- 3 months ago
Vince Phillips faces Romallis Ellis in a Welterweight fight on HBO Boxing After Dark. Plus an interview with Oscar De La Hoya.
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00:00:00what makes a champion great is it defense speed power or all of the above
00:00:12check out champion pernell whitaker versus undefeated cuban defector
00:00:17the old fellas rotato live friday january 24th where can you check out the champ
00:00:22one in hbo that is good boxing after dark
00:00:30the following is a special presentation of hbo sports
00:00:52so
00:00:59so
00:02:03That'll be followed by a super bantamweight championship bout between title holder Daniel Zaragoza and his undefeated opponent, Irishman Wayne McCullough.
00:02:14A beautiful crystal clear night in Boston after a blanket of snow fell this morning.
00:02:19All of New England in a brawl about tomorrow's AFC championship battle against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
00:02:26New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft even recruiting 122 pound puncher Wayne McCullough to become a new player on his ballclub.
00:02:33Tonight sports passion beats behind the breastbone of millions of New Englanders as they get ready for tomorrow's football battle and for tonight's big boxing after dark engagement at the Heinz Convention Center in downtown Boston.
00:02:48The typical knowledgeable New England fight crowd.
00:02:52Boxing has been a big part of the sports tradition here in New England for more than 100 years and they ready for two outstanding bouts which will produce if nothing less a lot of leather.
00:03:04Hello again everybody. I'm Jim Lapley.
00:03:06If you were with us for our last edition of Boxing After Dark three weeks ago when heavyweights David Tua and David Izonrate went almost 12 full rounds and then lightweights Philip Holliday and Ivan Robinson did indeed go 12 full.
00:03:18You saw 24 tumultuous rounds which doggone near broke the punch stat record for most punches thrown in a two bout doubleheader.
00:03:27We counted over 4,000 attempted blows that night.
00:03:31This should be more of the same on Boxing After Dark as once again we have two matchups between fighters who hit a lot and get hit a lot.
00:03:39Starting off with Vince Phillips at 147 pounds against Romalis Ellis.
00:03:43Later on 39-year-old Daniel Zaragoza a continuing legend in the sport against Irishman Wayne McCullough.
00:03:49Working with me as always HBO Boxing Analyst Larry Merchant.
00:03:54And Larry later on tonight we're going to see Zaragoza against McCullough in the last year.
00:03:59Boxing After Dark has produced some spectacular 122 pound bouts.
00:04:03Kennedy McKinney against Marco Antonio Barrera.
00:04:06Kennedy McKinney or Junior Jones I should say against Orlando Canasalas.
00:04:09Then we saw Barrera get knocked out by Junior Jones himself.
00:04:13Could this later on tonight be yet another one of those spectacular 122 pound battles?
00:04:19Absolutely Jim. Immutably.
00:04:22And it's not just that if you weigh up to 122 pounds you automatically fight a great fight.
00:04:27I can think of some 122 pounders.
00:04:29George Stephanopoulos looks like one.
00:04:32Diane Sawyer. Prince.
00:04:34Woody Allen.
00:04:35I think what it has to do with is that if you're willing to fight at these crazy hours you must really want to fight.
00:04:42Going back to that doubleheader we had a few weeks ago when Philip Holliday threw an average of 125 punches around and nearly wore out or punched that machine.
00:04:53Wayne McCullough is that kind of fighter.
00:04:56And Daniel Zaragoza is the ageless Azuma Nelson of the division.
00:05:01Can't miss Jim.
00:05:03Should be very exciting.
00:05:04Yeah.
00:05:05And first of all in the opening bout of the evening we have an expert commentary treat.
00:05:08Because Larry and I are privileged as always to be working with the 168 and 175 pound world champion Roy Jones Jr.
00:05:16And as we get ready to watch Vince Phillips against Romalis Ellis.
00:05:19Roy knows them probably better than anybody.
00:05:21Vince Phillips grew up in Pensacola, Florida.
00:05:23Trained in the gym with you.
00:05:24Your father was his amateur trainer.
00:05:26Romalis Ellis was your Olympic teammate at Seoul in 1988.
00:05:29So if anybody knows what's going to happen in this bout, it's you big guy.
00:05:33What's going to happen?
00:05:34Well, I can tell you that this is going to be another one of those boxing after dark nights.
00:05:41Boxing after dark could be pretty much a bureaucracy for World War III.
00:05:45Every time you come here you expect a lot of leather.
00:05:48Both guys have power in their strong hands.
00:05:51Ellis is a southpaw who has a very good left hand.
00:05:53Phillips is an orthodox fighter who has a very good right hand.
00:05:56So when these two come together, it's going to be awkward at first.
00:06:00But I expect to see a lot of punches landed.
00:06:02And I expect to see a lot of hard punches thrown.
00:06:05When last you saw Vince Phillips here on HBO last April against Ike Corté,
00:06:09he threw an average of about 120 punches around but lost to the overwhelming Corté who painted him with power shots.
00:06:17Vince wants some redemption tonight as he takes this bout on relatively short notice subbing for former welterweight champ Grisanto Espana.
00:06:24There's the record. 35 wins, two losses.
00:06:26He's won a couple of times by knockout since that loss to Corté last April.
00:06:3024 KOs.
00:06:32He has a lot of punching power, particularly in the right hand.
00:06:35And the opponent won a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.
00:06:39Romalis Ellis coming back from a near-fatal automobile accident last year in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
00:06:48As the result of that accident, he has a rod in his left leg and pins in his left shoulder.
00:06:52But he says it hasn't changed his style at all.
00:06:54You saw the record that showed a couple of dozen victories and only one loss for the South Paul.
00:07:00Romalis Ellis, these two guys knew each other as amateurs.
00:07:03Had Vince Phillips stayed down at 132 pounds, his original weight class,
00:07:07they might have fought each other as amateurs.
00:07:09But it never happened.
00:07:10So this has been brewing for more than a decade.
00:07:12Tale of the tape.
00:07:13They both made the weight at 147.
00:07:15They are equal in reach.
00:07:16They are only two years apart in age.
00:07:18Their professional careers began within 10 days of each other.
00:07:22They last fought 24 hours apart.
00:07:24There are so many similarities that you could spend the whole evening recounting them.
00:07:29But right now, the only similarity for both is that they're about to get into the ring and face each other.
00:07:34Rules of the bout with our unofficial ringside scorer, Harold Letterman.
00:07:38The Vince Phillips-Romalis Ellis fight is scheduled for 10 rounds.
00:07:41And listen to these rules because they are different.
00:07:44The standing eight count is in effect.
00:07:45There is no three-knockdown rule.
00:07:47The Dr. Orta referee can stop the fight.
00:07:49And you can be saved by the bell in every single round.
00:07:52If you're dead out cold on the floor, the bell rings, the round's over.
00:07:55Jim.
00:07:55All right, Harold.
00:07:56And now let's go up to ring announcer Mark Biro for the official introductions.
00:08:02Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
00:08:04And welcome to the Heinz Convention Center in downtown Boston, Massachusetts,
00:08:10for an evening of HBO Boxing After Dark.
00:08:13Under the promotion of America Presents, in association with Mohegan Sun and Budweiser,
00:08:21this Bud's for you.
00:08:23The matchmaker tonight is Eric Botcher and the Goodwin Athletic Club.
00:08:28Tonight's bouts are under the auspices of the Massachusetts Boxing Commission.
00:08:32The chairman is Dr. Skeeter McClure.
00:08:36Commissioners, Nick Manzello and Bill Hender.
00:08:41The chief commissioner is Mario Massimilar.
00:08:46Ring officials assigned by the Massachusetts Boxing Commission.
00:08:50Your ringside positions are Dr. Patty Yopi and Dr. Jim Morrison.
00:08:56Your timekeeper and counting for the knockdowns at the bell is the cherished Cheryl Benoit.
00:09:05America Presents and HBO Sports, in association with Mohegan Sun and Budweiser,
00:09:12this Bud's for you presents Ten Rounds Welterweights.
00:09:16Your judges at ringside are from Somerville, Massachusetts, Paul Driscoll, from Arlington, Mass.,
00:09:25Vincent Lee, and from Cambridge, Massachusetts, Dan Mullen.
00:09:31Your referee for this event, from Boston, Massachusetts, Bob Benoit.
00:09:38Introducing now the principals, beginning first in the blue corner to my right,
00:09:45wearing the purple and white striped trunks, weighing 147 pounds,
00:09:52with a professional record of 35 victories, two defeats.
00:09:56He has 24 wins by way of knockout.
00:10:00He hails from Pensacola, Florida, and now makes his home in Las Vegas, Nevada.
00:10:06Here is Kool Vince Phillips.
00:10:10Phillips!
00:10:13His opponent in the red corner, wearing the black trunks, gold trim.
00:10:20He also weighs 147 pounds.
00:10:24His professional record, 23 victories, one defeat.
00:10:29He has 17 wins by way of knockout.
00:10:32He hails from Atlanta, Georgia.
00:10:35He is the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist.
00:10:39Here is Romales, big shot, Ellis!
00:10:46Ellis, 10 rounds, welterweights.
00:10:51Okay.
00:10:52Come on out, guys.
00:10:54Okay.
00:10:55Get your mouthpieces?
00:10:56Yes, sir.
00:10:57Okay.
00:10:58See you out there.
00:10:59Get your cups on, guys.
00:11:00All right.
00:11:00Look, three things.
00:11:01When I tell you guys to stop, I want you to stop.
00:11:03When I tell you to break, I want you to break, and I want you to break clean.
00:11:06And when I tell you to box, I want you to resume fighting.
00:11:09Now listen, touch gloves, come out fighting at the bell.
00:11:12Good luck.
00:11:13Jim, I read where Bill Parcells, the Patriots coach, said to his team before the season,
00:11:20do you want to be club fighters, or do you want to be champions?
00:11:24One of these guys is going to get a shot at a title.
00:11:28The loser becomes a club fighter.
00:11:34Mutual friends of ours and cool Vince Phillips said they'd never seen him so keyed up for a fight.
00:11:40This fight means a great deal to him as he took it on short notice because he thinks it presents a big opportunity.
00:11:45There are some in his camp who might have preferred that he didn't do so because he had to come down about 10 pounds in two weeks, Roy,
00:11:52and that's tough on any fighter.
00:11:54Very tough on any fighter, but Vince Phillips has a lot of experience at coming down in weight,
00:11:58so I don't think he would use the weight as an excuse if he didn't win this fight.
00:12:03However, one thing that is dramatic about two fighters at this point is who has taken the most punishment throughout their professional careers.
00:12:11Ellis hasn't taken punishment inside of the ring.
00:12:13He's taken it outside of the ring.
00:12:15Phillip has been through a lot in and out of the ring.
00:12:21Vince Phillips at one point was suspended because of a bout with substance abuse.
00:12:27His early professional career was badly damaged by his difficulties with cocaine.
00:12:33He says he's beaten that and is in the best position in a long time to make his mark as a fighter.
00:12:39Ellis' southpaw style seems to have Phillips a little bit off balance here in the first minute of the first round.
00:12:45And if you look at Ellis' legs, his legs seem to be a little bit stronger set into the floor than Phillips'.
00:12:52Phillips' legs are a little looser and this causes Phillips to be a little bit slower than Ellis'.
00:12:56Sometimes it makes a fighter look flat.
00:13:04Phillips, at the time he got the call to take this fight,
00:13:08was sparring with an outstanding southpaw, Raul Marquez.
00:13:12He says, I think Marquez is a better fighter than Ellis.
00:13:15I know you, Roy Jones, don't necessarily buy that.
00:13:17No, I don't think he's a better fighter than Ellis,
00:13:19and I hope Phillips didn't underestimate Ellis,
00:13:21because Ellis is a good fighter.
00:13:23He has good punch of power, especially in his left hand,
00:13:26and he will fight you all night.
00:13:27Phillips was a whirlwind of punches against Porte,
00:13:35throwing 120 punches around for three rounds.
00:13:38He slowed down considerably under the tutelage of his new trainer, Jerome Coffey.
00:13:42Vince Phillips just missed with a right hand that could have done some damage
00:13:46and couldn't step into position to follow up.
00:13:48Ellis misses with a left and a right there.
00:13:50The right hand by Phillips could have ended matters, as you would say, Jim.
00:13:57Phillips would continue to love Ellis with his slow movement
00:14:04and with that body shot like that, so he can open up that right hand again.
00:14:10We've often commented in the past how a conventional fighter in a southpaw,
00:14:15when they meet, very often looked like two guys having a conversation,
00:14:19speaking different languages.
00:14:20It's hard to mesh.
00:14:22But these two professionals obviously know how to deal with each other
00:14:26from those different positions.
00:14:28Yes, they do, because they are veterans.
00:14:30This is a fluid conversation and a good round of action.
00:14:33And a good, clean right-hand shot
00:14:35to punctuate the round by Cool Vince Phillips.
00:14:37Hey, huh.
00:14:38Yeah, I want to have it.
00:14:39Oh, how do you feel?
00:14:46How do you feel so far?
00:14:48How do you feel so far?
00:14:49How do you feel?
00:14:50How do you feel so far?
00:14:51How do you feel?
00:14:53How do you feel?
00:14:53How do you feel?
00:14:54How do you feel so far?
00:14:55How do you feel so far?
00:14:56How do you feel so far?
00:14:57How do you feel so far?
00:14:58How do you feel so far?
00:14:59How do you feel so far?
00:15:00How do you feel so far?
00:15:01How do you feel so far?
00:15:02How do you feel so far?
00:15:03How do you feel so far?
00:15:04How do you feel so far?
00:15:05How do you feel so far?
00:15:06How do you feel so far?
00:15:07How do you feel so far?
00:15:08How do you feel so far?
00:15:09How do you feel so far?
00:15:10How do you feel so far?
00:15:11How do you feel so far?
00:15:12And this is something you often see with South Claws fighting conventional fighters,
00:15:17their feet stepping on each other.
00:15:20Looks like a question mark, stepping on an exclamation point
00:15:23as they try to mesh their physical words.
00:15:31One thing I don't like that I see in Phillips is that he's chewing on his mouthpiece
00:15:34and his mouth is open already when he breathes.
00:15:41Does that mean he's tired?
00:15:42But sometimes it can mean that and sometimes it gives an opponent confidence
00:15:45that his opponent, that this guy breathing like this is going to get tired.
00:15:50And soon.
00:15:52Very active first round. Phillips threw 81 punches. Ellis threw 101.
00:15:56Ellis did something smart there. He started to punch to the body some.
00:16:16That would do him good if the fight goes over a period of time.
00:16:19Vince Phillips believes that if he can land the left hook to the body,
00:16:25he can neutralize some of Ellis' attack, particularly with the right jab.
00:16:29If Ellis continues to come forward when Vince comes forward
00:16:32and he runs into Vince's right hand, this fight may end soon.
00:16:35Or he slipped it.
00:16:38Just missing with the right hand, as Roy pointed out.
00:16:42That straight right hand against a southpaw, often your most productive weapon.
00:16:46And by the same token, the straight left hand by the southpaw against the conventional fighter
00:16:50can do the same kind of damage as Ellis showed you there.
00:16:53Yes, it can.
00:16:54The only difference is when Ellis throws the left, most of the time, Vince backs up or he slipped it.
00:17:00Ellis, when Vince goes to the right, Ellis doesn't move.
00:17:03Good counter shot inside by Romales. Ellis, now there's a right hand by Vince Phillips.
00:17:09Phillips has moved Ellis backward with a couple of right hands,
00:17:12and now Ellis comes forward with that strong left.
00:17:14With a good left. There's another good left.
00:17:19It started with Phillips landing a couple of straight right hands,
00:17:22but now Ellis has come against that with his own straight left,
00:17:26and if anything, for the last 30 seconds, he's done more damage.
00:17:29But there they trade those shots again.
00:17:34The only thing that Vince is not doing is coming back with the left hook.
00:17:37Ellis is coming back with the right hook after his big left hook.
00:17:40Ellis is fighting as though he thinks he's the stronger man.
00:17:53He is a natural welterweight.
00:17:56Phillips may be better at 140 pounds.
00:18:01Phillips looks wobbly in there from time to time.
00:18:04Because he doesn't have power in his legs, in his normal stance.
00:18:07He's so loose that it makes him look off balance, wobbly,
00:18:10and it doesn't look like he has the best foundation.
00:18:14But he can punch out of there.
00:18:19Stuck! Stuck!
00:18:20Great!
00:18:20That's it.
00:18:21Okay.
00:18:21Fox!
00:18:21There he hit him with the right to the body first,
00:18:32and he came back with the right to the head.
00:18:35Ramalas Ellis beginning to put punches together in effective combinations
00:18:38as round two comes to a globe.
00:18:41Join us Monday night for the next installment of Real Sports with Brian Gumbel,
00:18:44featured in this edition,
00:18:45Steffi Graf and the trouble she may face
00:18:48for having accepted appearance fees in violation of women's tennis rules.
00:18:52A look at the mysterious disappearance of Russian boxer Sergei Kovacev
00:18:56and a humorous retrospective of Super Bowl commercials and halftime show.
00:19:00Real Sports, the only show of its kind,
00:19:03and it's only on HBO.
00:19:05And if you're a boxing fan,
00:19:07you may have followed some of the Sergei Kovacev story.
00:19:10He disappeared in November of 1995,
00:19:13a cruiserweight fighter who was regarded at that time
00:19:15as being one fight away from a title shot,
00:19:19living in the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn.
00:19:21One evening, he picked his car up at a repair shop,
00:19:23was due home for dinner,
00:19:24and never arrived.
00:19:26$12,000 in the bank account untouched,
00:19:28some rumors of potential Russian mob involvement,
00:19:32and there are many opinions as to what may have happened.
00:19:35Sergei Kovacev will examine them
00:19:36Monday night on Real Sports with Brian Gumbel.
00:19:39As round three begins,
00:19:44Ramalos Ellis has thrown 202 punches in the first two rounds.
00:19:49Doesn't have a high connect percentage,
00:19:51but you saw toward the end of round two
00:19:53that he was beginning to put punches together in combination,
00:19:56something that Phillips has not yet been able to do.
00:20:03A couple of good left hands by Ramalos Ellis.
00:20:05One thing that was said earlier,
00:20:13Ramalos looks like he thinks he's the stronger guy in the ring,
00:20:16but Ramalos always thought that,
00:20:18even coming up as an amateur.
00:20:20He always thought that,
00:20:22even against guys who were obviously and palpably stronger than he was.
00:20:25That he was the stronger in the ring.
00:20:28He's a very confident person.
00:20:30He feels like the early portion of his professional career
00:20:33was stifled because his then manager,
00:20:36a fellow named Evander Holyfield,
00:20:38wasn't paying enough attention to him
00:20:40and was paying more attention to his own career.
00:20:42Maybe the lesson is,
00:20:44don't hire another champion boxer to be your manager.
00:20:47Yeah, but now he says he made a mistake by leaving Evander
00:20:50because he was getting a lot of work
00:20:53on the undercards of Evander's fight.
00:21:01Sometimes a tough sport to find your way in.
00:21:04Good body shot by Vince Phillips.
00:21:05Phillips working harder to go to the body in this round.
00:21:08He lands a right hand,
00:21:09and Ellis comes back with a counter left.
00:21:11I think teamwork can work in this sport.
00:21:30If Evander took his time with Ellis,
00:21:32Ellis probably just got impatient
00:21:33before Evander got a chance to get him the right shot.
00:21:36And now he probably realizes this.
00:21:42That was a good overhand left by Ellis.
00:21:53Ellis seeing well inside here
00:21:55and finding the opportunity to counter
00:21:57against some of Vince Phillips' shots.
00:22:00Phillips has worked sporadically to the body
00:22:02in the first minute of this round,
00:22:03but he's still trying to load up that straight right hand
00:22:07and take care of matters all at once
00:22:10against Romalis Ellis.
00:22:13And maybe we are starting to see that weight loss
00:22:16take advantage of Phil.
00:22:17He's not as young as he used to be
00:22:19when he used to lose all of his weight.
00:22:20At age 33, I'm sure it's much different
00:22:23than age 26 and 27.
00:22:28Left hand to the chest by Ellis.
00:22:31Phillips comes back with an overhand right.
00:22:33Cut!
00:22:43Get that water up there.
00:22:45Listen there.
00:22:47He's moving right into your left hand.
00:22:49Okay?
00:22:49Know what I'm saying?
00:22:50He's moving right in front of your left hand.
00:22:52Start dropping that left hand
00:22:53and stay low on it.
00:22:54You make sure that every time
00:22:57you make sure every time
00:22:59you throw that left hand to the body,
00:23:00start dropping the right hand.
00:23:01Put your left hand here and come back to the right hook.
00:23:03Yeah?
00:23:04Okay?
00:23:05And watch him now.
00:23:06Let's be ready for your left hand.
00:23:07You in shape, Sal.
00:23:14You in shape, Sal.
00:23:14You in shape.
00:23:15You in shape.
00:23:17All right?
00:23:18Let's let it show.
00:23:20Let's bring it again.
00:23:21Left hand right there, the right hook, yeah?
00:23:23Bring the right hand where?
00:23:26There you see Alice throwing that very straight left hand,
00:23:30one to the chest, one to the chin.
00:23:34The welterweight division is the deepest division in boxing
00:23:39with high-quality fighters.
00:23:43Whitaker, Quartey, Trinidad.
00:23:47Soon, Oscar De La Hoya.
00:23:51And these are two pretty good well-awaits
00:23:53you're looking at right here.
00:23:56Carol Letterman, how do you have the fight after three rounds?
00:23:59Larry, at this point, they've got three rounds to nothing,
00:24:0230 to 27, Romalis Ellis.
00:24:04I think he's landed better left hands
00:24:05than Vince Phillips is landing right hands.
00:24:07I think Vince is a little herky-jerky.
00:24:09But I'll tell you something, I've got to talk about what Roy Jones said.
00:24:11You see the way Vince Phillips got his mouth open?
00:24:13If that mouthpiece comes out, they don't put it back.
00:24:16Ellis is hurt.
00:24:17Ellis is hurt bad.
00:24:18Right hand loaded by Phillips.
00:24:20From Alice Ellis backing up.
00:24:22He's not yet grabbing and holding to try to stay out of trouble,
00:24:25but he was definitely wobbled by that right hand.
00:24:28Now, Ellis turns to his corner and nods as if to say,
00:24:31I'm okay.
00:24:31And Phillips comes back and lands another right hand.
00:24:40Now, Ellis seems to tee off on Phillips a little bit.
00:24:43I think what Harold was getting ready to say is there's no mouthpiece rule
00:24:51here in Massachusetts, so if Vince Phillips' mouthpiece comes out,
00:24:55he has to fight with it out.
00:24:56And he is dangerously close to spitting the mouthpiece.
00:25:02And now Romalis Ellis has regained himself
00:25:05and starts to land those little counter shots inside against Phillips again.
00:25:14I feel that what Ellis heard in the corner as he went out,
00:25:17you're in shape, you're in shape,
00:25:19has helped him here somehow to weather all of this.
00:25:23He is in shape, and he was reminded of it.
00:25:25Just missing with right- and left-hand shots
00:25:34that were designed to finish the bout.
00:25:37Vince Phillips.
00:25:40He landed the left, and he landed the right.
00:25:44And he can get an uppercut in here.
00:25:45His head had it so much.
00:25:50Needs to go to the body more.
00:25:53Ellis gonna get knocked out looking in his corner.
00:25:54Yeah, Ellis gonna look at his opponent
00:25:57more than his corner right now.
00:25:58He's assuring as a corner he's okay.
00:26:01And meanwhile, he's getting clobbered.
00:26:05Meanwhile, he lands an overhand left.
00:26:07It momentarily stemmed the tie,
00:26:08but this has been a huge round so far for Vince Phillips.
00:26:15He's gonna load up another straight right here.
00:26:19Vince Phillips' foundation is horrible.
00:26:22It really is.
00:26:23He needs to work on his discipline a little bit,
00:26:25his body discipline.
00:26:27He can punch out of this, but he's still-
00:26:29it doesn't look good as a fighter,
00:26:30and it doesn't look very professional.
00:26:32I mean, he has too much experience
00:26:33to not look as good as he should.
00:26:35Lance a left hook as the last ten seconds
00:26:38of the fourth round arrive.
00:26:39Both fighters looking wobbly in there.
00:26:41Ellis, because he's been stunned by heavy blows.
00:26:44Phillips, because his footwork is constantly precarious.
00:26:47That's a bad posture.
00:26:53Bring your hands up, man.
00:26:54Bring your hands up these shots.
00:26:55Let's say, start stepping with your punches
00:26:57and keep your knees bent.
00:26:59You hear me?
00:27:00Look, this guy's gonna give you the fight.
00:27:03Yeah?
00:27:04Keep your knees bent.
00:27:06Keep your hands up after these shots.
00:27:07Come right back.
00:27:08Start gooing this guy's body, man.
00:27:10His body's wide open.
00:27:11Put that left hand in his body hard, right?
00:27:13Come back to the right hook.
00:27:15He's fast, man.
00:27:16He's wide open.
00:27:18Okay?
00:27:19Take a deep breath.
00:27:20Okay.
00:27:20Take some of that Vaseline off.
00:27:22Take it down, man.
00:27:23I will.
00:27:24I will.
00:27:25I will.
00:27:26I'm trying to do that.
00:27:27Don't leave the car to soak it either.
00:27:28Okay.
00:27:29Do all we can.
00:27:30Okay.
00:27:31Hey, we're gonna keep this briefs on.
00:27:32They're gonna have to tell us.
00:27:33We're gonna get some time.
00:27:34Early in the round, Phillips landed a right hand.
00:27:36Take some of that off.
00:27:37Take some of it off.
00:27:38Take some of it off.
00:27:39Of the round.
00:27:40There, you saw it.
00:27:41Right now.
00:27:42Ellis, I had three rounds to none.
00:27:44I had him two to one.
00:27:45Now I have to fight even.
00:27:47Get that water out of there.
00:27:50Get that water on the corner.
00:27:55Second round in a row, which is delayed at the beginning as referee Bob Benoit insists
00:28:00that the water get wiped up in Phillips' corner.
00:28:02Phillips landed 40 of 77 attempted in round number four.
00:28:07Ellis, even while getting battered around the ring through much of the round, threw 91 punches.
00:28:17So he's still got that big activity rate as we get into the fifth.
00:28:22And he said to punch much more than Phillips because he has better posture.
00:28:26That's like grading a guy on spelling rather than content.
00:28:33But it adds up to content as the fight goes along.
00:28:36There you go.
00:28:37So...
00:28:39Angular...
00:28:41Rozzy...
00:28:42Zip...
00:28:45From...
00:28:47Aren't they...
00:28:49...
00:28:50Zip...
00:28:51Zip...
00:28:53Zip...
00:28:55Zip...
00:29:05Both decided to go to the body at the same time.
00:29:20Midway in round five.
00:29:25Romalis Ellis regaining his stability and his command as this fifth round progresses.
00:29:34Throughout the bout, as Roy Jones has pointed out several times, the dramatic difference between the two fighters.
00:29:41Ellis solid on his feet, good strong foundation.
00:29:45Vince Phillips seemingly slipping and wobbling around in there from start to finish of every round.
00:29:53And in the judge's eyes, sometimes the guy wobbling and slipping around is just not in shape.
00:29:58And condition is a big part of a fight.
00:30:02Roy Phillips prides himself on his big punch.
00:30:08He's hit Ellis some big punches.
00:30:10Here's Ellis still coming back at him.
00:30:12It has to worry him.
00:30:13Yeah, it always worries the big puncher when he hits a guy with his best punches and he can't seem to get the guy out.
00:30:19Well, particularly, and you pointed out, Larry, he's maybe better at 140 pounds.
00:30:23He's landed a couple shots here that might have taken care of 140-pound opponents.
00:30:27But a welterweight with a solid foundation like Ellis is a different story.
00:30:31Yeah, but to be honest with you, he's landed shots here that would take care of a normal welterweight like that one right there.
00:30:40Ellis just has an excellent chin.
00:30:45Yeah, ask that driver who hit him with the car in Fort Lauderdale.
00:30:49He never said he lost consciousness.
00:30:52Yeah.
00:30:53So, go.
00:30:55I'm so sorry for that I'm going to get this guy.
00:30:56Gonna get to my heart.
00:30:58Go.
00:30:59Go.
00:31:00The Red Sheriff's gang.
00:31:01Go.
00:31:02The Red Sheriff's gang.
00:31:03The Red Sheriff's gang.
00:31:04My brother.
00:31:05The Red Sheriff's gang.
00:31:06Go.
00:31:07What are you doing?
00:31:08The Red Sheriff's gang.
00:31:09Go.
00:31:10The Red Sheriff's gang.
00:31:11Go.
00:31:12Go.
00:31:13Go.
00:31:14Go.
00:31:15So, get your hands off of this guy.
00:31:16You're waiting too long.
00:31:19Hear me?
00:31:20So get your hands off me.
00:31:22Coming up in the second bout of the evening,
00:31:24that man, 39-year-old Daniel Zaragoza,
00:31:27his face, a road map of his boxing experience.
00:31:31This man has probably been cut and stitched up
00:31:35more than any other winning fighter
00:31:37in the recent history of the sport.
00:31:39He'll be taking on Irishman Wayne McCullough.
00:31:42There's a 13-year difference in their ages.
00:31:46Take it out.
00:31:50Let's go.
00:31:51Okay.
00:31:52Give me that over the towel there.
00:31:54Take it out.
00:31:55Get that water.
00:31:56Get that water.
00:31:58Vince Phillips is hoping that a good showing tonight,
00:32:01especially a victory,
00:32:03will get him a fight with Kosta Zou,
00:32:07the undefeated Russian 140-pound title holder.
00:32:11Oh, he hurt Ellis with a body shot.
00:32:18Vince seems to be gaining his second win now.
00:32:20He came out this round with much better posture.
00:32:23He can't punch himself out, though.
00:32:25He's got him going.
00:32:28Let's see if he remembers to go to the body,
00:32:30which would help him finish here
00:32:32because, as Roy so accurately pointed out,
00:32:34he first hurt Ellis here with the body shot.
00:32:37It's a long way to go in this round.
00:32:40Ellis trying to punch his way out of trouble
00:32:42rather than to hold or use his feet.
00:32:45I think both of them are half Mexican.
00:32:47Now Ellis talking to Phillips.
00:33:05As if to say, I took your best stuff.
00:33:08Now what you're going to do,
00:33:09that's what Phillips should keep doing.
00:33:10If he chops the body down,
00:33:12kill the body, the head will die.
00:33:13And he started out thinking
00:33:19that he should try to land the left hook to the body,
00:33:21but he's landed right-hand shots to the body.
00:33:24That's his more powerful hand anyway.
00:33:25So go with it.
00:33:26Yeah, and when you find a southpaw,
00:33:28your right hand is already lined up
00:33:29to come straight down the middle to his solar plex.
00:33:32I can't help but think that right now
00:33:34their nicknames are reversed.
00:33:36It's Ellis is being cool
00:33:37and Phillips is landing the big shots.
00:33:39I can't say that I remember
00:33:51Vince Phillips slipping this many punches.
00:33:55What if they had fought as amateurs
00:33:56back in, say, 86 or 87, Roy?
00:33:59Would that fight have looked anything like this?
00:34:02I can't say it would have.
00:34:04No, they were both more boxers at that time, right?
00:34:06No, they were both more toe-to-toe brawlers.
00:34:08Really?
00:34:09Both of them were fighting
00:34:10just like Ellis was fighting now.
00:34:14Vince is in the mix of trying to make a change.
00:34:16He wants to stick around boxing
00:34:18a little longer than he expected,
00:34:20but now he's trying to adapt to boxing
00:34:22and not getting hit quite as much.
00:34:25Back then, he was a living heavy bag.
00:34:36Except he hit back.
00:34:37And Ramalas Ellis in Seoul set the CompuBox record
00:34:41for most punches thrown around by an amateur.
00:34:44So he was a whirlwind of activity back then, too.
00:34:48Well, that's why they both became good professional fighters.
00:34:51Not every amateur does.
00:34:54Phillips leading with an uppercut that time.
00:34:56Now you're the boss.
00:35:04Put that in there.
00:35:07Good breath, baby, baby.
00:35:09How you feel, champ?
00:35:11Now I want you to spit over here in this puppet.
00:35:17Let's go.
00:35:17Those guys are hot sick.
00:35:29Ben, if he tried to bait you in with laying back,
00:35:33he's trying to get you to come so he can catch you with something.
00:35:35Those right hands that Phillips is slipping through the defense of Ellis.
00:35:42One to the body, one to the head.
00:35:44And here you see later in the round, once again,
00:35:47slips a punch, comes over the top.
00:35:54You're watching some top-notch professional work in here tonight, folks.
00:35:59Some gutsy game welterweights.
00:36:07Incidentally, between rounds, we gave you a glimpse of Dawn Marie,
00:36:12round-card girl for this seventh round.
00:36:15And if you have a college student in Boston
00:36:17and your Boston college student is headed off on spring break this spring,
00:36:21it's entirely possible that Dawn Marie will be his or her chaperone
00:36:25because that's what she does in addition to round-card girl work.
00:36:28That was an excellent left uppercut by Brumellis Ellis.
00:36:32What was that, Jim?
00:36:33She's another story.
00:36:34A professional chaperone?
00:36:36She's a chaperone for spring break trips on cruise ships
00:36:39and at hotels and stuff like that.
00:36:41I'd have done a lot better on spring break if I'd have had a chaperone,
00:36:44and particularly if it had been Dawn Marie.
00:36:48Once again, Ellis turns back to his corner.
00:36:51He's having conversations with his corner as he fights Vince Phillips.
00:36:55What versatility.
00:36:56He said, Phillips is mine.
00:36:58I guess that means that he has Phillips beaten.
00:37:03But I don't think Phillips agrees to that.
00:37:05No, I think the bout is very much hanging in the balance here in the seventh round.
00:37:10Both fighters have had their moments.
00:37:11Phillips, as Larry points out, with big shots
00:37:13and Brumellis Ellis by staying cool amid the storm.
00:37:21I don't understand this, but Phillips' posture is getting better as the fight goes on.
00:37:32Yeah, he seems to be sort of finding himself in there a little bit.
00:37:36Maybe he's working himself into condition as the bout of progress.
00:37:45Cool, Vince Phillips still landing the bigger shots.
00:37:51Ellis, when he's able to box, lands his left hand consistently.
00:37:55That was a good right hand to the body by Vince Phillips.
00:38:05That took a lot out of Ellis.
00:38:06I don't think Ellis was ready for that shot.
00:38:08Phillips is starting to beat Ellis to the punch in the middle of the ring.
00:38:23He's doing something that most guys won't do.
00:38:25He's challenging Ellis' left hand by moving right into Ellis' left hand
00:38:29so that he can counter Ellis' left hand with his own right hand.
00:38:33Now Ellis won't throw his left hand right now
00:38:37because, you know, Phillips is set to counter it.
00:38:39Right there, he countered it with a body shot, though.
00:38:41Yep.
00:38:44Well, that's an interesting piece of strategy, isn't it, Roy?
00:38:46A brave piece of strategy on Vince Phillips' part
00:38:48that is working within these past two rounds.
00:38:50Something I think he may have picked up from a good friend of here.
00:38:53I don't know who that may be.
00:38:54Would that have been Roy Jones Jr.?
00:38:56Sounds pretty cool.
00:38:59Hey!
00:39:01Ellis seems to be getting tired.
00:39:06There you go.
00:39:07That's better.
00:39:08See, that's what I want, okay?
00:39:10That's what I want.
00:39:11See that.
00:39:13Make sure you keep your knees bent, huh?
00:39:15Don't come straight up when you're punching.
00:39:17It can cause you to lean, all right?
00:39:18I want you leaning.
00:39:19Move your feet when you're punching.
00:39:21That's the way you'll be leaning when you come back to the shot.
00:39:24Listen.
00:39:27Anything.
00:39:27Hey, listen.
00:39:28Step over to the left.
00:39:30Stop pumping that jab more, all right?
00:39:32Let's box him there, all right?
00:39:33I'm trying to set you up.
00:39:35All right?
00:39:35That's all he got.
00:39:37I'm ready to go in.
00:39:38Yeah, okay.
00:39:39Hey, hey.
00:39:40It's your time there, all right?
00:39:41It's the ten rounds we prepared for the distance.
00:39:43You understand?
00:39:44We don't want to get in no hurry.
00:39:46Don't let him bait you into a shootout, okay?
00:39:48You just keep winning the round one at a time.
00:39:51Yeah, one at a time.
00:39:52Step with the punches.
00:39:53You're a good problem.
00:39:55All right?
00:39:57Step with the punches.
00:39:59Be the man.
00:39:59Be the man.
00:40:01Well, that's very interesting.
00:40:02Jerome Coffey saying to Vince Phillips, don't let him bait you into a shootout.
00:40:08More often, it seems to me that Phillips is trying to bait Ellis into a shootout.
00:40:12I don't know.
00:40:13Ellis just told his corner that he's been holding back.
00:40:15Now it's time for him to go.
00:40:16Just what I thought he was doing better.
00:40:20Carol Letterman, seven rounds.
00:40:21How do you see it?
00:40:22Larry, I see it.
00:40:23Whoever wins the last three rounds wins the fight.
00:40:25Four rounds to three.
00:40:26Romalis Ellis.
00:40:27I think Vince Phillips has had two very good rounds at six and seven.
00:40:30Man did some sensational right hands.
00:40:31But, Larry, look at the way Vince Phillips keeps circling to the right.
00:40:34Right-handed fighters always go to the left.
00:40:36When he goes to the right, he gets nailed by left hands.
00:40:39I have it four rounds to three for Phillips.
00:40:41When he goes to his left, he gets nailed with left hands.
00:40:48But I don't think he moves to his right.
00:40:50He gets hit too often.
00:40:51Phillips.
00:40:55Right there, he's going to his right.
00:40:57And he slipped the left hand.
00:40:58Because that's challenging, the left hand.
00:41:04Right there, he landed a right hand because he's over there on the good side of the left.
00:41:08There he backed up into a left hand.
00:41:11Good uppercut.
00:41:14Oh, there's another right hand by Phillip.
00:41:19Oh, good right hand again by Phillip.
00:41:21This is a very tactful fight.
00:41:23These two guys have been around a long time.
00:41:25You can tell because you see them doing things that you don't see young guys do.
00:41:29Yeah, and I'm having a blast just listening to you describe it, too,
00:41:32because you're seeing this so well.
00:41:33You're seeing it better than I do.
00:41:35So I'm going to let you do a little blow-by-blow here, Roy,
00:41:37because that worked really well there.
00:41:40So keep at it a little while.
00:41:41Tell us what's going on tactically between these two fighters.
00:41:44I used to do this for a living.
00:41:46I understand.
00:41:48And pretty well.
00:41:49So what you're saying, Roy, it seems, is that Phillips is willing to risk the left hand of Ellis to get his right hand because he thinks he's quicker with it.
00:41:59Yeah, because he thinks he's quicker with his right hand than Ellis is with his left.
00:42:02You're right.
00:42:02And if Ellis had a good hook, then Phillips wouldn't go this way because he's often open for a hook after Ellis throws the left hand.
00:42:10But see, Ellis don't throw the hook until too late, like right then.
00:42:12So the right hook is what's missing from Ellis' arsenal that would make a difference.
00:42:19Exactly.
00:42:21If he had a good right hook, then Phillips would have to change and go back to Ellis' right.
00:42:25Now, a lot of people don't capture this technicality.
00:42:30The hook is a power shot off the front foot.
00:42:34Hardest punch to throw, right?
00:42:35Hardest punch to throw and the hardest one to get hit with.
00:42:38Reason being is because you can throw push and pull effect on a hook.
00:42:43Straight punches, you only can push out.
00:42:46A hook, you can push with one foot and pull with the other.
00:42:48It's like swinging a bat.
00:42:50All right, so that's why the left hook is your most dangerous punch.
00:42:54Pretty much so.
00:42:56But the right hand is kind of dangerous.
00:42:58Yeah, the right hand has hurt some people, too.
00:42:59The uppercut is crucial.
00:43:03Right hand shot by Vince Phillips.
00:43:06Punctuates round number eight.
00:43:09This fight could scarcely be any closer.
00:43:12And still to come, Wayne McCullough.
00:43:14Ireland's most exciting boxing product since Barry McGuigan.
00:43:20And he's advised by Barry McGuigan as a business input for McCullough lives in Las Vegas,
00:43:28as he has ever since having won a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics,
00:43:33or check it, a silver medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
00:43:36...to your left hand, because he's got to cross over to hit you with the straight left hand of his.
00:43:41Go to his right hand.
00:43:42Watch the jab and look for your left hook right hand when you go in that direction, okay?
00:43:47Listen, put two or three shots together.
00:43:49Don't try to finish the fight with one shot.
00:43:51Go ahead, put two or three together.
00:43:52Keep it easy for the judges, okay?
00:43:54Hey, keep boxing, all right?
00:43:58All right, check it out.
00:43:59Let's go.
00:44:00Check it out.
00:44:01Get that water up.
00:44:02Get that water up.
00:44:04Keep it up.
00:44:04These are the truth-telling rounds.
00:44:07We'll find out the truth of these two fighters and their conditioning as we come down this stretch.
00:44:13And just as it's become a chess match for the two fighters, Vince Phillips and Ramalas Ellis,
00:44:17so it's a chess match for Phillips' trainer, Jerome Coffey,
00:44:20and Ellis' trainer, Khalil Stafford,
00:44:22as they try to find the right pieces of advice to motivate their fighters through these last two rounds.
00:44:28And Coffey sent Phillips out to move to Phillips' left now,
00:44:31which is the opposite of what he was doing,
00:44:33and already he's been hit with three left hands.
00:44:39And there was another left hand.
00:44:41Very interesting.
00:44:44So he gets hit with the left hand when he moves away from it,
00:44:46but he doesn't get hit with the left hand when he moves toward it.
00:44:50No, because when he moves into it, he can see it a lot better.
00:44:55He has to be much more cautious when he's right there on it.
00:44:58When he's moving away from it,
00:44:59he doesn't expect it to be able to land as frequently,
00:45:02and it lands more.
00:45:04Goes against the natural logic of the thing,
00:45:07but it's as clear as day that that's what's happening.
00:45:09And there it just happened again.
00:45:10Yeah.
00:45:11So you would tell Phillips to keep moving to his right?
00:45:13I sure would.
00:45:14See, there he got hit with the left again.
00:45:19And now Phillips, who was told by trainer Jerome Coffey
00:45:22to put punches together two or three at a time,
00:45:24is trying to land one hard shot.
00:45:26And see how hard it is for Phillips to catch his balance going this way?
00:45:31See?
00:45:32And can he get hit with the left hand?
00:45:33There's no reason for him to change if it's been working.
00:45:36He hasn't been getting hit this much the whole fight.
00:45:38I think he also, Vince Phillips should go to Ellis' body more,
00:45:50or Ellis should go to Phillips' body,
00:45:51because as veterans, these guys should know that body punching is a big part of professional boxing.
00:45:56Are you able to see things that clearly and think that clearly when you're the one who's in the ring fighting yourself?
00:46:03When I'm in the ring fighting myself, my CPU moves a little quicker than it does out here.
00:46:07I can see it quicker and I can react to it quicker.
00:46:09I have a, like, you know, a processing unit in my head
00:46:13that works almost as quick as one of those computers when I'm in there.
00:46:19Quicker than some computers.
00:46:20He doesn't mean a personal computer.
00:46:23He means one of those things that fills the room.
00:46:31Phillips still moving to his left,
00:46:33just as trainer Jerome Coffey told him to do,
00:46:35even though he's gotten raked with left hands throughout this round.
00:46:40That's the conventional way to fight a southpaw.
00:46:42But, to me, it doesn't work.
00:46:44I like to fight him going to the right,
00:46:45because if he has a good left hand,
00:46:48then you want to challenge that punch.
00:46:49If he has a good right hook,
00:46:51then you don't want to go that way,
00:46:52because if he misses you with the left,
00:46:54just when you try to counter,
00:46:55his right hook should be right there on your chin,
00:46:57and you get in trouble.
00:46:58Well, based on what we've seen in the ninth round,
00:47:00if you're training Vince Phillips,
00:47:02you would tell him to go out in the tenth
00:47:03and do exactly the opposite of what he did here.
00:47:21Listen.
00:47:22This is the last round.
00:47:23Yeah?
00:47:25Give him a good rest.
00:47:27All right?
00:47:27All right.
00:47:30Keep on the end of the punches.
00:47:54Be smart and look for some big two and three shots
00:48:03and then take off again.
00:48:04Okay?
00:48:05Box this guy.
00:48:06You got me?
00:48:07Yo.
00:48:08Three minutes.
00:48:10Three minutes.
00:48:11Three minutes.
00:48:16Tenth and final round.
00:48:17Very close fight
00:48:19between two guys who've known each other
00:48:21for a dozen years
00:48:22and have never met in the ring before.
00:48:24Cool Vince Phillips
00:48:25in the white trunks with purple stripes
00:48:28and Romalis Ellis on the black.
00:48:30Harold Letterman,
00:48:31how do you have it through nine?
00:48:32Jim, very close.
00:48:33Five rounds to four.
00:48:34Romalis Ellis, 86-85.
00:48:36I thought Romalis won the ninth round
00:48:38to take the lead,
00:48:39but I tell you,
00:48:39it's a dynamite close frame,
00:48:41and I can't help saying this.
00:48:42The reason Vince Phillips goes to the right
00:48:43is because he only got one hand.
00:48:45He's a right-handed puncher,
00:48:46and he's looking to set up that right hand
00:48:48by going to the right.
00:48:48When you go to the left,
00:48:50the guy's got to cross over to hit you.
00:48:52He's still moving to the left.
00:48:54I'm getting caught in a textbook crossfire here
00:48:57between these two guys.
00:48:59I have it five rounds to four for Phillips.
00:49:03Come on, Vince!
00:49:04Push it back!
00:49:06Push it back!
00:49:08Well, Phillips' footwork looks better in the tenth
00:49:11than at any time prior to this in the fight,
00:49:13but he's still getting hit
00:49:14by Romalis Ellis' left hands.
00:49:16Oh, that was a good hook.
00:49:17And a hard left and a right by Phillips.
00:49:20Maybe his best left hook of the fight
00:49:22landed to set up that right hand.
00:49:24There, he stepped the left hand again
00:49:26as your right hand is essentially,
00:49:27Harold, because Vince Phillips' best punch
00:49:30is the right hand.
00:49:31So if that's his best punch,
00:49:32why would he go to the left?
00:49:38However this fight goes,
00:49:40there's no doubt that Phillips
00:49:41has landed more big punches than Ellis.
00:49:45I don't know if that will be
00:49:46the final influence on the judges.
00:49:55Vince Phillips has never lost a fight by decision,
00:49:58only by knockout or technical knockout.
00:50:02Ellis has only lost once.
00:50:04Vince has a cut over his right eye now.
00:50:06Oh, good right hand by Vince Phillips.
00:50:13Yeah, if you judge the tenth on ring generalship,
00:50:16you might judge it for Ellis.
00:50:17If you judge it on hard shots,
00:50:19you would give it to Phillips.
00:50:20This is going to be a major challenge to the judges.
00:50:23Hard fight to score.
00:50:24I'm glad I'm not a judge right now.
00:50:27But I think Phillips is right now winning this tenth round.
00:50:30He's coming up with a big rally when it counts.
00:50:35Now Ellis chases him
00:50:36and looks for another chance to land the left.
00:50:38Last 30 seconds may decide the fight.
00:50:40Come on, Vic!
00:50:45Two more right-hand shots for Vince Phillips.
00:50:47Glancing blows, but both landed.
00:50:49And a left-right combination for Phillips.
00:50:55Ducking and slipping when Romalis Ellis comes back.
00:51:04Ellis missing with those two left hands.
00:51:08Now Ellis lands a right and a left and another left.
00:51:13And another left.
00:51:15And Phillips lands a right to punctuate the tenth,
00:51:18and it was tough.
00:51:18If a fight is determined
00:51:21by who put more hurt on the other guy,
00:51:24which theoretically it should be,
00:51:26I thought Phillips won the fight.
00:51:29You agree, Roy?
00:51:30I agree.
00:51:31But a lot of the early rounds,
00:51:33the posture will play a big role,
00:51:35and sometimes judges do judge posture.
00:51:38I could see Phillips having been down
00:51:40five rounds to nothing on some cards
00:51:42because of the way his footwork looked
00:51:43at the beginning of the fight.
00:51:44That's what I'm saying.
00:51:47Harold, how'd you wrap it up?
00:51:48Jim, six rounds to four,
00:51:5196-94.
00:51:53Boy, that's nice.
00:51:54You gave the tenth to Ellis?
00:51:55I gave the tenth to Ellis.
00:51:56I thought Phillips was staggering around the ring, Jim.
00:51:58I don't know how you could have done that.
00:51:59He kept jumping on him,
00:52:01and then Philo took those left shots
00:52:03at the very end.
00:52:03I thought Romelu's dominated around the ring.
00:52:05Now, obviously, Roy gave the tenth to Phillips.
00:52:07What do you think, Larry?
00:52:08I thought he was totally exhausted.
00:52:09Roy and everybody else in the building.
00:52:11Except Harold.
00:52:12I gave the round and the fight to Phillips.
00:52:15All right.
00:52:16So we have the classic disagreement
00:52:18at ringside for HBO.
00:52:20Harold, we should move to Las Vegas
00:52:22and start judging fights.
00:52:24But I still say a right-handed fighter
00:52:26should go to his left.
00:52:28Interestingly, Roy,
00:52:29at this stage of your life,
00:52:31they're still going to pay you more to fight
00:52:32than to talk about them or judge them.
00:52:34Final punch stat numbers.
00:52:38And you'll look at total punches
00:52:40in the entire fight.
00:52:41And you'll see that Ellis landed 261 out of 964.
00:52:46So he threw more.
00:52:47And Phillips landed more
00:52:49and landed at a higher rate.
00:52:50And Phillips landed the harder shots.
00:52:52So by punch stat computations,
00:52:55you would probably go with Vince Phillips
00:52:56to win the fight.
00:53:00But, of course, that's totally unofficial.
00:53:02Judges don't see those numbers.
00:53:04So they don't figure into
00:53:05any of the judges' deliberations
00:53:07with regard to who won the fight.
00:53:08The only judge who ever sees punch stat numbers
00:53:10is Harold Letterman.
00:53:11And I'm not sure he pays a whole lot of attention to them
00:53:14in choosing to score the fight.
00:53:16I only pay attention to them, Jim,
00:53:18when they support my position.
00:53:20Very intelligent, Larry.
00:53:21I think both guys fought a phenomenal fight.
00:53:23I knew that, incidentally.
00:53:25I think both guys fought a phenomenal fight.
00:53:27It was a heck of a good professional fight.
00:53:29Reminded me of the old Friday night fight,
00:53:32Gillette fights.
00:53:33Two good pros going at it.
00:53:36Two good pros going at it.
00:53:36Two good pros going at it.
00:53:37Two good pros going at it.
00:53:38Gentlemen, that's all we get on this telecast
00:53:40is good leather.
00:53:41And now let's go to Mark Vero
00:53:43to see who won the fight.
00:53:44Ladies and gentlemen, we have a split decision.
00:54:05Judge Paul Driscoll scores it.
00:54:10Ninety-six, ninety-four, Phillips.
00:54:16Judge Vinnie Lee scores it.
00:54:19Ninety-seven, ninety-three, Ellis.
00:54:24Judge Dan Mullen scores it.
00:54:27Ninety-seven, ninety-three.
00:54:30Give it to the winner by split decision,
00:54:32Romales Big Shot Ellis.
00:54:37Ellis, Ellis.
00:54:39Ellis.
00:54:48Go, go.
00:54:49Go, go.
00:54:50Go, go.
00:54:51Go, go, go.
00:54:54so the judges the judges wind up agreeing with harold letterman not with roy jones or larry
00:55:02merchant we told you it was a tough fight to score sounds like the crowd doesn't agree with
00:55:06that decision roy i don't think the crowd agrees at all and the fight probably was lost by then
00:55:11skillet in the early going i don't think he lost the 10th round on nobody's scorecard but he
00:55:16probably lost it early with the poor posture however i think that does make for a good rematch
00:55:22right here unboxing at the door well you hope that vince phillips is going to get that shot
00:55:26because this is a damaging loss in his career he was brave to step up and take the fight on short
00:55:32notice he probably showed in those first few rounds the effects of having to try to make 147 pounds
00:55:37in a hurry when he wasn't expecting to do it on this date and ultimately you kind of hope that
00:55:42that doesn't cost him as much in his career as a loss like this might normally cost him i don't think
00:55:48it cost him too much because of the uh early note the late notice of taking the fight and i think
00:55:52that late notice is good arguing ground for every match and on the other hand as we turn over here
00:55:57to larry merchant for romalis ellis who was doggone near killed in an automobile accident a couple of
00:56:03years ago this is yet another step in what is a pretty expiring comeback as i noted earlier this this
00:56:10is the livest division in boxing the well-awake division ellis will get some opportunities to fight
00:56:16some of the better fighters perhaps we'll see him in a title fight all right we're going to see a terrific
00:56:21title fight in just a little while between daniel zaragosa and wayne mccullough right now as we get ready to
00:56:27bring zaragosa and mccullough into the ring let's look ahead a week to next weekend's biggest boxing event
00:56:32which will be a live pay-per-view battle between oscar de la hoya and miguel anhel gonzalez at 140 pounds and
00:56:39joining us now live from his training camp in big bear california is oscar de la hoya good evening oscar how are you
00:56:46good evening how you doing i'm doing fine what did you think of the fight and the decision in the battle between
00:56:51romalis ellis and vince phillips well actually it was an exciting fight and i felt that um i don't know maybe phillips should have
00:56:58took the fight it was a very close decision but um phillips had an edge over romalis ellis all right
00:57:06you agree with roy jones and larry merchant you're coming off the longest layoff of your career oscar
00:57:11this fight was originally scheduled to take place last year postponed because you've been bothered by
00:57:16a bad shoulder what is the status of your shoulder and how has the layoff affected you coming into this
00:57:22fight well the status on the shoulder um it feels perfectly fine i feel it's stronger
00:57:28actually i cannot wait to use it on miguel angel gonzalez uh january 18th it's going to be a very
00:57:34tough fight and i feel that the layoff kind of helped me a bit because i i had more time to go to
00:57:40the gym learn different moves and study my favorite fighters like willie pep and montaquila napolis
00:57:46as a mexican-american who grew up in east los angeles so much has been made of your pivotal career
00:57:53battles against native mexicans now you may be facing a native mexican fighter for the last time
00:57:59because as you get ready to go up to 147 pounds there aren't any obvious matchups there or at 154
00:58:06against guys with the background of miguel angel gonzalez are you happy to be getting that phase of your
00:58:12career behind you for the time being well actually what i want to do in 1997 is fight the very best
00:58:18fighters out there who are out there for me and i feel that um fighting miguel angel gonzalez fighting
00:58:24perna whitaker if i get through miguel angel gonzalez and fighting the very best champions out there
00:58:29pound for pound i can um win over the crowd and that's what i'm trying to do is win over the crowd
00:58:35especially the mexican-american crowd because it's it's kind of tough on me because um of course they
00:58:41expect a a different style for me uh the way uh roy jones was saying is that i mean the typical mexican
00:58:48fighter goes in there gets banged up tries to win the fight and wins over the crowd that's not my
00:58:53style my style is to fight to box actually hit and not get hit did the people in your hometown of
00:58:59east l.a want you to give a rematch to julio cesar chavez well of course they do but um i feel i have
00:59:07no responsibility whatsoever to give him a rematch i did my job i done what i have to do and i feel that
00:59:13um chavez needs me more than i need him so if in fact you win this fight against miguel angel gonzalez
00:59:20you move up to 147 as is planned then in order to ever have any shot at you chavez would have to come
00:59:26up and chase you to 147. well actually larry after this fight i'm going up to 147 pounds and i'm gonna
00:59:33face the big boys i feel that um i can do fairly well against them i'm learning every single day in the gym
00:59:40i'm learning more about my defense about my offense i'm going to try and combine uh both combinations
00:59:47on january 18th and uh hopefully everything will go well for me don't you worry that with all the
00:59:53talk about already having made a match up with pernell whitaker the obvious uh intent to fight
00:59:59whitaker in april if you get past this bout you're providing enormous incentive for gonzalez to embarrass
01:00:06you by upending that plan well of course uh miguel angel gonzalez is gonna be a very tough challenge
01:00:12he's gonna be in the best shape of his life and he keeps on insisting that he wants to take his title
01:00:18back to mexico where it belongs but i'm saying hopefully that um i'll keep my title for um you
01:00:24know for a short period of time and i'm going up to walterweight so uh i'm very prepared i've studied uh
01:00:30miguel angel gonzalez and i'm expecting the very best from him so i'm very ready from a technical
01:00:35standpoint what's the biggest challenge you face from him next saturday night what's he going to
01:00:40try to do against you technically in the ring well i feel that uh miguel angel gonzalez is uh is hungry
01:00:47hungry to win this title because uh because he insists that this title belongs to mexico and uh
01:00:54miguel angel gonzalez has dedicated this fight to all his family and to to his people back in mexico and
01:01:00i feel that miguel angel gonzalez is young he's strong uh he's a heavy hitter and he's very
01:01:06intelligent up in the ring so it's going to be a a very difficult obstacle for me to face but i'm
01:01:12very prepared larry i feel that uh at this point of my career of course i still need many many more
01:01:17years of learning but at this point of my career i feel i'm i'm stepping up a notch and uh and trying
01:01:23to be like uh like good champions out there oscar that's the second time you called me larry this
01:01:27is jim talking to you i don't know if you have a picture or not i'm going to kill you for that
01:01:31because even at 147 i outweigh you by 18 pounds thanks very much for joining us and we'll look
01:01:37forward to seeing you live on pay-per-view next saturday night sorry about that jim no problem oscar
01:01:42quite all right just adding a little extra added unexpected entertainment so now
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