- 2 days ago
Undefeated WBA/IBF Cruiserweight Champion Evander Holyfield faces WBC Champion Carlos De Leon on Showtime Boxing in a Unification fight
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00:00Coming up the W.B.A. and I.B.F.
00:02Cruiserweight champion Evander
00:04Holyfield versus W.B.C.
00:06Cruiserweight champion Carlos
00:07De Leon for the unification of
00:09the Cruiserweight Junior
00:11Heavyweight Championship.
00:12Holyfield's mission to unify the
00:14title then place Mike Tyson in
00:16his future plans.
00:17But first he has some unfinished
00:18business and he knows he must
00:20win convincingly tonight.
00:22Dave Diles has more.
00:24OK.
00:25Well we've done several Evander
00:26Holyfield fights and there's a
00:28constancy about the young man.
00:30He is an outstanding young man.
00:31The type you'd like to have for a
00:33neighbor.
00:34And a couple of weeks ago I went
00:35down to Houston Texas and I got
00:37to know him a little bit better.
00:38And after looking at this so will
00:40you.
00:44In just his 12th professional
00:45fight Evander Holyfield was
00:47thrust into the ring with Dwight
00:48Cowie a swarming and cagey
00:50campaigner with no quit in it.
00:52In a 15 round decision questioned
00:54at least by Cowie Holyfield won
00:56his first world championship a
00:58learning lesson for the Olympic
00:59medalist who told me he likes all
01:01there is about this sport.
01:05I enjoy the sport and boxing is
01:08something that really it's an
01:10entertainment thing is this is I
01:13like just as much going going up to
01:15the ring and people hollering and
01:18all that just as much as fight.
01:19And it's always a pleasure to get in
01:23the ring and just to see how many
01:24people came to the fight and you
01:26knew that all these people came to
01:27see your fight.
01:29He knows the hard realities of the
01:30sport enough to resist the
01:32temptation to move too soon to the
01:33heavyweight ranks.
01:35I didn't want to make a move too
01:37soon.
01:38I knew that for his technician skills
01:42and stuff I had it but for his
01:43strength wise I knew I had to
01:45mature and move slowly because in the
01:49boxing business you can be treated
01:51just as a piece of meat and so if you
01:54take your time and and do the right
01:56thing then you know you better your
01:58chance.
02:00Holyfield KO'd Olympic teammate Henry
02:02Tillman then claimed part two of the
02:03cruiserweight crown in this same Las
02:05Vegas ring taking out Ricky Parkey for
02:07the IBF title a third round knockout.
02:10Parkey at least came to fight but three
02:12months later the wily Ozzy Ocasio came to
02:16San Trope just to run and he backpedaled
02:19successfully until Evander caught him
02:20finally in the 11th round again an
02:24exercise in the maturation of a
02:26fighter still winning yet still
02:28learning and then Kowie got the
02:30rematch he had bellowed for and it
02:32was a wiser tougher Holyfield who
02:34came that night.
02:37I was very confident going into the
02:39second fight.
02:40I knew I know what I had to compete
02:42against because I fought the guy I knew
02:45what he had to dish out and I felt like
02:48I had to be a fighter in the second time
02:50to beat him.
02:52That was last December Holyfield did what
02:54no one had done he knocked out Dwight
02:55Cowie it was an impressive showing put
02:58another piece of the puzzle yet left one
03:00item in the file Evander Holyfield has
03:03labeled for himself the unfinished business.
03:09Right now it's one step to unify this
03:11cruiserweight division which is the most
03:14important step for me right now and yes it
03:17is I'm finishing business.
03:19Tonight the final piece can be put to
03:21complete the puzzle Carlos De Leon owns
03:23the remaining third of the crowd he can
03:25box he can punch and he has bigger
03:27dreams too.
03:30He only have a good jab and good right
03:33hand very sneaky and very skipper
03:35boxer.
03:36I think he will come out and really try to
03:39use his jab and really try to frustrate
03:41me if he could but you know my main concern
03:44is really just put pressure on him and
03:47make him fight hard throughout the 12th
03:49round if he go 12.
03:51For Evander the sweet science is many
03:53things it is fame money approval and
03:56somewhere down the line there is the
03:59specter of Mike Tyson himself invincible
04:02but for now Carlos De Leon stands in the
04:05way of a fight with if not thoughts of
04:07Tyson.
04:08Most important thing in fighting Tyson is
04:10to get Tyson respect and make Tyson
04:13realize that he's fighting somebody that
04:15won't win just as much as he.
04:17This sport here is a sport that you have
04:20to learn everything that you can in
04:22training and when you come out you have
04:25to let things let things go you know I
04:28pray for each fighter that I fight and I
04:30leave it in God's hand.
04:31And there he is amidst this capacity
04:36crowd the world heavyweight champion Mike
04:39Tyson with his wife Robin Gibbons the
04:41actress and that is the man as they are
04:45introduced Mike Tyson is the man that
04:47Evander Holyfield wants to meet down the
04:49road and he says Holyfield does it this
04:52is his last cruiserweight fight and he
04:54has to look good in a victory over Carlos
04:56De Leon and he really feels deep down in
04:58his heart that he can provide the
05:01challenge for Mike Tyson.
05:03He can if he proves himself as a
05:04heavyweight one of the problems tonight is
05:06he's been bulking up there sacrificing his
05:08speed if he sacrificed too much speed he's
05:10going to be in trouble with De Leon who's
05:12coming to fight he's a champion who can
05:14punch who can box who can run who can
05:16stand still and punch and better than
05:18everything who is very confident tonight.
05:21I think one of the things we have to look
05:22forward to is the first round if De Leon
05:25comes out and really lays it out with
05:27Holyfield as he told me he wants to do to
05:29put some hurt on Holyfield we could see a
05:31really tough night of fighting if on the
05:34other hand he runs around the first
05:36round then we have something else in
05:37common.
05:38De Leon's strategy is he has to use his
05:40boxing skill and foot speed to avoid
05:42Holyfield he has to make Holyfield pay
05:44the prices he comes in and when Holyfield
05:47gets inside he has to tie him up because he
05:49uses his head his elbows everything he can
05:51he's a dirty fighter he's going to disconcert
05:54Holyfield as far as Evander Holyfield is
05:56concerned do you sense a genuine respect
05:59for the more experienced De Leon in
06:02terms of Holyfield?
06:03I think there's a respect but an
06:05ignorance of the importance of the night
06:07ignorance is a bad word he's not
06:09overlooking the importance he just
06:11doesn't seem to be coned in like he
06:14usually is maybe Tyson's here looking
06:16maybe everybody's counting the heavyweights
06:18he's going to fight I don't sense the
06:19intensity that I sense in Carlos de Leon
06:22De Leon this is his whole night make a
06:24break this is what's going to do him for
06:26the future this is his fight so he has
06:28got to get to the point where he can
06:30decide when to box and when to punch he
06:33likens himself to Sugar Ray Leonard the
06:35night he fought Hagler that's what he sees
06:38himself as box when he has to punch when
06:40he has to.
06:40Holyfield known for his explosive jabs and
06:43powerful right how about his strategy
06:46tonight?
06:46His strategy is that Holyfield has to cut
06:48the ring go to the body immediately on
06:50De Leon to take his legs out from under
06:52force De Leon into a punch out because
06:54he's a superior puncher and avoid getting
06:57tied up because this is what can cause
06:59him cuts.
07:00De Leon knows every trick in a book he's
07:02been a champion on and off since 1980 he
07:04is an experienced fighter inside Holyfield is
07:07not and that's where you get the bumps and
07:08bruises how do they respective trainers
07:11view the strategy of tonight's fight?
07:13First we'll hear from De Leon's trainer
07:15Yamil Sade.
07:16We have all the ways to beat him we are
07:21ready if he come to box we box him if he
07:24come to fight we got to fight him if he
07:26got to run we try to stop him we got to
07:29beat him.
07:30Evander's fight will be to press him to
07:33make De Leon fight I mean if he's gonna
07:36if he's gonna run we're gonna make him run
07:38faster until he he slows down and he's
07:40gonna have to do something that or else
07:42we'll run out the ring.
07:46So we await the entrances of the two
07:48principals involved in tonight's main
07:52event.
07:53Evander Holyfield and Carlos De Leon the
07:57battle to decide the undisputed cruiserweight
08:00championship.
08:05And we're going to take a look at an
08:06interesting profile of Carlos De Leon the
08:10WBC cruiserweight champion.
08:15Las Vegas Nevada the strip the glitter
08:17capital of the world the city of lost
08:19chances and newfound opportunities of
08:22high rollers fancy ladies and big time
08:24excitement.
08:27A far cry from the Placid Island of Puerto
08:29Rico home of the WBC champion Carlos
08:32Sugar De Leon where De Leon has been in
08:35training for tonight's fight with Evander
08:37Holyfield in the comfort of home
08:39surroundings and blissful peace and quiet.
08:42I've been waiting for the opportunity to
08:47fight Holyfield and tonight I get that
08:49chance and I'll be the only champion like
08:53Tyson.
08:55The in and out championship battles of
08:57Sugar De Leon started with his winning the
08:59title from Marvin Campbell in November of
09:021982.
09:06Then in a shocking upset ST Gordon knocked
09:08out De Leon in two rounds June 1982 and then
09:12De Leon avenged that loss by regaining the
09:15title July 1983 from ST Gordon only to lose it
09:20again by decision to Alfonso Ratliff in Las Vegas
09:23in June of 1985.
09:25And finally he set a world Cruiserweight title
09:28record by winning it back once again against
09:31Bernard Benton March 1986 which by any yard
09:36stick puts him at a crossroads of his long
09:38career.
09:42This is the biggest fight of my life.
09:47It signifies everything for me.
09:49I've got to win it.
09:51No matter how I've got to win it.
09:54I will win it.
09:55It's the fight of my life.
09:57I'll be fixed for life, my future, my children.
10:01I won't have to work eight hours a day.
10:06Winning this fight I assure myself a shot with
10:08Tyson.
10:12Las Vegas offers unusual opportunities to
10:14relax after a day's hard training.
10:16There's Spartan diet and bleak surroundings.
10:18A chance to augment his purse.
10:20And isn't it odd that a man earning hundreds of
10:23thousands of dollars should be playing the
10:24quarter slots.
10:25It proves that Carlos de Leon is a cautious man
10:28outside as well as inside of the ring.
10:34And what better way to cool out after a hard
10:36workout than a nice convertible ride at dusk in
10:40Las Vegas down the strip checking things out to see
10:44the bright lights, to watch the people in action, the
10:49crowds waving, and finally to visit his sign.
10:54How often does a young man get to see his name up in
10:57lights?
10:59This Thursday, de Leon checked the ring where he would
11:02come to his crossroad.
11:04Could he have been thinking of a night a year ago when
11:07another sugar scored the upset of the decade right here at
11:10Caesar's Palace?
11:13The winner, by his fifth decision, a new
11:22Lindenway champion of America, Sugar Will
11:26Lindenway.
11:29I feel very positive.
11:32No problem.
11:36No problem because I like to fight.
11:38I've never represented my country.
11:40I have not had a chance to win a medal.
11:42And I'm fighting a guy who won the Olympic medal for his
11:44country.
11:45The public knows him.
11:46He's got to get by me.
11:48There's a bridge between us that he must cross.
11:50I am his bridge.
11:51He is my bridge.
11:52Only one of us is crossing the bridge to Tyson and it
11:54will be me.
11:57Holyfield de Leon to unify the cruiserweight
12:01championship scheduled for 12.
12:05Holyfield says it's his last fight as a cruiserweight
12:08barring an upset defeat.
12:11And we take a look at 28 year old Carlos Sugar de Leon,
12:15the three time WBC cruiserweight champ with the flag of
12:18Puerto Rico, 43, 3 and 1, 29 KOs.
12:23And you wonder what might be spinning through his mind
12:25right now as he closes in on his first meeting with a man
12:29who is being projected as a future opponent for Mike Tyson,
12:33who is in the crowd tonight watching De Leon, a fighter in
12:37the truest sense of the word, has faced adversity, returned
12:40to conquer, bouncing back from an embarrassing defeat to S.T.
12:46Gordon to eventually win back the crown.
12:49Tonight, though, he will have his toughest test since turning
12:52into the pro in 1974.
12:55So here he is, Carlos Sugar de Leon, with his entourage
12:59heading into the ring.
13:01That's on the front.
13:09And his opponent, here he comes.
13:13and his opponent here he comes 25 year old Evander Holyfield showing off the belt 17
13:34and 0 with 13 knockouts ring magazines 1987 fighter of the year tonight his first fight of
13:4288 and the last time we witnessed this scene it was on Showtime and the WBA and IBF Cruiserweight
13:50champ was en route to a fairly quick night's work when he stopped right Mohammed Kowei in the fourth
13:57with a very convincing performance tonight Holyfield looks to lock up the undisputed Cruiserweight
14:02title then go up in weight and eventually fight for the heavyweight title against Mike Tyson his
14:10trainers estimate about six months to turn him into an equally effective 200 plus pound fighter with
14:17aspirations of meeting the Iron Mike sometime next year but Holyfield fully realizes he must win
14:23tonight and he must look impressive in doing so
14:26the win is so much more important than the impressive because of course it is if he doesn't
14:35win he won't be too impressive but Tyson is here everybody's talking Tyson the more they talk Tyson
14:41the more nervous it makes me because as I've said over and over again funny things happen on the way
14:45to the title he can unify this title and all of a sudden find himself not looking at Tyson here's the
14:52tail of the tape you see two men that are pretty pretty equal in everything except age being 28 Holyfield 25
14:59but everything else is about the same weight De Leon was three pounds overweight on Thursday and he lost five
15:06pounds to make it here and we are getting set for the national anthems
15:14ladies and gentlemen let's have a round of applause for our color guard of the evening from the United States Marine Corps
15:22and now I would ask you all please to rise as we pay honor to our country by the playing of our national anthem
15:30foreign
15:38so
15:42so
15:49so
18:39And according to друз.
18:40So.
18:41Interesting.
18:46This is the hidden of that Loose.
18:48Wearing one hundred and ninety pounds.
18:49He is undefeated in his professional career with 17 wins.
18:5317 wins, no defeats, and 13 KOs, introducing the undefeated IBF and WBA Cruiserweight Champion of the World, Evander Hogyfield.
19:13Back up. Okay, Max, take a step back. Now, if he goes right here, I'm not going to call it low. It's all right?
19:18I'm not going to call it low if he goes here. If he goes here, I'm not going to call it low. All right?
19:24Okay, fine. I already had your instructions. Any questions over here?
19:29Well, any questions over here? Let's get it on. Come on. All right.
19:35Lou Duvall is stealing the show from Mills Lane. The rules for the Cruiserweight title unification bout.
19:41Ten-point must system, no standing eight count, no three knockdown rule, saved by the belt only in the last round,
19:47and only the referee can stop the fight.
19:52And here we go. Round one scheduled for 12 for the undisputed Cruiserweight Championship.
20:00Evander Holyfield in the white trunks with the black trim,
20:03and Carlos De Leon in the all-red trunks, and they come out wailing away.
20:09He came out. De Leon came out just like he said he would.
20:12He wanted to put some hurt on Evander Holyfield.
20:14Only difficulty with that is you can get some hurt back because that's what Holyfield wants, a punch out.
20:21Holyfield describes De Leon as a tricky fighter, hard to study.
20:27Holyfield says his conditioning will be the key factor,
20:30but he does not take the experience De Leon lightly.
20:34He intends to pressure De Leon and wear him down with different shots to the body.
20:38We shall see.
20:41Now, De Leon has come out in exactly the fashion he said.
20:44Open up with a few hard shots, box a little, and watch for his opportunities to punch hard.
20:50De Leon won the WBC Cruiserweight title in 1980 with a decision over Marvin Camel.
20:55He has been the champion on and off for the last eight years.
21:03Evander Holyfield, the real deal, two-time world champion.
21:07A lift scores by Evander Holyfield.
21:11Holyfield is hunting patiently.
21:14He's not getting wild or not getting crazy,
21:17just chasing him methodically, waiting for those openings.
21:20The punches by De Leon being blocked by Holyfield, effectively.
21:26Except for the body shots.
21:29De Leon coming under Holyfield's guard has been jabbing to the body.
21:33A couple of uppercuts who just saw it to the body by De Leon.
21:38From the category of for what it's worth,
21:41Showtime has become the network of upsets.
21:44A number of top names have succumbed to the Showtime jinx.
21:48Gabby Canizales upset Richie Sandoval for the WBA Bantamweight title.
21:53Canizales upset then by Bernardo Penango in his first defense.
21:57Barry McQuiggan lost his WBA featherweight title to a substitute challenger.
22:01Steve Cruz, Lloyd Hunnigan, shocked Donald Curry.
22:04And there were also a number of minor upsets.
22:07So just keep that in mind as we go along here.
22:08Right now it's an even round.
22:12Both men landing good grazing right.
22:15Just landed by Holyfield.
22:24Crisp left by Evander Holyfield.
22:26He is known for his right.
22:29Holyfield can hook with a great deal of power.
22:32But De Leon in his experience has his gloves up over his head.
22:35He's not getting hit that much.
22:36Holyfield all business, not a showboat.
22:44Final seconds, round one.
22:46Watch out, two hands are free.
22:48Come on, baby.
22:53And that'll do it for the first scheduled for 12.
22:56We will follow the WBA and IBF Cruiserweight champion Evander Holyfield into his corner.
23:01Ludova and George Benton.
23:04And Ace Barada is the cut man.
23:05Over in the De Leon corner where Esteban Garcia does the talk.
23:25His main concern is those left hooks that he's been getting hit because he says that that's
23:38lolling you to sleep.
23:39The right hand is coming after that left hook.
23:41That's the main concern of the corner.
23:43The sun sets in the west here in Las Vegas.
23:48We are at beautiful, majestic Caesars Palace.
23:51And we are in the Sports Pavilion.
23:53Capacity crowd close to 5,000 on hand.
23:56Round two scheduled for 12.
23:59First round was very close.
24:00I gave it to De Leon on superior boxing, more effective punching.
24:06But Holyfield had not gotten wound up yet.
24:09Now we see a different Holyfield in the second round.
24:12Holyfield landing with rights and lefts to the head of De Leon.
24:18This is a different Holyfield from the first round.
24:20He's come out here to do business.
24:22He's come out here to impress.
24:23He's come out here to get ripped Sugar De Leon as fast as possible.
24:26And certainly took the zap out of De Leon.
24:35He's not bouncing around.
24:36That little opening exchange just kind of took the heart out of De Leon.
24:41Again, those sharp right hands of Evander Holyfield having effect.
24:46Little left by De Leon had no effect on Holyfield.
24:50Holyfield's got him where he wants him.
24:52On the ropes, De Leon taking the punishment.
24:56De Leon better figure a way out of there
24:59or else he will get pounded into submission on the ropes
25:02or so much damage done that Holyfield can take him out with ease later on.
25:18Not as spirited as the first round.
25:25Midway through the second.
25:26A right by Holyfield, Atlanta.
25:30And now combinations by Holyfield that are having impact on De Leon's head.
25:35De Leon is slowing up.
25:36Here comes De Leon a bit.
25:38He's got to get off those ropes.
25:41Holyfield with a flurry.
25:46De Leon is in trouble.
25:48Big trouble with De Leon.
25:49A blistering attack by Evander Holyfield.
25:58A hard lift by Holyfield.
25:59Too much time.
26:00Too much time for De Leon.
26:02He's got to sit here and weather the storm.
26:05He's in deep, deep trouble.
26:06Can Carlos Sugar De Leon withstand this assault?
26:13Can he make it through two?
26:16Why Holyfield is lighting up, I don't know,
26:19because those devastating punches had De Leon ready to go.
26:29De Leon losing a lot of power as Holyfield continues
26:35to administer the punishment.
26:36De Leon fighting back, but not too much power, but he's trying.
26:53And De Leon gets through the second round.
26:57We will follow De Leon to his corner.
26:59Immediately they tell him, get off those ropes, what are you doing there?
27:14Why aren't you in the middle of the ring?
27:15Why aren't you boxing?
27:16And he can well say, because Holyfield is punching me right into that rope.
27:20I can't get away.
27:21As you can see right now, if you look at your screen,
27:24you can see the way one man keeps the other one punched right to the ropes.
27:28He's being nailed to that rope.
27:29He can't get away.
27:30Now he tries to slide away.
27:32Holyfield follows and nails him again.
27:34Beautiful work by Holyfield.
27:52Round three scheduled for 12.
27:54De Leon in the fight of his life here against Evander Holyfield to unify the cruiserweight junior heavyweight title.
28:06It looked like two different fighters.
28:08The first and the second round did Holyfield.
28:11Holyfield came out sort of disinterested in that first round, feeling him out.
28:14The second round was all work.
28:17The unification will be a first as far as this division is concerned in the history of boxing.
28:25Beautiful body shots by Holyfield, who is taking the legs out from the older and more ring-worn Carlos De Leon.
28:34And once again, Holyfield pinning De Leon to the ropes.
28:39De Leon is given a chance.
28:41He got away from the ropes and stays there.
28:43He hasn't got any legs.
28:44That's what the body attack does.
28:46Tremendous crunching left hook by Holyfield.
28:55And the bulking up program does not seem to have taken any speed, at least from the punches away from Holyfield.
29:03The only thing mysterious right now is why he loses concentration or the intensity of his punches.
29:12Holyfield seems to punch hard three, four, five times, and then pity-pat again.
29:16Not really hard.
29:17Why is he doing that?
29:18This is the opening of the third round.
29:20He should be wailing away.
29:21Get him off, De Leon.
29:22Holyfield continues to have his way past the mid-way point of round three.
29:32No question, De Leon carrying a lot of hurt into the beginning of this third round.
29:37The left jabs of Holyfield pestering De Leon.
29:48He's holding that right back.
29:51Tripping up with the left, and you're right.
29:54Everybody in the house waiting for the explosive right.
30:04Now, De Leon has that open avenue to get away there.
30:07He didn't do it.
30:07He can't move.
30:09He has an open avenue to get a circle away right now to get into that middle of the ring.
30:13He is standing still to get hammered by Holyfield.
30:16De Leon really worn out.
30:21He just can't get away.
30:25They have a Holyfield that's effectively taking the legs away from Carlos De Leon.
30:34These seconds must be like minutes to Carlos De Leon.
30:43Even when Evander gives him a bye, he says,
30:45Okay, I'm moving out.
30:46You can move.
30:47He still doesn't move from one rope to the other.
30:53And that'll do it for round three.
30:57Evander Holyfield.
31:00Looks like he's chiseled from granite.
31:06Dave Diles with a very special guest, the heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson.
31:11Mike Tyson, the undisputed heavyweight champion.
31:13Your impression of the fight, particularly Evander Holyfield.
31:16Well, Evander's putting a great deal of pressure.
31:18But as you see, he's fighting an experienced fighter and a very game champion.
31:21And he's not intimidated.
31:23He's coming to fight.
31:24And Evander, as you see, is getting hit with a great deal of punches also.
31:27And I don't think he knows for the fighter in this particular kind of class.
31:31And he hit the guy with his best shot.
31:33And the guy looked at him, came back fighting.
31:34And we've got to see what kind of effect would that have on him entirely.
31:37Is Holyfield ready for Mike Tyson?
31:40He's a good fighter.
31:42Who's managing you right now?
31:44Bill Cain is managing me.
31:45What about Don King?
31:46No, Don King's not my manager.
31:48Bill Cain's my manager.
31:49Okay, Mike.
31:50Thank you very much.
31:50All right, Dave.
31:54Thanks very much.
31:55Mike Tyson.
31:57I guess there had been some rumors, some controversy in the papers back east about who indeed is managing.
32:03Mike Tyson, a flurry here in round four.
32:07Holyfield again.
32:09Holyfield decided to fight a little bit from outside.
32:11To jab a little bit and caught DeLeon by surprise.
32:15Oh, that left connected by Holyfield.
32:18Pushed on the face of DeLeon.
32:29It's interesting.
32:30I was talking with former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes just the other day.
32:34And he says what you need against Mike Tyson is to use speed or fight him inside very closely.
32:44I think you need prayer more than anything else when you fight Mike Tyson.
32:48It doesn't hurt.
32:51Again, mystifying a little bit in the way that this is a stop and start fight for Holyfield.
32:57When you just know that if you pressed on it, he would have DeLeon out.
33:01Let's him off the hook over and over and over again.
33:04Not even the cunning and guile and craftiness of Sugar DeLeon seems to be helping him at this stage.
33:16Nothing on Holyfield's punches just then.
33:20He must be lulling him into one of those hard shots of his.
33:27Passed the midway point of round four, scheduled for 12.
33:31Combination by Holyfield.
33:33Getting through it.
33:35Almost every punch penetrating.
33:37Good hard hook by DeLeon.
33:39Every once in a while he gets in there just to remind him he's still there.
33:43He's not by any chance laying down.
33:45He still keeps working.
33:51Minute remaining in round four.
33:57Combination by Holyfield.
33:59Still again, slipping through the defense of DeLeon.
34:04And Holyfield must really be starting to wonder what is holding this guy up.
34:08I've hit him every shot in the world and he's still here.
34:10And to the body and to the head.
34:15Like that.
34:18It is a blueprint for a beating.
34:26Well, DeLeon might survive yet another round.
34:28There comes a right.
34:39Final seconds round four.
34:46You can see this colossal beating that DeLeon is taking.
35:01But many, many punches miss as we've just seen.
35:04DeLeon seems to come back with enough to keep him discouraged or at least to keep Mills' lane occupied and not stop a fight because nowhere near the point where it should be stopped.
35:08If this guy, Carlos DeLeon has the stamina and the strength to hold up while Holyfield gets tired, you can see different fights.
35:25The fight goes 12 rounds.
35:26If this guy, Carlos de Leon, has the stamina and the strength to hold up while Holyfield gets tired, you can see different fights.
35:35The fight goes 12 rounds.
35:38They apply the end swell under the right eye of Evander Holyfield.
35:43Some beautiful shots outside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.
35:48Breathtaking.
35:51We are inside at the Sports Pavilion.
35:53And round five, scheduled for 12, Holyfield in the white trunks, de Leon in the red trunks, and Holyfield just picks up where he left off.
36:04Started like a carbon copy of the last round.
36:06From outside, a couple of jabs, a hard right.
36:08That's the first time that de Leon has gotten on his toes and started to move around.
36:13That's what he should have been doing.
36:14That's the first time he's done that.
36:15Away from the ropes, backed up into that corner again.
36:18His manager, Yamil Sade, says he will not run.
36:22He will not run.
36:23He says he came here to fight.
36:25If he loses, he will lose with dignity.
36:28Well, so far, he's got a lot of dignity and he's losing.
36:38Once again, if Holyfield prevails and things are certainly looking very good,
36:43he will move up this summer to the heavyweight division
36:47with an eye in about a year of challenging Mike Tyson.
36:54Considering the incredible pummeling that de Leon takes,
36:58isn't it odd that it's Holyfield that has a swollen eye?
37:01I wonder if he hit himself in one of those exchanges.
37:04Very ironic.
37:09May have been Lou Duva.
37:11He can get pretty animated in the corner.
37:13Just the volume of his verbiage will give you a swollen eye.
37:16Look at the Leon bounce.
37:18Is that not an awesome sight?
37:19I mean, a guy that's taking that kind of a pummeling to the body can still play a little bit.
37:29Well, tonight as part of our Showtime Championship Boxing,
37:35we introduce a feature called simply the Sounds of Boxing.
37:39It's a sport that certainly takes on a very unique and special sound.
37:42With that, we'll lay back and let you take in the unmistakable Sounds of Boxing.
38:16And we should also point out for the first time ever a Showtime sports event coming to you in stereo.
38:43So we are five rounds complete for the undisputed Cruiserweight Championship scheduled for 12.
39:08So, again, they apply the ends well.
39:10And now to the corner of De Leon.
39:15And the advice is get your jab going and start moving.
39:19The other guy is getting tired of punching you.
39:21Certainly not the kind of thoughts you want to dwell on a lot.
39:24But in the years that I've watched him, he is the best train that I've seen De Leon.
39:30The De Leon that I saw in January on the Tyson undercard would have gotten knocked out in the second round.
39:35And a look at the unofficial scorecard of Ferdie Pacheco.
39:4349 to 46, no question about it.
39:46And one of those rounds could have been an eight-point round because he pummeled De Leon under the new scoring system.
39:53Round number six scheduled for 12.
39:59Holyfield starts out with the left jabs.
40:02That left by De Leon, a glancing close.
40:04And a hard run.
40:05That was the meanest punch he'd thrown in many rounds.
40:09Holyfield's able to elude.
40:13De Leon has a little neck on his left eye.
40:15Small, just opening up.
40:17That right hand didn't help.
40:18A crisp right, another right and a left by Evander Holyfield as the barrage rages on.
40:26De Leon this time able to slip away from the ropes, but he backs right up into the corner.
40:32How can he even be standing after that?
40:33He got hit.
40:34Some very hard shots by Evander Holyfield.
40:39Vicious shots by Holyfield.
40:41Now even the jab is backing up De Leon.
40:43Here he's got an avenue to escape.
40:45He doesn't.
40:47No motion in this fight.
40:49Everybody just in front of everybody just throwing.
40:51Holyfield right in front of De Leon catching everyone.
40:55And that lunging left jab by Holyfield having effect.
40:58Holyfield, the accumulation of punches just clearly wearing De Leon down.
41:04And De Leon just has no starch left in him.
41:09Try as he might, De Leon just hasn't got the formula, the strength, and possibly the skill
41:15to keep Holyfield off.
41:19And keep in mind De Leon had in his mind coming into this fight a shot at Mike Tyson.
41:24But looking very unrealistic.
41:28Now considering that everybody expected him to run in the Ocasio Manor, this has been the exact opposite.
41:33He said he was going to stand and fight.
41:35He didn't realize when he said that that it meant one guy was going to fight and the other guy was going to catch.
41:41As we head to the final minute of round six.
41:53There have been an extreme few, I don't think any, clinches that I can remember.
41:57No chance for De Leon to use his guile and skill on the inside.
42:01He's been dominated by Holyfield.
42:03Holyfield really fighting an intelligent fight.
42:06Out, uh, boxing in and out, boxing De Leon.
42:15Out, punching, wearing him out, doing everything he wants to with him.
42:21But we're in the sixth round and there stands.
42:24De Leon taking his pummel.
42:28Another barrage by Holyfield.
42:31And withstood by De Leon.
42:32And at this spot on the map, it is almost an unreal world.
42:59A world of glamour and glitz.
43:04The strip in Las Vegas where dreams can come alive and illusions are often shattered.
43:14As we take a look under the eye of Evander Holyfield.
43:18Take your time.
43:19Drink it.
43:20Be nice and calm.
43:21Stick the guy, stick the guy.
43:22I got these.
43:23When you get close, hit the guy in the body.
43:25Hit him in the body and hit him with double clutch.
43:27You don't have to throw yourself away because the guy's dead, see?
43:31If you use your jab, you're going to beat this guy to death.
43:33But go back to jabbing him in the chest.
43:36That voice you heard is the master of that corner, Georgie Benton.
43:45Georgie Benton, the brains of that corner.
43:47I should say, great mental weight in his day.
43:49Contender all the way.
43:50And he has people jabbing to the chest, figuring that you hit the chin more times than you do
43:56the chest when you do that.
43:58He has all of his fighters doing that.
44:00And I think they want Holyfield to lighten up for a round.
44:02Go jabbing, boxing a little bit.
44:04After all, the depressing fact is we're only halfway through this bout.
44:07And he's already fought enough to expend energy for 10 rounds.
44:11Question of stamina is going to come in here pretty soon for Holyfield.
44:13Evander Holyfield, his last fight, December 4th, 1987, as seen here on Showtime.
44:27It only went four rounds when he disposed of Dwight Mohamed Kawi with a ferocious right to the chin.
44:38Of course, Holyfield, Kawi won, was at a much more furious pace.
44:43And it was the fight of the year.
44:48Holyfield is the fighter of the year, according to Ring Magazine, 1987.
44:58You can certainly see that he's taken his corner's advice.
45:01He's easing up this round, mostly jabs.
45:05Elian's not doing anything differently.
45:07Some scattered booths beginning to sound in the crowd because a fight really does mean
45:13a fight between two people, not a one-way beating.
45:15Deleon has had seven title defenses, most in the cruiserweight division.
45:21And tonight's bout for Holyfield is the first step in an ambitious 1988 schedule,
45:28which hopes will lead to a 1989 meeting with Tyson.
45:32I think this is the last time we'll see him as a cruiserweight for a very long time.
45:36I think he'll step up into the heavyweight's ball cup and try to go for El Dorado,
45:40who's sitting on the other side of that ring in the form of Mike Tyson.
45:43Oh, a powerful shot by Holyfield that sent Deleon's head jutting back.
45:53And his body coming forth as if he wanted to fall, and Holyfield let him stand up.
45:59The first good shot by Deleon of the night.
46:01That got a rise from the crowd.
46:03Well, bravery is not what's lacking in Deleon.
46:13The level of skill is entirely different.
46:18Looks like Holyfield is getting sent again to unload.
46:24Holyfield should turn this guy off the ropes and puddle him in the middle of the ring.
46:29What holds him up is those ropes.
46:30If he gets him in the middle of the ring, his legs won't hold him,
46:34and he can knock him down.
46:35Interesting, the crowd like building to a crescendo and Holyfield reacting.
46:43Final seconds of round seven.
46:56Carlos Deleon makes it through another one.
47:00Some of the action from the last round, round seven, with Evander Holyfield pummeling Deleon.
47:13If that had happened in the middle of the ring, he goes down.
47:16It's just a question of what we used to holler in the corner.
47:19Angelo Nendy hollered, let him fall all the time.
47:22And that meant step back, let the guy go.
47:24Don't keep holding him up.
47:25We've had several of those encounters, although at the end of this round, Holyfield, for the first time, looked truly weary.
47:31I mean, he just didn't punch when they kind of zip at the end.
47:34And that ferocious right while you were talking, just unbelievable how Deleon stayed up, even with the ropes there.
47:40Well, that may be what Holyfield is wondering.
47:48Come on, second time.
47:49Come on, let's go.
47:51Second time.
47:52All right, round eight.
47:54Holyfield probably wondering to himself, what must I do to drop this guy?
47:58Buy his contract, I think.
48:00I mean, there's no other way to get him out of here.
48:01Well, let's see if he adheres to your advice and takes him to the center of the ring.
48:08Now, the left by Holyfield doing damage.
48:19Now, the right by Holyfield penetrating.
48:22What a chin on Deleon.
48:26Deleon coming back with some shots.
48:28He catches a tired Holyfield.
48:30Could be a different ballgame.
48:32Look at the blood now on that little neck.
48:33It's become a big cut over the left eye of Deleon.
48:37Combination by Holyfield.
48:39To the head of Deleon.
48:44That one sent Deleon reeling back.
48:50A blistering attack by Evandra Holyfield.
48:55Round eight.
48:56Mills Lane steps in.
48:58He has stopped the fight.
49:00Evandra Holyfield is the undisputed cruiserweight junior heavyweight champion of the world.
49:08It certainly should have been stopped, Steve.
49:10He was taking a pummeling that was unreal.
49:12That last assault.
49:14No need to continue that kind of punishment.
49:17He's been brave.
49:18He's hung in there.
49:18He has no chance.
49:20He hasn't won a round since the first round.
49:21And he had no way to come back.
49:23An amazing display of courage by Carlos Sugar Deleon.
49:30The new champion, Evander Holyfield.
49:35Now 18 and 0 with 14 knockouts.
49:37He has unified the cruiserweight title for the first time in the history of boxing.
49:41That little nick that was over the eye in the previous rounds, as we called it, gets hit by a right hand and opens even wider than it was before.
49:54He was getting hit so many shots.
49:56It just had to keep continuing to open up.
49:58It just, they don't get better.
49:59There's no therapeutic benefit on the right hand, flush on a cut.
50:05The punishment was intense.
50:07There's no question about it.
50:08You can't belabor the point.
50:09There was no reason for that fight to continue.
50:11Ladies and gentlemen, the time.
50:14One minute, eight seconds of the eighth round.
50:18Referee Mills Lane stops the bout.
50:20The winner by a TKO and new, undisputed, cruiserweight champion of the world, Evander Holyfield.
50:33Well, I would imagine the unfinished business is now finished.
50:38And I would imagine what you asked me at the top of the show, that he had to win and win impressively.
50:43He got settled on both counts.
50:44He won.
50:45He won impressively.
50:46I think Tyson is salivating over there, thinking, oh boy, in about a year, are we going to make a lot of money.
50:53And a look at the final flurry in round eight.
50:56108, officially, the TKO in Mills Lane stepped in and said, enough is enough.
51:03And that's what makes Mills Lane one of the better referees.
51:06I think all the referees are getting so well, so much better.
51:09As the assault continued, and that was it, as far as Mills Lane was concerned.
51:18Dave Diles is in the center of the ring with the new champion, the undisputed champion.
51:23How does the term undisputed world champion sound to you?
51:27Great.
51:28Great.
51:28It's something that I always work towards.
51:30Wanting to be a world champion.
51:32Holding two belts.
51:33Just wasn't enough.
51:35Holding all three.
51:35I realize now, at 190 pounds, I'm the best.
51:40This isn't just a mission of a year or so or two years.
51:44This really goes back four years, this summer.
51:47Yes, it is.
51:48From the Olympics, you know, being denied a gold medal.
51:52Having started my way at the bottom, worked my way to the top.
51:55Fought all top contenders.
51:56I really appreciate it.
51:58All right.
51:59Is this your last fight as the cruiserweight?
52:01You told me beforehand that it was in the hands of your people.
52:04I know better than that.
52:06You make your decisions pretty much.
52:08Yes, I really make the decisions.
52:09I'm going to come down to my manager, Ken Sanders, and my trainers and stuff.
52:13I'm really going to give a serious thought.
52:15You know, we're going to view the tape, and we're going to just take our time.
52:18How long it will take for us to prepare for a heavyweight is how long it will take for me to move up.
52:23You and I were in Houston a couple of weeks ago.
52:24You told me that you felt in your heart that you could get up to 2'11 or 2'12 if you worked at it.
52:31Well, no doubt about that.
52:32My body is really ready to grow.
52:34It's my first time in the cruiserweight having problems, making a weight.
52:38So that really shows you that the maturity of my body is ready to grow.
52:42There's a gentleman who's been seated over here, has a pretty mature body.
52:45His name is Mike Tyson.
52:47You saw him.
52:48Yes, I saw Mike Tyson.
52:49You know, I really appreciate him being here and show that he really cared about the sport
52:54and knowing that someday that man might have got to rumble.
52:57Someday.
52:58How long?
52:59Well, I really can't determine the exact date, but I'll be ready when time comes.
53:03One question for Lou Duva.
53:05Lou, you kept hollering, body, body, body.
53:08Yes, that's the way to beat these guys.
53:09These veterans, you don't try and hit them on the chin.
53:11You soften them up first.
53:12You go to the body.
53:13When you wipe that out, then he's easy to knock out on top.
53:16That's exactly what he did.
53:17And you can hear Lou hollering that.
53:19Well, yes, yes.
53:20I'm going to go to the body.
53:22Sometimes it's kind of difficult to go to the body because the way he would lean it.
53:25And every time I would try to go to the body, he would really defense himself with his head.
53:30So I got a lot of headbutts at a time when I tried to go to the body.
53:34Were you happy with your performance tonight when we talked in San Tropez?
53:37You said, look, I knocked the guy out.
53:39I wasn't happy with myself.
53:40How about tonight?
53:41Well, actually, I'm pretty much happy.
53:44I did win.
53:46And it would take time for me to really review the tape.
53:49A lot of times I felt like I could have hit him with a cleaner shot, so I could have been a lot better.
53:54But the guy was very skillful, and I wanted to make sure he wouldn't catch me with some sneaky punch
53:58because he did have caught me with a few uppercuts, and he used his head as a defensive weapon at the time.
54:03You've been a wonderful champion and great for your cooperation, and all of us appreciate it.
54:09Thanks.
54:09All right.
54:11Steve, Ferdy?
54:13Dave, Holyfield wins convincingly.
54:15And the question now, what is the effect of this outcome in relation to Mike Tyson with his unfinished business now finished?
54:23Holyfield sets his sights on the heavyweight division and an eventual shot at the title.
54:28His trainers estimate it'll take approximately six months or so to turn him into an effective 200-plus pound fighter.
54:35And Mike Tyson was in attendance this evening, and he saw Evander Holyfield.
54:41I think he likes what he saw.
54:42He likes a good—he sees a good opponent.
54:45All he has to do now is prove himself with the heavyweights that shouldn't be too hard,
54:49choosing your opponents carefully at the beginning until you prove that you can.
54:53I think he can, and the world thinks he can in a year.
54:56Then we'll see a big Tyson fight.
54:58Evander Holyfield is the champion, the undisputed cruiserweight junior heavyweight champion.
55:03And he did it in Las Vegas.
55:10The executive producer of Showtime Championship Boxing is Jim Spence.
55:14Tonight's telecast was produced by Bob Lanning and directed by Joe Asetti.
55:20Associate producer, Dick Ellis.
55:24Production manager, Maria Sansilio.
55:27Assistant to the producer, Rich Feinberg.
55:30For Bernie Pacheco and Dave Dyer.
56:00I'm Steve Albert saying so long from Las Vegas.
56:05Don't forget, Showtime will present an encore presentation of tonight's telecast tomorrow afternoon
56:10at 3.30 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time.
56:17And Showtime Championship Boxing will feature Evander Holyfield's heavyweight debut
56:21live from Caesars Tahoe in July exclusively on Showtime.
56:26This telecast was a production of Sports Television International
56:30and has been a presentation of Showtime Championship Boxing.
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