The Heavyweight Boxing Federation

[kenyan_cheena]

Sunday 10 March 2002

GROUP STANDINGS IN
THE HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION'S
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT


GROUP SEVEN

1. 1(7) YOUNG STRIBLING (USA), 2-0
2. 2(26) ROLAND LASTARZA (USA), 2-0

3. 4(58) EARL WALLS (CANADA), 2-0
4. 3(42) FRANK BRUNO (ENGLAND), 1-0-1
5. 5(74) MAC FOSTER (USA), 0-1-1
6. 6(90) JACK RENAULT (CANADA), 0-2
7. 7(106) WILLI BESMANOFF (GERMANY), 0-2
8. 8(122) DAN FLYNN (USA), 0-2

NEXT SERIES OF BOUTS FOR GROUP SEVEN

4(58) EARL WALLS VS 8(122) DAN FLYNN
3(42) FRANK BRUNO VS 7(106) WILLI BESMANOFF
2(26) ROLAND LASTARZA VS 5(74) MAC FOSTER
1(7) YOUNG STRIBLING VS 6(90) JACK RENAULT


GROUP TEN

1. 1(10) MAX SCHMELING (GERMANY), 2-0(1)
2. 2(23) FRANK MORAN (USA), 2-0(1)

3. 3(39) STEVE HAMAS (USA), 2-0
4. 5(71) JOE GRIM (USA), 1-1
5. 6(87) THAD SPENCER (USA), 1-1
6. 4(55) RANDALL COBB (USA), 0-2
7. 7(103) FLOYD CUMMINGS (USA), 0-2
8. 8(119) GEORGE JOHNSON (USA), 0-2

NEXT SERIES OF BOUTS FOR GROUP TEN

4(55) RANDALL COBB VS 8(119) GEORGE JOHNSON
3(39) STEVE HAMAS VS 7(103) FLOYD CUMMINGS
2(23) FRANK MORAN VS 5(71) JOE GRIM
1(10) MAX SCHMELING VS 6(87) THAD SPENCER


GROUP FIFTEEN

1. 2(18) OSCAR BONAVENA (ARGENTINA), 2-0
2. 6(82) TONY ALONGI (USA), 2-0

3. 8(114) ARTHUR PELKEY (CANADA), 1-1(1)
4. 1(15) JACK SHARKEY (USA), 1-1
5. 3(34) BRUCE SELDON (USA), 1-1
6. 5(66) GARY MASON (ENGLAND), 1-1
7. 4(50) TED LOWRY (USA), 0-2
8. 7(98) ALONZO JOHNSON (USA), 0-2

NEXT SERIES OF BOUTS FOR GROUP FIFTEEN

4(50) TED LOWRY VS 8(114) ARTHUR PELKEY
3(34) BRUCE SELDON VS 7(98) ALONZO JOHNSON
2(18) OSCAR BONAVENA VS 5(66) GARY MASON
1(15) JACK SHARKEY VS 6(82) TONY ALONGI


GROUP TWO

1. 1(2) SONNY LISTON (USA), 2-0(2)
2. 2(31) MICHAEL DOKES (USA), 2-0(1)

3. 3(47) CHARLEY RETZLAFF (USA), 2-0
4. 4(63) LOU NOVA (USA), 2-0
5. 5(79) HAROLD CARTER (USA), 0-2
6. 6(95) ALEJANDRO LAVORANTE (ARGENTINA), 0-2
7. 7(111) PHIL SCOTT (USA), 0-2
8. 8(127) NICK BARONE (USA), 0-2

NEXT SERIES OF BOUTS FOR GROUP TWO

4(63) LOU NOVA VS 8(127) NICK BARONE
3(47) CHARLEY RETZLAFF VS 7(111) PHIL SCOTT
2(31) MICHAEL DOKES VS 5(79) HAROLD CARTER
1(2) SONNY LISTON VS 6(95) ALEJANDRO LAVORANTE

[kenyan_cheena]

Sunday 10 March 2002

GROUP STANDINGS IN
THE HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION'S
1ST DEFENSE TOURNAMENT


GROUP SEVEN

1. 1(7) DOUG JONES (USA), 2-0
2. 2(10) NATIE BROWN (USA), 2-0

3. 3(18) DON COCKELL (ENGLAND), 2-0
4. 6(42) DICK RICHARDSON (WALES), 1-1
5. 4(26) OLLE TANDBERG (SWEDEN), 0-1-1
6. 5(34) TOM KENNEDY (USA), 0-1-1
7. 7(50) BOB SATTERFIELD (USA), 0-2
8. 8(58) MANNY BURGO (ENGLAND), 0-2

NEXT SERIES OF BOUTS FOR GROUP SEVEN

4(26) OLLE TANDBERG VS 8(58) MANNY BURGO
3(18) DON COCKELL VS 7(50) BOB SATTERFIELD
2(10) NATIE BROWN VS 5(34) TOM KENNEDY
1(7) DOUG JONES VS 6(42) DICK RICHARDSON


GROUP TWO

1. 1(2) JAMES JEFFRIES (USA), 2-0(1)
2. 2(15) MARVIN HART (USA), 2-0

3. 3(23) JOHNNY WILLIAMS (WALES), 1-0-1(1)
4. 6(47) WIM SNOEK (NETHERLANDS), 1-1(1)
5. 4(31) PETER MAHER (IRELAND), 1-1
6. 5(39) CHUCK WEPNER (USA), 0-1-1
7. 7(55) KEVIN ISAAC (USA), 0-2
8. 8(63) JACK ROPER (USA), 0-2

NEXT SERIES OF BOUTS FOR GROUP TWO

4(31) PETER MAHER VS 8(63) JACK ROPER
3(23) JOHNNY WILLIAMS VS 7(55) KEVIN ISAAC
2(15) MARVIN HART VS 5(39) CHUCK WEPNER
1(2) JAMES JEFFRIES VS 6(47) WIM SNOEK

[kenyan_cheena]

Sunday 10 March 2002

HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION
FIGHT CARD SCHEDULE
MONDAY 11/03/2002 - SATURDAY 16/03/2002 INCLUSIVE


TUESDAY 12/03/02 - JIMMYS BRONX CAFÉ, BRONX, NEW YORK, USA
THE U.S. ATLANTIC COAST BOXING LEAGUE

(6) JOE ALEXANDER vs (7) JACK O'HALLORAN
(5) TIM CARLISLE vs (8) RANDY BAEZ
(4) ERNIE SCHAAF vs (12) SONNY BANKS
(3) CLARENCE BURMAN vs (11) RAY IMPELLETIERE
(2) BOB PASTOR vs (10) BRUCE CRICKETT
(1) HARRY WILLS vs (9) DAN HODGE

THURSDAY 14/03/02 - ROD LAVER ARENA, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
THE SOUTH-EAST ASIAN BOXING LEAGUE

(6) JACK BECKERMAN vs (7) JIM CHANG KAI
(5) KALOLO UMAGA vs (8) ALLAN HORACE
(4) FRED FULTON vs (12) THOMAS BIOBAKU
(3) REX LAYNE vs (11) UOLA MALAFO
(2) TOM HEENEY vs (10) OUPA MAOTO
(1) TERONE HAYNES vs (9) ROBERT ADO

[kenyan_cheena]

#1 SEEDS PERFECT DURING SECOND SERIES

Sunday 10 March 2002

The #1 seeds in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament were a combined 16-0(6) during the tournament's second series of bouts. In doing so they turned the tables on the #2 seeds, who had outperformed the #1 seeds in the first series but ran up a record of 13-1-2(4) in the second series.

#1 SEEDS, SECOND SERIES:

1(8) Sam McVey UD6 7(105) Johnny Boudreaux
1(9) Sam Langford UD6 7(104) Gerrie Coetzee
1(16) Jimmy Young SD6 7(97) Rocky Jones
1(1) Gene Tunney TKO6 7(112) Garvin Sawyer
1(5) Riddick Bowe MD6 7(108) Sante Amonti
1(12) George Chuvalo UD6 7(101) Al Ettore
1(13) Ken Norton KO2 7(100) Jesse Ferguson
1(4) Larry Holmes MD6 7(109) Lorenzo Zanon
1(6) Peter Jackson UD6 7(107) Bob Baker
1(11) Joe Jeannette KO1 7(102) Mike DeJohn
1(14) Ernie Terrell UD6 7(99) Luis Firpo
1(3) Jack Johnson KO3 7(110) Pat Valentino
1(7) Young Stribling UD6 7(106) Willi Besmanoff
1(10) Max Schmeling TKO4 7(103) Floyd Cummings
1(15) Jack Sharkey MD6 7(98) Alonzo Johnson
1(2) Sonny Liston TKO3 7(111) Phil Scott

Combined record: 16-0(6)

#2 SEEDS, SECOND SERIES:

2(25) Tony Tucker UD6 8(121) Arturo Godoy
2(24) Tom Sharkey KO3 8(120) John Holman
2(17) Floyd Patterson UD6 8(113) Tony Ross
2(32) Earnie Shavers KO2 8(128) Jose Urtain
2(28) Joe Bugner UD6 8(124) Tom Cowler
2(21) Ray Mercer KO6 8(117) Brian London
2(20) Donovan Ruddock D6 8(116) Tom McNeeley
2(29) Bill Brennan D6 8(125) James Broad
2(27) Jack Gardner UD6 8(123) James Ellis
8(118) Al Kaufmann MD6 2(22) Johnny Summerlin
2(19) Jimmy Ellis UD6 8(115) Marty Monroe
2(30) Cleveland Williams UD6 8(126) Joe Beckett
2(26) Roland LaStarza UD6 8(122) Dan Flynn
2(23) Frank Moran UD6 8(119) George Johnson
2(18) Oscar Bonavena MD6 8(114) Arthur Pelkey
2(31) Michael Dokes KO3 8(127) Nick Barone

Combined record: 13-1-2(4)

Combined record of #1 and #2 seeds in second series: 29-1-2(10)

Of course, the fact that the #1 seeds went undefeated through the series does not mean that they did so without trouble. On the contrary, a number of them were dangerously close to defeat, including:

#16 seed Jimmy Young: The Philadelphian has looked ordinary in both of his bouts, the first being a draw against Tony Ross and the second a split decision victory over fellow Pennsylvanian Rocky Jones. In this second bout Young started well (as he had done on debut) but faded in the later stages to take a close decision (58-57, 56-58, 59-57). Young's struggles have appeared even more glaring when compared to the almost effortless fashion in which the 2nd and 3rd seeds in his group Floyd Patterson and Elmer Ray have moved to 2-0. This group will be in action again on the 22nd in Young's hometown and it will be imperative for him to put in a much better showing than he has in his first two contests.

#5 seed Riddick Bowe: The Brooklyn braggart was cruising after three rounds of his bout with Sante Amonti before overconfidence almost led to his downfall. Amonti mounted a spectacular comeback, dominating Bowe in the fourth and fifth rounds, almost knocking him down and cutting the #5 seed near the end of the fifth. Bowe was able to wrestle back control of the fight in the final round and won the bout by majority decision, but his Italian opponent had taught him a lesson that he won't soon forget.

#3 seed Jack Johnson: When Johnson suffered a shock defeat against England's Joe Beckett on debut, it was back page (and even front page) news internationally. Extroverted and boisterous, Johnson had become quite the celebrity in the weeks before his debut, garnering a reputation as a party animal and ladies man. When he was beaten by Beckett, many blamed his high rolling lifestyle. After the embarassing result Johnson retreated from the public eye, only resurfacing once he had arrived in Japan for his second bout. Boxing experts were certain that the real Jack Johnson would emerge in Japan, but when his bout against Pat Valentino finally got underway, these same experts started to wonder if the HBF had made a terrible mistake making Johnson the #3 seed. Valentino went on the offensive early and won the first round big, rocking Johnson with a series of damaging blows, including a pair of crushing uppercuts. "The Galveston Giant" struck back in the second round, dropping Valentino to the canvas and finishing him off in round three with a single crippling body shot. It was a victory, but it raised almost as many questions as his debut loss had. Johnson will have to put in an absolutely dominant performance in his next appearance to convince the doubters that he is a legitimate Championship contender.

#10 seed Max Schmeling: The German fighter tasted the canvas twice in a wild four rounds against Floyd Cummings. Luckily for Schmeling, he was able to do the same to Cummings before the referee stopped the contest 2:04 into the fourth round. Schmeling admitted afterwards that he had "dodged a bullet", and will surely be steeled for a much more weary, watchful effort in his next bout.

***

A look at the combined records of the #1 and #2 seeds through the first two series of the World Championship tournament shows an interesting (and unexpected) fact. That fact is that the #8 seeds gave the top two seeds a more challenging time than the #7 seeds.

Combined records of #1 seeds through two series: 29-2-1(9)

Combined records of #2 seeds through two series: 27-1-4(9)

Combined records of #1 and #2 seeds through two series: 56-3-5(18)

But this is what is interesting:

Combined records of #1 and #2 seeds against #7 seeds: 30-0-2(11)

Combined records of #1 and 2 seeds against #8 seeds: 26-3-3(7)

So through two series of bouts, the #7 seeds were unable to score a single victory, while the #8 seeds achieved three.

It will be interesting to see if this trend continues into the next two series of bouts, when the #1 and #2 seeds will clash with the #5 and #6 seeds. Surely, if the HBF has been accurate with the seedings in the tournament, the odds for an increased number of upsets will be greater during the next two series.

One thing is certain. It will be fascinating to watch.

[kenyan_cheena]

THE FLORIDA ALLIANCE

Monday 11 March 2002

Story by David Gomez for espn.com

It's been three days since Terone Haynes and his bloated entourage of cousins, trainers and others arrived here in Melbourne, Australia.

To say that they've caused a commotion Down Under would be, quite frankly, an understatement. But that doesn't mean that they've ruffled feathers. On the contrary, what they have done is stir up some extremely positive publicity for the federation. Needless to say - as was emphasised when tickets for the Thursday night Rod Laver Arena fight card that Haynes will headline sold out in three hours - Australian fight fans are already well aware of the hype and hysteria surrounding "The Hastings Express". The Australian arrival of Terone Haynes, Elmer Ray and co. has been an eagerly awaited event, and no expense has been spared in showing the Florida natives the utmost hospitality.

"Jus' been incredible, the reception we receive here," Haynes said. "Can't say how much we been made to feel at home, man. I really can't wait for Thursday night, man. I'm jus' so pumped, y'all, jus' ready to explode, 'n' give the Australian public somethin' they ain't gon' forget."

Haynes' cousin Elmer Ray, never one to shy away from the spotlight, has been uncharacteristically in the background so far. Even his 17th Birthday - which the Hastings entourage celebrated in a low-key fashion here yesterday - has taken on secondary importance compared to his cousin's upcoming fight.

"Y'all, this ain't 'bout me, man," Ray said. "We over here for ma cuz, see? He the one y'all should be lookin' at. Look at him, man? He just awesome. In even better shape now than when he debuted las' month."

I must admit that, travelling with "The Hastings Express", it's been a pretty crazy 72 hours since the plane set down at Melbourne Airport on Friday afternoon. It seems to have been just an endless precession of media interviews - radio, television, newspapers - but Terone Haynes has taken it all in his stride. He's been nothing short of courteous, even when asked the same question fifteen times in a day.

One aspect of this trip that most Australians might not be aware of, and which will cause quite a buzz back in the States, is the identity of two of the members of the Hastings entourage. Numbered amongst their group are fellow Florida-born fighters and HBF competitors Oliver McCall of Fort Lauderdale and Tommy Gomez of Tampa. Curious about their presence, I questioned Elmer Ray on the matter.

"It ain't nothin' but an alliance, y'all," Ray said. "An' I gotta say, you media fellas, you give me the idea. You know, y'all gave ma cousin and I that nickname, man, "Hastings Express." Now that's cool, see, but it got me thinkin' about our hometown. And then, I think when we was watchin' the Montreal card, I see Tommy G. jus' take out that New York cat Jackson in the fifth round, and it got me thinkin', man. I'm thinkin' 'bout how we ain't jus' doin' this thing for Hastings, we doin' it for all o' Florida, man. So when I see another Florida fighter kickin' it in the tournament, I should be happy for him, man. But I'm thinkin' that feelin' happy for the brother ain't really enough. I sit down with Terone and I say to him, "We gotsta do whatever it take to make Florida the best in this sport, cuz." And I'm emphasizin' Florida, man, not Hastings. So we talkin', and the next day, we call up Tommy G., O-Mack, even Ray Mercer, man, and ask 'em if they wanna come to Hastings 'n' train, see. We jus' call those brothers up and lay it all down for 'em, man."

I made the observation that Ray Mercer didn't appear to be here in Melbourne.

Elmer Ray smiled and laughed. "Naw, man. He turn us down, see? He decline our offer. But that was cool, you know? I got a lot o' respect for Ray, man. He gonna do some damage in the tournament. But he prefer to do things his own way, and that's cool. We behind him all the way, man. I hope the brother can finish on top, hope he can get past Chuvalo, y'all. Now, the thing is, he in the same group as Tommy G., so we gonna have to be cheerin' 'gainst Ray for one night, at leas'."

I mentioned another Florida fighter, Tony Alongi, who hails from the same town as Oliver McCall, Fort Lauderdale. Alongi, the 82nd seed in the World Championship tournament, has made a great start to his career, defeating two higher seeded fighters and currently sitting in second place in Group Fifteen. His next bout will be against the group's top seed, Boston's Jack Sharkey.

"That's true, man," said Ray. "Alongi, he just a hard dude, man. He tough. Seeded down at #82, but he gettin' it done. He jus' makin' Florida proud, like the rest of us, man."

To the possibility of Alongi joining "The Florida Alliance", Elmer Ray was open.

"Why not, man? I mean, he seem to be doin' jus' fine how he is now. But we gonna talk to him, sho nuff, man. When we back home, he be gettin' a call."

Without a doubt, it is an impressive - and undefeated - quartet of fighters. Between them, Elmer Ray, Terone Haynes, Tommy Gomez and Oliver McCall are 7-0(4), with that more than likely to improve to 8-0 on Thursday night when Haynes steps into the ring. If Alongi came into the fold, it would be a quintet of undefeated Florida fighters all training together for mutual success.

"The cool thing 'bout it is we all in different groups, y'all," Ray said. "You know, I be in Group Sixteen, Terone's in Asia, Oliver in 1st Defense and Tommy G.'s in Group Twelve. So ain't no chance for us to be fightin' each other for some time, man. That's a nice situation."

On Thursday night, Terone Haynes fights Ghana's Robert Ado. Sent to the canvas five times on debut, many fear that Haynes will tear the African fighter to pieces. Haynes himself sees it as just another step on a journey that will eventually bring the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship to Florida, and a little town called Hastings...

[kenyan_cheena]

LOOK OUT BELOW!
WILLS DROPS BOMBS IN THE BRONX

Tuesday 12 March 2002

In front of an audience that included HBF President Michael Vincennes and a number of "potential federation investors", New Orleans native Harry Wills put on a spectacular display of hard-hitting boxing as he easily outpointed Dan Hodge of Wichita, Kansas at Jimmy's Bronx Cafe.

Wills sent Hodge crashing to the canvas with single punch knockdowns in the third and fourth rounds and was never troubled on his way to a unanimous decision victory, 58-54, 60-52, 59-53. It was a performance that left no doubt in regards to Wills being a future contender for the federation's World Championship, a performance that showed noteable improvement over his Atlantic City debut five weeks ago.

The #1 seed in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's U.S. Atlantic Coast Boxing League, Wills landed 194 punches to 73 and made quite an impression with his ring entrance. Wills, all decked out in black, made his way to the ring accompanied by the Janet Jackson tune "Black Cat". Indeed, ever since his first ring appearance in New Jersey last month, a number of boxing observers have compared Wills to a panther in the way he moves around the ring. In the moments before tonight's bout, he appeared like a caged animal ready to explode.

Unable to mask his excitement and joy in the moments after the bout, Wills boasted that he feels ready to take on any of the top seeds in the federation's World Championship and 1st Defense tournaments.

"I know I've just started out with this thing, but they ain't so different from me. I'd just love to mix it up with some of those guys," said the 22 year-old. "Johnson, Bowe ... hell, even that big bear Sonny Liston! I'd just love that. But, with the way the rules are, I ain't gonna get that chance for at least a couple o' years, yet." Wills wiped sweat from his bald pate with a towel. "You'll see, baby," he continued. "Once all these tournaments are done and buried, Harry Wills gonna unload a worrrrrld o' hurt on these guys. I really just can't wait, I tell ya."

It's obvious that one of the things Wills possesses in abundance is confidence. That attitude will surely prove to be of some benefit as he continues through the Atlantic League's initial tournament.

But if Wills wasn't already confident enough before arriving at Jimmy's Bronx Cafe tonight, then without a doubt the performance on the undercard of the League's #2 seed and hometown favourite Bob Pastor would have done the trick. In the Co-Feature, Pastor was floored in the third round and outboxed in the fifth before eeking out a split decision victory over San Francisco's Bruce Crickett, 58-57, 56-57, 57-56...

THE ATLANTIC COAST BOXING LEAGUE UNDERCARD

Five weeks ago, the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City hosted the first fight card of the U.S. Atlantic Coast Boxing League. That night got off to an unusual start, with the first three bouts all being draws.

Tonight's event almost started with a trio of a different kind.

The evening opened with a spirited contest between the #6 and #7 seeds, New York's Joe Alexander and the 23 year-old slugger from New Jersey, Jack O'Halloran. Alexander had the better of it during the opening half of the bout, but O'Halloran fought back strongly and had landed more punches by the time the final bell sounded. But Alexander had done just enough in the early rounds and took a split decision victory, 58-57, 57-58, 58-57.

This was followed by two contests that would have to be considered upsets, as the 4th and 5th seeds (Ernie Schaaf of Massachusetts and New York's Tim Carlisle) were both outpointed by lower seeds.

Carlisle's defeat came first, with the hard-working Kansas native Randy Baez (8th seed) gutsing it out for a unanimous decision victory, 58-57, 58-56(x2). Baez had been one of the six fighters involved in drawn bouts on the League's opening night, but most watching had believed he should have been awarded a victory in his bout with Ernie Schaaf. Tonight, his relief and jubilation was there for all to see when the verdict was announced. Undefeated at 1-0-1, Baez has a great chance of qualifying for the tournament's semi-finals.

If Carlisle's loss was a surprise, the result of the next bout was even more so. In a fantastic contest, the #4 seed Ernie Schaaf struggled early (tasting the canvas in the opening round) before making a furious, late comeback. But it was not enough to prevent the League's 12th and last seed Sonny Banks of Detroit taking a unanimous decision, 58-55, 57-56(x2). Having put up a brave showing against the #1 seed Harry Wills on debut, tonight's performance and result was a triumph for Banks ... and an absolute disaster for Schaaf. Being the 4th seed in the League, Schaaf is expected to qualify for the tournament semi-finals. But with his record a disappointing 0-1-1 after bouts with the #8 and #12 seeds, that looks like being a very difficult task indeed.

So if O'Halloran had beaten Alexander in the night's first bout, it would have been a hattrick of victories for the lower seeded fighters.

In the evening's fourth bout, 3rd seed Clarence Burman of Baltimore did what Schaaf and Carlisle could not, pitching a six round shutout against Ray Impelletiere of Cold Springs, New York. The scorecards all read 60-53 to Burman.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
TUESDAY 12 MARCH 2002
JIMMY'S BRONX CAFE, BRONX, NEW YORK USA

THE U.S. ATLANTIC COAST BOXING LEAGUE

OPENING BOUT

(6) Joe Alexander SD6 (7) Jack O'Halloran

PRELIMINARY 1

(8) Randy Baez UD6 (5) Tim Carlisle

PRELIMINARY 2

(12) Sonny Banks UD6 (4) Ernie Schaaf

SUPPORT BOUT

(3) Clarence Burman UD6 (11) Ray Impelletiere

CO-FEATURE

(2) Bob Pastor SD6 (10) Bruce Crickett

MAIN EVENT

(1) Harry Wills UD6 (9) Dan Hodge

[kenyan_cheena]

I don't think I properly explained the format for the Feeder Leagues earlier in the thread.

I have the twelve fighters in each league split into two groups. "Group A" is seeds 1, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 12. "Group B" is seeds 2, 3, 6, 7, 10 and 11.

The fighters in each group will fight each other once for a total of five fights. After this the two top fighters in each group then proceed to the tournament semi-finals. #1 from Group A will fight #2 from Group B and #1 from Group B will fight #2 from Group A. The two winners will meet in the tournament final with the winner awarded with a bout against one of the lowest "World Ranked" fighters. If he is victorious in this bout, he will become a World ranked fighter and will begin soon after begin his long climb up the World Rankings.

As you will have seen, the feeder leagues feature some talented fighters, such as Wills, Lewis, Ibeabuchi, Terone Haynes and Ingemar Johansson. The prospect of all these guys fighting there way up from the bottom of the World Rankings is, to me, pretty exciting.

[kenyan_cheena]

Following is a description of the format for the second stage of the World Championship and 1st Defense tournaments. As you know, the top two fighters in each group at the end of stage one (seven bouts) qualify for stage two.

In stage two, there will be four groups in the WC tournament and two groups in the 1D tournament. Each group will consist of four 1st place fighters and four 2nd place fighters. The 1st place fighters will be seeded #1 - #4 in the group based on their win-loss-draw record from stage one and then their tournament seeding for tie-breaking purposes. The same will apply for the 2nd place fighters, but they will be seeded #5 - #8 in the group.

The fighters will be distributed into the stage two groups like this:

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT - STAGE TWO

GROUP ONE

Seeds #1 - #4 will be:

#1 from Group One (currently Gene Tunney)
#1 from Group Eight (currently Sam McVey)
#1 from Group Twelve (currently George Chuvalo)
#1 from Group Thirteen (currently Ken Norton)

Seeds #5 - #8 will be:

#2 from Group Four (currently Harry Thomas)
#2 from Group Five (currently Otto Von Porat)
#2 from Group Nine (currently Tom Sharkey)
#2 from Group Sixteen (currently Elmer Ray)

GROUP TWO

Seeds #1 - #4 will be:

#1 from Group Two (currently Sonny Liston)
#1 from Group Seven (currently Young Stribling)
#1 from Group Eleven (currently Joe Jeannette)
#1 from Group Fourteen (currently Ernie Terrell)

Seeds #5 - #8 will be:

#2 from Group Three (currently Manuel Ramos)
#2 from Group Six (currently Jack Gardner)
#2 from Group Ten (currently Frank Moran)
#2 from Group Fifteen (currently Tony Alongi)

GROUP THREE

Seeds #1 - #4 will be:

#1 from Group Three (currently Cleveland Williams)
#1 from Group Six (currently Peter Jackson)
#1 from Group Ten (currently Max Schmeling)
#1 from Group Fifteen (currently Oscar Bonavena)

Seeds #5 - #8 will be:

#2 from Group Two (currently Michael Dokes)
#2 from Group Seven (currently Roland LaStarza)
#2 from Group Eleven (currently Ron Stander)
#2 from Group Fourteen (currently Jimmy Ellis)

GROUP FOUR

Seeds #1 - #4 will be:

#1 from Group Four (currently Larry Holmes)
#1 from Group Five (currently Riddick Bowe)
#1 from Group Nine (currently Sam Langford)
#1 from Group Sixteen (currently Floyd Patterson)

Seeds #5 - #8 will be:

#2 from Group One (currently Earnie Shavers)
#2 from Group Eight (currently Tony Tucker)
#2 from Group Twelve (currently Tommy Gomez)
#2 from Group Thirteen (currently Buster Mathis)

In the semi-finals, the winner of Group One will fight the winner of Group Four and the winner of Group Two will fight the winner of Group Three.

1ST DEFENSE TOURNAMENT - STAGE TWO

GROUP ONE

Seeds #1 - #4 will be:

#1 from Group One (currently Rocky Marciano)
#1 from Group Four (currently Trevor Berbick)
#1 from Group Six (currently Mike Weaver)
#1 from Group Seven (currently Doug Jones)

Seeds #5 - #8 will be:

#2 from Group Two (currently Marvin Hart)
#2 from Group Three (currently Tommy Morrison)
#2 from Group Five (currently Cesar Brion)
#2 from Group Eight (currently Billy Walker)

GROUP TWO

Seeds #1 - #4 will be:

#1 from Group Two (currently James Jeffries)
#1 from Group Three (currently Oliver McCall)
#1 from Group Five (currently Nino Valdes)
#1 from Group Eight (currently Herbie Hide)

Seeds #5 - #8 will be:

#2 from Group One (currently Frank Slavin)
#2 from Group Four (currently Jim Maloney)
#2 from Group Six (currently John Lester Johnson)
#2 from Group Seven (currently Natie Brown)

The top two fighters in each group will compete in the semi-finals. #1 from Group One will fight #2 from Group Two and #1 from Group Two will fight #2 from Group One.

***

Of course, only two series of tournament bouts have been completed, so it's guaranteed that the fighters listed above will change by the time the seven stages are completed. As an example, WC tournament #3 seed Jack Johnson is currently sitting in 4th place in Group Three but will most likely finish in the top two (it will be a gigantic shock if he doesn't). A number of other high seeded fighters currently sit outside of their group's top two.

[kenyan_cheena]

RAY MERCER UNLOADS ON ELMER RAY...
...WITH AN ASSIST FROM JAMES REYNOLDS

Wednesday 13 March 2002

Being that he is a sports journalist, the range of topics that James Reynolds covers in his daily New York Age columns is quite varied, and obviously not just limited to boxing. The Brooklyn-born scribe is a veteran of over thirty years in the sports news profession, and in that time he has extensively covered Major League Baseball, the NFL, tennis and the NBA. But his first love has always been boxing. Considering this, it seems a shame that for most of Reynolds life, there has never been a viable professional boxing league that was able to elevate it above third tier status in the universe that is sports in America.

The recent, unprecedented emergence of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation has solved that problem and rekindled Reynolds' love for the sport, but it has also, in the opinion of many (including some of his closest friends), exposed a surly, petty side of the man. The sole root of this is a 17 year-old Florida fighter named Elmer Ray. Back in early January in Japan, Ray caused controversy with abusive behaviour that was directed towards his debut bout opponent, Buddy Baer. Ever since, Reynolds has been running a concerted campaign to have the young man kicked out of the federation. In the two months since Japan, Ray has toned down his attitude, but his outgoing personality, sense of showmanship and skill in the boxing ring have all contributed to him becoming one of the most popular competitors in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation.

In synch with Ray's rise in popularity, Reynold's disapproval of the Hastings-born slugger has grown. It seems that the journalist does not and will never have a good word to say about Ray. He sees him as a troublemaker, an instigator and a braggart with an inflated ego, and it appears that there is little chance that Reynold's opinion will change any time soon.

Reynolds has caused some controversy himself during the past month, following a story he penned that was published in the February 13 edition of the Age that told of a possible expansion of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation. The story has since led to tension between Reynolds and a man who he has been friends with for many a year, HBF President Michael Vincennes. Reynolds insists that he still considers Vincennes a friend and it's the federation president's attitude that has led to the unease in their relationship. Vincennes vehemently criticised the Reynolds article from the outset, but said on SportsCenter last week that he had pushed the topic from his mind. It's been rumoured that in the month since the story was published, the two men have not spoken.

There has been no news on the boxing expansion front for almost three weeks, not since Olympic Gold Medallists Michael Spinks and Ray Leonard confirmed that they had spoken with the same "unnamed businessmen" who had sparked the whole situation when they approached Vincennes. Reynolds himself has had nothing to say on the topic lately, leading to some speculating that he concocted the entire story. But actually, Reynolds has not had much to say about boxing in general lately, either. Besides a column covering Jack Johnson's wild third round knockout of Pat Valentino on March 2, Reynolds has steered clear of the sport.

That is ... until today.

In an article that is sure to cause a fresh round of controversy, the New York Age today published an interview that Reynolds held with Ray Mercer, the Jacksonville, Florida native and #21 seed in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament. In the interview, Mercer openly criticised Elmer Ray over his revelation in Australia on Monday concerning the "alliance" that he and cousin Terone Haynes have formed with fellow Florida fighters Oliver McCall and Tommy Gomez. And Reynolds seemed to encourage Mercer during the interview, not once coming to Elmer Ray's defense.

"This ain't a team sport," Mercer said. "It's every man for himself. Everyone competing in these tournaments knows that. This kid, this 17 year-old kid, he's just running scared. He's like a tough guy who talks big, but then when it's time for action he backs off and hides behind his boys. I can't believe that he had the nerve to call me up and ask if I wanted to train with him. Me, Ray Mercer! A lot of people seem to have forgotten that I won a gold medal back in '92. No one mentions it. It's almost like it never happened. No one said anything about it even back in October and November, back when this thing was starting up. They preferred to go on about Riddick Bowe and the silver medal that he won when Lennox Lewis knocked him out. This Elmer Ray kid, he was six years old then, man! I was over there in Spain takin' care of business, and he was probably back home playing in his yard! And now, he's asking me if I want to train with him? That's just ridiculous."

"Just the whole idea of an alliance with other boxers is crazy," Mercer continued. "You know, I'm 28 years-old. One of the oldest fellas in these tournaments. I waited a long time for something like the HBF to come along. I kept on fighting as an amateur, because I hoped that one day, something like what we've got with the HBF would come along. Over 300 amateur bouts. These young guys, they don't know what that's like. They've just come in, had everything given to them on a platter. I'm realistic. I know that these kids are gonna outlast me. So I don't have time to be messing around, making friends with my competitors. This thing is deadly serious, I tell you. Why the hell would I train with someone who I'm going to be fighting in a few months? He's got that Tommy Gomez kid training with him. I'll be fighting that guy in three months! You can't train with your opponent, that's just crazy!"

Reynolds made a number of comments about the behaviour of Elmer Ray during the past two months, and Mercer did not hesitate to agree with him.

"I think he's got a lot of people fooled," Mercer said. "All that fancy stuff ... the rapping, the entourage, it's all just a smokescreen. He's just a kid playing a man's game and the HBF should have realised that when he auditioned."

One can only wonder how Mercer's words will be accepted, not just by Elmer Ray himself, but also by President Vincennes, members of "The Florida Alliance", fans of the sport and other federation fighters.

It could be that Ray Mercer is not aware of the popularity of Elmer Ray. He may have made a big mistake, one that won't score him any points with the boxing public...

[kenyan_cheena]

TERONE HAYNES EXPLODES AT THE ROD LAVER ARENA!!!

Thursday 14 March 2002

Tonight, 15,000 people filled up the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia to bear witness to the devastating, destructive power that resides in the fists of Florida's Terone Haynes.

Those 15,000 got exactly what they wanted, as Haynes, following on from his debut first round TKO victory, delivered another awesome performance. The #1 seed in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's South-East Asian Boxing League, Haynes knocked out Ghana's Robert Ado 2:28 into the second round with a single, crippling body shot. However, the knockout came at the end of five minutes of brutality that had to be seen to be believed. In those five minutes, Haynes unloaded 180 punches and landed exactly half of them. By comparison, his hapless opponent threw 17, and did not land one. What that means is that in his two fights, Terone Haynes HAS NOT BEEN HIT ONCE.

The bouts that had come before the Main Event were entertaining enough, but when Haynes and his large entourage made their way to the ring accompanied by the apocalyptic audio assault of Public Enemy's "Welcome To The Terrordome", the capacity audience knew that the best was yet to come. "The Hastings Express" (or is that "The Florida Alliance"?) were decked out in black combat fatigues, with matching steel cap boots and dark shades. Elmer Ray was there, a stern set to his jaw. Fellow Florida fighters Oliver McCall and Tommy Gomez were also there (although some might not have recognised Gomez, as he was sporting a freshly-shaven head), along with a quartet of other members of the Haynes-Ray clan. Three of them were as big as, or even bigger than Haynes himself, while the fourth was quite shorter and smaller. The only members of the entourage not wearing the combat gear were Haynes cornermen, who wore black training outfits, and two of his female cousins, looking exquisite in figure-hugging black halter neck dresses.

Many have said that Haynes is the spiting image of Detroit Pistons strongman Ben Wallace, and not just because he wears his hair in the same cornrow style. Haynes is three inches shorter but ten pounds heavier than Wallace and admits that in the past, people have mistaken him for the Pistons b-baller. Tonight, Haynes towered six inches over his Ghanian opponent and came out at the opening bell with one purpose: destruction. Haynes landed 46 punches in the first round, truly earth-shattering, pile-driving blows that would have obliterated any fighter in the HBF. Haynes looked even fitter tonight than he had on debut, weighing in a couple of pounds lighter at 250. His aggressive, relentless pursuit of Ado was at times scary, but the audience could not look away, fascinated by the Floridian's catastrophic assault. It only continued into the second round and a wicked body shot at the 2:19 mark sent Ado to the canvas for the first and only time. He did not attempt to rise, holding his ribcage and struggling for breath. When the African was counted out, Haynes simply shook his head disappointedly but made it a priority to help Ado to his corner and then acknowledge the crowd's applause.

"Way too easy, y'all," Haynes said afterwards. "I jus' hope this Umaga guy I be fightin' next can show me somethin' more. Man, no disrespect y'all, but this a bad way to prepare for a World Rankin', against these type o' opponents."

"You're looking for more of a challenge?" asked ESPN's Rob Jackson.

"Definitely, man. Mos' definitely. This thing, with knockin' brothers out who ain't got a hope in hell o' beatin' me ... it ain't good for our sport, y'all. But, guess I gotta go through this to get that World Rank, so ain't much use bitchin' 'bout it."

Jackson brought Elmer Ray into the conversation, asking him what he thought of the situation back in the States with the Ray Mercer - James Reynolds interview.

"Ain't read it, man, so I can't say a word on it," said Ray.

"But you have heard what it contains?"

"Yeah, we hear some stuff, but that ain't no drama at the moment, man. We deal with that when we back home. I gotta agree with my cuz here, though, man. Jus' ain't right puttin' him in 'gainst these helpless brothers. I jus' don't know where the federation get these fellas from, y'all. But, this Umaga cat that T. goin' up 'gainst next, he got some power, man. Might test him a little, y'all."

Soon after, Haynes, Ray and their entire entourage had departed the ring. They did not celebrate, preferring to exchange friendly words with the audience as they ambled back towards the dressing rooms...

The Melbourne Undercard

Opening Bout

In the moments before the first contest of the night, Australia's big hope in the HBF's World Championship tournament Peter Jackson was introduced to the Rod Laver Arena audience to a huge round of applause. The 6th seed, stylishly dressed in a Georgio Armani suit, was interviewed briefly in the ring by ESPN's Rob Jackson. With his next tournament bout to be held on the 1st of April in Japan, Jackson spoke of how he was happy that he would not have to travel all the way back to America and that he would be able to stay at home right up to a week before the bout. He left the ring to thunderous applause, acknowledging the audience with a raised hand and a winning smile.

The parochial Australian crowd had more to cheer about during the opening bout as local fighter Jack Beckerman took a close majority decision victory (57-56, 56-56, 57-55) over the tough-as-nails Taiwanese slugger Jim Chang Kai.

Born and raised in the Melbourne suburb of St. Kilda, Beckerman was given all he could handle by Chang Kai, who made a terrific start to the bout before Beckerman floored him late in the second round with a single left hook. But in the third round, Chang Kai simply went back to work, taking the round convincingly and continuing that good form in the fourth. Beckerman tasted the canvas ten seconds before the end of the fourth, a lethal left-right combination followed by a left hook doing the damage.

With two rounds remaining, the 7th seeded Taiwanese warrior was in the fight up to his eyeballs, leading by two points on one card and one point on another, with the third judge scoring it even. But Beckerman rallied strongly, sweeping the last two rounds on each card to take the decision.

Though strongly in Beckerman's corner, the audience gave Chang Kai an appreciative round of applause after the final bell and also just moments after the verdict had been announced.

Following on from his tough debut victory over South Africa's Oupa Maoto, Beckerman is now 2-0 and in a great position to qualify for the tournament semi-finals. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Chang Kai. He's 0-2, and will be looking towards the next three bouts as building blocks for his future in the league.

Preliminary 1

Another bout, another Australian victory. 22 year-old New South Welshman Allan Horace scored something of an upset over the hard-hitting Samoan Kalolo Umaga. Horace took a unanimous decision, 57-55 on all three cards, but not before surviving an action-packed opening two rounds.

Umaga had sent Robert Ado to the canvas five times on debut, and when he floored Horace in the opening round, it appeared that he was on his way towards another victory. The action only got more intense in the second, with Umaga getting the better of a series of furious, powerful exchanges that had the audience going nuts.

But then, Horace started to turn things around. The Australian outboxed Umaga in the third and then brought the crowd to their feet in the fourth round when, in response to a thunderous left hook from Umaga, he put the Samoan on the seat of his pants with a right hook of his own. From that moment on, Horace was in control of things and he dominated proceedings in the fifth and sixth rounds against a rapidly tiring opponent. By the time the final bell had sounded, Umaga was cut under both eyes. It was, without a doubt, an impressive performance. Down by three points on all three cards after two rounds, Horace's dominance over the final four rounds resulted in a five point turnaround.

The victory has leapfrogged the 8th seeded-Horace over Umaga in "Group A" of the league standings. His 1-0-1 record has him in third spot, while Umaga has fallen to 1-1. With his next bout against the limited 12th seed Thomas Biobaku, Horace must fancy his chances of remaining undefeated. He has made a great start to his career against two fighters both seeded higher than him (Fred Fulton #4, Kalolo Umaga #5).

The Samoan 5th seed Umaga faces the ultimate test in his next contest when he clashes with the #1 seed, Terone Haynes...

Preliminary 2

One of three American fighters in the Asian League, Fred Fulton was never troubled as he swept all six rounds on all three cards against Nigeria's Thomas Biobaku. Fulton landed twice as many punches as his game but outclassed opponent (186 to 94) as he achieved his first tournament victory and improved his record to 1-0-1. The Blue Rapids, Kansas native is the 4th seed in the tournament and there are some who think that he might have what it takes to make it all the way to the tournament final.

Support Bout

Utah's Rex Layne scored his second stoppage victory of the tournament when he sent Samoa's Uola Malafo to sleep 2:14 into the third round.

In his debut, Layne had some luck when his bout with Taiwan's Jim Chang Kai was stopped on cuts in the third. At the time, Chang Kai was more than holding his own after a great second round. Tonight though, Layne had no such trouble. He dominated from the outset and sent Malafo to the canvas twice in the round. The Samoan was out cold on the second occasion and did not move as the referee administered a full ten count.

At 2-0(2), Layne is the only fighter in the league besides #1 seed Terone Haynes to have recorded a knockout victory. He will surely give #2 seed Tom Heeney a tough night when they compete for what will most likely be the top position in their half of the league ten weeks from now.

Co-Feature

New Zealand's Tom Heeney scored a one-sided unanimous decision victory over South Africa's Oupa Maoto 60-54, 59-55(x2). Heeney unloaded 211 punches upon his opponent, elevating him to 8th place on the official HBF rankings for Punches Landed in a single bout. Many watching the fight found it hard to believe that the nuggety New Zealander is a heavyweight boxer. His hands are quick, there is no doubt about that. And he showed plenty of aggression, with half of the punches he landed being either hooks or crosses. But it doesn't appear that this quickness and aggression will be enough to make up for his complete lack of knockout power. Will he be able to keep the power punchers of the league, such as Rex Layne, Kalolo Umaga and especially Terone Haynes at bay with speed and aggression?

Only time will tell.


SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
THURSDAY 14 MARCH 2002
ROD LAVER ARENA, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA

THE SOUTH-EAST ASIAN BOXING LEAGUE


OPENING BOUT

(6) Jack Beckerman MD6 (7) Jim Chang Kai

PRELIMINARY 1

(8) Allan Horace UD6 (5) Kalolo Umaga

PRELIMINARY 2

(4) Fred Fulton UD6 (12) Thomas Biobaku

SUPPORT BOUT

(3) Rex Layne KO3 (11) Uola Malafo

CO-FEATURE

(2) Tom Heeney UD6 (10) Oupa Maoto

MAIN EVENT

(1) Terone Haynes KO2 (9) Robert Ado

[kenyan_cheena]

MERCER AND REYNOLDS BLASTED
OVER ELMER RAY COMMENTS

Friday 15 March 2002

During the past 48 hours, heavyweight boxer Ray Mercer and New York Age sports journalist James Reynolds have been on the receiving end of a storm of criticism over comments they made regarding 16 year-old HBF competitor Elmer Ray that were published in Wednesday's edition of the New York Age.

In the piece, an interview between Mercer and Reynolds, Mercer openly lambasted Ray over the "alliance" he had formed with fellow Florida-born fighters Oliver McCall and Tommy Gomez. Mercer, himself a native of Jacksonville, Florida, revealed that Ray had also spoken to him about the possibility of joining this "alliance". Ray indicated this past Monday that he wants Florida to be the most dominant region in the entire Heavyweight Boxing Federation and that the best way for that to happen is for all the Florida fighters to pull together, to help each other be the best they can be. Mercer stated in Wednesday's newspaper article that he was against the idea, that boxing "ain't a team sport", that it's "every man for himself" and that "the whole idea of an alliance with other boxers is crazy."

But this wasn't the only topic covered in the interview. Reynolds, a critic of Elmer Ray ever since the young man's controversial actions in Japan in early January, used the second half of the interview to land some shots on him over his behaviour during the past two months. Mercer was in absolute agreement with Reynolds, saying that he thought Elmer Ray has "a lot of people fooled" and that he is "just a kid playing a man's game."

Heavyweight Boxing Federation President Michael Vincennes has been just one of many people to have voiced their disagreement with Mercer and Reynolds since Wednesday's story hit the news stands.

"Unfortunately, this is the type of thing that we've come to expect from James Reynolds lately," said Vincennes. "The way he has set out to bring down Elmer Ray during these past two months - in addition to the whole boxing expansion debacle - has totally destroyed all the admiration and respect I had for the man. I say this with a heavy heart, as I've considered Mr. Reynolds a good friend of mine for close to twenty years. But this latest story is just the last straw. I really don't think I can say that he is a friend anymore. Now, as for Ray Mercer, I'm just totally puzzled about his motives. I don't know what has compelled him to say these things. He's always come across to me as a gentleman, so I don't know what's made him behave in this way. It's really some immature, childish stuff, to be perfectly honest. Coming from one of the senior members of our roster, it just seems even more perplexing. But I think what's even more strange is that the newspaper itself decided to publish this tripe. I guess it pays to be in a position of influence sometimes."

Speaking from his hometown of Brooklyn, New York, where he is preparing for his next bout, Riddick Bowe had some choice words for Ray Mercer.

"It just makes him l