The Heavyweight Boxing Federation

[kenyan_cheena]

HBF RECEIVES RAVE REVIEWS
FOLLOWING FIRST FIGHT NIGHT

Tuesday 8 January 2002

The Heavyweight Boxing Federation has received a plethora of positive media coverage the day after their debut fight card at the Trump Plaza, Atlantic City.

The event was the leading story on ESPN's SportsCenter, with images of Scott LeDoux's crushing knockout of Mike Schreck and Tony Tucker's demolition of Johnny Boudreaux dominating the report. Highlights of the action-packed bout between South African Johnny Arthur and Lem Franklin of Alabama, along with World Championship tournament number eight seed Sam McVey's victory over Arturo Godoy, were also shown. ESPN have been contracted by the HBF to cover at least the first stage of their world championship and 1st defense tournaments, so one could say that they were simply promoting their latest investment.

But it wasn't just ESPN that devoted coverage to the HBF. Most of the major commercial networks led off their sports bulletins with highlights of the fight card. NBC showed a 30 second snippet of an interview conducted with HBF President Michael Vincennes. Even some of the entertainment and music programs covered the event, although this was more because of the presence of New Jersey hip-hoppers Naughty By Nature and Redman rather than the boxing action in the ring.

"I'm very happy with the media exposure that our organisation, and more importantly, that our sport has received today," President Vincennes said. "The audience at the Trump Plaza last night was really more than we could have asked for. Their enthusiasm for the event and support of our fighters was just wonderful."

Vincennes was asked about the claim from some that in the long run, the public will lose interest in the HBF because their World Championship tournament will not reach its conclusion until April 2004.

"People who say those things are a bit ignorant," Vincennes replied. "We are not running a talent contest here. It's not American Idol. This is a sport, probably the hardest, toughest sport in the history of mankind. It takes time for a boxer to recover from a fight. You can't just throw them back in the ring a week later. In addition, from a completely competitive viewpoint, we want to find out which of these men really is the best. Some might say that having to fight sixteen bouts to win the tournament is excessive. The federation does not agree. Our first World Champion will know that he has really earned his title by fighting and defeating the best in the tournament."

[kenyan_cheena]

LIVE FROM LONDON:
MARCIANO DESTROYS, LANGFORD DOMINATES

Wednesday 9 January 2002

LONDON ARENA, LONDON, ENGLAND

Brockton's Rocky Marciano announced his future intentions for the HBF's World Heavyweight Championship in devastatingly effective fashion here tonight, scoring a brutal 3rd round knockout victory over the hopelessly outgunned Oscar Pharo. Those in attendance at the Arena were searching for superlatives to describe the performance of the number one seed in the HBF's 1st Defense tournament: "awesome", "breathtaking", "destructive" and "just plain scary" were some of the more popular ones.

Back in November, the HBF was criticised for omitting Marciano from their World Championship tournament. Many boxing experts were dumbfounded, as they had observed the federation's tournament auditions and felt that Marciano was easily one of the best - if not the best - to attend. Some looked upon the federation's decision with much scepticism, saying that the HBF had deliberately made the move in order to set up a blockbuster fight between Marciano and their inaugural champion. The fact that Marciano was made the top seed for the 1st Defense tournament only added fuel to the argument. Regardless, HBF President Michael Vincennes had denied the claims on a number of occasions.

Marciano had not spoken on the matter in the meantime, but it was quite apparent during his three round demolition of Pharo that he was taking out his pent-up frustration on the Syrian-born Detroit native ... or perhaps simply trying to inform the federation of the mistake they had made.

Marciano received a huge round of applause as he entered the ring, adorned in a black robe with white trim. The time had come for the public to see if he was able to live up to the hype that had been generated in the months since the HBF's auditions. The Marciano-Pharo fight was only the second bout on the card, but the crowd were treating it like a main event. They were fascinated by Marciano, watching him as he prowled around the ring, impatient for the fight to begin.

From the opening bell, Marciano was all over Pharo, staggering him twice within the first minute with a pair of right handed bombs. Not long after, he landed a solid left jab-right hand combination. Pharo started to backpedal, finding himself trapped in a neutral corner. Marciano punished him with a series of damaging combinations, a look of stern resolve upon his countenance. Pharo managed to slide away, tying Marciano up in a clinch near the centre of the ring. His cornermen shouted at him to step it up, but the look on Pharo's face seemed to indicate that he had already accepted his fate. Marciano scored with a crunching left hook to reinforce his opponent's state of mind. As the round drew to a close, the two men were once again tied up in a clinch. As Pharo tried to break free, his head smashed into the bridge of Marciano's nose, cutting him. Marciano reeled back, wiping at his nose with his glove. As the round ended, the two fighters exchanged words, and referee Rudy Battle was forced to separate them. Marciano got in his ear, motioning to his nose, showing an incredulous expression.

Marciano's corner worked on the cut during the break. It was not as bad as it might have seemed, and the man form Massachusetts came out steaming in the second, determined to end the fight. Marciano stalked Pharo, his anger leading to a brief lapse in concentration as Pharo tagged him with a left hook. But that only succeeded in making Rocky madder. He cornered Pharo and unleashed a wicked right cross, flooring the Michigan resident. On his feet by nine, Pharo might have been better served to stay down and let the fight end there. He was in a world of hurt, and Marciano was relentless. But it seemed that Marciano had allowed his emotions to get the better of him, missing with a number of wild shots. With about 40 seconds left in the round, Pharo almost tasted the canvas again, a vicious three punch combination buckling his legs. He survived the round, but it was a wonder that the referee and the fighters could hear the bell over the noise being made by the crowd.

Marciano continued the punishment in the third round, a crushing right cross hurting Pharo. But it was a body shot that sent Pharo to his knees, a crippling right that connected just under his ribcage. Bravely, Pharo managed to beat the count again, but there was a resigned, vacant look in his eyes. Still, the referee allowed the fight to continue. A right hand landed flush on Pharo's chin, followed by a smashing uppercut and a left hook that sent Pharo crashing to the canvas for a third and final time. He was counted out, and was out cold, 2:23 into the third round...

"Rocky, I think I speak for most of the people here when I say ... WOW," said ESPN commentator Jay Marlow, minutes after the fight. The crowd voiced their agreement with a strong round of applause.

"Well, thank you very much," said Marciano. "I'm glad that you all enjoyed it."

"I think that 'enjoyed' is an understatement, Rocky. That was just a phenomenal performance."

Marciano smiled. "I'm just very happy that I was able to win the fight," he said. "I wouldn't call what I did phenomenal. There were a few mistakes there."

"A lot of people would say that's the sign of a man with lofty ambitions. To say that you aren't over the moon with that performance shows how determined you are."

"Well, this is only my first pro fight. I've trained hard for it, but it's just the beginning. I can't let myself be satisfied. That's what my training team has been drilling into me. This is just the very first step on a long journey."

"What did you think of the head clash incident at the end of the first round?" Marlow asked. "Because from my vantage point, you seemed to be pretty steamed about it."

Marciano let out an exasperated sigh. "I really thought that he was trying to get out of there with a TD," he said. "I don't mean to question his character, or to big note myself, but the truth is that he knew he was outclassed. I could see that before the fight started. I hurt him a few times during the first round, and it seemed to me that maybe he was thinking that if he could cut me early on, the fight would be stopped. It made me pretty mad, and I think my temper got the better of me in the second round. I missed a lot of easy shots, a lot of chances to finish it off."

"Now, Rocky, ever since the HBF auditions in October, there has been a group of boxers who have received a lot of media attention. There's Riddick Bowe, there's Lennox Lewis and Jack Johnson. There's also been you. It's true to say that the media built you guys up, even before a punch had been thrown. Have you felt any pressure to perform because of this?"

"No, I haven't," came Marciano's quick reply. "I haven't read any of the newspapers or watched any of the television coverage. I've just been concentrating on training. I'm aware of my capabilities. I know that the HBF have declared that I must emerge as the winner of the 1st Defense tournament in order to receive a shot at the World Championship. That's all that matters. I can only worry about my own performances."

"Many boxing commentators have said that they were amazed the HBF entered you in the 1st Defense tournament, instead of the World Championship tournament. How disappointed were you by this decision?"

Marciano's countenance took on a darker tone. "Well, I'd really prefer not to talk about that," he said. "It doesn't matter anymore. Hopefully, eventually, my performances in the ring will make it irrelevant."

"Well, Rocky, thank you for taking the time to talk to us, and we wish you the best of luck for the rest of the tournament."

"No problem." Rocky shook Marlow's hand and made his way out of the ring, acknowledging the applause from the crowd. Many of them came up to him, patted him on the back and shook his hand.

(Shortly: POCKET-ROCKET LANGFORD IMPRESSIVE, DOMINATES IN MAIN EVENT)

[kenyan_cheena]

The Heavyweight Boxing Federation bestowed Canadian Sam Langford with the number nine seed for their World Championship tournament. When you understand that over 300 men auditioned for the tournament, this fact alone is impressive. When you consider that at only 5'8", Langford is THE shortest man in the tournament, it becomes even more so.

Langford's opponent in his first professional fight was John Holman of Chicago, Illinois, a man who stood a full six inches taller. When the two came together at the centre of the ring, a handful of spectators at the London Arena attempted to make light of the difference in size, perhaps unaware of the high regard that Langford had earned for himself during and since the HBF's October auditions. Many Londoners had witnessed Langford's heated sparring session against Rocky Marciano before Christmas and had felt an instant admiration for him as a result.

If there were some who were ignorant, Langford quickly put them in their place. He started aggressive and continued to be aggressive, dominating the opening four rounds with lightning quick attacks, making it appear that Holman was moving in slow motion. The crowd was in awe as he pummeled his overwhelmed opponent with merciless intent. It was quite a sight to see Langford launching crushing left hooks, swinging up at his man and putting his whole body behind each punch. For the audience, it was worth the price of admission to watch him punish Holman's midrift with ripping body shots. Langford is by no means the strongest boxer in the tournament. But he makes up for this by staying busy. He never gave Holman a moment's rest during those first four rounds, dropping him to the canvas 1:07 into the 4th round with a perfectly thrown left hook, picking him off with multiple combinations in the bottom half of the round.

Langford cruised through the 5th round, taking his foot off the accelerator for the first time in the fight. He came out smoking again in the 6th, looking as fresh as he had at the start of the fight. As time expired, an exquisite uppercut sent Holman to the canvas for a second time. Saved by the bell, he had to be helped back to his corner.

The crowd awarded the Canadian with a standing ovation for what was truly a masterful, dominating performance. Many were astonished that the young man they had watched was making his professional debut. The judges were just as impressed, awarding Langford with a clear-cut unanimous decision (59-53 (twice), 60-52).

In the post fight interview, Langford succeeded in further enamouring himself to the crowd with a display of respect and humility.

"I give all praise and thanks to my lord Jesus Christ," said Langford, raising a hand to the heavens. "I could not have done this without his blessing and love. I'd like to congratulate Mister John Holman for his gutsy performance tonight. He's a very tough competitor, and I wish him the best of luck for the remainder of the tournament."

"That's a pretty modest assessment of your performance, Sam," said ESPN's Jay Marlow. "And I'm sure that John appreciates those kind words, but to be honest, he was really no match for you."

Langford smiled and laughed nervously. "I wouldn't say that. During training, I adopted the mantra that every opponent is only one good punch away from being more than a match for me. I take nothing for granted."

"There has been quite a bit written about your height, Sam," said Marlow. "Some have said that they think you are too small to compete in this tournament. I'd have to say that after tonight's victory, all of those voices will fall silent."

"It doesn't bother me," replied Langford. "This is the way God created me. I am the shortest boxer in the tournament. It had to be someone, so why does it matter that it is me? All that is important is that I am above the minimum weight of 180 pounds, so that qualifies me to participate. They don't have to worry about me. I can look after myself."

This last comment brought a warm round of applause and amused laughter from the audience.

"Well, I'm sure everyone here agrees with you, Sam," said Marlow. "Congratulations on a terrific debut, and we wish you all the best for your future endeavours in the tournament."

"Thank you, Jay. I'd just like to thank the HBF for the opportunity they have given every fighter who is boxing under their banner. But even more so, I want to thank the London crowd for their incredible support."

As Langford left the ring, another thunderous round of applause erupted. The crowd stood and clapped the Canadian pocket-rocket. Langford applauded in return, even stopping to sign a number of autographs before disappearing up the tunnel and into the dressing room...

***

ON THE UNDERCARD

* In the Opening Bout, New Jersey's Tony Galento was upset by Jose Luis Garcia of Venezuela in a 1st Defense tournament contest. Galento, the 16th seed, was expected to have little trouble against Garcia, the 56th seed. Apparently, Galento made the mistake of thinking that this would be the case. In a fight where the momentum continually shifted, Garcia simply outworked his more fancied opponent. He won by unanimous decision, 58-56 (twice), 58-57.

* After Rocky Marciano had destroyed Oscar Pharo, Joe Baksi and Joe Goddard entered the ring to contest the first World Championship tournament bout of the night. There was a ten year age difference between the two combatants, with the New Yorker Baksi 18 years-old and the Australian Goddard 28 years-old. It was a highly entertaining fight, with each round being won decisively. The final result was a fitting majority draw, with two of the judges having it 57-57 and the third strangely scoring the fight 59-55 to Goddard.

* In the Support Bout, 22 year-old Alex Stewart was excited to be fighting in his city of birth for his professional debut. But it did not go smoothly for him. After dominating the opening round against Jim Savage (another New Jersey native), Stewart went into his shell. It took winning rounds five and six for him to salvage a draw (57-57 on all cards) and avoid a humiliating loss in front of his fellow Londoners. Stewart, the 40th seed in the World Championship tournament, will have to re-think his approach in his next fight.

* Ireland's Tom Sharkey showed that he will be one to look out for as the tournament progresses. He scored a crushing 2nd round TKO victory over Gerrie Coetzee of South Africa in the Co-Feature. 20 year-old Sharkey is the 24th seed in the tournament, and he showed a brutally professional efficiency in completely tearing his bigger opponent to pieces without dropping him to the canvas. Referee Zach Clayton had no option but to end the contest, saving the battered South African from further punishment at the 2:57 mark of the second round. Like Sam Langford, Sharkey is a short man, standing only 5'9". But he is powerfully built. Many are already looking forward to the Langford-Sharkey matchup in July.

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
WEDNESDAY 9 JANUARY 2002
LONDON ARENA, LONDON, ENGLAND


OPENING BOUT

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group One
7(56) Jose Luis Garcia UD6 2(16) Tony Galento

PRELIMINARY 1

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group One
1(1) Rocky Marciano KO3 8(64) Oscar Pharo

PRELIMINARY 2

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Nine
4(56) Joe Baksi D6 5(72) Joe Goddard

SUPPORT BOUT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Nine
3(40) Alex Stewart D6 6(88) Jim Savage

CO-FEATURE

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Nine
2(24) Tom Sharkey TKO2 7(104) Gerrie Coetzee

MAIN EVENT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Nine
1(9) Sam Langford UD6 8(120) John Holman

[kenyan_cheena]

BRAWL ERUPTS AT WEIGH-IN
FOR HBF JAPAN CARD!

Thursday 10 January 2002

KANAGAWA, JAPAN

Passionate, hot-headed 16 year-old Elmer Ray was the catalyst for an ugly brawl at the weigh-in for the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's Yokohama Arena fight card here today.

Since the HBF's contingent of twelve fighters arrived in Japan a week ago, Florida native Ray has told anyone who would listen that he is going to destroy his taller, heavier opponent, 19 year-old Buddy Baer of Denver, Colorado. Ray has also resorted to directing personal insults towards Baer, questioning everything from his sexual orientation to his boxing skills. Baer has not dignified his opponent's jibes with any kind of response. However, HBF President Michael Vincennes was quick to issue a stern warning to Ray, informing him in no uncertain terms that continued personal attacks towards Buddy Baer would result in a stiff penalty.

Since then, Ray has toned down his attitude during media appearances, but at the weigh-in, the 33rd seed's incessant heckling became too much for Baer's trainer Izzy Klein. He confronted the 16 year-old verbally and when Ray shoved him, Klein took a swing at him and all hell broke loose. Both camps traded blows for the next fifty seconds before security forces were able to bring order to the situation. The two fighters emerged unscathed, but Izzy Klein came out of the fracas with a black eye and a cut lip.

Baer's camp has requested that the bout between their man and Elmer Ray be called off, with Baer being declared winner by disqualification. HBF President Michael Vincennes has ruled out that possibility, with the most likely outcome to be that Elmer Ray's prize money will be withheld, win, lose or draw.

"Our fans here in Japan have paid good money to see six bouts, not five," said Vincennes. "We've sold out an arena with a seating capacity of 17,000. The federation does not want to deprive these fans. Now, I will admit that Elmer Ray's behaviour during the past week has been very much less than exemplary, but that is not reason enough to cancel the bout. Mister Ray will be disciplined, but the fight WILL take place."

Secretly, Vincennes thanked Ray for the publicity he has stirred up for the HBF. On the eve of the fight card, the most popular topic in Japan is the HBF, and in particular, Elmer Ray versus Buddy Baer. Ray is not even the top seed in his group (group sixteen), but his antics have taken the spotlight away from both Jimmy Young and Floyd Patterson, the top two seeds in the group and 16th and 17th seeds in the tournament, respectively.

Jimmy Young was asked in an interview what he felt about Ray's behaviour.

"I'd like to say that he's just young, immature. But I can't," said the Philadelphia native. "Look at Floyd (Patterson) ... he's only one year older than Elmer, and he's acted like a gentleman. Elmer Ray IS the youngest boxer in the tournament, but I think his real problem is that he's just got this massive chip on his shoulder. Maybe that's because of his age, but I clashed with him in the auditions, and he was, how can I say it? ... unpleasant. That's the most polite word I can use."

It will be intriguing to see if Elmer Ray can prove himself to be more than just "all talk". The fight card will be broadcast live Friday morning (5am east, 2am west) on ESPN2 with a full replay of the card to be aired in prime time on Friday night.

***

In other HBF news, which may have been overlooked due to the controversy generated by the Ray-Baer brawl, boxing commentators have been raving today about the performances of Rocky Marciano, Sam Langford and Tom Sharkey during the Wednesday night London Arena fight card.

"Marciano lives up to hype" said one headline, while another heaped praise on the "Pocket-Rockets", Langford and Sharkey.

"It's going to be terrific to see these three fighters on the same card every five weeks," said Boxing Monthly's Robert Horn. "I know that they've only fought this single fight each, but the three of them showed last night that they have the skills to be amongst the elite in this sport."

"Some of you media fellows have fallen in love with these other guys, these top seeds like Riddick Bowe and Jack Johnson," said Tom Sharkey in his strong Irish accent. "I tell you all now, don't make the mistake of forgetting the rest of us. I don't think you understand how determined some of us are to win this thing, how determined we are to prove that the HBF didn't quite get it right when they seeded us."

Sharkey's comment was well-timed as it was announced today that number three seed Jack Johnson will be appearing on the David Letterman Show next week. Johnson makes his HBF debut in the main event at the federation's Buffalo fight card on Saturday 26 January.

[erickdamac]

God you guys Know how to get people excited about a fight!!!

[kenyan_cheena]

CONTROVERSY REIGNS IN JAPAN!

* ELMER RAY BACKS UP TALK,
KNOCKS OUT BAER IN 6TH ROUND!

* 16TH SEED JIMMY YOUNG HELD TO DRAW!!

* RAY CONFRONTS YOUNG, CALLS HIM A BUM!!!

Friday 11 January 2002

YOKOHAMA ARENA, KANAGAWA, JAPAN

16 year-old Florida firebrand Elmer Ray backed up his tough talk of the past week when he knocked out Denver native Buddy Baer during the last minute of the 6th and final round.

The fight between Ray and Baer, only a Support Bout on the HBF's Yokohama Arena fight card, lived up to the hype that Ray had almost single-handedly generated for it. The opening four rounds were lively and competitive, before Ray took control, dominating rounds five and six and knocking Baer out with 38 seconds remaining in the bout.

The card also featured controversy in the main event, when the tournament's 16th seed Jimmy Young was held to a draw by the 113th seed, Tony Ross. It was a difficult fight to score and Young's performance was not indicative of his status as the 16th seed, but most felt that he had done enough to take the decision.

Following the decision, Elmer Ray returned to the ring and confronted Jimmy Young. Ray had brought his own cordless microphone with him.

"You a BUM!" Ray said. "How you gonna beat Elmer Ray, man? Y'all can't even get past TONY ROSS?!" Ray's words came quickly, in a rapid-fire fashion. He was very expressive with his hands, motioning with them to emphasise his words, milking the crowd. "I'm a half-fight up on you now, man. Y'all gonna have to take 'em all out 'til May 31 just to stay close, see?!"

With that, Ray left the ring, playing up to the crowd. Some of the crowd applauded, some of them booed.

***

As will be the way with all of the HBF's World Championship / 1st Defense tournament fight cards, the night started with two bouts from the 1st Defense tournament.

* In the opener, #25 seed Billy Walker of West Ham, England won a hard-fought unanimous decision over his tough South African opponent, #33 seed Kallie Knoetze. The strongly-built South African was actually ahead on two of the cards going into the 5th round, but Walker rallied. He dominated the 5th round and then sent Knoetze crashing to the canvas early in the 6th with a single left hook. He pummelled Knoetze until the final bell, unable to finish him off. The crowd gave the fighters an appreciative round of applause. The score cards went 59-55 and 58-56 (twice).

* The next fight on the card was another highly entertaining affair between the #17 seed Bob Devere of Ireland and the #41 seed Lee Savold of St. Paul, Minnesota. Devere started the fight impressively, winning the first three rounds on one card and two of three on the other cards. But Savold rallied bravely, pounding the Irishman in the 4th round and hanging tough until the end of the fight. When the decision was announced, Savold was overjoyed. Despite his slow start, he had managed to fight back and earn a draw. The judges were split over the verdict. The Italian Giulio Mancini scored it 57-57 (rounds 1-3 to Devere, rounds 4-6 to Savold). Len Hunt of South Africa favoured Savold, 58-57. However, the American judge Glenn Trowbridge felt Devere had done enough to win, scoring the fight 58-56.

* The first World Championship tournament fight of the evening matched up two 19 year-olds. Illinois native Tom McMahon, the 65th seed in the W.C. tournament defeated Nathan Mann of Connecticut, the 49th seed. In a bout that never really reached any great heights, McMahon won by unanimous decision, 58-56 on all three cards.

***

There was a palpable level of excitement amongst the audience in the minutes prior to the Elmer Ray-Buddy Baer fight. They had greatly enjoyed the first three bouts of the night, but this was really the one that they were looking forward to, even more so than the main event. In some people's minds, Elmer Ray had gone too far with his verbal attacks on Buddy Baer, but no one could dispute the fact that he had added an extra amount of spice to the affair. Some had said that they admired Buddy Baer for his restraint in the face of Ray's behaviour, restraint that his trainer Izzy Klein had failed to show. The audience at the Yokohama Arena simply could not wait to see what would happen when the two men squared off against each other.

Being the lower seeded fighter, Baer entered the ring first, wearing a white robe with black trim. His team of supporters was about as small as one could get: his trainer Izzy Klein (proudly sporting his black eye and cut lip) and three assistants. There was a determined, steely resolve in his eyes. He was an impressive physical specimen, standing six-foot-six and one-half inches and tipping the scales at almost 240 pounds. He climbed into the ring and started shadow boxing, acknowledging the crowd's applause as ring announcer Chuck Hall called out his name.

Then things started to turn a bit crazy. A deep, bass-heavy rumble, starting out low but steadily increasing in volume, sounded over the arena's speaker system. Abruptly it stopped but was replaced instantaneously by overlapping layers of DJ scratching, at first chaotic but soon developing into a coherent rhythm. The crowd did not quite know what to think, looking around in a bemused fashion. Then the drums kicked in. A killer hip hop beat exploded out of the speakers, double and triple bass thumps and snapping snare drums penetrating through one's very skin, complimenting the inventive turntablism. Some in the crowd screamed and applauded with excitement, while others simply covered their ears. For his part, Buddy Baer wore the same determined expression he had entered the ring with.

A pair of curvacious ebony beauties emerged from the tunnel leading from the dressing rooms, wearing matching outfits of figure hugging black pants and too-small short sleeve polo shirts, coloured mostly black with trimmings of red and white. Their hair was long and braided, stretching down close to their backsides. They waved to the crowd, flashing dazzling, seductive smiles, showing off their curves with every step. They were followed soon after by a quartet of large black men, each wearing shades and baggy Lonsdale workout gear, also in tones of mostly black, with red and white trimmings. They wore their hair in cornrows, and formed a perimeter around MISTER ELMER RAY (that's what it said on the back of his robe). The boxer appeared a lightweight in comparison to those surrounding him. His robe sported the same black-red-white colour combination as his followers, his face concealed under an oversized hood. Ray's three cornermen were next, looking somewhat out of place, even though their clothing was also black, red and white. Another pair of beautiful ladies brought up the rear of the procession.

But if the crowd thought that they had seen enough, they were wrong. The moment after Ray climbed into the ring, he flipped off his hood (revealing that his hair was also styled in cornrows), grabbed the microphone from Chuck Hall and, standing in the centre of the ring, started rapping. He launched into a rapid fire series of bragadocious rhymes. For a number of seconds, he stared straight at his opponent, eyes looking like they were about to bulge out of his head. Ray's entourage stood in his red corner. The men were standing with their hands clasped behind their backs, nonchalantly nodding to the beat. The women leaned against the ropes, looking beautiful, lovely arms resting on the top rope. His cornermen were actually just outside the ring, preparing their equipment for the fight. Elmer finished rapping after about thirty seconds. The beat ceased and the scratching continued, slowly fading out, the words ELMER RAY being cut to pieces.

Ray extended his arms in anticipation of the audience's applause. Many could not help but applaude, although more because of his audacity than because of any rapping talent he may have displayed. With his entrance to the ring, Ray had continued to go out of his way to make things interesting, showing a flair and showmanship that none of the other fighters thus far had even contemplated.

Ray handed the microphone back to Chuck Hall and returned to his corner, an electrical buzz swarming amongst the audience. He removed his robe, revealing by far the most impressive-looking pair of trunks seen so far in the HBF. Knee-length, the main body of the trunks were solid black, with a red waist band. ELMER RAY was stenciled on the front of the band in white, with the name of Ray's home town, HASTINGS, Florida, stenciled on the back band, also in white. Black, red and white tassels ran up and down each side of the trunks. He wore ankle high black boots.

Referee John Branson motioned for the two fighters to come together in the centre of the ring. As he read the rules to them, Elmer Ray stared up at Buddy Baer. The difference in height between the two men was six-and-a-half inches. The difference in weight: 55 pounds. Sweat bubbled on Elmer Ray's brow, veins throbbing at his temples. There was a definite hatred in his eyes, and Baer simply took it and stared right back. Neither man broke it off until Branson said "Okay, return to your corners, and come out fighting at the sound of the bell..."

(SHORTLY: ELMER RAY VS BUDDY BAER, ROUND-BY-ROUND)

[kenyan_cheena]

ELMER RAY VS BUDDY BAER
ROUND-BY-ROUND ANALYSIS

from the New York Sun's boxing analysist Peter Roman

Tale of the Tape

Height - Ray: 6'0" Baer: 6'6.5"
Weight - Ray: 183 lbs Baer: 238 lbs
Reach - Ray: 80" Baer: 84.5"


ROUND ONE

The crowd anticipation has built to a fever pitch and is released in a wave of screams and applause as the opening bell sounds. For the first thirty seconds, the combatants keep their distance. Many in the crowd are quick to notice the contrast in the two men's styles: Baer stands tall, almost completely square, left foot forward, hands held high at either side of his head, emphasising his height advantage. Ray has a side-on, slightly crouched stance, left hand probing, measuring his opponent. He's showing a lot of head movement, feinting, waiting for Baer to make the first move. Ray's feet seem to slide over the canvas as he moves forward in increments, almost daring Baer to take a swing at him, cutting off the ring.

Baer moves in closer and Ray pounces, landing a lead jab and then a crushing left hook that brings an intake of breath from the crowd and a smile to Buddy Baer's face. Ray is quick, moving out of striking distance in a flash. Baer becomes more aggressive, cornering his smaller opponent and firing away with a sweet uppercut which snaps Ray's head back. He shakes it off, firing at Baer's body, but the Colorado man wraps him up. Referee Branson separates them, leading to a brief, fierce exchange where Baer lands a left jab-straight right combo and Ray lands two hooks and an uppercut, the last of which hurts Baer. The crowd roars their approval. Ray's face is a mask of concentration, emotionless in contrast to his pre-fight rants and rapping. Baer swings a wild hook and Ray makes him pay with a nice hook on the counter. Buddy Baer steals a quick glance at his corner, just as they start yelling at him to "Pick it up, Buddy!" In response, he tags Ray with another left jab-straight right combination, and follows it up with a left hook to the jaw . Ray takes a step back, giving himself some time to clear his head. The crowd applaudes, the Baer supporters amongst them shouting their encouragement. He keeps coming, throwing a flurry of punches that Ray either blocks or evades. Ray fires back with a stinging hook to the ribs, and Baer backs off. With ten seconds remaining in the round, Baer lands a damaging three punch combination that stops Ray cold, left jab-straight right-left hook. Ray clinches, leaning on Baer, who pushes him away. Ray takes a big swing with the right but Baer evades the punch. The bell sounds as Baer is getting ready to tee off with the right hand. The crowd shows their appreciation as the two fighters return to their corners.

So far, it looks as if Baer's height and reach advantage may have a significant impact on the fight. He landed three separate left jab-straight right combinations in the round. Will be interesting to see how Ray responds in the 2nd.

MY SCORECARD: BAER 10-9


ROUND TWO

Baer continues his good work, taking the fight right up to Ray. He imposes his size upon Ray, pounds away at his ribs and then lets rip with a solid uppercut. Ray's legs seem to buckle ever so briefly, and it's enough to bring excited screams from sections of the crowd. The Florida native is able to slip away though. He is quick on his feet when the need arises. They stand toe-to-toe in the middle of the ring. Ray scores with a crisp left jab, misses with a follow up right cross. Momentarily, they clinch and then back away. Ray presses forward aggressively, cornering Baer, working away at his abdominal region. Baer misses with an uppercut and Ray tags him with a crunching hook to the jaw. Baer's cornerman Izzy Klein is shouting at him to get off the ropes. Baer does not appear to hear him, misses with a hesitant left hand. Ray then fires off his best series of punches of the night to this point - left jab-straight right-left hook to the body-right uppercut. Baer is staggered! There is a pained expression on his face, a chorus of chaotic appreciation from the audience! Baer tries to tie Ray up. Blood is running from his nose. Ray fires off a left hook that Baer takes high on the shoulder, rolling with the punch. Baer sees an opening and pushes Ray back, lands another one of those left jab-straight right combos. They circle one another temporarily, Ray fires away with a series of jabs but Baer moves in and initiates a clinch, forcing Branson to separate them. Ray feints with the left and then scores big with a straight right. Sensing an opportunity to end the fight, he tees off aggressively, left-right-left-right, two of the punches landing. Baer back pedals, Ray follows and walks straight into another left-right combination. Baer should be firing it off more often, because he seems to be landing them at will. Baer lands a pair of jabs, jolting Ray's head. The bell sounds, ending the second round. Sections of the crowd stand and applaude.

Although Baer finished the round quite strongly, Ray seemed to have done enough early on to win it. He was definitely more active in the 2nd round.

MY SCORECARD: RAY 10-9 (19-19 AFTER TWO ROUNDS)


ROUND THREE

Ray comes out with a spring in his step, the tassels on his trunks bouncing colourfully. The two fighters are cautious for the first half minute, with the only punches landed being a straight right and a left jab, both by Ray. They are against the ropes, Ray leaning on Baer. He moves back, giving himself room. Baer is not showing much aggression at this point, waiting for Ray to force the action. Ray rips away with his left hook, first to Baer's body and then the head, a solid punch. Buddy better start working or he's going to let this round slip away, but all he does is cover up his head. It could be that last punch from Ray hurt him! Provided with an open target, Ray pounds away two-handed at Baer's midsection. The taller man winces in pain, now covering his ribs. Ray gives him a head feint and then lands a crushing right hook. There is a look of disgust on the face of Izzy Klein. He screams an expletive-laced tirade at his man. Baer is staggered and the crowd is screaming. Needing time to regroup, Baer ties up Ray in a clinch, waltzes across the ring with him. Ray tries to push him off, swinging ineffective hooks at Baer's head. They lean against the ropes, and Branson is finally able to separate them. Ray gets in his ear, a foul expression on his face, showing some emotion for the first time in the fight. Two minutes have elapsed and Baer has done nothing in the round. In frustration, he swings away with a left hook. The punch bounces off Ray's forehead, momentarily stopping his forward charge, but not seeming to hurt him. That must worry Baer. He telegraphs a right hand and Ray easily avoids it, counters with a beautifully-timed right uppercut. Baer is unsteady on his feet! He could be on his way down if Ray can follow up! But Baer smothers Ray against the ropes, giving him no room to work in. Ray pushes Baer back as the bell rings to end the third round. Ray says something to Baer, his pre-fight attitude starting to emerge. On his stool between rounds, Baer is really sucking them down.

A dominant round for Elmer Ray. He looks confident and in command. It now appears that he is the fitter of the two. Baer is tiring, slowing down. It seems that he might not have paced himself properly.

MY SCORECARD: RAY 10-9 (RAY 29-28 AFTER THREE ROUNDS)

[kenyan_cheena]

ROUND FOUR

Buddy Baer receives a dressing down from his trainer during the intermission. He comes out for the fourth round with renewed vigour, realising that he really needs to win the round if he is to have any hope of winning the fight. He immediately jumps on Ray, landing a crushing right hand early in the round that stuns Elmer. Baer is visibly tired, breathing heavily as he stalks his opponent. He catches up with him, and the two trade punches, none of which do any real damage. Baer initiates a clinch, and as referee Branson separates them, Ray wings a big left hook at Baer. But Baer evades it, feeling nothing but a cool breeze. He fires back with a nice uppercut that catches Elmer flush on the chin. Ray goades Baer, calling him in, shouting what sounds like "Bring it on!" Baer throws a right cross that misses, and Ray counters with a pounding shot to the ribs. Baer takes a step back and unleashes another crunching uppercut, buckling Ray's legs for the first time in the fight! A follow up right hand almost drops Ray, and the crowd rise to their feet as one. Ray stumbles backwards. His knee almost touches the canvas but he maintains his footing, leaning against the ropes for support, covering up. Baer crowds him, throwing desparate, panicked punches, trying to end it, fighting against the exhaustion that is overcoming his body. His corner urges him on, knowing this could be his only chance. Ray slips inside Baer's punches, parries some of them and retaliates with quick, two and three punch combinations for the next thirty seconds, weathering the storm, allowing Baer to further tire himself out. It looks like Baer has missed his opportunity. His punches are weak, ineffective, off the mark. It looks even more so when Ray connects with a hard right hand that backs Baer up, stunning him. Ray marches forward, scoring with a nice right hook. Baer clinches, hanging on for dear life. The round ends with the two men still locked in this embrace.

Buddy Baer has earned my respect for the way he rallied in the 4th round. He has a big heart, without a doubt. But at the end of the round, he looks totally spent. Yes, the fight is close, but will he be able to last two more rounds?

MY SCORECARD: BAER 10-9 (ALL TIED UP AT 38-38 AFTER FOUR ROUNDS)


ROUND FIVE

Elmer Ray has a look of disgust on his face as the 5th round begins. Perhaps he is upset with his effort in the 4th round. He comes out in the 5th ready and determined to end the fight. Baer unloads with a big right hand which, unfortunately for him, misses. He almost succeeds in throwing himself off his feet. Ray lands a hard cross that staggers Baer. He comes at Ray again and whiffs another big right hand. He's going for a lucky one punch knockout, knowing he has hardly anything left in the tank. Ray fires away from in close, landing at least three clean punches. Baer leans on him, allowing himself a few precious seconds to recover. Ray pushes him away, aggitated, crashes another right cross against Buddy's cheek bone. Baer is running on heart now. He misses with a left and a right, Ray side-stepping his opponent. Baer's corner continue to shout their encouragement, although they must know that their man's chances diminish with every missed punch. Ray doubles up on the hook, scoring to both the body and head. It's a miracle that Baer is still standing. He's starting to resemble a drunken sailor. Ray fights from the outside, making Baer chase him. Baer obliges, swings at Ray and misses, tries to land a leaping left hook and again almost falls flat on his face. The crowd applaudes his determination. Ray plants his feet and fires a spearing right hand through Baer's defences. He doubles up, forgetting the jab and landing another flush right hand, wobbling the big man. But Baer returns fire. The bell rings and he keeps on swinging! Ray retaliates, smashing a wicked right hand against Baer's left eye, cutting him. Baer grabs him in a headlock and the two tumble to the canvas! Referee Branson struggles to separate them as the ring is flooded with cornermen. The crowd is in a frenzy. The two warriors are forceably returned to their corners, Ray sounding off at referee Branson. Baer is pressing his glove against the cut over his left eye. He slumps onto his stool, mouth open. His cornermen work feverishly on his wound. Referee Branson converses with Ray's trainer, who is seriously peeved by Baer's after the bell antics. All I can think is "What a great fight!"

Elmer Ray probably should have put Baer away in the 5th. The man was practically out on his feet. I doubt that Baer will last until the final bell, but stranger things have happened.

MY SCORECARD: RAY 10-9 (RAY 48-47 AFTER FIVE ROUNDS)


SIXTH AND FINAL ROUND

Buddy Baer steps up to the plate for the final round. He is a tough customer, no doubt. The crowd offers up a deafening round of applause as the two men touch gloves. Baer looks determined to go the distance. Ray looks determined to knock him out. Baer wraps up Ray before he can get a punch off, leaning on Ray as Ray leans on the ropes. But Elmer fights free and stuns Baer with a fierce uppercut, followed by a painful hook to the body. Ray appears to be adopting an economical approach with his punches, making each one count. He traps Baer in his own corner and torments him with another brutal right hand. For a moment, the only thing holding Baer up is the ropes. The round is half over but to Baer, the final bell must seem years away. He deflects Ray's jab. But now, Ray has gone into a frenzy (as has the audience), like a shark feeding on his prey. Bulldozing left hooks and right hooks and straight rights and uppercuts are smashing into Baer's head and arms. Baer now appears helpless, defenseless. Branson looks about ready to stop the fight. Ray measures his punches. He punishes Baer's midsection, pounding his ribs and abdominals. Baer's hands drop slightly, allowing Elmer Ray to land the best and final punch of the night, a perfect left hook that snaps Baer's head around on his neck. It's the kind of punch that would have stopped most in their tracks, in the first round or the last round or anywhere in between. Baer is unconscious before he hits the canvas, but Ray still has his right hand cocked, ready to follow up. The referee pushes him aside and begins the count. Ray walks to a neutral corner, pumps his fist in the air. He stands up on the corner ring buckle, gesticulating to the crowd, wearing a furious scowl. Sadly for Baer, he does not beat the count. He does not even move. The fight is over at the 2:22 mark of the final round...

[kenyan_cheena]

Ray was ecstatic (and not shy about letting everyone know it), hugging his trainer, exchanging high-fives with his entourage, kissing his lovely ladies on the cheek. The ring was a chaotic swarm of HBF officials and media, resulting in a delay when Chuck Hall tried to announce the official fight result. Baer was in his corner being examined by the ring doctor, and then Elmer Ray's camp broke into an impromptu victory chant.

Soon after, ESPN's Nick Warren was able to speak to Elmer Ray.

"Congratulations," Warren said, shaking Elmer's hand.

Elmer smiled. "Well, thank you, thanks a lot," he replied, wiping the sweat from his face. He was still on a high, excited and racing, like he was ready to explode. His words came quickly.

"Elmer, I think it would be an understatement if I said that you've really shaken things up a bit."

Ray laughed. "Well, you know I think I'm just giving the people what they want, see? The HBF has said they want excitement and colour, that's what I'm givin', you know?"

The crowd roared in approval.

"I'm sure that people would like to know how you came up with the idea for your entrance tonight," Warren said. "Could you tell us a little bit about it?"

Ray showed a matter-of-fact expression. "I'm just a showman at heart, see, and I've been raised on hip-hop. It's in my blood, man. Again, just givin' the crowd somethin' outta left field, man."

"Some have criticised you for your behaviour leading up to the fight. What do you have to say about that?"

Ray laughed again, shaking his head. "It's just show business, man. If none a y'all can see that stuff ain't supposed to be taken serious, you just gotta lighten up, ya hear?"

"So do you think that Buddy Baer knew not to take it seriously?"

Elmer sighed, exasperated. "Well, I'll say this: If he tells you he didn't, he's lyin'!"

Ray's entourage burst out into song once more and for a few moments, Elmer completely ignored Warren, joining in the song, leaving the commentator with an amused smile on his face.

"Now, let's talk about the fight for a moment," Warren said.

"I won it," Ray quickly replied. "I said I'd destroy the dude and I did, sho 'nuff."

"He gave you a pretty tough time though, wouldn't you say?" said Warren. "I mean, with two rounds left, it still looked like a pretty close fight."

Ray nodded. "He mighta touched me up a yard in the 4th, but that was jus' because I challenged him to do it. You know, he's 55 pounds heavier than me and four inches taller. Do the math, man, he shoulda had me for breakfast."

"It looked to me and others I've spoken to that Buddy Baer came out too fast, didn't pace himself."

Ray nodded, shrugged. "Well, they can roll out the excuses for the dude if they want. Ain't gonna change the fact that I was just too good for him."

"You do realise that you might be on the back and front covers of a number of international newspapers tomorrow?" asked Warren.

Ray nodded. "That's cool, man. I can handle that, man. That's what President Vincennes wants, ain't it? He wants our organisation to be known worldwide. I'm just helpin' out, know?"

"Well, once again, congratulations on your victory, Elmer."

"Thanks, man. I just wanna say a few things, see. Firstly, I wanna give a shout out to the home town, y'all? The black, red and white, we representin' Hastings, Florida, baby! Keisha, Tionne, Lisa, I love you, baby! Black-red-white, baby!" Ray pointed to his robe of the colours black, red and white.

At this, Ray's entourage went nuts, breaking into a chant of "Black-red-white! Black-red-white!" A perturbed expression came to Nick Warren's face. The crowd did not quite know what to make of the scene. Some of them loved it and applauded, others simply sat bemused, frowning.

The entourage calmed down, and Ray spoke again. He motioned to the largest member of his entourage to step forward. He was a huge, broad-shouldered man, standing perhaps six-six, weighing at least 260. "Nicky, I just wanna introduce to the public my big cousin, Terone Haynes. Y'all gonna be hearing a lot about him in the near future, see. He's been trainin', and he's gonna turn pro real soon. Keep your eyes open, y'all."

With that, Ray's entourage left the ring, once again launching into their victory chant as they headed back up the tunnel. The crowd watched: fascinated, excited, bemused, stunned...

[kenyan_cheena]

Five minutes later, the Yokohama Arena had returned to relative normalcy. Chuck Hall was announcing to the audience that the next bout would be between 18 year-old Floyd Patterson of North Carolina (#17 seed) and 21 year-old Rocky Jones of Pennsylvania (#97 seed).

Comparing the extroverted qualities of Elmer Ray and Floyd Patterson was like comparing day and night. Patterson, reserved to the point of camera shyness, gave an almost timid acknowledgement of the crowd's applause as he was introduced. He would later reveal that he was overcome by nerves in the minutes leading up to the fight.

His opponent Rocky Jones appeared to be suffering from no such ailment. He
exuded confidence and self-belief as he waited for the opening bell.

Patterson may not have impressed the audience with his charisma, but he
certainly did with his boxing skills. He dominated the fight, winning 60-54 on two of the judges cards and 59-55 on the other. He landed his shots in bunches, throwing four and five punch combinations. Jones was visibly disheartened and overwhelmed by the end of the 3rd round, a mere fifteen minutes removed from his pre-fight bravado. He made a mighty effort in the final round to score a knockout, but it all came to nought.

"I'm very relieved to win the fight," Patterson said, appearing more relaxed and calm than he did before the opening bell. "But like Rocky Marciano said the other night, it's only the first step. I have to make fifteen more of these steps to become the champion." Then, in a somewhat transparent shot at Elmer Ray, Patterson added "It's a waste of time and energy getting excited about this, because in 2004, when the tournament is over and the World Champion crowned, not many people will remember what happened tonight."

***

Back in October when the HBF held their tournament auditions, the scouting report on Jimmy Young of Philadelphia said:

"A tough, smart fighter, with excellent endurance, a solid chin and a good
defence. However, he lacks a knockout punch and basic hitting power. This
weakness could prove to be quite a liability against opponents who know how to exploit it..."

Some in the audience at the Yokohama Arena had seen Young in the October
auditions and wondered if the scouting report's words would be proven correct. Many of them had been surprised when the HBF had seeded Young at #16, thinking that somewhere around the mid-to-low 20's was more
appropriate. Being the #16 seed meant that Young was also the #1 seed in his group, something which also caused much consternation amongst boxing
commentators. Young had done his best to ignore the negative media reports
relating to his position in the tournament, but his performance in his professional debut against the Italian-born, Pennslyvania-raised Tony Ross could have only led one to draw the conclusion that he really had been affected by them.

Young started the fight excellently, scoring well with crisp, quick jabs, leading to a cut in Ross's mouth only halfway through the round. Young showed some
impressive boxing skills in the opening stanza.

For some reason, he was not as busy in the 2nd round. This allowed Tony Ross to steal it on two of the three cards. Hindsight would show that this early lapse would cost Young when the result was announced.

The fight started to warm up in the third round, with some lively exchanges taking place. Young definitely got the better of these exchanges, but Ross was able to score more punches than Young's trainer Bobby Altman was comfortable with. He lectured his charge between rounds, telling him to stick to the gameplan. "It's real simple, Jimmy," he said. "Jab and move, jab and move. Bread and butter, baby. Bread and butter."

Altman would become more frustrated in the 4th round, as Young continued to mix it up with Ross, willing to stand and trade shots with his unfavoured
opponent. Again, in hindsight, this would prove to be a bad tactic. Ross was
winning the round going into its final minute, before Young was able to land
some nice punches, making it close. However, two of the judges gave the round to Ross. The crowd showed their appreciation with a warm round of applause.

In round five, Jimmy Young returned to the tactics that had seen him look so
impressive in the opening round ... but only for a while. Young seemed to be
slowing his fellow Pennsylvania resident down, with Ross looking tired as the
round progressed. But then, with 40 seconds remaining in the round, Young
seemed to lose concentration. He allowed his opponent to get in close and pin
him on the ropes, paying the price when Ross landed a nice uppercut. Young
fired back with a lead right that missed. Ross tagged him again, a right hand
bomb followed immediately by a left hook. Young was shaken and kept his
distance for the rest of the round. His trainer got stuck into him between rounds, cursing Young's inability to correctly follow the gameplan. "Stop giving me this B.S., Jimmy Young!" he said. "You gotta go out there and win this final round for yourself, because I'm worried about what's gonna happen if you don't!"

And win the round was exactly what Jimmy Young did, although it had as much to do with Tony Ross's fading endurance as it did with Young's performance. By no means did he dominate the round. In fact, it was quite close.

Both fighters waited nervously for the verdict. The expression on the face of
Young's trainer Bobby Altman was one part disappointment and one part
consternation. He really did fear that his fighter had not done enough to win the judges favour, knew that if he had just stuck to the gameplan, the decision would have never been in doubt. Young himself looked downcast, realising that he might not have achieved the goal that he had set for himself in his professional debut. Meanwhile, Tony Ross beamed with excitement. According to the HBF, he shouldn't have had a chance against Jimmy Young. The #16 seed against the #113 seed? It shouldn't have been close. But Ross felt confident, as did his corner, that he had done at least enough to earn a draw.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the judges have tallied their scorecards, and here is
your decision for tonight's main event," said Chuck Hall. "Judge Sipho Zondo of
South Africa has scored the bout 60-54 in favour of Jimmy Young." With this
came an uproar from the crowd, a chorus of boo's mixed in with words of protest and disbelief. Tony Ross shook his head in amazement. Chuck Hall waited for the audience to calm down before continuing...

...

"Judge Dr. Clark Sammartino of the United States has scored