The Heavyweight Boxing Federation - Page 16

kenyan_cheena · 10-05-2005, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

Glad to hear that you are back up to full speed KC, and keep me in suspense over Hartford's big man.

By the way, if you expand in the US Northeast, you might add Stamford, CT HW Lee Q Murray who was a decent fighter or Bridgeport's Billy Tisdale (he was not a great fighter, but my grandfather took a liking to him for some reason) to give Mann a little company.

Christopher

Thanks, Chris. Suspense is always a good thing. As for Murray and Tisdale, I amplanning on adding more fighters to the feeder leagues after the initial seven fight tournament concludes, so they'll probably find a home in the Atlantic Coast Boxing League.

kenyan_cheena · 10-08-2005, 03:37 AM

(continued from post #298)

THE FREDERIKSBERG UNDERCARD

Opening Bout

Norway's Olef Heiberg improved his record to 2-0(1) with a 5th round TKO victory over the unlucky Englishman Charles Moreck. Through four rounds, Moreck had given Heiberg all he could handle, leading by two points on one scorecard with the other two having it even. But a cut that Heiberg had opened under Moreck's left eye in round three became progressively worse, to the point where a straight right hand early in the fifth left the referee with no choice but to call an end to the contest.

Preliminary 1

One of three Irishman in the league, Bran Baggett remained undefeated with a tough majority decision victory against Switzerland's Rostand Plan. It was a much more competitive affair than Baggett's debut against Charlie Jordan had been, with the verdict reading 58-56(x2), 57-57. Plan had lost to another one of the Irishmen (Brion Mayo) on debut and the disappointment on his face was clear to see after the decision was announced.

Preliminary 2

Ireland's Brion Mayo took a unanimous decision victory (57-56, 57-55, 59-53) over an opponent who was more competitive than expected, England's Richard Dunn. Having been stopped on cuts by the #1 seed Ingemar Johansson on debut, Dunn put in a strong effort tonight, particularly during the 3rd, 4th and 5th rounds, which he swept on two of the judge's cards. Unfortunately, Mayo was able to send him to the canvas in both the first and last rounds, effectively negating Dunn's good work.

Support Bout

The Irish finished undefeated on the night (and, so far, in the tournament) when Artuir Claffey took an easy unanimous decision verdict (60-51, 59-53, 60-51). Claffey put England's Charles Bradley on the canvas twice in the first round and once in the second before cruising the rest of the way.

***

An interesting statistic...

The Irish trio of Baggett, Mayo and Claffey are a combined 6-0 in the tournament, while the English trio of Bradley, Moreck and Dunn are 0-6. No doubt, this will have brought a great deal of satisfaction to fight fans in the land of St. Patrick...

Co-Feature

The man who everyone at the Falkoner Center had come to see and cheer on did not disappoint. Denmark's Flemming Ekelund, the #2 seed in the league, put on a dominant display against America's Tunney Hunsaker, knocking him to the canvas in the 2nd and 4th rounds and putting an exclamation point on his performance in the final round before being awarded a unanimous decision, 60-53, 60-52(x2).

Ekelund has shown in his first two bouts that he will pose a sizeable obstacle to the #1 seed Ingemar Johansson in the quest for a shot at a World Ranking.

With an undefeated Irish trio thrown into the mix, the initial tournament of the Northern Europe Boxing League certainly looks to be heading for an exciting conclusion.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
TUESDAY 19 MARCH 2002
FALKONER CENTER, FREDERIKSBERG, DENMARK

THE NORTHERN EUROPE BOXING LEAGUE

OPENING BOUT

(6) Olaf Heiberg TKO5 (7) Charles Moreck

PRELIMINARY 1

(5) Bran Baggett MD6 (8) Rostand Plan

PRELIMINARY 2

(4) Brion Mayo UD6 (12) Richard Dunn

SUPPORT BOUT

(3) Artuir Claffey UD6 (11) Charles Bradley

CO-FEATURE

(2) Flemming Ekelund UD6 (10) Tunney Hunsaker

MAIN EVENT

(1) Ingemar Johansson TKO2 (9) Charlie Jordan

kenyan_cheena · 10-08-2005, 04:12 AM

BOXING EXPANSION: A DEAD ISSUE?

Wednesday 20 March 2002

Exactly five weeks have passed since New York Age journalist James Reynolds sent shockwaves through the boxing fraternity with his article relating to a possible expansion of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation. The controversy that the story caused does not need to be regurgetated here, nor does the friction that it stirred up between Reynolds and HBF President Michael Vincennes.

However, something that we must focus on is the complete lack of news in relation to the issue during the past four weeks. Reynolds himself has not spoken on the issue since the days following the publication of his article. It seems that the recent uproar over his interview with HBF fighter Ray Mercer has sent the journalist running for cover, with rumours that he has not been to his office during the past three days and that his articles - which have covered everything but boxing - have been submitted from an "undisclosed location".

"It's just a complete mystery what has happened," said Larry Brewer of the Boston Express. "You know, Reynolds comes out with this big scoop, five weeks ago now. Then nine days after that, Leonard and Spinks tell us all that they've been spoken to aswell. Since then? Absolutely nothing. It's astonishing to me that these people would go for 26 days without a single word about their plans. They'd have to understand that this is not something new and original that they're doing. Vincennes and the HBF already beat them to it, so anything they come up with will simply be a case of riding on the federation's coattails."

In an interview earlier this week, Olympic gold medallist Michael Spinks was asked if he'd had any contact with the "unnamed businessmen" since that initial contact 26 days ago.

"Not a word," Spinks said, shaking his head. "But I'm not worried about it. One of the things they told me was to start training, 'Start training hard,' they said. I'm pretty sure they'll make some kind of announcement soon."

Many people, such as Larry Brewer, don't share Spinks's optimism. It will be interesting to see when, or even if, we hear any further news relating to the expansion of professional boxing...

kenyan_cheena · 10-08-2005, 05:32 AM

LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE:
LANGFORD AND CO. ERRUPT IN TORONTO

Wednesday 20 March 2002

Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada

Back on the 13th of February, the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis hosted a fight card that has since been almost unanimously regarded as the best seen so far in the short, explosive history of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation.

It was an evening that featured three knockouts, all of them coming within three rounds. These included an eye-popping three round decimation of Venezuela's Jose Luis Garcia by the man many believe will be a future HBF World Champion, Rocky Marciano. Later in the night, the 24th seed in the federation's World Championship tournament, Ireland's Tom Sharkey, recovered from almost being bombed out in the second round to KO Chicago's John Holman in round three. But that bout had come right after one which will surely feature in year end lists for fight of the year. England's Alex Stewart and Australia's Joe Goddard clashed in a contest that had four separate, discernable momentum shifts and three knockdowns, before Stewart was able to survive with a slim unanimous decision victory. In the Main Event, Canada's biggest hope for the World Championship Sam Langford had shown why he is the 9th seed in the tournament with a fantastic performance against South Africa's Gerrie Coetzee. It was a magical, wildly-entertaining night.

Well, tonight, those same fighters from Group Nine of the HBF's World Championship tournament (and Group One of the 1st Defense tournament) were back in action at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Canada. The packed arena had come to see a night of boxing that they could only hope would equal what had taken place in Indianapolis five weeks earlier.

To say that their hopes were realised would be, quite frankly, a gross understatement, as you'll see...

Opening Bout

Following a disappointing debut performance where he was outhustled by Venezuela's Jose Luis Garcia, New Jersey's Tony Galento had rebounded to score a 2nd round knockout of Oscar Pharo in Indy. That victory had given the outgoing Galento a great deal of confidence, and he even went as far as to compare his performance to that of the #1 seed in the 1st Defense tournament Rocky Marciano. Galento had emphasised the fact that Marciano had taken three rounds to finish off Pharo, where as he had only taken two.

Tonight, Galento scored another knockout victory, but to say that his performance was convincing would be an outright lie. Against the winless Mike Schreck of Cincinnati, Galento started like a house on fire, rocking the 40th seed in the 1st Defense tournament with a number of powerful shots in the opening round.
He seemed to be on his way to doing the same in the second before a single right cross deposited the New Jersey native onto the seat of his pants 53 seconds into the round. Bemused and probably a good deal embarrassed, Galento had made the most of the count, rising at eight. Imbued with confidence, Schreck had launched an all-out assault for the remainder of the round, desperate to finish his man off quickly (something he had tried and failed to achieve in his debut against Scott LeDoux).

But Galento was still standing when the round came to a close, and in round three, he showed that, if anything, he'll have a puncher's chance against Rocky Marciano when they meet three months from now. At the 1:45 mark, a single, crushing uppercut knocked Schreck out cold and the referee counted him out.

Indeed, Galento may have knockout power. But he also has an ego that may get him in trouble in the future. Against Garcia on debut, he admitted that he took his foe too lightly. Tonight, he showed signs of that same over-confidence in the moments before Schreck knocked him down. It will be imperative that one of his handlers reel in that side of his makeup before it once again costs him a victory.

Galento is now 2-1(2), while the unfortunate Schreck remains winless at 0-3.

Preliminary 1

One of the fights that had created a great deal of discussion in the lead-up to tonight's event was the contest between Brockton's #1 seed in the 1st Defense tournament Rocky Marciano and the gutsy Australian fighter Frank Slavin.

Both men had tasted victory in their opening two contests, though in vastly different ways. Marciano had been a wrecking machine in dispatching both Oscar Pharo and Jose Luis Garcia within three rounds, while Slavin (#48 seed) had grinded out courageous decision victories over two higher-seeded fighters, Stan Ward (#24) and Scott LeDoux (#32).

Slavin's success in those two bouts had caused a great amount of excitement in his native country, and his status as a sporting celebrity was the equal of Australia's biggest (and only) hope in the World Championship tournament, #6 seed Peter Jackson. With his "handlebar" moustache and larrikin attitude, Slavin had endeared himself to the Australian public in the best possible way.

When questioned about his chances against Marciano, he didn't seem to be too concerned.

"I look at it this way," he had said. "No one expects anything from me. This guy Marciano just killed his first two opponents. I mean, he just annihilated them. Everyone thinks that he'll do the same thing to me. If he doesn't, and I survive into the late rounds, who knows what can happen? The pressure's on him, not me."

Well, when the two men stepped into the ring tonight, it didn't take too long for Slavin to realise how wrong he was. Just 26 seconds into the opening round, the Australian found himself on his back staring up at the referee, courtesy of a crushing left-right-left combination from the #1 seed. Up at six with a look that was the definition of fear blazed upon his countenance, Slavin spent the next 150 seconds simply trying to survive against an assault that left those watching at ringside awestruck. Marciano was simply tearing Slavin to pieces. This man who had put up inspiring performances in his first two bouts was being destroyed. Slavin almost fell over as he made his way back to his corner. As he sat on his stool, he appeared to be hyperventilating, sucking down air.

The Australian came out with more purpose in round two, and seemed to be holding his own until a violent shot to the ribs at the 1:02 mark sent him crumbling to the canvas for a second time. Marciano made his way to a neutral corner with a calmness that belied the execution he was performing. Slavin was up at two, wincing and shaking his head before Marciano came in for the kill. It didn't take long for him to finish the job. A left hook was followed by a crushing five punch combination and the finisher, a straight right that bounced Slavin off the ropes and right into the arms of referee Carlos Berrocal, who waved the fight over 1:51 into the second round. The audience, already overwhelmed by the ferocity of Marciano's offensive barrage, came to their feet as one and applauded.

In just under five minutes of work, Marciano had landed 79 of 169 punches thrown and had illustrated for a third, devastating time that he is the man to beat, not just in the 1st Defense tournament, but in the entire Heavyweight Boxing Federation...

Preliminary 2

Coming into tonight with a record of 1-0-1, Joe Baksi was quietly confident of achieving a victory that would keep him in touch with the top of Group Nine in the Wolrd Championship tournament. The 56th seeded-Baksi had been involved in two rugged contests and escaped without a defeat against his name. But, tonight, he was hoping for more than just staying undefeated. He wanted to make a statement.

His opponent, Chicago's John Holman, seemed a perfect vehicle for such a statement. Dominated by Sam Langford and KO'd by Tom Sharkey (although not before almost doing the same to the Irishman), Holman had said that anything short of a victory would be a disappointment to him. He had spoken of how hard he had trained for this contest, how determined he was to get himself in the picture.

Unfortunately (for both fighters), things didn't go their way. Two minutes into the opening round a headclash opened up Baksi's forehead. Despite his protestations and those of his corner, the fight was called off, declared a Technical Draw just 2:06 into the first round. Chaotic scenes followed, with Baksi and his trainers unloading a verbal spray on both the referee and ringside doctor.

"You gotta be kidding!" Baksi said, incredulous. "You know, Johnny Holman and I have just trained our asses off for tonight and for them to stop this fight in the first round, with no winner, all because of a little cut on my head, that just sucks, man. This result doesn't help either of us, but it harms me even more than him. I still had a shot at the second stage of this tournament before tonight, but now, I don't think so. Now I really know how Ray Mercer felt in his debut."

Baksi is now 1-0-2 and will most likely have to win all of his remaining four bouts to have any chance of qualifying for stage two of the tournament.

Holman is 0-2-1.

Support Bout

Without a doubt, England's Alex Stewart has had an eventful start to his professional boxing career. On debut, he had to rally from an ordinary middle section just to force a draw, while his second bout against Australia's Joe Goddard (a slim unanimous decision victory) was an absolute classic that many consider to be the Fight of the Year to date.

Tonight he was up against a man who had done it pretty tough in his opening two bouts. South Africa's Gerrie Coetzee (104th seed in the WC tournament) had been cut to pieces by Tom Sharkey and soundly beaten by Sam Langford, so he was in a position where a win was the only option if he wanted to stay alive in the tournament.

After a relatively sedate opening round, Stewart picked up the pace in the second, connecting with a number of damaging blows, including a jolting uppercut and a winging right hand in the bottom half of the round. Both combatants had their moments in round three, before Stewart inexplicably took his foot of the gas in the fourth, handing the round to the South African. It continued a worrying pattern that he had established in his first two bouts. The London-born 40th seed roared back in the fifth, punishing Coetzee's body early before staggering him with shots to the head later on.

Most at ringside agreed that, going into the final round, it was anybody's fight. By no means had Stewart done enough to guarantee a victory, and it looked like he was in for another close result. The South African ensured that it would be close, finishing the fight with his best work as he pounded Stewart throughout. It was volume rather than power, but the accumulation of Coetzee's blows had the rapidly-tiring Englishman on the backfoot throughout the round. He rallied in the final minute, but Coetzee had simply fought the best round of the fight and whispers and speculation sifted through the audience, who had come to their feet in a standing ovation at the final bell.

Looking at the punch totals, one would be given the impression that Coetzee was the better fighter. He landed 147 punches at 29%, while Stewart connected with just 107 at 33%. However, almost all of that 40 punch difference came in the final round, when Coetzee really went to town. The crowd waited nervously for the verdict.

Ring announcer Chuck Hall took up the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, how about another round of applause for these great competitors," he said.

The audience responded in kind, before Hall got down to business.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in tonight's entertaing six round contest, we have a split decision."

A wave of excited chatter passed over the audience.

"Judge Larsen Oumgher of the Netherlands has scored the fight 58-57 for Alex Stewart, judge Lee McCowan of the USA has scored the fight 58-57 for Gerrie Coetzee, and judge Luis Pabon of Peurto Rico has also scored the contest 58-57, to the winner ... ALEX STEWART!"

The audience erupted, some of them agreeing with the verdict, others not. In their respective corners, the contrast between the two fighters was like night and day. Alex Stewart was bouncing up and down like a five year-old on a trampoline, high-fiving his corner men, shouting and celebrating. Gerrie Coetzee simply sat on his stool, head bowed. He'd put in his best performance to date, but it hadn't been good enough to bring him his first victory. Stewart eventually crossed the ring to speak to Coetzee, congratulating him and his cornermen on a great effort.

In the post fight interview, Stewart was more gracious and humble, admitting that he couldn't quite believe that after all he has been through in his three bouts, he is still undefeated and still in with a chance to qualify for the second stage of the tournament.

"I'm in a good enough position to capitalise on any mistakes Langford and Sharkey make," Stewart said. "Holman is next up for me, then the big one against Langford. I have to be thinking of nothing but victory in that bout."

A large section of the pro-Langford audience booed, to which Stewart laughed and smiled.

"I'm sorry," he said to the audience. "But I wanna win this thing, too."

Stewart was full of praise for his opponent Gerrie Coetzee. "He just kicked my butt in that final round. I don't know where he summoned the strength from to do that. He's a tough fella, there's no doubting that."

At 2-0-1, Stewart is indeed in a position to pounce if Sharkey or Langford falter. The man himself confirmed he would be watching them with great interest in the night's two concluding contests.

At 0-3, Coetzee must be wondering if he'll ever win a fight. Fortunately, his opponents do become easier from here on. Next up is the 56th seed Joe Baksi and, considering some of the upsets (both minor and major) that have taken place during these tournaments, he must fancy his chances.

(to be continued)

kenyan_cheena · 10-08-2005, 08:23 PM

(continuation)

Co-Feature

Ireland's Tom Sharkey came into tonight's event on the back of two early round stoppage victories, although the second of these, against John Holman, was a far from convincing display. Holman had come terribly close to knocking Sharkey out in the second round, before the 24th seed in the World Championship tournament was able to finish the contest just one round later.

Sharkey knew that his opponent tonight would be tougher than either of his first two, and had said as much in the days before. Although without a victory to show for it, 28 year-old Australian Joe Goddard had made a mighty impressive start to his pro boxing career. In bouts against Joe Baksi (a wild, back-and-forth draw) and Alex Stewart (quite possibly the fight of the year), Goddard had shown the kind of heart, spirit and determination that HBF President Michael Vincennes has lauded during the past three months.

Tonight would be no different as the Australian put in another hard-working, gutsy effort. It was the best bout of the night, a heart-stopping contest where both men attempted to impose their will on the other, a fight that both men savoured.

Sharkey came out firing, dominating the opening round with aggression and rocking Goddard on three separate occasions. But as he has done in each of his previous bouts, the Aussie slugger fought back and all three judges scored the next two rounds in his favour. He was making the most of a three inch height advantage, landing punches in bunches from just out of Sharkey's range. As he returned to his corner at the end of the third round, Sharkey knew he was venturing into unchartered territory ... round four.

The two combatants just continued to damage each other for the next three rounds, neither man taking a backward step, neither man prepared to concede defeat. It was one of those fights where the pace did not let up for the full six rounds. There were those at ringside who kept on wondering when Sharkey would finish Goddard off. He hurt the Australian perhaps half-a-dozen times during the contest, but each time, Goddard would just shake it off and keep punching, shouting at Sharkey to "Bring it on!". They wondered when Sharkey would finish him off, and they were still wondering when the final bell sounded. For the third time on this night, the audience greeted the conclusion of a bout with a standing ovation. Sharkey and Goddard embraced in the middle of the ring, exchanging kind words and speaking with each other's cornermen.

For the second fight in a row, those in the ring and those watching in the audience endured a nervous wait before the verdict was announced.

Chuck Hall again made his way into the ring.

"My lord, ladies and gentlemen, we are being spoiled tonight, aren't we?" he said.

The crowd responded with a round of applause that confirmed their agreement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I will now reveal the scorecards from this classic confrontation. Judge Thabo Spampool of South Africa has scored the bout even, 57-57 ... Judge Stuart Winston of the USA has scored the bout 58-56 to Tom Sharkey ... Judge Anselmo Escobedo of Mexico has scored the bout 57-57, which means, ladies and gentlemen, that we have a DRAW!"

The audience gave a sustained round of applause, with the consensus seeming to be that it was a fair decision. Sharkey and Goddard embraced again, all smiles and congratulatory words.

The two fighters were interviewed together soon after.

"I'm a bit disappointed that I wasn't able to win, obviously," Sharkey said soon after. "But I don't think that there's any shame in being held to a draw by this guy. He's already shown in his first two fights what a tough competitor he is, and he just showed it again tonight. I think he's also shown that maybe the federation didn't seed him high enough. He's just a tough SOB, it's as simple as that."

Sharkey was asked what the verdict meant for his World Championship campaign.

"It's not a big setback," he said. "I mean, to win the group, I was always going to have to defeat Sam Langford. So, if I can stay undefeated in my next two bouts, and then, assuming he's still undefeated, I defeat him, I'll be leading the group. I think the only thing it's done is allow Alex Stewart to draw level with me, but I'm going to have to fight him in the last series of this stage, anyway. So we'll just see what happens, I guess."

Goddard was asked how he was feeling about still being winless after another courageous performance.

"I'm so happy with the way I'm fighting," he said. "These results I've achieved, they've all been against guys who are supposed to beat me. Baksi, Stewart, now Tommy here. They're all seeded higher than me, but I've come real close to beating all three of them. Next up for me is Sammy Langford, and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to that challenge. I'm just having a ball out here."

Soon after, the two courageous warriors departed the arena to another standing ovation...

Main Event

Moments after Tom Sharkey and Joe Goddard disappeared back to the dressing rooms, a chant of "Langford! Langford! Langford!" started resonating throughout the Maple Leaf Gardens. There was a palpable change in the excitement level amongst the audience, and not long after, the man who they had come to see Sam Langford defeat, Jim Savage of Orange, New Jersey entered the ring. The audience gave him a frosty reception, with the small amount of applause he received comfortably drowned out by boos and hisses.

But then, it took just seconds for them to lift the roof off the Maple Leaf Gardens. The opening notes of "O Canada" sounded over the arena's sound system, and the audience simultaneously erupted as Nova Scotia's finest and his cornermen, all decked out in red and white, proudly made their way to the ring. Langford was his usual hyperactive self, a 5'8" mass of movement and energy. But as has been his way throughout these HBF tournaments, he afforded his opponent the utmost respect, taking the unusual and uncommon path of exchanging words with Savage and his cornermen as Chuck Hall introduced the two combatants.

With a little bit of luck, Savage could have been 2-0 going into this bout. Instead, his record read 0-1-1 following a draw against Alex Stewart and a majority decision loss to Joe Baksi. Langford had suffered no such problems in his first two bouts, comfortable unanimous decision victories over John Holman and Gerrie Coetzee.

Tonight, Langford came out firing, showing more aggression than in either of those two victories as he pressed Savage. Langford had been on the negative side of a considerable height advantage against Holman and Coetzee, but Savage was only two inches taller than him and, therefore, not as awkward an opponent. It showed, as the #9 seed looked absoultely fantastic as he pounded Savage's body and head with quick-fire combinations, much to the audience's delight. He took the opening round comfortably and ran back to his corner after the bell sounded. The audience stood and applauded, the "Langford!" chant starting up again.

Langford really was quite a sight. The shortest man in the tournament, but an absolute dynamo in the ring. All quickness and feinting and defensive head movement and aggression wrapped up in red trunks with thin white trim and red boots.

He didn't let up in the second round. If anything, his aggressive tactics seemed to go into a higher gear and he was punishing Savage with precision shots; a right hook, a right uppercut and a left jab/straight right/right uppercut combination all rattling Savage's cage within the first 74 seconds of the round. But soon after came a sight that will send shockwaves through the federation and make those who think that Sam Langford does not have knockout power completely re-think their opinion on the issue. At the 1:40 mark of the round, Nova Scotia's finest sent Jim Savage to sleep with a left jab/straight right combination, the right hand as perfect a punch as you're likely to see. It snapped Savage's head around and he collapsed to the canvas like he'd been shot. A frenzied howl filled the Maple Leaf Gardens and the audience came to their feet. Referee Benji Esteves applied the count, but it really seemed unnecessary. Savage was out cold, and counted out 1:51 into the second round.

Being the gentleman that he is, Langford assisted Savage back to his corner, speaking to the New Jersey native's cornermen before acknowledging the audience's thunderous applause. He moved to all four sides of the ring and raised his hand to the crowd, a smile showing from ear to ear.

"I really didn't think I had it in me myself," Langford said, when questioned about his knockout punch. "I guess it was just timing more than anything. But I want to give all thanks and praise to my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, I want to thank God for blessing me with the tools to be able to do this. You know, our Lord blesses every one of us with different talents and abilities, and it's our responsibility to make the most of them. This is what he gave me, the skills to do this."

Langford's countrymen applauded, and once again the "Langford!" chant rung out, this time for almost a minute before the #9 seed was able to speak again.

"I want to thank each and every one of you as well as all the people who weren't able to be here tonight for the support you've shown me. It's just humbling to realise that there are so many people wishing and praying good thoughts for me. That's what is driving me on in this tournament, your love and support and the thought that when this thing is over, I might just be able to bring the HBF World Championship back to Canada."

The audience came up with one more standing ovation, screams and clapping and whistles and the "Langford!" chant filling the arena. Langford donned his robe and made his way out of the ring. He was soon in amongst the crowd, thanking as many people as he could for their support, posing for photographs and signing autographs.

Two hours later, the Maple Leaf Gardens were finally empty, but those who were making their way home in cars and taxis and on buses and trains carried the celebration with them, and a festive atmosphere pervaded through sections of Toronto far and wide for the rest of the night...

kenyan_cheena · 10-08-2005, 08:31 PM

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
WEDNESDAY 20 MARCH 2002
MAPLE LEAF GARDENS, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

OPENING BOUT

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group One
2(16) Tony Galento KO3 5(40) Mike Schreck

PRELIMINARY 1

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group One
1(1) Rocky Marciano TKO2 6(48) Frank Slavin

PRELIMINARY 2

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Nine
4(56) Joe Baksi TD1 8(120) John Holman

SUPPORT BOUT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Nine
3(40) Alex Stewart SD6 7(104) Gerrie Coetzee

CO-FEATURE

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Nine
2(24) Tom Sharkey D6 5(72) Joe Goddard

MAIN EVENT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Nine
1(9) Sam Langford KO2 6(88) Jim Savage

kenyan_cheena · 10-09-2005, 10:40 PM

"THE BROCKTON BLOCKBUSTER"

Thursday 21 March 2002

New York Age sports journalist James Reynolds has ended his recent silence on all matters boxing with an extensive article in today's edition of the newspaper.

The story is spread out over two pages and includes a review of last night's thrilling HBF Maple Leaf Gardens fight card, with Reynolds highlighting the fact that, as was the case in Indianapolis on 13 February, the Toronto card also featured three stoppages that all occured within the first three rounds. Also part of the article is a preview of what to expect in Philly on Friday night (trouble from Elmer Ray) and at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

But the main focus of the article is the #1 seed in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's 1st Defense tournament, Rocky Marciano of Brockton, Massachusetts.

Reynolds has been a huge fan of Marciano from the moment he saw him in action at the federation's October auditions, and he spends most of the article highlighting the skills and humility of the 24 year-old who many believe will not only win the 1st Defense tournament, but will become the HBF's second World Champion when he subsequently clashes with the inaugural champ (whoever that may be). In the article, Reynolds bestows a nickname upon Marciano, calling him "The Brockton Blockbuster".

(to be continued)

kenyan_cheena · 10-10-2005, 10:25 PM

(continuation)

With the exception of a few lines on Elmer Ray and the Philadelphia fight card, Reynolds makes no mention of any of the controversial issues that he has been involved in during the past months. There is nothing about boxing expansion and nothing about the Ray Mercer interview. The whole article is written in a manner that suggests those incidents never happened.

However, Reynolds does take an undisguised shot at HBF President Michael Vincennes and his Directors over Rocky Marciano's controversial exclusion from the World Championship tournament, an issue that he has spoken and written about on more than one occasion.

"In fifty years from now, boxing fans will be able to tell you who the second HBF World Champion was more readily than the first. Of course, that's the way the federation wanted it."

Indeed, it will be interesting to see the reaction that Reynolds' article brings about. In some corners of the boxing community, he is looked upon with much scorn, almost as a pariah. Those who feel this way will tell you that he has brought all of it onto himself. But Reynolds has always been one to show scant regard for public opinion. "Well, Heaven forbid, I should harbour an unpopular opinion," is one of the journalist's trademark phrases and a doctrine that he has always lived by.

Never more so than during these last three months...

kenyan_cheena · 10-10-2005, 10:31 PM

Coming up in the HBF...

* Boxing comes to Brazil for the second fight card of the South American Boxing League

* All the action and excitement when Elmer Ray, Floyd Patterson and Jimmy Young return to the ring in Philadelphia

* Saturday Night Boxing, live from Madison Square Garden, headlined by the #1 seed in the HBF's World Championship tournament, hometown hero Gene Tunney!

kenyan_cheena · 10-11-2005, 07:04 AM

PERALTA SHOWS PROMISE IN BRAZIL

Thursday 21 March 2002

Tonight, Argentina's Gregorio Peralta scored an easy unanimous decision victory over Jack Carroll of Cincinnati, Ohio in the main event of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's first fight card in Brazil.

The #1 seed in the South American Boxing League, Peralta was always in control of the bout and took the verdict by scores of 59-55(x2), 60-55 to improve his record to 2-0.

One of eight Argentinians fighting in the various HBF tournaments, Peralta is being compared favourably to the man who is the country's brightest star in relation to the World Championship tournament, Oscar Bonavena.

"You know, Bonavena is a bit more rugged, more of a brawler, and definitely stronger," said Boxing World's Terry Nance. "But this guy Peralta, he can really box, he's got a terrific jab. It would be fascinating to see the two of them going against each other. Just a real boxer versus puncher matchup."

Despite the fact that the South American Boxing League is devoid of Brazilians, the crowd at Pacaembu Stadium in Sao Paulo really gave the event a festive, carnival-like atmosphere. They provided a constant, pounding beat as a backdrop and at times were more intent on partying than watching the action in the ring. One can only wonder what they would have got up to if their was a Brazilian or two on the card.

The next card in the SABL will be held in Peralta's homeland of Argentina, at the Luna Park (the same venue that hosted the HBF's March 4 fight card). Peralta spoke about his excitement at the prospect of performing in front of his people. If his efforts so far are anything to go on, he'll have them cheering in Beunes Aires five weeks from now...

UNDERCARD ACTION

* The "other" Argentinian in the SABL, Leonardo Barbaressi rebounded from a disappointing debut where he was stopped on cuts in the third round to score a unanimous decision victory over Brooklyn's Jim Stewart. It was an entertaining bout, especially round four, which Stewart dominated through two minutes before Barbaressi knocked him down and then continued to pummel him for the rest of the round. The scorecards read 58-55(x2), 58-56.

* Colombia's Bernardo Mercado put on a show against his overmatched Mexican opponent, Ramon Villa. The league's 5th seed troubled Villa on a number of occasions in the first two rounds before sending him to the canvas twice in round three. The referee stopped the contest after the second knockdown, declaring Mercado the winner 1:42 into the round. Mercado is now 2-0(1) while Villa is 0-2 and has been stopped in both fights.

* Cuba's 4th seed Omelio Agramonte was held to a draw by the league's bottom seed, Brett Ranford of Idaho. The American started fast, before Agramonte showed what he's capable of in the second and third rounds. But Ranford would not surrender, storming back into the contest in the fourth. The momentum shifted back in the Cuban's favour in the fifth, and by the sixth round both men appeared too spent to do much but cruise to the bell. The scorecards were 58-56 (Ranford), 57-57(x2). In his debut against Ramon Villa, Agramonte had been in real danger of losing before knocking out the Mexican in the final round. Tonight's contest with Ranford was of a similar nature. Agramonte will really have to step up another level if he wants to go far in the tournament.

* In a lacklustre affair, Peru's Roberto Davila was never troubled against Cleaver Twidell of Los Angeles. Davila won a unanimous decision, 59-55(x2), 58-56, and is now 2-0. Unfortunately for the #3 seed, his two opponents have provided little opposition. That combined with the fact that Davila is not especially strong may lead to the Peruvian earning a title of being a boring fighter if he doesn't produce more excitement in his next bouts.

* The league's #2 seed, Cuba's Jorge Luis Gonzalez improved to 2-0 in a one-sided affair. His opponent was Philadelphia's Dave Bailey, who had stopped the Argentinian Leonardo Barbaressi on cuts in three on debut. Tonight, Bailey was simply outclassed and the scorecards showed it: 59-55, 58-56, 59-55, all to Gonzalez. It was an improved performance for Gonzalez compared to his debut, where he had clocked off in the bottom half of the bout. Tonight, he dominated all but the final round, and looks to be the only fighter in the league who might be able to test the #1 seed Gregorio Peralta.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2002
PACAEMBU STADIUM, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

THE SOUTH AMERICAN BOXING LEAGUE

OPENING BOUT

(6) Leonardo Barbaressi UD6 (7) Jim Stewart

PRELIMINARY 1

(5) Bernardo Mercado TKO3 (8) Ramon Villa

PRELIMINARY 2

(4) Omelio Agramonte D6 (12) Brett Ranford

SUPPORT BOUT

(3) Roberto Davila UD6 (11) Cleaver Twidell

CO-FEATURE

(2) Jorge Luis Gonzalez UD6 (10) Dave Bailey

MAIN EVENT

(1) Gregorio Peralta UD6 (9) Jack Carroll

kenyan_cheena · 10-13-2005, 04:54 AM

The previous post has been edited to include all the action from the South American Boxing League's Brazil fight card.

kenyan_cheena · 10-15-2005, 04:43 AM

FANTASTIC IN PHILLY:
YOUNG BLITZES BAER, THRILLS HOMETOWN FANS

Friday 22 March 2002

Story by Mark Lane for the Philadelphia Post

In his first two professional fights, Philadelphia's Jimmy Young had been, to put it mildly, ordinary. He barely escaped with a draw against Tony Ross and didn't do anything to convince observers that he was worthy of his 16th seed in the World Championship tournament with a split decision victory over Rocky Jones.

But tonight, at a sold-out Adams Mark Hotel in his hometown, Young finally showed what he is capable of when he dominated Denver's Buddy Baer in an eye-catching display of boxing prowess. Young achieved a clean sweep of the scorecards, with all three judges awarding him with a 60-54 victory. The big Colorado man was never in the contest, with Young constantly peppering him with lightning combinations, working behind a piston-like left jab that had Baer's right eye almost swollen shut at the final bell.

This was an entirely different Jimmy Young to the one who had struggled against Ross and Jones. This was the Jimmy Young that HBF officials had seen at their auditions in October. Tonight, he showed the world that he really is - along with the likes of Larry Holmes - one of the best pure boxers in the World Championship tournament. The extent of the ease of the hometown hero's victory was reflected in the punch totals for the bout. Young landed 180 punches at just under 50%, while Baer was only able to connect with 53 shots at a measly 23%.

There was not a single spectator at the Adams Mark Hotel that was not in Young's corner. Those underwhelming efforts in his opening two bouts had done nothing to dampen their hopes for his success or their support for him, and the level of passion and enthusiasm on display in the building was like nothing else I've seen so far in these HBF tournaments.

In the minutes before the main event, I walked through the audience, getting some choice quotes on Mr. Jimmy Young from a number of people who claimed to have known him growing up. I also met a little kid, who couldn't have been older than six or seven, who really illustrated to me how much this city is behind the guy. He was wearing a sloppy joe with a picture of Jimmy Young stencilled across it.

I asked him what his name was, shaking his hand.

"My name is Joe Frazier," he said, staring up at me curiously.

"Who's your favourite fighter, Joe?"

He smiled. "Jimmy Young is the best ... he's gonna be World Champ."

"You want to be a fighter one day, Joe?"

He nodded yes, smiling...

Soon after, when Young entered the ring wearing a Philadelphia Eagles jersey, he was greeted by an almost deafening roar of approval from the audience. When the fight commenced, their continual shouts of encouragement spurned him on to his best performance, and he did not fail to recognise how much that support helped him.

"I just feel so lucky to have you guys behind me," he said. "You know, I was pretty terrible in my first two fights, but all of you have shown so much faith in me. All the way through my training, you've sent me so many words of encouragement. I couldn't have done as well as I did tonight without that support, so thank you all, from the bottom of my heart."

The audience responded with a sustained round of applause, many of them standing.

ESPN's Bill Farris asked Young if he felt confident about his chances of qualifying for stage two of the WC tournament.

Young laughed. "If I didn't think I could, I'd give up right now," he said. "From the beginning of this thing, we all knew that to make it to stage two, you can only really afford one loss, two if you're lucky. Things haven't changed, man. I know that I'll have to defeat Elmer Ray and Floyd Patterson to make it through. But, I'll also have to defeat Tom McMahon in my next bout, so he's my only focus for now. Just one fight at a time, that's the way to do it."

Young departed the ring soon after. Elmer Ray, who had been present at ringside following Young's last bout in California five weeks ago, was nowhere to be seen this time. It was more than likely that the vicious reception the audience had given him when he had entered the ring earlier in the night had made him think better of repeating the stunt.

Regardless, tonight Jimmy Young showed that he isn't a "bum", as Elmer Ray has called him in the past. Tonight, Jimmy Young showed that the race for stage two will be closer in Group Sixteen than in any other group of this exciting World Championship tournament...

The Philadelphia Undercard

OPENING BOUT

In a battle of two fighters from the United Kingdom, England's Billy Walker choked on an opportunity to move to 3-0 when he was outfought by Welshman Joe Erskine. In a 1st Defense tournament bout, Erskine took a split decision, 59-55, 56-58, 58-56 with many wondering if judge Remigio Ruggeri (who had awarded the decision to Walker) was watching the same fight as they were. Walker came out flat and it seemed like nothing short of a cattle-prod was going to get him going.

The 25th seed in the 1st Defense tournament, Walker had staged late rallies to win both of his previous bouts, but there was no comeback tonight. He just didn't have it, and cursed his wretched performance after the decision was announced.

Meanwhile, Erskine (57th seed) celebrated wildly after his second consecutive victory over a top four seed. He was knocked out in two by the group's top seed Herbie Hide on debut, but had followed that up with a great performance when he outpointed the 9th seed in the tournament Embrell Davidson. Erskine called tonight's victory "icing on the cake."

"You know, I've fought three of the top four guys in the group, and I've beaten two of them," said the 21 year-old, a huge smile on his face. "That's just bloody incredible to me. I never expected to be in this position."

Both fighters are now 2-1, but due

10-08-2005, 03:37 AM	#302 (permalink)
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 4,289	(continued from post #298) THE FREDERIKSBERG UNDERCARD Opening Bout Norway's Olef Heiberg improved his record to 2-0(1) with a 5th round TKO victory over the unlucky Englishman Charles Moreck. Through four rounds, Moreck had given Heiberg all he could handle, leading by two points on one scorecard with the other two having it even. But a cut that Heiberg had opened under Moreck's left eye in round three became progressively worse, to the point where a straight right hand early in the fifth left the referee with no choice but to call an end to the contest. Preliminary 1 One of three Irishman in the league, Bran Baggett remained undefeated with a tough majority decision victory against Switzerland's Rostand Plan. It was a much more competitive affair than Baggett's debut against Charlie Jordan had been, with the verdict reading 58-56(x2), 57-57. Plan had lost to another one of the Irishmen (Brion Mayo) on debut and the disappointment on his face was clear to see after the decision was announced. Preliminary 2 Ireland's Brion Mayo took a unanimous decision victory (57-56, 57-55, 59-53) over an opponent who was more competitive than expected, England's Richard Dunn. Having been stopped on cuts by the #1 seed Ingemar Johansson on debut, Dunn put in a strong effort tonight, particularly during the 3rd, 4th and 5th rounds, which he swept on two of the judge's cards. Unfortunately, Mayo was able to send him to the canvas in both the first and last rounds, effectively negating Dunn's good work. Support Bout The Irish finished undefeated on the night (and, so far, in the tournament) when Artuir Claffey took an easy unanimous decision verdict (60-51, 59-53, 60-51). Claffey put England's Charles Bradley on the canvas twice in the first round and once in the second before cruising the rest of the way. * An interesting statistic... The Irish trio of Baggett, Mayo and Claffey are a combined 6-0 in the tournament, while the English trio of Bradley, Moreck and Dunn are 0-6. No doubt, this will have brought a great deal of satisfaction to fight fans in the land of St. Patrick... Co-Feature The man who everyone at the Falkoner Center had come to see and cheer on did not disappoint. Denmark's Flemming Ekelund, the #2 seed in the league, put on a dominant display against America's Tunney Hunsaker, knocking him to the canvas in the 2nd and 4th rounds and putting an exclamation point on his performance in the final round before being awarded a unanimous decision, 60-53, 60-52(x2). Ekelund has shown in his first two bouts that he will pose a sizeable obstacle to the #1 seed Ingemar Johansson in the quest for a shot at a World Ranking. With an undefeated Irish trio thrown into the mix, the initial tournament of the Northern Europe Boxing League certainly looks to be heading for an exciting conclusion. SUMMARY OF RESULTS HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD TUESDAY 19 MARCH 2002 FALKONER CENTER, FREDERIKSBERG, DENMARK THE NORTHERN EUROPE BOXING LEAGUE OPENING BOUT (6) Olaf Heiberg TKO5 (7) Charles Moreck PRELIMINARY 1 (5) Bran Baggett MD6 (8) Rostand Plan PRELIMINARY 2 (4) Brion Mayo UD6 (12) Richard Dunn SUPPORT BOUT (3) Artuir Claffey UD6 (11) Charles Bradley CO-FEATURE (2) Flemming Ekelund UD6 (10) Tunney Hunsaker MAIN EVENT (1) Ingemar Johansson TKO2 (9) Charlie Jordan __________________ The Heavyweight Boxing Federation The Heavyweight Boxing Federation: Tournament Group Standings The International Boxing League MLB: 1958 and Beyond...** Last edited by kenyan_cheena : 10-08-2005 at 03:42 AM.

10-08-2005, 04:12 AM	#303 (permalink)
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 4,289	BOXING EXPANSION: A DEAD ISSUE? Wednesday 20 March 2002 Exactly five weeks have passed since New York Age journalist James Reynolds sent shockwaves through the boxing fraternity with his article relating to a possible expansion of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation. The controversy that the story caused does not need to be regurgetated here, nor does the friction that it stirred up between Reynolds and HBF President Michael Vincennes. However, something that we must focus on is the complete lack of news in relation to the issue during the past four weeks. Reynolds himself has not spoken on the issue since the days following the publication of his article. It seems that the recent uproar over his interview with HBF fighter Ray Mercer has sent the journalist running for cover, with rumours that he has not been to his office during the past three days and that his articles - which have covered everything but boxing - have been submitted from an "undisclosed location". "It's just a complete mystery what has happened," said Larry Brewer of the Boston Express. "You know, Reynolds comes out with this big scoop, five weeks ago now. Then nine days after that, Leonard and Spinks tell us all that they've been spoken to aswell. Since then? Absolutely nothing. It's astonishing to me that these people would go for 26 days without a single word about their plans. They'd have to understand that this is not something new and original that they're doing. Vincennes and the HBF already beat them to it, so anything they come up with will simply be a case of riding on the federation's coattails." In an interview earlier this week, Olympic gold medallist Michael Spinks was asked if he'd had any contact with the "unnamed businessmen" since that initial contact 26 days ago. "Not a word," Spinks said, shaking his head. "But I'm not worried about it. One of the things they told me was to start training, 'Start training hard,' they said. I'm pretty sure they'll make some kind of announcement soon." Many people, such as Larry Brewer, don't share Spinks's optimism. It will be interesting to see when, or even if, we hear any further news relating to the expansion of professional boxing... __________________ The Heavyweight Boxing Federation The Heavyweight Boxing Federation: Tournament Group Standings The International Boxing League MLB: 1958 and Beyond...

10-08-2005, 05:32 AM	#304 (permalink)
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 4,289	LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE: LANGFORD AND CO. ERRUPT IN TORONTO Wednesday 20 March 2002 Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada Back on the 13th of February, the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis hosted a fight card that has since been almost unanimously regarded as the best seen so far in the short, explosive history of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation. It was an evening that featured three knockouts, all of them coming within three rounds. These included an eye-popping three round decimation of Venezuela's Jose Luis Garcia by the man many believe will be a future HBF World Champion, Rocky Marciano. Later in the night, the 24th seed in the federation's World Championship tournament, Ireland's Tom Sharkey, recovered from almost being bombed out in the second round to KO Chicago's John Holman in round three. But that bout had come right after one which will surely feature in year end lists for fight of the year. England's Alex Stewart and Australia's Joe Goddard clashed in a contest that had four separate, discernable momentum shifts and three knockdowns, before Stewart was able to survive with a slim unanimous decision victory. In the Main Event, Canada's biggest hope for the World Championship Sam Langford had shown why he is the 9th seed in the tournament with a fantastic performance against South Africa's Gerrie Coetzee. It was a magical, wildly-entertaining night. Well, tonight, those same fighters from Group Nine of the HBF's World Championship tournament (and Group One of the 1st Defense tournament) were back in action at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Canada. The packed arena had come to see a night of boxing that they could only hope would equal what had taken place in Indianapolis five weeks earlier. To say that their hopes were realised would be, quite frankly, a gross understatement, as you'll see... *Opening Bout* Following a disappointing debut performance where he was outhustled by Venezuela's Jose Luis Garcia, New Jersey's Tony Galento had rebounded to score a 2nd round knockout of Oscar Pharo in Indy. That victory had given the outgoing Galento a great deal of confidence, and he even went as far as to compare his performance to that of the #1 seed in the 1st Defense tournament Rocky Marciano. Galento had emphasised the fact that Marciano had taken three rounds to finish off Pharo, where as he had only taken two. Tonight, Galento scored another knockout victory, but to say that his performance was convincing would be an outright lie. Against the winless Mike Schreck of Cincinnati, Galento started like a house on fire, rocking the 40th seed in the 1st Defense tournament with a number of powerful shots in the opening round. He seemed to be on his way to doing the same in the second before a single right cross deposited the New Jersey native onto the seat of his pants 53 seconds into the round. Bemused and probably a good deal embarrassed, Galento had made the most of the count, rising at eight. Imbued with confidence, Schreck had launched an all-out assault for the remainder of the round, desperate to finish his man off quickly (something he had tried and failed to achieve in his debut against Scott LeDoux). But Galento was still standing when the round came to a close, and in round three, he showed that, if anything, he'll have a puncher's chance against Rocky Marciano when they meet three months from now. At the 1:45 mark, a single, crushing uppercut knocked Schreck out cold and the referee counted him out. Indeed, Galento may have knockout power. But he also has an ego that may get him in trouble in the future. Against Garcia on debut, he admitted that he took his foe too lightly. Tonight, he showed signs of that same over-confidence in the moments before Schreck knocked him down. It will be imperative that one of his handlers reel in that side of his makeup before it once again costs him a victory. Galento is now 2-1(2), while the unfortunate Schreck remains winless at 0-3. *Preliminary 1* One of the fights that had created a great deal of discussion in the lead-up to tonight's event was the contest between Brockton's #1 seed in the 1st Defense tournament Rocky Marciano and the gutsy Australian fighter Frank Slavin. Both men had tasted victory in their opening two contests, though in vastly different ways. Marciano had been a wrecking machine in dispatching both Oscar Pharo and Jose Luis Garcia within three rounds, while Slavin (#48 seed) had grinded out courageous decision victories over two higher-seeded fighters, Stan Ward (#24) and Scott LeDoux (#32). Slavin's success in those two bouts had caused a great amount of excitement in his native country, and his status as a sporting celebrity was the equal of Australia's biggest (and only) hope in the World Championship tournament, #6 seed Peter Jackson. With his "handlebar" moustache and larrikin attitude, Slavin had endeared himself to the Australian public in the best possible way. When questioned about his chances against Marciano, he didn't seem to be too concerned. "I look at it this way," he had said. "No one expects anything from me. This guy Marciano just killed his first two opponents. I mean, he just annihilated them. Everyone thinks that he'll do the same thing to me. If he doesn't, and I survive into the late rounds, who knows what can happen? The pressure's on him, not me." Well, when the two men stepped into the ring tonight, it didn't take too long for Slavin to realise how wrong he was. Just 26 seconds into the opening round, the Australian found himself on his back staring up at the referee, courtesy of a crushing left-right-left combination from the #1 seed. Up at six with a look that was the definition of fear blazed upon his countenance, Slavin spent the next 150 seconds simply trying to survive against an assault that left those watching at ringside awestruck. Marciano was simply tearing Slavin to pieces. This man who had put up inspiring performances in his first two bouts was being destroyed. Slavin almost fell over as he made his way back to his corner. As he sat on his stool, he appeared to be hyperventilating, sucking down air. The Australian came out with more purpose in round two, and seemed to be holding his own until a violent shot to the ribs at the 1:02 mark sent him crumbling to the canvas for a second time. Marciano made his way to a neutral corner with a calmness that belied the execution he was performing. Slavin was up at two, wincing and shaking his head before Marciano came in for the kill. It didn't take long for him to finish the job. A left hook was followed by a crushing five punch combination and the finisher, a straight right that bounced Slavin off the ropes and right into the arms of referee Carlos Berrocal, who waved the fight over 1:51 into the second round. The audience, already overwhelmed by the ferocity of Marciano's offensive barrage, came to their feet as one and applauded. In just under five minutes of work, Marciano had landed 79 of 169 punches thrown and had illustrated for a third, devastating time that he is the man to beat, not just in the 1st Defense tournament, but in the entire Heavyweight Boxing Federation... *Preliminary 2* Coming into tonight with a record of 1-0-1, Joe Baksi was quietly confident of achieving a victory that would keep him in touch with the top of Group Nine in the Wolrd Championship tournament. The 56th seeded-Baksi had been involved in two rugged contests and escaped without a defeat against his name. But, tonight, he was hoping for more than just staying undefeated. He wanted to make a statement. His opponent, Chicago's John Holman, seemed a perfect vehicle for such a statement. Dominated by Sam Langford and KO'd by Tom Sharkey (although not before almost doing the same to the Irishman), Holman had said that anything short of a victory would be a disappointment to him. He had spoken of how hard he had trained for this contest, how determined he was to get himself in the picture. Unfortunately (for both fighters), things didn't go their way. Two minutes into the opening round a headclash opened up Baksi's forehead. Despite his protestations and those of his corner, the fight was called off, declared a Technical Draw just 2:06 into the first round. Chaotic scenes followed, with Baksi and his trainers unloading a verbal spray on both the referee and ringside doctor. "You gotta be kidding!" Baksi said, incredulous. "You know, Johnny Holman and I have just trained our asses off for tonight and for them to stop this fight in the first round, with no winner, all because of a little cut on my head, that just sucks, man. This result doesn't help either of us, but it harms me even more than him. I still had a shot at the second stage of this tournament before tonight, but now, I don't think so. Now I really know how Ray Mercer felt in his debut." Baksi is now 1-0-2 and will most likely have to win all of his remaining four bouts to have any chance of qualifying for stage two of the tournament. Holman is 0-2-1. *Support Bout* Without a doubt, England's Alex Stewart has had an eventful start to his professional boxing career. On debut, he had to rally from an ordinary middle section just to force a draw, while his second bout against Australia's Joe Goddard (a slim unanimous decision victory) was an absolute classic that many consider to be the Fight of the Year to date. Tonight he was up against a man who had done it pretty tough in his opening two bouts. South Africa's Gerrie Coetzee (104th seed in the WC tournament) had been cut to pieces by Tom Sharkey and soundly beaten by Sam Langford, so he was in a position where a win was the only option if he wanted to stay alive in the tournament. After a relatively sedate opening round, Stewart picked up the pace in the second, connecting with a number of damaging blows, including a jolting uppercut and a winging right hand in the bottom half of the round. Both combatants had their moments in round three, before Stewart inexplicably took his foot of the gas in the fourth, handing the round to the South African. It continued a worrying pattern that he had established in his first two bouts. The London-born 40th seed roared back in the fifth, punishing Coetzee's body early before staggering him with shots to the head later on. Most at ringside agreed that, going into the final round, it was anybody's fight. By no means had Stewart done enough to guarantee a victory, and it looked like he was in for another close result. The South African ensured that it would be close, finishing the fight with his best work as he pounded Stewart throughout. It was volume rather than power, but the accumulation of Coetzee's blows had the rapidly-tiring Englishman on the backfoot throughout the round. He rallied in the final minute, but Coetzee had simply fought the best round of the fight and whispers and speculation sifted through the audience, who had come to their feet in a standing ovation at the final bell. Looking at the punch totals, one would be given the impression that Coetzee was the better fighter. He landed 147 punches at 29%, while Stewart connected with just 107 at 33%. However, almost all of that 40 punch difference came in the final round, when Coetzee really went to town. The crowd waited nervously for the verdict. Ring announcer Chuck Hall took up the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, how about another round of applause for these great competitors," he said. The audience responded in kind, before Hall got down to business. "Ladies and gentlemen, in tonight's entertaing six round contest, we have a split decision." A wave of excited chatter passed over the audience. "Judge Larsen Oumgher of the Netherlands has scored the fight 58-57 for Alex Stewart, judge Lee McCowan of the USA has scored the fight 58-57 for Gerrie Coetzee, and judge Luis Pabon of Peurto Rico has also scored the contest 58-57, to the winner ... ALEX STEWART!" The audience erupted, some of them agreeing with the verdict, others not. In their respective corners, the contrast between the two fighters was like night and day. Alex Stewart was bouncing up and down like a five year-old on a trampoline, high-fiving his corner men, shouting and celebrating. Gerrie Coetzee simply sat on his stool, head bowed. He'd put in his best performance to date, but it hadn't been good enough to bring him his first victory. Stewart eventually crossed the ring to speak to Coetzee, congratulating him and his cornermen on a great effort. In the post fight interview, Stewart was more gracious and humble, admitting that he couldn't quite believe that after all he has been through in his three bouts, he is still undefeated and still in with a chance to qualify for the second stage of the tournament. "I'm in a good enough position to capitalise on any mistakes Langford and Sharkey make," Stewart said. "Holman is next up for me, then the big one against Langford. I have to be thinking of nothing but victory in that bout." A large section of the pro-Langford audience booed, to which Stewart laughed and smiled. "I'm sorry," he said to the audience. "But I wanna win this thing, too." Stewart was full of praise for his opponent Gerrie Coetzee. "He just kicked my butt in that final round. I don't know where he summoned the strength from to do that. He's a tough fella, there's no doubting that." At 2-0-1, Stewart is indeed in a position to pounce if Sharkey or Langford falter. The man himself confirmed he would be watching them with great interest in the night's two concluding contests. At 0-3, Coetzee must be wondering if he'll ever win a fight. Fortunately, his opponents do become easier from here on. Next up is the 56th seed Joe Baksi and, considering some of the upsets (both minor and major) that have taken place during these tournaments, he must fancy his chances. (to be continued) __________________ The Heavyweight Boxing Federation The Heavyweight Boxing Federation: Tournament Group Standings The International Boxing League MLB: 1958 and Beyond... Last edited by kenyan_cheena : 10-08-2005 at 07:13 PM.

10-08-2005, 08:23 PM	#305 (permalink)
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 4,289	(continuation) *Co-Feature* Ireland's Tom Sharkey came into tonight's event on the back of two early round stoppage victories, although the second of these, against John Holman, was a far from convincing display. Holman had come terribly close to knocking Sharkey out in the second round, before the 24th seed in the World Championship tournament was able to finish the contest just one round later. Sharkey knew that his opponent tonight would be tougher than either of his first two, and had said as much in the days before. Although without a victory to show for it, 28 year-old Australian Joe Goddard had made a mighty impressive start to his pro boxing career. In bouts against Joe Baksi (a wild, back-and-forth draw) and Alex Stewart (quite possibly the fight of the year), Goddard had shown the kind of heart, spirit and determination that HBF President Michael Vincennes has lauded during the past three months. Tonight would be no different as the Australian put in another hard-working, gutsy effort. It was the best bout of the night, a heart-stopping contest where both men attempted to impose their will on the other, a fight that both men savoured. Sharkey came out firing, dominating the opening round with aggression and rocking Goddard on three separate occasions. But as he has done in each of his previous bouts, the Aussie slugger fought back and all three judges scored the next two rounds in his favour. He was making the most of a three inch height advantage, landing punches in bunches from just out of Sharkey's range. As he returned to his corner at the end of the third round, Sharkey knew he was venturing into unchartered territory ... round four. The two combatants just continued to damage each other for the next three rounds, neither man taking a backward step, neither man prepared to concede defeat. It was one of those fights where the pace did not let up for the full six rounds. There were those at ringside who kept on wondering when Sharkey would finish Goddard off. He hurt the Australian perhaps half-a-dozen times during the contest, but each time, Goddard would just shake it off and keep punching, shouting at Sharkey to "Bring it on!". They wondered when Sharkey would finish him off, and they were still wondering when the final bell sounded. For the third time on this night, the audience greeted the conclusion of a bout with a standing ovation. Sharkey and Goddard embraced in the middle of the ring, exchanging kind words and speaking with each other's cornermen. For the second fight in a row, those in the ring and those watching in the audience endured a nervous wait before the verdict was announced. Chuck Hall again made his way into the ring. "My lord, ladies and gentlemen, we are being spoiled tonight, aren't we?" he said. The crowd responded with a round of applause that confirmed their agreement. "Ladies and gentlemen, I will now reveal the scorecards from this classic confrontation. Judge Thabo Spampool of South Africa has scored the bout even, 57-57 ... Judge Stuart Winston of the USA has scored the bout 58-56 to Tom Sharkey ... Judge Anselmo Escobedo of Mexico has scored the bout 57-57, which means, ladies and gentlemen, that we have a DRAW!" The audience gave a sustained round of applause, with the consensus seeming to be that it was a fair decision. Sharkey and Goddard embraced again, all smiles and congratulatory words. The two fighters were interviewed together soon after. "I'm a bit disappointed that I wasn't able to win, obviously," Sharkey said soon after. "But I don't think that there's any shame in being held to a draw by this guy. He's already shown in his first two fights what a tough competitor he is, and he just showed it again tonight. I think he's also shown that maybe the federation didn't seed him high enough. He's just a tough SOB, it's as simple as that." Sharkey was asked what the verdict meant for his World Championship campaign. "It's not a big setback," he said. "I mean, to win the group, I was always going to have to defeat Sam Langford. So, if I can stay undefeated in my next two bouts, and then, assuming he's still undefeated, I defeat him, I'll be leading the group. I think the only thing it's done is allow Alex Stewart to draw level with me, but I'm going to have to fight him in the last series of this stage, anyway. So we'll just see what happens, I guess." Goddard was asked how he was feeling about still being winless after another courageous performance. "I'm so happy with the way I'm fighting," he said. "These results I've achieved, they've all been against guys who are supposed to beat me. Baksi, Stewart, now Tommy here. They're all seeded higher than me, but I've come real close to beating all three of them. Next up for me is Sammy Langford, and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to that challenge. I'm just having a ball out here." Soon after, the two courageous warriors departed the arena to another standing ovation... *Main Event* Moments after Tom Sharkey and Joe Goddard disappeared back to the dressing rooms, a chant of "Langford! Langford! Langford!" started resonating throughout the Maple Leaf Gardens. There was a palpable change in the excitement level amongst the audience, and not long after, the man who they had come to see Sam Langford defeat, Jim Savage of Orange, New Jersey entered the ring. The audience gave him a frosty reception, with the small amount of applause he received comfortably drowned out by boos and hisses. But then, it took just seconds for them to lift the roof off the Maple Leaf Gardens. The opening notes of "O Canada" sounded over the arena's sound system, and the audience simultaneously erupted as Nova Scotia's finest and his cornermen, all decked out in red and white, proudly made their way to the ring. Langford was his usual hyperactive self, a 5'8" mass of movement and energy. But as has been his way throughout these HBF tournaments, he afforded his opponent the utmost respect, taking the unusual and uncommon path of exchanging words with Savage and his cornermen as Chuck Hall introduced the two combatants. With a little bit of luck, Savage could have been 2-0 going into this bout. Instead, his record read 0-1-1 following a draw against Alex Stewart and a majority decision loss to Joe Baksi. Langford had suffered no such problems in his first two bouts, comfortable unanimous decision victories over John Holman and Gerrie Coetzee. Tonight, Langford came out firing, showing more aggression than in either of those two victories as he pressed Savage. Langford had been on the negative side of a considerable height advantage against Holman and Coetzee, but Savage was only two inches taller than him and, therefore, not as awkward an opponent. It showed, as the #9 seed looked absoultely fantastic as he pounded Savage's body and head with quick-fire combinations, much to the audience's delight. He took the opening round comfortably and ran back to his corner after the bell sounded. The audience stood and applauded, the "Langford!" chant starting up again. Langford really was quite a sight. The shortest man in the tournament, but an absolute dynamo in the ring. All quickness and feinting and defensive head movement and aggression wrapped up in red trunks with thin white trim and red boots. He didn't let up in the second round. If anything, his aggressive tactics seemed to go into a higher gear and he was punishing Savage with precision shots; a right hook, a right uppercut and a left jab/straight right/right uppercut combination all rattling Savage's cage within the first 74 seconds of the round. But soon after came a sight that will send shockwaves through the federation and make those who think that Sam Langford does not have knockout power completely re-think their opinion on the issue. At the 1:40 mark of the round, Nova Scotia's finest sent Jim Savage to sleep with a left jab/straight right combination, the right hand as perfect a punch as you're likely to see. It snapped Savage's head around and he collapsed to the canvas like he'd been shot. A frenzied howl filled the Maple Leaf Gardens and the audience came to their feet. Referee Benji Esteves applied the count, but it really seemed unnecessary. Savage was out cold, and counted out 1:51 into the second round. Being the gentleman that he is, Langford assisted Savage back to his corner, speaking to the New Jersey native's cornermen before acknowledging the audience's thunderous applause. He moved to all four sides of the ring and raised his hand to the crowd, a smile showing from ear to ear. "I really didn't think I had it in me myself," Langford said, when questioned about his knockout punch. "I guess it was just timing more than anything. But I want to give all thanks and praise to my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, I want to thank God for blessing me with the tools to be able to do this. You know, our Lord blesses every one of us with different talents and abilities, and it's our responsibility to make the most of them. This is what he gave me, the skills to do this." Langford's countrymen applauded, and once again the "Langford!" chant rung out, this time for almost a minute before the #9 seed was able to speak again. "I want to thank each and every one of you as well as all the people who weren't able to be here tonight for the support you've shown me. It's just humbling to realise that there are so many people wishing and praying good thoughts for me. That's what is driving me on in this tournament, your love and support and the thought that when this thing is over, I might just be able to bring the HBF World Championship back to Canada." The audience came up with one more standing ovation, screams and clapping and whistles and the "Langford!" chant filling the arena. Langford donned his robe and made his way out of the ring. He was soon in amongst the crowd, thanking as many people as he could for their support, posing for photographs and signing autographs. Two hours later, the Maple Leaf Gardens were finally empty, but those who were making their way home in cars and taxis and on buses and trains carried the celebration with them, and a festive atmosphere pervaded through sections of Toronto far and wide for the rest of the night... __________________ The Heavyweight Boxing Federation The Heavyweight Boxing Federation: Tournament Group Standings The International Boxing League MLB: 1958 and Beyond... Last edited by kenyan_cheena : 10-08-2005 at 08:31 PM.

10-08-2005, 08:31 PM	#306 (permalink)
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 4,289	SUMMARY OF RESULTS HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD WEDNESDAY 20 MARCH 2002 MAPLE LEAF GARDENS, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA OPENING BOUT HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group One 2(16) Tony Galento KO3 5(40) Mike Schreck PRELIMINARY 1 HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group One 1(1) Rocky Marciano TKO2 6(48) Frank Slavin PRELIMINARY 2 HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Nine 4(56) Joe Baksi TD1 8(120) John Holman SUPPORT BOUT HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Nine 3(40) Alex Stewart SD6 7(104) Gerrie Coetzee CO-FEATURE HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Nine 2(24) Tom Sharkey D6 5(72) Joe Goddard MAIN EVENT HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Nine 1(9) Sam Langford KO2 6(88) Jim Savage __________________ The Heavyweight Boxing Federation The Heavyweight Boxing Federation: Tournament Group Standings The International Boxing League MLB: 1958 and Beyond... Last edited by kenyan_cheena : 01-11-2006 at 08:40 PM.

10-09-2005, 10:40 PM	#307 (permalink)
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 4,289	"THE BROCKTON BLOCKBUSTER" Thursday 21 March 2002 New York Age sports journalist James Reynolds has ended his recent silence on all matters boxing with an extensive article in today's edition of the newspaper. The story is spread out over two pages and includes a review of last night's thrilling HBF Maple Leaf Gardens fight card, with Reynolds highlighting the fact that, as was the case in Indianapolis on 13 February, the Toronto card also featured three stoppages that all occured within the first three rounds. Also part of the article is a preview of what to expect in Philly on Friday night (trouble from Elmer Ray) and at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. But the main focus of the article is the #1 seed in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's 1st Defense tournament, Rocky Marciano of Brockton, Massachusetts. Reynolds has been a huge fan of Marciano from the moment he saw him in action at the federation's October auditions, and he spends most of the article highlighting the skills and humility of the 24 year-old who many believe will not only win the 1st Defense tournament, but will become the HBF's second World Champion when he subsequently clashes with the inaugural champ (whoever that may be). In the article, Reynolds bestows a nickname upon Marciano, calling him "The Brockton Blockbuster". (to be continued) __________________ The Heavyweight Boxing Federation The Heavyweight Boxing Federation: Tournament Group Standings The International Boxing League MLB: 1958 and Beyond...

10-10-2005, 10:25 PM	#308 (permalink)
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 4,289	(continuation) With the exception of a few lines on Elmer Ray and the Philadelphia fight card, Reynolds makes no mention of any of the controversial issues that he has been involved in during the past months. There is nothing about boxing expansion and nothing about the Ray Mercer interview. The whole article is written in a manner that suggests those incidents never happened. However, Reynolds does take an undisguised shot at HBF President Michael Vincennes and his Directors over Rocky Marciano's controversial exclusion from the World Championship tournament, an issue that he has spoken and written about on more than one occasion. "In fifty years from now, boxing fans will be able to tell you who the second HBF World Champion was more readily than the first. Of course, that's the way the federation wanted it." Indeed, it will be interesting to see the reaction that Reynolds' article brings about. In some corners of the boxing community, he is looked upon with much scorn, almost as a pariah. Those who feel this way will tell you that he has brought all of it onto himself. But Reynolds has always been one to show scant regard for public opinion. "Well, Heaven forbid, I should harbour an unpopular opinion," is one of the journalist's trademark phrases and a doctrine that he has always lived by. Never more so than during these last three months... __________________ The Heavyweight Boxing Federation The Heavyweight Boxing Federation: Tournament Group Standings The International Boxing League MLB: 1958 and Beyond...

10-10-2005, 10:31 PM	#309 (permalink)
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 4,289	*Coming up in the HBF...* * Boxing comes to Brazil for the second fight card of the South American Boxing League * All the action and excitement when Elmer Ray, Floyd Patterson and Jimmy Young return to the ring in Philadelphia * Saturday Night Boxing, live from Madison Square Garden, headlined by the #1 seed in the HBF's World Championship tournament, hometown hero Gene Tunney! __________________ The Heavyweight Boxing Federation The Heavyweight Boxing Federation: Tournament Group Standings The International Boxing League MLB: 1958 and Beyond...

10-11-2005, 07:04 AM	#310 (permalink)
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 4,289	PERALTA SHOWS PROMISE IN BRAZIL Thursday 21 March 2002 Tonight, Argentina's Gregorio Peralta scored an easy unanimous decision victory over Jack Carroll of Cincinnati, Ohio in the main event of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's first fight card in Brazil. The #1 seed in the South American Boxing League, Peralta was always in control of the bout and took the verdict by scores of 59-55(x2), 60-55 to improve his record to 2-0. One of eight Argentinians fighting in the various HBF tournaments, Peralta is being compared favourably to the man who is the country's brightest star in relation to the World Championship tournament, Oscar Bonavena. "You know, Bonavena is a bit more rugged, more of a brawler, and definitely stronger," said Boxing World's Terry Nance. "But this guy Peralta, he can really box, he's got a terrific jab. It would be fascinating to see the two of them going against each other. Just a real boxer versus puncher matchup." Despite the fact that the South American Boxing League is devoid of Brazilians, the crowd at Pacaembu Stadium in Sao Paulo really gave the event a festive, carnival-like atmosphere. They provided a constant, pounding beat as a backdrop and at times were more intent on partying than watching the action in the ring. One can only wonder what they would have got up to if their was a Brazilian or two on the card. The next card in the SABL will be held in Peralta's homeland of Argentina, at the Luna Park (the same venue that hosted the HBF's March 4 fight card). Peralta spoke about his excitement at the prospect of performing in front of his people. If his efforts so far are anything to go on, he'll have them cheering in Beunes Aires five weeks from now... UNDERCARD ACTION * The "other" Argentinian in the SABL, Leonardo Barbaressi rebounded from a disappointing debut where he was stopped on cuts in the third round to score a unanimous decision victory over Brooklyn's Jim Stewart. It was an entertaining bout, especially round four, which Stewart dominated through two minutes before Barbaressi knocked him down and then continued to pummel him for the rest of the round. The scorecards read 58-55(x2), 58-56. * Colombia's Bernardo Mercado put on a show against his overmatched Mexican opponent, Ramon Villa. The league's 5th seed troubled Villa on a number of occasions in the first two rounds before sending him to the canvas twice in round three. The referee stopped the contest after the second knockdown, declaring Mercado the winner 1:42 into the round. Mercado is now 2-0(1) while Villa is 0-2 and has been stopped in both fights. * Cuba's 4th seed Omelio Agramonte was held to a draw by the league's bottom seed, Brett Ranford of Idaho. The American started fast, before Agramonte showed what he's capable of in the second and third rounds. But Ranford would not surrender, storming back into the contest in the fourth. The momentum shifted back in the Cuban's favour in the fifth, and by the sixth round both men appeared too spent to do much but cruise to the bell. The scorecards were 58-56 (Ranford), 57-57(x2). In his debut against Ramon Villa, Agramonte had been in real danger of losing before knocking out the Mexican in the final round. Tonight's contest with Ranford was of a similar nature. Agramonte will really have to step up another level if he wants to go far in the tournament. * In a lacklustre affair, Peru's Roberto Davila was never troubled against Cleaver Twidell of Los Angeles. Davila won a unanimous decision, 59-55(x2), 58-56, and is now 2-0. Unfortunately for the #3 seed, his two opponents have provided little opposition. That combined with the fact that Davila is not especially strong may lead to the Peruvian earning a title of being a boring fighter if he doesn't produce more excitement in his next bouts. * The league's #2 seed, Cuba's Jorge Luis Gonzalez improved to 2-0 in a one-sided affair. His opponent was Philadelphia's Dave Bailey, who had stopped the Argentinian Leonardo Barbaressi on cuts in three on debut. Tonight, Bailey was simply outclassed and the scorecards showed it: 59-55, 58-56, 59-55, all to Gonzalez. It was an improved performance for Gonzalez compared to his debut, where he had clocked off in the bottom half of the bout. Tonight, he dominated all but the final round, and looks to be the only fighter in the league who might be able to test the #1 seed Gregorio Peralta. SUMMARY OF RESULTS HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2002 PACAEMBU STADIUM, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL THE SOUTH AMERICAN BOXING LEAGUE OPENING BOUT (6) Leonardo Barbaressi UD6 (7) Jim Stewart PRELIMINARY 1 (5) Bernardo Mercado TKO3 (8) Ramon Villa PRELIMINARY 2 (4) Omelio Agramonte D6 (12) Brett Ranford SUPPORT BOUT (3) Roberto Davila UD6 (11) Cleaver Twidell CO-FEATURE (2) Jorge Luis Gonzalez UD6 (10) Dave Bailey MAIN EVENT (1) Gregorio Peralta UD6 (9) Jack Carroll __________________ The Heavyweight Boxing Federation The Heavyweight Boxing Federation: Tournament Group Standings The International Boxing League MLB: 1958 and Beyond... Last edited by kenyan_cheena : 04-01-2006 at 08:21 PM.

10-13-2005, 04:54 AM	#311 (permalink)
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 4,289	The previous post has been edited to include all the action from the South American Boxing League's Brazil fight card. __________________ The Heavyweight Boxing Federation The Heavyweight Boxing Federation: Tournament Group Standings The International Boxing League MLB: 1958 and Beyond...