Thanksgiving Tournament of the Turkeys

[mikehoudini]

My apologies for late posting of the last bracket/draw. A series of end-of-year events added to a ton of stress and extra hours at work, and illness followed immediately after! The last draw was just that, with 3 draws among the evenly-matched participants. The results are as follows, with the first half in this post:

Przemslaw Saleta vs. Larry Gains – These two battled evenly, with Saleta having good end round rallies in the 1st, 3rd & 7th. Gaines dominated several rounds, and I had it 77 all, as did 2 judges, one going 78-76 Saleta. In the rematch, they traded rounds thru 4, then Saleta stepped up, winning the 5th thru 7th, 8-2, 11-2 & 14-8, benefiting by several crushing blows. Gains roared back in the 8th, but the final tally was 77-75, 76=76 & 77-76, Saleta winning a majority decision! Thes two could have literally fought all night!

Quinn Navarre vs. Kevin Isaac - Isaac opened strong, clearly winning 2 of the first 4 rounds, and having a 9-8 advantage in the 4th. Then Navarre came back, with a close 8-6 win in the 5rh, and a throw caution to the winds 5 count KD in the 6th on a wild overhand right (20-4)! In hotly-contested rounds, Navarre got my nod in the 7th & 8th, rallying in the 7th, 13-11, then boxing a little more effectively in the 8th, 13-10. I had it 78-74, Navarre. The judges went 78=74, 77-77 & 77-75, a majority win for Navarre!

Jim Flynn vs. Sam Shumway – Sam the Sham Shumway is capable of running the gamut from awesome to awful (much like my old softball team, the Binks)! He came into this bout overweight, no doubt battling for honors at the buffet with Butterball and Danny Wofford in the previous tournament!

Fireman Flynn’s fisticuffs foozled his dreams of a win, and the bout was stopped as a TKO at 2:53 of the first round, as Flynn peppered Sam with punches to the tune of 22-2. Sam insisted he could have gone on, but the call was made, Flynn the winner!

Keene Simmons vs. Steffen Tangsted – They traded rounds in their first fight, with Simmons twice being warned for holding and hitting. Simmons hurt his hand late, but still got a draw with his 8th round punches! In the rematch, he jabbed effectively to win the first 2 rounds, then Tangsted landed a 5 major combination in the 3rd, which he won 13-4. Steffen poured it on in the 4th, landing a series of heavy blows, along with many jabs, and the referee halted the bout at 2:59 of the 4th, Tangsted the winner by a TKO, as Simmons was helpless!.

[mikehoudini]

Malek Scott vs. Jose Urtain – Urtain floored Scott for an 8 count KD to start the fight, but couldn’t put him away! Jose ruled the next 2 rounds, buckling Scott’s knees with a big hook in the 3rd!

After a pick-em 4th, Scott rallied, connecting with punches of every variety en route to a 21-5 5th! Scotty was penalized a point in the 6rh for a phantom low blow, but Urtain landed 2 smashing hooks for a 22-10 advantage!

Knowing the fight was in jeopardy. Scott landed flush with a lethal combination, but Jose made it up at the count of 9! The two traded powerful hooks in the 8th, Scott holding on for the round, 10-6. I had it a draw, as did 2 of the judges, the 3rd going for Scott, so it was a draw!

In the rematch, with a Mike Hanson (sp) as the guest commentator, Scott’s boxing ability overwhelmed Urtain’s power punches in the first, 12-8. Hanson predicted, and Urtain delivered, in the 2nd, getting a KO on a booming hook at 1:59 of the 2nd!

Levi Forte vs. Dale Crowe – The Tourney of the Turkeys champion, with a record of 9-0, Forte came in hoping not to have his bubble burst against the ever-dangerous Crowe! Crow didn’t disappoint, using a straight right to deck Levi for an 8 count to open the fight! Forte hung on, losing, 19-1, then tried to dance and evade as Dale hammered away in the 2nd, outscoring Levi, 18-5. Fortunately, Crowe fouled twice, having a oint deducted for a low blow that was, at best, questionable!

Levi shifted hears, and won the 3rd, 13-10, as Crowe was warned a 2nd time for holding and hitting. Crowe nudges Forte in the 4th, 8-6, then Lethal Lightning landed two pulverizing uppercuts in the 5th for a 15-6 round! Levi won the 6th, 11-8, outboxing Crowe, and the momentum was shifting!

The 7th was dull, botj men tired, but Crowe fouled again with a holding and hitting offense, and had another point deducted! In the decisive 8th, Forte frustrated Crowe, jabbing and hooking his way to a 12-2 stanza! I had it 76-75 Forte, while the judges went 74-76 Crowe, 76-75 Forte, and the last going 76-75 for the winner by a split decision, Levi Forte! Crowe’s fouling cost him, and Levi escaped with a win to go 10-0!!!

Manny Burgo vs. Bob Satterfield – Bob lande several savage blows while winning the first, 14-11, with a big hook to open the bout and a jarring uppercut to end it, after Burgo came back and jabbed away, cutting him badly insde the right eyebrow. The fight was stopped, but allowed to proceed!

Satterfield landed bone-jarring uppercuts and hooks, and won the second, 12-9. he was ahead in the 3rd when Burgo reopened his cut, and the fight was stopped at 2:24 of the 3rd, Burgo the winner by a TKO on cuts! Satterfield insisted he could have fought on, but the bad break may well have cost him a win!

John Dino Dennis vs. Danny Wofford – Danny came in 0-4-1, but several of his losses were tainted. Out to prove he beloned in this tournament, his jabs earned him a tie in the first. Dennis landed a series of hooks to win the 2nd, 13-6, but Danny fired his Ali-like jab enough to win the 3rd & 4th, 10-8 and 6-1!

Danny was on Cloud 9 after winning the 5th, 6-2, and Dennis took advantage of that, scoring 12-2 totals in the 6th & 7th, landing all hooks in the 7th! Danny, enraged, came out for the KO in the 8th, and hammered Dino with a wild overhand right, when Dino was expecting the jab! The ref counted Dennis out, and Wofford moves to the next round with a KO at 2:03 of the 8th! The fight crowd was a bit stunned, but Danny was even going into the 8th, and notched an important victory!

So, if my count is correct, 5 or 6 of the 13 level 1 boxers advance to the 2nd round, while Mel Turnbow was barely bested, and D-Mos Amos acquited himself well!

[mikehoudini]

The second round of fights is also scheduled at the Adams Mark Hotel in Philadelphia. The bouts are as follows:

Top Half of Draw:

Bob Stallings vs. Saul Montana
Keith McKnight vs. Jose Luis Garcia
Eris Esch vs, Pedro Agosto
Randy Stephens vs. Bill Squires

Jean-Pierre Coopman vs. Ern Waddy
Johnny Riggins vs. Jeff Merritt
Bernardo Mercado vs. Roy Harris
Joe Erskine vs. Bill Tate

Bottom Half of Draw

Eddie Gregg vs Joey Guy
Larry Alexander vs. Bonbadier Billy Wells
China Smith vs. Primo Carnera
Lee Oma vs. Frank Slavin

Przemslaw Saleta vs.Quinn Navarre
Jim Flynn vs. Steffen Tangsted
Jose Urtain vs. Levi Forte
Manny Burgo vs. Danny Wofford

Level 1 fughters bolded! Let the mayhem begin!!!

[mikehoudini]

The second round of fights for the Terrible Twos Tourney commenced on December 31. The winner will advance to the Sweet Sixteen! This round was also conducted at the Adams Mark Hotel in Philadelphia. The pairings and results for the first bracket are as follows (Bolded in pairings means a level 1 fighter):

Bob Stallings vs. Saul Montana
Keith McKnight vs. Jose Luis Garcia
Eris Esch vs, Pedro Agosto
Randy Stephens vs. Bill Squires

Bob Stallings vs. Saul Montana – They each went the distance in their opening bouts, Stallings winning by a majority decision while Montana won on a unanimous one. The crowd was on its feet in the 1st minute, as Montana floored Stallings for an 8 count. He smashed him with a thundering hook, but missed his opportunity, winning, 20-4.

Stallings shook most of the cobwebs out of his brain and fought defensively the next 2 rounds. He kept Montana at bay, countered when necessary, and won, 8-5 & 8-2. The 4th was close, but a hook landed flush on Stallings, and Montana won, 12-7.

The 5th was dead even and quiet, 6-6, then Saul put on a boxing exhibition, punching crisply for a 12-5 6th. Stallings, running out of time, outscored Saul 10-9 in the 7th, winning it for me with some good ring movement.

Needing a KD, he came up big in the 8th, storming back for a 6 count KD on a huge hook, winning the round, 13-9. I had it even, 76 all, with Stallings fresher at the end. The judges scored it 77-75, 76-74 & 76-74, a unanimous decision for – Saul Montana! Each had Montana winning the 7th, which admittedly was close, but his clinches didn’t outweigh Stallings’ ring movement, in my book. So Montana advanced and Stallings is demanding a rematch!

Keith McKnight vs. Jose Luis Garcia – The papier-mache Knight used 2 knockdowns to get a disputed majority decision over Mel Turnbow, the Sultan of Squat, in his opening fight! Garcia triumphed on a 5th round KO of Jurgen Blin in an even fight!

Keith came out shouting “Its clobbering time,” and landed a big hook before decking Jose for a 5 count, and easily winning the round, 23-6. Just like the prior fight, Garcia was able to avoid the big punches the next round. He may have hurt his hand, and was warned for holding and hitting, and prevailed, 11-7. The 3rd was his best round, as he scored a 10-0 shutout, landing nicely and getting the added benefit of McKnight’s left eye starting to swell from an accidental head butt!

Jose landed a huge hook that made Keith blink, then McKnight fought back with one almost as powerful, rallying but coming up a bit short, 9-7. Keith’s eye was getting worse and was beginning to restrict his vision, so he came out slugging in the 5th! He decked Jose for an 8 count, then pummeled him with a hook and cross that had Jose teetering. Joes hung on, finishing the round on the short end, 22-2, but again his landed punches took their toll on Keith’s eye!

Garcia fought furiously in the 6th, and the round was pretty even, the fight almost stopped because of McKnight’s eye, when Keith uncorked a crushing cross. His best defense being a good offense, he won, 21-8, and the ref let the fight continue. Another power punch, this time an uppercut, paved the way for a 15-4 7th for McKnight, and he was breathing a bit easier about the fight being stopped.

The 8th was a donnybrook, as the two went toe to toe exchanging punches, Jose out for either the KO or to do more damage to the eye. They exchanged power punches, then Keith fired a huge combination followed by a hook, securing the round, 14-10! The judges and I agreed on the verdict, a 77-73 decision for McKnight, who knew he’d dodged one in terms of his swollen eye!

Eris Esch vs, Pedro Agosto – Butterbean came in 4-2-1 with 2 stoppages, lucking out in the 1st round when he got a technical draw in his 1st bout because of a cut when he was losing. He came back to decision Win Snoek in the rematch, and was on a roll. Agosto, at 8-1-1 with 7 stoppages, the last when he TKOd big Jack O’Halloran, figured to be his biggest test to date!

Agosto hammered Butterbean with thundering hooks and crosses for an 11-2 first! Just warming up, he traded blows with Eric in the 2nd, but another mighty cross withered Butterbean and Agosto belted him, 21-9.

Both guys were quiet in the 3rd, Agosto tired because of all the punches he’d landed, while Butterbean was rethinking his strategy of hammering Agosto’s gloves with his face! It just didn’t seem to be working. Pedro out-duked the lad, 7-4, keeping his whitewash going!

The 4th was same old, same old, Agosto winning easily, 16-3. From then on, things got worse for Butterbean, which may seem hard to believe. He was whitewashed in the 5th & 6th, 16-0 and 12-0, as Agosto landed power punch after power punch!

Agosto decked the no-offense lad for a 7 count in the 7th on a wild right, and Butterbean was wobbly when he regained his feet, on Queer Street! Soon after, he was lying on it, dreams of sugarplums and éclairs dancing in his head, as Agosto KOd him in the 7th, at 2:01. The score was 32-0 at that point, meaning Butterbean was outscored, 60-0, in the last 3 rounds! When he came to, he swore never to use that fighting strategy again, then headed to the buffet, where he made a much better showing!

Randy Stephens vs. Bill Squires – Squires, 6-1, came in after knocking out Charley Powell in the 6th round, while Stephens won his opening encounter by a decision. Randy started off well, landing a serried of punches, but Squires landed a crunching uppercut at the end to tie the round, 11-11.

The 2nd round was a chess match, and the fans jeered. Squires landed the only big blow, an uppercut, of a dull 4-2 round. Stephens danced well in the 3rd, jabbing his way to an 11-4 advantage. In the 4th, he landed a series of uppercuts which offset Bill’s big one at the end of the round, 12-7.

The 5th was another back and forth, until Squires smashed a hook home at the end to take the round, 10-6. Then Randy fought from the outside and frustrated Billy, who couldn’t land any more big blows. Stephens took the rounds, 6-3, 8-4 and 10-0 in the last round, which Squires needed badly. I had it 78-75 for Stephens. The judges went 77-75, 76-76 & 77-75, a majority decision for Stephens. Judge 2 gave the last round to Squires, even though he didn’t land a punch! I guess he was impressed with his Butterbean-like strategy for that round!

Bill Squires was disappointed that he couldn’t land more big punches, as he’s been a leader in terms of knockdowns per fight. Will Stephens be able to keep Pedro Agosto away in the next round? If he does, I’ll be surprised.

The first quartet of fighters for the Sweet Sixteen are now announced. The next set of bouts will be coming!

[mikehoudini]

The pairings and results for the second bracket of Round 2 are as follows (no level 1 fighters in this draw):Jean-Pierre Coopman vs. Ern Waddy Johnny Riggins vs. Jeff MerrittBernardo Mercado vs. Roy HarrisJoe Erskine vs. Bill Tate

Jean-Pierre Coopman vs. Ern Waddy – The Lion of Flanders had bashed Sonny Banks’ nose for a TKO in Round 1, while Waddy had easily outpointed the popular Tony Booth.

Coopman jumped out, 14-4, in the 1st round, throwing a series of hooks, but he winced near the end of the round, leading to speculation of an injury! Ern rallied at the end to win the 2nd, 8-6, but coop came back strong, winning 12-8 & 11-2, landing morer hooks and a booming uppercut!

Waddy won 3 of the 4 rounds in the second half, though that was debatable as he fouled twicw in close rounds. Coopman had a 15-6 6th, swelling Waddy’s left eye with repeated punches. I had it 76-75 Coopman, but the judges went 76-76, 76-76 & 77-75 (Waddy) for a majority draw.

The Lion came out roaring in the rematch, landing heavy combinations and a cross en route to an 18-6 opening stanza. Coopman kept up the pressure, boxing skillfully the next 3 rounds while making Waddy miss, 15-8, 15-2 & 12-2!

The two split the last 4 rounds, with Waddy’s rounds very close, so there was no controversy in the decision. The judges all went 79-74, Coopman! In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion roars tonight!

Johnny Riggins vs. Jeff Merritt – Riggins had gone two fights in besting Derek Amos, while Merritt had thumped his opponent convincingly, and he started out with a 10-4 round, crashing home an uppercut to offset Riggins’ own big cross.

The 2nd round was a snoozer, 4-4, but Jeff again landed a big uppercut for his only points. He started strong with a riveting hook, but Riggins came back with a big combination and then an uppercut, winning it, 16-11, as Merritt had a mouse under one eye.

The 4th & 5th were all Merritt. He landed a devastating cross to open the 4th, and later fired a booming hook, leaving Johnny wobbly, 21-5. Another power smash carried him to a 9-0 5th. Then Riggins was desperate, as Merritt staggered him with a combination to begin the 7th. He fired a wild overhand right that connected, and the soft-chinned Merritt dropped for an 8 count! Riggo staggered Merritt with a crushing cross, and the ref halted it, 24-4, a TKO win for Riggins at 2:43 of the 6th! Merritt bitterly pleaded his case, but to no avail. The crowd cheered both fighters for the non-stop action!

Bernardo Mercado vs. Roy Harris – Mercado had won a split decision in his first bout, and Harris had won a close unanimous one. These two staged a war! Mercado landed first, with a huge combination and another jolting blow, good for a 21-4 advantage!

Harris fought from the outside, frustrating Bernardo in a 6-0 2nd. The 3rd was a 12-11 close round, then Harris landed a big uppercut and many other punches, for a 1905 score, as Mercado’s eye was beginning to swell noticeably!

Bernardo reasserted himself, dropping Roy for an 8 count to open the 5th. He couldn’t finish him off, but won easily, 20-4. In role-reversal, Harris put on a clinic in the 6th, peppering Mercado with punches so that the swelling worsened and the round went 21-0!

The 7th & 8th were crucial, and Mercado had nothing left in the tank. Harris won them going away, 13-4 & 20-5, with crisp punches that thwarted Bernardo’s KO hopes. I had it 76-73, while the judges went 76-75, 76-76 and 77-75, a majority decision for Harris! I was surprised that Mercado faded when he did, but the 6th round pasting must have taken it out of him!

Joe Erskine vs. Bill Tate – Erskine had had to go 2 fights to advance, while Tate had a much-easier unanimous decision. Tate came out strong in this one, landing a monster uppercut and a big cross to cruise in the 1st, 15-6.

He countered effectively in winning the 2nd 11-4 and the 3rd 13-2, and was in command. A lackluster 4-4 4th didn’t deter him, and he won a close 5th, 8-6. The 6th was a dead heat, but Tate’s 15-4 7th left Erskine with one hope. Joe came out blasting in the 8th, landing 2 shots, but Tate danced and piled up points of his own on jabs. The score was 12-11, another close round.

The judges all scored it 78-74, an easy win for Bill Tate, who was in command throughout!


The next 4 fights results will soon follow. The field is half complete for the Sweet Sixteen!

[mikehoudini]

The pairings and results for the third bracket of Round 2 are as follows (level 1 fighters bolded in pairings):Eddie Gregg vs Joey GuyLarry Alexander vs. Bonbadier Billy WellsChina Smith vs. Primo CarneraLee Oma vs. Frank Slavin

The fans at the Adams Mark were treated to quite a show with this bracket!

Eddie Gregg vs Joey Guy – Gregg had demolished Lynn Ball with a 1st round KO, while Guy had proven that an average Joe could get a decision over a King. So the two boxers whose first and last names could be used as first names squared off!

Guy opened well, punching out an 11-6 1st round where he cut Gregg over the right eye. Gregg was bidding to be a level 1 fighter advancing to the Sweet Sixteen, and his bid was hurt when he lost a point in the 2nd for low blows, taking the luster off a round he dominated, 14-4, highlighted by a hammering hook!

It was all-Gregg in the 3rd. He put Guy down with a wicked combination for a 3 count, then landed two huge hooks for a score of 19-2! His cut was reopened in the 4th, so he went into whirling dervish mode and landed two boom-boom hooks and two crunching crosses, 17-6 at the end! Joey’s right eye was swelling by then, so it seemed a question of which injury would get worst first!

Gregg poured it on in the 5th, flooring the game Guy for a 2 count and then a 5 count! With the score 29-2, the ref halted the fight, Gregg the winner by a TKO at 2:00 of the 5th! His devastating wins to date belie the fact that he’s a level 1!

Larry Alexander vs. Bonbadier Billy Wells – Alexander had used one huge round to decision Daroll Wilson, while Wells was being clobbered by Duane Bobick when the fight was stopped on cuts!

Billy caught Alexander flush on the chin with a huge cross, but Larry stayed on his feet, ducking and clinching until the cobwebs cleared, then landing a few counters of his own to reduce the margin to 9-6. They traded power punches in the 2nd, but Billy’s big uppercut got his the round, 15-11.

Alexander won a relatively quiet 3rd, 10-4, then he started the 4th with a bang, belting Bombadier Billy with an uppercut and a sharp combination! Billy countered with a big hook of his own, and rallied in the last minute to take the lead, 14-12! Alexander threw a wild overhand right early in the 5th. It landed flush, and Wells dropped for the count, Alexander getting the KO at 0:53 of the 5th! Both fighters left to the cheers of the capacity crowd!

China Smith vs. Primo Carnera – China was awesome in knocking out David Defiahbon, while Carnera made even shorter work of Ahmed Abdin for his KO! The betting line was that this fight wouldn’t last the distance!

This was a vicious, rock-em, sock-em robots fight! China scored with a huge combination and hook before sending Primo to the canvas for a 7 count, the round ending 17-3. Carnera, a wily veteran, benefited from a head butt in round 2, as a mouse formed on Smith’s right eye and swelled significantly, causing a temporary halt. Carnera won the round, 7-4.

Things went from bad to worse for China in the 3rd. Carnera landed a number of punches, to the tune of 12-0, and China’s eye was looking even worse! The 4th found Carnera finding the range against the almost one-eyed Smith with two booming hooks! He then knocked Smith to the canvas for a 7 count and for a 1 count at the bell! The round was 24-4, and China’s eye was a mess, with the ref almost stopping the fight!

Coming out like a madman in the 5th, China went inside and belted Carnera with a cross, then followed up, not giving the giant a chance to go after his eye! He found Primo’s jaw with a mountain-toppling uppercut, and Da Preem went down for a 3 count! China was relentless and pressed on, raining blow after blow on Carnera, until the ref stopped the fight, Smith the winner by a TKO, at 2:46 of the 5th! The score at that time was 30-7 for that round!

What a fight! Both men looked like they’d been through a meat-grinder. China’s fan contingent, hailing in part from Winter Park, may have made the difference! When asked after the fight if he’d like a rematch, Primo replied “not in this universe!” But it could happen. This was a fight where neither fighter deserved to be eliminated!

Lee Oma vs. Frank Slavin – Oma had convincingly beaten a crowd favorite, Soldier Kearns, while Slavin had decimated everyone’s favorite, Jukebox Timebomb. The fans were hoarse after the prior bout, so these two almost felt they were fighting in a church!

They traded the first 2 rounds, Slavin landing a nice cross for a 14-4 1st, then dropping the 2nd, 13-7, when he was cut inside the left eyebrow. There was a ton of action in the next 3 rounds. Slavin hammered home two big hooks and a crushing uppercut in the 3rd, which was 16-12. The fight was stopped as his cut reopened, but he was allowed to continue.

Slavin won a hotly-contested 4th, 15-10, when his cross at the end wobbled Oma! Oma was on the short end again in the 5th, 14-8, as Slavin landed two more powerful uppercuts, giving him a nice lead through 5. Oma jabbed nicely in the 6th, and was ahead 14-6 when the fight was halted and then stopped after Slavin’s cut reopened. It went into the books as a TKO at 2:57 of the 6th, Oma the winner. Slavin’s corner felt they was robbed!

So this quartet of fights was action-packed, and the crowd settled back into their seats to watch the final four fights of this Round 2! Mixed martial arts and ultimate fighting had nothing on this set of fights!

[Romdawg88]

WOOOOOOO, way to go China. Things weren't looking to go for him there for awhile but the man showed the heart of a champion to grab the comeback win.

[CONN CHRIS]

Is Big Bad Danny Wofford up next?

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

WOOOOOOO, way to go China. Things weren't looking to go for him there for awhile but the man showed the heart of a champion to grab the comeback win.

China fought like my avatar did when I had to take the "Devil Boy" to the vet's! He really was impressive and came from way down to stop Carnera! No doubt your fan support lifted his spirits! I don't know how Oma will stack up against him. He has been real impressive so far!

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

Is Big Bad Danny Wofford up next?

Big (and he is that) Bad (and his record indicates that he is that) Dangerous (to any buffet) Danny Wofford will fight, along with Levi Forte, in the bouts to determine the last 4 guys to make it to the Sweet Sixteen! I just recently got home from a looong day at work and fed the critters. Maybe, after I've eaten, Danny will get his chance! If not, tomorrow night for sure!

[mikehoudini]

The last quartet of fights for the second round of the Terrible Twos Tourney at the Adams Mark Hotel was just completed. The crowd was pumped up after the prior set of bouts, anticipating some good action, as this set of bouts would finalize the Sweet Sixteen pairing for the tourney!

Following are the pairings and the results, one a big surprise, with level 1 fighters bolded in the pairings:

Przemslaw Saleta vs.Quinn Navarre
Jim Flynn vs. Steffen Tangsted
Jose Urtain vs. Levi Forte
Manny Burgo vs. Danny Wofford

And now the results:

Przemslaw Saleta vs.Quinn Navarre – Saleta has barely ousted Larry Gains by a majority decision fresh on the heels of a draw. Navarre had beaten Kevin Isaac in another majority decision, but one I thought he won handily. Saleta started with a bang, hurting Navarre with a rocking right, then cutting him in the moth, for an 18-6 opener! Doc Bagley worked wonders on the cut, and Quinn nudged Saleta in the 2nd & 3es, 10-8 (on a series of jabs) & 11-9 (with a last-minute flurry)!

The two traded heavy hooks in the 5th, but Saleta was the one who followed up, winning 14-6. he landed yet another hook in the 5th, which stunned Navarre for a minute, long enough for Saleta to pound out a 13-4 round, helped out by an egregious foul for a head butt Bobo Brazil would have been proud of, but, oops, this isn’t wrestling!

The 6th & 7th were low-punching rounds, the two alternating in outpointing the other by 2 points, though saleta excelled in clinching. Guest commentator Mike Hanson said the 8th would be the deciding round, and the sage man was right! Saleta landed a solid hook, then an uppercut that had Navarre reeling, and finally pasted him with an uppercut that sent him down for a 5 count! The ref stopped the fight, the scoring 27-7, a TKO win in the 8th at 2:59 for Saleta! It was a pick-em fight up to the knockdown!

Jim Flynn vs. Steffen Tangstad – Flynn came in after destroying Sam Shumway, while Tangstad first drew with, then got a TKO over Keene Simmons. Tangstad opened this bout with a crushing uppercut, but Flynn came back with a nice hook, and the two traded leather, Steffen getting the nod, 15-11! Flynn landed a jarring cross in the 2nd, but Tangstad landed more punches, mainly in the last 30 seconds, and won, 9-6.

The Fireman won a quiet 3rd, 8-2, then punished his opponent with a crisp combo and two huge crosses. Tangstad landed a lot as well, but nowhere near the power punched, and came up on the short end, 17-11. The 5th was an even round, Flynn’s power offset by Tangstad’s more frequent punches. The 6th was the same way, though Tangstad was cut over the left eye by a Bobo Brazil-like head butt.

Annoyed at Flynn, Tangstad connected with a series of punches in the 7th, for a 10-6 margin, but Flynn reopened his cut! They went head to head in the 8th, Flynn landing one trademark hook, while Tangstad countered with a series of hooks. It was 12-10 points for Flynn, and the fight went to the judges. They went 79-74 Tangstad (not sure what fight he was watching), 77-76 Flynn & 77-76 for the winner by a split decision, …Tangstad! I had it 77-76 his way myself! It was a good fight.

Jose Urtain vs. Levi Forte – Urtain had drawn with, then knocked out Malek Scott. Forte, who was coming into this fight 10-0 with 5 stoppages, had barely nudged Dale Crowe in a split decision. Was stepping up to take on the level 2 boxers more than Forte could handle?

Urtain hammerd home a huge hook, offsetting a nice cross from levi, easily winning the opening round, 19-6. Forte boxed nicely in the 2nd, notching a 12-6 round, each guy landing one big punch! Urtain fired off a jolting left in the 3rd, which went 9-6. The 4th was dead even, 9-9, with forte landing his best punch of the fight, a howitzer-like hook!

The 5th was a sleeper, 7-6 Urtain, and he connected with a big hook, dominating a round Forte needed, 14-3, in the 6th! Forte threw caution to the winds in the 7th, and it cost him, as Urtain blasted him with an uppercut, getting a KO at 2:25 of the 7th! So Forte’s fine run is at an end, as he fell behind and never got in control of the fight against a very-hittable Urtain. The crowd was surprised, as he had been impressive in building up his 10-0 record, except for his last fight!

Manny Burgo vs. Danny Wofford – Burgo had stopped Bob Satterfield on cuts, while Dangerous Danny had shocked the free world by knocking out Dino Dennis in the 8th round of a fight he appeared to be winning! Coming in 1-4-1, and with his protégés Jukebox Timebomb and George Foreman Makachunga in attendance, few gave Danny a chance. The general thought was that he’d lose the battle of the annys and be battling with Butterbean at the buffet!

Nobody told the slim and trim (299 pounds on his sculpted 5’ 7” frame) Wofford, and guest commentator Javier Flores was astounded as Danny landed jabs and hooks, punching out a 10-4 opening advantage! Could he keep it up? The 2nd verse was same as the first, as Danny hooked and jabbed his way to a 13-2 margin, resembling a shorter, slightly chunkier version of Muhammad Ali (who was there in attendance cheering him on)!

The 3rd was another close round, as Burgo began to solve Danny’s attack mode and barely escaped with an 8-6 margin, close because Danny showed some great ring movement. The 4th and 5th were similar, Burgo landing just a bit more in the 4th, 6-3, his best round to date, while the 5th was even, 6-6, though Manny was warned for low blows (how can anyone throw a low blow against a 5’ 7” opponent?) and clinched a lot.

Danny came out bopping and popping in the 6th, interspersing jabs and hooks and befuddling Manny for a 12-2 round. At this stage, he seemed to be in control, but could he finish? He mixed some rapier-like jabs with a new weapon, the uppercut, in the 7th, holding Manny at bay, 8-6! Burgo went for the KO in the 8th, but Danny negated his charge with a series of timely uppercuts, driving many back every time he pressed in. Wofford won the round easily, 14-6.

The judges were unanimous, with a 79-74 decision (I had it 78-75, as did Javier) for the Round Mound with the Most Pounds, Dangerous Danny Wofford! He fought well, using good ring movement and landing 232 punches while only being hit by 128! Right now, he looks like the spoiler to date, though it might have been a different story if Satterfield hadn’t been stopped on cuts! When told he’d be meeting Urtain next, Danny replied “The bigger they are, the harder they’ll fall! I’ll belly-bump him and jab him and we’ll see if he can overcome my superior savvy and speed!” If I were a betting man, my bucks would be on ???

I need to find my license so I can purchase 2.5, but the Sweet Sixteen will commence shortly!

[Mad Bomber]

Nice job, and the guest commentator's being members of the board is a nice touch. Keep up the great work, it has been enjoyable thus far.


Greg

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by Mad Bomber

Nice job, and the guest commentator's being members of the board is a nice touch. Keep up the great work, it has been enjoyable thus far.


Greg

Thanks, Greg! I'm glad to see readers enjoying this thread, as it is fun to try to entertain. I now have a greater appreciation for some of the major thread posters in terms of the time commitment!

I have enjoyed seeing members of this forum coming up as guest commentators, and think it would be nice if those who wish (and I do) could be added at some time in the future!

Thanks again, and we'll see how far Danny Wofford gets (he's 2 rounds further than I ever thought he'd be)!

[mikehoudini]

We are down to the Sweet Sixteen, and have switched the venue to Bally’s at Atlantic City. The fight schedule for this third round is as follows (with level 1 fighters bolded):

Saul Montana vs. Keith McKnight
Pedro Agosto vs Randy Stephens

Jean-Pierre Coopman vs. Johnny Riggins
Roy Harris vs. Bill Tate

Eddie Gregg
vs Larry AlexanderChina Smith vs. Lee Oma

Przemslaw Saleta vs.Steffen Tangstad
Jose Urtain vs. Danny Wofford

How far can the 3 level 1 fighters go? Can Pedro “Schoolboy” Agosto continue his meteoric career? Will Danny Wofford dazzle Jose Urtain with more than his trencherman capability? Can China Smith clobber Lee Oma? Soon we’ll know!

[aaaaaaaaa]

Schoolboy!! Oh yeah, he is the man.

[mikehoudini]

The first two fights in the Sweet Sixteen round have been completed. Saul Montana, who had won twice by decisions, the last a close one over Bob Stallings, tangled with Keith McKnight, who opened with a disputed majority decision over Mel Turnbow and then hammered out an easy decision over Jose Garcia. The second bout featured Pedro “Schoolboy” Agosto, who came in with a 9-1-1 record after stopping Jack O’Halloran and Butterbean, taking on Randy Stephens, who had won two decisions, the latest one a majority decision over Bill Squires.

Saul Montana vs. Keith McKnight – McKnight landed first, a big right that shook Montana up, but, in his haste to follow up, he ran into a huge hook, so both guys had landed salvos. They circled each other, a bit wary, and McKnight landed a few small punches to take the round, 9-7.

After a slow start in round 2, McKnight connected with a hook that dropped Montana with a thud! Saul barely made it to his feet at the count of 9, but had enough savvy to last the round, which he dropped, 17-4.

The 3rd was another easy one for Keith, as he pounded Montana, shaking him up with a big uppercut, en route to a 17-7 stanza! The 4th was wild and wooly! McKnight landed a carbon copy of the hook from round 2, and Saul fell for another 9 count! He got up and hit McKnight with some crisp punches, opening a gushing cut outside Keith’s right eyebrow, and the bout was halted temporarily. Allowed to continue, McKnight decked Saul again at the bell for a 1 count. The round went 31-8, but the possibility of a stoppage on cuts loomed large!

The 5th was the finale. The cut was again flowing fairly freely, despite McKnight’s cut man’s efforts, with Montana having landed several punches, when McKnight uncorked another beauty and Saul went down for the fourth time. He bounced back up at the count of 4, woozy but wanting to get at the cut, but the ref stopped it after he took a few more blows. McKnight wins by a TKO at 2:22 of the 5th, and the fans cheered both scrappers! In a post-fight interview, McKnight said that, after getting by Turnbow, his last two fights were much easier!
Pedro Agosto vs. Randy Stephens – Pedro came out punching, but Stephens surprised him by connecting with a jolting right and then a sweet combination. Agosto was a bit flustered, and Stephens pressed his advantage, winning the round, 16-6.

The fighters clinched to start the 2nd, and Stephens was warned for hitting on the break. This infuriated Agosto, and the Schoolboy launched a hook that lifted Stephens off his feet and onto his back. He couldn’t have made the count if it was to 50, and Agosto was the winner with a KO at 1:07 of the 2nd! The Pedro juggernaut rolls on as he improved his record to 10-1-1!

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by aaaaaaaaa

Schoolboy!! Oh yeah, he is the man.

In your universe and mine!

[aaaaaaaaa]

Who is he fighting next?

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by aaaaaaaaa

Who is he fighting next?

Keith McKnight, who has been scoring a bunch of knockdowns in his fights, 8 in 3 fights if my memory serves me correctly. What are your odds of the fight going the distance?

[mikehoudini]

The third and fourth fights of the Sweet Sixteen have been completed. Jean-Pierre Coopman, the Lion of Flanders, took on Johnny Riggins, and Roy Harris matched up against Bill Tate.

Jean-Pierre Coopman vs. Johnny Riggins – Both came in 2-0-1. Coopman had to go two fights for his most recent win over Ern Waddy, while Riggo stopped Jeff Merritt on a TKO.

The Lion came out roaring, shrugging off a big hook from Riggins to land a series of crosses, winning the opener, 10-6. The next 2 rounds were carbon copies, as Coopman dictated the pace and scored effectively, 12-8 and 10-2. He had the added benefit of cutting Riggins in his mouth, which plagued Johnny the rest of the fight.

The 4th was a snoozer, 4-4, with less action than in a supermarket at 2 a.m., but Coopman dominated the 5th, 10-4, giving him almost a clean sweep of the first half of the fight! Riggins had his best round in the 6th, 10-4, connecting for a jarring uppercut!

Coopman went back to a series of crosses in claiming the 7th, 8-4, then cut Riggo over the left eyebrow in a round that scored 12-10, Riggins. The Lion pitched a shutout in the 9th, 10-0, then covered up in the 10th while Riggins tried to put him down, failing miserably.

I scored it 97-94, and the judges went 97-95, 96-94 & 96-94, Coopman the winner! He landed 227 punches as opposed to Riggo’s 150, and his hooks and crosses were particularly effective! In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion roars tonight!

Roy Harris vs. Bill Tate – Harris won a majority decision over Bernardo Mercado to get to this round, while Tate had an easy time with Joe Erskine. The 1st was a feeling out round, won by Tate with a hammering hook at the end of the round, 10-7!

Tate was cut on the lip by an accidental head butt in the 2nd, which otherwise was a dull affair with Harris the leader, 9-7. The cut was reopened in the 3rd, again by an accidental head butt, seemingly Harris’ best weapon so far. Tate came out with a small advantage, 6-4, and had a 10-8 advantage in the 4th. At this stage, just a few points separated the two, as only in the first was there a clear winner.

Harris was cut over the left eye in the 5th, another even round, and he was shocked and dismayed when the fight was stopped, a TKO win at 1:28 of the 5th for Tate! Hir corner was upset, believing they could easily control the cut, but the fight goes into the books as a win for Tate.