- 3 months ago
Keith Holmes makes the first defense in his second reign as WBC Middleweight Title against Andrew Council in a rematch from 1994 on Showtime Boxing
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00:00:00available to Showtime subscribers viewing our East Coast live feed.
00:00:03Of course, your voting is for entertainment purposes only
00:00:07and will not influence the outcome of the fight.
00:00:09Once again, the web address is show.com.
00:00:11That's S-H-O dot com.
00:00:15Coming up first here at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C.,
00:00:19two hometown fighters go head-to-head.
00:00:22Keith Holmes defends his WBC middleweight title
00:00:24against Andrew Council in a rematch.
00:00:30And here comes the challenger, Andrew Council,
00:00:34born right here in Washington, D.C., lives in Atlanta, Maryland,
00:00:37out to avenge a 1994 decision loss to Keith Holmes.
00:00:41He claims would have been much closer had he not been penalized three points for low blows.
00:00:46He's had losses to some stylish fighters like Bernard Hopkins, Robert Allen, Ron White.
00:00:51He put Buddy McGirt down twice, stopped him of the night.
00:00:55Council was humbled by a powerful, more skilled Hopkins in his only other title shot.
00:00:59He's 3-0 since.
00:01:00Bertie, Council, a very aggressive, in-your-face fighter with good strength.
00:01:04But what do you think?
00:01:06Can he handle the effective, educated jab of the Southpaw home?
00:01:09I'll tell you what he brings in here, a whole truckload of attitude.
00:01:12The last time he lost, he lost by one point, but they'd taken three points away from him.
00:01:16He thought he won that fight.
00:01:17He is so mad.
00:01:18In our interview yesterday, I was impressed.
00:01:20Very seldom do fighters get up in our face mad as he was.
00:01:24He is so desperately mad to get in here and start.
00:01:27That may work against him because Holmes is a very cool and collected kind of guy.
00:01:31But he's also a very slow starter and a very, and a guy that seems to take it all at ease
00:01:36and let it go.
00:01:37This guy looks like he's got a rocket up his bottom.
00:01:39He also says he just doesn't like Keith Holmes.
00:01:42Part of the reason may be, a word is, that Holmes is taking some of his purse.
00:01:48Here is the champion, born right here in Washington, D.C., now makes his home in Hyattsville, Maryland.
00:01:53Returned home to recapture the title in April.
00:01:56Stopped Frenchman Haseen Sharifi in the seventh here at the MCI Center.
00:01:59Avenging an earlier defeat at the hands of Sharifi in France.
00:02:03Bobby Chez, will Holmes' speed be enough to keep the aggressive counsel off of him?
00:02:07You know, Steve, Holmes' speed is not blinding speed for a middleweight.
00:02:10And he would need nothing short of blinding speed to keep this kid off.
00:02:13Not only is counsel a good puncher and he's aggressive, but he is in great shape from what he tells me.
00:02:17I think what Keith Holmes is going to have to do, he's going to have to stop, pick his spots,
00:02:21and hurt counsel, especially early, to get some respect, or counsel's going to eventually run him over.
00:02:25I think tonight is going to be a long night for Keith Holmes, and his title is definitely in jeopardy.
00:02:29There he is with the familiar face, veteran referee Arthurwood County, making some last-minute checks.
00:02:35And let us check the numbers as we go to the tail of the tape.
00:02:38Just one year separates the two men.
00:02:40Holmes with the four-and-a-half-inch height advantage, both under the 160-pound limit at yesterday's weigh-in,
00:02:46and a four-inch edge in reach for Holmes.
00:02:50And the key rules for this title fight, no standing eight count, no three-knockdown rule.
00:02:54A fighter cannot be saved by the bell in any round.
00:02:57If an accidental headbutt occurs before the end of the fourth round, it's a technical draw.
00:03:01If it happens after the end of round four, they go to the scorecards.
00:03:04So here at the MCI Center, Washington, D.C., set for Keith Holmes versus Andrew Council for the WBC Middleweight Championship.
00:03:12Let's get the formal introductions from our ring announcer, Jimmy Lennon, Jr.
00:03:15Ladies and gentlemen, a very good evening to you, and we welcome you to the beautiful MCI Center in our nation's capital, Washington, D.C.,
00:03:29as we have a big night of action in store for you.
00:03:31And it's all brought to you courtesy of Don King Productions and Showtime Championship Boxing.
00:03:38At this time, we present a world championship attraction sanctioned by the World Boxing Council President,
00:03:46Jose Suleiman, Supervisor Raul Ortega, along with the D.C. Boxing and Wrestling Commission.
00:03:53Introducing to you are three judges scoring this bout from ringside.
00:03:56From Barnegat, New Jersey, Tony Perez.
00:03:59From Dallas, Texas, Oren Schellenberger.
00:04:02And from New York, New York, Fred Yussi.
00:04:06And introducing to you are Hall of Fame referee in charge of this bout.
00:04:10Working in this is 134th World Title Bout, Arthur Merkenty.
00:04:18All right, fans, here we go.
00:04:1912 rounds of boxing for the WBC Middleweight Championship of the World.
00:04:27Introducing to you first, the challenger on my left, fighting out of the blue corner,
00:04:33entering the ring, wearing blue trunks with black trim,
00:04:36fighting out of and representing his home of Washington, D.C.
00:04:42He weighted at 159.5 pounds, with a record of 30 wins, 6 losses, and 3 draws.
00:04:50He has 20 wins coming by way of knockout tonight, making his second attempt at a world title.
00:04:58Please welcome the challenger, Andrew Council of War.
00:05:04And his opponent across the ring, introducing the defending champion on my right,
00:05:14fighting out of the red corner, wearing royal blue trunks with navy blue trim.
00:05:19He is fighting out of Bowie, Maryland, weighing in at a trim and ready, 158.5 pounds.
00:05:28His record stands at 34 wins, 2 losses, with 23 wins coming by way of knockout.
00:05:34Ladies and gentlemen, here is the two-time and current WBC Middleweight Champion of the World.
00:05:42Introducing Keith Holmes.
00:05:45Once again, Arthur Mercati is our referee-in-charge, 12 rounds of championship boxing schedule.
00:05:56That's it. Let's play right. Okay.
00:05:59Right time, sir.
00:06:04Good evening.
00:06:07Good evening, Keith.
00:06:09Andrew, you both know the rules of the World Boxing Council.
00:06:13We expect you to obey these rules, and I'll enforce them.
00:06:16Be sure that you do not kidney punch or rabbit punch, or you'll be penalized.
00:06:20Now, I hope that's understood.
00:06:21Shake hands now. Come out boxing at the bell. Good luck.
00:06:24All right, Keith.
00:06:26Final instructions from Arthur Mercati out of Garden City, New York.
00:06:30Keith Holmes, a left-hatter who started out right-handed, almost Tommy Hearns-like in appearance.
00:06:35Tall, lean, long, thin legs, not as much in the upper body.
00:06:40His opponent, Andrew Council, very muscular, particularly in his back, as you'll see,
00:06:44which means he does work at it. Normally, he's a backer, comes out swinging.
00:06:48We'll see what he does here against Keith Holmes.
00:06:51Holmes says the key is to victory.
00:06:53Stay on the outside. Boxed down, throw combinations, use movement.
00:06:57He thinks counsel is one-dimensional, relies too much on power that he's flat-footed.
00:07:01He says bottom line, speed will be the difference.
00:07:03We're both starting out pretty conservative right now, Steve.
00:07:07Just reaching each other, finding a distance, gauging each other's speed.
00:07:11If you're going to have with the softball thing, I guarantee you that you're going to have the foot problem,
00:07:14people stepping on each other's feet.
00:07:16And heads coming together as well, time to time.
00:07:18And another problem he's going to have was with size.
00:07:22Look at the difference in size of these two.
00:07:24The height and the reach on Holmes, when we keep them out on the end of that jab,
00:07:29counsel's going to have to do some work to get inside that.
00:07:32Holmes, four, four and a half inches taller, and does have the longer reach.
00:07:36They usually go hand-in-hand.
00:07:38Counsel said the pressure will be his key, applying the pressure on Holmes.
00:07:43He certainly has to close the gap.
00:07:45He can't win the fight from this distance.
00:07:46This is where Keith Holmes wants to fight.
00:07:48And if counsel doesn't give him something to make him worry or hurry,
00:07:51he's going to win the fight staying outside.
00:07:54I asked counsel what he learned most.
00:07:56He's lost to Bernard Hopkins, his first title shot.
00:07:59He said he learned it's not all about strength.
00:08:02He said Hopkins boxed and boxed well.
00:08:04He knows that Holmes is an excellent boxer, too.
00:08:06He'll have to cut the ring off and make adjustments.
00:08:10Holmes was starting out much more determined than in all the other fights we've seen.
00:08:14We've seen him just play around at the first two or three runs.
00:08:16He's not playing this time.
00:08:17He's out here working, working hard with that jab.
00:08:22Counsel does fight with a great deal of pride.
00:08:25He has a good chin.
00:08:26He's 36-3.
00:08:28That's 31-6 defeats, three losses, three draws with 20 a knockout.
00:08:34Holmes, 34-2 with 23 KOs.
00:08:36Counsel's also a pretty good defensive fighter,
00:08:38but he's going to have to start to gamble
00:08:39and take some chances with this kind of height and reach.
00:08:42It's not going to be as easy as blocking all those shots.
00:08:44He's going to have to walk through some of them, slip some of them,
00:08:46but as he slips, he's going to have to step in and bang.
00:08:50Holmes said the reason the first fight with Counsel was so close back in 94,
00:08:54he simply had no energy.
00:08:56He was tired.
00:08:57He does come up with a lot of excuses.
00:08:59Well, I'll tell you, coming up with no energy,
00:09:04fight time is a bad thing to do.
00:09:06That was a heck of a right hand.
00:09:07He just hit our left-hand one.
00:09:10From an arcing left hand, thrown by Holmes,
00:09:14landing between the gloves,
00:09:15but it doesn't seem to affect Counsel any.
00:09:19Counsel's been down once in his career.
00:09:21He flashed that down in his second fight back in 91.
00:09:24He came back to win a third-round KO.
00:09:27Holmes never down.
00:09:29Holmes has eight first-round knockouts,
00:09:3316 of his 23 KOs in three rounds or less.
00:09:36Counsel's seven, 15 of his 20 KOs in three or less.
00:09:39Counsel's gone the distance with some big names, too.
00:09:41Bernard Hopkins, Robert Allen, who's beat Buddy McGurk,
00:09:43so you can know his chin's been tested.
00:09:47The bell for round one.
00:09:49Certainly no problem with that round.
00:09:51Goes to Holmes.
00:09:52He's trying to get busy towards the end, right?
00:09:54Mm-hmm.
00:09:54That's how we tell you.
00:09:55It's a little bit better.
00:09:57It's a little bit better.
00:09:59It's a little bit better.
00:10:05It was really good.
00:10:06Okay, here come Mr. Jacobs, okay?
00:10:08Okay?
00:10:09Look.
00:10:09Keep the jab in front of you.
00:10:11You're right there in front of you.
00:10:14Okay?
00:10:15Get that stick out there.
00:10:16You know what?
00:10:16You're working on it.
00:10:17Okay?
00:10:18Okay?
00:10:18Keep it...
00:10:19Loosen up, loosen up.
00:10:26I was instructed to tell you to take a little bachelorette off the mustache.
00:10:31But very courteous, I'm instructed to tell you, if you would please do that.
00:10:46And not only that, pretty, very respectful in that Holmes corner.
00:10:49Claude Bossier, the corner man in front of Holmes, saying, all right, here comes Mr. Jacobs now.
00:10:55That's Dave Jacobs, the trainer, who spent so many years with the great Sugar Ray Leonard,
00:11:01who's in attendance here tonight.
00:11:02All right, here we go, round two, scheduled for 12 for the WBC middleweight championship.
00:11:08Now, based on that first round, which was clearly Holmes, because he did the work and he was more effective with everything,
00:11:13we're going to have to look at now what Council does in the way of adjusting.
00:11:15So far right now, he's trying to counter the jab and move on with his own jab,
00:11:19but he's got to be more aggressive.
00:11:20He just can't win the fight outside.
00:11:22And you mentioned that the fight between Council and Hopkins,
00:11:25the power of Hopkins, just too much for Council, who was more tentative than usual.
00:11:32Hopkins wanted to prove that he could slug and box,
00:11:34and in the end, Hopkins controlled that fight,
00:11:36just punished Council and roots a unanimous decision to retain that IVF, though.
00:11:41But Council was game, looked to mix it up,
00:11:44and there's no reason to think he won't do that here with Holmes.
00:11:53Again, Holmes working that right jab,
00:11:55looking to set up the left.
00:12:03Council leaned back a little more.
00:12:05Maybe he's just waiting for the right moment.
00:12:10Those punches were blocked by the gloves of Council.
00:12:13I was talking to one of the sparring partners
00:12:14who worked with Holmes and Council, as well as Joppy,
00:12:17and he said, Andrew definitely doesn't like Keith Holmes,
00:12:20but he hates Joppy even more.
00:12:21Rivalry in the middleweight division.
00:12:28Well, this is more of the first round,
00:12:30because Council still hasn't figured out,
00:12:32and they are bumping shoes.
00:12:33It's more dramatic, the ones wearing black and white,
00:12:35you can see it more,
00:12:37and lulls in the action.
00:12:39You look at their feet, they're always touching.
00:12:40Now the action heating up, right in the center of the right.
00:12:42Good left hook, Council staggered Holmes a little bit.
00:12:45He really got his attention.
00:12:46Good inside left hook.
00:12:47He hurt him.
00:12:48That's his best punch, the left hook by Council.
00:12:51Now he's wailing away with the right.
00:12:53Three straight shots with the right.
00:12:54The last one missed,
00:12:55but good action here.
00:12:57Left hook right off the nose of Holmes.
00:13:00Council smothering a lot of the shots on the wind.
00:13:02So far, being very effective,
00:13:04a latter part of this round.
00:13:05All right, Frank, Frank, step back on him.
00:13:07Good glory by Andrew Council.
00:13:10Late in round two.
00:13:13He saw what he had to do, and he went to do it.
00:13:15He was in there, and he did some damage.
00:13:17It stunned him.
00:13:18How much it hurt him, I don't know, but it stunned him.
00:13:20But the citizen pro, Holmes, not panicking,
00:13:24works the jab, continues to box.
00:13:27Now the one-two combination by Holmes.
00:13:28Council's defense, too, Steve, is very tight.
00:13:30He blocks a lot of little punches.
00:13:32Hard to hit him clean.
00:13:33And I'll tell you right now,
00:13:34Keith Holmes has gotten to tighten up
00:13:36on his side a little more.
00:13:38Oh, low blow by Council.
00:13:44Two hometown guys going at it.
00:14:00Very good, Steve.
00:14:01Very good, very good.
00:14:02Don't get excited, Steve.
00:14:03Take your time.
00:14:04Take your time.
00:14:04Take your time.
00:14:05Take your time.
00:14:05You heard that body.
00:14:06You heard that body.
00:14:06Don't move on.
00:14:08Don't move on.
00:14:09Take it easy.
00:14:11We ready for 15 rounds.
00:14:13We okay, baby.
00:14:16Council works on the body here,
00:14:18and he comes through with a nice left hook
00:14:19that I don't think Holmes saw right there.
00:14:22And you can see the knees buckle.
00:14:24That started the rally.
00:14:25And later in the round, he continued doing it.
00:14:29But one of those shots, I do believe, went south of the border.
00:14:31And I think we're going to see it right here.
00:14:33That went well.
00:14:33Well, you know what?
00:14:34That's on the belt line.
00:14:35Borderline.
00:14:35That's on the belt line, which is technically legal.
00:14:37Even Arthur McCanty, he was right there, and he saw it.
00:14:40So even though the belt's about 6 inches, look at that.
00:14:43It's a very wide belt that man had.
00:14:44Look at that.
00:14:44Holy .
00:14:47I mean, you hit on that.
00:14:48That's 6 inches, man.
00:14:50And Arthur McCanty right there, taking that into account.
00:14:52Round 3.
00:14:54And McCanty got the best referee going just about.
00:14:56You know, I mean, he's been everywhere.
00:14:58He's seen everything.
00:14:59Been brilliant in the first Ali Frazier fight.
00:15:01Great, great referee.
00:15:02134 world title fights.
00:15:06The nicest part about Arthur McCanty, not is he perfect in the ring,
00:15:09but he's a gentleman outside the ring in the sun,
00:15:11follows in both cases, just like the dead.
00:15:13Can't see more than that.
00:15:15It's in the blood.
00:15:17And the best thing is, he broke the rule.
00:15:19There was a barrier there at 75 years of age.
00:15:21We wouldn't let him, a guy this good and this expert not
00:15:25allowed because of age was a crime.
00:15:26And he broke it, and now he's a referee, and that's great.
00:15:28I'll say the last thing about Arthur,
00:15:30and then we'll get back to the fight.
00:15:31He's the Dick Clark of Boston.
00:15:33He just never ages.
00:15:34Wonderful.
00:15:35All right, round three for the WBC middleweight title.
00:15:41Andrew Council comes off a good second round.
00:15:44Okay, right now, too, Keith Holmes is looking to be a little bit
00:15:47more of the aggressor.
00:15:48Maybe pick his spot and get some respect.
00:15:50He's going forward, Council not a fighter who fights well
00:15:53going backwards.
00:15:55Not too many could, huh?
00:15:56Maybe for Ali, a couple of others.
00:15:59Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, and a few other fighters could be to death,
00:16:02go backwards, but it's preferably not the place to go.
00:16:07Right.
00:16:08Keith Holmes is a very good counterpuncher.
00:16:10Boxing backwards is not the direction of choice.
00:16:14Good power and speed.
00:16:15He's smart, slick, very hard to hit, although Council has been
00:16:19finding the target.
00:16:21Look at his feet.
00:16:23Nice combination by Holmes, and the feet are tangling.
00:16:32He has heavy hands.
00:16:33You can hear the thud up the top of Holmes' head, and you see
00:16:37the effects of Holmes' shaking.
00:16:38Here's a right uppercut by Council.
00:16:41The fans going for the underdog, Andrew Council.
00:16:44Both are from the D.C. area.
00:16:47Those punches being rejected, blocked by Council.
00:16:51They fangs away at the side of Keith Holmes as they clinch.
00:16:55No hitting in the kidneys, understand?
00:16:57Let's go.
00:16:58Come in.
00:16:59Come in.
00:17:00Come in.
00:17:01Come in.
00:17:02Let's go.
00:17:03Let's go.
00:17:04Let's go.
00:17:05Let's go.
00:17:06Let's go.
00:17:07Let's go.
00:17:08Let's go.
00:17:09Let's go.
00:17:10Let's go.
00:17:11Let's go.
00:17:12Let's go.
00:17:13Straight left hand by Holmes.
00:17:14That penetrated.
00:17:15That got through the gloves of Council.
00:17:16Council has heavier hands, Steve.
00:17:17He's not working on them.
00:17:18He's just not throwing up punches.
00:17:19He's losing this round.
00:17:20He's being outworked.
00:17:21He needs to get busy.
00:17:22But you're right.
00:17:23The speed of it, I mean the power of it.
00:17:25You can hear it pow when he pops.
00:17:26One of Council's major weaknesses is that he lacks speed, and in long fights he grows
00:17:35lethargic.
00:17:36And some feel he does lack the boxing abilities and maneuverability that you need to be a complete
00:17:42fighter.
00:17:43Oh, Arthur McCann almost got nailed by Occident at the belt.
00:17:48Nice moves there by Holmes.
00:17:50By all three guys in the ring.
00:17:52Yeah.
00:17:53He let the guy get away.
00:17:54That's what you do.
00:17:55He beat you to the front.
00:17:56All right?
00:17:57No, Keith.
00:17:58Start hitting with that sweet left hand to the sole play.
00:17:59All right?
00:18:00Then come back with your right hook.
00:18:01All right?
00:18:02Get your jab.
00:18:03Get your jab.
00:18:04Get your jab.
00:18:05Don't get that on plate crap.
00:18:06Stop doing your jab about that the way that you're going.
00:18:08Put a snap through your jab.
00:18:09We're going to take a look at one of the better flurries by Council.
00:18:10He makes a nice slip there.
00:18:11Comes inside, and he rings a left hook off the top of Keith Holmes' head.
00:18:12You can see his legs shake.
00:18:13At one of his more effective moments in that round, but he just didn't work enough.
00:18:14There's some body work, but just not enough work.
00:18:15There's another look at it.
00:18:16Again, he slips, comes inside, and he loads up with that hook.
00:18:17You can see the legs buckle just a little bit more.
00:18:18He's a heavy-handed.
00:18:19Puncher is a heavy-handed puncher, as Andrew Council.
00:18:26But he's loading up, and that's why he's not working that hard.
00:18:29That's why he wants to inflict damage.
00:18:32He wants to get in there, and so doing he's blowing it around,
00:18:36because the other guy is working.
00:18:37He's working hard.
00:18:38And he's working hard.
00:18:39And he's working hard.
00:18:40And he rings a left hook off the top of Keith Holmes' head.
00:18:42You can see his legs shake.
00:18:43At one of his more effective moments in that round,
00:18:44but he just didn't work enough.
00:18:45There's some body work.
00:18:46But just not enough work.
00:18:47So doing is blowing around because the other guy is working.
00:18:49Holmes is working, make no mistake.
00:18:51Holmes trainer Dave Jacobs pointing out to Keith.
00:18:54He said he's beating you to the punch.
00:18:56Snap that jab, boy.
00:18:57Let's see if he does.
00:18:59Round four.
00:19:01If Holmes can keep up this machine like jabbing,
00:19:04he's got going, I mean, his energy has got to be big
00:19:07to do this for 12 rounds.
00:19:12You got jab just pumping in there, pumping in there,
00:19:15pumping in there.
00:19:16That's going to wear you out.
00:19:17Oh, he's being very cautious.
00:19:30Staying on the outside, flicking the jab.
00:19:38Counsel being very defensive.
00:19:41But is he doing it often enough?
00:19:50He's getting a little swollen.
00:19:51Without the pace being picked up by Counsel,
00:19:53Holmes is allowed to sit back, jab at his leisure.
00:19:56And really, you're not forcing the pace,
00:19:58you're not forcing your legs, you're not forcing his legs.
00:20:00You get tired and you're used.
00:20:02Counsel's got to get to work.
00:20:03Perhaps fearful of getting too close inside
00:20:07because of the heavy-handedness of Counsel
00:20:11and his counter-punching ability.
00:20:15To the body, but Counsel just standing there and taking it.
00:20:20Most of that hit the arms, but still,
00:20:22it's at least punches.
00:20:23He's throwing them.
00:20:24Counsel's not.
00:20:25And point builders.
00:20:26I don't care what that hits.
00:20:27That hurts.
00:20:27The judge is, Warren Schellenberger from Texas,
00:20:31Tawny Perez, New Jersey, from Uchi, New York.
00:20:34They see that.
00:20:35They put it down.
00:20:36Stop, stop, stop.
00:20:37Back up.
00:20:38Let's go.
00:20:42Counsel's got to pick up the temple of his family.
00:20:45Counsel turned pro in 1990 at age 23.
00:21:01He's 31, won a regional Golden Gloves title.
00:21:08Oh, Holmes is dancing.
00:21:09He is dancing.
00:21:11That tires out.
00:21:13Unless you're in terrific shape,
00:21:14you're going to dance like that for long.
00:21:17There's a word we've heard a lot of lately,
00:21:19dancing in the boxing ring.
00:21:22Yeah, we saw a ballroom dancing there tonight.
00:21:26That was more like a track beat.
00:21:32Counsel is riding a 16-fight on Beaton Street
00:21:34when he lost to Holmes in 94 for the vacant USBA title.
00:21:38We've come to the final seconds of round four.
00:21:41Now the action's getting better in the final seconds
00:21:48as we head for the ball as Counsel is digging in
00:21:51to the stomach of Holmes.
00:21:53Trying to steal one here.
00:21:54There you go.
00:21:57There you go.
00:21:57You beat him out of his own game,
00:21:59but you do your thing along the way, okay?
00:22:00That's right.
00:22:01Why don't you do it most that way, okay?
00:22:04That's a big one.
00:22:04You've got to work.
00:22:06Now look, you switch up,
00:22:07you hit it with that shot,
00:22:08that toe play to the bottom, right?
00:22:10Good?
00:22:11Straight left hand to the bottom.
00:22:13Come right back upstairs with your right hook
00:22:15and a straight left hand upstairs,
00:22:16but keep working with your jab.
00:22:18Work on the body just a little bit more,
00:22:20but keep your jab in front of us.
00:22:22One of the greatest athletes to come out of this area,
00:22:24five-time world champion Sugar Ray Leonard looking on.
00:22:30Enjoying the action.
00:22:31Got a big round of applause
00:22:33when he was introduced to the crowd
00:22:34before the fights began.
00:22:37There was a guy that knew what to do
00:22:39when the title was on the line.
00:22:41He didn't run.
00:22:41He went and got it.
00:22:42Let's trick him, man.
00:22:45Do trick him.
00:22:46We're set for round five
00:22:47for the WBC Middleweight Championship.
00:22:52They were happy in that Keith Holmes corner
00:22:54between rounds.
00:22:55Thought that he controlled the tempo
00:22:57in that last round.
00:22:58That's what they want to see more of.
00:23:00I think he clearly won the round.
00:23:01He did it better than he had done
00:23:02any of the other rounds he'd won.
00:23:04He was very, very effective.
00:23:05And one thing he's doing now,
00:23:06he's getting between the gloves.
00:23:08I mean, up to this point,
00:23:09he was hitting gloves.
00:23:10That last round he hit between
00:23:12gloves several times.
00:23:13Beautiful shots inside.
00:23:19Holmes continues to jab with that right.
00:23:23The other guy's jab is just a pawing,
00:23:25nothing going nowhere jab.
00:23:28At least, at least Holmes is hitting something,
00:23:30even if it's gloves.
00:23:31He hits something with the jab.
00:23:33This other guy's pawing in the air.
00:23:34Oh, a big right hand by Andrew Council.
00:23:38Another heavy right.
00:23:39Unfortunately, too much of it
00:23:40has been one and done.
00:23:41He needs to follow up right-hand left hook like that.
00:23:44All right, Frank, come back.
00:23:45No kidding, Paul.
00:23:46He needs to get bombs,
00:23:47and he needs to do some punches and bunches with him.
00:23:50Council looking at the endless thing with one punch.
00:23:54Missed with that wild left hook right over the head of Holmes.
00:23:57That left hook had bad intentions.
00:23:58He's been right there with that shot.
00:24:00I mean, Holmes is fighting a pretty darn good defensive fight.
00:24:03He makes this guy miss a lot.
00:24:05I mean, in a while he hit something good,
00:24:07but basically he's fighting a good defensive fight.
00:24:09Holmes nearly tripped over the foot of Andrew Council there.
00:24:13Again, that southpaw thing.
00:24:18Once again, the elusive Keith Holmes
00:24:20able to avoid that left hook by Council.
00:24:26Council's going to start getting frustrated soon
00:24:28if that continues to happen.
00:24:30And now, good shots to the body by Holmes.
00:24:32Those are two zingers.
00:24:35That's the kidney punching, I'm telling you now.
00:24:37More warning to Andrew Council
00:24:38for the kidney punches by Arthur McKinney.
00:24:40Actually, Arthur is off a little bit on this one.
00:24:43That punches directly to the side underneath the lats,
00:24:45not in the back where the kidneys are.
00:24:47So it's a leader blow.
00:24:53Good.
00:24:55Council opening up.
00:24:56He landed a ninth body shot and a good hook up top.
00:25:00Again, he rocked on it.
00:25:01And he has to keep at it.
00:25:03He can't go back and set.
00:25:04He's got to come back.
00:25:05Come on, come on.
00:25:06Well, it is.
00:25:10What's more effective,
00:25:11the right jab of Keith Holmes
00:25:13or those heavy punches by Andrew Council in the long run?
00:25:16Well, right now, I think Keith Holmes
00:25:18has landed many more of the jabs
00:25:20for point effectiveness
00:25:21as opposed to several isolated bombs of Council.
00:25:24So right now, the jab is winning the battle.
00:25:26And effectiveness as far as wearing out.
00:25:29All those jabs are landing.
00:25:30This is the guy's hard punches
00:25:31every once in a while, Lance.
00:25:33That ain't doing anything.
00:25:34One aspect of the bomb, though,
00:25:35could be one shot long done like that.
00:25:37We saw that with Tyson Botha.
00:25:39That's what's great about boxing.
00:25:41Oh, a straight left hand right on the head by Holmes.
00:25:44That was an effective punch by Holmes.
00:25:46After a series of punches,
00:25:48a good right hand,
00:25:49that's the kind of stuff
00:25:50that's winning these rounds
00:25:51one after the other for Holmes.
00:25:53Look up.
00:25:54It was real clean.
00:25:55That's good.
00:25:56That's good.
00:25:56Look up.
00:25:57Let me get him here for that.
00:25:58Let me get him for it.
00:26:02Keep still.
00:26:03Let me get this, Andrew.
00:26:04Keep still.
00:26:05We'll come on.
00:26:06You can't sit on the middle.
00:26:07Keep still.
00:26:07Now, here's the shot.
00:26:14That shot goes all the way around to the back.
00:26:16Those shots are too far around.
00:26:18Keith Holmes kind of turns in some of the shots.
00:26:21I'm not sure exactly which sequence that was.
00:26:23But the one that stood back there,
00:26:24they're really good.
00:26:25That's a fact.
00:26:26Sometimes a big talk fight of Holmes
00:26:28turns behind him
00:26:29so that's the only place open to you.
00:26:30Do you have to be in?
00:26:33Put him up, Keith.
00:26:35Fuck him up.
00:26:39Let's go.
00:26:40Come on.
00:26:40It's your show, man.
00:26:41Come on.
00:26:42Get your work in.
00:26:43Holmes is ready for round six.
00:26:44Adrian Davis was talking to Andrew Council.
00:26:5030 wins, 6 defeats, 3 draws with 20 knockouts.
00:26:53Council's second world title shot.
00:26:57Keith Holmes 4-1 in world title fights.
00:27:00He's the WBC middleweight champ.
00:27:03Won the title in his first title shot, March of 96.
00:27:06Ninth round TKO over Quincy Taylor.
00:27:08I'll tell you, Council's throwing that jab
00:27:14and then dropping his arm to the side.
00:27:16Whereas before, he's putting both hands up,
00:27:18you know, the beaker boo like that.
00:27:20But when he jabs, he drops it.
00:27:22And, uh, but I mean drops it.
00:27:24Watch what he does.
00:27:26And now, for whatever reason,
00:27:28at least the early part of this round,
00:27:29Council wasn't really pressing issue that much,
00:27:31allowing Keith Holmes to come forward jabbing.
00:27:33That's just not a fight he can win.
00:27:36Well, he's far, he's falling behind in this one.
00:27:41Something fell off.
00:27:42I don't know what that was.
00:27:49Probably a piece of tape or something.
00:27:50Yeah, it looks like that.
00:27:51Right behind Council by his right foot.
00:27:55Either that or a molar.
00:27:58Is there a dentist in the house?
00:28:00I think it might have been one of the letters
00:28:01he has in the front of his trunks.
00:28:02If you watch, some of them are peeling off.
00:28:03I think that's what it was.
00:28:05Wouldn't it be good?
00:28:05Wouldn't it be good?
00:28:11Holmes continues to control the fight.
00:28:14He says he'd like to unify,
00:28:16but he cares more about the title,
00:28:17not the title holder.
00:28:20But I really think deep down inside,
00:28:22he wants jumping.
00:28:22It's our tribal from this area.
00:28:24Another wild swing and a miss by Council.
00:28:26All right, pick, pick!
00:28:27We'll have to wait and see if Holmes wins here.
00:28:34We've got to give Bobby Chez the Leonard Detective Award.
00:28:37That's right.
00:28:38This whole thing is coming up, Bobby.
00:28:41Yeah, well, I was confused.
00:28:42I saw a white thing falling.
00:28:44There aren't too many white things up in the ring.
00:28:45You can fall.
00:28:46The tape stays on the gloves.
00:28:47And if they fall, the whole piece comes off.
00:28:49So I looked around and now I see the letters swung off.
00:28:52And they're falling over yet.
00:28:53The A is about to go.
00:29:04Well, he's got bragging rights in the name.
00:29:06But I hit you so hard,
00:29:07your name came off the front of your uniform.
00:29:09Not quite like knocking the cover off of baseball,
00:29:16but it's close there.
00:29:19Well, this is more of the same.
00:29:21This is more of Holmes working his way
00:29:23in a workmanlike fashion, not in a hurry.
00:29:26And the other guy getting a little bit desperate
00:29:28but not doing anything about it.
00:29:29All right, break, break.
00:29:31Step back.
00:29:32Don't hit on the break.
00:29:33We approach the final 10 seconds of round six.
00:29:36Another round for Keith Holmes.
00:29:38Also digging in.
00:29:42He's trying, but before he...
00:29:43Oh, now that was slow.
00:29:45Hit him up that whole lot.
00:29:46Now that was slow.
00:29:47Okay, let's go.
00:29:48As the bell tolls, coming up next,
00:29:51the main event, Joppy Green 3.
00:29:52We take you backstage into the dressing room
00:29:54with the champion, William Joppy.
00:29:56The local product making the second defense
00:29:58of his second tour as champ.
00:30:02Always confident.
00:30:03Some might call him cocky,
00:30:05but for the most part,
00:30:07he's not able to back up his words.
00:30:08Only one loss in 29 fights.
00:30:10And that was the controversial defeat
00:30:12to Julio Cesar Green for the title
00:30:14which he avenged in the rematch.
00:30:15Tonight, the rubber match.
00:30:17You think you're jammed here and work, but you can't.
00:30:23Start jamming to the stomach.
00:30:25Jamming to it.
00:30:25And try your one-two.
00:30:27You ain't bustin' your one-two in there a little bit.
00:30:29Give me the mouthpiece.
00:30:30Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:30:32Stop being here.
00:30:34Get your arms working, Andrew.
00:30:36You know how to do it.
00:30:37Take another one.
00:30:37Take another one.
00:30:38Let's go to work.
00:30:38All right.
00:30:39Let's go to work.
00:30:40Come on.
00:30:40Stay there to the bell, bro.
00:30:42Back to work, all right?
00:30:43Well, basically, it's the same information in both corners.
00:30:47Get to work.
00:30:48Get to work.
00:30:48But I don't think you have to tell Holmes that.
00:30:50Holmes is working.
00:30:51You can't work much harder than it is.
00:30:53But I think the advice is right.
00:30:55Get your arms working.
00:30:57Get stuff going.
00:30:59You can't just sit back and keep eating that jab.
00:31:05My score, by the way, Bobby, at six is 60 and 55
00:31:08because I gave one round even.
00:31:10I have it at 59 and 55.
00:31:13Yeah.
00:31:14For Keith Holmes.
00:31:14Here's how the fans see it on the online.
00:31:17They have it even.
00:31:17Wow.
00:31:18Oh, wow.
00:31:19They must have still been mesmerized from that fight the other night.
00:31:23Right.
00:31:24That session in strange.
00:31:26In the desert viewing.
00:31:28Well, we're halfway home.
00:31:30Let's see if Council can pick up the pace.
00:31:33There could have been a good argument made for the fifth round
00:31:35to give that to Council.
00:31:36So, you know, there's some room for her.
00:31:38But I think he just didn't do it quite enough.
00:31:40He did most of it too late.
00:31:42At best, he's 5-1.
00:31:45Council wants to get a best of them.
00:31:46Right.
00:31:47And if you're in all fairness, it could be 4-2.
00:31:48But 3-3, I can't see.
00:31:50Oh, no.
00:31:51Oh, no.
00:31:52Once again, it does look different on television
00:31:58as opposed to when you're here live.
00:31:59Absolutely.
00:32:03Thank goodness, or we could stay home and call these fights.
00:32:06Which we've done on occasion in studios off the television model.
00:32:10Not quite the same thing.
00:32:11Not quite.
00:32:11And no fun, whatever.
00:32:13Especially with Bobby in the background
00:32:15playing the role of the crowd noise.
00:32:18I'll tell you, though,
00:32:19I had some experience with in-person.
00:32:21Rocky Lockridge and Super Pedroza in-person.
00:32:24I had a one-point win for Rocky.
00:32:25I went on and watched it on TV,
00:32:27and I thought Rocky ran away with nine rounds to six.
00:32:29There you go.
00:32:29Sugar Ray Leonard thought of another one.
00:32:32That's in there.
00:32:33All right, here's Keith Holmes
00:32:34going to the body of Council
00:32:36who just lets him go.
00:32:37No, he played Passenger.
00:32:38He tried to act like he was hurt.
00:32:40Unfortunately, he didn't counter, though.
00:32:43Isn't it more fun when you're playing possum
00:32:45to go after the other guy when you're doing it?
00:32:47I think that's part of the game.
00:32:48That's one of the rules.
00:32:49I think there might be a little blood
00:32:51with the left eye of Council.
00:32:55He kind of was feeling around there
00:32:56and then looked at his glove
00:32:57to see where there was blood on the glove.
00:32:59Let's see.
00:33:00Hard to tell.
00:33:03Maybe I'm off.
00:33:05There's a red area there,
00:33:06but I can't see any blood.
00:33:07Yeah, he thought there was
00:33:08because he looked at his glove.
00:33:10Sidney's blood on it.
00:33:11In any case,
00:33:13we move on.
00:33:1430 seconds left in round seven.
00:33:26Holmes sneaking a pick
00:33:27at somebody in the crowd.
00:33:28Council unable to find the answer
00:33:40to the elusive and dancing of Holmes.
00:33:43That big right hand by Council
00:33:46was a grazing blow
00:33:47off the side of Holmes' face
00:33:48if they didn't face him.
00:33:50Too late.
00:33:52Too late.
00:33:53We got to roll, okay?
00:33:54We got to roll.
00:33:54You're not doing nothing with this guy.
00:33:56You got to...
00:33:57Come on, man.
00:33:57Are you doing this?
00:33:58Come on, man.
00:33:59Come on, you got to wake up.
00:34:00Shit, it's not going to be
00:34:01another time like this.
00:34:02Want to try left-handed this time?
00:34:04Let's switch over.
00:34:05Something got to change.
00:34:07Don't move.
00:34:08Don't move.
00:34:08I got to.
00:34:11Let's close up.
00:34:12Let's never see.
00:34:12What's in?
00:34:13Huh?
00:34:14All right.
00:34:14That's better.
00:34:15Yeah.
00:34:16And there's blood.
00:34:18You pick it up, man.
00:34:19We're in shape.
00:34:20You can do it.
00:34:21Don't have to get a...
00:34:21Look at that tiny nick.
00:34:22Not much.
00:34:23Come on, just messing around.
00:34:24Get a...
00:34:25Jazz it way into it.
00:34:26He looks frustrated.
00:34:27It looks like he's losing interest in this.
00:34:29He can't do anything but take this little beating he's getting.
00:34:32Look at him.
00:34:32Look at him.
00:34:33Oh, yeah.
00:34:34Suck it in.
00:34:34Yeah.
00:34:35You're on the hand of a one-time.
00:34:36Stop making a mess.
00:34:37Stop making a mess.
00:34:38I'm a loser.
00:34:39They always have a rigged towel on their one-off.
00:34:43Well, they speak the truth in the council, Carter.
00:34:47You better get your act together and get going.
00:34:49And there is just a trickle of blood over the left eye of Andrew Council.
00:34:58Straight left hand by Keith Holmes that got through the defense.
00:35:01Right on the head.
00:35:02Smash it right on the bridge of the nose.
00:35:04Holmes comes out very active here in round eight.
00:35:08Going to the body, too.
00:35:12I tell you what, he ought to be enjoying this night.
00:35:14This is a one-way night for Holmes.
00:35:15He hasn't taken any punishment.
00:35:17He's ditched out an awful lot.
00:35:19All right.
00:35:24Yeah, interestingly, the fans at the halfway point scored rounds two, three, and five for Andrew Council.
00:35:30I gave two even.
00:35:31Two rounds.
00:35:32It was round two even.
00:35:33I had round two for Council, and I think round five was one that could have made a good argument for him.
00:35:38I thought he just felt a little short.
00:35:39But I could understand that from the home viewers.
00:35:43But three rounds of the first six, I got a little problem with that.
00:35:49I know one thing.
00:35:50Whether we're sitting here or whether we're at home, Holmes is ahead of this fight.
00:35:55Council's just not working enough.
00:35:57It's just that simple.
00:35:57He's landing some heavy blows, and they're doing some damage when they land.
00:36:01But there are so few and far between that it's not mattering in a big way.
00:36:05That's around eight punches in that combination before the other guy threw one punch.
00:36:16For Council through anything, he took in about eight shots.
00:36:19They've got to be very, very downcast and frustrated in the Council corner.
00:36:29You can hear his trainers clearly as frustrated.
00:36:32Something's got to change.
00:36:33He said, you have to do something.
00:36:34Keep him up, Andy.
00:36:34Keep him up.
00:36:39He's just been smiling with punches.
00:36:41Look at that.
00:36:42You have the speed of Holmes.
00:36:45All of that, and then there was a mishook by Council.
00:36:48Imagine who got the points.
00:36:49And the defense of Holmes eluding those uppercuts, those attempts by Andrew Council.
00:36:57Against a lesser fighter, he might have more success.
00:36:59There's a quick left hook by Keith Holmes.
00:37:04Council trying to counter to the body.
00:37:06But once again, Keith Holmes finishes the flurry, he counters back.
00:37:10He's getting hit, and he's getting weary.
00:37:13Oh, yeah.
00:37:13Now it's getting really miserable for Council.
00:37:17Unanswered punches.
00:37:17Now he's trying to come back.
00:37:19Good left hook there by Council.
00:37:20That's good.
00:37:21Move a right, uppercutting left hook.
00:37:22You're right.
00:37:23He heard Keith Holmes.
00:37:24Keith Holmes is already heading on.
00:37:28Council continues to win away.
00:37:29He's game.
00:37:30He's missing most of those shots, though.
00:37:33That's because Holmes moves just enough to get him.
00:37:37Holmes doing a heck of a defensive job.
00:37:39Excuse me.
00:37:39But he's doing a great defensive job.
00:37:42Look at this exchange.
00:37:45Some heavy load both ways.
00:37:46Council nailed him with a left hook.
00:37:49He got Holmes to the head.
00:37:50He shakes his head.
00:37:51You didn't hurt me.
00:37:52But that had to hurt.
00:37:53Holmes was in trouble.
00:37:54And then it happened in the middle of the round.
00:37:56Well, I'll tell you what.
00:37:58He got him.
00:37:59He got him good.
00:38:00But he got him late.
00:38:01Maybe he's trying to do what Khalid Rahel did when he fought Frankie Randall.
00:38:06He waited the first 6-7 round, turned it on, and what happened.
00:38:10But Bobby, how do you give a round like that all round long?
00:38:13Holmes is killing him.
00:38:14And then at the last shot, he gets hurt.
00:38:17I mean, how can you...
00:38:17One punch going to change that round?
00:38:20I'll tell you, it wasn't really one punch, but...
00:38:22Give me a little breeze.
00:38:25Watch the logo.
00:38:28We'll take a look at the end of the round.
00:38:31Again, Council's been working his way, trying to get inside.
00:38:33But they land.
00:38:34There's the left hook.
00:38:34You could see.
00:38:35That was literally like a fraction of a second before the bell rang.
00:38:39Here's another angle.
00:38:41That's not the left hook that really hurt.
00:38:42It's coming up in a minute.
00:38:44But they're just inside.
00:38:45And right up out.
00:38:47It was just a little further along.
00:38:48It was a beautiful left hook right at the bell.
00:38:50I think it was the next punch.
00:38:52Wow.
00:38:53Round number 9.
00:38:55Scheduled for 12.
00:38:56Big finish to the end of round 8 by Andrew Council.
00:38:59Let's see if he can pick up where he left off.
00:39:01Going to the body with the right hand.
00:39:03And that woke up the crowd.
00:39:05I think it woke up Andrew too.
00:39:07Yes.
00:39:07Yeah.
00:39:15Let's see how much energy Council expended there.
00:39:19Let's go.
00:39:21Well, Holmes doesn't look as wide awake as he was in all the others.
00:39:24He's not punching as hard.
00:39:25It's very soft punching now.
00:39:29Hansel continues to wail away at the body.
00:39:31Back comes Holmes to the head.
00:39:33Watch your heads.
00:39:34Watch your heads.
00:39:35The heads come very close.
00:39:36All right, break, break.
00:39:38They're hitting on the kidneys.
00:39:39I'm going to take a point away from you to keep it up.
00:39:41Let's go.
00:39:41Well, you heard the warning by McCatty.
00:39:43Well, if there's anything he needs, he doesn't need is to get a point taken.
00:39:47The very last thing he needs is that.
00:39:49We'd have to borrow points.
00:39:50He's got to go in a field battle as it is.
00:39:51You have to go borrow points from the other guy.
00:39:53He keeps on much of the lead.
00:39:59Once again, toe-to-toe.
00:40:01Andrew just keeps coming up short with that left hook.
00:40:04He's not stepping in with it.
00:40:05Keith Holmes pulling out.
00:40:07Big right hand that just missed by Andrew Council.
00:40:11A glancing blow.
00:40:14There's a right hand off the top of the head of Holmes.
00:40:18Oh, uppercut combination by Keith Holmes.
00:40:20That snapped Council's head back a little bit.
00:40:25Both these guys have good chins.
00:40:33All right, break.
00:40:34Come back.
00:40:35Let's go.
00:40:37Let's go.
00:40:42Council, aggressive.
00:40:43Keeps coming forward, but countering shots by Holmes.
00:40:48Holmes landing more.
00:40:50Andrew's putting the pressure on now, but he's not throwing quite enough punches,
00:40:54and he's not landing them clean.
00:40:55Holmes spinning around and landed.
00:41:01Back comes Council.
00:41:03Right-left combination.
00:41:04They landed.
00:41:05He's not on his toe anymore, not sticking and moving.
00:41:14Now he's laying in right in harm's way.
00:41:20Those heavy punches by Council, perhaps taking the steam out of Holmes.
00:41:24Got to take its toll.
00:41:29But again, the speed of a straight right hand by Council, but Council's in trouble.
00:41:33Oh, what a countering shot by Holmes, and down goes Council.
00:41:36He's on his face.
00:41:37Can he get up from this?
00:41:39Five.
00:41:39He's on his feet, but very high.
00:41:44He's in trouble, Steve.
00:41:46He's in trouble.
00:41:47He made it to the bow.
00:41:49He's out.
00:41:50He's out.
00:41:53Come on.
00:42:01What was that?
00:42:03Get going?
00:42:03Stop.
00:42:03agricultor.
00:42:04Get it right there.
00:42:06Come on, man.
00:42:06Come on.
00:42:08Come on.
00:42:08Come on.
00:42:08We're going to give you a couple of looks at this right hook.
00:42:20And there it is, a beautiful right hook.
00:42:22Keith Holmes was even pulling out a little bit, but that's his best punch, the right hook.
00:42:27He dropped Hasid Sharifi with it, and here he drops Council.
00:42:30Nice left hand, and right there, I literally believe Council never saw it and ran right into it.
00:42:36He twisted right into it, and when you don't see them, they hurt twice as much as when you catch them.
00:42:41We saw it in that, I'm sure if you think, that one punch just absolutely flattens you.
00:42:46Perfectly timed.
00:42:48And you had the feeling this could have gone, that could have been either fighter,
00:42:51because what he was, when Council was throwing, that could have happened the other way.
00:42:55Council doesn't appear to be very strong on his feet right now.
00:42:58Holmes going for the finish at the beginning of round 10.
00:43:01A barrage all over Council, but Council so gave.
00:43:05Very courageous.
00:43:07He keeps looking over to his point.
00:43:09He says, I'm all right, I'm all right.
00:43:10Stop holding the rub.
00:43:12Let's go.
00:43:13Down for the second time in his career.
00:43:15Andrew Council in the ninth round.
00:43:17One point taken away from you.
00:43:19Oh, he's taking a point from Holmes.
00:43:20Holmes hit him on the break.
00:43:21Arthur McKay that would break him, and Holmes reached out and laid one in.
00:43:25Break hands down.
00:43:27So a point is deducted from Holmes.
00:43:30He can afford it.
00:43:31But he goes right back at Council.
00:43:34He wants to end it here in the tent.
00:43:36Back comes Council with body shots.
00:43:38Big left hook by Council.
00:43:42He's got guts.
00:43:44That's all the guts in the world.
00:43:46You're going to admire, Council.
00:43:47Most of this crowd are on their feet.
00:43:52Well, this is the slow best that he wanted.
00:43:54Now he's got it.
00:43:57Hard shots by Holmes.
00:44:00Council to stand again.
00:44:02And countering.
00:44:03Hard buddy shot by Council.
00:44:12Right hand by Council that landed.
00:44:19He wasn't even looking at it.
00:44:22Holmes comes back with a countering left.
00:44:23Backs up Council now.
00:44:26Council just fighting on guts and instinct now.
00:44:28Guts and instinct.
00:44:30A nice uppercut and a hook.
00:44:32Middle uppercut by Council.
00:44:34I just don't think he's got enough left right now.
00:44:37It seems that the gas tank is on a short, short, short run.
00:44:40And he's got a minute time to go here in round 10.
00:44:45Oh, what a right hand by Council.
00:44:47What a chin by Holmes.
00:44:49Beautiful body shot there by Council, too.
00:44:53Oh, what an uppercut.
00:44:55Another uppercut by Holmes.
00:44:57Holmes with a combination.
00:44:58But Council just won't give in.
00:45:02Dangerously and perilously on the ropes.
00:45:06All right, Frank.
00:45:07Frank.
00:45:08What a display of resolve and will by Andrew Council.
00:45:15And he's punching back.
00:45:18He just won't quit.
00:45:19He won't say die.
00:45:21He's still got that big bomb in him.
00:45:22He's swinging, letting go.
00:45:23One of those lands could change the fight.
00:45:25Could change it completely around.
00:45:27Could knock out Holmes right now.
00:45:28Holmes is tired.
00:45:30Holmes has never been down in his career.
00:45:32It was non-stop action for most of round 10.
00:45:42Wow, look at this.
00:45:43Andrew Council with a flurry.
00:45:46Heading for the bell.
00:45:48Why do you hear this crowd at the bell?
00:45:51I'll tell you, it was a good round for both fighters.
00:45:56They took a plump off of Holmes.
00:45:59I still thought Holmes wound up winning the round.
00:46:00A lot of them, especially early.
00:46:02The Council in the corner, the Council came back.
00:46:05I just, that's a heck of a round of score.
00:46:07It's a difficult one.
00:46:07I scored it for home with Dylan.
00:46:09Isn't that the kind of fight we expected from Delahoya and Trinidad?
00:46:13Is that what we expected?
00:46:15You still need your legs and your jab, okay?
00:46:18Right?
00:46:19You still need it.
00:46:22Clearly the best action round of the fight so far.
00:46:25They were at it toe-to-toe.
00:46:27Council with a beautiful right hand to the body.
00:46:29Misses a mean left hook.
00:46:31He really meant to do some damage with that.
00:46:33Holmes did his best, though, to keep Council with his back to the ropes.
00:46:36Where he's less effective with the power.
00:46:37There's a beautiful uppercut.
00:46:38Double uppercut on the inside.
00:46:40Right hand.
00:46:42Council tries to come back.
00:46:44He spent a little too much time on his back to the ropes covering up.
00:46:47Andrew Council did.
00:46:48I still think Holmes went around and took the point off.
00:46:50I'd score a 9-9.
00:46:52Exactly.
00:46:54Exactly.
00:46:55And we go to the championship rounds,
00:46:57and this really is a championship fight.
00:47:00And going into it, we've got an 88-81.
00:47:02So it's almost impossible to win,
00:47:05except by a knockout for the part of Council.
00:47:08Right now, it's the Jake LaMotta Award.
00:47:10Am I going to stay here until the bell?
00:47:12A right-left combination as Holmes opens the round.
00:47:14Right on the head of Council.
00:47:16Council certainly capable of ending it with a knockout.
00:47:20Yeah, he's not out of this yet.
00:47:23But I'm going back to that beautiful right jab,
00:47:26sticking it.
00:47:27The shotgun.
00:47:28Right now, Holmes really just has the box smart,
00:47:35not get caught, not be foolish in walking into wide shots.
00:47:38He's boxing smart.
00:47:39He's done it the whole night.
00:47:40There's no timing change.
00:47:41That's what a fellow named Oskar felt.
00:47:45Yeah, except he didn't fight at all.
00:47:48There's more fighting in one round of this fight
00:47:50than there was in 12 with that one.
00:47:52De La Hoya chose not to fight.
00:47:56Yeah, I disagree to some extent.
00:47:58I agree with the last four rounds.
00:47:59I don't want to get into a debate over that
00:48:01because we've got a good fight here.
00:48:02But I thought, for the most part,
00:48:05that he was tactically beautiful.
00:48:11And here's Keith Holmes now coming forward.
00:48:15That little cut over the left on Council, no factor.
00:48:27Yeah, it really hasn't left.
00:48:29It's a very small trickle
00:48:30and not a factor whatsoever.
00:48:32Oh, he's not punching with any power.
00:48:36No, I was just going to say, no authority.
00:48:38A little pitter-pats.
00:48:39He's tired of wanging this guy.
00:48:41Nothing's up.
00:48:42On the other hand, he also is capable of changing up
00:48:44a little bit, and then boom.
00:48:46He's done that before.
00:48:48He's deceptive.
00:48:51We approach the final minute, round 11.
00:48:56Quiet round compared to the war of the last two.
00:48:59Council just scored with a straight right hand.
00:49:02Missed with the left.
00:49:04He also is not punching very hard.
00:49:06But you can understand why he's not.
00:49:09He has been punished.
00:49:11He's exhausted.
00:49:11See that?
00:49:12That's time.
00:49:13Once again, Holmes.
00:49:15Oh, over Council.
00:49:16And he holds on, so it's not to hit the canvas again.
00:49:21He almost pulled Holmes' trunks down.
00:49:24He looks like he is very tired.
00:49:25Very, very wobbly.
00:49:27His legs are not under him.
00:49:29On very rubbery legs.
00:49:31Andrew Council.
00:49:32Come on!
00:49:33As soon as Council went to the ropes and looked tired,
00:49:35Holmes saw it, picked it up, and attacked him.
00:49:37Hold it.
00:49:37Hold it.
00:49:38Hold it.
00:49:39Go.
00:49:40Final seconds, though, for Andrew Council.
00:49:42He's trying to eat up as much time as he can by walking away.
00:49:47Well, he's only got a few seconds for the round,
00:49:49but the fight is lost.
00:49:52That's it.
00:49:53Council is going to have to knock Holmes out in the last round.
00:49:56Big time loss.
00:49:58Get some ice for this here.
00:49:59Give me some ice.
00:50:00Give me the ice, babe.
00:50:01Right here.
00:50:03Let me see on his down.
00:50:04Hold it.
00:50:04Hold it.
00:50:05Suck it in here, Andrew.
00:50:07Andrew, you've got to put down, bite your feet,
00:50:09put your chin down.
00:50:10You've got to work on it over there.
00:50:11Come on.
00:50:12That was nice.
00:50:13Come on, Andrew.
00:50:14We're going to show you where that point lost.
00:50:15Here Arthur McCanty's trying to break the two.
00:50:18Same, don't punch.
00:50:18Put your hands down.
00:50:19Don't punch.
00:50:20And watch what Keith Holmes does.
00:50:24He just slams one in there anyway.
00:50:26Oh, that was silly.
00:50:28It was not only silly, it was blatant,
00:50:29and it was unnecessary.
00:50:30He's talking about, listen, ineffectual, unnecessary stupid.
00:50:34No, it's just not.
00:50:34He won't jab him back.
00:50:36You'd be surprised, though.
00:50:37We did it in the gym.
00:50:38Sometimes in the action, of course.
00:50:39Last round, Sam, you've got to bite the bullet.
00:50:42You understand?
00:50:43You've got to bite the bullet.
00:50:44Work, baby.
00:50:45Work.
00:50:45Get you done.
00:50:46He's a bit of man.
00:50:47I swallowed that bullet about two rounds ago.
00:50:50I swallowed that bullet.
00:50:51That's a machine gun.
00:50:53Here we go.
00:50:54They'll touch gloves for the last round.
00:50:55Come on.
00:50:55Let's go.
00:50:56Give me a glove.
00:50:57Give me a glove.
00:50:57Give me a glove.
00:50:58Let's have your glove.
00:50:59Let's go.
00:51:00Box, let's go.
00:51:01Council has gone 12 rounds four times.
00:51:03Lost all four to Holmes, Wright, Allen, and Hopkins.
00:51:07Holmes has gone 12 twice.
00:51:09He's one and one.
00:51:10TKO over Richie Woodhull.
00:51:11And the decision loss to Sharifi.
00:51:17Holmes had an opening up with the general.
00:51:19I didn't see the first fight that they had.
00:51:21They were so controversial, but there's no controversy really here.
00:51:24Oh, no.
00:51:25Oh, no.
00:51:26Now, Keith Holmes has this one on points.
00:51:28Council needs the knockout.
00:51:29And as I go into this last, I have to tip my hat and admire Andrew Council.
00:51:43He got off flat on his face to face a hard, hard round, and he's still here.
00:51:48Come on, stop holding.
00:51:49He didn't have the answer for Holmes' expert boxing, wonderful, beautiful defense, and hard
00:51:54offense, but he is a good, good fighter, Andrew Council.
00:52:04You know you're in a fight with Council.
00:52:07I would like to see him with Joppy.
00:52:09Joppy would be more down in his face.
00:52:12He'd be more of a blow by blow than this is.
00:52:16I think Joppy's a little better puncher than Holmes, though.
00:52:19He gets his chin away with some of those things too often.
00:52:21You can't take that amount.
00:52:22But it would be a blazer while it went on.
00:52:24It would be a blazing fight while it happened.
00:52:26Joppy Holmes is a fight that's been talked about in this particular area for many years,
00:52:32and perhaps it will soon become a reality if Holmes and Joppy cooperate tonight.
00:52:37It looks like Holmes is.
00:52:38We'll see what happens later.
00:52:43That's a corkscrew punch.
00:52:44He missed it.
00:52:45He corkscrews up into the table.
00:52:47Oh, look at that.
00:52:48One, two, three combination by Holmes, and they all landed on the head of Council.
00:52:53It's like Holmes doesn't even want to take one round off.
00:52:56I mean, he wants some balls.
00:52:58But the beauty of it for Holmes is that Council's not pressing him.
00:53:02So when he wants to rest, he just steps back and rests.
00:53:04And when he doesn't want to rest, he gets the job done.
00:53:07That's just...
00:53:08Council cannot fight this type of fight.
00:53:09From the opening bell, we saw it coming.
00:53:12Come on.
00:53:13Well, what do they say?
00:53:14Speed kills.
00:53:16Yeah.
00:53:21And Holmes is all about speed.
00:53:23And he does have power.
00:53:24Nearly a low blow by Council.
00:53:26No punching.
00:53:26No punching.
00:53:26All right.
00:53:30Final 20 seconds of the fight
00:53:32for the WBC middleweight title.
00:53:37Keep him up.
00:53:44Barring a miracle, Holmes is on his way to another defense.
00:53:47Don't hit him, McKinney.
00:53:48Let's go.
00:53:49Miracle's over.
00:53:52Tie time!
00:53:53Big smile from Keith Holmes,
00:53:55who embraces Andrew Council.
00:53:57Nice job.
00:53:58Nice job.
00:53:59And you hear the words of Arthur McKinney.
00:54:01Nice job.
00:54:02And even if they have two guys
00:54:03who reportedly didn't like one another,
00:54:05hug each other,
00:54:06and have some kind words for each other,
00:54:08and Arthur McKinney said, that's right.
00:54:09Nice job.
00:54:09And that just shows you what this brings out.
00:54:12Sometimes when fighters bring out the best in men.
00:54:15Council, down to the ninth.
00:54:16The only knockdown.
00:54:17Holmes lost a point in round 10.
00:54:20Much credit, though, goes to Andrew Council
00:54:23for withstanding that punishment, hanging toe.
00:54:25Thank you, Mark Scully and the only bounce.
00:54:29And Keith Holmes just awaits the official decision,
00:54:38the announcement from Jimmy Lennon, Jr.
00:54:40Take a look at that knockdown again in round number nine.
00:54:50Andrew Council going down for the second time in his career.
00:54:52You see, Steve, he walks right into it.
00:54:54I believe he didn't see it, and it caught him flush.
00:54:56It was a beautiful right hook.
00:54:58Keith Holmes was even moving backward just a little bit.
00:55:01You'll see right here.
00:55:04Council just walks right into it.
00:55:05Bang.
00:55:06And when you don't see him, they really do hurt.
00:55:09I can apologize for that.
00:55:11I'm sure you can.
00:55:14More looks at it.
00:55:20Council looking to lead with that right hand,
00:55:22a dangerous thing to do even with the southpaw.
00:55:25And he walks right into that right hook.
00:55:27That's the signature punch for Keith Holmes.
00:55:31It's his best weapon outside his jab.
00:55:36It'll be the first defense of his second reign
00:55:38as WBC middleweight champ.
00:55:40The talkative, likable Keith Holmes
00:55:51from right here in the Washington, D.C. area.
00:55:54All right, baby!
00:55:56He's able to have some fun and break loose a little bit,
00:56:00show off that engaging personality.
00:56:03Love to see him face William Joppy,
00:56:06assuming Joppy wins later tonight.
00:56:07Well, for two guys that seemingly didn't like each other
00:56:15going into this fight, could have pulled me.
00:56:17But that's what the fight game does.
00:56:18As much as it is respect.
00:56:19Respect, right.
00:56:21And I'm sure the respect level goes up.
00:56:24Keith Holmes of Andrew Council
00:56:25for what he withstood here this evening.
00:56:30Council may have lost the fight,
00:56:33but I think in the eyes of a lot of folks,
00:56:36they feel that this guy's had a lot of guts.
00:56:39Let's go up to Jimmy Lennon Jr. right now
00:56:40and get the official word.
00:56:45Ladies and gentlemen,
00:56:46after 12 rounds of action,
00:56:48we have a unanimous decision.
00:56:51Here are the score totals.
00:56:52Judge at ringside,
00:56:54Oren Schellenberger scores at 116 to 111.
00:56:59Fred Yussi scores at 116 to 110.
00:57:02And Tony Perez sees them out 117 to 109.
00:57:08All three in favor of the winner.
00:57:11And still the WBC middleweight champion of the world,
00:57:16Keith Holmes.
00:57:18So a convincing unanimous decision for Keith Holmes.
00:57:27Now 35-2, 5-1 in world championship fights.
00:57:31Come on, Keith.
00:57:32Once again, if his arch-rival,
00:57:34William Joppy,
00:57:35cooperates later in the main event,
00:57:37it would be an interesting matchup,
00:57:39certainly here in the D.C. area,
00:57:40where both are from,
00:57:41to unify the WBC and WBA middleweight titles.
00:57:48Well, coming up,
00:57:50we get ready for tonight's main event,
00:57:53Joppy versus Green 3.
00:57:55William Joppy meets Julio Cesar Green
00:57:57once again in defense of his WBA middleweight crowd.
00:58:03And there is William Joppy
00:58:06in the dressing room
00:58:07as he gets ready for his
00:58:11championship fight
00:58:12against Julio Cesar Green.
00:58:19He feels this fight is not necessary.
00:58:22He feels,
00:58:23despite the fact that
00:58:24the judges didn't see it his way
00:58:26at Madison Square Garden
00:58:27in the first encounter,
00:58:29he won the fight.
00:58:30I thought he did too,
00:58:31even though he was one-handed
00:58:32from the fifth round on.
00:58:34And he certainly won the second fight
00:58:35over Green
00:58:35in dominant fashion.
00:58:38Let's go to Ferdi Pacheco
00:58:40right down the ring.
00:58:41All right,
00:58:42a dominant performance.
00:58:43You mastered almost every round
00:58:44and almost knocked him down and out.
00:58:47Did you think he was going to get up from that?
00:58:49I didn't think he was going to get up.
00:58:50I thought that the time ran out.
00:58:52But by the grace of the career,
00:58:54he got up and he wasn't injured.
00:58:55Hopefully, he's not injured.
00:58:56He's a great fighter.
00:58:57Is that the game plan you decided
00:59:00you're going to stick to
00:59:00and you stuck to the whole thing?
00:59:02Exactly.
00:59:03It was a couple of rounds that I wanted.
00:59:04I seen him throwing wide shots.
00:59:06So I said, okay,
00:59:07I can get in the inside of that
00:59:08because we worked on that.
00:59:09And after I got him down,
00:59:11I said, okay,
00:59:12let me go back to boxing
00:59:13and try to open it up again.
00:59:14Well, you had to have great conditioning
00:59:16to dance as much as you did.
00:59:17Ali used to say,
00:59:18I can dance for a while,
00:59:19but then I got to rest.
00:59:20Exactly.
00:59:21But Ali used the ropes.
00:59:22I didn't.
00:59:23I stayed in the center of the ring.
00:59:24I tied him up when I wanted to.
00:59:26I fought when I wanted to.
00:59:27I didn't let him dictate the fight.
00:59:29And I think you got in many shots
00:59:31between his gloves.
00:59:32All right, let's take a look
00:59:33at the knockdown.
00:59:34I mean, all right,
00:59:34now you talk to me.
00:59:36All right, see,
00:59:37I was setting him up with the jab
00:59:38and he kept closing up.
00:59:39And I knew he was going to come
00:59:39with some wide shots.
00:59:41Uppercut dazed him.
00:59:42It dazed him.
00:59:43So the wide shots are coming.
00:59:45See?
00:59:46See?
00:59:47I knew it was coming.
00:59:50That's kind of the same thing
00:59:51you hit Sharif with.
00:59:52That was the Israel shot.
00:59:54You know,
00:59:54I just got back from Israel.
00:59:55That was the Israel shot.
00:59:57The Israel,
00:59:57the Red Sea shot.
00:59:58That was to give love
00:59:59to all praise
01:00:00to the creator of heaven
01:00:01and the God of Israel,
01:00:02Isaac, Abraham, and Jacob.
01:00:04The anointing.
01:00:04Ben Amir,
01:00:05Demona Israel.
01:00:05I love you.
01:00:06Love my fans in D.C.
01:00:08Thanks for coming.
01:00:09All right,
01:00:09and on that great note,
01:00:10on that great note,
01:00:12we go back to Steve Albert
01:00:13at Ringston.
01:00:15All right,
01:00:15thank you very much,
01:00:16Ferdy.
01:00:16Congratulations to Keith
01:00:18Holmes for retaining his
01:00:20WBC Middleweight Championship.
01:00:22Let's check the online scoring results,
01:00:24see how the folks saw it at home.
01:00:25You remember after six,
01:00:26they had a 3-3,
01:00:27and then,
01:00:28of course,
01:00:30Keith Holmes winning it,
01:00:31going away in their minds.
01:00:32If you took part,
01:00:33we thank you for your participation,
01:00:34the online voting,
01:00:35to continue with the start
01:00:36of our main event.
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