Cyber Boxing Zone -- News

RABBIT PUNCHES: RODNEY VERGES

BRIT SCREWED

In what I am going to refer to as the worst decision EVER in boxing, Evander Holyfield, was given the win. Why do I refer to it as a triumph for the Real Old Deal? How else do you throw the same amount of punches as your opponent lands, and still walk away anything but a six point (117-111) loss?

TWO CARDS RUIN NIGHT

The look across the face of ringside TV commentator Roy Jones Jr. said it all. The disgust that enveloped the Madison Square Garden crowd, and more importantly, boxing as a whole is in my mind irreparable. March 13, 1999 will go down in the record books as the night that judge's Larry O'Connell and Jean Williams tried to permanently de-rail the train that is prize fighting.

MOM OF V'S KID?

Maybe Jean Williams thought of her finances while counting up the rounds. Could it be that Holyfield is the father of one of her children?

HOW?

What rounds beside the third, ninth, and tenth, could you have given to Evander? Even in the rounds when Lewis didn't do much, he still stiffed Evander "3:14" with his 84' reach. In my mind, Lennox boxed better than ANY heavyweight has in the past ten years. Backed with a flawless game plan, LL wasn't trying to knock Evander out. Steady boxing is what the 6'5" undisputed heavyweight champion used to dethrone Holyfield.

FAVORITE IN BIG FIGHT

For the first time in his career, Evander was not considered the betting underdog. The flip side of that coin is Holyfield thought he was more than what he was. It's surprising that he didn't go as far to call himself "God's special little creature."

BOUGHT HIS OWN B.S.

Walking to the ring while singing gospel, the one time Mr. Humble of boxing entered the ring looking more arrogant than Naseem Hamed stepping in to face a bum. He bought into his own hype, and the hefty price he paid is as they say, non-refundable. The worst case scenario I came up with pre-fight was that we would see twelve rounds of crap.

In the first two rounds, it didn't even look like the dishonorably discharged Commander Vander wanted to even be there. He couldn't have. Because for 36 minutes, all V did was watch LL throw (and land) countless jabs and soft straight rights.

PROPHETIC THIRD

In the glory round that was left out of the Bible's final chapter, Evander came our winging amateur style shots, while Lewis continued to jab. This is the point in the fight when Lennox proved to me that he's ten times smarter than Vander. Why? It is never a bad idea to risk one battle, to win a war. So he did, Lennox let Evander have that third round.

STATEMENT MADE IN ROUND

He did so while staying on his feet, and with that Evander's confidence was decimated. Even in the (sic) Prophet's shining round he landed 21 of 44 punches, while Lewis landed 38 of 59. I only gave the round to Holy, because he brought the fight to Lennox and all of his punches were intended to be power shots.

SAME OLD SONG

From rounds four through eight it is impossible to give Holyfield any rounds. In those four rounds Evander only landed 39 punches, while the Brit landed 101 shots! In the fifth round, LL landed 43 of 57 (75%!) punches! That jab of Lewis thwarted every attack Atlanta's own tried to mount, followed by some fair right hands.

CHECK THE CARDS

Countless cards (including my own) read Lewis 79, Holyfield 73. This meant Evander Holyfield needed several knockdowns, or a knockout to win.

CLOSE ROUNDS

In the ninth and tenth rounds, even though Lewis again out landed Holyfield, Lennox seemed a bit stunned a couple times so I gave those rounds to the WBA/IBF champ. Come the last two rounds, it was quite apparent to all that Lennox was about to be crowned undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

CLOSED WELL

LL finished off the fight like a true champion, by not coasting and continuing to fight just as he had been throughout the match. When the night came to a close the old war veteran's only good weapon was his world renowned "Head Butt" that he used to beat Tyson twice.

LIKE HE DID TYSON

Consequently, the only time he had Lewis hurt in the whole fight, was when Lennox was complaining about said head butt.

MERELY JESTING ALOUD

At this point I jokingly stated, "Watch, it'll be a split decision." Even my tarot cards would never have predicted that the first judge Jean Williams and her "child support card" would have Holyfield winning 115-113. Even the South African's card of 116-113 for Lewis was pushing it. Followed by 115 to 115, a making it a draw!

It was painfully obvious that the Evander Holyfield corner was more than happy with this as they raised their loser's hand in the air after the decision was announced. At the point, for maybe the second time I have to agree with something Jim Lampley said, "This is a travesty, a real BRINKS job."

Many marvel at the way Lewis carried himself very after the decision. Good thing he knows how to control his temper. Had that been me, the little green belt would have been wrapped around someone's neck.

BIAS FROM THE OUTSET

At least the bias was consistent. Whether it started with the press, there was Arthur Mercante's instructions (which were different for each fighter), and all the way into that crap heap of a decision.

LAST MONTH IT WAS CLOSE

At least the Ike Quartey vs. Oscar De La Hoya fight could have gone either way. This time, no polls, no reader survey. All I ask from you is a moment of silence and a ten-bell salute as boxing takes a standing eight count as Roy Jones and Jim Lampley believe. And that is that anytime Don King is in the arena, the likelihood of some skullduggery increases twenty fold.

BYRDMAN GETS BAD WITH IKE

This Saturday night's HBO Boxing After Dark main event pits Chris "Mr. KO" Byrd meeting the second most mentally stable boxer (next to Mike Tyson) around today in Ike Ibeabuchi. Depending on what kind of "mental" state Ike is in, surely will be the factor that will indicate how he will fight.

BYRD CORBETT-LIKE

Sure Chris Byrd can box well, but he's not gonna beat a dedicated Ike. My pick is Ibeabuchi by KO in the ninth. Or Byrd by disqualification when Ibeabuchi kidnaps him and flees the arena! The undercard of this is Al Cole vs. Kirk Johnson in a rematch of a close Johnson win last year.

Rodney Verges

Note: The writer is featured exclusively at www.fighters.com and can be reached at dranjd@yahoo.com