The Heavyweight Boxing Federation

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Further problems with my home PC plus the fact that I was up in Queensland for my mother's 60th birthday over the entire weekend has kept me away from the HBF. I've had to start again with another Destructive System Recovery, because while I was in Qld my sister recommended an anti-virus program called avast! to me. What she didn't tell me (or probably didn't know), is that a feature of the software is a link to a free porn internet page which automatically opens whenever you switch on the computer. That's not something I'm interested in, especially considering I have a nine year-old step daughter who uses the computer also.

I MIGHT be able to finally complete the San Diego undercard tonight...

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(Continuation of post #380)

Preliminary 2

Having shown tremendous grit and determination in his opening two bouts, Massachusetts native Tom McNeeley felt confident of his chances going into tonight's contest. The 116th seed in the World Championship tournament, McNeeley had given the tournament's 13th seed Ken Norton all he could handle on debut and had gone one step further in his second bout, where he held Canada's Donovan Ruddock (20th seed) to a draw. His opponent third time out was the Sioux City, Iowa native Gerald Griffith, who had emerged with a victory and a draw from his two tournament bouts.

Unfortunately for McNeeley, those admirable efforts against Norton and Ruddock meant nothing tonight as Griffith proved to be too much for him to handle. Griffith dominated and punished McNeeley before knocking him out near the end of the fourth round. The Massachusetts man had tasted the canvas earlier in the round, and Griffith was nothing if not relentless in his efforts to finish off the bout. It was a wicked left hook that turned out McNeeley's lights, and he was counted out 2:54 into the round.

Without a doubt, this was quite a performance from Griffith. The 52nd seed in the tournament (and 4th in Group Thirteen), it will be interesting to see if he can challenge the more heavily favoured top three seeds (Norton, Ruddock and Mathis) for a spot in the tournament's second stage. His record is now 2-0-1(1).

As for McNeeley, he must be greatly disappointed by the outcome. The fact that he had tested the group's top two seeds in the fashion he did only makes this result harder to swallow. However, he can take some consolation from the fact that, as the tournament progresses, his opponents will (supposedly) be easier to handle. His record is now 0-2-1.

Support Bout

Michigan's Buster Mathis was never really tested on his way to a unanimous decision victory against Philadelphia's Jesse Ferguson (59-55, 60-54, 59-55).

He might not have been nearly as impressive as in his previous bout against Leroy Jones (where he set a HBF record for most punches landed in a fight with 245), but the truth is, he didn't have to be against such limited opposition as Ferguson offered.

The 36th-seeded Mathis remains perfect at 3-0. He will also remain in the group's top two, regardless of the outcome of Donovan Ruddock's bout.

Co-Feature

Canada's 20th seed Donovan Ruddock rebounded from a surprise draw with Tom McNeeley to score a fifth round KO of Denver's Leroy Jones.

However, he did little during the bout to sway those who doubt his ability to make it far in this tournament. It was close at the end of the fourth round, with Ruddock ahead by a point on two cards and Jones in front by the same margin on the other.

If Ruddock had not said back in late December that he was surprised to find out that he wasn't seeded closer to the top ten, then surely there would not be as much attention given to his performances. But with his words he has put himself in something of a corner, and only a truly blockbuster performance will get him out of it. In knocking out Jones, Ruddock did show that he has considerable power. It was a single right hand, followed by a clubbing left hook as Jones was on his way down that did the damage, leading to Jones being counted out at 2:26 of the fifth round. However, at the time Jones was winning the round quite handily, and it would have been interesting to see what would have happened if he had managed to survive the round unscathed.

With his record now 2-0-1(1), Ruddock is still in a good position to qualify for the tournament's second stage. His next opponent will be the man that 13th seed Ken Norton defeated tonight, Coley Wallace. Ruddock should win that bout, and after that is when things get really interesting: series five of the tournament's first stage. Ruddock will clash with Iowa's Gerald Griffith, the man currently nipping at his heels with an identical record...

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SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
FRIDAY 29 MARCH 2002
SAN DIEGO SPORTS ARENA, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, USA



OPENING BOUT

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Four
4(29) Bernie Reynolds TKO4 8(61) Mel Turnbow

PRELIMINARY 1

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Four
3(21) Wayne Bethea MD6 7(53) Jeff Merritt

PRELIMINARY 2

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Thirteen
4(52) Gerald Griffith KO4 8(116) Tom McNeeley

SUPPORT BOUT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Thirteen
3(36) Buster Mathis UD6 7(100) Jesse Ferguson

CO-FEATURE

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Thirteen
2(20) Donovan Ruddock KO5 5(68) Leroy Jones

MAIN EVENT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Thirteen
1(13) Ken Norton TKO2 6(84) Coley Wallace

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San Diego is finally out of the way!

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JACKSON FEELS "RIGHT AT HOME" IN JAPAN

Saturday 30 March 2002

On Monday, the Pacifico Yokohama will host the fifth Heavyweight Boxing Federation fight card to be held in Japan. From the moment of its birth, Japan has been the federation's premier supporter outside of the United States, and tickets to this latest fight card were snapped up in quick time.

The card will be headlined by Australia's Peter Jackson, the Caribbean-born 6th seed in the HBF's World Championship tournament. Jackson was not overly-impressive in his opening tournament bouts, but was victorious in both of them. He arrived in Japan to prepare for Monday night's fight card a week ago and, like the other HBF competitors who have received the Japanese style of hospitality, has been "blown away" by the warm welcome afforded to him.

"I heard how fanatical they were about our sport," Jackson said. "But hearing about it and experiencing it first hand are two entirely different things. It's just incredible."

The fact that there is not a single Japanese fighter numbered amongst the 288 competing in the HBF makes the country's devotion to the sport all the more extraordinary. And being that they have no "national hero" to cheer for, they have had to find others to throw their support behind. Peter Jackson would be close to the top of that list. Australia's closeness to the Asian region has made him something of a representative and on Monday night, he'll have the entire nation in his corner.

"It will be pretty amazing," said the Australian. "The way they've treated me here in Japan, I don't have words for it. This will be like fighting right at home. I can't wait to give them a great show."

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HOLMES STAYS PERFECT IN HOME STATE DEBUT

Saturday 30 March 2002

In front of a parochial audience, 25 year-old Easton, Pennsylvania resident Larry Holmes maintained his perfect record in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament with a convincing six round unanimous decision victory against Al McCoy of Waterville, Maine.

The #4 seed in the tournament, Holmes was fighting in his home state for the first time and the capacity crowd at Reading's Sovereign Center gave him a great reception as he made his way to the ring. Accused by some of being too robotic, bland and, as it has been bluntly put, "boring", Holmes was in dynamic form tonight, dropping McCoy three times on his way to the 58-53, 59-53, 59-52 victory.

It is true that Holmes does not possess one of the more electrifying personalities of all the fighters in the HBF. But he is, without a doubt, the most gifted pure boxer in the entire federation. His left jab is a thing of beauty, and there are many who are already convinced that it will be this punch that will take him all the way to the final bout of this World Championship tournament.

Holmes was not very talkative in the moments after the bout, save for making a short speech to thank the audience for their support. His trainer Saoul Mamby spoke with ESPN's Brian Drew.

"I don't know what their problem is, really," Mamby said, when questioned about those who have criticised Holmes style and demeanour. "They obviously don't know jacks*%t about boxing, because this guy is the most talented competitor in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation."

These words were greeted by a roar of approval from the Sovereign Center audience.

"I guess the problem could be that Larry doesn't go around turning fight cards into riots," Mamby continued sarcastically. "These fools don't want a sportsman, they want a drug-crazed rock star. I ain't gonna apologise for Larry Holmes being an exemplary human being. You saw the way he tore his opponent apart tonight. Al McCoy was never in this contest, not for a moment. Ain't that good enough for them?"

With Pittsburgh's Frank Moran (23rd seed) and Philadelphia's Jimmy Young (16th seed) both in with a good chance of qualifying for the second stage of the World Championship tournament, it's clear that Pennsylvania possesses a trio of talented pugilists who will really give this tournament a good shake before it's through...

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THE SOVEREIGN CENTER UNDERCARD

Opening Bout

Spain's Alfredo Evangelista scored his second consecutive victory over a higher seeded opponent when he took a unanimous decision victory over the 13th seed in the 1st Defense tournament, Boston's Jim Maloney.

Having scored a tough majority decision victory over 21st seed Wayne Bethea last month in Atlantic City, Evangelista pushed his claims for a position in the second stage of the tournament even further in an unpredictable bout. After winning a quiet first round, Maloney was sent to the canvas against the run of play in both the second and third rounds. A single right cross did the trick in the second. Then, when Maloney was dominating the third, the 37th-seeded Spaniard put him on his backside with a left jab / straight right combination.

And so, despite having been in charge for the majority of the bout, Maloney knew that he was most likely down by three points on each card going into the second half of the bout.

The fight then moved into even more exciting territory, with the combatants trading some heavy shots during the fourth and fifth rounds. Maloney, sensing that defeat was still near, imposed his will over Evangelista in the final round, and made the verdict interesting by dropping him to the canvas with less than thirty seconds remaining.

When the cards were revealed, Evangelista's corner errupted with joy. Each judge had scored the fight identically, giving him a 56-55 victory.

Evangelista is now 2-1, while Maloney, the 2nd seed in Group Four, is struggling with a 1-1-1(1) record.

Preliminary 1

Many people returning to their seats after the intermission that followed the opening event might have missed Trevor Berbick's defeat of Steffen Tangstad. The bout was over 67 seconds into round one, when the Jamaican landed a single, crippling body shot that had the Norwegian doubled over in pain. He did not attempt to beat the count and, just like that, the 4th-seeded Berbick had improved his record to 3-0(1) and consolidated his position at the top of the group standings.

Preliminary 2

In the first World Championship tournament bout of the evening, Cleveland's Johnny Risko was never troubled on his way to a unanimous decision victory over the game but outclassed James Broad of Greensboro, North Carolina. The scorecards all read 59-56.

Risko remains undefeated with a record of 2-0-1, while Broad, after an encouraging draw with 29th seed Bill Brennan, is still searching for that first victory. He's 0-2-1.

Support Bout

Minnesota's Harry Thomas maintained his perfect record with a tough split decision victory over the durable Lorenzo Zanon. Thomas worked his backside off, throwing a total of exactly 500 punches during the six round bout. The scorecards for the bout were 57-56, 56-57, 59-55, though most at ringside felt that Zanon didn't deserve to be so close to victory.
If not for the knockdown that Thomas scored early in the final round, the result may have been a draw, which would have been an injustice, to say the least.

Co-Feature

Louisville's Bill Brennan received a serious workout in his bout with San Francisco's Henry Clark. Although Brennan was a comfortable unanimous decision winner (59-55, 60-54, 58-56), he did absorb quite a deal fo punches from Clark, as the final punch totals showed.

Brennan landed 157 of 400 punches, while Clark connected with 141 of 233. The fact that the Californian was able to connect with 60% of his shots came as quite a surprise to boxing experts watching at ringside.

The Kentucky-born 29th seed, while boasting a record of 2-0-1(1), has not exactly set the world on fire during this HBF World Championship tournament. As the 2nd seed in Group Four, he is supposedly the man who has the best chance of defeating the top dog, Larry Holmes. Nothing Brennan has shown so far indicates that he'll have a good chance of achieving that lofty goal.

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SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
SATURDAY 30 MARCH 2002
SOVEREIGN CENTER, READING, PENNSYLVANIA, USA

OPENING BOUT

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Four
5(37) Alfredo Evangelista UD6 2(13) Jim Maloney

PRELIMINARY 1

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Four
1(4) Trevor Berbick KO1 6(45) Steffen Tangstad

PRELIMINARY 2

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Four
4(61) Johnny Risko UD6 8(125) James Broad

SUPPORT BOUT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Four
3(45) Harry Thomas SD6 7(109) Lorenzo Zanon

CO-FEATURE

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Four
2(29) Bill Brennan UD6 5(77) Henry Clark

MAIN EVENT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Four
1(4) Larry Holmes UD6 6(93) Al McCoy

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Sunday 31 March 2002

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

GROUP FIVE

1. 1(5) RIDDICK BOWE (USA), 3-0(1)
2. 4(60) HEIN TEN-HOFF (GERMANY), 3-0(2)

3. 2(28) JOE BUGNER (ENGLAND), 2-0-1(1)
4. 3(44) OTTO VON PORAT (NORWAY), 2-1(2)
5. 7(108) SANTE AMONTI (ITALY), 1-1-1
6. 5(76) GERRY COONEY (USA), 0-3
7. 6(92) ALEX MITEFF (ARGENTINA), 0-3
8. 8(124) TOM COWLER (ENGLAND), 0-3

NEXT SERIES OF BOUTS FOR GROUP FIVE

4(60) HEIN TEN-HOFF VS 7(108) SANTE AMONTI
3(44) OTTO VON PORAT VS 8(124) TOM COWLER
2(28) JOE BUGNER VS 6(92) ALEX MITEFF
1(5) RIDDICK BOWE VS 5(76) GERRY COONEY

GROUP TWELVE

1. 1(12) GEORGE CHUVALO (CANADA), 3-0
2. 4(53) TOMMY GOMEZ (USA), 3-0(1)

3. 2(21) RAY MERCER (USA), 2-0-1(1)
4. 7(101) AL ETTORE (USA), 1-1-1
5. 5(69) TOMMY JACKSON (USA), 1-2
6. 3(37) AL JONES (USA), 1-2
7. 6(85) RUEBEN VARGAS (USA), 0-3
8. 8(117) BRIAN LONDON (ENGLAND), 0-3

NEXT SERIES OF BOUTS FOR GROUP TWELVE

4(53) TOMMY GOMEZ VS 7(101) AL ETTORE
3(37) AL JONES VS 8(117) BRIAN LONDON
2(21) RAY MERCER VS 6(85) RUEBEN VARGAS
1(12) GEORGE CHUVALO VS 5(69) TOMMY JACKSON

GROUP THIRTEEN

1. 1(13) KEN NORTON (USA), 3-0(2)
2. 3(36) BUSTER MATHIS (USA), 3-0

3. 2(20) DONOVAN RUDDOCK (CANADA), 2-0-1(1)
4. 4(52) GERALD GRIFFITH (USA), 2-0-1(1)
5. 6(84) COLEY WALLACE (USA), 0-2-1
6. 8(116) TOM MCNEELEY (USA), 0-2-1
7. 5(68) LEROY JONES (USA), 0-3
8. 7(100) JESSE FERGUSON (USA), 0-3

NEXT SERIES OF BOUTS FOR GROUP THIRTEEN

4(52) GERALD GRIFFITH VS 7(100) JESSE FERGUSON
3(36) BUSTER MATHIS VS 8(116) TOM MCNEELEY
2(20) DONOVAN RUDDOCK VS 6(84) COLEY WALLACE
1(13) KEN NORTON VS 5(68) LEROY JONES

GROUP FOUR

1. 1(4) LARRY HOLMES (USA), 3-0
2. 3(45) HARRY THOMAS (USA), 3-0

3. 2(29) BILL BRENNAN (USA), 2-0-1(1)
4. 4(61) JOHNNY RISKO (USA), 2-0-1
5. 8(125) JAMES BROAD (USA), 0-2-1
6. 5(77) HENRY CLARK (USA), 0-3
7. 6(93) AL MCCOY (USA), 0-3
8. 7(109) LORENZO ZANON (ITALY), 0-3

NEXT SERIES OF BOUTS FOR GROUP FOUR

4(61) JOHNNY RISKO VS 7(109) LORENZO ZANON
3(45) HARRY THOMAS VS 8(125) JAMES BROAD
2(29) BILL BRENNAN VS 6(93) AL MCCOY
1(4) LARRY HOLMES VS 5(77) HENRY CLARK

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Sunday 31 March 2002

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

GROUP FIVE

1. 1(5) NINO VALDES (CUBA), 3-0(1)
2. 7(52) JOHNNY RIGGINS (USA), 2-1

3. 2(12) CARL MORRIS (USA), 2-1
4. 4(28) GUS RUHLIN (USA), 2-1
5. 3(20) CESAR BRION (ARGENTINA), 1-1-1
6. 5(36) TOXIE HALL (USA), 1-2
7. 6(44) BILL TATE (USA), 0-2-1
8. 8(60) DON WARNER (USA), 0-3

NEXT SERIES OF BOUTS FOR GROUP FIVE

4(28) GUS RUHLIN VS 7(52) JOHNNY RIGGINS
3(20) CESAR BRION VS 8(60) DON WARNER
2(12) CARL MORRIS VS 6(44) BILL TATE
1(5) NINO VALDES VS 5(36) TOXIE HALL

GROUP FOUR

1. 1(4) TREVOR BERBICK (JAMAICA), 3-0(1)
2. 4(29) BERNIE REYNOLDS (USA), 2-1(1)

3. 5(37) ALFREDO EVANGELISTA (SPAIN), 2-1
4. 3(21) WAYNE BETHEA (USA), 2-1
5. 2(13) JIM MALONEY (USA), 1-1-1(1)
6. 6(45) STEFFEN TANGSTAD (NORWAY), 1-2
7. 7(53) JEFF MERRITT (USA), 0-2-1
8. 8(61) MEL TURNBOW (USA), 0-3

NEXT SERIES OF BOUTS FOR GROUP FOUR

4(29) BERNIE REYNOLDS VS 7(53) JEFF MERRITT
3(21) WAYNE BETHEA VS 8(61) MEL TURNBOW
2(13) JIM MALONEY VS 6(45) STEFFEN TANGSTAD
1(4) TREVOR BERBICK VS 5(37) ALFREDO EVANGELISTA

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Sunday 31 March 2002

GROUP STANDINGS IN
THE HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION'S
FEEDER LEAGUES

THE U.S. PACIFIC COAST BOXING LEAGUE

GROUP A

1. (1) ROSCO TOLES (USA), 2-0
2. (4) GRAHAM JEFFERSON (USA), 2-0

3. (8) TERRY DANIELS (USA), 1-1
4. (5) DAVID BEY (USA), 0-1-1
5. (9) HOWARD KING (USA), 0-1-1
6. (12) CHARLEY POWELL (USA), 0-2

GROUP B

1. (2) LEOTIS MARTIN (USA), 2-0
2. (7) JIM FLYNN (USA), 2-0

3. (10) GREG WILLIAMS (USA), 1-1
4. (3) FREDDIE BESHORE (USA), 0-1-1
5. (11) TONY DOYLE (USA), 0-1-1
6. (6) JIM BARRY (USA), 0-2

NEXT SERIES OF BOUTS

(8) TERRY DANIELS VS (12) CHARLEY POWELL
(7) JIM FLYNN VS (11) TONY DOYLE
(4) GRAHAM JEFFERSON VS (9) HPWARD KING
(3) FREDDIE BESHORE VS (10) GREG WILLIAMS
(2) LEOTIS MARTIN VS (6) JIM BARRY
(1) ROSCO TOLES VS (5) DAVID BEY


THE SOUTHERN EUROPE BOXING LEAGUE

GROUP A

1. (1) GENADI YANTCHEV (RUSSIA), 2-0
2. (5) ALEXANDER DAFOUSKA (BULGARIA), 2-0

3. (12) DRAGO BENCEK (SLOVENIA), 1-1(1)
4. (4) VITTORIO CAMPOLO (ITALY), 0-1-1
5. (8) JEAN-PIERRE COOPMAN (BELGIUM), 0-1-1
6. (9) NINI PERRONI (ITALY), 0-2

GROUP B

1. (2) MARKUS STOBER (GERMANY), 2-0
2. (7) LOVRO ALANOVIC (CROATIA), 2-0

3. (6) SHAKES QOBOZA (SOUTH AFRICA), 1-1
4. (11) LEONIDAS JASKUCIONIS (LITHUANIA), 1-1
5. (3) HANS BIRKIE (GERMANY), 0-2
6. (10) PABLO RAMIREZ (SPAIN), 0-2

NEXT SERIES OF BOUTS

(8) JEAN-PIERRE COOPMAN VS (12) DRAGO BENCEK
(7) LOVRO ALANOVIC VS (11) LEONIDAS JASKUCIONIS
(4) VITTORIO CAMPOLO VS (9) NINI PERRONI
(3) HANS BIRKIE VS (10) PABLO RAMIREZ
(2) MARKUS STOBER VS (6) SHAKES QOBOZA
(1) GENADI YANTCHEV VS (5) ALEXANDER DAFOUSKA

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Sunday 31 March 2002

HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION
FIGHT CARD SCHEDULE
MONDAY 01/04/2002 - SATURDAY 06/04/2002 INCLUSIVE

MONDAY 01/04/2002 - PACIFICO YOKOHAMA, YOKOHAMA, JAPAN

1D - G3: 4(30) TOMMY MORRISON vs 8(62) KING SOLOMON
1D - G3: 3(22) IBAR ARRINGTON vs 7(54) BILL LANG
WC - G6: 4(59) JAMES TILLIS vs 8(123) JAMES ELLIS
WC - G6: 3(43) BRUCE WOODCOCK vs 7(107) BOB BAKER
WC - G6: 2(27) JACK GARDNER vs 5(75) JOHNNY DUPLOOY
WC - G6: 1(6) PETER JACKSON vs 6(91) HEINZ NEUHAUS

TUESDAY 02/04/02 - MAPLE LEAF GARDENS, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA
THE CANADIAN BOXING LEAGUE

(6) JACK MUNROE vs (7) LOU BAILEY
(5) JOE LANNON vs (8) BRETT ASHBY
(4) JOHN FERGUSON vs (12) JOE COX
(3) LARRY GAINS vs (11) TIM ANDERSON
(2) ROBERT CLEROUX vs (10) BOBBY HALPERN
(1) LENNOX LEWIS vs (9) CARMINE VINGO

WEDNESDAY 03/04/2002 - BALLY'S ATLANTIC CITY, ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY, USA

1D - G3: 2(14) AMOS JOHNSON vs 5(38) GUS DORAZIO
1D - G3: 1(3) OLIVER MCCALL vs 6(46) RANDY STEPHENS
WC - G11: 4(54) BILLY DANIELS vs 8(118) AL KAUFMANN
WC - G11: 3(38) CLARENCE HENRY vs 7(102) MIKE DEJOHN
WC - G11: 2(22) JOHNNY SUMMERLIN vs 5(70) CHARLES HORN
WC - G11: 1(11) JOE JEANNETTE vs 6(86) RON STANDER

THURSDAY 04/04/2002 - CARNIVAL CITY BIG TOP ARENA, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
THE AFRICAN BOXING LEAGUE

(6) OMOVO OKOCHA vs (7) DELBERT CRAW
(5) MARIEN NGUESSO vs (8) ZOLILIE LETLAKE
(4) GRANTHAM ABDUL-KAFAR vs (12) ROY HARRIS
(3) JAMES ELDREN vs (11) CHARLES MBARGA
(2) ANACLET WAMBA vs (10) JOMO MOTLOUNG
(1) IKE IBEABUCHI vs (9) STANLEY DREXXON

FRIDAY 05/04/2002 - PONDS FORGE LEISURE CENTRE, SHEFFIELD, SOUTH YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND

1D - G6: 4(27) CURTIS SHEPPARD vs 8(59) JURGEN BLIN
1D - G6: 3(19) JOE CHOYNSKI vs 7(51) JOSE ROMAN
WC - G14: 4(51) KING LEVINSKY vs 8(115) MARTY MONROE
WC - G14: 3(35) PHIL MUSCATO vs 7(99) LUIS FIRPO
WC - G14: 2(19) JIMMY ELLIS vs 5(67) AMOS LINCOLN
WC - G14: 1(14) ERNIE TERRELL vs 6(83) BERT WHITEHURST

SATURDAY 06/04/2002 - RELIANT PARK PAVILION, HOUSTON, TEXAS, USA

1D - G6: 2(11) MIKE WEAVER vs 5(35) JOHN LESTER JOHNSON
1D - G6: 1(6) RON LYLE vs 6(43) CHARLEY MITCHELL
WC - G3: 4(62) MANUEL RAMOS vs 8(126) JOE BECKETT
WC - G3: 3(46) RENALDO SNIPES vs 7(110) PAT VALENTINO
WC - G3: 2(30) CLEVELAND WILLIAMS vs 5(78) FRANCO CAVICCHI
WC - G3: 1(3) JACK JOHNSON vs 6(94) PEDRO LOVELL

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TORONTO AND JO'BURG CARDS WILL CONCLUDE
FEEDER LEAGUE'S SECOND SERIES

Sunday 31 March 2002

The second series of fight cards for the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's eight feeder leagues will come to a conclusion during the opening week of April.

On Tuesday night, Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens will host its second HBF fight card in thirteen days (following the Sam Langford-headlined March 20 event) when Olympic Super-Heavyweight gold medallist Lennox Lewis returns to the ring for his second professional bout in the main event of the Canadian Boxing League card. It will be an exciting night for Lewis, one that he's looked forward to greatly. Along with his mother and extended family, Lewis makes his home in the town of Kitchener, less than an hour west of Toronto.

Meanwhile, the African Boxing League will return to the site of its first wildly-successful fight card, the Carnival City Big Top Arena in Johannesburg. The HBF had made unsuccessful attempts to hold the card in a number of other locations, including the Congo, Nigeria and Zaire. A suitable venue could not be found, and Johannesburg was more than willing to once again host the league.

Following the first fight card, there were many who said that talent-wise, the ABL is the deepest of all the eight HBF feeder leagues. Based on that first fight card, there is a skilled quartet of fighters who all have a good chance of winning the initial tournament and securing a shot at a World Ranking. Ike Ibeabuchi, Anaclet Wamba, James Eldren and the surprising Omovo Okocha are all considered to have a good chance. No other feeder league can boast such a level of competitiveness, and Thursday's fight card looms as potentially the most exciting of the six to be held during the coming week...

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A MAN WITH A LOT ON HIS MIND

Sunday 31 March 2002

Last night, HBF President Michael Vincennes was just one of the thousands in attendance at the federation's fight card in Reading, Pennsylvania. This is nothing new, as Vincennes has been present at a number of the organisation's fight cards since the first was held in early January.

However, today, a number of media outlets have published a photo showing a perturbed, even morose federation president at last night's event. The accompanying story implies that the stress of the events during these past five days have taken their toll on Vincennes.

Before the "Manchester incident" of this past Wednesday, things could not have been better for Vincennes and the Heavyweight Boxing Federation. Just a day before, it had been revealed that Vincennes and HBF World Championship tournament contender Riddick Bowe would be present to throw the ceremonial opening pitches at Ebbets Field for the April 1st MLB season opener between the Dodgers and Titans. Then, on Wednesday, Vincennes announced that the federation had entered into a multi-million dollar sponsorship deal with the Everlast sports clothing company.

But then came the Manchester brawl, literally hours after the sponsorship announcement. In the days since, Vincennes has attempted to play down the incident only to be accused of going soft on the HBF fighters who were involved. When Vincennes was unreachable on Friday, many speculated that Everlast's chief executive Jacob Golomb Jr. was meeting with Vincennes to express his concern over the brawl and its implications. However, some took Vincennes' unavailability as a sign that talks on boxing expansion were back on. If there is any truth to that rumour, one can only wonder what will become of it. Vincennes' unusually downcast mood at last night's event has only fanned the fires of speculation in regards to both topics.

The HBF President did not answer questions while at the Sovereign Center, leaving that to one of his assistants, who stated that Vincennes would release a statement in the coming days.

Tomorrow morning, all of the HBF boxers involved in the Manchester brawl will be interviewed by Vincennes and his team of directors. It's likely that some sort of monetary punishment will be handed out, in particular to Terone Haynes, Ray Mercer and Oliver McCall, who (amongst the HBF boxers) contributed more to the incident than anyone else. However, we'll just have to wait and see what transpires in relation to that. Regardless, the meeting will likely take some of the lustre off the evening's baseball festivities.

But what will follow? Even without taking the fight cards that will take place into consideration, the coming week will be a fascinating one for the Heavyweight Boxing Federation...

[kenyan_cheena]

DOING JUST ENOUGH:
JACKSON BY U.D. IN YOKOHAMA

Monday 1 April 2002

Australia's #6 seed in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament Peter Jackson improved his record to 3-0(1) today with a workmanlike six round unanimous decision victory against Germany's Heinz Neuhaus.

Jackson was always in control against an active opponent, showing once again that he is blessed with some impressive defensive skills. The Aussie landed 148 of 242 punches (61%), while Neuhaus could only connect with 87 of 330 (26%).

Following the tougher nature of his two opening bouts, the relative ease of tonight's contest was a welcome relief for Jackson. Each judge scored the bout 59-55 for Jackson.

"He was throwing a lot of punches, but I was really seeing them well," Jackson said. "Maybe he was too predictable, I'm not sure, but I felt like I knew what he was going to do, two and three punches in advance."

The Australian received enthusiastic support from the Pacifico Yokohama arena audience. He is one of the most (if not the most) popular of all the HBF's boxers amongst the Japanese, and they came up with a number of inventive chants during the bout.

Overall, it was an unspectacular performance from the #6 seed, although most of that was due to the swarming style of his opponent.

"It's difficult to look good against a guy like Heinz," said Jackson. "He was very aggressive and even though I didn't have too much trouble avoiding his shots, he was throwing a lot of them, so I didn't have as much time to put together some strong combos. But I'll take it, man. It's another win, not a loss, and that's the most important thing."

Although the HBF has employed a policy to have their top contenders fighting where they are most popular, they also realise that exposing the "International" contenders to the American public is very important. It's almost certain that Jackson's Group Six will fight their next series of bouts in America, before another Australian fight card during series five.

(Coming up ... The Yokohama Undercard)

[kenyan_cheena]

THE YOKOHAMA UNDERCARD

Opening Bout

20 year-old Oklahoma native Tommy Morrison produced his best performance to date with a dominant unanimous decision victory against Boston's King Solomon.

The hard-hitting 30th seed in the 1st Defense tournament was hot and cold during the first three rounds before simply decimating Solomon in the bottom half of the bout. The Massachusetts-born boxer tasted the canvas once in the fourth, once at the end of the fifth and twice in the sixth. He appeared to be literally knocked out while still standing as the final bell sounded and soon after came the confirmation that Morrison had improved his pro record to 3-0(1) with a 58-52, 59-51, 58-52 unanimous decision victory.

Morrison is one of just five "4th seeds" in either the World Championship or 1st Defense tournaments with a perfect record, but when told this, he wasn't that impressed.

"Look at the guys I've fought," he said. "They're all seeded lower than me so I should be undefeated. But, I guess that's surprising that only five of us are still perfect. Five out of 24, aint' it? That's not many."

The Oklahoma slugger was asked what he thought of his performance.

Morrison smiled. "Well, overall, I'd have to say it's my best effort so far. I'm not completely satisfied, though, 'cause I could have worked a bit harder in the first and also the third. But the last three rounds, I was really happy with that."

With this victory, Morrison has solidified his position in the top two of Group Three in the 1st Defense tournament, regardless of what transpires in the other group bouts for this series. If top seed Oliver McCall was to suffer defeat on Wednesday night, Morrison would assume the #1 position in the group. His next bout is against the winless Australian Bill Lang, so there's a good chance that Morrison will be 4-0 going into the all-important fifth series of tournament bouts.

Preliminary 1

Following a somewhat surprising loss to Gus Dorazio in his last bout, Washington's #22 seed Ibar Arrington did little tonight to convince anyone that he is a contender in the 1st Defense tournament. He was quite unimpressive in taking a split decision victory (58-56, 56-58, 58-56) against the limited, winless Australian Bill Lang (54th seed) and will really need to get his act together if he is to have any chance of progressing to the tournament's second stage.

Preliminary 2

The World Championship tournament campaign of 59th seed James Tillis of Tulsa, Oklahoma went from bad to worse tonight, when his bout against the 123rd seed James Ellis was stopped due to an accidental headbutt and declared a Technical Draw midway through the second round.

Tillis, who had looked ordinary, to say the least, in his first two bouts (a draw with Johnny DuPlooy in Australia and a loss to Heinz Neuhaus in Texas) now finds himself still winless after three fights against lower-seeded opponents. With his record 0-1-2 and bouts with the top three seeds in the group still to come, there seems little chance that Tillis will come even close to a top two finish.

(to be continued)