The Heavyweight Boxing Federation

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation of post #1034)

"That was for all y'all doubters and haters," said Haynes afterwards. "I ain't say much in the pas' 'bout what y'all written 'bout us, but tonight was jus' another message. We ain't goin' 'way, man. Y'all been sayin' we finished, we washed up. We ain't even started yet, man."

In comparison to his previous two bouts, which were both competitive affairs, Haynes was positively dominant tonight. He landed 95 of 178 punches (53.4%) while Horace could only connect with 18 of 63 (28.6%).

"The dude jus' couldn't handle my aggression," said Haynes. "Or my power. I wish him all the bes' for the semis, but if he make it through to the final y'all can expect more o' what happen here, sho nuff."

"T. just took care o' business," said Haynes' cousin Elmer Ray. "Think what he's done so far shows he one of the bigges' punchers in the HBF, y'all. Ain't no doubt 'bout that in my mind, man. I'm proud o' him and we all lookin' forward to what he do beyond the Asian league."

The topic soon changed to that of Ray and Haynes' other cousin James Ray, who has been taking part in the International Boxing League's Miami selection trials since Monday.

"He doin' fine," said Ray. "Those IBL scouts been real impress' by him, really like his speed and defense. But he tell us that this cat Alvarez been helpin' him out, also. He audition for the federation earlier this month, y'all. I remember hearin' some good things 'bout the guy back then and Jimmy told us that he jus' come up to him at the Arena on Tuesday, introduce his self and they start talkin'. Jimmy say he been helpin' him train, givin' him some advice. Cat sounds top class, y'all, so we all happy 'bout that, man."

(to be continued)

[Romdawg88]

Ha, that was unexpected but cool. Ain't no doubt that James Ray is going to take the belt now. So I take it this is the start of my guy's relationship with the Florida Alliance I like it.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Ha, that was unexpected but cool. Ain't no doubt that James Ray is going to take the belt now. So I take it this is the start of my guy's relationship with the Florida Alliance I like it.

Indeed. I thought you'd get a kick out of it, Romy, especially as I didn't hint at it. That Alvarez cat is one smart guy, IMO.

[Romdawg88]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Indeed. I thought you'd get a kick out of it, Romy, especially as I didn't hint at it. That Alvarez cat is one smart guy, IMO.

Yeah, the fact that their was no hint that I would be popping up was the best part. I didn't think my character would be showing up again until we got closer to the beginning of the QL. Yeah, ain't no doubt that he's a smart one what better way to become part of the group you know.

[CONN CHRIS]

I was strolling through the Stribling posts and noticed that Mr Stribling does a lot of the talking. I always thought that Ma wore the pants in that family.

Good writing Dan.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

I was strolling through the Stribling posts and noticed that Mr Stribling does a lot of the talking. I always thought that Ma wore the pants in that family.

Good writing Dan.

Thanks, Chris. The way I've written them to date has Ma being the head trainer and Pa being the family spokesperson and manager. It's kind of similar to real life, although Ma was more vocal. It might change in the future, depending on how Young performs in the tournament.

They kind of soured their image a bit with their antics in California, with many dissatisfied with Pa's explanation. We'll have to see if anything more develops from that in the coming weeks.

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation of post #1041)

Earlier in the evening, Australia's Jack Beckerman secured a semi-final spot when his bout against Rex Layne ended in a draw. Beckerman appeared to be the better fighter for most of the contest, and he had a right to be upset by the verdict.

The combatants exchanged knockdowns in the first two rounds, with Layne tasting the canvas midway through the first from a shot to the ribs before Beckerman found himself on his backside after a crushing uppercut late in round two. But the Aussie dominated the next three rounds and although Layne finished strongly in the sixth, Beckerman looked to have done enough to win. But when the verdict was announced he was clearly disappointed. Two judges had scored the bout 57-55, one favouring Layne and the other Beckerman while the third had it locked up at 56-56.

Beckerman landed 157 of 424 punches, Layne connecting with 105 of 282. For the 3rd-seeded Utah native, the realisation that he had missed out on the semi-finals after winning his first three bouts inside of three rounds was a sobering one, but he had no one to blame but himself.

In the evening's Co-Feature, New Zealand's #2 seed Tom Heeney was given a solid workout by Taiwanese fighter Jim Chang Kai. It was an action-packed fight, one that also ended as a draw (57-57, 58-56 (Chang Kai), 57-57).

Heeney had already qualified for the semi-finals after his victory against Rex Layne last month, but he enjoyed his clash with Chang Kai. The New Zealander landed 195 of 338 punches (57.7%) compared to Chang Kai's 141 of 254 (55.5%), numbers that indicate the explosive nature of the bout.

Kicking off the event, South Africa's Oupa Maoto defeated the Samoan Uola Malafo by unanimous decision (57-54, 56-55, 57-54) before Thomas Biobaku of Nigeria and Ghana's Robert Ado had to settle for a draw (58-57, 57-59, 58-58). The evening's third contest was a real barnstormer, with Fred Fulton taking a unanimous decision verdict (56-54 on all three cards) against Samoa's Kalolo Umaga. The bout featured knockdowns in each of the first three rounds with Umaga floored in the 1st and 3rd and Fulton in the 2nd.

Final standings in the South-East Asian Boxing League:

GROUP A

1. (1) TERONE HAYNES (USA), 5-0-0(4)
2. (8) ALLAN HORACE (AUSTRALIA), 3-1-1

3. (4) FRED FULTON (USA), 2-2-1
4. (5) KALOLO UMAGA (SAMOA), 2-3-0
5. (9) ROBERT ADO (GHANA), 1-3-1(1)
6. (12) THOMAS BIOBAKU (NIGERIA), 0-4-1

GROUP B

1. (2) TOM HEENEY (NEW ZEALAND), 3-0-2
2. (6) JACK BECKERMAN (AUSTRALIA), 3-0-2

3. (3) REX LAYNE (USA), 3-1-1(3)
4. (7) JIM CHANG KAI (TAIWAN), 2-2-1
5. (10) OUPA MAOTO (SOUTH AFRICA), 1-4-0
6. (11) UOLA MALAFO (SAMOA), 0-5-0

For the Aussie Beckerman, the verdict in his bout against Layne has ultimatley cost him 1st place in Group B and as a consequence he'll be the one to face "The Hastings Hammer" Terone Haynes in the semi-finals. His fellow Australian Allan Horace will take on Tom Heeney.

(1) Terone Haynes 5-0-0(4) vs (6) Jack Beckerman 3-0-2
(2) Tom Heeney 3-0-2 vs (8) Allan Horace 3-1-1

Those bouts will be held on the 1st of August. As for the other members of the SEABL, it's likely that Fulton, Layne, Umaga and Chang Kai will all end up in the HBF's Qualifying League. They've had some impressive moments in their careers to date and it will be interesting to see how their careers progress.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
THURSDAY 27 JUNE 2002
YOKOHAMA ARENA, KANAGAWA, JAPAN

THE SOUTH-EAST ASIAN BOXING LEAGUE


OPENING BOUT

(10) Oupa Maoto UD6 (11) Uola Malafo

PRELIMINARY 1

(9) Robert Ado D6 (12) Thomas Biobaku

PRELIMINARY 2

(4) Fred Fulton UD6 (5) Kalolo Umaga

SUPPORT BOUT

(3) Rex Layne D6 (6) Jack Beckerman

CO-FEATURE

(2) Tom Heeney D6 (7) Jim Chang Kai

MAIN EVENT

(1) Terone Haynes KO3 (8) Allan Horace

[kenyan_cheena]

"HARD-HITTING LOUDMOUTH" MAKES AN
IMPRESSION IN INDIANAPOLIS

Thursday 27 June 2002

The Heavyweight Boxing Federation's Qualifying League auditions entered their final week back on Monday with venues in Indianapolis, Montreal and Moscow playing host.

Having accomodated the International Boxing League only a week before, the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis has once again proven itself a more than able venue. While the HBF has not found as much to get excited about as the IBL did, they have discovered an outgoing 28 year-old who might just prove himself to be one of the premier power punchers in the entire federation.

Of Mexican heritage, Mike "Hector" Hanson was born and raised in Indianapolis. He attended the University of Notre Dame where he played linebacker for the Fighting Irish and also met his future wife. A number of Hanson's close friends accompanied him to this week's trials, some saying that "extroverted" was probably too mild a term to describe his personality.

"Mike is the type of guy who you can always expect to be the life of the party," said childhood friend David Reed. "He's got a lust for life and an energy that is just infectious, you know? I've never known anyone else like him."

While his friends know him as a fun-loving guy, there have been some at this week's auditions who haven't been quite so enamoured by Hanson's disposition.

"Bit of a loudmouth, really," said HBF scout Harvey Lott, frowning. "A hard-hitting loudmouth, but still a loudmouth. You can always tell where he is because the guy is so talkative and so loud. Talks a lot of nonsense, really. He always has a crowd around him and it doesn't take much for him to raise his voice. Still, I guess we can't complain much. Behind all the jokes and kidding around, he's got a really kind nature."

Standing 6'4" and weighing in at an imposing 250 pounds, Hanson has impressed Lott and his fellow scouts with his devastating KO power aswell as a durable chin.

"Can he hit?" said Lott. "Does the sun rise in the morning? Man, I don't think I've ever witnessed a right hand like that. Like a sledgehammer. He broke a guy's jaw back on Tuesday with the first punch he landed on him. Dropped him like he'd been taken out by a sniper. We've had to rely more on seeing him work out on the heavy bag, 'cause some of these fellas just aren't prepared to step in the ring with him."

It's true that Hanson possesses punching power to rival that of Sonny Liston and Rocky Marciano, but it's also true that he's not an especially mobile fighter.

"He is slow on his feet," said Lott. "If he gets in against a guy who can dance circles around him, he'll have trouble because he won't be able to track them down. He needs to get a bit of rhythm and flexibility in those legs of his."

The man himself didn't seem too concerned about his lack of speed when interviewed this afternoon.

"Guys are gonna be scared of my power," said Hanson, confidently. "I would be, too. Not bragging, but I've seen the damage I can do and that's going to intimidate a lot of fighters. It's something I'm looking forward to, I gotta say."

There was a brief period during his college days when Hanson was looking towards an NFL career, but his partying ways and ill-discipline in regards to training scuttled his chances.

"Sometimes I look back and wonder what could have been," he said. "A year out of Notre Dame I was working in an office and I've been doing the same thing since. But after this week, I don't have to look back anymore. I can now look forward with new enthusiasm 'cause I know that I've got the tools to really make something of this opportunity."

(to be continued)

[Romdawg88]

Good to see Mike finally make an appearance I've been waiting for it. So he has a weakness against quick boxers, hmm, I wonder if there is anybody in the QL that fits that description?

Man, alot of guys are getting their jaws broken during these auditions. First, David Kane breaks two and now Mike breaks another poor fellow's jaw.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Good to see Mike finally make an appearance I've been waiting for it. So he has a weakness against quick boxers, hmm, I wonder if there is anybody in the QL that fits that description?

Man, alot of guys are getting their jaws broken during these auditions. First, David Kane breaks two and now Mike breaks another poor fellow's jaw.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how he goes in my uni. It's going to be a lot of fun writing about the character because he's got an outgoing personality and he can knock the crap out of people also.

[kenyan_cheena]

edited due to stuff up

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation of post #1048)

Nashville's Max Cayton is another individual to have caught the attention of HBF scouts this week. The 19 year-old tips the scales at 220 pounds and looks to have all the tools to be a success in the federation.

"He's one slick customer," said Lott. "Got himself some impressive boxing ability, one helluva left jab. He's a smart fighter and I've got no doubt that he'll present some major problems to whoever he goes up against. His power ain't too bad, either. The kid has a mean streak in him, I have to say. Real aggressive and when he gets you in trouble, you're probably gonna stay there."

Cayton is a reserved, polite young man out of the ring but as Lott said, he's got quite a mean streak and the difference is like night and day once he steps between those ropes.

"I boxed in high school for three years," said Cayton. "Didn't think I could do much with it beyond that, though. But then the HBF came along late last year and I see it as almost a life line for me. I'm confident that I can make a living from this sport, that I can also have some real success, maybe even some fame."

With Hanson and Cayton set to be numbered amongst the ranks of the Qualifying League, these Indianapolis auditions have certainly been profitable ones for the Heavyweight Boxing Federation.

***

In Montreal, Canada, the federation came across a tough Ontario native by the name of Chris Creed. 30 years old, Creed showed himself to be Mr. Nice Guy out of the ring but a real wrecking machine in it.

"It's really like someone flicks a switch when I step into the ring," said Creed, smiling. "I can't quite explain it and I don't think I can control it, either. But I think my style will be difficult for a lot of guys to handle."

Creed is an impressive physical specimen, standing 6'3" and weighing 235 pounds. He's displayed a dedication to training this week that convinced HBF scouts in quick time that he belongs in the federation.

"That guy is hungry for this," said HBF official Leon James. "You can see it in his eyes and in the way he carries himself. He was saying to me that he feels like he's getting a second chance."

The reasoning behind that "second chance" is the fact that Creed had enjoyed a successful career in the Canadian Football League before a severe left knee injury forced him into early retirement at the age of 25.

"I played fullback for the Argonauts," said Creed. "Got caught up on a play and did the terrible triad: ACL, MCL and the medial miniscus. That was the end of my career, just like that."

Now five years later, Creed is excited about what he can achieve in the boxing ring and judging by his desire and form at this week's auditions, it seems only the sky is the limit for him.

***

The HBF's European auditions came to a close in Moscow, Russia where one young man in particular has really impressed the federation's scouts. Standing 6'6", 21 year-old Aleksandr Bystrov has the size and, with a little bit of assistance, will have the ability to give the upcoming Qualifying League one almighty shake.

"He's just a giant," said HBF official Matthew Hutchinson. "When he throws his punches it's like they're coming down at guys from the heavens. It's really something to see."

Bystrov only started to learn the art of boxing eight months ago. Considering that, federation scouts are amazed by how far advanced he is.

"He's not an aggressive guy," Hutchinson said. "Doesn't have much killer instinct. But that reach is just overwhelming and when he lands them, they come with some added impact."

Bystrov has presented as a shy, unassuming individual but is much more adamant when the topic of what he wants to achieve in his boxing career is concerned.

"World Champion," the 240 pounder said through an interpreter. "I want to bring the World Championship to Russia."

"I think he could do it," said Hutchinson. "He's pretty raw at the moment but with the right training, we could just have an absolute monster on our hands."

[Romdawg88]

Another solid group of guys into the QL, man whoever wins that thing will have earned it. Aleksandr Bystrov sounds interesting can't wait to see him in action and I will be very disappointed if at some point he doesn't breakout "I must break you" and other Ivan Drago quotes.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Another solid group of guys into the QL, man whoever wins that thing will have earned it. Aleksandr Bystrov sounds interesting can't wait to see him in action and I will be very disappointed if at some point he doesn't breakout "I must break you" and other Ivan Drago quotes.

Yeah, it is going to be a competitive tournament, no doubt. That's actually it as far as the write-ups for the HBF auditions are concerned.



I don't think I explained exactly how the QL will work in regards to who ends up getting a shot at a world ranking. Stage one will feature 12 groups of 8, with each fighter having seven fights (just like in the WC and 1D tourneys).

Stage two is 16 groups of 6, with 5 fights each. The top two fighters from each group in stage one are put into groups 1-4 in stage two. At the completion of stage two, the top three fighters in groups 1-4 (12 total fighters) earn themselves a shot at a world ranking. So you firstly need to finish top two in your group in stage one and then finish top three in your group in stage two.

As for the other fighters, those who finished 3rd and 4th in stage one will be put in groups 5-8 in stage two, 5th and 6th in stage one will be in groups 9-12 in stage two and 7th and 8th in stage one will be in groups 13-16 in stage two. So the stage two group you're in gives an idea of how high you'll be ranked in the QL once the tournament is over. There's no actual tournament final as the goal of it is to determine the initial league rankings.

[Romdawg88]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Yeah, it is going to be a competitive tournament, no doubt. That's actually it as far as the write-ups for the HBF auditions are concerned.



I don't think I explained exactly how the QL will work in regards to who ends up getting a shot at a world ranking. Stage one will feature 12 groups of 8, with each fighter having seven fights (just like in the WC and 1D tourneys).

Stage two is 16 groups of 6, with 5 fights each. The top two fighters from each group in stage one are put into groups 1-4 in stage two. At the completion of stage two, the top three fighters in groups 1-4 (12 total fighters) earn themselves a shot at a world ranking. So you firstly need to finish top two in your group in stage one and then finish top three in your group in stage two.

As for the other fighters, those who finished 3rd and 4th in stage one will be put in groups 5-8 in stage two, 5th and 6th in stage one will be in groups 9-12 in stage two and 7th and 8th in stage one will be in groups 13-16 in stage two. So the stage two group you're in gives an idea of how high you'll be ranked in the QL once the tournament is over. There's no actual tournament final as the goal of it is to determine the initial league rankings.

Congrats on finally finishing the HBF auditions. I bet the day you finish off the IBL ones will be a joyous one with much .

So if I'm understanding the format correctly the guys who advance past stage 2 won't be facing off against each other. So who will they be facing for the World Ranking, will it be the guys from the regional tournaments and the second stage of the WC and 1D who get knocked out early?

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Congrats on finally finishing the HBF auditions. I bet the day you finish off the IBL ones will be a joyous one with much .

So if I'm understanding the format correctly the guys who advance past stage 2 won't be facing off against each other. So who will they be facing for the World Ranking, will it be the guys from the regional tournaments and the second stage of the WC and 1D who get knocked out early?

Thanks, Romy. That particular day could be arriving pretty soon, as there's only two more posts I need to make to finish off the IBL trials.

They'll be facing off against the guys ranked 108-119, who will be fighters who managed to finish about midway through the standings in the regional tourneys and the world ranking tourney. I'd imagine they won't be too difficult to defeat. The good fighters from the qualifying league should be able to make their way through the lower rankings pretty easily, really. That is unless they go up against each other, which could happen occasionally.

[javier_83]

lets see if mike could make something here

[kenyan_cheena]

SHAVERS:
"I'M READY TO SHOCK THE WORLD"

Friday 28 June 2002

In eight days, Ohio's Earnie Shavers will step into the ring at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City against the #1 seed in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament, Gene Tunney. It's a contest that has been highly anticipated, with the bad blood that has existed between the two men during the past couple of months almost certainly to lead to a fiery encounter.

All of the ill-will between Tunney and Shavers has been caused by the Ohio native, with its origins at a Las Vegas press conference back on the 25th of April. During that event, Shavers spoke some derogatory, obscene words to Tunney in regards to the New Yorker's wife, setting off a wild but brief brawl where the two men went at each other bare-fisted before being separated.

Since then, Shavers has spoken on more than one occasion of how he'll destroy Tunney when the two of them finally meet in the ring. On the first of this month he was in devastating form against Karl Mildenberger, flooring the German three times on the way to a 5th round TKO victory. He made his intentions towards Tunney once again known afterwards.

"Everyone's sayin' the guy's gonna embarass me, that I ain't got no shot," he had said. "I wanna hear what they have to say the first time Tunney eats my right hand. I really wanna hear that, you know? I'm lookin' forward to it. Earnie Shavers is gonna shock everyone, 'specially Gene Tunney."

Tunney has not disguised his contempt for and dislike of Shavers, saying that "he has no class" and that "he belongs in the gutter" after the Las Vegas incident. Tunney confirmed back on the 1st that he is taking this upcoming fight more personally than others, saying that when he defeats Shavers "it will be a win that I'll savour a little bit more than usual."

Speaking today from his gym in Warren, Ohio, Shavers reiterated his plans for next week.

"I'm ready to shock the world," he said. "Ain't no one giving me a chance to beat the guy but you'll all see what I mean when we step through those ropes. The guy is the #1 seed, so what? I don't give a damn about that. It's a fact, man. Gene Tunney ain't never faced my type of power before. He won't be able to handle it, you know? The first time he wears my right hand on his jaw, he'll know he's in a fight that he can't win."

To emphasise his words, Shavers treated us to three minutes of work on the heavy bag, ripping into it with anger and aggression. It must be said that the sight of Earnie Shavers in full flight is one to behold, but whether or not he'll be able to land one of those sledgehammer-like blows on the #1 seed is another subject entirely. Tunney may not have fought anyone with Shavers' KO power, but he has handled all five of his previous opponents with ease.

Comparing the two combatants' punch stats through their first five bouts shows how impressive Tunney has been, against almost identical opposition:

Tunney: 32.3 punches landed per round at 48.5%
Tunney's opponents: 9.5 punches landed per round at 27.5%
Tunney has scored five knockdowns.

Shavers: 26.8 punches landed per round at 39.9%
Shavers' opponents: 15.1 punches landed per round at 40.9%
Shavers has scored twelve knockdowns.

"All that don't matter," said Shavers. "Won't matter at all when he's standing in front of me in that ring. I'm gonna shock the world on the 6th of July, man. When you writin' about it, just remember that I said it first, right here."

[Romdawg88]

Did Shavers just refer to himself in the 3rd person, alright now I'm rooting for Tunney to take this even more.