Lennox Lewis vs Evander Holyfield II Replay - HBO 11-20-99 - video Dailymotion

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The HBO replay of the TVKO rematch between Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield for the undisputed Heavyweight Title

Transcript

00:00:00World Championship Boxing Doubleheader, RKO 281, and Lethal Weapon.

00:00:05HBO is on tonight.

00:00:09Exhilarating, hard-hitting, unbeatable.

00:00:13HBO Sports.

00:00:19And now, the HBO Sports presentation.

00:00:22World Championship Boxing.

00:00:34It was eight months ago when the boxing world turned upside down.

00:00:38That's a travesty.

00:00:40That is, ladies and gentlemen, a travesty.

00:00:43An outrage, a highway robbery.

00:00:46Lennox Lewis has just been robbed of the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world.

00:00:54It was supposed to take one night and one fight.

00:00:57With so much fanfare, the first Holyfield-Lewis matchup promised an undisputed heavyweight champion and a unified division.

00:01:06The night of March 13, Lennox Lewis set the tone early.

00:01:12And he pinches against the rope as Lewis lands a right hand.

00:01:17Bigger man, George.

00:01:18Bigger punch.

00:01:21Holyfield's prediction of a third-round knockout didn't materialize.

00:01:25Evander attacking, trying to fulfill the prophecy.

00:01:30And for the rest of the fight, Lewis simply stayed busy.

00:01:34Holyfield on the defensive.

00:01:36Right hand lands again.

00:01:38Thunder in round five for Lewis.

00:01:40You know, I failed to see what Evander Holyfield did to win that fight.

00:01:45He basically had no answer for him.

00:01:47Despite Holyfield's ineffectiveness, that first meeting was absurdly judged a draw.

00:01:54Last Saturday night's fight was considerably more competitive.

00:02:02Hard right hand by Holyfield.

00:02:06Lewis to the body.

00:02:07His own right hand lands flex.

00:02:12This time, there was no bitter dispute.

00:02:15Lennox goes back to the body and the uppercut.

00:02:18Grashing Holyfield with power shots.

00:02:21Stay tuned to see the coronation of Lennox Lewis as heavyweight champion of the world.

00:02:47Also tonight, you may see the next top contender for Lewis' throne.

00:02:51Undefeated heavyweight Michael Grant takes on the always controversial Andrew Gulotta.

00:03:35We'll see you next time.

00:03:53Tonight, we're coming to you live from the Etta Serena at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Atlantic

00:03:58City, New Jersey.

00:03:59First, you'll see a replay of last week's Holyfield-Lewis rematch.

00:04:03Then, a conversation with Lennox Lewis.

00:04:06And then live heavyweight boxing, undefeated Michael Grant.

00:04:09In his toughest test to date, takes on Andrew Gulotta.

00:04:13Half-bite fans come tonight to see the next in line.

00:04:16Everybody's wondering about Michael Grant.

00:04:18Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis is also in attendance.

00:04:21Wanting to scout out Grant for himself.

00:04:24After last week's satisfying result, Lewis seems eager to put himself to another test.

00:04:28Maybe Grant is ready, willing, and able.

00:04:31We should find out later on tonight.

00:04:35And hello again, everybody.

00:04:36I'm Jim Lafley welcoming you back to this special edition of HBO's World Championship Boxing.

00:04:41First, a chance to revisit the events of last Saturday night, see it again, or see it for

00:04:46the first time.

00:04:47Lennox Lewis's unanimous decision victory over Evander Holyfield, finally gaining control

00:04:53of the heavyweight championship of the world.

00:04:55We'll talk live to Lewis about that fight and about his plans for the future.

00:04:59And we'll see the man who may conceivably be the next in line.

00:05:02A lot of people believe unbeaten contender Michael Grant is the heir apparent to the crown.

00:05:07But of course, the man he's facing tonight, Andrew Gulotta, was twice the heir apparent when

00:05:12he led Riddick Bowe in his two fights before both times being disqualified for low blows.

00:05:18First, I'll look back to last week.

00:05:20Working with me as always, HBO Boxing Analyst Larry Merchant.

00:05:23Larry, after what happened in New York, virtually everybody agrees this was a closer, more competitive

00:05:30fight.

00:05:30Why is that the case?

00:05:33Tactically, Holyfield didn't let Lewis control him with the jab this time.

00:05:38But geriatrically, he just can't follow through with the up-tempo attack that his trainers

00:05:46had urged him.

00:05:47So he fights in spurts, often effectively, which wins the drama of the fight, gets the

00:05:54fans on his side, but doesn't convince or fool the judges.

00:05:59And because of the way the judges saw it, Lewis now holds the crown, which twice belonged to

00:06:04the irrepressible George Foreman in his career.

00:06:07George Lennox was at great pains before the fight to say that this time he would go for

00:06:12a knockout.

00:06:13And early in the fight, you observed that's what he was doing.

00:06:15What was the effect of that?

00:06:17Well, twofold.

00:06:18Not only did he save himself and become the undisputed heavyweight champ of the world,

00:06:22but he kept himself alive.

00:06:25Event Holyfield put out more than I even expected him he would do.

00:06:28He was aggressive.

00:06:29And if he had not gone after him, he would have been on the floor himself.

00:06:32So Lewis's aggressiveness won the fight for him.

00:06:34He saved the day for himself.

00:06:36All right.

00:06:36Well, let's take a look and see how all that unfolded last Saturday night at the Thomas and

00:06:41Mac Center as we go back to look at all 12 rounds.

00:06:44And as each round goes by, keep your eyes glued to the screen.

00:06:47We'll show you how the official judges at ringside scored each one of the frames.

00:06:55Eight months to the day after their first meeting in Madison Square Garden and with the entire

00:07:00boxing world hoping that 13 would not be as unlucky a date in November as it was in March,

00:07:07two fighters met in Las Vegas to try again to determine who is the world's premier heavyweight

00:07:13boxer.

00:07:21Here's the tale of the tape.

00:07:23And if you've been with us for the past eight months, indeed, if you're one of those who

00:07:27waited years for this to happen, you've memorized a lot of these numbers.

00:07:31Three-year age advantage for Lewis.

00:07:33Two and a half inches in height, it looks like more when they get into the ring.

00:07:36217 and 242 as opposed to 215 and 246 back on March 13 again.

00:07:42Most people believe 242 is a very good sign for Lennox Lewis.

00:07:47And the reach advantage, six and a half inches.

00:07:51What's that numbers, Larry?

00:07:53From the first fight, and these numbers tell it all, Lewis landing almost three times as

00:07:59many punches as Evander Holyfield.

00:08:01Evander Holyfield's trainers say he has to throw twice as many punches in this fight as

00:08:08he did in that fight.

00:08:09Can he sustain that sort of a pace?

00:08:14Same story with the jabs, although Holyfield has told some friends he intends to try to

00:08:22out-jab the jabber in this fight.

00:08:25Rules of the bout with our unofficial ringside scorer, Harold Letterman.

00:08:29The Lennox Lewis-Evander Holyfield fight is scheduled for 12 rounds using the unified rules

00:08:34of the Association of Boxing Commissions.

00:08:36There is no standing eight count.

00:08:38No three-knockdown rule.

00:08:40Only the referee can stop the fight, and you cannot be saved by the bell in any round,

00:08:45including the 12th and final round.

00:08:48Jim.

00:08:50There's Lennox.

00:08:53Lennox Lewis never received much recognition for his accomplishments in the U.S., won a silver

00:09:01and a gold medal in the Olympics, lost one fight in 10 years as a professional.

00:09:09But a proud, displeasing style has worked against him in public recognition.

00:09:17If you look carefully at Lennox Lewis and you conclude that his face shows you nothing,

00:09:23then you are in good and populous company.

00:09:26He labors to project an image of unshakable calm and usually succeeds.

00:09:32There are some 6,500 British fans here.

00:09:36I find that extraordinary, amazing.

00:09:396,500 people flew over 5,000 miles to see this man fight and try to win all the heavyweight

00:09:49titles for the first time in this century for a Brit.

00:09:54And this despite the fact that through much of his career, he was at best the second most

00:09:59beloved heavyweight in Great Britain, overshadowed by the far less competent, Frank Bruno.

00:10:05But there is the record for Lewis.

00:10:0734 wins, the draw in New York, the one loss to Oliver McCall, later avenged twice.

00:10:13He has won heavyweight titles.

00:10:22You're looking at one of the greatest fighters this country has ever produced.

00:10:30Great, great warrior.

00:10:32I doubt there's been another heavyweight who has been in as many hard, tough, killer fights,

00:10:40absorbed as much punishment, and kept coming back for more.

00:10:45And the music with which Evander enters the ring is recorded under the label of his own

00:10:50record company, Real Deal Records.

00:10:59Miles creases the face of Holyfield.

00:11:03Nothing yet quite like the rapture with which we've seen him into the ring for some of his

00:11:08big occasions.

00:11:11The question, of course, reverts to an old saying in boxing that a great fighter, great champion

00:11:19always has one more great fight in him, as Evander Holyfield already had that and other

00:11:27one more great fight.

00:11:30Evander Holyfield's extraordinary boxing record.

00:11:3336 wins, three losses, one draw, 25 KOs, two of the losses to Riddick Bowe, one to Michael

00:11:43Moorer, and of course the draw last March 13th.

00:11:47Now let's go to ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. to step it up one more level.

00:11:53Ladies and gentlemen, a very good evening to you, and we welcome you to the Thomas

00:11:58and Max Center in Las Vegas, Nevada for the featured bout of the evening as we join together

00:12:04to witness the last mega fight of the 20th century.

00:12:08And it's all brought to you by Don King Productions in association with Panics of the U.S.

00:12:13Main events, Caesars Palace, the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, TVKO, and Budweiser, the undisputed,

00:12:22undefeated king of beers.

00:12:24This bout coming your way is sanctioned by the World Boxing Association, President Hilderp the

00:12:30Mendoza, Supervisor Jimmy Binns, the World Boxing Council, President Jose Suleiman, Supervisor

00:12:36Edmund Lipinski, the International Boxing Federation, President Robert Lee Sr., Supervisor Walter

00:12:41Stone, and the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

00:12:44The chairman is Dr. Elias Ghanom, Commissioners Amy Ayoub, Glenn Carano, Lorenzo Fertitta, Dr.

00:12:51Luther Mack with the Executive Director Mark Ratner.

00:12:55Introducing to you our physicians at ringside, we have Drs.

00:12:58Flippelmanski, Margaret Goodman, Al Cabana, and James Game.

00:13:03Introducing our timekeepers and also keeping count of the knockdowns, we have Al Bicek and

00:13:08James Rodfoot.

00:13:10Introducing to you our judges, all three from Las Vegas, Nevada, Chuck Jumper, Bill Graham,

00:13:17and Jerry Roth.

00:13:19Introducing the third man of the ring, working in this, his 60th World Title Bounce, Mitch

00:13:25Halpern.

00:13:26All right, fans, here we go with the rematch we've all been waiting for.

00:13:32And now, ladies and gentlemen in attendance and boxing fans joining us around the world,

00:13:39live from Las Vegas, it's time for the main event of the evening, 12 rounds of boxing for

00:13:47the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world.

00:13:55Introducing to you first, the title holder on my right, fighting out of the red corner,

00:14:01wearing purple trunks with white and red trim, representing his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.

00:14:08He weighed in at 217 pounds, and with a record of 36 wins, three losses, and one draw, he has

00:14:1625 wins coming by way of knockout.

00:14:19Here is the former undisputed cruiserweight world champion, the former undisputed heavyweight

00:14:26world champion, and the current WBA and IBF heavyweight champion of the world.

00:14:33Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome boxing's proud warrior, introducing Evander, the real

00:14:41deal, Holyfield.

00:14:51And his opponent across the ring, the other title holder on my left, fighting out of the

00:14:56blue corner, wearing white trunks with red trim, the big man from London, England.

00:15:03He weighed in at 242 pounds, the 1988 Olympic gold medalist has a professional record of 34 wins,

00:15:12one loss, one draw, with 27 big knockouts to his credit.

00:15:17Tonight, attempting to become the first British heavyweight in 100 years to capture the undisputed

00:15:24title, here is the hard-hitting and current WBC heavyweight champion of the world, introducing

00:15:35Lennox Lewis.

00:15:41Once again, Mitch Haltern is our referee in charge.

00:15:44My gentlemen, this will be clean.

00:15:46The Texas stuff at all times, the fame I command at all times.

00:15:48Any questions?

00:15:49Touch the club, good luck.

00:15:50Let's go, touch the club.

00:15:51Where's your hockey?

00:15:51Are we about to see the sad death of a great king, or yet another of his resurrections?

00:16:02It was a late-arriving crowd, but the Raptors are now packed.

00:16:0719,000-plus in the Thomas and Mac Center.

00:16:11An audience around the world, hoping and praying, as they did back in March, for a conclusive definition

00:16:20of the identity of the heavyweight champ.

00:16:33And as they clear Lewis's corner, and the British fans begin already to chant soccer style,

00:16:41it seems to be a crowd almost evenly distributed in its practice.

00:16:46Just about half for Lewis and half for Holyfield.

00:16:50We should have drama tonight.

00:16:55Already, you can see Holyfield trying to get closer to Lewis right from the get-go.

00:17:01Now, he's beat him to the jab.

00:17:03Holyfield said he would try to establish the left jab.

00:17:05He did.

00:17:09And Lewis fires a rare left hook.

00:17:13Lewis beginning already to fall a little bit with the jab,

00:17:16trying to establish the range between himself and Holyfield.

00:17:24Evander want to really land that left jab.

00:17:26He's got to make contact with Lewis's left foot,

00:17:30and then as soon as he make contact, jabbed in.

00:17:32If he's not made contact, don't try it.

00:17:36Where is the ideal range for Evander George?

00:17:39Is it right up in Lennox's chest, or is it a medium zone?

00:17:42You've got to be a medium.

00:17:43You're right there, touch his foot, and don't go any closer

00:17:46because you don't want him backing away.

00:17:48Just stay that distance.

00:17:51Lennox, got to make sure he keeps him on the outside.

00:17:54Evander is bobbing, but he's not weaving.

00:17:56He's going to one side, and he stays there.

00:18:00Holyfield misses with a left hook.

00:18:02Lewis counters over the top with a right hand.

00:18:07Evander trying to project more sheer energy

00:18:09than was the case in New York.

00:18:11And whacking away at Lewis on the inside.

00:18:15Something he didn't get many chances to do

00:18:18in Madison Square Garden.

00:18:19Now for Evander, all of these close-range contacts

00:18:23he's making is better for him.

00:18:25You don't want to keep this fight at long reach.

00:18:28Evander pounds to the body

00:18:30as Lewis is backed up into a corner already.

00:18:33Alperin has had to work a lot harder in round one here

00:18:36than he did at 12 rounds at Trinidad de Laoye.

00:18:38Break, break, break, break, break.

00:18:40Certainly, Holyfield is working harder in this first round

00:18:43than he did in the last one.

00:18:45You know, he was able to get in one good left jab.

00:18:47Let gives him confidence.

00:18:49You can't start reaching at this point.

00:18:51You've got to let the fight come to you

00:18:53if you're Evander Holyfield.

00:18:54And Holyfield reached with the right hand,

00:18:56and Lewis touched him up inside

00:18:57with a little right uppercut as the result.

00:18:59But already, Don Turner is yelling at Evander

00:19:02from his corner.

00:19:03He doesn't want to fight.

00:19:04Yelling at Evander to try to let him know

00:19:06that he thinks Lewis is timid

00:19:09and that Evander can take command.

00:19:11Evander did something very smart.

00:19:13He jabbed Lennox Lewis right in the chest.

00:19:15Right in the chest.

00:19:17And a double jab there by Holyfield.

00:19:22Off the round one results,

00:19:24you get the impression

00:19:25it's a better Holyfield already

00:19:27than was the case in New York.

00:19:30Lennox Lewis has got to keep his reluctancy

00:19:33that he had in the original bout.

00:19:34He wasn't overconfident.

00:19:36He just used his jab.

00:19:37Let the right hand flow.

00:19:39Lewis trying to drop the right hand in

00:19:41on top of the left jab.

00:19:42Go home, Jim. Go home.

00:19:43Break, step back easy.

00:19:44Holyfield partially blocking it

00:19:46with the left block.

00:19:47The more minutes that Evander

00:19:49hold if he'll stay close

00:19:50to Lennox Lewis, the better.

00:20:05Two jabs.

00:20:07Two jabs every time you jab him.

00:20:09Two jabs.

00:20:09And throw that overhand right on him.

00:20:11He's leaning back.

00:20:13Don't go straight in.

00:20:15Always don't like give him a little faint first.

00:20:18Give him a little water.

00:20:20Because he's wide open

00:20:21on the new shots.

00:20:22Instead of trying to chop over top,

00:20:24touching the source,

00:20:25trying to rip him underneath

00:20:25and you're tying him across.

00:20:29Man, get that jab going.

00:20:30Get the jab going.

00:20:32Get the jab going.

00:20:33Well, everybody,

00:20:33the whole crowd is into his head.

00:20:35Well, you got the whole crowd.

00:20:37You got the mouth face.

00:20:38I got my face.

00:20:40Get that jab going.

00:20:41Get the jab going.

00:20:42Get the jab going.

00:20:47Holyfield with the CompuBox edge

00:20:49in jabs in the first round,

00:20:50landing eight to Lewis's three.

00:20:52Lennox wasn't really snapping the jab

00:20:54as he did early in the fight in New York.

00:20:56Now he sticks it out there

00:20:57with a little bit more authority

00:20:58to start round number two.

00:21:00But Holyfield comes back

00:21:02and you see Holyfield

00:21:03listening to Don Turner's instruction.

00:21:05Throw the jab twice when you throw it.

00:21:07Double up.

00:21:08Well, he wasn't going to throw the jab twice

00:21:10because if he misses,

00:21:12Lewis is not able to hit him with a jab.

00:21:14So you throw two

00:21:15to make the big man back up.

00:21:17If you miss him,

00:21:17you at least back up.

00:21:19Hard punch by Lewis inside.

00:21:21Stop punching.

00:21:21Let's go. Keep it clean.

00:21:24The question is

00:21:25whether Holyfield trying to come in

00:21:27is on a suicide mission

00:21:30or is he going to get

00:21:32to Lewis?

00:21:35Evander's reaching out

00:21:36calling already.

00:21:37That's what he shouldn't be doing.

00:21:38He should be throwing uppercuts

00:21:39to Lennox Lewis' elbows,

00:21:41uppercuts to his chest.

00:21:44And Lewis, who said

00:21:45he would be conscious of...

00:21:46Lewis, who said

00:21:47he would be conscious

00:21:48of trying to be aggressive

00:21:49and take advantage

00:21:50of knockout opportunities,

00:21:51is trying to load the right hand.

00:21:53Probably not a good idea for him.

00:21:55Well, he's...

00:21:56Like Larry said earlier,

00:21:57he threw a lot of good right hands

00:21:58in the first fight,

00:22:00but they would left him

00:22:01that hit him square right...

00:22:02hit Evander's square

00:22:03in the middle of the face.

00:22:04Always on the side of the head.

00:22:10This fight,

00:22:10Lewis got to concentrate

00:22:11on going right down the middle

00:22:13with that right hand.

00:22:15Uppercut by Lewis

00:22:15as Evander jumps in

00:22:17with the jab.

00:22:19Lewis double jab.

00:22:21That's what you don't want

00:22:22at this part of the fight,

00:22:23is allowing Lewis

00:22:24to get confident

00:22:25with his left jab.

00:22:26You if you're Holyfield,

00:22:27you mean.

00:22:28Yeah, if you're Holyfield,

00:22:28you don't want him

00:22:29to get confidence

00:22:30with that left jab.

00:22:31He's dropping his left hand,

00:22:32making him do it lower

00:22:33by hitting him in the body

00:22:34a time or two.

00:22:36Turner asked Holyfield

00:22:38to throw the overhand right.

00:22:39Evander hasn't released it.

00:22:40Lewis has released

00:22:41his right hand aggressively

00:22:42three times in this round.

00:22:45Evander throws the overhand right.

00:22:46He has to make contact

00:22:47with the left hand first.

00:22:49Left hook to the body.

00:22:50What a Holyfield's

00:22:50better weapons over the years.

00:22:52Get back easy.

00:22:52Get back.

00:22:53You know,

00:22:54Holyfield's brain chest

00:22:54wanted him

00:22:55to have twice the activity

00:22:57of the first fight.

00:22:58He hasn't shown

00:22:59that kind of energy yet.

00:23:02Now the Everlast gloves

00:23:03are not bad

00:23:04when Holyfield puts his

00:23:06hand behind his ear.

00:23:08He still has a little extra padding.

00:23:11Everlast gloves

00:23:12suits him better.

00:23:13He's not going to see

00:23:14a good clean knockout

00:23:15with him,

00:23:15but they really act

00:23:17as good padding

00:23:18for blocking shots.

00:23:19In his great rematch

00:23:21performances in the past,

00:23:24Evander Holyfield

00:23:24was able to throw

00:23:25a lot of punches

00:23:27in situations

00:23:28where he could attack.

00:23:29Now Lewis got Holyfield,

00:23:31uh, Holyfield's got

00:23:32Lewis dropping his hand

00:23:33looking.

00:23:34Now, Holyfield

00:23:35has the advantage.

00:23:35He can throw his jab now.

00:23:37But his punch count

00:23:38is dropping off again,

00:23:39George.

00:23:39He's just not releasing

00:23:40his hands

00:23:41and throwing as much

00:23:42as he needs to

00:23:43to be the aggressor.

00:23:44Yeah, he's dropping his hand.

00:23:45That means you can beat him

00:23:46to the punch

00:23:47because the big guy

00:23:47has to bring him up

00:23:48and throw.

00:23:50That round looked

00:23:51much like the rounds

00:23:52in the first fight.

00:23:59Don't hesitate, Chance.

00:24:03Give it to Vesely.

00:24:06Straight!

00:24:07You're here.

00:24:08Don't get flat with it.

00:24:09You need more?

00:24:10No.

00:24:12Give it to the water.

00:24:14Holyfield throwing

00:24:15many more punches

00:24:16than in the first two rounds,

00:24:17but,

00:24:18still fewer than

00:24:2030 punches per round.

00:24:22Not enough.

00:24:23Takes his right hand away.

00:24:25He's trying to hit you

00:24:26with a right-up effect.

00:24:28Inside,

00:24:29watch Lewis come up

00:24:30with a nice uppercut.

00:24:33Later on,

00:24:34good buddy shots

00:24:35by Holyfield.

00:24:38But overall,

00:24:39CompuBox numbers

00:24:40in round two.

00:24:41Holyfield,

00:24:42six out of 24.

00:24:43Lewis,

00:24:4313 out of 47,

00:24:45including nine of 30 jabs,

00:24:46those numbers,

00:24:47as you said,

00:24:48Larry,

00:24:49very much like

00:24:50what we saw

00:24:50throughout the fight

00:24:51in New York.

00:24:52I could be mistaken

00:24:53about this,

00:24:54but Holyfield in his corner

00:24:56looks weary

00:24:57somehow.

00:24:58I don't see any energy.

00:25:00His body language

00:25:01is not lively.

00:25:03That could change,

00:25:04you know,

00:25:05in five seconds,

00:25:08but that's the impression

00:25:09one gets from him.

00:25:12And now,

00:25:13just as was the case

00:25:14in New York,

00:25:15Lennox Lewis able

00:25:16to stick the jab

00:25:17in Holyfield's face

00:25:18repeatedly

00:25:19and start to set up

00:25:20power shots.

00:25:22Uppercut landed again.

00:25:24As good,

00:25:25he bends the advantage

00:25:26if Lewis continues

00:25:28to throw these uppercuts

00:25:29because he drops his knees.

00:25:30He bends his knees

00:25:31to throw his uppercut.

00:25:32But he's got to get off,

00:25:33George.

00:25:33He's just not getting off.

00:25:35As soon as he bends,

00:25:36Holyfield's got to jump in

00:25:37with a left hook.

00:25:38Let me tell you,

00:25:38he can buy something tonight.

00:25:41Doesn't matter

00:25:42if you hit him or not,

00:25:43just jump in

00:25:43with a left hook.

00:25:45Lewis backs into a corner

00:25:46on his own

00:25:47and then ties Holyfield

00:25:48up momentarily.

00:25:50Halfren separates them.

00:25:51Lewis walks out

00:25:52of the corner.

00:25:54Lewis lands a little

00:25:56left hook

00:25:56and combinations.

00:25:58Now, this is unusual

00:25:59for Lewis to be

00:26:00the better combination puncher.

00:26:01Now, there's a triple jab

00:26:02from Holyfield

00:26:03and he sticks with it.

00:26:04That's one thing

00:26:05you said before the fight,

00:26:06George.

00:26:06If he gets into

00:26:07punching range,

00:26:08he's got to stay there

00:26:09and try to do some work.

00:26:10And don't let

00:26:11this loudest guy

00:26:12to get the distance again.

00:26:13Right hand lands

00:26:14on a counter for Lewis.

00:26:17One of the things

00:26:18that Holyfield observed

00:26:21after the first fight

00:26:22was that Lewis

00:26:23was punching,

00:26:25as he put it,

00:26:25at the target

00:26:26instead of through

00:26:27the target,

00:26:28meaning he wasn't

00:26:29loading up

00:26:30for big punches

00:26:30and that doesn't

00:26:32give him the time

00:26:32to reply

00:26:33as he would like.

00:26:35Well, that's part

00:26:36of Lewis' basic

00:26:37cautiousness.

00:26:39Now, Holyfield

00:26:39was able to get in

00:26:40some good body shots

00:26:41here and there.

00:26:42This fight goes

00:26:43into the seventh round.

00:26:44That can change things, too.

00:26:48He was able to jab

00:26:49Lennox Lewis in the chest.

00:26:51He didn't do that last time.

00:26:52So you're suggesting

00:26:53that you like a lot

00:26:54of what Evander's doing.

00:26:55I like a lot of what he's doing.

00:26:57He's invested in the body,

00:26:58even jabbed to the chest.

00:27:00I don't like him

00:27:01standing there

00:27:01getting those jabs,

00:27:02but when he's not in range,

00:27:04get all the way

00:27:05out of the range,

00:27:06which he should be doing.

00:27:07When you fought Holyfield,

00:27:09did you feel like

00:27:09he had effective

00:27:10head movement

00:27:11against your jab, George?

00:27:12Yeah.

00:27:13Long, long time ago.

00:27:15Yep, that's right.

00:27:16Much has changed

00:27:17in the eight years

00:27:17since April 9, 1991.

00:27:20That's why I named

00:27:20all my boys George,

00:27:21so I wouldn't have

00:27:22to remember him.

00:27:22Hard right hand

00:27:23by Holyfield.

00:27:25Cleanest punch

00:27:25of the bounce so far.

00:27:31Lewis is getting

00:27:32in the kind of fight

00:27:33that Holyfield

00:27:33can benefit by.

00:27:35Standing close,

00:27:36trying to hit him

00:27:37back for hitting you.

00:27:38Don't do that

00:27:39if you're Lewis.

00:27:40Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.

00:27:40Hey, great, get back.

00:27:41Lock your head.

00:27:42Watch out there.

00:27:42Go.

00:27:47Lewis is bending down

00:27:49and Holyfield

00:27:50landed at the left

00:27:51and he's bending down.

00:27:55with you.

00:27:58Round three had some moments

00:27:59for the vendor.

00:28:04The governor is keeping back on

00:28:06the job to get lazy. Don't let

00:28:07him get too close. Keep it back

00:28:09at the zone when you want to

00:28:10just relax. But you got to catch

00:28:12it with some shots underneath

00:28:13everything you're shooting is

00:28:14overtime. Okay. You got to get

00:28:16some shots underneath. Get

00:28:22some respect. You got to get

00:28:23some respect. You got to take it

00:28:25to him a little bit.

00:28:31In the middle of the round,

00:28:34Holyfield lands a long right

00:28:35hand. No power on it because

00:28:38Lewis is backing up. But later

00:28:40on in the round, he did land a

00:28:42cleaner punch.

00:28:44Raising punch there.

00:28:48So there was some excitement in the

00:28:50third for Holyfield fans, but still

00:28:53overall CompuBox numbers.

00:28:54Lewis threw more and landed

00:28:56more. Harold, how do you have it

00:28:583-3? I don't know, Jim.

00:29:00Evander Holyfield, I thought

00:29:02did enough to win the third round.

00:29:03He got inside. He wrapped them a

00:29:05couple of times real good. 2-1,

00:29:0829-28, Lennox Lewis.

00:29:10Lennox was real good with the champion.

00:29:11He was busier in the first two. Evander

00:29:13took good shots in round three.

00:29:15So I got rid of the third round.

00:29:16Two rounds to one. Lewis.

00:29:18Don Turner asked his fighter to go

00:29:20inside in this round. That's Evander

00:29:22Holyfield. So Turner apparently liked

00:29:24some of what he saw in round number

00:29:25three. Another big right hand for

00:29:28Holyfield as Lewis misses with the left.

00:29:33Now Lewis, you want to keep this fight

00:29:35at distance. You don't want to get it

00:29:37close. Oh yeah, Lewis's corner told

00:29:40him to step up and take the fight

00:29:41to him. I wouldn't do that at this

00:29:43point. Keep this thing at range as

00:29:45long as you can. Oh, it's a man's

00:29:48sport, George. Let them go in and

00:29:50bust each other a little bit. Yeah,

00:29:51but the bigger guy, he looks bigger,

00:29:53but he's not all that big inside.

00:29:55He's a tall guy. When you see a good

00:29:57jab like that, that means that he

00:29:58doesn't like mixing it up. Now you're

00:29:59you pointed out that Lennox was bending

00:30:01forward in the last round. Why would he

00:30:03do that? It was the first round that

00:30:05Holyfield made contact of equal

00:30:07range with him in height. Lewis started

00:30:09to bend down looking for that uppercut.

00:30:13I guess you go into

00:30:14training and you start thinking, I could have

00:30:15knocked him out if I had done this, but

00:30:17forget about that. Go back to what

00:30:19you did. When Riddick Bowe,

00:30:21a taller man, leaned forward and

00:30:23agreed to exchange with Holyfield,

00:30:25Holyfield got chances to look good.

00:30:27In New York, Lennox Lewis simply

00:30:29wouldn't do that. Now,

00:30:31everything, anytime Evander gets

00:30:33close, he has to dive in. That's why

00:30:35they click. He's jumping in because

00:30:37of the distance. He can't get it.

00:30:39And Lewis goes back to popping

00:30:41the jab in Holyfield's face.

00:30:43And he can do that for about two or

00:30:45three rounds. You need not try to mix it up.

00:30:48Lewis holding his left hand

00:30:49below his waist, inviting Holyfield

00:30:51to jab. Holyfield

00:30:53leaving the opportunity alone

00:30:55for the moment. Right hand over the top

00:30:57by Lewis. And Holyfield

00:30:59pounds to the ribcage

00:31:00as Lewis holds his arm.

00:31:03Now, I haven't seen

00:31:05Evander do anything

00:31:07in this round. And we're

00:31:09two minutes and fifteen seconds into it.

00:31:14Lewis hasn't done a whole lot.

00:31:15He sits there and wait for one punch at a time.

00:31:17Well, he's landed maybe fifteen or seventeen

00:31:19jabs.

00:31:22Jabs score.

00:31:29Evander lands a right. Lewis lands

00:31:31a little right in return.

00:31:33Lewis gets lazy and then Evander

00:31:35Holyfield gets closer. And Evander

00:31:37again jabbing to the body, something

00:31:39he did not try to do in the first fight.

00:31:41Oh, I'm telling you, and it's paying off

00:31:43great dividends.

00:31:45Ooh, that right hand on the side

00:31:47of the head hurt.

00:31:48Kind of slid past Evander's ear though.

00:31:51Yep.

00:31:55Four rounds in the books.

00:31:58A couple of them, tough rounds to score.

00:32:01I noticed that, but they decided

00:32:02he'd do something big at the end of the round

00:32:04and excite the crowd. He's trying to steal it.

00:32:07But what you gotta do, you gotta take

00:32:08some aggressive stuff at it with some big shots

00:32:10without going over the top.

00:32:12We keep telling you, come in underneath on the shot first.

00:32:15Even a simple jab, jab, left up, because

00:32:16right hand would work. But come from underneath,

00:32:18you're doing everything over top.

00:32:20If you would really focus on your right hand

00:32:21and sit down and shoot the right hand straight,

00:32:23you can catch it with right hand.

00:32:24But you're trying to shoot the right hand too high.

00:32:27Slow down, get the right hand down here, shoot it short,

00:32:29and try to straighten it up, okay?

00:32:32Shoot you get around there, but let go with the right hand.

00:32:36Stay in your rhythm now.

00:32:37Close your eyes and listen.

00:32:39Stay close.

00:32:40When you get in close.

00:32:42Don't go flat-footing. Mouthpiece, don't go flat-footing.

00:32:45Double jab, double jab, double jab.

00:32:47Once again in round four, Evander Holyfield

00:32:49only threw 30 punches.

00:32:50Lewis, 49.

00:32:51But halfway through the between-round period,

00:32:54you saw the graphic that indicated

00:32:56Lewis has landed half as many jabs

00:32:58in the first four rounds here as he did in New York.

00:33:01So Holyfield, though not doing much more statistically

00:33:04than in New York,

00:33:05is much more in the fight here early on.

00:33:09You know what?

00:33:10He's good in left hook.

00:33:11Holland left hook by Holyfield.

00:33:15And Holyfield grinning

00:33:16as Lewis hands a big right hand.

00:33:21Both fighters have landed a big power shot in this round.

00:33:25And Alperin telling Holyfield to watch his head

00:33:28as Lewis goes under and then over with the right hand

00:33:31and almost throws Holyfield over the top rope.

00:33:35Come here, come here, come here!

00:33:38The bullshit in here stops now.

00:33:40This is a wrestling match and a boxing match.

00:33:41Just keep this clean.

00:33:42You understand me?

00:33:43And there's a cut along the right side of Lewis' line.

00:33:48He's not even aware of it.

00:33:50It doesn't look dangerous, but you never know.

00:33:57More an abrasion than a cut,

00:33:59according to Fliponansky, the doctor.

00:34:01Lewis wasn't aware of it.

00:34:02The blood does start the trickle outside his right eye

00:34:05as he goes back to the uppercut

00:34:07and busts Holyfield again.

00:34:10Lewis thinks he's got Holyfield going with these right hands.

00:34:14Hey, hey, hey!

00:34:16Get back easy, hey!

00:34:17Come on, let's go!

00:34:24British fans can't wait for their man.

00:34:26Lewis better get his hands up.

00:34:29Holyfield is doing a good job.

00:34:30Whenever he's close, he throws something.

00:34:32When the fight of the way, he doesn't do anything.

00:34:34When you close, throw shots.

00:34:36Lewis hasn't had his hands up for eight years, George.

00:34:39He loves to fight this way as do so many modern fighters.

00:34:42And he's doing something he didn't do before.

00:34:44He's leaning forward a little bit,

00:34:46trying to get that uppercut.

00:34:47Absolutely.

00:34:48He thinks he's got Holyfield going

00:34:49with his big right hand connects.

00:34:52Holyfield is landing good left hook.

00:34:55Absolutely.

00:34:56Two in this round.

00:34:57And the blood is flowing from Lewis's right eye.

00:35:00Outside the eye, as you can see.

00:35:01Outside the orbital bone.

00:35:07Holyfield trying to make it a brawl.

00:35:09That would be to his advantage.

00:35:10That's right.

00:35:11You want to keep it a brawl and make that big man keep.

00:35:13The good thing about this, I didn't mention,

00:35:16Lewis has his cup a little lower.

00:35:19That's why he's been able to go down and jab

00:35:21and hit him in the body a little better this time.

00:35:23Good point, George.

00:35:24Big difference in the position of the protective cup.

00:35:27Lennox going to work with the uppercut again.

00:35:29Every time he does,

00:35:30he brings his head into buttable range for Holyfield.

00:35:33Not only that, he gets himself in the range of getting hit himself.

00:35:48Well, despite the blood, so far it's been a big round for Lewis.

00:35:55Holyfield has got Lewis coming forward.

00:35:57That's what you want him to do.

00:35:59That's the only way you can barb and weave.

00:36:01You can't go forward barbbing and weaving.

00:36:02But again, if Bander goes 20, 30 seconds without throwing a punch, George,

00:36:06he's got to be more active.

00:36:08Lewis goes to the body a little bit.

00:36:10And Lewis looking to the body and then going up.

00:36:25All you got to do is get a little bit closer.

00:36:28A little bit closer.

00:36:30Right here to shoot it just the way you shoot it.

00:36:32Not that high.

00:36:33Shoot it straight inside.

00:36:34Catch it with that short right hand, okay?

00:36:36Your right hand is the key right now behind your left hand.

00:36:38The uppercut is good because it's getting his attention,

00:36:40but keep shooting the right hand.

00:36:42You shoot the right, but shoot them low.

00:36:44Don't shoot them high.

00:36:44Just what you're doing, banging at it,

00:36:46just keep setting, setting them in there.

00:36:47Shoot them real straight, real short.

00:36:51Cut is nothing.

00:36:52Good round for you.

00:36:53Lennox Lewis is cut, man.

00:36:55Al Gavin out of New York is as good as anybody in the sport.

00:36:59Larry?

00:37:00Leaping left.

00:37:02Right in here is where Holyfield and Lewis clashed heads.

00:37:08Lewis came out with a trickle of blood.

00:37:16Round six of a scheduled 12.

00:37:19Now that cut isn't so bad, but it sure does

00:37:22tink the, what you call the shield of confidence.

00:37:27Well, it gives Lewis something to think about, right?

00:37:29You don't want to be doing that when you go back to the corner.

00:37:32You want to think about how I'm going to get him the next round,

00:37:33not how blood is flowing.

00:37:36Holyfield has got his jab going better this time.

00:37:40Holyfield averaging exactly 30 punches per round through the first five.

00:37:44That's the same level of inactivity that hurt him in New York.

00:37:48Good left jab by Evander Holyfield.

00:37:50He is making his punches count more tonight.

00:37:52No question.

00:37:53Going to the body.

00:37:56Going to the chest again.

00:37:58And knocking Lewis off balance and knocking him back.

00:38:01Going to the chest again.

00:38:02You cannot be allowed to be hitting the chest as a heavyweight.

00:38:06He can't jump.

00:38:07He can't jump.

00:38:07Right, George.

00:38:08It's just like someone taking a, uh, sticking a syringe

00:38:10and just sucking all of your energy from you.

00:38:13So many young fighters don't even understand that,

00:38:15so they allow guys to do it.

00:38:17And now Holyfield goes upstairs with the jab.

00:38:19Evander's off to a positive start in round six,

00:38:21commanding the first minute of the round with the jab.

00:38:24And Lewis has dropped into a stretch of inactivity himself.

00:38:28Looking for a knockout.

00:38:29He trained for a knockout.

00:38:30Now he doesn't have no idea how to get back

00:38:32and get this thing in control.

00:38:35Right hand by Lewis.

00:38:38Holyfield getting the guard up.

00:38:45Oh, my goodness.

00:38:47Why did Lewis do that?

00:38:49Frustrated.

00:38:54And the Boo Birds come out in the crowd.

00:38:56They want to see more activity.

00:38:58Lewis thought all he'd have to do is come out here

00:39:00and it was all his for the taking.

00:39:02He had no idea he would have to fight for this title.

00:39:07That's what it's gotten to be, it's gotten to fight.

00:39:09So you think Lennox Lewis was that totally complacent

00:39:12coming into this fight?

00:39:13Oh, no, he's...

00:39:13Everybody told him,

00:39:14you won this fight.

00:39:15You should have knocked him out.

00:39:16And he forgot about it.

00:39:17He wanted by good tactics.

00:39:19He had a good strategy going.

00:39:24Well, so many times in Evander Holyfield's career,

00:39:26it's been easy to be misled into believing that...

00:39:30Those jabs to the chest, one after another.

00:39:32And I'm telling you,

00:39:34a knockout could follow those kind of punches.

00:39:39All he has to do, Evander now,

00:39:41is getting one left hook to the chin just to be over.

00:39:45Lewis headhunting in this round,

00:39:47concentrating on long right hands to Holyfield's head.

00:39:50Evander working to Lewis' body

00:39:52and stepping up the activity level in this round.

00:39:56I don't think that...

00:39:57Lewis is waiting and he's complaining.

00:39:59I don't think that Holyfield's offense is bothering Lewis.

00:40:03It's the fact that he's harder to hit

00:40:05than he was in the first time.

00:40:06Oh, his offense is bothering him greatly.

00:40:08He's hitting him in the body, in the chest,

00:40:10things he didn't do last time.

00:40:12Break, break, break!

00:40:20Do not get planted.

00:40:24Beautiful work.

00:40:26You get in close.

00:40:29Keep your arms close.

00:40:31Close.

00:40:32That's why he got to reach around you to hold you.

00:40:34And when he reach around,

00:40:36you let go with a combination.

00:40:37and roll out, then you hit him with the left hook.

00:40:41Hold it on to too much shot, let it go.

00:40:43And I keep shooting the damn right hand straight,

00:40:46the short right hand, I don't care if they miss,

00:40:47keep shooting them.

00:40:48Even if they go over the top of his head,

00:40:50he's wearing it bad to tie him because you're so big,

00:40:52but you just cut off completely.

00:40:54It's the same way you lost some other one,

00:40:55and he gets his ass in trouble for the damn score

00:40:56because you're not fighting.

00:40:58It's not that he's doing nothing, he's doing better than you.

00:41:00You're waiting too damn much.

00:41:01All right, let the shots go.

00:41:02Right now.

00:41:03And back with the jab, too.

00:41:11Right now, Lewis says.

00:41:14Let's see if it's right now.

00:41:16Round seven of a scheduled 12.

00:41:21Lewis played around and waited around too long,

00:41:23and he turned this thing into a fight.

00:41:25He didn't need to.

00:41:29It's not that he's doing nothing, he's doing better than you.

00:41:31You're waiting too damn much.

00:41:32All right.

00:41:33Let the shots go.

00:41:34Right now.

00:41:34And back with the jab, too.

00:41:42Right now, Lewis says.

00:41:45Let's see if it's right now.

00:41:48Round seven of a scheduled 12.

00:41:53Lewis played around and waited around too long,

00:41:55and he turned this thing into a fight.

00:41:56He didn't need to be in the fight.

00:41:58He didn't need to be in the fight.

00:41:58And that was what Lennox Lewis was talking about, I guess,

00:42:00when he said, right now, uppercut lands with thunder.

00:42:03Quickly, Harold Lederman.

00:42:05How you got a three-six?

00:42:06Four rounds to two.

00:42:07Fifty-eight, fifty-six.

00:42:09Lennox Lewis.

00:42:09I gave Evander Holyfield a six-run because he was busier.

00:42:12There's no pressure.

00:42:13Lennox didn't punch.

00:42:14There's a punch in his way.

00:42:15Come on, go.

00:42:17Now Lennox fires the uppercut and throws Holyfield off,

00:42:20and lands the uppercut again.

00:42:23He's just waiting on that uppercut now.

00:42:25Buster Douglas got himself knocked out against Evander Holyfield,

00:42:29trying to land an uppercut from distance.

00:42:34Oh, Evander is standing there in the pocket,

00:42:36weathering the storm,

00:42:37and anything that he can get in after the storm,

00:42:39he takes it.

00:42:41Lewis should be jabbing and jabbing and making this a fight.

00:42:44They both land uppercuts there.

00:42:46Holyfield with the right hand,

00:42:47and Lewis with his own right hand.

00:42:48Big left hook by Holyfield.

00:42:51Head to head.

00:42:52Lewis is hurt.

00:42:54Now Lewis smiles as Holyfield comes in.

00:42:57Holyfield thinks he's got a target.

00:42:59It was a left hook inside that hurt Lewis.

00:43:02It was a big one.

00:43:04That left hook partially blocked by Lewis's right hand.

00:43:08Lennox leans against the ropes himself.

00:43:10Holyfield working the body.

00:43:17Lewis has decided that the uppercut is his bread and butter.

00:43:22Keeps coming back to it.

00:43:24Lewis has no idea the effect of those jab to the body

00:43:28and to the chest.

00:43:30It's taken on him.

00:43:31He has no idea.

00:43:34Evander Holyfield with a better plan tonight.

00:43:37A little bit more energy.

00:43:38Not that big a difference,

00:43:40but enough to make it much more of a fight.

00:43:45And that's what he wanted.

00:43:46That body shot hurt.

00:43:48Evander Holyfield lands a good body shot,

00:43:51and it hurt Lewis.

00:43:53Hard left hook by Holyfield.

00:43:55Lewis stunned again.

00:43:59Lewis stands in.

00:44:00Holyfield fires back with a left hook.

00:44:06Holyfield's a quicker fighter through the last minute and a half

00:44:09for round seven.

00:44:12Lewis almost casual with the uppercut.

00:44:15Big target there for Holyfield.

00:44:21Emanuel Stewart told him to go out and get at Holyfield,

00:44:25and this is the result.

00:44:27But here comes Lewis now.

00:44:30Lewis rallying again.

00:44:31Combination.

00:44:32Hard right hand by Holyfield.

00:44:35Lewis to the body.

00:44:36His own right hand lands flush.

00:44:39They trade shots at close range.

00:44:41Round seven.

00:44:42The best round these two fighters have fought against each other

00:44:45in two fights.

00:44:55That's heavyweight excitement.

00:45:00How you feeling?

00:45:01Yeah, you gotta take your round.

00:45:03You gotta pick it up.

00:45:04Keep it taking the time now, okay?

00:45:06Keep taking the time.

00:45:07Keep taking the time.

00:45:08You don't want to angle, Lewis.

00:45:12You don't want to angle, Lewis.

00:45:12Oh my God.

00:45:13Hold on, hold on, hold on.

00:45:14You wonder what everybody says.

00:45:15And he's not gonna say nothing about his head.

00:45:17You forget that.

00:45:18All those punches and work on him inside.

00:45:21And work on him inside.

00:45:26Early in the round, that left hook apparently discombobulated Lewis

00:45:33for a few seconds.

00:45:35He's holding on here.

00:45:37Later in the round, once again,

00:45:41Lewis coming back in the last 20 seconds of the round.

00:45:45And you heard, Emanuel Stewart still thinks that the best fight for Lewis

00:45:50is to engage Holyfield right in the middle of the ring.

00:45:57Compu blocks numbers in round seven, virtually even.

00:46:00Lewis 20 of 39, Holyfield 21 out of 45.

00:46:04Letterman, as you saw, gave the round to Holyfield,

00:46:06probably because of the big left hook shot.

00:46:09Right hand lands for Lewis.

00:46:14Holyfield much more engaged, looking much more confident than at any point in New York.

00:46:19Lewis obviously much more conscious of wanting to knock his man out tonight,

00:46:23and therefore creating opportunities for Evander.

00:46:26Lewis is looking strictly for a knockout.

00:46:29Evander Holyfield now, all he has to do is play out for that counter punch.

00:46:34Pull it on home.

00:46:39Every landed punch but one in round seven was a power shot.

00:46:43Now that left jab to the body by Holyfield again.

00:46:46Left hook upstairs now.

00:46:48Another left hook, and Lewis backs up and ducks,

00:46:51fires the right hand back,

00:46:53and goes to the body.

00:46:55Finally, Lewis begins to exercise the wisdom

00:46:58in trying to get the Holyfield's body

00:47:00and take some of the sap out of those punches.

00:47:02Lewis is totally leaning forward.

00:47:04Now he is into trouble,

00:47:06but only Holyfield could just muster up a little energy

00:47:08to throw a couple hooks.

00:47:10This is the Lennox Lewis who fought Ray Mercer

00:47:13in Madison Square Garden.

00:47:14Tactically wrong, engaging in warfare,

00:47:18and trying to rise to the occasion

00:47:19against a fighter who likes to fight this way.

00:47:23He has made up his mind, Lewis has,

00:47:25that he's gonna fight.

00:47:36Lewis getting smarter and going to the body.

00:47:38He's gotta land some punches to the body.

00:47:40Where's the jab with which Lewis dominated the first fight?

00:47:43George did.

00:47:44Evander, take it away with those jabs to the chest.

00:47:46Yes, he did.

00:47:48He certainly did.

00:47:49Sucked the juice all out of the left jab.

00:47:52Now he's got a fighter the same size as him.

00:47:56And it looks from time to time that Lewis is a tired fighter.

00:48:00When he went 10 rounds fighting this style against Mercer

00:48:02in Madison Square Garden,

00:48:03he was totally exhausted at the end.

00:48:06Yep, and because of those body punches.

00:48:08And the bringing of that cup,

00:48:10that protective cup has been lowered,

00:48:13Holyfield, got a green light to get down low.

00:48:16So it's a much more even fight.

00:48:18But despite everything we're saying,

00:48:19Lewis has landed some shots in this round

00:48:22and may in fact be winning the round.

00:48:24Let's go, let's go.

00:48:25Frank, step on me in here.

00:48:26Let me in here.

00:48:31He's got his hands low.

00:48:32Holyfield couldn't miss it.

00:48:33He just jumped in a large peloton left hook.

00:48:37Which he did right there.

00:48:39Jump in.

00:48:40Their heads come together again,

00:48:41and Lewis produces some good infighting

00:48:44as he drives Evander back to the rope.

00:48:46Evander trying to flurry at the end of the round.

00:48:48Lewis blunted him there.

00:48:49I don't know if they're getting it right this time,

00:48:52but they're certainly getting it right turn.

00:48:54It's on your feet.

00:48:56Come on.

00:48:57Breathe deep.

00:49:00Come on.

00:49:01He's got him.

00:49:02He's got him.

00:49:03He's got him.

00:49:03Two of them off.

00:49:05Put it on the tail.

00:49:06Put it on the tail.

00:49:09He's weak.

00:49:10He's falling out of the place,

00:49:11but you're not questioning.

00:49:12Plenty of stiff jabs.

00:49:13You've got to take it down the stretch down.

00:49:14We can't fuck around no more these rounds, man.

00:49:16The fight is close.

00:49:17The fight is definitely close.

00:49:19Okay?

00:49:19You've got to take it to him.

00:49:21Push the jab.

00:49:22Push the jab hard.

00:49:23Then push out with the right foot.

00:49:25Make sure you move his whole body with the jab.

00:49:27And then when you shoot that right hand,

00:49:29shoot his short.

00:49:29You can hit him with the right hand,

00:49:30but shoot his short.

00:49:31That's the batard.

00:49:32When you're outside,

00:49:34make sure you've fought enough

00:49:35where it can't hit you.

00:49:36When you move outside,

00:49:37move in quick.

00:49:38Move in quick.

00:49:39Quick jab.

00:49:40Quick jab.

00:49:40Quick first step.

00:49:42Lennox Lewis asked by Emanuel Stewart

00:49:45to resurrect his jab.

00:49:47Stewart, as a trainer,

00:49:48has never lost a heavyweight title fight.

00:49:56Lennox Lewis has never knocked an opponent out past the 8th round.

00:49:59Holyfield has, and he goes for one hit.

00:50:03Holyfield was able to get in a double jab here,

00:50:05double jab there,

00:50:06make the guy wait for it,

00:50:07and then come over top with a right hand.

00:50:10He was able to do it great.

00:50:13That's the old boxing style.

00:50:15I like what Lewis is doing to Holyfield's body.

00:50:18He's equalizing the momentum somewhat

00:50:19with that body attack.

00:50:21Stewart asking Lewis to try to set up a right hand with the jab.

00:50:25Lewis just seems to need too much room

00:50:27to get his jab going.

00:50:28Let's go, let's go.

00:50:29Break, break.

00:50:29Sit back.

00:50:32You should jab.

00:50:33Don't wait to get in distance.

00:50:35Lennox goes back to the uppercut.

00:50:37Evander wax to the body again.

00:50:41Now, let's go.

00:50:42Break, oh, please.

00:50:43Let me hear him in.

00:50:44Good.

00:50:48Holyfield's eyes are clear.

00:50:50Not so with Lewis.

00:50:53Holyfield looks like the fresher fighter.

00:50:55Lennox is still throwing more punches.

00:51:02Lewis better keep his head up.

00:51:06When Lewis was exhausted and in trouble

00:51:08against Mercer in Madison Square Garden

00:51:10in a very similar fight.

00:51:12Good left hook to the body by Evander Holyfield.

00:51:14The Englishman showed courage

00:51:15and hot jab at the tenth pounder in the fight.

00:51:18Holyfield stepping up again

00:51:19with that double-pumping jab inside.

00:51:22Go, watch it!

00:51:31Lewis jabbed is a different fight and when he stands down wait for a big punch

00:51:34Evander takes over that took to the body by Lewis you don't see that very often

00:51:40you're gonna have to do a lot of them not usually a weapon in his arsenal

00:51:50Evander has been in with a lot of Giants and he's never bagged down from the one

00:51:57well Evander Holyfield won't back down anybody uppercut lands for Lewis Holyfield misses the

00:52:02left hook Lewis lands the uppercut again Holyfield might be hurt right here but will Lewis take

00:52:08advantage of it multiple punches for Lewis Holyfield not throwing back fires the right

00:52:16and drives Lewis into the room let it go back to the body and the uppercut

00:52:21bracing Holyfield with power size

00:52:33now Holyfield gonna try to flurry again to convince the judges he's won the round it's a smart

00:52:40professional thing to do Holyfield is an excellent boxer knows what to do and when to do it Lewis got

00:52:49He's in the last shot so Holyfield decided to fire a left hook after the belt.

00:52:54Cooling down! Cooling down!

00:52:56Cooling down!

00:53:01Here we go.

00:53:07You can't pull.

00:53:08You can't pull straight back.

00:53:16The jab is around here now.

00:53:18Use it. That was yours.

00:53:19You want it, but that uppercut over here is what's pulling out here.

00:53:21But use your damn jab this round.

00:53:24He's tired. Make him down.

00:53:32Now let's see if we can catch that uppercut that hurt Holyfield right there.

00:53:39Lewis, big uppercut.

00:53:43Lewis trying to follow up.

00:53:45He had a left hook to follow with.

00:53:47I have a pressure for you, George.

00:53:51When Lewis goes in and battles him, you say he should jab.

00:53:55When he doesn't battle him, you suggest he doesn't have the gumption of the courage to stand with him.

00:54:01Now, which is it?

00:54:02Because in the last few rounds, he stood right with Holyfield and ground.

00:54:06I mean, this is a common thing we hear about Lewis.

00:54:09But one thing about Evander, when he protects himself, he puts his arm all the way behind his ear.

00:54:14So that's why he's able to get caught with uppercut straight up the middle.

00:54:19He always put it behind his ear.

00:54:23Harold Glederman, how do you have it through 9?

00:54:246-3 or 5-4?

00:54:26No, 6-3, 87-84, Lennox Lewis.

00:54:29I get the man to hold the field for at 6-7.

00:54:31He is making it close, but I gotta tell you something, Jim.

00:54:33Judges very often look at a fighter's physical appearance, especially in close rounds.

00:54:39Evander looks like he's fresh, and in certain rounds, let him look like he's diet.

00:54:43And that's what fools the judges.

00:54:44There's no question, Lennox will land more punches and lose rounds because he's got nothing right open.

00:54:49Well, it's an interesting point, Harold, because I observed before that Holyfield looked weary in the corner between rounds, and

00:54:58he does.

00:54:59But when he gets out here, he doesn't look weary, and that's where it counts.

00:55:02Well, that's an exercise of will.

00:55:056-3 on Letterman's guard, I'll bet you anything, there's at least one judge at ringside who has Holyfield ahead

00:55:11in the fight.

00:55:12Well, I can tell you this, Larry.

00:55:14Lewis should not engage into these exchanges.

00:55:16It's no good.

00:55:17He doesn't need it.

00:55:18He has the reach.

00:55:19But if Evander Holyfield, this benefits him.

00:55:21He should try to create as much of this as he can.

00:55:23But he just landed another big right uppercut.

00:55:26And then you say, George, that he doesn't have it inside when he does that.

00:55:30No, he doesn't have it inside.

00:55:31That's why he shouldn't do it.

00:55:34Straight right hand lands for Lewis.

00:55:36Evander not throwing right now.

00:55:38Lewis with two body shots.

00:55:40And Evander's left hook upstairs was blocked by Lewis, who looks tired, but still has the energy to fire the

00:55:46two body shots and block the left hand.

00:55:48That's the good thing about training.

00:55:50Whenever Lewis moves to Evander's left, Evander can't get anything off.

00:55:56He just goes to the left, nothing.

00:55:58Left hook lands for Lewis.

00:56:01Oh, boy, that was some good clean left hook.

00:56:03I don't think it did a lot, but it just landed.

00:56:10You know, earlier we've talked about the four pounds Lewis took off for this fight from the last fight,

00:56:16which indicates that he had trained hard.

00:56:19Well, he's going to need, he's going to need that kind of conditioning to get through these last six minutes.

00:56:25Six minutes.

00:56:26He's moving to Evander's left.

00:56:28And that's where it will pay off if indeed that was an indication of his best conditioning.

00:56:36Evander Holyfield didn't throw many punches in this 10th round.

00:56:54And we're going to win this shoot right there.

00:56:56You're going to win it.

00:56:57Get that damn jab to working, baby.

00:56:59You get your jab to working to try them little short straight right hand.

00:57:01But at least you shoot it right in the hook behind it.

00:57:03What you need to do, and your best punch, whenever you make your little fade off,

00:57:06you let the miss the same thing you did, and let's do that to level ground like you did the

00:57:09last half.

00:57:10You let the miss a lot, step up, but push it through after that.

00:57:13Okay?

00:57:14Push it down right hand through.

00:57:17Level as well, baby.

00:57:18You hit this thing.

00:57:19You get two rounds, man.

00:57:20Two rounds to get what means this much to you.

00:57:22Push, push, push, push, push.

00:57:23Combination punches on the inside, man.

00:57:25You got to have faith in God that you want to fight.

00:57:28100% for two rounds, and you can do it.

00:57:31100%.

00:57:31You're a workhorse.

00:57:33Let's go see it now.

00:57:35Don't take anything off.

00:57:36Three minutes to work.

00:57:37Three minutes to work.

00:57:38Let's go, buddy.

00:57:40CompuBox numbers in round 10.

00:57:41Lewis landed 23 out of 44 punches.

00:57:44Holyfield, nine out of 34.

00:57:46Does Holyfield have six intense minutes that his corner is asking him for?

00:57:52He's got balance on his feet at the fish.

00:57:56He's...

00:57:58What a fighter this guy is.

00:58:01Great left for Holyfield.

00:58:02Lewis landed a right hand earlier.

00:58:04I mean, he's 37 years old.

00:58:07What a man he is.

00:58:0937 years old and without a real big punch.

00:58:11You know, there have been older fighters that have done well because they had a big punch.

00:58:16But to work at this, at the high energy level, he needs to, because he's a small heavyweight.

00:58:21He's just a remarkable guy.

00:58:23Holyfield busting Lewis to the body with the left hand and then trying to get upstairs.

00:58:27Holyfield showing much more energy here in the 11th than he showed in a seemingly weary round 10.

00:58:33Ooh, good body shots by Lewis.

00:58:35And a quick left hook inside by Lewis.

00:58:37Landed flush.

00:58:39Holyfield takes a punch so well.

00:58:45When Lewis rolls out his jab and steps around, he has this fight won.

00:58:50Whenever he takes his trainer's advice, getting in there, that's when things turn around.

00:58:56All right, Frank, sit back.

00:58:57What's your head?

00:58:58What's your head?

00:58:58Let's go.

00:58:59Hey, Frank, get back.

00:59:01Go!

00:59:09Well, Lewis is just standing on the mound, pitching now.

00:59:13Frank, Frank, Frank, keep following me here.

00:59:15And when Holyfield comes forward, Lewis leans forward and pops him with that uppercut.

00:59:19Well, he's on the mound like a pitcher and he just stands there and he does whatever he wants.

00:59:23Ooh, hard left hook by Holyfield.

00:59:27Break, break.

00:59:29You heard Emmanuel Stewart a couple of rounds ago telling Lennox Lewis the fight is close.

00:59:34Don't mess around in there.

00:59:37He stands on his mound and those body shots hurt.

00:59:40Right hand by Lewis.

00:59:42Holyfield misses his left.

00:59:44Watch your head.

00:59:45Break, break, break.

00:59:46Watch your head.

00:59:49Lewis has better try to put everything to rest and win this round.

00:59:53Ooh.

00:59:54Combination by Lewis.

00:59:55Holyfield lands a big right hand in return.

00:59:57Easy, easy.

00:59:58Let's go.

00:59:59Let's go.

01:00:00You can believe when Evander gets hit, he's gonna hit you back.

01:00:04Closer than New York.

01:00:05Let's go.

01:00:06Let's go.

01:00:06Much closer in terms of energy and the kind of effort the two fighters are putting forth.

01:00:12But still, Lewis throws more and lands more in almost every round.

01:00:17Break, break, break.

01:00:18I'm in here.

01:00:19Don't break.

01:00:19Will the judges see it that way?

01:00:22Blood on the bridge of Lewis' nose.

01:00:25Closer.

01:00:26Closer.

01:00:27Closer.

01:00:28Closer.

01:00:29Closer.

01:00:31Closer.

01:00:33Closer.

01:00:34Closer.

01:00:35Closer.

01:00:36Closer.

01:00:37Closer.

01:00:39Closer.

01:00:40Closer.

01:00:45Closer.

01:00:46Closer.

01:00:47Closer.

01:00:48Closer.

01:00:49Closer.

01:00:50Closer.

01:00:51Closer.

01:00:52Closer.

01:00:54Closer.

01:00:55Uppercuts. One more round.

01:00:59That's how they had it all. One round to go,

01:01:01part of the need to do anything with it.

01:01:02Come on, let's cool him up real good.

01:01:04Put your head on.

01:01:09Last round, eventually.

01:01:11You don't have to worry about holding nothing back.

01:01:12Let it go, okay?

01:01:14You got to fight, I believe.

01:01:15I'm not sure, but you got to win this last round.

01:01:17You know what I did last time just to get a draw.

01:01:20You got to win it.

01:01:21You got to win it.

01:01:21Stay small in it. That's all you got to do.

01:01:23Don't let him off the hook when you get him in 12th.

01:01:26You can do it.

01:01:28Take real deep this round.

01:01:30Hit him coming in 12th.

01:01:31Come on, let's get him.

01:01:32Come on, let's get him.

01:01:33Come on, let's get him.

01:01:34Come on, let's get him.

01:01:37We get ready for the 12th round.

01:01:39Three points.

01:01:41Lennox Lewis has never lost a decision.

01:01:44Evander Holyfield has never had a 12th round knockout.

01:01:47And if Lewis wins,

01:01:48he's the first unified British heavyweight champion

01:01:51since Bob Fitzsimmons in 1897.

01:01:57Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go.

01:02:00Harold Letterman with Lewis ahead by five.

01:02:03I'll bet you anything,

01:02:04all three official judges have it closer than that.

01:02:07Just a guess.

01:02:09This has been a close fight.

01:02:14I'm not saying I disagree with Harold's card.

01:02:18Just that I'm betting it's closer than that on the...

01:02:20Evander's got some thunder on those punches, I'm telling you.

01:02:22Watch your head, watch your head.

01:02:24Lewis just doesn't seem to respect Evander Holyfield's power.

01:02:28He hits him hard, he just drops his hand,

01:02:31and walks right to it.

01:02:31Let go, let go, let go, let go.

01:02:32What should the two fighters be doing in this round, George?

01:02:35Evander's got to pull it out.

01:02:36He just can't sit there and box this round.

01:02:38He's got to fight.

01:02:39If ever you're going to fight,

01:02:41this is the fight of your life fight.

01:02:43Lewis stuck the jab in Holyfield's mouth

01:02:45and just missed with the right hand.

01:02:47Holyfield trying to put the pressure on.

01:02:49Uppercut lands for Evander.

01:02:52Lewis slightly staggered.

01:02:53Now he looks.

01:02:54The land is right.

01:02:57Evander with a lot of energy here in the 12.

01:02:59Well, Lennox seeming to try to load one big shot.

01:03:02Now he goes back to the jab.

01:03:04Lewis throwing his punches sloppily here in the 12th round.

01:03:08Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

01:03:10Man, that was your head going up.

01:03:11You okay?

01:03:12Go!

01:03:13Minute and a half to go.

01:03:20Uppercut lands for Lewis.

01:03:22Come on!

01:03:24Crowd trying to chant Holyfield into

01:03:27yet another of his dramatic career moments.

01:03:31Holy, holy, holy, they said.

01:03:34Lewis trying to measure him in for an Uppercut.

01:03:40Come on! Let's go! Let's go now!

01:03:45Lewis has got to fight.

01:03:49Just can't think about winning a decision.

01:03:52This round is on the table for the taking.

01:03:54Nobody has made a big definitive statement

01:03:56in the first two minutes.

01:03:59If the fight is on the table here,

01:04:02if anything, Holyfield had the better of it

01:04:04with sheer energy.

01:04:06Lewis corner told him,

01:04:07don't hold anything back.

01:04:09He might not have anything to hold back.

01:04:13Yeah, you always got something

01:04:14you wish you had done in the hotel room.

01:04:17Two-body shots by Holyfield.

01:04:19He sticks in a little uppercut.

01:04:21Lewis, in trying to land the one big shot,

01:04:23hasn't thrown enough punches in the club.

01:04:26Lewis is holding on!

01:04:30Right hand lands for Lewis.

01:04:32Again, he ties Holyfield up inside.

01:04:35Lewis may think that he's won the fight

01:04:37and needs only to survive.

01:04:39We're gonna find out in five more seconds of fighting.

01:04:44They fought a lot better fight this time.

01:04:47And the fans appreciate it.

01:04:51I had Lewis winning the fight.

01:04:54Much better fight.

01:04:56Holyfield fought better.

01:04:57I thought Lewis won it.

01:05:02You, George?

01:05:04It was a close fight.

01:05:06And when you're in a close fight like that,

01:05:07you just gotta wait for the judges.

01:05:12Well, we already know who Harold Glederman thinks

01:05:14has won the fight.

01:05:15We'll get a look at his final scorecard

01:05:18in a few moments.

01:05:19In round 12, Holyfield landed 13 out of 46.

01:05:22Lewis landed 14 out of 35.

01:05:27So Evander was throwing more punches

01:05:30and in the first minute of the round,

01:05:31he landed that right hand shot

01:05:34and that left hook.

01:05:37And then later on in the round,

01:05:39the Holyfield uppercut landed flush.

01:05:43So even though the punch stat numbers were fairly even,

01:05:46and here's Tim Hallmark,

01:05:48Holyfield's longtime physical trainer,

01:05:50praying, praying in Holyfield's corner

01:05:52during the course of that 12th round.

01:05:55And you just hope the judges are not swayed

01:05:57by what happened in the previous fight.

01:05:59Just score this fight the way it was tonight

01:06:01and the way it is tonight

01:06:02and forget about the past.

01:06:03Do you have a winner in your head, George?

01:06:05Yeah, it's a close fight this time.

01:06:07When a close fight, I'll go for either guy.

01:06:10But Holyfield did a lot better

01:06:12if he had not had the stigma of that last fight.

01:06:14I think there wouldn't be any questions

01:06:15that he could have pulled this off.

01:06:17You think Holyfield might have won the fight, George?

01:06:21If it had not been for the original thing, you see.

01:06:24A lot of people think that the way the first thing went

01:06:27would redound to Holyfield's advantage.

01:06:30Harold, how did you score it?

01:06:32Well, Jim, after seven, it was a close fight.

01:06:34Four rounds to three.

01:06:35But eight, nine, ten, eleven belong to Lennox Lewis.

01:06:39He landed the punches.

01:06:41He threw the shots.

01:06:42Better clean the punches at eight, nine, ten, eleven.

01:06:44Evander pulls out the twelve.

01:06:45Eight rounds to four.

01:06:47One sixteen, one twelve.

01:06:48Lennox Lewis.

01:06:49All right, let's find out who really won it

01:06:51from Jimmy Lennon Jr.

01:06:52Tonight, boxing crowns an undisputed heavyweight champion.

01:06:57As after twelve rounds of action,

01:06:59we go to the scorecards with a unanimous decision.

01:07:02Here the score totals.

01:07:05Judge at ringside, Jerry Roth scores at 115 to 113.

01:07:12Judge Chuck Jompa scores at 116 to 112.

01:07:17Judge at ringside, Bill Graham sees it 117 to 111.

01:07:23All three in favor of the winner.

01:07:26And the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world,

01:07:31Lennox Lewis.

01:07:33Who's right?

01:07:472-9.

01:07:491-2, LeBron, Selden.

01:07:52If he wants to get architectural.

01:07:54He's up to the test.

01:07:57It's Michael Graham.

01:07:59And this is Michael Graham,

01:08:01who's right after the death,

01:08:03and overheat powered against blues.

01:08:03It's Michael Graham,

01:08:15Oh, Lennox Lewis.

01:08:17Fireworks, confetti.

01:08:18I'm wondering why in the world would he be doing this fight

01:08:21in a second time anyway?

01:08:22I think they got it right this time, George.

01:08:25I believe Lewis was the winner.

01:08:26I think that those scorecards matching fairly closely

01:08:30the Harold Lederman scorecard

01:08:32were faithful to the action in the fight.

01:08:34I think we can all be happy

01:08:36that we got legitimacy here tonight.

01:08:39And now let's go to Larry Merchant in the ring

01:08:42with the undisputed heavyweight team.

01:08:44All right, thank you, guys.

01:08:46Congratulations, Lennox.

01:08:47You had some anxious moments after this fight, understandably.

01:08:52What were you thinking about

01:08:54before they announced the decision?

01:08:56Well, I was concerned because it went to the decision.

01:08:59I was really concerned because, you know,

01:09:01I realized that he wasn't doing any work

01:09:03in the beginning of the round

01:09:04and he was trying to steal at the end of the round.

01:09:06So I didn't know what the judges were looking for.

01:09:08So I was trying to bide my time

01:09:09and score the point at the same time.

01:09:12He hit you with more shots in this fight,

01:09:16some clean shots.

01:09:17In the middle of the fight,

01:09:19he seemed to daze you for a moment.

01:09:22Were you ever seriously hurt?

01:09:23No, I wasn't hurt.

01:09:24I was just playing.

01:09:25I was playing because I wanted him

01:09:26to stop his energy a bit.

01:09:28And it worked for a couple

01:09:29because I realized he was breathing after that.

01:09:31What did he do to make this a more difficult fight?

01:09:34Well, you know, when I was jabbing him,

01:09:36he was just coming in with his head

01:09:38and trying to get in close with his head.

01:09:40So I was concerned about his head

01:09:41at the same time backing up

01:09:43and trying to score my points.

01:09:45So you were not able to control the fight

01:09:48with your jab as you did last time

01:09:50because he jabbed more,

01:09:51because he came inside more,

01:09:53and so you had to engage him

01:09:56in more exchanges in this fight?

01:09:58Yeah, when I was exchanging with him,

01:09:59he was keeping his head low

01:10:00and he was coming in straight with his head straight.

01:10:03So it was hard for me to engage some shots.

01:10:07Sometimes I was just moving to the side

01:10:09and throwing off a combination.

01:10:10I was trying to catch him with the jab

01:10:12as he was coming in.

01:10:12As we're standing here,

01:10:156,500 British fans traveled 5,000 miles

01:10:19to witness this moment.

01:10:21What are you thinking about?

01:10:23I'm thinking I've got to go on with all the belts.

01:10:26For real.

01:10:27With all these fans coming here to support me,

01:10:29I've got to pull it out.

01:10:30So I have to push myself and get in there

01:10:31and really, you know, really dig down.

01:10:33The first unified heavyweight champion

01:10:37from Britain in a century.

01:10:40What do you think this will do for your legacy

01:10:42as a fighter for the respect you have tried to win

01:10:45over the last decade?

01:10:48I think, you know,

01:10:49I went through some trials and tribulations

01:10:51and, you know, enough people were trying to stop me.

01:10:54The Americans didn't want me to take it over

01:10:56to the Atlantic to Britain,

01:10:57but I actually persevered and succeeded.

01:11:00Will you come back to America to defend your title?

01:11:05Yeah, yeah, because the money's big over here.

01:11:07I realize the casinos are paying big money,

01:11:09but, you know, I might fight one fight over in Europe first

01:11:12and make everybody come over there.

01:11:14What are you going to do to celebrate tonight?

01:11:16I'm just going to chill out, really.

01:11:17I don't really overdo it.

01:11:19I know a lot of people are going to want to talk to me

01:11:21and see me,

01:11:22and I'm just going to relish the moment.

01:11:24Thank you very much.

01:11:25We relished this fight.

01:11:27Yes, pick up Byron FM, our crew.

01:11:29Pick up.

01:11:30Yes, Jim.

01:11:32All right, Larry Merchant.

01:11:34Lennox Lewis celebrates victory in a fight

01:11:36that was statistically closer

01:11:38than its predecessor in New York.

01:11:40Total punches, Evander Holyfield

01:11:42only slightly better in both categories than in New York.

01:11:45Lewis, not quite as good.

01:11:47But jabs and Lewis's jab disappeared

01:11:49for much of the second half of the bout.

01:11:52Lewis considerably worse

01:11:53and Holyfield better here than in New York.

01:11:56But in power punches,

01:11:58this time the edge belonged to Lennox,

01:12:00who landed 34 more power punches than Evander

01:12:03through five more connected at a higher percentage.

01:12:06At the end of the day,

01:12:07it was probably these numbers

01:12:09that prompted the judges to give him the fight.

01:12:11Now Larry Merchant stands by with Evander Holyfield.

01:12:14Evander, in those moments,

01:12:16waiting for the decision

01:12:19after what happened in March.

01:12:21What were your thoughts at that time?

01:12:23Did you think you had won the fight

01:12:25or did you just not know

01:12:27how the decision was going to go?

01:12:29Well, you know, the fact that, you know,

01:12:30I don't, you know,

01:12:31first of all, I want to thank the Lord.

01:12:33And, you know, he's good.

01:12:35His mercy.

01:12:36The Lord gives victory

01:12:36and, you know, man gives decisions,

01:12:38but we have to live with him.

01:12:39But in the fun of the decisions,

01:12:41you know, I did all that.

01:12:42I did all that I could.

01:12:44You know, I wasn't judging the fight.

01:12:46And, you know, like I said,

01:12:47you know, my words don't twist.

01:12:49When things fall into the hands of the judges,

01:12:52you know, the judges make a decision

01:12:53to who they were able to get.

01:12:54What do you believe in your heart

01:12:56and your head about the decision?

01:12:58Well, you know, it's hard to say.

01:13:00The fact is that, you know,

01:13:02I go in there and I don't deserve the fight.

01:13:05You know, I do all that I can while I'm there.

01:13:07How did you make this a more competitive fight

01:13:10than the last one in the eyes of many of us?

01:13:13Well, you know, the fact is that, you know,

01:13:15I was able to take away the jab.

01:13:16I didn't get hurt without the jab.

01:13:17And I was able to engage the jab

01:13:20and to be able to know that, you know,

01:13:22McConaugh tells me all he's trying to do

01:13:23is make you make the first move

01:13:24where he can just pop shot you.

01:13:26And I was able to, you know, count it off his pop shot.

01:13:29So did that mean that he had to come in

01:13:31and stand and exchange with you,

01:13:33which is what you wanted?

01:13:34Well, he did. He did.

01:13:36And do you give him credit for that?

01:13:38Because you have said in the past,

01:13:40well, he might not be all that willing to exchange.

01:13:43The thing is that, you know, my whole thing,

01:13:46I'm always give the fighters that I fight credit.

01:13:50You know, that man did all that he could.

01:13:52It's not like he has anything to do with the scenes

01:13:55no more than to fight himself.

01:13:56And, you know, he was able to come back

01:13:58when I hit him some shots.

01:13:59I felt that I heard him a few times.

01:14:01He just waved around the back, you know,

01:14:02and I feel that the fight was more of a competitive fight

01:14:05than the last fight.

01:14:07Did his uppercuts hurt you

01:14:09because he seemed to throw a lot of them inside?

01:14:12Well, you know, no, no,

01:14:13because he was hitting me on the glove a lot of time,

01:14:15which, but with all this force,

01:14:17he's going to rise me up in a way.

01:14:19I have to go with it, you know, like that.

01:14:21And, you know, he got some good shots in,

01:14:23but I'm doing a big thing in life

01:14:25is that, you know, you give your all.

01:14:26All right.

01:14:28Given that, do you feel good for yourself,

01:14:30even though you've lost the titles,

01:14:32that you gave everything you had

01:14:35and after having said that,

01:14:38in the last fight, you couldn't?

01:14:39Well, you know, the fact is that, you know,

01:14:41in the last fight, I gave all I had,

01:14:43what I had that day,

01:14:44and I gave what I had today.

01:14:46And the fact of the matter is, you know,

01:14:49when it falls into the judge's hands,

01:14:51you have decisions.

01:14:53Will you continue to fight?

01:14:54Well, I don't know.

01:14:55Just like I said, I would have to go back.

01:14:57I would go back in a prayer body

01:14:58and, you know, and see what I want to do.

01:15:03As always, Evander,

01:15:05class act, class fighter.

01:15:07You've been great.

01:15:09To you, Jim.

01:15:11So they promised better judging here,

01:15:13and we got it.

01:15:14A unanimous decision,

01:15:15and the irony of the evening

01:15:17is that Lewis wins the fight

01:15:19by getting 10 of the 12 judges' calls

01:15:21in rounds 8, 9, 10, and 11.

01:15:24The same four rounds he lost

01:15:26on all three scorecards in New York.

01:15:31Lennox Lewis,

01:15:32not as technically pure as in New York,

01:15:35against an Evander Holyfield

01:15:37who was not nearly as lethargic

01:15:39and seemingly out of it.

01:15:40But through 12 rounds again,

01:15:42Lewis threw and landed more punches,

01:15:45enough to seize, for now,

01:15:46control of the heavyweight division.

01:15:50That was videotape one week ago tonight in Las Vegas.

01:15:55Now we bring you live back to the boardwalk in Atlantic City,

01:15:58getting ready for Michael Grant

01:15:59against Andrew Gallata live in the ring,

01:16:02but joining me right here,

01:16:03the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world

01:16:05after a few days in an appropriately palatial New York hotel suite.

01:16:09Lennox Lewis makes the trip down to Atlantic City to join us here.

01:16:12Champ, leave aside for a moment the scorecards

01:16:15both in the first fight and in the second fight.

01:16:17By everyone's estimation,

01:16:19last week, a much closer, more competitive fight.

01:16:22This time, there were a number of people in the arena

01:16:24and some ringside observers

01:16:25who felt Evander should have gotten the decision.

01:16:27Does he get the credit for making it a closer fight,

01:16:30or was that something less than your best?

01:16:33I would say it was both of us in one sense.

01:16:36He did do a lot of studying on me,

01:16:38and he did want to quicken his pace

01:16:39and do a lot more different things.

01:16:42And he boxed well.

01:16:43You know, it was his last hurrah,

01:16:44and, you know, I give a lot of credit to him.

01:16:47He tried.

01:16:47He took your jab away, or you forgot about it?

01:16:49No, I just wanted to get a little closer to the action.

01:16:52When you get a little closer to the action,

01:16:54you're going to take more risk,

01:16:55and you're going to get hit.

01:16:56Because of his broad public appeal,

01:16:59you've mentioned the possibility of fighting Mike Tyson.

01:17:01Now, you're a guy who was made to wait

01:17:05when Riddick Bowe had the title.

01:17:06You deserved a shot and didn't get it.

01:17:09Evander Holyfield made you wait a long time

01:17:10when you deserved a shot.

01:17:12What has Mike Tyson done

01:17:13to deserve a shot at the heavyweight title?

01:17:16Well, he's been a naughty boy in his last fight,

01:17:18hitting after the belt.

01:17:19But you never know.

01:17:20I think he's got great public appeal.

01:17:22I'm sure a lot of fans out there

01:17:24want to see me and Mike Tyson together.

01:17:27And I just want to basically take the best fights out there.

01:17:30And, you know, that's what they're saying, Mike Tyson.

01:17:32You know as well as anybody,

01:17:34the league lobstacles facing that fight.

01:17:36It could take a long time,

01:17:37maybe well into next year

01:17:39before the fight could conceivably take place.

01:17:41In the interim,

01:17:42will you go ahead and fight top challengers

01:17:45like Michael Grant and David Tua

01:17:46if you see them as qualified?

01:17:48Definitely.

01:17:49So you won't back off from anybody waiting for Tyson?

01:17:52No, I'm the world champion.

01:17:53And, well, I shouldn't even say that.

01:17:56I shouldn't say that.

01:17:57I wouldn't back off of that.

01:17:59What do you mean?

01:18:00You'll fight the best contenders available,

01:18:03be they Grant or Tua?

01:18:04Yeah, that's who I want.

01:18:05I want the best available contenders out there.

01:18:08I don't want any old Mickey Mouse fights.

01:18:09All right.

01:18:10So you get to Tyson only if you win the fights

01:18:12between now and whenever it can take place.

01:18:14Right.

01:18:15Those Holyfields still figure in the mix.

01:18:17Well, he said he's going to go and pray about it

01:18:18and whatever he comes up with.

01:18:20I think he should retire.

01:18:21Yeah, but philosophically,

01:18:23if he doesn't retire,

01:18:24could he get a third chance against Lennox Lewis?

01:18:26I don't think it makes any sense

01:18:27because I already beat him up at 24 rounds already.

01:18:30What must Michael Grant do tonight

01:18:32to move closer to the possibility of fighting you?

01:18:34I think he needs to impress.

01:18:36I think he needs to do something very positive,

01:18:38especially tonight.

01:18:38And the main thing is to win.

01:18:40All right.

01:18:41Thanks very much for your time.

01:18:42Look forward to having you at ringside during the fight.

01:18:45Larry Merchant.

01:18:46It was indeed a better fight than the last time.

01:18:49Lennox Lewis got raked by Evander Holyfield in the seventh round

01:18:53and then came back to win 8, 9, 10, and 11 to win the fight.

01:18:58If Holyfield had done that,

01:19:00people would be marveling at his courage and resiliency.

01:19:03But Lewis doesn't get that kind of credit.

01:19:05Why?

01:19:07Nobody loves Goliath.

01:19:09Will Chamberlain said that,

01:19:11and it applies to Lennox Lewis as well.

01:19:14A big, big man has high expectations placed on him.

01:19:19And his deficiencies are magnified.

01:19:22In this case,

01:19:24the deficiency of Lennox Lewis is thought to be his backseat style of fighting.

01:19:29Fans prefer in their heavyweights that they get up in front of the car

01:19:34and have both feet on the pedal.

01:19:36Even though a couple of heavyweights,

01:19:39pretty good ones named Ali and Holmes,

01:19:41often were going in reverse.

01:19:44But Lennox Lewis proved that he is the heavyweight champion,

01:19:48the best heavyweight on the planet.

01:19:50And those who don't like it will just have to learn to deal with it.

01:19:55He's talking Lewis Tyson.

01:19:56The British press is talking Lewis Tyson.

01:19:58We talked about the obstacles facing that fight.

01:20:01Do you expect it to happen?

01:20:03Well,

01:20:03Lennox once said that his role seemed to be to get rid of all the misfits in boxing.

01:20:07And I suppose that Mike Tyson fits into that category after his last misadventure.

01:20:14Las Vegas more or less told him to get out of town and don't come back soon.

01:20:18And Madison Square Garden canceled the date they had set aside for him.

01:20:23Whether or not he has earned a place to get another shot at a title is questionable.

01:20:29But he is a box office phenomenon.

01:20:31And if neither one of them happens to lose before they can get together,

01:20:35which is always possible,

01:20:37then I assume it probably would happen.

01:20:39Money makes noise in all arenas of life.

01:20:41It makes even more noise here.

01:20:43George Foreman,

01:20:44Lennox Lewis is 34 years old,

01:20:45but because of his size and his fighting style,

01:20:48he's taken a lot less punishment than you might expect of a 34-year-old heavyweight of his stature.

01:20:53Can he rule for a long time?

01:20:55Well,

01:20:55I would say 10,

01:20:56but I can only say he can only be champ for nine years.

01:20:59That's the limit.

01:20:59He will be champ for nine years.

01:21:01If he continues to develop that left jab,

01:21:03he has the size,

01:21:04and he's always in shape.

01:21:06I give him a good nine years.

01:21:08Nine years.

01:21:09You see Lewis ruling until he's 43 years old.

01:21:11That's a baby.

01:21:12A relative young pup.

01:21:13Give me 43.

01:21:14I'll show you something.

01:21:15I understand.

01:21:17All right.

01:21:18So enough about Lewis and Holyfield.

01:21:20You've had the chance to see it.

01:21:21Now let's turn our attention to tonight's live boxing action.

01:21:25Still to come,

01:21:26Michael Grant against Andrew Gulotta.

01:21:28Is it a box-off for a shot at the heavyweight title?

01:21:33Now that Lennox Lewis holds the unified heavyweight title,

01:21:36we look ahead to determine the top challenger for boxing's most elusive crown.

01:21:41Tonight,

01:21:41two contenders risked their destinies.

01:21:43Michael Grant has been ordained by some as the future of the division.

01:21:47With a victory,

01:21:48the undefeated giant can prove his time is now.

01:21:52He beats them up to the body until they have nothing left.

01:21:55Just an accumulation of blows to the body and the head.

01:22:01His opponent has been near the top before.

01:22:04Andrew Gulotta got a title shot two years ago against Lewis,

01:22:08only to crash and burn in less than two minutes.

01:22:11Left hook by Lewis.

01:22:13Gulotta goes down.

01:22:16The pressure is on Grant to match that championship performance

01:22:20or risk being perceived as just another pretender.

01:22:24Gulotta did have his dominant moments

01:22:26with two world-class performances against former champion Riddick Bowe.

01:22:30The power puncher did indeed step up his level of competition

01:22:33until he lost it all both times

01:22:37with near-identical disqualification meltdowns.

01:22:40But the foul pole is back one more time on a six-fight win streak,

01:22:44focused to embarrass those who say his time has run out.

01:22:51Gulotta's kind of warrior spirit has at times been dormant in Grant.

01:22:54Come on, man. Get me. Do your job.

01:22:57The power puncher did indeed step up his level of competition

01:23:00this past summer against Luce Savarese.

01:23:02And now the chosen one

01:23:03hopes to use Gulotta as championship seasoning

01:23:06to clear the confusion of who's best of the next.

01:23:10Last week, glory belonged to Lennox Lewis.

01:23:13Tonight, the heir apparent gets his most dangerous test.

01:23:18Michael Grant versus Andrew Gulotta.

01:23:21Is the new guard standout for real?

01:23:23Or is the tarnished comebacker one punch away from redemption?

01:23:28Back live in Atlantic City

01:23:30with two-time heavyweight champion of the world, George Foreman,

01:23:33and HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant.

01:23:35Let's get ready now to see Michael Grant

01:23:37try to move closer to a possible shot at the heavyweight championship.

01:23:41There's so much speculation about Grant, Larry.

01:23:43What must he prove?

01:23:45What questions must he answer tonight?

01:23:47Or, as we say in television land,

01:23:50who wants to be a multi-millionaire?

01:23:53The million-dollar question for Michael Grant tonight is this.

01:23:57Having dominated some of the better B-list heavyweights out there,

01:24:03how will he do against an A-list talent like Gulotta

01:24:07if Gulotta doesn't self-destruct?

01:24:10And the gazillion-dollar question is,

01:24:13will he be perceived as another Goliath,

01:24:16perhaps a greater athlete than he is a fighter?

01:24:20Or will he turn out to be that big, big, big man

01:24:25who is the heavyweight of everyone's hopes?

01:24:29Now back to you, Regis.

01:24:30I wish I were.

01:24:31And as for the word Goliath, it sounds a lot like Gulotta.

01:24:35Incredible to us that one odds-maker saw this fight

01:24:39as 8-1, Grant as favorite.

01:24:42Absolutely impossible that somebody should be favored

01:24:44by that much over a fighter like Gulotta.

01:24:46And, George, in our meeting with Andrew Gulotta yesterday,

01:24:49he appeared to have undergone a remarkable transformation

01:24:52in the last couple of years, a personality change,

01:24:54not unlike the difference between you

01:24:57in your surly first career

01:24:59and your jovial, fun-loving second career.

01:25:01Is it real for Gulotta,

01:25:03and what can it mean to him as a fighter?

01:25:05I think it's just he's closely associating himself

01:25:07with his wife now.

01:25:08He's acting a bit more intelligent, and he's alert.

01:25:11And with that kind of encouragement,

01:25:12he can become better.

01:25:14And I think that wife, right by his side all the time,

01:25:16is going to make for a better fighter.

01:25:18All right.

01:25:18We'll see if Mariola Gulotta can help to make the difference

01:25:22for the foul pole as Andrew tries to wipe out

01:25:25some of his past embarrassments against Grant.

01:25:28Tale of the tape.

Lennox Lewis vs Evander Holyfield II Replay - HBO 11-20-99

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