Gba

[kenyan_cheena]

Hey, Ian.

I was just wondering this morning if you were ever going to return, and now you have!

Great news.

[Ian Lord]

Hi guys, [Romdawg and ConnChris].
Thanks for your messages. I'm glad to see that you are both still on the forum. You're right, I was fortunate that I wasn't making posts during that time period, although I missed it like hell. Thanks also to Kenyan Cheena and Bear for your messages during my absent period, and aslo G-Force, whose message got lost in the crash. As I stated earlier, I did pop in from time to time and I did get to read it.

I will be catching up with the other uni's and would like to say congratulations to you all for taking it on the chin [the crash], and getting on with it.

I have run the next fight card and will write it up tommorrow. It includes the James Toney - Bernard Hopkins 2 fight.

All the best,
Ian.

[Ian Lord]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Hey, Ian.

I was just wondering this morning if you were ever going to return, and now you have!

Great news.

Cheers Kenyan, it's great to be back, and with the response already it's as if I've never been away.

Ian.

P.S. I look forward to catching up on the HBF, it's a great read. I love it.

[mh2365]

Glad to see you back Ian ... yours was one I always read.

Mike

[Ian Lord]

Thanks Mike. It's good to see the LBA is going as strong as ever.
All the best,
Ian.

[Ian Lord]

Atlantic City, NJ.
18th February, 2006.

Bitter rivals James Toney and Bernard Hopkins went head to head for a second time at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. Toney's North American middleweight strap was on the line, but for these two guys this was for a lot more than that. These two don't like each other, of that their is no doubt, and there was plenty of bad-mouthing before the match to make the crowd think they were in for a humdinger of a fight. They were wrong. This turned out to be one for the purists, with both men relying more on their boxing skills rather than going toe to toe. Most of the rounds were close, with Toney just edging most of them, dropping Hopkins in the final round from a strong combination of punches to take a unanimous decision. The scores were 114-113, 115-112, and a ridiculous 117-110.

Both men showed each other respect after the bout, then Toney called out world champ Marvin Hagler. Hopkins, being the warrior that he is, said he will be back in the ring as quickly as possible.

In the chief support, the unpredictable Greg Page came out with all guns blazing and blasted James 'Bonecrusher' Smith to defeat inside three rounds. Smith was on his back in the first from a lethal cross, regained his feet and finished the round under more pressure. He managed to compose himself between rounds and came out and took the second round. However, it was all over at 1.49 of the third when Page connected with one hell of a devastating punch that came out of nowhere,. The count was a formality.

"When this version of Greg shows up," said Page's trainer after the fight, "there ain't no-one can touch him. Trouble is this version don't always show up."

Undercard Action

Oliver McCall beat heavyweight gatekeeper by unanimous decision with scores of 96-93 twice and 97-92. Tucker was down twice, in the eighth and ninth rounds and was the inferior fighter throughout.

Keith Holmes knocked out Roggerio Cacciatore at 2.45 of the eighth and final round with a sweet uppercut. Cacciatore had also been down in the third from a hook to the ribs and was never really in the fight.

Chris Walsh came out and won the final round in his eight rounder with Michael Nunn, but I think it was just to let people know he was still there after being totally outclassed for the first seven. It was a flawless display from Nunn, who now needs to step up his level of opposition. Scores were 79-71, 79-72, and 78-72. Walsh hit the deck in the fifth and seventh rounds.

The show opener was mercifullly stopped in the third round after Harry Arroyo had beaten up Claude Noel relentlessy from the beginning of the second. The time was 2.57.

[Ian Lord]

February Results

Heavyweight

Lennox Lewis KO7 Gerrie Coetzee
[retains Commonwealth title]
Greg Page KO3 James 'Bonecrusher' Smith
Oliver McCall W10 Tony Tucker
Evander Holyfield TKO3 Michael Dokes
Carlos De Leon W8 Colin Wilson
Bruce Seldon W8 Jody Ballard

Middleweight

Mike McCallum W10 Alan Minter
James Toney W12 Bernard Hopkins
[retains North American title]
Sumbu Kalambay KO8 Frank Tate
Iran Barkley W10 Vito Antuofermo
John David Jackson W8 Leonard Townsend
Tadeshi Mihara W8 Larry Banks
Carlos Santos W6 Juan Carlos Barretto
Keith Holmes KO8 Roggerio Cacciatore
Michael Nunn W8 Chris Walsh

Lightweight

Cornelius Boza-Edwards TKO9 Ernesto Espana
Harry Arroyo TKO3 Claude Noel

[mh2365]

Good stuff

[Ian Lord]

Thanks Mike.

[Ian Lord]

February Rankings

Heavyweight

World Champion:
Riddick Bowe 8-1 [4]

1. Larry Holmes 11-1 [7] North American champ.
2. Lennox Lewis 14-1 [9] Commonwealth champ.
3. Mike Tyson 10-2 [9]
4. Tony Tubbs 8-5-1 [2]
5. James 'Buster' Douglas 6-4-1 [1]
6. Greg Page 10-5 [6]
7. Pinklon Thomas 7-6 [6]
8. Tim Witherspoon 6-8 [4]
9. John Tate 7-6 [5]
10.Oliver Mccall 8-1 [3]

Middleweight

World Champion:
Marvin Hagler 6-0 [4]

1. Gerald McClellan 9-1 [7]
2. Mike McCallum 4-2 [2]
3. James Toney 5-1 [1] North American champ.
4. Maurice Hope 3-2 [1] British, Commonwealth, and European champ.
5. Bernard Hopkins 4-3 [2]
6. Sumbu Kalambay 9-0 [5] African champ.
7. Ayub Kalule 4-3-1 [2]
8. Alan Minter 3-4 [0]
9. Frank Tate 6-4-2 [1]
10.Iran Barkley 8-3 [4]

Lightweight

World Champion:
Title Vacant

1. Roberto Duran 1-0 [1]
2. Edwin Rosario 1-0 [1]
3. Bazooka Limon 1-0 [1]
4. Ray Mancini 1-0 [1]
5. Livingstone Bramble 1-0 [1]
6. Hilmer Kenty 1-0 [0]
7. Sammy Serrano 1-0 [0]
8. Cornelius Boza-Edwards 1-0-1 [1]
9. Harry Arroyo 1-1 [1]
10.Ernesto Espana 0-1-1 [0]
5.

[mh2365]

My only problem with reading other people's universes, is I get jealous over using newer guys while I'm stuck in 1909!!!!!

[Ian Lord]

Hey Mike, I get the same problem reading yours. It always gives me an urge to throw in a few old-timers.
All the best,
Ian.

[Ian Lord]

March Dates

6th- Yokohama Arena, Kanagawa, Japan.

MW: Tadeshi Mihara v Davey Moore [10 x 3]
MW: Alan Minter v Mark Medal [10 x 3]
LW: Yatsasune Uehara v Lee Cargle [8 x 3]
MW: Vito Antuofermo v Juan Carlos Barretto [8 x 3]
LW: Jim Watt v Jorge Monzon [8 x 3]
LW: Rolando Navarrette v Tirso Albia [4 x 3]

13th- Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA.

HW: John Tate v Oliver McCall [10 x 3]
LW: Roberto Duran v Ray Mancini* [10 x 3]
LW: Hilmer Kenty v Livingstone Bramble* [10 x 3]
HW: Mike Weaver v Colin Wilson [8 x 3]
MW: Michael Nunn v Chris Walsh [8 x 3]
LW: Harry Arroyo v Viktor Baranov [8 x 3]

20th- Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez, Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

HW: Carlos DeLeon v Tim Witherspoon [10 x 3]
LW: Edwin Rosario v Bazooka Limon* [10 x 3]
LW: Sammy Serrano v Cornelius Boza-Edwards* [10 x 3]
MW: Carlos Santos v Leonard Townsend [8 x 3]
HW: Ossie Ocassio v Derek Amos [4 x 3]
MW: Julian Jackson v Larry Banks [4 x 3]

27th- Phillips Arena, Atlanta, GA.

HW: Evander Holyfield v Tony Tucker [10 x 3]
MW: Mike McCallum v Iran Barkley [10 x 3]
HW: Bruce Seldon v Anthony Willis [8 x 3]
MW: Keith Holmes v JD Jackson [8 x3]
LW: Sean O'Grady v Freddy Cruz [8 x 3]
LW: Charlie Brown v Art Frias [8 x 3]

Please not, all fights with a * next to them are part of the lightweight elimination tournament.

[meade95]

Great stuff! -

Toney over Hopkins recently! - That would have been real good fight at MW if it could have ever come off - A Toney Dec is about what I would expect -

[Ian Lord]

Thanks Meade.

You're right, Hopkins-Toney would have been a great match-up.

[Ian Lord]

6th- Kanagawa, Japan.

In the main event at the Yokohama Arena, a near capacity crowd cheered fellow countryman, Tadeshi Mihara, against New York's Davey Moore. It was a promising start by the Japanese middleweight, winning the opening round, but it was all downhill from then on. Moore came out strong for the second, and didn't let up.

Mihara was punished in the third and dropped briefly from a right/left to the head. The punishment was to carry on in the next round, with both Mihara's eyes beginning to swell. Moore controlled the sixth and by the seventh Mihara was out on his feet, being dropped twice and barely beating the count on both occassions, before being saved from further punishment when he could no longer fend for himself. The end came at the 2.22 mark.

In the chief support, Englands Alan Minter kayoed Mark Medal of the US at the end of the third round. The first round had both men testing the waters, with Minter just edging it, then Minter took control in the next stanza and finished his opponent of in the third with a heavy righthand after trapping his foe in the corner.

Japans Yatsasune Uehare shared the spoils with Americas Lee Cargle over eight rounds with scores of 75-74 Uehara, and 74-74 on the other two cards. Uehara dropped his rival in the sixth round, but then tasted the canvas himself in the next round. Knowing the fight was close, and not wanting to disappoint in front of his fans, he came steaming out for the last round and immediately dropped Cargle with a combination of punches upstairs and down. It wasn't enough.

Plenty of claret was spilled in the bout between Italian toughguy Vito Antuofermo and Juan Carlos Barretto, with Antuofermo in control throughout, finally finishing of Barretto at the 2.46 mark of the eighth and last round after landing a combination of punches. Both men finished the bout bloodied.

Scotlands Jim Watt beat an outclassed Jorge Monzon, stopping him at 2.26 of the seventh. Monzon had lost heart and was no longer fighting back after taking a beating and hitting the deck twice in the sixth round.

In a snoozer of an opening bout, Filipino's Rolando Navarrette and Tirso Albia, both making their pro debuts, hugged there way to a four round draw, with scores of 39-37 Albia, 39-37 Navareette, and 38-38. It was a boring clinchfest. Both men hugged after the bout, but the crowd had seen enough of that during the fight.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Ian Lord

Both men hugged after the bout, but the crowd had seen enough of that during the fight.

LOL

[Ian Lord]

13th - Los Angeles, CA.

The crowd were on their feet for the first two rounds of the main event at the Staples Center. It was a heavyweight contest between contenders John Tate and Oliver McCall. Both men went toe to toe for the first two stanzas and threw some heavy leather at each other, with Tate just edging both rounds with the more punishing blows. The next two rounds were also busy, with McCall taking the third and Tate the fourth. By the fifth, both fighters look spent and it was pretty even with not much action. McCall edged the sixth, again a pretty lacklustre round, and was also the better man in the seventh, although he hit the deck, albeit it briefly. It seemed to sting him into action for the next round, as he punched Tate from pillar to post and dropped him for a four count from a punishing shot to the body. By the end of the round Tate's left eye had begun to swell. Again McCall took the ninth, in a lazy round in which Tate shown his frustration by getting warned for continuous rabbit punching.

Going into the last round, both men knew it was close. Tate dropped McCall from an uppercut for a seven count, but still the decision went against him with scores of 94-93, 95-93, and 96-92, all for McCall. McCall moved to 9-1 [3], and looks as if he could make some waves in the heavyweight division, whilst Tate dropped to 7-7 [5].

In a lightweight elimination contest, Panama's Roberto Duran, known as 'Hands of Stone', issued a beating to Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini. Duran took control from the opening bell, and never let up, letting rip with every punch in the book, and some that aren't. He dominated the first three rounds, with Mancini's right eye swelling up as early as the second.

It was only a matter of time before Mancini went down, and it happened in the fourth when, after landing an uppercut on the beard of Duran he was immediately hit by a hook which sent him sprawling to the canvas. He barely beat the count and showed heart surviving the round, taking some heavy punishment in the process. Mancini hit the canvas in the next round from an uppercut, but bounced back up immediately. Duran went in for the finish but was warned for use of the elbows.

A lot of the crowd thought Mancini was finished, but he came out for the sixth and actually took the round. This must have fired up the Panamanian hardman, as he came out and took the seventh, then finished things in brutal fashion in the eighth. Duran looked intent on finishing from the bell, and punched Mancini to the canvas under a barrage of punches. Mancini barely beat the referee's count, and looked in serious trouble. The ferocious Duran, sensing the end, trapped his opponent in the corner and started opening up, finally dropping him from a right hand. The brave Mancini rose at six and Duran marched straight in and dropped him with a crippling bodyshot. This time Mancini couldn't beat the count. The end came at the 2.36 mark.

Afterwards Duran, through an interpreter, praised Mancini, claiming he was a tough son of a *****. Duran moves to 2-0 [2], and looks the favourite to be crowned the first world lightweight champion. Mancini dropped to 1-1 [1] and earned the respect of the fans, and Duran, for his tremendous heart.

In another lightweight elimination contest, Livingstone Bramble defeated Hilmer Kenty by unanimous decision. Scores were 97-94 twice, and 98-93. Bramble deserved the verdict as Kenty didn't seem to want to fight, just clinch, and as Bert Sugar stated, who was sat ringside, 'you don't score points by clinching'.

Californian Mike Weaver upped his pro ledger to 6-10 [5] with a unanimous win over Australia's Colin Wilson, who is now winless in four. It was over eight rounds and the scores were 78-73 twice, and 79-72. Wilson hit the deck in the sixth when he copped one of Weaver's wild haymakers. He was also down at the end of the round when Weaver grabbed hold of him and in a move more designed for a wrestling match, chucked him to the floor.

Michael Nunn got another easy victory to improve to 6-0 [2] against Chris Walsh. He cruised to victory with his slick boxing skills, dropping Wilson in the fourth when he walked onto a hook. The scores were 80-71 on all three judges cards. Wilson dropped to 0-8.

In the opener, debutant Viktor Baranov knocked out Harry Arroyo after twenty nine seconds of the third round from a bodyshot. Arroyo dropped to 1-2 [1].

[Ian Lord]

20th - Bayamon, Puerto Rico

In front of a packed crowd at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez, the first GBA fight card to be held in Puerto Rico, local favourite Carlos DeLeon took on top ten heavyweight Tim Witherspoon, Philadelphia, PA.
DeLeon started of well, peppering Witherspoon with the jab and nicking tghe first three rounds. Witherspoon got into his stride by the fourth and edged that, with both men suffering nicks under their left eyes. Witherspoon took control in the fifth and dropped DeLeon in the sixth from an uppercut for a count of six.
DeLeon hit the deck in the next round, this time from a hook, regaining his feet at the count of eight. He was down again in the eighth round after landing a crippling right to the head of Witherspoon, who quickly regained his composure and laid into his opponent, sending him to the canvas for a six count. The crowd didn't like what they were seeing and let it be known, although they were impecably behaved.
DeLeon recovered for the ninth and reopened the cut under Witherspoons left eye, also causing his right eye to swell in the process. Witherspoon, ahead on all the cards going into the last round, kept his opponent at bay with his stiff jab and took the round and the fight with scores of 96-91 twice, and 98-89. Witherspoon upped his pro log to 7-8 [4], whilst DeLeon suffered his first defeat and dropped to 4-1-1.

In a battle of lightweight bangers, Puerto Rico's Edwin Rosario proved he had too much for Mexico's Bazooka Limon. Both men went toe to toe while it lasted, with any boxing skills going on the back-burner. Limon opened a cut over Rosario's right eye in the fourth, and this seemed to push the Puerto Rican to go for the finish. The end came in the sixth when a flurry of punches turned Limon's legs to jelly. Rosario went after him and the Mexican was warned for backhanding. When the action resumed Rosario went in to finish his opponent off and did so at the 2.55 mark. Limon, too his credit didn't go down.
Rosario improved to 2-0 [2] and goes through to the next stage of the lightweight tournament. Limon dropped to 1-1 [1].

In another lightweight elimination tournament match-up, Puerto Rico's Sammy Serrano fought to a ten round draw against Uganda's Cornelius Boza-Edwards. Scores were 96-95 Boza-Edwards, 96-94 Serrano, and even at 95-95. After the bout, Boza-Edwards management lodged a complaint, feeling that their man had won and it was the fact that they were fighting in Serrano's back yard that they had to settle for a draw, when in actual fact, Boza-Edwards was lucky to get a draw. Serrano's record is now 1-0-1, while Boza-Edwards is 1-0-2 [1]. Both men will box a rematch next month as this was a lightweight title elimination match.

Carlos Santos delighted his Puerto Rican fans by making short work of Leonard Townsend of the USA. He knocked him out with a hook at the 2.15 mark of the opening round.

Local heavyweight Ossie 'Jaws' Ocassio lost his pro debut by split decision to Derek Amos of the USA. Scores were 39-38 twice to Amos and 39-38 to Ocassio. He couldn't complain as Amos was the busier of the two.

Also making his pro debut was middleweight Julian 'The Hawk' Jackson of the Virgin Islands, who beat Larry Banks over four rounds, although Jackson was out on his feet at the final bell and looked ready to go. He won by majority decision with scores of 38-37 twice, and 38-38.

[GForce]

Great stuff as always, Ian.

GH