Thanksgiving Tournament of the Turkeys

[mikehoudini]

The final bouts at the Mohegan on December 12 featured the champion, Levi (Lethal Lightning) Forte taking on the winner of the Elimination Tournament, Derek (D-mos) Amos, and the Number 1 challenger to Forte, Mel Turnbow, meeting John Basil Jackson, the runner-up in the Elimination Tournament. Forte, claiming his champion’s prerogative, elected to fight first.

Levi Forte (CH) (7-0) vs. Derek Amos (6-1) – Forte was well-rested, while Amos the Iron Man seemed chipper coming into the ring, even after his 4 earlier fights that earned his this shot!

The 1st was a feeling-out round, with neither getting the advantage 7-8. Levi fought outside offensively in the 2nd, a strategy that confused Amos, and he won 13-0. The two traded the next 2 rounds, Amos landing a huge punch to win the 3rd, 10-6, and Forte boring in for a 12-2 4th.

Both fighters fought from the outside in the 5th through 7th. Forte appeared to win the 5th, 9-7, as Amos was warned for holding & hitting. Derek found the range early and often in the 6th, frustrating Forte in a 14-0 whitewash! Regrouping, the champ landed more frequently in the 7th for a clear 12-4 advantage.

Believing himself behind on points, Amos went for the KO from then on. In the 8th, he brought the crowd to their feet with a powerful combo, then pummeled Levi to a 24-6 tune, by far his best round of the night!

The 9th was a quiet round, 4-4, as both fighters seemed a bit tired. In the 10th, they traded blows, but Amos landed a bit more, 8-6, and the decision went to the judges. I had Amos upsetting the champ, 96-95, with the 8th & 10th rounds pivotal. The judges scored it 95-95, 96-94 and 95-94, with the majority decision going to Forte!

As the champion, he may have benefited a bit. He outlanded Derek, 234-192, though Amos had a higher % of punches landed. Both fighters were gracious, and many of the fight crowd were surprised at how even the match had been and how well Amos had acquitted himself. Pedro Agosto, who lost in the finals to Forte, was in attendance, and was confident he could clock either of these guys!

Mel Turnbow (3-1) vs John Basil Jackson (3-2) – Mel was looking for some activity to stay in shape for his promised bout against Forte, and he figured Jackson was a safe opponent who’d provide him that with little risk. He was right.

Jabba the Jackson used his signature jab throughout the fight, and Mel’s arsenal proved a little bit overwhelming. He won the first 3 rounds by small margins, then opened up 18-8 in the 4th. Jackson eeked out a 6-4 5th, and the 6th was a dull, defensive 4-4 round.

The 7th was an exciting round, Turnbow winning 10-8. From the 8th on, Jackson went for the KO, a difficult feat when 90% of your punches thrown are jabs. Mel scored 8-0 & 11-0 shutouts in the 8th & 9th, then went toe to toe in a 10-10 10th that had the fans cheering.

The judges scored it 97-94, 98-92 & 99-92, a unanimous decision for Turnbow! The tune-up went just as Mel had planned.

[mikehoudini]

On December 15, Mel Turnbow got his promised shot at the title against Levi Forte. The co-feature was between Danny Wofford, who was robbed (again) in a split decision verdict, taking on the promising newcomer, Jukebox Timebomb!

Danny (woe-to-his opponent) Wofford (0-3-1) vs. Jukebox Timebomb (0-1) – Determined to show he was wronged, Danny came in with a sense of purpose, and knocked Jukebox all over the ring in the opening stanza, to an 18-0 tune! The 2nd round was almost a repetition of the 1st, with Danny on the high end, 12-6.

Jukebox regrouped and had a splendid 3rd, landing 4 power punches, stunning Danny 17-6! The 4th saw Danny clinching a lot and both men missing, as Jukebox won 6-2. Timebomb continued his rebound in the 5th, winning 12-6, even though he was warned for holding & hitting.

Both fighters were tired and took the 6th & 7th rounds off, Danny to work on a new strategy. The 6th was an even round, 8-8, and Danny’s superior punching ability showed itself in the 7th, as he scored a 13-2 advantage. Jukebox went for a KO in the 8th, but nimble Danny evaded him and poured shots through Juke’s defenses, winning 10-5! At this point, I had Danny 2 rounds up.

Alas, the fight was scheduled for 10 rounds, not 8. Danny was repeating what had happened in the 8th until Timebomb clocked him with a hook, and he went down for a 7 count. Furious at himself, Danny avoided any further damage, but Jukebox got a convincing 12-6 round!

Both fighters took the 10th off, as they must have been tired. Timebomb landed a bit more, 4-2, and this proved decisive to some of the judges. I had it 95-94 Timebomb, as his timebomb hook in the 9th won it! The judges scored the fight 95-94, 95-95 and 96-93, a majority decision for Jukebox. Even though Danny had landed twice as many punches, 281-141, and at a 50% efficiency, Jukebox had landed the harder and more timely punches!

In a surprising post-fight development, Danny announced that he was becoming Timebomb’s manager, that he’d show his protégé the ropes, and that, if Tarzan City Guy wanted, he’d do the same for him! Don King, watch out!

Main Event – Levi Forte CH (8-0) vs. Mel Turnbow (4-1) – Levi knew that his reputation had suffered a bit after his close win over Derek Amos, and Mel came in looking to gain the championship belt.

In the opening round, Mel got belted by a hook 45 seconds into the fight, and his dreams of winning the belt were fading fast! He staggered up at the count of 8, and Levi hurried in for the kill. Unlike in the Highlander thread, Mel was able to hold on, and Levi won 17-0.

Things got worse for Mel in the 2nd. Levi was issued a warning for rabbit punching, and Mel’s right eye began to swell up, and it worsened through the rest of the fight. But the plucky lad fought on, earning a 10-10 split in the 2nd!

Levi landed several heavy punches, winning the 3rd 9-6, and nudging Mel in the 4th 6-4. The 5th went 9-8, a dead heat, and Mel knew he needed to reverse the tide! He was up to the task, decimating Levi 18-4 in a huge round 6, nudging him 7-6 in the 7th, and pounding his way to a convincing 13-4 frame in the 8th!

Both fighters were exhausted, and took the last 2 rounds off, as fighters of their caliber rarely fought in 10 round fights! Levi had a little more left in the tank, and won the 9th 11-6, and the 10th was 4-2, as both men were just trying to breathe!

I had it 97-94 Forte, and the judges had it even closer, 97-94, 95-95 and 96-95, for a second straight majority decision! If the fight had been scheduled for 8, Turnbow would have won!

So Forte is now 9-0, the king of the 1 level boxers, a dubious honor at best for the man with the lethal lightning! And poor Mel Turnbow just missed in his bid for the title, losing on the same day that he was eliminated from the Highlander thread! Mel was philosophical, commenting that his 4 wins were many more than he’d accumulated in the board game, and that he’d lasted beyond the midway point in the Highlander tournament!

Mel is ready for more battles in this universe, and hopes to be allowed to participate in the Tournament of the Terrible Twos! Who could bar him? And Danny Wofford vows to be around as well, possibly with his new stable of fighters!

He and Butterbean have signed on to take on Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayishi and Sonya "Black Widow" Thomas in a combo boxing/eating contest! Stay tuned!

[a87star]

"D-Mos" keeps accounting himself very well. His two losses were very close fights and hopefully he can get rematches with both Turnbow and Forte down the line.

Booth is showing a lot of gameness as well. Too bad about the cut against "JJ".

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by a87star

"D-Mos" keeps accounting himself very well. His two losses were very close fights and hopefully he can get rematches with both Turnbow and Forte down the line.

Booth is showing a lot of gameness as well. Too bad about the cut against "JJ".

"D-Mos" will almost assuredly get rematches. I'm going to keep the universe going to see how things settle down after a series of fights. Amos frustrated Forte (who is 9-0) and I thought he deserved the decision. Somehow, Amos has 121.9 performance points, 2nd to Jabba Jackson's 122 (I started them all at 0). The champ, Lethal Lightning Forte, is tied with Agosto and Sam Shumway and others for 5th with 44. Booth is in 11th place with 36. So this uni will continue.

I have copied the 2s and 3s to a separate database, and will be breaking them down further to start the next tournament. There will be 1s advancing to pad out the field. D-Mos's excellent showing should propel him forward, while Tony has a shot as well, as I don't have to answer to any authority as to who advanced, only popular opinion! We are having two un-Baltimore-like days, with weather in the 60s, so I may not get things going until after all the overdue outside projects get completed (or I hack around a golf course or just sit out back and drink beer).

[mikehoudini]

Having seen the success of the Tournament of the Turkeys, the level 2 fighters have begged for one, and the promoters have gladly acquiesced! I have 51 level 2 fighters in my database, hence will need to add 13 level 1 marauders to get to the field of 64.

Levi Forte, the champ, and Pedro Agosto have accepted, as have the other 2 semi-finalists, Charley Powell and Bill Squires. Derek Amos gained a shot by winning the after-tournament card, and perennial favorite Mel Turnbow is in the field.

Eddie Gregg & Rudi Lubbers believe they are entitled to a shot. Other possibilities include:

John Basil Jackson, runnerup in the after-tournament action
Danny Wofford
his stablemates, Jukebox Timebomb, Tarzan City Guy and George Foreman Makachunga
Butterbean
Soldier Kearns
Rocky Gannon
Lou Strydom.

The promoters have asked the fans to recommend the remaining fighters. The voting is on for everyone, or anyone else, after the first 6 (through Turnbow). 7 positions are available. Vote early and often, as the Twos are anxious for action!

[a87star]

My choices would be:

John Basil Jackson
Danny Wofford
Tony Booth
Jukebox Timebomb
George Foreman Makachunga
Eric Esch
Rocky Gannon

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by a87star

My choices would be:

John Basil Jackson
Danny Wofford
Tony Booth
Jukebox Timebomb
George Foreman Makachunga
Eric Esch
Rocky Gannon

How could I forget to mention Tony Booth? Obviously I had yet another senior moment! Thanks for bringing him up, as he'd make a good addition to the next tournament!

[mikehoudini]

Thirteen level 1 fighters are being added to the Terrible Twos Tourney to get to 64 entries. 10 fighters have been added, while the tournament promoters are undecided about the remaining 3.

The 10 entries go to:

Levi "Lethal Lightning" Forte
Pedro "the Pulveriser" Agosto
Charley Powell
Bill Squires
Derek "D-Mos" Amos
Mel "the peoples' choice" Turnbow
Tony Booth
Eric "Butterbean" Esch
Danny "Dangerous to All" Wofford
Jukebox Timebomb

The committee has sanctioned 3 fights to determine the remaining entries. John Basil Jackson will tangle with Soldier Kearns. George Foreman Makachunga will battle Sam "the Bammed" Shumway. Eddie Gregg will duke it out with Rudi "Land" Lubbers.

The tournament will begin no later than this weekend. As snow falls in Baltimore, and if it accumulates, the tournament might start sooner.

[mikehoudini]

The field for the Terrible Twos Tourney is now finalized. The Adams Mark Hotel in Philadelphia hosted the fights that determined the final three selections. As usual, the spirited matches pleased the fight crowd.

John Basil Jackson (3-3) squared off in the first contest against Soldier Kearns (3-1-2). Jabba’s jab kept the dangerous Soldier at bay, and he cut Kearns above the right eye in round 2, and reopened the cut in the 5th, 6th and final rounds. Soldier fought through the blood and earned a draw by landing the heavier punches. Both guys tailed off in the last 2 rounds, and the draw was the right decision.

In the rematch, Soldier protected his eye and his power was offsetting Jackson’s jabs. In a wild and crazy 4th round, Soldier twice was warned, but also landed several heavy punches. He mauled Jackson (27-4) and the fight was stopped at the 2:54 mark, a TKO win for Kearns!

George Foreman Makachunga (1-1), fighting out of Danny Wofford’s stabe, then took on Sam Shumway (1-2). With Wofford and fellow stablemate Jukebox Timebomb already among the invitees, Maka was vying to join then, and came out swinging. He pounded Shumway in the first stanza, 14-6. The second round was even until Sam the Bam landed a big hook at the bell for a 10-4 round.

Still a bit fuzzy after this blow, Maka was clubbed by a Shumway special and fell to the ground in the third as if poleaxed! Sam’s combination got the KO at 0:33 of the 3rd! Big George was distraught, while Shumway’s bid for redemption continues on!

Eddie Gregg took on Rudi Lubbers in the grand finale. Both came in with 4-1 records, and the fight was touted as a classic slugger/boxer matchup. It proved every bit of that, going the distance with Gregg landing a number of power punches, trying to offset Lubber’s landing more frequent punches. Eddie led through 6, but then Rudi put on a boxing clinic in the last two rounds, outscoring Gregg 10-4 in each, earning a draw.

The rematch was a donnybrook. Gregg got a 12-6 opening round, but Rudi rallied to give him an 18-5 pasting in the 2nd. In the 3rd, Rudi decked Gregg for a 9 count, and Gregg’s eye began to swell. The score for that round was 25-4.

Eddie shook off the effects of the knockdown and had a 16-8 advantage in the 4th, made double delicious as Lubbers was penalized a point for twice being warned for low blows!

The second half of the fight found Rudi pecking away at Gregg’s eye as the swelling got worse and worse. Each round was close, with both men scoring (10-8, 10-10, 11-15 & 13-17), and Rudi poured it on at the end of the 8th. I had Lubbers the winner by a close 76-75 margin. The judges went 76-75 Gregg, 76-74 Lubbers, and 76-74 for the winner by a split decision, Eddie Gregg! In sixteen rounds, there was little to distinguish these valiant warriors! Neither deserved to lose!

So Kearns, Shumway and Gregg have secured the final positions for the upcoming tournament! 51 level 2 boxers and 13 level 1s will compete!

[mikehoudini]

Pairings for Opening Round of Terrible Twos Tourney - The first round of fights is scheduled at the Adams Mark Hotel in Philadelphia. 13 level 1 fighters will contest with 51 level 2s. It'll be interesting to see how many of the bolded level 1 battlers advance. Get ready to announce your favorites!


The bouts are as follows:

Top Half of Draw:

Donnie Fleeman vs Bob Stallings
Saul Montana vs. Friday Akunanya
Mel Turnbow vs. Keith McKnight
Jose Luis Garcia vs. Jurgen Blin
Eris Esch vs, Win Snoek
Jack O’Halloran vs. Pedro Agosto
Charlie Norkus vs, Randy Stephens
Bill Squires vs. Charley Powell

Sinny Banks vs. Jean-Pierre Coopman
Ern Waddy vs. Tony Booth
Johnny Riggins vs. Derek Amos
Dan Hodge vs. Jeff Merritt
Craig Petersen vs. Bernardo Mercado
Gunner Moir vs. Roy Harris
Joe Erskine vs. Bill Lang
Bill Tate vs. Jack Palmer

[mikehoudini]

Pairings for Opening Round of Terrible Twos Tourney

Here's the scheduled bouts for the lower half of the draw. Again, level 1 guys are bolded. The bouts are as follows:

Bottom Half of Draw

Eddie Gregg vs. Lynn Ball
Howard king vs. Joey Guy
Larry Alexander vs. Darroll Wilson
Duane Bobick vs. Bonbadier Billy Wells
David Defiahbon vs. China Smith
Ahmed Abdin vs. Primo Carnera
Soldier Kearns vs. Lee Oma
Jukebox Timebomb vs. Frank Slavin

Przemslaw Saleta vs. Larry Gains
Quinn Navarre vs. Kevin Isaac
Jim Flynn vs. Sam Shumway
Keene Simmons vs. Steffen Tangsted
Malek Scott vs. Jose Urtain
Levi Forte vs. Dale Crowe
Manny Burgo vs. Bob Satterfield
John Dino Dennis vs. Danny Wofford

Hmm, I missed bolding 1 level 1 fighter! Again, select your favorites!

[mikehoudini]

Yikes, I slighted Powerful Pedro Agosto, who has been cleaning up of late. Stay tuned...

[Shaft081]

Hopefully we get the epic butterbean vs Carnera fight

[Romdawg88]

I'm backing China Smith in this thing. Have to show love to a fellow Florida boy.

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by Shaft081

Hopefully we get the epic butterbean vs Carnera fight

That would be quite a match! They'll both need to fight through their respective draws to make that happen, though - unless there are more post-tournament fights, maybe a few grudge matches or "what ifs".

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

I'm backing China Smith in this thing. Have to show love to a fellow Florida boy.

China said he's pumped, and will fight harder, knowing he has a fan base! We'll see how far he goes! I think one of my aunts lives down your way!

[mikehoudini]

Results of Opening 8 Bouts

Donnie Fleeman vs Bob Stallings – This was an even matchup. Stallings won the first two rounds, then Fleeman came back with 6-3, 11-1 & 17-8 rounds to win the 3rd thru 5rh. Donnie fouled twice, then had to be careful. Stallings rallied, cutting Fleeman en route to a 15-2 6th, then pounded him more for a 16-8 7th. Both men fought hard in the 8th, to a 10-10 score, and Fleeman’s cut was reopened. I had it dead even 77=77. The judges went 76-75, 76-76 & 77-76, a majority decision for Bob Stallings!

Saul Montana vs. Friday Akunanya = Montana came out smoking with 2 big hooks, giving him an 18-4 first! He belted Friday for an 8 count KD in the 2nd, winning easily, 19-6. A big uppercut paved the way to an easy 13-3 3rd. Friday then rallied, winning 2 of the next 4 rounds, with the other 2 being dead heats. He committed fouls in each of the dead heats, something the judges might not ignore.

The outcome still in doubt, Saul poured it on in the 8rh, landing 2 crushing blows, capturing this round handily, 21-6. The judges scored it 78-74, 79-73 & 78-74, a clear win for Montana.

Mel Turnbow vs. Keith McKnight – Mel, the Sultan of Squat, came in with a 4-2 record. McKnight, the tainted knight, was 43-4 in his real career, but with many of those wins over true tomato cans, as his opponents came into their fights with him with a composite 413 more losses than wins.

Mel started smartly, coming back at the end of round 1 for a 6-4 advantage, then firing off rapier-like punches to capture the 2nd and 3rd, 6-2 & 10-6. McKnight landed two powerful uppercuts in the 4th, for a 17-2 round. Mel shook off the effects of those punches, dazzling his opponent with a series of jabs and hooks, winning the 5th, 12-2. At this point, he has a commanding lead.

Pressing, McKnight landed a wild right in the 6th, dropping Turnbow for a 2 count at the start of the 6th, and won easily 21-6. Both men rested in the 7th, but Mel danced while Keith clinched and missed with punches. Mel won a close 4-3 verdict. Desperate, McKnight went all out for a KO in the last round, and tagged Mel with a cross good for a 9 count. Mel staggered to his feet, and barely withstood a pounding in a 24-2 round.

I had the fight dead even, with Mel well ahead going into the 8th. The judges, no doubt swayed by the KD, scored it 77-74, 75-75 & 76-75, a majority decision for McKnight! The fans booed this verdict, knowing how commanding Mel was earlier on, landing 43% of his punches to just 20% from McKnight. So the first controversial decision of this tournament has occurred, and Mel is out, on his way back to Paterson, though he fought well, upholding the honor of the level 1s!

Jose Luis Garcia vs. Jurgen Blin – These two engaged in an even struggle for the first 4 rounds. Blin was domination the 5th, 10-0, when Garcia, recalling what had just happened to Turnbow, landed a huge cross, and Blin couldn’t beast the count. Garcia won with a KO at the 2:31 mark of the 5th, and Blin, who had landed 55% of his punches, went home.

Eris Esch vs, Win Snoek – Butterbean was cut in the first round by an accidental head butt. Snoek pummeled him into the 3rd, when the cut reopened and the fight was stopped as a technical Draw 3. Snoek had been winning big time, landing 123 punches to Eric’s 24.

In the rematch, Snoek landed far more frequently, while butterbean had the power shots. Snoek won the 1st, 8-4, but the next 3 were near dead even, 8-8, 11-10 & 8-8. Almost all of Butterbean’s points came on smashing uppercuts! Snoek fired many counterpunches in the 5th, winning 14-7. Butter won a listless 6th, 8-6, then Snoek poured it on in the 7th with a barrage of punches, 24-0. Alas, he lost a point for low blows, putting a blemish on hig huge round.

Win landed his only heavy punches to start the 8th, and seemed in command. Just as the round ended, a desperate Butterbean floored him for a 2 count. The scoring for that round went 8-11, Butter with the 8. I scored the fight a draw, as several rounds were too close to call. Snoek landed far more punches, 273-95, but Eric’s were more powerful. The judges scored it 77-73, 78-72 & 77-73, all for Butterbean. I’m a little dismayed by the scoring, but maybe they thought Butterbean is a better draw, as he’ll certainly be eating more than his share at the ham buffet! Alas, Win lost!

Jack O’Halloran vs. Pedro Agosto – Agosto has cleaned house, both in this thread and another on the 60s! Coming in at 7-1-1, could he continue his mighty run against a big opponent? Yes, as he TKOd jack at 2:30 of the 7th! The crowd cheered throughout this fight, as both men fired a ton of hooks and, after losing the first two rounds, O’Halloran gave as good as he got! The 7th was brutal, 30-4, as jack was out on his feet. Another impressive win for Pedro!

Charlie Norkus vs, Randy Stephens – There was more boxing in this match than in the Agosto slugfest, but Stephens had more firepower, cutting Charlie early on and getting a clear 78-74 decision, landing 63% of his punches!

Bill Squires vs. Charley Powell – When 5-1 Bill Squires fights, exciting things happen. Taking on his fellow semifinalist from the Turkey Tournament, also 5-1, he floored Powell at the start of the fight for an 8 count and won the round 20-4! Charley recovered from the eddects of the knockdown and won 3 of the next 4 rounds handily. Going into the 6th, it was all even, but Squires attacked, decimating Powell with a 3 count KD, then an 8 count one, and finally getting a KO at 2:00 of the 6th! Powell was stunned by Bill’s punching power, and needs to regroup.

The crowd was cheering after the completion of this bracket. Keith McKnight said that he’d give Mel Turnbow a rematch, after he’s won the tournament, so Mel isn’t going home just yet! On to the next round of fights!

[mikehoudini]

Results of Bouts 9 through 16:

Sonny Banks vs. Jean-Pierre Coopman – Coopman walked out, socked Banks in the nose, and it bled and broke and the fight was a TKO for Coopman at 0:29 of the first! It took me longer to write this than for Coop to decimate Sonny. Sweet payday, Sonny!

Ern Waddy vs. Tony Booth – Waddt was too much for the crowd favorite Tony, out-boxing him, out-slugging him, as he landed twice as many punches and the heavier blows. Waddy wins with a 79-73 unanimous decision!

Johnny Riggins vs. Derek Amos – These two went back and forth, trading rounds. All D-Mos Amos needed was to win the 8th, but he lost it 8-6. Two of the judges and I had it 76-76, the 3rd 78-74 Amos, so it goes in the books as a draw!

Derek was 6-2-1 for the rematch, and again the two boxers traded the first 6 rounds! Riggins hurt Amos with a big cross at the end of the 6th, then won a close 7th, 12-9. After 15 rounds, D-Mos was all-mos out of gas, and Riggins hit him with almost everything in the 8th for an 18-2 result. I had it 77-75, the judges 78-74, 79-73(?) & 78-74, with Riggins winning the unanimous decision. Amos did the level 1 fighters proud, and promises to be back!

Dan Hodge vs. Jeff Merritt – Hodge snapped off a big hook at the end to win round 1, 9-3. That punch must have been a wake-up call for Merritt, as he hit Hodge with everything but the kitchen sink (and maybe even with that) from then on. Jeff landed many telling power punches, whereas Dan’s pop soon faded. Merritt got a 5 count KD in the 6th, and cruised and bruised to a 79-72 very easy win! He outscored him 118-51, indicative of the easy time he had!

Craig Petersen vs. Bernardo Mercado = The fans were on their feet for this one! Mercado landed a crushing cross to start the fight, but Petersen came back at the end with a series of jabs that made the score 10-11. Petersen frustrated Bernardo in the 2nd for a 13-7 advantage. Bernardo landed 3 heavy punches in a 19-0 3rd, then ended the 4th strong to hold off a Petersen rally, 13-8.

Craig changed his strategy, or Mercado tired, as Bernardo’s big puch was negated the rest of the way! The rounds were non-stop, all close, with scores of 12-14, 14-7, 12-12 & 10-8. In a fight that could have gone either way (I had Mercado 77-76), the judges went 77-76, 76-77 and 77-76 for a split decision win for Mercado! Petersen was a gallant loser, and Mercado promised him a rematch soon.

Gunner Moir vs. Roy Harris – After a lackluster 5-6 opening frame, the Gunner found the range in the 2nd, landing 2 massive hooks and an 18-4 advantage! Harris won the 3rd with clever boxing, 11-6, then gunner fired of another salvo for an 11-8 win in the 4th. Roy won the 5th, 14-8, then Moir won the 6rh, 11-8, getting a warning for holding and hitting. This annoyed Harris, and he was warned in both the 7th and 8th! Fighting more aggressively than he had before, he punched out 11-6 & and big 17-3 last rounds, and that was enough for me to go for Roy, 77-76. The judges went 77-75, 78-74 & 77-75, all for Harris in a unanimous win!

Joe Erskine vs. Bill Lang – Lang set out to end this fight quickly, notching a 6 count KD in the opening round for a 15-7 score. Erskine cane back, punching nicely, as the two alternated the next 4 rounds, Erskine taking the 4th, 16-0! The 6th was a 10-10 dead heat, then Erskine won a convincing 15-8 7th! Joe hurt Lang in the 8th with two hooks, but Lang weathered the storm, losing 15-4. I had it 76-75 Erskine, while the judges went 77-75 Erskine, 76-75 Lang, and 76-76 for a draw!

The rematch was almost anti-climactic. Lang had a big 19-2 5th round, but Joe countered and blocked and out-boxed him for most of the other rounds, as Bill must have been tired. He did garner 3 fouls in his frustration, and Erskine emerged the winner, 77-75, 77-75 & 78-74 (I was 78-75).

Bill Tate vs. Jack Palmer – Tate win a close first, 10-8, then boxed his way to an 11-2 2nd. Jack reached him with booming crosses to start both the 4rd and the 4th, and won handily, 13-8 and 17-4. Tate’s corner gave him a new strategy, and it paid off with a sweet 17-1 5th round, a needed margin since one eye was swelling up. The 6th was too close to call, 11-12, as the fighters traded blows.

Tate jumped out to a lead with some crisp punching in the 7th, then danced and blocked, winning 12-4. As in many of this bracket’s bouts, the 8th was a needed round for both fighters. Palmer was desperate, but Tate was able to avoid his awkward punches, and counter effectively for an 8-4 advantage! Tate was declared the winner, 78-74, 78-74 and 77-73. He landed many more punches and countered nicely.

It was an interesting set of fights, as all nut the first went the distance! In addition, anyone who took a food break between brackets would have missed the speedy end to the Coopman-Banks debacle. Sonny was embarrassed, and demanded a rematch. I'm not sure why he thinks he deserves one!

[mikehoudini]

The third bracket, bouts 17-24, has been completed. These bouts were, for those of you with memories that stretch back a bit, like the old rock-em, sock-em robots, or like Adam West and Burt Ward in Batman, filled with “bams”, “ka-pows” and “whacks!” The results were as follows:

Eddie Gregg vs. Lynn Ball – Like the first fight of the previous bracket, this one didn’t last long. Gregg, coming in at 5-1-1, wanted to show the viability of the level 1 contenders for this tournament. Ball hit Gregg with a hook, then Gregg threw a straight right and Ball crumbled to the canvas! Lynn couldn’t beat the count if they counted to 100, and Gregg was the winner by a KO at 1:21 of the opening round!
Howard King vs. Joey Guy – These two were evenly matched. Guy had a little more savvy for the first half of the fight, wining 3 close rounds while the fourth was almost even, but which I gave to King, 9-8.

After King jumped out with some crosses in the 5th, Guy came back with jabs and hooks, for a 12-5 round. King knew he had to press the action, and landed a crushing hook to start the 6th. It was a great round for him, actually for both of them, as they traded leather for 1 20-15 total, advantage to King. Guy’s eye began to swell, and King peppered it, worsening the swelling, and hit Guy enough for a 12-5 point total.

Joey fought carefully in the final round, blocking most of King’s attempts and countering nicely, causing one of King’s eyes to swell considerably. He won the round, 10-4, and the fight went to the scorecards. The judges had it 77-75, 78-74 & 78-74 (I was 78-76) for Joey Guy! It was a good fight, and proved that an average Joe can beat a king on a given night!
Larry Alexander vs. Darroll Wilson – Larry was stunned and clobbered when Wilson came out throwing leather, hammering him for 5 and 4 point hooks in a stunning 17-2 opening stanza! Darroll belted Alexander again in the 2nd, but Larry came back with a thundering cross that slowed Wilson down. Wilson still won the round, 19-15.

Alexander regrouped in the 3rd, bashing Wilson with a big hook in a rather quiet round that he won, 8-5. Both fighters appeared to be resting from all the volleys exchanged in the prior round. The 4th was the pivotal round, as Alexander hammered Wilson unmercifully, decking him for an 8 count, stunning him with a thundering combination and uppercut, then flattening him a second time at the end of the round for a 1 count! He outscored him 33-2, and Wilson was on the ropes!

Larry came out in the 5th looking to finish the fight, but Wilson bobbed and danced and dodged his way to a much-needed 10-2 round. His confidence renewed, Darroll put on a mini boxing clinic, winning the 6th and 7th, 8-2 & 10-3. On my card, he had won 5 rounds at this point.

Alexander finally penetrated his defenses again in the 8th, but, while Wilson was on the short end of 16-4, he avoided major damage, and the decision went to the refs, the crowd cheering on both fighters!

I had it either 74 all or 75-74 for Alexander, giving him a 10-6 round (my first) in the 4th! The judges were even more generous, scoring the bout 77-72, 76-73 & 75-74, all for Alexander! Other than the 3rd, 4th and 8th, I thought Wilson ruled, but that’s boxing, and Alexander moves on!
Duane Bobick vs. Bonbadier Billy Wells – Duane Bobick came in ready to fight, and he did! Belting Bombadier Billy (alliterational accident) with a crushing cross and a crisp combination, he punched out an 11-7 first round, but he was only warming up! He landed a hook like a blow from Thor, the God of Thunder, and two ka-boom crosses, winning the 2nd easily, 17-5. He did suffer a cut over his right eye that temporarily saved Billy from more damage and gave him a chance to regroup.

The 3rd was a relatively quiet round, but two hammering hooks paved the way for Bobick, 14-5. Wells’ one eye was swelling pretty badly as a result of the cumulative barrage of punches. Duane drilled Billy with a cross to open the 4th, and Billy hit the canvas for a 4 count. Shortly thereafter, he was on Queer Street after another atomic cross landed! His eye was swelling terribly, but he somehow lasted the round out, coming up on the short end, 26-2! At the halfway mark, I had it 40-34 for Bobick.

Bobick came out looking to finish things in the 5th, taking a quick 6-0 lead. Wells landed a jab, reopening the cut from round 2, and the bout was halted and, to Bobick’s dismay, stopped, giving Wells a TKO at 1:55 of the 5th! Everyone was shocked at the stoppage, Bobick nearly in tears, as Bombadier Billy, on very shaky legs, was declared the victor!

The next four fights are in the following post.

[mikehoudini]

David Defiahbon vs. China Smith – China Smith, proud of his fan contingent, started off even better than Bobick had, decking David with a straight right for a 7 count to begin the fight! David danced and covered up, losing the round but staying the course, 16-5.

China attacked again in the 2nd, swarming all over Defiahbon, with a smashing hook giving him a 13-2 round. David landed more in the 3rd, but still lost, 14-7. The 4th was a slugfest, both fighters going toe to toe, no quarter asked and none given! David landed well, but couldn’t match up in power to China’s 2 booming hooks, 3 pile-driving uppercuts and one freight-train cross, and lost the round, 31-16. The crowd saluted both fighters for the non-stop action in this round!

Mindful of what happened to Bobick, China was all over D in the 5th, giving him little chance to land, and notched another easy round, 19-3. The 6th was the swan song, this time with the leader winning, as China put him down for a 3 count KD, and then a 4 count one! Then, with a final Thorian hammer blow, Smith got the KO at 2:32 of the 6th (ahead 37-0 at the time)! Defiahbon later asked what train had run over him. It was Freight Train China Smith, who has to be a strong contender based on this massacre!
Ahmed Abdin vs. Primo Carnera – This was like déjà vu with the Smith fight! Da Preem outscored Abdin 91-21, getting a KO at 2:29 of the 5th! He landed many heavy punches, hooks, crosses and uppercuts, and was rarely touched. Either he fought a poor opponent or he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with!

Soldier Kearns vs. Lee Oma – Soldier, a 4-1-3 veteran of the Tournament of the Turkeys, came out firing his heavy guns, landing an uppercut flush on Oma’s jaw that staggered Lee. Soldier won that round, 15-8, but that was his last hurrah, as Oma solved his style from then on, winning the next 4 rounds handily.

Soldier must have run out of ammo, as Lee pummeled him 17-2 in the 6th, then got a 4 count KD at the end of round 7, a 22-8 round. In the 8th, Oma took pity on Soldier (pity his hands were starting to hurt from landing 330 punches to 137) and settled for a 17-8 round. Oma was the unanimous winner by a 79-72 margin.
Jukebox Timebomb vs. Frank Slavin – Slavin exploded on Timebomb at the fight beginning, decking him for a 6 count! To Jukebox’s credit, Slavin didn’t land any more punches that round, so it ended 7-2. Frank measured Jukebox and dropped him again in the 2nd, this time with a straight right for an 8 count. He followed this with two smashing crosses, but Jukebox refused to go down, losing 21-6.

The 3rd was a quiet 7-8 round, Juke’s best of the night. In the 4th, Timebomb resembled a yo-yo, going down for a 7 count and then again for a 5 count, at which juncture the ref kindly stopped the fight at the 2:57 mark, Slavin the winner by a TKO! Jukebox insisted he could have fought on, an assertion backed by his manager and mentor, Danny Wofford. If he had, Slavin might have set a record for most KDs in a fight!

This completed this bracket of the opening round, with one more to go. The fans were hoarse from hollering, and all agreed that they’d gotten their money’s worth for this bracket! Hope the readers have enjoyed it as well!