- 2 days ago
Fabrice Tiozzo defends his WBA Cruiserweight Title against Valery Vikhor in front of his hometown fans in France on Showtime Boxing
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00:00Despite toiling of the obscure cruiserweight division, Tiozo still receives the royal treatment here in his native France.
00:07Tonight, the love affair continues as Tiozo meets Ukrainian-born Valery Vakor, now living in Riga, Latvia, in defense of the WBA title.
00:16Tiozo with all kinds of fans in the audience as we are just about ready to begin the ring walks of number two-rated Valery Vakor and the WBA cruiserweight champion Fabrice Tiozo.
00:35Tiozo extremely popular here in France.
00:40Notice, looking around, thousands of fans wearing T-shirts with the name Bruno Girard as they anticipate the main event later tonight after the Tiozo v. Core fight as Girard fights his rematch with American Byron Mitchell.
00:54I think the fans of Girard outweigh the fans of Tiozo in terms of attendance here tonight at the Palais Omnisport.
01:07Here in the Parisian suburb of Berce, a pretty light show going on.
01:14What would you estimate? About five grand in the stands here?
01:17You know, Steve, I think maybe six, but they've been sneaking in a little at a time.
01:21Have you been going around counting each person?
01:24Here's Valery Vakor, who looks like he's right out of central casting.
01:28He's built like a fireplug, his first world title shot, but he has lost seven of his 34 fights with only 10 knockouts.
01:37His biggest win may have been his last fight, a majority decision over French champion and local favorite Samuel Florent here in France.
01:46He's the battling Ukrainian, as he is known, unbeaten in his last 10, 8-1-1, but he has lost every time he has moved up in class of competition as he makes his way toward the ring.
01:59Ferdy, he is a guy accustomed to fighting here in France.
02:03It's his sixth time.
02:04Quality of opposition is decent overall, but he's relatively inexperienced.
02:09He hasn't fought in about eight months.
02:11He's gone 12 rounds only once, and he does lack the big-time punching power.
02:16These have to be factors heading into this fight.
02:18And not the least of which is this place is going to be packed.
02:22It's getting packed, and they're roaring already for, I think, all of those things put together adds a terrible night for the Ukrainian lad, I'm afraid.
02:30We shall see, as he gets set to take on the WBA Cruiserweight Champion in the champion's own backyard here in France.
02:41And that, of course, is Fabrice Tiozzo.
02:43ValÃĐrie Vecor, as we learned yesterday in the fighter meetings, very, very subdued, very quiet.
02:50Hardly utters a word, and just stares ahead.
02:54Very stoic, as you can see.
02:56No expression whatsoever, and that's the exact way he was yesterday in our fighter meeting as well.
03:03I just thought that was his reaction to Bobby Chez, but that's the way he is all the time.
03:08As he gets ready to stare down the champion, Fabrice Tiozzo is getting some pretty good practice in right now.
03:16The music starts for Tiozzo.
03:19Well, every time we come to Europe, particularly here in France, we have grown accustomed to the fanfare and the light show that precedes the entrance of one of their guys.
03:43He's a world champion, almost an atmosphere that you might find at a rock concert.
03:52The flags in the arena.
03:57We understand that the reason for the delay of Fabrice Tiozzo's ring walk is very simple.
04:04The dressing rooms are upstairs.
04:07They're very far away from the ring.
04:09And we understand that he, Fabrice Tiozzo, is now down on ground level, and here he is.
04:16Finally, the fans get to see their guy.
04:18His fourth title defense.
04:20He won the crown in 1997, outpointing a lethargic Nate Mr. Miller, then defended against three journeymen.
04:26In fact, aside from Miller, his quality of opposition, much to be desired since moving up to Cruiser.
04:32He is a former WBC light heavyweight champ, snatching the belt from the body snatcher, Mike McCallum, in 1995, with one defense.
04:42He hasn't lost since 93.
04:43His only setback, you might remember, to Virgil Hill.
04:47He's won 16 in a row since.
04:50Very few fights, Bobby Chez, the last two years because of a second operation on his back.
04:57Will inactivity catch up to him at age 30, or will his experience compensate for that?
05:03You know, there's an old saying in boxing that fighters can grow old in a day.
05:06Loosely translated, it means that there's no turning back at a certain point when your body just doesn't have the reflex of speed, durability, and overall timing.
05:13The long dayoffs don't help.
05:15He needed it for the back, but I think he's a different caliber of fighter, much higher up than Vicor.
05:20I think that's going to get him to the line.
05:22And we wonder, in another era, would Teozo be this dominant in the Cruiserweight division as we take a look at the numbers, the tail of the type.
05:32Teozo, two years younger than Vicor, also two and a half inches taller than the challenger, both under the 190 limit at yesterday's weigh-in.
05:39Fight time weights, Teozo, 201, a plus 12 and a half, Vicor 190, a plus two, so about 11 pounds more.
05:47And you saw the slight two-inch reach advantage for Vicor.
05:50Key rules for the WBA championship fight.
05:53No standing eight count, three knockdown rule is in effect.
05:55A fighter can be saved by the bell only in the last round.
05:58Accidental headbutt before the fourth.
05:59It's a technical draw.
06:01After the fourth, they go to the cards.
06:02So here at Palais-Omnespoir in Paris, France, we are getting ready for the WBA Cruiserweight Championship.
06:11Fabrice Teozo versus Valeri Vicor.
06:14Daniel Alouche, the French ring announcer, is standing alongside the American ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr.,
06:20set once again for dueling ring announcers.
06:23Joe Cortez, the referee from Las Vegas, also on hand alongside Daniel Alouche.
06:34You can miss Don King, who is alongside Jimmy Lennon Jr.
06:38Good close-up look once again at the staring process of Valeri Vicor.
06:43And there is the champion, Fabrice Teozo, with the tattoo of a bear.
06:48He says he balls like a bear in the ring, thus the tattoo.
06:54And he is limbering up, getting ready for this world championship fight.
06:58Always self-assured as Teozo, a very outgoing personality.
07:02What's the other tattoo around his arm?
07:04If that gets too tight, can you get it off?
07:06Did you find out?
07:08Get close enough to him to axe?
07:09I'm being told that our delay is because of an interview being done by our co-production partners over at Canal Plus.
07:23So that can't be sitting too well with Valeri Vicor and Fabrice Piozo.
07:28Daniel Alouche, the ring announcer.
07:29We're going to hear the hymns nationals.
07:32We're going to hear the hymns nationals.
07:32We're going to hear the hymns nationals.
12:57in 1991, champion of Europe in 1994 and 1995, champion of mid-lourds WBC in 1995 and 1996.
13:07He is champion of WBA in LRG since 1997.
13:12Ladies and gentlemen, for your applause, the champion of the world, Fabrice Diogo!
13:24And ladies and gentlemen, the defending champion fighting out of the blue corner, wearing black trunk silver trim, originally from Saint-Denis, now fighting out of Lyon, France.
13:33His weight, 188 and one-half pounds, with a record of 41 wins, one loss with 27 knockouts.
13:41Here is the two-time world champion, tonight making the fourth defensiveest title.
13:45Here is the current WBA cruiserweight champion of the world, Fabrice Diogo!
13:54All right, gentlemen, we're one of the rules in the dressing room.
14:08Bobby says, let's get your keys to victory.
14:11All right, for the champion Tiozo, he's got to work the body, slow Vikor down.
14:15Also, powerful counter-punching and time Vikor on the win because he does run straight in.
14:22Flip side, the challenger.
14:24He must use the constant jab, get champion off balance.
14:27Also, keep the pressure on.
14:28See if you wear out Tiozo after that long layoff and move his head defensively.
14:31He's got to get out of the way with that big right hand.
14:34Tiozo comes into this fight weighing 11 pounds more than Valerio Vikor.
14:40Of course, we saw that unfortunate incident a few weeks back with Gatti and Gamache.
14:46That was about 19 pounds.
14:47Certainly don't want a repeat of that.
14:49That was unforgivable.
14:50That was almost criminal.
14:51I mean, something should be done about it.
14:53Even in the old days, I used to weigh in at 159 in the morning, weigh 170 at night the same day.
14:58So that weight can be put on, but it's so much easier to put on when you have two full days to do it.
15:03Well, that's why the weigh-in should be the day of the fight.
15:08Well, let's get through this fight.
15:10That's another story.
15:11Because this one is going to heat up.
15:13If it's up to Tiozo, it's going to heat up fast.
15:15There it is.
15:16There it is.
15:17Right on cue.
15:18And he didn't move that head defensively like he was supposed to.
15:21Four.
15:22Five.
15:23Six.
15:24Seven.
15:25Eight.
15:26One.
15:28Two.
15:29Two.
15:30Three.
15:31One.
15:32Two.
15:33Two.
15:34One.
15:35Three.
15:36sensor, sits here.
15:37Two.
15:38Two tap parts.
15:39Two.
15:40One, two, two, one.
15:42One.
15:43Two.
15:44Five, two, three, three.
15:45Four.
15:46Three.
15:47Two.
15:48Eight.
15:49Two.
15:50Two.
15:51Alert.
15:52Ten.
15:53Three.
15:54Three.
15:55Two.
15:56the first round to yozo drops vikor and this is the number four contender folks
16:03just four of yozo's 27 knockouts have come in the first round he's looking for number five
16:08right here the fact that he's ranked number four i would have the people at home take that with a
16:11grain of salt the ranking system is not what it should be you said a mouthful there well right
16:19now he's just taking a pot shot at yozo's just not if we just forgot about boxing he's just taking
16:23pot shot he got rich too soon you know that was a great shot and maybe the guy would have stayed
16:28down but he didn't so you got to go back to work so he's got to come back into the body mixing up
16:33his punches and not just wait the tee off on the right hand watching tapes of vikor you could just
16:39see as bobby pointed out he just doesn't move his head much he just doesn't put it all together he's
16:44very one-dimensional he's not a big puncher he's not a big puncher pretty good jab but not a big right
16:50hand you know bobby none of those punches are real hard kills is like he's just lobbing a tennis ball
17:07you know when you just sit there and just lob a ball to each other that's what he looks like he's doing
17:10here just bipping and bopping get it strong you know this isn't real pretty and i'll tell you right
17:16now this is my one of my old titles the wba cruiserweight title and you know back a few years
17:20ago i don't think v court would have got outside the first 30 seconds of me yozo a much better fighter
17:26much more talent a little more diversified but i don't think he could reign so easily back a few years ago
17:32but he really didn't attack him he didn't go with singing punches he was he was uh lobbing shots
18:03you know as we spoke right before the fight you and i this would be a major upset if valerie could
18:09could bring this off but what we see i don't think he's going to do it well he's a guy who's gone
18:13mostly six eight rounds he's gone 12 only once ten only once let's take a look at that knock there
18:19it's just a nice crisp little right hand over a jab b core doesn't move his head and he walks right in
18:25he also timed him on the way and you watch b course coming to him a little bit steps to him with a jab
18:30and just goes right over the top of it there it is a little step little move bang right over the top
18:35of jab it's a well-timed shot v core probably didn't see it coming there's a great overhead view of it
18:41right over the jab didn't move the head i don't think you can draw that up you can't draw that up
18:48if you want to show somebody that was the first time v core ever went down in his career
18:55a record of 30 wins seven losses four draws with uh just 14 knockouts but he has been stopped twice
19:07and against a guy we never heard of in the third round he could be confusing as to how he was stopped
19:12if he'd never been down before that he has a noticeable scar i think you uh pointed this out at
19:18the uh at the sit down yesterday left eyebrow left eyebrow but he says it's uh not a factor it's
19:23totally healed at least he's trying harder now he's got some hard punches he's got some direction
19:28he's trying to fight back i mean that that was a resounding knockdown to come back from he should
19:33have been punched out i'll tell you what that left hook right there was just as good as the right hand
19:38and it didn't affect him the same way i think he didn't see the right hand and he was a little cold
19:42it was stiff yozo's mixing it up nicely going to the body end of the head
19:49and v core's only chance is to come forward he lets yozo come to him he's gonna have real
19:54problems because he cannot box even backwards yozo's ring history is of terrific heart
19:59fierce determination throughout stylewise as you can see upright straight ahead with a very
20:05good chin not known for his speed and quickness but it really helps when the other guy walks into you
20:11with his head straight up it's as if his neck vertebrae were riveted together he doesn't move
20:16anything gosh that would have moved a beautiful target v core's major asset is just brute strength
20:24at his best very crude at the same time it's sometimes deceiving for people at home he's a strong
20:30guy a physically strong man but he doesn't punch well not all guys that are strong punch well jozo
20:36a better punch yeah his history is that he just looks to outwork his opponents because he can't
20:41really knock you out can he go 12 hard rounds if necessary as mentioned he's done it only once and he
20:48lost and this is a scheduled 12 round championship fight
20:57yozo has had two operations on his back the last eight years this is a wicked left hook by tiozo
21:04the first one came in 92 doctors said he'd never fight again as he continues to wail away
21:09he said he did feel pain in his last fight beating ken murphy
21:18he doesn't feel any pain down his back the lower lumbar region is
21:22the area in question he's right on top of the business this time all business
21:32v core is not getting his pound of flesh and he's getting no respect for the children here he's
21:36trying but he's not accomplishing but he missed every one of them every one through a lot but
21:41didn't connect to vicar final seconds of the second round
21:56weren't many people earlier tonight here at palais on this sport for the randall bailey fight
22:01but it is filling up nicely as they uh are very happy to see fabrice
22:06tiozo and another french favorite later tonight in our main event fruto gerard in his rematch
22:12with byron mitchell and the one thing that stands out you pointed out off camera a million times
22:17tonight aren't they quiet in here all these people usually there's so much noise in france
22:22when a frenchman fights listen to this complete silence very subdued crowd but they'll get into it if
22:27tiozo does tiozo throwing some nice combinations there v core tries to come forward but tiozo fends him off
22:35goes to the head uppercut to the body back with the jab to the head he has he has the tools and v
22:41core apparently does not and v core has said he had to be active at the start of the fight generally
22:47keep the pressure on but that has been the story for tiozo for the most part
22:54he drilled v core with a straight right hand that v core walked into 28 seconds into the first round
23:00v core went down for the first time in his career but tiozo couldn't finish him off
23:06like those punches nice left hook right there by v core got tiozo's attention a little bit trying to
23:11get his pound of flesh there's not a lot of equipment it seems so far now he's here to fight
23:16now v core digging to the midsection those two sets of combinations were the best work he's done thus far
23:34beautiful right there right there right there right there right there right there's last loss june of
23:3997. fifth round tKO to juan carlos gomez a good fighter now the wbc cruiserweight champion four oh and one
23:47five hundred and a half he's starting to come on a little better now v core but that overhand right
24:03nicely done by tiozo and then he follows it up with a combination of the body shows also part of his
24:10hands are beautiful right up the right hand of the body and then came right up with the same hand
24:14watch the heads says joe cortez now v core landing with the left hook there after the jabs
24:32tiozo a hard worker fairly up tempo likes to mix it up but he has bursts of energy here's a good right
24:39left left by a v core and a right uppercut counter by tiozo that's the best work he's done so far
24:46both punches landed and right where you wanted them you know what's happening too right now v core
24:51has been standing pretty heavy onslaught in the first couple of rounds maybe just maybe tiozo might
24:56get a little stale or a little tired long layoff maybe he's not in peak form and if he gets run out
25:02like ass apparently v core is a strong guy for the entire distance all right it seems like he's come
25:08back from that you have not got no question about and he's fighting hard now he's not goofing away
25:14here he's fighting yeah he was just caught off guard there in the opening seconds of the fight but
25:18seems to have been able to regroup there the last few rounds a good right hand to the head by tiozo
25:27no answers from the ukrainian there's a right uppercut by tiozo there's a counter combination by
25:35the core oh boy oh boy you watch every once in a while tiozo gonna get closely push some more for
25:42his forearms very sneaky move not legal that's why cortez said it's pro push in two languages he said
25:55winning every round
25:59please
26:07yes keep boxing him be faster keep punching
26:12one of the more underrated punches in boxing the uppercut jose likes to work their body is that
26:27double right i was talking about split the guard of v core with the right uppercut right to the body
26:32then the uppercut
26:37v core tried to get his pound of flesh here too here's a right hand down the middle
26:40tried with the left what's another left let's go still trying to get the range and get through
26:46some of the guard of kills but starting to work starting to get his mouth
26:49our translator eric romey as we enter round four v core seems to have recovered
26:56came on stronger in round three as he started throwing more effective punches
27:01recovered from that early knockdown he didn't win the round but he was much better than he had in the
27:06other two i mean so maybe he's coming on at his own pace
27:18v core is not working at a hard enough pace though to tire tios out he's got to work at a faster pace
27:23throw more punches make kyoza work back
27:34answering back with some pretty good jab work of his own
27:38but he didn't follow it up with the right hand
27:41he has a very good and a very annoying type jab he throws it out he throws it often fairly stiff and then
27:47follows those combinations but right now it's too far and few between and he doesn't follow a combination
27:52yozo's throwing more and landing more that's obvious and heavier much heavier
27:58although by by any other standard it's not a fast pace that kills us he's maintaining a steady but not
28:05fast pace this is the best sequence of the fight for v core just now yeah nice double jab a right hand
28:11then he went to the body he landed pretty good with that right hand and back comes tiozo with a pretty
28:15neat right uppercut followed by combination to the body and that backs up the ukrainian every time
28:21he lands that body shot to the side he fires to the head immediately and catches him catches me core
28:26i mean v core squashes down on that shot and he's open good fighting on the part of tios good boxing
28:33and good jab there by tiozo left right combination tiozo another one that scores nicely
28:40when that body shot comes to the flank look for too quick he's up up above he's been doing it all
28:44fight long tiozo putting on a pretty good boxing clinic right now the left right combination
28:50the jab on the right right there again notice too i'm sorry steve you notice too that tiozo
28:55works when he wants to work and rests when he wants to rest and b core doesn't make him work
28:59when he wants to rest and that's really key tiozo doing a good job pacing himself
29:07a lot of fading going on uh with i haven't seen that in a long time heavy right hand there overhand
29:13right tiozo that landed
29:21he's coming he's picking it up now tiozo more energy
29:26he's knocking on the door
29:31big combination to the head tiozo
29:34speaker has to come back to once tiozo gets done shooting all the combinations in
29:39pico has got to come back and make him pay make him also be leery of just firing at will beautiful jab
29:45he's coming out of work by tiozo a double left jab that's scored
29:51easy round for tiozo
29:55let's further dissect
29:59the championship fight as bobby chas goes inside the ropes
30:04nice combinations by tiozo there's going to the body coming back to the head another shot right
30:14hand to the body blocks uppercuts hooks to the body he's doing he's working up and down
30:22starts with the body works up starts at the head works back downstairs he's mixing it up so the v
30:27court can't time the defense time the blocks and cannot get on track
30:34i'm a trabajar abajo and the other one of the river muy bien bonito
30:39all right okay keep boxing him double up on the jab and follow with the right
30:48that's strange in that corner because we were we were thinking we were going to hear french and
30:51there's spanish being smoked yeah it was hector perez out of san antonio texas he's the uh chief
30:56trainer in tiozo's corner with that easy going style he's been with tiozo since uh the nate miller
31:03fight when he won the title oh that was that was a repeat of the thing that knocked him down but
31:08he didn't hit him square uh valerie threw that little uh left jab and he got hit with the right
31:13hand immediately but not square it would have been square he'd done exactly what he did in the first
31:18round nearly walked into another one you're just joining us he did that 28 seconds into the first
31:25round a short crisp right from the fist of the champion fabrice tiozo and down went vikor for the
31:30first time in his grip tabby core landing nice right hand and the double left hook
31:36see now he needs to keep the pressure on there step back into tiozo one more time see how much he
31:41hurt him he hurt him if at all now back comes to yozo straight rights and uppercuts a barrage for the
31:50body enough for the body enough for the body enough the guy's good this guy is good deals was good
31:57but again fighting in this first sporadically
32:00you will not see a long sustained attack from tiozo but effective mike right there not only that but
32:10once again he throws a combination four or five shots and then stops and relaxes and vikor doesn't make him pay
32:20here's a combination to the head by tiozo vikor trying to block those punches but not successful
32:25but still tiozo getting through again right hand by tiozo and he is having his way with vikor
32:44vikor is offering no head face whatsoever he's not trying to slip the punches he's just strictly
32:57trying to block them with his gloves and every once in a while some of those good right hands
33:01that bury into the gloves bury those gloves into his own face so he's not really helping himself
33:06he's taking great big breaths gasping breath watch him and especially after one of his own flurries he
33:11he takes a big breath like he's tired you know it's a little early to be tired it's only the fifth
33:17round is scheduled for 12 and we did wonder out loud if stamina and conditioning might factor in
33:26because vikor has had mostly six and eight round fights and he's approaching that area now
33:31he could be running out of gas early although he told us he trains for 12 rounds but that's a stock
33:38answer by every foot here comes tiazo vikor final seconds of the fifth round
33:57and he's saying he's saying to to to move to move and don't move don't say in one place everything
34:12is going to be all right okay i don't want to take an unnecessary punishment you understand hit and go
34:16away hit and come back it's excellent
34:25tiozo backing vikor up just teeing off on him shots to the head and body in combination and just keeping
34:31the fresh run vikor again offering up nothing tiozo coming in at will without anything to worry about
34:36coming back from vikor vikor cannot win the fight maybe even survive the fight without fighting back
34:41wait wait wait wait wait wait wait let's go vikor very anxious to begin round six i'm not sure why
34:53i was just going to say i can't i don't have a clue as to why he'd be anxious
34:57glad to be a kushner and vikor's corner telling him don't worry everything's going to be all right
35:01that's easy for him to say and he says when would you give me an estimate i won't hold it to it
35:07when are things going to get better here well you know we're approaching the point of no return
35:12he wins the first six with the knockdown he needs a knockdown in every round himself just to fall even
35:18he's got to be a little desperate starting pretty much now probably that's tiozo now playing mind
35:22games with vikor vikor throws the punch and tiozo nods his head in negative fashion saying you're not
35:27even hurting me he continues to push vikor back with that stiff left jab in the face and the body shots and
35:35the body shots don't forget he's working on the body now vikor's not a big puncher coming forward
35:39going backwards he even lessens the effect of whatever he's throwing back
35:48boxing adage go to the body and the head will fall that is one of them
35:55one speaks french one speaks russian and joe cortez said something in spanish
36:05a regular united nations going here he's stepping up the action now tiozo's stepping up the action
36:12and the other guy's wearing the body shots are really starting to take their toll
36:16he was offering up less and less of the way of punches because he's worried about the body
36:20that's it that was a cumulative attack plus exhaustion that's what it was that was not a
36:39knockout and neurological knockout that was an exhausting knockout so here in round six
36:45it ends and fabriziozo retains the title once again that's his fourth title defense
36:54as valerie vikor was easy pickings
37:00well he gave him somewhat of a workout it certainly wasn't a battle to be remembered very good very good
37:09but he also continues his reign as wba cruiserweight champion he dominated the fight against valerie?
37:21johnson vacori
37:21lozo goes to forty two and one twenty eight knockouts
37:25before drops to thirty eight and four thirty seven eight losses four draws
37:31fourth successful defensive title for the frenchmen
37:34he's held the belt since 97 when he beat ë comes to gah
37:39beat nate miller elevates his record as mentioned to 42 and one that lone defeat to virgil hill in
37:4593 able to keep the crown right here in france meantime valerie vaquore unsuccessful in his first
37:55world title shot he went down two times in the fight the core the first time 28 seconds into
38:03the first round we weren't sure if it was going to continue way back then but he was able to gather
38:09himself recover but he was just never in the fight and when i posed the possibility of title
38:16invocation to yozo yesterday he would not elaborate only to say that ibf champ vasili jirov of kazakhstan
38:26was the stronger of the three other cruiserweight champions
38:29but this is certainly a division that needs a kick in the pants because it's relatively obscure
38:48years ago used to have the reputation of being a wasteland between light heavy
38:52and heavy so sometimes that does happen this just doesn't draw any talent of course it's a division
38:58that brought the boxing world a fighter by the name of ivander holyfield well we're going to take
39:03a look at this knockdown and it just seemed to be more of an accumulative effect
39:08is the right uppercut on the inside and some nice body shots and i think that body shot really hurt him
39:13right hand on the top he's just starting to wear him down he's just break him down a little at a time
39:17and there you saw a little body shot in the solar plexus didn't seem that great but again he was
39:22getting hit with right hand after right hand the body shots were starting to take their toll and i think
39:26it was just a matter of him breaking down wearing down i think his body just sort of gave out
39:33again the body shots in the overhand rights are coming on a regular basis and they're all getting
39:37through i think it was just a cumulative effects he just collapsed
39:41and joe cortez just said that's enough and fabrice tiozo raising his arms in triumph here in his
39:58homeland of paris france he's from nearby lyon here's daniel luci
40:04a sixiÃĻme reprise and toujours champion du monde wva de lourds lÃĐgers fabrice
40:14And the finishing touches by Jimmy Lennon, Jr., officially TKO.
40:431.45, round six.
40:49So a good sportsmanship there as Tiozo embraces Vicor.
40:54We'll take another look at the knockout at the end of the round.
41:00That was just a series of blows.
41:03As you see, Tiozo is back to his working Vicor.
41:07He's stuffing him with the jab.
41:08He's hitting with a lot of different shots, body shots.
41:11There's one underneath.
41:13Overhand right to the top.
41:15There's nothing real devastating here.
41:17Nothing here that's really one punch to just level a man or even drop a man.
41:21But it's an accumulative effect, just consistently getting hit, getting hit, getting hit.
41:24And he just gave out.
41:26And Vicor had never gone down in his entire career.
41:31Goes down twice in this fight at the hands of the WBA Cruiserweight champion.
41:37In the far corner over there, Francis Fabrice Tiozo.
41:41Successful with his fourth title defense.
41:44A cruiserweight belt here in his homeland.
41:51As pitch was taken with the promoter Don King alongside Hector Perez, his trainer.
42:01We'll be speaking with Fabrice Tiozo after our co-production partners Canal Puce gets a word with their local hero.
42:11And, of course, the fight doctor Ferdi Pacheco is standing by to chat with the champion.
42:18And there he is being greeted by family and friends.
42:25So Fabrice Tiozo comes through here in his own backyard as he usually does.
42:32And there are two smiles for Fabrice.
42:34Coming up next, our main event, the rematch between Byron Mitchell and another Frenchman by the name of Bruno Girard for the WBA Super Middleweight Championship.
42:46Let's take you into the dressing room of the champion Byron Mitchell quietly sitting by.
42:51He dodged a bullet in the first fight against Girard.
42:54He scores off with Girard again, only this time on Girard's home turf.
42:59Some ringside observers felt that Mitchell was given a gift by the judges, which was a draw, enabling him to retain the title.
43:09And Bobby Chez will soon find out what he learned from that first encounter with Girard.
43:15Oh, we sure will. He learned that he cannot underestimate anybody.
43:18He must not only train and work hard, but the right strategy was helpful.
43:23We'll see if he can prevent a repeat of that near disaster as Fabrice Tiozo is interviewed by our partners from France over there to our left at Canal Puce.
43:34Nice shot Tiozo in between the two announcers from France and now a good closeup of Fabrice and Fabrice can talk.
43:44He speaks a little English, but not much as we learned in our fighter meetings.
43:49But one of the nice guys in boxing and very, very outgoing personality.
43:57So we're standing by as soon as the French announcers are complete with Fabrice Tiozo.
44:04He'll make his way over to our man, the fight doctor Ferdi Pacheco.
44:08So we're standing by for that.
44:10And while we wait, let's re-examine the two knockdowns that Fabrice Tiozo had on Valeri Vicor with our Bobby Chez as we go once again inside the ropes.
44:24And the first one came 28 seconds into the first round.
44:27First one is a super timing shot. He stops him because he times him.
44:30He times him coming in, he's stepping into the jab, and he goes over the jab, and he just...
44:34And the second one, not a timing shot. This is just bludgeoning. He's just...
44:39I think it's a breakdown of Vicor's system after all the punishment. He just caved him in.
44:45Attrition. Got the better of him.
44:47Yeah, this without question, Bobby, had to be the biggest test in the career of Valeri Vicor.
44:55As we mentioned, he did take on Juan Carlos Gomez, another formidable opponent.
45:00Now the WBC Cruiserweight Champion. That was back in June of 97.
45:04It was a fifth-round TKO for Gomez, but he really stepped up in class of competition tonight against Fabrice Tiozo.
45:14And Tiozo admitted to us, you know, while he felt fine, he wasn't quite 100% sure how things would go tonight
45:21because he's coming off yet another back operation. He didn't feel good, he said, against Ken Murphy in his last fight.
45:26And that's always an iffy situation. It's crucial when you have surgery on the back.
45:31There's always a certain amount of trepidation coming off any major injury, but you know what?
45:35Truly good fighters, world champions, and top contenders, we work it out in the gym, Steve.
45:40All of the fighters that I know, they find out what they have in the gym.
45:43They found out if it'll work or if it won't work, if it hurts, if it doesn't hurt.
45:47I'm pretty sure he came in here pretty confident.
45:50And he showed us that he was, as he is done now with the French announcers over at Canal Plus
45:58and makes his way over to the fight doctor Ferdi Pacheco.
46:03Ferdi playing traffic cop and directing Fabrice, who of course has to shake a few hands en route to the fight doctor.
46:11He'll take the scenic route.
46:15And, of course, the fans here are very, very hopeful that they'll be a second world champion from France later tonight.
46:22Fabrice Tiozzo currently the only French world champion.
46:26Well, if there is another world champion later tonight, it won't be as easy as this man maintaining his title.
46:30That I can guarantee you. Excellent point. Yeah, because Byron Mitchell stands in the way of Bruno Girard as Fabrice Tiozzo shakes hands all around.
46:38With Bobby and yours truly, he is standing by alongside the fight doctor and our translator, Eric Ramey.
46:47Take it away, Ferdi.
46:49That first knockdown, was it surprising to you?
46:52No.
46:53No.
46:54No.
46:55No.
46:56It was not a surprise to him because he watched the videos and he saw that the right came out.
47:00after his jabs.
47:01And then did it surprise you that he got up and then he lasted five rounds?
47:13Yes.
47:14He was very surprised that he was able to last that long.
47:17You read his mind here, didn't you?
47:18That was good.
47:19That was good.
47:20You're an interpreter and a mind reader.
47:21Where do you go from here Fabrice?
47:23What do you fight now?
47:24After that, what do you want to do?
47:26He is waiting to hear from Don King, hopefully to do a fight in June in the United States.
47:38Very good.
47:39Well, congratulations on an easy night.
47:42And now back to Steve and Bobby.
47:45All right.
47:47Thank you very much, Ferdi.
47:49Short but sweet.
47:51Let's take a look at the other world champions from this division.
47:55The 190-pound world champion division.
47:58Bobby, as you take a look at Girav, Gomez and Nelson, do you see any stern competition out there?
48:04Unfortunately, I haven't seen enough of the other champions.
48:07I saw a very little bit of Johnny Nelson in some clips.
48:11And Girav I haven't seen at all.
48:12I also saw Gomez, but Gomez, he can fight.
48:15I'd need to see more of him to make an accurate assessment, but I'm sure Gomez will give him all he wants.
48:20Teozo told us yesterday that among the three other champions, Girav, Gomez and Nelson.
48:27Incidentally, Girav from Kazakhstan.
48:29Gomez originally from Cuba, now campaigning in Germany.
48:32Nelson is from England.
48:34He felt that Girav was the strongest of the three others.
48:38And interesting, Girav and the Cuban-born Gomez are southpaws.
48:42And Englishman Johnny Nelson rounds out the field.
48:44Southpaws are always trouble.
48:45I know you always say that.
48:47They're a pain in the neck, as a matter of fact.
48:49That's correct.
48:50To a lot of guys like Bobby Chez when he fought.
48:54All right.
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