- 5 months ago
Oleg Maskaev faces Mount Whitaker in a Heavyweight bout on HBO Boxing
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00:01Shane Mosley is rapidly defining himself as one of the best fighters of his generation.
00:06He has ruled the lightweight and welterweight divisions with iron fists.
00:1036 wins, 33 by knockout, no losses.
00:14I made the vow when I first turned professional that I'm not going to get beaten.
00:19I'm trying to knock everybody out. I'm the type of fighter that likes the challenge.
00:23I want to be pushed. I want people to know that I am the best and that nobody can beat me.
00:29So I'm going to go out there and do my best to not only beat him, but make him look like he doesn't belong in the ring with me.
00:36Not only do I have speed, power, but I have a lot of heart.
00:39You know, I go in there with a lot of emotion. I like to fight.
00:42It really doesn't matter who they put in front of me at this point.
00:45You know, I've reached my goal and that's beating De La Hoya and I'm at the top of the game.
00:50And now people are going to take me off and I got to make sure that they don't.
00:55Everybody wants to fight Sugar Shane and that's what I like. I like a great fight with anybody. It doesn't matter who it is.
01:02Every time we've been at a fight with Shane Mosley, people have stood up in awe of what they were looking at.
01:09I'm not going to fold under pressure. I get stronger and stronger.
01:12When the heat comes to me, then I bring the heat right back. I believe that I'm the best and nobody can beat me.
01:18Tonight, Shannon Taylor enters Sugar Shane's squared kingdom as the Mosley quest for greatness continues.
01:25Home.
01:36I've been doing it.
01:41We are live from Las Vegas, Nevada
02:04for World Championship Boxing.
02:07Tonight, you'll see the man regarded by most
02:09as the best fighter in the world today.
02:11Shane Mosley going against Australian challenger
02:14Shannon Taylor.
02:15And before that bout, heavyweights Oleg Moskoyev
02:18and Lance Mount Whitaker tangle
02:20in a must-win fight for each man.
02:23Shane Mosley has fought only once before in Las Vegas.
02:26One year ago, he destroyed Willie Wise
02:28in a blistering performance worthy of the bright lights here.
02:31Tonight will be Shannon Taylor's second fight
02:34in the United States.
02:35No glitz or glamour for Taylor,
02:37the son and grandson of coal miners,
02:39who brings toughness and hard knocks to the table
02:42for this overwhelming assignment.
02:44One of our most frequent stopping places over the years,
02:47fabulous Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino
02:50in Las Vegas, Nevada,
02:52is once again the scene of World Championship Boxing tonight.
02:55Hello again, everybody.
02:56I'm Jim Lampley.
02:57We welcome you to this edition of World Championship Boxing.
02:59Later in the main event,
03:01you'll see Sugar Shane Mosley
03:02as he tries to continue to solidify his emerging identity
03:06as the best fighter in the world.
03:08Mosley, off his victory over Oscar De La Hoya
03:10and his destruction of Antonio Diaz,
03:13has been moved by most magazines and critics
03:15to the top of the pound-for-pound lists
03:17ahead of Felix Trinidad and Roy Jones Jr.
03:20And it's a mark of Mosley's cachet in the sport
03:23that he's a 15-to-1 betting favorite
03:25against a good, unbeaten challenger in Shannon Taylor.
03:29And before you see that,
03:31you'll be seeing Oleg Moskyev and Lance Whitaker,
03:33two heavyweights,
03:34who are both within range of title contention
03:37if they can win tonight's bout.
03:40Moskyev seemed to be on the verge of a title fight
03:42before getting knocked out in his last assignment
03:45against Kirk Johnson.
03:46Lance Whitaker is the one who seems to be closing in now,
03:50but Moskyev is more than capable of derailing his express.
03:54So let's take a look at the tale of the tape
03:55as we get ready for these two large heavyweights.
03:59Moskyev, the Kazakhstan-born, Uzbekistan-raised Russian,
04:04is 32 years old, four years older than Whitaker.
04:07Whitaker, at 6 feet 8 inches tall,
04:09is the tallest of the legitimate contenders in the division.
04:13Whitaker with only a 3-inch reach advantage,
04:15but outweighing Moskyev by 20 pounds,
04:18and that's an unusual assignment,
04:20for Oleg, who is himself a big heavyweight.
04:23Punch that numbers with HBO Boxing Analyst, Larry Merchant.
04:27Remarkably similar numbers,
04:29but Moskyev has fought a better class of fighters,
04:32including Johnson, Tua, and Rachman.
04:37Jab-wise, Moskyev oddly has the more active jab.
04:42Whitaker does not fight like a big guy.
04:46Rules of the bout with our unofficial ringside scorer, Harold Letterman.
04:51The Oleg Moskyev-Mount Whitaker fight is scheduled for 12 rounds
04:56using the unified rules of the Association of Boxing Commissions.
04:59There is no standing eight count,
05:01no three-knockdown rule.
05:02Only the referee can stop the fight,
05:04and you cannot be saved by the bell in any round,
05:07including the 12th and final round.
05:10Jim.
05:11And before you watch the fight tonight,
05:13we want to remind you that as you watch both bouts,
05:16you can log on to HBO.com slash boxing.
05:19Among the features there,
05:20the extremely popular live trainer audio.
05:22When we go to the corners,
05:24you get to decide which trainer you want to listen to.
05:26There's been a haunted look in Oleg Moskyev's eyes this week.
05:36Haunted because what he did a year and a half ago
05:42to Hasim Rahman,
05:46knocking him through the ropes
05:47and knocking himself upward
05:50into the ranks of potential challenges for the championship
05:54happened to him
05:56when Kirk Johnson first floored him with a left hook
05:59and then finished him
06:01with this volley of punches,
06:03knocking him through the ropes.
06:06And also working with us,
06:08as always, on World Championship Boxing,
06:10two-time heavyweight champion of the world,
06:12George Foreman.
06:13And George Moskyev's experience shows us
06:15that in the heavyweight division,
06:17sometimes you eat the bear
06:18and sometimes the bear eats you, right?
06:20And experience is the magic word tonight.
06:24He has some good experience.
06:26And he's been on both the positive and negative ends
06:29of his experience.
06:30A knockout loss to David Tua years ago.
06:32He said to his handlers and trainers,
06:34I'll never make that mistake again.
06:36He had actually, Larry Merchant,
06:38hurt Kirk Johnson earlier in the fight
06:41and perhaps thought that he was going to be the one
06:43who was going to knock Johnson out
06:44prior to Johnson coming around.
06:46He's got a little perilous.
06:47Incidentally, Jim,
06:49Moskyev opened as about an 11-5 favorite
06:52in this fight.
06:54About 15 minutes ago,
06:56the fans turned Whitaker into the favorite
07:00by about 8-5.
07:01A complete turnaround.
07:03Unusual.
07:05Oleg Moskyev's record.
07:0720 wins,
07:083 losses,
07:10no draws,
07:1115 knockouts.
07:13His big right hand
07:14is his primary weapon.
07:21So we'll find out who was right.
07:23The odds makers
07:23who installed Moskyev
07:25as the early favorite
07:27or the betters
07:28who by an overwhelming margin
07:30chose this man,
07:31Lance Whitaker.
07:35Whitaker lost only one fight.
07:37A fight against Lou Savarese
07:38in which he
07:39got off to a good start,
07:40failed to pace himself,
07:42tired badly down the stretch.
07:43He fought his next few fights cautiously
07:45in response to that
07:46and since then
07:47has begun to look more aggressive
07:48most noteworthily
07:50in his two-round destruction
07:51of Robert Davis
07:52last October.
07:54Fighting under extreme pressure here
07:56because his six-year-old son,
07:58Lance Whitaker Jr.,
07:59is in a hospital in California
08:01battling life-threatening leukemia.
08:04And, George,
08:04I have a hunch
08:05that that's going to inspire Lance
08:06to make a huge effort here tonight.
08:08Well, when situations like that,
08:09the children generally
08:10are so courageous
08:11that you often
08:13don't even get into
08:14the old funk.
08:15You just keep your confidence
08:16going for them
08:17and this shouldn't have
08:18any effect on it.
08:20Kids in those positions
08:22are courageous.
08:23Yep.
08:23Kids are amazing.
08:24His trainer, Joe Gleason,
08:25says that he seems to be
08:27quietly possessed
08:29were his words.
08:33He's been a rising tide
08:34and a quiet one
08:36in the heavyweight division.
08:37Can Lance Whitaker
08:38become a meaningful contender
08:40for the crowd?
08:41The one loss to Savary,
08:4218 knockout victories,
08:45and including,
08:46as I mentioned,
08:47a two-round destruction
08:48of Robert Davis
08:48in his last fight.
08:50And now let's go up
08:51to ring announcer
08:52Michael Buffer
08:53for the official
08:53pre-fight introductions.
08:55Let's go.
08:56Ladies and gentlemen,
08:58good evening
08:58and welcome to
08:59Caesars Palace,
09:01Las Vegas, Nevada,
09:02where tonight,
09:03Cedric Kushner Productions,
09:04along with
09:05your undisputed,
09:07undefeated king of beers,
09:08Budweiser,
09:09present
09:09Professional Boxing
09:11for Your Entertainment.
09:13This first bout
09:14is presented
09:15in association
09:15with America Presents.
09:17All the bouts are sanctioned
09:19by the Nevada State
09:19Athletic Commission.
09:20The three judges
09:21assigned at ringside
09:23scoring this contest
09:24on the 10-point
09:25must system
09:26will be
09:27Dwayne Ford,
09:29Dalby Shirley,
09:30and Glenn Trollbridge.
09:31And when the bell rings,
09:33your referee in charge
09:34of the action,
09:35Jay Nady.
09:37And now,
09:37ladies and gentlemen,
09:3812 rounds of boxing.
09:40This is in
09:41the heavyweight division
09:42for the WBC Continental
09:44America's title.
09:49Introducing first,
09:50fighting out of the blue corner,
09:52wearing black trimmed
09:53with silver,
09:54and wearing in
09:55at 236 pounds.
09:57His professional record,
09:5920 victories,
10:00including 15 knockouts
10:02with three defeats.
10:04Ladies and gentlemen,
10:05from Tashkent, Uzbekistan,
10:07here is the challenger,
10:09Oleg Moskiel.
10:12And his opponent,
10:17across the ring,
10:18fighting out of the red corner,
10:20wearing the black trunks,
10:22and weighing in
10:22at 256 pounds.
10:25His professional record,
10:2622 victories,
10:28including 18 knockouts
10:29with only one defeat.
10:31From Van Nuys, California,
10:33ladies and gentlemen,
10:35presenting the defending champion,
10:37Lance Mount Whitaker.
10:42All right, you guys.
10:49Claude.
10:49Claude.
10:56Excuse me, guys.
10:59All right,
10:59do you have any questions?
11:01Obey my commands.
11:02Remember,
11:02the belly buttons in line.
11:04Keep your punches up.
11:06Touch gloves now.
11:07Let's go to work.
11:09Then don't touch gloves.
11:10Lance Whitaker
11:12is large.
11:14They don't touch gloves.
11:15He wants to be in charge,
11:17but he has to do it
11:19against a fighter
11:22who has been a class above him
11:24and who can punch.
11:27Everything over the neck.
11:28Over the neck.
11:31Whitaker sparred with Francois Bota
11:33up in the mountains
11:35at Big Bear, California
11:37to get himself ready for this.
11:38Okay, ring the bell.
11:39Start the fight.
11:42He says,
11:42Moskoyev,
11:44I think he's an easy target,
11:45a stand-up European fighter.
11:46I worry about his left jab
11:47and his right hand,
11:48but if I back him up,
11:49I don't think he can do
11:50anything about it.
11:52So let's see
11:53who backs whom up.
11:54Two very good trainers,
11:56Joe Goosen
11:56and Bob Jackson.
11:58Two pretty well-schooled fighters.
12:00Each wants to impose
12:02his will on the other.
12:04Whitaker's got to make certain
12:05that he keep you,
12:06take advantage of the reach advantage.
12:08Keep this guy on the edge
12:09of your jab,
12:10right hand.
12:13Moskoyev,
12:14am I saying that correctly?
12:15Moskoyev.
12:16Moskoyev has got to make certain
12:18he keep a circle going.
12:19You don't want to back up.
12:20You jab,
12:21move to your left.
12:22Keep moving to your left.
12:24Don't go backwards.
12:26That's the only time
12:26the reach advantage
12:27can be an advantage
12:28if you go straight back.
12:30you can circle
12:32to the left
12:32or to the right.
12:42How many times
12:43did you fight Russians
12:44in the amateurs, George?
12:45I can't remember.
12:47Were there some?
12:47There were several, right?
12:50To win the gold medal,
12:51of course.
12:51Yeah.
12:53Did you get yourself
12:53a little bit,
12:54did you feel like
12:54you got a little extra juice
12:56when you fought
12:56against a Russian?
12:57In those days.
12:57In those days you did.
12:58Superpower days,
12:59you remember?
13:00Yeah, it's different now.
13:00It doesn't exist now.
13:01Yep.
13:02Whitaker's got to understand
13:03that this fella's
13:05just got knocked out.
13:07He's insecure.
13:08His courage will not
13:09be the greatest
13:10and you don't want
13:10to give him any courage.
13:11Keep him defending himself
13:13and thinking,
13:14I may get knocked out.
13:15But it's a relatively
13:16cautious first round
13:17so far for Lance Whitaker.
13:19You want this guy
13:20to get his courage back.
13:21Good right hand.
13:22Now Whitaker cracks
13:23across the top
13:24with the right hand.
13:25Moskiav was beating
13:27Whitaker to the punch.
13:28Looked like he was
13:29the one going to
13:30take charge.
13:32Let's see what effect
13:33that straight right hand has.
13:40And even when you're
13:41backing up a guy
13:41like Whitaker,
13:42you want to make sure
13:43you circle around,
13:44go around to his left.
13:45Don't just come
13:45straight to him.
13:47Make him try to find
13:49you with that left.
13:49One more.
13:55Whitaker's using
13:55the left hand good now.
13:58Not a particularly
13:59high contact first round
14:00for two guys
14:01who can whack.
14:03While Moskiav goes in
14:05and just tries to start
14:05putting his hands
14:06on Whitaker.
14:07Whitaker pops him
14:08with a counter right.
14:12Moskiav's got to make
14:13Whitaker bend down
14:14a little bit.
14:15He's too high now.
14:16Go to the body.
14:17Make him bring his head down
14:18so you don't have to tap him.
14:20Go a straight right hand
14:21right to the target.
14:23Watching Whitaker,
14:24I'm reminded that years ago
14:25there was a 6 foot 10 inch
14:26heavyweight from California
14:27named Mike White
14:28who never really gathered
14:30the confidence
14:30to think of himself
14:31as a serious fighter
14:32in the division.
14:33Whitaker too has faced
14:35a confidence building process
14:37but he's gotten further
14:38through it than White did
14:39and has become
14:39a bigger force.
14:42Do you remember Mike White?
14:47That's good.
14:48That was a nice round.
14:49See, I like to feel
14:49on and out like that
14:50a little bit.
14:50Get his mouthpiece out,
14:52Elon.
14:52Just take it out.
14:55Now look.
14:56Stay off the ropes, okay?
14:58Here's what I want you to do.
14:59If you're going to be
15:00stepping back a little bit,
15:01use your hook.
15:02But really,
15:03to tell you the truth,
15:04I think you ought to be
15:05stepping around
15:06and not back, okay?
15:07Keep within punching range,
15:09keep using your jab.
15:11But don't give up
15:11too much ground.
15:12You've got to know
15:12where the ropes are.
15:13Don't go back
15:14and sit on the ropes.
15:15You understand what I'm saying?
15:18Little friends, come on.
15:20You head around
15:23to look at him.
15:25Head around
15:26to see what's happening.
15:27Stay off of that right hip.
15:29Heavy on the left hip.
15:31Work your hands.
15:32Hey.
15:34Second down.
15:35Stay off the right hip,
15:36heavy on the left hip.
15:37What you looking for there, George?
15:39They probably have
15:40some kind of secret
15:41communication there.
15:42means nothing to us.
15:45And then when you're
15:45working with fighters,
15:46you've got to have
15:46that kind of communication.
15:48One thing I did notice
15:49in the first round
15:51was that Moskyev
15:52threw more body punches
15:53than I've ever seen him
15:55throw before in a round.
15:57They think there's a big target
15:59in front of them
15:59and they're going to go
16:00try to bring it down.
16:02It wasn't a lights-out round
16:03for either man.
16:04Whitaker landing only
16:05four of 32 punches
16:06by CompuBox numbers.
16:07Moskyev 12 of 54.
16:10Moskyev seems to want to make
16:11more of a fight of it
16:12in round two.
16:12I think that he should stay
16:16jab up occasionally,
16:18let him know you're
16:18in the business, Moskyev,
16:20but go to the body.
16:21Keep all the punches
16:22to the body.
16:25Hard right hand by Whitaker
16:26momentarily wobbles Moskyev.
16:30Whitaker trying to follow up.
16:31Moskyev not throwing back.
16:33Down goes the Russian fighter.
16:36Three, four, five, six,
16:39seven, eight,
16:42nine, ten.
16:44And he didn't.
16:45A second round knockout
16:47for Lance Whitaker
16:48inches him closer
16:49to legitimate title contention.
16:52And he did it
16:53with glancing blows
16:55showing you the kind of power
16:56that Whitaker is beginning
16:58to build in his fists.
17:00Also, Jim,
17:01he was hit a couple
17:02of real solid punches
17:04by Moskyev
17:05who's dented quite a few people.
17:08And you never saw
17:10Whitaker blink.
17:11If you ask me,
17:13it's about mismanagement
17:14of a potentially
17:16good heavyweight Moskyev.
17:17You get knocked out,
17:18it hasn't been that long ago.
17:20Right.
17:20What are you going to match him
17:21with a big puncher like that
17:22now in his career?
17:23Now, you need to go back
17:24to learn how to manage fighters
17:25and just put him up here
17:26for money.
17:27Fascinating question.
17:27You're suggesting that Moskyev
17:29should not have been in
17:30against a puncher
17:30in this fight.
17:31No, you got to get
17:31his confidence back.
17:32You hit him.
17:33That wasn't a dynamic
17:34group of punches
17:35that knocked him down.
17:36Nope, it was glancing blows.
17:37It was just that he hasn't
17:37even got his confidence back.
17:39Yep.
17:39Got the bill of man's
17:40confidence back.
17:41Go back to the Joe Lewis days
17:43when he was creamed
17:44by smelling.
17:45They went on a campaign
17:46to build his confidence.
17:48George, I thought
17:49the first right hand
17:51that hurt Moskyev
17:52was a pretty serious punch.
17:55Well, let's take a look at it.
17:56Here's a look.
17:56Maybe the others
17:57seemed not serious
17:59but that right hand
18:00that buckled him
18:01right there.
18:02That one, right there.
18:03That was a real punch.
18:07And then this.
18:08And suddenly he turned southpaw
18:10and was throwing hard punches
18:12with his right
18:13and his left.
18:15That's a big man
18:16and a big man
18:17can sometimes compensate
18:18for mistakes
18:20with that kind
18:21of arm strength.
18:24Oh, that kind of mismanagement.
18:26What do you think
18:28of George's point, Larry,
18:30about a poor choice
18:31of matches for Moskyev?
18:33Well, I think
18:34the point
18:35the point is
18:38a good point
18:40but I don't know
18:41what Moskyev's
18:42alternatives were
18:43what opportunities
18:44he had
18:45and I think
18:46they thought
18:47that Whitaker
18:48was the kind of guy
18:49that could vault them
18:50right straight back
18:51into contention
18:52with a big knockout.
18:54You know,
18:54three fights ago
18:54you might have thought
18:55of Whitaker
18:55as a tactical cautious fighter
18:57who wasn't that big
18:58a danger
18:59to knock you out
19:00but the more
19:01he progresses
19:01the more he begins
19:03to put punches together
19:04there's a bigger
19:05and bigger effect.
19:06Whitaker's good enough
19:07to fight for the
19:07heavyweight title
19:08right now.
19:08He's that good.
19:10So there's no knock
19:11to him
19:12but you wonder
19:13what a guy
19:13with that kind
19:14of potential
19:14those kind
19:15of skills
19:15you've got
19:16to campaign
19:17these guys.
19:18You've got to campaign
19:18them.
19:19You just can't keep
19:19running to television
19:20every time you fight.
19:22Let's go to
19:23Michael Buffer
19:23for the official
19:24particulars
19:25on the knockout.
19:27Ladies and gentlemen
19:28referee
19:30Vic Draculich
19:31counts to ten
19:32and officially
19:33ends this contest
19:34at one minute
19:36and three seconds
19:37of round number two.
19:39The winner
19:39by knockout victory
19:40his record now
19:4123-1
19:4319 KO's
19:45and he is still
19:46the WBC
19:47Continental
19:48America's
19:49heavyweight champion
19:50now definitely
19:51a top-ranked
19:52heavyweight contender
19:53Lance Mount
19:55Whittaker.
20:05Final punch stat
20:07numbers
20:07and you can see
20:09that it was brief.
20:10There was not
20:11a ton of punishment
20:11landed on either side
20:13but Lance Whittaker's
20:15eight landed punches
20:16in the second round
20:18were significant
20:19enough to knock
20:20Moskoyev out.
20:22Two right hands
20:23doing the bulk
20:24of the damage.
20:31It was a
20:32momentary explosion.
20:35Whittaker did not
20:36look dangerous
20:36to Moskoyev
20:37in round one
20:38but in round two
20:39he was plenty trouble.
20:40Now let's go up
20:41to Larry Merchant
20:41with the winner.
20:43All right.
20:44Thank you, Jim
20:44and congratulations
20:45Lance.
20:48Were you looking
20:50to score
20:51an early knockout
20:52do something
20:52sensational here
20:53tonight?
20:54Well, yeah, I think
20:55I'm going to train
20:55to do a good
20:56to America's
20:56Zins and HBO.
20:57Thank you for having me.
20:58I'd like to say hi
20:59to my son.
20:59I love you very much
21:00and I had to come out
21:02and make a statement
21:02and be aggressive
21:03and, you know.
21:06First round
21:07he went to your body
21:08hit you a shot
21:09on top of the head.
21:09You seemed to be
21:11feeling him out.
21:12What were your thoughts
21:12going into the second round?
21:15Well, excuse me.
21:16He's a great fighter,
21:16good fighter, strong
21:17but, you know,
21:19I kind of went to
21:20test what he had
21:22and it really wasn't
21:22that much.
21:24You felt that
21:25he was vulnerable
21:26based on the fact
21:28that his last fight
21:28he was knocked out
21:29and that you could
21:31intimidate him?
21:32No, I don't think
21:33he's vulnerable
21:33but I knew I'm bigger,
21:35stronger and I got
21:36more skills
21:36and I just come out
21:38there and I want
21:38to show the world,
21:39show the boxing
21:39world that I can
21:40be up there
21:41with the big boys.
21:42Well, you're a big boy
21:43who can be
21:43with the big boys.
21:44Let's take a look
21:45at that big right hand
21:46that vaulted you
21:48into the book.
21:49Talk about it.
21:51Well, right now
21:51I'm just right there
21:52with a good right hand
21:53straight down a pipe
21:54and I knew he was hurting
21:55and just taking my time
21:56and, you know,
21:57these guys, man,
21:58you know,
21:59it's going to be something
22:00when I get up there.
22:00I just can't wait
22:01to get like Linus Lewis
22:02or, you know,
22:04White Randall,
22:04Black, whatever he is
22:05and just, you know,
22:06I'm just feeling him out.
22:07I'm just pity patting
22:09and I'm going to tell the truth.
22:11Why did you turn southpaw there?
22:13Well, you know,
22:13that's a thing
22:14me and Joe does
22:15a couple of times
22:15in the ring
22:17where we're, you know,
22:17training and everything
22:18and, you know,
22:19trying to work
22:19on those power punchers.
22:21All right,
22:21you raised the point
22:23about your son.
22:24Did this near tragedy
22:27help you to galvanize yourself,
22:30to focus yourself,
22:32to make the most of yourself
22:35because of how hard
22:36your son is fighting?
22:38Well,
22:38the mental strength
22:39and I have to come out there
22:40and just once,
22:41you know,
22:41show the world
22:42that I'm,
22:42I can be up there
22:43with the top
22:44and, you know,
22:45I love my son.
22:46I think about him all the time
22:47but at the same time
22:49I have to train hard
22:51and keep my mind focused
22:52on what I got to do.
22:53Who would you like
22:54to fight next?
22:55Oh, Linus,
22:56everybody, anybody.
22:58I'm not dodging anybody.
22:59I just want to come out there
23:00and show the world
23:01that I can be up there
23:02and I can be
23:03heavy champion of the world.
23:03There are so few
23:05American heavyweights
23:07in a division
23:08that used to be
23:10dominated by Americans.
23:12Do you feel,
23:13do you feel anything
23:15about that,
23:16that Americans
23:18ought to be stepping up
23:19and making a big statement
23:21as heavyweights?
23:22Yeah, I believe so.
23:24I mean, you know,
23:24I can step up,
23:25everybody can step up
23:25and everything can come together.
23:27Thank you very much, Lance.
23:29Again, congratulations.
23:30Thank you very much.
23:31All right, Jim.
23:33All right, thanks a lot.
23:34A lot of mention
23:34of Lennox Lewis there
23:36and you said
23:36Whitaker's ready
23:37to fight anybody now.
23:38When Lewis fought
23:396'7", Michael Grant,
23:41you predicted
23:42totally accurately
23:43as it turned out
23:44that Grant was the perfect
23:45target for Lewis.
23:47Because of the height.
23:48Yeah, because of the height.
23:49So at 6'8",
23:49would Whitaker be a perfect
23:50target for Lewis too?
23:51I think Whitaker's got
23:52a little more savvy
23:53and a little more confidence
23:54within himself.
23:55I think he'd be
23:56a better fight.
23:57Yeah.
23:57Target, great,
23:58but he's got a little more
23:59on the ball
24:00than Grant had.
24:01I agree with you.
24:02I think that he's
24:02maybe more polished
24:03at this point
24:04than Grant
24:04because of his experiences.
24:06He brought those shots
24:06up so casually.
24:08Pop, pop, pop.
24:09Something you see
24:10the boxers do,
24:11the light.
24:12It reminded me
24:12of George Foreman.
24:13I've seen you
24:14knock out people
24:16with glancing blows
24:17and Whitaker did
24:18something the same.
24:18He comes off the mound
24:19though.
24:20It's like a pitcher
24:21coming off the mound
24:22with Bob Gibson
24:22or somebody.
24:23This guy,
24:24he will hurt you
24:24a lot more
24:25than a George Foreman would.
24:26Well, let's see
24:26what Oleg Moskyev
24:27has to say about it
24:28as he stands by
24:29with Larry.
24:30All right, Jim.
24:30Thank you again.
24:32Oleg,
24:33after you were stopped
24:35in the last fight,
24:36you come back
24:36against another
24:37big puncher.
24:38Were you a little bit
24:40uncertain
24:40coming into this fight?
24:43Maybe.
24:43Maybe I should
24:44take a tune-up fight
24:45before a big fight
24:47to catch my feelings,
24:48to get my feelings back
24:50and to get back
24:52to the big fight.
24:53So you're saying
24:54now that it might
24:55have been wiser
24:55to take an easy
24:56fight or two
24:57to reestablish yourself
24:59and get your confidence
25:00back first?
25:01Sure, sure.
25:02Yeah, that's right.
25:02You're right.
25:03But did you feel
25:04that you were
25:05in a class above
25:07Whitaker
25:08and that this was
25:10an opportunity
25:10to make your way
25:12back into the
25:13heavyweight picture?
25:16I think we're,
25:18you know,
25:18the same level.
25:19You know,
25:20we belong to
25:20the same level.
25:22What will you do now?
25:25What I'm going to do now?
25:28So,
25:29I'm not going to retire
25:30anywhere.
25:31I'm going to continue
25:32my boxing career.
25:35I'll take an easy fight
25:36and then we'll see
25:37what's going to happen.
25:38Thank you very much, Oleg.
25:39Appreciate having you.
25:41All right, Jim.
25:43All right.
25:44So Lance Whitaker
25:45takes another step closer
25:46to a possible title shot
25:48in the heavyweight division.
25:50You'll see more
25:51of the six-foot-eight-inch
25:52Californian.
25:53Meanwhile,
25:53another Californian
25:54gets ready to take
25:55center stage
25:55as Sugar Shane Mosley
25:57of Pomona
25:57gets ready to come
25:58into the ring
25:59against Australian
26:00challenger Shannon Taylor.
26:02Let's look ahead
26:02to some upcoming programs
26:04on HBO.
26:06For boxing,
26:07many of the biggest
26:07and brightest stars
26:08in the sport
26:09will appear on HBO
26:10and TVKO Pay-Per-View
26:12in the coming months.
26:13Between now and May 26,
26:15you'll see...
26:17Oscar De La Hoya
26:17on March 24,
26:19returning to fight
26:19for the first time
26:20in eight months.
26:21He'll be taking on
26:22the dangerous
26:23and often bloody
26:24Arturo Gatti.
26:26April 7,
26:26Prince Nassim Hamed
26:27takes on his toughest task yet.
26:29Marco Antonio Barrera
26:31in a pay-per-view matchup.
26:32April 21,
26:34heavyweight champion
26:34Lennox Lewis
26:35coming off his shutout
26:36of David Tua
26:37takes on Hasim Rahman
26:38in Johannesburg,
26:39South Africa.
26:41May 12,
26:41Felix Trinidad
26:42kicks off his end
26:43of the world
26:44middleweight unification series
26:45facing William Jaffe
26:47on TVKO Pay-Per-View.
26:49And May 26,
26:50Floyd Mayweather Jr.,
26:51in his first fight
26:52since his devastation
26:53of Diego Corrales,
26:55takes on Carlos Hernandez.
26:56HBO,
26:57the heart and soul
26:59of boxing.
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