- 5 months ago
Frankie Liles defends the WBA Super Middleweight Title against No 1. Contender Andrey Shkalikov on Showtime Boxing
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00:00:0032 fights, he's won them all, 28 of them by way of knockout, once again, the moment has
00:00:11arrived, now it's time to put his title on the line, it's showtime, Felix Trinidad versus
00:00:22Mahenge Zulu, coming up next on Showtime, America's number one boxing network.
00:00:30Nestled in the tropical hills of Puerto Rico, is the title of the
00:00:59hardest-hitting welterweight today.
00:01:01Compiling a perfect 32-0 record, the power-punching kid from Coupe Aso is returning tonight to
00:01:24his native Puerto Rico to make the 12th defense of his IBF title.
00:01:29So, let's go.
00:01:31Let's go.
00:01:32Let's go.
00:01:34Let's go.
00:01:37Let's go.
00:01:39Let's go.
00:02:45And versus Mahenge Zulu for the IVF Welterweight Championship.
00:02:49And in our co-feature, Frankie Lyles will take on Andre Shalikov for the WBA Super Middleweight Crown.
00:02:55As we bring you inside the Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum, named for one of the greatest basketball players in the history of Puerto Rico, SRO crowd on hand, about 12,000.
00:03:09And this is a lively audience ready for action.
00:03:12The fans eagerly anticipating the homecoming of a favorite son, Felix Tito Trinidad from nearby Cupialto, Rio Piedras.
00:03:20Hello again, everybody. I'm Steve Albert.
00:03:25Thanks for joining us.
00:03:26Undefeated Felix Tito Dad hopes that this is a night of many happy returns.
00:03:30He returns home to Puerto Rico, where he hasn't fought in nearly five years.
00:03:34And he returns to the Welterweight division to defend his IVF crown for the 12th time.
00:03:38And Trinidad moved up to Super Welterweight and demolished Australian Troy Waters in the first round this past August at Madison Square Garden.
00:03:46But the bigger names and the bigger paydays are at 147 rather than 154 pounds.
00:03:51However, while Trinidad is still considered one of the best all-around fighters going today, his level of competition has become a bit of an issue.
00:03:59Are the marquee fighters eluding him?
00:04:02Are politics or perhaps bad decisions impeding his progress?
00:04:06With that, let me bring on my ringside partners.
00:04:08First, the fight, Dr. Ferdie Pachaco.
00:04:10And, Ferdie, what's your take on Trinidad?
00:04:11Has he been legitimately tested of late?
00:04:14Oh, I certainly do believe with fights like Oba Carr and Yuri Boykampas that you couldn't get better competition.
00:04:20What's happened to him is a series of disasters that he had no choice, no making over.
00:04:24Terry Norris gets beat.
00:04:26Bernal Whittaker gets picked up, substance abuse.
00:04:28The much sought-after De La Jolla fight is mired in the swamp of the television wars.
00:04:33Listen, when a career is going that good, you don't find a great guy every Saturday.
00:04:37Remember when we had Ali going, we didn't fight Joe Frazier every other Saturday.
00:04:41We fought a lot of Pierre Koopmans in between.
00:04:43That's what we're seeing now.
00:04:45He fights the number one guy and waits for the big payday to come.
00:04:48It will come.
00:04:49All right, let's turn to our other partner here, Bobby Chez.
00:04:52And, Bobby, what does Trinidad prove if he wins against another relative unknown in Mehinge Zulu?
00:04:58Well, if he beats Zulu very easily and very cleanly, which we all think he will, what he does is just add to his reputation as being one of, if not the very best, 147-pounder in the world.
00:05:06Not every world champion has to fight the number one contender or the hardest fight out there time and time again.
00:05:11That'll shorten careers, if not lives, in the long run.
00:05:13There are the so-called tune-ups, the stay-sharp fights that fighters have to take.
00:05:17What the champions have to do is not shirk their responsibilities in the gym, get prepared for the tune-up so the upset isn't something in the making.
00:05:23Felix Trinidad is a complete fighter.
00:05:25He's got all the tools, I'm sure, that head-on collision, a possible De La Hoya fight.
00:05:29He'll be ready tonight.
00:05:30All right, let's find out what's going on in the mind of Felix Tito Trinidad right now.
00:05:34For more on tonight's man event, we check in with the other member of our broadcast team, and that is Jim Gray.
00:05:39Jim?
00:05:39All right, thank you very much, Steve.
00:05:41We're back in the locker room of Felix Trinidad.
00:05:43Felix has not fought here in Puerto Rico for five years.
00:05:46Johnny Roland will interpret for us, as usual.
00:05:49Felix, let me ask you about fighting in front of your home crowd and how much this means to you.
00:05:52It's been a long time since you fought here.
00:05:54He's very happy. This is what he wanted. He wanted to fight home, Puerto Rico.
00:06:07It has been a long layoff for you. 219 days. A long time for a champion. Are you concerned at all about being rusty?
00:06:14No, I feel great. It hasn't done me any harm, and you'll see it later.
00:06:31In English, any problems? No problems tonight?
00:06:33No problem tonight.
00:06:34Okay. Good luck to you, Philly.
00:06:36All right, let's send it back out to you, Steve.
00:06:39All right, thank you very much, Jim. Here's something really special for you Showtime subscribers with internet access.
00:06:45We once again invite you to judge every round of every fight online.
00:06:50Log on to ShowtimeOnline.com and link to the boxing area.
00:06:53Once there, you can vote for the fighter who you think is winning the round.
00:06:56Your entry will be added to those of other participants and instantly update the scoring web page.
00:07:01The results will also be announced and shown here live on Showtime during the event.
00:07:06Due to time zone considerations, tonight's voting will only be available to Showtime subscribers viewing our East Coast live feed.
00:07:12Of course, your voting is for entertainment purposes only and will not influence the outcome of the fight.
00:07:17Once again, the web address is ShowtimeOnline.com.
00:07:21We settle in now for our first bout of the evening here in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
00:07:28Fabulous Frankie Lyles making his seventh defense of the WBA Super Middleweight Championship against the number one rated Andrei Shkolikov of Russia.
00:07:40And let us take a look for the first time at the challenger, Andrei Shkolikov, former European and Russian Super Middleweight champ,
00:07:46who left the bitter Ukrainian winters to train on the tropical paradise of St. Martin.
00:07:52And in France, got this shot at the title with his most impressive performance, an eighth-round TKO over former world champ Mauro Galvano in Italy back in March of 97.
00:08:01His last fight, that one vaulted him to number one, his first world title shot.
00:08:06And, Ferdi, he's certainly nowhere close to Frankie Lyles in terms of championship experience.
00:08:11How would you evaluate his chances for an upset?
00:08:13Very slim because he comes across, he comes up against what the European fighters hate of.
00:08:19Very slick, very good, experienced American fighter, but this one is a champion.
00:08:24And not only that, he's got size and this whip-like motion of his punches.
00:08:28I don't think he's got much of a chance tonight.
00:08:30If he does, it would be a surprise and a deep shock to me.
00:08:34We'll see as we check in with the tall, rangy champ, Frankie Lyles, whose awkward southpaw stance is a solid punching power,
00:08:42have provided 31 wins in 33 fights.
00:08:44Highly regarded inside boxing circles, but little known outside, partly due to the fact that he's made three of his six defenses overseas.
00:08:51Also, he's never fought in his home state of New York, so he has labored in relative obscurity.
00:08:57But there's no question about his ring-savvy, his intelligence, his heart, and his speed.
00:09:03Is his power underrated, Bobby?
00:09:04I think his power might be not necessarily underrated, but undernoticed.
00:09:07Certainly, his right hook has gotten people's attention, but his camp has told me that he has developed a strong, straight left hand.
00:09:13Tonight, he intends to demonstrate he's got power on both hands.
00:09:16Frankie Lyles has a great left hook, but you know what he does, Steve?
00:09:19He boxes and he comes out slow, so he doesn't give the appearance of a puncher.
00:09:22Maybe overlooked.
00:09:23A workman-like fighter who accumulates points and has been very successful.
00:09:28As we check the numbers, the tail of the tape at 33, Lyles is four years older than Shkanikov.
00:09:33As you can see, Lyles with a healthy advantage in height and reach.
00:09:36Eight-inch reach advantage, seven and a half.
00:09:39Both weighed the limit of 168.
00:09:43And the key rules for this WBA championship fight.
00:09:45There is no standing eight count, no three-knockdown rule.
00:09:49A fighter cannot be saved by the bell in any round.
00:09:52If the fight is stopped by an accidental headbutt before the end of the fourth round, the fight is ruled a technical draw.
00:09:59If it happens after the end of round four, they will go to the scorecards.
00:10:03So here at the Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum, we're getting ready for the WBA Super Middleweight Championship.
00:10:09Let's get the formal introductions from our ring announcer, Jimmy Lennon Jr.
00:10:13Ladies and gentlemen, damas y caballeros, good evening and welcome.
00:10:21Bienvenidos aficionados al box, al poliseo de Ruben Rodriguez en Bayamón, Puerto Rico.
00:10:29Tenemos una gran noche de boxeo por Don King Productions, Showtime y simplemente Budweiser.
00:10:38Bien amigos, este es el campeonato peso super medio de la Asociación Mundial de Boxeo.
00:10:45At this time, ladies and gentlemen, we present the WBA Super Middleweight Championship of the World.
00:10:52Sanctioned by the World Boxing Association, Presidente Gilberto Mendoza, Supervisor Rodolfo Portich,
00:10:59junto con la Comisión de Boxeo de Puerto Rico, la Presidente Domis Delgado.
00:11:05Ahora presentando a los jueces, introducing to you our judges, scoring this bout from ringside,
00:11:13Ove Overson, Cesar Ramos, and Gonzalo Rivera, and our referee in charge,
00:11:19aquí está el referee, Waldemar Schmitz.
00:11:24All right, ladies, here we go with the WBA Super Middleweight Championship of the World,
00:11:32scheduled for 12 rounds of boxing.
00:11:36Presentando al retador en la esquina azul con calzoncillo blanco.
00:11:42Introducing first the challenger.
00:11:44In the blue corner on my right, wearing white trunks,
00:11:47inhaling from Chelyabinsk, Russia.
00:11:50Pesando 168 libras, he weighed in the super middleweight limit, 168 pounds.
00:11:59His record stands at 29 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw,
00:12:04with 13 wins coming by way of knockout.
00:12:07He has ranked the WBA number one super middleweight contender.
00:12:11Demos la bienvenida al retador.
00:12:13Clasificado número uno, peso super medio.
00:12:16Introducing the challenger, André Schcalica.
00:12:22And the defending champion on my left, fighting out of the red corner,
00:12:38wearing white trunks with blue trim, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada.
00:12:42Tiene un peso de 168 libras.
00:12:46He weighed the same as his opponent, 168 pounds.
00:12:50This record is a fine one with 31 wins,
00:12:54one loss, one no contest,
00:12:56with 19 wins coming by way of knockout.
00:13:00Tonight he is making the seventh defense of his title.
00:13:02Here is the WBA super middleweight champion of the world.
00:13:06Here is the champion of the world, peso super middleweight.
00:13:11Introducing fabulous Frankie Lyles.
00:13:22Once again a referee in charge, our referee is Gualdemar Schmitt.
00:13:27First round, title five.
00:13:39I expect a top five, but also a clean five.
00:13:41You shall follow my instructions at all times.
00:13:44There will be no holding, pushing, no pulling.
00:13:47Three knockdown, one round is big wave.
00:13:50The belt will not save you in the whole fight.
00:13:53Any questions?
00:13:59Ready?
00:14:00Good luck to both of you.
00:14:03Well, I'm not sure what WALTEMAR Schmitt was searching for there
00:14:07in the trunks of Shkalikov.
00:14:10As we take a look at the underrated Frankie Lyles,
00:14:12he did beat Roy Jones Jr. in the amateurs.
00:14:14Comes off a hard-fought points win over a game's offer.
00:14:17André Ubaligou has victories over top contenders.
00:14:19Tim Littles, Michael Nunn, among his six successful defenses.
00:14:23Under the watchful eye of Richard Traynor, Vladimir Kushner,
00:14:26Andrei Skolikov.
00:14:29In the same stable as WBA lightweight champ, Orzebek, Nazarov,
00:14:33and former Russian lightweight champ, Andre Pestriov.
00:14:35Both here to lend support.
00:14:39So we'll see how this one goes.
00:14:40Frankie Lyles in the white with the blue trim.
00:14:43A southpaw, but a natural right-hander.
00:14:46So he does have power in his right.
00:14:48But as Bobby pointed out earlier,
00:14:49he's been working on developing a hard straight left.
00:14:54And he thinks this is going to be the perfect type of fight.
00:14:56Scalpuff comes in square.
00:14:57A little bit straightforward, as you can see.
00:14:59Not a whole lot of movement.
00:15:00They say he tries to move his head from side to side a little bit,
00:15:03but not a lot, Frankie's got a clean target with that straight left.
00:15:06And because of the sizable height and reach advantage for the champion, Lyles,
00:15:11would both of you agree that Skolikov has to try to get inside and do damage to the body?
00:15:18I tell you what, Andre looks frozen as an arctic ice floor right now.
00:15:22He's not doing much of anything.
00:15:24That's the first punch he threw in the whole fight so far.
00:15:26He just looks like he's mesmerized in front of that right-popping jab.
00:15:30Well, if he does that and stands there long enough, he's going to get hit hard.
00:15:34He's a straight-up European-style fighter, is Skolikov.
00:15:38Told us he has no problems with southpaws.
00:15:40He said he planned to start fast, although Kenny Adams, who's Lyles' trainer,
00:15:44former Olympic trainer, who once worked Skolikov's corner,
00:15:48said he saw the Russian as a slow starter.
00:15:50And that seems to be the case here.
00:15:52Well, the Russian so far has only thrown two good shots.
00:15:55There's a third attempt anyway.
00:15:56He had a good clean left hook counter, he landed, and a straight right down the middle.
00:15:59He's not really working in behind the jab.
00:16:01He's not closing the gap.
00:16:02Frankie Lyles will sit back and box all day and use that kind of combination power.
00:16:07One, two, bang, bang.
00:16:08Straight left.
00:16:08Yeah, that's the first left that he's dropped that he's been setting up with a jab.
00:16:11This guy doesn't move.
00:16:12You notice there's no movement.
00:16:13He's not going one way, he's not going the other.
00:16:15He's bouncing up and down in front of him and coming straight in.
00:16:18I mean, he should eat that up.
00:16:20Lyles should eat that up.
00:16:21This guy's not giving him any kind of movement.
00:16:23Skolikov, primarily a left hook-type fighter.
00:16:25He's in good condition.
00:16:27Will Bob and Weave from time to time?
00:16:29He'll give it the effort.
00:16:31We saw a guy like Tim Littles come out, winging from the start, starting quickly.
00:16:35Sure, he was on the canvas, but he also had Frankie on the canvas.
00:16:38He heard Frankie a couple times.
00:16:39Skolikov has to close that gap.
00:16:41He has to shut that distance down, and he has to make more of a work list if he's going to be in play,
00:16:45because he cannot win this fight at that range.
00:16:47And Skolikov also wings his punches, but you're right, he's got to get inside.
00:16:51He's got to throw straight shots to the body.
00:16:56There was a nice right hand to the body, but no left hook up top, no follow-up, cannot get in one and out.
00:17:01And Lyles is very dangerous as a counterpuncher.
00:17:04He just loves people coming in and punching, because he is one of the finest counterpunchers in this business.
00:17:09Skolikov can take a punch, and a winging left hook there that missed by a mile by Skolikov.
00:17:19Final seconds of round one, scheduled for 12, the WBA Super Middleweight Championship.
00:17:27That one wasn't too hard to score.
00:17:33All right, Frankie, no problem.
00:17:37He's trying to rush in.
00:17:39We look like he's going to use more right hand now, but you've got to utilize the jab more, okay?
00:17:43He's going to be trying to use more right hand.
00:17:45So what we're going to do, to be able to counteract that, Frankie,
00:17:50you're going to move a little bit to the right side, okay?
00:17:53Pop the jab, move to the right side, pop the jab still.
00:17:57All the time, you can't use the jab.
00:17:58Give him a straight left hand. Use the jab all the time, Frankie.
00:18:01Don't try to rush anything else.
00:18:03Although that was a good left hand.
00:18:05Also, when he rushes in, you've got your left hand underneath and back with the hook quickly, okay?
00:18:10A little water here.
00:18:13Get on the head.
00:18:17What's the rabbit punching?
00:18:19You got four.
00:18:19What's the rabbit punching?
00:18:21Championship, championship, Mr. Ralph.
00:18:23We're authorized four, championship.
00:18:25Two here, one in.
00:18:27Hey, Mr. Ralph.
00:18:29Very direct instructions.
00:18:32Two strikes of Roy Jones, Michael Carvajal, Riddick Bowe, Ray Mercer, just to name a few.
00:18:39He said, watch the back of the head.
00:18:41He's punching the back of the head.
00:18:42And he did several times and didn't warn him.
00:18:44I think he's going to have to start.
00:18:46You know, something that Frankie Lyles does that's very smart and very sharp,
00:18:49and a lot of taller fighters do it,
00:18:50when they get inside tight, they just turn their head to the outside.
00:18:53So the only thing you have to hit is the back of their head.
00:18:55So it's not always a blatant foul, someone trying to come across on the inside with a right or left hook,
00:19:00but he's catching the base of the skull.
00:19:03Lyles, 31-1, has won no contest with 19 KOs.
00:19:07His only loss was his 23rd fight in 92, a decision to Tim Littles, which he avenged last June.
00:19:14Shkala Cobb is 29, 3, and 1, with only 13 knockouts.
00:19:21He comes off an 8th round TKO over former world champion Mauro Galvano,
00:19:26becoming the number one contender.
00:19:31The Russian seems to have his timing down a little better now.
00:19:34He's making some body feints, stepping with his front legs, dipping his shoulders,
00:19:40making some nice moves, but his combinations are not in bunches yet.
00:19:43One and two, and out.
00:19:45And Frankie is punching.
00:19:46One, two, one, two, one, two.
00:19:48I mean, it was on a one-two feast there for a while.
00:19:51And Lyles, the southpaw relies mainly on his hand speed.
00:19:55He has tremendous whipping hand speed.
00:20:00But look out for the right hook for the straight left.
00:20:02There was the straight left by Lyles.
00:20:04And that was right on the face of Shkala Cobb.
00:20:09But Lyles normally not in a hurry.
00:20:11He's very patient.
00:20:12Outside the ring, very reserved and low-key.
00:20:15No hype.
00:20:16He tells it like it is.
00:20:19No, no, no.
00:20:20That's a break.
00:20:20Come on.
00:20:21Break to him.
00:20:22He wants Roy Jones Jr.
00:20:24A long-range plans, or perhaps Steve Collins if he unretires.
00:20:28A couple of nice wing right hands there by Skolikov.
00:20:30He's trying to get the rhythm.
00:20:32Frankie, again, tall, rangy, pretty quick.
00:20:34Good mobility with his feet, as well as his upper body.
00:20:37And it's going to be interesting as this fight gets into round 6, 7, and 8.
00:20:41Skolikov has fought in the United States a couple of times his first trip to Puerto Rico.
00:20:46He speaks English.
00:20:50That was 1-2.
00:20:511-2.
00:20:521-2.
00:20:52He puts in.
00:20:53You get the feeling that one of these days, one of these minutes, he's going to put in a very hard one of those punches.
00:20:59Because they're just tapping punches now.
00:21:00See that?
00:21:011-2.
00:21:01Nothing to it.
00:21:02Not only that, but you notice, Freddie, he's throwing the 1-2, and he's hitting Skolikov's gloves, and he's not really falling with that big hook.
00:21:07And there's the big overhand left.
00:21:09But the right hook has been missing right now.
00:21:11That's been his go-to punch, his big weapon.
00:21:13He's not throwing it yet.
00:21:14There's a little bobbing and weaving, as we mentioned before, by Skolikov.
00:21:18He does it once in a while.
00:21:19A little fainting.
00:21:21Not much of it.
00:21:21I mean, he's a pretty straight-up guy.
00:21:23No, no, no, no, no.
00:21:24Watch.
00:21:25He's game.
00:21:26He comes straight in.
00:21:29As we head for the belt in round 2.
00:21:31No, no, no.
00:21:32Stop.
00:21:32Stop.
00:21:52Accidental.
00:21:53Why?
00:21:54Somebody cut?
00:21:55Yeah.
00:21:56Yeah, he's got it.
00:21:57Skolikov's got a nice car over his left eye.
00:21:59His back was to us.
00:22:00Now we can see it from the angle.
00:22:05Keep in mind, a fight is stopped by an accidental butt before the end of the fourth.
00:22:08The fighters ruled a technical draw.
00:22:10After the end of the fourth, they go to the cards.
00:22:14Only a couple of seconds left in the round.
00:22:16Let's go to our Russian translator, Angel Olivares.
00:22:28Yeah, so he's saying now that...
00:22:29That's a little less.
00:22:38And you look like you're frozen.
00:22:42You gotta go quicker.
00:22:44And use more your left arm.
00:22:46Pointing his chest and his belly.
00:22:49You may go and fight.
00:22:52Very, very, very, very hard because you're gonna show your brownness.
00:22:56You're coming from a very long place.
00:23:00You understand?
00:23:01It's not simple.
00:23:03It's not simple.
00:23:05Wow, that Russian sounded just like the English make.
00:23:07They kind of rushed into one another and they banged heads.
00:23:10And I guess that's where the cuts happened.
00:23:13But you couldn't really see it gleaming.
00:23:15His back was to us.
00:23:16You see a little bit of blood there?
00:23:17It's all like that.
00:23:18I don't think you can stop it.
00:23:19It's in no place that it's gonna hurt anything.
00:23:25We're not in fact on this fight.
00:23:27Don't have faked everybody out here at show time.
00:23:30He told us that they were going to speak Russian in the quarter.
00:23:33And lo and behold, as Ferdi intimated, it was Inglis.
00:23:38For a long time, I thought I was understanding Russian.
00:23:40I said, I can understand what you're saying.
00:23:41That was the first between corners in stereo.
00:23:44Yeah.
00:23:44All right, round three.
00:23:45Back to the action.
00:23:48What do you want me to do?
00:23:49What do you want me to do?
00:23:50What do you want me to do?
00:23:50What do you want me to do?
00:23:53Crowd beginning to boom.
00:23:56They want more action.
00:23:58They saw a lot of action in some of the undercard fights here earlier tonight.
00:24:01And this place is packed.
00:24:04And the decimal level can get real high.
00:24:07And they want to see bell-to-bell action.
00:24:10Boy, they've had it in the undercard.
00:24:11Boy, the guys have gone at it.
00:24:15No, no, no, no.
00:24:15But that is not Frankie Stiles.
00:24:16Frankie Lyle, in general, he usually is very patient and builds up points.
00:24:22This is a right hand by Skalikov.
00:24:24And Lyle takes Skalikov down.
00:24:27A wrestling tactic by Lyle.
00:24:28He got Frankie's attention with that right hand.
00:24:30Frankie ran in to hold him and tackle them.
00:24:32Now, something for the people at home that may be frustrating for a lot of people, it is for me.
00:24:36Every time Skalikov comes in or any fighter on Frankie Lyle, Frankie will tie him up and hold him just like that.
00:24:42And the fighters are just trying to fight and they get penalized and blows by him ahead and blows all over.
00:24:47But it's illegal to hold a man like that that off.
00:24:50And now Lyle is his fighting man.
00:24:52I want to tell you, Lyle was in trouble.
00:24:55Big trouble.
00:24:55If he doesn't tackle him, he takes an eight count there.
00:24:58He's either...
00:24:58And the rope held him up.
00:24:59Frankie Lyle makes no attempt to do anything other than grab.
00:25:02And that's illegal.
00:25:03Well, that right hand by the Russian, Skalikov, certainly got Lyle's attention and it stunned him.
00:25:09It momentarily dazed him.
00:25:11And then he kind of panicked and tackled the challenger.
00:25:16I was very smart because it saved himself an eight count because he would have gone down.
00:25:20He was down on the ropes and had he not tackled him, he'd have been counted.
00:25:23And this would have been a 10-8 round.
00:25:24So he's smart.
00:25:26Frankie still appears to me to be a little flat.
00:25:28There's no real sting on his punches.
00:25:30His timing seems a little off.
00:25:31He just doesn't seem to have the fire it usually has.
00:25:35He's been down two times in his career against Tim Littles when he was knocked through the ropes
00:25:40and then once early on in his career.
00:25:43He hasn't got the punching power right now.
00:25:45He's waiting to just let this round go by.
00:25:47He's lucky if he doesn't get tagged before the end of this one.
00:25:54No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
00:25:55That's a play.
00:25:56See, Frankie comes in, holds on, turns his head all the way from round.
00:25:59So the only thing available to hit is the back of his head.
00:26:03Especially being a southpaw, they get tangled up and they come in.
00:26:06And look at this furious action by Skolikov.
00:26:10Skolikov is tough.
00:26:11That's a tough Russian.
00:26:13Let me tell you, that's a tough guy.
00:26:14Straight right hand by Skolikov, but a glancing blow.
00:26:17Clearly, Skolikov's best round.
00:26:19He's solving a lot of what Frankie's giving him in the way of problems.
00:26:22Big round for the Russian, the number one contender.
00:26:28Good round for the Russian.
00:26:30Good round for Andre Skolikov.
00:26:37A little water, a little water right here.
00:26:39A little bucket.
00:26:40Give me the bucket.
00:26:43Let's take a look at that punch.
00:26:47He's got to just about put Lyles on the floor.
00:26:50The right hand.
00:26:51There he goes.
00:26:52Now look at him.
00:26:53The ropes are holding him up.
00:26:54And then he is going down.
00:26:57He's got to hold on.
00:26:58Smart move on Lyles' part.
00:27:02Frankie Lyles got, you know, if you watch it again, he's just double right hand.
00:27:05The second one just really caught him.
00:27:06It wasn't a great right hand.
00:27:08But he put Frankie by surprise.
00:27:10He wasn't expecting a second right behind the first.
00:27:12Something that I used to do when I fought Southpawks, it's a sneaky punch.
00:27:15If you use it well, he did.
00:27:17He can be effective.
00:27:18Pop it there.
00:27:19Pop it there.
00:27:19Pop it there.
00:27:19Pop it there.
00:27:19Pop it there.
00:27:19I got it.
00:27:20That's a wake-up call.
00:27:21This is not going to be easy.
00:27:23Use your job as much as possible.
00:27:25That's what they say.
00:27:25Get your lunch time.
00:27:26It's going to be a while.
00:27:27It's in a while too.
00:27:29Well, let's see how Frankie Lyles reacts now in round number four.
00:27:37After that difficult third round.
00:27:39He's got to come in there hard.
00:28:03Here's the on-line scoring.
00:28:04They've got Lyles ahead two rounds to one.
00:28:07But Lyles is the type of guy that sometimes does need a wake-up call.
00:28:10And then he really gets into high gear after being in some trouble.
00:28:13I think he just issued part of that wake-up call.
00:28:16Well, he got that one.
00:28:17Combination to the head of Skalikov.
00:28:19But soft shots.
00:28:20Yeah, Frankie's not throwing with a lot of viciousness behind his punches.
00:28:23No bad intentions.
00:28:25Right down the middle.
00:28:26Most of them being blocked.
00:28:27But clearly Skalikov has to be more busy if he's going to win the round.
00:28:30Do you think Lyles is a little cautious right now because maybe he has felt the power of Skalikov?
00:28:35I don't know that Skalikov's power is that impressive as is his imposing nature.
00:28:40He's in your face all the time.
00:28:42But Frankie Lyles has fought that way.
00:28:44You know, he just goes along like on the middle of a spring day and all of a sudden, wow, there comes a punch.
00:28:49And that's the way he's knocked out a lot of the guys on our fight.
00:28:52So he loves him to sleep, one, two, one, two, and all of a sudden, the hook follows the one, two.
00:28:56And with a lot of evil intentions.
00:28:58He's got power.
00:28:59He's got power as Lyles.
00:29:01He can knock this guy out.
00:29:02We saw that as evidence of the Tim Littles fight a few years ago over in England.
00:29:06No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
00:29:07Where he came back.
00:29:09Keep it clean.
00:29:14Oh, boy.
00:29:15Look at how the inside of the Rucks are getting through.
00:29:20Very, very, very tough fighting on the inside.
00:29:22A referee will always tell you if you had a free hand, use it and punch with it.
00:29:25And that's what Skalikov's doing.
00:29:27But Frankie Lyles is trying.
00:29:29Slapping right hand there by Lyles.
00:29:31But that didn't hurt Skalikov.
00:29:33He didn't even flinch.
00:29:35Skalikov is not trying.
00:29:36That's a trick.
00:29:38A throw down.
00:29:39That was almost a fulcrum like.
00:29:42Their legs tangled up.
00:29:44That's the problem with the South boy.
00:29:46You step on each other's feet.
00:29:47You have that type of trouble all the time.
00:29:49It's always a problem.
00:29:55Frankie trying to put some order into this.
00:29:57He's trying to say, well, let's settle down to some kind of order here so I can get my lefts and rights in there.
00:30:01Andrei is not letting him.
00:30:03He keeps coming in to rough him up.
00:30:06Or head-butting Skalikov as Lyles complains to the referee.
00:30:12And another fact to the jack.
00:30:14Another fact to have to look at, he's got anticoagulant on the top of his head.
00:30:18Which means when you rub, you rub him around the eyes.
00:30:21And that's the problem, as Bobby's found out and Ali's found out.
00:30:24Some decent work on the inside, body work by Skalikov.
00:30:28He's taking the fight for Frankie.
00:30:30And Frankie's not boxing as smart as he can.
00:30:32Skalikov just charging in and firing away.
00:30:37Interesting round.
00:30:43Hey.
00:30:44Listen.
00:30:47This guy can fight.
00:30:49You see?
00:30:50You saw him.
00:30:50Okay.
00:30:52Breathe.
00:30:54Come on.
00:30:56You must do a push.
00:30:58Like you do.
00:30:59It's good.
00:30:59More smart.
00:31:02You are not in your country.
00:31:04You are in America.
00:31:05Yes, I know.
00:31:05Okay?
00:31:07So, you must be intelligent.
00:31:10You are close.
00:31:12Don't need strong too much.
00:31:18All right.
00:31:18Let's take a look at the way they tangle legs.
00:31:21And I think Skalikov felt it.
00:31:22See there?
00:31:23Uh-huh.
00:31:23He pulled him over his leg, over his left leg, in fulcrum-like fashion.
00:31:27And he fell right.
00:31:28And you got the right uppercut.
00:31:30You got the right uppercut.
00:31:31And we also got straight left hand.
00:31:33Let's go.
00:31:34Okay?
00:31:34Don't brush it.
00:31:35Let's go.
00:31:36So, some dirty tactics by both Skalikov and Lyles.
00:31:41Lyles earlier tackling in a survival mode.
00:31:44Tackling the challenger.
00:31:46And then some tripping tactics there by Skalikov.
00:31:50Louis Zacharis, who is from France, the manager and co-trainer,
00:31:53was doing the talking in the face of the Russian just a moment ago.
00:31:57Here we go.
00:31:58Round five.
00:32:00And things are getting a little interesting here.
00:32:02Getting hot.
00:32:02When it's immediate effects of this can be seen on Skalikov's trunks there,
00:32:08all the letters are falling off.
00:32:10Mostly vowels, however.
00:32:11But look at the sign.
00:32:13It's gone.
00:32:14Does each one cost $200 by a vowel?
00:32:17Ask Vanna.
00:32:21Oh, nice right hand.
00:32:23Oh, left hand.
00:32:26His other left.
00:32:29Left hand is driving crazy.
00:32:30Right now, Frankie seems to have come out a little more purposeful,
00:32:34wanting to put in a little more zing on his punches, a little more snap,
00:32:38and maybe just throw more punches because he's standing in the middle of the ring,
00:32:42not going back to the ropes.
00:32:43He's trying to keep a good circle around Skalikov.
00:32:47Well, the southpaw style doesn't seem to be bothering.
00:32:50It's bothering Ferdi, but it's not bothering Skalikov that much.
00:32:52I'm not getting hit by it.
00:32:56That reflex, after you see a jab, you see the other thing come out,
00:32:59you say, oh, that's a right-handed at night.
00:33:00Frankie's keeping the fight in the middle of the ring where he has the range,
00:33:03where he has the reach, he has the leverage,
00:33:05not letting himself get backed up to the ropes.
00:33:07This is a smart fight for Frankie Lyle.
00:33:08No, no, no, no.
00:33:09Well, Lyle's doing much better than Trump.
00:33:10Much, much, much, much better.
00:33:12Those were not effective punches by Skalikov.
00:33:21There were a lot of them.
00:33:22It was a busy flurry there, but nothing happened.
00:33:25But it was answered by a lot of punches.
00:33:27Big right hook by Frankie Lyle.
00:33:29As Lyle does it again.
00:33:30Frankie Lyle with a big left, big right hook, excuse me,
00:33:33and almost no effect.
00:33:35Skalikov has good chin as of now.
00:33:37Boy, he does.
00:33:38He got six or seven punches for that big one.
00:33:40And Lyle's showing his speed there, ducking under.
00:33:43That winging hook by Skalikov.
00:33:45Stop it now.
00:33:46That's it.
00:33:48Hey, Skalikov put up a good fight here.
00:33:50Good fight.
00:33:55This fight has the makings right now of a distance fight.
00:33:58One of those hard, grueling, physical fights on the inside.
00:34:01Straight left hand by Lyle's that pushed Skalikov back.
00:34:05Lyle seems to be gaining momentum now here in round five.
00:34:08After some anxious moments earlier, Skalikov more defensive now.
00:34:18He's starting to feel the power of Lyle's, those counterpunches.
00:34:22Lyle's getting an awful lot of punches in there, and they're landing.
00:34:26Not in that big effect, but they've got to take effect.
00:34:28If he keeps this up round after round, Andre's going to make it to the ball.
00:34:34And the chorus of boos from this sellout crowd are better than 12,000 in Paimon, Puerto Rico.
00:34:39Well, coming up next, our main event, the IVF's well-to-weight championship.
00:34:52We go behind the scenes into the dressing room of the champ, Felix Trinidad.
00:34:55Getting ready to take on the number two contender and mandatory challenger, Mahenge Zulu from Kinshasa-Zaire.
00:35:05And it's noisy back there.
00:35:07That's Felix along with his father, a former Puerto Rican featherweight champ.
00:35:12Final preparation.
00:35:13Big crowd on hand.
00:35:22Very, very noisy crowd.
00:35:24They have enjoyed the night's festivities, but they're getting a little anxious here tonight.
00:35:28They want more action, as Larry Holmes is part of this crowd as well, former heavyweight champion of the world.
00:35:34Do you have uppercuts or you got the right uppercut?
00:35:36Preferably the right uppercut in North State.
00:35:39He's coming late tonight.
00:35:40Open, open.
00:35:41When he comes, put the hand out.
00:35:43Hold him out.
00:35:46And round six begins.
00:35:48With the exhortation to use your uppercuts, this guy is wide open to uppercuts.
00:35:53Let's see if he does.
00:35:56Shkalikov only 13 knockouts in 29 wins, but he does consider himself a puncher.
00:36:04He did very well in the early going.
00:36:07Lyle's coming on now.
00:36:08Shkalikov is sort of waiting for his moment as it appears.
00:36:16He doesn't rush things.
00:36:20Shkalikov keeps his hands high.
00:36:21He blocks a lot of those punches.
00:36:23He just has a forward motion on his mind.
00:36:26He wants to go forward.
00:36:27He's taken a few very clean shots.
00:36:29No major effects that are obvious.
00:36:32A little cut.
00:36:33That's from a headbutt.
00:36:34And he seems fine.
00:36:36Not a big puncher.
00:36:37But see, he leaps.
00:36:37He comes off the ground.
00:36:38His feet aren't planted, Steve.
00:36:40But he is aggressive and he seems to have some physical strength.
00:36:44Meanwhile, Lyle's does not invite roughhouse tactics.
00:36:47But he can brawl.
00:36:48As we saw against Tim Whittles in 96, a third-round TKO.
00:36:52And here.
00:36:53I can't shake the feeling that we're looking at a linebacker against a really creamy, smooth, wide receiver.
00:37:14You know, one guy is just thick and strong and comes in and is willing to take shots.
00:37:18And the other guy wants to be fancy and fast.
00:37:21We really have a contrast in styles here.
00:37:24Beautiful block of that punch by the gloves of Shkalikov.
00:37:31Shkalikov just doesn't have the timing down right now.
00:37:33He doesn't have the speed also to combat Frankie's speed.
00:37:36It's very difficult.
00:37:37He has to use brute force to be effective on his side.
00:37:40And that's the only way he's going to win this fight.
00:37:41We just saw evidence of that speed just before as he eluded that hook by Shkalikov.
00:37:48Shkalikov again pushing Lyle's into the corner.
00:37:51But unable to cut off the ring as Lyle's just slithers out of there.
00:38:01Lyle's a very smart fighter.
00:38:03As you can see, he's just picking his spots.
00:38:06He's got that right hand awfully low, though.
00:38:08He's looking.
00:38:09I was just going to say, he's looking.
00:38:10He's swinging that counter hook.
00:38:11He's looking to lead with the right hand and dump the counter right hand over to drop the left hand of Shkalikov.
00:38:17You know what he hasn't done?
00:38:18He hasn't thrown the uppercut that they wanted him to do in the corner.
00:38:22I don't think I've seen one uppercut in this fight.
00:38:26And you hear the crowd's reaction.
00:38:28Kenny Adams, Lyle's trainer, said look for Shkalikov to dip the right shoulder, alluding to what Bobby was pointing out, and for Lyle's to come over with the right hook.
00:38:38I think that's what they have been working on in preparation for this battle.
00:38:47The bell.
00:38:48And here is the man who will have to fight Trinidad later, Mahenge Zulu.
00:39:01He's trained long and hard for what he calls a chance of a lifetime.
00:39:04Born in Zaire, but he lives in Pesaro, Italy.
00:39:0917-2-1 with seven knockouts following a long nine-year amateur career.
00:39:13A late bloomer.
00:39:13He turned pro at 24, now 32, getting his first world title shot.
00:39:18Many feel this is a suicide mission, not only fighting the undefeated Felix Trinidad, but fighting Trinidad in his own backyard.
00:39:25So you, he's smart, that he's tired.
00:39:30You know, you are better you than him.
00:39:34Okay?
00:39:35And after when you are too close, when you, hello.
00:39:38When you know, two hands, I'm quick, like a smart fighter.
00:39:42If you are quick, not too strong quick, it cannot bring you.
00:39:46You understand?
00:39:49Hey, referee.
00:39:52Round seven.
00:39:53Yes, in the E.
00:39:54What have you got, Bobby, up at this point?
00:39:56I have it four rounds to two for Frankie Lyles.
00:39:59Scott Corbett made a little run there in the third, fourth rounds, but he, as, as Louisa Carey said, you gotta be quicker.
00:40:04He cannot match speed with Lyles, and that's what he needs to do right now.
00:40:08His strength seems to be similar.
00:40:09His punching power, maybe not quite the same, but he needs the speed to be picked up.
00:40:14I have it merges him, I have it 5-1.
00:40:16The folks at home have it all tied up.
00:40:19The Russian vote coming in heavy.
00:40:21There are a lot of interesting viewpoints to this fight.
00:40:32The bobbing and waving by Lyles, but the soft punches.
00:40:36Oh, a smacking left hook by Skolikov that got through.
00:40:38And the funny thing there was, Frank Lyles left with a nice right hook that landed, and Skolikov countered his right hand with a left hook, which is traditionally how you do it.
00:40:46You counter one with the other, back and forth to give and take, but usually you want to get there and not get hit.
00:40:51He made his U.S. debut in 92 with a decision over Milton Leakes in Boston.
00:41:03Went on to win in Las Vegas, South Africa, and France, plus his native Russia.
00:41:08He's been all over the place, has Skolikov.
00:41:10Nice right, excuse me, left hand, Frank Lyles to a straight left down the middle.
00:41:26Got Skolikov's attention.
00:41:28Give him a little stutter step for a second.
00:41:29I'll stun him just briefly.
00:41:30Because Lyles is a southpaw, corners expect the left more often, but they usually get the heavy right.
00:41:44Let's see what he throws here, a little combination, pitter-patter by Lyles, and the crowd beginning to go again.
00:41:52Finally, Lyles throws that right uppercut.
00:41:54His left hand has not been that impressive tonight.
00:41:57I know he talked to his corner people, and they said he was going to be stronger tonight.
00:42:00You're going to see a surprise left hand, but it hasn't shown up yet.
00:42:04He may have to go back to his bread-and-butter punch, the right hook.
00:42:10He learned to fight as a southpaw on the amateurs.
00:42:13Here's a good straight right by Lyles.
00:42:15Okay, that's enough.
00:42:16But a good chin by Skolikov.
00:42:18That's it.
00:42:20Skolikov's the aggressor, although he's paying for it on the way in.
00:42:22I mean, he gets some points from being the aggressor, but he doesn't land as much.
00:42:26Okay, great.
00:42:27He's not an effective aggressor as he fought.
00:42:29Yeah, I mean, just coming in, eating punches, he doesn't get the points.
00:42:35Straight left hand there by Frankie Lyles, partially blocked by the gloves of Skolikov.
00:42:40I don't know why Frankie Lyles doesn't fire one of those straight left hands right down the solar plexus.
00:42:45Skolikov keeps his hands up from his chest to the top of his head.
00:42:49That body is wide open, stable.
00:42:50No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, that's not, that's not nice.
00:42:53Come on.
00:42:53Who cares?
00:43:02We do all we have to do.
00:43:04He ain't trying to do nothing.
00:43:05We do all we have to do.
00:43:08Don't worry about that.
00:43:09Now, he's still popping his air.
00:43:12Now, he's going to be rushing out there now.
00:43:13He's going to be trying to come straight at you.
00:43:15He's going to be trying to come because he can't get to you, and he's not doing anything.
00:43:19So, he's going to try to rush it in his head.
00:43:22That's why I said Frankie.
00:43:23You got to put your hands up.
00:43:25All right, let's take a look at this punching on the inside.
00:43:29Now, you see, all of the fighting that's taken on, that's a little blow on the inside, is mostly Skolikov.
00:43:37I mean, the other, Miles is just covering up, trying to get away from all the action.
00:43:40You know, he's not even covering up for what he's doing.
00:43:42He's holding at all costs as soon as they get close.
00:43:45And if you read the book, the real books, it is technically illegal to clinch all the time.
00:43:50So, come around, try to keep your hands up, okay?
00:43:53All right, baby.
00:43:58Frankie doesn't look too happy in the corner.
00:44:01He's alive.
00:44:01His facial countenance is not one of a happy man.
00:44:06Round eight.
00:44:07He probably knows this is one of those fights where you can't look good, even though, you know, he's the champion.
00:44:11He's winning.
00:44:12He can't look good doing it, and you just got to work for the win.
00:44:15Well, it's a southpaw against a right-hander with an awkward style.
00:44:22And it's making life a little difficult here for Frankie Lyles.
00:44:26Combination by Lyles to the head.
00:44:28Look at where those gloves are so high.
00:44:30The remark by Bobby was well-placed.
00:44:33The body is wide open.
00:44:35Looks like a billboard with a target on it.
00:44:37He's all split.
00:44:38Perfectly squared off.
00:44:39I mean, you get a clean shot at his midsection straight down the middle, and you rip that right uppercut up, and you never know if you can have an earlier knife.
00:44:45You'll get his attention.
00:44:46I'll tell you.
00:44:47His legs will feel that one.
00:44:48You come right down the middle with him.
00:44:50Oh, boy.
00:44:50What you can do to this guy?
00:44:52Shalikov has legs like tree stumps.
00:44:55Yeah, that's why he looks like a linebacker to me.
00:44:57Big legs, strong guy.
00:45:01He's from Chelyabink, Russia and the Ukraine.
00:45:04He left there to train in St. Martin.
00:45:06I don't blame him.
00:45:08The tropical island St. Martin also trains in France, handled by the Akaris brothers.
00:45:13Combination by Lyles.
00:45:14But blocked.
00:45:17A lunging left follow by a right hook by the Russian, but he missed.
00:45:22He didn't miss with that left hook.
00:45:23He's landing a couple of single nice shots, Steve, but on the inside he can't keep his own balance.
00:45:28Runs into Frankie's long arms.
00:45:29Gets tied up on top of getting hit on the way in.
00:45:32He just ate a straight left by Lyles.
00:45:34He's eating a lot of ice.
00:45:35His balance is off.
00:45:37Off.
00:45:38Well, he's leaping in for it.
00:45:39He can't leap.
00:45:39He's got to take shorter steps.
00:45:41He's got to work him behind a jab and some combinations.
00:45:43Even if some of those jabs are just meant to hit the air to set up the distance and range.
00:45:48You get the other punches in.
00:45:50Lyles with an 8-inch reach advantage, a 7-1⁄2-inch height advantage.
00:45:54And you really see the look on his face when he gets hit.
00:46:02And when he's about to get hit, he seems to brace himself.
00:46:09He's got that look of anguish.
00:46:10I tell you, the Russian looks as fresh as the first round.
00:46:16I mean, he's been getting pummeled.
00:46:18I mean, he doesn't look.
00:46:19His face is not wearing out.
00:46:20He's well-conditioned.
00:46:22And he looks determined.
00:46:23Boy, does he look determined.
00:46:25He looks very determined and he looks like he's in shape to do this for a while.
00:46:28But to be in shape to take a beating is not always a smart move.
00:46:31He's got to start giving part of that beating.
00:46:34Give a little more than he's taking.
00:46:36He trains for endurance.
00:46:37He's got a lot of heart.
00:46:39He's stepping right in.
00:46:40He's taking a lot of heat from Lyles.
00:46:42But can he outskill the slick, crafty spoo of Frankie Lyles?
00:46:49That remains to be seen.
00:46:52Final seconds of round 8.
00:46:55I missed that one, guys.
00:47:00That was just a hit on the break, but very little.
00:47:02Well, in four weeks, we'll bring you more exciting action on Showtime Championship Boxing from beautiful Lyon, France.
00:47:10When WBA Cruiserweight Champion Fabrice Tiozzo of France defends his title against Terry Ray of Terre Haute, Indiana, via satellite.
00:47:21And that will be Saturday, May 2nd at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.
00:47:25Here we go.
00:47:32You've got to keep the hands up.
00:47:34That's important.
00:47:36The hands is up.
00:47:37It's still working the jab.
00:47:38Let's try moving, like I said, back to this right side.
00:47:41You seem to be more open, okay?
00:47:43Set the jab up.
00:47:44Set the jab up.
00:47:45Then you've got to wind up.
00:47:46You've got to get wide open with the left.
00:47:49Straighten that back and spin around with the hook.
00:47:51Okay, baby?
00:47:52Let's keep working with it, okay?
00:47:54But use the jab.
00:47:55That sets up everything.
00:47:56That's up with the open economy, sir.
00:47:57Doesn't matter.
00:47:58Fuck, we're winning with a jab.
00:47:59Who gives a shit?
00:48:00I need a man now.
00:48:02Men, two hands.
00:48:03Two hands.
00:48:05Pretty succinct instructions from Kenny Adams.
00:48:08Use the jab.
00:48:10Well, we're winning with a jab.
00:48:11Who cares who boosies?
00:48:12Well, there's pretty something to say about that.
00:48:15He is winning the fight.
00:48:16Let's just win and get out of here.
00:48:19He's usually the treedo.
00:48:22Well, there are those nights when you know your fighter is not going to knock the other guy out.
00:48:26You've got to go here to the full 12.
00:48:27Just keep piling up the rounds.
00:48:29We used to have a saying in the gym.
00:48:31Don't worry about looking good.
00:48:31We'll look good next time.
00:48:32Just win this one.
00:48:33Yeah.
00:48:34Right.
00:48:36That's it.
00:48:37That's it.
00:48:37That's enough.
00:48:38That's enough.
00:48:38Good.
00:48:40See, now that punch, that left hook that Scalic off through to hit Frankie Lyle on the side of the joint here
00:48:44is not illegal.
00:48:45That's not behind the head.
00:48:46No, no, no, no.
00:48:46It's on the side of the head.
00:48:47That's not illegal.
00:48:51He did it again.
00:48:57Okay, that's enough.
00:48:58Step back now.
00:48:59Last time Lyle's went this deep was in 1995.
00:49:14Well, check that, uh, his last fight with Jaffa Balogu.
00:49:17He went the distance.
00:49:19He went the distance with Mauricio Amaral four fights ago.
00:49:22But he does have 19 knockouts in his 31 wins.
00:49:28Okay, okay, okay.
00:49:29Even though Frankie winning this fight pretty handily now, he still doesn't look like the
00:49:34fabulous Frank Lyle that I'm used to seeing.
00:49:36And a straight right.
00:49:37Yeah, a straight right by Scalic off that pushed Lyle's back there.
00:49:41That was a good right in.
00:49:42And a low punch just in.
00:49:44Scalic off just ate a good right hook as well.
00:49:54Straight up Scalic off just standing right in there and he's getting belted.
00:49:57And now he comes back with a neat right uppercut.
00:50:00Frankie's starting to find his range a little better.
00:50:02He's starting to move a little more.
00:50:03Illegal backhand motion there by Scalic off.
00:50:06We got an elbow on the head of Frankie Wallace.
00:50:09This has not been a 100% clean fight.
00:50:17Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.
00:50:19That's enough.
00:50:21The difference is Frankie's doing enough to win the rounds but not to knock the guy out.
00:50:25He's not fighting the knockout.
00:50:26He's fighting to win the rounds and not making it a dull fight.
00:50:29Look out now, Lyle's throws Scalic off to his knees.
00:50:36And he's taking a point.
00:50:38Is he taking a point away?
00:50:39Yeah, he is now.
00:50:43He is docking Lyle's a point.
00:50:46He remembers the tackle earlier in the fight.
00:50:50That's in the mind of the referee Schmidt.
00:50:51One point.
00:50:52And he says enough is enough.
00:50:54Come on.
00:50:56Keep it clean now.
00:50:57Let's go.
00:50:59What do you call that?
00:50:591.1 for bad manners?
00:51:02Something like that.
00:51:04Oh, right hook by Frankie Lyle, but it wasn't flush.
00:51:11Lyle's is very bad.
00:51:13He's getting butted.
00:51:14Final seconds of round nine.
00:51:15And things are getting wild.
00:51:22Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
00:51:24And the dirty tactics continue.
00:51:27Good, Andre.
00:51:30More, my friend.
00:51:33Perfectly two-hand.
00:51:34Dirty bocky, docker with this.
00:51:35This is normal.
00:51:36All right.
00:51:37All right.
00:51:38All right.
00:51:38All right.
00:51:39All right.
00:51:40All right.
00:51:40All right.
00:51:40Let's see what costs Frankie Lyle's a point.
00:51:45Lyle's tired of grappling.
00:51:47Now, really, throws him down.
00:51:48Throws him over his body and throws him down.
00:51:50All right.
00:51:51He's right.
00:51:52He should be taking a point away.
00:51:53Let's take a look at it again.
00:51:54He's trying to work.
00:51:56He's trying to punch.
00:51:57Lyle's just wants to hold and throw him off.
00:51:59That's frustration.
00:52:00It's frustration, but it's also Frankie Lyle doesn't have the style to sit there and fight
00:52:04with this guy inside all night long, outside, inside, outside, inside.
00:52:08When he comes inside, Frankie's going to tie him up.
00:52:10That's his style.
00:52:11That's part of what he does.
00:52:12I don't think it's necessarily correct, but...
00:52:15Pop the jab.
00:52:16Pop the jab.
00:52:16We're going to fix it.
00:52:17We're going to fix it.
00:52:18Frustrated.
00:52:19Spin around.
00:52:19Step around.
00:52:20Take some money.
00:52:23Don't let him steal the round like that.
00:52:25He got that one to go.
00:52:26They got a point.
00:52:27You got to get it.
00:52:28Just go get it.
00:52:28Well, Kenny Adams urging Frankie Lyle's to continue frustrating Skalikov, but it seemed
00:52:34like it was Lyle's who was frustrated by throwing Skalikov to the canvas.
00:52:39Lyle's frustrated.
00:52:40He can't hurt him.
00:52:41He can't put him down.
00:52:42And every time he comes in close, he gets roughed up.
00:52:46This kid's awkward style.
00:52:48Skalikov causing headaches for Frankie Lyle's, who's the champion.
00:52:53Round 10.
00:53:00I have Lyle's way ahead in this fight, but it's just taking a round.
00:53:04And these rounds, some of them are close because Skalikov makes them close with his
00:53:11brawling, fighting, and aggressive fashion.
00:53:14And on the inside, let's face it, Frankie Lyle's winning almost absolutely zero except
00:53:18hold on the inside.
00:53:19So all the inside work for Skalikov points.
00:53:22Whenever they get close, Skalikov gets the points.
00:53:25So this is not one of Frankie Lyle's more impressive performances.
00:53:29And you can chalk that up to the style of Skalikov.
00:53:35And then there's the first body shot.
00:53:37The one done jab into the body.
00:53:39Right hand jab into the body.
00:53:42Finally.
00:53:42Look up!
00:53:47There it goes, but it's a slip or a push.
00:53:50A little bit of a balanced thing.
00:53:52They kind of banged into each other.
00:53:53No big deal.
00:53:54No knockdown.
00:53:55No harm, no foul.
00:53:57There have been no knockdowns in this particular fight.
00:54:00That's not to say people haven't been on the canvas.
00:54:02The tape's coming off the Russian's red glove.
00:54:10Oh, oh, a lot of elbowing there.
00:54:13That was a bad elbow.
00:54:15On the part of Skalikov.
00:54:16Skalikov just walked into a straight right hand, too, by Lyle's during that skirmish.
00:54:22Oh, and as he looked mean.
00:54:24Yeah, and he has some dirty tricks up his sleeve.
00:54:27And Lyle's is countering with those of his own, too, by tackling him from time to time.
00:54:32And he's very upset, Lyle.
00:54:35Every time he passes him with the elbow and has to come back the other way, that elbow
00:54:38breaks the face of Lyle.
00:54:42That's a no-no.
00:54:43He's not called.
00:54:44Skalikov will throw the punches from any angle, too.
00:54:46He'll whip them all the way across from one side to the other.
00:54:48He'll take that.
00:54:49He'll throw it out with a straight left hand, and he gets the attention of Lyle.
00:54:52He'll throw from anywhere, and Frank's not always ready for it.
00:54:55He gets hit a few times very cleanly.
00:54:58Where was Lyle's defense there?
00:54:59There, just hold it, see?
00:55:02On the inside, Lyle doesn't do anything but hold.
00:55:04Well, Lyle doesn't want to get any part of that in fighting, and therefore he's losing
00:55:07a round like this because his other guy's just out fighting.
00:55:10Frank clearly lost this round.
00:55:13Andrei is out fighting him.
00:55:14He's just guts, and he's coming forward, rough, crude, but he's out fighting the champion.
00:55:19Lyle's on the defensive, fighting as he backpedals, and this referee, Baltimore Schmidt, from Ponce,
00:55:25Puerto Rico, is getting very upset.
00:55:28Well, Frank, you've got to get, you've got to step back up now.
00:55:37You've got to step back up.
00:55:38Number one.
00:55:39Huh?
00:55:40You've got to step back up.
00:55:42I mean, I say that.
00:55:43I want you to move in and work.
00:55:44Let's take a look at that slip, which was really a slip.
00:55:46Now watch.
00:55:47Bodies come together.
00:55:48See?
00:55:49It's purely off balance.
00:55:51It's a nothing.
00:55:52There was no punch causing that.
00:55:53And Scarlet Kovar is constantly on the attack here.
00:55:55You see him throwing punches from any angle.
00:55:57I mean, he's not even on balance, but he's just swinging.
00:56:00His hand, watch his left hand, all the way across his body.
00:56:02No real style, no real form, but he is busy.
00:56:05He's a well-conditioned fighter, trying to make an effort, trying to make something happen.
00:56:09Look at your head.
00:56:10Don't wait up.
00:56:11Keep the hands up.
00:56:13He's looking for one wild more.
00:56:17He's looking for a wild shot.
00:56:19Now we're getting to round 11.
00:56:21I've got a 96-93.
00:56:22What do you got, Bob?
00:56:23I can't wait.
00:56:23I have a 96-93 for Lyle.
00:56:26Yeah, that's what I mean.
00:56:27I didn't mean.
00:56:29I'd have left the country about him in Andre Schalico.
00:56:31No, I'm sure you had that.
00:56:32Well, yeah, no, I have the same score.
00:56:34I had the last round for Schalicoff.
00:56:35The round before that I had for Lyle, but they took a point off making it a draw.
00:56:40All right, the championship rounds.
00:56:42Round 11.
00:56:45Andre Schalicoff giving Frankie Lyle's trouble.
00:56:50Hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it.
00:56:51So, all of them.
00:56:56Schalicoff hasn't been this deep into a fight since June of 96, when he won the Russian 168-pound title.
00:57:05There's a string dangling from the back of Lyle's trunks, and they're attending to that.
00:57:10I'm going to say that's the first time I've ever seen that happen.
00:57:13Who cares what's dangling behind the fighter?
00:57:15Yeah, I haven't seen the string behind the fighter attended to ever.
00:57:18Ever.
00:57:18I mean, like, why?
00:57:20First time for ever.
00:57:21Right.
00:57:22Well, let's see if Schalicoff continues to just throw wildly.
00:57:31And as you heard Kenny Adams saying Lyle's corner, he's just trying to get lucky with one of those punches.
00:57:36Schalicoff moving forward, right uppercut, but that was blocked.
00:57:45Punches are raining on him right now.
00:57:47He must have understood his corner when he said, don't give away a round, go out there and work it.
00:57:52As long as he's punching, Schalicoff's not coming forward and beating him to the body inside, as long as he keeps that up.
00:57:59And Lyle's has to be more assertive.
00:58:01He's got to take the initiative here, press the attack.
00:58:03He's moving back.
00:58:05Schalicoff right now is still too concerned with Frank.
00:58:08He's 1-2, even when it's just one of those perfunctory combinations.
00:58:12Just throwing him out there to keep him off, to keep him from charging.
00:58:15He's got to take a shot.
00:58:16We're talking about the 11th round.
00:58:18He's got to take a shot.
00:58:19Fuck it up, Greg.
00:58:20Stop it.
00:58:21Stop it.
00:58:22There's no more time and there's no more places to go.
00:58:24He's got to go forward and take a gamble.
00:58:28He certainly can't think he's ahead on points.
00:58:32He's taking his shots.
00:58:33Oh, nice shot to the body.
00:58:35Nice shot to the head.
00:58:36Straight right by Schalicoff.
00:58:37Right to the sternum.
00:58:39I'll tell you what, he pulled him down.
00:58:42He pulled him down, but he did end up with two thundering shots.
00:58:46Terrific body shot there, too.
00:58:47Frankie Lyle had no reason to go down.
00:58:49I don't understand why he went down to one knee.
00:58:51Maybe out of exhaustion.
00:58:52I think that body shot gave his legs a little reason to quit.
00:58:55I think he took the air right out of Lyle's with that shot.
00:59:00He did.
00:59:00His face reflected the pain.
00:59:04And then came a head shot.
00:59:06Which we've seen often here tonight.
00:59:12It's the first time we've seen anything of this nature by Lyle's.
00:59:15A much better showing than I anticipated from Andre Schalicoff.
00:59:20I didn't think he would stay here this long, but he has.
00:59:24Neither did Lyle's.
00:59:28Delyle's coming forward, keeping Schalicoff on the end of his gloves is the most effective
00:59:33way he should fight.
00:59:34He should fight like this all night long.
00:59:36But Schalicoff is so concerned with the punches.
00:59:38His hands up.
00:59:39He's not punching himself.
00:59:40Five seconds left in the 11th round.
00:59:45First sign of weariness from Schalicoff.
00:59:54We've got to do that again.
00:59:55We've got to do that again.
00:59:57You hear me?
00:59:58Huh?
00:59:58Watch out, man.
01:00:00Hey, while punching.
01:00:02Frankly, keep your hands up.
01:00:04Punch on the chin.
01:00:05Now, be smart.
01:00:06We understand.
01:00:06I want to say you're doing the same thing.
01:00:08We've got to do the same thing.
01:00:11All right.
01:00:12Let's take a look at that incredible punching power.
01:00:15There was a good shot to the stomach and a good shot to the head.
01:00:20One followed the other as if a payoff for that great body shot.
01:00:24The head came over Bobby.
01:00:26Yeah, and there was one more after, too.
01:00:27He throws a good right hand to the body.
01:00:28That hurt.
01:00:29See the winch on Frankie's face?
01:00:31You know that bother him.
01:00:33Then his right hand to the chest and neck.
01:00:34Now, if they let the camera run a little bit, you'll see another right hand right above,
01:00:38right there.
01:00:39It's on its way.
01:00:40They cut us off, but it was right ready, and he went down to one knee.
01:00:43Lyles could verify that.
01:00:46End of that round made for the first time that looked weird in this on Schalicoff's face.
01:00:55Now, he has to have a knockout to win.
01:00:57I don't think either on Bobby or Mike's scorecard can he win.
01:00:59Here we go, round 12 for the WBA Super Middleweight Championship.
01:01:06Frankie Lyles finding himself in a tussle here with the awkward Russian, Andrei Schalicoff.
01:01:17Let's check the online scoring heading into the last round, and how do you like that?
01:01:22The folks at home have Schalicoff in front.
01:01:25We don't all do fairness to the guys at home, although they're also not ever boxed or had
01:01:30to really score fights.
01:01:31At home, you can't see a lot of things we can see here.
01:01:33Inside work, clean punches, and it's just different to watch them on TV, even for somebody
01:01:38like myself to score at home.
01:01:39It's sometimes different than ringside.
01:01:41It's very different than ringside.
01:01:43Andrei Schalicoff feels, hopes that Gonzalo Rivera, Cesar Ramos, and Ova Overson feel
01:01:57the same way as those at home.
01:01:59Those are the three judges ringside.
01:02:04As he comes charging in once again, but not very effectively.
01:02:09Frankie Lyles just seems tired, exhausted.
01:02:20He just can't get anything going against this guy.
01:02:23He can't initiate the attack.
01:02:25And neither can Zogbaugh.
01:02:26This is the kind of fight that's very grueling, very brutal on your body.
01:02:30It's very tiring, debilitating.
01:02:32It's one of those fights that's almost half wrestling match, half boxing match.
01:02:35And it's also, it's got to be 100 degrees in this arena.
01:02:38Yeah, it is warm here in Puerto Rico.
01:02:41But that's what you get when you're fighting in Puerto Rico.
01:02:44And a great fight crowd who appreciates fighting.
01:02:46Plus the hot television lights above.
01:02:49I love to come to Puerto Rico.
01:02:51It's a great fight place.
01:02:53This is boxing here.
01:02:54You look around at this crowd.
01:02:56Tremendous.
01:02:59And Schalicoff once again with a furious barrage.
01:03:03Just very busy.
01:03:04It sure won't be for lack of trying on the part of Schalicoff.
01:03:07He wants a fight.
01:03:08He wants to hit anything that he can hit that the referee won't take a point from.
01:03:11I'd hate to bet on who would win outside the ring between these two guys.
01:03:15Because Andre looks like one tough guy.
01:03:18And these 12,000 would go out into the parking lot and watch it.
01:03:21I mean, he looks tough.
01:03:22I'd go with him.
01:03:24Me too.
01:03:24Final 30 seconds of the fight.
01:03:27You hear the boobers.
01:03:29No knockdowns in this fight.
01:03:31But plenty of takedowns.
01:03:35A lot of elbows.
01:03:36A lot of headbutts.
01:03:40We've seen everything but a bitten ear.
01:03:42I know.
01:03:44Don't even mention it.
01:03:46Final second to the front.
01:03:49You hear the whistle.
01:03:54A bit of a derisive cheer from the crowd as the bell sounds.
01:04:00What do you think?
01:04:01I clearly think Craigie Lyles wins the fight.
01:04:05But, you know, it is not a fight that can help him in any way other than he got paid.
01:04:10He goes home.
01:04:10He's got another win.
01:04:12And you've got to start over.
01:04:13He didn't look good for himself.
01:04:14But this fighter, he's the kind of guy who can't make you look too good.
01:04:17He may have come into this fight thinking ahead to Stevie Collins or Roy Jones.
01:04:22And sometimes you have a tendency to overlook guys.
01:04:24Well, guys, at the end, I got 115, 112.
01:04:27Bobby had it up.
01:04:28I have it exactly the same way.
01:04:30I give the last round of Scalicorp just on sheer trying.
01:04:33Sheer guts.
01:04:34Aggressive.
01:04:34But it's too little, too late.
01:04:36And he didn't do anywhere near enough to win.
01:04:38Well, let's see.
01:04:40Top of the head there from an earlier headbutt.
01:04:42I'll tell you one thing.
01:04:43I'd hate to be in Las Vegas and bet some money on this if it was in Las Vegas.
01:04:46The wacky things we've seen there.
01:04:48The wild and the wacky.
01:04:50Well, Gonzalo Rivera's of Maracaj, Venezuela.
01:04:53Cesar Ramos of San Juan or Ramos, however you choose.
01:04:57Ova Overson from Denmark.
01:04:59Those are the three judges.
01:05:01Well, that's an impartial.
01:05:03That's an impartial group.
01:05:04No one should have any favor, doesn't matter.
01:05:07Yep, no Russians, no Americans.
01:05:10Scalicorp's head cut in round two.
01:05:12You saw the badge of honor on the top of his head.
01:05:16A tough night, even though he could win this fight for Frankie Lyles.
01:05:21All right, let's look at some good Lyles footage.
01:05:23I mean, in the seventh round, there wasn't that much to pick from.
01:05:27But, as you saw, the punches that land, land well, but with no effect.
01:05:32I mean, they just don't bother us rushing.
01:05:34And, Bobby, take this one.
01:05:36You know, later in the fight, Scalicorp's just winging, trying to do anything he can to get in.
01:05:41Hit Frankie.
01:05:41Frankie's showing some signs of fatigue.
01:05:43Scalicorp, again, just a tough guy coming in, very unorthodox, very awkward, just doing whatever he could to try and close the distance in his scorecards, at least in my opinion.
01:05:53Frankie Lyles is an intelligent guy.
01:05:54He knows the score, generally speaking.
01:05:57He's not a happy guy right now.
01:05:58You can see it on his face.
01:05:59He knows he didn't have this in mind tonight.
01:06:04I like Jimmy Lennon's face.
01:06:06He's a mask.
01:06:07You can never tell who won by late.
01:06:09He's like his father.
01:06:10Poker face.
01:06:10Complete poker face.
01:06:12You can't tell who won.
01:06:13Well, he's got the cards in his hand.
01:06:15Momentarily, we'll find out the decision.
01:06:19Great Jimmy Lennon.
01:06:20And let's go to Jimmy Lennon, Jr. right now.
01:06:23Jimmy.
01:06:23Go, go.
01:06:25Ladies and gentlemen, after 12 rounds, we have a decision unanime.
01:06:31Ladies and gentlemen, after 12 rounds, we do have a unanimous decision.
01:06:35Here are the score totals.
01:06:37El juez Rivera tiene la pelea 115 a 114, 115 to 114.
01:06:45El juez Ramos vio la pelea 115 a 112, 115 to 112.
01:06:50And Judge Ovesen anota 118 a 110, 118 to 110, a favor del ganador, in favor of the winner,
01:07:02and still champion fabulous, Frankie Lyles.
01:07:08Well, no surprise, but you hear the boos from the crowd here as Frankie Lyles is awarded the
01:07:16unanimous decision.
01:07:17One had a big disparity, 118 to 110, while the other two judges had a 115 to 114, and 112,
01:07:25115.
01:07:26So the crowd was booing all throughout.
01:07:32They got behind the underdog, who's taken a victory lap, and they stayed with him all
01:07:39night long.
01:07:39Frankie Lyles with Jim Gray.
01:07:41All right.
01:07:42Thank you very much, Steve.
01:07:43I'm here with Frankie Lyles.
01:07:44Frankie, first of all, tell us about that knee.
01:07:45Did you intentionally take a knee?
01:07:47Should that have been ruled a knockdown?
01:07:48No, it was a slip.
01:07:49It was a slip.
01:07:50It definitely wasn't a shot.
01:07:51He hit me with a good shot, but I went down.
01:07:53It was a thing of balance.
01:07:54First of all, I got to thank my team, because we worked really hard.
01:07:56We worked for four months, five months, and we kept changing opponents, so I didn't know
01:08:01who...
01:08:01Did the layoff hurt you?
01:08:02Were you rusty?
01:08:03A little bit, but we did our job.
01:08:04It was a little tougher to get the weight down this time, but I want to dedicate my fight
01:08:08to Judy Turney, my friend.
01:08:10Nick lost his life in Los Angeles, and also my cousin Cece.
01:08:13Frankie, the awkward style of Andre.
01:08:16Did it bother you?
01:08:17He was throwing a lot of elbows.
01:08:18He was unconventional.
01:08:19You tackled him a couple of times.
01:08:20How much did that bother you and keep you off track?
01:08:23It really did, but I'm a world champion.
01:08:24I take on everybody.
01:08:26I've never sidestepped or dodged anyone.
01:08:28I took what he brought to get me, so it was just tough for me to get into my fight.
01:08:33I didn't start really relaxing until maybe about the fourth or fifth round, but I got
01:08:37to take my hat off to him.
01:08:38He fought a great fight.
01:08:39What next?
01:08:40Will it be Roy Jones, Stevie Collins?
01:08:41What next for you?
01:08:42I can't answer that question.
01:08:43Right now, my promoter is Don King, and I love him dearly, and I'm one of the guys that
01:08:47stand beside him.
01:08:48So it's whatever Don said from here, and I'll talk it over with my team, Louise Spada,
01:08:53Kenny Adams, my cousin Fred, Otis, Keith, and also Ruben Gomez.
01:08:59All right, Frankie.
01:09:00I'm sure Don appreciates those words.
01:09:01Congratulations tonight.
01:09:02Thanks a lot.
01:09:02All right.
01:09:02Let's send it back to you, Steve.
01:09:03All right, Jim, a very relieved and yet gracious Frankie Lyle straight ahead from the Ruben
01:09:09Rodriguez Coliseum.
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