- 6 weeks ago
Erik Morales defends his WBC Super Bantamweight title against Junior Jones on HBO Boxing After Dark. Plus interviews with Oscar De La Hoya and Julio Cesar Chavez talking about their upcoming rematch
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00:00Him in line for a possible second chance against Luisito Espinosa of the Philippines
00:05and that fight may not take place if it happens in Manila
00:10where Soto last fought against Espinosa before 300,000 fans rooting for the Philippine fighter
00:16because the economic crisis in the Philippines, we're told that Espinosa is likely to be fighting in the United States sometime soon.
00:23Maybe Cesar Soto will be coming north of the border to meet him there.
00:26Right now we've got an opportunity to talk live with the two combatants you'll be seeing via pay-per-view next Friday night in Las Vegas.
00:33Oscar De La Hoya meeting Julio Cesar Chavez for the second time in their careers.
00:39You'll recall that De La Hoya got a fourth-round technical knockout of Chavez two years ago.
00:43They both join us live tonight.
00:45De La Hoya from his training camp in Big Bear, California, and Julio Cesar Chavez from Breckenridge, Colorado.
00:50When we interview Julio, our interpreter Ray Torres, who's standing next to me, will interpret both the questions and the answers.
00:58So Oscar, I'll start with you.
01:00The obvious question, having already scored a victory over a seemingly aged and fading Julio Cesar Chavez,
01:07there are many in the sport who wonder what could you possibly prove by fighting him again.
01:12Well, Julio Cesar Chavez, every fighter out there wants to be like him because he had a very prosperous career.
01:20This fight here, I always said it's personal.
01:24Till this day, till right now, it's personal.
01:27And once I step inside that ring, it's all business and I'm going to fight like I never fought before.
01:32Is it about wanting to punish Chavez because he cited a cut in training before the first fight
01:38as the reason you were able to cut him in the first round and win the fight?
01:42No, this fight is all about respect.
01:45You know, every fighter goes up inside that ring to earn his respect.
01:50And the first time around, I had no respect whatsoever.
01:53So this time, I'm really taking it personally by going inside that ring and doing my job and taking that victory.
02:00Julio, as you sit there in Colorado, and once again, Ray Torres will interpret the question.
02:07Is what's at stake here for you a chance to salvage some of your respect and your glory
02:12after losses and draws in recent fights which have diminished it?
02:16Julio, what's going to happen in this fight that comes with Oscar is something you want to save a little bit of respect
02:21after a defeat and a victory.
02:26Did you understand the question?
02:27No, I didn't hear you.
02:28Okay, he said what's going to happen in this fight, what you expect is to win a little bit of respect
02:35after a defeat against Oscar and a victory against Miguel Ángel.
02:40Well, I'm sure I'm very sure of myself.
02:44I don't care about what they say of La Hoya, or what they say of their representatives,
02:47or what they say of the experts.
02:51De La Hoya says that I don't give him the respect that he deserved the first fight.
02:57Julio says, I'm very confident in myself. I don't care what De La Hoya says. I don't care what the boxing experts say.
03:04I didn't give him a strike because, in reality, he didn't really beat me. So, it's going to be a different fight come the 18th of September.
03:12Julio, you'll be fighting at 147 pounds. Can that possibly be good for you?
03:18Julio, you're going to fight at 147 libras. Is that good for you?
03:31Julio, you're going to fight at 147 pounds. Is that good for you?
03:35Well, it's not good for me because I'm a weight of weight of junior natural.
03:41Currently, I'm weighing 146 pounds.
03:44But, I tried to negotiate with Bo Arun that the fight was at 144 pounds or 145 pounds maximum, but they didn't accept it.
03:52But, even though, I've done a very special job for this fight.
03:56I'm not going to go flaccid to the fight. I'm going to go perfectly well at 145 libras maximum, 146 pounds maximum, and without any weight in the body.
04:08Okay, Julio says, definitely, it's not going to be to my advantage fighting at 47 pounds.
04:13I wanted the fight to be at 44 pounds. I negotiated with Bob Arun that we had that fight at that weight, but it wasn't so.
04:22They won it at 47, but I will make the best of it, and I feel confident.
04:27Alright, another question for you, Oscar De La Hoya.
04:29We understand that you have an arrangement, if you beat Chavez, to go forward into November and fight against the much-celebrated fellow welterweight champion Ike Quarte of Ghana on November 21.
04:41As sacrilegious as it might be to look past a fighter with the history of Julio Cesar Chavez toward the fight with Quarte, it certainly seems possible in this instance. Any danger of that?
04:51No, not at all. I'm not looking past Julio Cesar Chavez. I never said it's going to be an easy fight. I never said it was going to be an easy opponent.
04:59I'm very ready for this fight, physically, mentally. I've prepared myself to my fullest extent, and I feel that this fight here, of course, it can present a very difficult match if I let it be.
05:12But, like I said, I'm very ready, and we have a contract in November. We have a scheduled fight in February, even in May. But that's the type of fighter I am, a very confident one.
05:24All right. Thank you very much. Gracias, Oscar de la Jolla. Gracias a usted también, Julio Cesar Chavez.
05:30Y veo a las dos next Friday night in Las Vegas when you meet. Thanks again for both of you.
05:38So now let's turn our attention to the main event here in Tijuana tonight. Hometowner Eric Morales against Junior Jones in a terrific battle at 122 pounds.
05:48Larry, we've seen the worst of Junior Jones, his fading, heat-affected loss to John Michael Johnson a few years ago in Las Vegas, his knockout at the hands of Kennedy McKinney last December.
05:59But we've also seen the best of Junior Jones, such as his two wins over rising Mexican legend at that time, Marco Antonio Barrera.
06:07If that Jones shows up, the guy who beat Barrera twice, is Morales good enough to beat him?
06:13If that Jones shows up, Jim, Morales will have to raise his game if he's going to get both ears and the tail in the bullring of this fight.
06:25Getting the ears and the tail is the way a bullfighter is rewarded when he does a clean, noble, graceful, courageous dispatching of his bull.
06:40By demanding a tough, dangerous opponent like Jones, Eric Morales wants our ears and our eyes in the boxing world so that we can tell the tale of a new and important presence in the featherweight divisions.
06:58Jim, when a young, unbeaten fighter with a belt takes this kind of a fight, this kind of action, even though he doesn't need it financially, attention must be paid.
07:11And it shows the confidence Morales has, particularly fighting here in his hometown of Tijuana.
07:17Of course, you've seen the great Roy Jones score some of his successes in his hometown of Pensacola or nearby in Tampa and Jacksonville.
07:25You know what it's like to fight before your friends and family in a setting like this.
07:29So given Jones' past success in history and given Morales' advantages of fighting here in a bullring in Tijuana, who has the edge tonight?
07:38Well, it's very difficult to say.
07:40Number one, Eric Morales knows that the crowd is on his side.
07:42Anything he does is going to seem very substantial here because they're going to roar about just about everything.
07:47If he lifts his eyebrow, they're going to roar because they're supposed to.
07:51This is their guy.
07:52However, Junior has been very successful against Mexican opponents, so I think it kind of balances out.
07:58I mean, it's difficult to say who's got the edge, but when you're in home, you've got to feel that advantage.
08:04One thing's for sure.
08:05It won't be a chess match.
08:07These are contact fighters.
08:08Let's take a look at the tale of the tape between Junior Jones and Eric Morales.
08:13And you will see that Morales, at 22 years old, is five years younger than Junior.
08:19They're both about five feet, eight inches tall, a one-inch reach advantage for Morales.
08:24He weighed in a quarter pound under the limit.
08:26Morales has gained a little bit over 12 pounds since last night, and Junior Jones has put on 17.
08:34Rules of the bout with our unofficial ringside scorer, Harold Letterman.
08:38The Eric El Terrible Morales Junior Jones fight is scheduled for 12 rounds.
08:42Now, we're outside the United States that are a little bit different tonight, Jim.
08:45There is no standing eight count.
08:47The three-knockdown rule is in effect.
08:50Only the referee can stop the fight, and he can be saved by the bell in the 12th and final round only.
08:55Jim.
08:58Junior Jones will be first into the ring.
09:02And what an entourage he brings with him.
09:04You see Lou Duva in the foreground.
09:06Also with Jones tonight, the great cut man Al Gavin right behind him, Don Turner, who has been a trainer to Evander Holyfield, as has the man who is Junior's primary trainer now, Tommy Brooks.
09:20This is one of the very best corners, not just in boxing, but in the recent history of boxing, Larry.
09:27And Junior says he proved in his last fight that there is no such thing as a home court advantage in boxing because, of course, he was stopped by Kennedy McKinney in his hometown.
09:39And if the brilliance of the corner weren't enough, Jones trained for this fight, two weeks with Evander Holyfield in Atlanta, two weeks with Brunel Whitaker in Norfolk, Virginia, and then a period of time at altitude to get himself in top condition.
09:57A closer look at Junior, Poison Jones.
10:00All the way into his career, ten years or so, his first fight outside of the U.S., and once again, he has dominated many of the best of the Mexican fighters in the lower weight divisions.
10:23Astonishing statistic.
10:25New York fighter, 34-0 against Mexican fighters.
10:29Here comes Morales.
10:30Here comes Morales.
10:59And a closer look at the man they call Terrible.
11:04And a closer look at the man they call Terrible.
11:21Undefeated in Tijuana, as everywhere else.
11:27And once again, a reminder, oddly enough, no odds, no betting in this betting-happy place.
11:37Let's go to ring announcer Danny Valdivia for the introductions.
11:40Bob Arum's Top Rank Incorporated, HBO, and Cerveza Corona present the HBO Boxing After Dark Man of the Evening, Super Bantamweight's 12 rounds for the WVC Super Bantamweight Championship of the World.
12:03This championship bout has been sanctioned by La Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre de Tijuana, Ramón Espinosa, Chairman, and the World Boxing Council.
12:14Supervising at ringside, the President, Jose Sulaiman, and the Vice President from Puerto Rico, Hector Garcia.
12:25Judging at ringside, Los Jueces, from Thailand, Anik Hong-Tong-Kam.
12:34From England, John Keane.
12:37From Japan, Ken Morita.
12:40Our referee in charge, from England, Larry O'Connell.
12:46And now, for Pride and Country, por Orgullo y Patria.
12:52In the blue corner, the Challenger, wearing blue trunks with black trim.
13:00His record, 44 wins, 3 losses, 26 wins by knockout.
13:06His weight, uneven 122 pounds, pesando 122 libras, former two-time champion of the world from Brooklyn, New York, Junior Poison Jones.
13:32In the red corner, wearing white trunks with black trim.
13:42Undefeated in 30 professional vows, with 24 of his wins by knockout.
13:48He weighed in at 121 and three-quarter pounds, pesando 121 y tres cuartas libras, from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.
14:10The WBC Super Vannaway Champion of the World, Eric Derrille-Morales.
14:20Good luck to both of you.
14:22You've both had your instructions in the dressing room, made it a good contest and may the best man win. Good luck.
14:26We're both fighters at this stage of their careers.
14:30Junior Jones put it best to repeat.
14:34It's right for us.
14:36You've got to announce them first, haven't you?
14:38I already did.
14:39You've already announced them right.
14:40Good luck to both of you.
14:44You've both had your instructions in the dressing room, made it a good contest and may the best man win. Good luck.
14:48man win good luck with both fighters at this stage of their careers Junior Jones
14:57put it best to repeat it's win it all or lose it all
15:09Junior Jones can box and he can punch Eric Morales can box
15:18same level with Jones well he thought it was pretty good punches he stopped what he stopped
15:21um the old guy that he took Daniel Zaragoza yeah he stopped Zaragoza with body shots so he showed
15:26that he could punch but this is the only the second time that he's been in a big fight like
15:30this Junior's been in these several times
15:32every element of crowd noise you hear the chance the cheers the spontaneous eruptions
15:45will all be for El Terrible Eric Morales
15:57neither man has landed much of anything in the first 50 seconds of the fight
16:02Morales sneaking in a right-hand lead
16:06and a hard right-hand counter by Jones
16:11Morales was surprisingly aggressive in the opening
16:18moments of the fight until Jones landed that punch
16:22Larry made an interesting point yesterday after he met with Morales you said that he looks to you
16:34like a fighter who struggles to make weight elaborate
16:38well he's so gaunt
16:40but on the other hand when you're 22 years old you can get away with with such things as making weight
16:46as you get older it's harder
16:50it looks like he has as much body fat as a as a nail
17:00Jones is the one who actually gained the most weight though
17:03that's true so it wasn't too easy for him either
17:05before juan
17:08junior missing my the right hand
17:12Left hand lands for Morales.
17:25Left hand to the body by Jones.
17:27Junior trying to establish his jab.
17:29Morales staying at a distance and making Junior stretch that jab out early on.
17:36Junior can't wait for Morales because Junior's not the waiting type fighter.
17:39The guy who pushed the issue is going to have the advantage here.
17:47Morales sets up, Roy Jones.
17:49Look at where he holds his left hand.
17:53Junior got an opening for a right hand here.
17:56No, it's not quite low enough for that, but what Junior is doing
17:58is Junior is countering Morales' straight right hand with his own straight right.
18:01He's caught Morales twice with that punch.
18:04Both times, the man has done Morales a little bit.
18:09So the aggression Morales showed in the first minute and a half
18:17disappears after the counter right hand.
18:20And it was the cautious final minute of round number one.
18:23Again, our interpreter in Morales' corner will be Ray Torres.
18:43Okay, you gotta go to his right, move around.
18:51Make sure you walk to his right so you get away from his right.
18:55You gotta feint him.
19:00You gotta attack him.
19:02Don't risk me.
19:04Put the body's down.
19:05Put your head down.
19:08You're starting to put it up in the air.
19:10Okay.
19:10All right?
19:11And hands high.
19:11Don't be relaxed on us now.
19:13Don't get this far from the hell.
19:14This is for all the marbles, baby, all right?
19:17He's going straight back.
19:1822 punches connected from Morales by copy box numbers in round number one.
19:2815 of them were jabs.
19:30Jones landed more power shots,
19:32likely because of that counter right hand that Roy Jones described to you.
19:36You have Roy Jones Jr. doing commentary on Ivy Jr. Jones.
19:41So stick with us.
19:46We had two bulls in the first fight, two bull fighters in the second fight.
19:53One of these fights will get it right.
20:00One thing I think is bad here is that I don't think this is the pace that Eric Morales really wants to fight Jr.
20:05Jr. has the most experience, and I think this is his pace of fighting.
20:08Good right hand that Morales took.
20:21Morales known as a slower starter.
20:23He came on in the late rounds in his biggest win against Zaragoza.
20:31Now Morales goes back to attacking and lands a right uppercut as he forces Jones back against the ropes.
20:37I told you whoever pushed to this, and he was going to have their benefits.
20:41Well, what Morales wants to do is to try to test Jones' endurance,
20:49which he has had a problem with from time to time in the past by pressing him early.
20:54I think Jones caught referee Larry O'Connell in the midsection as O'Connell was trying to break him up,
20:59and O'Connell took the punch pretty well.
21:02Of course.
21:19Morales just missed with the right hand.
21:21Jones tapped him with the counter left.
21:22Morales Jr. started to pull the trigger on the right.
21:32Now he fires it.
21:33It kind of looks like both men think they can counter Roy, and they're waiting for each other to attack.
21:51They are.
21:51That's why I said whoever takes the lead has the advantage in this fight.
21:54Now Eric has a mouse under his right, under his left eye.
21:57There's another right hand for Jones, right under the left eye of Eric Morales.
22:03That mouse is turning red.
22:05It's not flowing with blood yet, but it may open up.
22:08That's right.
22:08That's right.
22:10A slippage.
22:11And once again, that's the slippery corner.
22:14That's the one where you saw Rios slip several times in the first fight.
22:17Extra five seconds of fighting as the fans in Tijuana get their money's worth.
22:40Junior featherweight division, Larry.
22:43Bumbo is unknown here.
22:45He may fight here later in the fall.
22:47He's had more title defenses than anybody else with his belt.
22:50There's Morales and Jones, Kenny McKinney, Barrera, who is on his comeback trail,
22:56and Wayne McCullough, who is going to be fighting Prince Hamed at the end of October.
23:02And we told you, every fighter in the 126-pound weight class with any identity whatsoever
23:07is looking for the fight against Prince Nassim, likewise all the 122-pound fighters.
23:13Listen, he's squiring up a little bit too much.
23:16Okay, yeah.
23:17Show him that jab.
23:18When you get on the inside, put that foot there and start letting him up because it's gold.
23:21Okay.
23:22All right, baby.
23:26Oh.
23:27Oh, the rest has a good stomach.
23:30I don't know.
23:32He wilted a little bit with that blue.
23:35According to CompuBox numbers through round two, Eric Morales far more accurate with the jab,
23:42landing 26 out of 46, 57%.
23:45Junior Jones only 12 of 77.
23:49Yet Harold Letterman scores the first two rounds for Jones.
23:52Interpreter Ray Torres telling us that between rounds, Eric Morales' father, Jose, manager
24:05and trainer in his corner, asked Eric to get closer to Junior Jones, not fight from so far
24:10outside.
24:11Yes, because he has to push the injury.
24:12He can't stand out there and let Junior have his weight.
24:14He has the experience already.
24:16And if you let him fight his fight, you're not going to beat him like that.
24:18And Junior got a chance in there to bust Morales with another counter right hand and landed
24:24it right on the cheekbone, which is swelling under Morales' left eye.
24:28Yeah, but Eric came out with some good combinations of his own just now.
24:31Morales has delivered some punishment in the first three rounds.
24:34He's taking some in return.
24:40Don't pull down.
24:42Fuck's up.
24:43Fuck's up.
24:43Fuck's up.
24:45Fuck's up.
24:45Fuck's up.
24:46Fuck's up.
24:46Fuck's up.
24:47Fuck's up.
24:47Fuck's up.
24:47Fuck's up.
24:47Fuck's up.
24:47Fuck's up.
24:47Fuck's up.
24:48Fuck's up.
24:48Fuck's up.
25:15Eric is moving around to his right.
25:17Moving away from Junior's power punch, which is Junior's right hand.
25:20That's why Junior's not throwing as much this round.
25:25Set it up with the left.
25:27Oh, hard right to the body by Jones.
25:29A beautiful body shot.
25:30Morales folded into the ropes by that right hand shot right in the middle of the belt.
25:35I think he may be trying to let Junior punch himself out a little bit, though.
25:39I'm under a similar impression, though, that he feels he's a little stronger and in better condition.
25:47Reminiscent of what Kennedy McKinney was able to do against Junior Jones in New York
25:53when he weathered the Jones storm and then knocked out a weakened junior
25:58who admitted himself afterward that he was punched out.
26:13Let go, let go, let go, let go.
26:17McConnell warning Jones for holding Morales' right arm.
26:21Junior was working the body with the right hand,
26:23and now he's got a trickle of blood coming from Morales' nose.
26:29Against McKinney, he dropped McKinney early in the fight and got reckless here.
26:33He's under much greater control.
26:35Against McKinney, he's under much greater control.
26:57Okay, when you hurt him again, you've got to finish him.
27:00If you see him hurt, you got to go after him.
27:04He was all balanced most of the time.
27:07You had him going.
27:09And you got to get to him.
27:11Stay close to him.
27:18Before you pressure him.
27:20One, two, three.
27:21Either here or over the top.
27:23Here we go. Drink this one.
27:25All right.
27:32Jones said he's learned you have to earn a knockout.
27:37He's trying to earn it by fighting a more disciplined fight.
27:42But he's in there with a young, strong, well-conditioned,
27:47and very well-schooled fighter.
27:50And in round three, Morales was the more accurate hunter,
27:52and the punter landing 24 of 53.
27:55According to copy box numbers,
27:57Jones 14 of 54.
27:59Put your heads on.
28:01Pops up.
28:14Two years job is the best thing working for him right now.
28:17One left hook inside by Jones.
28:19He landed a right cross flush and a left hook flush.
28:22Morales has certainly shown that he can take a punch in these first few rounds.
28:26Yeah, and Morales has very good ring posture here.
28:29He's keeping up good with Junior.
28:31He's not getting too close, and he's not staying too far back.
28:34Yeah, he seems to be in better balance.
28:36This is a kid, Roy, who was raised in a home that had a gym.
28:42His father had been a fighter.
28:44He's been fighting since he's five.
28:46He has beautiful balance.
28:47There you go. Take it out. Take it out.
28:56The other thing that helps him is he doesn't over-commit to his punches.
29:03That's one of the things Evander Holyfield was trying to get Junior Jones to respond to.
29:08Holyfield telling Jones,
29:09if you don't over-commit to your jab,
29:11you'll be in a better position to knock a man out with the right hand.
29:28Jones keeps telling Holyfield,
29:29he's going to break out a 10-pound can of kick-ass on him.
29:32Both men having their moments in round number four,
29:50and we're getting more action and more contact with each succeeding round.
29:55And down goes Jones.
29:57And he has a bad kick.
30:06And he's also very tired.
30:10Same round in which Kennedy McKinney was able to finish Jones.
30:14Junior Jones' career on the line.
30:1720 seconds left in round four.
30:19Jones just trying to hold on.
30:28Two
30:33O'Connell stopped the fight.
30:37The round was almost over.
30:47I thought it was a reasonable stoppage even though the round was almost over.
30:54was almost over because Junior is cut and wobbling and very tired. Tremendous performance by 22-year-old
31:07Eric Morales as he fulfills his promise in front of the hometown crowd. Very good right hand. He
31:16held his composition very good. I think that was the advantage for him later in the fight. He just
31:21held his composure throughout. He held his composure later for Junior to tire and start
31:24making mistakes. Junior started making mistakes with his balance, started leaving himself open
31:28after the big punches, and that's how Eric caught him. And if the rumor Larry heard was true,
31:36somewhere there's a guy who just lost a $100,000 bet on Junior Jones.
31:40What a world of possibilities. This opens up for young Eric Morales.
31:56Let's take a look at the knockdown. This is not the stoppage that ended the fight, but rather
32:05the knockdown that set it up. Clean right hand that hurt Junior badly. He's trying to hold on.
32:14Another right hand on top of the head just sort of pushed him over. That was the punch that really
32:22did the damage. One of those right hands, in addition to helping facilitate the knockout,
32:31opened a big cut over Junior's left eye. Yeah, I think it was the one that he caught him in the
32:35beginning. He caught Junior trying to throw a right uppercut from the outside, which is very dangerous.
32:40Good performance by Eric Morales. Now let's look at the stoppage. And by our clock, this would have been,
32:54I believe, within the last five seconds of the round.
33:01Right there, he got caught with another big punch, Jim. The referee thought he was through. I thought he was through.
33:06And I think it was a good stoppage. He was trying to fight back, but it was hurt. And, you know, those kind you have to respect.
33:13I think O'Connell did a very professional job throughout, including taking the body shot from Junior Jones in the one break.
33:19And I think you can indeed say that this was a professional stoppage. Yes, it was.
33:30It isn't the referee's job to follow the clock. It's the referee's job to protect fighters.
33:35That's right. That's his first job.
33:41All right, let's go to Danny Valdivia for the official particulars.
33:48Ladies and gentlemen, the winner by technical knockout in two minutes, 55 seconds of the fourth round.
33:58And still, the WBC super bantamweight champion of the world.
34:06And still, the WBC super bantamweight champion of the world.
34:09Eric Terrible Morales!
34:24Eric Terrible Morales
34:34Final punch stat numbers
34:37And you can see that Morales landed 36 more punches than Jones
34:41Through almost as many
34:43Was connecting at a much higher percentage
34:46One reason why
34:48He was considerably more effective with the jab
34:51By choosing to be the aggressor
34:53Eric Morales made his jab effective
34:56And backed Junior Jones up, Roy
34:58Yeah, that's the worst fight for Junior Jones to be able to fight
35:01Is backing up
35:02He's a power puncher
35:03He does not fight good on his heels
35:05He does not fight good backing up
35:06So Eric Morales came in with a perfect strategy
35:08And it worked for him
35:10And Larry Merchant stands by in the ring right now
35:13Thank you, Jim
35:15Congratulations, Eric
35:17It seemed as if you felt that you were stronger
35:23And in better condition than him
35:25Yes, of course
35:26I was very prepared for this fight
35:27It was a great job
35:28I think
35:29I worked for a long time
35:30To train the Ceremony with me
35:31Yes, absolutely
35:32I had a great training
35:33I've been training in the mountains
35:34And I felt that I would be stronger than him
35:35It's a great job, I think, for a long time to train in the ceremonial center with me.
35:40Yeah, absolutely. I had a great training. I've been training in the mountains.
35:46And I felt with my preparation I would be stronger than him.
35:51It seemed to us that you were more aggressive than we have seen you in some fights. Why?
35:59It seems that you were more aggressive than what we have seen you in other fights. Why?
36:03Because we are in Tijuana. Look, it has more than...
36:07I don't know how many years the tournament is full.
36:10And it was my opportunity to demonstrate that I am a real champion.
36:14I was more aggressive because we are in Tijuana.
36:17It's been many years since this place was used for a boxing match.
36:20I'm home and I wanted to do that.
36:23In this event, you're taking a dangerous opponent like Jones,
36:28fighting at home and getting this recognition.
36:31Live up to everything you had hoped for.
36:52I gambled. I took a chance. I came out a little beat up and around the ice.
36:56But everything came out just the way we expected it to be.
36:59Thank you very much.
37:00Muchas gracias.
37:01So, as we said earlier...
37:04Oh, excuse me, Jim.
37:06We have Junior Jones now.
37:11Keep everybody over there.
37:14Keep people all over there.
37:16Alright, Junior Jones.
37:19You said you were ready for this fight.
37:21You came out under control.
37:24You didn't lose your composure.
37:27And yet Eric Morales just seemed to be stronger and quicker than you were.
37:36Oh, man.
37:37Again, like I said, he breaks his head a little bit.
37:39You know, like I said, I mean, things happen.
37:42And like I said, he just fought a good fight.
37:45I made a mistake, and he just capitalized off that mistake.
37:47Is he as good a fighter as you have ever fought before?
37:51No, no.
37:53I mean, I was fighting, but not as good.
37:57If he's not as good, then why did he, where were you if he was still able to beat you?
38:03I mean, things happen.
38:05It's not the point of saying he's that good.
38:06I mean, this is boxing.
38:08Like any good fighter, you make a mistake, and you get caught.
38:12That's the whole thing.
38:13And like I said, it's no big deal.
38:16Like I said, he's a good fighter.
38:17I never said he wasn't a good fighter.
38:19Will you continue to fight?
38:22I don't know right now.
38:23I mean, right now, let me get to this.
38:25But right now, my head is still on fighting, so I'm not discouraged or anything like that.
38:29You know, we just got to see what's, you know, what's over the horizon.
38:33And I guess take it from there.
38:34Thank you very much, Junior.
38:35So, Jim, as we said earlier, attention must be paid when a young fighter who has everything to lose takes such a fight in his hometown and is ready for it and has made an announcement to the world.
38:55Well, he did win the ears and the eyes and our tail in this bullring tonight.
39:03Jim?
39:04All right.
39:05Thank you, Larry.
39:05And, Roy, let's go directly to the main subject in the 122 and 126-pound weight classes, which is who gets a shot at some of that Prince Nassim money.
39:14Now, the Prince has a fight coming up against Wayne McCullough, another 122-pounder coming up on October 31, and there's never any guarantee that he gets past it.
39:22But assuming that the Prince stays alive against McCullough and is still out there, Junior had seen this fight as a stepping stone to Prince Nassim.
39:29He's got major business problems now.
39:31But Larry talked about Morales' balance and technique, and those things would stand him in very good stead against Nassim's style, wouldn't it?
39:39It would be very good for him because Nassim fights that unorthodox type of fight.
39:43He never keeps good balance.
39:45He never has good posture, but he gets the job done.
39:48Eric Morales is a perfect, perfect, regular, strategic-wise fighter.
39:52A trained fighter.
39:53Yeah.
39:53He keeps perfect balance.
39:55He has good punching power.
39:56Not the best, but it's good.
39:57So those are the type of fighters that you want to see excel and see how they do against the guys with the great punching power, but not so good posture or not so good footwork.
40:06Again, you know, no guarantee that the Prince can get past Wayne McCullough of Ireland, but if he does, I'd love to see Morales against Prince Nassim.
40:13I would, too, but of course, you know, I think my man is first in line, Derek Smoke Gaynor.
40:17Because he's been waiting for the Prince for some time now.
40:21So I would like to see either of these fighters fight Prince because I think both of them are very good opponents for the Prince.
40:26They're not guys who are going to go out there and lay down.
40:28They're both fundamentally sound, and they make for excellent opponents for the Prince.
40:32Gaynor, of course, put Kevin Kelly out of the picture.
40:34Well, thank you, Roy.
40:35Another terrific night.
40:36We thank you all for being with us.
40:38We'll have a final word on this boxing night in a bullring in a moment.
40:42Now here's some upcoming programs.
40:44On the next Real Sports.
40:46Ride the bus with the legendary John Madden in a rare, candid interview.
40:50Plus, he was one of the most promising wide receivers in college football.
40:55But drugs and violence nearly cost Randy Moss his dream.
40:58Can he transcend his checkered path into NFL glory?
41:01And they've been shut out of baseball's pension system.
41:04Find out why many former players are crying foul.
41:07Real Sports with Ryan Gumbel.
41:09Premieres Tuesday at 9.30 on HBO.
41:12Nothing is out of bounds.
41:14Next Saturday on HBO.
41:17Al Pacino takes hotshot lawyer Keanu Reeves under his wings to show him the finer points of corruption.
41:24That's our secret.
41:25Kill you with kindness.
41:26Then, to catch a killer, these investigators dig up a body of evidence that will chill you to the bone.
41:33Next Saturday on HBO.
41:36It's the premiere of Devil's Advocate at 8.
41:38Followed by Autopsy 5 at 10.30.
41:41Next Saturday on HBO.
41:43September 26th, World Championship Boxing returns.
41:48Lennox Lewis, the champion Evander Holyfield avoids, has apparently found a willing opponent in his mandatory defense against Croatian Zelko Mavrovic.
41:57It'll be live right here on HBO.
41:59The next week, we return with a matchup you simply cannot miss.
42:03Junior lightweight champion Genaro Hernandez, long dominant at 130 pounds, faces Floyd Mayweather Jr.
42:09Mayweather, first fighter from the American 96 Olympic team to get a title shot, and he deserves it, will be live on HBO for that one.
42:17And each Thursday, don't miss Inside the NFL.
42:19Lynn Dawson, Nick Bonaconte, Chris Collinsworth, and Jerry Glanville taking the week's first look at the upcoming NFL game.
42:25Tonight, tremendous excitement in the Torreo de Tijuana bullring here in Tijuana, Mexico,
42:31where Mexican Cesar Soto won the first fight, an unanimous decision over Carlos Rios of Argentina.
42:39The fight punctuated by that knockdown was a pitched battle at close range.
42:44Soto got him the bigger shot.
42:45And then Eric Morales retained his super bantamweight title and remained undefeated at 22 years old with a stirring hometown technical knockout victory over Junior Jones.
42:57It could have been Jones' last sighting on the top-level stage of the sport.
43:03Coming up immediately following our show, stay tuned for The Terminator.
43:07And now for the entire Boxing After Dark group, I'm Jim Lafley saying so long from Tijuana.
43:16The executive producer of HBO Sports is Ross Greenberg.
43:21Tonight's Boxing After Dark show was produced by Dave Harmon and directed by Mark Payton.
43:25The associate producers were Kendall Reed and Greg Backer.
43:27Assistant to the producer, Matt Boland.
43:29Production manager was Mark Hayden.
43:31Purple heart for the technical supervisor, Bob Hunter, who got it done in a tough spot with a bad ankle.
43:37You might be doing there until after rundown job, but he provided me with a great extension.
43:40Part of your show, Matt, who goes to veo the middle of the door on neo- mariachi.
43:46And the speaker comes to a deep premise.
43:50It's Wова Lima.
43:51It's recognizable.
43:53And the Policeぼ but-
43:54It's the main company.
43:55We are all along the way.
43:56It's going to be closer to Jerusalem.
43:57It's going to be closer.
43:59vìu.
44:00You are moving.
44:01Oh, hey.
44:02It's going to be almostousing.
44:04знаете-
44:05You are moving forward.
44:35This has been a presentation of HBO Sports, the network of champions.
44:52Next on HBO, a cyborg is sent back in time to kill the mother of his enemy.
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