- 8 hours ago
Former WBO champion Ray Mercer faces former WBA/WBC champion Tim Witherspoon in a heavyweight fight on TVKO HBO PPV
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00:00:08as sports fans we have played most of the sports that we watch we know what it's like to sink
00:00:15a
00:00:15jump shot or strike another kid out or to win a $5 Nassau with that one perfect drive that even
00:00:21Tiger Woods would be proud of but few of us have ever fought it's hard for us to imagine what
00:00:28it's
00:00:28like to get hit flush on the chin or in the midsection there's only one thing all us guys
00:00:33watching the fight can identify with the low blow oh we know at some point every mother's son has
00:00:42taken some kind of hit below the belt it's not just the excruciating pain either it's traumatic
00:00:49there is located the very spiritual hub of our maleness we don't call them family jewels for
00:00:56nothing that awful inexcusable mob riot that followed Andrew Gulotta's fourth official low
00:01:02blow against Riddick Bowe would that have happened if Gulotta had been disqualified for something else
00:01:08for say a rabbit punch a butt a blow to the kidneys the low blow you see isn't just a
00:01:14foul technically
00:01:16in fact it's only considered a quote minor offense but it strikes at our very manhood from whence comes
00:01:23our beard and our deep voice our authority he's got a big pair so tough his are made of brass
00:01:30it
00:01:31should be no surprise then that low blow is one of our oldest sporting expressions dating back to
00:01:36England in the 1840s not long after that it moved into the vernacular that's a low blow in fact so
00:01:43much
00:01:43does the low blow terrify the male of the species that early boxing rules made it too easy for the
00:01:48unmanly boxer to take advantage a fighter who was getting beat could hike up his trunks and collapse
00:01:53feigning injury to his private parts and be awarded the victory in the most notorious case in San Francisco
00:01:59exactly one century ago this month Bob Fitzsimmons spot Tom Sharkey smart money was on Sharkey and so when
00:02:06Fitzsimmons who was winning wallop Sharkey to the solar plexus in the eighth round the referee a scoundrel
00:02:12who was in with the gamblers called it a low blow and declared Sharkey the winner when the crowd booed
00:02:17the
00:02:18ref took out a sick shooter and waved it for in fact the referee was Wyatt Earp still the single
00:02:25most
00:02:25significant low blow in history was landed by another Sharkey Jack who squared off against
00:02:30Max Schmeling for the heavyweight title in 1932 at Yankee Stadium Sharkey was ahead on points when he clocked
00:02:37with a left hook in the fourth round although the punch was clearly unintentional it was crippling
00:02:43and even though the American lost to a foreigner the 80,000 cheered the decision to award the heavyweight
00:02:48title on a foul so were American fans nicer then than they were after the Bogalata fight last July
00:02:55probably not but the low blow was a more devastating weapon back then oh so was male genitalia softer in
00:03:03those days probably not but boxers are better protected today the old aluminum cup had the
00:03:10unintended consequence of often causing more damage to the testicles than would the simple blow itself
00:03:16in 1930 the aluminum cup was replaced by an inflated device of cloth and rubber that was created by a
00:03:23gentleman named honestly now foul-proof taylor who dreamed up the idea when he was singing at the
00:03:29Metropolitan Opera and kept getting kneed by a tenor whose girl he had stolen and eventually
00:03:35foul-proof protector was succeeded by the current state-of-the-art appliance you asked for it howie
00:03:43albert in the galata camp conducted this experiment after the fight to support the claim that bow is an
00:03:49academy award-winning boxer because the protection galata claims is so sophisticated now that a boxer
00:03:56cannot be wounded by a low blow regardless my guess is that no boxer no man can ever altogether forget
00:04:05the threat of the low blow i remember reading h.l mencken once when he wrote that the one thing
00:04:12that
00:04:12most confused him about nature is how god created man with the most vital part of us that which contains
00:04:19the very seed of life hanging out fragile vulnerable now that was the original low blow
00:04:27that as tough as us men might think that we are we're more exposed than women that which gives us
00:04:34our strength also makes us weaker and nothing reminds us of that more than when the big strong
00:04:40boxer crumbles with a low blow nick frank i totally concur they are not made of brass bo galata the
00:04:51rematch is coming up bo out to prove their first fight was a glitch on his screen galata intends to
00:04:56show us his performance was no fluke but up next olympic gold medalist ray mercer against former two-time
00:05:02champion terrible tim witherspoon joining us now though six-time world champion current wbc welterweight
00:05:09champion pernell sweet p whitaker the subject of low bow blows we were talking about sweet p you've
00:05:15taken the shots when obviously we all know what it must feel like but do you think it really compromised
00:05:21riddick bower was that a method school of acting i think it messed with you mentally let alone physically
00:05:27because that's one thing that you don't want to happen to you you know and it hurts but i think
00:05:34that with going low you know and being penalized for you know it could hurt you and it can help
00:05:40you
00:05:40and the referee tonight is going to be watching very closely for anything so anything that either
00:05:45fighter does is going to be critical for now we're watching you very closely and right now you have a
00:05:50fight next month coming up i know guys don't look ahead you're in peril if you do oscar de la
00:05:56hoya has a
00:05:56fight in january here on tv ko and then there is strong talk about you and oscar going at it
00:06:02what
00:06:02about it well i think it's a done deal you know i think that oscar de la hoya is a
00:06:07great young fighter
00:06:08and i i could i commend him for that you know i think he's a he's a wealth he's a
00:06:14worthy champion
00:06:14and he's a good fighter but then you have pernell whitaker you have the person who all the fans
00:06:22the media has nothing to do with all the fans know who's the best fighter in the world pound for
00:06:26pound and the fans chose pernell whitaker you know my wife and my kids and my family chose pernell
00:06:31whitaker they know who's the best and the people know who's the best so we're not fooling anyone
00:06:36but i'm not taking anything away from i'm not going to take anything away from oscar i'm sure oscar's
00:06:41going to be ready to go and uh but uh it's an event so it it gives me something to
00:06:46get prepared for
00:06:47it and january 24th i think is my first obstacle obstacle to get to that point you know i still
00:06:54have to get through january 24th to make it to that next level and the people who do not understand
00:07:00you
00:07:01know everybody and all the people could could wonder about a whitaker delahoria fight we are wondering
00:07:06it's a great matchup it's a it's a it's a heck of a matchup but it can't happen unless both
00:07:11of us win
00:07:12you know and and and it won't happen if both of us do not win it may not happen if
00:07:18both of us do not
00:07:19look good what is it why is he so dangerous he looks like the complete package you have you are
00:07:26slick
00:07:26you're fluid you've beaten stronger guys before purportedly nobody says you have to have one punch
00:07:32ko power at all but how does this match up let's be truthful where is he dangerous i think he
00:07:38i don't
00:07:38know if he's very dangerous you know um you can't tell a fighter you can't you know and me being
00:07:45a
00:07:45veteran of 12 years and me being a professional you know and i don't take anything away from any fighter
00:07:52you know but i know weaknesses and strong points you know his strong point is that he's oscar delahoria
00:07:59who won a gold medal and one of the only ones to win a gold medal you did too when
00:08:03he could
00:08:03punch we won like nine gold medals so we we we dominated i don't know if he can punch but
00:08:10we'll
00:08:11see what he can do when he have a real fight in front of him see that's the one thing
00:08:14that you guys
00:08:15got to understand you know but one thing i want to understand i wanted to let know and i want
00:08:19the
00:08:20people in there and everybody to know to is to scrap your seat belt on get your beverages your popcorn
00:08:27because i'm gonna take you for a ride well that includes bogle out a quick prediction um tonight i think
00:08:34i'm going with andrew because he's in our stable mate he's a stable mate of mine and he's a hard
00:08:39work the objective and he's and i'm not going to be a judge because the same way i said about
00:08:43evander
00:08:43it's the way you come out of that dressing room if he comes out of that dressing room ready to
00:08:47go in
00:08:47that ring and do his job he's going to win the fight if you look into his eyes and if
00:08:53the people the
00:08:53viewers look into it look into his eyes and see a little fear then he will not win because really
00:09:00bow is not no one to play with our cameras will be there in his eyes and we'll be watching
00:09:04you pernell
00:09:04whitaker in the meantime if you want to be part of this special night tonight here's a way to do
00:09:09it
00:09:12looking for a last minute gift for a boxing fan give them a piece of boxing history with official
00:09:17bogalata 2 merchandise you can order the same t-shirts sweatshirts and hats sold at the fight
00:09:22by calling 1-800-843-1043 100 cotton t-shirts double extra large sweatshirts and adjustable
00:09:28cotton hats call now 1-800-843-1043 to order the official program of this historic belt call 609-627
00:09:37-1356
00:09:38available on a limited basis so call now and back to the night tim witherspoon has been fighting
00:09:45professionally since jimmy carter was in the white house he's 38 years old now and knows there is no
00:09:51time to waste there is no margin for error for him ray mercer says he's the tougher fighter he says
00:09:57he is totally focused and wants his piece of the pie but in this game you have to go after
00:10:03what you
00:10:03want and so let's go down to ringside and see what happens next here's jim lampley all right thank you
00:10:11very much nick this is a good enough fight to be the main event on a lot of regular network
00:10:15broadcast
00:10:15cards not necessarily a pay-per-view george foreman tim witherspoon isn't the first heavyweight
00:10:20we've seen like fine wine getting better with advancing age it's happened a couple of other
00:10:25times in the division but at age 38 almost 39 what is it he's doing right now that makes him
00:10:30look so
00:10:30good and how long could it last well you can go on as long as you believe in yourself people
00:10:35say the
00:10:35only thing that'll we you can believe that you're not young is when you don't have any more bills to
00:10:40pay he's got bills so he better stay young this guy is evidently taking care of himself he's a strong
00:10:45puncher so a lot of his fights in by way of knockout he continued that he can last for a
00:10:50long time
00:10:50believe me i was fighting when lyndon johnson was president he had the long legal battle with don
00:10:56king and a lot of people gave up on him he was out of the ring for a long long
00:10:59time maybe that's
00:11:00now an advantage because like say a marcus allen he's a relatively lightly raced thoroughbred in there
00:11:06that has a lot to do with it also but believe me he's a good fighter too if you're good
00:11:11when you're
00:11:11young you're going to even be better when you're old if you take care of yourself all right let's turn
00:11:15our attention to ray merciless mercer the opponent with larry merchant and larry mercer has been
00:11:21fighting some of the best in the division holmes holyfield lewis giving them all tough fights but
00:11:26losing the contrast to witherspoon who's been winning against considerably lighter opposition so who and
00:11:34what gives here in boxing unlike some other sports jim the fighter who has been fighting the better
00:11:42competition and losing but looking good does not get an advantage over the fighter who looks good
00:11:50fighting inferior opposition usually but usually isn't always if you frame the question this way ray
00:11:59mercer having given a terrific fight to lennox lewis and losing a disputed decision going up against
00:12:08against tim witherspoon who just bowled over a jorge gonzalez who do you think did better well you
00:12:16say yeah sure maybe it was mercer the only sure thing tonight is that mercer is the toughest opponent
00:12:25that witherspoon has fought in 10 years and sure than that sureness is the fact that both of these old
00:12:32war horses have fought a lot of tough exciting fights and we figured to have another one tonight
00:12:38indeed witherspoon acknowledges mercer's the toughest opponent he's faced since witherspoon
00:12:42barely showed up for a first round knockout at the hands of james bone crusher smith back in 1986
00:12:48two pretty good-sized heavyweights getting ready to go in here and let's take a look at the tail of
00:12:53the tape tim witherspoon weighing in right at his targeted weight of 230. ray mercer who was all the
00:13:00way down to 224 to fight evander holyfield last year felt as though he needed more strength to fight
00:13:07guys like lewis and now witherspoon so he's all the way back up to 239 and as you can see
00:13:14witherspoon's
00:13:14almost 39 mercer is 35 punch stat numbers larry here's a look at how active these fighters are you
00:13:21can see the numbers as far as their overall punches are virtually the same the surprising
00:13:27thing comes up in the jab total in which mercer has suddenly come up with a serious hard jab and
00:13:36you can see what they've done in their last two fights witherspoon however is a very good defensive
00:13:42fighter and usually makes his opponents land a much lower rate than they do against other fighters
00:13:49rules of the bout will be the same as those for the fights you've already seen tonight if there's a
00:13:54rules interpretation necessary we can bring harold in to cover that meanwhile let's bring ray mercer
00:14:00into the ring third consecutive fight versus former heavyweight champions saw the names of those that
00:14:06preceded this one and the interesting thing about mercer is that he has stayed relatively close to the
00:14:12top of the division at least in terms of matchup and to a certain degree in terms of income
00:14:16while failing to win a fight for the past three years he's a big tough guy who comes to fight
00:14:25he entertains people
00:14:28he is a hurdle that a lot of people want to get over feeling that they can beat him
00:14:35his luck almost changed against lennox lewis
00:14:40maybe it will change tonight strong performance against lewis a lot of ringside observers felt that
00:14:46perhaps mercer was entitled to that close decision instead of the former champion lennox lewis and in
00:14:53that fight mercer showed a dramatically improved jab and more boxing technique that has sometimes been
00:15:00associated with it
00:15:04came into boxing late he was about 25 years old and an army man when he made the olympic team
00:15:11in 1988
00:15:14and won a gold medal at 200 pounds ray mercer told us yesterday that his big passion in life is
00:15:21fresh
00:15:21water fishing his gold he would like to become heavyweight champion of the world or failing that
00:15:27he'd like to get a bigger boat and chase bigger bass bigger bigger bigger fishing pole and bigger lures
00:15:34or better ones fun guy you've chased after a few fish haven't you george no doubt about it
00:15:43i eat everyone i catch what makes you so light-footed in the ring george all that practice at creeping
00:15:50up
00:15:51on the bass and crappy there's the ring record for merciless ray mercer last five fights have gone
00:15:57the distance this man loves a war 23 wins four losses one draw 16 ko's and as always when you
00:16:03see the fighters records tonight they are being brought to you by the ring the bible of boxing
00:16:12tim witherspoon tim tim is one of the more likable fighters on the beat and one of the reasons he
00:16:27is so
00:16:28likable is that unlike a great many fighters who have complained that don king stole their money
00:16:38he put himself on the line took king to court and won about a million dollar settlement
00:16:46well we told you witherspoon was relatively advanced in age but he's not old enough really
00:16:52to be using born to be wild as his theme song that song george is from your teenage years yep
00:17:01steppenwolf you are a rocker aren't you you better believe a relentless rocker
00:17:05how many dylan cds i know you have a lot of bob dylan cds don't you that's true
00:17:10revealing trivia about when you're getting into the room
00:17:17lyndon johnson and bob dylan rainy day women and the record for tim witherspoon 45 wins four losses
00:17:27former two-time heavyweight champ he held those belts back in the early and middle 80s during the
00:17:33transition out of the larry holmes era in the heavyweight division he's always had a lot of
00:17:39talent let's go up to michael buffer for the brief fight introductions
00:17:45ladies and gentlemen by way of caesar's atlantic city main events and dennis rapaport productions
00:17:53in association with your undisputed players budweiser present the co-featured bout of the evening
00:18:01sanctioned by the new jersey state athletic control board boxing commissioner larry hazard senior
00:18:07all officials will remain the same except the timekeeper this bout will be earl curry
00:18:11your three judges playing this contest on a ten point must system are calvin claxton john potterray
00:18:20and paul venti and when the bell rings the man in charge of the action tony perez
00:18:27and now ladies and gentlemen ten rounds of boxing of world-class heavyweight boxing
00:18:35boxing introducing first fighting out of the red corner wearing white trim with black and weighing 235
00:18:44pounds his professional record 45 victories including 30 knockouts with only four defeats and he has earned
00:18:52two world titles from philadelphia pennsylvania ladies and gentlemen introducing the former two-time heavyweight
00:19:03champion champion of the world terrible tim witherspoon
00:19:17and his opponent across the ring fighting out of the blue corner wearing black trimmed with gold he weighs 239
00:19:24pounds in 1988 he captured olympic gold and now as a professional he has 23 victories
00:19:3216 by ko with four defeats and one draw and a world title belt he fights for the mark roberts
00:19:40worldwide
00:19:40organization from newark new jersey here is the former wbo world heavyweight champion merciless ray mercer
00:20:02great tim i just gave you instructions in the dressing room give me a good clean fight i know you're
00:20:06both good clean
00:20:07fighters and i will bother you two things you must remember obey my commands at all times and most
00:20:11important protect yourself at all times the questions shake hands good luck to pussy
00:20:17a fighter who can play defense and can punch is the hardest fighter to fight and beat and that's tim
00:20:25witherspoon ray mercer will fight him
00:20:34well george this should be a commentary festival for you
00:20:38big heavyweights who can punch a little and box a little
00:20:42great mercy is the only guy i've seen who pulled his trunks down go ahead hit me
00:20:49and witherspoon comes out and goes right at those trunks with two body punches
00:20:55mercer stands like a rock in the center of the ring and says i'm an immovable object try to come
00:21:00at me
00:21:07mercer should try to establish himself earlier with a little boxing technique
00:21:11witherspoon can have trouble if you box him and box him and conserve be conservative with your energy
00:21:16step back and he throws these overhand rights stay close
00:21:25witherspoon's overhand right looks a little unorthodox george he kind of loops it over the top but
00:21:30he does generate some power with it and he loves to go wide with those body shots
00:21:34yeah but you can really counteract that uh by staying close he needs room to throw that overhand
00:21:40right especially when you're leaning on the ropes he'll step back and then do it
00:21:46a lot of jab him don't put too much any energy into it to give him the thought that hey
00:21:51you're going to
00:21:52be tired in the next few rounds just jab him you can win every round mercer should concentrate on that
00:21:58witherspoon trying to establish the jab up the middle the body shots from both sides
00:22:07sometimes throwing side punches to big guys like mercer can take a lot of energy from you because
00:22:11they just stay there
00:22:14they're driving a right hand over the top pretty conventional style ray mercer he likes to set up
00:22:20behind the jab and just try to land the right hand doesn't dodge too many punches doesn't have a lot
00:22:25of head movement got a granite jaw
00:22:41in the wake of evander holyfield's victory over mike tyson there's a lot of revision history about
00:22:45holyfield's punching power and some observers point out hey wait a minute he knocked mercer down
00:22:50that should have told us something no doubt about it very good mercer can take a good lick and keep
00:22:57tickin
00:23:11witherspoon stops for a moment mercer jammed witherspoon is the taller guy he should be
00:23:17establishing the uh jab supremacy witherspoon in love with body punching in this first round but
00:23:22using it to good effect
00:23:29mercer felt as though with the added weight 15 pounds gained since he fought holyfield
00:23:34he can take body punches a little better
00:23:46first round comes to a close in tim witherspoon versus ray mercer and
00:23:50andrew galata has his left hand taped looking to throw jabs and left hooks with it as he gets
00:23:56ready to go into the ring for the second time against riddick lamont bow
00:24:02still to come our main event and the next bout on the card
00:24:07you can't run out of body so move your head okay don't just stay up don't just stand and wait
00:24:13for him to get
00:24:13off and move your head a little bit okay once in a while you can step back and let him
00:24:17move
00:24:17use his own legs and then and then uh then counter okay we're beating
00:24:26working good work off that jab work off the jab hit that body keep doing what you're doing working off
00:24:32your skills
00:24:37okay let's go get that water in front please
00:24:42by punch stat numbers a phenomenal connect percentage for witherspoon in the first round
00:24:48who landed 26 of 35 power shots 74 47 of 69 punches overall 68 underlining the point we've made
00:24:58previously which is that ray mercer is one of the most willing targets in the business
00:25:06witherspoon corner told him to come out work off the jab and he did but mercer seemed to come out
00:25:11and
00:25:11land more jab to him
00:25:19mercer's had management and trainer changes several times during his career the past few years he's been
00:25:25working with tommy clark and he says i'm learning to box
00:25:29okay break it up
00:25:30yeah
00:25:32okay great
00:25:33great
00:25:33great
00:25:34great
00:25:36great
00:25:37great
00:25:37great
00:25:38great
00:26:07and he's doing by way of an effective jam.
00:26:16Both fighters breathing heavily already
00:26:18as we're midway through round two.
00:26:22Action is taking place in the center of the ring,
00:26:24by and large.
00:26:26Nobody's been hung up on the ropes yet.
00:26:28Round two of a scheduled 10
00:26:30in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
00:26:33This is a fast pace for a couple of old warhorses
00:26:36conditioning will tell the story in the end.
00:26:41Good double left took by Mercer.
00:26:43The second one landed flush.
00:26:45Good punch, but Mercer is not going to the body at all.
00:26:48To make those punches effective against Witherspoon,
00:26:50he's got to get a left hook every now and then
00:26:52into the body.
00:26:54Witherspoon, on the other hand,
00:26:55is investing heavily in body punching early,
00:26:58hoping it'll pay interest later on.
00:27:00Right hand lead by Witherspoon.
00:27:02Mercer shook it off.
00:27:04No, no, no, no, no punch him.
00:27:05No punch him?
00:27:05Okay, good.
00:27:07He's well advised.
00:27:08Whenever Witherspoon hit him with a hard shot,
00:27:11come back.
00:27:11Whether you get hit or not,
00:27:12come back and hit him back.
00:27:15Veteran referee Tony Perez in there for this one.
00:27:18Perez, the most experienced referee,
00:27:20working the card tonight.
00:27:22The man who will do the main event,
00:27:23Eddie Cotton, considerably less experienced
00:27:25at the professional level than Perez,
00:27:27but Eddie Cotton weighs 240 pounds,
00:27:30and that could come in handy
00:27:32when you're trying to move Bo and Galata
00:27:34get off of each other.
00:27:37Every pound helps.
00:27:38There you go.
00:27:39Very good.
00:27:45They trade right hands in the last 10 seconds
00:27:48of round number two.
00:27:52It hurts just watching him.
00:27:56One, two, one.
00:27:58You're working nice.
00:28:00You're working nice.
00:28:01Keep the jab.
00:28:01And you're standing in the range of the jab.
00:28:04That's why he's catching you with the jab.
00:28:05Don't let him just keep hitting you with the jab.
00:28:07You understand?
00:28:07You outbox him and go back to the body
00:28:10and you're opening a little come up.
00:28:12You understand?
00:28:14Okay.
00:28:16That guy has a fire home in a minute.
00:28:17Well, let's fire it.
00:28:18You can lead it.
00:28:19You can lead it, too, you know.
00:28:20Okay.
00:28:21He's waiting for your jab to slip and start countering.
00:28:25Next, do you see these two Polak's jabs?
00:28:29Boom, boom, boom.
00:28:35How'd you like to stand in with these kind of guys, George?
00:28:38I wouldn't like it very much at all.
00:28:39Wouldn't be fun, you don't think?
00:28:41Not at all.
00:28:42I mean, you're not running away from this.
00:28:44No, this is what fighting was meant to be.
00:28:47Would you consider doing it for money, George?
00:28:53Round number two, Tim Witherspoon gets credit
00:28:56from bunch staff counters for landing 75 out of 119 bunches.
00:29:01That's still a 63% connect percentage.
00:29:05And you can see that Harold Letterman
00:29:06has given Witherspoon the first couple of rounds.
00:29:12Now Witherspoon corner told him to move around
00:29:15and jab a little bit,
00:29:16and then open up for the hard shot.
00:29:19Mercer's corner told him to even lead
00:29:21with a right hand if he wants to.
00:29:25Witherspoon goes back to the body, viciously so.
00:29:30Larry Merchant pointing out to us yesterday
00:29:33Witherspoon's defensive technique
00:29:34of harrying punches with his right hand.
00:29:36You can see how he holds the right hand
00:29:38in front of his face
00:29:38and kind of moves it from side to side
00:29:41looking to block punches.
00:29:42He's a very defensively oriented fighter
00:29:45a lot of the time.
00:29:46He has a good defense,
00:29:47but if you're going to set that old right hand,
00:29:51you shouldn't move it from side to side.
00:29:52That's when you can catch them,
00:29:53when they start moving it from side to side.
00:29:56Find out what makes him move that right hand
00:29:58over to the other side of the face.
00:30:00Do it every now and then.
00:30:01Tim, give your points yourself, okay?
00:30:02Give your points yourself.
00:30:03He told me that he likes to invite the left hook
00:30:06by keeping his right hand across his face that way
00:30:11so that he just has to look for the left hook
00:30:13and try to counter it when it comes.
00:30:16And counter over it with that quick overhand right of his,
00:30:20which is maybe his most damaging power punch.
00:30:26Now he's coming forward with the spoon is now,
00:30:30and that gives Ray Mercer a little energy
00:30:31because he's always having to carry to fight the guy.
00:30:34If he's able to box, he gets nothing but courage.
00:30:40Speaking of courage,
00:30:41if you've joined us late this evening
00:30:43and missed the first three bouts on the card,
00:30:45you missed the shocking knockout
00:30:47of one-time superlative prospect Curd Shabalala
00:30:50by a journeyman named Brian Scott.
00:30:53So that weeds out for the moment
00:30:55one young heavyweight from the field of rising contenders
00:30:58as Shabalala meets his demise here.
00:31:07All right, break.
00:31:08Break, break, break, keep going.
00:31:13What's the problem with Mercer?
00:31:15He's never known when he's behind.
00:31:17He'll whip you and think,
00:31:18hey, I hurt you that round,
00:31:19and forget about the point.
00:31:21He loses a lot,
00:31:22but not because he's not the better fighter.
00:31:24If this goes on for 10 rounds,
00:31:25both of them will sleep for about a month.
00:31:36That right hand that he told his corner
00:31:38he was ready to throw
00:31:39is starting to develop, Ray Mercer.
00:31:40Break it up, break it up.
00:31:41Looking down the road tonight,
00:31:43we still have the main event yet to come
00:31:45between Riddick Bowe and Andrew Gallana.
00:31:47Build up in Atlantic City for the past several days.
00:31:51One of the events leading up to the fight
00:31:54was the weigh-in.
00:31:55And because of Bowe's weight circumstances
00:31:57in the first fight, July 11,
00:31:59there was a lot of anticipation for this.
00:32:01Here's how they looked when they weighed in
00:32:03two days ago.
00:32:07Okay, Riddick Bowe.
00:32:10235 pounds.
00:32:13In person, he looked gaunt.
00:32:16But on that tape,
00:32:18he looked perfectly fine.
00:32:19239.
00:32:22Here you see
00:32:23some of the fluctuations
00:32:25in Bowe's weight
00:32:27and his fortunes.
00:32:29235 pounds,
00:32:30Holyfield 1,
00:32:32246 pounds.
00:32:33Holyfield 2,
00:32:34he lost.
00:32:36252 pounds,
00:32:37Gallata 1.
00:32:39He should have lost.
00:32:41Tonight,
00:32:42he's back where he was
00:32:43four years ago.
00:32:45What do you think about
00:32:46the way he looks, George?
00:32:47No doubt he'll be able
00:32:48to move his feet this time.
00:32:50Last time,
00:32:50he tried to move his head
00:32:51without moving his feet.
00:32:52That extra weight
00:32:53will make you not be able to move.
00:32:55He's in better shape.
00:32:57We should see a lighter,
00:32:59quicker,
00:33:01perhaps more fluid,
00:33:02Riddick Bowe
00:33:03in the ring tonight.
00:33:06Through round three,
00:33:07it's been a jabbing contest
00:33:08to a large degree.
00:33:09They've thrown a total
00:33:10of 221 jabs between them.
00:33:13And both are landing
00:33:14at a reasonably high rate.
00:33:16But Witherspoon
00:33:17has a big edge landing
00:33:18power shots.
00:33:19Mercer has not yet
00:33:21been able to throw punches
00:33:22in combinations.
00:33:26Mercer, in my mind,
00:33:28is winning the battle
00:33:29of the jails
00:33:29because he's not supposed
00:33:31to be in the jabbing
00:33:32business at all.
00:33:33And there's the first
00:33:34solid combination
00:33:35for Mercer
00:33:36as he lands a right hand
00:33:37over the top
00:33:38and follows it
00:33:39with a left hook.
00:33:40No, no, no, no, no, no.
00:33:41Okay, very good.
00:33:41Very good.
00:33:43Mercer almost looks
00:33:45impervious
00:33:45to those body blows.
00:33:47Are they really hurting
00:33:47him, George?
00:33:49Sometimes some guys,
00:33:50because they have
00:33:50this little pouch,
00:33:51they expect for you
00:33:52to go to the body
00:33:52and it doesn't hurt them.
00:33:55You can see he's been
00:33:56hitting the body
00:33:57a lot in his career
00:33:58and he just doesn't seem
00:33:59to do the work
00:33:59that needs to be done.
00:34:06Witherspoon allows Mercer
00:34:07to just stand still.
00:34:09Doesn't make him use
00:34:10his legs at all.
00:34:12We always say
00:34:13with head punches,
00:34:14George,
00:34:14if you can see
00:34:15the punch coming,
00:34:15you got a much better
00:34:16chance to take it
00:34:17and weather it.
00:34:18Is that true
00:34:19with body punches as well?
00:34:20Stop punching?
00:34:20Yeah, not so.
00:34:21The body punch you catch
00:34:23does this damage.
00:34:24Even if you're watching
00:34:25it sail into your wrist.
00:34:26Even if you watch it,
00:34:27sometimes it's like,
00:34:27oh, boy, I messed up.
00:34:37Big right hand over the top
00:34:39by Witherspoon.
00:34:40And Mercer comes back
00:34:41with an uppercut
00:34:41of his own.
00:34:42Another uppercut.
00:34:50Round four,
00:34:51an awakening
00:34:52for Ray Merciless.
00:34:54Mercer,
00:34:55who's doing some work
00:34:56against Witherspoon
00:34:57with power punches
00:34:58in this round.
00:35:04Witherspoon rallies back.
00:35:06Okay, break.
00:35:08Mercer.
00:35:10Is catching Witherspoon
00:35:11waiting for one good shot
00:35:13and when he's waiting
00:35:13he hits him with two goods
00:35:15of his own.
00:35:16I can't remember
00:35:17the last time
00:35:18I saw two big heavyweights
00:35:20stand on a handkerchief
00:35:21virtually
00:35:22and just,
00:35:23just pound on each other.
00:35:27Okay, break.
00:35:28Okay, break.
00:35:29Generally,
00:35:29that one is giving
00:35:30and the others
00:35:30trying to get out
00:35:31of the way of it.
00:35:41Can you believe
00:35:42Ray Mercer is fainting?
00:35:47Well, it's been a long
00:35:48time coming,
00:35:49hasn't it?
00:35:49Okay, break.
00:35:55Okay, break.
00:36:07Hey, uh, hey.
00:36:10All right.
00:36:12As it is,
00:36:13it's...
00:36:14Huh?
00:36:14No, Ray,
00:36:15you're not hitting
00:36:16in the body at all.
00:36:16I want you to now
00:36:17working on the body.
00:36:18He's getting tired.
00:36:19I know.
00:36:19He's getting tired.
00:36:19You hit my two jab,
00:36:21you're going to take
00:36:21that right hand to the body
00:36:22and take that hook
00:36:22back to the body.
00:36:24You've got one engine
00:36:24he's got now,
00:36:25you understand?
00:36:26No, he's got one.
00:36:26I'm going to put you
00:36:27a little cold water up here,
00:36:27right?
00:36:28Here is Mercer
00:36:29preparing to throw
00:36:30the uppercut
00:36:32which buckled
00:36:33with a spoon
00:36:34for a moment,
00:36:35it seemed.
00:36:37Setting himself up,
00:36:38there it is.
00:36:39Threading it
00:36:39right through that defense.
00:36:42Keep the hands up,
00:36:43that's right.
00:36:44Okay?
00:36:45You're doing good.
00:36:46That's like a...
00:36:47It's like a pass
00:36:49being thrown
00:36:49right into coverage.
00:36:52You're not with that.
00:36:53You've got to get up, Bob.
00:36:54Come on.
00:37:01Excellent round
00:37:02for Mercer
00:37:03in round four.
00:37:04In fact,
00:37:05between the two fighters
00:37:06in the fourth round,
00:37:07both landed
00:37:08more than 60%
00:37:09of their punches,
00:37:09so this is
00:37:11shaping up
00:37:11as a classic
00:37:13slugfest.
00:37:15Quickly,
00:37:16Harold Letterman,
00:37:17how do you see
00:37:17the first four rounds?
00:37:19Larry,
00:37:1939-37,
00:37:20three rounds to one,
00:37:21terrible Tim Witherspoon.
00:37:23I thought Ray Mercer
00:37:23was fighting
00:37:24a lackadaisical fight
00:37:25even though he was
00:37:25trying in the first
00:37:26three rounds,
00:37:26but suddenly he opened
00:37:27up at a fourth,
00:37:28and he really opened up
00:37:29and punched like
00:37:30he should have been
00:37:30punching.
00:37:31He clearly won
00:37:32that fourth round.
00:37:33He's coming back.
00:37:34We have the same
00:37:35score, Harold,
00:37:36but I wouldn't call
00:37:37what he was doing
00:37:37a lackadaisical.
00:37:39I'd find some
00:37:40other work for it.
00:37:42Hard right hand
00:37:43landed by Mercer.
00:37:45Witherspoon counters
00:37:45twice, everybody.
00:37:46Then brings the right hand
00:37:47over the top
00:37:48as he's looking
00:37:49at referee Tony Perez.
00:37:52I used to say,
00:37:53Ralph,
00:37:53if you won't help me,
00:37:54I've got to help myself.
00:37:56Talking about
00:37:56a faint, George.
00:37:57I think Mercer
00:37:58might have taken
00:37:59a look at the referee
00:38:00when Tim did,
00:38:00and Tim just
00:38:01whacked him.
00:38:02We ambushed him,
00:38:03George.
00:38:06Couple of cagey
00:38:07fighters in there,
00:38:09particularly Witherspoon.
00:38:10Ray Morrison told us
00:38:11yesterday he thinks
00:38:12he has to win the fight
00:38:13via knockout.
00:38:15He said he thought
00:38:15that the chances
00:38:16were slim he could
00:38:17score a decision
00:38:18over the technically
00:38:19superior Witherspoon.
00:38:21And he's trying
00:38:22to knock out a man
00:38:22who's only been
00:38:23knocked out once
00:38:24previously in his career,
00:38:25that on the night
00:38:26when he really
00:38:27wasn't mentally there
00:38:28for his matchup
00:38:29with Bonecrusher Smith
00:38:30and Madison Square
00:38:31Guard.
00:38:32This is Tim Witherspoon's
00:38:3418th year
00:38:35as a professional
00:38:36prize fighter.
00:38:38Again,
00:38:39you see the quickness
00:38:40of Witherspoon's
00:38:40right hand
00:38:41when he goes up top.
00:38:42Okay, Brick!
00:38:53Interesting little thing
00:38:54there, George.
00:38:55Mercer prepared
00:38:56to throw that
00:38:57uppercut again,
00:38:58and Witherspoon
00:38:59just turned into him
00:39:01and he didn't
00:39:02let him throw.
00:39:03Both guys got hurt,
00:39:05but Mercer got the
00:39:05worst up at that time.
00:39:06Yes, sirree, he did.
00:39:09But both men,
00:39:10I believe,
00:39:10are wobbled
00:39:11at this moment.
00:39:12Mercer is hanging
00:39:13on, though.
00:39:15Woo!
00:39:17And Witherspoon
00:39:18intelligently
00:39:18goes to the body.
00:39:20Mercer not throwing back.
00:39:23Mercer's been
00:39:23in his position before.
00:39:25He knows the guys
00:39:26will beat on him
00:39:26from time to time.
00:39:27And if he can just
00:39:28hold on,
00:39:29they get tired.
00:39:29And Mercer tries
00:39:30to sneak in
00:39:31an uppercut there
00:39:32as Witherspoon
00:39:33steps away.
00:39:40Okay, Brick!
00:39:42Brick!
00:39:43Mercer paints
00:39:44Witherspoon
00:39:45with a counter
00:39:45left inside
00:39:46as Tim was
00:39:47stepping in.
00:39:47So Mercer
00:39:48seems to be
00:39:49shaking off
00:39:49the cobweeds
00:39:50now
00:39:51as he uses
00:39:52the ropes
00:39:52to help him
00:39:53with round
00:39:54five coming
00:39:54to a close.
00:39:56I've got it!
00:39:57Hey!
00:39:57I'm punching!
00:39:58I'm punching!
00:40:05I'm punching!
00:40:06All right.
00:40:06Good work.
00:40:07But work,
00:40:07keep working
00:40:08the body.
00:40:10He say,
00:40:10don't pour
00:40:10so much water
00:40:11for him.
00:40:11All right,
00:40:12no, no.
00:40:13Tim,
00:40:14you're doing good,
00:40:15but work
00:40:15your body
00:40:16off
00:40:16and then come
00:40:17with your
00:40:17combination.
00:40:18You understand?
00:40:20Don't let him
00:40:21steal no rounds.
00:40:22Keep working
00:40:23their body.
00:40:26This isn't
00:40:27normal,
00:40:28folks.
00:40:29This would hurt
00:40:29if both of these
00:40:30guys were wearing
00:40:3120-ounce gloves.
00:40:37There you see
00:40:38Witherspoon,
00:40:38take a look
00:40:39at the referee
00:40:40and then follow
00:40:41through with
00:40:42that really
00:40:43big right hand.
00:40:47Mercer coming
00:40:48back.
00:40:50Something's
00:40:50got to give.
00:40:51It may be me.
00:40:53Let's go!
00:40:58Well, you're
00:40:58looking at
00:40:59two guys
00:40:59who in the
00:41:00fifth round
00:41:01couldn't miss.
00:41:02I don't think
00:41:03I've ever seen
00:41:04numbers like this
00:41:04before.
00:41:05My punch
00:41:06stat computations
00:41:07in round five,
00:41:08they both
00:41:08landed over
00:41:0970%
00:41:10of their punches.
00:41:11They can't
00:41:13miss.
00:41:16Mercer comes
00:41:17back with
00:41:17a jab.
00:41:18Whenever he
00:41:18jabs,
00:41:19Witherspoon
00:41:20seems not
00:41:20to know
00:41:20what to do.
00:41:23And there's
00:41:23the uppercut
00:41:24again inside
00:41:24for Mercer
00:41:25and he
00:41:25snaps
00:41:26Witherspoon's
00:41:27head back
00:41:27with the
00:41:27left hand.
00:41:28So,
00:41:28Ray Mercer
00:41:29has decided
00:41:30to establish
00:41:31himself early
00:41:32in round six
00:41:32and let
00:41:33Witherspoon
00:41:34know that
00:41:34he's still
00:41:35there after
00:41:36that big
00:41:36Witherspoon
00:41:37rally in the
00:41:37last minute
00:41:38of the preceding
00:41:38round.
00:41:47Witherspoon's
00:41:48corner told
00:41:48him to go
00:41:49to the body
00:41:49and then
00:41:50come back
00:41:50and try
00:41:51your rally.
00:41:52He seems
00:41:53not to be
00:41:53doing that.
00:41:59Witherspoon's
00:41:59trainer,
00:42:00Whit Lowry,
00:42:00stayed with him
00:42:01through all
00:42:02of the lean
00:42:02years while
00:42:03Tim was
00:42:04virtually exiled
00:42:05from the ring
00:42:05during his
00:42:06long legal
00:42:07battle
00:42:08against
00:42:08Don
00:42:08King.
00:42:12Whenever
00:42:12Ray Mercer
00:42:13catches
00:42:13Witherspoon
00:42:13waiting,
00:42:14he takes
00:42:15advantage
00:42:16of it.
00:42:17And when
00:42:17you want
00:42:17to go
00:42:17to the
00:42:18body,
00:42:19you try
00:42:20not to
00:42:20hurt your
00:42:20hands
00:42:21and that
00:42:21will cause
00:42:21you to
00:42:22wait.
00:42:27Do body
00:42:28punches
00:42:28hurt your
00:42:29hands
00:42:29more than
00:42:29head punches?
00:42:30You missed
00:42:30the body
00:42:31and hit
00:42:31that
00:42:31elbow
00:42:31and let
00:42:32me tell
00:42:32you,
00:42:32you pay
00:42:32the price.
00:42:33So,
00:42:33Witherspoon
00:42:34is trying
00:42:34to follow
00:42:34directions
00:42:35by going
00:42:35to the
00:42:36body,
00:42:36but those
00:42:36elbows,
00:42:37they can
00:42:37hurt,
00:42:38especially
00:42:39when they
00:42:39got noticed
00:42:39you're going
00:42:40to do it.
00:42:41Do all
00:42:42heavyweights
00:42:43by this
00:42:43stage of
00:42:44their career
00:42:44have some
00:42:45aches and
00:42:45pains in
00:42:46their hands,
00:42:46George?
00:42:46Yeah,
00:42:47elbows especially.
00:42:49This is
00:42:49block a lot
00:42:50of punches
00:42:50and that's
00:42:50where the
00:42:51aches come
00:42:51in that
00:42:51don't get
00:42:52away from
00:42:52it.
00:42:55so it
00:42:56can affect
00:42:56the way
00:42:56you fight
00:42:57subconsciously
00:42:58because of
00:42:58your natural
00:42:59desire to
00:43:00resist the
00:43:00pain,
00:43:00right?
00:43:01That's true.
00:43:01You just
00:43:02don't want
00:43:02to get
00:43:02those hands
00:43:03hurt.
00:43:04Go to
00:43:04the body,
00:43:05you pay
00:43:05a terrible
00:43:06price,
00:43:06but you're
00:43:06nothing.
00:43:09Witherspoon
00:43:10is waiting
00:43:10for a good
00:43:11body punch
00:43:11and that's
00:43:12causing
00:43:12the problem.
00:43:13He misses,
00:43:14now Mercer
00:43:14knows what
00:43:15he's trying
00:43:15to do.
00:43:17Mercer had
00:43:17a chance
00:43:18to fire
00:43:18that uppercut
00:43:19there,
00:43:19but stepped
00:43:19away instead.
00:43:23This is
00:43:24not a
00:43:25debate
00:43:26between
00:43:26two
00:43:27mild
00:43:27political
00:43:28candidates.
00:43:30Okay,
00:43:31break it up,
00:43:31break it up.
00:43:32Each guy
00:43:32is trying
00:43:33to take
00:43:33off the
00:43:34other
00:43:34guy's
00:43:34head
00:43:35and maybe
00:43:36some
00:43:36other
00:43:36piece
00:43:36of
00:43:37his
00:43:37body.
00:43:38Mercer's
00:43:39on an
00:43:39advantage
00:43:39because
00:43:39he's
00:43:40trying
00:43:40to land
00:43:40on a
00:43:42large
00:43:42amount
00:43:42of
00:43:42punching.
00:43:43Willis
00:43:43Porter's
00:43:43looking
00:43:43for
00:43:44one
00:43:44good
00:43:44shot.
00:43:51Witherspoon
00:43:51with a
00:43:52little
00:43:52counter
00:43:52left
00:43:52that
00:43:53landed
00:43:53inside
00:43:53there
00:43:54and
00:43:54then
00:43:54as
00:43:54Mercer
00:43:54tried
00:43:55to
00:43:55come
00:43:55back
00:43:55with
00:43:55accommodation
00:43:56Tepp
00:43:56or
00:43:57terrible
00:43:57Tim
00:43:58Witherspoon
00:43:58landing
00:43:59to the
00:43:59body
00:43:59again.
00:44:03Okay,
00:44:04you gotta go
00:44:05big time
00:44:05now,
00:44:06boy.
00:44:07You gotta
00:44:08go big
00:44:08time.
00:44:09You gotta
00:44:10go big
00:44:10time,
00:44:10you gotta
00:44:11throw punches.
00:44:12When you
00:44:12hit you
00:44:13and you
00:44:13hit him
00:44:13back,
00:44:13hit him
00:44:14back again.
00:44:14Don't let
00:44:15him finish
00:44:15up,
00:44:16Ray.
00:44:18To
00:44:18come back
00:44:19with
00:44:19accommodation,
00:44:19Ted,
00:44:20or terrible
00:44:21Tim
00:44:21Witherspoon
00:44:22landing
00:44:22to the
00:44:23body
00:44:23again.
00:44:27Okay.
00:44:28You gotta
00:44:28go big
00:44:29time
00:44:29now,
00:44:29boy.
00:44:31You gotta
00:44:31go big
00:44:32time.
00:44:32Huh?
00:44:33You gotta
00:44:33go big
00:44:34time,
00:44:34you gotta
00:44:34throw punches.
00:44:35When you
00:44:36hit you
00:44:36and you
00:44:36hit him
00:44:37back,
00:44:37hit him
00:44:37back again.
00:44:38Don't let
00:44:39him finish
00:44:39up,
00:44:39Ray.
00:44:42Don't be
00:44:42afraid to
00:44:42hit him
00:44:43around that
00:44:43body
00:44:43either,
00:44:43man.
00:44:44Okay.
00:44:46Come
00:44:46on.
00:44:48Come
00:44:48on,
00:44:48now you
00:44:49hit him,
00:44:49you and
00:44:50bam bam
00:44:50hit him
00:44:50with the
00:44:51right hand
00:44:51and never
00:44:51came back
00:44:52underneath
00:44:52with the
00:44:52hook.
00:44:53His arm
00:44:54is a
00:44:54little more
00:44:55water.
00:44:56And still
00:44:57to come,
00:44:58this man
00:44:58Andrew
00:44:59Gulotta
00:44:59in his
00:45:00second chance
00:45:01at stardom.
00:45:02He gave
00:45:02the first
00:45:03chance away
00:45:03when that
00:45:05lunatic
00:45:05series of
00:45:06low blows
00:45:06caused him
00:45:07to be
00:45:07disqualified
00:45:08against
00:45:09Riddick
00:45:09Bowe in
00:45:10the fight
00:45:10he was
00:45:11thoroughly
00:45:11dominating.
00:45:12Winning,
00:45:13going away
00:45:13in Madison
00:45:14Square Garden
00:45:15July 11th.
00:45:16A night
00:45:17of potential
00:45:17redemption
00:45:18for both
00:45:19Gulotta
00:45:20and Bowe.
00:45:25Round
00:45:25seven
00:45:26begins.
00:45:28Ray Mercer
00:45:28throwing twice
00:45:29as many
00:45:30jabs as
00:45:30Tim Witherspoon
00:45:31in round
00:45:31number six
00:45:32and through
00:45:33these past
00:45:33few rounds
00:45:34the strategic
00:45:35advantage
00:45:36in the fight
00:45:36he seems
00:45:37to be slipping
00:45:38toward Mercer's
00:45:39side of the
00:45:39table.
00:45:41No doubt
00:45:41about it
00:45:42Mercer's
00:45:42landing
00:45:42the better
00:45:43of the
00:45:43left jab
00:45:45Witherspoon
00:45:45is a punch
00:45:46he's looking
00:45:46for a good
00:45:47overhand right
00:45:47you wait
00:45:48sometimes
00:45:49the fight
00:45:49is over
00:45:49before you
00:45:50land
00:45:52Mercer
00:45:53is more
00:45:53willing
00:45:53to step
00:45:54back now
00:45:54and use
00:45:55that jab
00:45:55do a little
00:45:56bit of
00:45:56boxing
00:45:57I've given
00:45:58him two
00:45:58in the last
00:45:58three rounds
00:46:00good counter
00:46:00left hook
00:46:01there by
00:46:01Tim Witherspoon
00:46:06Witherspoon
00:46:07is being
00:46:07awful conservative
00:46:08as though
00:46:08he think
00:46:09he may get
00:46:10tired
00:46:10so he's
00:46:11holding back
00:46:11a lot
00:46:11of the punches
00:46:12he should be
00:46:14left uppercut
00:46:15by Witherspoon
00:46:15started a
00:46:16combination
00:46:16and Mercer
00:46:17answered
00:46:18with two
00:46:19hard shots
00:46:19of his own
00:46:20his corner
00:46:21told him
00:46:21if he hits
00:46:22you
00:46:22come back
00:46:23not only
00:46:23with one
00:46:23shot
00:46:24but two
00:46:24or three
00:46:24he did
00:46:26as much
00:46:28idea in
00:46:29boxing
00:46:29is to hit
00:46:30the other
00:46:30guy first
00:46:31and to hit
00:46:32him last
00:46:33that's a
00:46:34good strategy
00:46:35that's true
00:46:37but if you
00:46:38stand there
00:46:39after you
00:46:39hit a guy
00:46:40certainly
00:46:40he's going
00:46:40to hit
00:46:40you back
00:46:45okay
00:46:46break it up
00:46:46break it up
00:46:48witherspoon
00:46:48lands a good
00:46:49right hand
00:46:49and he just
00:46:50stays there
00:47:05you see
00:47:06as soon as he lands
00:47:07the right hand
00:47:07Mercer is able
00:47:08to come back
00:47:09with something
00:47:10doesn't move
00:47:14witherspoon throwing
00:47:15fewer and fewer
00:47:16jabs as the fight
00:47:17goes on
00:47:18and since he jabs
00:47:19less and less
00:47:19he lands less
00:47:21to the body
00:47:21as well
00:47:22in the early
00:47:23rounds
00:47:23he was able
00:47:24to pump the jab
00:47:24and then bring
00:47:25combinations
00:47:26left and right
00:47:27to the body
00:47:29I think what
00:47:30caused the problem
00:47:30he was able
00:47:31to land
00:47:31a good right
00:47:32hand to Mercer
00:47:32to shake him
00:47:34and from that
00:47:34point on
00:47:35he thinks
00:47:35I can knock
00:47:35him out
00:47:36anytime I want
00:47:37but it doesn't
00:47:37go like that
00:47:40you've got to
00:47:40earn a knockout
00:47:41by jabbing
00:47:42by the head
00:47:48this is heavyweight
00:47:49fighting
00:47:50that was the best
00:47:55right hand of the
00:47:56night
00:47:56what a great job
00:47:58off of a left jab
00:47:59well both guys
00:48:00have proven their
00:48:01ability to take a
00:48:02punch
00:48:05witherspoon uses
00:48:05that right hand
00:48:06to cover up
00:48:07but you've got to
00:48:08stay close
00:48:08you can't do it
00:48:09from afar
00:48:09off
00:48:10to give the guy
00:48:11like a baseball
00:48:12pitcher
00:48:12he'll come in
00:48:13and whether you
00:48:14cover it up or not
00:48:15he'll hurt you
00:48:15you've got to
00:48:16stay close
00:48:16with that defense
00:48:18because if you do
00:48:19it from far away
00:48:20you can't protect
00:48:21everything
00:48:22and you're making
00:48:22it clear where
00:48:23the target is
00:48:24that's true
00:48:25that's true
00:48:27that's true
00:48:29that's true
00:48:31come on
00:48:32come on
00:48:33this is the eighth
00:48:33round coming up
00:48:33you've got to
00:48:34put it in on
00:48:35if the fight is
00:48:36by the evil
00:48:36so now
00:48:37what you can
00:48:37help out
00:48:37you know
00:48:38by the evil
00:48:38I just want you
00:48:42to win the next
00:48:42re-run
00:48:43okay win the next
00:48:44re-run
00:48:45okay win the next
00:48:46re-run
00:48:48okay
00:48:49all right
00:48:50win the next
00:48:51re-run
00:48:53both of them looking
00:48:55to throw hard punches
00:48:56still
00:48:58left under
00:48:59left
00:49:01uppercut
00:49:02and here's the right
00:49:02hand punch
00:49:04that George called
00:49:05the best
00:49:06Mercer punch
00:49:06of the fight
00:49:07the fight
00:49:08is getting
00:49:09more even
00:49:12in these
00:49:13in these kinds
00:49:14of fights
00:49:15however
00:49:15Mercer has
00:49:16usually fought
00:49:17just good enough
00:49:19to lose
00:49:20and he's had
00:49:21a little bit
00:49:21of a tendency
00:49:22to fade down
00:49:23the stretch
00:49:23and as we've
00:49:24seen Witherspoon
00:49:24coasting just a
00:49:26little bit
00:49:26here in the middle
00:49:27rounds
00:49:27it's possible
00:49:28that Witherspoon
00:49:29is trying to
00:49:31conserve his energy
00:49:31and wait for
00:49:33Mercer to tire
00:49:34Harold Lederman
00:49:35how you got it
00:49:35Jim
00:49:3668
00:49:3765
00:49:385 rounds
00:49:39to 2
00:49:39terrible
00:49:40Tim Witherspoon
00:49:41I just think
00:49:41that he did
00:49:42enough to win
00:49:42that 7th round
00:49:43he landed
00:49:44an awful lot
00:49:44of good power
00:49:45shots
00:49:45he seems to be
00:49:46well in command
00:49:47in his fight
00:49:48if he doesn't
00:49:48blow it
00:49:48in the last 3
00:49:49I think
00:49:49Ray Mercer
00:49:50should really
00:49:50open up
00:49:51like he did
00:49:52in round 4
00:49:52in other words
00:49:53show us a lot
00:49:54more
00:49:54get a lot
00:49:55busier
00:49:55and impress
00:49:55the judges
00:49:56so far
00:49:57I like the
00:49:57power punching
00:49:58of Tim Witherspoon
00:49:582 guys
00:49:59fighting on a dime
00:50:00in a phone booth
00:50:01I have it
00:50:024 rounds
00:50:02to 3
00:50:06for Witherspoon
00:50:06and Witherspoon
00:50:09Corner
00:50:09for the first time
00:50:10told him to go out
00:50:11and win
00:50:11the next couple
00:50:12of rounds
00:50:12so they know
00:50:14that hey
00:50:14he could probably
00:50:15be behind
00:50:16on some of the
00:50:17judges
00:50:18scorecards
00:50:18and they don't
00:50:19want to see
00:50:19Mercer have
00:50:20any more
00:50:20of a chance
00:50:21to seize
00:50:21the momentum
00:50:22advantage
00:50:22in the fight
00:50:24Mercer is really
00:50:25doing the best
00:50:26if you ask me
00:50:26he's been
00:50:27doing better
00:50:27all night
00:50:29Will this
00:50:29going to have
00:50:30a chance
00:50:30to finish him
00:50:31and let him
00:50:31off the hook
00:50:39Mercer the
00:50:40avid fisherman
00:50:41trying to land
00:50:42the biggest fish
00:50:43of his boxing
00:50:44career here
00:50:45and most of
00:50:47not only
00:50:47punching harder
00:50:48he's boxing
00:50:50and moving
00:50:51he's boxing
00:50:52showing some footwork
00:50:52for the first time
00:50:55yeah well wonders
00:50:56never cease
00:50:58it's truly amazing
00:50:59that those body
00:51:01punches seem to have
00:51:02absolutely no effect
00:51:03on him
00:51:08well he came out
00:51:09of the army
00:51:09and he is in many
00:51:11ways a tank
00:51:20cracking the right hand
00:51:21to the side
00:51:22of Mercer's head
00:51:24that's what he's been
00:51:25doing all night
00:51:26cracking the right hand
00:51:27but never coming back
00:51:28with a good left hook
00:51:29just depending on one shot
00:51:31every now and then
00:51:38he's in the right hand
00:51:39that has the right hand
00:51:39but he's in not
00:51:40no position to come back
00:51:42with anything
00:51:45okay Greg
00:51:46Greg, Greg, Greg, Greg
00:51:48watch
00:51:48watch those points
00:51:49on the other hand
00:51:50Mercer throwing
00:51:51fewer punches
00:51:52this round
00:51:53than in the
00:51:54two preceding rounds
00:51:55and we've told you
00:51:56about his tendency
00:51:57to tire in the late rounds
00:51:58this has been
00:51:59a grueling fight
00:52:03both of these fighters
00:52:04have five kids
00:52:05both of them
00:52:06are going to need
00:52:07a lot of tender
00:52:08loving care
00:52:09for a while
00:52:10after this one
00:52:12and you saw Mercer
00:52:13landing two close
00:52:14in shots there
00:52:15before Tony Perez
00:52:16pulled him apart
00:52:17Mercer's been able
00:52:18to do so well
00:52:19in fights
00:52:20seldom he's able
00:52:21to find out
00:52:21how to wing him
00:52:22he needs a trainer
00:52:23to teach him
00:52:23how to wing him
00:52:24well he thinks
00:52:25he's got that man
00:52:26now in Tommy Parks
00:52:28and he'll find out
00:52:29in these next four rounds
00:52:31when last we took you
00:52:32to Riddick Bowe's
00:52:33locker room
00:52:34he was getting a briefing
00:52:35from referee
00:52:36Eddie Cotton
00:52:36and New Jersey State
00:52:38Athletic Commission
00:52:39Chairman Larry Hazard
00:52:40on rules interpretations
00:52:41for tonight's fight
00:52:42now you see Bowe
00:52:44warming up
00:52:45and only beginning
00:52:46to break a sweat
00:52:47as we look forward
00:52:49to our main event
00:52:50Bowe Galata 2
00:52:53and let me just clarify
00:52:55I said four more rounds
00:52:56of Mercer Witherspoon
00:52:57that's a reflex
00:52:58but a wrong one
00:52:59this bout is scheduled
00:53:00for ten rounds
00:53:01not twelve
00:53:02so there are only
00:53:04two remaining
00:53:05want some more?
00:53:07here
00:53:07come on
00:53:08Ray, Ray
00:53:08just your jab
00:53:10your jab is too good
00:53:11for him
00:53:13every time
00:53:13don't look around
00:53:14every time
00:53:15you get close to him
00:53:21you gotta go bro
00:53:28Tim Witherspoon
00:53:29came into this fight
00:53:30hoping to do something
00:53:32nobody else had done
00:53:33which was to stop
00:53:34Mercer
00:53:35in order to force
00:53:37one of the top
00:53:38heavyweights
00:53:38into a fight
00:53:39right now
00:53:40they've settled
00:53:41for a half point
00:53:42victory
00:53:44in round eight
00:53:45five punched at numbers
00:53:47Mercer out through
00:53:48and out landed
00:53:49Witherspoon
00:53:50you can see that
00:53:51Harold Letterman
00:53:51gave Mercer the round
00:53:53so the bout
00:53:54gets a little bit closer
00:53:56at least in terms
00:53:57of the way
00:53:57our scorers
00:53:59are viewing it
00:54:01Witherspoon
00:54:02should now
00:54:02stop going to the body
00:54:03and try to get
00:54:04this guy out of here
00:54:05keep your punches
00:54:06he's up now
00:54:12okay
00:54:12Ray Mercer's
00:54:16last five fights
00:54:17have gone the distance
00:54:18six of the last seven
00:54:19so if we go all the way
00:54:21to the belt
00:54:21at the end of round ten
00:54:22that'll be no surprise
00:54:23in context of Mercer's
00:54:24career
00:54:27Mercer's doing an excellent
00:54:28job of boxing
00:54:28when Kim Witherspoon
00:54:29want to fight
00:54:30he box
00:54:41if you're looking
00:54:42across the ring
00:54:43you can spot
00:54:43Evander Holyfield
00:54:45seated with his
00:54:46good buddy
00:54:47Donald Trump
00:54:50we expect to have
00:54:51a chance to chat
00:54:52with Evander
00:54:54in the time
00:54:54between now
00:54:55and the main event
00:54:56Bogolata too
00:55:02Mercer for the first
00:55:03time took advice
00:55:04he started with
00:55:05a lead right hand
00:55:06his corner turning
00:55:07then about midway
00:55:08through the fight
00:55:09lead with the right hand
00:55:14suddenly Witherspoon
00:55:15produces a flurry
00:55:16reminiscent of what
00:55:17he was doing in rounds
00:55:18one and two
00:55:24and Mercer says
00:55:25well let me show you
00:55:26one of my combinations
00:55:30Mercer's doing a better
00:55:31job of throwing
00:55:31combination
00:55:32Witherspoon
00:55:32throw the right hand
00:55:34and look
00:55:35throw the left hand
00:55:36and look
00:55:42Witherspoon spitting
00:55:43blood out of his nose
00:55:44as he backs away
00:55:45okay
00:55:50good left hook
00:55:50by Mercer
00:55:52kind of a hook or cut
00:55:53come on
00:55:54let me say
00:55:54let me say
00:55:54push a word out of that
00:55:55there you go
00:56:00come on
00:56:01let me say
00:56:02come on
00:56:05let me say
00:56:06push a word out of that
00:56:07there you go
00:56:09yeah
00:56:09good
00:56:10connects in there
00:56:10to the body
00:56:11by Witherspoon
00:56:12Landed four punches in a row. Make it five.
00:56:15Tony Perez says, no, no, I'm trying to break you up.
00:56:18Don't sneak that right hand over the top.
00:56:33Last round, Tim.
00:56:35Take this one, and we got the fight.
00:56:37Worked good.
00:56:38Last round, baby. Last round.
00:56:40Last round.
00:56:41He did good that round. He looked good.
00:56:45Keep hitting that body. You look good when you come off the body.
00:56:50Just bend your knee. Bend your knee and hit him back, okay?
00:56:53You bend your knee to the right hand over the top of your head.
00:56:55Just bend like that and punch.
00:56:56Okay. Come on, baby.
00:56:57Hit him first, man, so we never hit you back.
00:57:01Okay.
00:57:03Let me rest up.
00:57:04Huh?
00:57:04Let me rest up.
00:57:06That's right.
00:57:07Stay tight, man.
00:57:12Punch the entire round.
00:57:14Punch the entire round, you're right.
00:57:15If you don't, he'll take off like that one.
00:57:17An interesting comment in Witherspoon's corner, I thought, George.
00:57:22Someone said, keep punching the body.
00:57:24It looks good.
00:57:26Very often, body punches are ignored, but these big swings chopping at the body are so clear
00:57:34and graphic that Witherspoon probably is getting credit for them.
00:57:40Probably.
00:57:45Harold, quickly, your score as we go into the final round.
00:57:48Larry, 87, 84, six rounds to three.
00:57:51Terrible Tim Witherspoon.
00:57:52Some way or another, I just get turned off by a guy laying all over another guy.
00:57:56And in the last couple of rounds, Ray Mercer's laying all over him.
00:57:59Break it up.
00:58:00I have it five rounds to four for Witherspoon.
00:58:07Well, Mercer's opening up again now.
00:58:10No time to kill.
00:58:12Round ten.
00:58:13That's round, fellas.
00:58:14Time to play whatever hand you've got.
00:58:16And both fighters have come out a little bit more aggressively here in the final stanza.
00:58:20I saw that once you had both of you.
00:58:22Watch your heads, okay?
00:58:27No, no, no, no.
00:58:29No, no, no, no, no, no.
00:58:32Boy, that referee is in good shape.
00:58:39Looks like two NFL linemen lumbering down the field.
00:58:46But, boy, they're just going at each other.
00:58:50And if I had a hat, I would sure tip it to them.
00:58:53You don't often see this.
00:58:54Well, we had a tough fight to score last Friday night in Reno
00:58:58between Montel Griffin and James Toney.
00:59:00And I get the sense that this could be a tough fight to score also.
00:59:04George Foreman seems to see it a little bit differently, for instance,
00:59:07than does our Harold Letterman.
00:59:09Three judges at ringside trying to figure out who's gotten the better of whom
00:59:13in a pitched battle between Ray Mercer and Tim Witherspoon.
00:59:16With a lot at stake, the winner can look forward to at least another big paycheck or two
00:59:22in the heavyweight division.
00:59:23Both expressed a desire to get the winner of the Bo Gallata match.
00:59:28That'll depend on circumstances beyond their control.
00:59:32Ray Mercer has done an excellent job in this fight.
00:59:34If he can avoid being knocked out, I can't see the judges going against him
00:59:37because he's been the aggressor.
00:59:39And when he's had to, he's shown a better left jab.
00:59:42But who am I?
00:59:44With a screen
00:59:45without waiting for a big shot for most of this fight.
00:59:49He landed a couple of good ones, but not enough in my book.
00:59:53Come on, break yourself up.
00:59:55With a screen had the edge in activity
00:59:58and certainly in punching accuracy through the early stages of the fight.
01:00:02No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
01:00:02But he slowed his pace.
01:00:04And Mercer tried a couple of tactical wrinkles
01:00:06that seemed to help him as he went along.
01:00:24And for the seventh time in his last eight fights,
01:00:28Ray Mercer goes all the way to the final bell.
01:00:31My eyes tell me this is as even a fight as you could see.
01:00:37I'd be very happy with the draw
01:00:39and maybe everybody else would.
01:00:40I would too.
01:00:42Well, history tells you,
01:00:43history tells you that Ray Mercer loses a close decision.
01:00:46Yeah, my scorecard gives it to Witherspoon by a tick.
01:00:49Let's see if history is borne out here.
01:00:53Hey, me.
01:00:54I'll tell you later.
01:00:57Come here.
01:00:59I know I have to come in.
01:01:00I'm up in debt.
01:01:01Hey, somebody.
01:01:02Come in.
01:01:02Come in.
01:01:03Come in.
01:01:04Come in.
01:01:04Come in.
01:01:05Come in.
01:01:06The end of the file of what happened in the ring.
01:01:09Our independent punch counters from CompuBox.
01:01:13Finding Witherspoon landing.
01:01:1525 more blows.
01:01:16The edge was all in power punches
01:01:18because Mercer landed more jabs.
01:01:21Mercer throwing 57 more punches.
01:01:23They both landed at a high percentage.
01:01:26Mercer's edge in jabs accelerated as the fight went on.
01:01:30He threw more, landed more.
01:01:32They both landed at a very high percentage.
01:01:34Like I said, George, pretty tough fight to score.
01:01:36I wouldn't want to be a judge.
01:01:37You know not about it.
01:01:38Not in this fight because they were both good fighters.
01:01:41Both gave a good show.
01:01:42And they both did their thing.
01:01:43I mean, Mercer showed you some resolute will, some power punching,
01:01:48a little of his newfound boxing skill late in his career.
01:01:52Witherspoon showed you that unorthodox style, his willingness to go to the body,
01:01:56the sneaky overhand right, his ability to counterpunch.
01:01:59So there was something there to be said for both guys.
01:02:02Both guys did well as far as I'm concerned.
01:02:04Witherspoon looked great.
01:02:05And, of course, Mercer did Greek.
01:02:12All right.
01:02:13Settle the suspense.
01:02:14Let's go off to Michael Buffer for the official decision.
01:02:17Ladies and gentlemen, courtesy of Caesars Atlantic City,
01:02:21we go to the scorecards.
01:02:25Paul Vandy scores the belt 97 to 93.
01:02:28Calvin Claxton scores it 97 to 91.
01:02:33And Joseph Pasquale scores the belt 97 to 93.
01:02:37For the winner by unanimous decision,
01:02:41Merciless Ray Mercer.
01:02:55So, Ray Mercer's luck finally changes.
01:03:00In just the kind of fight in which he has lost close decisions,
01:03:05including earlier this year to Lennox Lewis,
01:03:08Mercer finally gets the nod from the judges,
01:03:11as he did from our George Foreman at ringside,
01:03:14and ekes out a unanimous decision over Tim Witherspoon.
01:03:18And you might see it at this moment
01:03:20as the biggest win of Ray Mercer's career.
01:03:2797-93, 97-91, 97-93.
01:03:31A pretty solid win by those judges' numbers for Mercer.
01:03:35Let's go to Larry Merchant in the ring.
01:03:37Okay, Ray Mercer, congratulations.
01:03:39This is the kind of fight you usually lose.
01:03:43What was the difference?
01:03:44I think this time, um...
01:03:47Well, I say this time, me and Tim, Tim is a world-class fighter.
01:03:52I think he's number one out there,
01:03:53and I think I beat the best tonight.
01:03:55And it wasn't easy.
01:03:56I just had to keep him from throwing his combination
01:03:58to get fired up.
01:03:59And that's what I had to do.
01:04:00I was doing wrong in the early rounds,
01:04:01but not coming back.
01:04:02He had a hella fired right hand,
01:04:04and I've never been hit like that before.
01:04:06Tim, you seem stunned by the decision at the end.
01:04:09What was your reaction, and why?
01:04:12Well, you know, I won the fight, clearly.
01:04:14You know?
01:04:17I wasn't really stunned,
01:04:20because, you know, like I said,
01:04:22I'm conditioned for this type of thing.
01:04:25I beat the man clearly.
01:04:26Was he the toughest guy you have fought in such a long time?
01:04:30Actually, it was easy.
01:04:31It was easy.
01:04:33A lot of them shots he's thrown, I blocked him.
01:04:36You know?
01:04:37I won the fight.
01:04:38I'm happy because I'm happy with my performance.
01:04:40I won the fight.
01:04:41Tell me, would you guys do it again?
01:04:44I won't ask you if you'd like to do it again,
01:04:46but would you do it again?
01:04:48Of course.
01:04:48Of course we'd do it again.
01:04:49I mean, we gave the people what they want.
01:04:50This right here is the best fight of the night, right here.
01:04:52I won the fight.
01:04:54Like I said, I'm conditioned for controversy.
01:04:57I go back to the dorm board just to do the same thing over again.
01:05:00I'm not unhappy because I won the fight.
01:05:03Let's do it again.
01:05:04I was singing the same old song two fights ago,
01:05:06and I know exactly how it feels.
01:05:07I'm just glad God Almighty was on my side tonight.
01:05:10I trained hard for it, and I got it.
01:05:11We want fights in the world.
01:05:12That's his problem.
01:05:13All right.
01:05:13Thank you very much, fellas.
01:05:15Back to you, Jim and George.
01:05:16All right.
01:05:17Thanks very much.
01:05:18Well, that shouldn't hurt Witherspoon all that much,
01:05:20because that was a heck of an effort by him as well.
01:05:22But I think we both got to feel good for Ray Mercer
01:05:24that his luck finally changed.
01:05:25Finally, things changed for Ray Mercer.
01:05:27He gave it all he had.
01:05:28He was the aggressor.
01:05:29He even started to jab and move.
01:05:31How could a judge not vote for Ray Mercer tonight?
01:05:33He did great.
01:05:34Witherspoon did excellent also, though.
01:05:36I think it says something very nice about boxing fans, too,
01:05:39that Mercer could go three years without winning a fight
01:05:41and still maintain enough appeal to be in an event like this.
01:05:44Yeah.
01:05:44He's finally learned not only how to do good, but win some.
01:05:47So congratulations to Ray and to his trainer, Tommy Farks.
01:05:50All right.
01:05:51Let's turn our attention now to the main event once again
01:05:54and get ready for Andrew Gulotta's second shot at stardom
01:05:57against Riddick Bowe.
01:05:59Once again, they first met on the evening of July 11,
01:06:03an ill-fated night in Madison Square Garden.
01:06:05And from a technical standpoint,
01:06:07here's what happened in that fight.
01:06:09Early on, Andrew Gulotta proved his ability
01:06:12to take away Riddick Bowe's jab, Bowe's primary weapon.
01:06:16Gulotta constantly doubling up on the jab
01:06:18and then following behind it with power punches
01:06:20through the early rounds,
01:06:22Bowe became tentative
01:06:23and was unable to throw his own punches in combination
01:06:26as Gulotta continued to land consistently.
01:06:29Gulotta also used a subtle technique
01:06:31to take away one of Bowe's best punches,
01:06:33his right uppercut.
01:06:35The uppercut that had done so much damage
01:06:36in the two wins over Evander Holyfield
01:06:39was scarcely an evidence tonight
01:06:40as Gulotta would step inside
01:06:42and then turn his shoulder toward Bowe
01:06:44and place himself in a sideways position
01:06:46to nullify the uppercut.
01:06:48But in round four, after a couple of warnings,
01:06:52the first deducted point for a low blow.
01:06:55And then there would be another such deduction
01:06:57two rounds later in round number six
01:07:00as Gulotta, despite his dominance,
01:07:02saw his technique get ragged
01:07:04and his body punches continued to wander low.
01:07:07And a third point was finally deducted in round seven.
01:07:10And toward the end of round seven,
01:07:12as Gulotta rallied and attempted to knock Bowe out.
01:07:1518 chances to mark Bowe as the winner of a round.
01:07:18That only happened three times.
01:07:21There were situations where points were deducted
01:07:24from Gulotta,
01:07:25and that might have produced even rounds
01:07:26or a round where Bowe appeared to be on top.
01:07:29But in fact, take away those point deductions,
01:07:31he only won three rounds on the judges' scorecards.
01:07:35And now it's our privilege to talk with the man
01:07:37who re-established himself in the eyes of so many
01:07:39as the main man in the heavyweight division
01:07:42with his tremendous victory over Mike Tyson last month.
01:07:45We're talking, of course, about Evander Holyfield.
01:07:47And Champ, welcome once again to TVKO.
01:07:51Evander, a lot of people have talked about
01:07:54what you might do in the future.
01:07:56And there's strong discussion about the possibility,
01:07:58of course, of a rematch with Tyson.
01:08:00Report in the New York Daily News
01:08:01just a few days ago that your lawyer, Jim Thomas,
01:08:04was negotiating with Don King
01:08:06and was close to an agreement
01:08:07which would bring about that rematch.
01:08:08What do you know, and what do you think?
01:08:11Yeah, I made a decision to fight again.
01:08:14I'm going to fight the year 1997 now,
01:08:16and my lawyer is talking to Don King.
01:08:19Ain't nothing concrete.
01:08:21I'm just looking to fight the three best fighters.
01:08:25Well, if you take the Tyson fight next as the rematch,
01:08:28you're obviously accommodating public demand
01:08:30and also taking what would appear to be
01:08:32the biggest paycheck.
01:08:33Are those the two best reasons to do it?
01:08:36Well, yeah, one of the best reasons.
01:08:38You know, I was given the opportunity.
01:08:39I'm willing to get the opportunity back
01:08:41and to show the people it wasn't a fluke.
01:08:44I could do it again.
01:08:45And 1997 is a glorious year for me.
01:08:48You say you want to fight
01:08:49the three other best fighters in the division.
01:08:52Who else besides Tyson does that mean?
01:08:54Well, Michael Moore and Reddit Bo.
01:08:57Both of them fighters are a good fighter.
01:09:00Michael Moore is a champion,
01:09:01and Reddit Bo is proven to be a worthy challenge
01:09:05as well as Lennox Lewis.
01:09:07We'll come back to the subject of Bo in a minute.
01:09:08So, Lewis does possibly fit into the picture?
01:09:11No doubt.
01:09:11You know, Lennox Lewis is a guy that a lot of people don't fight,
01:09:14and I don't mind fighting him either.
01:09:16What about Galata if he beats Bo tonight?
01:09:19Well, you know, I'm not looking forward to fighting in a young fight.
01:09:21I'm looking to fight the guys that are already established.
01:09:24And, you know, I really don't establish myself.
01:09:27So, I need to fight the guys that have always already been champions.
01:09:33I don't need to go back and start fighting young guys.
01:09:35How do you see the fight tonight?
01:09:36I mean, a lot of people believe
01:09:38that Galata was so thoroughly dominant the first time around
01:09:40that regardless of the fact that Riddick's going to be in better shape
01:09:43from a second time,
01:09:59from a style standpoint,
01:10:04it shouldn't look any different.
01:10:06You see it different than that?
01:10:07Well, there's no doubt it would be a good fight.
01:10:10Bo have more skills,
01:10:12but I think the termination factor is Galata is aggressive attitude.
01:10:17It's a bold fight to the best of his ability.
01:10:19You know, something can change,
01:10:21but, you know, at this point in time,
01:10:23there's no doubt everything kind of favored Galata.
01:10:27Have you settled down from the thrill of winning the biggest victory of your career?
01:10:30Are you still a little bit on cloud nine, Evander?
01:10:32Well, you know, I'm not surprised.
01:10:34I'm happy, and I appreciate it,
01:10:37but I, you know,
01:10:39there's just another fight to be in,
01:10:40and I think it's just,
01:10:42just let everybody know that everything is possible.
01:10:44You can't really never count anybody out.
01:10:47Professional attitude from one of the great professionals in the history of the sport.
01:10:50Thank you very much.
01:10:51Let's get ready for the main event.
01:10:53Go upstairs once again to Nick Charles.
01:10:55Well, Jim Lampley,
01:10:56whomever Evander Olifield fights next,
01:10:58he will be well supported and obviously well paid.
01:11:01Thanks.
01:11:02Coming up next,
01:11:02what we all came to see tonight,
01:11:04whether Riddick Bowe can redeem himself,
01:11:06or if Andrew Galata can keep his punch.
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