- 2 days ago
Corrie Sanders faces Hasim Rahman for the WBU Heavyweight Title on HBO Boxing After Dark
Category
🦄
CreativityTranscript
00:00The following is a special presentation of HBO Sports,
00:17the network of champions.
00:30The following is a special presentation of HBO Sports,
01:00and the following is a special presentation of HBO Sports,
01:30and also South Africa, trying to get more active
01:31and into the heavyweight contender picture,
01:34takes on Hasim Rahman, then Oleg Moskayev,
01:37happy you're removed from his spectacular knockout,
01:40Abrahman, takes on the equally spectacular Derek Jefferson.
01:44Springtime on the boardwalk in Atlantic City.
01:47Renewal, revival.
01:48This weekend, rain.
01:50And tonight, boxing fans file into valleys, hoping to see some heavyweight magic.
01:55Will we see the blooming of the next heavyweight hopeful?
01:59Or will it be just a night when the pendulum swings back and forth for the heavyweights,
02:03and everyone here lets it all hang out in pursuit of bigger glory down the road?
02:08Hello again, everybody. I'm Jim Lampley.
02:12We welcome you to this special edition of HBO's Boxing After Dark.
02:16Special because the heavyweights always seem to provide excitement on this telecast,
02:21and any of the four men you're about to see could emerge within the next couple of years
02:25as a potential contender for the heavyweight crown,
02:28or at least all four of them think so.
02:31Let's see what our HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant thinks
02:34as we go into the two bouts on the card.
02:35Larry, the four heavyweights that we're about to see
02:38have an aggregate record of 109 wins, only six losses, 84 knockouts.
02:44Not bad.
02:44Is there a potential future heavyweight champion among them?
02:48I'd settle for a challenger.
02:49There's nothing really cosmic of insignificance about this card,
02:56nor do we have a solo concert by a champion.
03:00We have four woulda, coulda, shoulda, still mighta heavyweights,
03:08and that's a recipe for the meat and potatoes of this game.
03:13Competition, risk-taking, perhaps we'll get some drama as well.
03:19Jim, if you like your steak raw and your potatoes mashed,
03:24this is your kind of night.
03:25Indeed.
03:26The heavyweight champion of the world likes Yorkshire Pudding, of course,
03:29being an Englishman and working with us
03:31as our expert commentator on Boxing After Dark
03:33is the man who trains heavyweight titleist Lennox Lewis,
03:36the legendary manager and trainer out of Detroit, Emmanuel Stewart.
03:40Emmanuel, looking at the four guys we're about to watch in the ring,
03:43does one of them intrigue you
03:44as a potential future challenger to Lennox?
03:47Well, the one that intrigues me the most, Jim, is Derek Jefferson
03:50because of his explosiveness and his style
03:53and the fact that he's never really been beaten, so to say,
03:57in his own mind by anyone.
03:58He went undefeated in 21 amateur fights
04:00and only lost one professional fight,
04:02and that was a fight where he really beat himself.
04:04So I think he's the most intriguing to me.
04:06And we'll see Jefferson later on in the main event
04:09when he takes on Oleg Moskoyev.
04:12It could be a tremendous matchup in terms of action
04:14because both fighters hit and get hit.
04:17But meanwhile, let's take a look at Hasim The Rock Rahmat,
04:20who thinks of himself as a potential number one challenger,
04:24and indeed, if he had won every fight
04:26in which he was leading comfortably on the scorecards,
04:29this would be an unbeaten heavyweight.
04:32Instead, he's lost twice.
04:33Now, just a year and a half ago,
04:36he was fighting for a mandatory spot
04:39to fight the heavyweight champion.
04:42Now he's fighting for survival.
04:46Ahead on the cards when he was knocked out by David Tua,
04:49ahead on the cards last November
04:50when he was knocked out here in Atlantic City
04:52by Oleg Moskoyev.
04:53Here's a closer look at Hasim Rahmat.
04:57Has he lost because of stamina problems himself?
05:01He's lost both of those fights,
05:03in late rounds.
05:06To get away from that syndrome,
05:08he's muscled up with some weightlifting,
05:11added seven or eight hard pounds,
05:14but will it do him any real good?
05:17Some of the people in his team don't think so.
05:20He has said,
05:22if he cannot beat Corey Sanders,
05:24he will never fight again
05:25because that will tell him
05:27that he can't be a champion.
05:29In July in London,
05:30Lennox Lewis is scheduled to defend
05:31the heavyweight title
05:32against Franz Bota of South Africa.
05:35So does that mean that Bota
05:36is the best South African heavyweight?
05:39Probably not.
05:41The title of best South African heavyweight
05:43almost certainly should go to this man,
05:46Corey Sanders.
05:47He's only lost once in his career,
05:49but look at the inactivity
05:51in which his career has been mired
05:53while he's been living
05:54way down in South Africa.
05:55He's an outstanding athlete
05:57who simply has had a very comfortable life
05:59in South Africa
06:00where he makes good money,
06:02fights about once a year,
06:04goes hunting, plays golf,
06:07never fully committed himself
06:10to being all that he could be
06:11as a fighter.
06:13And a closer look at Corey Sanders.
06:17Well, we told you he was an athlete,
06:19and as Jim put it,
06:21he can drive a golf ball
06:2250 yards farther than Tiger Woods.
06:25He drives par fours,
06:27hits it 375 yards and more,
06:30is a 2 to 5 handicap.
06:32He fought both the four times
06:34in the amateurs,
06:35beat him every time,
06:36stopped him three times.
06:39And more of that power
06:41when he iced, iced Cole,
06:44a really rugged American heavyweight
06:46in the very first round
06:47in his last fight.
06:50And while you're watching
06:51both of our fights tonight,
06:52you can lob on to HBO.com slash boxing
06:55where you'll be able to score each round,
06:56spend some time chatting
06:57with former heavyweight contender
06:59Michael Bent,
07:00and answer the question,
07:01who in your mind
07:02can beat Lennox Lewis?
07:04We list four choices for you
07:05on the website,
07:06Tua,
07:07Tyson,
07:07Vladimir Klitschko,
07:09the younger brother,
07:10Roy Jones,
07:11or another choice open to you
07:12is none of the above.
07:13Or you can write in
07:14whichever heavyweight you think
07:15would be capable of beating
07:17Lennox Lewis.
07:18We'll tally up the results.
07:19Meanwhile,
07:20tail of the tape
07:20for Corey Sanders
07:21against Tassim Rahman.
07:22And you can see the clock
07:24is ticking on Sanders' career
07:25at age 34.
07:27Rahman's still by far
07:28the fresher face
07:29to the two at 27.
07:31Inch and a half height advantage
07:32for Sanders.
07:33Reach advantage of two pounds,
07:35or two inches.
07:36Plus, he's that rarity,
07:38a heavyweight southpaw.
07:40And you may remember
07:41only one southpaw's ever won
07:43the heavyweight championship.
07:44That was Michael Moorer.
07:46Rules of the bout
07:46with our unofficial ringside scorer,
07:48Harold Lederman.
07:49Jim, the Corey Sanders,
07:50Hasim Rahman fight
07:52is scheduled for 12 rounds
07:53using the unified rules
07:55on your screen
07:55in addition to the 10-point
07:57majority scoring system
07:58of Commissioner Larry Hazard.
08:00Jim, big controversy
08:00at the rules meeting yesterday.
08:02Hasim Rahman chose Reyes' gloves.
08:05Corey Sanders refused
08:06to fight with Reyes' gloves.
08:08Promoter Cedric Kushner
08:09had to go to Kansas City
08:10to bring in ringside gloves.
08:11So Sanders wears ringside 10-ounce.
08:14Rahman wears Reyes' 10-ounce.
08:16Jim,
08:17Let's go to ring announcer
08:18Michael Buffer
08:19for the official introductions.
08:21Ladies and gentlemen,
08:23good evening and welcome
08:24to Bally's Park Place
08:25Casino Resort
08:27here on the boardwalk
08:28in Atlantic City, New Jersey,
08:29where tonight
08:30Cedric Kushner Promotions
08:32presents
08:33his heavyweight explosion
08:35on HBO
08:36Boxing After Dark.
08:39Presented in association
08:40with your undisputed,
08:42undefeated king of beers,
08:43Budweiser.
08:44Proud to be your bud.
08:45Sanctioned by
08:46the New Jersey State Athletic
08:47Control Board,
08:49Boxing Commissioner
08:49Larry Hazard Sr.
08:51This first bout
08:52is brought to you
08:53in association also
08:54with Golden Gloves
08:55of South Africa.
08:56The three judges
08:57assigned to ringside
08:59scoring the bout
09:00will be
09:00Glenn Feldman,
09:02Eugene Grant,
09:03and John Pottery.
09:04And when the bell rings,
09:06the referee in charge
09:06of the action,
09:07Ed Cotton.
09:09And now from Bally's Park Place
09:10of Atlantic City,
09:1212 rounds of boxing
09:13for the WBU World Heavyweight Championship.
09:20Introducing first,
09:21fighting out of the blue corner,
09:23wearing black trimmed with silver,
09:25his weight,
09:26245 pounds,
09:27and he stands 6 feet 2
09:292 1⁄2 inches tall,
09:31his professional record,
09:3232 victories,
09:33including 26 knockouts
09:35with only two losses.
09:37From Baltimore, Maryland,
09:39ladies and gentlemen,
09:40here is the challenger,
09:42Hasim,
09:44the Rockman.
09:45And his opponent across the ring,
09:51fighting out of the red corner,
09:53wearing white,
09:54and weighing in at 225 pounds,
09:57he stands 6 feet 4 inches tall.
10:00He brings a professional record
10:01consisting of 37 bouts,
10:03with 36 victories,
10:05including 26 knockouts
10:07and only one defeat.
10:08Ladies and gentlemen,
10:10from Pretoria
10:10in the new South Africa,
10:12making his fourth title defense,
10:14presenting the reigning
10:15and defending
10:16WVU World Heavyweight Champion,
10:20Corey Sanders.
10:40All right, boxers,
10:41you both received your instructions
10:42in the dressing room.
10:44Obey my commands,
10:45take yourself a good time.
10:46Let's touch the gloves,
10:48have a good clean fight.
10:50Jim, I don't know anybody
10:52who even thinks they know
10:54what's going to happen
10:54in these fights tonight.
10:57We're just going to have to wait
10:59a few seconds more.
11:02Yeah, you're right.
11:03There are any number of scenarios
11:04you can pick for this fight.
11:05Now, Sanders,
11:06after having knocked out Al Cole
11:08in the first minute and a half
11:09of his last fight
11:10on February 19th,
11:12and with all that inactivity,
11:13I expect him to try
11:14to start fast, Emmanuel.
11:16Well, I definitely think
11:17that Sanders is the most skillful
11:18and faster between the two fighters.
11:21The thing is,
11:21a lot of guys who are used
11:22to fight in their hometown,
11:24home countries,
11:25become a little bit unorganized
11:27and uncomfortable
11:28when they fight
11:28in different settings,
11:29such as him fight here
11:31instead of fighting in South Africa.
11:32The fight's going to be interesting
11:34and more reason than one.
11:35First of all,
11:36I don't like the extra weight
11:38that Haseen has picked up.
11:40I think it's not that good
11:41for him at his height.
11:43And if that be the case,
11:44I think his speed factor
11:45could be a big factor for him.
11:49That's nothing.
11:50That's not Randy Cotton
11:51ruling a slip.
11:52Yeah.
11:52Corey Sanders went down early.
11:55I think Corey's a very good
11:56technical fighter.
11:57He's a lot of speed.
11:58And if he feels very comfortable
11:59and relaxed in this setting right here,
12:01he can be very difficult
12:02for Haseen.
12:05Of course, as you see,
12:06Sanders is a southpaw
12:08and you've seen
12:08Rahman starting out
12:10trying to mount his attack
12:12behind the right-hand lead.
12:14That's a change for him.
12:15In the past,
12:16Rahman has been effective
12:16working off the jab.
12:18Now he backs Sanders
12:19into a corner
12:20and tries his hand
12:21and in-fighting.
12:23Well, the fact that
12:24Sanders is permitted
12:26to fight inside,
12:27but he seems to have been
12:28in control of everything.
12:29I just think the hand speed
12:30of Sanders is going to be
12:31a big factor.
12:32Sanders lands a short left hand,
12:34seems to wobble Rahman a bit.
12:36Rahman fighting out
12:37of the corner.
12:39Corey Sanders with his hands down,
12:41very relaxed
12:42in the early going
12:43against Haseen Rahman.
12:46You know, we must remember
12:47that Rahman's last
12:49two major fights,
12:50he lost by knockout.
12:51And they were really
12:52some powerful knockouts.
12:53He was hurt very seriously
12:54with Tua.
12:55And also the fight
12:56when he fought
12:57when he was knocked out
12:58by Oleg Moskav.
12:59So, you know,
13:00I don't know what effect
13:01that may have on him
13:02in addition to the extra weight.
13:03Yeah, he got launched
13:04by a right hand
13:05and came all the way
13:06through the ring ropes
13:07and landed on his head
13:08on concrete.
13:08You wonder,
13:09just the psychological hangover
13:11from that experience
13:12is a question mark.
13:13Could be a big factor.
13:14And I think the fact that
13:17Rahman trying the one-two there,
13:23Sanders easily blocking
13:24the jab with his right hand.
13:27Rahman's going to have
13:28to resist the natural instinct
13:29to work off the left jab
13:30constantly against Sanders.
13:32Here he goes to the left hook
13:33to the body,
13:34and Sanders fires a counter
13:35in return.
13:37Sanders' speed seems to be
13:39a big factor in his fight
13:40at this point in time.
13:41And I think the fact that
13:43Rahman seemingly
13:44has slowed down even more so.
13:46I think the weight
13:47that he's gained,
13:48which he gained primarily
13:49from what I understand
13:50from lifted weights,
13:51is not healthy that much
13:52for his height.
13:55Sanders looks a little
13:56soft around the belly,
13:57particularly compared to
13:58Rahman,
14:00but there's a hard left hand
14:01and obviously softness
14:03around the belly
14:03does nothing to slow
14:04Corey Sanders'
14:06remarkable hand speed
14:07for such a big man.
14:11Here, suck it in.
14:35Now you've got the little
14:36first-round jitteries,
14:37you know what I mean?
14:38Start jamming them twice.
14:39Hands up when you jam.
14:40You know what I mean?
14:41You know what I mean?
14:42You know what I mean?
14:43You know what I mean?
14:44How do you feel?
14:45How do you feel?
14:45Good, good, good.
14:48He's only trying to steal you
14:49on shots, that's all.
14:50That's all.
14:54A left hand, followed by
14:56that right hand by Rahman.
14:58That's all.
15:00That's all.
15:01That's all.
15:01That's all.
15:02That's all.
15:02That's all.
15:02That's all.
15:03You know what I mean?
15:03Oh.
15:05Ooh.
15:05CompuBox numbers
15:06in round number one.
15:07Sanders 15 out of 60.
15:08Rahman 15 out of 46.
15:11Most of the connections
15:12were power punches.
15:13In previous fights
15:14we watched on tape,
15:15Corey Sanders' corner,
15:17trainer Harold Wohlbrecht
15:18spoke to him in English.
15:19Thus,
15:20no Afrikaans interpreter.
15:22We were taken by surprise
15:23when they spoke Afrikaans
15:24in the corner
15:25at the end of round one.
15:31Rockman has been primarily known throughout his career
15:33mostly as a right-hand puncher,
15:35which is good when you're fighting yourself
15:37or protecting the guys.
15:38That's your best punch.
15:39And if he can land his right hand,
15:41he can possibly turn the fight around.
15:43But the fact that no guy,
15:45neither one of them are really effectively working
15:47with their jabs too much that are landing,
15:49they're just using it as more of a pawn-type puncher,
15:51which means that the speed element
15:53is going to be a big factor for Sanders
15:55and the power puncher, I think,
15:58is going to be going for Rockman.
16:01And it's interesting, too,
16:02that Rockman has been busier,
16:06professional than Sanders,
16:07which looking at his record is really interesting
16:09that he has been very inactive.
16:11But the amateur career
16:13that Sanders was so much more extensive
16:17than that of Rockman,
16:18which to my knowledge didn't have much of an amateur career.
16:21And there you see it, Jackson.
16:23As Rockman landed a big right-hand counter
16:26after Sanders landed a left hand.
16:28Now Sanders trying to fire his left hand
16:30through Rockman's guard,
16:31and they trade punches in the corner.
16:34Corey Sanders looking to hit a double or a triple
16:37or maybe even a home run.
16:38Okay.
16:40This is turning out to be a good fight here.
16:47Both guys are getting hit.
16:50I think Sanders thinks he has Rockman in trouble.
16:53Punch out! Punch out!
16:53Well, I think the fact that Rockman
16:55is laying in the ropes
16:56and going into a defensive mode
16:58is pretty much doing Sanders
17:00and believing that he hasn't hurt.
17:01But the biggest thing is to me still
17:03is the speed and the extra weight
17:05that Rockman has picked up,
17:06which I don't think is going to help him.
17:08And you saw Rockman overcommit on a right hand,
17:11and Sanders was able to pop him with a quick left.
17:13That drove Rockman back into the ropes.
17:16Rockman is having to reach from way back
17:18with the right hand,
17:19and Corey Sanders is stepping up inside
17:21and taking advantage of those counter opportunities.
17:24Yes, he is.
17:24And at this stage here,
17:26there it was again.
17:27Sanders has slowed down his footwork.
17:29His speed is up from his hands,
17:31but not from his foot anymore.
17:32And as a result,
17:33I think this fight's going to turn out
17:34to be a slugfest.
17:36Punch out! Punch out! Punch out!
17:37Well, if Rockman overcommits
17:39to one more right hand
17:40and Sanders can time the left-right,
17:42we'll find out if Rock can take his punch.
17:46Stop for it! Stop for it! Stop for it!
17:53And there it is again,
17:54and this time Rockman's in trouble.
17:56Sanders pounding the left hand through the guard.
17:59Rockman wobbles back into the corner.
18:01Round two's about to come to a close.
18:03Not a second too soon
18:05for Hasim Rockman.
18:08This is trying not to be
18:09a sight and heavyweight fight.
18:12Rockman's new trainer,
18:13Adrian Davis,
18:15hurling him into the corner.
18:16Kick your legs out.
18:17Kick your leg back.
18:18Give me some water.
18:19Give me the grease.
18:22Suck it in.
18:23Now, let's try to box them, okay?
18:24You keep your hands up.
18:26You can only hit you
18:26when your hands down.
18:28Suck it in.
18:29Get your hands down.
18:30Suck it in.
18:30Give me the water.
18:36Give me the mouthpiece.
18:37Beautiful.
18:38You can't stop fighting, Cody, okay?
18:40You ain't too many bags.
18:42That's fine.
18:43That's good.
18:43That's good.
18:43You can't stop.
18:44Come on.
18:45Hold the water.
18:45Hold the water.
18:45Hold the water.
18:46Hold the water.
18:50Rockman impressively came back
18:52from a short left hook
18:53with a right hand in it.
18:54He is still rather fresh.
18:57Remember that when he suffered
18:58the knockouts,
18:59it was in late rounds
19:00where his stamina
19:01had been tested.
19:05But we're looking at
19:07Corey Sanders here
19:08who loves to go big game hunting
19:10in South Africa
19:12and he is going big game hunting
19:14right here in Atlantic City tonight.
19:16Wouldn't it be fascinating
19:17to see Rockman fall behind early
19:20and win a fight
19:21by outlasting his opponent
19:22as appears might have to be
19:24the case here.
19:25In round two, Corey Sanders
19:27was able to get off 76 punches
19:28to only 48 for Hasim Rockman.
19:31So Sanders has been
19:32the more active fighter
19:33in the first two rounds.
19:37And also, if you notice,
19:39after conclusion of a punch,
19:41whenever Rockman throws a punch,
19:42if he misses it,
19:42he falls off balance
19:44very much because of
19:46the excess of weight, I think.
19:47And Sanders seems to be
19:48a little bit sharp
19:49and more crispier
19:50with his footwork.
19:52Now Sanders appears
19:53to be trying to get
19:53a little bit of rest
19:54in the first minute
19:56of round three,
19:57having thrown nearly 140 punches
19:59in the first two rounds.
20:00And Rockman has a chance
20:01to take advantage
20:02and does with a right-hand lead.
20:04Rockman is gambling
20:05everything on his right-hand lead
20:06because that's his breadwinner.
20:08It has been throughout his career,
20:10but particularly in this fight here.
20:12He is not concentrating
20:13on his left hook
20:14or his jab at all.
20:15He's dependent entirely
20:16on one right hand.
20:17This is a power-punch fight, folks.
20:19It's going to be
20:19Hasim Rockman's right hand
20:20against Corey Sanders' left hand,
20:23and somebody's going to win
20:24this fight off their back foot.
20:26And I think it's going to be
20:27pretty soon, too.
20:29Body shot by Rockman.
20:31Get free!
20:33It seems that Sanders is relaxed
20:35and he's only watching
20:36Rockman's right hand.
20:38If Rockman would come back
20:39with a left hook,
20:40I think he would have
20:41a lot more going for him.
20:42But Sanders is watching
20:43only the right hand
20:44of Rockman right now.
20:46And I think what he's
20:47really dependent on
20:49is making Rockman
20:50miss a right hand
20:50and then trying to count
20:51him with a left.
20:57Neither man has gone
20:58to the body much.
20:59Rockman is obviously
21:00thinking about it
21:01in this round.
21:05Some body punching now.
21:06Oh!
21:07Set up.
21:07He made it miss,
21:09he made it miss
21:09the left right hand
21:11and he counted with the left.
21:12Absolutely, he timed it
21:13right that time.
21:14So there's the first
21:15knockdown of the fight
21:16as Rockman goes down
21:17and complains to referee
21:19Eddie Cotton that it
21:20shouldn't have been
21:21ruled a knockdown.
21:22And he is wrong,
21:23of course,
21:24because the ropes
21:24held him up.
21:26It was an explosive
21:27left hand off
21:28the missed right.
21:30Now Sanders tries
21:31to finish up
21:31with 30 seconds
21:32to go on the round
21:33and goes down himself
21:34on a counter right hand.
21:36Yeah.
21:39Four!
21:41Five!
21:42I think he's stunned
21:43as much as being hurt
21:45because he didn't see
21:46the punch.
21:46He was in the process
21:47of trying to finish
21:48off Rockman.
21:49I don't know
21:50when I've seen a fighter
21:51walk to his corner
21:52and go down
21:53to his knee to rest.
21:58Bell sounded too early.
22:00Round hasn't ended.
22:01Oh, that wasn't
22:02the official bell.
22:04Somebody else
22:05sounded a bell
22:05of some sort.
22:07Well, that was confusing,
22:08but the fighters
22:08got through it okay
22:09and what a round.
22:11It's the right hand
22:12that you let.
22:13You know, you're through
22:13and you can let it go.
22:15You can let it go.
22:17Really good.
22:18Now, what's the difference?
22:19Suck it in.
22:20This guy ain't got it.
22:21Soon you hit the hand,
22:22you're gonna go.
22:23Come on, suck it in.
22:24Give him some work
22:25on the back of his head.
22:26Come on.
22:27Watch the left.
22:43Right there.
22:45Coming in.
22:47Perfectly timed
22:48left hook by Sanders
22:50and the ropes
22:51clearly holding him up.
22:54Sanders getting cocky here,
22:56trying to finish it.
22:58Leaves himself open.
22:59Brockman, to his credit,
23:01saw it.
23:02Shot his right through.
23:06So, oh,
23:06men were down in the third.
23:08Go ahead, Larry.
23:08Well, you wonder
23:09if Sanders has used himself up
23:11because of all his activity.
23:12He looks a little bit
23:13watery right at this moment.
23:15And you wonder
23:15if Sanders suffers
23:16from ring rust at this point.
23:18All the years of inactivity.
23:20So many short fights.
23:22And now he catches
23:23Rockman again with the left.
23:25And Rockman tries
23:25to catch him with the right.
23:27This is just gonna be
23:28an old-fashioned slugfest
23:29from here on in.
23:31And they almost
23:32both went down.
23:33Yeah, but
23:33when Rockman held on
23:35to the ropes,
23:36he hit the break his ball.
23:37He got a little punch.
23:38Six.
23:39Sanders looking confused now
23:41as he looks at his corner
23:42to Harold Bulbrecht.
23:44Long way to go in this round.
23:46Corey Sanders,
23:46hands are down.
23:47He may be done in.
23:49Rockman is looking
23:49for the big right hand.
23:54And every time
23:55he throws a right hand,
23:56Sanders tries to counter
23:57with his left.
23:58And when Sanders gets called
24:00is when he's going in
24:01being aggressive.
24:02Let's go.
24:03He never gets hit too much
24:04when he's in a counter-punching mode.
24:06Sanders with one more glance
24:07over to his corner
24:08as though there's something
24:09that Bulbrecht can tell him
24:11that'll help him out
24:11of this mess.
24:12Sanders has been down twice.
24:16Rockman's been down once.
24:18Oh, they've seen a lot of stuff
24:20on the boardwalk
24:20in Atlantic City.
24:21I don't know the last time
24:23they saw something like this.
24:25I know.
24:25Derrick Jefferson
24:26against Maurice Harris
24:27last November 6th.
24:29Same kind of fight.
24:31Boxing after dark
24:32heavyweight fireworks.
24:33Sanders looks like
24:37he's in another world.
24:39But Rockman hasn't been able
24:40to take advantage
24:41in the last minute.
24:43Rockman is looking
24:44to throw his right hand
24:45and try to hit it.
24:46And Sanders is trying
24:48to make him throw
24:49the right hand
24:49and trying to counter
24:50with the left.
24:51There it is again.
24:52Every time he makes him
24:53throw the right,
24:53he tries to counter.
24:55One body shot,
24:57two body shots,
24:57three body shots.
24:59One of them was low.
25:00Sanders looks utterly done in.
25:06Loses his footwork
25:08for a moment.
25:09Sanders has made it known
25:10that his second biggest
25:12love is Garfield.
25:13Maybe it might become
25:14his biggest love
25:16after this because
25:16it's totally just the opposite
25:17of what he's in tonight.
25:25May trade shots again.
25:27blood coming from both
25:29of their noses
25:30in this fight.
25:33Why not?
25:38Only now is Corey Sanders
25:40beginning to get his legs back
25:42from the knockdown
25:43early in the round.
25:45But Asim Rockman
25:46was never able to find
25:48the right finishing opportunity
25:49for two minutes there
25:51while Sanders
25:51wandered around in a daze.
25:54If Rockman would use his jab
25:56a little bit more effective,
25:57but I think he would do
25:58a lot better.
25:58It would set up better
25:59for his right hand.
26:01Wild left hand
26:02misses by Sanders
26:03and they'll go to another round.
26:18Come back.
26:19Come back.
26:19Come back.
26:20Come back.
26:21Come back.
26:22Come back.
26:23Come back.
26:23Come back.
26:24Come back.
26:25Come back.
26:25Come back.
26:26Come back.
26:26Come back.
26:27He's not there.
26:28This guy is out there.
26:32The boys did turn.
26:33You got him back up.
26:35Back up with one.
26:36OK.
26:36Let's do this.
26:37One strong jab.
26:38we almost had a double knockdown in that round just watch as rockman throws the right hand catches him
26:51but held himself up with that left hand which is fortunate because it gave him a two-point round
26:57i thought that's what might happen in the second fight tonight i actually said in one of our
27:02pre-fight promos on the air that maskev and jefferson might knock each other out instead
27:07it was rockman and sanders who almost pulled that off corey sanders threw 70 punches around
27:13in the first two rounds of this fight in the last round by compu box numbers he threw 38 so sanders
27:19has lost his activity level and is now just looking for a one punch knockout of rockman
27:26harold how do you have it through four okay it's an interesting scoring actually in rounds 2-1-1 corey
27:32sanders but in points it's all even the first two rounds like you said corey sanders wins 10 to 9.
27:38the third round that each scored a knockdown you really have to score it even 10 to 10
27:43and the fourth round rock wins 10 to 8 because of the clean knockdown 38 38 even
27:50i think rockman's got a chance to win a boxing match if he can pull his act together
27:54and just go from here working with the right hand
28:02well it's clear that sanders is trying to get his second or third wind here and rockman doesn't seem
28:10capable of putting the pressure on him at this stage right here rockman should really step up the
28:15pressure a lot more how do you explain what rockman did in the last two minutes of the preceding round
28:19than here well basically it just it's a gamma fight the way they're fighting they're both just
28:24gambling one is shooting the right hand leading the other is waiting to counter punch over the right
28:29but if you notice sanders threw a few pesky right jabs that seem to have been effective but if
28:35he doesn't continue to do that rockers want to keep walking straight into him he needs to keep
28:39working his right jab a little bit more to keep him at a distance right there and to set him up for his left
28:44but rockman seems to have gotten his confidence back together seems to be very comfortable in the
28:49setting right now but what bothers me is the fact that he's doing the same thing over and over
28:55strictly trying to throw right here
29:04round five is a totally arm-weary round for both fighters neither man has landed anything of significance
29:10here pesky jabs as you called him emmanuel the best that corey sanders can offer he's waiting for
29:19rockman to throw another right hand get ready to drop the left on him and rockman's looking for the spot
29:25rockman's looking for the moment they're not going to get it
29:34the crowd wants action and for the moment they're not going to get it
29:39the focus of the instant brookman's meeting for the moment he's fighting for the rut
29:52that's his first time right there we'll be
29:53young man who knew these?
29:54thisessa!
29:55Well, call it the fifth-inning stretch, if you like.
30:06Tune in July 17 as HBO Sports presents our next
30:09Sports of the 20th Century documentary,
30:12When It Was a Game 3.
30:13Once again in our award-winning series,
30:15viewers will be taken back to an era
30:17when fans had special bonds with their heroes.
30:20The 1960s were a time of turbulent change,
30:22but throughout the decade,
30:24names like Clemente, Gibson, Maze, Mantle,
30:30and Aaron still met greatness
30:33when it was a Game 3
30:34with its exclusive home movies
30:36premiering in July on HBO.
30:40You're doing this now.
30:41Back him up.
30:42Fade him back.
30:43And look, every time something ain't right,
30:44put the hands up.
30:46I breathe into it, baby.
30:47You're loafing, though, Haseen.
30:49Don't make him move.
30:50You make me get this grease.
30:51Don't move.
30:52All right.
30:53You're tight on it.
30:55Let's go.
30:56Seconds out!
30:59Round five, totally unlike any of its predecessors.
31:03All of the four preceding rounds
31:04dominated by power punches.
31:06In round five,
31:07Rachman threw 21 jabs and landed eight.
31:10And Sanders also connected on,
31:12actually connected on nine jabs.
31:14So both fighters got whatever offense they got
31:17in the fifth round from the jab,
31:19and it was Precious Little.
31:24Let's see who gets the second win first.
31:27Both guys seem to be mentally alert,
31:30don't seem to be trying to sort things out,
31:32so to say.
31:32I think the jab is going to become more of a factor
31:34than there as the fighters move on.
31:36And once again,
31:38maybe they're rushing up,
31:39they're ready to resume
31:40where they left off a couple of rounds ago.
31:41Rachman lands a straight left hand.
31:44Sanders looks fresh enough to counter with the left.
31:46Punch out! Punch out!
31:47Punch out!
31:50Rachman is more effective when they get inside.
31:53And this time,
31:54Sanders takes the right hand lead
31:56flush on the jaw.
31:57He's been hit with some good right hand.
32:01I think the knockdowns when he got knocked down
32:03was mainly when he was in the process of punching.
32:05It wasn't expecting punches at the time.
32:07He seemed to have a pretty good chin,
32:09but the fight is up for grabs.
32:11Whoever could mount a good aggressive attack
32:13but took him behind a jab right now
32:15to take control of the fight.
32:19Save again.
32:25Another counter left hand by Sanders.
32:26And he lands two more left crosses on Rachman.
32:50Misses the third.
32:54Sanders has a tendency to get square
32:56with his balance once he gets into the exchange.
32:58Go to each corner. Go to each corner.
32:58Whose mouthpiece? You got the mouthpiece?
33:00I've seen Rachman losing the mouthpiece.
33:03It's right in front of New Jersey State Athletic Commission
33:05Chairman Larry Hazard.
33:07Sanders.
33:08Sanders lost the mouthpiece.
33:09Sanders' mouthpiece. Yeah, okay.
33:10Rachman has one of those clear mouthpieces
33:12which looks like it's nothing in his mouth
33:14but it's a clear mouthpiece.
33:15You heard Eddie Cotton asking Rachman
33:17if it was his mouthpiece, and you're right.
33:18Turns out to be Sanders' mouthpiece instead.
33:20Let's go. Let's go.
33:22Let's go. Get out of here.
33:23It's not even an off-brand.
33:25It's not even an off-brand.
33:30Rachman going to the body with the right hand.
33:32I like that idea.
33:34This fight, incidentally,
33:36is scheduled for 12 rounds
33:38because Corey Sanders owns
33:40an off-off-off-brand
33:43heavyweight title belt.
33:46Let's go. Get out of here.
33:49It's not even an off-brand.
33:51It's not even an off-off-brand.
33:53Hard right hand by Rockman.
33:55Sanders is taking that punch now.
33:57Stop punching. Stop punching.
33:59Step back.
34:01Move your head!
34:03Move your head!
34:05Both guys strange enough seem to have rejuvenated themselves,
34:07at least mentally.
34:09I'm looking at both of them's eyes.
34:11They seem to be very clear.
34:12They're very much aware of everything that's going on.
34:13Stop punching. Stop punching.
34:15And the biggest problem I see that Sanders has
34:17is his balance. After he throws a punch,
34:19he often gets fast and set squared in his feet,
34:21so, therefore, he gets a knife down for it.
34:23I don't see his hand speed anymore, Emmanuel.
34:25No more hand speed.
34:26But, nevertheless,
34:27the pesky jumper here is still getting to be a big factor,
34:30particularly if he keeps it up.
34:31That was a big round for Rockman.
34:33And still to come,
34:35the other heavyweight battle,
34:37the one we thought would really provide the fireworks,
34:39and maybe it will,
34:40Derek Jefferson against Oleg Moskyev.
34:43Moskyev, last November,
34:45was trailing Rockman on all cards
34:47when he knocked him through the ropes
34:49here in Atlantic City.
34:51Here.
34:52Spin it round.
34:53Suck it in deep.
34:54Get your hands down.
34:55Get your hands down.
34:56Get your hands down, Rock.
34:57Relax, baby.
34:58He's running from you, Rock.
34:59Can't you see it?
35:00Press the look.
35:01Left foot.
35:02Keep back-to-back with the hands up.
35:03Do like this.
35:04He can't get nothing.
35:05And you, J.R.
35:06All right.
35:07He's all right.
35:08Just step it up in there.
35:09All right.
35:11There you see in the back of the arena here
35:15is Corey Sanders' wife,
35:17a three-year-old daughter,
35:19who is celebrating her third birthday tonight.
35:22A few rounds ago, they were sitting ringside,
35:25but Mrs. Sanders decided that this may not be the kind
35:30of thing her daughter would want to see.
35:35Good choice.
35:39Interesting fight.
35:40Halfway through.
35:42Harold Letterman's card even.
35:44CompuBox numbers fairly even.
35:46Sanders 110 out of 302.
35:48Rockman 113 out of 277.
35:51Rockman landing slightly fewer power punches.
35:55Sanders uses the jab more than Rockman does.
35:57One, two, three.
35:59One, two, three.
36:00When they both exchange their power punches at the same time,
36:02meaning Rockman throws a right hand,
36:04Sanders throws a left,
36:05Rockman seems to have the advantage.
36:07He seems to get his right hand in a little bit faster.
36:09But when Sanders is effective
36:12is after he lets Rockman miss,
36:15if when they shoot at the same time,
36:17Rockman seems to come in a little bit better.
36:19His punch seems to be a little bit more to the inside.
36:22But the big difference would be still
36:24if Rockman would do this left jab a lot more.
36:26Sanders also seems to be strictly a body...
36:29I mean, strictly a head puncher.
36:31Oh, that's correct.
36:32It doesn't work to the body at all.
36:33Doesn't punch to the body at all.
36:34And Oleg Moskiew was saying to us yesterday
36:36that he felt the importance of working in American gyms
36:39was that you learn the left hook
36:41and you learn to use body punches.
36:43And you learn to use body punches.
36:44And you learn to use body punches.
36:45And most of the countries,
36:46even though South Africa is not here,
36:48they still primarily concentrate on head punches.
36:50Straight right hand by Rockman,
36:52right on the bottom.
36:53And a right.
36:54And a left.
36:55And a big rally.
36:56And Sanders tries to hold on.
36:58And Rockman's just pounding away.
37:04Sanders covering up, covering up, covering up.
37:07What's that?
37:08Just punting.
37:09What's that?
37:10What's that?
37:11Eddie Cotton's gonna stop it.
37:14Corey Sanders not defending himself.
37:18And that's a good example.
37:20As I seen Rockman punches him right out of the division.
37:23Punched him right out.
37:24He should've grabbed a man and tied him up.
37:26When you hurt like that,
37:27grab the thing that's punching and beating you up,
37:29grab the arms and tie the arms up.
37:31But he was hit by about 15 to 17 straight punches.
37:36Unanswered.
37:37And early on, he seemed dazed, just trying to survive the onslaught,
37:46but not doing anything to get out of the way.
37:49Well, the referee had no choice.
37:50Getting hit that much,
37:51you're not returning any punches he has to stop the fight.
37:54Gentlemen, it appeared that once Corey Sanders was unable to get
37:58the early knockout against Hasim Rockman,
38:01it became a matter of time,
38:03and whether Rockman would destroy himself
38:05or take advantage of the opportunity in front of him.
38:07Instead, he took advantage.
38:09He took advantage of it, and in fact,
38:11he fought as if he wanted to win a little bit more
38:14than Sanders going down the stretch.
38:16The fight was up and down.
38:1733 wins now against only two losses for Rockman.
38:22He takes a big step toward reviving his status
38:25as a contender in the division,
38:27and Corey Sanders in all likelihood
38:29will go back to South Africa
38:31without ever getting a shot
38:33at one of the top heavyweights of his time,
38:35Lennox Lewis or Mike Tyson or Evander Holyfield.
38:40Sanders will console himself
38:42with having won a minor league title
38:44and having had a big record,
38:45particularly when fighting at home in South Africa.
38:48And here's another replay,
38:50and Emmanuel Sanders just never tried to hold on.
38:53No, he never tried to hold on, you know,
38:55and when you're hurt like that,
38:56you can't see punches that good.
38:58The best thing to do is to grab the guy
39:00and grab the arms that's beating on you,
39:01but in this case,
39:02probably not experienced at being hurt like that before.
39:05He didn't know what to do
39:06because originally he wasn't hurt to the degree
39:08where he could not have survived properly,
39:10but right now at this point in time,
39:12when you're hurt like that,
39:13even punches that's landed on the side of your head
39:16on the gloves,
39:17they still vibrate through
39:18and they cause a lot of damage.
39:20Sanders' only previous loss
39:21was a knockout by Nate Tubbs
39:23way back in 1994.
39:25It's been six years since he lost a fight.
39:29Almost six years to the day, in fact,
39:31because that was May 21 of 94.
39:35This loss probably seals his fate.
39:41As a marginal heavyweight contender
39:43who was discussed in relation to a lot of big fights
39:46and written about in relation to a lot of big fights
39:49through the 90s, but never really got there.
39:52Yes, well, I think right now at this point in time
39:54in his career, he'll have to be resigned to the fact
39:56that he was a WBU champion and have to accept that.
39:59And that's going to be his biggest claim to fame.
40:01And maybe he can get that handicap back down to two.
40:03There's his wife and daughter.
40:04Let's go to Michael Buffer
40:05for the official particulars on the night.
40:07Ladies and gentlemen,
40:08part one of the Cedric Kushner heavyweight explosion
40:11on HBO Boxing After Dark comes to an end
40:14at one minute, 50 seconds of round of number seven,
40:18the winner by knockout victory
40:20and new WBU World Heavyweight Champion,
40:24Haseem the Rock Rockman.
40:29Final punch stat numbers.
40:45Haseem Rockman said that if he couldn't beat Corey Sanders,
40:48he would give up trying to become heavyweight champion
40:50of the world.
40:51So Rockman will continue his pursuit of a potential title,
40:55landing 150 total punches to 118 for Sanders,
41:00throwing more, connecting at a higher percentage,
41:03rallying in the last couple of rounds of the fight
41:05and eventually putting Sanders away
41:08after Sanders seemingly totally ran out of petrol.
41:14And power punches.
41:17As I said, Sanders is the only man who threw jabs
41:20and landed 37 punches to only eight for Sanders
41:23in that last round.
41:24So the numbers bulged as the result of the Rockman rally.
41:29Larry Merchant standing by with the winner.
41:31All right. Thank you, Jim. Congratulations, Rock.
41:34Thank you, Mr. Merchant.
41:36You had a rocky beginning to this fight.
41:39How did you fight your way out of it?
41:41All that smooth sailing from the end of my last fight.
41:43What are you talking about, Rocky?
41:44First of all, I'd like to say a lot,
41:46God is the greatest.
41:48No, there's no strength, no power except with God.
41:51And God gave me the strength to do that.
41:53And I love you.
41:54High Sam Jr. and Sharif in the mirror.
41:56All right, go ahead.
41:57All right.
41:58You said before the fight
42:00that if you couldn't beat Corey Sanders,
42:02it meant you would never put on the gloves again.
42:05Absolutely many.
42:06And was that the intense motivation you had in there,
42:10even while you were getting strafed by him in the first couple of rounds?
42:14Man, I felt like I was giving as good as I was taking.
42:18He would land one, but he wasn't landing combinations.
42:20You understand?
42:21Because I kept my head moving a little better.
42:23And I would also stun him occasionally with a good shot,
42:25make him back up and retreat.
42:27The man comes all the way over here.
42:29He talked trash to me yesterday at the glove meeting,
42:32telling me he's the champion.
42:33I wear it with gloves he wear.
42:35And, you know, he made it a little personal,
42:37a little more personal than it had to be.
42:38So he had to get dealt with.
42:40So we will see you again in the ring?
42:42Well, most definitely.
42:43I'd like to fight the winner of this next upcoming fight.
42:45I'm Jared Jefferson, my man.
42:47But if he give it a match, yeah,
42:49me and Jefferson got to get it on.
42:51All right.
42:52Thank you very much.
42:53Make that fight.
42:54Congratulations, Rock.
42:55I wish I had the power to do so.
42:58Jim.
42:59All right.
43:00Rockman doing a little matchmaking there in the ring.
43:02The judges saw it all the same way.
43:04Rockman was leading 58-55 on the master scorecard
43:08at the time of the knockout.
43:10Emmanuel, the big question coming into the fight was,
43:12could Rock exorcise the demons from his two late-round knockouts
43:17against Tua and Moskayev?
43:19How much will this help in getting rid of the psychological hangover
43:22from the two losses?
43:23I think tonight that Rockman became a really seasoned fighter,
43:26so to say.
43:27I think he was in a tough fight that he survived and came back and won.
43:31I think he became a veteran fighter tonight.
43:33And I think it's going to help him going down the stretch.
43:35All right.
43:36So we'll see if Hasim Rockman can position himself for a shot
43:39at Emmanuel's man, Lennox Lewis, the heavyweight champion of the world.
43:43But when we come back, we'll be giving you the second of our two main events,
43:47the live battle between Oleg Moskayev, the Russian from Kazakhstan,
43:52and Derek Jefferson out of Detroit.
43:55Right now, let's look ahead to some upcoming programs on HBO.
43:59Mark your calendars for these upcoming programs on HBO.
44:03June 10, it's the second installment of HBO's new boxing series, KO Nation.
44:08This month's show will come to you from Detroit,
44:10where junior lightweight champion Ocelino Freitas
44:12will take on number one contender Lemuel Nelson.
44:15HBO, the heart and soul of boxing.
44:18If you missed the premiere, catch a replay of this month's Real Sports
44:21with Bryant Gumbel.
44:22Among the stories, a look at the Philadelphia Flyers coach Roger Nielsen
44:26fighting bone marrow cancer.
44:28Also, lesbians' interest in women's golf
44:31and how the LPGA and other sports are dealing with their newest fans.
44:35Real sports where nothing is out of bounds.
44:38And July 17, HBO's documentary series,
44:41Sports of the 20th Century presents When It Was a Game 3.
44:45Nine years ago, When It Was a Game brought sports fans color home movies
44:49interwoven with stories of when baseball truly was a game.
44:52This episode deals with the 60s,
44:54the decade of the end of innocence for baseball and for America.
44:58The boardwalk in Atlantic City.
45:03A rainy place this weekend.
45:05A great time to cast out some fish nets
45:08and take advantage of the early summer harvest off the shores of New Jersey.
45:13Or maybe even a better time to slip into something more comfortable
45:17and stay inside for hard punching boxing action.
Recommended
4:33
|
Up next
28:20
53:33
14:27
43:56
55:24
19:58
39:34
Be the first to comment