- 4 months ago
James Page faces Andrei Pestraiev for the vacant WBA Welterweight Title on Showtime Boxing from Paris, France.
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00:00He is the new WBA super lightweight champion upsetting the Frenchman Khalid Rahulu here in Paris.
00:07Well, Showtime Championship Boxing continues from France with our co-featured welterweights Pestrayev versus Page.
00:14WBA number one contender Andre Pestrayev and number three James Page fight to see who will shine tonight in the City of Light.
00:30WBA number three James Page fight to see who will shine tonight in the City of Light.
01:00So we are getting set for Andrei
01:05Pastraev rated number one versus
01:08James Page rated number three.
01:12We'll explain why this has gone
01:16back and forth over the last week
01:18or so as far as it being a fight
01:21for the WBA vacant welterweight
01:23championship or not.
01:25In the meantime we are standing
01:26by for the official
01:27introductions.
01:30Here we go.
01:42Ladies and gentlemen, we welcome
01:44you to the second of our featured
01:45attractions here from Paris,
01:46France brought to you by Don King
01:48Productions and AB Stars
01:50Productions in association with
01:52Canal Plus and Showtime.
01:56Championnat du monde WBA
01:58Titre vacant des Poids-Walter,
02:00le superviseur est Monsieur
02:02Gilberto Mendoza en association
02:05avec la Fédération Française de Boxe
02:07et son président, Monsieur Guy de Bisson.
02:10This bout coming away is sanctioned
02:12by the World Boxing Association, the
02:14President, Gilberto Mendoza,
02:15Supervisor and Attendance,
02:17Carlos Chavez, along with the
02:19French Federation of Boxing,
02:20the President, Guy de Bisson.
02:23Yes.
02:24The judges for this championnat du monde
02:26are the Mexican, Mr. Hector Hernandez,
02:30the Canadian, Mr. Guy Jutras,
02:32and the Danish, Mr. Ove Ovesen.
02:36Now we introduce our judges
02:37scoring from ringside.
02:39We have Hector Hernandez, Guy Jutras,
02:42and Ove Ovesen.
02:43L'arbitre of this championnat du monde
02:47is Mr. Christodoulou Stanley.
02:50And the referee in charge of this bout,
02:52we have Stanley Christodoulou.
02:55In the red corner, he is 27 years old.
03:02He measures 1.72m, 66kg, 24 fights.
03:0921 victories, dont 17 by KO.
03:11Ladies and Ladies and Gentlemen,
03:13in your applause, the American James Payne.
03:20All right, fans, here we go.
03:2112 rounds of boxing for the WBA sanctioned
03:24Welterweight Championship of the World,
03:26a vacant championship.
03:28Introducing to you first on my left,
03:30fighting out of the red corner,
03:31wearing solid white trunks,
03:33hailing from Pittsburgh, California,
03:35in the United States.
03:37He weighed in at the Welterweight limit
03:38of 147 pounds, with a record of 21 wins,
03:42three losses, 17 wins coming by way of knockout.
03:46Please welcome the WBA number three ranked contender.
03:49Introducing the mighty Quinn, James Payne.
03:54In the blue corner, he has 27 years old.
04:00He measures 1.73m, 66kg, 678g.
04:0623 combats, 21 victories, dont 16 by KO.
04:10He was champion of Europe in 1997.
04:13He is ranked number one in the world, WBA.
04:16Ladies and Ladies and Gentlemen,
04:18under your applause, the Russian Andrei Pestriev.
04:24And his opponent across the ring on my right,
04:28fighting out of the blue corner in this vacant championship bout,
04:31wearing red trunks with gold trim,
04:33hailing from Russia, he weighed in the same as his opponent, 147 pounds.
04:39With a record of 21 wins, two losses, he has 16 wins coming by way of knockout.
04:45Introducing the WBA number one ranked welterweight contender, Andrei Pestriev.
04:56All right, let's size him up as we check out the tail of the tape.
04:59Pestriev at 28, just a year older than Page at 5'11, both quite tall for welterweights.
05:04Welterweights, they each came in at 147, the limit, and Page with the inch and a half reach advantage.
05:10Key rules for this fight, no standing eight count.
05:13The three knockdown rule is in effect.
05:15The fighter cannot be saved by the bell except in the final round.
05:19If an accidental headbutt occurs before the end of the fourth round, it's a technical draw.
05:23After the end of round four, they go to the scorecards.
05:27Originally, this bout was sanctioned by the WBA as a title fight as we look at James Page.
05:31But earlier this week in what has become a familiar scenario, a judge in New Jersey ruled that this bout not be for the championship.
05:40But that number two ranked Jose Luis Lopez, promoted by main events, be given the fight for the title vacated when Ike Corté,
05:46also promoted by main events, was stripped for twice, failing to fight the Pestriev.
05:51Meanwhile, here in Paris, another judge has ruled that Pestriev versus Page will be for the title.
05:56After all, Showtime, contrary to a press release issued by main events,
06:00a judge said previously checked with the WBA, confirmed this bout as sanctioned.
06:06The WBA reacting to New Jersey pulled the sanction and now reacting to Paris has restored it.
06:13And for our part and probably yours as well, we don't know, we don't care.
06:16We're simply tired of all this nonsense, but we felt we had to tell you the story anyway.
06:22So I'll tell you what, instead of Showtime, Bobby, this fight should be on court TV.
06:27Well, I'll tell you what.
06:28Every time we hear about main events, it's followed by a judge said or a judge ruled or ordered.
06:31So I'm not sure what's going on.
06:33I think the people's court will take it.
06:34Well, that's for the participants.
06:37I'll tell you what's going on in France, although Pestriev is Russian, wearing the red trunks,
06:40trained by former fighter Louis Sakharis of France.
06:43We saw Louis in the Rahilu corner earlier.
06:45In fact, tonight, his fifth fight on French soil.
06:47He's 4-0 with three KOs here in France, so he's no stranger to this environment.
06:52Meanwhile, the hard-hitting Page, unfamiliar surroundings for him, who's making his European debut.
06:58He's got some kind of left hook.
07:00In fact, respected matchmaker Peyton Scheer called Page the hardest-hitting welterweight
07:06in the world today.
07:07That's saying a lot, considering that division.
07:09And considering Peyton's maybe one of the finest opinion makers in boxing.
07:14So did Don King, by the way, on the way over to play and said,
07:16if this is going to be an upset, it's going to be Page.
07:18The guy can bang.
07:19So let's see.
07:20Pestriev has a reputation, European stand-up style.
07:22Usually what goes with that is a rock chin and great conditioning.
07:25Well, he's going to need that chin if he's going to get by that left hook.
07:28He must be tough.
07:29He's here because he's a very good fighter.
07:32So I think this is going to shape up to be a fighter tonight.
07:34I just saw Pestriev do something very smart.
07:36He threw a right hand to the body underneath the left hook of Page.
07:39He's got a big punch with the left hook.
07:41Take his body away.
07:42That left hook will slow down.
07:43Pestriev never off his feet, but he did get wobbled by Pernell Whitaker
07:48and seems to bust up easily.
07:50He stands right in there in front of this guy, Page, and shows no movement.
07:54Not a healthy choice.
07:55Again, some questionable opposition of late with the exception of Whitaker,
08:01but he'd better have a good chin against this kid from Pittsburgh, California.
08:06Well, and the other end of that coin is Page better have a good chin.
08:10I mean, you know, he comes in here with all his reputation as a puncher.
08:13You've got to be able to take a punch.
08:15Pestriev just threw a nice double jab straight right hand on the chin of Page,
08:19who took it very well.
08:20So we've got to find out if he's got the power Page has.
08:23I highly doubt that.
08:24There's a nasty jab, shotgun jab, as you would call it, Bobby, from Page.
08:29Which is odd that he keeps his hand that low and yet can jab that good.
08:33I mean, look where his hand is for a jab.
08:36And that is a powerful jab.
08:38It's sending the Russian back.
08:41Well, there's a rumor that the Russian has a little bit of a tendency to bust up,
08:45swell up.
08:46Those power punches that Page is throwing should do some damage.
08:49By the Russian, I take it, you mean Pestriev?
08:51Yeah, that's correct.
08:51Just checking.
08:53As far as the American Page, no fights in 97.
08:56He told us he spent 10 months in prison that year.
08:58Got into trouble with phony credit cards.
09:01Pestriev's very remorseful now and quite thankful for this second chance to fight.
09:08Page walked into a nice right hand here too.
09:10Got his attention pretty well.
09:11Yeah.
09:12Took it nicely.
09:13And big left hand right hand.
09:14Excuse me, left hook right hand.
09:15The Russian goes down.
09:17And he is in trouble.
09:18He sagged into the corner.
09:19He didn't look like he's in great shape then.
09:22It landed right on the button and he can bang.
09:24And Purdy, that's the first time he has tasted the canvas in his career.
09:28First knockdown.
09:29Page worked him back to the ropes.
09:32Used the jab and a strong right hand.
09:34Used the ropes as a backstop and fired a straight right hand left hook.
09:44How you feel?
09:45Okay.
09:46Okay.
09:46You okay?
09:47Yeah.
09:47Okay.
09:48You have a time.
09:50Take it easy.
09:52You do a mistake, you know?
09:53Boom.
09:56Give him a water.
09:56Yeah, I will.
09:59Let's take a look at that knockdown.
10:05Everything was going Page's way.
10:06And I think he sensed it.
10:07He put in, well, that front, the left did it.
10:12He didn't need the other one, but he, uh, well, actually, as he's backing him up here,
10:16I think the left hand gets his head up in the air a little bit.
10:18He gets, he snaps him up there.
10:20But that right hand off the top of his forehead, I think kind of just drove him to the floor.
10:25The punches are clean.
10:26They're all heavy furries, so it's hard to tell.
10:30Vicaris, the, uh, corner man's the same corner man as what Ralu, so he's in for a very long night.
10:36Both his fighters end up on the canvas before the fight starts.
10:39And more than English, Pestrayev speaks boxing.
10:46And that's what Louis Zachary says in front of his face.
10:49The number one contender knocked down with 35 seconds remaining in round one.
10:53A rude awakening for the Russian.
10:56Just a moment ago, it was a pretty right hand lead by the Russian to the body.
10:59Pestrayev's a nice right to the body.
11:01But the danger there, and there's a nice right hand to the head.
11:03Yeah.
11:04The danger there.
11:04Oh, I got him!
11:07A left hook.
11:08That sense of sprawling to the canvas and forget about it.
11:12No way he's getting up from this one.
11:14It is all over.
11:15Even Louis Zachary was out at the count of eight.
11:18His head bounced on that so hard we could hear it.
11:20Bobby, remember I told you at the beginning there's no padding to this?
11:23He hit points.
11:24Not a lot of padding to this ring, but what I was saying was when he goes to the body,
11:27he goes from a straight stand-up position.
11:29You can't do that with the power that's gonna have.
11:31The counter lift up will take his head off, and what happens?
11:34See, they should leave him until he's fully recovered, then set him up.
11:39They're badly mistaken what they're doing with him now.
11:41This guy's not still there.
11:43Now comes the stool.
11:44Now sit down.
11:45Sit down.
11:46And let him recover.
11:48Knocked senseless to the canvas, and he is still on wobbly legs.
11:52Finally, they got a stool under him, Ferdy.
11:54They got a stool, but they got to make him use it.
11:56Sit down.
11:56Slowly.
11:57This guy is so far out, he doesn't even know how to fold his legs.
12:00He makes it to the stool.
12:03Well, I think that the punch was enough to really hammer him senseless, but boy,
12:08that bouncing off this unpadded, virtually unpadded ring certainly didn't add to it.
12:15But we told you about the vicious left hook of this kid, James Page, and Peyton Shearer,
12:20the matchmaker, who may be right on.
12:22I'll tell you what, here's somebody that De Laue probably doesn't want, Porte doesn't want.
12:26Nobody wants any piece of this guy for anything short of a lot of change.
12:30Well, one of the best-kept secrets in boxing, but that could have changed tonight.
12:36James Page.
12:36Well, let's take a look at what can be described as an almost perfect knockdown.
12:41Let's look at it perhaps a couple of times.
12:43Let's study it because here's, watch Page's left.
12:48He begins with a left.
12:50He's setting it up.
12:51Now, now.
12:52There's a left.
12:54Right there.
12:54Now, look at him.
12:55That's all gone.
12:56Left and a right on the way down.
12:58But look at the way his head bounced.
13:00Now, that bounced up and it sounded awful from here.
13:02It sounded like a body.
13:04Now, actually, again, this is something that's not traditional.
13:06Normally, when a guy fires a right hand, you fire right hand back.
13:09He throws a left hook over the right hand, something that I used to do,
13:11and I think it's very effective.
13:13No one's expecting it.
13:14And look at that head slam.
13:15All his weight was going down, and the whiplash into that canvas was terrific.
13:19Look at this.
13:20Well, as we see, the left hand's the only thing you need.
13:23He could have stepped back, and he was gone.
13:24He was on the way.
13:25Those other two punches did not land with any force.
13:28But the fact.
13:31One last look at his head snapping.
13:32The hook is great, and the hook has probably got him out anyway.
13:35But if the hook didn't do it, and here it is, you can see he's out.
13:39His eyes are gone.
13:40But watch his head slam, and you can't really see the full force to that slam
13:44because the camera wasn't quick enough.
13:45But he really hit the ground hard for it.
13:47You know, I'm left with how often in our openings do we say things that come back to you.
13:52I said it's easier to win the title.
13:54It's hard to hold it.
13:55Tonight, we've seen two guys let the title go to the underdog and to the contender.
14:01And that's a lesson in boxing.
14:02It's so tough to keep the championship.
14:04Are you guys ready?
14:07James Page displaying compelling power as advertised in this co-production
14:12with Canal Plus here in Paris, France.
14:17So under these wacky circumstances, if he's not WBA welterweight champ,
14:22he sure looked like one.
14:24Californian James Page with this win over number one contender Andre Pestrive as he gets a hug.
14:31I'm proud of you.
14:32The first of many, the first of many.
14:35This should elevate himself to number one status
14:38as we are set for the official call from our ring announcers Danielle Alouche and Jimmy Leningen.
14:43And, ladies and gentlemen, the official time of 45 seconds in round number two, our referee counts to ten.
14:55The winner by way of knockout, he is the new WBA sanctioned welterweight champion.
15:01Of the world, the mighty Quinn, James Page.
15:17By virtue of this victory, the powerful Page should now earn the right to fight number two contender Jose Luis Lopez.
15:27Assuming that that suspension is lifted on Lopez for failing the urine test.
15:32But they should get together for the vacant WBA welterweight crown.
15:35No messing around.
15:36That's the thing that they should do for the fans and for the good of the sport.
15:41I can see why anybody would try and get a judge to stop this guy from playing me.
15:44Yeah, that's good point.
15:45Me or anybody else.
15:46Good point.
15:47But a lot of people leery of getting into the ring with Jose Luis Lopez, including Oscar De La Hoya,
15:52the man who floored Ike Corté twice last year in a fight that ended in a draw.
15:58Steve, you have some very dangerous fighters in every division.
16:00Everybody looks to do their best to avoid them while continuing the money machine.
16:05They're all money machines, grossing big dollars.
16:07If you can continue to do that without putting yourself in harm's way and a chance of losing,
16:11it's kind of smart.
16:12Maybe not the most admirable thing to do, but smart.
16:19Left hand high on the temple brings James Page what he thinks is the WBA title.
16:25Let's not only look at it, but let's listen to it as well.
16:42One, two, five, five!
16:45Thunderous left hook by James Page who ups his record to 22-3 with 18 knockouts.
16:52The fight doctor, Ferdie Pacheco, is standing by with the new champion and then some.
16:58Congratulations.
16:59The man sitting next to you, Don King, on a flight across the Atlantic the other day said
17:03to me, the big hit of this is going to be Page.
17:06He can bang so hard.
17:07He's going to shock and amaze everybody.
17:09He was right.
17:10He was right.
17:11First of all, I got to thank Don for giving me the opportunity.
17:13You know, he brought me in.
17:15You know, he gave me an opportunity and I've just been knocking people out for him.
17:20You know, so he gave me an opportunity and I've been doing what I had to do.
17:22I've been up in the camp in Orwell working hard and it's been paying off.
17:25And also, Ferdie, I want to say hi to my wife and kids back at home.
17:28You're entitled to do that?
17:29You're the champion.
17:30You can do anything you want to.
17:31I want to say hi to my wife, Nikki, and my daughter, Jalasia, and my daughter, Jarray.
17:34I love both of you guys, but be home Monday.
17:36Now, the punch that landed that was the left hook, as you saw, did you think you needed the
17:43other two because it didn't matter.
17:46He was gone.
17:46I knew I hit him with a good left hook and I seen him going down.
17:50So I wasn't sure if he was going to stay down.
17:52So I figured before he goes down, let me get something else off to make sure he's
17:55stays down when he goes down.
17:56All right.
17:58We have just seen the monitor.
17:59Let's look at it again, right here at our feet.
18:02Now, you tell him he's hit.
18:03Right there, I see.
18:04He's coming for us.
18:05I know I was going to try to slip the right, but he caught me with the right a little bit,
18:09but I knew I was going to slip the right and come counter with a hook.
18:14But he hit me with the right a little bit, but I still was able to get my hook off and catch him.
18:18And I still caught him and hurt him, so it was a good shot.
18:20Well, I tell you, that was a resounding knockout because he hit that canvas and got very little
18:25padding.
18:25Now, Don, what is it with this championship?
18:29Have we got a champion?
18:30Don't we have a champion?
18:31Where are we?
18:32Are we back in court?
18:33Well, first of all, I want to say I neither sought nor requested a title sanctioned for
18:37this fight because the judge in New Jersey said that it couldn't be sanctioned.
18:41So I didn't bother with it.
18:42All I wanted was for Page to win.
18:45However, a judge here in Paris overruled him and the Paris went to court and they got an
18:51overruled that made the WBA sanctioned the fight.
18:54But it was not my request.
18:55I had nothing to do with it.
18:56All I wanted to do is to fight because if he fought the number one contender,
19:00he's going to be able to fight Lopez anyway.
19:02So he would be the one that replaced Pestrov.
19:04So we're satisfied.
19:05We're ready for Lopez.
19:07We're ready for Lopez.
19:08As soon as they can get him ready, we're ready to take him on.
19:11And what would that be?
19:12Is that three or four months?
19:12Five months?
19:13When?
19:13Well, as quick as Lopez can get ready,
19:15we can do it in 60 days.
19:17We can do it in 90 days.
19:19Whatever it is, I'm going to check out with the main event and see if Lopez and
19:23Barry Hearn, who's been calling every day, see what he want to fight.
19:26We'll be ready to take him on.
19:28Now this man told me he had to chase you like if you were Sharon Stone before you'd ever
19:32talk to him.
19:33And when you did, you put him in the gym and you never let him go since.
19:35That's right.
19:36This one is going to be a great champion right here.
19:38As soon as he knocks out Lopez, then the world is his.
19:41He can fight any of the guys that's out there, Trinidad, Ike Huerta, De La Hoya.
19:46We're going to rack them all back because he's fearless.
19:48He's ready to go.
19:50He has the power and nothing can stop him but himself.
19:53And so we're going to work with his mother, Pam, who's doing a great job.
19:57Pamela Page, she's right here with us.
19:59And we're going to deal with her and make this guy a great American and a hard-punching,
20:04fighting welterweight like Sugar Ray Robinson.
20:08That's what he looked like.
20:08Lopez better come ready.
20:09Lopez better come ready, too.
20:10Well, it reminded me of Sugar Ray Robinson.
20:12Those of us lucky enough to have seen Sugar Ray, that was it right there.
20:16That's what he looked like.
20:18And anything else you want to say before we part to our dear friend, Steve Albert?
20:22Yes, before we go to Steve Albert, we're going to be bringing on Fabrice Teozo.
20:26He's going to be fighting his mandatory against Foxo.
20:31We're looking for Ricardo Lopez and Alcindo Alvarez, Alcindo Alvarez.
20:36So we're going to have some great shows to store for you on Showtime Championship Boxing.
20:39And nothing can stop us.
20:40And undeniably, we're number one.
20:42Well, thank you very much, Don.
20:43And congratulations.
20:44And now back to Steve Albert.
20:47Thank you very much, Ferdi and company.
20:49We just received good word that the Russian Andrei Pestrayev did not go to the hospital
20:55to receive any further attention.
20:57So that indeed is good news because he really got popped by a vicious left hook.
21:03The heavy fist of James Page.
21:06Just a tremendous resounding shot for the man from Pittsburgh, California.
21:12All right.
21:13As we wind things down, let's go back, take a look at the highlights of tonight's boxing from Paris.
21:17We begin with our main event.
21:18The champion coming in, Frenchman Khalid Rahilou, upset by the American Shambay Mitchell.
21:24Here's one of four knockdowns.
21:25This in the second round.
21:26Shambay Mitchell got to work early, had Rahilou down, and then he was on the attack
21:30coming at him, the lefts and rights.
21:32He had a nice right hook and a straight left hand right down the pipe.
21:35You see him dive into him with that right left hand.
21:37And he had Rahilou all but out there in the second round en route to a big unanimous decision.
21:43He waited over 10 years for this first title shot, and he brings it home.
21:47The WBA Super Lightweight Championship goes to Shambay Mitchell.
21:52Then in our co-feature, which you just saw, it was James Page.
21:57And here's the knockout in round two.
22:00Page along with the canvas gives Pestre a double thump.
22:03Gets hit with a tremendous counter left hook right over a right hand.
22:07You'll see it right on the chin.
22:08And he is out.
22:09And as he goes down, his head slams into the canvas.
22:13That is a double punch, double knockout.
22:16Now we put the final stamp on it, Bobby.
22:18We review the results of tonight's fight card from France.
22:21A clean sweep for the Americans.
22:23First of all, a night to remember for Shambay Mitchell, who sends the French fans home unhappy.
22:29Mitchell beats local favorite Khalid Rahilou to capture the title.
22:33Waiting a long time for this chance, bringing the belt back to America in his first attempt at a title.
22:38And James Page of California, successful at the expense of number one contender Andre Pestriev of Russia.
22:44Page the new WBA welterweight champion of France, of New Jersey, who knows.
22:51A heartfelt thanks to our people in co-production with us here at Showtime, the good folks at Canal Plus.
22:57And that'll do it for another edition of Showtime Championship Boxing.
23:01We hope you enjoyed it.
23:02For The Fight Doctor, Freddie Pacheco, Bobby Chez, our entire crew.
23:06Steve Albert saying so long from Paris, France.
23:09I want to say so long from Paris.
23:32I want to say so long from Paris.
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