The Heavyweight Boxing Federation

[kenyan_cheena]

DATE WITH DESTINY DOWN UNDER

Friday 16 August 2002

The struggle for progression in Group Thirteen of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament has been one of the premier highlights of the organisation's first year of existence. The quartet of Ken Norton, Donovan Ruddock, Buster Mathis and Gerald Griffith had fought tooth and nail to stay in contention and tonight's card at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia was the culmination of their conflict: four combatants vying for two places in the second stage of the World Championship tournament. Bringing a combined record of 14-2-8(4) into the event, something was going to give and there would be equal doses of triumph and sorrow by the time the night was over...

* The Co-Feature

After showing some inconsistent form during his first five tournament bouts, Canada's Donovan Ruddock had produced a faultless effort to send top seed Ken Norton to his first career defeat last month. That victory improved Ruddock's record to 4-0-2(1) and elevated him into 1st place in the group standings. It didn't guarantee him a spot in stage two, though. To achieve that, he'd have to overcome the similarly undefeated Buster Mathis. The native of Grand Rapids, Michigan had been victorious in his first three tournament bouts before his campaign had stalled with consecutive draws against Tom McNeeley, Norton and Griffith. A loss tonight would see Mathis suffer the unfortunate situation of missing out on stage two despite only losing one bout. Of course, Ruddock was in a similar predicament, even though a defeat would not automatically destroy his chances.

The tournament's 20th seed, Ruddock had made a claim back in December that he should have been seeded closer to, or even inside, the top ten. It was a boast that had haunted him through his early struggles but one that he appeared to have backed up when he defeated Norton. His fellow Canadians George Chuvalo and Sam Langford had both qualified for stage two in 1st place and he was determined to replicate that feat.

ROUND ONE

The opening is a cautious one, with each man content to probe with the jab before Ruddock lands the first big shot of the fight, a fierce uppercut that snaps Mathis' head back. But as the round progresses Mathis takes charge, finding his range and tagging the big Canadian with a trio of effective combinations. He works hard behind that jab, flicking it out time and again and landing often.

ROUND TWO

Ruddock is able to take advantage of a more circumspect Mathis. Although the 20th seed's efforts aren't a huge improvement on round one, they're enough because Mathis cuts his own productivity by more than half. Ruddock's best work comes two minutes into the round when after doubling up on the jab he catches Mathis on the ropes and scores with a powerful left hook that sends the sweat spitting onto the front row.

ROUND THREE

Coming out aggressive and strong, Ruddock dominates the third. He establishes control early with back-to-back flurries in the first minute, hurting Mathis and putting him on the back foot for the rest of the round. A booming straight right snaps the Michigan native's head back and a jolting right cross cannons off his forehead late in the piece, making it a great round for Ruddock.

Punches landed after round three:

Ruddock - 54/172 (31.4%)
Mathis - 52/133 (39.1%)

ROUND FOUR

The Canadian is in a groove now, continuing his good work from the 3rd and landing some heavy artillery. It all starts about a minute in when a winging right catches Mathis hard under his left eye. Ruddock steps up the pace, dropping the right hand square on Mathis' jaw and then snapping his head back with a crushing uppercut late in the round. The Michigan slugger is looking tired as the round draws to a close.

ROUND FIVE

Knowing that he's on the verge of defeat, Mathis gets himself back in the contest with a strong showing in the 5th. The opening half of the round is pretty even but Mathis takes control with some solid combinations. Perhaps Ruddock is feeling a bit cocky. Whatever the reason, he's not as eager to engage, not as hungry to land his shots. Mathis lets out a determined shout as he returns to his corner.

ROUND SIX

Both camps must know that the contest is still in the balance and when Mathis is staggered by a straight right just ten seconds into the round, things look good for Ruddock. But he doesn't follow up and Mathis seems to have the upper hand through the first two minutes. He's throwing more punches and landing scoring shots, bringing frustration to Ruddock's face. After a fierce toe-to-toe exchange Ruddock has Mathis on his heels with a devastating uppercut. He puts his all into the final moments of the fight but Mathis remains on his feet, the crowd applauding as the bell signals the end of an entertaining contest.

Punches landed after round six:

Ruddock - 120/374 (32.1%)
Mathis - 118/284 (41.5%)

***

Both fighters look tense in the moments before the announcement and when it comes, it's the Canadian who is jubilant: each judge awards Ruddock a 58-56 verdict, making him the winner by unanimous decision. He offers his commiserations to a heartbroken Mathis before acknowledging the crowd's great support, ecstatic with the fact that he's completed the stage undefeated and finished in 1st place.

"I made some comments back last year that bit me on the behind a little," he said, smiling. "But I feel that, despite some struggles early on, I've backed those words up. I've gone 3-0 against the other top four seeds in the group, so I've earned this."

"It's going to be fantastic," said Ruddock, when asked about stage two of the tournament. "I think I'm going to be in the same group as Chuvalo and that's one fight I'm really looking forward to."

Ruddock had departed the ring soon after, content in the knowledge that he could now sit back and watch and see who would join him in stage two...

(to be continued)

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

* The Main Event

San Diego's Ken Norton had found little to trouble him during the first four series of World Championship tournament bouts. He accumulated a 4-0(2) record, with both of those stoppages coming in the 2nd round. His efforts established him as one of the early favourites for success in the tournament and, along with his chiseled physique, led to him signing a promotional contract with the fitness company Trimline. But his progress hit a snag back in June when he was held to a draw by Buster Mathis and the situation worsened when Donovan Ruddock defeated him by unanimous decision last month. Norton had gone from being the class of the group to facing a must-win clash against the tenacious Sioux City native Gerald Griffith just to stay in the tournament. He had celebrated his 25th birthday last week and the Californian was looking to give himself a belated gift tonight.

Accompanied to the ring by fellow USC members James Toney and Sam McVey, Norton looked deadly serious. His countenance was ablaze with intensity, a thin layer of sweat shining on his forehead. McVey had been in Los Angeles back on Tuesday night, partying at a popular nightclub with his girlfriend Claudette James and fellow HBF competitor Jack Johnson. Apparently he hadn't been able to fly out to Australia with Norton because of pre-arranged media commitments but had made the flight on Wednesday, Miss James at his side. They had been unable to spend a lot of time together in recent weeks and according to McVey will be holidaying in Australia for the next month.

Norton's opponent Gerald Griffith (3-1-2(1)) had already proven himself to be a dangerous opponent, going undefeated through his first four fights before losing a narrow split decision to Ruddock in June and then holding Mathis to a draw last month. He felt confident that he could ruin Norton's tournament and extend his own stay in it into the second stage...

Round One

The 13th-seeded Californian has the better of what is a pretty uneventful opening round, Griffith doing little of note until the later stages when he finds the target with a couple of hard shots during a spirited exchange. Norton displays a willingness to work behind the jab, catching Griffith with several of them.

Round Two

Griffith comes well and truly out of his shell in round two, showing the skill and aggression that has gotten him to the verge of the tournament's second stage. Within the opening minute he lands a smashing left hook, a flush right hand and another clubbing left, bringing a look of consternation to Norton's face. Griffith continues to press as the round goes on, doubling up on the hook midway through before Norton redeems himself somewhat in the final minute. Even so, Griffith comprehensively outworks him and returns to his corner to appreciative applause, pumping himself up with a chest thump.

Round Three

Much of the reason behind Norton's loss to Ruddock had been his lack of aggression, or, to put it more accurately, Ruddock's superior aggression. His cornerman rammed the point home during the intermission that he was not to allow that to happen again and the San Diego native came out and dominated Griffith in round three. Starting with some effective jabbing, Norton stepped up the pace as the round passed its midpoint, catching Griffith with a succession of power shots before consolidating on that impressive work with some slick boxing as the round ended.

Punch totals after round three:

Norton 57/102 (55.9%)
Griffith 57/198 (28.8%)

Round Four

Norton's wearing a killer gaze as he leaves his stool for the fourth and during the next three minutes he proceeds to dismantle Griffith, cutting him to pieces with an awe-inspiring assault. His attack brings the best out of the Iowa native, though, and Griffith is able to land some smashing counter-punches. It's during the last forty seconds where Norton does his greatest damage, pounding Griffith to the head and body. When the round is over the two have combined to land a total of 81 punches (Norton 50, Griffith 31) and the crowd are on their feet in a deafening ovation.

Round Five

His determination at unbeatable heights, Norton unleashes hell once again. But this time Griffith is unable to respond, his resistance spent as Norton lands pile-driving lefts and rights at will. He cuts Griffith under the left eye and it's a mystery as to how the tough 52nd seed is still on his feet.

Round Six

Griffith is done but Norton doesn't let up, ending what is no doubt the three best consecutive rounds of his career to date with another superb showing. Norton is on a mission, a mission to send out a message to the rest of the competiton. He's showing the type of hunger, aggression and power that will serve him well during the tournament's second stage. The fight ends with the two men locked in a clinch, Griffith's face a cut and swollen mess.

Punch totals after round six:

Norton 195/291 (67.0%)
Griffith 110/370 (29.7%)

***

Soon after it's confirmed that Norton has joined Ruddock in stage two, the judges awarding him a 59-55, 59-56, 59-55 unanimous decision victory. His brilliance from rounds three through six have led to him sweeping all three judge's cards in those rounds. The San Diego slugger is still on some kind of high ten minutes after the verdict, as if his body has not settled down from the lengths he pushed it to.

"I have to give Gerald a whole lotta credit," Norton said. "The guy is one tough bastard and I'm sure he'll give whoever he goes up against in the American tournament a helluva tough time. I'd like to wish him all the best. I'm pretty relieved that I got through this one 'cause he was bringin' some heavy punches in that second round. My trainer gave it to me after that and I just told myself that these next fifteen minutes are your life. I just stepped out in those last four rounds like my life depended on it and I'm pretty shocked by what I achieved, to be honest."

Norton wore a surprised expression when told that after landing 57 punches in the first three rounds, he'd connected with a total of 138 in the last three.

"Had no idea it was that big a difference," Norton said, shaking his head. "Just goes to show what a man can do when he digs deep, I guess."

Sam McVey was there in the ring, congratulating his good friend.

"I'm so happy that he's qualified," he said, smiling. "Would o' been nice if Ken had gotten 1st place but it's worked out nice, 'cause we ain't in the same group in stage two. Means we ain't gonna have to fight each other 'til the semis."

Norton laughed at this last comment, shaking McVey's hand. The entourage left the ring in a jovial mood, Norton acknowledging the audience's applause.

After all these months of competition, it's the top two seeds who have qualified from Group Thirteen, though not in the manner most would have expected:

1. 2(20) DONOVAN RUDDOCK (CANADA), 5-0-2(1)
2. 1(13) KEN NORTON (USA), 5-1-1(2)

3. 3(36) BUSTER MATHIS (USA), 3-1-3
4. 4(52) GERALD GRIFFITH (USA), 3-2-2(1)

(Still to come: The Melbourne Undercard)

[kenyan_cheena]

THE MELBOURNE UNDERCARD

Opening Bout

Norway's Steffen Tangstad and New York's Jeff Merritt ended their time in the 1st Defense tournament with an entertaining draw to start the evening.

Merritt was the stronger fighter through most of the first four rounds but Tangstad rallied in the final two, his efforts enough to lead two of the judges to score the bout 57-57. The other had Merritt a 58-56 winner.

Tangstad's record is now 2-4-1(1) while Merritt is 1-4-2.

Preliminary 1

Harlem native Coley Wallace scored a hard-fought unanimous decision win over Philadelphia's Jesse Ferguson (57-55, 57-56, 57-55). The fight almost ended in the opening round as Wallace went to town, rocking Ferguson with a number of flush blows. But the Pennsylvanian fought back and if not for the knockdown he suffered in round five, it could have been a different result.

Wallace improved his record to 2-3-2 and will likely be named as a competitor in the Continental Americas tournament. Ferguson finishes his stint in the World Championship tourney with a disappointing 1-6 mark.

Preliminary 1

Following on from his victory over Jesse Ferguson last month, Massachusetts native Tom McNeeley improved to 2-3-2 with a comfortable 59-55, 60-54, 59-55 victory against Leroy Jones.

McNeeley earned the admiration of many with his efforts against top four seeds Ken Norton, Donovan Ruddock and Buster Mathis earlier in the World Championship tournament and his back-to-back victories will certainly see him join Wallace in the American tournament.

Support Bout

1st Defense tournament 37th seed Alfredo Evangelista put himself in position to qualify for stage two with a 2nd round KO of the winless New Jersey native Mel Turnbow.

Bringing a 4-2(1) record into the fight the Spaniard dominated the opening round and then dropped Turnbow with a single left hook. Turnbow did not attempt to return to his feet and was counted out at the 2:21 mark.

If Jamaican top seed Trevor Berbick defeats Bernie Reynolds tomorrow night in New York, Evangelista will finish in 2nd place and progress to stage two, an admirable achievement for one who was given little chance of success before the tournament started.

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
FRIDAY 16 AUGUST 2002
ROD LAVER ARENA, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA


OPENING BOUT

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Four
6(45) Steffen Tangstad D6 7(53) Jeff Merritt

PRELIMINARY 1

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Thirteen
6(84) Coley Wallace UD6 7(100) Jesse Ferguson

PRELIMINARY 2

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Thirteen
8(116) Tom McNeeley UD6 5(68) Leroy Jones

SUPPORT BOUT

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Four
5(37) Alfredo Evangelista KO2 8(61) Mel Turnbow

CO-FEATURE

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Thirteen
2(20) Donovan Ruddock UD6 3(36) Buster Mathis

MAIN EVENT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Thirteen
1(13) Ken Norton UD6 4(52) Gerald Griffith

[Ric915]

awesome stuff KC

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Ric915

awesome stuff KC

Thanks, Ric. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I was happy that I managed to get that entire card written-up in one day.

[kenyan_cheena]

AMONTI GIVEN HERO'S WELCOME
ON ARRIVAL IN ITALY

Friday 16 August 2002

Last Monday Sante Amonti completed a fairytale run into stage two of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament with a 6th round stoppage of Alex Miteff in Japan. Today the tournament's 108th seed received a jubilant welcome upon arriving home in Italy with a throng of family, supporters and media there to greet him at Leonardo da Vinci International airport.

"This is just unbelieveable," said a clearly overwhelmed Amonti. "I remember back in December when I told people I'd be competing in the tournament, they didn't show much interest. It's no secret that boxing has not been big here in Italy, even though we had a gold medallist and a bronze medallist in Sydney. But I'm hoping that what I've been able to achieve will help increase the popularity of the sport here. Just judging by this here today, it looks like we've made a good start. It will be great if everyone gets behind Nino (Benvenuti) and Duilio (Loi) during the IBL tournaments."

Indeed, the International Boxing League will be visiting Italy on the 27th of August, with the Casino Di Campione in Lombardia hosting the first card of the Middleweight division's European regional qualifiers. Gold medallist Nino Benvenuti will headline the card and Amonti is hopeful that there's a full house on hand for the event.

"I'll be right there in the front row," said an enthusiastic Amonti. "It's not that far from my hometown and I'll be making sure as many people as possible come out to support Nino."

Amonti was asked what he was feeling about the possibility of taking on the World Championship tournament's #1 seed Gene Tunney in his first stage two bout. The 19 year-old more or less dismissed the question, prefering to speak on more positive things.

"I'm not really concerned about it at the moment," he said. "Right now I just want to get back to Brescia, spend some time with my family and friends and let what I've achieved soak in. And celebrate, too, of course. To be honest, I don't even care if I go through the second stage winless. I've already gotten further than anyone expected so whatever comes in the future will just be a bonus."

Sante Amonti's achievement of qualifying for the second stage is indeed the stuff of fairytales and it will be a pleasure to see him in action over the coming year...

[kenyan_cheena]

RISKY BUSINESS:
HOLMES HELD TO DRAW IN
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN STUNNER

Saturday 17 August 2002

Since the start of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament, Pennsylvania's Larry Holmes has been numbered amongst the top two or three favourites to take out the crown. The man known as "The Easton Assassin" had worked his way to a 6-0 record with consumate ease and looked set to enter the tournament's second stage as the #1 seed in what will be a talent-laden Group Four.

All Holmes had to do to confirm that status was complete stage one with a victory over Cleveland's Johnny Risko when they stepped into the ring at Madison Square Garden tonight. Considering Risko's 3-1-2 record, it would be by no means an easy night, but there were few who doubted that the tournament's 4th seed would emerge victorious. What eventuated has brought doubt of a different kind as Risko dug deep to give Holmes an almighty scare and hold him to a draw (57-57, 58-56 (Holmes), 57-57) in a bout that exceeded all expectations.

Larry Holmes has looked focused and ready to go before each and every one of his previous tournament bouts, but there was something missing from his demeanour as he stood in his corner in the moments before the opening bell. Was he thinking ahead to stage two? Was he lacking that certain hunger for victory that he's often said drives him on? Whatever the reason, he appeared somewhat underwhelmed by the occasion, surprising considering he was making his debut at the famous building, the venue that is the home of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation. Physically, he looked in perfect shape. The difference was there in his eyes, those portals to the soul that gave away his indifference in regards to what was about to take place.

The opening round gave little indication of what was to come as, with the exception of a hard Holmes right cross early on, there was little action of note. Things would start to heat up in round two, though, as Risko produced perhaps the best three minutes of boxing anyone has ever put up against the 4th seed, tagging him with a number of solid scoring blows. Holmes' workrate seemed to be down considerably on his previous contests and when Risko maintained control deep into the third an upset looked on the cards. Holmes finally started showing some interest as the round entered it's third minute, rattling the Ohio native with a crisp combination and following it up with a nice left-right salvo moments before the bell.

Holmes went on to have the better of both the fourth and fifth, showing his customary brilliance with pinpoint jabs and rapid combinations. It now appeared that the threat had passed. Holmes' head trainer Saoul Mamby had been on his case throughout the bout, spitting some choice words at his charge during each intermission. Going into the final round it seemed that Holmes had finally kicked into gear, but Risko hadn't come to the Garden just to be an opponent. As the final stanza entered its bottom half he put his foot down, unloading a succession of hard scoring punches that, while not really hurting Holmes, were enough to steal the round and bring about the final, unexpected verdict.

The final punch totals for the bout read Holmes 101/275 (36.7%), Risko 133/388 (34.3%), numbers that showed the Cleveland native's superior hunger and desire.

"Just didn't have it tonight," said a dejected Holmes afterwards. "I don't know, I guess the lack of pressure had a bad effect on me, maybe. It really stings, though, losing that perfect record."

Mamby had already left the ring in disgust with the 4th seed's showing, leaving him to fend for himself.

"I was really looking forward to fighting here at MSG but I just stunk up the joint."

Holmes shook his head and mumbled something about being in a "better frame of mind next time" before leaving the ring. Risko was in a euphoric state, as if he'd just won the World Championship.

"Gonna remember this for a long time," he said, excited. "Don't make any excuses for the guy. I tested him and he didn't respond that well, so that should be a message to the fellas in stage two. I'm over the moon to finish it like this."

Like Michigan's Buster Mathis, Risko suffered just a single loss in the tournament. He'll be another name to keep an eye on in the Continental Americas Championship tournament, without a doubt.

As for Holmes, tonight's result has cost him a #1 group seeding in stage two. Based on their perfect records, Riddick Bowe and Sam Langford will now be #1 and #2 respectively in Group Four, while Holmes will be #3. Only last week, Bowe had spoken on the very topic of the importance of finishing with a perfect record.

"See, when they seed us in the groups in stage two they do it according to our record in stage one," he had said. "If brothers have the same record, they then use the tournament seed. I'm #5 and Sammy Langford's #9. He's already 7-0, man. Larry's #4 and he's gonna go through perfect also but if I slip up on Monday and end up 6-1, that'll make Sammy #2 in the group and I'll be #3. That might not mean much, but it changes the sked, you know? Changes who you go up against and with only one of us going through to the semis, brothers've gotta be on the mark from that first fight. If I can slot in at #2, it means I'll be fighting #7 and #8 to start instead of #6 and #5. Don't know how many folks 'r' aware of that, man."

It now appears that his words foreshadowed Holmes' failure to go 7-0. Following tonight's result, the definitive makeup of Group Four can be confirmed, as follows:

1(5) RIDDICK BOWE (USA), 7-0-0(4)
2(9) SAM LANGFORD (CANADA), 7-0-0(1)
3(4) LARRY HOLMES (USA), 6-0-1(2)
4(16) JIMMY YOUNG (USA), 5-0-2
5(13) KEN NORTON (USA), 5-1-1(2)
6(32) EARNIE SHAVERS (USA), 5-1-1(4)
7(41) ZORA FOLLEY (USA), 4-1-2(1)
8(21) RAY MERCER (USA), 4-2-1(1)

(to be continued)

[Romdawg88]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

1(5) RIDDICK BOWE (USA), 7-0-0(4)
2(9) SAM LANGFORD (CANADA), 7-0-0(1)
3(4) LARRY HOLMES (USA), 6-0-1(2)
4(16) JIMMY YOUNG (USA), 5-0-2
5(13) KEN NORTON (USA), 5-1-1(2)
6(32) EARNIE SHAVERS (USA), 5-1-1(4)
7(41) ZORA FOLLEY (USA), 4-1-2(1)
8(21) RAY MERCER (USA), 4-2-1(1)

Maybe it was good that Gomez missed out on stage 2 if he had gotten stuck in this group I could have see him losing every single one of these fights. I can't wait till the fight cards with this group start man there isn't a bad matchup at all in the group. I think the Young/Folley matchup is the weakest and I'm still interested really interested in it plus the Holmes/Langford/Bowe series is going to be unreal.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Maybe it was good that Gomez missed out on stage 2 if he had gotten stuck in this group I could have see him losing every single one of these fights. I can't wait till the fight cards with this group start man there isn't a bad matchup at all in the group. I think the Young/Folley matchup is the weakest and I'm still interested really interested in it plus the Holmes/Langford/Bowe series is going to be unreal.

Elmer might have had some trouble there also if he'd qualified. The opening series will be 1v8, 2v7, 3v6 and 4v5, with Bowe vs Langford scheduled to be the final bout for the group in stage two.

Holmes has cost himself a bunch of main events by failing to put away Risko. As long as he doesn't fall out of contention, Bowe is going to top the bill for every card as he's the group's #1 seed.

[kenyan_cheena]

I'm looking forward to Bowe v Mercer. It'll be the 30 year-old 1992 gold medallist v the 2000 silver medallist. Mercer will be determined as hell to try and prove that experience beats youth. I'm excited about writing up that bout.

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation of post #1468)

It figures to be far and away the toughest stage two tournament group, one that will provide a quartet of exciting clashes with every passing series...

The Madison Square Garden Undercard

OPENING BOUT

Featuring a pair of fighters who brought a combined record of 0-11-1 into the evening, the opener between Italy's Lorenzo Zanon and Al McCoy of Maine was more entertaining than expected. Knowing that this would very likely be their last appearance in the federation the two combatants went at it hard, trading punishing blows for much of the contest before Zanon was awarded a victory by majority decision (58-56, 57-57, 58-57).

The Italian improved to 1-5-1 while McCoy finished his time in the tournament with a perfect losing record of 0-7.

PRELIMINARY 1

San Francisco's Henry Clark will take a three-fight winning streak into the Continental Americas tournament following his majority decision win over North Carolina native James Broad. The final scorecards were 58-56, 57-57, 60-54 with the third one probably the truest indication of the bout's closeness. Clark was in control from the opening round and was visibly puzzled when the verdict was announced.

"I just can't understand how anyone could have scored that fight a draw," he said. "Give the guy one round, maybe two at the most. But three? Come on, man. Still, it's good to get another win. I'm excited about what I can achieve in the American tournament."

Clark is now 3-3-1 while Broad falls to 1-4-2(1).

PRELIMINARY 2

The 1st Defense tournament's 13th seed Jim Maloney ended a disappointing campaign with a unanimous decision victory over South Carolina's Wayne Bethea (58-56 on all three cards).

A native of Boston, Maloney had suffered stoppage losses to Bernie Reynolds and Trevor Berbick in his last two bouts. After a slow start he fought back to sweep the last four rounds on all three judge's cards, extending Bethea's winless streak to three fights.

Both men will feature in the American Championship tournament, both taking 3-3-1 records into the event.

SUPPORT BOUT

Last month, Minnesota's Harry Thomas secured his passage to stage two of the World Championship tournament with a victory over Johnny Risko. Tonight he finished an impressive stage one with a punishing unanimous verdict victory against 29th-seeded Kentucky native Bill Brennan.

In what was the best bout of the evening, Thomas rallied from being floored in round three to drop Brennan in the final stanza and secure the win by scores of 58-54, 57-55 and 58-54. After a circumspect opening round the contest exploded in round two as Thomas and Brennan exchanged some thunderous blows, bringing the crowd to their feet. Brennan dominated the third, putting Thomas on his backside with a single left hook a minute in and maintaining the pressure through the rest of the stanza. Round four was another barnstorming three minutes, neither man taking a backward step to the audience's delight. Thomas came out more determined and aggressive in the fifth and controlled the final two rounds, culminating in a flush right hook that sent Brennan to the canvas a minute from the final bell.

Thomas takes a 6-1 record into stage two, his only loss coming against top seed Larry Holmes in June. Brennan was the 2nd seed in Group Four behind Holmes and will be disappointed with his 3-2-2(1) record, along with the fact that he was winless against the group's other top four seeds.

CO-FEATURE

With a place in stage two of the 1st Defense tournament up for grabs, Connecticut's Bernie Reynolds went all out for victory against top-seeded Jamaican Trevor Berbick. Reynolds produced an admirable, brave showing but in the end it wasn't good enough to overcome an opponent who was determined to maintain his perfect record. After an exciting six rounds of combat Berbick was declared the winner by unanimous decision (59-55, 58-56, 59-55).

Despite Reynolds' spirited efforts (especially in the first and third), Berbick swept the first five rounds on two of the judge's cards. Round four brought a particularly brutal three minutes as Berbick peppered Reynolds with a potent jab in between pinpoint punishing combos. The Caribbean fighter eased off in the final round and even though Reynolds won it convincingly, most of the snap had long before left his punches and Berbick survived his attempts at scoring a miracle knockout with ease.

Berbick has more or less lived up to the pre-tournament hype that surrounded him, his 7-0 mark including two stoppage victories. In the tournament's second stage, he'll be the 2nd seed in Group One behind "The Brockton Blockbuster" himself, Rocky Marciano.

As a result of Reynolds' defeat, 37th-seeded Spaniard Alfredo Evangelista has qualified for the second stage. Evangelista's only losses came against Berbick and Reynolds but he was a perfect 5-0 in his other fights. As expected, Reynolds' draw against Wayne Bethea last month has proven to be the difference, with Evangelista finishing 5-2-0(2) and Reynolds 4-2-1(2).

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
SATURDAY 17 AUGUST 2002
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NEW YORK, NEW YORK, USA


OPENING BOUT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Four
7(109) Lorenzo Zanon MD6 6(93) Al McCoy

PRELIMINARY 1

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Four
5(77) Henry Clark MD6 8(125) James Broad

PRELIMINARY 2

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Four
2(13) Jim Maloney UD6 3(21) Wayne Bethea

SUPPORT BOUT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Four
3(45) Harry Thomas UD6 2(29) Bill Brennan

CO-FEATURE

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Four
1(4) Trevor Berbick UD6 4(29) Bernie Reynolds

MAIN EVENT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Four
1(4) Larry Holmes D6 4(61) Johnny Risko

[kenyan_cheena]

Coming up in the HBF...

* Promising signs in Melbourne and Jo'burg
* Halfway there
* Jersey Pride in effect

Be sure to tune in!

[kenyan_cheena]

Sunday 18 August 2002

HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION
FIGHT CARD SCHEDULE
MONDAY 19/08/2002 - SATURDAY 24/08/2002 INCLUSIVE

MONDAY 19/08/2002 - MILLENIUM DOME, LONDON, ENGLAND

1D/G3: 6(46) RANDY STEPHENS vs 7(54) BILL LANG
1D/G3: 5(38) GUS DORAZIO vs 8(62) KING SOLOMON
WC/G6: 6(91) HEINZ NEUHAUS vs 7(107) BOB BAKER
WC/G6: 5(75) JOHNNY DUPLOOY vs 8(123) JAMES ELLIS
WC/G6: 1(6) PETER JACKSON vs 4(59) JAMES TILLIS
WC/G6: 2(27) JACK GARDNER vs 3(43) BRUCE WOODCOCK

TUESDAY 20/08/2002 - MOLSON CENTRE, MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA
THE CANADIAN BOXING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT SEMI-FINALS
& THE HBF QUALIFYING LEAGUE

QL/G5: 7(80) DEUTRON SHELBY vs 8(92) YEVGENY SEMSHOV
QL/G8: 7(77) LUIS GOMEZ vs 8(89) DWAYNE PETERS
QL/G5: 5(56) LEONIDAS JASKUCIONIS vs 6(68) MARCO SANTINO
QL/G8: 5(53) DRAGO BENCEK vs 6(65) STEVE FINLEY
QL/G5: 3(32) OLAF HEIBERG vs 4(44) FRED FULTON
QL/G8: 3(29) GREG WILLIAMS vs 4(41) OMELIO AGRAMONTE

THE CANADIAN BOXING LEAGUE
TOURNAMENT SEMI-FINALS

(4) JOHN FERGUSON vs (10) BOBBY HALPERN
(2) ROBERT CLEROUX vs (1) LENNOX LEWIS

WEDNESDAY 21/08/2002 - CAESAR'S PALACE, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA

WC/G11: 6(86) RON STANDER vs 7(102) MIKE DEJOHN
WC/G11: 5(70) CHARLES HORN vs 8(118) AL KAUFMANN
1D/G3: 2(14) AMOS JOHNSON vs 3(22) IBAR ARRINGTON
WC/G11: 1(11) JOE JEANNETTE vs 4(54) BILLY DANIELS