Skip to playerSkip to main content
  • 2 days ago
The HBO Replay of the TVKO PPV fight between Heavyweight Champion Lennox Lewis and No 1. contender David Tua

Category

People
Transcript
00:00:00and lewis punctuated that demolition with an equally commanding performance
00:00:07absolutely sensational if he gets past my job i'm going to be throwing my right hand
00:00:14gets past the right hand he's going to be running into some uppercuts
00:00:17the samoan warrior faced his most dangerous opponent having never been knocked down
00:00:22and david tua had ko'd five top rated challengers waiting for this long delayed title shot
00:00:30another first round knockout for david tua he piled up 32 knockout victims fueling his reputation
00:00:38as the division's fiercest hitter
00:00:40the rising heavyweight stood on the threshold of stardom armed with the biggest left hook in boxing
00:00:52big left hook by tua when that left hook finds home i sense fear i taste blood i taste victory
00:01:00last saturday did not produce the explosive action expected it's championship skill over warrior will
00:01:07stay tuned for our replay of lewis tuah
00:01:37saturday november 11th from the mandalay bay hotel and casino in las vegas nevada on the most
00:01:54congested weekend of the year in las vegas amid the hordes in town for the convex convention lennox
00:02:02lewis defended his unified heavyweight championship for the third time against the consensus number
00:02:08one challenger samoan-born new zealander david tua after an unusually active weekend walk-up ticket sale
00:02:16and with visitors in town from as far away as new zealand and great britain a crowd of more than
00:02:2212 000 would pack the mandalay bay event center a sellout for the fight hello again i'm jim lampley
00:02:29along with hbo boxing analyst larry merchant and we welcome you to our hbo studio for our playback
00:02:34coverage of the heavyweight championship fight between lennox lewis and david tua in las vegas a
00:02:40fight which at least going in seemed to promise fireworks promises are not always kept larry going
00:02:47into lennox lewis's third defense of the people's heavyweight crown that he solidified a year ago against
00:02:52evander holyfield what did people expect from the challenger david tua and from the fight itself a real
00:02:58fight for one and perhaps even a real drama the expectation was that david tua as a young strong
00:03:07iron chin challenger would battle and pressure lewis in a way he had never experienced before
00:03:14such sage observers as eddie futch and teddy atlas were picking tua to win but lennox lewis was a lion
00:03:22tamer that night he used his left as though there was a chair in it and his right as though it had
00:03:28a whip in it it was a dominating performance by the day's dominating heavyweight indeed well we're
00:03:34going to take a look back now at all 12 of the rounds that wound up being scored as a landslide for
00:03:40lewis and as you watch the early rounds keep in mind that after the fight david tua's handlers would
00:03:46suggest that he had suffered a recurrence of an in-training ribcage injury as the result of a
00:03:52lewis body shot in the early going was that the reason that tua never really attacked in the fight
00:03:58or were there other factors such as perhaps the two right hands lewis landed in the first round
00:04:03judge for yourself tail of the tape now for lennox lewis and his title defense against david tua
00:04:11eight-year age advantage for tua 15-inch reach advantage for lewis lewis at 6-5 to add 5-10 there's
00:04:20a seven-inch difference there even with the hair on top of his head tua doesn't make it further than
00:04:26to within three inches of lewis and in weight lennox weighed in at 249 david tua 245 it's the second
00:04:35highest combined weight ever in a heavyweight championship fight exceeded only by lewis against
00:04:41michael grant earlier this year punch that numbers larry look at their activity you can see
00:04:47they're roughly equal both of them will throw nearly 50 punches around that's a good number
00:04:53for big men jabs is where this fight might be decided or at least unleashed because lewis throws
00:05:01many more than tua and he may throw even more than this tonight rules of the bout with our unofficial
00:05:07ringside scorer harold letterman the lennox lewis david tua fight is scheduled for 12 rounds using
00:05:14the unified rules of the association of boxing commissions there is no standing eight count no
00:05:20three knockdown rule only the referee can stop the fight and you cannot be saved by the bell at any round
00:05:26including the 12th and final round jim first to enter will be david tua both fighters with elaborate
00:05:36theatrical broadway show style interests tonight and tuas in particular will be noisy
00:05:56thank you
00:06:04so
00:07:42David Tua has a near-perfect record.
00:07:55His only loss came in a spectacular war with Aikibe Abuchi, in which they broke a CompuBox
00:08:00record for most punches by heavyweights.
00:08:02The decision could have gone either way.
00:08:05He's waited two years for this shot at the heavyweight title.
00:08:12And Lennox Lewis's entrance will be no less elaborate than that of Tua, if perhaps not
00:08:18quite as noisy.
00:08:20Incidentally, that red-beaded necklace that Tua wears around his neck is called an Ulifala
00:08:26necklace.
00:08:28Ladies and gentlemen, watch the television series in all four corners of the building.
00:08:44Drums, Puff, and Circumstance.
00:09:14Can the fight live up to it?
00:09:19Will the doors open?
00:09:24Is there a trap door?
00:09:25Does he fall through the platform into a moat?
00:09:29Probably not.
00:09:44Come give me this, you out, them cantons.
00:09:46Wrap round them neck like a rope and it's all in them.
00:09:49We now come here so few from them, boy.
00:09:51Wrap round them neck like a rope and it's all in them.
00:09:54I give me the fire and make me burn them.
00:09:56Let's go.
00:10:26This seems to be a celebration.
00:10:56The celebration of Lennox Lewis' Jamaican heritage.
00:11:01Am I right, Jim?
00:11:03I think you're right.
00:11:04And, of course, he can choose from a wide range of heritages to celebrate.
00:11:09The only thing that's missing here is a nod to Canada, the nation for which he won the Olympic gold medal in 1988.
00:11:16Globalization to the max in heavyweight boxing.
00:11:21Lennox Lewis has lost only once.
00:11:27The stunning second-round TKO at the hands of Oliver McCall six years ago.
00:11:34And the one draw with Evander Holyfield in Madison Square Garden that almost all ringside observers saw as a victory for Lewis.
00:11:4129 KOs.
00:11:43And the record is not too dissimilar to that of Tua.
00:11:46Just the level of competition in the last two years which greatly favors Lewis.
00:11:51Now let's go to ring announcer Michael Buffer for the official introductions.
00:11:58Ladies and gentlemen from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
00:12:07Main events, Panic's promotions, and your undisputed, undefeated king of beers, Budweiser.
00:12:14Always proud to be your Bud.
00:12:17In association with America Presents and Lion Promotions present, courtesy of TV KO pay-per-view,
00:12:24HBO World Championship Boxing 12 rounds for the universally recognized undisputed heavyweight championship of the world.
00:12:41Sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
00:12:45The three judges assigned to ringside scoring this bout on the 10-point must system are Chuck Jampa, Dave Moretti, and Jerry Roth.
00:12:57And when the bell rings, the man in charge of the action working for the 135th time in a world title bout, referee Joe Cortez.
00:13:08So now, for the sold out thousands in attendance here at the Mandalay Bay of Las Vegas,
00:13:15and the millions watching around the world, courtesy of TV KO and HBO,
00:13:22the moment we've all been waiting for has arrived.
00:13:26Ladies and gentlemen, let's get ready to rumble!
00:13:38Introducing first, fighting out of the blue corner, wearing black trimmed with white.
00:13:45He weighed in at 245 pounds and brings an outstanding professional record into the ring consisting of 37 victories,
00:13:55including 32 knockouts with only one disputed defeat by decision.
00:14:01From South Auckland, New Zealand, ladies and gentlemen, the universally recognized number one right heavyweight contender in the world,
00:14:13here is to a man David Pua!
00:14:22And his opponent across the ring, fighting out of the red corner, wearing white and weighing in at 249 pounds.
00:14:35Since he captured Olympic gold in 1988, his professional record now stands at 37 victories, including 29 by knockout with only one loss and one draw.
00:14:48From London, England, ladies and gentlemen, presenting the two-time world champion,
00:14:55the universally recognized, reigning and defending, undisputed heavyweight champion of the world,
00:15:07the
00:15:09the
00:15:10the
00:15:12the
00:15:13the
00:15:14the
00:15:16the
00:15:18the
00:15:32All right, gentlemen, we won with the rules in the dressing room.
00:15:36I expect a good, clean fight.
00:15:39I obey my commands at all times.
00:15:42When I say break, I want you to break clean.
00:15:45I don't want any rough tactics.
00:15:46Unnecessary fouling.
00:15:47Understand, guys?
00:15:49Give me good sportsman-like conduct.
00:15:50And remember, guys, I'm fair, but I'm firm.
00:15:52Touch them up.
00:15:54Daniels, baby.
00:15:56Hopefully we don't get, if this fight goes to a decision,
00:16:00one of those splits in which the popular vote goes to one fighter
00:16:06and the electoral vote goes to the other.
00:16:11Nor do we want a George Bush long count.
00:16:15We just want the best two heavyweights in the world
00:16:17to show us what they got.
00:16:20The referee is trying to establish right now who is the boss,
00:16:24and it's very important that he establish it.
00:16:27Well, this is the man you call the best referee in the sport,
00:16:29George, so if anybody can do it, he can.
00:16:31Nearly 1,000 Tua supporters flew in from New Zealand,
00:16:35another few hundred from Samoa.
00:16:37Lewis' supporters have come in from England and from Canada.
00:16:40It's a truly international event at the Mandalay Bay Hotel.
00:16:44Lennox begins trying to establish his jab,
00:16:47and Tua leaps forward with a left hook,
00:16:49his trademark punch to begin the action.
00:16:51Tua's got to make certain that when he gets him against the rope,
00:16:56he misses him.
00:16:58Don't throw unless your feet are right there, too.
00:17:00Lewis landed his first right cross.
00:17:02The second one was short.
00:17:04Tua has already shown you his great chin.
00:17:08Lennox Lewis will better realize that the best punch in boxing
00:17:11is still the left jab.
00:17:13Don't stop using the jab.
00:17:15A rare body punch from Lewis.
00:17:18The body punching is not going to help Lewis
00:17:21because he's going to run into a lot of elbows down there.
00:17:23You want to keep the jab?
00:17:25Open up the head.
00:17:27Tua misses again, leaping in with the left hook.
00:17:31Lewis, who appeared to want to be the aggressor
00:17:33for a few moments at the beginning of the bout,
00:17:35now steps into a more familiar posture.
00:17:39Watch the way Lennox fights as a big man,
00:17:41never giving away his height,
00:17:43never allowing his chin to go past his front knee,
00:17:46the left knee.
00:17:48One thing good about it,
00:17:50they say keep your hands up at all times.
00:17:52You can't do it if you've got a punch down grip.
00:17:55So David Tua's best thing is to stay low
00:17:57so Lennox Lewis' hands are low also.
00:18:01You've got to drop him to throw your right hand,
00:18:03as they are now.
00:18:04That right hand is down.
00:18:06Keep it there.
00:18:07Lennox looks as though he's not even going to try
00:18:09to launch the right
00:18:10until he feels like David has straightened up enough
00:18:13for him to get a shot.
00:18:15If Tua stays low,
00:18:17Lewis seems content to parry him
00:18:18and fend him off with the jab.
00:18:20Tua has landed nothing so far
00:18:23in the first two minutes of the fight.
00:18:25But he is the boss
00:18:26because he's bringing the fight to Lewis
00:18:28and Lewis is looking and reaching.
00:18:31You want to decide,
00:18:32Lewis should let him know,
00:18:33I am the boss tonight.
00:18:35You back away from me.
00:18:36Take it to him.
00:18:37Same weight.
00:18:39What about Lewis' tendency to hold his left
00:18:41down around his waist?
00:18:43Well, he has to because all of his opponents
00:18:45are down there.
00:18:46You can't get a good shot
00:18:47if your hands are by your chin
00:18:48if the opponent is too low.
00:18:50Early in the round,
00:18:53Tua came steaming out.
00:18:55Lewis hit him with a couple of good punches.
00:18:58And now Tua is being a little bit more careful
00:19:02as he comes in.
00:19:03And we haven't seen the uppercut yet,
00:19:07which Lennox believes may be the great equalizer
00:19:09when Tua tries to rush it.
00:19:12Finally, David gets a glove on Lennox
00:19:14as he lands a little bit of a left up around the shoulder.
00:19:17Lewis with another body shot.
00:19:19And it was only in the front spot
00:19:21to fight his last defense
00:19:22that we began to see him even thinking
00:19:24of throwing punches to the body.
00:19:26You got to land some body punches
00:19:27when you're fighting to punch it
00:19:28because he only can stay strong if you don't.
00:19:32Take some of the air out of the ball of the balloon.
00:19:34It would be hard to get round one to Tua.
00:19:37He landed one punch by my likes.
00:19:39A virtually perfect round
00:19:40from Lewis' point of view.
00:19:42Listen to me.
00:20:07I'm going to put some of this here.
00:20:08Give me that towel.
00:20:08Give me that towel.
00:20:09Do you understand?
00:20:14Come on, now. Let's go.
00:20:18Listen, the first line is out of the way.
00:20:20Got to move that head.
00:20:21Give me that. Give me that.
00:20:22Got to move that head.
00:20:23Move that head.
00:20:25Come on. Get closer.
00:20:27Round one, a CompuBox landslide for Lewis.
00:20:30He threw 73 punches.
00:20:32He landed 20 jabs.
00:20:34Tua got credit for four of 34
00:20:36from the CompuBox observers.
00:20:40Round two begins with Lewis sticking the jab,
00:20:42sticking the jab, sticking the jab,
00:20:44sticking the jab.
00:20:45Stick it, stick it, stick it.
00:20:47Tua can't mount an attack
00:20:49as Lewis keeps the left jab in his face.
00:20:52Jab.
00:20:53Hold.
00:20:54Jab.
00:20:56Rangefinder from Lewis.
00:20:57Tua looking and looking.
00:20:58Lewis just stretching the space
00:21:01and throwing the jab.
00:21:04Tua's got to do some intimidation,
00:21:06run into him,
00:21:07make him think that,
00:21:08hey, you're a coward,
00:21:08so that he can start throwing right and left.
00:21:11The jab, he can beat him all night with it.
00:21:15Now, David Tua gets a chance
00:21:18to try to begin working Lennox Lewis's body.
00:21:21He got in one punch to the ribcage a moment ago.
00:21:23Right hand from Lewis,
00:21:25not thrown very hard.
00:21:26Now, Lewis is falling into the bad trap.
00:21:30You don't want to drop your hand
00:21:31anywhere near the rope.
00:21:33You're going to drop your hands,
00:21:34make sure you're in the middle of the ring
00:21:36so you have at least four steps backwards.
00:21:39And just as you said that, of course,
00:21:42Tua took advantage
00:21:42and landed a right and a left.
00:21:44Lewis, uh, Tua is doing his barbting,
00:21:46he's doing his weaving.
00:21:47Every time that Lewis seemed to see something,
00:21:49he takes it away from him.
00:21:51But you've got to do something
00:21:52to make Lewis want to fight.
00:21:53There you are!
00:21:55That's the punch that's going to make Lewis
00:21:56design.
00:21:57I'm getting even.
00:21:59Left hook by Tua.
00:22:01And another left hook by Tua.
00:22:03And a vicious left to the belly.
00:22:05So Tua begins to mount his attack
00:22:06now midway through round two.
00:22:08Lewis with a right hand and a left.
00:22:10David Tua with a little smile on his face,
00:22:12the time-honored symbol between fighters.
00:22:14Oh, you didn't hurt me.
00:22:15Lewis seemed to try to grab Tua
00:22:17and went right on over the top of it.
00:22:19You see, he's doing a good job
00:22:20with his left jab.
00:22:22Don't do anything for a few rounds
00:22:23until you get the notice, fella.
00:22:25He hits you.
00:22:26Go right back to your left jab.
00:22:28Don't get intimidated.
00:22:29Don't try to pay him back.
00:22:32Lewis.
00:22:35Tua missing.
00:22:36Lewis popped him quickly with the jab.
00:22:38Lewis got to make certain
00:22:39this thing's a left hand, left jab.
00:22:41Lennox seems to have regained his concentration.
00:22:45And Tua hits him with the right hand.
00:22:48The Tua supporters and the crowd
00:22:49are going wild as Lewis lands a very low blow
00:22:52and gets a proper warning from Joe Cortez.
00:22:56Remember, Lewis is trying to get away
00:22:58from those elbows,
00:22:59so the blows are going to go low
00:23:01trying to avoid the elbows.
00:23:02You're looking at the cautious, tactical
00:23:08Lennox Lewis.
00:23:09This is why he does not arouse
00:23:11the passions of boxing fans
00:23:13in the way that great heavyweight champions
00:23:16might hope to do.
00:23:17But if he's able to get that jab working,
00:23:19he can excite me.
00:23:21Jab your weight.
00:23:22Keep your title with a left jab.
00:23:24If that's the only punch you can land, use it.
00:23:25Well, what he's exceeded in doing in this round
00:23:29is messing up to his hair
00:23:32and just landing more punches.
00:23:35And landing a right hand,
00:23:36which Tua answered with a leaping left
00:23:39as the second round came to a close.
00:23:41No round.
00:23:44Nothing.
00:23:45I can't for me.
00:23:47He's got his one-stop.
00:23:48I'm really about to get it again.
00:23:50Yeah.
00:23:52Yeah.
00:23:53Yeah.
00:23:53Yeah.
00:23:54Yeah.
00:23:54Yeah.
00:23:54He's fighting a good fight.
00:23:57He's fighting a good fight.
00:23:59Len, when you get on the ropes,
00:24:01keep your hands up.
00:24:02That's all.
00:24:03That's all.
00:24:03Keep going to your left.
00:24:05Keep going to your left, Len.
00:24:06Keep going to your left.
00:24:07Mix it up.
00:24:08So I'm fighting the jab a little bit more
00:24:09before you shoot me.
00:24:10The jab is...
00:24:11All right.
00:24:11Let's take a look at a replay, Larry,
00:24:13of what was called the low blow
00:24:15by Joe Cortez.
00:24:17It appeared to be just below the belt level.
00:24:19Let's see it.
00:24:21But it was...
00:24:22You know, it wasn't that bad
00:24:24of a low blow.
00:24:25Yeah, that was a low blow, Larry.
00:24:26But it was low.
00:24:27And at the end of the round,
00:24:29a leaping punch
00:24:30that gets Lewis on the nose.
00:24:33That was on the nose.
00:24:35Right on the nose.
00:24:38The fight is going the way
00:24:39Tua wanted to go.
00:24:41Jab, keep this guy running from you.
00:24:43Keep him running.
00:24:44Make him afraid to throw his right hand.
00:24:46Lewis in the first two rounds
00:24:48averaging 65 punches per round.
00:24:51And despite the fact
00:24:52that round two
00:24:53was another lopsided
00:24:54CompuBox round for Lewis,
00:24:56Harold Letterman gave it to Tua,
00:24:57no doubt on the basis
00:24:58of his aggression,
00:25:00and that left hook
00:25:00that he landed at the end.
00:25:04That's what will excite
00:25:05the Tua followers
00:25:06as David gets inside
00:25:08and lands
00:25:09a left hook uppercut.
00:25:11Lennox Lewis
00:25:13should move
00:25:15and keep moving
00:25:16to his left,
00:25:17keeping his jab
00:25:18and making certain
00:25:19that guys have to swing wild
00:25:20to hit him with his left hook.
00:25:22He can do it all night.
00:25:24Move to Tua's right
00:25:25all night and jab.
00:25:27Goes to his left
00:25:28and that's where the trouble starts
00:25:29right now.
00:25:30Good head movement,
00:25:44good shoulder movement
00:25:45by Tua,
00:25:46but he still doesn't,
00:25:47hasn't been able to get
00:25:48really inside on Lewis
00:25:50where he wants to be.
00:25:51Well, here's a chance
00:25:52as Lewis backs into a corner
00:25:53and then steps away.
00:25:56Lewis is doing a good job
00:25:57of keeping his head
00:25:58away from the jab.
00:25:59Let the hand go
00:26:00and the chin stay back.
00:26:04Well, you've always
00:26:05talked, George,
00:26:06about how a big man
00:26:07should fight big
00:26:08and Lewis,
00:26:09at least in recent years,
00:26:10has been the epitome of that.
00:26:12He's moving now
00:26:13successfully
00:26:14to Tua's right
00:26:16and jabbing.
00:26:17So the way to move
00:26:18for Lennox
00:26:19is to his own left
00:26:20to Tua's right.
00:26:21And just keep your jab going.
00:26:23When you come back
00:26:24over to that left hand,
00:26:25he's going to interrupt you
00:26:26and it's going to hurt you.
00:26:27There you are.
00:26:28Don't go over on that side.
00:26:30Stay away from that side.
00:26:31It doesn't take much
00:26:32for Tua's supporters
00:26:33to get overwhelmingly excited.
00:26:36There he's able to land
00:26:37a couple of shots
00:26:38to the body
00:26:39as Lewis moves off the ropes.
00:26:41Once again,
00:26:42Lewis moves to left.
00:26:43He's got to keep
00:26:44his movement
00:26:44to Tua's right.
00:26:46If you want a clown,
00:26:48clown to his right.
00:26:50All shots to the body
00:26:51and now Joe Cortez
00:26:52tells Tua to keep him up.
00:26:54Come on, Lennox!
00:26:56Come on!
00:26:57Lewis is doing
00:26:58too much waiting.
00:27:00You throw your shots,
00:27:01you train,
00:27:02don't be conservative.
00:27:03Let him go.
00:27:04When Lennox Lewis
00:27:05gets into trouble,
00:27:06it's often because
00:27:07he waits
00:27:08and does not
00:27:09stay aggressive
00:27:10with his jab.
00:27:11He threw 65 punches
00:27:13around during the
00:27:13first two rounds
00:27:14and most of them
00:27:15were zabs.
00:27:15But now he's slowing
00:27:18the pace in round three.
00:27:19Now Lewis is throwing shots.
00:27:21That's what you want to do.
00:27:22It's a lot easier
00:27:23to throw shots
00:27:24and take the powwow
00:27:25for them and be accurate
00:27:26than it is to wait around
00:27:27for a good hard shot.
00:27:30And now for the first time,
00:27:32Lewis grabs David Holmson
00:27:33and the Tua crowd moves
00:27:35because they know
00:27:36that their man
00:27:38might be susceptible
00:27:39if Lennox wants
00:27:40to tie him up inside.
00:27:41Outside,
00:27:42look at the Las Vegas Strip.
00:27:44A cloudy day
00:27:45has turned clear tonight.
00:27:46Huge crowd in town
00:27:47for the Comdex convention.
00:27:49Biggest weekend
00:27:49of the year in Vegas
00:27:50and a lot of visitors
00:27:52from overseas
00:27:53for this heavyweight
00:27:54championship fight.
00:27:55You understand?
00:27:55You hit him on the arm
00:27:56and you're hurting.
00:27:57You understand?
00:27:58Give me some water.
00:27:58Give me some water.
00:28:00Come on, man.
00:28:01Listen.
00:28:03Come on, man.
00:28:03Keep using the up jab.
00:28:05The up jab.
00:28:06The right hand to the body,
00:28:07double the hook
00:28:08and the straight right hand
00:28:08back to the chest.
00:28:10Double the up jab.
00:28:11The right hand to the body.
00:28:13Two hooks to the top
00:28:14and the right hand
00:28:15to the chest.
00:28:16Okay?
00:28:16Body shots to the open.
00:28:18Educate.
00:28:19So if you relax
00:28:20the right hand,
00:28:21he's just about over
00:28:22to get tagged
00:28:22with a shot.
00:28:23He's got to relax.
00:28:23He's just walking in.
00:28:25Walking in right.
00:28:25Let's go.
00:28:26Let's go.
00:28:26Let's go.
00:28:27Let's go.
00:28:29Come on.
00:28:29Come on.
00:28:31Come back in your bottom.
00:28:33Come back in your bottom.
00:28:36Ringside scorer,
00:28:37Harold Letterman.
00:28:38How do you have it
00:28:39through the first three?
00:28:40Okay, Jim.
00:28:41Well, first of all,
00:28:43let me say this much.
00:28:44At the beginning of the fight,
00:28:45you have to start the fight
00:28:46in the corner.
00:28:47Joe Cortez was right
00:28:47by moving it back
00:28:48into the corners.
00:28:5028, 29,
00:28:5129, 28,
00:28:52David Tua.
00:28:53Two rounds to one,
00:28:54David Tua.
00:28:55I just don't see any snap
00:28:56in Lennox Lewis' left jab.
00:28:58He sticks it out.
00:28:59There's no snap in it.
00:29:00He's not doing no damage.
00:29:02So the damage in rounds
00:29:03two and three
00:29:04was done by David Tua.
00:29:06Therefore,
00:29:06he won rounds
00:29:07two and three.
00:29:08Lewis started out
00:29:10aggressive this fight.
00:29:11I gave two of the first
00:29:13three rounds to Lewis.
00:29:15Lewis started out
00:29:16aggressively.
00:29:17That's what you want to do.
00:29:18Make this little guy
00:29:19try to protect himself
00:29:20a little bit.
00:29:21He's making you
00:29:22keep your hand up.
00:29:23Make him keep his hand up
00:29:24and think,
00:29:24I may get hurt.
00:29:29Now, Lewis can step in
00:29:33and keep his hands
00:29:34in position without holding,
00:29:35and then he may as well
00:29:37start that now.
00:29:37You don't have to hold.
00:29:38Just step in with your left
00:29:39and then right
00:29:40without holding,
00:29:41and the referee
00:29:42will not rain on your parade.
00:29:48Lewis threw only 43 points.
00:29:51Once you get that close,
00:29:52you've got to have
00:29:53your gun already set,
00:29:55ready to shoot.
00:29:55You just can't decide
00:29:57what to do next.
00:29:58Once Lewis by the touch
00:30:00that back of those ropes,
00:30:01you must throw shots.
00:30:03George, you said earlier
00:30:04that he's coming to get
00:30:05to get Lewis' title.
00:30:08That's right.
00:30:09I mean, he's not coming
00:30:10hard enough.
00:30:11Yeah, but Lewis touches,
00:30:13when he gets into the rope,
00:30:14two and a half,
00:30:14they have five shots waiting.
00:30:16Well, but that's what I'm saying.
00:30:17He doesn't seem to be
00:30:18coming after it yet,
00:30:19but he's been known
00:30:20in the past
00:30:21to fight at this pace
00:30:22early in the fight
00:30:23and in the last three
00:30:24or four rounds
00:30:25to come on very strongly.
00:30:27You know,
00:30:28and it's strange
00:30:29because he is not
00:30:30close enough
00:30:31to get the right shots
00:30:32off,
00:30:32and his corners
00:30:33better be well.
00:30:33They should tell him
00:30:34to get closer.
00:30:36Get closer.
00:30:37But they still may feel
00:30:38as though their man,
00:30:39with his constant aggression,
00:30:41the body shots,
00:30:42and the fact that
00:30:43he lands more thunderously
00:30:44through the first three rounds
00:30:46than Lennox,
00:30:47is winning the fight
00:30:47and is doing
00:30:48what they want him to do.
00:30:49But in order to throw
00:30:50these good punch,
00:30:51that punch,
00:30:52he must be close enough,
00:30:53and that's what
00:30:54he's trying to do.
00:30:55Lewis is doing a good job
00:30:57of not allowing him
00:30:57to get close.
00:31:01Now when you miss
00:31:02a big hook like that,
00:31:03that's five miles
00:31:04of your road work.
00:31:08Lennoxious isn't doing much.
00:31:11Yeah, you're winning good.
00:31:13Yeah, I saw it for you
00:31:14and some of the folks
00:31:14had him a little bit more.
00:31:15But you seem like
00:31:16you're getting pumped
00:31:17with a man in the fight.
00:31:17You got your boots.
00:31:18And you're really treating
00:31:19him like a sparing party,
00:31:20which is good.
00:31:21The man is getting tired of it.
00:31:23You fight the different fight
00:31:24that he's never used
00:31:24to drink,
00:31:25a baker-type type drink.
00:31:26And all of a sudden,
00:31:27start trying to throw
00:31:27that hook.
00:31:28He's really right there,
00:31:29Peter, still cracking
00:31:30on him right now.
00:31:30He really won't open up
00:31:31the fight.
00:31:32You understand me?
00:31:33This guy's champion
00:31:33of the world.
00:31:34You understand me?
00:31:35Don't let this guy
00:31:36be champion of the world
00:31:37no more.
00:31:37Give me a deep breath.
00:31:38You understand?
00:31:39Come on, give me a deep breath.
00:31:41I want both hands moving now.
00:31:43You understand?
00:31:43What do you understand?
00:31:44Ronnie Shields
00:31:44seems to be in sync
00:31:45with you, Larry,
00:31:46thinking that Tua
00:31:47might not be doing enough.
00:31:48Here's a sequence
00:31:49of left hooks
00:31:49where Tua misses,
00:31:51misses, and then...
00:31:52Well, the reason
00:31:53he's not throwing
00:31:54the left hand
00:31:55frequently enough
00:31:56is because
00:31:57he just can't get there yet.
00:31:59He can't get close enough yet.
00:32:01And also,
00:32:01in the first round,
00:32:03Lewis popped up
00:32:04a couple of good right hands.
00:32:06In round four
00:32:07of Lewis's
00:32:0780 connected punches,
00:32:0960 were jams.
00:32:10Tua with an edge
00:32:11of 27 to 20
00:32:12in power shots.
00:32:13That's what
00:32:13Harold Lederman
00:32:14was talking about
00:32:15in giving two
00:32:16of the first three rounds
00:32:17to David.
00:32:18Conversely,
00:32:18conversely,
00:32:19Lewis seems reluctant
00:32:21to throw his right hand
00:32:22because he doesn't want
00:32:24to give Tua a shot
00:32:25to his left.
00:32:26So, consequently,
00:32:27we have this tactical fight
00:32:30right now.
00:32:31In fact,
00:32:31Lewis considerably
00:32:32more cautious early
00:32:33than you might have expected
00:32:34after the total dominance
00:32:35of his title defense
00:32:37performances
00:32:37against Grant
00:32:39and Volta.
00:32:39But Emmanuel Stewart
00:32:40has been saying
00:32:41all along,
00:32:42this is a different kettle
00:32:43of fish.
00:32:44This is an entirely
00:32:45more dangerous opponent.
00:32:46Right hand by Lewis.
00:32:48I mean,
00:32:48he zeroed in real low
00:32:50because Tua decided
00:32:51to stand straight
00:32:52for a second
00:32:53as he followed him.
00:32:54If you want to follow
00:32:55a punch around,
00:32:56you better be hitting him.
00:32:59You just can't follow
00:33:00a punch around
00:33:01not doing anything.
00:33:06Lewis leaping
00:33:08on top of Tua
00:33:09and holding him
00:33:10as he found himself
00:33:11in the corner.
00:33:12And there's another
00:33:13right hand
00:33:14that he pops David
00:33:15on the top of the head
00:33:15with.
00:33:16Now Lewis is finding
00:33:18a certain amount
00:33:19of comfort level
00:33:20that Tua has allowed
00:33:21him to have.
00:33:25Alex sure looks like
00:33:26a comfort level
00:33:27at this moment.
00:33:27He's comfortable now.
00:33:28He's even closer
00:33:29with his left jab
00:33:30than he had been
00:33:31on earlier.
00:33:32He's getting close
00:33:32with it now.
00:33:33You don't want him
00:33:34to believe that he can
00:33:35get that close to you.
00:33:36The champion is starting
00:33:37to throw his right hand
00:33:38with much greater frequency
00:33:39here in this round.
00:33:41Tua pops him upstairs
00:33:42with his own right.
00:33:43If you want to follow
00:33:46the puncher,
00:33:46hit him.
00:33:47Even if you miss,
00:33:48throw shots.
00:33:49Don't just follow him
00:33:50around.
00:33:51But Lewis is aiming
00:33:52now.
00:33:52He's zeroed in.
00:33:59George Lewis hasn't
00:34:00used a single uppercut,
00:34:01and it was a hugely
00:34:02effective punch for him,
00:34:04particularly in the
00:34:04second Holyfield fight.
00:34:06Is he waiting
00:34:06to set it up?
00:34:07Yeah, he's waiting
00:34:08to it, moving his head,
00:34:09going ducked and dodging.
00:34:10You don't want
00:34:11to hurt your hand,
00:34:11so he's trying
00:34:12to do it accurately.
00:34:13And sometimes,
00:34:14if you just throw it,
00:34:15you'll be surprised
00:34:16the punch is there for you.
00:34:17One of the problems
00:34:19Tua has is that
00:34:20he's throwing
00:34:20one punch at a time.
00:34:22He's not trying
00:34:23to put anything
00:34:24together yet.
00:34:27He's blood,
00:34:27blood coming from two.
00:34:28Crosses his leg.
00:34:29When he goes to his left,
00:34:31he crosses his leg.
00:34:32He's a sitting duck
00:34:33for a right hand.
00:34:34There's blood coming
00:34:35from Tua's nose.
00:34:37That old jab
00:34:37has been coming
00:34:38all night.
00:34:43Lewis looking tactically
00:34:45in control now
00:34:46toward the end
00:34:46of round five
00:34:47as David Tua misses,
00:34:49misses,
00:34:50and Lewis pops
00:34:51him on the counter right.
00:34:54Body shots
00:34:55by Tua there.
00:34:57Lewis with a low blow,
00:34:59and then he sticks
00:34:59to it twice with the jab.
00:35:01Maureen to the body.
00:35:03Maureen to the body.
00:35:04Yes!
00:35:04Come on!
00:35:09Come on!
00:35:12Come on!
00:35:27Shot to the body,
00:35:28did it once
00:35:29it went back on top,
00:35:30one that round good.
00:35:31You're fighting
00:35:31a masterpiece in a lot
00:35:32of ways.
00:35:32Just keep working with you, but you seem to be getting more relaxed with him, and that's what's good about him.
00:35:36And you're really starting to feel just like a good gym working out now.
00:35:38Winning the rounds clearly.
00:35:40The body shot was beautiful here.
00:35:42We've been walking up right here, fighting behind the wall.
00:35:44You understand? Use the arm jab. Come on now.
00:35:47Put them together. Put the combates together.
00:35:49Don't give this guy a fight. You understand?
00:35:51The way you fought that guy, you got to get in one of those fights.
00:35:54Come on, now let's go. You got to fight.
00:35:57You heard Emmanuel Stewart say to Lewis, you were fighting a masterpiece in that round.
00:36:03He makes Lewis miss, and then he makes him pay.
00:36:06Tua. Tua misses.
00:36:08Time. Time. Hold time. Hold time.
00:36:09In round five by CompuBox numbers, Lennox Lewis landed 10 of 15 power shots, 16 of 38 jabs.
00:36:15That is indeed a numerically brilliant round.
00:36:18Referee Joe Cortez has called time here, and now he's ready to bring the fighters back out.
00:36:23Get in that corner. Get in that corner. Hey, get in that corner.
00:36:26Get in that corner.
00:36:27Wants both fighters to go to neutral corners.
00:36:29Get in that corner.
00:36:30Let's listen up.
00:36:31Uh, it's referee, or it's, uh, Nevada State Athletic Commissioner Mark Ratner is overseeing the
00:36:36refastening of the buckles in the blue corner, David Tua's corner.
00:36:42So a little extra rest for both fighters here.
00:36:45Okay.
00:36:46One minute, one second.
00:36:47Got it, got it.
00:36:48Does this favor somebody, George?
00:36:49Okay.
00:36:50Jack.
00:36:51No, it doesn't favor either guy now because if Tua had something going, he's lost.
00:36:54If Lewis had something, he's lost.
00:36:55All right.
00:36:56Time.
00:36:57Let's go.
00:36:58Well, if Tua was counting on...
00:36:59There you go.
00:37:00You gotta be reckless.
00:37:01Lead with your hooks.
00:37:03You can't just decide, I'm gonna technically take the title away from a good champion like
00:37:07this.
00:37:08Yeah, it's hard to imagine.
00:37:09Even though Harold Lederman has Tua ahead on the scorecards, it's really hard to imagine Tua winning a
00:37:14tactical boxing match.
00:37:15It can't happen.
00:37:16You feel as though he's gotta use his artillery.
00:37:18Lewis is throwing that right hand just like a guy on the pitcher's mound.
00:37:23Sitting there and coming off that mound with it.
00:37:29That's what brings in a lot of power that Tua may not have tasted before because this guy comes from on high with this thing.
00:37:35Now Lewis back to the round one action.
00:37:38Pop, pop, pop with the jab.
00:37:42David Tua is just looking for the one shot, it appears.
00:37:46I don't know if you can beat Lennox Lewis that way unless you happen to land it square on the jaw.
00:37:51There was a big feeling as you were starting to get to a moment ago, Larry, in Tua's camp that Lewis lacked stamina and they'd be able to wear him down over a long hole.
00:38:00Now Lewis would try to pay him back.
00:38:02This is the fight Tua wants.
00:38:04Make him try to pay you back and hit you back.
00:38:06Lewis had better stick to his strategy and forget about it being hit that time.
00:38:11It would appear that if Tua is gonna make Lewis' stamina a factor in the fight, he's gonna have to step up his activity level.
00:38:17This was the best left hook that Tua landed in the fight.
00:38:21You're right, Jim.
00:38:22He hasn't made Lewis work hard enough to be able to take advantage of him in the late fight rounds yet.
00:38:29He's gotta start doing it right now.
00:38:30I want you to know, Lewis is shaky and a lot more shaky than you think.
00:38:34From the one left hook.
00:38:35Oh, he had more than one.
00:38:38He allows him to recover.
00:38:40Tua does.
00:38:42You hit him hard, you gotta throw two or three wild shots.
00:38:47Well, that goes back to what Larry said a little while ago.
00:38:49The Tua's landing one punch at a time, not in bunches.
00:38:54And Lewis just biding his time using the...
00:38:59Tua's trying to get Lewis back over to his left side.
00:39:03He needs to walk on over to Lewis' left and make him go back over there.
00:39:07Just step over there.
00:39:09You know, there were concerns that that hair might get into Lewis' eyes.
00:39:18It appears to be coming almost down into Tua's own eyes.
00:39:25As long as he's not in the water, they work on him in a minute.
00:39:28Yeah, but it can be a distraction.
00:39:30I don't think.
00:39:31Look where the hair is.
00:39:33He's almost...
00:39:34He's probably sparse like that all the time.
00:39:36It does have the beginnings of the sheepdog look,
00:39:42but I tend to side with George.
00:39:44I'm sure, too, is accustomed to it.
00:39:46He's had that hair for the last couple of years.
00:39:49Once you see him take his glove and move his hair backwards,
00:39:51then you know something's going wrong.
00:39:53Hadn't happened yet.
00:39:55Five.
00:39:56Five.
00:39:57David Tua is giving a disappointing performance so far
00:40:03in pursuit of a heavyweight championship.
00:40:05You're really going to trade him back as a gym workout now.
00:40:07You start ripping to the bottom a little bit more now.
00:40:09You're doing it.
00:40:10Yeah.
00:40:11You're really going to start ripping at him a little bit more.
00:40:12You're not putting pressure on this guy.
00:40:13You're letting this guy outbox you.
00:40:14You're losing the fight, okay?
00:40:15Now, this is the round we got to pick it up.
00:40:16This is your half of the fight, you understand?
00:40:17Look, the second half.
00:40:18Look, there's no fucking tomorrow.
00:40:19You understand?
00:40:20You got to do this shit today.
00:40:21You're not throwing nobody heads.
00:40:22You're not throwing combinations.
00:40:23You got to get closer.
00:40:24You got to throw both hands with this guy.
00:40:25Okay?
00:40:26Come on.
00:40:27Come on.
00:40:28Come on.
00:40:29Come on.
00:40:30Come on.
00:40:31Come on.
00:40:32Come on.
00:40:33Come on.
00:40:34Come on.
00:40:35Come on.
00:40:36Come on.
00:40:37Come on.
00:40:38Come on.
00:40:39Come on.
00:40:40Come on.
00:40:41Come on.
00:40:42Come on.
00:40:43Come on.
00:40:44Come on.
00:40:45Come on.
00:40:46Come on.
00:40:47Come on.
00:40:48Straight right hand from Lewis.
00:40:49Has no trouble punching downward, George.
00:40:52No.
00:40:53He picks that head up, jabs it, and the head comes up, and he throws the right hand.
00:40:57Well, both.
00:40:58Two up.
00:40:59Better keep his head a little lower.
00:41:00Even when he's jabbing, make him hit your forehead right up top.
00:41:03Both corners have told their fighters to be more assertive in this round.
00:41:08Let's see what happens.
00:41:09Harold, how do you have it for a six?
00:41:10Okay, Jim.
00:41:11Three rounds apiece.
00:41:1257-57.
00:41:13I thought Lennox won the first, but David Tua, the hardest shots to win the next three.
00:41:18Lennox didn't have a lot of snap.
00:41:19But certainly, in round five and six, Lennox out-boxed him.
00:41:23David trying to move in.
00:41:25Lennox popped him with jabs to, you know, to decidedly win five and six.
00:41:29So I got it all even.
00:41:30You know, David Tua has to get busy in order to win his fight, as he called it.
00:41:35I have it four rounds to two for Lewis.
00:41:38And Ronnie Shields didn't seem to think that David Tua is even in the fight.
00:41:41He told him in no uncertain terms after round six, you're losing the fight.
00:41:45They want more activity from Tua.
00:41:48He had to kind of fight that Tua's fighting.
00:41:50He's losing it.
00:41:51He got to start fighting his fight.
00:41:53Throw shots.
00:41:54Get closer.
00:41:55His partner told him once to get closer.
00:42:00Looking at David Tua here, you find it hard to imagine that against Aiki Bayabuchi three
00:42:05years ago, four years ago, he was in the heavyweight fight, which broke the CompuBox record for
00:42:10most punches thrown in ten rounds.
00:42:12I guess it's hard to throw a lot of punches against Lennox Lewis.
00:42:16You know, here's the other thing.
00:42:17We've talked about his weight, George.
00:42:19He was quicker at 225.
00:42:23Uh, I don't know if it's a factor here.
00:42:26He's young enough.
00:42:27It shouldn't be.
00:42:28But he's just, he doesn't appear to be as quick as he did a couple of years ago.
00:42:33Larry is not the weight.
00:42:34This guy, Lewis, is moving to Tua's right hand.
00:42:37Moving to his right hand, his left hook, and he can't get anything started off on the right side.
00:42:42Wanting to move him to his left, and he's jabbing him.
00:42:45That's the problem here.
00:42:47So that's the reason that a guy who threw 75 punches a round against Aiki Bayabuchi
00:42:52is throwing 35 punches a round against Lewis.
00:42:55Lewis jabs him, touches him with his hand, and when Tua looks up, he's too far away.
00:43:00Generally, when a guy hits you, he's close.
00:43:02This time, this guy jabs you, and he's as far away as can be.
00:43:09Now, this isn't British.
00:43:11Boxing fans don't love to see it.
00:43:13They want to see the sustained aggression.
00:43:15But Lennox Lewis showed you in both Holyfield fights
00:43:18and he's perfectly happy to win tonight and look sensational the next time.
00:43:23But why should he go and stand toe-to-toe with the shorter, very strong fighter
00:43:29and give the other fighter his best chance?
00:43:31Only so that he doesn't have to read in the newspapers tomorrow that he's dull.
00:43:35You know what? I don't think he cares.
00:43:37I think he doesn't. I think you're right.
00:43:39He's fighting the kind of fight that got him here.
00:43:45He's landed most of the big blows in this fight.
00:43:48Including a right hand right there.
00:43:50Remember, Tua has the punches changed.
00:43:53When he stayed that early on, the puncher, all he has is a punch.
00:43:57But the puncher is landing one punch at a time,
00:44:01and the boxer is out-commanding him tactically.
00:44:16More left hookers.
00:44:17You always want to start putting the left hookers.
00:44:19And it's not a danger to get hit when you do it.
00:44:22Start shooting more left hookers.
00:44:24Ray Robinson looked when you saw him knock out the guy.
00:44:26He's perfect for the hook.
00:44:28He's coming here down there and he's getting tired.
00:44:30He's having to sit down and start breaking some left hooks off.
00:44:32You'll catch him with the left hook.
00:44:33You'll be surprised.
00:44:34And you can't get hit if you shoot the hooker kick your head on top.
00:44:37You're not jabbing.
00:44:38You're not doing nothing.
00:44:39You understand?
00:44:40You can't win this fight like that.
00:44:42You understand?
00:44:43You got to get on top of this guy.
00:44:45Get on top of this guy and throw punches with this guy.
00:44:47Now, come on now.
00:44:48Hey, guys.
00:44:49Get on top of this guy.
00:44:50All right, suckers up.
00:44:51This is not an unfamiliar position for David Tua to be in.
00:44:55In his four biggest fights against David Izon,
00:44:59Moskyev,
00:45:01Abe Abuchi.
00:45:02Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
00:45:04Oh, oh, oh.
00:45:05Let's go.
00:45:06And Rachman, he was well behind going into the last third of the fight.
00:45:10So you can't count him out.
00:45:12That was the second warning from Cortez to Tua for low blows.
00:45:15And a deducted point in a fight like this could be very big.
00:45:19Tua came out of his corner with a vicious combination to the body
00:45:24and now falls back into the rhythm of following Lewis around
00:45:27and takes another right hand.
00:45:31Tua's got to get close, and maybe you got to step sometimes
00:45:34to keep the left and right foot too far behind him.
00:45:37So step on up there.
00:45:38Step on up to the plate.
00:45:39He's got to get in there and brawl.
00:45:40He's got to get in there and throw punch after punch.
00:45:44He's got to wrestle with Lennox.
00:45:46He's got to throw him around.
00:45:47He's got to try to change the fight dramatically.
00:45:50He's standing back and most his weight on his right foot.
00:45:53We've got to get closer.
00:45:54Step up in there.
00:45:55Put the feet together.
00:45:56He's not throwing more than one punch at a time,
00:46:02being tentative in part because Lewis is out of his range.
00:46:06I mean, it's not because he's on the rope.
00:46:09Jump him, jump him.
00:46:10There you go.
00:46:11Lewis goes in with a right and a left of the body.
00:46:14Cortez watching closely, but I must say,
00:46:16Lennox is taking the body shots
00:46:18without showing any ill effects whatsoever.
00:46:21Because he's standing right within his rhythm.
00:46:23He's not doing anything that he need not do
00:46:25to cause him to breathe hard.
00:46:27Now Lennox...
00:46:30Well, he should have tapped.
00:46:32He should have tapped.
00:46:33He should have tapped.
00:46:34And Tua leaves him alone,
00:46:35and Lennox steps right back away from it.
00:46:39You've got to establish the distance,
00:46:41and then once you establish it, keep it.
00:46:43Don't let it disappear.
00:46:46Once you get close, you stay close.
00:46:48Could it be, George,
00:46:49that David Tua is just too afraid
00:46:51of Lennox Lewis' right hand to be himself in there?
00:46:54No doubt about it,
00:46:55but he's tasted some of that right hand,
00:46:57and he should be afraid.
00:46:59Oh, my God!
00:47:01But Tua has a great chin.
00:47:03No, but not coming from upstairs.
00:47:04He's making giant shots from big punches.
00:47:05He's making giant shots from big punches.
00:47:06This right hand that Lewis has
00:47:07come from another direction.
00:47:08It's like dropping a pin
00:47:10from a 20-story building.
00:47:13There's the long right hand lands for Lewis
00:47:15right after the jab.
00:47:16Classic one-two.
00:47:17Lewis hasn't put a three-punch combination together,
00:47:20but by and large, he really hasn't had to.
00:47:22Jab and move.
00:47:23Jab and move.
00:47:24Jab and move.
00:47:25Jab and move.
00:47:26Jab, move to the left.
00:47:27Jab, move to the left.
00:47:28Lewis is not breathing hard.
00:47:29Tua is not putting the pressure on
00:47:30to make him breathe hard.
00:47:31Shaked, baked, doesn't do anything else.
00:47:32Fight bears a fair resemblance
00:47:33to the first Evander Holyfield fight
00:47:35in Madison Square Garden.
00:47:36I'll bet you the CompuBox numbers aren't all that different either.
00:47:49Ladix Lewis is giving a boxing lesson to David Tua
00:47:54through two-thirds of this heavyweight championship fight.
00:47:58And the crowd, at least the Tua supporters,
00:48:01aren't happy about it.
00:48:10If you want to get this, this kid has got his title,
00:48:13this is the champion.
00:48:14You understand?
00:48:15This is the champion.
00:48:16You have to take the title.
00:48:18The guy ain't gonna sit down and say,
00:48:20here, here, David.
00:48:21Take the title.
00:48:22You understand?
00:48:23You're walking around.
00:48:24You're not doing nothing.
00:48:26You're not winning these rounds.
00:48:27You're so far behind.
00:48:28You need a knockout now.
00:48:29You understand?
00:48:30Free your eyes.
00:48:31You need a knockout.
00:48:32You got to go, Paul.
00:48:33You got to go, Paul.
00:48:34You got to go, Paul.
00:48:35You got to go.
00:48:36All right, y'all for the players.
00:48:37Let's go, stick it up with your left hand.
00:48:38A little bit more.
00:48:39Tim Brown, even five.
00:48:40The boy's high.
00:48:41You should have stopped him more.
00:48:42I don't think he can beat him.
00:48:43Mentally, he's great.
00:48:45He's totally fine.
00:48:46He's .
00:48:47He's .
00:48:48All right, second is out.
00:48:49The court.
00:48:50Any three-punch combination, you do it.
00:48:52Any three-punch combination.
00:48:53Any three-punch combination.
00:48:55The chronically placid exterior of the heavyweight champion from Kitchener, Ontario in London,
00:49:05England, Lennox Lewis.
00:49:06And you heard what Ronnie Shields thinks about the fight.
00:49:10Well, this is the point where Tua has always come on in the past in his tough fights.
00:49:15Can he do it here?
00:49:16Shields couldn't have been any more categorical.
00:49:18He's already telling his fighter after eight rounds that he needs a knockout to win.
00:49:27Now, Tua has him up against him.
00:49:30He's not doing a thing.
00:49:31I just can't understand all of the training and the training camps.
00:49:34Would he have that much fear of Lennox's right hand?
00:49:36No, he's just at the left jab.
00:49:38He does not want to be hit with that left jab.
00:49:41Who cares?
00:49:42You can't come out of these fights looking pretty.
00:49:44You're going to have to get some scratches on you,
00:49:46and that's the only way you're going to do it with Lewis.
00:49:48You've got to sacrifice.
00:49:49The minutes are passing, and it doesn't appear Tua has a chance of winning a fight like this.
00:49:54He needs an explosion.
00:49:55He has the punch's chance.
00:49:56If only he would have served himself.
00:49:58Just so get it.
00:50:03Well, lots of guys, no shortage.
00:50:07Oliver McCall, Henry Akinwande have gone into the ring with big talk against Lennox Lewis,
00:50:13and then have produced nothing.
00:50:16And you have to wonder how many of them have been intimidated by the size and the right hand of the champion.
00:50:24Maybe he doesn't have to do much to win his fights.
00:50:31Whoa!
00:50:32Combination.
00:50:33And Tua smiles.
00:50:34You know why?
00:50:35Because he was hurt.
00:50:36That's why.
00:50:37But that's that left hook that Lennox Lewis had added to his repertoire.
00:50:41Yep.
00:50:42He finally decided to use it.
00:50:44If he throws it with consistency, forget it.
00:50:46How are you going to beat it?
00:50:49Tua's got to be involved.
00:50:50Once those exchanges start, he's got to mix it up.
00:50:53That means Lewis is close enough.
00:50:56Go!
00:50:57Big left hook for Tua.
00:50:58Yeah, but it went right into Lewis' glove.
00:51:01Lewis has got that right glove planted to his face.
00:51:04He knows that the left hook is David's virtually his only chance.
00:51:10It's his only weapon.
00:51:11In fact, I'm thinking of what Lennox said in Free Fight Publicity when he looked at David and said,
00:51:17You know, you've only got one thing that can win you this fight.
00:51:20I've got a whole arsenal.
00:51:22He looks so right right now.
00:51:25Even now, Lewis is pursuing a knockout.
00:51:29Yeah, I think his confidence is rising minute to minute as he realizes that he's just not gonna see this storm of aggression that Tua and his people promised.
00:51:39Left jab.
00:51:40Still the best punch in boxing, as I said earlier.
00:51:42You use the left jab, you can shut down anybody.
00:51:45This is becoming target practice at this point.
00:51:50Let it go, let it go, Clee.
00:51:51Let it go.
00:51:52Let it go.
00:51:55Tua's face beginning to swell just as Holyfield's face swelled in the first fight with Lewis.
00:52:01You got three rounds.
00:52:14You're going out there trying to hit it with one shot.
00:52:16Come on.
00:52:17One punch.
00:52:18You're not doing nothing.
00:52:19Anything.
00:52:20You know?
00:52:21You're going to sit alive.
00:52:22No.
00:52:23You're not out of this fight.
00:52:24You know why you're not out of this fight?
00:52:25Because you can punch.
00:52:26You understand?
00:52:27You're going to sit alive.
00:52:28But if you don't use your hands, it's not going to work.
00:52:31You understand?
00:52:32If you come out, it's sort of being loose.
00:52:33It's sort of sitting down and it's talking to everyone for you.
00:52:35You're real stiff.
00:52:36Everything's stiff now.
00:52:37You can see a whole different chain.
00:52:38Larry, let's look at some replays and notably, show us again how Lennox blocked David's left hook.
00:52:43Yeah, well, Lewis has him where he wants him now because David wants to come in, is looking to come in, and Lewis knows it.
00:52:51But here, as you saw, as I said earlier, his right hand is just plastered high because he's going to, if David, too, is going to beat him, he's going to try to make him beat him with something else but the left hook.
00:53:03That's great.
00:53:04If you, if a team has a great passing attack or a great running attack, he made him beat you with the passing and vice versa.
00:53:12You take away the strength and challenge them to beat you some other way.
00:53:18Fighting for the title, you can't be afraid if you're getting knocked out.
00:53:22And there's the uppercut for the first time, and it wobbles Tua!
00:53:26Lewis landed the right, came back with the uppercut, best combination of the fight, Tua rolled into the ropes.
00:53:35And then Lewis gives Tua a chance by getting aggressive, and Tua finally lands a big left hook.
00:53:40That's what Tua really want. Although you may get hurt, but you want those exchanges so that you can get yours in, too.
00:53:46Yeah, but he paid a heavy price to get his in.
00:53:49You must pay that price. Even if you get squashed up, you got to go to the doctor after the fight. Mix it up. Take a chance.
00:53:56Harold, are you in sync with us yet? What's your score?
00:53:58Absolutely, Jim. 87, 84, six rounds to three. Lennox Lewis, David Tua stopped fighting it basically at the end of round four, and it's been all Lennox since then.
00:54:09I wouldn't have it that close. Larry?
00:54:11Well, I have it seven rounds to two. A couple of things we have to bring in here. One is the weight. We don't know how much it's affected him.
00:54:21Another thing is seven rounds against four ordinary or less than ordinary fighters in two years as he prepared to fight the heavyweight champion in the world.
00:54:32The third thing is we heard that Tua was unable to spar for the last week of his training because of a body shot that hurt him. I don't know if any of that matters.
00:54:42But what I do know is that this is not the day the Tua that we have seen. We have to give Lennox Lewis credit for that.
00:54:49Do you know for sure that Tua was hurt in sparring?
00:54:51Well, I didn't see it. I heard it from a pretty good source.
00:54:55Don't take anything from Lennox Lewis tonight. He's winning this boxing match. Some of you guys said he was not, so you're going to have to come up with stuff. Let the man win the fight. The weight is fine. Everything is fine. He's out boxing this kid. And he's about 30-what, Larry? 35, George.
00:55:13I'll tell you what, George. You won't find me saying he's losing. I think the guy is virtually unbeatable because of his tactical command and his physical superiority.
00:55:23There you go, Tua. Now, just as I say that, he finally catches the left hook from Tua, but one punch at a time.
00:55:29Ooh, then right to the body hurt David Tua. Lennox is hurting him with a lot of punches now. He's getting there. And I think, Larry, of the factors you mentioned, the one that I would isolate is the absence of competition. You can't get ready to fight somebody like this by fighting the kinds of guys to a fall.
00:55:48Yeah, they got into the position of mandatory challenger, and they froze the ball for two years.
00:55:54And this is too big a step up. Tua just doesn't look ready for the final.
00:55:58Look at this, baby. You're taking a championship.
00:56:02Yep. Have a crown, baby. Have a crown.
00:56:06You got a crown, yes, baby. You got a right hander. You got a right hander.
00:56:10You got a right hander. You got a right hander. You got a right hander.
00:56:14And you get more of that hooks, they can finally get the right hander.
00:56:16The key is your ground. You're not going up that hook.
00:56:18You're not going up that hook.
00:56:20anything over this guy you gotta just get in there and you just gotta throw punches
00:56:24no jab no nothing you're not giving me anything just give me punches now just jump on top of this
00:56:32guy David this guy you can hurt this guy you understand George you got two miles and it's
00:56:37all over with you understand you got two fucking miles give it to me
00:56:41round 10 by copy box numbers a vintage Linux Lewis round 33 out of 56 59 percent 19 of 35 jabs to a
00:56:58landed five of 27 punches it is becoming a tactical wipeout well it's a desperation time you never
00:57:06kind of punch you like like David to it completely out but he's just desperate you're right but I
00:57:15want to say again guys don't be afraid to eat crow don't come up with excuses when Muhammad Ali with
00:57:20me I had a bunch of them and a lot of people who said I was gonna beat him they came up with excuses
00:57:26but when you lose you lose when you win same thing you're right George but we're not coming up with
00:57:32excuses we're looking for explanations there aren't any explanation when the best man win give it to
00:57:38him I give it to Lennox Lewis he's doing it David to it is very however is very disappointing in the
00:57:45challenge he's making so far hey listen for the past few years to the utter disappointment of a lot of
00:57:52boxing fans and critics Lennox Lewis is unquestionably the best man
00:57:57and he's showing it again here and that's why the crowd is booing this is not an overwhelmingly popular
00:58:06heavyweight champion but he might be for this moment a virtually unbeatable one well if there's any
00:58:13boos it should be for the challenger he's not done enough to try to take the title lands a good enough
00:58:19book and doesn't do anything after one punch at a time
00:58:26against a Lennox Lewis who in terms of his expression the excitement he's shown etc he's treating this like a
00:58:33sparring session that's what he's doing that's what the kind of fight you need to fight with a puncher
00:58:38like that play game take it safely to all he has to do is just dive in with a right hand and
00:58:45throw a left hook with all his might all he has to do and things can change he's afraid to take a chance
00:58:54he's afraid to take a chance even with his trainer urging him and yelling at him round by round
00:59:01you've got to do it jump in there fire punches blurry this is going to be another round in which
00:59:07Tua will throw less than 30 punches
00:59:09Lewis has been very good about going to the body also so Tua will not have the same power in the last round that he
00:59:18ordinarily has his problems in the late rounds is he didn't make Lewis work hard enough in the early rounds George as we were saying so that he might wear the older much bigger guy down jab right cross left hook the beginning of blood under the left eye of Tua that left eye is beginning to
00:59:38swell shut Lennox Lewis is just toying with it just toying with it just toying with it hot shot
00:59:45hot shot does whatever he wants to do right hand left jab right hand right hand it's all Lennox Lewis as we reach the end of the 11th round three minutes to go for
00:59:57that's it this is it go out there and just give me everything you got you are a puncher David you are a puncher you understand you get punched from round one
01:00:12well one
01:00:19David Tua prepared all of his life since he was eight years old for this chance he's been disappointing up to now can he make it all up in three minutes
01:00:39hundreds of fans are streaming for the exits they've seen enough to know who's going to win the fight and they've seen enough to know what the
01:00:4612th round is likely to look like the 11th was another vintage Lewis round 33 out of 57 21 of 45 jobs to it through only 30 punches Harold how do you have it going to the 12th
01:00:58okay Jim 107 102 8 rounds to 3 Lennox Lewis I mean this one's a walk in the park you know Jim 8 rounds 9 and 11 Lennox showed us the three punch combination he's really in his rhythm watch for that three punch combinations because heavyweights normally can't do that and Lennox does it beautifully I'm just waiting for two punches from David Tua well a lot of people saw this as a possible style preview to Dave I mean excuse me to Mike Tyson against Lennox Lewis and
01:01:27and I have to assume that Tyson at least would risk more he would take more chances to try to make it a fight there's no doubt about it so this is not a style preview to Tyson Lewis because Mike would just be a heck of a lot more rambunctious there's no way he'd go in there and throw one punch at a time the way Tua has
01:01:45you agree George you agree George Tyson would be more rambunctious this is Lennox Lewis night I got you I'm talking about what comes down the road this is a foregone conclusion this is the night this is his night
01:02:00this is his night
01:02:02well nowadays they're all his nights
01:02:05it was his night against Bote it was his night against Grant it was his night twice against Holyfield and it's his night again
01:02:13clearly against David Tua
01:02:15maybe those people who are filling the exits now are the New Zealanders
01:02:22Lennox Lewis could be heavyweight champ of the world for the next 10 years if he so chooses
01:02:27because he only gets better
01:02:29well what you're saying George really is
01:02:31the first thing that goes in a fighter
01:02:33it's not his legs or his reflexes
01:02:35it's his zeal to fight it's his will to train at the fight and he apparently still has that
01:02:41he's got it all he's got the package and he's lasted a long time
01:02:45I'll tell you what else he has he has calm
01:02:47he has confidence he has a balance
01:02:49look he's bouncing his legs this is the 12th round isn't it
01:02:52he's a tremendous athlete
01:02:54he's bouncing
01:02:54there are just no flies on Lennox Lewis folks
01:02:58this guy knows how to fight
01:02:59and he's still aware that David Tua has this power
01:03:04still not taking any chances
01:03:06he's not a fool
01:03:09he has turned to his face
01:03:12into a swelling bloody mask
01:03:14jab
01:03:19jab
01:03:20this is really a great fight
01:03:22body shot
01:03:23jabbing and moving
01:03:24this is a lights out artistic performance
01:03:27by a heavyweight champion
01:03:29who for the moment
01:03:30looks impregnable
01:03:32David Tua
01:03:37widely regarded as the second best heavyweight in the world
01:03:41was reduced
01:03:43to a sparring partner
01:03:46big time
01:03:46big time
01:03:51here's a replay of the last 15 seconds of the round
01:03:56which frankly
01:03:57we're man against boy
01:03:58Jim I thought David Tua
01:04:02had a serious chance
01:04:03on the assumption that
01:04:05he would be the best he could possibly be
01:04:08for this opportunity
01:04:09I couldn't have been more wrong
01:04:12yep
01:04:12yeah I told people
01:04:14I thought it would be at least an exciting fight
01:04:16although it was hard for me to imagine Lennox losing it
01:04:18but it wasn't that either
01:04:20science again
01:04:21science
01:04:21science
01:04:22science again
01:04:23he says
01:04:24yep
01:04:24well that's right Lennox
01:04:25you blinded him with science
01:04:26once again
01:04:28Lewis closed the show
01:04:3031 out of 62
01:04:3125 of 50 jabs
01:04:332 of 3
01:04:3329 punches
01:04:34in another disastrous round
01:04:37Harold how'd you have it?
01:04:38okay Jim
01:04:38117
01:04:40111
01:04:409 rounds to 3
01:04:42Lennox Lewis
01:04:43yeah
01:04:43I thought David Tua tried it in rounds
01:04:452, 3 and 4
01:04:46when he threw punches
01:04:47was aggressive
01:04:48effective aggressive
01:04:49this wins rounds
01:04:50but after the 4th round
01:04:51he was the aggressive
01:04:52but not at all effective
01:04:54Lennox Lewis just outboxed him
01:04:56you know
01:04:57and what an unclean punching
01:04:58and that's all there is to it
01:05:00in rounds 9 and 11
01:05:01he showed us beautiful
01:05:023 punch combinations
01:05:04and heavyweights don't do that
01:05:05the judges see that
01:05:07and you know
01:05:07Lennox as you called it
01:05:09was beautiful
01:05:09another nearly immaculate performance
01:05:14by a guy that
01:05:17boxing fans
01:05:18particularly in America
01:05:19seem to love to distrust
01:05:22but it's just hard to imagine
01:05:26who's out there at the moment
01:05:27who would have a good chance
01:05:28to beat him
01:05:29let's go to Michael Buffer
01:05:30for the official decision
01:05:31ladies and gentlemen
01:05:32here at the Mandalay Bay
01:05:34Resort Casino of Las Vegas
01:05:36we go to the Budweiser
01:05:38scorecards
01:05:39Jerry Roth scores the battle
01:05:41117 to 111
01:05:43Dave Moretti has it
01:05:45119 to 109
01:05:47and Chuck Jampa scores it
01:05:48118 to 110
01:05:50all for the winner by
01:05:52unanimous decision
01:05:54and still
01:05:56the universally recognized
01:05:58undisputed heavyweight champion
01:06:00of the world
01:06:01from Great Britain
01:06:04Lennox Lewis
01:06:07final punch stat numbers
01:06:36and Lennox Lewis
01:06:38almost tripled
01:06:40David Tua
01:06:41in number of landed punches
01:06:43and threw
01:06:44261 more punches
01:06:47than Tua
01:06:47the Samoan born
01:06:50New Zealander
01:06:50just didn't do enough
01:06:52jabs
01:06:53Lewis landing
01:06:54162 more jabs
01:06:56than Tua
01:06:57and throwing
01:06:58more than 200 more
01:07:00brilliant performance
01:07:04one-sided fight
01:07:05Larry Merchant stands by
01:07:07with the winner
01:07:07thank you very much
01:07:09Jim
01:07:09congratulations
01:07:10Lennox
01:07:11it looked as though
01:07:13you were simply
01:07:14executing a blueprint
01:07:15in this fight
01:07:17you describe what
01:07:18blueprint was
01:07:20well it's just
01:07:21box analogy
01:07:21simple as that
01:07:22you know
01:07:23you gotta come with
01:07:24more than a power
01:07:24left hook
01:07:25to beat Lennox Lewis
01:07:25that's why I said
01:07:26if you're coming to war
01:07:27you gotta bring
01:07:28your whole arsenal
01:07:29not just a left hook
01:07:31and a haircut
01:07:31so that
01:07:33by keeping your
01:07:34right hand high
01:07:35and watching his
01:07:36left hand
01:07:37you felt
01:07:38he had no
01:07:39other real options
01:07:40yeah I mean
01:07:41I watched tape on him
01:07:42and he doesn't throw
01:07:43a right hand
01:07:43and I wasn't really
01:07:44worried about his
01:07:45right hand
01:07:45only his left hook
01:07:46and first round
01:07:47I felt his left hook
01:07:48and I realized
01:07:49boy
01:07:49what are they talking about
01:07:50that's not a power
01:07:51left hook
01:07:51I didn't think
01:07:52there was too much
01:07:52power behind it
01:07:53but I mean
01:07:54he executes his world
01:07:55that's the only punch
01:07:56he has
01:07:56you hit him
01:07:59with some really
01:08:00good stiff punches
01:08:01especially your
01:08:02right hand
01:08:02is his jaw
01:08:04as durable
01:08:06as it was
01:08:07wanted to be
01:08:08yeah I would have
01:08:09to say he's pretty
01:08:09durable
01:08:09you know
01:08:10he can take a punch
01:08:11well
01:08:11a couple punches
01:08:12I hit him with
01:08:13he smiled
01:08:13and I said
01:08:14okay
01:08:14we'll receive
01:08:16some more then
01:08:16did he say
01:08:17anything to you
01:08:18because
01:08:19he didn't look
01:08:21anything like
01:08:22the David Tua
01:08:24who had prepared
01:08:25so long
01:08:25for this opportunity
01:08:26who
01:08:27was a tiger
01:08:29against many fighters
01:08:30I mean
01:08:30he just even
01:08:31didn't make
01:08:31the effort
01:08:32I said
01:08:33he's never seen
01:08:34a boxer
01:08:34like Lennox Lewis
01:08:35he's never been
01:08:35in against a boxer
01:08:37like Lennox Lewis
01:08:37that's what I said
01:08:38you know
01:08:39it's different
01:08:39when you're in the ring
01:08:40with me
01:08:40you can say
01:08:41what you want
01:08:42and what you want
01:08:43to accomplish
01:08:43but it's a different
01:08:44thing when you
01:08:45try and execute
01:08:46that in the ring
01:08:47he had his
01:08:48corner talking
01:08:49and saying
01:08:49this and that
01:08:50David Tua
01:08:50this David Tua
01:08:51that
01:08:51oh he's never
01:08:52been this
01:08:53he's never been that
01:08:53but it's a different
01:08:54ball when you're
01:08:55in the ring
01:08:55by yourself
01:08:56was your stamina
01:09:00I mean it didn't
01:09:01look like your stamina
01:09:02was a problem
01:09:03did you have
01:09:03anything wrong
01:09:04did you think
01:09:05there was anything
01:09:06wrong with him
01:09:07or was it just
01:09:08clear
01:09:09easy sparring
01:09:10session
01:09:11you know what was
01:09:12wrong with David Tua
01:09:13was Lennox Lewis
01:09:14never seen a boxer
01:09:15like me
01:09:15you enjoy the boxing
01:09:18we know that
01:09:19there was booing
01:09:20in the fight
01:09:20do you think
01:09:21it was for you
01:09:21or because
01:09:22he wasn't making
01:09:23the kind of effort
01:09:25that a challenger
01:09:26should make
01:09:27to win the heavyweight
01:09:28championship
01:09:28well you know
01:09:30I was doing all the
01:09:31work in the fight
01:09:32sometimes I slowed down
01:09:34because I figured
01:09:34okay he's doing
01:09:35the 1921st Roper
01:09:37dope
01:09:37just letting me
01:09:38throw all my punches
01:09:39out there and try
01:09:40and get me tired
01:09:40but you know
01:09:41if stamina's not
01:09:42the key with me
01:09:43I'm always in shape
01:09:44always prepared
01:09:44for my fights
01:09:45give us a clue
01:09:47Lennox
01:09:48of what you see
01:09:49in your future
01:09:51well you know
01:09:52I'll take on
01:09:53all comers
01:09:53if Tyson wants
01:09:55to come test
01:09:55I'll put him to rest
01:09:57what about
01:09:59some of the young
01:10:00fighters like
01:10:01Kirk Johnson
01:10:02a Canadian
01:10:03Vladimir Klitschko
01:10:05give us your assessment
01:10:08what will
01:10:09the year 2001
01:10:10be for you
01:10:11will it be as
01:10:11active
01:10:12as this year
01:10:13or are you going
01:10:14to take a long
01:10:15a rest
01:10:15I think I'll take
01:10:16a long rest
01:10:17as far as
01:10:18Kirk Johnson
01:10:18make him go eat
01:10:19some food with
01:10:20Holyfield
01:10:20might as well
01:10:21take the easy route
01:10:22first before it
01:10:22comes to me
01:10:23Klitschko
01:10:24yeah you know
01:10:25I'm around
01:10:26them guys
01:10:27if they want to
01:10:27come to us
01:10:27I'm ready
01:10:28anytime
01:10:28you're 35 years old
01:10:31yet you seem
01:10:33to maintain
01:10:34your interest
01:10:36in your zeal
01:10:37for combat
01:10:38is that the secret
01:10:39to why
01:10:40you have been
01:10:41successful
01:10:42at this age
01:10:43yeah I'm
01:10:44very competitive
01:10:45and you know
01:10:46you could say
01:10:47I'm like fine wine
01:10:48I get better
01:10:49when I age
01:10:49you sure did
01:10:51tonight
01:10:51thank you very much
01:10:52David
01:10:54sorry about what
01:10:57happened
01:10:58it didn't look like
01:10:59David Tua
01:10:59any reason
01:11:01except Lennox Lewis
01:11:02no excuses
01:11:03no excuses
01:11:03whatsoever
01:11:03tonight
01:11:04first of all
01:11:05first of all
01:11:05first of all
01:11:11thank God
01:11:11that I wasn't
01:11:13seriously injured
01:11:13and you know
01:11:14I congratulate
01:11:15Lennox Lewis
01:11:17he's a great champion
01:11:17and you know
01:11:18did the best I could
01:11:20things didn't work
01:11:21out for me
01:11:21and you know
01:11:22that's the way
01:11:22it goes
01:11:22goes sometime
01:11:24and tonight
01:11:24he was the best man
01:11:25why were you unable
01:11:28to sustain an attack
01:11:30why weren't you able
01:11:31to follow the pleading
01:11:33of your corner
01:11:33that this fight
01:11:35was getting away
01:11:35from you
01:11:36in something you
01:11:37yourself have said
01:11:38you prepared all
01:11:39your life for
01:11:39I'm not going to make
01:11:42no excuses
01:11:43I tried
01:11:44and you know
01:11:46tonight wasn't my night
01:11:47you know
01:11:47I tried really hard
01:11:48and things just
01:11:48you know
01:11:49wasn't working for me
01:11:50but you know
01:11:50I kept trying
01:11:51I stuck with it
01:11:53I'm going to have
01:11:54to ask Dan Goosen
01:11:55your promoter
01:11:56do you feel
01:11:57that David
01:11:59was 100%
01:11:59of himself
01:12:00regardless of
01:12:01how good
01:12:02Lennox Lewis
01:12:03was tonight
01:12:03I'm concerned
01:12:04Larry
01:12:05to even answer
01:12:05that based upon
01:12:06the fact that
01:12:07we all know
01:12:08that what we saw
01:12:09tonight
01:12:10and one of the
01:12:10things David's
01:12:11prided himself in
01:12:12is not making
01:12:13any excuses
01:12:14but obviously
01:12:14we saw
01:12:15that from the
01:12:16second round down
01:12:17we saw a different
01:12:18David Tua
01:12:18and you know
01:12:20one of the things
01:12:21that I got
01:12:21concerns about
01:12:22is ever
01:12:22saying
01:12:23making an excuse
01:12:24because there's
01:12:25no excuses
01:12:26with us
01:12:26but in the
01:12:27second round
01:12:28Ronnie and Kevin
01:12:29told me that
01:12:30David did come back
01:12:32and what happened
01:12:33is about two months
01:12:34ago he did
01:12:34during sparring
01:12:35session
01:12:36get hit in the rib
01:12:37okay
01:12:38had a little problem
01:12:38there was off
01:12:39about three or four
01:12:40days
01:12:40overcame it
01:12:42okay
01:12:43came right back
01:12:44in the training
01:12:44was wearing a
01:12:46guard
01:12:46one of the football
01:12:48protectors
01:12:48to protect that rib
01:12:50throughout
01:12:50but the bottom
01:12:52line is
01:12:52is that
01:12:53he felt
01:12:53he was
01:12:54he was able
01:12:55to go on
01:12:55he did get hit
01:12:56in the second round
01:12:57with a shot
01:12:58and that's when he came
01:12:59back and he couldn't get
01:13:00full extension
01:13:01on his punches
01:13:01did that body punch
01:13:04hurt you that badly
01:13:06David
01:13:07yeah I couldn't get
01:13:08like I said
01:13:09I'm not sitting here
01:13:10standing here
01:13:10making excuses
01:13:11well it's not an excuse
01:13:12if you came and you fought
01:13:13but the public wants to know
01:13:16why they didn't see the
01:13:17David tour we were expecting
01:13:18we tore a cartilage
01:13:20two months ago
01:13:21you tore a cartilage in the rib
01:13:23and two months
01:13:25we got over it
01:13:26through training
01:13:27and David fell
01:13:29100% before the fight
01:13:30we were confident
01:13:31going in
01:13:31he got hit on
01:13:32in the second round
01:13:33it restricted all his movement
01:13:34after that
01:13:35you saw that he was eating the jab
01:13:37he was having trouble
01:13:38moving his body to the side
01:13:39slipping punches
01:13:40and he was having trouble
01:13:41trying to unload his hook
01:13:42this is Kevin Barry
01:13:43the trainer manager
01:13:47we had heard
01:13:49and we remarked
01:13:50that you had heard a rib
01:13:51so then you're just saying
01:13:52that if you were 100% coming in
01:13:54you just have to give
01:13:54Lennox Lewis credit
01:13:56for that damaging shot
01:13:58of course
01:13:58you know
01:13:59you know
01:14:00much respect
01:14:01and all the credits
01:14:01to Lennox Lewis
01:14:02you know
01:14:03he came out
01:14:04and this plays
01:14:05you know world champion
01:14:06and he took none away
01:14:07is he the best fighter
01:14:08you've ever been in there with
01:14:09is he
01:14:10is he more of a problem
01:14:11than you even anticipated
01:14:13no I've always
01:14:14I've always known
01:14:14that Lennox has got
01:14:15an awkward style
01:14:16and he came out
01:14:17and he did what he had to do
01:14:18and you know
01:14:19that's why he's the world champion
01:14:20Larry in the aftermath
01:14:22of the fight
01:14:23Lennox Lewis
01:14:23now the best thing
01:14:26about this funding
01:14:27it's prepaid
01:14:29for Father's Day
01:14:32we're number one
01:14:33shopping Ross
01:14:34it's lots of fun
01:14:35shopping Ross
01:14:36go a big make-up day
01:14:38Ross has gifts
01:14:39for work
01:14:40off
Comments

Recommended