The Heavyweight Boxing Federation

[kenyan_cheena]

SOUTH AFRICAN SLUGFEST

Wednesday 10 July 2002

Johannesburg's Carnival City Big Top Arena was the venue for tonight's highly-anticipated Heavyweight Boxing Federation fight card. With a Main Event that pitted the Canadian George Chuvalo against Florida's Ray Mercer, in addition to a swag of potentially classic matchups, it promised to be an explosive evening.

It would be fair to say that it did not disappoint...

OPENING BOUT

Showing the same aggression and relentlessness that enabled him to score an upset victory over #1 seed Nino Valdes last month, Argentina's Cesar Brion improved to 4-1-1(1) with a convincing unanimous decision win against Gus Ruhlin.

After a competitive opening three rounds, Brion asserted himself in the fourth and never looked back. He sent Ruhlin to the canvas with a flurry of blows a minute from the final bell and was awarded a 59-54, 58-55, 59-55 verdict.

It's been an amazing turnaround for the Argentinian since what was a less than ideal start to his career. He struggled through a 1-1-1 opening but has now won three consecutive bouts to put himself right in the picture for progression to stage two of the 1st Defense tournament. His victory against Valdes was national news in his homeland and tonight's effort will no doubt increase his profile further.

PRELIMINARY 1

Philadelphia's Al Ettore was mathematically eliminated from the race for progression to stage two of the World Championship tournament after suffering a shock TKO loss to the previously winless Brian London.

Showing more enthusiasm and energy than in any of his previous bouts, the Englishman held his own through the opening five rounds and secured his first professional victory with a fantastic final stanza. A smashing uppercut put Ettore on his backside midway through the round and after the 101st seed made it back to his feet, London pushed home the advantage. He caught Ettore with a succession of powerful blows and after a big right hand had the Pennsylvania native slumped on the ropes, the bout was called off eight seconds from the final bell.

Last month, Ettore was involved in one of the best fights in the short history of the HBF (a draw against Tom Jackson). Considering that and his upset win over Tommy Gomez in May, tonight's result will be a huge letdown for Ettore. He'll finish his stay in the World Championship tournament against Reuben Vargas and will then no doubt set his sights on the Continental Americas Championship tournament.

PRELIMINARY 2

Unlike Ettore, New York's Tommy Jackson kept his slim hopes of progression alive with a unanimous decision win against Reuben Vargas. By no means the best showing of his career, it was still good enough to earn Jackson verdicts of 59-56 on all three cards.

The win improved his record to 3-2-1, extending his undefeated streak to three fights. Californian native Vargas fell to 1-5.

(to be continued)

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(continuation)

SUPPORT BOUT

Almost a month has passed since the last time the four members of the Florida Alliance have been together in the same building. That occasion was June 12 at Biloxi's Mississippi Coast Coliseum when "The Atomic Bull" Oliver McCall defeated Ibar Arrington. After that successful evening McCall and Tommy Gomez (who had lost to Ray Mercer the week before) returned to their respective Florida hometowns of Fort Lauderdale and Tampa to recuperate. A week later Terone Haynes and Elmer Ray were in Japan preparing for Haynes's South-East Asian Boxing League bout. After Haynes KO'd Allan Horace in three they then moved on to Brisbane, Australia, where Ray defeated Connecticut's Nathan Mann just this past Friday.

Ray and Haynes arrived back in the USA yesterday but while they were still down in Australia, Gomez and McCall were already here in South Africa for "Tampa" Tommy's important clash against fellow Florida native Al Jones. Bringing a 3-2 record and a two-fight losing streak into the contest, the fight was a must-win for Gomez's chances of staying alive in the World Championship tournament. 37th seed Jones had been quite disappointing through his first five bouts and with a 2-3 record had already been eliminated from the progression picture. He'd given top seed George Chuvalo a testing evening last time out but had ultimately fallen to a unanimous decision loss. Jones had said on Monday that he was hoping to play the role of spoiler and put an end to Gomez's campaign.

Like Ray Mercer, Jones has had something of a beef against the Florida Alliance, though in a much more minor manner. He'd proclaimed back in March during the federation's card in Manchester that Elmer Ray would be "begging" him to join the Alliance after he defeated Al Ettore. Ray had responded by saying that Jones "ain't 'lliance material" and sure enough, that appeared to be true after Ettore gave Jones a boxing lesson on the way to a dominant unanimous decision victory.

(to be continued)

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(continuation)

Once tonight's fight started, it looked like Jones would have the same trouble against Gomez as the 53rd seed sent him to the canvas just a minute into the opening round. A left hook stunned the big Miami native and Gomez followed up with a straight right and another left hook. He'd said in interviews during the week that he had been doing more strength training than usual for this fight and it showed in his physique aswell as in the impact of his punches.

Gomez held the upperhand through the rest of the round but Jones was much more competitive in the second. He worked well behind his jab and although Gomez was the more aggressive of the two, it was a sign that all was not lost. Jones looked like the better fighter for most of round three but when Gomez landed a wicked right cross followed by a left hook and a booming straight right, he was on the canvas for a second time at the 2:16 mark. Oliver McCall shouted encouragement to Gomez from ringside as the referee administered the count.

Jones made it back to his feet at eight, eating two more powerful right hands before the round was over. As in the previous round, Jones started the fourth positively, catching Gomez with a series of snapping jabs. But it all came undone again as Tommy put him on his backside with a single flush left hook just before the two minute mark. It was one of the more memorable sights this reporter has seen in the HBF, watching the shaven-headed black-trunked Tommy Gomez chopping an opponent eight inches taller than him to pieces. Gomez landed a number of jolting shots before the round was over, including a lunging left hook that bounced off the top of Jones's head.

The final two rounds remained fast-paced and action-packed. Jones knew his only chance for victory lay in a knockout but, as has been observed in the past, the Miami giant is a man whose size does not reflect his strength. He was unable to hurt Gomez despite landing some good clean punches, particularly in round five. In addition, he just couldn't equal Gomez's workrate, the Florida Alliance member sealing a fantastic performance with a solid final round.

Despite a determined showing from Jones, he was nowhere near a victory when it was all over, the three knockdowns that his opponent scored destroying any chance of that. Each judge awarded Gomez a 59-52 decision. He landed 193 of 460 punches (42.0%), Jones connecting with 149 of 292 (51.0%), many of which were probing, harmless jabs.

"Easily the best performance of my career to date," said Gomez afterwards. "I'm so pleased that all the extra training I put myself through paid off. It was nice to be able to score some knockdowns and I think that if I can do the same against Chuvalo next month, I've got a really good shot at beating him."

That particular bout promises to be a great one and no matter what happens in tonight's Main Event, the winner of it will find themselves through to stage two of the World Championship tournament. Gomez is now 4-2(1) and with this victory has extended the Florida Alliance's current win streak to four. After a terrible month of May, it really does look like the Alliance are back on track.

(to be continued)

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(continuation)

CO-FEATURE

Cuban-born South Florida resident Nino Valdes enjoyed a near-faultless start to his professional boxing career, winning each of his first four bouts in convincing fashion and being spoken of as having a good chance to go as far as the 1st Defense tournament semi-finals. But some of those opinions changed after the 17 year-old suffered a surprising majority decision defeat at the hands of Argentina's Cesar Brion last month. Valdes fought well but just couldn't match Brion's determination, aggression
and will to win. Valdes had watched the Argentinian improve his record to 4-1-1 in tonight's opener with a victory against Gus Ruhlin, meaning that the loser of his own fight against Pasadena's Carl Morris would fall to 3rd place in Group Five of the 1st Defense tournament. 12th-seeded Morris (4-1(1)) had defeated Ruhlin in an absolute stinker of a fight on the same night that Brion defeated Valdes and knew he'd have to show a vast improvement to have any chance of overcoming the Cuban.

So what transpired when Valdes and Morris faced off? Only one of the fights of the year...

ROUND 1

Morris comes out like a house on fire, making his intentions plain to see as he catches Valdes with a big left hook and a jolting right cross within the first thirty seconds. Valdes is on the back foot, concern showing on his face. It's clear that he's failed to anticipate this kind of strategy from the Californian.

Working his way inside, Morris finds the mark with a nice uppercut and brings the crowd to their feet when he plants Valdes on the seat of his pants with a perfect left hook! We're not even halfway through the round yet and Valdes is up quickly, eager to show he can continue.

Morris looks absolutely fantastic, picking his man off with precision jabs, keeping him on the defensive. Valdes is simply being outworked here and although he lands a handful of shots late in the piece, Morris wins the round in a big way. The punch totals show that he landed 59 shots in that round!

ROUND 2

The Californian slugger shows more caution here, content to consolidate on his work from the opener. But it's Valdes employing a busier disposition in round two, finding his range nicely with the jab and controlling the round until Morris blasts away with a pair of powerful body shots late in the piece.

ROUND 3

Valdes brings a howl of approval from the crowd when he wobbles Morris with a flush left hook a minute into the round, but the 12th seed responds strongly, working the body before putting the Cuban back on his heels with a big uppercut.

It's Morris that looks in control as the round enters its later stages but Valdes turns that around, catching his opponent with an uppercut that snaps Morris's head back and prompts him to put some distance between the two. A brief flurry before the bell has the excited Big Top Arena crowd applauding wildly.

ROUND 4

This war enters its bottom half and the action shows no sign of abating. Morris starts the round well, working the jab and scoring from in close before Valdes backs him off with a hard right cross. But the respite is only brief and Morris is back at it in quick time, scoring with a succession of jabs before unleashing a big left hook into the Cuban's ribcage.

Just as it looks like he's let the round slip away, Valdes rallies strongly in the final thirty seconds, hurting Morris with a punishing three punch combo! Morris looks unsteady and Valdes finds the target with a nice uppercut as the round ends.

ROUND 5

One would think that they'll have to slow down eventually, but it doesn't happen in the fifth. These two warriors just continue to unload on each other and while it's an even affair through two minutes, Valdes finishes with a flurry, an aggressive final sixty seconds swinging the round in his favour.

Something that those in the crowd might not quite realise is that Valdes has been missing with many of his shots. Morris has shown a great ability to roll with the Cuban's punches, evading them with skill and assuredness. A look at the punch stats to this point of the bout shows that Valdes has landed just 29.2% of his punches.

ROUND 6

What has been a spectacular contest enters its final round, the crowd on their feet as the bell sounds. Valdes has a look of resoluteness in his eyes. He couldn't turn back Brion in his last bout but he looks determined to win this one. He pumps that jab out, keeping Morris at a distance and scoring effectively.

Morris looks to be tiring and when Valdes catches him with a crunching uppercut midway through the round, the Californian almost hits the canvas. His left knee buckles but he backpedals, moving out of danger. Amazingly, the tide turns in his favour as he catches Valdes with a scorching left hook as the Cuban hunts him down recklessly.

Valdes misses wildly and Morris counters in devastating fashion, a winging right sending his man reeling across the ring into the ropes. It's now Valdes that looks spent and when Morris unloads the right hand he's holding on for dear life, hoping and praying that final bell will ring.
The 12th seed is the one doing all the work, firing away at a retreating Valdes, the crowd applauding as the final seconds tick away.

***

When the verdict is announced, it's the Californian who is jubilant: Morris takes a split decision, 57-56, 56-57, 57-56. Valdes congratulates him but then retreats to his corner, head covered by a towel.

What had looked to be a simple path to stage two of the 1st Defense tournament has now turned seriously tenuous for the 17 year-old Cuban. His record now 4-2(1), Valdes must win his series seven bout against Gus Ruhlin. Anything less than that will see him competing for the Continental Americas Championship in a few months time, something he certainly would not have been considering back in May.

As for Morris, his excellent effort has seen him move into 1st place at 5-1(1). He landed 201 of 376 punches (53.5%) while Valdes connected with 115 of 448 (25.7%).

Standings in Group Five of the 1st Defense tournament:

1. 2(12) CARL MORRIS (USA), 5-1-0(1)
2. 3(20) CESAR BRION (ARGENTINA), 4-1-1(1)

3. 1(5) NINO VALDES (CUBA), 4-2-0(1)

Morris and Brion will clash for 1st place on August 14 while, as already mentioned, Valdes will have to defeat Gus Ruhlin in order to finish in 2nd place. However, the situation is not as simple as that. Morris's win here tonight has guaranteed that he'll proceed to stage two even if he loses to Brion. Valdes needs the Californian to defeat Brion to have any chance of joining him there.

***

Once these two courageous warriors had departed the arena, the excitement level amongst the crowd intensified further with the Main Event between George Chuvalo and Ray Mercer only minutes away...

(to be continued)

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* * *

HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD

CARNIVAL CITY BIG TOP ARENA,
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

WEDNESDAY 10 JULY 2002

THE MAIN EVENT

GEORGE CHUVALO
19 YEARS OLD, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

4-1-0, 6'0", 205 POUNDS

12TH SEED IN THE HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION'S
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT

vs

RAY MERCER
29 YEARS OLD, JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, USA

4-0-1(1), 6'1", 225 POUNDS

21ST SEED IN THE HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION'S
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT

SIX ROUNDS OF BOXING
WITH 1ST PLACE IN GROUP TWELVE
OF THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
ON THE LINE...

* * *

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THE MAIN EVENT...

Five weeks ago, Ray Mercer struck the first blow in his feud with the Florida Alliance, defeating Tampa's Tommy Gomez by unanimous decision in front of his hometown fans in Jacksonville. He didn't hide his jubilation afterwards and made it a point to get some verbal shots in on the Alliance, also.

"You just watch what happens to those guys during the next few months," he had said. "It's already started, but it'll just get worse as the fights become tougher. All that advice and support's gonna look pretty hollow when the losses start pilin' up."

In the time since the Alliance have reeled off four straight wins, but Mercer had been more talkative about his opponent in tonight's Main Event anyway.

"I really feel confident about that fight," Mercer had said in Jacksonville. "I don't have any doubts about my chances against him. I'm looking forward to the fight."

He's continued talking and at yesterday's weigh- in offered further words on why he would emerge as victor against Chuvalo.

"My experience will be the deciding factor," said Mercer. "I'm ten years older than him and that's ten years where I've honed my craft while he wasn't. When things start getting tough, that's when it will prove invaluable."

By contrast, Chuvalo had been his normal, humble self. He'd avoided the media spotlight and offered some simple words yesterday.

"He should really be 5-0," he said. "But had some bad luck with the technical draw in his debut. The guy has been fantastic so far and I'll need to produce my best performance to defeat him. That's what it will take."

A win for Mercer would seal his place in stage two of the World Championship tournament. For Chuvalo, it would move him back into 1st place in the group standings.

***

The crowd errupted as Mercer made his way to the ring, dressed in his usual black and gold, smiling and talking to the crowd, moving with a confident swagger, accompanied by some old school funk, "It's Just Begun" by The Jimmy Castor Bunch.

Chuvalo's arrival came with a surprise as his good friend, fellow Canadian and World Championship contender Sam Langford was numbered amongst his six-man entourage, dressed sharply in a dark suit. Chuvalo looked calm and composed and when once in the ring, removed his red robe to show that he was in great shape, sporting an impressive six pack.

(to be continued)

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(continuation)

Mercer maintains his talkative disposition during the pre-fight introductions, even taking a shot at Chuvalo over the presence of Sam Langford in his corner. When the two fighters come together at centre ring Mercer keeps going, calling Chuvalo a "kid" and telling him that he's out of Mercer's league. The Canadian takes it all calmly, showing Mercer a blank stare as they touch gloves and return to their corners...

* Round One

The opening bell tolls and Chuvalo is immediately on the offensive, coming straight at Mercer and teeing off with lefts and rights. The Florida native shows a good defense, though, evading or parrying a number of the shots and retaliating with a swift jab. Chuvalo is standing right there in front of Mercer, making himself an easy target but his aggression is keeping Mercer on the defensive.

A nice exchange of blows there and it's Mercer that backs off. My, Chuvalo is in great shape and he looks determined to set a pace that his older opponent won't be able to keep up with. Mercer sneaks in a right cross, but Chuvalo fires back, left-right-left, the last two shots finding their mark.

Chuvalo catches his man with an uppercut from the outside, bringing a rise out of the audience. Mercer looks a bit perplexed, struggling to find an opening and even an opportunity to let his hands go. Mercer probes with the jab and Chuvalo counters nicely, a sizzling right cross catching the 21st seed flush on the jaw. Following up with a solid jab, Chuvalo is warned for hitting on the break soon after.

Appearing frustrated, Mercer loads up with the right hand and misses, Chuvalo once again countering nicely with a straight right of his own. the crowd cheers as the sweat flies from Mercer's head. Trapped in his own corner, Mercer is on the defensive as Chuvalo unleashes a punishing body attack before bouncing a right hook off his man's head. My, this is sensational watching the young Canadian in full flight!

Mercer backs Chuvalo off briefly with a left hook, but George is right back at him moments later. Mercer should be trying to make some room for himself but he appears more concerned with evading his opponent's assault. OH! A left hook caught Mercer right on the nose and you could just see the pain etched on his face! The Canadian has run away with this opening round and as the bell sounds he just misses with a big right uppercut.

The crowd are on their feet, Chuvalo moving quickly back to his corner.

***

My, that must be one of the most impressive opening rounds in the HBF's history. George Chuvalo looks more aggressive and determined than in any of his previous bouts. If he can keep up this pace, it could be an ugly night for Mercer, who looks bemused as he sits on his stool.

Punches landed/thrown in Round One

Chuvalo 46/110 (41.8%)
Mercer 16/31 (51.6%)

(to be continued)

[Romdawg88]

Go Chuvalo smash Mercer.

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

* Round Two

Mercer is up on his feet ready to go for about ten seconds before the bell even sounds, eager to get himself into the contest. But when the round starts it's Chuvalo who presses the action, Mercer being forced against the ropes and using his feet to escape them.

The Florida native lands a nice lead right, stunning Chuvalo briefly but it's not long before the 12th seed fires off a solid retort, jolting Mercer with a right hook. Mercer is trying to impose his will, firing away with the right hand again but missing. He unloads with the left but Chuvalo evades it and then catches Ray with a left of his own.

Shaking his head, Mercer steps in and hurts Chuvalo for the first time in the fight, a left-right-left salvo putting the Canadian on the back foot. Chuvalo complains as Mercer appears to catch him with the left elbow and the referee agrees, warning Mercer as he had done to Chuvalo in round one.

Midway through the round now and Chuvalo's pace is barely half of what it was in the opener. He tries to muscle inside but Mercer backs him off with a short but powerful left hook. Clearly, Mercer is having more success here in round two.

The two combatants are tied up and referee Guzman forces them apart. Mercer moves in and OH! Chuvalo caught him flush with the straight right! Mercer staggers backwards and George floors him with a big left hook! Mercer is down! Mercer is down! The crowd has exploded here!

Mercer gazes in a stunned fashion up at the referee, pushing himself to his feet at seven. There's still a minute left in the round and I don't know if he'll be able to survive it. He looks unsteady on his feet but Guzman is allowing him to continue. Chuvalo rushes him, unloading wild lefts and rights. Oh, that last one must have missed by millimetres! Chuvalo goes for the homerun with a big right hand but Mercer steps back, concern blanketing his face.

Chuvalo is flailing away, eager to finish his man off right now! A big right cross sends Mercer across the ring but he fires back instinctively and then manages to wrap Chuvalo up in a clinch. The final seconds of the round tick away, the 21st seed managing to make it back to the relative safety of his stool. The audience is applauding Chuvalo who, almost oblivious to it all, hurries back to his corner.

***

George Chuvalo is simply on fire! What a finish he came up with, there. Mercer looked to be going along quite well and then Chuvalo just stole all the momentum with that crushing knockdown. The Jacksonville native is in big trouble because after two rounds, I've already got him down by three points on my card and so will the judges. Mercer looks absolutely bewildered as he sits on his stool, his pre-fight bragadociousness and confidence completely shattered.

Punches landed/thrown in Round Two

Chuvalo 27/74 (36.5%)
Mercer 19/35 (54.3%)

Punches landed/thrown after Round Two

Chuvalo 73/184 (39.7%)
Mercer 35/66 (53.0%)

* Round Three

Both men come out in a more cautious manner, Chuvalo looking to consolidate on his fantastic work while Mercer must be simply wondering how he's going to get himself into the fight. He moves in close and scores to the head and body before moving back out of range.

Chuvalo is flicking the jab out at his opponent, Mercer showing little aggression. Chuvalo steps up the pace, landing a hard uppercut that staggers Mercer! He moves back against the ropes and Chuvalo tracks him down, working the body now. Mercer ties him up, a look of bemusement in his eyes as he takes a breather.

Mercer tries to establish his jab and is able to catch Chuvalo with a trio of shots, not too difficult considering that the Canadian is standing right there in front of him. But as if to illustrate the effect the punches had on him, George steps in and catches Mercer with another punishing uppercut. He follows it up with a sharp combination, the left jab/straight right/left hook trio keeping Mercer on the defensive.

The round is nearing a close and the audience cheers as they stand toe-to-toe, exchanging some heavy shots. Oh! Chuvalo is hurt! A big right hook caught him flush after he missed with the left. He staggers backwards and Mercer has him trapped in the corner. He unloads but can't land the payoff shot, Chuvalo covering up and then wrapping Mercer up as the bell sounds.

***

A little bit of promise at the end there for Mercer, but probably not enough to sway the judges to give him the round. The simple fact is that he's being outworked, as the punch totals will show. Chuvalo is just a ball of enthusiasm and aggression and hard punching and Mercer, ten years his senior, doesn't appear capable of matching him. Mercer's chances of victory now rest in him scoring a knockdown or two which against this tough Canadian teenager is as unlikely as it sounds.

Punches landed/thrown in Round Three

Chuvalo 22/68 (32.4%)
Mercer 17/27 (63.0%)

Punches landed/thrown after Round Three

Chuvalo 95/252 (37.7%)
Mercer 52/93 (55.9%)

(to be continued)

[Romdawg88]

Yes, I'm loving the way this is going so far but I have a feeling that it won't keep going the way I want it to. There is no way you would go with the in-depth writeup if it was such a one sided beating the whole way through.

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

* Round Four

The promise that Mercer showed at the end of the third proves to be fleeting as Chuvalo goes right back to work in the fourth, the Florida native simply unable to keep up with his workrate.

With the exception of Chuvalo's busy jab, little of note happens throught the first minute. But when the Canadian cannons a hard right off the top of Mercer's head the crowd lets out a low howl. The 21st seed wraps Chuvalo up, trying to regain his senses.

After they separate Mercer finds the mark with a right uppercut and when Chuvalo tries to fire away from inside, he smothers his attack nicely. A positive section of the fight for Mercer continues as he counters a wild right hand with a solid left hook.

It all comes to an end though when, two minutes in, Chuvalo staggers Mercer again with a devastating right cross! How the Jacksonville slugger is even standing after that is beyond me. Mercer looks tired and is showing some swelling under his right eye. Chuvalo pushes him away to make room for himself. Fighting back, Mercer lets his hands go and scores with a couple of shots. The two combatants are going toe-to-toe now, a furious ten seconds of back and forth which Mercer appears to take the upperhand from!

The round's end must be drawing close now but Mercer doesn't care. He's digging deep, a fierce exchange bringing applause from the audience. Mercer is finishing the round strongly and he catches Chuvalo with a big right hand an instant before the bell.

***

Well, that was a much better round for Mercer, at least compared to the top half of the fight. Even so, did he do enough to win it? Chuvalo landed a couple of shots that really hurt the Florida native, so the judge's might favour him.

Punches landed/thrown in Round Four

Chuvalo 29/72 (40.3%)
Mercer 32/48 (66.7%)

Punches landed/thrown after Round Four

Chuvalo 124/324 (38.3%)
Mercer 84/141 (59.6%)

* Round Five

Mercer's corner has laid down the facts to him during the intermission. "You gotta put this kid on his ass," says his trainer. "You gotta turn his lights out, Ray. That's the only way you're gonna get out of here with a win."

Despite this, Mercer just can't get going for most of the round with the highlight of the first two minutes a short, crisp uppercut from Chuvalo. It's only during the final minute when Mercer puts his foot down, landing with a right hook and then a strong cross that staggers Chuvalo! Mercer follows up with a left hook and another right hand, keeping Chuvalo on the defensive.

The Canadian struggles to maintain his footing but he shows his toughness when, moments later, he rattles Mercer with a straight right, pushing him back. In the final moments of the round Mercer brings a pained grimace to Chuvalo's face when he digs a right hook into his side, the audience applauding as the two warriors return to their corners.

***

Despite the exciting finish, that was honestly the least exciting round of the fight. Mercer probably did enough to take it but at this stage, as his trainer said, he needs to do more than just win rounds. He has to put Chuvalo on his backside and he wasn't able to do it.

Punches landed/thrown in Round Five

Chuvalo 13/52 (25.0%)
Mercer 18/37 (48.6%)

Punches landed/thrown after Round Five

Chuvalo 137/376 (36.4%)
Mercer 102/178 (57.3%)

* Round Six

As one would expect, the crowd comes to their feet as the final round gets underway. Chuvalo and Mercer touch gloves, Mercer nodding almost in resignation. The first minute of the round shows why, as Chuvalo employs the same workrate that he did in round one, keeping a worn-out Mercer going backwards and scoring with a crushing right cross.

Admirably, Mercer fights back but it now seems an almost feeble resistance. Chuvalo is picking him off at will and the swelling that started to appear under his left eye back in the fourth has extended lower down his cheek. The round has passed its midpoint now and Mercer lands a nice right cross that Chuvalo literally walks through, firing back with a left and a right.

Mercer shakes his head and if I'm not mistaken has just said "Too good" to his younger opponent. Mercer is trapped in a neutral corner and Chuvalo forces his way inside and jolts him with the uppercut before unloading a straight right that wobbles the Florida native. Mercer is staggered and the crowd are calling for a knockout but the 21st seed ties Chuvalo up.

Trying for the miracle, Mercer connects with a right hand but there's little steam behind the punch and Chuvalo has his own right cocked and ready as the bell sounds to end the contest. The audience applauds the two combatants, but I think it's pretty clear who has been the better man here tonight.

***

A fantastic finish to the contest from Chuvalo, illustrating that he is superior to Mercer in terms of conditioning, desire and stength, to name just a few categories. I'll be very surprised if the margin in the decision is less than three or four points.

Punches landed/thrown in Round Six

Chuvalo 46/138 (33.3%)
Mercer 20/42 (47.6%)

Punches landed/thrown after Round Six

Chuvalo 183/514 (35.6%)
Mercer 124/220 (56.4%)

***

Five minutes later, local ring announcer David Rhodes was ready and waiting to reveal the verdict.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began. "After tonight's Main Event, your judges have reached a unanimous decision. Judges John Rupert, Dr. Clark Sammartino and Kim Dai-Won have all awarded a 58-55 verdict to your winner, George Chuvalo!"

Chuvalo simply nodded and smiled, raised his hand as his corner crew along with Sam Langford applauded loudly. In the other corner, Mercer looked dejected, beaten-up, defeated.

"We noticed in Ray's previous fights that he likes to set the pace," said Chuvalo's trainer Ted McWhirter. "And no offence to him, but it's a pretty leisurely pace. So we thought that if we took him out of that comfort zone, he'd have trouble adjusting and we were right. George completely outworked the guy, more than doubled his punches."

"I'm really happy that I was able to execute our gameplan," said Chuvalo himself. "I put myself through hell to get ready for this one, to get myself conditioned to go at that pace and I can't tell you how relieved I am to get the win."

Chuvalo was asked about the presence of Sam Langford in his corner.

"Everyone knows Sam and I are buddies," he replied. "But I have to admit I didn't ask him to come here to South Africa. It shows what a good friend he is that just a couple of days after he fought Sharkey, he gets on a plane and flies over here just to give me some positive reinforcement. He just wanted me to have every chance of winning this fight and his belief in me helped. At least, I believe it did."

Mercer was gracious in defeat, not hesitating to admit he had been outfought.

"Gotta give the guy credit," he said. "He was just too good for me, plain and simple. Showed more hunger, more fitness and more determination. I guess it's a bit of an eye-opener for me, something to let me know that I need to push myself harder if I want to stay in this tournament for the long term. I feel that I can make it through to the second stage but once there, I'll have to be in better shape than I am now. Tonight I wasn't good enough and if it stays the same in stage two, I'll be lucky to win a fight."

With the Main Event over, a spectacular evening of boxing had come to a conclusion and George Chuvalo had put himself back in 1st place in Group Twelve of the World Championship tournament.

Group Twelve Standings following Series Six

1. 1(12) GEORGE CHUVALO (CANADA), 5-1-0
2. 2(21) RAY MERCER (USA), 4-1-1(1)

3. 4(53) TOMMY GOMEZ (USA), 4-2-0(1)
4. 5(69) TOMMY JACKSON (USA), 3-2-1

Despite falling to his first defeat, Mercer's chances of progressing to the tournament's second stage are still quite good. A victory over fellow Florida native Al Jones (2-4) in his Series Seven bout will guarantee a top two finish.

In what will surely be a thrilling finish, Chuvalo and Gomez will battle it out for the other top two birth, although there is a scenario where both of them could qualify. If Mercer loses to Jones and Gomez defeats Chuvalo, then both Gomez and Chuvalo would qualify for stage two at 5-2, with Gomez going through in 1st place.

As for 4th placed Tommy Jackson, he has now been eliminated from contention. He needed either Gomez or Chuvalo to lose tonight to keep his chances alive and neither of them did. A victory in his final bout against Brian London won't be enough to push him into the top two. So the man who defeated George Chuvalo back on May the 1st and fought out a classic against Al Ettore last month will be heading for the Continental Americas tournament, no doubt...

[Romdawg88]

...or maybe you will write a in-depth report on a mostly one sided fight. Good stuff it's good to see Chuvalo take the win. Gomez has a hard road next round to qualify most say I don't like his chances of beating Chuvalo.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

...or maybe you will write a in-depth report on a mostly one sided fight. Good stuff it's good to see Chuvalo take the win. Gomez has a hard road next round to qualify most say I don't like his chances of beating Chuvalo.

Yeah, looking at the fight as a whole it probably didn't need that kind of treatment. But there's something about Chuvalo that makes me enjoy writing about his fights. I think this is the third one of his that I've gone the round-by-round route with.

I think whoever wins that bout between Chuvalo and Gomez, I'll be sorry for the loser. On one hand, I'm hoping that "The Toronto Tank" can go far in the tournament but on the other hand, it would be a great story if one of the Florida Alliance members unexpectedly qualifies for stage two.

[Romdawg88]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Yeah, looking at the fight as a whole it probably didn't need that kind of treatment. But there's something about Chuvalo that makes me enjoy writing about his fights. I think this is the third one of his that I've gone the round-by-round route with.

I think whoever wins that bout between Chuvalo and Gomez, I'll be sorry for the loser. On one hand, I'm hoping that "The Toronto Tank" can go far in the tournament but on the other hand, it would be a great story if one of the Florida Alliance members unexpectedly qualifies for stage two.

Well, it was fun to see Mercer get his butt kicked. I'm hoping that Mercer loses next round and Tommy somehow pulls off the upset against Chuvalo. I doubt that will happen though.