00:00Your unique perspective on things is perpetually interesting, and I'll tell you, I didn't know you got around Atlantic City
00:05to this degree.
00:07Nick, my great distinction tonight is that I may very well be the only person in the whole history of
00:13Convention Hall who has covered both the boxing fight here and the Miss America pageant.
00:18As a matter of fact, I judged Miss America, and let me tell you, with all due respect to the
00:22guys judging the Bogolata fight tonight, it's much more difficult judging Miss America.
00:26In boxing, you only got two big, ugly guys punching each other.
00:30At Miss America, you've got 50 good-looking women that you've got to sort out.
00:34It's a grueling assignment, but there are some similarities.
00:38In boxing, it's just a few of us ringsiders who dress black tie, but at Miss America, all the pageant
00:44people are informal wear.
00:46Of course, you certainly always do find some very snappy dressers at big fights.
00:51Moreover, while boxing has always been filled with scandal, Miss America actually almost had one itself.
00:57Back in the 1930s, before Miss America was so respectable, the promoters always wanted Miss New York City to win
01:04it so that they would get more publicity.
01:07One year, as the judges came into this very building, Convention Hall, they were met by some hoods who let
01:13them know they were packing heat, and they whispered,
01:16Eh, Miss New York. But the Miss America judges were a lot braver than a lot of boxing judges, and
01:22they picked a little teenager from Connecticut named Marion Bergeron, and then they ran for their lives.
01:27But tonight, it's boxing at Convention Hall, and I only think it would be appropriate if Michael Buffer announced the
01:34winner by crooning,
01:35here he comes, Mr. Heavyweight. Jim Lampley?
01:40All right, very much, Frank. We thank you for that, and believe it or not, I read your book about
01:46Miss America.
01:48Now let's turn to a beauty pageant of another kind as Roberto Sierra steps in as the opponent against Joel
01:55Casamayor,
01:56and there's the record for Sierra, who had an excellent amateur career, but has foundered early as a professional, four
02:03wins, five losses.
02:05Remember, when you see the fighters' records tonight, they're being brought to you by the ring, the Bible of boxing.
02:12Fabulous amateur career, including a 1992 Olympic gold medal for Joel Casamayor of Cuba.
02:20He defected from Cuba this past year, has left a wife and a five-year-old daughter behind, and would
02:27love to bring them over when he can.
02:29Two wins early in his professional career, one knockout. Larry Merchant, we saw him in Miami, and he looked good.
02:35He's very sophisticated, looked the best of all the Cuban defectors.
02:43And as I mentioned to you, Casamayor fighting tonight as a lightweight.
02:47His management says they want to get him down eventually to 126 pounds, the featherweight division.
02:54There's the tale of the tape tonight.
02:55Casamayor with a two-inch height advantage and giving up an inch in reach to Sierra.
03:01Rules of the bout are the same as for the preceding fight.
03:04Let's go up to Michael Buffer for the official introductions.
03:08And now, ladies and gentlemen, the action continues from main events, Caesars Atlantic City and Budweiser.
03:14This is another special four-round bout in the junior lightweight division.
03:19The three judges scoring this contest on the 10-point must system will be
03:23Quezon Cheeks, Joseph Pasquale, and Barbara Perez.
03:28And when the bell rings, once again, your referee in charge of the action, Errol Morton.
03:35Introducing first, fighting out of the red corner.
03:38Wearing white trunks, trimmed with red and black.
03:41He weighs in at 134 pounds, a native of Puerto Rico, but now living and fighting out of the Big
03:47Apple, New York City.
03:48He brings a professional record of four and five.
03:52Ladies and gentlemen, he is Roberto Zerita Sierra.
04:00And his opponent across the ring, fighting out of the blue corner.
04:04Wearing white, trimmed with red, and weighing in at 132 pounds.
04:10He comes to us from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
04:13His professional record, a perfect one.
04:162-0 with 1-K-O.
04:18He was a 1992 Olympic gold medalist representing Cuba.
04:24Now fighting out of the U.S.
04:26Ladies and gentlemen, he is Joel Esepio Casamayor.
04:39You're both received your instructions.
04:42Protect yourself at all times.
04:44Touch gloves and good luck.
04:46Touch gloves.
04:47Good luck.
04:48Okay.
04:50Okay.
04:53Okay.
05:03At 25 years old, Casamayor, quite mature for this early stage of his professional career,
05:09only his third pro fight here in the United States.
05:22Immediately you can see that Casamayor has a professional style, boxer-puncher.
05:48Now Sierra could have a good opportunity tonight because he can come up with a strategy.
05:55Whereas Casamayor want to impress the whole world now.
05:58He's on the scene.
05:59You can really steal a show from this guy if you don't give him a chance to display his power.
06:04And how could Sierra keep Casamayor from displaying the power, George?
06:08Well, you box when you want to fight and fight when he wants to box.
06:14And he's not doing as much now.
06:17Sierra pretty brave in there.
06:19Has taken a couple of good shots early.
06:21He's trying to come in against Casamayor, although you can see the early punches have done the damage
06:26because when Sierra punches, he reaches, doesn't put his body behind it.
06:30He's a little scared of stepping in there and taking whatever Casamayor counters with.
06:35Sometimes when you're young and you want to make a good impression,
06:37you go out there and try.
06:38Every time the guy hits you, you want to repay him back.
06:40Sometimes you should save it.
06:42Solid left.
06:44A left cross by Casamayor, perfectly thrown, stepping over.
06:49Coming off the right-hand lead and no chance for Sierra to respond to that.
06:54That was a classic one-punch knockout.
06:58Now, I could see him next week.
07:01Again.
07:04How are you doing?
07:05I think Sierra is going to see him next week, next month, next year.
07:09In his nightmares.
07:12Must have been a headbutt in there because Casamayor is bleeding from the left eye.
07:17I'm not sure if Sierra landed any punches that would have done that kind of damage.
07:24We'll take a look at this punch, but just take how it is delivered, how it is set up.
07:28A right follow with a left with complete follow-through.
07:32His shoulder, his ass, everything right into the punch.
07:40I didn't see a donkey in there.
07:46You saw neither an ox nor an ass in there, huh, George?
07:50And there's the victory celebration for Joe El Casamayor.
07:55First of several to come, no doubt on.
07:58Second time he's had a cut, though, that we've seen.
08:00So that may be a problem for him in the future.
08:03That's a good point.
08:05Seems to cut pretty easily because we didn't even see anything dramatic in the way of a headbutt in there.
08:15New Jersey Athletic Commission doctor is taking time and good care with Roberto Sierra.
08:22Time when you get those cuts, you need not have your trainers get the butterflies.
08:26You need to go to a plastic surgeon where he stitched these things from the inside out
08:30and get a cure once and for all.
08:32And that's what fighters don't do.
08:33They keep depending on the old butterflies.
08:35Now, this early in the game, he won't have a lot of scar tissue under there.
08:39So now's the time to get it done.
08:40Now's the time to get it.
08:41Let's go to Michael Buffer for the official particulars on this one.
08:44Ladies and gentlemen, the end comes at one minute, 48 seconds of the very first round
08:50as referee Earl Morton suspends the ten count.
08:54The winner by TKO victory, now 3-0, Joel Ecipio Casamayor.
09:08Third victory, second knockout in the early American professional career of Cuban defector
09:14Joel Casamayor.
09:15And let's go back up to Nick Charles.
09:18Well, in a general sense, Jim, we saw another exhibition of how, or another pro performance
09:22of how the Cubans really know how to fight.
09:24And they do it smoothly and slick.
09:26He looks like potentially the whole package.
09:29Well, there's plenty of boxing ahead, though, on the show tonight.
09:31The heavyweights take over the spotlight now.
09:33There's Ray Mercer against Tim Witherspoon, two battle-tested veterans, knowing they have
09:38to win to keep alive their hopes for a title shot.
09:40And then, of course, we talked about Bo Galata and the rematch and how things will be different
09:44this time.
09:45You can visit our live website for this event at www.bo-galata2.com.
09:53That makes sense to me.
09:55And here's a way you can be sure to remember that you were part of this night of boxing.
10:02The power, the passion, the pride.
10:05Oscar de la Hoya, the golden boy from East L.A., Olympic gold medalist, undefeated in
10:10his rapid rise to world champion, meets Miguel Angel Gonzalez, the Mexican marauder.
10:16Undefeated two-time champion in the battle for pride and country.
10:19Plus, three more world championship fights and butter bean.
10:23Live on pay-per-view, presented by Caesars Palace.
10:26Be there when this border dispute erupts Saturday, January 18th, live on pay-per-view.
10:30Call to order.
10:33Oscar de la Hoya coming up next month, but our next bout tonight features a fighter who
10:37can deliver the kind of goods that most fans pay to see heavyweights bring to the ring.
10:42This man can flat-out punch.
10:44He terrorized opponents as an amateur in South Africa, but he's taking his paralyzing power
10:49with him to the pros.
10:51When he hits you, he usually hurts you.
10:53But can he take that brute strength and add the other necessary elements to become a
10:58true force on the heavyweight scene?
11:00For more on him, let's go to our man on the scene, Frank DeFord, for his unique look at
11:06a man called courage.
11:08Yes.
Comments