The Heavyweight Boxing Federation

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STRIBLING SIZZLES IN PORTLAND

Monday 28 January 2002

With all the focus during the past 48 hours falling squarely on Jack Johnson, it might have been easy to forget that the Heavyweight Boxing Federation were staging a fight card tonight at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon.

Featured in the main event on the card was the 7th seed in the HBF's World Championship tournament, the baby-faced 17 year-old from Macon, Georgia, Young Stribling.

From an early age, Stribling's parents had felt that he was destined for great sporting achievements. Boxing became the focus of this belief when the boy hit his early teens. And so it was that for the past five years, his father William and, in particular, his mother Lucilla, had been preparing their son for his meeting with destiny.

After the HBF's November announcement of the competitors in the tournament, Stribling, named the 7th seed, seemed to vanish. He avoided the media glare, returning with his parents to their picturesque Georgia hometown where the three of them set about readying Young for his HBF debut.

Stribling's new status as a potential superstar sportsman did not lead to the townspeople of Macon treating him any differently. Of course, they were proud of his achievement, but they did not go out of their way to praise him for it. For this, Young was grateful. He did not need the distraction of being a celebrity. He was determined and hungry to become the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's first World Champion.

Well, tonight, Young Stribling made his professional debut and judging by his dominating performance, his parents taught him well.

Stribling, 6'1" and 195 pounds, scored a decisive unanimous decision victory (60-55 on all three cards) against his 18 year-old Boston-born opponent Dan Flynn. With both his mother and father (aswell as his uncle) in his corner, the Macon native literally used Flynn as a punching bag, landing 175 punches to 62. Wearing white trunks with black trim, Stribling constantly made his opponent look foolish, using a startegy where he would feint with both the left and right, and then punish Flynn with a pin-point right hand. It was only in the fourth and fifth rounds that Flynn was able to offer up any resistance.

"We are so happy," Stribling beamed after the bout, flanked by his equally joyous mother and father. "We've worked so hard for this, for so long, and for it to start out this way ... it's beyond what we had dared to hope for."

ESPN's Bill Farris was fascinated by the "feinting" strategy that Stribling employed in the fight.

"That's something we've worked on for quite a while now," said William Stribling, laughing. "Lucilla's the one who developed it, and Young is the one who put it into action, so I can't take any credit."

Lucilla Stribling was shy, and hesitant to draw any attention. "I'm so proud of this young man," was all she said, looking at her son lovingly.

"Everyone has to understand," Young said. "This is not about Young Stribling, it's about the three of us. We are a team, a family. None of it is possible if we don't work as a team."

Certainly, the Striblings bring something unique to the HBF, something that is greatly missing from society at large today: a family, working and striving together to succeed. Young Stribling has obviously been raised by parents who have instilled in him commendable values. With this kind of support (and talent), there is no telling how far Young Stribling will go in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament...

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THE PORTLAND UNDERCARD


OPENING BOUT

The night got off to an electrifying start, when 23 year-old Olle Tandberg of Sweden and 27 year-old Tom Kennedy of Woodland Hills, California fought themselves to a standstill in a 1st Defense tournament bout, the final result being a draw. The two men put on a great show, with Kennedy landing 140 punches and Tandberg 129. One judge felt that Tandberg had done enough to win, scoring the fight in his favour 58-56. However, the other two judges scored it 57-57.

PRELIMINARY 1

18 year-old Don Cockell is the 18th seed in the 1st Defense tournament. A native of London, England, he scored a hard-earned unanimous decision victory over his Welsh opponent, 20 year-old Dick Richardson. After struggling through the first half of the bout, Richardson came to life in the fourth round, trading heavy shots with Cockell in what must be a contender for best round of the tournament to date. Fittingly, each judge scored the round 10-10. Richardson finished the bout strongly, landing a number of big shots on Cockell in the final round. Unfortunately, it would prove to be the only round that he won in the fight. Cockell outlanded Richardson 175-134, and took the verdict by identical scores of 59-56 on all three cards.

PRELIMINARY 2

In the first World Championship tournament bout of the night, Canada's Earl Walls managed to claim a unanimous decision victory against his determined Californian opponent, Mac Foster. Walls is the 58th seed in the tournament and climbed off the canvas in the opening round before returning the favour to Foster in round two. 74th seeded Foster tasted the canvas for a second time in the fifth round. The sixth round was the best of the fight and a great way to bring the bout to a close, with both men trading shots and refusing to take a backward step. Walls took a close decision, 56-55, 57-54, 56-55.

SUPPORT BOUT

Hard-hitting 21 year-old Englishman Frank Bruno impressed many observers during the HBF's October auditions with his power (but not much else). At 6'3" and 217 pounds, the Hammersmith-born 42nd seed cut an imposing figure as he entered the ring against Canada's Jack Renault. However, contrary to his appearance, Bruno struggled against Renault. But in a decision that defied belief and was, without a doubt, the worst given so far in the HBF tournaments, Bruno was awarded the fight by unanimous decision, 58-57, 59-57, 59-56. Most ringside observers felt that Renault was the superior fighter in each of the final four rounds, yet only a single judge scored the fight in his favour during this period. The 25 year-old Canadian could not contain his frustration after the decision was announced, and gave the judges a victriolic spray. So angered was he that he could not help but banter his opponent about the fairness of the decision. It's possible that we might hear more from Jack Renault in the days to come.

CO-FEATURE

20 year-old Italian-American Roland LaStarza is a product of the Bronx in New York. Tough and uncompromising, this young man was relentless in his professional debut, taking a unanimous decision victory over German-born Milwaukee resident Willi Besmanoff. The judge's final cards of 59-55, 58-56 and 58-57 did not really do justice to the quality of LaStarza's performance, as he dominated his opponent for most of the fight. By far, LaStarza is not one of the strongest men in this tournament. But he more than made up for that with his aggression and tenacity. He simply overwhelmed Besmanoff. The 26th seed in the World Championship tournament, LaStarza showed that he will present a fierce challenge to Young Stribling for top spot in Group Seven.

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SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
MONDAY 28 JANUARY 2002
ROSE GARDEN ARENA, PORTLAND, OREGON, USA


OPENING BOUT

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Seven
4(26) Olle Tandberg D6 5(34) Tom Kennedy

PRELIMINARY 1

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Seven
3(18) Don Cockell UD6 6(42) Dick Richardson

PRELIMINARY 2

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Seven
4(58) Earl Walls UD6 5(74) Mac Foster

SUPPORT BOUT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Seven
3(42) Frank Bruno UD6 6(90) Jack Renault

CO-FEATURE

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Seven
2(26) Roland LaStarza UD6 7(106) Willi Besmanoff

MAIN EVENT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Seven
1(7) Young Stribling UD6 8(122) Dan Flynn

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UNDERSTANDING ELMER RAY

Tuesday 29 January 2002

Story and interview by Maurice Poe of the St. John's County Chronicle

Eighteen days have now passed since 16 year-old dynamo Elmer Ray of Hastings, Florida made his controversial HBF debut. Of course, it's not necessary for me to reflect on what happened before, during and after his bout with Buddy Baer. That topic has already been covered ad nauseam. No, today I am going to give you an insight into this young, ambitious man, aswell as uncovering how things have changed in the life of Elmer Ray since the 11th of January.

For those of you who don't know much about Hastings, I'll give you a brief summary. It's a small rural community, covering little more than one square kilometre within St. John's County, some 70 kilometres south of Jacksonville. It's looked upon as the potato capital of Florida, and it's residents pretty much live off the proceeds of that industry.

It seems an unlikely place for a young man with a love of hip hop and designs for boxing greatness to have grown up in. But, as many have said, "Our surroundings cultivate our dreams." I visited with Elmer at his family's farmhouse in Hastings and discovered a teenager who possesses a maturity and awareness beyond his years.

The "extended" Ray family is a large one, consisting of three individual families, all living within one-hundred metres of each other.

Firstly, we have the family that Elmer was born into, made up of his mother Cloedean, his four older sisters Keisha, Tionne, Lisa and Jasmine, and also his younger brother Marcus. The subject of their patriarch is one that the family members had no desire to discuss. I couldn't even get his name, but I did get the impression, however, that he has been long gone from the family, and not particularly missed.

Then there is the family of Elmer's aunt, Sandrine Haynes. It is also blessed with a number of children, including 23 year-old gentle giant Terone, who will be making his Heavyweight Boxing Federation debut in Japan on Thursday, the 7th of February. Understandably, Terone has been in Japan for the last week, preparing for and promoting the bout and so I was not able to speak to him during my visit. I discovered that Terone's father (and Elmer's uncle) Jerome has been more than a surrogate father for Elmer and his siblings during the years since their own father's disappearance.

The Ray clan is rounded out by the family of nine headed by Elmer's uncle (and cutman) Marlon Ray and his wife Tanisha. Like Uncle Jerome, Marlon has also played a large role in the lives of Elmer, his brother and sisters.

We sat down on the front porch of the Ray property, Elmer decked out in a Jacksonville Jaguars jersey and showing an amiable smile. Since his bout with Buddy Baer, Elmer has shaved off his cornrows, leaving a stubble-short layer of hair on his head.

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* * *

PART ONE OF A TWO-PART INTERVIEW

"Know, y'all, we been back in Florida two weeks now, see?" Elmer said. "An' my man Tee, he flew out to Japan a week ago. Says it's jus' wild over there, they goin' crazy over him."

"That must make you happy, that he's already gained that kind of fame?" asked Poe.

Ray nodded. "Definitely, man. Definitely. It's jus' how we planned it, man."

"Planned it?"

"Yeah, man. No doubt. Me and Terone, we sit down together 'n' discuss our whole gameplan back in September, see? On the very day that President Vincennes announce the tourney ... man, we both knew."

"That's really interesting. So, I guess what might confuse some people is, why didn't both of you audition for the tournament?"

Ray laughed. "This is the thing, see? Now, everyone was runnin' 'round, worried 'bout qualifying for the tourney. But Terone and me, we thinking that the HBF's gonna have to need some new blood down the street, y'know? See, they say 128 men in the tournament, but how many of those dudes still be fightin', even three years from now? Me and my cuz, we both got the tools to get to the top in this sport, see? But we don't wanna be up there at the same time, understand? Don't wanna be fighting each other jus' yet. So we jus' flip a coin to see who'd audition."

Poe smiled. "So what your saying is that the boxing public should prepare for Hastings, Florida to dominate the HBF, right?"

Ray nodded again. "Most definitely, man. We gonna put this little town on the map, no doubt. I'm hundred percent, sho' nuff. No jokin', I'm deadly serious 'bout bein' the first HBF World Champion. An' if that don't happen straight away, I be close enough at the top to make it happen 'ventually. And with Terone's skills, dude, ain't gonna take more than couple years 'fore he's up there with me."

"How will you feel if you have to fight your cousin?"

"We talk about that. You know, we cousins, an' we got that family love, see. But if it happen, gonna be all business. See, money ain't gonna matter 'cause we be rollin' in it by then, anyway. But if I'm Champion, and the day come when I defend that title 'gainst Tee, no way I'm gonna lie down for him. He gonna have to kill me."

"How have the people of Hastings responded to your sudden popularity?" Poe asked.

Elmer laughed. "The old folks, they treatin' me jus' the same," he said. "But some of the kids, they be comin' up and askin' me for cash, you know? Think I'm a millionaire, now."

Poe laughed and smiled. "Speaking of money, all the winners in the first stage of the tournament take home $16,000 prize money for each victory. Is it okay, if I ask what you've done with your prize money?"

"No problem at all," said Ray, smiling. "Put thirteen G's into a term deposit, other three into ma mother's bank account. You know, we ain't livin' high on the hog down here. Those three G's, they gotta last 'til 15 February. Jus' hope and pray this thing can make my mother not have to worry 'bout where the next dollar's comin' from, see?"

(PART TWO OF THIS INTERVIEW TO FOLLOW WITHIN 24 HOURS)

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PART TWO OF MAURICE POE'S INTERVIEW WITH ELMER RAY

"Right from the start, y'all, me and my cuz, we gonna be wise with our dough," said Ray. "We ain't into all the gold chains, know what I mean? All that "bling-bling" nonsense, ain't gonna see none of that here, baby. See, we might be showman, but that don' mean we gonna drape ourselves in ten pounds o' gold. We gonna be smart, invest, set our family up for life with ten years o' hard work. Tha's all it'll take, man. Ten years, and we be set."

"Okay, now speaking of being a showman, everyone remembers the flashy entrance you made for the bout against Buddy Baer. I'm wondering, does your cousin Terone have anything similar in mind for his bout?"

Ray laughed. "Oh, yeah, man. Definitely. See, my cousin's more reserved than me. He ain't gonna grab a mic and start spittin' rhymes, no chance. With Terone, it's his strength and size that draws people in. They gonna be on their seats, just waitin' to see him land that first straight right. We got a killer entrance planned, no doubt. A lot different from mine, but just as entertainin'. Y'all won't be disappointed."

"Well, I think everyone will be looking forward to that. President Vincennes has said some very positive things about your cousin, so that should be more than enough to convince the public."

Ray nodded. "President Vincennes, he's got his stuff together, man. He know real talent when he sees it."

"Now, you've made it clear to the public that one of your first loves as a young boy was hip hop music. How did that come about, and who are some of the rap musicians that you most admire?"

Elmer smiled. "Glad you ask me that, Maurice. Some of the other fellas interviewed me jus' steer well clear of the subject, see? Now, it's my uncles and my older cousins like Terone that got me into hip hop. See, I was born in '85, right smack dab in the middle of the golden age, brothers like PE, Eric B. & Rakim, BDP. My cousins, they was always playin' those brothers. An' they got those joints on plastic, not CD. My uncles got a fat collection o' old school joints on vinyl. They spinnin' 'em every day, man. Earliest memory for me is from around '88, jus' a little three year-old kid, hearin' Rakim just tearing the mic to pieces on "Lyrics Of Fury". My uncle brings home the LP and jus' put it on. Man, to this day, that joint is just the ... ain't nothin' can beat that for me, y'all. But see, I ain't got time for those brothers that's disrespectin' women in their joints, man. Don't care if it's just "entertainment". That nonsense ain't got no place anywhere. I like some of the experimental joints too, y'all. That white boy from Cali, DJ Shadow, he's a damn genius, man. His LP "Entroducing", that's just the essence o' hip hop, see? My family, we all takin' turns Deejayin' when we had neighbourhood jams, they let me at those records when I was jus' five, man. Those were good times."

"Would you ever consider a career in hip hop?" Poe asked.

Ray nodded. "No doubt, no doubt. Been one of my ambitions for a long time."

"Now, a question I'm sure a lot of our female readers have been wondering about: Does Elmer Ray have a girlfriend?"

Ray laughed. "Yeah, I do," he said. "Ain't gonna elaborate on that, Maurice." Elmer smiled in a cheeky fashion.

Poe nodded, smiling. "No problem. That's understandable. Now, I know that your going to be a very busy guy during the next few weeks. You'll be flying out to Japan in a few days to support your cousin Terone in his debut on the 7th of February. After that, the both of you will be heading straight back home and then out to California for your second bout on the 15th. Your opponent is the 65th seed Tom McMahon of Illinois. He was also victorious in his debut. Have you had much of a look at him? Have you formulated a strategy for the fight?"

"Oh, yeah, definitely. I watched the video of his fight with Nathan Mann 'bout a dozen times, looked closer at the sections where he struggled some. He's gonna be a tough customer, sho' nuff. But, yeah, me and my uncle, we sorted out a gameplan. We prepared."

"Well, Elmer, it's been a real pleasure to visit with you today," said Poe. "I want to wish you, and your cousin Terone, the best of luck for your upcoming bouts."

Elmer shook Poe's hand. "Thanks a lot, man. Pleasure was all mine, y'all."

* * *

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SPECTACULAR IN STUTTGART:
SCHMELING DEBUTS WITH DECISIVE VICTORY

Wednesday 30 January 2002

On Friday, the 23rd of November 2001, the life of a 19 year-old German named Max Schmeling changed forever.

That was the day on which the Heavyweight Boxing Federation announced the seedings for their World Championship and 1st Defense tournaments. Schmeling already knew that he had qualified for the World Championship tournament, but when he found out that he had been made the 10th seed, he was simply overjoyed. Not only was Schmeling the highest seeded German in the tournament, he was also the highest seeded European, and one of only three fighters born outside of the United States in the top ten.

The news reached his homeland quickly, and within days the Brandenburg-born Schmeling was the pride of Germany. Within a week of his return, he had met with the German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, and was being talked about as the nation's "next Michael Schumacher".

It was quite a wild ride for a 19 year-old whose early life had been a struggle, to say the least. But Schmeling took those crazy late-November/early-December days in his stride, not allowing the out-of-control adoration to go to his head. He knuckled down and started training. With the public's appetite for Schmeling insatiable, extended highlights of his training sessions were shown on the evening news bulletins all over Germany.

"Schmelingmania" went into overdrive when the HBF announced that the first fight card for Schmeling's tournament group, Group Ten, would be held at the Hanns-Martin Schleyer Halle in Stuttgart. The situation was identical to that of the tournament's #6 seed, Australia's Peter Jackson. Jackson's debut bout was also held in his home country. As was the case in Australia, tickets for the Stuttgart card were snapped up in no time.

Well, Max Schmeling made his first appearance in the HBF's World Championship tournament tonight, and without a doubt, he showed that he should be considered amongst the favourites for the championship. The Brandenburg man put on a brutal display against the terribly-outclassed 21 year-old George Johnson of Oklahoma City. Schmeling landed 199 punches to just 61, sending the American to the canvas twice during the final minute of the fight and taking the unanimous decision, 60-52, 60-53, 60-52. Schmeling was simply merciless. He did not give Johnson a moment's rest during the whole fight, did not show a contentment to cruise through any of the rounds as a number of other top contenders for this championship have done in their debuts. Schmeling just did not give George Johnson the slightest sniff of victory.

It really does look like the German people have a new hero to cheer for, and it will be fascinating to watch this mild-mannered, humble young man as he proceeds through the HBF's World Championship tournament...


THE UNDERCARD

Opening Bout

19 year-old Washington, DC native Natie Brown could only shake his head in disbelief after his bout with Chicago's Bob Satterfield. Firstly, let me say that Brown did not lose the fight. The 10th seed in the HBF's 1st Defense tournament did, in fact, put on a tremendously dominant display against Satterfield, landing twice as many punches as his opponent. No, what astonished Natie Brown was the fact that ALL THREE judges felt that Satterfield was much closer to winning the bout than 95% of the people who saw the fight would have thought. Brown took a split decision, 58-57, 57-58, 58-56. Despite the victory, he left the ring with a foul taste in his mouth.

Preliminary 1

Doug Jones of New York scored an easy unanimous decision victory over his extremely limited opponent, Manny Burgo of North Shields, England in a 1st Defense tournament bout. 21 year-old Jones is the 7th seed, and, like others before him, showed that it would be unwise to simply pencil Rocky Marciano's name in as the eventual winner of this tournament. Jones knocked Burgo to the canvas in the 3rd and 6th rounds on the way to a 60-52 verdict on all three cards.

Preliminary 2

In perhaps the most unimpressive bout seen so far in either of the HBF tournaments, 19 year-old Italian-born Philadelphian Joe Grim took a split decision victory over Randall Cobb of Orange, Texas. The fight only really came to life during the final two rounds, with Cobb tasting the canvas in the 5th and Grim doing the same in the 6th. Grim took the decision, 58-54, 56-57, 58-54.

Support Bout

New Jersey's Steve Hamas defeated Portland's Thad Spencer by unanimous decision. In a bout that was closer than the scorecards indicated, Hamas prevailed, 59-55 (twice), 58-56.

Co-Feature

21 year-old Pittsburgh terror Frank Moran administered a fierce beating upon Chicago's Floyd Cummings, landing a combined 96 punches during the 4th and 5th rounds. The referee called a halt to the bout at the 2:42 mark of the 5th round with Cummings bleeding, battered and helpless in the aftermath of being knocked down 40 seconds earlier. This was an eye-opening performance from Moran, the 23rd seed in the World Championship tournament. He displayed a real killer instinct, aswell as hitting power that had not been so obvious during the October auditions. Like a number of the other group's "2nd seeds", Moran showed that he will be quite a challenge for Group Ten's top dog, Max Schmeling...

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SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
WEDNESDAY 30 JANUARY 2002
HANNS-MARTIN SCHLEYER HALLE, STUTTGART, GERMANY


OPENING BOUT

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Seven
2(10) Natie Brown SD6 7(50) Bob Satterfield

PRELIMINARY 1

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Seven
1(7) Doug Jones UD6 8(58) Manny Burgo

PRELIMINARY 2

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Ten
5(71) Joe Grim SD6 4(55) Randall Cobb

SUPPORT BOUT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Ten
3(39) Steve Hamas UD6 6(87) Thad Spencer

CO-FEATURE

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Ten
2(23) Frank Moran TKO5 7(103) Floyd Cummings

MAIN EVENT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Ten
1(10) Max Schmeling UD6 8(119) George Johnson

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BECKETT RETURNS HOME TO HERO'S WELCOME

Thursday 31 January 2002

Jack Johnson's conqueror Joe Beckett flew into London's Heathrow Airport this morning, three days after he had originally planned to.

Following his victory against Johnson last Saturday night, Beckett was in high demand amongst the American media. This delayed his returning home to England. Ironically, his stay in the United States finished with a guest spot on The Late Show with David Letterman, the very show that Jack Johnson had appeared on two weeks ago when he stated that his goal was to go through the World Championship tournament undefeated.

Back in England, Beckett was greeted by a frenzy of media and boxing fans at the airport, the 20 year-old simply overwhelmed by the gathering.

"This is unbelievable," he said. "I'm just amazed and humbled."

The 126th seed in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament did not have much time to recuperate from his flight. By the end of the day, he had been interviewed by seven different radio and television stations, bombarded by a number of questions both relevant and inane. Some were a little bit carried away with Beckett's win, asking him if he felt he could make it all the way to the Championship bout.

Beckett simply laughed good naturedly. "That would be something," he said. "But I'm not going to look any further ahead than March the 2nd. I'm going up against Cleveland Williams, and it's going to take a big performance for me to do to him what I did to Jack Johnson. I'll have to push myself in training even harder than I did for the Johnson fight."

Contrary to statements made last Sunday by sports writer Larry Brewer, Group Three's second card will not be taking place in England. No, on March 2 the HBF will be back in Japan. In Tokyo, to be exact, at the Saitama Super Arena. It will be the third occasion where the HBF's WC and 1D tournaments will visit the Land of the Rising Sun, following the controversy of Elmer Ray in Yokohama on 11 January and the upcoming Osaka Dome card on February the 11th. Japan has been the federation's biggest international supporter, and it goes without saying that, once tickets are available, the March 2 card will be a sellout in no time...

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ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST!!!
15TH SEED JACK SHARKEY
STOPPED ON CUTS IN 3RD ROUND!!!

Friday 1 February 2002

Six days ago, in his debut bout, Jack Johnson earned the unfavourable distinction of being the first of the sixteen top seeds to lose in the HBF's World Championship tournament.

Today, Boston's Jack Sharkey became the second.

The 15th seed in the tournament, 22 year-old Sharkey was sensationally defeated by Canada's Arthur Pelkey after a cut that a Pelkey right hook had caused in the first round became progressively worse, to the point where referee Mills Lane had no choice but to stop the bout in round three. It was the HBF's first visit to France, with the card taking place at the Palais Des Sports, in Cannes.

Make no mistake, this fight was a war while it lasted. Round one would surely rank amongst the top five that we've seen in the HBF up to this point, with both fighters considering defense an afterthought as they went toe-to-toe, a strategy that would ultimately cost Sharkey the fight.

Perhaps inspired by the deeds of Joe Beckett, 114th seeded Pelkey showed no respect and no fear for his much more highly regarded opponent, his countenance sporting a disdainful sneer as he pressed the action, adopting a "Devil May Care" attitude. There was very little jabbing, with both men getting in close and teeing off at each other, to the delight of the capacity crowd.

Two minutes into the round, Pelkey rocked the 15th seed with a staggering right hook, thrown with perfect timing as Sharkey fired away with a right hand of his own. The punch snapped the Bostonian's head around, turned his legs to jelly and opened up a nasty cut above his left eye. Soon, blood was running down into Sharkey's eye, over his cheek. To Pelkey, this was like showing a red rag to a bull and he unloaded with a crushing uppercut. Sharkey was able to last out the round, and the ring doctor inspected the cut during the intermission, allowing the fight to continue.

Aware of the trouble he was in, Sharkey responded superbly in round two, dominating Pelkey in a more accurate display of how many observers had thought the fight would proceed. He connected with some big shots, determined to finish it as soon as possible. But even though he was visibly tiring, the Canadian showed that he was one tough proposition. With fifteen seconds left in the round Pelkey crumbled to the canvas, falling forward onto his knees courtesy of a crippling rib shot. But somehow, he was right back up at the count of two, taking the standing eight and surviving the Massachusetts man's follow-up assault. Sharkey's corner worked almost exclusively on the cut during the break, clearly concerned about the possibility of it opening up further. They could not have known how close their fears were to reality.

Round three started as round two had, with the 15th seed aggressive and in control, beating Pelkey to the punch time and again. But 43 seconds in, it all came crashing down for Jack Sharkey. Pelkey managed to corner his opponent and unleashed a devastating left-right combination, once again buckling Sharkey's legs, the ropes keeping him off the canvas. The cut above Sharkey's eye tore further open, and as Sharkey slid to the left in retreat, the Canadian landed what would be the final punch of the fight, another right hand that sent a spray of blood across the ring. Sharkey reeled back into the ropes, and referee Mills Lane jumped between the two men. He sent Pelkey to a neutral corner, called "time out" and summoned the ring doctor. Shaking his head, Sharkey reluctantly walked over to the doctor, his face and eyebrow a bloodstained mess. It took just a moment for the doctor to decide that Sharkey could not continue. The Boston native leaned on the ropes, head bowed, and the crowd errupted. Chaos ruled in Cannes, and Arthur Pelkey paraded himself around the ring, a victorious smile resplendent from ear-to-ear...

PUNCH TOTALS

Jack Sharkey - punches landed: 82 punches thrown: 116
Arthur Pelkey - punches landed: 49 punches thrown: 81

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Pelkey started jumping up and down and shouting as his jubilation and joy kicked into a higher gear, the realisation of what he had just achieved flooding over him. He exchanged brief words with Sharkey and his cornermen before continuing his celebration, basking in the audience's applause.

"I knew that I couldn't just sit back and let him dictate the fight," said Pelkey, in response to ESPN's Jay Marlow. "That first round went perfectly for me, because I think I made him fight the way I wanted him to. If it hadn't gone that way, I probably wouldn't have been able to cut him."

"First Joe Beckett, now Arthur Pelkey," said Marlow, smiling. "Do you think that a trend is starting?"

Pelkey laughed. "I won't lie. What Joe Beckett achieved last Saturday night really did inspire and encourage me. I did think to myself, "Why can't I do that?" Jack Sharkey is an excellent, skillful fighter, no doubt. But like I said, I made him fight my fight. Down in the trenches, you know? And it worked."

"It really was a war, wasn't it?" said Marlow.

"That's how I wanted it to be," Pelkey said, nodding. "In the second round, he really beat the hell out of me, but I still said to myself, "He's fighting your fight." I knew that he was trying to finish me off, because he was worried about the cut. When he dropped me, it didn't bother me. I knew that all it would take was another shot or two on that cut, and it'd be over."

"Well, Arthur, congratulations on your victory. Like Joe Beckett before you, you've shown that there are no absolutes in this tournament, and I think you've given this crowd a great show."

The audience responded to this comment warmly.

"Thank you very much, Jay," said Pelkey. "I just want to say that everyone's seen what's happened during the past week. Two guys who most didn't think had a shot have won, so, I think that's a message. This tournament really is wide open."

Soon after, Marlow spoke to a clearly dejected and shattered Jack Sharkey.

"We had a gameplan and I didn't stick to it," Sharkey said. "The plan was to box him, to wear him down with the jab, but ... just didn't happen. We started brawling, and I just reacted without thinking, didn't think clearly at all. I really did screw up. Just too emotional, and hot-headed."

"A lot of people in the crowd, especially at ringside, were amazed that an accidental headbutt didn't come about in that first round, because the two of you were virtually forehead to forehead for long stretches there," said Marlow.

Sharkey nodded. "It was just crazy. I have to give him credit, though. He out-thought me, without a doubt."

"That really is quite a nasty cut," Marlow said, motioning to the one inch diagonal crevasse above Sharkey's left eye. "I would have to say that it will have an effect on training for your next bout."

"You got that right," said Sharkey, wiping at the cut with a white towel. "I guess it's the price I'll have to pay."

"Well, Jack, commiserations on what I'm sure must be a disappointing night for you," said Marlow. "But I also want to wish you the best for the remainder of the tournament. I think the audience will agree with me when I say that you'll surely bounce back from this. Good luck."

'Well, that's what I have to do," said Sharkey. "Put this behind me and just worry about what I can control. I want to thank the audience for all the wonderful support you've given the HBF this week and tonight."

Sharkey shook Marlow's hand, acknowledged the audience and made his way back to the dressing room...

***

THE UNDERCARD

Opening Bout

Going into the 4th round, 19 year-old Irishman Peter Maher was taking a beating. His 25 year-old New Jersey opponent Chuck Wepner had already dropped him to the canvas with a punishing uppercut in round one, and had continued to hold the advantage through rounds two and three. But then, the fight did a 180 degree turn, as Maher unleashed a fierce beating on his tough-as-nails opponent. In rounds four, five and six, Maher landed a total of 153 punches, compared to 66 by Wepner. This incredible turnaround was enough to give Maher, the 31st seed in the 1st Defense tournament, a majority decision victory, 57-56, 57-57, 58-55.

Preliminary 1

20 year-old Welshman Johnny Williams scored a 3rd round knockout of Wim Snoek of the Netherlands. In an action-packed contest, the combatants split the opening two rounds, with the third continuing in a competitive fashion before a single right cross from Williams dropped the Dutchman. Snoek was counted out at 2:19 of the third round. Williams is the 23rd seed in the 1st Defense tournament, and showed that he has quite an impressive arsenal at his disposal. He is certainly one to watch.

Preliminary 2

22 year-old Jamaican-born Londoner Gary Mason scored a mild upset with a 6 round unanimous decision victory over Ted Lowry of New Bedford, Massachusetts. The 50th seed in the HBF's World Championship tournament, Lowry tasted the canvas in the fourth round and although he mounted a late rally, it was not enough. the 66th seeded Mason took the decision, 58-55, 58-57, 58-55.

Support Bout

Many people have said positive things about 22 year-old Atlantic City native Bruce Seldon. The 34th seed has been looked upon as a darkhorse in the World Championship tournament, thanks to both a lightning jab and knockout power, talents that were on display during the HBF's October auditions. Unfortunately, Seldon seemed to suffer from a bout of stage fright in his professional debut. Against the 82nd seeded Fort Lauderdale native Tony Alongi, Seldon looked unsure and indecisive, and was not able to jump out of this funk for the duration of the fight, save for the fourth round. By the closing stages of the final round, he looked tired and spent, as Alongi hit him with peppering jabs almost at will. Alongi was awarded a fitting unanimous decision, 58-56, 59-56, 58-56, leaving many of Seldon's admirers disappointed and bemused. One can only hope that he can put up a much more encouraging display in his next bout.

Co-Feature

22 year-old Argentinian Oscar Bonavena is the only South American amongst the top 32 seeds in the HBF's World Championship tournament. Against Pennsylvania's Alonzo Johnson, he showed that he deserves his spot there. Bonavena sent the 98th seed crashing to the canvas in the second round with a sledgehammer left hook and was never troubled for the rest of the fight, taking an easy unanimous decision, 60-53, 59-54, 59-54. The 18th seeded Bonavena is understandably the pride of Latin America at the moment, and his supporters had even more reason to cheer when the top seed in the group Jack Sharkey was defeated some thirty minutes after Bonavena had been so dominant in his own debut.

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
FRIDAY 1 FEBRUARY 2002
PALAIS DES SPORTS, CANNES, FRANCE


OPENING BOUT

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Two
4(31) Peter Maher MD6 5(39) Chuck Wepner

PRELIMINARY 1

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Two
3(23) Johnny Williams KO3 6(47) Wim Snoek

PRELIMINARY 2

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Fifteen
5(66) Gary Mason UD6 4(50) Ted Lowry

SUPPORT BOUT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Fifteen
6(82) Tony Alongi UD6 3(34) Bruce Seldon

CO-FEATURE

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Fifteen
2(18) Oscar Bonavena UD6 7(98) Alonzo Johnson

MAIN EVENT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Fifteen
8(114) Arthur Pelkey TKO3 1(15) Jack Sharkey

[kenyan_cheena]

THE MISSOURI MONSTER AND A
FASCINATING FIGHT CARD IN FRANCE HAS FLORIDA BUZZING

Saturday 2 February 2002

This evening, almost every boxing analyst, journalist and expert of note has made their way to Miami, Florida for the fight card that will complete the first series of bouts in the HBF's World Championship and 1st Defense tournaments. They're all here at the sold-out American Airlines Arena, along with a larger than usual contingent of celebrities and most of the top HBF officials, including, of course, President Michael Vincennes.

They've come because of the hype and hysteria that has spread during the past weeks in regards to the #2 seed in the World Championship tournament, 21 year-old Sonny Liston of St. Louis, Missouri.

Standing 6'1", Liston weighed in at a ripped, muscular 205 pounds for tonight's bout. Some might say that he doesn't sound that impressive, but they have obviously not seen him fight, or looked into his eyes. This young man, who served time in the Missouri State Penitentiary for armed robbery, is blessed with some extraordinary boxing skills. Many have said that he is the strongest fighter in this tournament, that his right hand is like a sledgehammer and his left hook just as effective. But even more impressive is the fact that he has a piledriver for a left jab. All these physical attributes do not even take into account Liston's intimidation factor. During the HBF's October auditions, Liston did not show a friendly face to anyone. This guy is mean, from head to toe, and it's quite possible that his opponent tonight, Nick Barone of Syracuse, New York, will have already been defeated before the opening bell.

An aura has developed around Liston. A mysterious aura of strength, fear and menace. He has not offered a single word to the media and has not even spoken to HBF President Michael Vincennes. Rumours have circulated that he has connections with the underworld, that he is a "button man" for the mafia. The fact that his trainers have had a lot of trouble keeping track of his whereabouts has only added to this theory. It seems that Liston is going to be his own man, beyond the control of the HBF, beyond the expectations of the media. And it seems that the general public are just fascinated by him because of it.

***

It's not just Liston they're talking about here in Miami.

The fight card that took place yesterday at the Palais Des Sports in Cannes, France, had just about everything you could ask for in a night of boxing entertainment. There was a gritty comeback, a three round slugfest that finished in a single punch KO, a disappointing effort by one who many have high hopes for, a dominant display of boxing skill by a proud Argentinian, and a mammoth upset to cap off the night.

"It really was a helluva card," said James Reynolds of the New York Age. "I mean, that young Irish kid Maher, he just turned that fight around in the most brutal, comprehensive fashion. It was like night and day. He really showed some terrific courage, I have to say. And then right after that, a real barnstormer between Williams and Snoek. That could have gone either way. Both of them were scoring with some big shots."

Reynolds is one of those who has a lot of time for Atlantic City native Bruce Seldon, and could not mask his disappointment over the young man's performance.

"Just a shame," Reynolds said. "That kid is tremendously talented, and he just didn't bring those skills to the table. I don't know what his problem was - stagefright, nerves, sickness - I don't know, but he just didn't show up yesterday. I really hope he can bounce back from that."

Adam Ryan of the Miami Post was especially impressed by the performance of Oscar Bonavena.

"Oscar Bonavena showed that he's going to be a force in this tournament," said Ryan. "And with Sharkey losing, his chances of winning the group have already improved. I'm looking forward to seeing how these guys perform in their second bouts."

Jack Sharkey's loss has resonated almost as strongly as that of the #3 seed Jack Johnson. Coming just six days after that shocking result, Sharkey's defeat has simply proven that no one is a sure bet in this tournament.

"There weren't many things that could have gone wrong for Sharkey in that fight," said Robert Horn of Boxing Monthly magazine. "But unfortunately, they all did. He forgot his gameplan and started brawling, and as a result, he got cut. The cut was bad, and so he decided he needed to finish off Arthur Pelkey quickly. It didn't work, because Pelkey is a tough fella, and withstood Sharkey's best punches. Even when he went down, he got back up straight away. And then Sharkey didn't defend well, and that cut got hit again and again. It was just a terrible outing for him."

From within the American Airlines Arena, President Vincennes spoke of his happiness with the progress of the HBF so far.

"Five months ago, we couldn't have dreamed that the federation would be as successful as it's been. I'm just delighted with the way everything has progressed, and I'm very excited about tonight's fight card. Tonight brings to an end our first series of bouts in the WC and 1D tournaments, and I really think we're in for a terrific night of boxing."

[kenyan_cheena]

MAYHEM IN MIAMI!
LISTON DROPS GAME OPPONENT SIX TIMES
EN ROUTE TO TKO VICTORY!

Saturday 2 February 2002

AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA, MIAMI, FLORIDA

Tonight, the sports-loving public was given a formidable introduction to the man who many believe will emerge as the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's inaugural World Champion come April 2004.

The #2 seed in the HBF's World Championship tournament, 21 year-old Sonny Liston (born in Arizona but residing in St. Louis, Missouri) treated the Miami audience to an awesome display of precision and power, scoring a TKO victory late in the final round against Nick Barone of Syracuse, New York.

As in the case of the tournament debut of #1 seed Gene Tunney, it was a controversial bout, as a majority of ringside observers really believed that it should have been halted at the end of the third round. But referee Elmo Adolph stood by and watched as Liston punished the overmatched Nick Barone, sending him to the canvas on six separate occasions. However, no one could dare question the bravery (stupidity?) of Barone, as he simply refused to quit. In the end, he was not counted out. It was the three knockdown rule that brought a close to the bout with just 17 seconds remaining. He may have displayed great courage, but he paid a price for it. His right eye was terribly swollen, his left aswell, but to a lesser extent. Somehow, he had not been cut, but his nose had bled freely during the second and fourth rounds of the bout. His condition simply provided critics of referree Adolph with more ammunition.

***

By the time Charles "Sonny" Liston climbed into the ring at the American Airlines Arena, the mood of the capacity crowd had built to a state of extreme anticipation, chanting "Liston! Liston! Liston! Liston!" They knew that many experts were predicting a first round knockout, knew that they were soon likely to see something special and awesome in the boxing ring.

Liston's entrance was free of music or any kind of extravagance. The Missouri resident and his cornermen simply walked to the ring, wearing identical outfits of black with white trim. Liston kept his face concealed under the hood of his robe, shoulders hunched forward. The audience cheered with the appearance of the man they had come to see play the role of executioner.

At yesterday's weigh-in, Liston had stared into the eyes of Nick Barone with an expression of such absolute menace, it prompted one observer to say, "Man, did it just get colder in here?" It was a gaze that literally sent shivers through the throng of gathered media. As the two men stood in the centre of the ring tonight, with referee Adolph laying down his instructions, the stare returned. Liston's eyes did not leave his Syracuse-born opponent, and Barone was looking for somewhere to escape to. In the end, he simply settled for focusing on Adolph, offering the briefest of glances Liston's way when the two men touched gloves.

As the opening bell sounded, a wave of excitement swept through the audience, akin to the opening kickoff of a football game. As the round progressed, it dawned on the crowd that what they were seeing was not what they had expected. It was, however, just as fascinating to watch. Liston spent the entire opening stanza of the fight with his left jab in Nick Barone's face. The Missouri Monster stalked his smaller, shorter opponent, constantly coming forward, flicking out that left hand and keeping the right hand cocked. He feinted to throw it perhaps half-a-dozen times during the round, but didn't. Liston did not seem to care if Barone was able to hit him or not. Thirty seconds in, the New Yorker scored with a solid, straight right and Liston just shook his head and kept on coming. Liston's jab was a thing of beauty, the punch seeming to go right through Barone. It was thrown with such hammer-like force, and would rattle or snap the 127th seed's head back. Barone ripped a left and a right to Liston's body with no effect. Near the round's end, Liston unbalanced his man with a trio of punishing jabs, sending Barone back against the ropes. But Liston did not follow up, content to continue with his masterful display of jabbing. As the bell sounded to end the round, swelling was already obvious around Barone's right eye, his face flushed pink. He returned to his corner shaking his head, perhaps overwhelmed by the fact that his opponent had just administered upon him what could only be called a one-handed beating. The audience had been eerily quiet during the round, feeling a combination of surprise at Liston's tactics and awe at the strength of the one punch he was choosing to display.

Things did not change in round two. The only difference was that Barone was more successful in evading the Liston left, even as Liston increased his workrate. It was painfully obvious that Barone did not have a hope of hurting the #2 seed, something Liston had known early in the fight. By the end of the second, the swelling around Barone's right eye had intensified and blood was running from his nose.

It would be the third round when Liston decided it was time to reveal some more of his power. With Barone on the ropes, Liston threw his first punch of the night that was not a left jab, a jolting uppercut that snapped his opponent's head back. The sudden change in Liston's tactics was unexpected, as he kept Barone pinned on the ropes and pounded away at his body. The pain was plain to see on the New York man's face, and as he shielded his torso another Liston uppercut crashed into Barone's chin. He collapsed to the canvas, but was up at the count of three, shaking his head and showing a disappointed face to his cornermen. Liston spent the rest of the round chasing his retreating opponent, landing a number of big shots, including a right hand that almost sent Barone to the floor for a second time. Barone did not throw a single punch during the round, and there were many at ringside who felt the fight should have been stopped at the round's conclusion. It was clear that Barone was simply no match for this rampaging bull named Sonny Liston, so why let his suffering continue?

Well, not only did referee Adolph allow it to continue, he seemed to be happy for it to continue. Barone tasted the canvas twice in the fourth round, with one of the knockdowns coming as time elapsed. The crowd rose to their feet and applauded, not only for the devastating display of power by Liston, but also for the courage and resolve that Barone was showing. He was still throwing punches, even though he must have known his chances of victory were non-existent.

Liston eased off in the fifth, content to return to his early jabbing tactics. By this time, it seemed Barone had gained Liston's grudging respect, in addition to the crowd's favour.

The two men continued to cruise through the final round, and it appeared that Barone might achieve what had looked impossible earlier in the bout, and last the distance. Unfortunately, Sonny Liston had other plans for Nick Barone. At the 1:48 mark, Liston unleashed a crushing left hook that buckled Barone's knees. A follow-up straight left/straight right combination sent Barone to the canvas for the fourth time in the fight. Through the calls of ringside observers to stop the bout, Barone rose again, making it to his feet by eight, leaning against the ropes for support. Adolph allowed the fight to continue, and Liston closed in to finish the job. Barone stayed on the ropes, covering up against the Liston onslaught. The Missouri native paused for a moment, looking at Adolph with a bemused expression before returning to work and knocking Barone to the canvas again with a single uppercut at the 2:24 mark. By this time, the calls to stop the fight had increased, and Liston, standing in a neutral corner, motioned towards the referee as if to say "Blame him!" Barone somehow made it to his feet again, this time with the count at nine. Adolph could have called it off there and then, but didn't. Liston came in at Barone and clocked him with a straight right. It was enough to bring an end to the fight, as Barone fell forwards to the canvas for the sixth time in the bout, and third time in the round. Adolph waved the fight over, 2:43 into the final round...

[kenyan_cheena]

Barone was immediately taken from the ring for medical treatment. He received a warm, appreciative round of applause from the American Airlines Arena audience.

ESPN's Bill Farris spoke to Sonny Liston soon after. The Missouri Monster did not appear to be in a celebratory mood. In fact, he appeared somewhat embarassed and not especially eager to talk.

"Sonny, firstly, I want to say congratulations on your victory tonight," said Farris. "That was a very impressive performance."

Liston shrugged. "Well, it was what it was, I guess. I don't feel like I achieved a lot tonight, 'cause it doesn't take that much of a stretch to beat up someone who can't compete with you. I just want to say to Nick Barone, that he has a big heart, staying in there so long. Maybe too big for his own good. I also want to thank the fans for coming out and watching us fight. So, thanks."

Liston acknowledged the crowd awkwardly, and before Farris had a chance to reply, the #2 seed had left the ring without another word. He prowled quickly up the entrance way, his training team trailing behind, leaving a bemused Farris to wrap things up from in the ring...


***

THE AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA UNDERCARD

Opening Bout

23 year-old Kentucky native Marvin Hart scored a majority decision victory over his determined Brooklyn-born opponent, 21 year-old Kevin Isaac. The 15th seed in the 1st Defense tournament, Hart took the verdict 59-56, 57-57, 59-56. Isaac proved to be a stubborn foe, showing some impressive skills in the second round, before backing Hart up with a number of power shots as he dominated the fifth round.

Preliminary 1

Despite the fact that he is the 2nd seed in the HBF's 1st Defense tournament, San Francisco's James Jeffries had been almost anonymous in the lead up to tonight's event. Admittedly, he had gone out of his way to avoid the media spotlight. He is, by nature, a private man, and has dedicated himself to nothing but hard, consistent training during the past months. However, this anonimity most likely has more to do with the fact that the #1 seed Rocky Marciano has been spoken of by many as a shoe-in to win the 1st Defense tournament. It's true that some of the other top seeds in the tournament have impressed, but a large amount of observers seem to have already made up their minds. In their opinion, Marciano will win the tournament, and the others, even the #2 seed, are not even worthy of consideration.

Based on James Jeffries' performance in his HBF debut, some of those observers might have to take a closer look at Marciano's competition. In a bout that would prove to be uncannily similar to the night's main event, Jeffries was terrific in dismantling fellow Californian Jack Roper. 21 year-old Jeffries knocked the 63rd seed to the canvas six times, three of those coming in the final round and leading to a TKO with 36 seconds remaining in the bout. Jeffries is a strong man, but not in the same class as Liston. Despite landing more punches than the Missouri Monster would in his debut, Jeffries opponent was, fortunately, not as badly pounded as Liston's.

I would seriously advise those experts who think that Rocky Marciano is unbeatable to re-consider that opinion. Just wait and see what happens. We might all be in for a big surprise.

Preliminary 2

In the first World Championship tournament bout of the night, Lou Nova of Oakland, California defeated Harold Carter of Lindon, New Jersey by unanimous decision. Nova is the 63rd seed in the tournament and was struggling during the first half of the bout before finishing strongly, knocking Carter down in the final round and taking the decision, 58-55 on all three cards.

Support Bout

In a hotly-contested bout, 47th seed Charley Retzlaff managed to take a controversial split decision victory against Argentina's Alejandro Lavorante. A native of Minnesota, 21 year-old Retzlaff was in terrible trouble going into the fifth round. A look at the scorecards would reveal that at that point, he had not won a single round on any of the three judge's cards. In fact, through four rounds, Lavorante (the 95th seed) had landed 117 punches to 46, and had opened a serious cut under Retzlaff's right eye. But the man from Minnesota stormed back into the fight, pounding and then flooring the Argentinian in the fifth and dominating the final round. Still, most thought that two solid rounds would not be enough to overturn four poor ones. The judges disagreed. Retzlaff escaped with the slimmest of split decisions, 58-57, 56-57, 57-56.

Co-Feature

18 year-old Michael Dokes of Akron, Ohio is the 31st seed in the HBF's World Championship tournament, and 2nd seed in Group Two behind Sonny Liston. As such, he is expected to qualify for the second stage of the WC tournament, and is also expected to be the one fighter who has the best chance of inflicting defeat on Liston in the tournament's first stage. Based on his performance tonight, Dokes will be lucky if he makes it as far as the Liston fight with his undefeated record intact. In another dubious result, Dokes was gifted a unanimous decision against the hard-working (and hard-done-by) Phil Scott of Chicago. Dokes simply struggled to find a rhythm against his enthusiastic opponent and despite the fact that Scott (the 111th seed in the tournament) outlanded him 133-109, Dokes took the unanimous decision, 59-56, 58-57 (twice). Following on the coattails of the controversial decision in the Retzlaff-Lavorante bout, this result sent the crowd into an uproar. The look of heartbreak on Phil Scott's face was enough to break the hardest of hearts.

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
SATURDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2002
AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA, MIAMI, FLORIDA, USA


OPENING BOUT

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Two
2(15) Marvin Hart MD6 7(55) Kevin Isaac

PRELIMINARY 1

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Two
1(2) James Jeffries TKO6 8(63) Jack Roper

PRELIMINARY 2

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Two
4(63) Lou Nova UD6 5(79) Harold Carter

SUPPORT BOUT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Two
3(47) Charley Retzlaff SD6 6(95) Alejandro Lavorante

CO-FEATURE

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Two
2(31) Michael Dokes UD6 7(111) Phil Scott

MAIN EVENT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Two
1(2) Sonny Liston TKO6 8(127) Nick Barone

[kenyan_cheena]

CONTROVERSIAL FIGHT CARD CONCLUDES
FIRST SERIES OF HBF TOURNAMENT BOUTS

story by James Reynolds of the New York Age

Sunday 3 February 2002

Last night, the first cycle of bouts in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship and 1st Defense tournaments came to a controversial conclusion with the card headlined by Missouri's Sonny Liston at the sold-out American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida.

The contrast between the two halfs of the evening's entertainment was startling. After a trio of entertaining bouts that were free of questionable performances by both judges and referees, things turned bizarre as, coming one after the other after the other, the audience was treated to two bouts where the judge's verdicts were heavily criticised and a main event in which the referee's motive for allowing the fight to continue beyond the third round to it's near conclusion in the sixth round could have only been sadism...

* Without a doubt, Argentina's Alejandro Lavorante must today be wondering why he bothered training for his bout with his Minnesota-born opponent Charley Retzlaff. Lavorante would have probably spared himself the punishment and hard work if he had known beforehand that he'd be robbed once he stepped into the ring. The 6'3", 207 pound 95th seed in the World Championship tournament outworked, outboxed and outhustled Retzlaff for the first four rounds of the bout. The punch totals for those four rounds reflected Lavorante's domination of the bout:

LAVORANTE punches landed: 117 punches thrown: 262
RETZLAFF punches landed: 46 punches thrown: 191

Of course, one didn't need to see these numbers to know that Retzlaff was getting his backside kicked. Just watching the bout was enough to realise this. The nasty cut that Lavorante had opened up under Retzlaff's right eye only served to further illustrate his dominance.

After four rounds, my scorecard showed Lavorante leading the bout by five points, 40-35. I had scored the first round 10-8, simply because the Argentinian's display of both attack and defense was outstanding. Only later did I find out that he had landed every one of the 43 punches he threw in the round, while his opponent had missed with all of his 45 punches. SOMEHOW, one of the judges had seen fit to score two of the opening four rounds 10-10, while another had awarded the second round to Retzlaff. These mistakes would ultimately cost Lavorante the fight.

Yes, it's true that Retzlaff dug deep and staged a late comeback, but even after that, I still had Lavorante winning the bout 57-55. Yet, because of the errors of two judges earlier in the fight, Retzlaff took the split decision victory.

* Now, as for 31st seed Michael Dokes, I must say that his performance was one of the least impressive by a winning boxer I've seen in these tournaments. Again, in this fight, Dokes's opponent Phil Scott was clearly the better fighter over the first four rounds, although not in as comprehensive a fashion as Lavorante had been. Despite this, two judges had him leading by just a single point, while the third judge, Beat Haussmann of Switzerland, had come to the ridiculous conclusion that Dokes was winning the fight by one point! He had awarded Scott just one round! Again, these failures to properly judge the bout cost the underdog a victory. Dokes was the better fighter in the fifth and sixth rounds, but because of the assistance afforded to him by the judges, he did not need to be any better than that.

* In regards to the punishment that Sonny Liston inflicted upon Nick Barone ... I find it impossible to believe that referee Elmo Adolph had not, after the first three rounds, figured out that there was no way in hell that Nick Barone was going to beat Sonny Liston. The #2 seed had fought one-handed on purpose during rounds one and two and was already on the way to turning Nick Barone's face into a balloon. It was obvious to everyone in the arena from the first round that Barone could not hurt Liston, so why did Adolph let the bout continue? In doing so, he placed Nick Barone in terrible danger. Some have said that if Liston had really been throwing bombs, Barone would have looked even worse, which is hard to believe.

Why didn't Barone's corner tell the referee to stop the contest? Don't they care for their fighter? As I watched the bout from ringside, my bemusement grew with every round. I glanced at HBF President Michael Vincennes perhaps a half-dozen times during the bout, and to say that he looked uncomfortable would be an understatement. It's true that Liston did not land as many punches as #1 seed Gene Tunney did in his debut (a fight that was also a clear mismatch). But when you talk about strength, Tunney cannot compete with Liston. This Arizona-born Missouri resident throws punches with nothing but bad intentions. At least, that's what I and many others saw during the HBF's October auditions. Against Barone, I'm sure Liston was holding back from the point when he knocked Barone down for the first time. Liston is not this cold hearted monster that many see him as. I noticed in many other publications today that no one has made a deal of the fact that Liston visited Barone in his dressing room after the fight and apologised to him. That was something that Liston did not have to do. The people who should have apologised to Nick Barone are referee Elmo Adolph and the cornermen who allowed Barone to stay in the ring until late in the final round.

I must pay Barone a few compliments, though. He just might be the toughest, most courageous and most insane competitor I've ever seen. I guess that it is possible that he wanted to show his toughness by going the distance with Liston. He might have told his cornermen not to stop the fight. I don't know, but his bravery (or stupidity, take your pick) cannot be questioned. He really can take a punch, and showed that he'll be one who doesn't cut easily. His face may have been terribly swollen, but Liston did not cut him.

Indeed, it was quite a crazy finish to the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's first series of tournament bouts. But buckle up, because they're only just getting started!

[kenyan_cheena]

SURPRISING:
"2ND SEEDS" OUTPERFORM "1ST SEEDS" IN FIRST BOUTS OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT

Monday 4 February 2002

A simple glance at the combined results of the #1 and #2 group seeds in the first bouts of the HBF's World Championship tournament reveals that the #2 seeds actually faired better than the highly fancied #1 seeds.

"1ST SEED" RESULTS

1(8) Sam McVey UD6 8(121) Arturo Godoy
1(9) Sam Langford UD6 8(120) John Holman
1(16) Jimmy Young D6 8(113) Tony Ross
1(1) Gene Tunney UD6 8(128) Jose Urtain
1(5) Riddick Bowe TKO6 8(124) Tom Cowler
1(12) George Chuvalo SD6 8(117) Brian London
1(13) Ken Norton UD6 8(116) Tom McNeeley
1(4) Larry Holmes UD6 8(125) James Broad
1(6) Peter Jackson TKO4 8(123) James Ellis
1(11) Joe Jeannette UD6 8(118) Al Kaufmann
1(14) Ernie Terrell UD6 8(115) Marty Monroe
8(126) Joe Beckett UD6 1(3) Jack Johnson
1(7) Young Stribling UD6 8(122) Dan Flynn
1(10) Max Schmeling UD6 8(119) George Johnson
8(114) Arthur Pelkey TKO3 1(15) Jack Sharkey
1(2) Sonny Liston TKO6 8(127) Nick Barone

Combined Record: 13-2-1 (3)

"2ND SEED" RESULTS

2(25) Tony Tucker TKO2 7(105) Johnny Boudreaux
2(24) Tom Sharkey TKO2 7(104) Gerrie Coetzee
2(17) Floyd Patterson UD6 7(97) Rocky Jones
2(32) Earnie Shavers KO6 7(112) Garvin Sawyer
2(28) Joe Bugner D6 7(108) Sante Amonti
2(21) Ray Mercer TD3 7(101) Al Ettore
2(20) Donovan Ruddock UD6 7(100) Jesse Ferguson
2(29) Bill Brennan KO6 7(109) Lorenzo Zanon
2(27) Jack Gardner UD6 7(107) Bob Baker
2(22) Johnny Summerlin UD6 7(102) Mike DeJohn
2(19) Jimmy Ellis UD6 7(99) Luis Firpo
2(30) Cleveland Williams UD6 7(110) Pat Valentino
2(26) Roland LaStarza UD6 7(106) Willi Besmanoff
2(23) Frank Moran TKO5 7(103) Floyd Cummings
2(18) Oscar Bonavena UD6 7(98) Alonzo Johnson
2(31) Michael Dokes UD6 7(111) Phil Scott

Combined Record: 14-0-2 (5)

Without a doubt, it must be said that, overall, the top 32 seeds in the World Championship tournament were not as dominant as expected. Sure, most of them won their first bout, but look at the combined record of these top 32 seeds:

27-2-3 (8)

Just eight stoppages in 32 fights? That is certainly way below what was predicted. But then again, 18 unanimous decisions indicate that, while these fighters were not scoring knockouts, they were winning their bouts quite comfortably. Overall, the results show that President Vincennes and his team of experts got it right when they made these men the top 32 seeds for the tournament.

[kenyan_cheena]

VINCENNES EXPRESSES UNHAPPINESS WITH
"CERTAIN ASPECTS" OF MIAMI FIGHT CARD

Monday 4 February 2002

Appearing this evening on ESPN's SportsCenter, Heavyweight Boxing Federation president Michael Vincennes spoke of his disappointment with "certain aspects" of the HBF fight card that was held at the American Airlines Arena in Miami on Saturday night.

In particular, President Vincennes stated that he was unhappy with the way in which the Liston-Barone bout was handled. He also called the split decision victory awarded to Minnesota's Charley Retzlaff "unfortunate."

"Pardon the pun, but I'm not going to pull any punches here," Vincennes said. "The employees of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation have known from day one that their actions while representing the federation would always come under scrutiny. They were made aware of this, and accepted it. On Saturday night, the actions of a number of our employees drew some criticism, and I have to say that, after reviewing the situation, that criticism is warranted."

Vincennes went on to reveal that he had watched videos of the final three bouts of the Miami card, sitting down with paper and pen and scoring both the Retzlaff-Lavorante and Dokes-Scott bouts.

"I watched each and every round three times," Vincennes said. "And I can honestly say that Alejandro Lavorante won each of the first four rounds against Charley Retzlaff. Now, Mr. Retzlaff did make a great recovery to win the fifth and sixth, but it should not have been enough for him to win the bout. It's unfortunate and it's sad, because it's something that Charley Retzlaff had no control over."

As for Dokes-Scott, Vincennes was not so certain.

"That was a tough fight to judge," he said. "Watching it, I could see that it would be possible to give a close verdict to Michael Dokes. I can also see why Phil Scott and his corner were so disappointed. I don't think it was as bad a decision as some people believed. Personally, I scored it a draw."

It was, above all, the Liston-Barone fight that brought the most telling comments from Vincennes.

"I couldn't see a single reason to let that fight continue beyond the third round," Vincennes said. "People have asked me, yesterday and today, why I didn't step in myself and tell referee Adolph to stop the contest. My response to that will always be the same, and that response is that I had no reason to doubt the competence of HBF officials. If I had stepped in to stop the fight, that would have sent a terrible message. People would have reacted strongly. They would be saying that the HBF is staffed by a pack of idiots. Of course, in hindsight, it's easy to ask such questions."

President Vincennes finished his words regarding the Miami fight card.

"Let me just say that the HBF employees involved in these incidents have been spoken to, and the appropriate action has been taken."

Vincennes would not reveal if the employees had been fired or what that "appropriate action" was. What he did do was change the subject to upcoming events on the HBF calendar.

"As some of your viewers would know, the HBF's World Championship and 1st Defense tournaments are on hiatus this week. Their second series of bouts will commence next Monday from the Osaka Dome in Japan. This week, our feeder league tournaments will be starting. Tomorrow night at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, the U.S. Atlantic Coast Boxing League will make it's debut. A young, promising fighter from New Orleans named Harry Wills is the number one seed in the league. Then on Thursday, the South-East Asian Boxing League will see it's first action from Osaka, Japan. I think most people interested in our sport will know by now that Florida's Terone Haynes will be making his HBF debut on the card. It will be simply the beginning of a five-day HBF Japanese extravaganza, and I know our fans in the country just can't wait for it to begin."

[kenyan_cheena]

"THE ACCIDENTAL BOXER" WINS
BY MAJORITY DECISION IN HBF DEBUT

Tuesday 5 February 2002

On Saturday 5 January 2002, a young man named James Eldren attended an audition that the Heavyweight Boxing Federation held at the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana. Poor and unemployed, and inspired by both the recent spate of HBF advertising and the federation's upcoming debut fight card, Eldren held the belief that a career in boxing might solve his money problems. He arrived at the audition accompanied by his best friend, who was also unemployed and went by the name of Harry Wills. Both of the men hailed from New Orleans, and had managed to scrounge enough money together to afford bus tickets for the almost 400 mile journey, which they embarked on the day before the audition.

Now, on that particular day, Harry Wills had no interest in boxing. He was an unemployed roustabout, a man who had drifted from one short-lived employment opportunity to another, who had gone to the audition with his friend because he simply had nothing better on the horizon. He had never intended to try out.

My, how things have changed. And quickly.

Tonight, a matter of just one month later, that same Harry Wills was fighting, and winning, in the main event of the HBF's U.S. Atlantic Coast Boxing League's first fight card.

So, you might be wondering what happened in the space of one month to bring such a turnaround in the life of Harry Wills.

Well, I'll tell you.

On that fateful first Saturday of the new year, Eldren and Wills arrived at the HBF audition early, such was Eldren's enthusiasm. Another 226 young (and not so young) men from all over the USA with hopes and stars in their eyes turned up. After the obligatory health checks, HBF officials matched the 97 remaining hopefuls up against each other.

Hanging back and watching, Wills was approached by one of the HBF scouts.

"Hey, fella, are you interested in auditioning?" the scout said.

Wills shook his head no. "Naw, man. Just here with my homey," he said.

"Well, we need another body to give us an even number for these matchups. You look fit enough. Wanna volunteer?"

A slightly perturbed expression had come to the face of Harry Wills. He didn't have any plans to become a boxer and had absolutely no boxing experience. But for some reason that he could not explain, Wills volunteered his services.

Looking back on that day recently, Wills remembered that he was matched up against "some guy from Tennessee", and that the moment he laced up the gloves and doned that headgear, "a switch, or somethin', just flicked on inside of me. I don't know why, but I ain't never felt as alive as I did during that fight."

Wills surprised himself, and those watching, when he gave his opponent a 98 second butt kicking, flooring the guy twice before the HBF official stepped in and stopped the fight. His friend James watched and applauded.

This 22 year-old New Orleans native was blessed with impressive power in both hands and aggression to boot. He threw his punches in bunches, dazzling combinations that had simply overwhelmed his overmatched opponent.

A number of HBF officials confered with each other, while Wills stood in the ring, heart racing, breathing heavily, his bald head sweating bullets and feeling, as he would later recall, "something like euphoria, I guess."

A HBF official approached him, leaning over the ropes.

"Son, are you sure you've never boxed before?" he asked.

"Absolutely, sir. I mean, I got into some school yard fights when I was younger, but nothin' like this," Wills replied.

"Well you're a tremendously talented fighter," said the official. "Are you sure you don't want to audition?"

Wills only took a moment to think about that. "I think I'd like to," he said.

"Well, alright then," said the official, smiling.

Wills passed the medical checks, and during the two days of auditions, he sent three other opponents to the canvas and forced HBF officials to stop his fights against five more. By the end of the second day, Harry Wills, along with nineteen others (including his friend James Eldren) had signed a contract with the Heavyweight Boxing Federation. They were all told to go home and train, in preparation for their first bout, which, for some of them (such as Harry), would be in just a month's time.

That was exactly what Harry did. He and James returned to New Orleans and started training together. A week later, Harry was informed that he had been selected as the top seed in the initial tournament of the HBF's U.S. Atlantic Coast Boxing League. The news however, was not as positive for James. He had not been selected to participate in any of the HBF's seven "feeder leagues", but was told that he was on the short list for any subsequent feeder leagues that would open up.

Eldren didn't let his own disappointment dampen the happiness he was feeling for his friend, and tonight, when Harry Wills climbed into the ring for his debut bout against Sonny Banks of Detroit, Michigan, James was right there with him, one of Harry's four cornermen.

***

Tonight, in his HBF debut, Harry Wills of New Orleans, Louisiana started like a hurricane against Sonny Banks of Detroit, Michigan. Wills pounded Banks, peppering him with sharp combinations, powerful left hooks and straight rights. Wills threw 73 punches in the opening round and landed 58 of them, cutting Banks under the left eye. The fight was almost stopped near the round's end, when a thunderous right hand sent Banks back into the ropes.

However, Banks survived and, surprisingly, made a fight of it during the middle rounds. In fact, during rounds two to five, two judges scored the bout even while the third favoured Banks. The motor city native was able to frustrate Wills, fighting from close quarters, his head planted on Wills chest, clinching and smothering the Louisiana man's attack.

So going into the final round, Harry Wills had a lead of just one point on two of the cards, and was behind by one point on the other. That became incidental after his final round performance, where he dominated Banks and cut him for a second time. It was not a demolition like the opening round had been, but it was more than enough to give Wills a majority decision victory, 58-56, 57-57, 58-56.

After the fight, Wills expressed his gratitude to the Heavyweight Boxing Federation for giving himself, and his friend James Eldren, a chance to make something of themselves. He spoke of how only a month ago, he really was drifting towards oblivion.

"I feel like this is fate," Wills said. "I feel like I was meant to attend that audition with my homey James. I tell all of you lovely people here tonight, I ain't gonna disappoint you."

The audience at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall responded with an appreciative round of applause, as this potential future star in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation left the ring...