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2000 US Olympian Jose Navarro faces Kenny Berrios in his pro debut in a Jr Bantamweight fight on HBO KO Nation from the theater at Madison Square Garden
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00:07Exhilarating. Hard-hitting. Unbeatable.
00:11HBO Sports.
00:17And now, the HBO Sports presentation, KO Nation.
00:39The following is a special presentation of HBO Sports, the network of champions.
00:46Hey, America, it's round for round. New York City, you're the chosen town. HBO, it's going down on KO Nation.
01:00Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go.
01:21Tonight, KO Nation showcased five Olympians from the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, making their professional debuts from the theater here
01:29at Madison Square Garden.
01:31First up, the junior battenweight, 19-year-old Olympian, Jose Navarro, takes on fierce Kenny Barros.
01:39Next, the battenweights go at it. Bronze medalist Clarence Vinson goes up against hard-hitting Adrian Valdez.
01:47Our third fight of the night features another bronze medalist from the 2000 Games.
01:51It's Jermaine Taylor from Little Rock, Arkansas. Taylor takes on the experienced Chris Walsh of Pennsylvania.
01:58Then, Olympic silver medalist Ricardo Williams, Jr. of Cincinnati, Ohio, goes against Anthony Simpkins of Augusta, GA.
02:06Then, the final bout of the night is the heavyweight Olympian Michael Bennett versus tough Andrew Hutchison from New York
02:14City.
02:15But hang on, because after all the fighting is done, KO Nation showcased a live performance by Rockefeller recurring artist
02:23New York's own Memphis Bleak.
02:29But before we start the show, let's give it up for our DJ, the Spin Master, also from New York
02:36City, Mr. Max Glazer.
02:39And say hello to the smoking KO Nation dancers.
02:44Hi, I'm Casual Cal, and now we go ringside with Fran Charles and Kevin Kelly.
02:52Welcome to the Mecca of Boxing Madison Square Garden.
02:55We are inside the theater for the night of the Olympians.
02:58I'm Fran Charles alongside Kevin Kelly.
03:00And on this special edition of KO Nation, we will bring to you the professional debut of five members of
03:07the U.S. Olympic boxing team.
03:09Kevin, think back to your pro debut.
03:11Is there any way to measure the emotion?
03:12This room, that ring, 1989, 1988, September 8th, I tell you, it was a time of trial and tribulation, but
03:22enough about me and just get on to these Olympians.
03:24Olympians tonight got a lot to overcome in their first fight.
03:28All right, this is the second time that Madison Square Garden has played host to the debut of five Olympians.
03:3316 years ago, five members of the 1984 boxing team made their debut right here.
03:39Evander Holyfield, Tyrell Biggs, Hurdell Whitaker, Meldrick Taylor, and also, and also, we had Mark Breeland.
03:49Kevin, what a group we have there.
03:52Well, I tell you, talk about a tough act to follow.
03:54In the same building, different room, but the same building.
03:57These guys got to become, you're looking at Meldrick Taylor, world champion.
04:01Perno Whitaker, multiple champion.
04:03Evander Holyfield, first man in history to become a four-time world champion.
04:07So you got a lot to overcome here.
04:08These guys got a lot of shoes to fill.
04:10So I'm looking tonight to see if these fighters here tonight can show us that talent that we once seen
04:14before.
04:15Okay, Jose Navarro is the first Olympian that we will see.
04:19His opponent, Kenny Barrios, is already inside the ring.
04:22And when you talk about Barrios and the four other opponents here tonight, Kevin,
04:26the one advantage that they might have is that they don't have to worry about any nerves.
04:30This is not their pro debut.
04:32It's the Olympians.
04:33Well, they have nothing to lose tonight.
04:34They're in the ring right now.
04:35They're going to be warmed up.
04:37They're going to be ready to fight.
04:38They know what it's like to be in a ring with guys, fighters before their records stand for themselves.
04:43These guys have really nothing to lose in everything in the game.
04:46But I tell you, the major part, they're going to underestimate and overestimate.
04:49I want to see tonight what happens.
04:51All right, now it's time to bring out junior bantamweight, Jose Navarro.
04:56All right, now it's time to bring out junior bantamweight.
05:47Navarro started boxing at the age of five.
05:50His father, Carlos Sr., brought him to a South Central Los Angeles gym.
05:54For Navarro, he lost in the quarterfinals at the Sydney Olympic Games to the Frenchman Jerome Thomas.
06:00Thomas went on to pick up the silver medal.
06:02Navarro is a tall Southpaw with quick hands.
06:06Well, being a Southpaw is one attribute, definitely, but he comes from a fighting family.
06:09Everybody in his family has fought except for one of his brothers.
06:13You're talking about bringing him right to crib, to ring.
06:16He has done it since he was two years old.
06:18All right, let's take a look at the tail of the tape for this junior bantamweight bout between Jose Navarro
06:23and Kenny Barrios.
06:27Barrios comes in at 22 years of age, three years older than Navarro.
06:31There's a height advantage we talked about for Navarro.
06:33He's 5'6".
06:34Navarro making weight at 115.
06:36Barrios three pounds lighter.
06:37Both fighters gained just a tad bit of weight as they stepped on our unofficial HBO scales,
06:42and Navarro has the reach advantage at 67 inches.
06:45Let's send it up to Michael Buffer for the pre-fight introductions.
06:50Ladies and gentlemen, from New York City's Madison Square Garden,
06:54DiBella Entertainment presents the Night of Olympic Heroes.
06:58U.S. Olympians making their professional boxing debuts right here on HBO's KO Nation.
07:05Brought to you in association with the undisputed, undefeated king of beers, Budweiser.
07:10Always proud to be your Bud.
07:12The on-site promoter for tonight is Cedric Kushner Promotions.
07:16All the bouts are sanctioned by the New York State Athletic Commission.
07:20The three judges assigned to this first bout, scoring on the 10-point bus system,
07:24will be Tommy Kazmarek, Melvina Latham, and Steve Weisfeld.
07:28And when the bell rings, your referee in charge of the action, Mike Ortega.
07:33And now, ladies and gentlemen, four rounds of boxing.
07:36This is in the junior bantamweight division.
07:42Introducing first, fighting out of the blue corner,
07:44wearing red, white, and blue, and weighing in at 112 pounds.
07:49His professional record, 6-9-1.
07:52He comes to us from Orocovis, Puerto Rico.
07:56Ladies and gentlemen, Kenny El Radito Berrillo.
08:07And his opponent across the ring, fighting out of the red corner,
08:12wearing blue with gold, weighing in at 115 pounds.
08:16He comes to us from Los Angeles, California.
08:19He's from the United States Olympic boxing team tonight,
08:23making his professional debut, Jose El Angelino Navarro.
08:31Oh.
08:44Jose El Angelino Navarro.
08:51Yeah.
09:03I'm going to want a good, clean fight.
09:08Good luck to both of you.
09:10Touch them up.
09:11All right, so Jose Navarro getting set to make his professional debut here at the theater
09:20at Madison Square Garden, taking on Kenny Barrios.
09:25These fighters used to four-round fights.
09:28Yeah, but only two minutes, not three minutes.
09:31There are some other changes between the professional and amateur game that we will detail as the
09:36night goes on.
09:38The barrel looks very relaxed early.
09:40He's coming out, he's going right after barrels, you know, I mean, he looks very strong, and
09:45I give him credit for that.
09:46I guess all that boxing, like I said, as a youngster.
09:51Well, he told us yesterday that for his entire life he is trained as a professional.
09:58He loves to spend time in the gym, seven days a week.
10:02Told us that he's relaxed, that he's ready for this.
10:06Sometimes the negative about boxing is in a fight of boxing, too, and sometimes they get
10:11a little lethargic in their older age, when they're younger, as a matter of fact, speaking.
10:16Navarro going to work, staying upstairs, catching Barrios with a straight right hand.
10:22Barrios now trying to do work back on the inside.
10:27I'm sure he's had plenty of sparring with his older brother, Carlos Navarro, who's 22-1.
10:32Navarro gets in with a straight right hand.
10:39Jose Navarro doing a very nice job of utilizing a jab here in the first round of his first
10:48professional foul.
10:49Navarro.
10:50Relax yourself.
10:50Work up the jab and relax.
10:53Navarro.
10:54Navarro, you got to remember one thing about Navarro, he's a southpaw.
10:56So you can look out for that left hand straight down the pike.
10:58You can also look out for Barrios with a straight right hand.
11:03Barrios now trying to triple up inside.
11:06Caminando para la izquierda, Kenny.
11:08Barrios does not look like any opponent for any guy making his tour debut ever in boxing,
11:14I'll tell you that.
11:15Kenny Barrios comes in with a record of 6-9-1.
11:19He has no knockdown.
11:21He hasn't fought in two and a half years.
11:25Not too much rush showing for Barrios here in the first round.
11:30Barrios find a very good pace.
11:32He's picking his shots.
11:33He fights like a seasoned professional.
11:34I would look at him and say he's got 10 pro fights.
11:38Navarro digs deep, reaches down for the right uppercut.
11:42Calderos with a left hook.
11:43He's counterpunching right now.
11:45He's letting Barrios throw a shot.
11:46He's looking to catch him with a straight left hand like he just did, right there.
11:49Navarro now going to work.
11:50Barrios up against the ropes.
11:56Picking and choosing his spots very carefully.
11:59Navarro doesn't look overanxious in the ring.
12:01Doesn't look, doesn't seem to be nervous.
12:03Looks like a seasoned professional here.
12:05Leans back and then catches Barrios with a quick one-two.
12:08Comes right back with a right hook to the body.
12:10He's making Barrios miss and then he makes them pay every time.
12:16Jose Navarro told us he has trained his entire life as a pro.
12:22And he's demonstrating that early on here in the first round.
12:36Good round.
12:37Good round.
12:39Good round.
12:41You're blowing your nose this time yet.
12:44Take a deep breath.
12:46Take a deep breath.
12:47Take a deep breath.
12:51Take a deep breath.
12:53Take a deep breath.
12:54Now, if it's good for your first round, just relax and press yourself.
12:59Okay, okay?
13:00Keep your mind at the end of your punches and straight and get counter with the right up.
13:04Don't go to the knees right up to cut off nothing.
13:06One-two.
13:07One-two.
13:11You got to keep those punches in.
13:13Don't forget the inside.
13:15Keep using those combinations.
13:16And when you come out, come out on the side.
13:18Don't stay standing in front of him.
13:20Be careful with his head.
13:32That was Hector Garcia interpreting for us tonight inside the corner of Kenny Barrios.
13:37Did you hit the bell?
13:39All right, let's go, bueno, bueno.
13:42Barrios now late to get up.
13:46Time in.
13:47Referee Mike Ortega says, time in, let's go.
13:5015 seconds after the round began.
13:53Navarro very active in the first round, firing off 95 shots, landing 29, including 15 jabs.
14:04Barrios backing Navarro up now.
14:06Back!
14:08No, no, no.
14:09No, no, no, no, no, no.
14:10Julie, here we have.
14:12We went around the second round we're going into.
14:14What do you got on your unofficial scorecard?
14:18Easy, easy round for Navarro in round one.
14:20I love how he's just a jab left hand, jab left hand.
14:23Then, like, there he goes underneath and he comes across to the left hand.
14:26Beautiful, beautiful round for Navarro, 10-9.
14:29Julie Letterman, our unofficial ringside score.
14:32I have the same score, Fran, 10-9.
14:34I believe that Navarro is looking like a seasoned professional.
14:38More than a guy that's making his pro debut.
14:41I give him credit.
14:41He has some attributes here.
14:43This kid can go far.
14:45Jose Navarro using his reach to his advantage.
14:48Staying on the outside, unloading to the head of Kenny Barrios.
14:54The major thing I don't see Navarro doing, which he's going to have to definitely practice and learn,
14:58he's not punching the body at all.
15:00He's not utilizing any downstairs punches to slow down Barrios at all.
15:04How much of that, Kevin, is a factor of he's just coming out of the amateur game
15:09where shots to the head are rewarded far more than shots to the body?
15:13Well, he's definitely, you know, this is his first professional fight.
15:16I was saying I got that to nervous energy and not being exactly as comfortable in a ring yet professionally
15:23with no headgear.
15:24There go a body shot.
15:25He finally threw a straight left hand to the body.
15:27Two of them.
15:27I got to give him credit.
15:28He was one for picking him up.
15:29But they were solid gut shots, and that's what he needs to slow down men like Barrios,
15:33who's very tough.
15:34Maybe he's heard you.
15:35He threw full shots to the body before going back upstairs and working on Kenny Barrios.
15:42Navarro in the blue and gold trunks, Barrios in the red, white, and blue.
15:47Another thing he's going to have to learn, Navarro, is to utilize a jab first.
15:51He'd implement uppercuts and hooks before he throws a jab.
15:54If you don't touch him with a jab, do not throw a hook or an uppercut.
15:57It's a very dangerous punch, especially from the distance that Navarro was standing at.
16:02Jose Navarro comes from a fighting family.
16:05His older brother, Carlos, is a professional with a record of 23-1.
16:11Jose tells us that Carlos will fight on February 10th.
16:15I'm sure a lot of call-up input is here, and you're seeing a lot of it in the ring.
16:19The ring gentleship, as they call it.
16:20Straight left hand.
16:21He just landed.
16:22I mean...
16:23But he has to come back to that jab.
16:25And that's what's...
16:26He's smothering his punches.
16:27He's got a lot of his distance.
16:28He has to run his range.
16:29And no things will happen eventually.
16:32Round two coming to a close.
16:34Jose Navarro has looked very sharp.
16:37Time.
16:40Time.
16:43Time.
16:46Time.
16:50Time.
16:50Time.
16:51Time.
16:52Time.
16:53Time.
16:53Time.
16:53You did it right.
16:54This is the...
16:54This is it.
16:56Give me the iron.
17:10the body work is doing the damage his head's going to fall keep going to the body but make
17:15sure your chin's butting down and work up angles don't you stay in front of him
17:19navarro has done a great job of using his jab to set up his left hand right there's two straight
17:24left hands the barrel throws he missed the third one but he's coming to leave he's steady hands here
17:28we go another angle looking at it he's very busy with his hands he steps out of range just enough
17:33not to be hit these fighters are these Olympic fighters are used to four-round bouts which means
17:40they have to be very busy to be successful and navarro has come out and done just that thrown
17:47200 punches through two rounds that's an amateur background very busy the amateur remember I said
17:54it's quantity over quality he's asking the pros it's quantity over quality so it's totally opposite
18:00he's doing these things tonight he's still very busy but he'll learn to be more conservative as
18:05the time goes on loads up at the left hand connects solidly that time to the midsection of Kenny Berrios
18:13Berrios comes back with a left hook of his own what you make on the legal break okay
18:19that's
18:23Kenny Berrios is not going away he's tough like I said he's got nothing to lose and he's got a
18:29conscious chance to catch Navarro with a shot and gain Navarro's respect you know respect real quick
18:34but as this fight goes on they're going to straighten up ten again by Navarro another straight left hand by
18:38Navarro abusing Berrios with that straight left
18:43the reason that's landing so effectively is because Berrios is dropping his right hand and allowing it to land
18:55Navarro still right there is not going down to the body when a man defends his head bring the punches
18:59downstairs I think he hurt me again big left hand that time by Jose Navarro finishing up a one-two
19:07and so I think I don't really think I did a bounce listening to me or he's remembering to throw
19:12body punches
19:13boy I got it
19:18but I got to get Berrios credit he's very tough he's taking a lot of punches here and he's still
19:23standing he's not buckling he's not giving in but it's where it's a four-round fight one more round to
19:28go
19:31this round especially though for a guy as we mentioned
19:34he has not been around for two and a half years and Kenny Berrios I give him credit
19:38he looks very good here I mean he's holding up
19:42he's holding up
19:44he's holding up
19:44he's got a height deficiency here he also has a reach efficiency he's got a south corner ring with him
19:49so he's doing not bad with all the things working against him
19:51Navarro now doing damage to the body Mike Ortega breaks the two boxers up
19:58Barrios looks a little affected by the two punches that he is in with he looks like he's back on
20:02his back
20:02big left hand and Berrios might be in trouble oh he's in trouble believe he's Navarro now going for the
20:08kill
20:09Berrios up against the rope it was a I think he's hoping the barrel gets tied his left
20:14of two minutes of left hands that wore down Berrios but it was a strong left hook that caught Berrios
20:19and it's obvious Berrios is hurt
20:23Kenny hold on 15 seconds left to go in round three scheduled for four
20:33Jose Navarro he's not bringing it to the body and slowing Berrios down
20:36even more
20:37and ends the round with an exclamation point with a straight left hand
20:44and
20:49now
20:51Jose relax
20:52this is the time he's ready to go
20:54all you have to do
20:56wipe them off
20:59with the ball with the bucket there
21:05well Julie
21:07right now I have to fight scored
21:0930 27 on your scorecard how do you see a scorecard
21:13Kevin 30 to 27 three rounds to zero
21:16Navarro you know what impresses me about this kid he's got power with both
21:20hands I mean talk about being generals if he can get a body in front of a bank to the
21:24body go over the
21:25top lean on the road and still be effective with both hands
21:28right
21:29very good you got to score 30 27 just like you
21:33nice you're like
21:34especially Navarro has won 13
21:37national titles
21:38right two international titles as an amateur
21:42nine silver medals from various
21:44competition he never won a goal but tonight
21:47he is trying to win his pro debut
21:53well if he ain't trying nothing he's winning it and he's trying to get a knockout
21:57I think in his first fight and he's taking his time he's not
22:00being over anxious he's real slow he needs to implement the jab and go back to the body
22:05that's what got him there
22:08things he's got to learn like right now he's too close to his opponent he doesn't need to be that
22:12close
22:12right he's got to utilize his jab and his reach barrios not going away but he's caught by a counter
22:19from navarro
22:25barrios realizing his only shot for victory would be through a knockout
22:33his chances have been too infrequent barrels barrels have been punching only at certain times
22:38and uh it's not enough to win this fight break break
22:42big overhand left that time from jose navarro
22:55the barrel definitely has to work on his finishing skills here
22:57on sharpening but like i said it's only his first professional fight and as you mentioned earlier
23:02these these rounds are three minutes not two exactly they're used to
23:06and i mean the last one he spent a lot of energy in trying to get his man that barrels
23:10out of there
23:10so you know he's got to practice some things after he's got some fight footage now to watch himself
23:15and um as a professional like i said it's a lot of nerves in there jitters he's not trying to
23:19make any
23:20mistakes so um not go all out for his fight if you win a decision hey better yet long as
23:26you win
23:28do 120 punches in round three 320 for the bout coming into the fourth and final round he's trying to
23:37catch
23:38barrels with a straight left hand and counter punching every time barrel throws his hook
23:41he's right there to go with the left hand right there you see navarro's left hand
23:49no easy professional debut for jose navarro kenny barrios making navarro work
23:59barrel's very seasoned i'll tell you as an amateur coming in here
24:02you would not believe this guy's first professional fight i mean it's very seasoned
24:08tries to size barrios up there's some things he's got to work on but like i said
24:12they're not clearing that clearing evidence look to the trained eye you know jose navarro with a quick one
24:19two went to the sydney olympics looking for gold came up short he lost in the quarterfinals
24:27to the frenchman jerome thomas decided to turn pro his manager for golden boy oscar de la holla
24:34de la holla will be proud of jose navarro tonight as the fourth and final round comes to a close
24:42one
24:54there you take a look at mark breeling from brooklyn new york town is here and uh
25:01glimpy gold medalist sitting right next to him standing up his prono with it
25:04another little gold medalist went off to win world titles as we might barrel trying to do the same thing
25:15kenny barrios did what he could he came in after a two and a half year layoff
25:22but still perform
25:26didn't roll over for jose navarro
25:32but navarro did look very sharp in his professional debut
25:37here we got navarro throwing two straight left hands
25:40confident connect very good percentage he was connected with the left hand over and all night
25:44resort hit another angle of the same punches straight left hand another one straight left
25:49hand right there come back to the jab the hook he's very busy i think we should look for this
25:53kid in the
25:58future
25:59navarro looks comfortable he feels
26:02that he's won his debut oh he knows he won he looked very good very sharp
26:05there's two things we need to work on but very good he was very relaxed yesterday and he proved
26:10it to us this afternoon let's send it up to michael buffer with the official decision
26:19ladies and gentlemen after four rounds we go to the budweiser scorecards steve weissfeld scores
26:25about 40 to 36 melvina lathan and tommy kaczmarek both have it 40 to 35 all for the winner by
26:32unanimous
26:33decision winning his professional debut from los angeles california jose
27:0213 september core propio
27:05gimiz
27:05taken a total punches land in the fight you can see navarro
27:09Outlanding for arrows you see I'm out throwing barrels and it's high percentage definitely the barrel point over a hundred
27:15punches per round
27:20Friend back up to you
27:30All right, Kevin standing inside the ring with junior bantamweight winner Jose Navarro
27:35Oh, so we talked yesterday you said you were relaxed and you definitely looked relaxed this evening inside the ring
27:41Well, you know, I came out here to do my best. I was well prepared have a good crowd here,
27:46you know
27:48That's all I had in mind was to do my best and to look good and I feel I did
27:52my job
27:53You certainly did it seemed the theme of the night your left hand you hit Kenny burials with a number
27:59of straight left hands
28:00Right, that's my favorite punch is straight left. I was working on it. I thought I was catching them
28:05And that's why I thought I had to keep using it, but you know, he had a he had good
28:10strength and he was able to keep
28:13Going in the fight
28:14So now do you become a spectator as four members of your team make their professional debut as well?
28:20Oh, yeah, you'll see me you see me watching them. I'm here to support them as well former teammates
28:25You know good guys, and I'm pretty sure they're supporting me as well right now, and you see me in
28:32ringside
28:32Okay, Jose Navarro. We appreciate your time. Congratulations on your first professional win
28:38We're just getting started. That's the first of five bouts to show you still to come
28:43It's a middleweight bout between bronze medalist Jermaine Taylor. He'll square off against Chris Walsh from Scranton, Pennsylvania
28:56Also coming up hip-hop recording artists from rockefella records, memphis bleep will perform
29:05But first let's take a look at some upcoming program reminders
29:11One week from today it's move
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