- 5 hours ago
2000 US Olympian Heavyweight Michael Bennett faces Wes Taylor in a rematch on HBO Boxing After Dark
Category
🚗
MotorTranscript
00:12The following is a special presentation of HBO Sports, the network of champions.
00:46The following is a special presentation of HBO Sports, the network of champions.
01:21The following is a special presentation of HBO Sports, the network of champions.
01:30The following is a special presentation of HBO Sports, the network of champions.
01:56Jermaine Taylor will showcase his skills for the local fans here in Little Rock.
02:01In addition, two of his Olympic teammates will be in action as we take a look at the early progress
02:06of three fighters who hope to become stars of the future.
02:10We can only hope our triple header inside the ring hits as hard.
02:17Welcome to another edition of Boxing After Dark.
02:19I'm Fran Charles.
02:21We are inside Altel Arena here in Little Rock, Arkansas, as we get set to see three members of the
02:28Olympic boxing team from the 2000 Sydney Games for the second time.
02:33We get an up-close look.
02:34Heavyweight Michael Bennett, also junior welterweight silver medalist Ricardo Williams Jr., and middleweight bronze medalist Jermaine Taylor all made their
02:43professional debuts on HBO last January 27th.
02:47Well, tonight, we will continue to monitor their progress during their neophyte campaign as they turn pro.
02:54We'll also see if they have what it takes to continue on and be true forces in their respective weight
03:01divisions.
03:01All right, let's bring in our HBO boxing analyst, Kevin Kelly, two-time featherweight champion.
03:06Kevin, this Olympic team has gotten a lot of hype surrounding it.
03:10Does this team have the same cachet as Olympic teams from the past?
03:15Well, the one thing in the past that we have that is missing here, we don't have any Olympic gold
03:19medalist.
03:20Not one.
03:21But we do have a silver, we do have some bronzes.
03:24So, in that scenario, you got Virgil Hill, which was a silver, Evander Holyfield, which was a bronze, who came
03:31on to win multiple world championships.
03:33That same scenario could happen out of these guys, and it has fought tonight.
03:37Of the three, Bennett has seen the first blemish on his record.
03:41He'll try to avenge a recent TKO loss to Wes Taylor right here tonight.
03:45It'll be a six-round fight.
03:47Also, we'll see Ricardo Williams Jr. against Rodney Jones.
03:50Jones has already had 28 professional fights, so a step up in competition for Williams.
03:55And in our main event, it's the middleweight Jermaine Taylor taking on Ephraim Garcia.
04:00Kevin, this will be Jermaine Taylor's first fight at home in front of friends, family, and all the local support.
04:06Are there dangers in trying to overperform?
04:10You talk about sometimes a headache, some drama.
04:13I mean, you know, when you're at home, sometimes you want to over-impress instead of doing the job at
04:18hand.
04:18And we'll see when the bell rings if he can impress himself and not his fans.
04:23That's the major part tonight that has to happen.
04:26All right, but first up, a dynamite heavyweight bout for you.
04:29Let's take a look at the tail of the tape between Michael Bennett and Wes Taylor.
04:33Bennett, three years older than Taylor.
04:36It's Taylor, though, enjoying the four-and-a-half-inch reach advantage.
04:40Bennett weighs in at 198.
04:41Taylor weighs in five pounds heavier at 203 pounds.
04:46Now for rules of the bout, let's send it over to unofficial ringside scorer Julie Letterman.
04:50The Michael Bennett-West Taylor bout is scheduled for six rounds using the unified rules of the Association of Boxing
04:57Commissions.
04:58There is no three-knockdown rule.
05:00Only the referee can stop the fight.
05:02And in case the fight has to be stopped due to an accidental headbutt,
05:05you go to the scorecards after four rounds have been completed,
05:08and you cannot be saved by the bell in any round, including the sixth and final round.
05:14Fran.
05:15All right, Wes Taylor inside the ring, ready to go, fighting out of Milledgeville, Georgia.
05:23Taylor comes in with a record of 4-4-1 with four knockouts.
05:31He started out his career 0-4-1, but he has since switched management, and he says that has been
05:37the difference.
05:40Across the ring, 2000 U.S. Olympian, the co-captain Michael Bennett.
05:46Bennett comes into the fight with a record of 4-1 with four knockouts.
05:51Bennett, incidentally, has never fought past the first round.
05:56We mentioned the first fight between Taylor and Bennett had happened six weeks ago, June 29th, in Washington, D.C.
06:03This is Bennett's second fight in just six days, and Taylor rocked Bennett in the first round with a left
06:10hook.
06:10Bennett was certainly in trouble.
06:13There was a brief separation.
06:15Taylor goes back to work, and Bennett does not throw any punches back.
06:20So referee William Johnson stopped about Bennett's camp, protested the decision, but the D.C. Commission let the decision stand.
06:29So it's Michael Bennett's first career loss.
06:31All right, now for the official pre-fight introductions.
06:34Let's send it in to ring announcer Mark Biro.
06:40Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the All-Tal Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas,
06:48for a night of the Olympians on HBO, Boxing After Dark.
06:55Under the promotion of DiBella Entertainment, in association with Lights Out Productions and Budweiser, this Bud's for you.
07:04Tonight's bouts are under the auspices of the Arkansas Athletic Commission, ring officials assigned by that commission.
07:12Your ringside positions are Dr. Rhonda Tillman, Dr. Hampton Roy, Dr. Greg McKinney, and Dr. Charles Wagner.
07:21Your timekeeper this evening is the always confident John Henry, counting for the knockdowns at the bell, Doug Gentry.
07:30This is your first contest of the evening.
07:34It is scheduled for six rounds, heavyweights.
07:38Your judges at ringside are from Texas, Ray Hawkins, from Tennessee, David Hudson, and from Arkansas, Cecil Perkins.
07:50Your referee for this event, from Dallas, Texas, Lawrence Cole.
08:01Introducing now the principal's first in the blue corner to my left, wearing the white trunks and weighing in at
08:09203 pounds.
08:11His professional record reads four victories, four defeats, one draw.
08:16All four wins coming by way of knockout.
08:20He hails from Belle Eggville, Georgia.
08:23Here is Wes Tiger Taylor.
08:28Taylor.
08:30His opponent in the red corner, wearing the red trunks with the black trim.
08:36He weighs 198 pounds, his professional record, four victories, one defeat, all four wins coming by way of knockout.
08:48He hails from the Windy City, Chicago, Illinois.
08:52Here is a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team, Michael Bennett.
09:01Bennett, six rounds, heavyweights.
09:06All right, gentlemen, I gave you instructions earlier in the dressing room.
09:09I want you to go by babe on commands at all times, check stuff at all times.
09:12Understood?
09:13Touch them up.
09:13Good luck.
09:17Michael Bennett says he's trying not to make this fight personal, but it's been difficult for him throughout these six
09:26weeks waiting for the rematch.
09:27Wes Taylor says he was confident before the first bout.
09:31He says he'll have no problems with Bennett the second time around.
09:38He also said he's looking for a knockout in the first round again.
09:41Cut on back, Wes.
09:42All the way back.
09:42Let's go.
09:43Early stoppage.
09:48Taylor predicted a knockout, he said, in the second round the first time, and actually he said he surprised himself.
09:55Said he caught Bennett with a nice shot.
09:57His first shot.
09:58So he said he's going to do it again.
10:00Said he predicted a second round knockout.
10:02Probably happened to the first.
10:07My pressure mark is, does Bennett know that?
10:24By the way, you see Bennett trying to mix it up inside.
10:27Taylor, though, enjoys a reach advantage.
10:29Bennett now forcing Taylor into a corner and going to work.
10:35Bennett opening up a power shot, and Taylor hits left with a right hand, and he goes down.
10:43Big mistake.
10:46Taylor going for the knockout early, and I can say, look for the knockout.
10:55Just over two minutes remaining in the first round, Michael Bennett trying to finish off Wes Taylor and not to
11:04the second round for the sixth time in his professional career.
11:07Benet throwing multiple power shots, and Lawrence Cole stops the fight.
11:16And now what?
11:18Taylor's upset.
11:21I'll tell you.
11:26There you go, right?
11:36There's a lot of unanswered punches coming back from Wes Taylor, and I believe that's why Lawrence Cole stopped the
11:42fight.
11:42There's no punches coming back.
11:43Happy birthday, Joey.
11:44No Italian.
11:45Happy birthday, man.
11:46It looks to me.
11:47That's a lot of fun to stop.
11:48Yeah.
11:49What's up?
11:51Yeah.
11:52Thank you, brother.
11:53Yeah.
11:54You know the time.
11:56You know the time.
11:58That's right, man.
11:59Michael Bennett said he didn't want to make it personal, but that he couldn't help it.
12:03It was personal.
12:04He needed to avenge the loss.
12:07Bennett's camp thought the first fight was stopped prematurely.
12:10Bennett, though, surprisingly, was at peace with the decision.
12:15And he showed why tonight.
12:21Here we take a look at the first knockdown.
12:24You see those punches landing.
12:26Hooks, uppercuts, everything thrown by Bennett.
12:28And that right there was that left hook that dropped Taylor.
12:33Here there's another look.
12:34The same punches thrown.
12:36Kind of wild reaction.
12:37But Bennett's catching him with double left hook.
12:40And that's what sends him down.
12:43Here's another look at the same knockdown.
12:46Barrage of punches.
12:47I mean, over and over again, you've got to give Taylor credit for getting up to them shots.
12:53Here it is.
12:53We're looking at the stoppage of the fight.
12:56Taylor retaliating.
12:57But very shaky legs.
13:00And you'll see shortly, Lawrence Cole steps in.
13:03Different situation from the first time around where Bennett...
13:06Here's another look at the same punches.
13:10Lawrence Cole's stoppage.
13:11Of course, West Tiller protested.
13:13But the fight was over.
13:18Here's another look at the same punches.
13:20You know, West Tiller didn't seem like he was hurt that much.
13:24But there was no retaliation of punches coming back at Bennett.
13:27I believe there was one shot thrown.
13:28But those punches right there looked like there were severe punches landed.
13:32And I guess he was trying to save West Tiller from any further damage.
13:36The difference between the rematch and the original.
13:41Bennett's punches here in the rematch, in the end, were landing flush.
13:46Taylor's punches may not have been landing flush the first time around.
13:50Given the first fight, Bennett looked like he was actually more hurt than Teller was in the rematch.
13:56And Bennett was not firing back.
13:57You're absolutely correct.
13:59All right, now let's send it in to ring announcer Mark Fero for the official decision.
14:05Ladies and gentlemen, the time.
14:08One minute, 13 seconds of the first round.
14:12The winner by knockout, Michael Bennett.
14:18Bennett!
14:31So Michael Bennett wins his sixth professional fight.
14:37One minute and 12 seconds of the first round.
14:40He still hasn't gotten out of the first round.
14:43All right, let's take a look at the final punch stat numbers.
14:45And there you see the total punches thrown.
14:47Bennett landing at a remarkable clip.
14:5030 of 41 punches landed.
14:52Taylor throwing just 11 and landing only two.
15:00Michael Bennett now joins me.
15:02You were at peace with the first fight.
15:04You said that you accepted the fact that the referee stopped the fight,
15:09but that you were trying not to make this personal, but you couldn't help it.
15:12And it looked like you made it personal tonight.
15:15I know.
15:15I tried to stay focused, and I couldn't actually help it.
15:17You know, especially when he called himself Tommy at the beginning or before the fight started.
15:22And it was just on from there.
15:23It just, you know, escalates the person.
15:25You still haven't gotten out of the first round.
15:27Let's take a look at some of the action between your fight.
15:32Between your fight.
15:34Here's the first knockdown.
15:36Take me through it, Michael.
15:38Well, actually, I shoot the guy with an uppercut first, you know what I'm saying,
15:40with the straight right hand.
15:42Then he caught a lot of hooks right there.
15:44You know, and he tried to stay up because he's a strong guy.
15:47You know, but like I said, I kept coming up forward, you know what I'm saying,
15:49hitting him with them big shots.
15:50And it hurt, you know.
15:53Were you prepared for him to come out and attack you?
15:55He seemed to be patient.
15:57I was.
15:58I was.
15:58That's what I was actually looking for, you know.
15:59My coach said try to take him into later rounds, but it didn't allow it to happen that way.
16:05Try to take some of the steam out, give him some body work, you know,
16:07and work from that hands high.
16:09Now we're taking a look at the end of the fight.
16:12Ironically, your first fight was stopped in the first round.
16:14Do you believe the fight was stopped prematurely this time around?
16:18Well, actually, you know, I would have preferred to go on because I wanted to go.
16:21You know, like I said, it turned to personal already.
16:23So I wanted to continue.
16:24I wanted to fight.
16:26And, you know, but like I said, he got accepted a bit with the sweep as well as I did.
16:29So it's been a sweep revenge.
16:31That's all it is.
16:32You're weighed in at 201 pounds for your last fight, 198 pounds tonight.
16:37Are we going to see Michael Bennett stay in the heavyweight ranks,
16:40or are you going to go down to the cruiserweight?
16:41Actually, my management team is working on it as we speak, you know,
16:44and I probably bounce back and forth still and definitely going down.
16:47As I said cruiser, so I'm definitely going down.
16:49All right.
16:50Michael Bennett, congratulations, and we look forward to seeing you in the future.
16:54Thank you, sir.
16:54All right.
16:55That's one bout down.
16:57We still have two more.
16:58Still to come, a junior walkaway bout between 28-fight veteran Rodney Jones
17:04as he gets ready to try and be the spoiler to Cincinnati's Ricardo Williams Jr.,
17:11the 2000 Olympic silver medalist.
17:14That's still to come, but first, let's take a look at some upcoming HBO programming.
17:20This Tuesday, August 14th, catch the next edition of Real Sports with Brian Gumbel.
17:25Among the stories you will see, a look at the impact on Japanese baseball left by the exodus of star
17:31players
17:31like Seattle outfielder Ichiro.
17:33On Wednesday night, check out the newest installment of Hard Knocks training camp for the Baltimore Ravens.
17:39Our unprecedented access takes you inside the lives of the reigning Super Bowl champs as they prepare to defend their
17:46title.
17:46Hard Knocks, Wednesday nights at 11 p.m. right here on HBO.
17:50And in September, three big boxing shows.
17:53September 8th, Marco Antonio Barrera takes on Enrique Sanchez on Boxing After Dark.
17:59One week later, September 15th, TVKO Pay-Per-View brings you Felix Trinidad versus Bernard Hopkins
18:06for the undisputed middleweight championship of the world.
18:09And September 22nd, it's a 154-pound title fight between ferocious Fernando Vargas and Shibata Flores.
18:16HBO, the heart and soul of boxing.
Comments