Prince Naseem Hamed vs Cesar Soto + Evander Holyfield & Lennox Lewis interviews - HBO 10-22-99 - video Dailymotion

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WBO Featherweight Champion Prince Naseem Hamed faces WBC Champion Cesar Soto in a Unification fight on HBO Boxing.  Plus an interview with both Heavyweight champions, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield

Transcript

00:00:00Two new times, 8 p.m. and midnight, Eastern and Pacific Time.

00:00:06And we remind you to stick with us because later on this evening we'll be talking live with Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield,

00:00:12getting ready to begin setting up their November 13 rematch in Las Vegas.

00:00:16But now let's get ready to see Prince Nassim Hamed against Cesar Soto of Mexico and George.

00:00:21A lot of our viewing public may not be that familiar with Soto, despite the fact that he's had more than 60 pro fights.

00:00:26What can he do? What must he do against the Prince?

00:00:28He's a solid fighter. If he just doesn't take part in all of this festivity here, he can retain his title by just being solid.

00:00:35Whatever Nassim does to him, counter it with something else as far as punching is concerned.

00:00:40He can take a good shot. He can win.

00:00:42Soto is known for his left hook. Naz is a southpaw.

00:00:45A lot of experts say it's difficult to make your left hook work against a southpaw.

00:00:50Is that going to be a problem for Soto?

00:00:51Naz is a little more than a southpaw. He's about everything, north and south, west, east.

00:00:56You name it. He's everything. It's going to be a difficult night, no doubt about it for Soto.

00:01:00All right. Well, as we get ready to watch Soto take his shot at Prince Nassim, we wait also for Nassim's usual elaborate entrance.

00:01:08Larry, of course, there was such a huge splash when he made his HBO and American debut back in December of 1997 in the fireworks fight with Kevin Kelly in New York.

00:01:17Everybody who saw it remembers it, but since then, relatively lackluster performances, and the bloom is off the rose a little bit for Prince Nassim.

00:01:26Are we learning that as a fighter, at least, he was a bit overrated?

00:01:30We'll have the definitive answer in an hour or less, Jim.

00:01:34But in fact, nobody is as good as the Prince thinks he is.

00:01:38Yeah, that's right.

00:01:39Yes, he is. Having said that, whether you like him or not, we have to give him credit for this.

00:01:46As a tiny boy, one of nine children, the son of Arab immigrants, he imagined somehow that he could become a star.

00:01:57And he has brought it off.

00:02:00And he is a hero to Arabs all over the world.

00:02:05He is their Joe Louis in Joe Louis Arena.

00:02:09Totally fitting. And, of course, one of the reasons Nass is here, he's now trained by the illustrious Emmanuel Stewart of Detroit.

00:02:16It's a far cry from the days when Prince Nassim basically told his original trainer, Brendan Patty Engel, how it would be done.

00:02:24That isn't the case anymore.

00:02:25Historically, world-class fighters have prepared for ring challenges in remote training camps, first popularized in the 30s by Joe Louis.

00:02:38One big exception has been Prince Nassim Ahmed.

00:02:41This is the first time in his seven years of professional boxing.

00:02:44He's left his hometown of Sheffield, England, and its unstructured boys' club gym to get ready for a fight.

00:02:50The move, spurred by recent lackluster performances.

00:02:53It's totally different to Sheffield.

00:02:55These places up here are just totally way out.

00:02:58It's in the middle of nowhere.

00:02:59Great air.

00:03:00Great places to run.

00:03:02Good gym.

00:03:04Everything's just wicked.

00:03:06The downside, the biggest sacrifice, separation from his large, devoted family.

00:03:13My beautiful son at 15 months, Sammy.

00:03:15My beautiful wife, Alicia.

00:03:17I'm missing them dearly.

00:03:18I'm missing my parents, my sisters, everybody that I love.

00:03:21I can't go to my sister's wedding.

00:03:23Obviously, it's the biggest day of her life, and I missed it.

00:03:26Ironically, Nass is surrounded here by lovers celebrating the biggest days of their lives at Pennsylvania's honeymoon paradise, the Pocono Mountains.

00:03:35Most here couldn't care less about the hurt business.

00:03:38And all these people that love couples walking around, hey, I love you, you love me, and all of this business, you know, jacuzzi, steam room, sauna, swimming pool, and you're like, in your room.

00:03:51And you're like, bam, my wife's not here.

00:03:53Why the hell am I staying in this room?

00:03:56This ain't for me.

00:03:57I left the room.

00:03:59Moved to a new room.

00:04:01Nah, I'm in a room, it's still a nice room and everything, but it's just not like the champagne suite.

00:04:06Ain't no sex going on in the champagne suite.

00:04:10That's what's going on.

00:04:11Nothing but pure boxing.

00:04:13Eat, sleep, boxing.

00:04:16That's all I'm doing.

00:04:16Helping Nass adjust to his seven-week life in exile is fellow Brit Lennox Lewis and the trainer they share.

00:04:25And Lennox has taken it upon himself to be like his big brother to guide him and explain to him more about training camp.

00:04:31And that has, I think, been a big factor in having the two of them work so compatible together.

00:04:36More than anything, it's been a camp of opposites.

00:04:39The yin and yang of size.

00:04:41Speed versus power.

00:04:42Hip-hop versus reggae.

00:04:44Flamboyant and laid back.

00:04:45I've got Nass and his training team to keep me company in one sense, and we kind of feed off each other.

00:04:52I've heard there wasn't that much atmosphere in a Lennox Lewis camp before the Prince came on the scene and put some nice atmosphere and some wicked music.

00:05:03They both seem to give and take, and they balance out each other.

00:05:07That's what I've enjoyed most of in this camp than any other camp I've ever been there, because I've never had two fighters so opposite.

00:05:13Contrasts aside, both title holders are taking advantage of strategic tips from the other.

00:05:19He's a boxer.

00:05:25He's a fighter.

00:05:26He's got his own uncanny way of fighting, and anything he can help me with, I'll definitely listen to.

00:05:34So if you see a movement, and I'll go like that, and you're blocking it, just do it a few times, just do it a few times.

00:05:40He said he never even did roadwork or ran before a fight.

00:05:43Lennox is actually taking him out, teaching him how to run and do roadwork properly.

00:05:47Another benefit for Naz comes simply from witnessing the heavyweight champion's workouts.

00:05:54For me to watch him, yeah, he does really inspire me a little bit, and I can get in training and think, yeah, I have to do my job now, and I have to train so hard.

00:06:00It was beautiful.

00:06:01I loved it today.

00:06:03It's very sharp.

00:06:04You've got to be so focused.

00:06:06You've got to be so disciplined.

00:06:08You've got to be strong-minded.

00:06:09And that's what a champion needs.

00:06:12Beginning with tonight's fight, the Prince of Flash experiments with the boxing benefits of monastic seclusion.

00:06:20Nassim Hamed, unorthodox in so many ways, hopes boxing's deep-rooted training camp tradition leads to a more definitive victory dance.

00:06:33Back live at the Joe Louis Arena.

00:06:35And we look at the tail of the tape for Prince Nassim Hamed against Cesar Soto.

00:06:41Two-year age difference.

00:06:43Soto, four inches taller than the prince.

00:06:45They weighed in at 126.

00:06:47There was controversy tonight.

00:06:48Prince Nassim Hamed at 133.

00:06:50Cesar Soto at 130.

00:06:52Three-inch reach advantage for Soto.

00:06:54At yesterday's weigh-in, which took place considerably more than 24 hours before the start of the fight,

00:07:00there was controversy.

00:07:01See, nobody knew which was supposed to be the official scale of two which were there.

00:07:06And Prince Nassim felt that Soto did not legitimately make weight.

00:07:09Then he told the press what he thought about it.

00:07:12He can't make the weight.

00:07:16And when you can't make the weight, what happens?

00:07:19You win.

00:07:19You get knocked out.

00:07:20This is Hamed at his Ali-like vest, intuiting immediately an opportunity to hype the fight.

00:07:36Fun stat numbers, Larry.

00:07:38All right.

00:07:38We see the numbers are relatively close.

00:07:41Hamed is the bigger puncher.

00:07:43Jab-wise, Soto throws a lot of jabs, but his big punch is the left hook.

00:07:54He throws his left 75% or more of the time.

00:07:58And rules of the bout with Harold Letterman.

00:08:02Jim, in the main event tonight, the hand wraps were a huge issue because of Hamed's recent problems.

00:08:07The commission will allow extra gauze above the traditional 10 yards they normally use.

00:08:12They'll take to be used on the knuckles.

00:08:13And, of course, Soto's camp is going to be at Hamed's dressing room to make sure everything goes okay.

00:08:18Jim.

00:08:18And there's a look at Cesar Soto.

00:08:2753 wins, 7 losses, 2 draws.

00:08:29Living in Juarez, Mexico now.

00:08:31Originally from Durango, which is the original hometown of Oscar De La Hoya's dad.

00:08:36And also of former welterweight contender Jose Luis Lopez.

00:08:40Durango has a big boxing tradition.

00:08:42And now Soto is trying to extend that tradition to Juarez.

00:08:46You know, from the promotion of this fight, you would think that Naz was coming in here to fight his shadow.

00:08:58This is his shadow, and he is no shadow.

00:09:04He lifted the title back from Luisito Espinoza.

00:09:08A few years ago, he lost to Espinoza in Espinoza's native Philippines.

00:09:11Then he fought him again this past June and took the title with a unanimous decision victory.

00:09:18So he's 1-1 in title fights is the left-hooking Cesar Soto.

00:09:23And now here comes the, by now traditional, elaborate, theatrical, maybe over-theatrical entrance of Prince Maxine.

00:09:39This is the rock opera before the sock opera.

00:09:42This is the rock opera.

00:10:12This is the rock opera.

00:10:42See, the difference with me, when I do what I do, I do what I'm doing, but I'm doing it like I'm doing it for TV.

00:10:52Keep your hands up.

00:10:54Put your hands up.

00:10:56Come on, keep your hands up.

00:10:58I guess you can get away with this stuff if you can punch like I'm in.

00:11:22Yeah, yeah!

00:11:26Hey, you hot out!

00:11:28The British love eccentrics, and they sure have produced one.

00:11:46Yeah, baby!

00:11:50We're going to have a party tonight!

00:11:52Yeah!

00:11:52Oh

00:12:22In fact, I'm gonna be here talking to love

00:12:24Second in and around the world

00:12:26There's so many places

00:12:27There's so many girls

00:12:28There's so many vacations

00:12:29And every girl in the world

00:12:31No nation

00:12:31But right now

00:12:32That's what I'm gonna say

00:12:33Let's be real

00:12:35I know you got real

00:12:36So I'm gonna make everything

00:12:39I'm gonna make this a night

00:12:44I'm gonna make this a night

00:12:46Tonight

00:12:48Tonight

00:12:50Tonight

00:12:51I'm gonna make this a night

00:12:53Tonight

00:12:54Tonight

00:12:55Tonight

00:12:56I don't rap for robies

00:12:57I rap at Starbucks

00:12:58I'm that star

00:12:59Who get the star star star

00:13:01You want me to get

00:13:01When you want some hard luck

00:13:03I'm that kid

00:13:04Can't wait to start

00:13:05I'm showing over to the Bob and Vicky

00:13:07Girls and I'm the club

00:13:09Bob and Vicky

00:13:10I'm the deputy president

00:13:11Nita's a whiskey

00:13:12Girl, no I'm going to be

00:13:13But you try to convince me

00:13:14I'm a little chick

00:13:15And I'm with already know

00:13:16I ain't got this like me

00:13:18So that he's low

00:13:19I'm a bitch

00:13:20I'm a bitch

00:13:20Prince Nassim Ahmed

00:13:28Finally

00:13:29Enters the ring

00:13:31With a record of 32 wins

00:13:32No losses

00:13:33No draws

00:13:3329 KOs

00:13:3512 knockouts

00:13:36In title fight

00:13:37The only fighter

00:13:39Who's able to go the distance

00:13:40Against Naz in a title fight

00:13:41Is the guy you saw

00:13:43Go the distance with

00:13:44Eric Morales

00:13:45A few moments ago

00:13:46Wayne McCullough of Ireland

00:13:47While you're watching this upcoming bout

00:13:54You can also log on to www.hbo.com

00:13:57Slash boxing

00:13:58To chat and score each round of tonight's action

00:14:01While you're logged on to our website

00:14:03We welcome you to voice your opinion

00:14:04On the poll question for the evening

00:14:06Does it matter to you one way or another

00:14:08That Prince Nassim Ahmed does not hold

00:14:11One of the three most recognized championship belts

00:14:13Does it diminish him

00:14:15That he holds an off-brand belt

00:14:17Respond yes or no

00:14:18And we'll provide you with results

00:14:20Later in this telecast

00:14:22And now let's go up to ring announcer

00:14:24Michael Buffer

00:14:25To kick it off

00:14:26Cedric Kushner Promotions

00:14:35And Prince Promotions Incorporated

00:14:37As-salamu alaykum

00:14:38Along with your undisputed

00:14:41Undefeated King of Beers

00:14:43Budweiser

00:14:44Proud to be your Bud

00:14:45In association with Top Rank Incorporated

00:14:48Present Champion

00:14:50Versus Champion

00:14:51Twelve rounds of boxing

00:14:53For the featherweight championship

00:14:56Of the world

00:14:58Sanctioned by

00:15:00The State of Michigan Boxing Commission

00:15:02Along with the WBC and the WBO

00:15:06Michigan Commission Chairman

00:15:07David Sebastian

00:15:09Physicians at ringside

00:15:10Dr. Ralph Sachs

00:15:11Dr. Evan Ferris

00:15:13Timekeeper and counting for the knockdowns

00:15:15Joe Collins

00:15:16And Dale Kalinowski

00:15:17WBC President

00:15:19Jose Suleiman

00:15:20WBC Supervisor

00:15:22At ringside

00:15:23Steve Croson

00:15:24WBO President

00:15:25Francisco Paco Barfarsal

00:15:28And WBO Supervisor

00:15:29Gordy Volkman

00:15:31The three judges scoring this bout

00:15:33On a ten point must system

00:15:35Will be

00:15:35Dario

00:15:37Ciarini

00:15:38Mike Liena

00:15:40And Chuck Hassett

00:15:41And when the bell rings

00:15:43Your referee in charge of the action

00:15:45Dale Grable

00:15:46And now for the thousands in attendance

00:15:49And the millions watching around the world

00:15:53From the Joe Louis Arena

00:15:55Detroit, Michigan

00:15:56Ladies and gentlemen

00:15:58Let's get ready to rumble

00:16:03Introducing first

00:16:12Fighting out of the red corner

00:16:14Wearing black with leopard trim

00:16:16He weighs 126 pounds

00:16:19And he brings a perfect professional record to the ring

00:16:22And consisting of 32 bouts

00:16:2432 victories

00:16:26Including 29 by knockout

00:16:28With two world title belts

00:16:31He is considered by many to be

00:16:33Pound for pound

00:16:34Among the best in the world

00:16:36Ladies and gentlemen

00:16:37From Sheffield, England

00:16:39Presenting the reigning

00:16:41And defending

00:16:43Undefeated

00:16:44Undefeated

00:16:45WBO

00:16:45Featherweight

00:16:47Champion of the world

00:16:49Prince

00:16:50Prince

00:16:50Messi

00:16:51Hamid

00:16:54And his opponent across the ring

00:17:03Fighting out of the blue corner

00:17:05Wearing red

00:17:06Trimmed with gold letters

00:17:08And weighing in also at 126 pounds

00:17:11He has an outstanding professional record

00:17:14In 62 bouts

00:17:15He has 53 victories

00:17:17Including 39 knockouts

00:17:19With seven defeats

00:17:21And two draws

00:17:22Ladies and gentlemen

00:17:23Hamas y Caballeros

00:17:25De Juárez, Mexico

00:17:27Presenting the reigning

00:17:29And defending

00:17:29WBC

00:17:31Featherweight

00:17:32Champion of the world

00:17:34Cesar

00:17:36Cobrita

00:17:37Salto

00:17:40Good luck to both of you

00:17:53Touch him up

00:17:53When Soto was asked

00:17:56What would happen

00:17:57If the prince hit him

00:17:59His best shot

00:18:00And Soto didn't blink

00:18:02He said

00:18:04I feel sorry for him

00:18:07That is the first thing

00:18:09We're looking for tonight

00:18:11How can he handle the punch

00:18:13Meanwhile

00:18:14A lot of people in the arena

00:18:15Feel nothing but love

00:18:16For Prince Nassim

00:18:17In case you weren't with us

00:18:19At the beginning of the telecast

00:18:20The estimated Arab

00:18:22And Arab related population

00:18:23Of Greater Detroit

00:18:24Is 275,000

00:18:26The promoters believe

00:18:28That by fight time

00:18:30It was quite possible

00:18:31More than a half

00:18:32The people in the arena

00:18:33Would be Arab

00:18:34We have a startlingly

00:18:35Large crowd

00:18:36Seemingly

00:18:37Much more than

00:18:39Two-thirds full

00:18:40And no one expected that

00:18:41Without an American fighter

00:18:42On the card

00:18:43But Prince Nassim Ahmed

00:18:44Has his own unique appeal

00:18:46And now round one begins

00:18:48And what Soto has to do

00:18:58Is just be basic

00:19:00Don't get him

00:19:01Caught up in the okie-dok

00:19:02Trying to outshow this guy

00:19:03After everything

00:19:04Get back in the position

00:19:06And the prince

00:19:07Has just got to be himself

00:19:08You want a new trainer

00:19:10To add into your repertoire

00:19:12But you don't want to

00:19:13Drop anything

00:19:13You bring to the table

00:19:14Every fighter

00:19:16Who faces Nass

00:19:18Plains they'll be

00:19:19Unruffled by the theatrics

00:19:20And they'll stay

00:19:21Within their envelope

00:19:22Not that easy to do

00:19:24Once you are a part

00:19:26Of the hoopla

00:19:26That surrounds the bout

00:19:27You saw Nass

00:19:28Come into the ring

00:19:29And go immediately

00:19:30Over to Soto

00:19:31And tuck gloves with him

00:19:32As if to say

00:19:33I hope you enjoyed my show

00:19:35Soto came out in this fight

00:19:37Trying to rough Ahmed up

00:19:38As he's doing right now

00:19:40But Ahmed answered

00:19:42With that five punch barrage

00:19:43About 20 seconds later

00:19:45And now Soto has settled down

00:19:47A little bit

00:19:48And that's what's frightened me

00:19:53More about Ahmed

00:19:54As he's going into training camp

00:19:56Lost some of what

00:19:57He brings to the table

00:19:58Trainers have a way

00:20:00Of just putting too much

00:20:01Of their stamp

00:20:02Into your style

00:20:03Soto is solid

00:20:05Landed punches

00:20:07Gets back in position

00:20:08Ready to do it again

00:20:09Stop, stop, stop

00:20:10Come on

00:20:12Referee Dale Grable

00:20:16Was trying to wrestle them apart

00:20:17As Hamed fired an uppercut

00:20:20Right between Grable's arms

00:20:22Hamed is a counter puncher

00:20:26Feeds off of what you do

00:20:28That's what you want

00:20:30To keep him doing

00:20:30Roy was powerful

00:20:33Not short quick counter punches either

00:20:35But long looping counter punches

00:20:38Thrown from odd angles

00:20:40And delivered with devastating power

00:20:42When he's off balance

00:20:44He's the best there is

00:20:45You give him some balance

00:20:47And you may have him just average

00:20:49Hard left hands by Hamed

00:20:52And already Soto has that look

00:20:56On his face that seems to say

00:20:57Well, I'd heard he was a hard puncher

00:20:59But this is something new

00:21:01I think right now

00:21:02Really what's bothering Soto

00:21:04Is the quickness

00:21:05Of the Prince's punches

00:21:08Rather than the power is yet

00:21:10He's just beating him to the punch

00:21:12Prince has that something about him

00:21:17He does two things to your left

00:21:19And then comes back to the right

00:21:21With a power shot

00:21:22He hasn't demonstrated that tonight

00:21:25Two things to the right

00:21:27And then do something left

00:21:28Nass working to the body

00:21:30Through part of this first round

00:21:32Does not always deign to throw body punches

00:21:35But seems to want to say to Soto

00:21:37Okay, I've heard you can punch to the rib cage

00:21:39Watch this

00:21:40And now Nass poses for a while

00:21:44Before coming back to the corner

00:21:46To talk to Emanuel Stewart

00:21:47Take it down somehow

00:21:49Okay, you sit down

00:21:51You're looking great shape

00:21:52Let me tell you something

00:21:53Let me tell you something

00:21:55Sit down, we got that

00:21:57What you got to remember

00:22:00Take it easy

00:22:01Slow down

00:22:02You're not working your magic here

00:22:04Let's start playing with his abs a little bit

00:22:06See, you're shooting all of the big shots

00:22:07As soon as you start

00:22:08He's going up

00:22:09He's going up

00:22:10He's giving you what you don't get much either way

00:22:11Start playing with him a little bit

00:22:12You got so much speed

00:22:14As soon as later

00:22:14He's going to shoot one of them slow shots

00:22:16And you want to catch him with a counter punch

00:22:17But start getting it right

00:22:18Just start playing with him

00:22:19And once you get to study

00:22:20Do you see anything different

00:22:22You have to get

00:22:25Take advantage of this guy

00:22:26When he jumps

00:22:27Go right to the chest

00:22:29Two

00:22:30Two

00:22:31Go back

00:22:31One

00:22:32You heard Emanuel Stewart

00:22:35Advising the prince

00:22:37Be calm

00:22:39Let Soto throw punches

00:22:41And leave himself open

00:22:42For one of your quicker counter punches

00:22:44And he said

00:22:45Play with him

00:22:46So I would like to applaud

00:22:48Emanuel Stewart

00:22:49For putting that into it

00:22:50Play with him

00:22:50That's what he needs to hear

00:22:51I didn't think Emanuel would do that

00:22:54Well Emanuel says

00:22:57He's not trying to

00:22:58Remake the prince

00:22:59Simply hoping for some refinements

00:23:02In what he does

00:23:02Note-worthy

00:23:03Stewart says

00:23:04I'd like to get him

00:23:05To at least pay a little attention

00:23:07To defending himself

00:23:08And not be so easy to hit

00:23:09Soto has now been worn twice

00:23:12Once for leading with his head

00:23:14And once for a rabbit punch

00:23:16Now's waiting for Soto to come in

00:23:20And firing the left uppercut

00:23:21Soto trying to stay within a tight envelope

00:23:24And set up his left hook

00:23:26Oh, it just missed with a big left hook there

00:23:29Oh, it didn't miss

00:23:30It hurt him

00:23:31It flipped him

00:23:31It slapped him real good

00:23:34Stop Soto

00:23:35Listen, when I say break

00:23:38Break

00:23:39Break

00:23:40The prince tries to use his dexterity

00:23:43And quickness

00:23:44To lean away from his opponents

00:23:46And sometimes he gets clipped like that

00:23:49Soto just has to remain solid

00:23:56Keep your left foot in front of you

00:23:57Keep your left foot in front of you

00:23:58Jab with your left

00:23:59Throw your right in a straight fashion

00:24:01If he does that, things can happen good for Soto

00:24:03Houses heavily for Hamed

00:24:06But there are some Soto rooters here too

00:24:08And you'll hear them whenever the Mexican star

00:24:11Produces a rally

00:24:12Hamed has not been able to get into his rhythm tonight

00:24:17He's trying so hard to be the aggressor

00:24:19Now we got a rhythm going by Hamed

00:24:30Hard left hook by Soto

00:24:33And you saw the typically off-balance Hamed

00:24:38Moved to the side by that punch

00:24:40Now Prince Nassim comes back with an uppercut of his own

00:24:44Soto trying to measure

00:24:46Get inside and pin his man against the rope

00:24:48And fire the left hook to the body

00:24:50As you saw him do twice there

00:24:51Another left hook lands hard upstairs

00:24:57Nass, grinning, a sure sign that he felt it

00:25:01So Cesar Soto has settled down

00:25:06In the latter two minutes of this round

00:25:09Good spotter shot by the Prince

00:25:24One more time, one more time

00:25:28Another warning against Soto

00:25:32And an indication that the next instance of holding

00:25:35Will produce a penalty point

00:25:38As we go to Soto's Corner

00:25:39Where Miguel Diaz speaks Spanish

00:25:41Our interpreter is Hector Garcia

00:25:44Diaz is chasing referee Dale Grable across the ring

00:25:51Breathe in deep

00:25:52Trying to say to Grable, it isn't my man who's holding

00:25:54It's Prince Nassim who's pulling his head into it

00:25:57You're doing very well

00:25:59You're doing very well

00:26:00When you step on him

00:26:01You throw that right hand

00:26:03And then the left hand behind it

00:26:05When you step on him, just do that

00:26:07Breathe in deep

00:26:09Breathe in

00:26:12You're doing real well

00:26:18Here's that long left hook

00:26:21That Soto got in position for

00:26:23Not on the jaw, but an effective punch

00:26:27It landed behind the point

00:26:38Where it might do some serious damage

00:26:40Nass was out of his corner for several seconds

00:26:44Waiting for Soto

00:26:45Soto stayed on his stool

00:26:47Until the last possible instant

00:26:48And the referee, Dale Grable

00:26:50Wanted a couple of more seconds

00:26:51To get things set

00:26:52Before letting them at each other

00:26:54Now the Prince is using his footwork

00:26:56That's what you want to see

00:26:57Dancing, moving, counterpunching

00:27:01And as the Prince comes forward and engages

00:27:03Soto tries to get to his body

00:27:05Now Soto can have lots of problems

00:27:08With a moving, dynamic Prince

00:27:10Lots of problems

00:27:14Nass landing a soft left

00:27:16Soto trying to counter with a hard left

00:27:18But his own

00:27:19Soto keeps his hands right in front of him

00:27:23He jabbed

00:27:24Prince Nassim fans in the crowd

00:27:30Chanting, Nazzy, Nazzy, Nazzy

00:27:32Soto lunging as he comes forward

00:27:34sortir, Nazzy lets wanna transfer

00:27:37Transit, Nazzy, Nazzy

00:27:38Nazzy gets a chance but missing

00:27:39crowds get excited but no heavy contact there

00:27:44This is what happened

00:27:45When a fighter spends too much time in the gym

00:27:47And practicing power

00:27:47You're born with power

00:27:49If you got a shadowbox and make sure

00:27:51and make sure you can execute it.

00:28:04As always, Prince Nassim tempting fate

00:28:07with his hands held down well below his waist,

00:28:09relying on his flashing speed and extraordinary reflexes

00:28:14to stay out of serious danger.

00:28:16Conversely, Soto is holding his hands unusually high

00:28:21to protect his jaw.

00:28:25So you have a study in contrasts now,

00:28:27midway through round three.

00:28:30Soto focusing on staying in his envelope,

00:28:33Naz trying to tempt him out of it.

00:28:35Naz has got a good rhythm now.

00:28:37He goes left up and then right, right, right, and then left.

00:28:41Soto not as busy in this round,

00:28:42and it's giving Prince Nassim a chance to get off.

00:28:47I got a feeling that referee is really gonna change

00:28:49the course of this boxing match.

00:28:53I kind of feel like he wants too much of this body.

00:28:55Yeah, I mean, you really want to stay out of the fight

00:28:58as much as you can.

00:28:59Tell him to break it.

00:29:00First one, first one that takes a punchline break,

00:29:03it's gonna get a point off.

00:29:05Now, box!

00:29:06Yeah, he's got too much referee tonight.

00:29:09Yeah, and he's offering instructions in English,

00:29:11which says Soto might not understand.

00:29:14I've never thought about that.

00:29:20He's warning both fighters not to punch off the break

00:29:23and saying that the next fighter who throws a punch off the break

00:29:27is gonna be penalized.

00:29:28But I'm not sure Soto knows what he said.

00:29:30Not only that, he's been warning too much.

00:29:33You can only do so many warnings.

00:29:34Off his head! Off his head!

00:29:37Big left hook lands upstairs for Soto.

00:29:40Naz comes back with a right-left of his own.

00:29:43You know what you're doing, Tup, now?

00:29:44You're making him get an offer.

00:29:59Here we see Soto pressing...

00:30:01Naz...

00:30:02Uh-oh!

00:30:03...head into his chin and neck.

00:30:05You got him stretching and doing it.

00:30:07Tell him to keep working at it.

00:30:08He's falling apart mentally because the man cannot think this,

00:30:10but you're doing too many things to him.

00:30:12He's used to coming straight, and every time he punches,

00:30:14let him miss completely.

00:30:15He keeps turning, y'all.

00:30:17You're bringing him down systematically.

00:30:19Right, now, good fight.

00:30:20Now, look, that was the best round.

00:30:22And I always know where he is.

00:30:23You know where he is.

00:30:24When you're there, you can do what you want to do.

00:30:25I think it's not important.

00:30:27Why don't you talk to him?

00:30:28When you're inside, take advantage of it.

00:30:31When he's grabbing, take advantage of it.

00:30:35Stay back, guys. Stay back.

00:30:37Stay down, coach.

00:30:38CompuBox numbers in round three.

00:30:40A very Prince Hamed-like round.

00:30:42Nassim throwing 43 punches and landing 14.

00:30:45That's about what he likes to do.

00:30:49Cesar Soto, 10 out of 44.

00:30:51Harold, how do you have it through three?

00:30:52You don't understand.

00:30:53Off is it.

00:30:54109, 28, two rounds to the one.

00:30:56Prince Nassim Hamed certainly sees the Soto won that second round.

00:31:00He made us a great shot.

00:31:01I don't think Dale Grable is overreacting.

00:31:03It's a very rough fight.

00:31:04He's trying to stop this from the beginning.

00:31:05In other words, straighten out all the violations early.

00:31:10Don't push it off, Nassim.

00:31:11Yeah, but he's got at least two warnings to keep track of at this point.

00:31:15Yeah, you don't want that much yai-yai in the ring.

00:31:17You really don't.

00:31:18You can make a good fight a terrible fight.

00:31:22The good referees...

00:31:24But surely the referee feels like he's doing exactly the opposite.

00:31:28Helping the fight to be better by getting them to fight more cleanly.

00:31:31Yeah.

00:31:31The good referees, they stay out of it.

00:31:33You stop them from hitting on the break by getting in between the guys.

00:31:37Soto is like the dog who chases the car and catches it

00:31:40and then doesn't quite know what to do.

00:31:44He catches Nass and he just hugs him

00:31:47or throws some punch that is smothered right away, like this.

00:31:55Rick, stop punching!

00:31:56I like a manual storage instruction.

00:31:58I've never seen a guy that diversified as far as instructions.

00:32:03He comes in and gives this guy the proper instructions he needs.

00:32:06Well, the only similarity between what Nass does

00:32:10and the traditional cronk style is that he has his hands low.

00:32:12Soto landing one to the back of Nass' head

00:32:15after a hard right hand drove Prince Nassim back.

00:32:18This is not a cronk fighter.

00:32:22This guy is being instructed properly.

00:32:24I'm amazed.

00:32:26And, uh, play with him.

00:32:28You never hear, uh, Emanuel Stewart say things like this.

00:32:30Emanuel's showing his flexibility as a trainer in his day and age.

00:32:33And you gotta applaud that.

00:32:35Lennox Lewis is a whole different trip than Prince Nassim Hamed,

00:32:38and he's training both of them together.

00:32:40Boy, good body shots.

00:32:43Break, break!

00:32:44And now, the job gets tougher for Grable.

00:32:54Point.

00:32:54Unsportsmanlike conduct.

00:32:56Point.

00:32:57And the penalty is against Prince Nassim.

00:33:00Point.

00:33:01So one point deducted from Prince Nassim here in the fourth.

00:33:04I'm telling you, the referee has been doing too much of this stuff.

00:33:08I don't know who he deducted the point from.

00:33:10He deducted it from Prince Nassim Hamed.

00:33:12It was clear, Larry, he pointed to the Prince.

00:33:16Who picked this judge?

00:33:18I mean, his referee.

00:33:19The Michigan State Commission.

00:33:24And quite obviously, they don't have a lot of opportunities to do this kind of thing.

00:33:27This is the first night of championship boxing in Detroit in 12 years,

00:33:31since 1987, when Tommy Hearns lifted the World Light Heavyweight crown from Dennis Andres.

00:33:37And the referee is looking for a disqualification.

00:33:39Stop!

00:33:40Stop!

00:33:41Keep boxing him.

00:33:43Keep turning him and angling him and twisting him around, okay?

00:33:47You're doing good and you're in good shape, but you've got to keep angling.

00:33:48Keep him out there twisting and turning.

00:33:49And you're what you should.

00:33:50You're just missing him with that right up because you're going to catch him with it pretty

00:33:52soon.

00:33:53You're just missing with it once you catch him with it.

00:33:54When he's dancing in front of you, just before he's ready to come in, throw your punch just a second before.

00:34:15That's a second before you're going to catch him.

00:34:21Holding.

00:34:22You're doing real well.

00:34:23Except for Hamed.

00:34:25Now, we're going to do it now.

00:34:28We eliminated a lot of power.

00:34:30And still to come tonight, a live conversation

00:34:32with Evander Holyfield in Atlanta, Lennox Lewis,

00:34:35in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania.

00:34:37Both of them in training for their rematch,

00:34:39November 13 in Las Vegas.

00:34:40We'll go live to both later on this evening.

00:34:45And the round five begins.

00:34:47Scheduled 12.

00:34:48The dancing ends as Cesar Soto drives Prince Nassim Hamed

00:34:59back into the corner.

00:35:02Action slows.

00:35:03That appears to be somewhat to Soto's advantage

00:35:06as he tries to get opportunities to pound Prince Nassim

00:35:09to the body.

00:35:10A long run.

00:35:12A long run.

00:35:13A long run.

00:35:14A long run.

00:35:15A long run.

00:35:16Arm punches by Nassim.

00:35:18He hasn't thrown anything with real power on it

00:35:21in a round and a half.

00:35:22And it'll be interesting to see what penalty this draws

00:35:28from referee Dale Grable.

00:35:31He's going to deduct another point, I think,

00:35:34from Prince Nassim.

00:35:36Grable wants Soto's people out of the corner.

00:35:39Second point deducted from Nassim.

00:35:42And if he rules it on sportsmanlike conduct,

00:35:44then the next instance of that

00:35:49could lead to disqualification.

00:35:52Harold Letterman. Harold Letterman.

00:35:55Is Prince Nassim on the verge of a disqualification here?

00:35:58You've got to look at this. Certainly he's close.

00:36:01I mean, he picked up Soto and body slammed him.

00:36:03If I were Grable, I would have done the same thing, Jim.

00:36:05He had to. I don't think he had any choice.

00:36:08Had no choice.

00:36:10I said all along, this referee is not the right guy

00:36:13to be in there messing with these champions.

00:36:16Yeah, but this is an ugly fight

00:36:18because of the way Soto

00:36:19is fighting with his head down

00:36:22and his hands high trying to get in close.

00:36:24He's solid, man. He's fighting in good solid position.

00:36:27And because Hamed is left-handed

00:36:30and so they don't mesh right

00:36:32and the judge is trying to make some sense of the fight

00:36:35that it may not be possible to make any sense of.

00:36:38times like this, you would like the commissioners

00:36:44to get in and have a little powwow with the referee

00:36:47and see exactly where he's coming from.

00:36:50And now Prince Nassim seems to suddenly have decided

00:36:54that he needs to take this into his own hands

00:36:56and he begins to fire heavy power shots

00:36:59for the first time since the third round.

00:37:02Well, Roy Jones was unbeaten

00:37:08and lost on a disqualification

00:37:10against Montel Griffin.

00:37:12Oscar Deloitte was unbeaten

00:37:13and lost on a controversial decision

00:37:15against Felix Trinidad.

00:37:18Could Prince Nassim see his record sullied

00:37:21for the first time

00:37:21on a disqualification here?

00:37:24He seems

00:37:25ever dangerously closer to it.

00:37:28That's why a fighter pays a trainer.

00:37:52You step in and you step in and do something.

00:37:55The reference is to Emanuel Stewart

00:37:56who has come into the ring to make his presence felt

00:37:59with Dale Grable, and now Miguel Diaz

00:38:01has come in to join the conversation.

00:38:03And the round-card girl doesn't have any room to move.

00:38:06Now, now she manages to slip by

00:38:08and let us know that round six is upcoming.

00:38:12And she doesn't give a damn about any of it.

00:38:15And that's why he's disqualified.

00:38:18So many guys, all they do is sit back in the corner

00:38:20and wait for their paychecks.

00:38:22This is what you hire a manager and trainer for.

00:38:24To get in there, don't be afraid of these referees.

00:38:26Previous round, and obviously deliberate.

00:38:34And now Naz comes out of his corner

00:38:36to wait for round six.

00:38:38The crowd gets juiced as they get

00:38:39two replay views of the body slam

00:38:43on the overhead jumbotron.

00:38:46And now through five by CompuBox numbers,

00:38:49Nassim Ahmed has landed 62 out of 212.

00:38:52And Cesar Soto, 55 out of 194.

00:38:55And Soto moves ahead on the Letterman card

00:38:58as the result of point deductions

00:39:00against Prince Nassim.

00:39:02I g-I gave both of those rounds,

00:39:04I called both of those rounds even rounds

00:39:07because I thought that Prince won the rounds.

00:39:10I have it two rounds to one in favor of Hamed

00:39:13with two rounds even.

00:39:19Meaning your card's different from Harold's.

00:39:21Never happened before.

00:39:23Break, break, break, break, break.

00:39:26And this time Hamed alertly lifting his arm

00:39:29off Soto's neck when he heard referee

00:39:31when he heard referee Dale Gravel coming close.

00:39:40Well, fans who wanted to see Naz score

00:39:43an explosive knockout here may be a little befuddled

00:39:46as they watch him staying away from Soto in the sixth.

00:39:49Naz trying to set up a counter shot.

00:39:51Stop punching, stop punching.

00:39:52Good.

00:40:04Super left hand by the Prince that time.

00:40:07He's finally spotting his range with his power.

00:40:10But that Soto maintains solid.

00:40:15Break.

00:40:17Okay, good shot.

00:40:19Nice.

00:40:26Strange fight.

00:40:29Strange night now.

00:40:32The last scene is watching with his eyes.

00:40:33Looking for something, looking for anything.

00:40:38Brilliant semi-main non-stop action

00:40:40between Eric Morales and Wayne McCollum.

00:40:42Now an entirely different kind of fight here

00:40:45Hamed lands the left hook.

00:40:48And throws Soto to the canvas.

00:40:53Now, wait a minute now.

00:40:55This was a hold on and fall down.

00:40:57I know.

00:41:00Grabel agrees, and it is no penalty.

00:41:05Boxing is rough.

00:41:10Break! Break! Break!

00:41:15One more time.

00:41:16Soto's head hit the canvas pretty hard.

00:41:19But he does not seem fazed by it.

00:41:21That Soto is strong. He's solid.

00:41:24Yeah, he's tough to steal.

00:41:26Soto trying to back his head away

00:41:28from that of Prince Nassim.

00:41:30The danger when their heads come together, of course.

00:41:33Soto's taller by three inches.

00:41:35That puts Naz in the budding position.

00:41:41I'm more afraid of what this referee can do

00:41:43than what these fighters can.

00:41:45He's slow down.

00:41:49He's slow down good now.

00:41:51You got him tight, he's tight now.

00:41:52You're in unbelievable condition.

00:41:55Unbelievable.

00:41:55Let's go right-handed for a minute, okay?

00:41:58Let's go right-handed for a minute, okay?

00:42:00Yeah.

00:42:00Because he's slowed down.

00:42:01What round is...

00:42:02Oh, good.

00:42:03We're okay.

00:42:03It's over the first half.

00:42:04So you just take all the rest of going down the stretch.

00:42:07He's slowing down, though.

00:42:09He's slowing down in just a minute.

00:42:10Throw the shoulders.

00:42:13Do not look for his face anymore.

00:42:14I want you to throw on his shoulders, his chest, and his stomach.

00:42:18Do not throw anything to the face.

00:42:22Try to throw right in the chest.

00:42:25Okay?

00:42:26And keep throwing punches.

00:42:29You're winning.

00:42:30Just keep throwing punches.

00:42:31Some people have compared Hamed's act to wrestling.

00:42:36Here is another takedown.

00:42:39With Soto falling over Hamed's leg.

00:42:44So that was a pull-down in your...

00:42:47Yeah, that was a pull-down.

00:42:50Off is him.

00:42:53Now, Soto hasn't shown me much skill.

00:42:56He's tough.

00:42:56He's determined.

00:42:57He's tough.

00:42:58But I don't see much skill going on here.

00:43:01Harold, how do you have it through six?

00:43:02Okay, Jim.

00:43:03Three, two, one even.

00:43:0656-56 in points.

00:43:07Okay, I got it all even in simple English.

00:43:09Certainly, I gave Cesar Soto round five.

00:43:12I guess that's where I differ with Larry.

00:43:13So that becomes a 10-8 round because the referee took a point.

00:43:16So, three, two, one even.

00:43:18You know, hardest fight for a judge to score is when you've got two holders.

00:43:20That's the problem here.

00:43:22The judge is going to have a hard time determining who's going to have better punches.

00:43:25How close is Nassim to a disqualification, Harold?

00:43:27Okay.

00:43:28Now we know for sure.

00:43:29I asked Dale Grable.

00:43:30He said he normally will disqualify a man after he takes the third point.

00:43:34But he emphasized normally as if he wouldn't do it if he does take another point from Hamed.

00:43:39He emphasized it was only, you know,

00:43:41usually he would disqualify if the three point's taken away.

00:43:44He has taken two away already.

00:43:46Correct.

00:43:48As he's put himself on the spot.

00:43:50So, so just to clarify, Harold,

00:43:51that means there would be no third point deducted.

00:43:53It would simply be a DQ at that point.

00:43:56Jim, I, no, no, no.

00:43:57He's, he, just emphasized that normally.

00:43:59My opinion is, is that he will take a third point if he has to

00:44:02and he will not, not disqualify Prince to see my man.

00:44:05Get opposite, get opposite.

00:44:05Step back, queen.

00:44:11Now that Prince is stepping in and showing his power.

00:44:15Break, break.

00:44:17That's the floor.

00:44:18That's the floor.

00:44:20You got to stay close when you want to punch hard.

00:44:26Opposite.

00:44:27You heard Emmanuel Stewart telling Prince Nassim

00:44:43that he thought Soto was slowing down.

00:44:45Stop.

00:44:46Great punch him.

00:44:47Soto looks pretty much the same to me

00:44:48as he has throughout the bout.

00:44:51He isn't as fast as Naz to begin with.

00:44:54But he's adept at staying within his envelope

00:44:58and fighting the way he wants to fight.

00:45:01Yeah, you definitely don't see,

00:45:02you never see the featherweights tying one another up

00:45:05as you see in the night.

00:45:06This is odd for that weight division.

00:45:12But Nassim's unorthodoxy

00:45:15will bring out strange behavior in most of his fights.

00:45:18Yeah, and he's jumping his punches in,

00:45:20which is, he doesn't have a chance to throw another,

00:45:22so he...

00:45:23And there's the classic Nassim counter.

00:45:27Soto leaning in to try to land something,

00:45:29and Naz clocking in with a long left.

00:45:35Ten seconds to go in what has not been

00:45:38a particularly busy round seven.

00:45:40Nassim trying to flurry a little bit

00:45:41in the closing seconds.

00:45:43Soto comes back with a one-two of his own.

00:45:45I have no idea what Soto did in that round.

00:45:52Hey, David!

00:45:56Have somebody clean this corner's language up

00:45:59because they're taunting the other boxer.

00:46:01And that's not allowed.

00:46:02Keep on making it.

00:46:03If you're here, I'm calling him chicken

00:46:05and all that shit.

00:46:06Keep making it be like a watch.

00:46:07Fight him down.

00:46:08You got it.

00:46:11Please.

00:46:13You have to fight closer to the hands.

00:46:15Interesting.

00:46:15Do not give him distance.

00:46:16The referee asking commission members

00:46:18to bar Soto's corner from taunting the fighter.

00:46:23That's the first compliment I'll have for the referee.

00:46:26He did right that time.

00:46:27Although he used a little profanity of his own

00:46:29to make the point, George.

00:46:30We just got a small contradiction there.

00:46:37Well, when you have a fight

00:46:39that isn't appealing to the crowd,

00:46:42sometimes you get a fight in the crowd

00:46:44and there's a big one going on

00:46:45in the balcony right now.

00:46:50Couldn't be nearly as good

00:46:51as the great battle

00:46:52between Wayne McCullough and Derek Morales

00:46:54that preceded this one.

00:46:55In that fight,

00:46:56there were more than 200 punches

00:46:58thrown in the 11th round.

00:46:59Round 7 here

00:47:01was a relatively busy one

00:47:02for these two fighters.

00:47:0351 punches thrown by Prince Nassim,

00:47:0637 by Soto.

00:47:07That adds to 88.

00:47:09Wayne McCullough throws 88 punches

00:47:10in his sleep in one round.

00:47:12They're not hard punches.

00:47:16That's why it's good for judges

00:47:18and the referees

00:47:18even to study films

00:47:20prior to a boxing match

00:47:21to know something about the styles

00:47:23of the fighters that you're judging.

00:47:24Particularly if you're going to referee

00:47:25a Nassim Ahmed match

00:47:27because there hasn't really

00:47:29been another top fighter

00:47:31quite like him.

00:47:32And you want to learn something

00:47:34so a lot of things you consider

00:47:35fouls are just

00:47:37what he does naturally.

00:47:40Nassim is fighting

00:47:41in a conventional style now

00:47:43instead of left-handed.

00:47:46Yeah, and that's something

00:47:47Emmanuel Stewart asked him to do.

00:47:49Turned right-handed for a while.

00:47:50Great, stop punching!

00:47:51Nassim fights so often

00:47:52with his shoulders square

00:47:53that it's really sort of academic

00:47:56to define him as a Southpaw

00:47:57or conventional fighter

00:47:58either one.

00:47:59He is a two-handed fighter.

00:48:01Sometimes you want to keep

00:48:02your fighter entertained

00:48:03by telling him to do things.

00:48:04You get bored out there.

00:48:05You're winning whenever you want.

00:48:07I mean, you couldn't...

00:48:08That's a push.

00:48:11I don't know about that.

00:48:12That's gonna be a fall down.

00:48:14Fuck.

00:48:14The guy misses

00:48:17and he hits the shoulder

00:48:18of the guy and he falls.

00:48:19The guy misses

00:48:20and he hits the shoulder

00:48:21of the guy and he falls.

00:48:44Well, if Soto's goal

00:48:49was to keep from getting hit

00:48:51by Ahmed's biggest punches,

00:48:54he has achieved that.

00:48:55If his goal was to win the fight

00:48:57by out-punching him,

00:48:59I'm not sure if he's achieving that.

00:49:02One more thing.

00:49:04Referees have gotten

00:49:05more sensible, by the way.

00:49:06I like that.

00:49:08What if the goal was to go the distance

00:49:09and see what happens?

00:49:11Well, I don't know

00:49:12if that's a smart thing to do.

00:49:13Stop! Stop! Stop!

00:49:14Fucking hell! Stop!

00:49:16Some of Naz's rounds

00:49:18are very tough to score.

00:49:19And now, a point deduction

00:49:21against Soto for using his head.

00:49:26Bucks!

00:49:31So, two penalty points

00:49:32have been levied against Nassim Hamed.

00:49:35One against Soto.

00:49:37Great! Stop punching!

00:49:38Stop punching!

00:49:41An exasperating fight.

00:49:44For fans and bullfighters.

00:49:47For fans and bullfighters.

00:49:51Here's some of the roughhousing

00:50:02that has gone on in this fight.

00:50:05Southclaw against

00:50:06a conventional fighter.

00:50:10Getting all tangled up.

00:50:11Pushing, shoving.

00:50:13It looks like something

00:50:15that goes on in the

00:50:16in-line play

00:50:17in football.

00:50:22Now, here's what the deduction

00:50:24came for

00:50:25as Soto

00:50:26lifted his head

00:50:28into Hamed's

00:50:30jaw

00:50:31and hit him low

00:50:32at the same time

00:50:32just for good measure.

00:50:36One thing I always say,

00:50:38at the moment

00:50:39when you're butting

00:50:40the other guy,

00:50:40the referee will be watching that.

00:50:41That's a good time

00:50:42to get away with a low blow.

00:50:44Barry Sanders,

00:50:45the great running back

00:50:46of the Lions

00:50:47who has retired,

00:50:48is here in the audience.

00:50:50And I imagine

00:50:50that all this is

00:50:51too familiar to him.

00:50:53It's probably why

00:50:53he retired from football.

00:50:56Great running back

00:50:57formerly of the Lions.

00:50:58And supposedly

00:50:59never again.

00:51:03In round eight,

00:51:04the two fighters combined

00:51:05to throw 72 punches,

00:51:07but they only landed 10.

00:51:11Two fighters are averaging

00:51:13about 10 connects

00:51:14apiece per round.

00:51:16Now the referee

00:51:16is ruffering.

00:51:19Step in

00:51:19and you make them stop.

00:51:20Don't take points away

00:51:22because you can't.

00:51:22There's blood coming

00:51:24from the face of Soto.

00:51:26I can't be sure

00:51:27where it may just be his nose.

00:51:33Soto told us yesterday

00:51:34he's never been cut.

00:51:36I think the blood's coming

00:51:37straight out of the nostrils.

00:51:40Product of one of Naz's

00:51:41punches to the nose.

00:51:43Look at that.

00:51:45Naz to the nose.

00:51:47Break!

00:51:48Stop!

00:51:52Now the blood flowing

00:51:57pretty freely

00:51:57out of Cesar Soto's nose.

00:52:01And Naz begins

00:52:02to pop.

00:52:02Got him.

00:52:03Break!

00:52:04Stop by you!

00:52:05Stop!

00:52:06That poor referee.

00:52:10He's gonna have to lift weights.

00:52:13Yeah, this is...

00:52:14this is the gun

00:52:14with the wind

00:52:15of refereeing jobs.

00:52:17Ha, ha, ha, ha.

00:52:22One-two for Ahmed.

00:52:24Greg, stop by you!

00:52:25Soto pummeling him

00:52:26to the body

00:52:26as the prince comes in.

00:52:28You heard Emmanuel Stewart

00:52:30talking about

00:52:31what sensational shape

00:52:32Ahmed is in.

00:52:33And the prince does indeed

00:52:35seem to have a lot left

00:52:37physically

00:52:38midway through the ninth.

00:52:39Arthur McCanty,

00:52:41the veteran official

00:52:42from New York

00:52:43who has refereed

00:52:44more than 100

00:52:45championship fights,

00:52:47originally was supposed

00:52:48to referee this fight,

00:52:50but the Michigan Commission

00:52:51decided to put

00:52:53one of its own

00:52:54in there.

00:52:55Let's go, man.

00:52:57Clean it up, clean it up.

00:52:59So far, there's no reason

00:53:01to believe that Prince Nassim

00:53:02is bothered by

00:53:03any damage to his left hand.

00:53:05He had hurt his left hand

00:53:06in each of the last two fights

00:53:07against McCullough

00:53:09and against Paul Ingle.

00:53:10He said it swelled up

00:53:11like a cantaloupe

00:53:12after his fight

00:53:13against Ingle.

00:53:14But he's still throwing

00:53:15hard left hands here tonight,

00:53:17so it would appear

00:53:18that that's not a problem

00:53:19for him.

00:53:21He's gotten everything

00:53:22under control now.

00:53:23Yeah.

00:53:23Just looking for a knockout.

00:53:25Pretty soon,

00:53:27Soto's gonna have to open up,

00:53:29take his hands down,

00:53:30and start throwing

00:53:31some punches.

00:53:32Great.

00:53:33Unless he and his trainer,

00:53:35Miguel Diaz,

00:53:36believe he's winning the fight.

00:53:37The referee has started

00:53:39to take courage

00:53:40and stay out of the fight.

00:53:42I got it.

00:53:42I like it now.

00:53:47And Prince Nassim

00:53:48using a little showmanship

00:53:50to keep the crowd

00:53:51on his side.

00:53:52Now, quiet.

00:53:55You may have broken his nose.

00:53:57I know, yeah.

00:53:58Huh?

00:53:59What the nose?

00:54:00He got blood all over you.

00:54:01Let me wipe the blood,

00:54:02so I can wipe the blood, okay?

00:54:03No, no, no.

00:54:04No, no, no.

00:54:05No, no, no.

00:54:05Okay.

00:54:07Don't give him water.

00:54:08Breathe in.

00:54:09Breathe.

00:54:10You need to breathe.

00:54:11Get that oxygen you threw.

00:54:17Don't stay behind.

00:54:19Come on.

00:54:20Don't stay behind.

00:54:21You already throw

00:54:22any punches this round.

00:54:23You already throw

00:54:24one punch.

00:54:25I couldn't reach him.

00:54:32We got to win this fight.

00:54:36Tomorrow's another day.

00:54:38Nass' father.

00:54:41Nass says,

00:54:42my heroes have never been boxers.

00:54:44My hero is my father.

00:54:47Sal Hamed,

00:54:48man who took his poor family

00:54:50from Yemen

00:54:51to Sheffield, England,

00:54:53and bravely

00:54:54worked his way

00:54:55out of poverty.

00:54:57Now, Soto is probably

00:54:58suffering a broken nose

00:54:59as they mentioned earlier

00:55:00and the chin.

00:55:01You got to learn

00:55:02how to fight.

00:55:03There's no time

00:55:04to jab and exchange jab.

00:55:06You got to attack.

00:55:07Now, Letterman,

00:55:07how do you have it

00:55:08through nine?

00:55:09Jim, I got it.

00:55:10Six, two, one even.

00:55:1286, 82,

00:55:13Fritz de Siena.

00:55:14Hamed,

00:55:14he still landed

00:55:15a clean of punches.

00:55:16One thing,

00:55:17I'll tell you

00:55:17how tough Dale Grable is.

00:55:18His son was the first one

00:55:20to go to distance

00:55:20with Oscar de la Hoya.

00:55:22Went eight rounds

00:55:22with a lawyer at Rochester.

00:55:24That means the dad

00:55:25is tough?

00:55:26Yes.

00:55:27Okay.

00:55:31In the last round,

00:55:33Cesar Soto landed

00:55:34on his seven

00:55:35out of 47 punches.

00:55:36And you heard

00:55:37our interpreter,

00:55:38Hector Garcia,

00:55:39interpreting Miguel Diaz

00:55:40between rounds,

00:55:41saying he didn't land

00:55:42the punch that round.

00:55:43And Soto replying,

00:55:44I couldn't find him.

00:55:47Or I think it was,

00:55:48I couldn't reach him.

00:55:49But that's a constant problem

00:55:50looking for opponents

00:55:50against Nassim.

00:55:59The prince now

00:56:00is literally looking

00:56:01for a knockout.

00:56:02Keeps his eyes open,

00:56:04waiting for this guy

00:56:04to move his head

00:56:05so he can hit him

00:56:06with a hard shot.

00:56:08He's not setting it up,

00:56:10though.

00:56:10He's looking for it.

00:56:11Is he safe enough

00:56:12on the scorecards

00:56:13to be looking

00:56:13for a knockout, George?

00:56:14This is the kind

00:56:16of fighters we've won.

00:56:17Continuously seek

00:56:18a knockout.

00:56:19Doesn't matter

00:56:19the scorecard.

00:56:20You can't trust over it.

00:56:22Don't play it safe.

00:56:29But it's been

00:56:30such an odd fight

00:56:31and somewhat devoid

00:56:33of clean landed punches,

00:56:35so a knockout

00:56:37looks like

00:56:37a remote possibility.

00:56:38The prince is looking

00:56:41for one.

00:56:42Okay.

00:56:43He should set it up.

00:56:44Don't just look for it.

00:56:45Set it up.

00:56:46Jab, jab, double jab,

00:56:47things like that.

00:56:48I didn't think

00:56:49Shane Mosley

00:56:51was going to be able

00:56:51to do enough damage

00:56:52in the 10th round

00:56:53to knock out

00:56:53Wilfredo Rivera

00:56:54a few weeks ago,

00:56:55and he proved me wrong.

00:56:57Maybe Nass can do this.

00:56:59But Nass came in

00:57:00with a slight uppercut

00:57:01this time.

00:57:02That hurt Soto.

00:57:04He's got him hurt now.

00:57:06He's got to just

00:57:06set it up

00:57:07and look for him.

00:57:08There are

00:57:11growing choruses

00:57:13of boos,

00:57:14particularly from

00:57:15the upper regions

00:57:16of the arena,

00:57:17but some of them

00:57:18from here at ringside

00:57:19where people paid

00:57:20$1,000 a ticket

00:57:22and might not feel

00:57:25as though they're getting

00:57:26$1,000 worth

00:57:27of main event.

00:57:28Well, the prince

00:57:29is fighting

00:57:29the world champion

00:57:30this time, WBC.

00:57:33He's not going to reach out

00:57:34and just get knockouts

00:57:35anymore.

00:57:36He's not fighting

00:57:37a contender.

00:57:38He's fighting

00:57:38from the temple.

00:57:39The prince trying

00:57:40to body Soto off

00:57:41and land another

00:57:42big punch.

00:57:43And again, now!

00:57:43Stop it!

00:57:48Six minutes to go,

00:57:49and now the boos

00:57:50begin to grow

00:57:52in intensity.

00:57:57This round,

00:57:58but once he gets

00:57:59into the damn prep round,

00:58:01it's going to be hard

00:58:01to knock and knock.

00:58:02Relax, Habib.

00:58:02Relax, relax.

00:58:03You know, you make

00:58:04it and miss

00:58:04by stepping off

00:58:05to the side,

00:58:05but then after that,

00:58:06go right to him

00:58:07after that.

00:58:08Try to come up

00:58:10through the middle.

00:58:11You know what I'm saying?

00:58:11Listen right there.

00:58:12Not quick.

00:58:13Right now, Habib.

00:58:14Keep working.

00:58:15Keep working.

00:58:16Keep working the jab.

00:58:17Working the jab,

00:58:17but when you let it miss...

00:58:18Six minutes left.

00:58:21How about the bleeding

00:58:22my nose?

00:58:22Don't worry about it.

00:58:23It's over.

00:58:25Breathe in.

00:58:26Use your nose.

00:58:27You have to throw punches

00:58:30in this round.

00:58:31It's a must.

00:58:40211 landed punches

00:58:41in the fight

00:58:42through 10 rounds.

00:58:44Both fighters throwing

00:58:46an identical number

00:58:47of punches

00:58:47by Habibax.

00:58:50Calculation,

00:58:51410 punches apiece.

00:58:53They're averaging

00:58:5341 a round.

00:58:55Nassim lands

00:58:55a hard left hand.

00:58:57Many of the ticket buyers

00:59:02booed in the closing rounds

00:59:03of Prince Nassim's

00:59:04decision victory

00:59:05last Halloween

00:59:06against Wayne McCullough

00:59:07in Newark, New Jersey.

00:59:10And now there are boos

00:59:11again tonight

00:59:12as he seems headed

00:59:13toward a 12-round decision

00:59:14against Cesar Soto.

00:59:16The trouble with knocking out

00:59:17long strings of opponents

00:59:18is you better keep

00:59:20providing knockouts

00:59:21or your fans are disappointed.

00:59:27Well, the worst thing

00:59:28that can happen

00:59:28to a fighter

00:59:29is indifference.

00:59:31And nobody is indifference

00:59:32toward the Prince.

00:59:36Well, in order to get a knockout,

00:59:38you just can't just

00:59:39get in the ring

00:59:39and get a knockout.

00:59:40The other guy

00:59:41has to try to knock you out

00:59:42and you get him.

00:59:43Asim, with his most spirited

00:59:48flurry in a while,

00:59:49lands two or three big punches.

00:59:52Soto, showing a granite tin,

00:59:54keeps coming

00:59:54and firing his left hook.

00:59:56Soto is simply not in the league

01:00:00with the Prince skill-wise.

01:00:03Well, can you imagine

01:00:04the Prince has the WBO title, though?

01:00:08So which belt do you think

01:00:09is by far the better representative

01:00:11of the weight class?

01:00:12Well, it's the fighter

01:00:14who makes the belt,

01:00:15not the belt who makes the fighter.

01:00:17And in the politics of boxing

01:00:18these days, you know,

01:00:19what consistency is there?

01:00:22There are some WBC champions

01:00:23who are terrific

01:00:25and the best in their weight classes,

01:00:26and then there are some

01:00:27who are just fighters.

01:00:29Well, you don't answer

01:00:29those questions with speeches.

01:00:31You answer them with your gloves.

01:00:33No, you answer them

01:00:33with what you see.

01:00:34Yeah.

01:00:35Just say,

01:00:35this is the better fighter

01:00:36and the better belt.

01:00:42Break!

01:00:43Stop pressing!

01:00:44Plus a hour later,

01:00:45more and more fighters

01:00:46will realize that it is

01:00:47they who matter

01:00:48and not the belts.

01:00:51You know, Soto is really

01:00:53not covering

01:00:55himself with any

01:00:56glory,

01:00:58not showing

01:00:59any great valor

01:01:00in the way

01:01:01he's going about

01:01:02defending his title.

01:01:04He's not really

01:01:05taking chances.

01:01:07He's got his chin

01:01:07tucked in,

01:01:09his gloves.

01:01:10He's really not

01:01:11winging it

01:01:11when he's clearly

01:01:12behind in this fight.

01:01:15Guy's got to get

01:01:16his brakes.

01:01:16They're off the feet.

01:01:17They're off the feet.

01:01:18But the referee

01:01:19has turned out

01:01:20to be great now.

01:01:21Ooh, another good uppercut.

01:01:23Right uppercut.

01:01:24I agree with you, George.

01:01:25I had doubts

01:01:25about the referee

01:01:26early on.

01:01:26I think he's

01:01:27done the best he could

01:01:28in a difficult circumstance.

01:01:33Maybe Soto

01:01:34and his corner

01:01:34believe that

01:01:36because of the two points

01:01:37deducted from Hamed,

01:01:38this fight is close enough

01:01:39for them to just keep

01:01:41doing what they're doing.

01:01:42There goes another one.

01:01:46That's about the fourth

01:01:47unassisted tackle

01:01:48for Nassim

01:01:48and he helps Soto up

01:01:50and makes a show of it.

01:01:55Let me take a point now.

01:02:00They ate up about 10 seconds

01:02:02of their 60-second break.

01:02:03No round.

01:02:04This is the last round.

01:02:05You're back ahead on point.

01:02:07If you almost,

01:02:07you're hard to with the right upper,

01:02:08but if you could ever get him

01:02:09with that one,

01:02:10then you might can take him out.

01:02:11That's the only punch

01:02:12you're going to knock him out with.

01:02:13Trust me.

01:02:13Because everything else

01:02:14you've got such tight defense.

01:02:16Stay off the feet.

01:02:16I thought to stay off the feet.

01:02:17I thought to stay off the feet.

01:02:18I thought to leave this last round up.

01:02:21Everything you've got.

01:02:22This is the last round.

01:02:23Everything.

01:02:24Last round.

01:02:24Everything you've got.

01:02:25The difference between...

01:02:27Between this...

01:02:29The difference between this guy

01:02:30and yours,

01:02:31a million dollars.

01:02:36Most of these guys

01:02:38are going to show up

01:02:40in the NFL

01:02:40tackling statistics

01:02:42after this weekend.

01:02:49In round 11,

01:02:51Prince Nassim had his best round,

01:02:53landing 21 out of 42 punches.

01:02:55Does that mean he won the round

01:02:56on the scorecards?

01:02:58Well, Prince really won a knockout,

01:03:00but he's got to catch Soto coming in.

01:03:02Well, you heard Emmanuel Stewart say

01:03:04only the right uppercut will do it.

01:03:06No other punch will score the knockout

01:03:07except the right uppercut,

01:03:09according to Stewart.

01:03:10But he has to catch

01:03:11whatever punch it is

01:03:11coming forward.

01:03:12He's reaching out,

01:03:14and the guy has a good...

01:03:15Soto has a good defense.

01:03:17Hands are always in position.

01:03:19Nass trying to launch him

01:03:20with a left uppercut there.

01:03:21Great!

01:03:21End of another punch.

01:03:24Come on!

01:03:25Come on!

01:03:32We've seen that Soto

01:03:33Soto is trying more hard,

01:03:34Soto is trying harder than anything

01:03:35to protect himself from being knocked out.

01:03:39So he just wants to go the distance

01:03:41and see what happens.

01:03:42Yep, he's satisfied with going the distance.

01:03:45Another tackle for both of them.

01:03:47Soto was headed down.

01:03:49Grable's decided nobody's going to be disqualified.

01:03:51Okay.

01:03:52They're going to finish

01:03:53one way or the other.

01:03:55There are all kinds of ways

01:04:02to quit in a fight.

01:04:04In my judgment,

01:04:06Soto has quit on his feet

01:04:08by not making a sincere effort

01:04:11to turn this around

01:04:13in the last couple of rounds.

01:04:14Solid left hand up the middle

01:04:16by Prince Nassim.

01:04:17Soto reaches and grabs.

01:04:22One thing for sure,

01:04:23Nassim has not come close

01:04:25to running out of gas

01:04:26in the late rounds here

01:04:27the way he seemed to do

01:04:28part of the time

01:04:30against Paul Engel

01:04:31and against Wayne McCullough.

01:04:32So maybe he is

01:04:33considerably better conditioned now

01:04:35than in his previous

01:04:36training camp experience.

01:04:37Off his head!

01:04:38Step back clean, Soto.

01:04:40Break!

01:04:42I hope the $1,000 ticket

01:04:44of his head buyers

01:04:44showed up in time

01:04:46to see Morales

01:04:46against McCullough.

01:04:48If they did,

01:04:50they won't go home

01:04:51all that unhappy.

01:04:53You don't want to follow

01:04:54a show like the one

01:04:55we had earlier.

01:04:56Oh, is that a fight?

01:04:59Break!

01:05:02Break!

01:05:05There'll be a lot of boos

01:05:06when the bell sounds

01:05:08at the end of round 12.

01:05:09Break!

01:05:09Stop punching!

01:05:11Come on, come on.

01:05:12Face up, face up.

01:05:13No knockout for Naz.

01:05:19Break!

01:05:20Stop punching!

01:05:22No aggressive title

01:05:23defending effort

01:05:24or so it seems

01:05:26from Soto.

01:05:30Naz pot-shotting.

01:05:32Trying to land

01:05:33a few more power shots

01:05:34in the closing seconds.

01:05:38It's not gonna happen.

01:05:40And here comes

01:05:41the chorus

01:05:42of boos.

01:05:44Stop!

01:05:46Not one

01:05:47for the

01:05:49time capsule.

01:05:51Cesar Soto

01:06:01jumping up and down

01:06:02and thrusting his arms

01:06:03in the air

01:06:03trying to portray

01:06:05the body language

01:06:05of the winner.

01:06:07Prince Nassim

01:06:07was chasing him

01:06:08to try to give him

01:06:09a congratulatory glove cut

01:06:10and Soto just walked away.

01:06:16In the 12th round,

01:06:17Cesar Soto threw 31 punches

01:06:19and landed only two.

01:06:22Not the way

01:06:23Miguel Diaz wanted him

01:06:25to close the show.

01:06:26Harold Letterman

01:06:27shows you his card.

01:06:28Harold...

01:06:28Jim,

01:06:29116,

01:06:30109,

01:06:319-2,

01:06:321-even,

01:06:33including the point

01:06:33deductions

01:06:34in rounds 4, 5, and 8.

01:06:35Let me tell you something.

01:06:36You know,

01:06:37Cesar Soto has to learn

01:06:38how to land a clean punch

01:06:39before Prince Nassim

01:06:40Ahmed could tie him up.

01:06:42I mean,

01:06:42there's a fine line

01:06:43between holding

01:06:43and tying the guy up.

01:06:45Prince Nassim Ahmed

01:06:45would tie him up

01:06:46when he'd come rushing in.

01:06:47Soto didn't land anything.

01:06:48It was certainly

01:06:49Prince Nassim Ahmed.

01:06:50I've got him winning

01:06:51by a big seven points.

01:06:53116,

01:06:54109.

01:06:54Harold,

01:06:55do we have experienced

01:06:56and qualified judges

01:06:57here tonight?

01:06:58Absolutely, Jim.

01:06:59Chuck hasn't been judging

01:07:01for a long time.

01:07:02A Hall of Famer,

01:07:03by the way.

01:07:04Chirini,

01:07:05not as long.

01:07:06Mike Liana

01:07:06has been judging forever.

01:07:08So, you know,

01:07:08experienced guys.

01:07:09Two out of three at least.

01:07:10All right,

01:07:11there were three

01:07:11penalty point deductions

01:07:12during the course

01:07:13of the fight.

01:07:14In the fourth round,

01:07:16a point deducted

01:07:17from Prince Nassim Ahmed

01:07:18for holding.

01:07:22Then in the fifth round,

01:07:24unsportsmanlike conduct,

01:07:26this one was called.

01:07:27And a point was deducted

01:07:29for that body slam.

01:07:31And then in round eight,

01:07:32harshly evening the score,

01:07:34a headbutt by Soto,

01:07:35and a point deducted

01:07:36from the Mexican fighter there.

01:07:41So let's see how all of that

01:07:43affected the official

01:07:45final scorecards.

01:07:46looks like we're going to have

01:07:51another one of those

01:07:51decisions that

01:07:53make you want to holler.

01:07:58Looks like they're taking

01:07:59a little bit longer

01:08:00than usual to tally up

01:08:02the scores

01:08:02and get these numbers

01:08:05sorted out.

01:08:07And there's

01:08:08Nassim up on the shoulders.

01:08:11There's his wife,

01:08:17Alicia Nassim.

01:08:18And let's go to Michael Buffer

01:08:20for the official decision.

01:08:22Ladies and gentlemen,

01:08:22we go to the Budweiser scorecards.

01:08:24The winner will be

01:08:25the unified WBO

01:08:27and WBC champion.

01:08:29Mike Gliena scores it

01:08:31114 to 110.

01:08:33Chuck Hassett scores it

01:08:34115 to 110.

01:08:37And Dario Acherino scores it

01:08:38116 to 108

01:08:40for the winner

01:08:41and still undefeated

01:08:43from Sheffield, England.

01:08:46He is the WBO,

01:08:48WBC featherweight champion

01:08:50of the world,

01:08:51Prince Hatsi

01:08:53Ahmed.

01:08:56So Prince Nassim,

01:09:07who was nervous enough

01:09:09incidentally

01:09:09to lean over the ropes

01:09:11and glance at our monitors

01:09:12to check out

01:09:13Harold Letterman's scorecard

01:09:14when we were showing that,

01:09:17gets the reassurance

01:09:18he's looking for

01:09:19from the three official

01:09:20ringside judges

01:09:21and now holds two.

01:09:24Featherweight championship belts,

01:09:26one of the governing bodies

01:09:28has indicated that

01:09:29he'll be stripped

01:09:30of their belts

01:09:31if he does not

01:09:32get rid of the other one.

01:09:34So there'll be politics

01:09:36upcoming in the next

01:09:37couple of weeks

01:09:37and Nassim may have to choose

01:09:40which one of these

01:09:41two belts to keep.

01:09:42Final punch that numbers.

01:09:45And you can see that

01:09:46it was not a thriller.

01:09:48Prince Nassim landing

01:09:49153 out of 484.

01:09:52Cesar Soto 107 out of 498.

01:09:54And all in all,

01:09:58not a particularly

01:09:59memorable battle,

01:10:00particularly in comparison

01:10:01with the one

01:10:02which preceded it,

01:10:03a brilliant effort

01:10:04by both Wayne McCullough

01:10:06and Eric Morales.

01:10:07And for the second time,

01:10:14Prince Nassim goes the distance

01:10:16for a decision in America

01:10:17but remains unbeaten.

01:10:20And now let's go to

01:10:21Larry Merchant in the ring.

01:10:22Woo!

01:10:24I'll tell you what,

01:10:25I give them another

01:10:2610 rounds.

01:10:27I felt strong, baby.

01:10:28Go!

01:10:29All right.

01:10:29Thank you very much, Jim.

01:10:31Got it.

01:10:32Congratulations, Naz.

01:10:33First of all,

01:10:36the question everybody

01:10:38wants to know

01:10:38the answer to,

01:10:39why was this

01:10:40such an ugly fight?

01:10:42Now,

01:10:42whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

01:10:44Back up.

01:10:45I'm not,

01:10:46I'm not saying

01:10:47it wasn't an ugly fight

01:10:48because it was

01:10:49a very ugly fight.

01:10:50Can you,

01:10:51easy, baby, easy.

01:10:53I'm coming too close now.

01:10:55The fact of the matter

01:10:56is this guy

01:10:57made it such an ugly fight.

01:10:59I came to punch,

01:11:00he knew I was a hard worker,

01:11:01he wanted to grab me,

01:11:02put his head in me,

01:11:03he didn't know

01:11:04that I've got a heart

01:11:05of an Arab.

01:11:06Of a heart,

01:11:07a heart of an Arab,

01:11:08a heart of an Arab.

01:11:09Did you feel,

01:11:10you feel he was trying

01:11:11to rough you up

01:11:12to get you upset

01:11:12into his kind of fight?

01:11:14That's what I'm trying to say.

01:11:14No fighter in the featherweight division

01:11:16is not strong enough

01:11:17to rough me up,

01:11:18but he did.

01:11:18He tried to rough me up,

01:11:20he tried to school me,

01:11:21he tried to bully me,

01:11:22but he couldn't do that

01:11:23because I had him,

01:11:24I broke his nose

01:11:24in one of the shots

01:11:25off the clinches

01:11:25because he tried

01:11:27to knock me in the clinch,

01:11:28bop me in the clinch,

01:11:29hit me in his elbows,

01:11:29everything.

01:11:30All right,

01:11:30but there were two points

01:11:33taken away from you

01:11:46for fouling.

01:11:48Were they deserved?

01:11:49Being honest with you,

01:11:50I didn't think

01:11:51they were deserved

01:11:52because the guy

01:11:53was using his head

01:11:54all night

01:11:54and the referee didn't,

01:11:55I don't even think

01:11:56get him a warning.

01:11:57But you picked him up

01:11:58and slammed him.

01:11:59You know why?

01:12:00Why?

01:12:01Because I needed

01:12:01to show him psychologically

01:12:02my body strength

01:12:04is bigger than his,

01:12:05is harder than his,

01:12:07is stronger than his

01:12:08and I did that

01:12:08and it started,

01:12:09it started mentally

01:12:10deteriorating him.

01:12:12Do you think,

01:12:13did you do that

01:12:14to show you weren't

01:12:15afraid of him

01:12:16and to intimidate him

01:12:19in some way?

01:12:21Being honest with you,

01:12:22he just tried

01:12:24to rough me up

01:12:24and no,

01:12:25I just wanted to show him

01:12:26that he wasn't

01:12:27roughing me up.

01:12:28I'm an English Arab

01:12:29with, listen,

01:12:30it was all God's will.

01:12:31Let me speak a bit, Larry.

01:12:32Damn.

01:12:33Let me get a word out,

01:12:34my man.

01:12:34You're too quick to jump.

01:12:36You're always on my case, dog.

01:12:38You're jiving me.

01:12:40All right, all right,

01:12:40all right.

01:12:40Wait up, wait up.

01:12:41All I want to say is

01:12:42the whole fight

01:12:43was God's will.

01:12:45Whatever happened,

01:12:45as I always say,

01:12:46happened,

01:12:47but the guy made

01:12:47a horrible fight.

01:12:48I can't interview God,

01:12:49I can't interview you.

01:12:51No, no, you can't.

01:12:51Yeah, you can't.

01:12:52Okay, so what I'm asking you

01:12:55is were you surprised

01:12:56that in the last three rounds

01:12:58when he was clearly behind

01:13:00that he didn't really open up

01:13:02and try to change the fight?

01:13:05No, I did try to open up.

01:13:07Him, him.

01:13:08Him.

01:13:08That he didn't try

01:13:09to get to you

01:13:10at the end of the fight?

01:13:12No, I think he did,

01:13:13but every time I was getting close

01:13:14and I was letting my shots fly,

01:13:16the guy was just like

01:13:17trying to tangle me up,

01:13:18put his head in.

01:13:19He was trying to stand

01:13:20on my feet all the fight,

01:13:21watch the tape,

01:13:22but he couldn't do that.

01:13:23I've got a heart of a lion.

01:13:25What are you saying, Will?

01:13:25Did you hear that heart

01:13:26of a lion?

01:13:27Yes.

01:13:28When the fight is over,

01:13:31the crowd boos.

01:13:32You're here to please the crowd.

01:13:34How do you take that?

01:13:35Being honest with you,

01:13:36I'm not upset about it.

01:13:37I may be a little bit

01:13:38disappointed at this moment in time,

01:13:39but what the hell,

01:13:40I'm the WBC,

01:13:42WBO Fedorweight Champion

01:13:43of the world.

01:13:44Listen, I'm two times

01:13:45all champion

01:13:45and I can honestly tell

01:13:46the view, especially on HBO

01:13:48and everybody who watched,

01:13:49everybody watched the fight,

01:13:51Sky Sports, everybody.

01:13:52It won't be an ugly fight

01:13:54in my next fight

01:13:55because this guy

01:13:56didn't really,

01:13:57he came to fight,

01:13:58but he came to tangle somebody up,

01:13:59rough somebody up.

01:14:00Would you want your next fight

01:14:01to be against Eric Morales

01:14:03who is a completely

01:14:04different kind of fighter

01:14:05and a fighter who is

01:14:06willing to stand and exchange?

01:14:08Most definitely, maybe,

01:14:09maybe,

01:14:09but I'm out there

01:14:10to get all of him now.

01:14:11You see, I beat him,

01:14:12I beat Soto,

01:14:14who beat Espinosa.

01:14:15Espinosa beat Kennedy McKinney.

01:14:17Kennedy McKinney.

01:14:18Who did he beat?

01:14:19And the neck bone

01:14:20is attached to the head bone.

01:14:22Oh, beat Junie Jones.

01:14:22Junie Jones beat Barrera.

01:14:24Thank you very much, Naz.

01:14:25Oh, my God.

01:14:28Just his final word.

01:14:31The purpose of a professional

01:14:33prize fighter

01:14:34is to win fights

01:14:35or give entertaining fights

01:14:36and to win fans.

01:14:40Tonight,

01:14:41the prince won the fight.

01:14:44He didn't win the fans.

01:14:46Jim.

01:14:47All right.

01:14:48Thank you very much.

01:14:49But, but, George,

01:14:50Prince Nassim says he won

01:14:52because he has the heart

01:14:53of a lion.

01:14:54Was that the difference

01:14:55in this kind of a fight?

01:14:56The prince definitely

01:14:56has the heart.

01:14:57There was a lot of times

01:14:58out there he was not able

01:14:59to do anything,

01:15:00but he continued trying

01:15:02to take the fight

01:15:03to the guy,

01:15:04throw a hard shot.

01:15:05He's a good fighter,

01:15:06and you know what?

01:15:07It's not about winning

01:15:08the fans.

01:15:09You can always have

01:15:10your fans,

01:15:10Joe Frazier,

01:15:11Muhammad Ali,

01:15:12but you got to get out there

01:15:13and win fights

01:15:13to stay on top.

01:15:14George,

01:15:15there are a lot of fans

01:15:15who would say to you,

01:15:16heart is when a fighter

01:15:17goes forward

01:15:18and tries to seize the fight.

01:15:20Heart is when a fighter

01:15:21is the aggressor

01:15:22all the time

01:15:23and tries to show

01:15:24that he has more manhood

01:15:25than his opponent.

01:15:26Heart is not

01:15:26when you dance away

01:15:27from your opponents,

01:15:29dazzle them with speed

01:15:30and skill,

01:15:30and wait for opportunities

01:15:32to throw one power punch

01:15:33at a time.

01:15:34What do you say to that?

01:15:35I got whooped

01:15:36with a lot of heart

01:15:36when a fella pulled

01:15:37a rope-a-dope on me.

01:15:38He just laid there

01:15:39and I was the star.

01:15:40I was the dope.

01:15:42You know,

01:15:42it doesn't matter.

01:15:43Heart means just

01:15:43winning the boxing match.

01:15:45Win, win, win.

01:15:47You're brilliant, George.

01:15:47That was the right answer.

01:15:49All right.

01:15:49We asked you

01:15:51earlier this evening

01:15:52on our website poll question

01:15:54whether it meant

01:15:55something to you

01:15:56that Prince Nassim Ahmed

01:15:57had not up to this point

01:15:58held one of the three

01:15:59major brand boxing belts.

01:16:01And somewhat to my surprise,

01:16:03a lot of you

01:16:04seem to indicate

01:16:05that you still think

01:16:06alphabet soup matters.

01:16:0862% saying yes,

01:16:11that the Prince

01:16:11was diminished

01:16:12by the fact

01:16:13that he did not hold

01:16:14a major championship belt

01:16:16as opposed to the

01:16:17off-brand that he held.

01:16:1838% saying no

01:16:20and agreeing incidentally

01:16:21with me

01:16:22that it is the fighter

01:16:23that makes the belt

01:16:24and not vice versa.

01:16:25Maybe those 62%

01:16:27are more impressed now

01:16:28since Nassim now holds

01:16:29the WBC championship belt.

01:16:32And with the noise

01:16:33still growing

01:16:33at ringside around me,

01:16:35it's time now

01:16:36to bring in live

01:16:37from Atlanta

01:16:38and the Pocono Mountains

01:16:40respectively

01:16:41the two men

01:16:42who will be facing

01:16:42each other November 13

01:16:44in Las Vegas

01:16:44in their rematch

01:16:46for the Unified Heavyweight

01:16:47Championship of the World.

01:16:48Evander Holyfield live

01:16:50on the left,

01:16:50Lennox Lewis on the right.

01:16:52Gentlemen,

01:16:52thank you very much

01:16:53for joining me, Lennox.

01:16:54I'll start with you.

01:16:55What did you think

01:16:56of your stablemate

01:16:57Prince Nassim's performance

01:16:58in this odd

01:16:59and unmemorable

01:17:01boxing match?

01:17:03You know,

01:17:03he did what he was able

01:17:04to do

01:17:05given the circumstances.

01:17:08Sota seemed

01:17:09to use his head

01:17:10quite frequently.

01:17:12It seemed like

01:17:13he came from

01:17:13the school of Evander Holyfield

01:17:15the way

01:17:15how he came in

01:17:16with the head.

01:17:17It just made

01:17:18for an ugly fight

01:17:19but he did

01:17:19what he had to do

01:17:20he was counter-punching.

01:17:21Sota didn't really

01:17:22do nothing in the fight

01:17:23but, you know,

01:17:24Prince slipped nicely.

01:17:26You know,

01:17:27that's where you get

01:17:27the sweet science

01:17:29of the sport.

01:17:30He showed that

01:17:30he could slip

01:17:31and come back

01:17:31with punches.

01:17:32Lennox,

01:17:33let's go back

01:17:34to what happened

01:17:34in March.

01:17:35Most of the boxing world

01:17:37felt that you had won

01:17:38the match

01:17:39against Evander Holyfield.

01:17:40The decision instead

01:17:41was a draw.

01:17:42You didn't have to

01:17:43go forward

01:17:44toward a rematch.

01:17:45You could have

01:17:46taken the option

01:17:47of saying,

01:17:48hey, wait a minute,

01:17:48you saw the fight,

01:17:49I'm the undisputed

01:17:50heavyweight champion

01:17:51and gone out

01:17:52and campaigned that way

01:17:53ignoring Evander

01:17:54for the time being.

01:17:55Why did you choose

01:17:56to come back

01:17:57and accept the rematch

01:17:58with Evander Holyfield?

01:18:00I realized that

01:18:01I could beat Evander

01:18:02every day of the week.

01:18:03It doesn't matter to me.

01:18:05So I know

01:18:06that I can go in there

01:18:07and beat Evander Holyfield

01:18:08in the second rematch.

01:18:09So it doesn't matter to me.

01:18:11I don't mind boxing him again.

01:18:12I could have boxed him

01:18:12the same week

01:18:13after the fight.

01:18:15Evander,

01:18:16let me turn to you

01:18:17for a second.

01:18:18Regardless of whether

01:18:19the decision was valid,

01:18:20some boxing fans

01:18:21were disappointed

01:18:22that the fight

01:18:23didn't have fireworks,

01:18:24that it was

01:18:25more a tactical boxing match

01:18:26than the kind of war

01:18:27people hoped for

01:18:29in a heavyweight

01:18:29unification bout.

01:18:30Do you feel a responsibility

01:18:32to help see to it

01:18:33that the second time around

01:18:34this is a more memorable fight?

01:18:38Well, I truly feel

01:18:39that in the first fight

01:18:41I'll fall.

01:18:43And it'll take two people

01:18:44to fight.

01:18:45Then it's the one

01:18:46that chose to move around

01:18:48and hold and grab.

01:18:52So does that mean, Evander,

01:18:53that the second time around

01:18:54you'll go in

01:18:55and essentially try

01:18:56to do the same thing,

01:18:57only better

01:18:58and more spectacularly

01:18:59than in the first fight?

01:19:01Well, actually,

01:19:02I would go in

01:19:03and I would, you know,

01:19:05put my best foot forward

01:19:06and throw a lot of punches

01:19:07and hope that Lennox

01:19:10take upon themselves

01:19:11to try to win

01:19:13the fight on his own

01:19:13and not count on the judges.

01:19:16Evander,

01:19:17you have had a history

01:19:18of coming back

01:19:19with big performances

01:19:20in rematches.

01:19:21It happened against

01:19:22Michael Moore.

01:19:23It happened against

01:19:24Riddick Bowe.

01:19:24It's happened other times

01:19:26in your career.

01:19:26Why have you been able

01:19:27to do that

01:19:28and what is going to help

01:19:29you to do it this time?

01:19:31Well, I learned

01:19:31from my mistakes.

01:19:33I made a lot of mistakes

01:19:35and Lennox fought

01:19:37a good fight

01:19:37and I watched the fight

01:19:40and I realized

01:19:40what it takes

01:19:41to be a winner

01:19:42and I'm willing

01:19:44to come forth

01:19:45and do more

01:19:47than I did last time.

01:19:49Lennox,

01:19:50your fans

01:19:51were disappointed

01:19:51last time

01:19:52when you appeared

01:19:53to have the advantage

01:19:54and you did not

01:19:55press that advantage

01:19:56and try harder

01:19:57to knock Evander Holyfield out.

01:20:00Are you going to try

01:20:00to knock him out

01:20:01at all costs this time?

01:20:03This time Evander's

01:20:04going to get knocked out

01:20:05and I just want to

01:20:06answer his first question.

01:20:08He said I moved around

01:20:09and I held all the time

01:20:10but if you look

01:20:11at the punch stats,

01:20:12I punched him

01:20:13three times as much

01:20:14as he punched,

01:20:15three times to one

01:20:16that he punched me

01:20:17so I couldn't have been

01:20:18holding that much.

01:20:20What's your answer

01:20:20to that, Evander?

01:20:21Well, anytime a guy

01:20:23as big as Lennox

01:20:24can hit somebody

01:20:25that many times

01:20:26that don't hurt him,

01:20:27you can tell

01:20:27that he was only

01:20:28sticking his hands

01:20:30out there

01:20:30to keep from

01:20:31getting hit

01:20:32and commit himself.

01:20:34All right, gentlemen.

01:20:35Thank you very much.

01:20:36Lennox,

01:20:37you have a final word

01:20:37on that?

01:20:38One more thing

01:20:38you wanted to say

01:20:39back to him?

01:20:40I say Evander Holyfield

01:20:42is living in a fantasy world

01:20:43and he's going to

01:20:44wake up to the fantasy

01:20:45when me and him

01:20:45step into the ring.

01:20:46It's good to see

01:20:47the big smile

01:20:48on both of your faces.

01:20:49I can't wait

01:20:50to see those smiles again

01:20:51when we get together

01:20:53in Vegas in three weeks.

01:20:54Evander Holyfield

01:20:55and Lennox Lewis,

01:20:56two gentlemen

01:20:57joining us live tonight.

01:20:58Thank you very much,

01:20:59both of you.

01:21:01And once again,

01:21:02we remind you

01:21:02it will be live

01:21:03via pay-per-view

01:21:05on TVKO

01:21:06November 13

01:21:07from Las Vegas, Nevada.

01:21:09Once and for all,

01:21:10the heavyweight unification

01:21:11rematch

01:21:12between Evander Holyfield

01:21:13and Lennox Lewis.

01:21:15Well, we're back live

01:21:16in Detroit.

01:21:16We'll have a final word

01:21:18on what happened here

01:21:18in the Joe Lewis arena

01:21:19earlier this evening.

01:21:20Right now,

01:21:21let's look ahead

01:21:22to more upcoming programs

01:21:23right here on HBO.

01:21:37We're here looking

01:21:38for a private James Riney.

01:21:46Where's this?

01:21:54Quiet!

01:22:00There were people

01:22:01who tuned in

01:22:02Monday Night Football

01:22:03because they hated him.

01:22:05He always felt the Don

01:22:06and I were out

01:22:06to get him.

01:22:07I think I always felt

01:22:08everyone was out

01:22:08to get him.

01:22:09If we see it,

01:22:10Giff,

01:22:10we gotta say it.

01:22:12He used to say,

01:22:12what's popular

01:22:13isn't always right

01:22:14and what's right

01:22:15isn't always popular.

01:22:16He changed the face

01:22:17of sports broadcasting

01:22:18in his own way.

01:22:20Sports of the 20th Century

01:22:21presents

01:22:22Howard Cosell

01:22:23Telling It Like It Is.

01:22:25Premieres Monday,

01:22:26November 1st

01:22:27at 8 p.m.

01:22:2710 Pacific

01:22:28on HBO.

01:22:29November Briggs

01:22:32two nights

01:22:32of boxing to HBO

01:22:33on Saturday the 6th.

01:22:34Heavyweight Hasim Rahman

01:22:36and Olaf Maksgab

01:22:37will face each other

01:22:38also that evening.

01:22:39Countdown to Holyfield-Lewis

01:22:40and in-depth look

01:22:41at the upcoming

01:22:41November 13 rematch

01:22:43between Evander Holyfield

01:22:44and Lennox Lewis.

01:22:45Then on November 20th,

01:22:47another night

01:22:47of heavyweight boxing

01:22:48that features

01:22:49an intriguing matchup

01:22:50between young,

01:22:51growing sensation

01:22:52Michael Grant

01:22:53and the infamous

01:22:54Andrew Galata.

01:22:55It's the biggest

01:22:56cup protector

01:22:57against the biggest

01:22:57low blow in the business.

01:22:58It's turned to HBO

01:22:59for the show

01:23:00The Pros Watch

01:23:00inside the NFL.

01:23:02Beginning November 4th,

01:23:03the Thursday premiere edition

01:23:04will now be seen

01:23:05at two new times,

01:23:068 o'clock p.m.

01:23:07and midnight,

01:23:08Eastern and Pacific.

01:23:09That's beginning

01:23:09November 4th.

01:23:11Earlier this evening,

01:23:12here in the Joe Lewis Arena

01:23:13at 122 pounds,

01:23:15Eric Morales

01:23:16successfully defended

01:23:17his title

01:23:17in a whirlwind of a battle

01:23:19with Irish Wayne McCullough.

01:23:21The two fighters

01:23:22bombing each other

01:23:23with punch after punch

01:23:24in a brilliant

01:23:25and spirited effort

01:23:26right down to the wire

01:23:27in round 12.

01:23:28It was an unforgettable fight

01:23:30and in that sense,

01:23:32a perfect contrast

01:23:33to what followed

01:23:34as Prince Nassim Hamed

01:23:35got a unanimous decision

01:23:37over Cesar Soto

01:23:38in an awkward,

01:23:40ugly bout

01:23:40which produced

01:23:41at least as much

01:23:42holding

01:23:43and as many tackles

01:23:46as outstanding punches.

01:23:48That,

01:23:48the definitive action

01:23:49of the evening,

01:23:50a body slam

01:23:51by Hamed

01:23:52who remains unbeaten.

01:23:53coming up immediately

01:23:54after tonight's coverage

01:23:54of World Championship Boxing.

01:23:56Stay tuned for D.L.

01:23:57Hughley going home.

01:23:58So now for Larry Merchant,

01:24:00George Foreman,

01:24:00and Harold Lederman,

01:24:02I'm Jim Lampley

01:24:02saying so long

01:24:03from the Joe Lewis Arena

01:24:05in Detroit, Michigan,

01:24:07Motor City, USA.

01:24:08The executive producer

01:24:09of HBO Sports

01:24:10is Ross Greenberg.

01:24:11Tonight's telecast

01:24:12World Championship Boxing

01:24:13was produced by Rick Bernstein

01:24:14and directed by Mark Payton.

01:24:16The feature producers,

01:24:17Matt Boland,

01:24:18John Crystal,

01:24:18and Max Siegel.

01:24:19The associate director,

01:24:21Michael J. Whalen.

01:24:22The production manager

01:24:23was John McCallum,

01:24:24the technical supervisor,

01:24:25Bob Hunter,

01:24:26and the technical director

01:24:27was Doug Getz.

01:24:28The director was Doug Getz.

01:24:56This has been a presentation

01:25:05of HBO Sports,

01:25:07the network of champions.

Prince Naseem Hamed vs Cesar Soto + Evander Holyfield & Lennox Lewis interviews - HBO 10-22-99

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