The Heavyweight Boxing Federation

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
MONDAY 14 JANUARY 2002
ESTREL CONVENTION CENTER, BERLIN, GERMANY


OPENING BOUT

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Five
5(36) Toxie Hall SD6 4(28) Gus Ruhlin

PRELIMINARY 1

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Five
3(20) Cesar Brion D6 6(44) Bill Tate

PRELIMINARY 2

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Five
4(60) Hein Ten-Hoff KO5 5(76) Gerry Cooney

SUPPORT BOUT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Five
3(44) Otto Von Porat KO4 6(92) Alex Miteff

CO-FEATURE

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Five
2(28) Joe Bugner D6 7(108) Sante Amonti

MAIN EVENT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Five
1(5) Riddick Bowe TKO6 8(124) Tom Cowler

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ELMER RAY: LIVE ON SPORTSCENTER

Tuesday 15 January 2002

16 year-old Florida firebrand Elmer Ray made an appearance on today's evening edition of ESPN's SportsCenter.

Ray was interviewed by Dan Patrick. A transcript of the interview follows:

PATRICK: Tonight ESPN welcomes to SportsCenter Elmer Ray, the 33rd seed in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament. Welcome, Elmer.

RAY: (nodding and smiling) Thanks, man.

PATRICK: Elmer, it's fair to say that you stirred up quite a lot of controversy during your stay in Japan as part of the HBF's Yokohama fight card. Do you think that your actions helped or hindered the HBF?

RAY: (laughing) You know, man ... in my opinion, there ain't no such thing as bad publicity so, sho nuff, y'know, I think it helped them.

PATRICK: Some people have said that there's no place for your brand of extroverted behaviour in boxing, that it's more at home in "sports entertainment" such as wrestling.

RAY: Nah, man. I disagree with that totally, man. This sport's gonna need more fellas like me, see. I give the people what they want. They wanna be entertained, and that's what I'm gonna give 'em. Entertainment. Can't see why you shouldn't take the best of both worlds, man, you know? The personalities and rivalries of wrestling and the hardcore, real boxin' action. I bragged about my skills before the fight, that's the truth, y'all. But I backed it up, man. I backed it up.

PATRICK: Yes, you did. But some people have said that a sixteen year-old shouldn't be fighting. They've said you should be back in school, finishing your education.

RAY: People sayin' that ain't got no idea 'bout Elmer Ray, man. Ain't no one know where I came from to get to here, see? They don't know what's behind Elmer Ray's will to succeed here in the HBF, man. They don't know what I be representin'. They don't know Hastings, Florida and they don't know me.

PATRICK: Okay. Now, after the main event in Japan, you returned to the ring and confronted Jimmy Young. What was that all about?

RAY: (shrugging) Tha's pretty obvious, man. The guy's a bum, okay? The HBF made a big mistake when they put him in there at number sixteen, see. That dude Tony Ross was damn unlucky not gettin' the decision. See, Jimmy Young ain't in the class of Elmer Ray, and that's what all o' y'all 'll see on May 31.

PATRICK: What about Floyd Patterson? He was very impressive against Rocky Jones.

RAY: (nodding) For sure, I got tremendous respect for Floyd, man. He's got some serious talent, there. He's a real shy brother, jus' the opposite of me. But he's cool.

PATRICK: So do you think that the winner of group sixteen will be decided when you clash with Floyd Patterson?

RAY: Definitely. Definitely. That's gonna be a great fight, no doubt.

PATRICK: Elmer, yesterday morning when you arrived at the airport, you were picked up by a limousine that reportedly took you and your entourage to the head office of the HBF in Manhattan. Is this true?

RAY: (nodding) Yeah, it's true.

PATRICK: There's been some speculation during the past 24 hours regarding what happened at the HBF head office. Can you enlighten us?

RAY: Well, first thing happened was I sat down with President Vincennes and a couple of the HBF Directors, in a private meeting room.

PATRICK: Can you tell us what happened in the meeting?

RAY: Nah, can't do that, man. But President Vincennes said he be makin' an announcement on it maybe tomorrow.

PATRICK: Okay, then. So what happened after that meeting?

RAY: After the meeting, President Vincennes treated my crew to lunch, y'all. Our President, he's a cool dude, man.

PATRICK: Your whole entourage had lunch with the President of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation?

RAY: (nodding) Had a big buffet laid out for us, man. I ain't never seen so much food before, y'all.

PATRICK: What about your cornermen and the ladies that accompanied you into the ring? They weren't with you when you got off the plane yesterday morning.

RAY: I knew that there'd be a lot of press and stuff waitin' for us, and those ladies, they my sisters and cousins, see?

PATRICK: (surprised) Really? Those four lovely ladies are all related to you?

RAY: Sho nuff, dawg. My cutman Marlon Ray, he's my uncle. When we arrived at JFK, I told the ladies and my training team to just wait a while, maybe a half hour 'fore they leave the airport. Didn't want all those cameras and reporters to get near them and mess with 'em see? HBF had another limo waitin' for 'em. All arranged before we left Japan.

PATRICK: That's really amazing.

(Second part of SportsCenter interview with Elmer Ray to follow)

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RAY: (nodding) The HBF's lookin' out for all their fighters, man. Treated my peeps real nice.

PATRICK: (smiling) So what was on the menu?

RAY: (laughing) Ah, too much, man. Lamb, lobster, chicken, roasted pork. Some good eatin', sho 'nuff. And after we eat, President Vincennes invited us all to sit down with him and his wife to watch the card from Berlin, man. Dude, our President is cool.

PATRICK: (laughing) And what did you think of the action from Berlin?

RAY: Some good fights, man. That German dude, Ten-Huff? Man, he was crazy. He's a gutsy fighter, y'all. That was cool for him to be fightin' in front of his people. Something I'd like to do one day, see?

PATRICK: Would you agree that Riddick Bowe showed he's going to be tough to beat?

RAY: (nodding) Definitely. You know, he's the fifth seed, man. HBF got it right with him, no doubt. He's a bad brother, man. Tall, strong and quick. Strange what he said after the fight, though, that stuff about first round knockouts. Can't agree with him on that, y'all. If I can get out of that ring in the first round, I'ma do it, no doubt.

PATRICK: Some have compared you to Riddick Bowe and also Jack Johnson, because of the sense of showmanship that the three of you obviously possess. They've both drawn a lot of attention during the past couple of months.

RAY: (laughing and nodding) Yeah, I seen that in 'em, no doubt. Gonna be real interestin' and entertainin' if we ever get a chance to tackle each other. Now with the tournament draw, there's a chance of me endin' up in Bowe's group in stage two.

PATRICK: Johnson's going to be on Dave Letterman's show on Thursday night.

RAY: Yeah, I'll be watchin' that, sho 'nuff. Jacky Johnson, he's a real cool brother, see? He's smooth as they come. Dave's a goofy, funny dude, so it's gonna be fun watchin' them hit it off.

PATRICK: Well, Elmer, thanks so much for joining us tonight. It's been a pleasure having you on the show.

RAY: (nodding and smiling) Thank you.

PATRICK: Elmer Ray, everybody.

[erickdamac]

This whole addicition to ray is starting to scare me.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by erickdamac

This whole addicition to ray is starting to scare me.

LOL

Just think of him as one of the leading roles in a movie. I have some long distance plans for what will become of him as he grows into manhood. Anyway, his next fight is still just over four weeks away in game world time. He's only hogging the spotlight for now, but it won't last forever. The controversy surrounding him will die down in a week or so, allowing for more focus to fall on some of the other fighters. Just to let you know ... a BIG upset is on its way. It'll make everyone in the HBF world forget all about Elmer Ray for a while.

[kenyan_cheena]

BAER CAMP OUTRAGED BY HBF'S
"SLAP ON THE WRIST" FOR ELMER RAY

Wednesday 16 January 2002

HBF President Michael Vincennes announced today that Elmer Ray would not be punished for his behaviour towards opponent Buddy Baer while in Japan for the federation's Yokohama fight card last week.

Speaking from Cincinnati, Ohio, where tonight's HBF card is being held, Vincennes said that Ray had been given an official warning by the HBF. The warning stated that if Ray engages in behaviour towards any future opponent that is of a "derogatory, personal nature" he would be severely punished.

Buddy Baer's trainer Izzy Klein expressed his disgust at the decision.

"I really can't believe that after all the crap that little punk pulled while we were in Japan, they haven't done a thing!" said Klein. "It's barely a slap on the wrist! I mean, he damn near incited a riot during the weigh-in. Some of the things he said about Buddy were just plain disgusting. He's got no class, just a stupid, immature little punk! The HBF has no balls!"

When asked about Elmer Ray's revelation on last night's SportsCenter that, on Monday, his entourage was treated to lunch and a free viewing of the HBF's Berlin fight card by Mr Vincennes and his wife, Klein was exasperated.

"When I heard about that, I was just dumbfounded," he said. "The kid acts like a punk, brings disgrace on the federation, and gets treated like royalty! I think that it gives a good indication of what type of organisation they're running."

Ray could not be contacted for a comment on the HBF's decision, as he had already returned to Florida with his entourage. However, President Vincennes was questioned about the appropriateness of entertaining individual boxers.

"Mr Ray is an employee of the federation," he said. "So are all of our boxers. They have worked very hard, and so far that hard work has paid off for our organisation. If I want to take the time to get to know these brave men beyond what we see of them in a boxing match, I will do it. I have hosted some of our other fighters, including Gene Tunney and Larry Holmes. I'm not going to be a "stand-off" President, because I have the greatest respect for these young men and I want them to know that."

The president was also quizzed about the apparent leniency afforded to Elmer Ray.

"I believe that we made the right decision," he said. "Obviously, there are some who won't agree. Personally, I consider the matter closed. I'm just looking forward to tonight's fight card. Our number twelve seed in the World Championship tournament, George Chuvalo, is fighting in the main event. A lot of people have told me that they are really looking forward to seeing this young man fight. It's going to be a great night."

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CHUVALO STRUGGLES FOR
SPLIT DECISION IN CINCY

Wednesday 16 January 2002

CINCINNATI, OHIO

19 year-old Canadian George Chuvalo was lucky to escape with a 6 round split decision victory tonight at Cincinnati's Cintas Center.

Chuvalo's determined 21 year-old opponent, Brian London of Blackpool, England, proved to be more than a handful for the 12th seed in the HBF's World Championship tournament. If not for the knockdown that Chuvalo scored in the 4th round, the fight would have been a draw.

The Cintas Center was packed to its 10,250 seat capacity for the HBF's sixth fight card, with the audience eager to see an entertaining night of boxing.

And that's exactly what they got.

* The night started with an exciting bout between two west coast sluggers: 26 year-old Carl Morris of Pasadena, California and 21 year-old Johnny Riggins of Spokane, Washington. Morris was the 12th seed in the HBF's 1st Defense tournament and Riggins was the 52nd seed.

Morris appeared dangerously overconfident in the moments before the opening bell, and his cockiness only increased as he easily won the first and second rounds of the fight. But just 36 seconds into the third round Riggins wiped the smile from the Californian's face, a wild right hand landing flush and sending Morris to the canvas. He was up at the count of two, now wearing a sobered expression. Riggins rocked him again during the final minute of the round, a left hook staggering Morris. He was able to stay on his feet though, and managed to land a nice right hand of his own during the closing seconds of the round.

Morris's cornerman did much more than tear into him during the intermission, and Morris came out for the fourth realising that he was in a hell of a fight. Scoring the knockdown did wonders for Riggins confidence, and he showed much more aggression in the fourth and fifth rounds, outworking a rapidly tiring Morris and cutting him above the right eye late in the fifth.

Going into the final round, the man from Pasadena was merely a shadow of the braggart who had entered the ring less than a half-hour earlier. Riggins was running downhill to the finish line, dominating the first two minutes of the final round. Morris, knowing that this was a fight that (according to the seedings) he should have won with ease, dug deep, trying for a late knockout. He landed a crushing left hook that stunned his opponent. He pursued Riggins across the ring and the two fighters traded leather right up until the final bell, with Morris landing his best punch of the fight just four seconds from the end. It was a smashing right hand that buckled the Washington native's legs, and he leaned back against the ropes for support. Unfortunately, Morris's rally had come too late, and he would now have to take his chances with the judges.

When the decision was announced, it was triumph for Riggins and heartbreak for Morris. The 52nd seed had taken a razor-thin split decision; 57-56, 56-58, 57-56. The crowd showed their appreciation with a sustained round of applause as the two combatants departed the ring.

* For the second bout of the night, the Cincinnati crowd was treated to a masterful display of boxing by a young man from Cuba who will be worth watching as the tournament progresses.

Over the course of six rounds, Nino Valdes, the 5th seed in the 1st Defense tournament, outpunched Philadelphia native Don Warner to the tune of 189 to 38, leaving him with cuts above his right eye, below his left eye and inside his mouth, aswell as a bunch of swelling.

Warner was sent crashing to the canvas early in the final round courtesy of a thunderous left hook, and Valdes went on to take an easy unanimous decision, 60-53 on all three cards. Perhaps the only good thing to be said for Warner is that he can take a helluva beating!

Those thinking that Brockton's Rocky Marciano can just sleepwalk into a World Championship fight might be reconsidering such thoughts after the performance that Nino Valdes put on here tonight. Valdes is just 17 years-old, a shy young man whose English is quite poor. He required a translator to assist him during the post fight interview, but it was more than enough to convey to the crowd his sense of humility. Nino Valdes is definitely a fighter to keep an eye on in the future.

* The third fight on the card featured two Tommys: 19 year-old Tommy Gomez of Tampa, Florida and 21 year-old Tommy Jackson of New York City. It was a World Championship tournament bout, with Gomez the 53rd seed and Jackson the 69th seed. This was indeed a hard-fought battle, where the momentum shifted from round to round. But it would be the man from Florida who emerged victorious by majority decision: 58-56, 57-57, 58-56.

* For the fourth bout of the evening, the crowd was treated to a battle of David versus Goliath proportions. 24 year-old Al Jones of Miami, Florida was a 6'6", 245 pound giant who towered over his Californian opponent, 23 year-old Rueben Vargas. Standing just 5'10" and weighing 185 pounds, Vargas nonetheless performed admirably, coming terribly close to stealing a victory.

The fight was fiercely competitive through three rounds, with Vargas dominating the fourth and seemingly on the verge of what most would have considered a huge upset. However, those in the know had realised early in the fight that Jones' size was misleading. He was not a terribly strong fighter, and it was only a determined, jab-infested finish in the fifth and sixth rounds that secured him a split decision victory: 58-56, 56-58, 58-56.

***

By this stage in the night, the audience had already been treated to a quartet of tough, close, hard-fought battles, but there was still more excitement to come. Most of the general public had come to see the young Canadian they had heard so much about, George Chuvalo. He was being spoken of as a tough SOB by some in the media, and the crowd was looking forward to seeing him prove it. However, boxing columnists who had attended the HBF's October auditions were just as excited about the professional debut of the man who would appear in the Co-Feature, Ray Mercer...

* The night's Co-Feature heralded the third appearance of a Florida native on the card. Following on from Tampa's Tommy Gomez and Miami's Al Jones came Jacksonville's Ray Mercer.

At 28 years of age, Mercer was numbered amongst the older fighters in the tournament, but he presented an impressive physique and an intimidating aura as he prowled the ring at 6'1", 232 pounds. His opponent was ten years his junior. Al Ettore of Philadelphia came across as somewhat less of a physical presence than Mercer, but showed a determined, resolute countenance in the moments before the opening bell.

Living up to the buzz about him, Mercer opened the fight strongly, imposing his will upon Ettore in the first and second rounds. Mercer almost finished the fight with a single punch at the end of the second, a smashing uppercut that staggered Ettore as the bell sounded. The audience awarded Mercer with a strong round of applause as he returned to his corner, confidence in his strides. Judging by the first two rounds, it seemed to be only a matter of "when" rather than "if".

But then, the Boxing Gods decided to intervene. Just seventeen seconds into the third round, an accidental headbutt opened a terrible gash on Ettore's forehead. The two fighters had been embraced in a clinch and as the referee attempted to separate them, Ettore appeared off balance and his head lurched forward, crashing into Mercer's. Both men reeled away in opposite directions, clutching at their foreheads in pain. But it was Ettore who was bleeding, not Mercer. Within moments, blood was trickling down the side of the Pennsylvanian's face from the wound, high on the left side of his forehead. The ring doctor was quickly on hand to inspect the wound, and the fight was immediately called off, declared a 3rd round Technical Draw.

Mercer, a lump showing on his own forehead form the clash, looked on in disappointment as Al Ettore left the ring to receive medical attention. Mercer could not hide his bitterness over having been robbed of the chance to start the tournament with an easy win. He was interviewed in the ring by ESPN's Bill Farris shortly after.

Mercer sighed. "It's just unfortunate, I guess. There was no doubt that I was going to win this fight pretty easily. Just a second of bad luck, and now instead of being 1-0-0, I'm 0-0-1. Just real disappointing."

"I have to agree with you there, Ray," said Farris, nodding. "But you must be happy about the way you fought in the opening two rounds?"

Mercer shrugged. "No, not really. I expected it. I've trained so hard for this night, I really have. I'm the 21st seed in this tournament and that means that the HBF expects me to qualify for the second stage. I've set high expectations for myself, but I didn't win tonight. I should have won this fight, but I didn't and it's very disappointing."

"Well, we can only offer you our commiserations Ray, and hope that you have better luck next time out. Ladies and gentlemen, Mister Ray Mercer!"

Mercer departed the ring a dejected individual, in stark contrast to the way he had entered it. The applause from the audience did little to change his mood...

(COMING UP SHORTLY: GEORGE CHUVALO vs BRIAN LONDON, ROUND-BY-ROUND)

[kenyan_cheena]

GEORGE CHUVALO VS BRIAN LONDON
ROUND-BY-ROUND ANALYSIS

courtesy of the New York Sun's ringside reporter Peter Roman

Tale of the Tape

Height - Chuvalo: 6'0" London: 6'0"
Weight - Chuvalo: 215 lbs London: 201 lbs
Reach - Chuvalo: 77" London: 78"

Reputed tough guy George Chuvalo looks edgy in the minutes before the opening bell, prowling back and forth in his corner, banging his gloves together. Maybe he's nervous because - despite the fact that he's a man of humility (or so I've heard) - he knows that a lot of the general public in the arena have shown up just to see him. Chuvalo is one of a number of fighters to have received a bit of a pump up from the media, pretty much on the back of what #3 seed Jack Johnson said about him during the October tournament auditions.


ROUND ONE

Chuvalo's nerves show as he struggles to find his range through the early stages of the first round. His opponent comes out with aggressive intentions and lands a crushing right cross midway through the round, forcing Chuvalo into a clinch. Soon after, a flurry of punches puts the Canadian back on the defensive. The crowd is shouting for Chuvalo to get into the fight and he lands his first punch 2:06 into the round, a left hook from in close. London seems content to coast through the later stages of the round, while Chuvalo has a peeved expression on his face. He's not happy with his performance and stalks London, cornering him and landing a nice right hand and a crisp left jab. The two men are against the ropes, locked in a clinch as the round comes to an end.

A surprising opening round. London has already shown more than expected, while Chuvalo's performance could only be described as underwhelming.

MY SCORECARD: LONDON 10-9


ROUND TWO

The second round starts, and proceeds, in a similar vein to the first. London is simply outworking his highly fancied opponent. A pair of solid uppercuts within the first 34 seconds hurt Chuvalo. He backs off and seems uncertain of how to proceed, feinting and moving. London is landing punches with relative ease, while it takes Chuvalo until the halfway point of the round to connect with his first. London lands a right cross and Chuvalo misses on the counter, frustration evident. London corners Chuvalo and the Canadian attempts to muscle his way out of trouble. He fails and the two fighters clinch once again. Referee Lawrence Cole separates them and then Chuvalo lands his first big punch of the fight, a damaging right hand that buckles London's legs and brings a roar from the audience. London backpedals and Chuvalo follows, crouching as if ready to unleash an uppercut from the floor. London seems to have regained his senses. He lands a nice lead left just before the bell signals the end of the round.

London continues to impress. Without a doubt, the favourite has a fight on his hands. Chuvalo's problem is evidently his execution. London is landing a much higher percentage of his punches than Chuvalo.

MY SCORECARD: LONDON 10-9
(LONDON 20-18 AFTER TWO)


ROUND THREE

The pattern continues. London is dominant in the early stages of the round, hurting Chuvalo with a pair of wicked body shots. London is simply outworking Chuvalo. He appears hungrier and more aggressive and is scoring with two out of every three punches he throws. At the two minute mark, London gets the better of a furious exchange, setting Chuvalo back on his heels before rocking him with a straight right! Chuvalo's trainer is shouting at him to pick up the pace, screaming "Get your thumb out, Georgie!!" Chuvalo is shaking his head in disgust as he walks back to his corner at the end of the round.

London is actually GETTING BETTER as the bout progresses. The third round was his best of the fight, incredible as it sounds. He looks like a winner at the moment. As for Chuvalo ... yes, he might be tough as many have said. Yes, he hasn't looked like being knocked out. But to put it simply ... he is receiving a butt kicking at the moment.

MY SCORECARD: LONDON 10-9
(LONDON 30-27 AFTER THREE)


ROUND FOUR

Chuvalo's trainer has given him the mother of all dressing downs during the intermission. Most of what he said is not fit to print. Without a doubt, it seems to have worked, because the Canadian looks like a rejuvenated fighter early in the fourth, bouncing around on his heels, cutting off the ring. He lands a crashing right hand a minute into the round that snaps London's head around, bringing an anguished expression to the Englishman's face. London clinches in an effort to recover. He misses with a wild left, and Chuvalo counters successfully, a stinging left hook bouncing off London's forehead. The crowd is warming up now, sensing that the real George Chuvalo has arrived. Moments later that belief is confirmed when Chuvalo topples London with a perfectly timed left hook, right on two minutes into the round. The Englishman suffers a delayed reaction from the punch, falling forwards to the canvas as his legs suddenly give out underneath him. He staggers to his feet at the count of 7, but Chuvalo, seemingly with the smell of blood rich in his nostrils, is careless with his follow-up attack, winging ineffective punches off London's arms or missing completely with telegraphed blows that the Englishman easily avoids. Chuvalo is unleashing bombs that were nowhere to be seen earlier in the fight, but he's missing with most of them. The round finishes with the two men tied up and the crowd deleriously voicing their approval.

Finally, Chuvalo shows some life. A very impressive rally, indeed, and with two rounds left he still has a chance to pull a victory form the jaws of defeat. This is the Chuvalo that many saw in the HBF auuditions. Tough, aggressive and hard-hitting. London will have to dig deep to get back on track.

MY SCORECARD: CHUVALO 10-8
(LONDON 38-37 AFTER FOUR ROUNDS)


ROUND FIVE

Yes, the real George Chuvalo has definitely arrived now. The Canadian is simply on fire in the fifth round, punishing his English opponent with rapid-fire, hard combinations, damaging hooks and uppercuts. London gets hurt early in the round, then 49 seconds into the round and also 1:14 into the round! London is breathing heavily now and a tremendous left hook turns his legs to jelly at the 2:17 mark! The crowd is more vocal and excited than they have been throughout the entire night. At the 2:52 mark, London lands a crushing uppercut that hurts the Canadian! But he clinches and survives the round.

Chuvalo is really cooking with gas now, while London's fire has almost burnt out. Most of the expert boxing observers are in awe of the punishment that the Canadian dealt out in the round and almost as impressed by the fact that London was still standing when the bell sounded. HBF President Michael Vincennes, seated at ringside, is one of many in the arena who greets the end of the round with a standing ovation.

MY SCORECARD: CHUVALO 10-9
(ALL TIED UP, 47-47 GOING INTO THE FINAL ROUND)


SIXTH AND FINAL ROUND

Both of these fighters must realise that a strong final round will win them the bout. Surprisingly, and admirably, it is London who comes out aggressively, throwing everything he has into the final stanza. London is staying in close to Chuvalo, not giving him any room to tee-off. The Canadian is once again becoming frustrated, especially when London lands a jolting uppercut at the 1:25 mark of the round. A lead right ten seconds later prompts Chuvalo to shake his head, seemingly in disgust at his own ineffectiveness. London is easily having the best of the action through the first two minutes of the round. Chuvalo had better dig deep, or an upset could be imminent. Dig deep is exactly what he does during the final sixty seconds of the fight. At the 1:57 mark, the Canadian explodes with a fierce five punch combination, left-right-left-right, left uppercut. London is staggered and bounces off the ropes. Chuvalo follows and partially lands an overhand right. The punch was thrown with so much intensity and if it had connected cleanly, I'm sure the fight would have ended right there. At the 2:35 mark, Chuvalo rocks his opponent with a right cross. London looks like he's had enough. He backs off, defenses up, trying to survive until the final bell. Chuvalo rips into London's body and the Englishman fires back with a desperate right-left combo to the head. He wraps up Chuvalo in a clinch, and that's how the fight ends. The two men hug and exchange words of mutual respect while the audience vocies their fierce approval with an extended round of applause and standing ovations in most parts of the arena.

It can't be denied that London has put in a gutsy, determined performance. Whether or not he has done enough to win the fight, we'll find out shortly. We'll really have to see how he performs in subsequent fights before judging how good he might become. Chuvalo has probably shown less than he had planned, which might be, and might not be, a good thing. He is, as has been said, a tough young man. However, one thing he has shown which will surely benefit his future opponents is that he can be hit quite easily.

MY SCORECARD: 10-10
(A TIED BOUT, 57-57, AND IN MY OPINION
THE MOST FITTING RESULT)

[kenyan_cheena]

The Cintas Center was abuzz with excitement in the moments before the announcement of the judge's decision. There were many who had arrived at the arena eager to see George Chuvalo, but who had become fans of the determined Englishman Brian London during the course of the bout. It really was a difficult fight to call, and more than a few people thought that, despite being knocked down, London had done enough early in the fight to take the victory.

The punch totals for the bout provided a good case for both of the fighters:

CHUVALO - punches thrown: 335 punches landed: 143
LONDON - punches thrown: 229 punches landed: 150

Chuvalo had been more active, but London had been much more accurate with his punches.

Ring announcer Glen Muller took the microphone and addressed the audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'll now announce the result of tonight's exciting main event. The judges have tallied their scorecards, and we have a split decision."

A wave of shock and excitement rippled through the audience. This meant that AT LEAST one judge had felt that Chuvalo had lost and London had won.

"Judge Gus Mercurio of Australia has scored the fight 58-55 to George Chuvalo. Judge Roger Tilleman of Belgium has scored the fight 57-56 to Brian London."

The anticipation in the audience had built to a fever pitch, and Muller milked it for all it was worth.

"And Judge Albert Bennett of the USA, has scored the fight 57-56, to the winner ... George Chuvalo of Canada!"

The crowd erupted, an even mixture of delighted applause and unhappy boo's filing the arena.

Chuvalo lifted his arm, but did not look as excited as he would have been if the result had been more comprehensive. It was obvious that he knew he'd dodged a bullet. In his corner, London shook his head, a sullen expression showing on his face. He left the ring quickly, staring daggers at the judges on the way out. A number of people from the audience offered him respectful pats on the back and handshakes as he disappeared up the main tunnel.

"Well, George, that was a hell of a debut for you, wouldn't you say?" said ESPN's Bill Farris.

Chuvalo smiled and nodded. "Have to agree with you, Bill," he said. "Brian London really gave me all I could handle tonight."

"Now, that was an incredibly tight decision. I believe I'm right in saying that if you hadn't knocked him down in the fourth, this fight would have been a draw."

Chuvalo shrugged. "Well, I hadn't really looked at that, but yes, it was a very close fight. Quite a struggle."

"I think everyone in the arena here tonight would have to say that they'd pay good money just to see the two of you go at it again. That was a hell of a fight."

The crowd responded with a uniform round of applause.

Chuvalo laughed. "Well, thank you. But, you know, the HBF is in control of that. The way this tournament is structured, it's unlikely that any two fighters will fight each other twice. Still, it was a hell of a fight, I can't deny that. I'd like to congratulate Mister London for a great performance."

"Well, unfortunately, he's already left the ring," said Farris. "I'd say that he's more than a little bit unhappy to have lost the decision. Do you think you were lucky tonight?"

"It was a tough fight," Chuvalo said. "And close. But, I did knock the guy down, so obviously that had an effect on the scoring. I think that I was lucky that I woke up in the fourth round there, really."

This brought a warm series of laughter and applause form the audience.

"Really. Brian was just kicking my backside there during the first three rounds," said Chuvalo. "I don't know why so many people would be surprised if I lost. I think others have said it about this tournament, I think my pal Sammy Langford was one of them. The seedings really mean nothing. None of us have done anything in the ring to prove that we deserve to win. We've all been placed in this tournament based on how we performed in auditions. There's a big difference between an audition and strapping up the gloves and climbing into the ring. Really, I think that the only thing that these seedings have done is make the lower seeded guys even more determined to win. They want to show everyone that the HBF got it wrong in some cases. Look at what happened with Jimmy Young last week? He was lucky to escape with a draw, and he's the sixteenth seed."

"So do you think that it's possible that we will see a number of upsets and close decisions like tonight as the tournament progresses?"

Chuvalo nodded. "Most definitely. I don't doubt it. It's going to be exciting to watch, I guarantee you."

"Well, George, congratulations on a hard-fought victory tonight, and good luck for the rest of the tournament."

"Thanks."

Chuvalo shook Farris's hand and left the ring with his training team, the audience giving him a final round of applause before he disappeared up the tunnel...

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
WEDNESDAY 16 JANUARY 2002
CINTAS CENTER, CINCINNATI, OHIO, USA


OPENING BOUT

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Five
7(52) Johnny Riggins SD6 2(12) Carl Morris

PRELIMINARY 1

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Five
1(5) Nino Valdes UD6 8(60) Don Warner

PRELIMINARY 2

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Twelve
4(53) Tommy Gomez MD6 5(69) Tommy Jackson

SUPPORT BOUT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Twelve
3(37) Al Jones SD6 6(85) Rueben Vargas

CO-FEATURE

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Twelve
2(21) Ray Mercer TD3 7(101) Al Ettore

MAIN EVENT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Twelve
1(12) George Chuvalo SD6 8(117) Brian London

[kenyan_cheena]

HBF ANNOUNCES REVISED RANKING SYSTEM
AND FORMATION OF
INTERNATIONAL "FEEDER LEAGUES"

Thursday 17 January 2002

Today, HBF President Michael Vincennes announced that the federation had made changes to the structure of the rankings system that will be introduced once their initial Championship tournaments have concluded in 2004.

Back on 12 December, Vincennes stated that the HBF would employ a system of rankings based on tiers of 16. Well, Vincennes has now revealed that the rankings structure will be based on tiers of 12. He also said that there will be no more than 180 fighters who will be "World Ranked" at any one time. So there will be fifteen tiers, each made up of twelve fighters.

But it was the second part of today's announcement that has the most immediate effect on the sport. Vincennes announced that the federation has established seven world-wide "Feeder Leagues" that new fighters will have to qualify from in order to become World Ranked.

The leagues are:

* The U.S. Atlantic Coast Boxing League
* The U.S. Pacific Coast Boxing League
* The Canadian Boxing League
* The South American Boxing League
* The Northern Europe Boxing League (most cards will be held in Great Britain, Denmark and Sweden)
* The Southern Europe Boxing League (most cards will be held in Italy, Germany, France and Austria)
* The South-East Asian Boxing League (most cards will be held in Japan, Australia and Thailand)

Initially, each league will be made up of twelve fighters. These twelve fighters will take part in a seven fight tournament, starting in February, with the winners of each tournament to be rewarded with a league trophy and also earning a bout against one of the lowest "World Ranked" fighters. If they are able to win this bout, they will become a world ranked fighter (placed within the 15th tier of the World Rankings), and their opponent will take their place in the feeder league (unless they choose to retire, of course). If they lose the bout, they will have to re-earn the right to challenge a world ranked opponent against other members of the feeder league.

With the current World Championship and 1st Defense tournaments featuring 192 boxers, and the seven feeder leagues another 84, the HBF will have a total of 276 fighters in competition.

Back on 12 December, Vincennes also announced details for a European Championship, a Continental Americas Championship and a New York State Championship. Today, Vincennes said that the federation has scrapped the planned New York State Championship, stating that the title really would not have had any relevancy.

"I don't want this sport to be full of meaningless titles," Vincennes said. "The Euro and American titles are fine. They will have a purpose, and I'm sure they will be sought-after Championships. Anyway, many of the fight cards for the Atlantic Coast league will be fought in New York, so I think that will be fair enough."

President Vincennes revealed that 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist Lennox Lewis, who had been scheduled to take part in the NYS Championship, has been placed within the Canadian Boxing League.

"I offered Lennox a spot in the Atlantic league, but he was more than happy to take a place in Canada," said Vincennes. "He is happy with this because it will allow him to stay close to his family."

Additionally, Vincennes announced that the leagues will feature a number of "extremely talented prospects".

"There's a young man from New Orleans named Harry Wills," said Vincennes. "He came to our attention almost by accident when he attended an audition with a friend of his. Mister Wills is a tremendously talented boxer. He will be competiting in the Atlantic Coast league, so New Yorkers will get a chance to see his talent on show. I'm really looking forward to seeing him fight, I have to say."

President Vincennes continued, the excitement for the HBF's future evident in his voice.

"Some of you might remember last week when, after his bout against Buddy Baer in Japan, Elmer Ray "introduced" his cousin, Terone Haynes, saying that he was going to turn professional soon. Well, I can reveal today that Terone Haynes is a great talent, also. I don't want to give too much away about him, but let me just say that his physical strength is, in a word, "frightening". We have placed Terone Haynes in the Asian league in the hope that he will develop quite a following there. You all know that the Japanese are our biggest international fans, and I'm really excited about what Terone will be able to do in Asia."

As he prepared to leave the conference, President Vincennes was asked if he would be watching The Late Show with Dave Letterman tonight, on which the HBF's #3 seed for the World Championship Jack Johnson will be a guest.

Vincennes laughed and nodded. "I've got it written in my diary," he said. "I've been looking forward to it. I just know that, Jack being the way he is, he'll only help in bringing positive attention to the HBF."

[kenyan_cheena]

JOHNSON DELIGHTS LETTERMAN'S
LATE SHOW AUDIENCE

Thursday 17 January 2002

Jack Johnson, the #3 seed in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament, made a truly entertaining appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman tonight.

In a twenty minute sit-down with the talk show host, Johnson came across as all the things that have made him such a media magnet since the federation's auditions in October: he was amiable, gregarious and quick-witted. The fact that he looked a treat dressed in an Armani suit didn't do any harm, either.

Letterman made light of the fact that the guests on the show were Jack Johnson (the boxer), Bill Murray (the actor) and Jack Johnson (the musician). He asked Johnson if he was a fan of Jack Johnson's music.

"Well, he ain't too bad," was Johnson's reply. "He does have that earthy, organic quality that I like in music. But I am more of a jazz and soul man. You know, the old cats like Marvin, Miles and Stevie, groups like the Isley Brothers. I like real music, Dave. Not too much a fan of the modern, computerised stuff. "

Unsurprisingly, Letterman went out of his way to show a number of short clips of Johnson arriving at training, at media interviews and driving around with his trio of blonde beauties. Letterman expressed his admiration for Johnson, to which "The Galveston Giant" replied with little more than a mischievous grin.

The conversation briefly turned to boxing, where Johnson expressed his ambition of remaining undefeated for the duration of the World Championship tournament. To this, the audience responded with a round of applause and screams.

Letterman asked Johnson about Elmer Ray ("What do you think of this guy? Is he just a crazy young punk? He comes across as crazy!"), and Johnson responded with a compliment for the young Florida native.

"He's a great self-promoter," Johnson said. "I mean, so am I, but this kid, he's just sixteen years old, Dave. I'm 21, see, but I didn't have the chutzpah this kid's got when I was that age. He's got you askin' me about him, so he must be doing somethin' right."

Clearly, though, the most amusing part of Johnson's guest spot was when he pulled on the gloves and headgear and sparred a round with the rotund Biff Henderson. Watching Biff bounce off the ropes and fall flat to the canvas was a hilarious sight, to say the least...

[Brooks TVB]

Good stuff keep up the good work.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Brooks TVB

Good stuff keep up the good work.

Thank you very much.