem as well-toned as he had been for prior fights, but he came out hard, landing a sweet hook and a monster uppercut in the first minute. He kept reaching Johnny with his uppercuts, and a big cross and a hook to the body hurt Risko. Weaver was off to a great start, 20-6, and Johnny ended the round with bad swelling under his right eye!

Hercules opened the 2nd with a laser cross. Johnny came back with some nice counters, but his eye was swelling even worse from the Weaver punches that landed. Toward the end, Weaver distanced himself from Risko with a pile-driving hook that wobbled the Rubber Man, and Weaver claimed his second round, 13-6.

Risko slowed the pace in the 3rd, fighting defensively, but Weaver seemed to pull it out, 8-6. The action was slow for the first minute of the 4th, but some Risko blows now had Weaver swelling under his right eye! This angered Hercules, who threw an Olympic uppercut, and suddenly Risko’s eye was almost half-shut! Weaver piled it on, finishing with a hook that rocked Risko. Mike prevailed, 19-2, and was off to a fine start, having negated Risko’s boxing abilities! The Cleveland Rubber Man was not off to his usual fast start.

They battled back and forth in the 5th, and were even through the first 2 minutes, and both men had increased swelling. Weaver was able to exploit that advantage in the last minute, opening up a 13-8 lead with a series of blows that Risko had a hard time reacting to, because of his impaired vision. Hercules was fighting a smart fight!

Johnny looked tired coming out for the 6th, and Weaver pounced on him like a cat playing with a mouse! Hurting him with a stinging straight right, Mike followed that with a jarring cross, and then a series of his trademark hooks. Mike’s eye was swelling more, as Johnny did get in some nice counters, but Johnny’s eye was now almost closed, and he lost yet another round he needed, 17-7!

It was an even battle yet again for the first 2 minutes of the 7th, and it was Weaver’s eye that was getting worse! It was the Cleveland Rubber Man that was quicker to the punch in the last minute, and he pulled out a 12-9 round. It seemed too little, too late.

Hercules still had some gas in his tank, and opened the 8th with a solid shot, then a deadly hook, and Johnny was hurt and in the hole. Trying desperately for a KO, he opened himself up, and Weaver blasted him with a hook to the body and some pinpoint punches that closed Risko’s eye! Pouring it on, Mike connected on a winging right and then a hook that had Johnny grabbing the ropes to stay upright! The referee jumped in and halted the contest, as Risko was almost helpless. Weaver was declared the winner by a TKO at 2:25 of the 8th, in yet another awesome performance!

Weaver had neutralized Johnny’s boxing skills, outlanding him 261-146, and never letting Johnny control the fight. If he could continue fighting with such precision and power, he might go all the way, which would delight PWillisTheFan!

[mikehoudini]

Jorge Luis Gonzalez (2-0 2) vs. Tami Mauriello (2-0), Mauriello TKO6
Amos Lincoln (2-0 2) vs. Obed Sullivan (2-0 1), Lincoln TKO3 on cuts, losing

Marvin Hart (2-0-2) vs. Hubert Hilton (2-0-1 1), Hilton UD
Bob Foster (2-0) vs. Mike Evans (2-0 1), Evans KO8

Joe Goddard (2-0) vs. Andrew Golota (2-0 2), Goddard TKO10
Wayne Bethea (2-0-1 1) vs. Cedric Boswell (level 4) (10-2-1 7), Boswell UD

Jim Maloney (2-0 1) vs. Tony Galento (2-0 1), Galento TKO8
Mike Weaver (2-0 2) vs. Johnny Risko (2-0), Weaver TKO8

The Curse of the Bear doomed Hart. Who will he pick for the Elite 8?

[mikehoudini]

The Elite Eight Pairings as as follows:

Tami Mauriello (3-0 1) vs. Amos Lincoln (3-0 3)
Hubert Hilton (3-0-1 1) vs. Mike Evans (3-0 2)

Joe Goddard (3-0 1) vs. Cedric Boswell (level 4) (11-2-1 7)
Tony Galento (3-0 2) vs. Mike Weaver (3-0 3)

Mauriello, Lincoln, Galento and Weaver all have large fan bases. Who will make it to the Final Four?

[Mad Bomber]

The "Big Train" should roll over the one-dimensional Mauriello. Let the badmouthing begin.

[mikehoudini]

Tami Mauriello (3-0 1) vs. Amos Lincoln (3-0 3) – Lincoln, who had come from behind in each of his wins, started with some nice punches. He hammered Tami with a left hook to the midsection, which Tami answered with a sweet hook of his own. Amos stalked Tami and blasted him with a combination and a straight right that buckled the Bronx Barkeep’s legs! Lincoln ran out of time as he pressed for the kill, but walked away with a 20-6 drubbing as a beginning! The Big Train was roaring down the track!

Lincoln won a rough-and-tumble 2nd, 15-11, as each man was issued a warning. Amos connected repeatedly with his hooks, and also landed a jolting uppercut! Tami launched a massive hook at the end to keep things respectable. Round 3 was dull, with neither guy displaying any real boxing skills. Amos may have won it, 8-7.

Tami ripped a right home early in the 4th, and had Lincoln on the defensive. In the last minute, Amos rallied to keep it close, 11-9, and he hurt Mauriello with a nasty uppercut! They went at each other in the 5th, trading punches, but Lincoln dominated the last minute with a series of hooks and crosses to take it, 16-10! I had him leading at the halfway point! The Big Train was roaring now!

Tami was tired as the 6th began, and Lincoln snapped a straight right home, then a series of jabs, as Tami was conserving his energy. In the last minute, he unleashed a ferocious hook and a brutal combination that took the wind out of Lincoln’s sails. Amos may have won it, 14-13, but those two big blows might have swayed the judges! Tami took the 7th handily, 12-0, as those 2 big punches in the 6th must have taken their toll! A laser left stunned Amos, but Tami kept missing in his eagerness to take advantage of the opportunity!

Tami rocked Lincoln with a left to open the 8th, and suddenly was having no problems with Lincoln’s defense. He hurt Amos with a solid cross. Amos looked dead-tired now, and both of his eyes were suddenly swollen, but he somehow came back with a straight right to stem the tide for a moment. But it was only for a moment, as Mauriello threw a nice cross and a savage combination that had Amos gasping as the bell sounded, Mauriello winning, 22-6! Suddenly, this fight was close.

The Big Train had slowed down, but he fought carefully in the 9th, picking his spots. Nine times he connected with uppercuts, and a sweet combination and a round’s end gnarly hook put him back in the driver’s seat, 16-2! The Bronx Barkeep thankfully plopped onto his stool.

They circled each other early in the 10th,. Tami slipped a cross and unloaded a nasty combination. Amos dropped to the canvas, and his boisterous fan base went silent. He got to his feet at the count of 8, but fell back again, and was counted out! Tami Mauriello won by a KO at 0:56 of the 10th! Lincoln had outlanded Tami, 228-190, and at a great 53%, and was ahead on 2 of the 3 cards. Ric915 cheered the ending, while the Mad Bomber sat stunned, in disbelief! The Big Train had been ambushed and derailed by a member of Butch and Sundance’s Hole-in-the-Wall Gang! And Mad Bomber was suddenly silent!

[mikehoudini]

Hubert Hilton (3-0-1 1) vs. Mike Evans (3-0 2) – Mighty Mike fought like a tiger in the first 2 minutes, amassing a 14-2 lead, as Hubert fought like a, well, Hubert! Evans won the round, 14-4, making good use of his hook. Hilton returned the favor in the 2nd, landing a vicious straight right and combination en route to a 13-2 round! After a cautious first minute in the 3rd, Hilton again began to land with some flurries of punches, enough to take it, 10-6.

Hubie, no doubt smarting from my fist round insult, poured it on in the 4th! He landed 12 hooks in all and had Evans dazed after a booming cross, a laser left, a big hook and then a double hook! Hubie ruled, 20-2. It was even for the first minute of the 5th, then Evans went on a tear! He landed 13 hooks, but his weapons of destruction were a solid left and uppercut, and later a cranium-crusher. He had Hubert on the ropes, winning, 21-5. I had Hilton slightly ahead in a fight where Mo Mentum, like the fickle Goddess of War, Ela-ine, kept changing sides.

Mighty Mike landed a big hook in the 6th, as well as a ripping cross. Hubie countered with a thunderous uppercut, and the two traded punch after punch, but Evans came out slightly on top, 16-13! Hube smashed a hook home in the 7th, took a sweet combination, but shruuged it off and landed one of his own! Evans rallied in the last minute to make it very close, 13-12!

Mike opened the 8th with a wicked cross, but Hilton avoided his bombs after that. He reached Evans with a sonic right, then, after a minute or more where neither man could land, flashed that right again, and Evans almost hit the canvas! He stayed upright, but lost the round, 12-8. Hilton looked to be the leader to me!

Evans went for the KO in the 9th, and ran right into a hammering hook! His knees buckled, but he stayed upright. Both men went after each other, determined to finish it. Then Hilton backed away, at his corner’s urging, as he had the round in hand. Mighty Mike threw a desperation punch, a wild overhand right, and he smashed Hubert upside the head, and he dropped like a shot! The ref could have counted to 20! With one wild punch, Evans triumphed by a KO at 2:18 of the 9th! Hilton in fact had been leading in this close match, but it is Mighty Mike Evans who will advance!

[mikehoudini]

Joe Goddard (3-0 1) vs. Cedric Boswell (level 4) (11-2-1 7) – Goddard had won the fight of the tournament, a 10th round TKO over Andrew Golota in which 10 knockdowns occurred (Goddard had scored 7 of them). Boswell had banged out a decision over Wayne Bethea. Could the Level 4 overachiever do it one more time?

After a slow feeling-out period, Goddard had ripped home a series of hooks and jabs to take command. Cedric came back in the last minute with a hammering hook, but lost the opened, 14-10! Joe was active, boxing crisply in a walkover 18-4 2nd! He landed 45 times, seemingly almost at will, his crosses constantly finding a home. He fired off a big hook of his own and was off to a great start!

Boswell looked tired as he came out for the 3rd, and he spent the first minute dodging, ducking and blocking. Goddard missed badly with a cross, and Boswell’s fist flashed, a shot sending Goddard to the canvas! Joe was up at the count of 7, and covered up nicely as the Bos tried to take him out with one punch. Golota had floored Goddard 3 times, but Joe was resilient in getting up and fighting back! Boswell won the round, 10-2, though he could not inflict any more damage!

The 4th was a slow round, Boswell trying for the KO, Goddard moving and blocking when he had to. Joe built up a small lead by landing some lighter blows, then clinched the round with a shivering cross that staggered Boswell, winning 11-2!

Goddard looked confident as he started the 5th, but that look was wiped or smashed off his face when Boswell floored him with a wild overhand right! Joe bounded up at the count of 3, and was covering up, but Boswell had learned something in Round 3 and plastered him with a combination! Cedric walloped Joe with a winging right, and Goddard looked to be almost out on his feet. Bos fired punch after punch, but Joe’s instincts kicked in, and he blocked, parried and countered, rallying to make it a bit more respectable at round’s end, 16-5!

The Bos hurt Joe early in the 6th with a straight right, as Joe was having trouble stopping Boswell’s rights from landing. Joe rallied nicely with a series of punches, many of them crosses, and was in the lead until a last second (literally) combination surprised him when he was off-balance, sending him for a 3rd trip to the canvas. Boswell’s blows gave him another round, 12-8, and a pretty big lead overall. The Level 4 lad was proving to be no slouch!

[mikehoudini]

Goddard started the 7th with a night-train cross, and suddenly Boswell looked tired and reachable. Goddard ripped a left hook to the body, then fired a fusillade of hooks and uppercuts, almost all reaching their target, and Boswell’s left eye was suddenly swelling to alarming proportions! Goddard tired himself out after this fusillade, and a battered Boswell bashed him with a cross at round’s end to slow the assault, 22-6!

Cedric’s eye still looked bad as he came out for the 8th, as neither his trainer Tom Yankello, nor his cut man, Richie Sandoval, were renowned at reducing swelling. This tactical error could prove fatal! And a rejuvenated Goddard went head-hunting, pecking away at first, the punches worsening the swelling, then landing a monster hook as poor Cedric had difficulty seeing. Joe threw cross after cross, the eye getting even worse, and a stoppage could soon be called! Landing a thunderous hook that Bos never saw, and one that staggered him, the bell sounded, a grateful Boswell badly-beaten, 21-7!

The fight was almost even at this point, but could Boswell stem the tide, with his eye such a mess? He fought a cautious fight in the 9th, going on the defensive for a change, and protected the eye while connecting with a few counters. Nevertheless, Goddard got some punched through his defenses, and the eye was almost closed! Desperate, Bos showed his moxie, stepping inside a Goddard bomb and landing a sonic cross of his own. This won him the round, 9-4, but it remained to be seen if the ref would let the fight go much more!

Goddard went for broke in the 10th, but it was Boswell who connected on a sizzling combination, backing Joe up! Goddard renewed his attack, almost closing Boswell’s eye! Hammering home a booming hook, the fans were all roaring as an almost-blind Boswell answered with a savage cross! Goddard threw hooks and crosses, and the eye resembled something that had gone through a meat grinder. Boswell couldn’t see, but he wouldn’t quit. And he was still standing, taking punishment, as the final bell sounded! Goddard had won the round, 16-11, Boswell had avoided a stoppage, but how would the judges score this exciting battle?

Goddard had won more rounds, 6-4. He had had 2 monster rounds. He had virtually closed his game opponent’s eye. Boswell looked like he’d been mauled by a lion from the zoo! Goddard had outlanded him, 279-152. His landing percentage had improved as the fight went on, and he was at 47% for the fight. But there were those 3 KDs he had suffered, while Boswell had refused to fall!

The judges all scored this war 94-93, for the winner by a unanimous decision,…Cedric “the Bos” Boswell! Goddard had fought in two of the best fights ever, while the game Boswell had made the Final four, almost unheard of for a Level 4 fighter, but he was a real scrapper! Bos didn’t have quite the same firepower in this tourney, but still had enough to pull out some huge wins!

Next up, Galento versus Weaver!!! Could their fight top this one for excitement?