The Heavyweight Boxing Federation

[kenyan_cheena]

Okay, folks, I've just completely edited posts 499 & 500.

#499 is the "BACK IN THE BIG APPLE" story in one complete post and #500 concerns Rocky Marciano's fight with Mike Schreck in Japan.

I'll try to post the review of the entire Japan card tonight, Oz time (about 8 hours from now).

Enjoy!

[kenyan_cheena]

LANGFORD TESTED BY TOUGH AUSSIE IN TOKYO

Wednesday 24 April 2002

Canada's pocket-rocket Sam Langford got exactly what he expected tonight when he clashed with the tough-as-nails Australian Joe Goddard in the Main Event of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's Tokyo fight card.

The 9th seed in the HBF's World Championship tournament, Langford grinded out a majority decision victory over Goddard (58-56, 57-57, 58-56) in a fight where, for the first time in his career, his opponent asked him some serious questions.

Serious questions, yes. But the 20 year-old Canadian had answers for all of them. He made a confident start against the willing Aussie, controlling proceedings during the opening two rounds, his aggression more than compensating for his opponent's four inch height advantage.

But Goddard hasn't earned the admiration of his fellow boxers by being an easy target. He's come terribly close to winning each of his previous three bouts (a draw with Joe Baksi, a razor-thin unanimous decision loss to Alex Stewart in a Fight of the Year candidate and a stirring draw with 24th seed Jack Sharkey) and against Langford he mounted an impressive rally that started late in the third and continued on into the fourth. His efforts in that fourth round were particularly impressive as he was able to tag the highest seeded Canadian in the tournament with a trio of effective combinations, trading blows with the 9th seed in the middle of the ring. The capacity audience showed their appreciation as they greeted the bell with thunderous applause.

Langford was back in the driver's seat in the fifth, but early in the final round Goddard rocked him with a crushing right cross. A better punch no one has yet to land on the 9th seed. The Australian followed it up with a hard left hook and although Langford finished the fight strongly, Goddard's early efforts were enough to see each judge award him the round.

But as in his previous bouts, near enough was once again not quite good enough for the 28 year-old Australian. Langford was full of praise for his determined opponent in the moments afer the decision had been announced.

"Without a doubt, this was the toughest fight for me, so far," he said, towelling his bald pate. "Joe really showed what he's capable of tonight. But you know, the start that I made in those early rounds, that won me the fight. I couldn't be any more happy because I knew what I was up against. Everyone's seen how close Joe's come to winning in his other fights, so there was no reason why he couldn't beat me tonight. So just winning this bout, I can't ask for any more than that."

The final punch stats were not really indicative of the competitiveness of the contest:

Langford 181/418 (43%)
Goddard 91/302 (30%)

"Seemed like he hit me more than that," said Langford, surprised. "The guy has some power, that's for sure."

"I was wondering if you're feeling any relief over getting through this opening quartet of bouts with a perfect record?" asked ESPN reporter David Daley.

Langford laughed and smiled. "Of course, of course. I've felt relieved each time I've climbed out of the ring," he replied. "I haven't lost a fight yet, so everything has gone to plan, thank the Lord. But I've got Alex Stewart next and that's going to be a mighty challenge. I don't care what people are saying about him, the guy is dangerous. He's got tremendous power, so I'll just have to take my training to another level. With every bout, we'll just go to another level. This thing ain't gonna get any easier and if you thought tonight was tough ... well, you'll be begging for something this easy once these upcoming bouts roll around."

(Still to come: the Tokyo undercard!)

[Romdawg88]

The Tokyo card seems to have been a fun so far. It doesn't seem like Rocky going to face much trouble until the end of the 1st defense tournment. Ya have to feel bad for Goddard the guy's fought so well and be just can't pick up a W.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

The Tokyo card seems to have been a fun so far. It doesn't seem like Rocky going to face much trouble until the end of the 1st defense tournment. Ya have to feel bad for Goddard the guy's fought so well and be just can't pick up a W.

I'm really happy with the start Rocky has made. I wanted to be able to write about him as this unstoppable KO machine and the game has helped out in that respect.

As for Goddard, he's been damn close to winning every fight. His next three are all against fighters seeded lower than him, so maybe he can finish the tournament with a nice winning streak.

[kenyan_cheena]

THE TOKYO UNDERCARD

Opening Bout

Australia's Frank Slavin put the disappointment of being KO'd by Rocky Marciano in his last bout behind him and scored a sensational 4th round knockout of New Jersey's 16th seed Tony Galento in a wild start to the evening.

Both fighters were 2-1 going into the bout and knew that the winner would greatly enhance their chances of progressing to the second stage of the 1st Defense tournament.

Having already pulled off a pair of upsets in his opening two bouts before running into Marciano, 48th-seeded Slavin came into the contest with no fear, confident that he could succeed against a man who had shown a penchant for over-confidence in his previous bouts.

The two men touched gloves and produced an opening round that was quite possibly one of the most astonishing seen in these HBF tournaments. Galento made a terrific start, his intentions for an early night clear as he tagged the Australian with a series of powerful shots. He dominated the opening half of the round, but Slavin's rally in the bottom half was even more impressive. He staggered Galento on three separate occasions during a frantic eighty seconds. A crushing uppercut and a pair of flush-landing right crosses scrambled Galento's circuits. The audience, a full house, came to their feet in wild applause as the round came to a close.

Despite his poor showing in the later half of round one, Galento wrestled back control in the second, clearly winning it with volume rather than power. The fast start seemed to have taken a toll on the combatants and they cruised through the third round, both appearing content to spend most of the three minutes in each other's arms.

When the end came in round four, it was comprehensive and eye-opening. Just nineteen seconds in, a single left hook put Galento on his back, a lightning bolt of a punch that stunned the audience as much as it had the 16th seed. He was up at five, a perplexed frown showing as if he had no idea that Slavin possessed such one punch power. Referee Abe Goldstein allowed the bout to continue and Slavin came in for the kill, catching a still-rattled Galento with a sharp three punch combination. The New Jersey native backed off but Slavin didn't. He stepped in and unleashed a perfect right uppercut that snapped Galento's head back and sent him crashing to the canvas. As Goldstein administered the count, Slavin bounced around on his toes in a neutral corner. When it was clear that Galento would not only fail to beat the count, but also not even attempt to, the Aussie pumped his fist towards the audience, pounding his chest and screaming with jubilation. The contest was over, with Galento counted out 1:07 into round four.

At 3-1(1), Slavin joins Minnesota's Scott LeDoux in a tie for 2nd place in the group. However, if the tournament finished today, it would be Slavin that would progress to stage two, thanks to his victory against LeDoux when they fought in February. With his next three bouts against his fellow lower-seeded opponents and LeDoux's against the top three seeds in the group, the Australian must surely be a better bet to qualify for the second stage...

[kenyan_cheena]

Preliminary 1

104th-seeded South African Gerrie Coetzee was soundly beaten by Tom Sharkey and Sam Langford in his opening two professional bouts, but came close to causing an upset against England's Alex Stewart five weeks ago in Toronto.

Tonight, the big 19 year-old broke through for his first tournament victory, comfortably defeating an out-of-sorts Joe Baksi by unanimous decision (59-55, 58-56, 59-55).

A native of New York City and the #56 seed in the HBF's World Championship tournament, Baksi was coming off a controversial technical draw with Chicago's 120th seed John Holman. That had been a contest in which he had hoped to show off his true ability, but it was over within a round thanks to a headclash that opened a cut on Baksi's forehead. Considering that, his effort tonight against Coetzee was most disappointing. The New Yorker had a chance to improve his record to 2-0-2 but looked disinterested for much of the bout, especially during the first three rounds. Baksi's poor performance was perfectly illustrated in the fifth round when the South African had him out on his feet with a punishing series of blows.

Coetzee was ecstatic after the decision was announced, shouting and embracing his cornermen, the weight of a winless record lifted from his shoulders.

"A win is a win and it's my first one, so I'll enjoy this," said Coetzee. "Sure, he wasn't at his best, but that's his problem. I won't apologise for beating a guy who didn't have the heart to compete."

The punch totals revealed the extent of Coetzee's dominance. He landed 146 of 432 blows (34%) while Baksi could only connect with 79 of 226 (35%).

With his record now 1-3, the 104th seed spoke of his optimism for the future.

"This was a tough start to have to make to my career," he said. "Going against such talented guys. But I really think I can win my remaining tournament bouts. Who knows where I can go from there?"

Where Coetzee will go is the HBF's World Ranking tournament. Clearly, he won't qualify for the second stage of the World Championship tournament and his nationality excludes him from competing in either of the federation's forthcoming regional tournaments. The WR tournament is something the HBF have not spoken much on, but it will include all the fighters who: a) don't qualify for the second stage of the WC or 1D tourneys, and b) are not eligible or chosen to take part in either of the regional tournaments.

As for Baksi, he'll look back at these last two bouts with a deal of disappointment. Against two men who both had 100% losing records beforehand, he's gone 0-1-1. His reasonable career start of 1-0-1 has fallen to 1-1-2 and his next three opponents are the top three seeds in the group: Tom Sharkey, Alex Stewart and Sam Langford...

[kenyan_cheena]

Preliminary 2

Australia's Joe Goddard might take the title of the most luckless fighter in the HBF, but there's another man in the same group of the World Championship tournament for whom the opposite applies.

London-born 22 year-old Alex Stewart has made the kind of fortunate start to his career that Goddard could only dream about. A look at the scorecards in his first three professional bouts confirms this:

09/01/02 vs Jim Savage draw D6 (57-57, 57-57, 57-57)
13/02/02 vs Joe Goddard win UD6 (56-55, 56-55, 56-55)
20/03/02 vs Gerrie Coetzee win SD6 (58-57, 57-58, 58-57)

Nine total scorecards, with five of them in his favour, ALL by a single point.

Tonight, Stewart's opponent was the winless 120th seed John Holman of Chicago. Most experts were predicting that Stewart would finally put on a display in which it could be said that he was a clear-cut winner.

What ended up happening was ... well, just read on to find out...

***

ALEX STEWART vs JOHN HOLMAN

Despite struggling for consistency in his first three bouts, Alex Stewart came into tonight's event with the knowledge that he was still undefeated and that a win for him coupled with a loss by either Sammy Langford or Tom Sharkey would propel him into the top two in the group standings.

John Holman's hopes were much more modest. He was simply looking for his first victory as a professional.

Round One

Surprisingly, both men come out smoking, trading bombs during the first minute of the bout to the crowd's delight. But that opening barrage seems to take a lot out of them and the action slows throughout the remainder of the round. Stewart is a little bit more active but overall, a fairly even round.

Round Two

The slow pace through the bottom half of round one continues on into the second stanza, with both fighters content to lean on each other between brief exchanges. Neither man does a whole lot, but Holman is the busier fighter.

Round Three

A docile opening is shattered when 46 seconds into the round, Stewart is rocked by a jolting three punch combination. He clinches in an attempt to regain his senses, but not long after Holman tags him again with a left-right salvo.

The Englishman is trapped in a neutral corner with a concerned look on his face. There appears to be no thought on counter-attacking and when Holman connects with a pair of punishing body shots, Stewart falls to one knee!

Up at three, the 40th seed still has 77 seconds to survive until the bell. He backpedals and Holman pursues. The Illinois native controls the tempo, scoring well against a rapidly fading opponent, but he can't find that killer blow to finish him off.

Stewart puts up a good enough show to convince referee Ray Solis to allow him to stay in the contest, but as the bell sounds to end the round, the Englishman is in serious trouble.

Round Four

Defying the image he presented in the previous round, Stewart comes out strongly and wins round four with some impressive offense, staggering Holman with a number of powerful shots including two separate sledgehammer uppercuts. The 120th seed retaliates with a crunching combination near the end of the round, but it's not enough to make up for Stewart's showing during the rest of the round.

Round Five

Stewart consolidates on his good work from round four, beating a tiring Holman to the punch. It's clear that Stewart's had a second wind, while Holman looks like he doesn't have much left to offer. At least not until he lands a big uppercut 50 seconds from the bell. But Stewart doesn't back off and, even more discouraging for the Chicago native, he fires back with a straight right that buckles Holman's knees seconds before the bell.

Round Six

The audience give the two warriors a standing ovation as the final round begins. It really is anyone's fight but Holman stamps his name on the early part of the round, landing a cracker of a combination that, although impressive, doesn't seem to hurt the Englishman.

A minute in, Stewart connects with a crushing uppercut, bringing a vacant look to Holman's eyes. He backs off and Stewart follows, but it's the chicago fighter who lands the next blow, a jolting right cross that stops Stewart in his tracks.

They spend the next forty seconds in a clinch, Holman on the ropes and Stewart leaning on him, ineffective punches bouncing off arms and gloves. But then Stewart steps back and rips away at Holman's body, a trio of wicked shots. The third one brings a grimace of pain to Stewart's face and he crumbles to the canvas! Holman is down!

The Chicago native slams the canvas with his gloved fist, rising at six, shaking his head. Stewart looks re-energised, but he can't finish Holman off, swinging with wild, panic-stricken left and rights. With thirty seconds left, both men look thoroughly spent and neither one comes close to hurting the other before the final seconds of the bout tick away down to zero.

Stewart and Holman embrace in the middle of the ring and the crowd shows their appreciation for such a spirited performance.

...

Five minutes later, ring announcer Jimmy Lennon is ready with the verdict.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a split decision. Judge Takehaki Kanaya of Japan has scored it 56-55 for Alex Stewart. Judge Frank Lombardi of the USA has scored the bout to John Holman, by the same 56-55 scoreline. And finally, judge Hugo Perniche of Mexico has also scored the contest 56-55, to the winner...

ALEX STEWART!!!"

[kenyan_cheena]

Stewart and his cornermen let out a simultaneous, jubilant scream, exchanging high fives and hugging each other. The relief over surviving yet another cardiac-inducing contest with his undefeated record still in tact was clear for all to see as Stewart let loose with a Ric Flair-like "Woooo!"

After offering commiserations to Holman and his corner, Stewart spoke with ESPN's David Daley.

"This is becoming quite a habit for you," Daley said with a smile.

Stewart laughed. "Ohh, yeah. Seems like I just love putting myself through these situations," he said. "But, you know, I think I deserved the win. I was in charge for the entire second half of the bout, and I did enough in that first round to win it, really. I'm just so happy because no matter what happens with Langford and the Shark, I'll be fighting for the group lead in five weeks. The thought of takin' on Sammy, I just can't wait for that fight."

"You really looked gone there in the third round," said Daley. "How were you able to rebound so strongly from that?"

"I just dug deep," replied Stewart. "Simple as that. You know, I had no choice there and I know people are gonna say that I've been lucky but I don't care about that. I did what I had to do to win tonight and I'm still undefeated, so that's all that matters."

"Well, Alex, up next for you is that huge challenge of taking on Sam Langford. I'd like to wish you all the best for that contest."

Daley shook Stewart's hand.

"Thanks, David, that's appreciated."

Soon after, Stewart and his contented corner team had left the ring. Back in the dressing rooms, they waited and watched as first Jim Savage and then Tom Sharkey made their way to the ring for the evening's Support Bout...

[Romdawg88]

Alex Stewart might not only be the luckiest fighter in the tourment but the most exciting as well, aside from his first fight he's been in some damn good brawls.

So is every fighter in the WC and 1st defense moving on to another tournment after the end of the 1st stage cause that kicks ass? The more tournments the better course I'm a huge tournment mark so of course I love the idea.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Alex Stewart might not only be the luckiest fighter in the tourment but the most exciting as well, aside from his first fight he's been in some damn good brawls.

So is every fighter in the WC and 1st defense moving on to another tournment after the end of the 1st stage cause that kicks ass? The more tournments the better course I'm a huge tournment mark so of course I love the idea.

I have to agree with you there, Romy. And he's going up against Sam Langford next!

As for the tourneys, the top 32 and top 16 in the WC and 1D tournaments will move onto stage two. Of the others, there will be a 72 man Continental Americas Championship tournament and a European Championship tournament (probably 24 fighters, but maybe just 12).

The ones who aren't in either of these will go into what will be called a World Ranking tournament. The fighters who take part in stage two of the WC/1D tourneys will take up the top 48 World Rankings, while the fighters in the other tournaments will be ranked according to their career records after the tournaments are complete.

[kenyan_cheena]

Support Bout

Ireland's Tom Sharkey had made an explosive start to his career, scoring a 2nd round TKO of Gerrie Coetzee and a 3rd round KO of John Holman in his first two bouts.

However, his defeat of Holman was not achieved without some anxiety and that ordinary form continued on into his third bout, where he was held to a draw by the tough Australian Joe Goddard.

Tonight, he entered the ring minutes after watching England's Alex Stewart scrape by against John Holman, so he knew that a win was essential to maintain his 2nd placing in the group standings.

But in a development that made Stewart's fingernail victory even more important, Sharkey was once again held to a draw. This time, it was the winless New Jersey native Jim Savage that did the damage to Sharkey's World Championship campaign.

KO'd in the 2nd round by Sam Langford in his last bout, Savage was a different fighter tonight. An inspired fighter.

For Sharkey, this really was a fight that was there for the taking. He controlled the contest through the first two rounds and into the third, but it was there that the tide turned. In the final minute of the round, Savage hurt Sharkey with a pair of left hooks and a crushing uppercut.

Those punches obviously had a lasting effect, because Sharkey came out cautiously in the fourth and a minute in was deposited onto the seat of his pants courtesy of a flush right cross. He was up at three, but was virtually useless for the rest of the round.

When the bout was over, a look at the scorecards would reveal that Sharkey went from being two points ahead to one point behind in the space of two rounds.

Sharkey's cornerman ripped into him after the fourth and it did the trick. He came out and fought his best round of the fight, dominating Savage and in the minds of many taking back the initiative. But this form reversal didn't continue into the final round. The nature of the contest had taken a lot out of the two men, and neither made a serious attempt to impress the judges during those last three minutes.

When the identical scorecards of 57-57 from each judge were revealed, Sharkey simply bowed his head, a grimace showing how aware he was of the repercussions of his ordinary showing.

"I said after the last one that it wasn't really a setback," Sharkey said, disappointment clear on his countenance. "But I can't avoid it, this one is. This will make it more difficult for me to go on in the tournament. But I can't worry about what the others will do. I'm fighting Joe Baksi in five weeks and that's what I have to focus on."

As revealed earlier, Sam Langford was victorious in the night's Main Event, but the depth of Sharkey's plight means that even if Langford had lost, the Irishman would have still been placed below him.

Following tonight's event, the top three in Group Nine of the World Championship tournament looks like this:

1st: 1(9) Sam Langford (Canada), 4-0(1)
2nd: 3(40) Alex Stewart (England), 3-0-1

3rd: 2(24) Tom Sharkey (Ireland), 2-0-2(2)

With Langford and Stewart to clash for the group lead in five weeks, Sharkey's own bout with the 56th seed Joe Baksi is a must win for him. In fact, the Irishman will most likely have to win all of his remaining three contests to have any chance of proceeding further in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament...

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
WEDNESDAY 24 APRIL 2002
ARIAKE COLISEUM, TOKYO, JAPAN


OPENING BOUT

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group One
6(48) Frank Slavin KO4 2(16) Tony Galento

PRELIMINARY 1

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Nine
7(104) Gerrie Coetzee UD6 4(56) Joe Baksi

PRELIMINARY 2

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Nine
3(40) Alex Stewart SD6 8(120) John Holman

SUPPORT BOUT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Nine
2(24) Tom Sharkey D6 6(88) Jim Savage

CO-FEATURE

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group One
1(1) Rocky Marciano TKO1 5(40) Mike Schreck

MAIN EVENT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Nine
1(9) Sam Langford MD6 5(72) Joe Goddard

[kenyan_cheena]

NIGERIA TO HOST NEXT
AFRICAN BOXING LEAGUE FIGHT CARD

Wednesday 24 April 2002

This evening, HBF President Michael Vincennes announced that Surelere Stadium in Lagos, Nigeria will be the venue for the next African Boxing League fight card.

The league's first two fight cards were held at the Carnival City Big Top Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa and although they were tremendously successful, the federation was eager to take the league to another African nation.

"It's the African Boxing League, not the South African Boxing League," said Vincennes, smiling. "The two Johannesburg events were great and the league will certainly return there in the future. But it's imperative for the success of heavyweight boxing in Africa that we hold events in other countries on the continent."

Surelere Stadium is a multi-purpose venue that can accomodate 55,000 spectators. Used mostly for football matches, it hosted the African Nations Cup in 2000.

Vincennes revealed that the negotiations with the Nigerian government over the event went more smoothly than expected.

"Well, we wanted to hold the second card there, but at the time they were a little bit cool on the idea," he said. "But after seeing how popular the first Johannseburg card was, they changed their tune. But it's worked out nicely because the third card will feature a Nigerian fighter in both the Co-Feature and the Main Event. I can guarantee you right now that every one of those 55,000 seats will be filled come the evening of May the 9th."

Indeed, with #1 seed Ike Ibeabuchi and 6th seed Omovo Okocha at the top of the bill, the card has the potential to be one of the biggest sporting events in Nigeria for quite some time...

[kenyan_cheena]

"NOW, IT'S PERSONAL"

Thursday 25 April 2002

story by Harry Fitzgerald for the Las Vegas Star

The simmering rivalry between heavyweight boxers Gene Tunney and Earnie Shavers moved into a darker realm during today's midday promotional event at Caesar's Palace for this Saturday's HBF fight card.

The two men were posing for photos one minute and exchanging bare-fisted punches in an intense but brief melee the next, the reasons for which were not initially clear. They were quickly seperated and soon after, Tunney, who had thrown the first punch, gave some insight into what had occured.

"Just imagine the worst thing in the world that one man can say to another man about his wife, and you have your answer," he said, anger clear in his voice and his eyes. "I mean, I know this guy's been trying to get under my skin, trying to pump himself up for when we fight, and you've all seen that I've let it bounce of me. But what he just said..." Tunney shook his head. "That just crossed a border. I couldn't let that slip. Now, it's personal. He's just shown me what I had started to believe: that he has no class, and that he belongs in the gutter."

As Tunney said, Shavers has not been shy about voicing his intentions. The two men seemed to get on fine during their extended February stay in South Africa, although Shavers had shown mild signs of what was to come when he questioned whether Tunney would be able to "contend with my power". During the Madison Square Garden fight card on March 23, after having just destroyed Tyrell Biggs inside of one round, Shavers told the New York crowd that the #1 seed in the World Championship tournament "ain't gonna have a hope in hell" when they go head-to-head on July 11. The rage he showed that night was quite a sight, and those close to him have said that his apparent hatred for Tunney has only increased since then.

It could be that Earnie Shavers has bitten off more than he can chew with his actions today, but whether that's the case or not, there's no denying that he has finally gotten under Gene Tunney's skin. Deep under. In this reporter's opinion, that can only be good for what is to come, not only on Saturday night but also on the 11th of July...

[Romdawg88]

Great stuff as always. Man, Shavers is going to get embarrassed by Tunney, all the man has is his big right hand that ain't enough unless Tunney does something stupid and tries to trade with Ernie.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Great stuff as always. Man, Shavers is going to get embarrassed by Tunney, all the man has is his big right hand that ain't enough unless Tunney does something stupid and tries to trade with Ernie.

Yep, I'm thinking that Earnie probably realises that, too. And as we all know, people can do some pretty stupid things when their emotions get the better of them...

[Romdawg88]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Yep, I'm thinking that Earnie probably realises that, too. And as we all know, people can do some pretty stupid things when their emotions get the better of them...

True, probably why Earnie been trash talking the man, when does this fight go down is it their next one?

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

True, probably why Earnie been trash talking the man, when does this fight go down is it their next one?

Their group is fighting on the coming Saturday night, but they won't fight each other until 11 July.