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Nate Miller defends the WBA Cruiserweight Title against Brian Laspada on FOX.
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00:00MAD-TV won't be seen tonight, but will return next week at its regular time.
00:04Now stay tuned for a Fox Sports special presentation.
00:15Miami, Florida.
00:17Miles of Sun Street beaches mark this year-round tropical playground.
00:21A culturally diverse community, modern-day Miami is home to the fast-paced, beautiful set.
00:29But Miami possesses some boxing history all its own.
00:33Not too long ago, this vacation hotspot was home to the quintessential prizefighter's haven,
00:38the legendary Fifth Street Gym.
00:41That gym is no longer standing, but many of boxing's greatest graced the streets of Miami,
00:47along with one other man.
00:49His name, Cassius Clay.
00:51Later becoming Muhammad Ali, Miami was his personal training ground.
00:57As for action inside the ring, Miami was also the site of what many consider one of the greatest bouts
01:03ever,
01:03the classic championship battle between Alexis Arguello and Aaron Pryor.
01:09Miami is now home to a different stock of fighters, but the tradition continues.
01:14As tonight, Fox Sports is proud to bring you another edition in our Saturday Night Fight Series,
01:19live from Miami, Florida.
01:44Miami's numerous waterways and less tropical landscapes combine to form one of the more picturesque cities in the world.
01:51And with warm tropical breezes, Miami's nightlife is a year-round festival.
01:56Add to that a strong Latin influence, and Miami exudes a unique charm, rich in culture, and a glow with
02:02a passion for life.
02:03And with an active and growing fan base, the city of Miami is proud to claim as its own the
02:10NBA's Miami Heat,
02:11and competing in the NHL, the Florida Panthers.
02:18In a setting more closely associated with surfing or even a tanning competition,
02:23the Heat and the Panthers entertain the home crowd in this facility, the Miami Arena.
02:28But tonight, it's not the frozen pond or hardwood occupying the arena.
02:33It's Bash Boulevard, as Miller Lite is proud to present the third installment of Fox Sports' Saturday Night Fights,
02:40live from Miami, Florida.
02:42And hello, everyone, and welcome to the Miami Arena.
02:45I'm James Brown.
02:46Well, we've got what appears to be a competitive card scheduled for you this evening,
02:50featuring a WBA Cruiserweight title fight,
02:53as Nate Miller defends his belt for the second time tonight facing challenger Brian LaSpottom.
02:58And in our main event, the former WBC heavyweight champion,
03:02Oliver McCall continues on the road back to what he hopes will result in a championship opportunity.
03:08Tonight, he'll face a very confident youngster by the name of James Stanton.
03:13Right now, Fox's Eric Clemens is standing by with the former champion.
03:16Eric?
03:17All right, JB, thank you very much.
03:18And the former champ looks about ready to go right now.
03:21Oliver, a week ago tonight, you saw the belt you used to hold.
03:24Change hands, Frank Brunon looking too good against Mike Tyson and losing that belt.
03:29And you know that could have been, or maybe even you feel it should have been you.
03:32How have you coped with that disappointment enough tonight?
03:34Well, I cope with it very well.
03:36You'll see the night.
03:37I'm ready to go.
03:40You'll see.
03:41All right.
03:41Now, how about what you have to do?
03:43Now, you're going to have to wait a little while to get another shot at the title belt.
03:45You want the shot at Tyson.
03:47How are you coping with that?
03:48Well, like I tell them, I'm willing to fight Tyson for nothing.
03:53All right.
03:54I told you, he was ready to go.
03:56Let's go back upstairs to James Brown.
03:58JB?
03:58All right, Eric, and we can only assume that he is ready to go
04:01because Oliver McCall is usually quite loquacious.
04:04He's focused for tonight's match.
04:05All right, as mentioned earlier, our first fight will showcase the WBA Cruiserweight Champion,
04:10Nate Mr. Miller.
04:11With 23 KOs and his 27 victories, Miller unquestionably has knockout power.
04:19Introducing the WBA Cruiserweight Champion of the World, Nate, Mr. Miller.
04:38Oh, a nice right hand inside.
04:44Gagarin really turned to the right hand that time.
04:49Blows up the right hand and picks right hand.
04:52Crashes to the jaw.
04:53Uppercut land.
04:54Back coming in to the right.
04:57And still champion, Nate, Mr. Miller.
05:07And as you take a look at Nate Miller, the book on him, not flashy, but he is tough and
05:12talented.
05:12Good boxing skills, but is most effective fighting toe-to-toe and loves to work the body.
05:18And the guys who will have the ringside view of the body works will be calling the action tonight.
05:23Let's join now Barry Tompkins and the irrepressible Bobby Chaz.
05:27All right, thanks very much, Chevy.
05:28Well, the Cruiserweight division, an interesting division, historically has been just something of a way stop for fighters on their
05:34way up from the 175-pound limit of the light heavyweight division
05:37and to the richer coffers of the heavyweight division.
05:40But right now, when you look at the champions in the cruiserweight division, they are guys who seem pretty content.
05:46Content to fight as champions in a lesserweight division, if you will.
05:50The IBF champion, Alfred Cole.
05:52The man we're going to be watching in just a moment.
05:54The WBA title holder, Nate Miller.
05:56And the WBC title holder, Anaclet Wamba.
05:59Not too many people here in the States know much about him.
06:01He's been fighting predominantly in Europe, but he has held his title four and a half years.
06:05That is longer than any other title holder at any weight division.
06:09Bobby, you've gone through this same route.
06:12Started as a light heavyweight champion.
06:13You were the cruiserweight champion.
06:15Now you're going for the heavyweight title.
06:16Let's talk a little bit about Nate Miller.
06:18He is a guy who seems to be content right where he is.
06:21Well, you know, he's content where he is.
06:22He's a little big man.
06:24Cruiserweight division is kind of a junior heavyweight division.
06:26They're all subdivisions.
06:27The old straight weights of the old days are gone.
06:29There are subdivisions everywhere.
06:30This is this little big man, the small heavyweights.
06:33Today, they grow him too big, Barry.
06:35They've got to have a breaker.
06:36If there's a rap on Nate Miller, it's that he gets a little bit lazy,
06:39especially toward the middle rounds, and he doesn't do very well with boxers.
06:42And what he's got tonight is a boxer.
06:44He's got a pure boxer.
06:45Brian Lespata is going to move, move, move, use the jab and try and lull Nate Miller to sleep.
06:49And that's what happens to him sometimes.
06:51He gets lulled to sleep and he loses the decision.
06:53One of the raps on Nate Miller, he's an underachiever.
06:55He says, no, I'm a businessman.
06:57He said, I've seen too many Philadelphia fighters get beat up in the gym.
07:00I'm not going to do that.
07:01Well, you know what?
07:02You've got to praise that for his work ethic, not overworking in the gym,
07:05but you've got to work, fight time, and this is fight time.
07:08He may be an underachiever here, and that he can't stand.
07:10And he looks to be all business, as you can see.
07:12So Miller versus Lespata, this for the WBA Cruiserweight Championship.
07:17It's all coming up on the other side of this.
07:35Fox Saturday Night Fights are brought to you by Miller Lite.
07:39When you've got the great taste of an ice-cold Miller Lite, life is good.
07:52City of Miami, as we welcome the Blockbuster Video Blimp and its crew to tonight's telecast.
07:57Piloting the Blockbuster Blimp tonight, Captain Terry Dillard from just across the state in Orlando, Florida.
08:08So we come to our first fight of the evening.
08:11There's the battle for the WBA Cruiserweight Championship.
08:13Nate Miller and Brian Lespata.
08:16Nate Miller, of course, is the title holder.
08:19Lespata looking to take a big step up and do what he can about beating a guy who he feels
08:25is eminently beatable.
08:26Let's take a look at the tail of the tape.
08:29But Miller at 32 years old and Lespata, of course, nine years younger than Miller.
08:34Miller listed at 6'2".
08:35And I'll tell you what, if he's 6'2", then I can dunk a basketball.
08:38Lespata at 6'3", and I believe that he is 6'3".
08:41Miller does have a little bit of a reach advantage and a slight weight advantage.
08:45And that is the story of the tail of the tape in this fight.
08:48Let's take a look at the WBA rules.
08:50There will not be a standing eight count.
08:52The three knockdown rule is in effect.
08:54Only the referee can stop the fight.
08:56And a fighter could not be saved by the bell in any round with the exception.
08:59Of the last round.
09:01And with that, let's get up to the center of the ring now and meet the participants with the ring
09:05announcer, Jimmy Lennon Jr.
09:07Jimmy.
09:09Ladies and gentlemen, a very good evening to you.
09:11And we welcome you to the Miami Arena here in beautiful Miami, Florida.
09:16As we have a big night of action coming your way.
09:18And it's all brought to you by Dawn King Productions and Miller Lite.
09:24At this time, we present one of our world championship featured attractions.
09:28It is sectioned by the World Boxing Association, President Gilberto Mendoza, Supervisor Jorge Klee.
09:36Along with the Florida State Athletic Commission, the chairman is Alvin Goodman, Executive Director Don Hazleton.
09:41Introducing to you the judges for this bout, Jorge Constantino, Jay Cassis, and Ernesto Magana.
09:51Introducing our referee in charge of this bout, we have Bill Connors.
09:57All right, fans, here we go with the WBA Cruiserweight Championship of the World scheduled for 12 rounds of boxing.
10:06Introducing to you first the challenger on my left, fighting out of the blue corner.
10:11He is wearing light blue trunks, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Buffalo, New York.
10:18He weighed in at 187 pounds, with a record of 26 wins, two losses, and one draw.
10:26He has 12 wins, coming by way of knockout.
10:30Tonight, making his first attempt at a world title.
10:33Introducing the WBA number five ranked Cruiserweight contender.
10:37Here is Brian Lightning LaSpada.
10:46And his opponent across the ring on my right.
10:49He's standing out of the red corner and is the defending world champion.
10:54He is wearing dark blue trunks with gold trim and hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
11:01He weighed in at 188 and one quarter pounds, with a record of 27 wins and four losses.
11:09He has 23 wins, coming by way of knockout.
11:13Tonight, he is making the second defensiveest title.
11:16Here is the defending WBA Cruiserweight champion of the world, Nate, Mr. Miller.
11:29Once again, a referee in charge.
11:31Now to give instructions, Bill LaConnor.
11:33Back on, Mike.
11:35Do your time, man.
11:36Do your time, man.
11:50All right, we both went on.
11:51We all went on an instruction in the dressing room now.
11:54I want to obey my commands at all times in here.
11:56Both of you guys have got your trunks real high here, okay?
11:59So anything on the borderline, I'll make the decisions.
12:02I don't want to hear anything from the corners.
12:04Is that understood?
12:05Okay, does anybody have any questions over here?
12:08Any questions over here?
12:10All right, keep it clean.
12:12Touch gloves.
12:12Good luck to both of you.
12:16So we're set to go on our first fight of the evening.
12:18And Brian LaSpada feels that the first few rounds are going to be very important.
12:22Nick Miller says he's a runner, and if he runs, I'm going to get mad.
12:27Well, I'll tell you what.
12:28Brian LaSpada is a runner.
12:29That's what he does.
12:30He tries to get his opponents frustrated, confused, uses his jab.
12:33You can already see his feet are almost in a running position.
12:35Of course, LaSpada doesn't look at it that way.
12:37He says jab, move, give him angles.
12:40Don't be there to be hit.
12:41Muhammad Ali won his World Title.
12:42That would hit and not get hit.
12:43Jab, move, stick and move.
12:44Only this is not Ali caliber fighting.
12:47It just isn't.
12:49And it'll be Miller's job, of course, to cut the rig.
12:52Good body puncher.
12:54Very important for LaSpada, according to his people, not to get into a brawl with Miller.
12:58They don't argue that Miller's the stronger of the two.
13:03So even though he's a boxer, and he's a mover, and he's not a big puncher, he has to make
13:07his punches sting.
13:08He has to make them count.
13:09It has to be accurate if he's going to get his pound of flesh.
13:11Arnato, walk right through him.
13:12He's not a big puncher, but he's not a bad finisher.
13:15The way he's won, when he's won by knockouts, it's just one kick block.
13:18A quick right hand from Miller, and down goes LaSpada.
13:21Exactly the kind of start that he absolutely did not want.
13:25Brian LaSpada said he was going to be maybe a little too nervous, a little too jumpy, a little
13:29too jittery.
13:29You can never tell how the pressure will affect a young guy stepping up.
13:32Right now, he's not stepping up well.
13:35Looked like a flash knockdown, and it did not appear that he was really hurt.
13:41Although, I have to say, his legs did not look real sturdy right at the moment.
13:44They didn't look real sturdy when they came in.
13:46They were in a retreat mode from the start, and this is not a fight that, you know, it's
13:51not a fight that's going to be real colorful and real pretty.
13:53It's going to be ugly.
13:55And he just cannot afford to get into a ball with Nate Miller.
14:00Now what he has to do is hold on when Nate gets close and get on his bicycle when Nate's
14:03far away.
14:04Keep him at range.
14:05Use the jab.
14:06Move.
14:06Get himself okay.
14:08I don't know if his head's clear.
14:09I'm not sure what kind of punch he takes, but that wasn't a real big right hand.
14:18Does show the semblance of a pretty good jab.
14:21Regular.
14:24The one thing that he did tell us yesterday when he spoke to him was that he had to get
14:27Nate Miller's respect early, and he certainly has not done that.
14:30No, you see, when he jabs, it's not a jab that's meant to get anybody's attention.
14:35It's just a jab that's meant to keep you off, and it's not going to work.
14:38That's not going to get anybody's respect or even get their attention.
14:53Nice body shot and a good right hand again.
14:55Backs LaSpada up, although LaSpada will back up willingly.
14:59You know what, Nate should use his jab too.
15:01He doesn't need to just counter punch with the big shots.
15:03He's clearly a little stronger.
15:04Step in behind his jab.
15:05Dig a couple body shots and come up and see what happens.
15:08Well, LaSpada's legs buckled again from not such a great right hand.
15:12That's a slip.
15:15I'll tell you, LaSpada still looks a little rubber-like to me.
15:20There was a reasonable attempt at a right hand, but still, nothing clean from LaSpada.
15:26Well, it appears he is going to get through the first round.
15:31And we're going to take you into the corner, Brian LaSpada.
15:35See what kind of sage advice.
15:38He's got some Roger Mayweather, his trainer.
15:40Stay close, bud.
15:41You know what I'm going to do?
15:42Put some water on his head.
15:43Give me a towel.
15:45Give me a towel.
15:47Look how far I'm going to floor.
15:50What a bucket.
15:51What a bucket.
15:53Spit.
15:54We'll take a look at that knockdown.
15:56Again, this is a nice clean right hand, but it's not a real big right hand.
16:00You know, his feet weren't planted.
16:02It wasn't a big powerhouse shot.
16:03You look at it again.
16:05It's not simply a grazing shot, but not a big shot.
16:09LaSpada's leaning backwards and just kind of goes with the punch to the floor.
16:12His eyes don't look dazed.
16:13They're glazed over.
16:14Here you'll see it one more time, slow motion.
16:16He just steps in with it.
16:18Nice clean right hand, but not a big, big shot.
16:20That's a punch that shouldn't put a man fighting for the light heavyweight world title, excuse me, cruiserweight world title
16:24down.
16:26Nate Miller had that look of disbelief on his face, actually, that LaSpada went down from that punch.
16:32We start the second round.
16:33LaSpada's going to have to get back to a game plan here.
16:35Miller's done a good job of cutting the ring on him.
16:41I think Nate's even giving him a little too much respect there, watching his punches, looking to block him.
16:47This is the kind of guy that, at least with my style, I would just walk right to him and
16:50beat on him and make it a war of attrition, in which case LaSpada can't win.
16:54Well, and Miller has done that.
16:56His last fight against Ronaldo Jimenez, he did walk right through him and he beat him up to the body.
17:05Another spot is boasted about sporting with guys like Tommy Morrison and this one and that one, but you know
17:09what?
17:10With a headgear and 18-ounce gloves, it's a whole different ballgame.
17:15Inexplicably different if you haven't done it.
17:17And he was talking about the fact.
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