The Greatest Prize in Sports

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Gunsmoke

Gold is coming baby!!

Congratulations, Mark. Your guy has managed to make the tournament final unscathed, which is quite an achievement. I really feel good about his chances of winning the belt and successfully defending it to the point where it earns him a world title shot.

Originally Posted by Marciano6

None of this even matter because in a year or two or three Brutus Brody will be the HW champion

Ha, I'm sure you'll enjoy what I have in store for Mr. Brody...

[kenyan_cheena]

The Press
OF ATLANTIC CITY

Friday 22 September 2006

Rossman stops Kates,
secures title shot

Story by Michael Ciferito

In a battle of New Jersey light-heavyweights Turnersville native Mike Rossman stopped Bayonne's Richie Kates in the 4th round of an action-packed affair at Philadelphia's National Athletic Club last night. The bout was a semi-final of the International Boxing League's Americas Championship tournament, one where the momentum swung from round-to-round. Kates made a promising start in the 1st, catching Rossman with a succession of shots before he suddenly found himself on the backfoot early in round two when a big uppercut sent him to the canvas. Rossman landed a crunching left hook later in the frame but Kates seized back control in the 3rd. He peppered Rossman throughout the frame, none of his punches doing much damage but he landed more than enough of them to win the round convincingly.

Twenty seconds into the 4th Kates was floored for the second time in the fight, a flush left hook dropping him on his backside. He was up at seven but this time there would be no escape. Rossman poured on the pressure, setting his man up with ripping body shots before banging a trio of hooks off Kates' head. As the round drew to a close Kates was in terrible trouble and when Rossman pounded him with five unanswered blows referee Curtis Thrasher stepped in and called it off five seconds before the bell. Rossman celebrated jubilantly with his corner crew, the win improving his record to 8-1(4). He had defeated Panama's Victor Cordoba in stage one and George Nichols in the quarters, last night's win the culmination of an unexpected run to the title fight for the 19 year-old.

In the main event New York's Melio Bettina scored his third consecutive unanimous decision win, spoiling the party for the crowd by defeating the #6-seeded local Dan Bucceroni (96-93 on all three cards). After making an encouraging start Bucceroni struggled through the middle rounds, Bettina building a solid lead on the back of some strong work from both the inside and outside. Bucceroni rallied somewhat in rounds eight and nine but Bettina dominated the final stanza and then dropped the Philadelphian with a hard left hook fifteen seconds before the final bell to put the result beyond doubt. He's now 8-1(3) and has looked very impressive throughout the tournament.

With such an inexperienced field this particular IBL tournament was always going to throw up some unexpected results so having the #8 and #10 seeds square off for the title is probably not a big surprise. Picking a winner will be just as difficult a task as it's been throughout the event. What the fight presents is a fantastic opportunity for both Rossman and Bettina to start their pro careers by claiming a championship, something that would have been highly unlikely if not for the IBL. Kates and Bucceroni will slug it out for the right to challenge for the Americas title in the co-feature, a fight that should be just as unpredictable as the main event.

---

Results

(#8) Rossman TKO4 (#13) Kates
(#10) Bettina UD10 (#6) Bucceroni

Championship bout, December 14

(#8) Mike Rossman (8-1(4)) vs (#10) Melio Bettina (8-1(3))

---

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Gonna be goin' the round-by-round route...

Am working on it, but it won't be ready to post for at least another 48 hours.

[Beno999]

Who's my guy up against next ??

[kenyan_cheena]

Charlie B. takes on Loris Stecca on September 27 in the semi-finals of the I-C featherweight tourney. The full semi-final schedule is on page 17, post #334.

[Beno999]

Cheers mate!

[Marciano6]

My stable of fighters I think will be top contenders.....we have Brutus Brody....need I say more his name alone brings shivers to anyone. Frank Galvano he will get a title shot....he has friends in high places . And Speedy Gonzalaz his his speed will take him to the top alone .

[kenyan_cheena]

ESPN

Boxing

ESPN.com
Archive

22 September 2006

Larry Holman's round-by-round coverage from ringside in Moscow
of the International Boxing League's
World Heavyweight Championship tournament semi-finals

Hello to everyone all around the world who has logged onto espn.com today to join me for the biggest heavyweight boxing card in recent memory. I'm here at ringside at Moscow's Krylia Sovetov for the IBL's World Heavyweight Championship tournament semi-finals, which will feature Ken Norton going up against Ike Ibeabuchi and Terone Haynes taking on the local fighter and unanimous crowd favourite Sergey Anyukov in the main event. It's just on 8pm here in Moscow, which by my calcuations would make it midday on the east coast of the USA and 9am on the west coast.

The second undercard bout between Philadelphia's Tyrell Biggs and the New Zealander Sam Leuluai is currently in round three. Earlier on we saw the 23 year-old Ukranian fighter Vladimir Virchis defeat South Africa's Francois Botha by eight-round split decision. It was an action-packed clash that deserved to be seen by a lot more people than were in the arena here for it, although those watching the event on HBO and various other pay-per-view outlets worldwide would have certainly enjoyed it. There were no knockdowns but the two combatants traded some thunderous blows throughout the contest. Virchis took the verdict by scores of 78-74, 75-77 and 78-74 and in this writer's opinion was a clear winner, despite Botha's efforts.

Virchis was floored four times before eventually being stopped in round six by Andrew Golota in his last outing while Botha was TKOd by Ike Ibeabuchi in the quarter-finals of the world championship tournament. This was without a doubt the biggest win of Virchis' career to date and it guarantees that he'll be ranked no lower than #17 in the world once these IBL tournaments are completed. His record now stands at 14-2-1(10) while Botha has fallen to 25-5(19) with his second straight defeat. Just a note to those of you following along with us on espn.com that this coverage will automatically update each time I post a new entry to the running commentary. You won't need to refresh your web browsers.

Biggs and Leuluai are coming out for round five now and through the first four it's been an even affair. Biggs started nicely in round one and maintained control in round two. The third was a lot closer and was highlighted by Biggs sustaining a cut under his right eye from a headclash, which the ringside doctor examined. Leuluai was the much busier of the two in round four. While the fight continues I'll be going over my thoughts on tonight's semi-final bouts, which really do rank as two of the most potentially exciting heavyweight contests for a long time. They are both clashes that, to put it bluntly, would not have had a chance in hell of taking place if not for the IBL. Three of the four competitors held alphabet titles at the start of this year and were not even close to considering fights against each other. Only Terone Haynes' camp was pursuing a unification bout, but that was to be against current IBF title holder Marko Friedrich.

Ken Norton has been regarded as the best heavyweight in the world for the last couple of years, although there are many who believe that Terone Haynes deserves that title simply on the basis of the destructive fashion in which he's defeated most of his opponents. Personally I think it's a very close thing and probably too close to call. The only way to settle the issue is for the two men to step in the ring against each other, which is exactly what I think we'll be seeing come December. Ike Ibeabuchi is a fantastic young fighter with a lot of promise but I think Norton will be too much for him to handle tonight. Ibeabuchi is seriously lacking big fight experience and I believe it's something that will show against Norton. Perhaps in a year or so, after he's been involved in a number of testing contests, Ibeabuchi could make a serious challenge for the title but right now in September 2006 his time is yet to come.

The Nigerian looked pretty irritated during yesterday's weigh-in and his ill-advised attempts at getting under Norton's skin made me believe that all is not right with him. It appears that the rumours of a family-related problem during his training camp are probably true because he should be presenting a calm, composed demeanour, not an out of control one. Ibeabuchi seems to be lacking the type of focus and resolve that he'll need to win the fight. By comparison Norton was a portrait of serenity yesterday, showing that he wasn't intimidated by Ibeabuchi in the slightest. I'd have to question the approach of Ibeabuchi's training team as they were perfectly happy to let him make a spectacle of himself by eyeballing Norton and, to be truthful, they really were encouraging him to behave in that way.

As for Anyukov-Haynes all I can say is strap yourselves in, because I'm convinced it's going to be a classic. With the KO power each man possesses there's no way I can see it going the distance. In saying that it's hard to fathom either man being stopped based on their careers to date. But tonight, it's going to happen. Believe that. If I was a gambling man my money would be on the guy from Florida, who I'm convinced will be crowned as the IBL's first heavyweight champion in December. Haynes has had a faultless preparation guided by super trainer Roy Jones and I really can't see Anyukov beating him. The Russian has not been challenged in a fight for some time, having dominated Ray Mercer in the quarter-finals. That is not the ideal way to be going into a contest against someone as powerful as Terone Haynes.

During a frustrating period as WBO champion Haynes and his team were always looking to pursue a big money fight against one of the other alphabet champs but were unsuccessful. It's taken the IBL to bring about the biggest test of his career and there's no doubt in my mind that he'll make the most of this opportunity. Tonight's bout will also be something of a test for his trainer Roy Jones. The Pensacola native has received some criticism for his failure to guide all three of the Olympic medallists in his stable into a tournament semi-final, with junior-heavyweight Elmer Ray bowing out in stage one and both middleweight Holman Williams and welterweight James Ray losing in the quarters of their respective events.

Well, I've been so focused on tonight's main contests that I lost track of what was happening in the ring. The Biggs-Leuluai clash has just come to a conclusion and now the fighters and their corner crews are awaiting the verdict. Apparently the last four rounds were about as even as the first four so this could be a close thing ... and that's exactly how it's turned out. One judge gave it to Biggs 78-76 but the other two both scored it 76-76, making it a draw. Not the result either man would have been looking for but one that Biggs won't mind as he'll move on to fight for a higher initial world ranking by virtue of the fact that he was a participant in the world championship tournament while Leuluai featured in the challenger's tournament. Even so, the Sydney Olympics gold medallist remains winless in the IBL and has now been victorious in just one of his last five contests. He's 27-5-2(18) while Leuluai is 23-6-2(19).

According to tonight's schedule Norton and Ibeabuchi aren't due to make their walks to the ring until 8.45, which is fifteen minutes away. I'll be taking a brief break and will be right back in about ten minutes...

...My, the crowd has really grown here in the arena just in these last couple of minutes. The pro-Anyukov chants are already starting even though he won't be in the ring for another hour. The atmosphere is pretty much identical to that for a European soccer match, which is going to make for a fantastic evening. There's some commotion and excitement in the crowd near the entrance aisle and music has just started playing over the arena speakers. Some kind of African tribal music, very rhythmic and drum heavy. Looking back towards the entrance I can see that, indeed, Ike Ibeabuchi's team are making their way to the ring.

Almost all of them are dressed in outfits of predominantly green with white trim, which are the colours of the Nigerian flag. Ibeabuchi is in the middle of the dozen-strong group, his head hidden under an oversized hood. He seems much more calmer and subdued than he was at yesterday's weigh-in. Once in the ring I notice that amongst his entourage are fellow IBL boxers Samuel Peter (heavyweight) and Taribo Keshi (light-heavyweight). Neither had been present at the weigh-in but are very vocal as they prowl the ring, doing their best to encourage the crowd to cheer for and support Ibeabuchi.

Norton's on his way to the ring now, his group equally large. The former WBC titlist and his corner crew are decked out in satins of white with powder blue and gold trim, the San Diego native honoring his beloved Chargers as he's done for most of his professional outings. Of course, his trunks have the same colour combination except in reverse, with the body of them being powder blue. Like Ibeabuchi, Norton's backed up by some of his fellow pugilists. The middleweight James Toney and featherweight Solly Smith are both there and Norton's talking light-heartedly to them, totally relaxed. But now he's glaring Ibeabuchi's way with an intimidating intensity, the two groups trading words while announcer James Hayes begins the pre-fight introductions.

(to be continued)

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

Ibeabuchi brings a record of 27-1-1(24) into the evening, Hayes telling us he's a former African and NABF Champion and on a 24-fight undefeated streak. Norton is currently 29-2-1(23) and, as most everyone knows, was the WBC's world champion before signing with the IBL. I have to hand it to Molk's organisation for acknowledging the past deeds of their fighters before the IBL came into being. He may have contempt for the other sanctioning bodies but there's no way that he would dismiss the achievements of the league's competitors when they were fighting for them. The crowd gives each man a pretty healthy ovation and I'd have to say they're split 50/50 in regards to support. Referee Genaro Rodriguez is bringing them both together in the centre of the ring for the final instructions, neither man averting their gaze. My, Ibeabuchi looks determined, while Norton's showing this confident expression that says something like "don't matter what you throw at me, it ain't gonna be good enough." I'm feeling chills down my back just watching this.

The two camps return to their corners and we're just moments away from the opening bell.

(#1) Ken Norton (USA, 29-2-1(23)) vs (#4) Ike Ibeabuchi (Nigeria, 27-1-1(24))

ROUND ONE

As expected Ibeabuchi comes out aggressive and he has the better of the first ninety seconds, catching Norton with a flush left hook and a jolting right cross. The #1 seed is watchful and allowing Ibeabuchi to work, allowing him to show his gameplan. Ibeabuchi gets in close and finds the mark with a nice left to the body. Norton ups his workrate through the bottom half of the frame, piercing the Nigerian's defenses with a stiff jab and then letting him know what he'll be up against tonight when he plants a big left hook of his own on Ibeabuchi's jaw shortly before the bell. That shot stunned Ibeabuchi and had him backpedalling.

A promising opening round. Both men had their moments but I'll have to give it to Ibeabuchi as he was in control for the lion's share of it.

Holman's scorecard: Ibeabuchi 10-9

ROUND TWO

Uneventful through the opening minute, Norton scores with a glancing right cross but Ibeabuchi stops him cold with a hard right. That shot got Norton's attention. Ibeabuchi follows it up with a trio of jabs, two of which connect cleanly. He has the momentum but Kenny takes it away as he lands a series of jabs and a four-punch flurry before a beautiful, snapping piston-like jab catches Ibeabuchi right on the forehead. Norton has just shown Ibeabuchi that he can't rest for a moment if he wants to win this fight.

A bit of a shame there for the Nigerian as he looked good through the middle minute of the round. But Norton's efforts in the last sixty seconds more than cancelled that out.

Holman's scorecard: Norton 10-9
(19-19 after two rounds)

ROUND THREE

Norton builds on his work from round two, once again finding a home for that jab before putting Ibeabuchi back on his heels with a flurry of shots. One of them was a left hook that crashed off Ibeabuchi's temple. As the round approaches the two minute mark Ibeabuchi unloads with a hard left hook that hurts Norton. The Californian's wearing a bemused gaze and Ibeabuchi follows up nicely with a brutal left to the body. Norton clinches and through the rest of the round neither man lands anything substantial. Through the opening three rounds Ibeabuchi has clearly been the more aggressive, busy fighter.

This fight is growing intriguing as Ibeabuchi is letting it be known that he won't let Norton bully him. That rally he launched late in the frame was impressive and enough for me to give him the round.

Holman's scorecard: Ibeabuchi 10-9
(Ibeabuchi 29-28 after three rounds)

ROUND FOUR

Norton's trainer wasn't too happy with him during the intermission and Kenny comes out with renewed vigour, scoring with a hard left hook and another one of those penetrating jabs. Just on a minute in Ibeabuchi unleashes a tremendous right that catches Norton in his six-pack. Looks like he really felt that one as he backs off and evades Ike with some nice footwork. Ibeabuchi catches up and is warned for leaning on Norton's neck. Norton connects with a flush left hook that stuns Ibeabuchi, who clinches once again. Not a good round so far for Ibeabuchi and when Norton lands a left hook to the midsection moments before the bell it's a nice exclamation point on his efforts.

Great round there for Norton. He clearly won it, working harder and finding the mark with some nice punches. Ibeabuchi looked a bit dejected as he returned to his corner.

Holman's scorecard: Norton 10-9
(38-38 after four rounds)

ROUND FIVE

The round starts slow with the only highlight in the first sixty seconds being a nice jab from Norton. But Ibeabuchi lands a left hook flush on Norton's jaw, giving himself some space to work in. Ibeabuchi literally walks into a hard jab and when Kenny catches him with a jolting right cross the Nigerian looks to be in trouble. But he rallies superbly through the last fifty, stunning Norton with a big uppercut and then getting the better of a willing exchange on the inside. Ibeabuchi has unloaded some effective body shots through the bout but none better than the one that lands ten seconds from the bell, a vicious left hook that catches Norton under the rib cage.

A fantastic round of boxing, one that makes me even more excited about the rest of the fight. For the second time Ibeabuchi has staged an outstanding rally after seemingly being out of a round. He's leading on my card heading into the 6th and the signs look surprisingly good for him.

Holman's scorecard: Ibeabuchi 10-9
(Ibeabuchi 48-47 after five rounds)

ROUND SIX

Hmm. It appears I've spoken too soon, as Ken Norton has just shown us why he's regarded as the best heavyweight in the world today. His trainer was once again on his back during the break. Bouncing off his stool, Norton bullied Ibeabuchi into a neutral corner and after setting him up with a trio of body shots unleashed a perfect left hook that caught Ibeabuchi flush on the jaw. He stumbled forward and collapsed to the canvas, almost bringing Norton down with him. Norton glanced back briefly before moving to the opposite side of the ring, Rodriguez administering the count. Ibeabuchi only started moving at five, tried to push himself up at eight and collapsed back to the canvas when the count reached ten, the bout over just 28 seconds into round six.

An absolutely stunning end to what was building into a classic. That left hook from Norton was a thing of violent, destructive beauty. One of the best heavyweight knockouts I've seen this year. I said that I didn't think Ibeabuchi was ready for a fight like this and while I expected him to lose this was not the way I expected it to end. According to CompuBox punch stats Norton landed 120 of 222 punches (54.1%), Ibeabuchi 72 of 362 (19.9%). Those numbers confirm what I said earlier about Ibeabuchi being the busier fighter. Clearly in this case quantity did not equal quality.

(to be concluded)

[comicfanman]

OH the suspense

[kenyan_cheena]

Conclusion'll be posted within thrity minutes.

[Romdawg88]

WAR HAYNES!!!!!!!!

That first fight was great stuff and what a ending. I have to give Norton credit that is how the guy considered the top HW in the game should handle his business. Hopefully, Haynes/Anyukov lives up to the standard set by Ike/Norton.

[kenyan_cheena]

(conclusion)

Norton's wearing a smile from ear to ear, laughing and celebrating with his corner crew and support team. Meanwhile on the other side of the ring Ibeabuchi is sitting on a stool with his head bowed and concealed under a white towel, his group standing around unsure of what to do or say to him. A couple of minutes later Norton crosses the ring and speaks to Ibeabuchi and his cornermen, congratulating the Nigerian on his efforts and wishing him the best for the future. Soon after Norton is being interviewed by HBO, an animated expression on his face. He's heaping praise upon Ibeabuchi, saying that it was one of the toughest fights of his life and that he's never faced anyone who hits as hard as the #4 seed. Norton has even more admiration for Ibeabuchi now than he did before the fight and says that it'll only be a matter of time until Ike earns himself a world title shot.

Ibeabuchi is also interviewed and while disappointed and downcast he gives Norton all the credit for a great performance. After this defeat he now realises that he has some way to go to reach the same standard as Norton and will be working even harder than he has been in the times ahead to get there. Going into round six one judge had Ibeabuchi ahead by a single point, the others favouring Norton by one and two points. Fifteen minutes after the fight has ended the ring is now clear. The crowd gave both men a warm ovation as they made the walk back to the dressing rooms, Norton's camp being quite boisterous and excited with their continued celebration. We're coming up on 9.40pm here in Moscow. Haynes and Anyukov should be on their way to the ring in about fifteen minutes.

I've just been speaking to some of my fellow ringside commentators and the consensus is that if not for that knockout punch Norton might have had more trouble than expected winning the fight if it had gone the distance. Ibeabuchi looked determined and despite being outlanded by Norton he was outworking him. Maybe only a point or two would have seperated them if it had gone to the judges. The arena has just descended into darkness, followed a second or two later by that familiar opening blast of horns from the Public Enemy classic "Welcome to the Terrordome". It's been Terone Haynes' entrance theme for the last couple of years now and its audio assault signifies that his team is on their way to the ring. A spotlight is focused on them as they traverse the aisle, Haynes out front in solid black with his head bowed under a hood. His corner crew, trainer Roy Jones and the entire Pensacola stable follow behind him, all of them similarly drapped in black.

Haynes steps between the ropes and flips his hood off, his gaze hard and cold, cornrows tight. He ignores the boos that are coming from some corners of the crowd, exchanging a high-five with Elmer Ray, who is getting in his ear and encouraging him. The Florida Alliance members are standing in the corner, leaning against the ropes, backing their man up. Jones is now in front of Haynes, re-checking his gloves and reiterating. The crowd errupts when Public Enemy fades out and the epic drum beat from Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks" pounds its way out of the arena speakers. Wearing a robe of white with red trim Anyukov makes his walk to the ring, his entourage half the size of Haynes'. It's just him and his corner men, no one else. Wow, this crowd is going crazy. Anyukov takes it all in with a simple smile and a rasied right fist.

Once in the ring he circles close to Haynes, glaring at him for a sustained period. The Florida native returns his regard indifferently, Anyukov eventually walking to his corner but never breaking eye contact. Ring announcer James Hayes is back on the microphone, introducing the two combatants. Haynes is a perfect 22-0 with eighteen knockouts and held the WBO title from September '04 through until when he relinquished it this past April. Anyukov comes into tonight with an impressive 36-1-1(26) mark and was the WBA's champion for two-and-a-half years. He also gave up his belt in April to sign with the IBL. As referee Raul Caiz brings Anyukov and Haynes together in the centre of the ring a deafening chant of "Sergey! Sergey! Sergey!" threatens to blow the roof off the Krylia Sovetov. Haynes is oblivious to it, maintaining an imposing gaze throughout Caiz's final instructions.

(#2) Sergey Anyukov (Russia, 36-1-1(26)) vs (#3) Terone Haynes (USA, 22-0(18))

ROUND ONE

A wave of excitement passes around the arena with the sounding of the opening bell. The two men move in close, Anyukov smothering a jab from Haynes and immediatelty tieing him up. Haynes makes some room and bangs a hard left hook into the Russian's midsection. He lands a glancing right hand and the crowd cheers when they exchange a flurry of punches about thirty seconds in, Haynes getting the better of the melee. They're a bit more cautious and watchful for the next minute, Anyukov driving a right into Haynes' ribs before the #3 seed muscles his way inside and unloads with a quartet of hard shots, two of which find a target. The second of these is a left hook that turns Anyukov's legs to jelly. He reaches for the ropes, backpedalling. Haynes moves in aggressively but Anyukov tags him with a jolting right. My, I'm sure Haynes has never absorbed a punch like that in his entire career. He looks okay but when Anyukov works the body the Florida native is on his heels and briefly clutching his side. Those shots had some real pop behind them. Anyukov outworks Haynes late in the frame, although he fails to land a damaging blow.

What a fantastic opening round! Haynes had the better of the first half but Anyukov rallied brilliantly through the last minute or so. This is going to be an epic battle of two goliaths and I can't really split them in that opening round.

Holman's scorecard: 10-10

ROUND TWO

Haynes backs Anyukov off with a sharp combination twenty seconds in. His intentions are clear and they are to keep the pressure on the Russian, to be right there in front of him the whole time. Anyukov lets rip with a left-right combo to the body before Haynes responds with a left jab-right cross salvo, the cross finding the mark. As in the 1st they slow down somewhat through until the round enters its bottom half, where Haynes snaps Anyukov's chin around with a vicious cross. That shot sent sweat flying into the front row. Anyukov is hurt. But as the final minute starts Sergey unleashes a left hook that lands flush. That punch rattled Haynes and Anyukov follows it up with a stiff jab that catches the Miami slugger right on the nose. Soon after a pair of left hooks have turned the round in Anyukov's favour. Haynes looks a little bemused and when Anyukov digs a left hook into his ribs he backs off and stays out of range, catching his breath. As the round is winding down Haynes connects with a sledgehammer of a right hand. How is the Russian standing after that? I don't know.

This fight is everything we expected and somehow so much more. These two warriors are going at each other like their lives depend on it, that 2nd round almost a carbon copy of the 1st. I'm astonished that Anyukov was once again able to fight back in the later half of the frame. Anyukov's left eye is already showing some swelling from these piledriving rights that Haynes has landed.

Holman's scorecard: 10-10
(20-20 after two rounds)

ROUND THREE

Unsurprisingly the action slows in the 3rd. Haynes lands a crunching left about forty seconds in but Anyukov is the busier man through the rest of the frame, finding success with some effective body work and a trio of jabs. He gets the better of a lively exchange about thirty seconds from the bell but Haynes ends the frame nicely, putting Anyukov back in his heels with a left hook to the temple. The swelling has worsened around Anyukov's left eye and his corner really need to work on it.

Despite the pair of big shots Terone landed I'll have to give that round to Anyukov. He worked harder and landed some good scoring punches. This is really either man's fight to win right now.

Holman's scorecard: Anyukov 10-9
(Anyukov 30-29 after three rounds)

ROUND FOUR

Haynes looks a bit frustrated as the round begins and he puts his foot down, tagging Anyukov with a jolting jab, a three-punch salvo and a big right hand during the first minute. That swelling under Anyukov's left eye is becoming pretty serious and could eventually lead to the fight being stopped. Midway through the frame Haynes bounces a hard right off Anyukov's forehead but the Russian's retort brings hope back to the concerned crowd, a four-punch combo, three of which connect. But Haynes is back on the offensive as the round enters its final minute, smashing a left hook into Anyukov's cheek. The former WBA king is in big trouble and when Haynes catches him flush with a right cross Anyukov almost goes down, his knee brushing the canvas. A crisp uppercut from Haynes puts Anyukov back on the ropes and this fight could end at any moment. Haynes literally shoulders Anyukov into a neutral corner and then unleashes a winging right that snaps his head around. The bell rings and it's a major miracle that Anyukov not only survived the round but also stayed on his feet for its entire duration.

We've just witnessed the destructive power of Terone Haynes and to Anyukov's absolute credit he absorbed it and is still in the contest. Although I don't think he'll last much longer. I have to score that round 10-8 to Haynes because he did everything BUT put Anyukov on the canvas. The crowd is desperate to encourage their man, starting up the "Sergey!" chant with renewed vigour.

Holman's scorecard: Haynes 10-8
(Haynes 39-38 after four rounds)

ROUND FIVE

Geez, Anyukov's eye is almost completely closed. I'm surprised Caiz hasn't asked the ringside doctor to look at it. Maybe he's being influenced by this parochial crowd. Anyukov lands a solid jab early but Haynes replies with a wicked left hook to the body. He's forgotten about jabbing now, simply unloading damaging bombs to try and finish the Russian off. A minute in Anyukov rips a left hook into Haynes' ribs and then snakes a jab through his defenses. A nice, encouraging period for him and the crowd. But as the round enters its final third Haynes drives another left into Anyukov's midsection. Anyukov has a pained expression on his face and Haynes follows up with a booming uppercut. Somehow Anyukov is still standing. Late in the frame Haynes unloads a sledgehammer right hand, staggering Anyukov. He has the appearance of a beaten man and that swelling under his left eye looks hideous now.

Another good round for Haynes. It seemed Anyukov might be able to steal it but Terone's work in the last sixty seconds eliminated that possibility. Caiz is talking to Anyukov's corner crew during the intermission, which certainly can't be a good sign. I'm perplexed as to why he has not asked the doctor to examine the swelling Haynes has inflicted upon him.

Holman's scorecard: Haynes 10-9
(Haynes 49-47 after five rounds)

ROUND SIX

Roy Jones looked quite animated during the break. He was telling his man to stay patient and not get careless, even though it appears Anyukov has been subdued. Within sixty seconds of the bell Haynes has connected with a straight right, an uppercut and two left hooks, the second of which sent Anyukov reeling across the ring into the ropes. As the round approaches its midpoint Haynes unloads with a jolting cross, after which Caiz halts the action and finally calls upon the ringside doctor. The crowd's booing and after a debate that lasts about thirty seconds the Russian is allowed to continue. Haynes walks in and strafes another cross through Anyukov's weakened defense. Anyukov's corner crew are shouting at him to fight back but he looks done, Caiz appearing on the verge of stopping it. Haynes cranks it up with a right uppercut that snaps Anyukov's head back. Still one minute left in the round and now the Russian is down! At least six unanswered shots from Haynes sent him crumpling to the canvas. The count's at three, four, five ... Anyukov ain't moving and appears entirely spent. Nine, ten! That's it! Terone Haynes has won the fight by a spectacular 6th round KO, equalling Norton's stoppage of Ibeabuchi.

Roy Jones and the rest of Haynes' entourage have flooded the ring and they're mobbing the victor, embracing him and screaming and shouting. Haynes is smiling but looks quite overwhelmed. Some of the crowd are booing but many of them are applauding Haynes, admiring his awesome punching power and the destruction he's inflicted upon their champion. Ring announcer James Hayes and a number of IBL officials are in the ring now. Anyukov is being helped back to his corner, head bowed. Damn, that knot under his left eye is nasty. Ha, Haynes has been hoisted up onto the shoulders of Romy Alvarez and one of his corner men. I don't envy them the task of parading him around the ring. The big Miami native isn't overly excited, though. He has his right fist raised in the air but it's almost as if he's looking ahead to the future.

And what a future it figures to be. On the 29th of December Haynes will take on Ken Norton for the IBL's World Heavyweight Championship. The bout will be scheduled for fifteen rounds but the chances of it lasting that long are slim, at least in my opinion. Personally, I believe Haynes' firepower will simply be too much for Norton to handle. I see the fight ending in a similar fashion to tonight's clash with Anyukov. To be honest I can't see anyone in the heavyweight division right now who is capable of handling Haynes. This might be jumping the gun but I really feel we should all prepare for a long and destructive title reign for the man from Miami.

The official time of the knockout has just been announced as 2:15 of round six. The punch track statistics show Haynes landing a remarkable 202 of 302 punches (66.9%), Anyukov 123 of 315 (39.0%). I've never seen anyone handle Sergey Anyukov the way Terone Haynes just did and while it's what I expected it's still kind of surreal to have seen it take place. Haynes is being interviewed by HBO, although his trainer Roy Jones is doing most of the talking. Jones looks quite emotional and I can't really blame him. This victory must rank as the most significant for any of the fighters who have been under his tutelage. It's a great achievement for him to have guided Haynes to this point in his career, where he is on the brink of being crowned the best heavyweight boxer in the world.

Well, folks, that's about the end of proceedings here in Moscow. It's just on 10.45pm, almost three hours since we started this running commentary. I hope everyone who logged on to follow along has enjoyed the experience. Once I get back to my hotel room I'll be posting a summary of the evening's events for espn.com and will be online tomorrow to blog with our readers and discuss the fight and anything else in the boxing world. Until then, it's goodbye from me, Larry Holman, here in Moscow.

Updated: September 22, 2006, 2.55 PM ET

[Romdawg88]

HAYNES!!!! Finally, the Florida Alliance scores that big win that has escaped them over the course of the HBF/IBL and this dynasty. WOOOO! Norton/Haynes should be a war but I got to back Haynes. I don't think Norton can stand up to that firepower.

[kenyan_cheena]

I agree with you, Romy. What really stood out for me was Terone's punching accuracy. 67%!!! That's fantastic against Anyukov. I won't tell you exactly what he's rated, but let me assure you I was a bit worried about the outcome.

I hope everyone enjoyed the round-by-round footage I gave this card. It's not the type of thing I'll be doing very often 'cause if I did it'd just bring the whole uni to a standstill. But I really had fun presenting it this way.

[PWillisTheMan]

Good to see a member of the alliance come through. You've put so much detail and effort into that crew, you can't help but pull for them. Oddly enough, if it was a real situation, I would probably hate them and be relishing in all of their failures.

[kenyan_cheena]

EL UNIVERSAL

Sunday 24 September 2006

TELLEZ INTO FINAL AFTER
DRAW WITH HERNANDEZ

Story by Miguel Trelles

Candido Tellez secured a berth in the final of the International Boxing League's Flyweight World Championship tournament last night after his Mexico City semi-final bout against compatriot Adrian Hernandez ended in a draw. As Tellez is the tournament's top seed he progressed to the championship match, Hernandez left in despair after another chance to win a world title slipped through his fingers. The 28 year-old was defeated by Tellez in a WBO title fight back in 2004 and despite recording 35 victories during his ten-year career has never held a world championship of any kind. It was a ridiculously close, competitive contest, with Hernandez starting well before Tellez dominated the middle rounds. He swept the 5th, 6th and 7th on all three scorecards. While the fight featured some exciting exchanges there were also a number of dull periods, with rounds two, four, six and seven largely uneventful.

Hernandez appeared to be in the driver's seat when he won both the 8th and 9th frames in convincing fashion. But Tellez has managed to avoid defeat throughout his career with determination and resolve and so it was last night. He finished stronger and was on the verge of stopping an exhausted Hernandez when the final bell sounded. Two judges scored it 114-114 while the third favoured Tellez 115-113. If Hernandez had been more active there's no doubt he would have been victorious. He landed 285 of 574 punches (49.7%), Tellez 266 of 1,063 (25.0%). The Pachuca native's aggression and relentlessness was ultimately what won him a place in the tournament final and he'll be determined to add another belt to the WBO championship he held for three years. Tellez is now 28-0-2(19), Hernandez 35-4-2(27).

As expected, Tellez's opponent will be the former WBC champion Yuri Arbachakov. The Russian was able to achieve what his heavyweight compatriot Sergey Anyukov was unable to on Friday, Arbachakov knocking out the South African Jake Matlala in the 10th round of a classic confrontation. Matlala looked to be in with a chance of springing an upset after being just a little bit better through the first three rounds but Arbachakov quickly turned the tables. He dominated rounds four, five and six, punishing Matlala and bringing up some nasty swelling under his right eye. Matlala produced an astonishing rally in the 7th but when Arbachakov almost knocked him out in round eight and then controlled the 9th the fight was all but over.

Arbachakov continued to pummel Matlala in the 10th and floored him for the only time in the contest with a crunching uppercut twenty seconds from the bell. Matlala was counted out at the 2:49 mark. Arbachakov was leading on all three cards heading into the 10th and outlanded Matlala 278-252. The 29 year-old South African gave an admirable account of himself, his record now 36-4-1(28). Arbachakov improved to 31-2-1(23). Without a doubt, the IBL has got the exact matchup they were hoping for to determine their inaugural world flyweight champion. Tellez and Arbachakov have been regarded as the class of the division for a number of years now and this long awaited clash will be one of the highlights of the league's tournament finals.

It was not a good night for Filipino boxing as in the evening's two undercard world ranking bouts Leo Zulueta and Olympic gold medallist Pancho Villa both suffered defeats against Mexican opponents. Zulueta was battered and punished by Octavio Gomez before the bout was stopped late in round four before the highly regarded and heavily hyped Villa fell to his second straight professional defeat, losing by majority decision to Luis Maldonado. Gomez and Maldonado had both suffered narrow defeats in the quarter-finals of the world championship tournament while Villa and Zulueta exited the challenger's tournament in stage one.

Considering that, last night's results were not especially surprising. However, expectations had been extremely high for Villa entering these IBL tournaments, with many in his homeland already proclaiming him as the next great Filipino fighter. He's been in against two opponents with a good deal more experience than he possesses but according to his backers he should have been good enough to overcome them. He hasn't, and it will be interesting to see how or if these setbacks affect his progress and development during the months ahead.

Results

(#2) Arbachakov KO10 (#3) Matlala
(#1) Tellez D12 (#4) Hernandez

World Championship, 30 December

(#1) Candido Tellez (28-0-2(19)) vs (#2) Yuri Arbachakov (31-2-1(23))

[kenyan_cheena]

THE GUARDIAN
LAGOS - NIGERIA

Monday 25 September 2006

LATE RALLY SEES AMAKOCHI
TRIUMPH OVER MINA

Story by Sani Yobo

Fighting last night in front of a fiercely parochial home crowd at Surelere Stadium here in Lagos, light-heavyweight boxer Celestine Amakochi produced a stirring fightback to overcome previously undefeated Olympic silver medallist Mauro Mina and secure a place in the final of the International Boxing League's Challenger's tournament. After struggling through the first four rounds Amakochi sprung into action in the 5th and then floored the Peruvian in round nine before claiming a unanimous decision victory (95-93, 96-92, 95-93). He gained a deal of revenge over Mina, who had defeated him in each of the three clashes between the two in the amateur ranks, the most important of which was at the world championships in '03. Early on it looked like Mina would stretch his winning streak over Amakochi to four, as he unleashed an opening round assault that had the local favourite in a bunch of trouble.

Amakochi responded well in round two but struggled through the 3rd and 4th, the crowd given little reason to believe he could win the fight. But he came out swinging in the 5th and the result was spectacular, Mina eating a number of flush power punches and looking closer to defeat than at any time during his brief pro career to date. However, when Mina immediately fired back by taking the 6th convincingly and being just a bit better in an uneventful 7th Amakochi's fate appeared to be sealed. He had some nasty swelling around his right eye and looked very tired. He dug deep, though, and after holding his own through most of the 8th he landed a crunching uppercut late in the frame that staggered Mina and gave Amakochi renewed hope. He then brought the crowd to their feet thirty seconds into the 9th, dropping Mina on his back with a flurry of punches. It was the first time in his career that Mina had tasted the canvas and he appeared stunned.

Unable to finish the job in the 9th, Amakochi outhustled Mina in the final stanza, blowing the round open with a succession of power shots through its last two minutes. Mina appeared exhausted at the final bell and when the verdict was announced he bowed his head, distraught. The crowd erupted and Amakochi was hoisted up onto the shoulders of his corner crew and paraded around the ring like he'd just been crowned world champion. He shouted and thumped his chest, arms raised high and acknowledging the crowd's thunderous applause. Mina actually outlanded him 188-183 but Amakochi was by far the busier fighter, throwing more than 1,000 punches compared to just over 600 from Mina. Amakochi improved to 22-1(14) while Mina fell to 14-1(8) with his first defeat as a professional.

Amakochi will fight the American Jack Chase for the right to challenge for the IBL's world title. Chase booked his spot in the decider by taking a split decision over his compatriot Tommy Harrison (96-94, 94-96, 96-94). Both men had recorded unexpected victories in the quarter-finals with Chase eliminating Iran Barkley and Harrison upsetting the top seed Michael King. 8th-seeded Harrison appeared to be on his way to another big win as he held a handy lead through the first six rounds. But like Amakochi would do in the main event that followed, Chase rallied brilliantly in the final four rounds, sweeping them on two scorecards to secure the victory. He had to overcome the nuisance of a cut that opened above his right eye in the round two and was re-opened by Harrison on three further occasions. The ringside doctor examined it in both the 7th and 10th rounds and allowed Chase to continue. He's now 20-1-1(13), Harrison falling to 17-3(11).

Earlier in the evening Iran Barkley and Michael King fought to a draw over eight rounds in a clash that was supposed to have been one of the tournament semi-finals, at least as far as seedings were concerned. As already mentioned both men had been eliminated from the challenger's tournament in the quarters and last night they were fighting to improve their initial world ranking. It was a close contest but most ringside observers felt that Barkley had done enough to win it. King finished strongly to avoid defeat, one judge favouring Barkley 77-75 while the other two had it even at 76-76. The New Yorker was clearly unimpressed by the result. After winning his first nineteen career fights Barkley's gone winless in his last two and will be desperate to get back on track in his next outing.

Results

(#5) CHASE SD10 (#8) HARRISON
(#3) AMAKOCHI UD10 (#10) MINA

Tournament final, 17 December

(#3) CELESTINE AMAKOCHI (22-1(14)) vs (#5) JACK CHASE (20-1-1(13))

__________

THE OHIO EXPRESS

Monday, 25 September, 2006

Mason dominates Dokes in Akron

Story by Jerry Anderson

Fighting in his hometown of Akron for the first time in five years former heavyweight contender Michael Dokes fell to his fourth consecutive defeat last night, being outfought and floored three times by the Englishman Gary Mason on the way to a unanimous decision defeat. Each judge favoured Mason by an identical 79-69 scoreline, Dokes fading in the later rounds to bring about the disappointing result. Following a defeat at the hands of Poland's Andrew Golota back in December '04 it appeared that Dokes' career was over. He'd gone winless in six consecutive fights, losing four of them. But earlier this year International Boxing League president James Molk offered him a chance to make a comeback, inviting Dokes to take part in his organisation's tournament to crown a world heavyweight champion. Dokes accepted and was matched up against former WBC champion Ken Norton in the tournament's quarter-finals.

After a brave effort, which included sending Norton to the canvas with a crunching uppercut in round four, Dokes was stopped in the 7th. He was not disappointed, though, as the fact that he was simply back in the ring fighting and competing was enough for him. The IBL had not just resurrected his career but also his life and so losing the bout was not a big deal. The story of his comeback had made national headlines and led many to hope that he could pull off a miracle upset against Norton. While it didn't eventuate Dokes had shown enough to make the experts believe that he still had something to offer. After last night's contest those opinions might change. Despite his best efforts Dokes simply couldn't keep up with Mason, who is eight years younger than him. Mason dominated and punished Dokes in round one and was just a little bit too good, too aggressive and too powerful in each of the next three frames. Dokes was competitive in each round, but Mason was better.

Dokes won what ended up being his only round of the fight in the 5th, the 34 year-old keeping Mason at bay with volume rather than power. But late in round six Mason connected with a left hook that floored Dokes. He only just beat the count and after being pummeled throughout the 7th he was dropped two more times in the final minute of the fight. To rub salt into the wound the referee deducted a point from him in the 8th for a low blow, meaning the round was scored 10-6 to Mason. Even after such a disheartening loss Dokes remained upbeat, optimistic. He said that at this stage of his career "one more loss doesn't matter" a great deal to him and that he's still trying to get back into shape and erase the damage that "eighteen months of bad habits" did to his body. He went on to say that he was confident his first victory since 2002 was not far away.

In a spirited effort Mason was defeated by Riddick Bowe in stage one of the IBL's Challenger's tournament and with some luck and further dedication could possibly become a title contender in the future. He's now 24-4-2(19) and it will be interesting to see how he peforms in his upcoming fights. Dokes meanwhile is now 33-8-2(24), but a terrible-looking 0-6-2 in his last eight. I'm prepared to wait and see if he can come up with what has been an elusive 34th win before writing him off altogether. He's a man you can't help but cheer for, especially when one considers the injustices that befell him earlier in his career. There's nothing I'd like to see more than for him to record some victories here at what is clearly the tail-end of his time in the sport.

The card featured three other heavyweight world ranking bouts. LA's Mike Hunter opened the evening with a split decision win over the Englishman Joe Bugner before Leon Higgins knocked out the veteran Frankie Goddard with a flush left hook thirty seconds into round one. In the co-feature former WBO champion Ray Mercer rebounded from a dreadful performance against Sergey Anyukov in the world championship quarters to take a majority decision verdict over the South African Gerrie Coetzee. It was a thrilling contest between two men desperate for a victory, Mercer controlling the bottom half of the fight to take the decision by scores of 77-76, 76-76 and 77-75.

[kenyan_cheena]

EL UNIVERSAL

Monday 25 September 2006

BOLANOS TOPPLES HAUGEN
IN SALTILLO!

Story by Miguel Trelles

#1 seed Greg Haugen crashed out of the International Boxing League's Lightweight Challenger's tournament last night, the Seattle native being knocked out in the 5th round of his semi-final bout against Enrique Bolanos at the Estadio Saltillo. Having had the better of the opening four rounds Bolanos really went on the attack in round five, catching Haugen with a succession of power shots before a three-punch salvo dropped him late in the frame. Disorientated, Haugen could not beat the count and the bout was sensationally over at the 2:36 mark. Neither man had been particulalry impressive through the first two stages of the tournament, Haugen eeking out a draw and a split decision win while Bolanos had made it this far after back-to-back draws against Livingstone Bramble and Cornelius Boza-Edwards. He left absolutely no doubt last night in scoring one of the biggest wins of his career to date.

Bolanos takes on Japan's Jaguar Kakizawa in the final after the #2 seed defeated Ruben Navarro by unanimous decision in the co-feature (97-93, 96-94, 97-94). It was an even affair through the first six rounds but Kakizawa came home with a wet sail, sweeping the last four rounds on two scorecards to take the verdict. All three of his tournament bouts have gone the distance and he must be considered a favourite to win that world title shot come December. Both the world championship and challenger's tournament finals feature a Mexico vs Japan matchup and it will be interesting to see if one nation or the other can emerge victorious in both bouts. Rafael Limon squares off against Teruki Nakata for the title on Friday the 15th of December, with Kakizawa and Bolanos scheduled to clash the following Sunday. Kakizawa is actually the most experienced of the quartet so it would be a surprise if he doesn't earn himself a title shot.

Summary of results

(#2) Kakizawa UD10 (#6) Navarro
(#4) Bolanos KO5 (#1) Haugen

Tournament final, 17 December

(#2) Jaguar Kakizawa (28-4-1(16)) vs (#4) Enrique Bolanos (22-2-3(16))

[kenyan_cheena]

Coventry Observer

TUESDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2006

TURPIN AND LORD SET UP
WEST MIDLANDS TITLE FIGHT

Story by James Hurd

The final of the International Boxing League's Inter-Continental Middleweight Championship tournament won't just be an all-English affair, it'll also be an all-West Midlands affair after Coventry's Ian Lord and Leamington Spa native Randy Turpin were both victorious in semi-final bouts last night. The card was held at London's York Hall Leisure Centre, Lord defeating the German Franz Szuzina by unanimous decision before Turpin produced a fantastic rally to get past local favourite and #1 seed Maurice Hope by split decision. The story of this tournament has been the English fighters and it's only fitting that two of them will clash for the championship. Lord had overcome Leicester's Tony Sibson in an exciting quarter-final bout but had an easier time against Szuzina, despite the 7th seed's best efforts. There were a number of close rounds in the contest but Lord was just that little bit better in most of them and took a 98-93, 97-95, 98-94 decision.

The 18 year-old's win was built on dominating the early rounds, in particular the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. He swept them on all three scorecards and while Szuzina made more of a fight of it in the bottom half of the contest he never really looked like winning, even though he was the more active fighter. Lord landed 258 of 861 punches (30.0%), Szuzina 194 of 1,009 (19.2%). The crowd applauded enthusiastically when Lord was announced as the winner. After speaking breifly to Szuzina Lord celebrated in the ring, shouting and pumping his fists, his passion and determination on show for all to see. The teenager has come a long way in just a few short months, going from being a promising up-and-coming fighter to where he's now just one win away from winning one of the IBL's regional championships. Lord is now 10-0(5) after recording his third consecutive unanimous decision win. Szuzina fell to 9-2-1(6).

While their fight was entertaining it could not compare to the drama of the main event. The stoush between Turpin and Hope had been much anticipated and hyped, to the point where members of each man's corner crews almost came to blows at Sunday's weigh-in. After Turpin started strongly in round one Hope stole the momentum with a dominant 2nd. He kept it through rounds three and four before almost losing it in an action-packed 5th that had the crowd on their feet. Hope controlled the top half of the round before Turpin responded strongly only to have the Londoner cap it off with a crunching left hook moments from the bell. In round six Turpin made his move, flooring Hope with a lightning left hook fifty seconds from the bell. Hope had been winning the round to that point and the knockdown really scrambled his circuits. He was content to survive for the rest of the frame, shaking his head as he returned to his corner.

The 7th was another gripping stanza, one that rivalled round five as the two combatants went toe-to-toe for much of it. Then came the round that ultimately won Turpin the fight. In the 8th he sent Hope to the canvas not once but twice, a left hook doing the damage one minute in before a jolting uppercut put the #1 seed on his backside forty seconds later. Surprisingly Hope actually finished the fight strongly, winning both the 9th and 10th on two scorecards. But when the verdict was announced it was heartbreak for him, Turpin a split decision winner by scores of 94-93, 93-94 and 95-92. Having won his first two tournament bouts by brutal knockouts Turpin showed last night that he also has a ton of courage and determination. His rally won over a portion of the pro-Hope crowd and they grudgingly applauded his victory. Turpin improved to 12-0(9), Hope suffering his first career defeat and falling to 13-1-2(9).

There's no doubt that Turpin vs Lord will be one of the most exciting matchups of the IBL's tournament finals. It'll be a clash of two young English fighters on their way to the top of the sport, one that will surely be held somewhere in the West Midlands. All is not lost for Hope, though. He'll take on Szuzina in an eliminator, the winner of which will get the first shot at the newly crowned Inter-Continental Champion. Based on last night's efforts I'd be favouring Hope in that contest.

(#4) Turpin SD10 (#1) Hope
(#11) Lord UD10 (#7) Szuzina

Championship bout, 18 December

(#4) Randy Turpin (12-0(9)) vs (#11) Ian Lord (10-0(5))