- 4 months ago
Michael Dokes takes on Lynn Ball for the NABF Heavyweight Title. Plus an interview with WBC Heavyweight Champion Larry Holmes and promoter Don King.
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00:00During that fight between Wilfred Benitez and Roberta Duran and Carlos Palomino will be along
00:04to talk with us about the fight that you're about to see, Michael Dokes and Lynn Ball
00:08for the North American Federation Heavyweight Boxing Championship.
00:11Who is the number one contender? That is a question that goes on in this sport of boxing
00:15and particularly in the heavyweight division on and on again.
00:19Well, of course, in March right here at Caesars Palace, it'll be Larry Holmes and Jerry Cooney.
00:24After that, who knows?
00:26When the subject of young heavyweight contenders is brought up in boxing circles,
00:31one of the first names mentioned is that of the very powerful and the WBA's number two-ranked contender, Greg Page.
00:39A mighty left hook and the nickname of the Great White Hope has made number one-ranked Jerry Cooney a household name.
00:48Michael Dokes is ranked number two by the WBC, but he could move up in March when Cooney fights Larry Holmes.
00:53But Dokes doesn't share the notoriety of his peers.
00:58If Michael Dokes was trained or handled by somebody else, then it would be making a big thing out of Michael Dokes.
01:06Michael Dokes does box better than Greg Page does, box better than Cooney does.
01:11But the whole thing boils down to it because his manager is called King.
01:15Michael has suffered from being with the King family, I think, by the media, by the American public themselves,
01:23thinking that I'm just not a manager, that I really am incapable and incompetent at doing my job,
01:30and I'm just doing it as a front for my father.
01:32While Michael Dokes may suffer from a lack of media exposure,
01:36his membership with the King family has exposed him to an incomparable training atmosphere.
01:42Nestled in Orwell, Ohio, is the newly established King Training Camp.
01:46A converted barn and surrounding houses provide a facility which King aspires to make the best boxing is known.
01:52Michael calls it home.
01:53I just feel much more comfortable here than probably any place else.
01:57It's like home.
01:58I've probably achieved a lot of things that a lot of people thought I wouldn't achieve, so I'm satisfied.
02:07His 1980 achievements included two meetings with Ossie Ocasio.
02:11With Bobby Lewis in his corner, he was still left to fight Ocasio in his hometown.
02:15The result, a draw.
02:17He was comfortable with the draw being in his own backyard with all four of the judges,
02:22and I thought Michael demonstrated to me at that time that he had the guts and the heart
02:27to go out and do his very best under any kind of conditions.
02:30The first fight, you know, I count it as an experience, you know, a loss, but a losing game.
02:37The second fight was more or less for my pride.
02:40I went down to San Juan and I see Ocasio in the bed with his legs crossed,
02:45the number one of them, saying he's going to knock me out in one line,
02:48so it was a matter of pride, you know, I think, more than anything.
02:52And you drop him the first time, it was just a matter of time.
02:54You drop him with a left hook the first time.
02:56The guy got up, he set up and hit him another left hook,
02:59and the guy was looking for the last left hook, he hit him with a right hand, knock him out.
03:03That's the difference in Michael Doe.
03:05In the car fight, in the third round, Michael hit his left arm.
03:11Just like that.
03:12That's about boxing.
03:14Never broke stride, never changed it.
03:16I must believe it.
03:17Anybody that's safe, when Michael Doe's stamina isn't there, it's crazy.
03:25On June 12th, John Gardner may have thought he was crazy to step into the ring with Michael Doe.
03:30His fourth round knockout literally caused the former British champion to drop his teeth.
03:34I think he somewhat dropped his hands, and I doubled up on the left hook, and it was just a matter of, a lot of slurred.
03:43He gave me opportunity, and I accommodated him.
03:46It was a good fight.
03:48Probably one of my better fights.
03:49As far as my timing, and my training, and my conditioning, and my physical things, as far as going into the ring, I felt a lot better.
03:59When Michael Doe went up against George Chaplin, he was not feeling his best.
04:03The pain of three teeth loosened during training interfered with his concentration,
04:07and consequently, his style and fight plan suffered.
04:10But winning the ten-round decision and maintaining control is what counted.
04:14All in all, I thought Michael fought a decent fight by comparison to Greg Page.
04:21And that's a comparison that everyone is trying to make, Doakes and Page.
04:25I knew it was wrong.
04:27Michael knew it was wrong.
04:29Carl knew it was wrong.
04:30That's all that mattered.
04:32As long as we won.
04:33Now, I'm not cocky, I'm not conceited, but I am convinced.
04:37He's a convincing heavyweight contender preparing to meet his next opponent.
04:41And with the attention of his family, he's on his way to achieving his goal.
04:47We're looking to demonstrate our talents once more for the American public.
04:52And hopefully to make Michael Doakes a household name in the world of boxing.
04:56Men ball, you're going to be mozza ball.
04:58I'm going to make this suit.
04:59So there you have a look at Mike Doakes.
05:05He, of course, now fighting as the challenger, even though he's the number two-ranked contender
05:08right now for the North American Heavyweight Championship.
05:11Carlos Palomino has joined us.
05:12And, Carlos, very quickly, we know for a fact Michael Doakes has had a cold,
05:15he's had a sore throat, and I can't help but wonder now
05:17if he might not go after his man a little bit sooner than he would have.
05:20Well, I think it could work either way.
05:22He may go after him right away, or he could lay back and wait and go after him in the late rounds.
05:29All right, so all that's left is to get to in a 10-round run, a 15-round, 12-round fight.
05:33I'll get it right for the championship.
05:34Right now, let's go up for the ring announcer, Chuck Hall.
05:40Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
05:41Welcome to Caesars Palace, the site of the Larry Holmes' Jerry Cooney Heavyweight Championship bout
05:47on the 15th of March, where tonight, Tom King Productions,
05:51in association with Caesars Palace, presents the new beginning,
05:55an evening of world championship boxing.
05:58These bouts are sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission,
06:02Sammy Macias' chairman, and by the World Boxing Council,
06:06Jose Suleiman, president.
06:08The matchmaker is Bobby Goodman.
06:11The officials are signed for this bout of the evening.
06:15The judges are Dwayne Ford, Chuck Minker, and Paul Smith.
06:19The timekeeper, Jane Broadfoot, counting at the knockdowns, Eddie O'Toole.
06:23The attending physicians at ringside,
06:26Drs. Donald Romeo and Cliff Holmanski,
06:30and the referee is Dave Pearl.
06:33This is a feature event of the evening.
06:3612 rounds of boxing for the North American Boxing Federation Heavyweight Championship.
06:43Introducing, in the blue corner,
06:46the NABF Heavyweight Champion,
06:49fighting out of Dallas, Texas,
06:51weighing 212 and one-half pounds,
06:54here is Lynn Bullitt Ball.
07:00And in the red corner,
07:02he is undefeated in his professional career.
07:04He is ranked number two
07:06in the heavyweight division
07:07by the World Boxing Council.
07:09He hails from Akron, Ohio.
07:12He weighs 212 pounds,
07:14and producing,
07:15Michael Dynamite,
07:17Dokes,
07:1812 rounds of boxing.
07:21Interesting, Carlos,
07:22they introduced the championship.
07:23All right, Lynn!
07:23Second.
07:24Champion first.
07:25And there might be a little bit of reverse psychology going on, too,
07:28and Lynn Ball was introduced,
07:30Michael Dokes was one of standing there applauding
07:32with the rest of the crowd.
07:32That's true,
07:34and I also noticed
07:34when they first stepped in the ring
07:36that Michael Dokes was a sort of taunting ball,
07:39and I think there's still psychology going on,
07:41and we'll see whether it's ball or not.
07:44So it's for the North American Heavyweight Championship.
07:46We will go 12 rounds.
07:47You look at the tail of the tape.
07:49Ball six here is the senior of Dokes.
07:50Dokes has the edge,
07:51both in height
07:52and by a couple of inches in reach.
07:54Underway, round one.
07:55Ball on the right.
07:56Both men come out swinging.
07:59Ball, a wild right hand.
08:00Skims by the nose of Michael Dokes.
08:02Ball, the aggressor early on here.
08:04Dokes back on his back foot right now
08:05as we start things in round one.
08:10The ball kind of looks like everybody's uncle.
08:13Really looked like a boxer.
08:14Just under way, round one
08:23for the North American Heavyweight Championship.
08:27That is Michael Dokes on the left
08:28wearing the white trunks with the red stripe.
08:30Lynn Ball on the right.
08:32Purple trunks with the yellow stripe.
08:37Push, push, push, push, push.
08:44Dokes sticking the jab in the face of Lynn Ball.
09:01Ball, a flicking left jab.
09:02Not much damage.
09:03Dokes backs off.
09:12Dokes undefeated.
09:12He's leaving 23 fights.
09:14He has a draw.
09:15He has 12 knockouts in those 23 victories.
09:19Lynn Ball, 17 and 4 with 12 knockouts.
09:22So just a case of numbers,
09:24you would think the ball might be
09:25perhaps the heavier puncher of the two.
09:27Stamina, of course, could be a question for Michael Dokes.
09:42We mentioned that he has had a cold,
09:44and I can really take it out of you.
09:46It sure can, especially when you catch it, you know,
09:49two or three days before your scheduled event
09:54that it really gets you down.
09:56Good combination of left hands, but he took a right hand.
10:07He took a low blow, too, from Ball.
10:09And a right hand drops Ball, and I mean drops him right now.
10:20Do not call that a knockdown.
10:22I call that a slip.
10:22And now, once again, that one is a knockdown.
10:25First one looked very much like a knockdown to me.
10:27Well, that was Ball, that was a wild left hook
10:32and got hit with a right hand the first time.
10:35So a pretty good left hand of the stomach that time
10:38as we have about 10 seconds left
10:39with a right hand right on the button.
10:42Seemed to hit him right on the nose.
10:47Time running down, and that's the end of it.
10:49One round, and you're looking at very happy Michael Dokes.
10:53Oh, my.
10:54I mean, we had an idea that that one might be quick.
10:58That was too quick.
11:00Reminiscent of a fight that we did
11:02in New York's Madison Square Garden
11:04where Jerry Cooney proved his worth
11:05by bombing Ken Norton.
11:07Well, Michael Dokes has just bombed Lynn Ball,
11:10and there was no doubt about it.
11:12Two official knockdowns,
11:13and the first one, really, I would have to think was right.
11:16You know, Michael Dokes' best athlete
11:19was the speed of his hands,
11:20and it looked like in the beginning of the round,
11:22the ball was throwing him down to his face,
11:25and he picked it up and landed the big right hand,
11:27and it was over quick.
11:29We're going to have an opportunity
11:30to take a look at that closing sequence once again,
11:32and Michael Dokes really showing much more aggression
11:35than I've seen.
11:36First one we're going to see, Carlos,
11:37is what they call the slip.
11:38Let's take a look.
11:39It was a while.
11:42No, he definitely got hit.
11:45He missed the left hook,
11:46and the right hand came in right in.
11:49The referee, I think, was screened out,
11:50so he didn't see it.
11:52Here it is again.
11:53This is the same sequence,
11:54and there was no question that he got hit.
11:59Referee saying no,
12:01but right back again.
12:02The first right hand went right between the gloves.
12:05And we're going to have an opportunity
12:07to see the last one, too,
12:08and the last one was right on the button.
12:10That's the way it says in the textbooks.
12:12That's right.
12:14You can see him look a little bit groggy right there, too.
12:18It's going to be a right hand.
12:19We'll go right on the button of Lin Ball.
12:26There it is.
12:26And there it was,
12:27and I mean, that was a good right hand by Michael Dokes.
12:30You can see Michael Dokes' seasoning.
12:32He's beginning to learn.
12:32But he, you know, when the first thing he did,
12:34he went to the body of Ball when he got up.
12:37He went to the body and dropped those hands a little bit
12:38and then opened it up.
12:41So, Michael Dokes,
12:42a very impressive winner here for the official verdict.
12:44Let's go up to Chuck Hall, the ring announcer.
12:48Ladies and gentlemen,
12:49the time.
12:51Two minutes, 56 seconds of the first round.
12:54The winner by a TKO
12:55and new North American Boxing Federation
12:59heavyweight champion
13:00from Akron, Ohio,
13:03Michael Dynamite Dokes.
13:07Well, there you heard it.
13:08Michael Dokes,
13:09very impressive winner.
13:10I mean, there's not enough you can say about Michael Dokes.
13:12The guy he was fighting was not exactly chopped liver.
13:14He's a guy with some experience.
13:16And he really did a job on him.
13:17That's right.
13:18I mean, the combinations were extremely fast
13:21and they went right to the mark.
13:27Let's go up to Larry Merchant right now.
13:28He is up with the winner, Michael Dokes.
13:30Larry, you got it.
13:31All right, Michael.
13:33Michael, you had a cold coming in here.
13:35Were you trying to get out of here in a hurry because of that?
13:37Yes, I was.
13:38I have lungitis
13:39and I have a very bad case of bronchitis.
13:42We call it the biggest throat here.
13:44I had spoke to the HBO earlier about it.
13:48and explained to him
13:50that I would try to get him out of there early.
13:52What are your feelings now
13:53about where you are in the heavyweight picture?
13:56Are you like Larry Holmes was
13:58when he was waiting for Ali?
13:59Pardon me?
14:00Are you like Larry Holmes was
14:02when he was waiting for the end of Ali's career?
14:04Are you waiting for the end of Larry's career?
14:06No, I'm not.
14:07I'm going on.
14:08I'm cultivating other areas of my life.
14:11I'm rounding off the rough edges
14:12and other aspects of my life.
14:14My financial state, my business state.
14:16Learning other areas of life
14:18that when I leave boxing alone,
14:20I don't have to start thinking about it
14:21after I leave boxing.
14:22I can start thinking about it now.
14:24Does all that mean
14:25that you're patiently waiting
14:27for your turn to come?
14:28Most definitely.
14:28I'm 23, so I don't have to be in pace.
14:30All right.
14:33All right.
14:33Let's see if we can get some replays up
14:35and for you to explain what happened.
14:37Mostly, I want to know,
14:38did you hit ball the first time
14:40when it went down?
14:41The first time.
14:41They didn't see it.
14:41It was the right hand.
14:42Would you run that back?
14:44I want the whole fans
14:45and Akron, Ohio, and all over Las Vegas
14:47if they can run that back on me
14:48because that was a straight right hand.
14:51There was another straight right hand.
14:52He had tried to come over with the right,
14:55and I was sharp.
14:56I knew I was sharp.
14:57I felt good all coming through the ring.
15:00And the last one,
15:00it was just a matter of David Pearl,
15:02the referee,
15:03it's not his fault.
15:03He didn't see the right hand.
15:04I was just too fast.
15:06It ain't his fault.
15:07The last one,
15:08it was the right hand to the body.
15:10All my forces were pivoted.
15:11I had the body, the arms,
15:13everything moving simultaneously.
15:16It was just a matter of time.
15:17I knew it was just a matter of time.
15:21I only had about 60 seconds left in that round,
15:23and I tried to take him on out.
15:25Well, you did.
15:25Thank you very much, Michael Doakes.
15:27And now back to ringside.
15:28I would like to take HBO also,
15:29and all my friends that viewed this fight.
15:32I love you.
15:33All right, Larry.
15:35Thank you, Larry Merchant.
15:36The winner of that fight,
15:37Michael Doakes,
15:37with me right now,
15:38the heavyweight boxing champion of the world,
15:39Larry Holmes.
15:40And, Larry,
15:41what you saw tonight
15:42is a guy who could very conceivably
15:43be a challenger for your title.
15:45Yes, I think Michael Doakes
15:46have a lot of potential,
15:47and it's very well
15:48that he can be a challenger for my title.
15:51But we take one step at a time.
15:53Right now, Jerry Cooney.
15:54This is what we're concentrating on.
15:56We want to answer all questions
15:57come March 15th.
15:58One of the things
15:59that we were saying earlier
16:00was that Michael Doakes
16:01might have been a lot more aggressive tonight
16:02than I've seen him be,
16:03at least,
16:03than the last few fights he's had.
16:05Well, this is what he had to do
16:06with this guy.
16:07This guy worked in my camp
16:08as a spying partner,
16:09and I know that he's vulnerable
16:11with left hook
16:12and straight right hands.
16:13And I related this a little bit
16:16to Michael Doakes
16:16because he's a prominent heavyweight,
16:18and I'd like to see him
16:18get an opportunity
16:19to fight for the title.
16:20So this is what I related to him.
16:22All right, we're going to give you
16:23an opportunity to go to school
16:24on your protege, if you will,
16:26Michael Doakes.
16:26We'll have a chance
16:27to take another look
16:28at those knockdowns,
16:29and we'll have you talk
16:29a little bit about it.
16:30First one, I think everybody agrees
16:32that he, in fact,
16:33did hit the man.
16:33It was not a slip.
16:34Yes, very, very sharp right hand.
16:36The referee did not see it
16:37because it was inside right,
16:39and it was so quick
16:40that the referee didn't see it.
16:41So he got up,
16:42and Michael did throw
16:43a straight right hand
16:44right in the middle of the face
16:45of his opponent.
16:47So there was no doubt about it.
16:49The referee did a good job
16:50in stopping the fight.
16:51I think you want guys
16:52who you really care about,
16:53and I know you do care
16:54about Michael Doakes.
16:54He's a friend of yours
16:55to improve themselves,
16:57but perhaps you don't want him
16:58to improve quite as fast
16:59as he has been.
17:00Well, Michael has...
17:01I'd really like for any fighter
17:03to progress
17:04because they work hard
17:05just like I work hard,
17:06and I'm not going
17:07to be around forever.
17:07I know that my day is number,
17:09but right now,
17:10I just want to move
17:11the obstacle in my way.
17:13Right now, that's Jerry Cooney,
17:14and maybe one or two
17:15after that,
17:15and then we think
17:16about retirement.
17:17Michael Doakes,
17:17the great patient,
17:18they all got great potentials,
17:21and they all got a chance
17:23to be the champion one day,
17:24and Larry Holmes
17:25hopes to give him a shot
17:26or get out.
17:27Is it a difficult thing
17:28to fight a guy
17:29like a Michael Doakes,
17:30should you ever get to him,
17:31to fight a friend?
17:32He's a guy you know really well.
17:33Well, Muhammad Ali,
17:34again, was my friend.
17:35I was an aspiring partner
17:36for him for four years,
17:37and I've known him alone
17:39nine to ten years,
17:40and it's saddening
17:43when you have to go in the ring
17:43and fight with your friends,
17:45but this is what the public want,
17:46they want action competition,
17:49they want the competitive sport,
17:50and we had to oblige the people,
17:53so for me to get in the ring
17:55with Michael Doakes,
17:56it will not come very easy,
17:58but it won't come that hard easy
17:59because this is my profession.
18:01My profession is fighting,
18:04and I oblige the people
18:05because I'm a fighting champion,
18:07I'm a people's champion.
18:08Well, in fact,
18:08I think you've said that many times,
18:09and I think all of a sudden
18:10the public is really starting
18:11to recognize Larry Holmes
18:12as the people's champion.
18:14Yes, I think so.
18:15I'll get more and more recognition.
18:16I'm doing more and more things,
18:18and the people realize
18:19I'm here to stay.
18:20My record speaks for itself.
18:2139 fights, 39 wins,
18:23with 29 knockouts,
18:25and we're looking forward
18:26to giving all the fighters,
18:28as long as I'm in boxing,
18:29an opportunity
18:30to fight for the title.
18:32Well, the guy you got next
18:33is going to be no easy task.
18:34Jerry Cooney is a guy
18:35who has really come along very well.
18:37He is not going to be
18:38a piece of cake for Larry Holmes.
18:39Well, that's what the people are saying.
18:41They've sold Larry Holmes
18:42short many, many times,
18:44and we're going to answer
18:45a lot of questions for the people.
18:46We're going to answer the question,
18:48can Jerry Cooney take a punch?
18:49Is Larry Holmes' legs finished?
18:51Is Larry Holmes still taken,
18:53or whatever?
18:54We're going to answer
18:55a lot of questions,
18:56but I guarantee,
18:57I tell the American people,
18:57I tell everybody
18:58who's watching HBO right now,
19:00Larry Holmes will knock
19:01Jerry Cooney out.
19:02If you want to be on the right side,
19:05you've got to be with Larry Holmes.
19:07Because I'm definitely
19:07knocking out Jerry Cooney.
19:09Wishful thinking,
19:10don't get nobody nowhere.
19:12Action competition says it all.
19:16You heard it here first.
19:17Larry Holmes will knock out Jerry Cooney.
19:19I tell you, the man,
19:20if you'll take one man's opinion,
19:21it looks like he can go right now.
19:22Larry, thanks very much.
19:23Thank you very much, Larry.
19:24Larry Holmes, great champion.
19:25Right now, let's go over
19:26to our own Larry Merchant.
19:27He has a special guest as well.
19:28Larry?
19:30I'm with Don King.
19:32Don, where is Michael Doakes
19:34in the heavyweight picture?
19:35Is there a conflict of interest
19:37between you and Larry Holmes
19:39and him all being under your umbrella?
19:41No, it isn't.
19:42I think that all these heavyweights
19:43are very good heavyweights.
19:44I'm especially proud
19:45to put them on the
19:46home box office network.
19:47I think the world will get a chance
19:49to see them via the satellite
19:50in our foreign cells.
19:51And all these guys
19:52are heavyweight boxers
19:54that has established
19:55a relationship with me
19:56of trust and integrity.
19:57I have all the heavyweights.
19:58It's not only Michael Doakes.
19:59It's Jimmy Young,
20:00McCartell Bonato.
20:01All of them that are in there,
20:02they're fighting
20:03and know what they do.
20:03They fight each other.
20:05I just promote them all
20:06to give them the best opportunity.
20:08Let me ask you this then
20:09about the fight March 15th.
20:12I've heard that the Cooney people
20:14would like to have
20:15a couple of months more
20:17to train for Larry Holmes.
20:18He's been injured a couple of times
20:20in the last few months.
20:21He hasn't been able to go through
20:22with some exhibitions.
20:23Is there any truth to that?
20:24No truth at all.
20:25The fight is absolutely on
20:26for March 15th,
20:28the day of reckoning
20:28for Jerry Cooney.
20:30As you know,
20:30Larry Holmes is the undisputed
20:31reigning heavyweight champion
20:32of the world,
20:3339-0, 29 KOs,
20:34and 10 knockouts
20:35in his last 11 title defenses.
20:37I didn't know any of that.
20:38Well, but in the meantime,
20:40he's going to be ready
20:41and Jerry has sworn
20:43that he will be ready
20:44on March 15th.
20:44The fight is in order.
20:45The sales are going
20:46through the roof.
20:47We're very excited about it
20:48here at Caesars Palace
20:49and we're looking to a sellout
20:50like we did tonight.
20:51This is a sellout, you know.
20:52And we're going to have
20:53a sellout on March 15th,
20:55so it's really super.
20:56Thank you very much, Don.
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