The Heavyweight Boxing Federation

[Romdawg88]

I know what you mean I love it when this game pulls these crazy upsets.

[kenyan_cheena]

I'm really looking forward to seeing how Johnson performs for the rest of the tournament. He was acting like a big shot, and got a nice kick in the butt because of it. I'm wondering if he'll be able to go through the rest of the first stage without losing, or if someone else will take him down. His loss has really made things even more interesting.

[Romdawg88]

Yeah I hope he rebounds from still and starts to perform to his ability since I'm intreseted in seeing him fight some of the other top seeds like Bowe, Holmes, Liston, etc. Thoough hopefully they all eventually lose to the man I want to win the Tournment, Floyd Patterson.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Yeah I hope he rebounds from still and starts to perform to his ability since I'm intreseted in seeing him fight some of the other top seeds like Bowe, Holmes, Liston, etc. Thoough hopefully they all eventually lose to the man I want to win the Tournment, Floyd Patterson.

Yep, Floyd was pretty impressive in his debut. I'm looking forward to his bout with Elmer Ray.

[kenyan_cheena]

Well, time to get back to work.

[kenyan_cheena]

26/01/2002
JACK JOHNSON VS JOE BECKETT
HSBC ARENA, BUFFALO, NEW YORK, USA
ROUND-BY-ROUND ANALYSIS

provided by Peter Roman of the New York Sun

Tale of the Tape

Height - Johnson: 6'1" Beckett: 5'9"
Weight - Johnson: 206 lbs Beckett: 197 lbs
Reach - Johnson: 74" Beckett: 71"

Well, the hype surrounding this bout has so far only been exceeded by the happenings before the Elmer Ray-Buddy Baer fight, back during the HBF's first week of competition. More than any of the bottom-seeded boxers, Joe Beckett has really been able to make believers out of a number of experts with his positive, resolute outlook. Couple that together with the fact that Jack Johnson (and his supersized ego) appears to have been more concerned with being famous than with being ready for tonight's bout, and it's easy to see why some give Beckett an outside chance.

The crowd at the HSBC Arena is beside themselves with anticipation in the minutes before the fighters are introduced.

Suddenly, the arena is filled with the cacophany that is "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba. Moments later, Joe Beckett and his small team, decked out in simple black and white, are making their way to the ring. They are greeted by a thunderous round of applause, and the repetitive chant of "GO JOE!!!" eminates throughout the audience. In the ring, Beckett looks deadly serious, something that could only be described as the exact opposite of a smile plastered on his face. It is a mask of cold, intense concentration, complete with a slick film of sweat.

A pair of horn stabs and some funky bass herald in the arrival of Galveston's Jack Johnson, accompanied by an apt selection, James Brown's "Super Bad." Johnson's dozen-strong entourage surrounds the Texan, the cornermen and Johnson himself dressed in near-identical stylish outfits that are a combination of sky blue, navy blue, black and white in colour. Johnson's robe is particularly impressive. The other men in the group are all dressed in black suits with fedora hats, as if they've stepped right out of 1930's Chicago. Johnson appears laid-back and relaxed, smiling and winking to the crowd, a complete contrast to Beckett.

Listening to the crowd's reactions, I have to say that Beckett did receive a healthier round of applause. The Englishman's eyes do not leave his charismatic opponent as Johnson climbs in the ring, letting out a "Wooo!" as he flips his hood back.

Announcer Jimmy Lennon, Jr. refers to Beckett as "The Angry Englishman" and to Johnson by the nickname he's been bestowed with since October, "The Galveston Giant." Johnson is really playing up to the crowd, doing a reasonable impersonation of James Brown's dance floor moves. He shows what some take as disrespect towards his opponent and receives a few boo's as a result. Beckett ignores his antics and Johnson playfully pleads his innocence to the crowd, removing his robe to reveal that, yes, indeed, he is not as fit as he was in October. However, he is wearing a pair of trunks that are pleasing to the eye. The main body of them are navy blue, with a trio of thin white, black and sky blue stripes running up and down each side and a sky blue waist band, his name stenciled on it in black print.

Referee Jose Medina-Solar calls the two men together in the centre of the ring, and it is only at this point that Johnson appears to be taking the event seriously. He returns Beckett's scowl with a glare, but one gets the feeling that he is moments from bursting out laughing. As the two men return to their corners, Johnson encourages the crowd, who respond in kind...

[kenyan_cheena]

ROUND ONE


Beckett comes racing out at Johnson and swings away with a big right, which Johnson sidesteps. He bounces around the ring, before moving in close and landing a short left hook high on Beckett's head. The Englishman fires away, a quartet of jabs, all missing as Johnson swerves and weaves, dodging the punches with precision.

Johnson is backpedalling, as Beckett looks like he's intent on taking the Galveston native out here in the first. Beckett flails away, a left hook and a roundhouse right finding air.

Johnson jabs and moves, circling Beckett, who continues to throw ... and miss. But fifty seconds in, Beckett snaps Johnson's head around with a monster left hook thrown as he had Johnson caught in a neutral corner! The audience howls with delight! Johnson initiates a clinch, Beckett pushes him off and pounds away at his opponent's mid-section with ripping hooks, left-right-left.

My word, Beckett is a dynamo. At this rate, he'll be exhausted by the end of the round. Johnson escapes from the corner, waiting for Beckett to act, which he does, lunging at Johnson with a wild right hand. Just a minute gone, and Beckett must have already thrown some forty punches.

It continues this way for the next minute, Beckett the aggressor, swinging for the stands, Johnson moving and fending him off with an occasional jab, perhaps waiting for the Englishman to fall over from exhaustion.

Beckett makes his way in close and unleashes a jolting uppercut! But it doesn't seem to hurt Johnson, who sidesteps a follow-up right hand that, if it had connected, would have surely hurt him.

Johnson rips a left hook into Beckett's stomach. Beckett fires back missing Johnson's head on three consecutive occasions as, cocky, Johnson evades the shots, arms at his side. He smiles and says something to Beckett before quickly sidestepping as "The Angry Englishman" once again throws an airball.

2:52 into the first round and Johnson tags Beckett with a nice combination: left jab, straight right, left hook, his first powerful shots of the fight. Now it's Beckett who backs off, just as the round comes to an end...

*

Hmm. An interesting round indeed. Surely, Beckett won't be able to keep up such a pace. However, I must commend him for taking the initiative so strongly. But now that I think about it, the Englishman's manic start could be completely related to nerves. If he can calm down and control his aggression somewhat, he could give Johnson some trouble. As it is, I have given the round to Beckett, simply on the basis that he worked much harder than Johnson during it, regardless of the fact that Johnson did not miss with a single punch.

My Scorecard: Beckett 10-9

Punch Totals, Round One

Johnson - landed: 16 thrown: 16
Beckett - landed: 17 thrown: 137

[kenyan_cheena]

ROUND TWO


Johnson starts the round nicely by teeing off with a left hook to Beckett's head. The Englishman backs off and Johnson follows, trying unsuccessfully to land the right hand. However, not long after, Johnson scores with a damaging uppercut.

Yes, it is apparent that Beckett has already slowed down following his first round blitz. Johnson unleashes a straight right, which Beckett blocks with his gloves. He fires back with a big solid right of his own, the sweat spraying off the Texan's head from the impact of the punch.

Beckett follows up with a wild uppercut, thrown from way outside. If Johnson had been more alert, he could have made the Englishman pay dearly, but all he manages as a counter is a straight jab.

Beckett is on the ropes and Johnson is leaning on him. Johnson gets off a short hook on the inside. Beckett moves into a neutral corner, backpedalling, his face a portrait of concentration. Johnson comes in close and fires away at Beckett's body and head, doing little damage.

Beckett sidesteps, moving to a position where Johnson is now in the corner. The #3 seed unloads with a left hook, missing. Beckett comes back with a straight right that pierces Johnson's defence, snapping his head back! Johnson bounces off the ropes and the crowd roars, sensing that he might be hurt. They could not be more wrong as Johnson sends out an impressive retort - left jab, straight right, left jab, left jab, right hook - that backs up Beckett.

Johnson is talking to his opponent, nodding his head. The Texan bobs and weaves, his gloves held high, making Beckett frustrated. The English fighter's workrate is way down on the first round. Beckett is on the ropes again, with Johnson working in close. A short, clean uppercut takes Beckett on the chin. He ties up Johnson.

As the bell sounds, Johnson lands a left-right combo and Beckett retaliates with a big right after the bell! Johnson's eyes go wild and he pushes the Englishman in the face, right hand cocked, incredulity ablaze upon his countenance. Johnson glares at the referee before returning to his corner, walking backwards and watching Beckett. The crowd is absolutely loving this fight.

*

Okay, that was more like what we expected. A solid round for Johnson in which he really picked up the pace. Beckett was nowhere near as busy as he was in round one. I'm curious to see if this is all strategy, or if he just got too excited in the opening round.

My Scorecard: Johnson 10-9
(Bout tied 19-19 after two rounds)

Punch Totals, Round Two

Johnson - landed: 33 thrown: 101
(progressive total - landed: 49 thrown: 117)
Beckett - landed: 12 thrown: 29
(progressive total - landed: 29 thrown: 166)


ROUND THREE


Johnson rushes out and tears straight into Beckett. It seems that the Texan is still steamed from the incident at the end of round two. Johnson lands a solid left jab but misses with a follow-up straight right.

Beckett is able to wrap him up, briefly curtailing Johnson's fury. Referee Medina-Solar is forced to separate the two fighters. The Englishman pushes Johnson back, looking for room. But Johnson has him trapped in a corner, so Beckett fights his way out. A trio of left jabs allows Beckett some breathing space, and before long the two men are in the centre of the ring.

Johnson is showing a lot of upper body movement, although his feet are planted in the same place for now. He gets the smallest opportunity and partially lands a right cross. Beckett retreats into a corner and Johnson unloads with a flurry of punches, finishing off with a pair of damaging right uppercuts, to the delight of the HSBC Arena audience.

Beckett ties his man up, smothering the Johnson's onslaught, allowing himself a breather. Surprisingly, Johnson also looks a little bit tired. Could it be that the extra weight he's carrying is playing a part?

Beckett is really not throwing many punches now. Johnson has clearly become the aggressor in this bout. He snakes a pair of jabs through Beckett's gloves. The Englishman looks like he just wants to make it to the end of the round, showing a very defensive mindset.

Johnson misses with a right and Beckett counters with his first solid punch of the round, a right cross that bounces off Johnson's forehead. Again, though, Beckett finds himself trapped in a corner. Johnson scores with his own right cross, before Beckett ties him up. Johnson makes himself some room and blasts away with a left hook.

Beckett fires back, finding the mark with a snappy left jab. He ties Johnson up and the two men throw ineffective shots from in close. Beckett leaves his feet as he launches a nice left hook. The bell rings but Johnson counters with his own left hook. Beckett retaliates with a left and a right before the referee steps between the two men, chastising them both for once again throwing punches after the bell. The crowd comes to it's feet and applaudes, appreciating the passion with which these two warriors are contesting the bout.

*

Johnson appears to be in control of the bout, but Beckett is showing that he's a tough nut to crack. He's backing up his pre-fight bravado. Surprisingly (considering the belief that Johnson has an excellent defense), Beckett landed every punch that he threw in round three. However, he did seem to be throwing mainly single punches rather than combinations. Johnson looks comfortable, but to be truthful, he does not look as good as most expected him to be. By no means is he dominating this fight, but if things stay as they are, he should finish with a comfortable, if unspectacular, victory.

My Scorecard: Johnson 10-9
(Johnson leading 29-28 after three rounds)

Punch Totals, Round Three

Johnson - landed: 29 thrown: 74
(progressive total - landed: 78 thrown: 191)
Beckett - landed: 13 thrown: 13
(progressive total - landed: 42 thrown: 179)

[kenyan_cheena]

ROUND FOUR


Beckett comes out for the fourth with renewed vigor. Whatever his trainer said to him during the break, it seems to have worked. He stalks Johnson, who bounces around on his heels, keeping the Englishman at a distance with whiplash jabs, none of which actually land. Beckett is showing some impressive evasive skills.

Beckett manages to get in close and tie Johnson up, smothering his attack. Stepping back, Beckett unleashes a crushing four punch combo - left jab, straight right, left hook, right hook - all of which catch Johnson! The #3 seed looks shaken! But he recovers quickly, coming in at Beckett and working his body. Beckett ties him up, and eventually ends up holding Johnson in a headlock. Referee Medina-Solar separates the two men, berating Beckett.

Beckett is really being careful with his punches. He's continued his accuracy streak from the third round, landing a nice left-right combination to take his tally for the round to a perfect 6 of 6. When Johnson comes in close, Beckett wraps him up again. The Texan is throwing punches, but not landing many.

Johnson looks a bit frustrated. He unloads with a big left hook, but Beckett blocks it cross-armed and counters with a right hook of his own that bounces off the top of Johnson's head.

Halfway through the round and it's developing into somewhat of a stalemate. Johnson's firing out that jab and Beckett's doing an admirable job of avoiding it: ducking, moving side-to-side, parrying. He scores with a nice trio of jabs and a straight right. Johnson shakes his head, agitated.

At the 2:19 mark, Johnson catches Beckett flush with a nice right cross. The Englishman didn't seem to see that punch coming at all. Moments later, he's wiping at his mouth. Beckett's lip has been cut!

However, Johnson doesn't seem to be in a hurry to exploit it. The rest of the round is uneventful, with Beckett initiating another clinch that the fighters remain in as the round draws to a close.

*

That was a hard round to score. On the one hand, incredibly, Beckett once again landed every punch that he threw. But on the other hand, Johnson was much more active. But, he did not hurt Beckett. The Englishman shook Johnson early and landed a pair of nice combinations later in the round. I'll score that round for Beckett. I have to give him credit for his outstanding performance tonight. He's really hanging in there.

My Scorecard: Beckett 10-9
(The fight is all tied up at 38-38 after four rounds, and is set for a fascinating finish)

Punch Totals, Round Four

Johnson - landed: 6 thrown: 57
(progressive total - landed: 84 thrown: 248)
Beckett - landed: 12 thrown: 12
(progressive total - landed: 54 thrown: 191)

[kenyan_cheena]

ROUND FIVE


During the intermission, the crowd erupts again with their "GO JOE!" chant. The Englishman has, without a doubt, put in a much better showing than most experts believed he was capable of.

Twenty seconds in, Johnson lets loose with a flurry of punches, lefts and rights, hooks and jabs. But Beckett shows an excellent defense, blocking or evading the majority of them. When he counters with a single, beautiful uppercut that rocks Johnson, the crowd roars their approval!

Johnson comes in behind a pair of flashing jabs, but Beckett wraps him up, not allowing the Texan to work from in close. The referee separates the two fighters and Johnson lands another stiff jab, right on Beckett's forehead.

Beckett goes for the home run with a big right hand, but it doesn't connect cleanly, the punch glancing off the top of Johnson's head. Both men are already showing more urgency here in the fifth, knowing that the fight is close.

The #3 seed displays some excellent hand speed, catching Beckett with at least six clean shots. But the Englishman returns fire! A straight right snaps Johnson's head back. To the crowds delight, the two men stand toe-to-toe at centre ring, trading angry, vicious bombs. The crowd is delirious to see that it's Beckett who backs up Johnson when he lands the last punch of the exchange, a crunching right hook.

Johnson was cut during that exchange! Just under the right eye! It doesn't look too serious, but it just might be enough to unsettle him.

Taking a moment to regroup, Johnson then steps in and lands a lovely straight right! Oh, that punch hurt the Englishman! Johnson doesn't let up, teeing off with power shots. So much for being unsettled. Beckett looks like he's starting to tire. With a minute to go here in the fifth round, few could blame him. Somehow, he wraps Johnson up in a clinch, closer to tasting the canvas than he has been at any stage during the fight.

Beckett manages to move back out of Johnson's range, and the Texan accepts this in an almost resigned manner, even taking a few seconds to hitch up his trunks. Surely, he could not have planned for this bout to be as tough and challenging as it has been for him.

With Beckett taking a bit of a breather, courtesy of the ropes, Johnson comes straight in at him, punishing the Englishman's ribcage. But Beckett lands his fair share in the exchange, a short hook pushing Johnson back. The Galveston native unloads with a left and a right, but Beckett evades both punches.

Johnson muscles his way back in and finds his target with a crunching uppercut. The bell rings but Beckett fires off a right hand that Johnson steps back from. Johnson retaliates! At first, he simply shows exasperation, but then he snaps and shoves Beckett hard back into the ropes. He gets in the Englishman's face. Those at ringside can hear Johnson's words clearly.

"You wanna keep on goin' after the bell?!" Johnson shouts. "Come on, then! Let's keep this thing goin', punk!"

Johnson takes up a fighting stance, the crowd roaring for more before Referee Medina-Solar is able to step in between the two warriors. Johnson takes out his frustration on Medina-Solar, arguing with him as he makes his way back to his corner. Beckett takes it all in stride...

*

Whew. You want passion, you got it. It's pretty obvious that Beckett has made it a priority to get under Johnson's skin. Twice now the Englishman has thrown punches after the bell, leading to the Texan losing his cool. Now, as for the action in the fifth. Clearly, the most exciting, action-packed round of the fight. Both men were able to land some punishing shots, but I would have to score it in Johnson's favour. He was simply sharper, and more aggressive. At one stage there, Beckett was out on his feet, but strangely, Johnson either could not or would not finish him off. I really think that Johnson is struggling much more than he is letting on. Most thought that he'd be drying off after taking a shower by now. Still, all he has to do is avoid losing the final round, and he should take the decision...

My Scorecard: Johnson 10-9
(The Texan by a single point, 48-47, going into the final round)

Punch Totals, Round Five

Johnson - landed: 35 thrown: 65
(progressive total - landed: 119 thrown: 313)
Beckett - landed: 24 thrown: 39
(progressive total - landed: 78 thrown: 230)

[kenyan_cheena]

ROUND SIX


The two combatants touch gloves in the centre of the ring. The Buffalo audience is as excited now as they were at the beginning of the fight, if not, more so.

Johnson's corner did a good job on the cut under his right eye during the intermission. "The Galveston Giant" bobs and weaves, feints, works his way inside and tags Beckett with a nice left hook. He dances around his opponent, flicking jabs out at him, keeping his distance. Johnson seems to have disregarded the brew-ha-ha at the end of the fifth.

Beckett trails Johnson around the ring, frustrated. He manages to land a right hook, but it doesn't seem to have the same sting that his punches had even as recently as the fifth round. He's throwing a lot of punches, desperate to make something happen.

Johnson steps in behind the jab and bangs a nice hook into Beckett's rib cage. The Texan seems content to take his chances with the judges, not going all out in attack.

The Englishman has the look of anger in his eyes. He tries to work his way inside but Johnson wraps him up, bleeding precious seconds off the clock. Beckett corners Johnson and scores with a lead right, but once again, the Texan initiates a clinch. On the break, Beckett fires away, leading to a warning from the referee that Beckett ignores.

Johnson is jabbing and moving, staying outside. When Beckett gets in close, he fires away, but does not really land any clean blows.

One minute down, two to go. Beckett will have to do something quickly if he even wants to salvage a draw here.

That Johnson jab just won't let up. Johnson has employed the perfect strategy so far in this final round. He keeps Beckett off, 1-2-3 jabs battering into the Englishman's face. Beckett shakes his head, a strange noise coming from his throat.

Beckett's cornermen are desperately shouting advice, as the round moves into it's bottom half.

OH, MY GOD!!!

Johnson is down! Johnson is down!

As the Texan went to throw a left hook, Beckett quickly stepped inside and BAM!! The Englishman nailed Johnson right on the chin with a perfect left hook! I cannot believe it! The crowd erupted as one! I've never heard such a chorus! Johnson fell onto his backside, stunned.

Johnson shakes his head. He looks up at the referee, over to his corner. He's just stunned. I don't think he can comprehend what has happened. He starts pushing himself up at six, and is up by the count of eight.

My God, my hands are trembling as I write this!

Beckett is doing everything he can to compose himself on the other side of the ring.

Referee Medina-Solar is asking Jack if he's okay. He answers "Yes", but I'm not so sure. His legs look heavy. Boy, was that a perfect punch!

There's a bit more than a minute to go in this fight, and I'm not sure if Johnson will make it to the end! He's going to have to dig deep here, but even then, has he done enough to win the decision? The knockdown was completely unexpected. Johnson was just cruising towards victory one moment, and down on his backside the next.

Medina-Solar is letting the fight continue. Beckett comes rushing in and hammers Johnson with a smashing hook/uppercut. My God, Johnson looks finished! He almost went down again, but somehow stayed on his feet! Oh, a left and a right from Beckett puts Johnson further off balance. How is he staying on his feet?!

Johnson retreats, and Beckett comes at him again, firing a pair of jabs that Johnson blocks. He's just trying to survive now. There's no thought of attack, and he'd better be careful or else the referee will stop the fight. The crowd is screaming their support, more for Beckett than Johnson.

Beckett's getting a bit panicked, trying to knock Johnson's head off with a big right that the #3 seed easily avoids. It looks like his head has cleared now, and his legs are back to normal. Just thirty seconds left in the round. What a finish!

Oh! A straight right from Beckett snaps Johnson's head back! Johnson tries to clinch, but Beckett pushes him away, almost disdainfully. Johnson is bleeding again from the cut under his right eye. There is a real killer instinct in the Englishman's eyes, while Johnson's show a man on the verge of a shocking defeat. My Lord, the noise in this place is deafening. Every single person in this arena is on their feet. Every single one.

Just ten seconds to go and Beckett lands another hard shot, a straight right clubbing high on Johnson's forehead! Johnson stumbles back, the ropes holding him up. Will Medina-Solar stop it, so close to the end? No, he doesn't! Johnson covers up and Beckett flails away. A moment before the final bell sounds, Johnson throws an almost pitiful left-right combination, both punches missing.

The crowd applauds, Beckett shouts something at Johnson before walking back to his corner, arms raised triumphantly. Johnson slowly makes his way to his corner, exhausted, bleeding, beaten-up and worried...

*

I simply cannot believe what I have just witnessed. In my opinion (and on my scorecard), Joe Beckett just snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. I am just completely shocked at what has happened. Jack Johnson is going to lose this fight by decision. I have no doubt. Whether it will be a unanimous, majority or split decision, I cannot say. But one thing is certain: one moment of laziness in this final round will cost him this bout. That slow left hook was a terrible punch, and it left him wide open to a counter attack, and that's exactly what happened. I really cannot believe that of all the possible early upsets that could have occured in this tournament, Jack Johnson will become the first to suffer such a fate. I am certain that the judges will award this bout to Joe Beckett. What a fight!

My Scorecard: Beckett 10-8
(The Englishman takes my decision, 57-56)

Punch Totals, Round Six

Johnson - landed: 17 thrown: 34
(final total - landed: 136 thrown: 347)
Beckett - landed: 33 thrown: 101
(final total - landed: 111 thrown: 331)

[kenyan_cheena]

The HSBC Arena was alive with the buzz and electricity of anticipation.

The ring was crowded; announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr., television crews, trainers, entourage members, HBF officials.

Joe Beckett was in his corner, talking to his training team excitedly. They showed confidence, believing that their man had done enough to score an amazing upset.

A complete contrast, Jack Johnson was mulling around in his corner, wearing an expression of consternation and disappointment. His entourage members tried to cheer him up, with little success. He kept looking towards Jimmy Lennon Jr., impatient for the verdict to be announced. Johnson wiped his face, scratched his bald pate, nervous.

Lennon Jr. stepped to the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the judges have tallied their scorecards, and here is your decision..."

A hush fell over the audience.

"Judge Louis Gonzales of Mexico has scored the fight 57-56. Judge Johnathan Lee of the USA has scored the fight 57-56 and Judge Mary Clarke of New Zealand has also scored the fight 57-56. Ladies and gentlemen, your winner by unanimous decision is ... JOE BECKETT!!!"

Pandemonium erupted inside the HSBC Arena. The audience greeted the verdict with a deafening roar; screams, clapping, chants of "GO JOE!!!" filled the building. Inside the ring, Beckett celebrated with his cornermen as if he had just won the World Championship itself, jumping and bouncing up and down, hugging his support team. Johnson momentarily leaned against the ropes, head resting on his arms, allowing the disappointment to sink in. A short time later, he made his way across to the other side of the ring and congratulated Beckett, shaking his hand and embracing him. The two men exchanged words, showing a mutual respect and admiration, the fierceness of the bout seemingly forgotten...

[kenyan_cheena]

...It took almost five minutes for some semblance of calm and order to return to the arena. Eventually, ESPN's Bill Farris was able to speak with Joe Beckett.

The Englishman was wearing a winning smile from ear-to-ear. He had been sheding tears of joy.

Farris could not help but smile and laugh, caught up in the absolute jubilation of this heavy underdog. He shook Beckett's hand.

"Well, Joe, I guess the question everyone wants to ask you is, 'How on earth did you do that?'" said Farris.

The crowd reacted with another round of applause.

Beckett laughed. "I don't really know!" he exclaimed, still on a high. "I don't think it's sunk in yet. It might not for some time."

"Joe, you have just defeated a man who many have predicted will be the winner of this tournament," Farris said. "How does that make you feel?"

"It's not like anything I've ever experienced before," Beckett said, hands on hips, sweat running down his face. "I really can't believe it. I mean, I said a lot of stuff leading up to the fight. I believed that I could win, but now that it's actually happened, it's just ... WOW!"

Once again, the crowd responded with applause, briefly starting up the "GO JOE!" chant once again.

Farris laughed. "I think that there are a lot of people in the boxing community who are feeling exactly the same way tonight, Joe," he said.

Beckett nodded. "I really want to thank the people of Buffalo," he said.

This single comment recieved just about the biggest cheer of the night, showing how many locals were in the audience.

"So many of you supported me while I was training," Beckett said. "You really took me into your hearts. I don't think that words can do justice to how much you inspired me tonight. I feel like I've found a home-away-from-home here in Buffalo, and I really hope that the HBF will bring our group of boxers back here to entertain you in the future."

Those in the crowd who were not already standing stood up, and the entire arena proceeded to give Joe Beckett a standing ovation that lasted for a full two minutes. Beckett raised his hand to acknowledge the audience, tears slowly running down his cheeks.

"Now, Joe, let's talk about the fight itself," said Farris. "I think everyone here in the arena and those watching the bout on television were very impressed by your performance through the first five rounds. You really showed us much more than most expected, but even still, going into the final round, it was obvious that you would have to do something pretty special to win."

Beckett nodded. "I agree totally," he said. "You might have seen that I was getting a bit frustrated there in the sixth round. I knew that time was running out and I knew that Jack was winning the round. I just hoped that he'd make a mistake and I'd get a chance to get back into it. When he made the mistake, I just reacted to it without thinking. Next thing I know, he's on the canvas and the referee's putting the count on him. It was bloody surreal, I tell ya."

The crowd reacted to this with appreciative laughter and cheering.

'Well, Joe Beckett, I'd just like to say that the guts and determination you showed tonight has been one of the most inspiring performances I've seen in all of sports for quite some time," said Farris. "Congratulations."

The audience had already started applauding before Farris had finished talking.

"Let me just add one more thing," said Farris. "I'm sure that everyone back home in England will be over the moon about tonight's result. Everyone, please join with me in wishing Joe a safe trip back to his hometown of Wickham in England."

After the applause had died down, Beckett shook Farris's hand and left the ring, stopping to speak to Jack Johnson for a few moments before leaving the arena to another standing ovation. Beckett exchanged high fives, handshakes and hugs with a number of people from the audience as he walked up the tunnel.

[kenyan_cheena]

After Joe Beckett had left the ring, Farris interviewed Jack Johnson.

The Texan received considerably less applause than the victorious Englishman had.

"Jack, I guess it goes without saying that you're disappointed with the result of the fight," said Farris.

Johnson smiled and laughed. "Oh, yeah. I'm disappointed, but, probably not as much as you might think. I really think that, up to the point of the knockdown, I was happy with my performance, you know, Bill. I felt I had a good lead in the fight, and as it turns out, if I'd won that final round I would have taken a two point verdict on the cards. So, it was just one terrible mistake that I made, and I paid a big price for that."

"So you feel that you put in a good performance tonight?" Farris asked.

"Yeah, I do. I wouldn't change anything 'cept the final round, man."

"A lot of people said leading into tonight that you hadn't trained hard enough, that there were too many, how should I say it ... "distractions" that, in the end, hampered your performance against Joe Beckett. Would you call that a fair assessment?"

Johnson shook his head. "No, no I wouldn't. I don't think there was anything wrong with my preparation. Knowing that I lost the fight, in hindsight I still wouldn't do anything differently. You know, Joe Beckett fought a hell of a fight, but even so, he was behind in the final round. It all came down to carelessness on my part, where I made a bad mistake, and he was good enough to capitalise off it. You know, I got all the admiration in the world for him. He wasn't expected to win, but he was good enough to take the one chance I gave him. It's something I'll learn from for the future, no doubt. But besides that, I don't think anything else was responsible for my defeat."

"Do you think that you may have brought any added pressure onto yourself with your statement about going through this tournament undefeated?" Farris asked.

Johnson laughed. "Ah, definitely not. I said it, and I don't regret it. That was my ambition, to win every fight in the tournament. I'm sure that if you asked every one of the top guys, they would say the same thing. Maybe just not publicly, though. I don't think it brought any added pressure, but I will say that it certainly gave Joe Beckett some incentive."

"Joe exchanged words with you before he left the ring," said Farris. "Do you mind telling everyone what he said?"

Johnson laughed again, a gregarious laugh that made it hard to believe he had just lost his first pro fight.

"He's a funny guy, I tell ya," Johnson said. "Joe said, 'I'm glad I beat you, Jack, but I really hope you win the rest of your fights.' He's a class act."

The audience laughed at Johnson's fake English accent as he repeated the words Joe Beckett had said to him.

"Jack, once again, commiserations for your loss," said Farris. "However, I think everyone here would agree with me when I say that this is just a speed bump in what will surely be an excellent tournament for you."

The audience applauded and Johnson acknowledged them.

"Why, thank you, Bill. I just want to let my fans know that even though we didn't make the start we were hopin' for, there's still a long way to go. Don't give up on me yet. Just wait and see, you won't be disappointed."

With that, Johnson left the ring, showing an optimistic grin that seemed to be in defiance of the real embarrassment he had suffered at the hands of "The Angry Englishman", Joe Beckett...

[kenyan_cheena]

Sorry it's taken me so long to get this Buffalo card done. Been busy at home during the last week. I'll finish the card off when I get home tonight, so we can move on to week four of the tournament.

[kenyan_cheena]

BUFFALO UNDERCARD ACTION
(THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM)


Opening Bout

Possessing the body of an Adonis, 20 year-old Californian Mike Weaver scored a 5th round TKO victory over Puerto Rico's Jose Roman. The 11th seed in the HBF's 1st Defense tournament, Weaver didn't have it all his own way, with the first four rounds evenly split. However, some punishing left hands had led to severe swelling around Roman's right eye. Early in the 5th round, a big left hook opened a gapping wound above the eye. The bout was stopped soon after.

Preliminary 1

30 year-old Denver native Ron Lyle made an explosive HBF debut, dismantling Germany's Jurgen Blin before knocking him out cold in the 3rd round with a single uppercut. The German tasted the canvas twice in round one, was punished in round two and finally finished off 1:56 into the third. Lyle is the 6th seed in the 1st Defense tournament and his first professional bout surely ranks amongst the most impressive seen so far in the HBF.

Preliminary 2

Mexico's Manuel Ramos was victorious in a highly entertaining bout against Franco Cavicchi of Italy. Ramos, the 62nd seed in the World Championship tournament, landed 167 punches to 123, and took a unanimous decision, 59-55, 58-56, 59-56.

Support Bout

22 year-old New Yorker Renaldo Snipes decimated Argentina's Pedro Lovell for six rounds, landing 216 punches to 95 and dropping Lovell in the 3rd round en route to a unanimous decision victory, 59-54 (twice), 58-55. Snipes used a rapid-fire jab to pound the Argentinian into submission.

Co-Feature

18 year-old Texan Cleveland Williams, the 30th seed in the World Championship tournament, escaped with a dubious unanimous decision victory over San Francisco's Pat Valentino. Despite the fact that he did not land a single punch in the first round, all three judges awarded it to Williams. The 110th seeded Valentino dominated Williams in the 3rd and 5th rounds. The Texan was able to knock him down near the end of the 4th, but the scorecards would show that, even without the assistance it brought him, Williams still would have won. The judges verdict was 58-55 (twice), 57-56.
Valentino, who had celebrated his 21st birthday the day before, was a visibly shattered man afterwards, certain that he had done more than enough to upset the 30th seed.

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
SATURDAY 26 JANUARY 2002