The Heavyweight Boxing Federation

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation of post #1099)

PRELIMINARY 2

Having caused a sensation when he held top seed Jimmy Young to a draw on debut back in January, Philadelphia's Tony Ross has continued to compete strongly during the HBF's World Championship tournament. The 113th seed scored an upset win over Connecticut's Nathan Mann in March and held Buddy Baer to a draw in his last bout on May 31.

Fighting fellow Pennsylvanian Rocky Jones, Ross recorded his second professional victory tonight, taking a unanimous decision verdict (58-56 on all three cards) in an exciting contest. Going into the fifth it was all locked up, with Jones's aggression giving him the edge in the 1st and 4th rounds. But Ross was the hungrier fighter in rounds five and six, sweeping the cards to improve his record to an even 2-2-2.

SUPPORT BOUT

When Buddy Baer scored a stunning 1st round KO of the World Championship tournament's 17th seed Floyd Patterson back in April, the future looked bright for the Colorado slugger. That upset victory improved his record to 2-2 and while a spot in the second stage of the tournament might have been out of reach, there was no reason why he couldn't sweep his final three bouts and gain himself a high seeding in the upcoming Continental Americas tournament.

Well, things haven't turned out that way for Baer. He barely secured a draw against Group Sixteen's bottom seed Tony Ross in his last fight and tonight Baer featured in another drawn bout, a mid-fight rally leading to each judge scoring the contest between Baer and Illinois native Tom McMahon a 57-57 draw.

This was an action-filled tussle, McMahon jumping out of the gates before Baer fought his way back. Even so, it must be a source of disappointment for the 81st seed that he has followed up that extraordinary win against Patterson with two comparatively sub-par performances. Like Tony Ross, Baer is now 2-2-2 and the fact that he has failed to consolidate on his earlier success will surely lead many to believe that he "got lucky" against Patterson, something that Patterson himself has always been convinced of.

***

With the first four contests complete, the stage was set for Elmer Ray's Australian debut. It's reasonable to say that, despite the importance of the evening's main event, the Florida native was the one everyone had really come to see. The crowd was excited in the moments leading up to the clash, murmurs passing throughout the stadium as they awaited his arrival...

(to be continued)

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

CO-FEATURE

Elmer Ray and his cousin Terone Haynes flew into Brisbane on Sunday, coming directly from Japan following Haynes' KO victory over Australia's own Allan Horace three days earlier. Since arriving down under, the cousins have enjoyed some of the attractions that Australia's "sunshine state" has to offer, visiting the trio of Gold Coast amusement parks (Dreamworld, Sea World, Wet'n'Wild Water World) and also sampling some of the region's active nightlife. They were also on hand for a HBF-organised boxing seminar where they helped to run a training session for some of the federation's younger fanbase.

"Been a great week, y'all," said Ray, smiling. "Bit of everythan', you know? I'm excited 'bout steppin' in the ring Friday night, givin' the peeps here a good show."

Some had said that Ray's busy schedule might have had a detrimental effect on his own preparation for his bout with Nathan Mann, but the Florida Firebrand looked ready to go when he stepped on the scales at a more streamlined but still ripped 182 pounds, five lighter than for his last bout against Jimmy Young.

"I have t' b' quicker, man," said the 17 year-old. "Think my speed, movin' round the ring, that hurt me 'gainst Jimmy so we been workin' on that. Feel like I be in better shape now than I ever been, y'all."

A number of boxing commentators have said that, due to the less than vital nature of his bout against Nathan Mann, there was the possibility that Ray might suffer an upset loss. But speaking after the weigh-in, the World Championship tournament's 33rd seed showed how keen an observer he is.

"Y'all ain't been lookin' at the standin's carefully 'nough," he said. "Don't y'all know that if I win and Jimmy and Floyd have a draw, I be up on top? If that happen and I beat Floyd next month, I finish 1st no matter what happen with Jimmy and Nathan Mann. That makes this here fight huge, y'all. Believe it."

At Suncorp tonight, it appeared that Ray deliberately delayed his arrival in the ring by a few minutes in order to build up anticipation amongst the crowd. It definitely worked because when the opening bassline of Eric B. and Rakim's "Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em" sounded over the stadium's speaker system, a wave of excitement and applause erupted around the arena. Moments later the Florida entourage was making its way out onto the field, Ray decked out in a robe of red with black and white trim, a cornrowed Terone Haynes looking imposing, brooding and threatening out front in a solid black muscle T-shirt, dark shades concealing his eyes.

Once the bout was underway, Elmer Ray did exactly what he said he would. He put on a show. At least, for the first three rounds he did. Displaying an impressive offensive arsenal, the 17 year-old slugger dominated his Connecticut-born opponent, whose presence in the ring before the opening bell seemed almost an afterthought. What was strange about Ray's assault was the almost complete absence of the jab. He was simply swinging for the fences, rattling and staggering Mann with power backed up by improved speed. Ray was creating some wonderful angles for himself, using footwork to position himself to catch Mann with a number of right crosses and flush left hooks.

At the midpoint of the contest Ray had outlanded his opponent 102-43, but what many might not have noticed was that he looked quite tired, also. He had thrown so many power shots and despite being cut under his left eye and appearing like he'd been rolled down a hill, Mann was still standing. During the next two rounds Ray slowed down noticeably and Mann, having found nothing but disappointment to that point in the fight and for the majority of his career, made the most of it. He had some real success in the fourth, landing some telling shots that brought a perturbed expression to Ray's face. Both combatants were looking a little weary in the fifth but once again, Mann's workrate exceeded that of the Florida Alliance member.

"We need this round, E.," Ray's cornerman and uncle, Marlon Ray could be heard saying before the sixth. "Dude's won both them last two rounds, so you ain't safe yet. I need you to give me this round, E."

Despite Mann's continued resurgence, that's exactly what Elmer Ray was able to do. He took the final round with a stronger offensive showing, hurting Mann late with a punishing left-right-left-right combination. Five minutes later, it was confirmed that Elmer Ray had improved to 5-1 and Mann had fallen to 1-5 as Ray was awarded a majority decision victory, 58-56, 57-57, 58-56.

The 17 year-old shook his head at the verdict. "Don't know how y'all can have that fight 57-57," he said. "Ain't no way he win three rounds, but it's cool. We did what we had to do."

"Well, I be hoping it end a draw, t' be truthful," replied Ray when asked who he thought would win the main event. "Gonna be a real close fight but I think Jimmy might jus' have a little too much for Floyd, y'all. We see how it turn out, though."

When all was said and done, Ray had landed 157 of 351 punches (44.7%). SIX of those landed punches were jabs. Mann connected with 126 of 250 shots (50.4%), having shown more determination in the bottom half of the contest than in any of his previous bouts.

Ray and his support crew departed the ring to applause that was not as enthusiastic as that which had greeted them forty minutes earlier. Elmer's lapse in the bottom half of the contest had clearly disappointed some of the fans. They may have been expecting an eventual knockout after what he had produced in the opening three rounds.

The Florida native's inability to convincingly finish off Mann might be a point of conversation in the coming days. Could it be that in shedding those five pounds, he sacrificed some of his power? It looks to be the case. His tactics were also quite puzzling. He had said he wanted to be quicker, but hardly threw a jab all night. Quite puzzling.

Regardless, he is now 5-1 and will be favoured by many to improve to 6-1 and qualify for the second stage of the World Championship tournament when he faces Floyd Patterson next month...

***

(Still to come ... THE MAIN EVENT!)

[Romdawg88]

Sea World and Wet'n'Wild, huh, so basically this fight happen in the Australian version of Orlando. That should have made them feel right at home. Nice win for Ray even though he struggled in 4 and 5 rounds but those expects are full of crap as Floyd is going to tool him in their fight. I feel bad for Mann he's just hadn't had any luck with him at all, hopefully, he can get one of the lower seeds in the regional tournaments.

Question, I don't remember if you addressed it early but is Ray going to drop to Junior Heavyweight? He's small enough and it might be easier it down there for him.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Sea World and Wet'n'Wild, huh, so basically this fight happen in the Australian version of Orlando. That should have made them feel right at home. Nice win for Ray even though he struggled in 4 and 5 rounds but those expects are full of crap as Floyd is going to tool him in their fight. I feel bad for Mann he's just hadn't had any luck with him at all, hopefully, he can get one of the lower seeds in the regional tournaments.

Question, I don't remember if you addressed it early but is Ray going to drop to Junior Heavyweight? He's small enough and it might be easier it down there for him.

Yep, if you look up the Gold Coast, Queensland on wikipedia, you'll see that the region is very similar to Florida, even in climate.

Elmer just did what he had to do to win, but I'm happy he avoided the upset. It gives him even more credibility to go into series seven with just a single loss. As for Ray v Patterson, I can't wait for that one. It'll be something.

Mann blew any chance he had when he lost his first three fights and he might not even be offered a spot in either the CA tourney or the WR tourney. We'll see what happens.

Elmer is still only 17 so he might bulk up and fill out a bit between now and the end of the WC tourney. But who knows? We might see him and Langford both in the JHW division, which would be exciting.

[Romdawg88]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Yep, if you look up the Gold Coast, Queensland on wikipedia, you'll see that the region is very similar to Florida, even in climate.

Elmer just did what he had to do to win, but I'm happy he avoided the upset. It gives him even more credibility to go into series even with just a single loss. As for Ray v Patterson, I can't wait for that one. It'll be something.

Mann blew any chance he had when he lost his first three fights and he might not even be offered a spot in either the CA tourney or the WR tourney. We'll see what happens.

Elmer is still only 17 so he might bulk up and fill out a bit between now and the end of the WC tourney. But who knows? We might see him and Langford both in the JHW division, which would be exciting.

I just looked it up and it does seem that they have pretty similar climates. This fight card was in July so it would been winter down there correct?

Has Elmer locked up a spot in the next round or does he need Young to beat Patterson to secure his spot? I'm shocked Mann did as badly, it looks like he might need to beat Young to stick around.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

I just looked it up and it does seem that they have pretty similar climates. This fight card was in July so it would been winter down there correct?

Has Elmer locked up a spot in the next round or does he need Young to beat Patterson to secure his spot? I'm shocked Mann did as badly, it looks like he might need to beat Young to stick around.

Yep, it's winter time down here in July, though late winter and on the Gold Coast the temp is usually around 25 celsius (77 fahrenheit) in winter, very pleasant.

Elmer is now 5-1 while Floyd is 4-1 (prior to the fight against Young). Regardless of the result of Young v Patterson, the winner of Elmer v Floyd will qualify for stage two. So if Elmer beats Floyd, he's in and Floyd will be consigned to the CA. The opposite will happen if Floyd wins.

[Romdawg88]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Yep, it's winter time down here in July, though late winter and on the Gold Coast the temp is usually around 25 celsius (77 fahrenheit) in winter, very pleasant.

Elmer is now 5-1 while Floyd is 4-1 (prior to the fight against Young). Regardless of the result of Young v Patterson, the winner of Elmer v Floyd will qualify for stage two. So if Elmer beats Floyd, he's in and Floyd will be consigned to the CA. The opposite will happen if Floyd wins.

That is a nice winter, over here it was like 80-90 expect for a small two week period this year. I wouldn't of mind it cooling off some and hitting the kind of temps you were getting.

Alright, so next round is a must win for both of them hopefully they go out and put on a barnburner.

[kenyan_cheena]

***

THE SUNCORP STADIUM MAIN EVENT
FRIDAY 5 JULY 2002

JIMMY YOUNG
(PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA)

4-0-1
198 lbs, 6'2"

(16th seed, HBF World Championship tournament)

vs

FLOYD PATTERSON
(NEW YORK, NEW YORK)

4-1-0
185 lbs, 6'0"

(17th seed, HBF World Championship tournament)

***

Back on the 21st of December 2001, Floyd Patterson and Jimmy Young made an HBF promotional appearance at the Landmark Plaza Shopping Mall in Yokohama, Japan (see post #12, page one of thread). Tonight, some six-and-a-half months later they were finally in the same ring, ready to rumble.

Both men had said earlier in the week that they expected a tough, even contest, with Jimmy Young mentioning more than once that he'd much prefer qualifying for stage two by beating Patterson than having to wait until next month and his seventh bout against Nathan Mann.

"I want to get that out of the way this week," said Young. "I don't want it to come down to series seven for me to progress. Friday night is the moment when I can get it done and I plan to."

Unlike last month's Young vs Ray contest, there's been no history of animosity between Young and Patterson. They even arrived in Australia on the same flight, conversing along the way.

"Me and Jimmy are cool," said Patterson. "We ain't best friends but we've got no beef towards each other. Of course, that don't mean I want be trying my best to beat the hell out of him on Friday."

The main eventers made their way to the ring accompanied by a healthy ovation, defying the speculation that most of the crowd were on hand to see Elmer Ray. Patterson was decked out in solid black, Young in solid white. They showed each other determined, focused countenances when brought together for the referee's final instructions...

(to be continued)

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

Following is a round-by-round account of the bout, written by the Brisbane Herald's David Moran...

Round One

At least a dozen flashbulbs explode around Suncorp after the opening bell sounds to signal the start of this main event. Young illicits applause from the crowd as he muscles inside and catches Patterson with a short uppercut. However, besides a few clinches, not much of note happens for the next minute or so. The two men are feeling each other out, prodding with cautious jabs, showing a lot of movement but hesitant to engage.

Young is successful with another uppercut from close range but Patterson is able to back him off with a trio of jabs. The New Yorker becomes more aggressive as the round enters its bottom half, splitting Young's gloves with a solid straight right. He's pressing forward, flicking that jab out at his opponent, Young waiting for an opportunity to unload.

The Philadelphian is on the defensive, backpedalling into a corner as Patterson pushes forward. The New Yorker lands a couple of clean jabs and then a solid right hand! That was a good shot and it appeared to hurt Young. He's caught in the corner still and isn't throwing much leather right now. He's probing defensively but Patterson is much more assured and catches him with a hard right cross. Young ties him up, his cornermen shouting at him to get off the ropes.

Patterson is talking to the referee while they're still in the clinch, something about "making him fight"? Not sure. The bell sounds and Patterson is shaking his head as he makes his way back to his corner.

***

An interesting start, to say the least. Patterson wins that round on my scorecard, simply because of his aggression and greater workrate. Young was strangely cautious, almost afraid to push the action. We'll see if that changes as the contest progresses.

Moran's scorecard, Round One: Patterson 10-9

Punch totals for Round One

Young: 11/41 (26.8%)
Patterson: 23/63 (36.5%)

Round Two

Not much to say about this round, really. It's over and the crowd are a bit restless right now as Jimmy Young is clearly having trouble getting himself into gear. It's like he needs someone to jab him with a cattleprod.

Patterson was able to land an impressive combination midway through aswell as some clean jabs. But the 16th-seeded Philadelphian could only connect with a handful of ineffective lefts. He looks more worried about getting hit than hitting, which is surely a bad sign for his chances in the fight.

***

Floyd is in control right now, not that it's been the most electrifying opening. Young will have to get started now, because he's already gift-wrapped the opening two rounds.

Moran's scorecard, Round Two: Patterson 10-9
Patterson leads 20-18 after Round Two

Punch totals for Round Two

Young: 6/22 (27.3%)
Patterson: 12/42 (28.6%)

Punch totals after Round Two

Young: 17/63 (27.0%)
Patterson: 35/105 (33.3%)

Round Three

As expected, Young's cornercrew have given him a pretty severe dressing down during the intermission. Some of their language had a lady at ringside looking a bit red-faced, indeed.

Young looks more aggressive from the get-go here in the third, flicking the jab out at Patterson and connecting with a pair of them. He goes southpaw for a moment, landing a lead right before circling his opponent. His energy and enthusiasm looks completely different to what it was in the previous round.

But Patterson backs him up, connecting downstairs and upstairs with a pair of left hooks, Young retaliating with another lead right. The crowd are enjoying this acceleration in the action and they applaud when Young jolts his man with a solid uppercut. Both men are looking for an angle, waiting for a mistake. Patterson digs the right into Young's side, connecting solidly.

We've just passed the midpoint of the round and already, it seems there's been more action in this round than the first two combined. Young gets a bit wild with the uppercut but he catches Patterson with it, follows up with a right cross that doesn't quite find the mark.

Young is clearly the busier man right now and he pushes his advantage, keeping that jab in Patterson's face and partially finding the mark with a right cross. The crowd errupts when Young unleashes a left hook, right hook, right uppercut salvo, each punch finding their mark and making Patterson retreat. The round is winding down now and they are locked in a clinch.

Young's jab has been a thing of beauty in this round, finding it's target each time Patterson threatens to get too close. The Philadelphian closes the round with a solid combination, the jab followed by a straight right, another jab that just misses and a right hook that plunks Patterson right on the forehead. The crowd roars with delight, applauding Young as he quicksteps back to his corner.

***

Okay, that was more like it. Jimmy Young did twice as much work there in round three as he did in rounds one and two combined. He's right back in this thing now and Patterson will have to be at his best in these last three rounds if he wants to get out of Brisbane with a victory.

Moran's scorecard, Round Three: Young 10-9
Patterson up by a single point, 29-28 after Round Three

Punch totals for Round Three

Young: 44/121 (36.4%)
Patterson: 11/32 (34.4%)

Punch totals after Round Three

Young: 61/184 (33.1%)
Patterson: 46/137 (33.6%)

(to be continued)

[Romdawg88]

Come on Patterson, lets get back into that first two round rhythm. Seems like it's been a kind of slow fight expect for the third round.

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

Round Four

A cautious opening to the round, with neither man doing much besides landing an occasional, harmless jab. Young is the busier fighter but when Patterson catches him with a strong left hook about a minute in it brings a growl from the crowd. The shot wobbled the Philadelphian but he responds quickly, bobbing and weaving and then getting inside and landing a hook of his own. Patterson has failed to capitalise and as the round enters its bottom half Young finds the mark with a pair of solid jabs.

Young is outworking Patterson, scoring with a series of stiff left jabs, pressing the action. The 17th seed feels the ropes against his back and sidesteps to move clear of them, Young landing another jab as Patterson backpedals. But the New Yorker replies with a straight right, stopping Young's foreward movement momentarily. Patterson locks his man up and Young sneaks in a shot on the break, receiving a warning from the referee for his troubles.

The round is winding down but when Young catches his opponent with a series of scoring shots, Patterson reels out of the exchange with a cut under his left eye. He wipes at it with his glove as he ambles back to his corner.

***

Jimmy Young has all the momentum going into the final third of this contest. He's won those last two rounds quite easily and looks to have the goods to continue on with it.

Moran's scorecard, Round Four: Young 10-9
All tied up at 38-38 after Round Four

Punch totals for Round Four

Young: 30/105 (28.6%)
Patterson: 12/35 (34.3%)

Punch totals after Round Four

Young: 91/289 (31.5%)
Patterson: 58/172 (33.7%)

Round Five

Young continues to outwork Patterson in the fifth, pushing that jab into his face. But he's using good variety, also. In the first minute alone he lands a nice left hook, two or three shots from a brief flurry and a double left, finding the body and the head. Patterson needs to pick up his workrate if he wants any chance of getting back control of this fight.

He starts doing that as the round passes the halfway point, digging effectively to Young's body and then landing an effective short hook on the inside. But it's his efforts in the final minute of the round that steal it for him: a stiff left jab that snakes through Young's gloves, a crunching right cross that bounces off the forehead and a bug uppercut late in the round, all combined with a much more potent jab. Patterson has also made Young look a bit silly in this round, evading a number of his shots with skill and assuredness.

The crowd offers their applause as the two combatants return to their corners, the contest still very much up for grabs.

***

A great rally there from Patterson. He looked out of it for a little while there but his work in the later stages of the round has put him back in front, at least in my opinion. This final round is shaping up as a great one.

Moran's scorecard, Round Five: Patterson 10-9
Patterson leads by a single point, 48-47, after Round Five

Punch totals for Round Five

Young: 17/63 (27.0%)
Patterson: 30/51 (58.8%)

Punch totals after Round Five

Young: 108/352 (30.7%)
Patterson: 88/223 (39.4%)

Round Six

The two combatants touch gloves before resuming combat, both aware that a big final round could seal the deal either way. Much like round four, both men start cautiously, keen to avoid being caught by the big punch. Young scores with a number of jabs, Patterson looking desperate, pursuing Young around the ring. He steps in and connects with a straight right, the sweat spitting from Young's head as he turns with the punch.

Young's cornermen are imporing him to "step it up!", and he does just that, catching Patterson with a right hook. The New Yorker initiates a clinch, that cut under his left eye having been re-opened by Young's last shot. Following the break they exchange a biref flurry, exciting for the crowd but doing no real damage to either fighter. They both back off but Young is quick to resume his intentions, stepping in and landing a glancing overhand right which really could have done some damage if it had found Patterson flush.

Young doesn't let up, landing a solid left hook and then following up with a straight right that buckles Patterson's knees! A left hook/right hook salvo pushes him backwards into the ropes. There's only a minute left in the round now and it doesn't look good for Patterson. He's pinned in the corner and Young loads up with the straight right, banging it off Patterson's shoulder. Oh, a nice retort there from Patterson! He stepped forward and caught Young with a nice uppercut. But Young fires back with one of his own, keeping Patterson up against the ropes.

A nice left hook and a trio of stiff jabs allows Patterson to back Young off and sneak away from the ropes. There must only be seconds left now and when Patterson drops a booming right hand on Young the crowd comes to their feet. What a shot that was! Young is groggy and tries to clinch but Patterson pushes him back. He tries to finish his man off but Young backpedals and when Patterson gets in close, he smothers his barrage and then ties him up. That's where the two men are as the bell sounds to end the contest.

The crowd comes to their feet, applauding a great final round and an entertaining contest.

***

That's how a final round is meant to be, no doubt. Both guys had their moments and Patterson finished it strongly, but I really can't bring myself to make him the winner of this bout. I think a draw or a slim win for Young would be the most fitting result, but we'll see what the judges have to say...

Moran's scorecard, Round Six: Young 10-9
The final result, a 57-57 draw

Punch totals for Round Six

Young: 30/55 (54.5%)
Patterson: 17/42 (40.5%)

Punch totals after Round Six

Young: 138/407 (33.9%)
Patterson: 105/265 (39.6%)

***

There was a delay in the announcement of the verdict, perhaps due to the judges making sure they'd calculated their scorecards properly. Some ten minutes after the final bell, announcer Jason Lane made his way into the ring.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the judges have tallied their scorecards and here is there decision," he said. "Judge Roger Tilleman of Belgium, has scored the bout 58-56 ... to Floyd Patterson. Judge James Jen-Kin of the USA has scored it 59-55 to Jimmy Young."

This was greeted with incredulous shouts by sections of the crowd. How someone could have only given Floyd Patterson a single round was bizarre, indeed. Lane continued once the crowd had calmed down.

"Judge Tony Walker of the United Kingdom has scored the bout 57- ... 57. Ladies and gentlemen, the result of tonight's main event is a DRAW!"

(to be concluded, with the post-fight interviews and wrap up)

[Romdawg88]

I'm thinking that judge James Jen-Kin will be looking for a new job soon. It ain't a win but at least it ain't a loss. Hopefully, Floyd can take care of business against Ray next round. It was a good fight and I have no doubt that Floyd/Ray will be just as good. If only Floyd hadn't gone into that funk in round 4 and 5 he go have gotten this one.

[Brooks TVB]

Still love the write ups. Keep up the good work.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

I'm thinking that judge James Jen-Kin will be looking for a new job soon. It ain't a win but at least it ain't a loss. Hopefully, Floyd can take care of business against Ray next round. It was a good fight and I have no doubt that Floyd/Ray will be just as good. If only Floyd hadn't gone into that funk in round 4 and 5 he go have gotten this one.

While it wasn't, IMO, as good a fight as Young v Ray, it was pretty damn close. We knew how close it would be between these three guys and the first two results of their matchups prove it: a split decision and a draw.

As you'll see (and as the man himself was hoping), that draw has put Ray in a strong position as far as finishing 1st or 2nd is concerned.

Originally Posted by Brooks TVB

Still love the write ups. Keep up the good work.

Thanks, Brooksie. Nice to see you around here again. I'm glad you're still enjoying it.

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

Both fighters simply shook their heads as the crowd erupted, some satisfied and some up in arms.

"I ain't got a problem with the decision," said Jimmy Young soon after. "I think most people would agree that I won three rounds and Floyd won three rounds. What I have a problem with is how the judges could each score the fight so differently. You look at those cards and really, it's only luck that it was a draw, you know?"

"It's hard to believe that I'm still undefeated and yet I haven't qualified for stage two yet," continued the 16th seed. "If I had started a bit more aggressively, maybe I could have wrapped it up."

"I'm just disappointed that I couldn't consolidate," lamented Patterson. "When you win the first two rounds in a six-rounder that's a great advantage but for me to not follow through is a real downer. I was in control and I let it slip away."

Elmer Ray made an unexpected appearance in the ring, congratulating Young and Patterson on their efforts and speaking briefly.

"Just show how competitive this group is, y'all," he said. "Ain't nothin' seperatin' us and I think it'll be jus' as close when me an' Floyd get it on nex' month. Gonna be one helluva fight, sho nuff."

The Top Three in Group Sixteen
of the World Championship tournament after Series Six

1st: 3(33) Elmer Ray 5-1-0(2)
2nd: 1(16) Jimmy Young 4-0-2

3rd: 2(17) Floyd Patterson 4-1-1

Despite the fact that, as he said, Jimmy Young is undefeated (and also holds a victory over Elmer Ray), the Florida native is now in a position where he will finish on top of the group IF he defeats Patterson. Even if Young does what is expected and defeats Nathan Mann in the main event, Ray would still finish in 1st place. However, if Ray wins, then Young qualifies for stage two, no matter what happens in the main event. Considering that, one must wonder who Young will be cheering for. Is he more concerned about finishing 1st and fully justifying his status as a #1 seed or will he settle for simply qualifying?

There are a number of possibilities that can come to fruition, depending on the results of these two important bouts...

Possible final standings:

IF: Ray and Young win

1st: Ray 6-1-0
2nd: Young 5-0-2
3rd: Patterson 4-2-1

IF: Patterson and Young win

1st: Young 5-0-2
2nd: Patterson 5-1-1
3rd: Ray 5-2-0

IF: Ray and Mann win

1st: Ray 6-1-0
2nd: Young 4-1-2
3rd: Patterson 4-2-1

IF: Patterson and Mann win

1st: Patterson 5-1-1
2nd: Ray 5-2-0
3rd: Young 4-1-2