The Heavyweight Boxing Federation

[mh2365]

You may not want to take that bum Ray's advice though!

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation of post #1399)

Alvarez wore trunks of black with red trim, FLORIDA stencilled in white on the front waist band, ALLIANCE on the back. Running down the length of the left thigh, also in white was his nickname "ICEMAN". He exchanged words with each of his fellow Alliance members, Elmer Ray embracing him briefly before the referee called the two combatants to the centre of the ring.

As stated earlier, Alvarez is regarded as the pick of the Qualifying League crop and during the next half hour he showed why. Producing a measured, polished performance, "The Romdawg" scored a unanimous decision win over a willing but outclassed Serioux (58-56, 59-55, 58-56). Not a naturally aggressive fighter, it was the crispness of Alvarez's offense aswell as his defensive brilliance that really stood out. Time and again he would slip Serioux's punches or, moving like a Welterweight, use clever, swift footwork to distance himself from the Canadian. Alvarez's attacking raids illustrated his ring smarts as he chose the most opportune moments to tag Serioux with punishing combinations, the left jab also a staple throughout the contest.

Serioux gave his supporters some reason for positivity in the opening two rounds as he appeared to be handling the occasion quite well. They were both close rounds, with one judge awarding him the first and another giving him the second. But Alvarez had settled into a groove by round three and his class started to show, controlling the third and responding with some damaging blows when Serioux tried a more aggressive route in round four. By the fifth the Canadian was clearly tiring and wore some nasty swelling around his right eye. Alvarez dominated the round, picking his man off with a series of damaging right hands and lightning combinations. To Serioux's credit, he went all out in the final round, throwing everything he had left at Alvarez. But the Florida native showed a calmness and composure in the face of the assault, making Serious look foolish at times before tagging him with some spectacular counter punches.

When all was said and done, Alvarez had landed 144 of 291 punches (49.5%) while Serioux could only connect with 59 of 347 (17.0%). Those totals were a clear illustrator of Alvarez's defensive skills, something that had also been a feature of Mike Hanson's work in the opening bout of the card.

"I'm really happy," said Alvarez, his fellow Florida Alliance members flanking him. "Relieved, also. Uh, I'm never going to be the type o' guy who comes out and obliterates an opponent in sixty seconds, you know? That ain't where my strengths lie, at all. My plan was always to wear the guy down, to pick him apart jus' minute by minute and I'm happy that I succeeded in executing it."

Farris asked Alvarez if he was surprised by Serioux's efforts.

"Not at all," he replied. "I didn't know what to expect from him, so when he showed that he had that aggression I jus' went with it. The dude made himself an easy target sometimes, you know? Stood right in front of me, and that made it a bit easier to land my shots."

(to be continued)

[mh2365]

hmmm so it's a travesty when Hanson is extended but a solid effort when Romy is extended ... I'm going to destroy him!!!!

[Romdawg88]

Well, if I had tried to hype myself as some stonehanded bomber who was going to run over everyone and then let a freaking Frenchie go the distance with me then I would deserve some criticism but since unlike someone else I didn't do that it was a solid effort. We'll see who destroys who when I'm sticking my jab in your face over and over while you swing and miss helplessly.

It feels good to have that first bout under my belt. It was a good effort I think I would like to have stopped him but I doubt I'll score more then a couple in the first series of fights. I'll get my stoppages when the fights are extended out to 10+ rounds.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Well, if I had tried to hype myself as some stonehanded bomber who was going to run over everyone and then let a freaking Frenchie go the distance with me then I would deserve some criticism but since unlike someone else I didn't do that it was a solid effort. We'll see who destroys who when I'm sticking my jab in your face over and over while you swing and miss helplessly.

It feels good to have that first bout under my belt. It was a good effort I think I would like to have stopped him but I doubt I'll score more then a couple in the first series of fights. I'll get my stoppages when the fights are extended out to 10+ rounds.

Glad you enjoyed it, Romy. I think your guy fought pretty much in the manner you were hoping for. Finally, you can update your signature.

I'll get this card (including Chris' fight) finished when I'm at home tomorrow.

[Claybor]

Good stuff.

[Romdawg88]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Glad you enjoyed it, Romy. I think your guy fought pretty much in the manner you were hoping for. Finally, you can update your signature.

I'll get this card (including Chris' fight) finished when I'm at home tomorrow.

Yep, my guy fought exactly how I wanted him to. I had forgotten by my sig thanks for the reminder, it's nice to finally update it and see a 1 in there instead of double zeros.

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation of post #1402)

"I have to give Antonio a lot of credit, you know?" continued Alvarez. "He's a tough fighter, and he really made me work for the win."

"Y'all, this cat gonna outdo all us," said a smiling Elmer Ray when asked what he thought of Alvarez's performance. "Jus' a great debut, no doubt. I real pleased for him, y'all. He our boy, you know? An' this jus' be the firs' step for him, see? I can hones'ly see Romy goin' through this tourney perfect, sho nuff."

Alvarez took time out to thank the crowd for their support and his fellow Alliance members for the help they've given him in preparing for his debut.

"I could really feel y'all were behind me," he said, smiling and waving to the crowd. "That really helped me, truly. E and the other fellas gave me so much confidence for tonight, you know? Just in these last few weeks they helped me become fitter than I've been in my life and I can't thank 'em enough for that."

The victorious entourage made their way back to the dressing rooms soon after, the audience applauding them every step of the way with a somewhat overwhelmed Alvarez leading the way.

Preliminary 3

The fourth contest of the evening featured one of the more unlikely members of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's new rookie class. Born and raised in Connecticut, Germany's Scott Mundt was bestowed with the nickname "The Punching Accountant" during the HBF auditions due to his status as a CPA. Having boxed as a teenager, he turned his back on the sport in favour of lacrosse and accountancy while attending UConn.

Having already built a successful accounting career, Mundt made the surprising decision in 1999 to leave the USA and settled in his grandfather's hometown of Zeitz in Germany. The 30 year-old's interest in boxing was reignited with last September's formation of the HBF and he was regarded as perhaps the fittest of all those who attended the federation's various auditions.

Unlike the other debutants who were in action on the night, Mundt was in against an opponent with some experience. Samoa's Kalolo Umaga had accumulated a 2-3 record during the South-East Asian Boxing League tournament, the highlight of his campaign being a spirited showing against Florida Alliance member Terone Haynes back in April. Umaga was knocked down twice in the final round before the contest was stopped just seven seconds from the bell.

It was a no-nonsense arrival to the ring for Mundt, accompanied only by his three cornermen, the quartet all wearing outfits of white with black trim. Following a few minutes later in solid black, Umaga looked determined to mark his US debut - and also start his time in the QL - on a positive note. He'd lost a unanimous decision to Kansas native Fred Fulton in his last Asian league bout and spat a few choice adjectives Mundt's way as he prowled the ring before the opening bell.

Mundt had shown himself to be an aggressive slugger during the auditions, one with endurance and stamina to burn. Contrary to this, the 61st seed erred on the side of caution during the opening stanza, allowing Umaga to dictate the pace. The Samoan landed a number of flush blows, none better than a right hand that snapped Mundt's head around a minute into the round. He also caught the German with a nice left hook at the end of a brief exchange at the midpoint and an uppercut from inside late in the piece. Umaga taunted Mundt after the bell, scowling and shouting "Come on, rookie!", pounding his chest as he returned to his corner.

Despite the underwhelming start Mundt appeared unperturbed during the intermission, calmly listening to his trainer, a contemplative, almost serene expression showing on his countenance. Umaga maintained his aggression early in the second, unloading a flurry of punches which Mundt either parried or evaded. He fired off an impressive retort, a four punch combo including a stiff, flush right hand that backed up the Samoan. The two were tied in a clinch soon after, Mundt working well on the inside and connecting with a short left hook.

As the round approached the minute mark Mundt made some room for himself, probing with the jab before stepping in and unleashing a wicked body shot. The punch caught Umaga on the left side and he looked to be in immediate pain. His guard dropped and Mundt struck like a cobra: left hook, straight right, left hook! Against the ropes, the Samoan was gone and he slumped sideways to the canvas, his head impacting with a thud. The crowd came to their feet as one and referee William Conners motioned for Mundt to move to a neutral corner, the German doing so but looking over to his corner crew with excitement on the way, a skip in his step.

The Samoan did not move for the duration of the count and just like that, the contest was over. Mundt was the victor by KO at 1:18 of round two. His cornermen swarmed the ring and embraced him, Mundt a little bit shocked by the abrupt ending to the fight.

(to be continued)

[Romdawg88]

Congrats to Connie for being the only one of the rookies to score a stoppage. Damn impressive win for him there.

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation of post #1408)

"I didn't expect this at all," said Mundt. "We'd prepared for a tough night and to win it like this is a real bonus. I don't know if you want to call it luck or opportunism, but I feel pretty fortunate to have won it this way."

ESPN's Bill Farris commented on Umaga's attitude before the fight and after the opening round.

"Well, I guess he was trying to intimidate me," said Mundt, smiling. "That's understandable, you know? I'm making my debut and he's already been through five fights before now. That just makes me feel even better about the win, really."

If HBF scouts had been asked beforehand to choose which one of tonight's rookies had the biggest chance of scoring a KO victory, there's little doubt that most of them would have nominated Mike Hanson. Mundt would have been a close 2nd due to his aggressive nature but few could have forseen the impressive fashion in which he achieved his win. It will be interesting to see how he follows it up in his next bout.

Preliminary 4

Halftime on the evening had arrived and all of the debutants had now popped their HBF cherries. The fifth fight on the card featured two combatants who had found a measure of success during their time in the feeder leagues, though not enough to secure a semi-final birth. South Africa's Shakes Qoboza suffered only a single defeat in the Southern European League, his 2-1-2(1) record seeing him finish in 3rd place in Group B. West Virginia native Delbert Craw had held the Congo's Anaclet Wamba to a draw in his last African League bout and brought a 2-2-1 record into the QL.

Placed into Group One alongside impressive rookies Romy Alvarez and Mike Hanson, Qoboza and Craw gave an indication that they won't be pushovers during a hard-fought, entertaining slugfest. Qoboza may have taken the decision (59-53, 60-52, 59-53) but he was given one hell of a hard time along the way. Through the first three rounds they traded bombs to the audience's delight, Qoboza appearing to be the better fighter in each round (but not by much) before he blew it open in round four, dropping Craw twice in the space of forty seconds. The action continued in the final two rounds, Craw refusing to give in and actually winning round six. When the contest was over the crowd came to their feet in a standing ovation.

With his record now 3-1-2(1), Qoboza has overachieved during these early stages of his career. He wasn't expected to do much in what was clearly the least talented of the federation's feeder leagues but to have reached his sixth bout with just a single defeat against his name is quite an achievement. Whether he can make a fist of his run in the QL tournament, only time will tell, but tonight's win was an admirable one. If he can maintain the same level of resolve and determination, he could give some of the more fancied fighters in the league a tough time.

(to be continued)

[Romdawg88]

Hm, I just thought of a question which is going to affect all of us rookies as this thing moves on what are you doing with aging? How long before guys like Umaga, Qoboz, and Craw hit Pre-prime?

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Hm, I just thought of a question which is going to affect all of us rookies as this thing moves on what are you doing with aging? How long before guys like Umaga, Qoboz, and Craw hit Pre-prime?

I decided some time ago (but didn't post about it) that for the duration of the thread, info on what career stage each fighter is at will not be revealed.

However, I will tell you that I'm using the website www.random.org to generate numbers to come up with the amount of fights each fighter has at each career stage.

So, unfortunately, you'll just have to guess based on the way they perform in each fight.

[Romdawg88]

Ah, ok thats cool. I was just wondering how you were doing the aging. I like that you aren't telling us what career stage everyone is at it adds abit more suspense to the fights.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

I like that you aren't telling us what career stage everyone is at it adds abit more suspense to the fights.

It also maintains the realism of it, IMO.

[Ric915]

Impressive wins all around for the community members..I like your not releasing the career stages like Romdawg said it adds a bit of suspense and like you say KC realism to it. I cant wait for my debut hope it's as successful

[CONN CHRIS]

Unlike the other debutants who were in action on the night, Mundt was in against an opponent with some experience.

Mundt was the victor by KO at 1:18 of round two.

Look out boys!

Keep calling me 'Connie' and I'll have to re-enact Ali-Terrell at some point.

"What's my name?"


(sorry to be late on the scene - I haven't even looked at this forum in quite a few days with all the DB work.)

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Ric915

Impressive wins all around for the community members..I like your not releasing the career stages like Romdawg said it adds a bit of suspense and like you say KC realism to it. I cant wait for my debut hope it's as successful

Thanks, Ric. I'm hoping your debut will be a success also. Look out for a story concerning your guy in the IBL thread in the next week or so.

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

Look out boys!

Keep calling me 'Connie' and I'll have to re-enact Ali-Terrell at some point.

"What's my name?"


(sorry to be late on the scene - I haven't even looked at this forum in quite a few days with all the DB work.)

That's okay, Chris. I figured that was the case. Congrats on your guy's fantastic career start.

[CONN CHRIS]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Congrats to Connie.

What's my name?!

[CONN CHRIS]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

That's okay, Chris. I figured that was the case. Congrats on your guy's fantastic career start.

I am shocked at how much time this is taking and will take. Kiss a DB team guy if you see one on the street!

[CONN CHRIS]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Congrats to Connie.

What's my name?!