The Heavyweight Boxing Federation

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HBF'S LATEST JAPAN VISIT A HUGE SUCCESS

Friday 26 April 2002

HBF President Michael Vincennes has called this past Wednesday's fight card in Tokyo "the best" of the six that the federation has held in Japan to date.

"We could not have hoped for a better visit here," said Vincennes. "I mean no disrespect to the other five events. But this particular card, along with everything that took place leading up to it ... it was just a fantastic two weeks."

One of the many highlights of the federation's visit was the filming of the first of what will be at least a half dozen commercials for major sponsor Everlast. Shot at Ariake Coliseum (the venue of Wednesday's event) back on Sunday, the commercial features HBF competitors Sam Langford and Rocky Marciano in a mock World Championship bout. The federation allowed 15,000 Japanese fight fans (selected through a raffle) into the Coliseum to take part in the shooting of the commercial and they proved to be a more than enthusiastic audience.

While most of the boxers and HBF officials involved in the Tokyo event were flying home today, Vincennes will be heading to Australia for Monday night's Sydney Entertainment Centre fight card, which features Riddick Bowe in the main event.

"My first visit to Australia," Vincennes said, shortly before boarding his flight at Tokyo's Narita International Airport. "I know that the buzz for Monday night has been huge down there, so it's something we're really looking forward to."

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SET TO MAKE A STATEMENT IN SYDNEY

Friday 26 April 2002

On Monday, Brooklyn's Riddick Bowe will be back in action in the Main Event of the HBF's Sydney Entertainment Centre fight card. It's his first visit to Australia since losing the gold medal bout to Lennox Lewis at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Bowe will step into the ring against fellow New York state native Gerry Cooney (0-3). The #5 seed in the federation's World Championship tournament will be hoping to produce a performance that he can truly be satisified with following a pair of less than spectacular efforts.

"I'd give myself nothin' more than a C," he said, when asked how he'd grade his career so far. "I might be undefeated, but I haven't come close to showing what I'm capable of."

When he fought in Reno back in February, Bowe flew his wife and three children out to the city with him for a holiday. For his impending fight in Australia, he did the same thing. The Bowe family arrived Down Under two weeks ago and have absolutely fallen in love with the place.

"Well, see, back during the Olympics, I couldn't bring them with me," said Bowe. "I loved bein' here in 2000, so I was really looking forward to coming back. It's nice bein' able to bring my whole gang here, you know? We've had a great couple o' weeks. We went out on a cruise around Sydney Harbour, been up the top of Centrepoint Tower. Yeah, that was incredible. We're gonna stay for a few more weeks after Monday an' make a real holiday of it."

Known for his extroverted personality, Bowe has enamoured himself to the locals during a number of HBF promotional events and appearances on radio and television.

"The people here are so friendly," he said. "And the boxing fans are really knowledgeable. A lot of 'em remember me from the Olympics, which is kinda funny." Bowe laughed. "It'll be nice to have some friends in the crowd on Monday."

Monday's card will commence at 11am, which will allow it to be broadcast on ESPN from 9pm Sunday night in the United States.

"This is a huge fight," said Bowe. "You know, this Gerry Cooney dude, he had some hype about him before the tournament began. Now, he hasn't lived up to that, but it just makes him more dangerous. He's gonna be hungry for a victory. That's how I'll be approaching the fight. I ain't gonna take him lightly."

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HAMMERS FALL AT THE HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM

Friday 26 April 2002

story by Louis Cropper for espn.com

I'm sitting in my study going over the notes I scribbled from ringside, wondering if what I witnessed just a couple of hours ago actually happened.

Did I really witness the most explosive fight card in the short history of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation? I'm pinching my skin and feeling the sting, so I guess I must have. My notes are telling me: two 1st round knockouts, one brutal 2nd round TKO. Two other stoppages inside of five rounds, one of them bringing an end to an absolute barnstormer and one of them concluding an exquisite display of flair and dominance.

An unprecedented card, and that's without even mentioning what tonight's results have done to the pecking order in Group Sixteen of the federation's World Championship tournament.

And so now, I set off on the task of describing the extraordinary events that descended upon New York's Hammerstein Ballroom, just hours ago...

(to be continued)

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Opening Bout

England's Billy Walker came into tonight's event realising that a victory was a must if he was to have any chance of qualifying for the second stage of the HBF's 1st Defense tournament.

The 25th seed had blown an opportunity to move to the top of the group standings when he was upset by Welshman Joe Erskine in his last bout. His opponent tonight was Bayonne, New Jersey native Keene Simmons who had scored an upset himself in his last contest when he defeated 17th seed Bob Devere by split decision.

Confident that he could pull off another surprise, Simmons started well. In fact, he must have been jumping out of his skin after the second round. He was dominating Walker, beating him to the punch and bullying him with an aggressive mindset. The Englishman just couldn't seen to get anything working and when he almost tasted the canvas late in the second round, it was a sign that he had another tough challenge on his hands.

Determined to prevail, Walker tackled the challenge head on in round three, rocking Simmons with a series of fierce combinations, imposing his will on the 49th seed and tacking the initiative by force.

Then, strangely, inexplicably, Walker decided to take a round off. He sleepwalked through round four, allowing Simmons to have it without protest. For his part, the New Jersey man didn't do anything special, but it was more than enough to win the round.

But then came the fifth round, and an onslaught that had to be seen to be believed. The Englishman came out in a similar frame of mind to that which he'd displayed in round four, concentrating more on defense than attack. Simmons controlled the pace through the first half of the round, and then IT happened.

During the next 79 seconds, Billy Walker unleashed an offensive explosion that had those at ringside in awe. Now, Walker is not the strongest of the many competitors in the HBF. He wouldn't even be ranked in the top half. But what he achieved in those 79 seconds was nothing short of remarkable. Afterwards, it was being said that he landed 51 punches to 5 during those 79 seconds.

It all started with a stiff left jab followed by a crunching straight right. Simmons backed off but Walker stepped right in and landed a left hook, a right hook and then, with Simmons on the ropes, a crunching uppercut.

The Bayonne native covered up, but this allowed Walker to go to work on his body. He ripped fierce lefts and rights into Simmons ribcage, his face a mask of cold resoluteness. When Simmons dropped his guard, Walker switched his assault back to the head, a left hook snapping his man's head around.

Walker backed off for only a moment before spearing a straight right through Simmons defenses. The crowd were on their feet by this stage and referee Roberto Ramirez was watching closely, ready to jump in and save the astonished Jerseyite.

Simmons fired back, desperate to keep the crazed Englishman at bay. But it was useless, as Walker picked him off with rapid fire jabs, snapping Simmons head back on his shoulders, almost bringing him to his knees with a vicious right cross.

The end came as Simmons stood in his own corner, covering up and appearing to have accepted his fate. But Walker clubbed his way through those defenses, and when a trio of right hands had Simmons in ga-ga land, Ramirez pulled Walker aside and supported Simmons as he slumped to the canvas.

The bout was over, 2:49 into round five, with Billy Walker scoring one of the most sensational stoppage victories these eyes have ever witnessed.

Preliminary 1

Like Walker before him, Irishman Bob Devere was looking for a positive result after suffering an upset loss in his last outing.

What he found was something way beyond merely positive, as he KO'd the man who had upset Walker, Joe Erskine of Wales, midway thorugh the opening round.

It was over in a most shocking, violent fashion, a fashion that sucked the air out of many watching in the Hammerstein Ballroom.

With Erskine making an aggressive start, Devere waded in, evaded a big right hand and caught the Welshman with a sickening rib shot. Pain was contorted across Erskine's face and for a moment, he was completely open and at Devere's mercy. The Irishman did not hesitate and a flush right hand dropped Erskine to the canvas.

Replays would later reveal that he was out cold before hitting the floor. He was counted out 1:27 into the round.

Devere played up to the crowd, pounding his chest, flexing his biceps and showing his national pride by motioning to his knee-length trunks, which were green with white and orange piping.

The 17th seed in the 1st Defense tournament, Devere's record is now 2-1-1(1). He still has a realsitic chance of making it through to the second stage of the tournament, but he'll probably have to win all of his remaining three bouts (against, in order, 8th seed Herbie Hide, 25th seed Billy Walker and 9th seed Embrell Davidson) to do it.

(to be continued)

[Romdawg88]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

During the next 79 seconds, Billy Walker unleashed an offensive explosion that had those at ringside in awe. Now, Walker is not the strongest of the many competitors in the HBF. He wouldn't even be ranked in the top half. But what he achieved in those 79 seconds was nothing short of remarkable. Afterwards, it was being said that he landed 51 punches to 5 during those 79 seconds.

Damn, now that is what you call a offensive onslaught, poor Simmons homeboy got hammered. Now I'm all exticed to see how the rest of this card played out.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Damn, now that is what you call a offensive onslaught, poor Simmons homeboy got hammered. Now I'm all exticed to see how the rest of this card played out.

Yep, Walker was just landing four and five punch combos at will. He scrambled Simmons' circuits with the first combo and the Jersey slugger couldn't recover.

I'm sure you'll enjoy what is to come...

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Preliminary 2

Connecticut's Nathan Mann used his Pennsylvanian opponent Rocky Jones as a punching bag on which to expel all the frustration that had built up during his 0-3 career start.

Mann scored his first professional victory, an impressive 2nd round TKO that served as an example of what the big Hamden-born slugger is capable of.

After a cautious opening round, Mann simply decimated Jones in round two, sending him to the canvas two minutes into the round and then forcing the referee to stop the contest seven seconds from the bell when he pumelled the dazed 97th seed into submission.

"It feels good to finally get a win," said Mann. "I didn't want to let this one make it to the final bell, 'cause I was worried about what the result would be if it did."

Asked about his chances for the rest of the tournament, Mann was realistic.

"Well, I've already blown my chances of progressing any further," he said. "The Tony Ross bout put paid to that. But if I can get a few more wins, I might get a good seeding in the American tournament, I guess. That is something to shoot for."

Mann is now 1-3(1) while Jones, who had fought well against the group's top seed Jimmy Young, falls to 0-4.

***

By this stage of the evening, the audience was positively charged with electricity. The trio of sizzling stoppages had raised their level of anticipation for what was to come in the evening's most vital contests, those involving Jimmy Young, Floyd Patterson and the Florida firebrand, Elmer Ray...

***

Support Bout

Elmer Ray had said more than once in the lead-up to tonight's fight card that his attitude for his bout with Tony Ross would be deadly serious. There would be little of the showmanship that had been on display in his previous contests, aswell as during some of the fights featuring his fellow Florida Alliance members.

And so it was that, decked out in uniform black and flanked by Oliver McCall on the left and his uncle Marlon on the right, Ray made his way to the ring with a sneer on his face and an intensity in his eyes that had yet to be seen from the 17 year-old. Public Enemy's "Miuzi Weighs A Ton" was giving the Ballroom's speakers a heavy workout.

It was only fitting that in a fight that he had trained so hard for and focused so intensely on, Elmer Ray gave his most sensational performance to date.

In control from the opening bell, Ray stamped his ownership all over an overwhelmed Tony Ross. Sharp in the opening round, Ray's acceleration through round two was too much for Ross to handle.

The 33rd seed in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament was putting on a show that exceeded all of his pre-fight performances, imposing his will over the man who had held the group's top seed Jimmy Young to a draw on debut and defeated Nathan Mann in his last bout.

If Elmer Ray's second round showing hadn't been impressive enough, he somehow stepped it up in round three. He was firing off punches in bunches, mystifying and punishing Ross with speed and power. The Italian-born Pennsylvanian tasted the canvas for the first time two minutes into the round, crumbling in the face of an assault on his torso.

Up at three, Ross wore a resigned gaze and when the amplified 17 year-old came in for the kill, he could do little but cover up and fire back an occasional, ineffectual counter shot.

Moments before the bell, an eye-popping combination put Ross on his back and had the capacity Hammerstein Ballroom on their feet. A left hook, followed rapidly by a straight right, a straight left and a right uppercut/hook had Ross flopping to the canvas like a ragdoll. Saved by the bell, it appeared that he would not have beaten the count and there were many who felt the contest should have been halted.

It wasn't, but 91 seconds into round four Tony Ross had been counted out. He was on the canvas, unmoving after a crushing left hook turned his lights out. Elmer Ray simply walked around the ring, gloved right fist in the air, pounding his chest with his left, nodding and shouting "Four and O! Four and O! Four and O!"

(to be continued)

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(continuation)

Five minutes later, Elmer Ray was surrounded by his entourage: Oliver McCall, his uncle Marlon and a number of cousins, all in a celebratory mood. Ray himself was low-key by comparison.

"Real happy with the way I fought," he said. "No doubt, this my bes' p'form'nce, but it ain't somethin' to get carried 'way with, 'cause there ain't a reason why I should lose tonight."

"I have to say, that was just a fantastic, dominating showing," said ESPN's Bill Farris. "We all know that Tony Ross held Jimmy Young to a draw and also defeated Nathan Mann, so there was a real chance that he could have given you some trouble."

Ray nodded, wiping sweat from his bald pate and neck with a white towel. "Maybe so, man. But see, I come into this ring tonight with more self-belief than ever, y'all. I was jus' so pos'tive 'bout what was gon' happen here. I train my ass of for this fight, man, tip the scales at jus' 185."

Farris laughed. "Well, I think that was pretty clear to all of us, Elmer. You're now 4-0, so no matter what happens in tonight's final two bouts, you'll still be in the top two in the group standings. That must be a relief going into your next bout with Jimmy Young."

"No doubt, man," replied Ray nodding. "See, that was a big motivator during my trainin'. Jus' knowin' a win'd keep me up there, that jus' make me more determine, y'all. Now, we jus' sit back and see what Floyd and Jimmy can do."

Soon after, Ray and his entourage departed the ring to a standing ovation, the audience showing their appreciation for one of the most dynamic performances seen in the HBF's short history...

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Co-Feature

The evening had finally reached the stage that so many in attendance were waiting for: the New York City debut of Floyd Patterson.

Born in Waco, North Carolina, Patterson's family had moved to Brooklyn in 1997 when Floyd was thirteen years-old. Although shy, the young man quickly settled into his new home, finding it much more interesting and exciting than his place of birth.

When Patterson was announced as the 17th seed in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament, the 5'11", 190 pound introvert suddenly found himself being recognised on the street.

"It was pretty weird," Patterson said. "Going from being just an anonymous amateur fighter to something like a celebrity. But I've gotten used to it now and I'm just focused on going as far as I can in the tournament."

As Patterson made his way to the ring, the audience showed their support and appreciation, coming to their feet and chanting "Floyd! Floyd! Floyd! Floyd! Floyd!"

His opponent was the man who had been a sideshow during the introduction of Elmer Ray to the world, Denver's Buddy Baer. His 1-2 record included losses to Ray and Jimmy Young plus a close unanimous decision victory against Nathan Mann.

The two men came together in the centre of the ring, with Baer towering some eight inches over Patterson. Despite this, the 17th seed was a heavy favourite to handle the Colorado native and improve his record to 4-0.

With the opening bell just seconds away, the audience let out another chant for their man, ready with strong voices to drive him to victory...

(to be continued)

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Following is a transcript of the commentary provided by ESPN's Jacob Bell and Bill Farris during the Floyd Patterson - Buddy Baer bout...

***

(Opening bell sounds, crowd roars)

BELL: Okay, round one under way here in this bout that, well, pretty much everyone in the house has been waiting for. Oh, a nice pair of jabs there from Patterson.

(Encouraging cheers from audience)

FARRIS: That's a sharp start for Floyd, Jay. He really looks fitter than in any of his other fights, I have to say.

BELL: And again there, Patterson flicking out that jab, using some nice head movement to slip a slow counter from Baer.

FARRIS: Jay, we were talking after Elmer Ray entertained us all about what Floyd would have to do to keep this big guy off him-

BELL: OH!!! Huge right hand from Baer and Patterson is down! He's flat on his back!

FARRIS: My God!

(Pandemonium amongst the crowd)

BELL: The count is up to five and he hasn't moved yet! Seven, eight, He's trying to get up but that's it! This fight is over!

FARRIS: Only 41 seconds into round one, Jay. What an absolute shock!

(Stunned silence amongst the audience)

BELL: And just look at Buddy Baer, Bill, he's gone ballistic! His corner's already in the ring congratulating the big guy.

FARRIS: God, I really can't believe what we've just seen, Jay.

BELL: Well, Floyd is still down so we have to wonder if he's okay. Buddy Baer is going over to him.

FARRIS: I think that he hit his head pretty hard on the canvas there, Jay. That might have done as much damage as the punch.

BELL: We've got a replay now on our monitor ... man, what a shot that was.

FARRIS: It was a left jab that stunned Floyd and then the follow up. Just devastating. Looks like he was out cold before he hit the canvas, and-

BELL: Oh, yeah. Look at how his head just impacted with the mat.

FARRIS: As you can see at home, they're helping Floyd Patterson back to his corner, but we'll just have to wait and see if he's been injured.

(Applause and cheers of encouragement from the audience, as Patterson is on his feet)

BELL: Damn, Bill, I am shaking, man. That has to be the biggest shock in the HBF since Jack Johnson losing on debut.

FARRIS: I totally agree with you there, Jay. And what it's done is gonna make front page news, 'cause no matter what happens in tonight's main event, Elmer Ray will have an outright lead in Group Sixteen at the end of the night...

[Romdawg88]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Following is a transcript of the commentary provided by ESPN's Jacob Bell and Bill Farris during the Floyd Patterson - Buddy Baer bout...

***

(Opening bell sounds, crowd roars)

BELL: Okay, round one under way here in this bout that, well, pretty much everyone in the house has been waiting for. Oh, a nice pair of jabs there from Patterson.

(Encouraging cheers from audience)

FARRIS: That's a sharp start for Floyd, Jay. He really looks fitter than in any of his other fights, I have to say.

BELL: And again there, Patterson flicking out that jab, using some nice head movement to slip a slow counter from Baer.

FARRIS: Jay, we were talking after Elmer Ray entertained us all about what Floyd would have to do to keep this big guy off him-

BELL: OH!!! Huge right hand from Baer and Patterson is down! He's flat on his back!

FARRIS: My God!

(Pandemonium amongst the crowd)

BELL: The count is up to five and he hasn't moved yet! Seven, eight, He's trying to get up but that's it! This fight is over!

FARRIS: Only 41 seconds into round one, Jay. What an absolute shock!

(Stunned silence amongst the audience)

BELL: And just look at Buddy Baer, Bill, he's gone ballistic! His corner's already in the ring congratulating the big guy.

FARRIS: God, I really can't believe what we've just seen, Jay.

BELL: Well, Floyd is still down so we have to wonder if he's okay. Buddy Baer is going over to him.

FARRIS: I think that he hit his head pretty hard on the canvas there, Jay. That might have done as much damage as the punch.

BELL: We've got a replay now on our monitor ... man, what a shot that was.

FARRIS: It was a left jab that stunned Floyd and then the follow up. Just devastating. Looks like he was out cold before he hit the canvas, and-

BELL: Oh, yeah. Look at how his head just impacted with the mat.

FARRIS: As you can see at home, they're helping Floyd Patterson back to his corner, but we'll just have to wait and see if he's been injured.

(Applause and cheers of encouragement from the audience, as Patterson is on his feet)

BELL: Damn, Bill, I am shaking, man. That has to be the biggest shock in the HBF since Jack Johnson losing on debut.

FARRIS: I totally agree with you there, Jay. And what it's done is gonna make front page news, 'cause no matter what happens in tonight's main event, Elmer Ray will have an outright lead in Group Sixteen at the end of the night...

Dammit, this sucks Floyd's my pick to take the group. Damn you Floyd why couldn't you have wait until the second round to show off your glass chin, Dammit. Huge win for Buddy though and you know Elmer's pretty pumped about it.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Dammit, this sucks Floyd's my pick to take the group. Damn you Floyd why couldn't you have wait until the second round to show off your glass chin, Dammit. Huge win for Buddy though and you know Elmer's pretty pumped about it.

I was just gobsmacked when it happened. I watched the fight at the quickest speed, and I looked away from the screen for one second. When I looked back, Floyd was on the canvas.

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"The most perfect punch I've ever landed in my life," said Baer, when interviewed in the ring by ESPN's Bill Farris. "I guess I know what it feels like to hit a homerun now."

Baer laughed, while his trainer Izzy Klein stood next to him, a smile from ear to ear.

"This is a huge win for you," said Farris. "But I was wondering if you've considered the irony of what it has done. As a result of your win, Elmer Ray, the guy who abused you in Japan back in January, is now all by himself at the top of the group. How do you feel about that?"

"It means nothing to us," said Klein, before Baer could speak. "We're realistic about what we want to achieve, and qualifying for the second stage of the World Championship tournament isn't in our plans. Too many things would have to go right for that to happen, so Buddy's looking towards the American Championship as his goal."

"Really?"

"Oh, definitely," said Baer. "You just look at my remaining schedule, there's no reason why I can't sweep my last three bouts and finish 5-2. That would give me a high seeding, I'm pretty sure of that. As for Elmer Ray ... that's old news. It doesn't concern us."

"Before the tournament started, a lot of people thought that you had the punching power to contend with the favourites," said Farris. "Was this astonishing victory tonight something you've been hoping for?"

Baer laughed. "It was something that never appeared in my wildest dreams," he said. "Something I could only imagine. I still can't quite believe that it has happened. I keep on hoping I'm not gonna suddenly wake up."

"Well, it's all real," said Farris, laughing. "Congratulations on a sensational win, Buddy, and best of luck for the rest of the tournament. Have a beer for me, okay?"

"Thank you. We're going to savour this, don't worry."

Minutes later, Baer and his team had departed the ring, leaving behind a shell-shocked Hammerstein Ballroom audience...

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Main Event

Having just witnessed Buddy Baer's one punch demolition of Floyd Patterson, Jimmy Young stepped into the ring with the knowledge that a victory against Illinois' Tom McMahon would, for the first time, elevate him into the top two in the group standings.

The 16th seed in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament started cautiously, making sure he didn't fall victim to a catastrophe similar to that which had brought an end to Patterson's perfect record. But it didn't take long for the Philadelphia native to take control of the contest and by the midpoint, a victory for him appeared a forgone conclusion.

Having had the air sucked out of them like a kick to the solar plexus, the audience had by this time recovered from the shock of seeing their man Floyd Patterson KO'd and were now cheering for a KO in the Main Event. The word had passed around the arena that, if it happened, this would be the first HBF fight card where EVERY bout had ended by stoppage. It had already become the first with five fights ending by stoppage and so the audience were cheering for a knockout.

They didn't get it, with Jimmy Young never really being tested on his way to a comfortable unanimous decision win (60-54, 59-55, 60-54).

"I don't give a damn about that," said Young incredulously, when asked about all the stoppages on the card. "I came out tonight to win this fight, not to worry about some silly KO streak. My career and my chances in this tournament are more important than that."

"Well, Jimmy, with this win you're now in the top two," said Bill Farris. That must be a relief, indeed."

Young nodded. "It is, but it doesn't mean I can relax. What happened to Floyd tonight was unexpected and I actually feel pretty bad for him. I hope that it doesn't cost him a spot in the second stage, but I have a terrible feeling that it will. These next three fights: me and Elmer Ray, then me and Floyd and then Floyd and Elmer, the one who can go 2-0 is gonna get through for sure and I'll be doing everything I can to make sure it's me."

At that moment, there was a commotion amongst the crowd. Soon, the name "Elmer Ray" was being heard, people were rising from their seats and Young and the others in the ring looked to the main aisle to see the Florida firebrand walking unaccompanied towards the ring. Dressed in an oversized black Everlast sweater and baggy black track pants, Ray climbed the apron and entered the ring, walking up to Farris and Young without resistance. Young regarded him with some weariness.

"Ain't no problem here, y'all," said Ray, raising his hands in a peaceful gesture. He offered a handshake to Young, which the Philadelphian accepted after a moment's consideration.

"This is an unexpected surprise, Elmer," said ESPN's Bill Farris, like a director who's lost his place in the script.

Ray nodded, before addressing Young. "Just wanna tell y'all that what gone down 'tween us in the pas', that don't mean nothin'. Won't mean nothin' in five weeks, either. I admit I cause that s%$t, but y'all know some of it was justified, man."

Jimmy Young nodded. "I guess so."

"I know y'all don't care if I respec' you, know y'all don't need my respec'. But y'all got it, see? In five weeks, it's me and you, brother. May the bes' man win, y'all."

Ray shook Young's hand again and left the ring without another word, a speechless Bill Farris and a contemplative Jimmy Young watching him as he made his way back to the dressing rooms...

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SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
FRIDAY 26 APRIL 2002
HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM, NEW YORK, NEW YORK USA

OPENING BOUT

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Eight
4(25) Billy Walker TKO5 7(49) Keene Simmons

PRELIMINARY 1

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Eight
3(17) Bob Devere KO1 8(57) Joe Erskine

PRELIMINARY 2

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Sixteen
4(49) Nathan Mann TKO2 7(97) Rocky Jones

SUPPORT BOUT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Sixteen
3(33) Elmer Ray KO4 8(113) Tony Ross

CO-FEATURE

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Sixteen
6(81) Buddy Baer KO1 2(17) Floyd Patterson

MAIN EVENT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Sixteen
1(16) Jimmy Young UD6 5(65) Tom McMahon

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EXPLOSIVE NYC CARD CONFIRMS
ELMER RAY'S SUPERSTAR STATUS

Saturday 27 April 2002

story by Maurice Poe for the St. John's County Chronicle

Held at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom, last night's Heavyweight Boxing Federation fight card set a new standard for explosiveness in the sport with the first five bouts on the card all ending via stoppage.

The shocking 1st round KO of Floyd Patterson by Buddy Baer may have been the biggest surprise of the night but without a doubt, the most outstanding performance during the event belonged to Florida's Elmer Ray.

The 33rd seed in the HBF's World Championship tournament, Ray's four round decimation of Philly's Tony Ross was spectacular in its execution. Having held the tournament's 16th seed Jimmy Young to a draw on debut and coming off an encouraging victory (his first) against Connecticut's Nathan Mann, Ross was expected to give the 17 year-old Hastings native some trouble. But Ray dominated proceedings from the opening bell right up until the moment when Ross was counted out midway through the fourth round.

Not only did Ray's victory improve his record to 4-0(2) but it also, as a result of Patterson's defeat, elevated him to outright 1st place in the standings for Group Sixteen of the tournament. He is the lowest seeded fighter in the tournament to be leading his group, a fact that coincides with his status as the most talked-about competitor in the whole federation.

"No other fighter has been so successful selling themselves to the public," said ESPN's David Gomez, shortly after the conclusion of last night's card. "And what's happened here tonight is just going to make him even more visible. He's talked himself up and backed up every word. Look at that top three, Young, Patterson and Ray. They have each fought the same four guys, but only Elmer has come through those bouts with a perfect record. He's the real deal."

Last night's events have also succeeded in adding even more hype and anticipation onto Ray's next bout in five weeks against Group Sixteen's #1 seed Jimmy Young. If Patterson had won last night, he'd still be placed 1st in the group and Young vs Ray would be a contest of 2nd vs 3rd. Instead, it's for all the marbles, so to speak. With Ray and Young (3-0-1) sitting in 1st and 2nd respectively, the winner will be in outright 1st place...