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Undefeated US Olympic Gold Medalist Ray Mercer faces Ossie Ocasio in a Heavyweight fight on Top Rank PPV Boxing. Plus an interview with Thomas Hearns.
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00:01There's a look at the beautiful
00:02Mirage and 16,000 people are
00:05virtually all packed in here now
00:06as we await Leonard Duran three
00:09and now let's go to our host Jim
00:11Hill.
00:13Okay Tim thank you so very much.
00:14You know one of the things that
00:15the fans here the six and a
00:17rising star he will take on
00:18Ozzy Acasio who's a former
00:20cruiserweight boxing champion
00:22it's a heavyweight bump and
00:23coming up right now so let's go
00:24back once again to Tim Ryan at
00:25ringside.
00:26Tim.
00:27Thank you Jim.
00:28We're about ready to go with the
00:30heavyweights and celebrity packed
00:32audiences ready to see this gold
00:35medalist merciless Ray Mercer
00:37against Ozzy Acasio and like his
00:40teammate Andrew Maynard Mercer
00:42stepping up in class against a
00:43very experienced boxer.
00:45Now Mercer is 28 years of age an
00:47army boxer that's why a little
00:49along in years getting started in
00:51the pros but his opponent Ozzy
00:53Acasio is a former cruiserweight
00:55champion of the world.
00:56For the ring introductions.
00:57Let's go to Michael Buffer.
01:00But his opponent Ozzy Acasio is a
01:03former cruiserweight champion of
01:04the world.
01:05For the ring introductions.
01:06Let's go to Michael Buffer.
01:12The referee for this contest is Mills Lane.
01:18Introducing first fighting out of the red
01:20corner.
01:21He's wearing the white trunks with black
01:23trim and weighed in at an even 227 pounds.
01:26He's from Carolina and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
01:29His professional record, an excellent one.
01:32He's from Carolina and San Juan.
01:37He's from Carolina and San Juan.
01:54He's from Jacksonville, Florida.
01:57Now fighting out of Essex County, New Jersey.
01:59His professional record, 11-0, nine KOs.
02:03He's the 1988 Olympic gold medal champion in this heavyweight division.
02:09Ladies and gentlemen, Merciless Ray Mercer.
02:15All right, you guys, here we go.
02:16Ray Mercer, an 11-0, nine knockouts.
02:21And Ozzy Acasio will get their final instructions from referee Mills Lane for
02:26this bout.
02:27Here we go.
02:27Acasio hasn't come out to the center of the ring as yet.
02:30Okay now, we've already been through the instructions.
02:32Now I don't want to laugh with you guys, but I say great step back.
02:35Protect yourself at all times.
02:37Let's get it on.
02:38Come on.
02:40I was going to say they had Acasio all bundled up, which is a very smart thing to do, but
02:45the one thing that I've noticed about Acasio, former cruiserweight champion of the world.
02:49He's not a cruiserweight now, Tim, 227.
02:52I think that's why they had him covered up, Gil.
02:54They didn't want to show this body until they had to.
02:57227 pounds, and he's got tree trunks for legs.
03:0133 years of age now, but he's had a lot of experience.
03:04He fought Larry Holmes for the heavyweight championship of the world.
03:07He's been in against Holyfield, and he has wins over Kevin Isaac and Jimmy Young and Dwight
03:12Quawey.
03:12So for Ray Mercer, despite whatever condition Ozzy Acasio is in at age 33, this is a good
03:19test for Ray Mercer stepping up to such an experienced fighter.
03:24Now, Acasio is a cutie, you know.
03:26I like the weight.
03:28I like the weight on Mercer, you know.
03:30That's a good weight.
03:31210.
03:31He should be a lot quicker than him and beat him to the punch.
03:3428-year-old Olympic champion, Ray Mercer coming in at 210.
03:38His last outing, he went eight rounds, winning a decision over Jerry Jones.
03:42He was not impressive.
03:43He was unhappy himself.
03:44He had knocked out nine previous opponents and then had to go the distance against an
03:49opponent that he figured to beat easily.
03:53He said he's gone back to the drawing board, worked on the fundamentals, things we talked
03:57about during the Andrew Maynard fight.
03:59Well, Tim, what happened to Ray Mercer in that fight, you know, these guys had knocked
04:02everybody out in a round.
04:04This guy kept him around for a while and he really got tired late in the fight.
04:10Well, this is the best that I see Ray Mercer look as far as weight.
04:13I don't know what his last weight was, but he looks very chum, he looks in better shape
04:17than what it was the last time.
04:19Well, Tim probably fits him very well.
04:20You've heard of Einstein, Marvin?
04:24We're not talking about the middleweight Einstein.
04:26No.
04:27It's the theory of relativity.
04:28I mean, he looks like he's in good shape.
04:30Maybe it's because the other guys are a little out of shape.
04:32Well, you know, it always works.
04:35But this Ocasio, you can never tell what Ocasio's going to do.
04:38He's a cutie.
04:41Slip and slide.
04:43The key is going to be the first time Mercer really nails him.
04:46to see what happens.
04:50I'm surprised to see Ocasio still around myself.
04:53But this is a great comeback for him if you beat a guy like Mercer.
04:56You know, Ocasio's been around Marvin at least 10 years than I know of,
04:59but he's only had 30 professional fights.
05:02So he's not a guy that's been banged around very much.
05:05Well, he still looks good facialized, but I'm not talking too early, I hope.
05:11We're in the first round, scheduled for eight, heavyweights.
05:15Ray Mercer, and they've locked with gold trim.
05:17Ocasio, Ocasio, and White.
05:18Well, you can see from the first fight, these guys here, they're being more fundamental.
05:23They're jabbing, they go onto the body, they go onto the head.
05:26This is what you call a good fight.
05:28And I love the heavyweight fights myself, because when they fall, they make a big boom.
05:32Yeah.
05:36Under 30 seconds we go in the first round.
05:40Temperature is noticeably cooler now here.
05:42Outside of the Mirage, left hook landed by Ocasio.
05:45Got Mercer's attention.
05:47Well, Mercer was looking at the ground.
05:48He's looking at his belly or something.
05:50And that's when Ocasio snuck that quick one in there.
05:55There again.
05:56There it is again.
05:58He's catching him with quick punches, he's catching Mercer with.
06:01Mercer's probably think he's got an easy night tonight, and this guy is speedy.
06:06Round number one as we watch Ray Mercer return to his corner.
06:12And don't forget, reason you're watching.
06:15Leonard Duran three, Uno Mas upcoming.
06:21Following another heavyweight bout, Tommy Morrison and Ken LaCosta.
06:24And there is Roberto Duran, the WBC middleweight champion.
06:28He came in at 158 pounds today.
06:30Just arriving here at the Mirage and going to his dressing room quarters.
06:34Yeah, get your hands on his side.
06:35Prepare for the big meta hit.
06:37Okay.
06:37Okay, and keep that right hand up.
06:38That's when you got caught with that hook.
06:39Okay.
06:42All right.
06:43Pick up the intensity.
06:44But off the jab.
06:45Off the jab, drop that right hand.
06:46Work the bite a little more.
06:48But more punches, more vision.
06:49I know.
06:50Upper cup up the middle.
06:51All right.
07:07And Tim, Ocasio did not sit down between rounds.
07:10I just don't like that at all.
07:11I like to have my guy sit down so I can get his attention, let him get that little rest.
07:16But I guess everybody's doing their own thing.
07:18Also, Gil, you know, I've seen Ocasio come back to looking right at Mercy with a smile
07:22on his face.
07:24I think he's trying to, he's ready to fight with Ocasio.
07:27He's catching Mercy with those quick punches.
07:29Well, he scored the first round for Ocasio.
07:32Close one, but he had the edge with some more effective scoring punches in our view.
07:38The left.
07:39He's, he's, he's a lot quicker than many Mercy up to this point.
07:43He manages to get in there to all those quick flurries and tie it, tie Mercy up.
07:47Mercy's gonna, looking for that big bomb.
07:49But where's Mercy's eyes?
07:50His eyes don't seem to be right in his opponent's face.
07:53He's looking at his body and his head is straight up when he's throwing his punches.
07:57That's dangerous.
08:00Trying to use his strength now against Ocasio.
08:04I think that's the proper way to do it.
08:06Mercy should try to bulldog him.
08:09And a good combination by Ocasio getting the right down the middle.
08:13And the speed.
08:14I'm amazed at the weight that this Ocasio is wearing.
08:16And he's beating Mercy to the punch.
08:23Mercy is not moving his head at all.
08:25And those are the reason why he's getting caught with those quick punches.
08:30Ray Mercer his 12th professional bout.
08:34Won 85 amateur bouts.
08:36Losing only 6 on Rupert's Olympic gold medal.
08:38And a great career as an army boxer.
08:41You know, so far, Mercy was going with a lot of big punches too.
08:44He's just stalking, stalking, waiting for that one big punch.
08:48And then meanwhile, Ocasio was out hustling him.
08:50Exactly.
08:51His head is too still.
08:52He's not moving his head.
08:54He's waiting for Ocasio.
08:55He's waiting for Ocasio.
08:55And he's getting caught with a punch.
08:56And Ocasio ties him up.
08:58He waits.
08:58He's just seen right now that he can't get off.
09:02A little tight.
09:05Well, again, I'm waiting for that big bomb of Mercy's.
09:08And if he doesn't hurt Ocasio with a big bomb, he's in a lot of trouble.
09:12Ocasio has one thing in his favor.
09:14He's been in there with the big boys before, like Larry Holmes and all.
09:19You see him using the shoulder of Ocasio.
09:20He's turning away from the right hand.
09:22He's very sifting.
09:23And he's smiling at Mercy.
09:25He's getting away from the right hand.
09:27He's turning.
09:27Turning with the punch.
09:31Marvin Hagler, Gil Clancy with Tim Ryan.
09:33Live from the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas.
09:36This huge fight card opening this beautiful new facility.
09:41If I was Mercy, I'd put my head down a little lower, other than Ocasio, and work that body.
09:46Because he's all fat around the body.
09:48That slows him down.
09:49That slows punching power down.
09:51But Mercy has landed more solid punches in this round.
09:56Final seconds of round two scheduled for eight.
09:59But Mercy's getting hit with shots he shouldn't be getting hit with.
10:02He's getting hit too high.
10:03That's good.
10:07Horacio Ocasio off to a good start.
10:11And Ray Mercer, like his teammate Andrew Maynard, perhaps a little frustrated early on trying
10:16to make an impression.
10:28I want you to put more pressure on this guy at work.
10:32I know he's not in the condition, but you've got to make him work.
10:40Your right hand, straight right hand to the body at work.
10:42Keep your left hand up.
10:43Keep your right hand up until you want it.
10:46Well, in the dressing room of Sugar Ray Leonard with Andrew Maynard now having completed
10:50his night's work, Ray Leonard can concentrate on his own bout.
10:53Starting to loosen up in preparation for Uno Mas, Leonard Duran 3, our main event tonight.
11:00You know, when I was fighting, one thing that I hated to do was to have the cameramen watching me
11:05a while.
11:05I know that.
11:06You often didn't let them in.
11:07Exactly.
11:08Right, because my opponent is watching too.
11:10Yeah, but we always got a picture with the door.
11:12Of the door.
11:12With the name, Hagel on the door.
11:16And Ocasio starts out this round with a couple of good combinations.
11:19You know, on my point, I gave Ocasio really a very...
11:22The first two rounds, I would say a draw.
11:24I give it even.
11:25I give it even.
11:26I had Ocasio winning the first and Mercer the second, so that's, I guess, a draw.
11:32Round three scheduled for eight.
11:35The old lane apparently asking Ocasio to watch him hold it.
11:39And in Mercer's corner, they told him to put pressure on Ocasio, try to tire him out.
11:45That would hurt right there.
11:46That would hurt right there.
11:46He caught him with a nice right hand.
11:48But now Mercer must go back to keeping the head down while he's throwing his punches.
11:52Finish up his combinations with his head down.
11:56Being the old veteran that he is, Ocasio did punch back, trying to take some of that...
12:00Well, he did stop him.
12:02He did stop Mercer for throwing more punches.
12:07Very crafty.
12:08But I believe right now, Ocasio looks a little tired.
12:10But where is there?
12:11It's time to come on right now in this round.
12:13Well, he's carrying that extra weight there, Ma'am.
12:15You see him shaking the arm.
12:16He's getting a little heavy.
12:19Again, for those of you not familiar with Ocasio, he was a cruiserweight champion.
12:23190 pounds.
12:24And, of course, is now up at 227 and is now 33 years of age.
12:30See the experience, the cuteness that Gil fancy described.
12:33But, of course, stamina has to be entrusted here.
12:36It's getting nailed now, though, Tim.
12:37I think Mercer's starting to get mad now.
12:40It's time to go to work.
12:42It's time to go to work.
12:45Ray Mercer unhappy with his last outing.
12:47An eight-round decision over Jerry Jones.
12:50Wanting to do better here tonight on this very big night in Las Vegas.
12:56Well, he's not conversating on the crowd out here.
12:59He's working right on Ocasio.
13:00And you can see, he's eyeballing him right down.
13:04And he moved to Ocasio and makes him watch it.
13:06Well, Mills Lane's almost got nailed by Mercer that time.
13:11Mills takes a pretty good punch, though.
13:12I've seen him hit before.
13:14He's in great shape, but referee Mills Lane from Maine, Nevada.
13:18Ray Mercer now living in Essex County, New Jersey.
13:2128 years of age.
13:23Set on a course.
13:25He hopes he'll bring him to, eventually, a title battle with Mike Tyson.
13:29Mike, his teammate Andrew Nader, on the Olympic team.
13:32Still in the learning process.
13:33You know, Tim, Mercer keeps stalking Ocasio over stalking.
13:37I know those guys in the corner are staying sane themselves.
13:41Get off.
13:41Get off.
13:42Put two punches together.
13:43And he just seems to be stalking, stalking, waiting, waiting.
13:47Well, maybe, you know, Mercer is probably giving this guy a little respect,
13:50because he must know a little bit about him.
13:51And this is a big fight for Mercer, I would say.
14:00You know, most of the people from San Juan, Puerto Rico, this is the way they fight.
14:03They're very stupid.
14:05So, now, we're in through three rounds.
14:10Here at the Mirage in Las Vegas, Nevada, scheduled 4-8.
14:14Ray Mercer and Ocasio.
14:16Big breath.
14:18Heavyweight battle, and there's Ray Mercer.
14:21The jab is working, but you've got to turn their right hand right underneath.
14:24Turn it right under.
14:25As soon as you turn it right under, come by with the hook.
14:26On the inside, the right hand right up the middle.
14:29You've got to do more.
14:30You've got to do enough punching.
14:32More punching.
14:33You've got to make this turkey work so we can get him out of there later.
14:39Those instructions are simple.
14:40Make him work so I can get him out of there later.
14:50Okay.
14:53Okay.
14:55Okay.
14:56Okay.
14:57Okay.
15:00So, we're into round number four, scheduled 4-8.
15:04This will be followed by another heavyweight bout.
15:07Young Tommy Duke Morrison against Canadian Ken Lacusta.
15:10And then the big one, Leonard Duran 3.
15:15Mark, you mentioned that Mercer doesn't move his head.
15:17He just comes straight in.
15:18Straight in.
15:19Straight in line.
15:20And he's vulnerable for a straight right hand because his head is not moving.
15:23Even when he's body punching, you can guarantee you, if you would put the coach's eyes and
15:27throw a hook, you would catch him automatically.
15:29That was alright.
15:30That was all right.
15:30That was all right.
15:30That is all right.
15:30That's all right.
15:33There you go again.
15:34You see, Castro kicks him with the overhand right.
15:39Cazio never has been known as much of a puncher.
15:42And Mercer did hurt him with that last punch.
15:44Yeah, but Mercer's getting careless.
15:46His head's straight up as he's throwing his punches.
15:49Cazio tagged Mercer with a good left hook.
15:52Nice right uppercut by, uh, Mercer.
15:56You can come back with the left hook.
15:58all your punches through
16:01you know I think we'll make a trainer out of you
16:04I can just see you in the gym
16:05throw that left hook
16:07I'll be bad I don't have the patience
16:11I think I'll probably beat them up before they go to fight
16:15well if they could beat you then they'd be great fighters
16:17that would be a good test
16:18you know if they could walk out of the gym
16:20I got a guy
16:27I think right now Casio is just basically just using his experience and his skills
16:31well that's what he's doing
16:34you see him backing up, weight bump up goal
16:36that was a good solid lighting out of the body by Mercer
16:38you wonder how much impact these big heavyweights have
16:41when they're wearing 210 pounds
16:44and 200 and something like that
16:45227 pounds
16:46you get hit with a good solid shot
16:48well Mercer is a big bomber
16:50but Casio is smothering him
16:52losing all his experience
16:53look he's on the inside there now
16:55gets that head moving
16:57and this is what
16:58this is what Mercer is not doing
17:00and this is why
17:01Ocasio is sliding away from him
17:05looks to me as if
17:06Ocasio was starting to get a little tired
17:09yes the mouth open
17:10Gell breathing a little more heavily
17:12here on the fourth round
17:13scheduled for eight
17:14a good nice right hand again by Ocasio
17:16because there again
17:17Mercer's head is straight up
17:18now Mills Lane stopping the action
17:20asking for some help
17:22with the trunks
17:22and then he goes ahead
17:25doesn't tell
17:26time out here
17:27make sure that we don't have a lot of embarrassment on national television
17:30well also that was a pretty good strategy
17:32on Gregorio Benitez
17:33but allowed those trunks to slip down
17:35now he's getting a rest
17:37he was tired
17:41look how nice and slowly
17:43Gregorio Benitez is working on those trucks
17:46it's a hard time getting that tape loose
17:48he's going to wind up in about a 10 minute rest period
17:50he realized he's seen occasional start to slide a little bit in that third round
17:54and the warm nose is telling him come on come on come on slow he's going
17:58alright okay now set it up let's go
18:00okay
18:03you know what my trainer would do with
18:06what my trainer would do with grab the back of my trunks right there and put a ribbon on him
18:09just tie a big ball right there
18:11make sure they don't come away
18:14well they got those taped to his body now for the rest of the fight
18:18but that only gives mercy to target to go after
18:20right
18:22he makes the belt line a little higher
18:26fourth round scheduled for eight
18:28if you notice you notice the case you'll come out with a little more pep
18:31you have that risk
18:34I hate to be in the division when I when I take that tape off
18:37let me see that's going to smart a little bit
18:4355 second delay the timeout required to get those trunks a little better anchored
18:53you know in mercy's last fight he fired badly near the end of the fight
18:59well that's the end of round number four
19:01and mercer putting a few more punches together a little more effectively as we pointed out
19:07it looks like lucasio starting to fade a little bit
19:12don't forget ahead after our next heavyweight bout
19:15the wbc super middleweight championship leonard and duran
19:20sugar ray leonard and roberto duran meeting after nine years between bouts
19:25the infamous nomas contest down in new orleans and roberto duran this man has promised everyone that
19:32he will explain exactly what happened that night but soon after victory tonight which he is of course
19:38predicting very impressive win over iran barkley last time out surprising everybody and getting
19:46himself into position to create this mega fight here with sugar ray leonard
19:55mercer starting to jab a little more effectively in the fourth round after really having problems through the first three
20:02you know that nazi ocasi was so cute the bell rang and he came out and he gave mercer a
20:07nice little smile
20:08as a key in the sky and also you know the double left hook
20:13work that with you in the fifth round scheduled for eight mercer has only been past this once that in
20:20his last outing winning an eight round decision stopped everybody within four and won a uh four round
20:25decision in his third professional bout you can know how slippery is you know most of the puerto ricas when
20:32they
20:32fight they they bob and weave they know how to get underneath those punches like that like bonitas you know
20:38bonitas is very good at that the bottom of the room lay on the rope and let you throw your
20:42punches and in time
20:43you get back in inside and you're finished well that's right bonitas used to be great at fighting off the
20:48ropes
20:50and that's what ocasi is going to do now
20:57round five scheduled for eight in ryan with marvelous marvin haggler bill clancy live from the mirage of
21:03las vegas this is the best i've seen ray with his head down because mercy looks good with his head
21:08down
21:08like this and acasio is using every bit of those 227 pounds that is part of those punches you notice
21:16that
21:16he's not backing up they're real busy here there are a lot of punches well let's see how mercy
21:22comes out to see if he gets tired expending all that energy
21:28there was the left hook that said goodbye but he missed it
21:31acasio was real slick he knows that he was coming now he goes back in and it's one of those
21:35punches
21:36because he knows that left hook was coming
21:44nice one thing that i noticed is that acasio is not afraid of mercy at all
21:52okay
22:15if mercy wins this fire will be a great experience
22:18for him because he's in with a real experienced guy who's using all of his experience well i think
22:23that maybe he could be over you know he knows that he's in with a guy who fought these guys
22:29like larry holmes
22:32under the 32nd mark we go in round number five
22:38looks like uh mercy's mouth might be bleeding there i don't know in the inside the slip
22:43a little tired too mob
22:47yeah well you know with a very slippery guy like this he's putting his body weight he's using every tool
22:52that he knows all the experience he knows against this guy who's olympic champion no way he's going
22:57in there and be a fool well that's the end of the fifth ray mercer uh doing most of the
23:03work
23:03in that round and uh fairly effectively but still finding ozzy ogazio a willing participant and uh
23:09hard guy to get the combinations connected inside he's tying you up more than you're not really
23:15comfortable with effectiveness effectiveness because you smother yourself you've got to give yourself
23:20some distance
23:22you keep your distance where you can punch don't fight his fight he's like making you kind of fight his
23:26fight
23:27on that back then when he gets out
23:31you can see uh that mercer has
23:43a number of punches but uh only in that last round was he able to really start to get something
23:50together by being consistent staying in position and throwing a lot of punches and queries
23:55and gill ocasio remains an elusive target despite his 227 pounds elusive and clever he smothers punches
24:02he grabs you he pushes uh mercer back all right yeah i've already figured out this strategy what
24:10the cops will try to do he's really just trying to go to distance well either that hoping that he
24:16can
24:16make a big flurry in the last round if mercy starts to run out of gas or first started to
24:21fall asleep
24:23we're in the sixth round scheduled for eight and mercer has only been eight once before
24:29he's only been past four rounds once before in that fight well when you preparation for a
24:35fight like this you know you got to take him past that you didn't see what he has after that
24:40all right all right let him go right down there come on
24:45so he's moving around and everything he showed most of that once before he hit him with it sure
24:51enough in the other way he got he got thumbed as you got thumbed in the eye hope to the
24:56eye and you
24:57saw him a flinch and now he takes a right hand from mercer and ocasio holding on the old veteran
25:03to try to smother those punches here and even get the vision back in his eye you know tim as
25:09i've
25:09said it million times i'd rather a guy get hit with a good solid right hand i feel this fight
25:16thumbed is the worst thing that can happen to me i feel this fight's coming to an end right now
25:20well acasio just landed a good one too with marvel so which way do you mean well i think he's
25:25backing up
25:25now he's backing up and one ocassio ocassio is backing up i think he's backing up now he's getting
25:32rest he's trying to go the distance here and he's making mistakes now his head is starting to come up
25:38old prediction for marvelous marvin haggler but i think ocasio is now able to see all right again
25:46smothering mercer using your weight again this is when you catch him when he backs up like that you
25:52catch him look at him take his time well look at the way mercy just stalks in left right left
25:59right
25:59very very slowly no pep look how low ocassio gets down so they'll get caught well that's that's
26:05experience you know you're taught to always keep your head lower than the other guys inside now now
26:10mercy should shoot it yeah this is the video this is the video we're in the final minute of round
26:16number
26:16six scheduled for eight mercer pouring it on here ocassio resting on the ropes but again mercer having
26:24trouble putting a couple together good right hand to the body by mercy there's a good right hand good
26:31right hand he's so small he's so tricky in their experience
26:36okay i mean mercy should keep working right now push him off and work him easier said than done
26:46law this guy's 227 and cute 227 pounds he's using every bit of that weight nice and ocassio landed a
26:53combination and backs up mercer he's led mercy that is the end of round number six scheduled for eight
27:04and now let's go to our host jim hill okay tim thank you very much a little bit later we
27:09hope to
27:09be talking to thomas the hitman hearns but we have something else for you viewers who are watching on
27:13this pay-per-view channel here's your chance to let your uno mas vote really count who will win
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27:58ends december the 12th tim back to you now okay jim into round number seven scheduled for eight
28:04heavyweights ray mercer in the black trunks with gold trim asio casio from san juan puerto rico in the
28:10white he is the veteran former cruiserweight champion of the world ray mercer 11 and 0 the young
28:16rising heavyweight star from the olympic team and the mill referee mills lane was on ocasio's case he
28:22said come on do a little fighting all right you got your hand free i noticed that mercy really came
28:27at him in the first when the bell rang he saw it's right across the ring this time at him
28:30so i think
28:32acasio he must feel something this must feel that acasio get diet he's tired of being speculated
28:37to put this guy out of there you're making me look bad but it's still that left right mom left
28:41right
28:41left right left right there just isn't any change in his footwork doesn't get any angles doesn't look to
28:47set okay well mercy gotta hit him with a right hand like he did just put it in the round
28:52before
28:53casio gets next to the rope catch him in the center of the ring now i see blood on uh
28:59mercy's left eye
29:00right eye i think it's from that head button it just finally opened up
29:07okay okay now feels he feels that he keeps working that he'll probably stop the fight mercy on the cut
29:19nice right to the body to those those heads are clashing pretty good in there now
29:26mercy trying to get the uppercut working inside and again ocasio successful in smothering most of them
29:34he's trying to get rest right now cavio real slick the mercy he must know that he felt he
29:40reached and felt the blood on his eye and most fighters they panic sometimes when they they
29:44see that they're bleeding doesn't appear to be anything serious uh marvin at this point
29:49may be thinking about it well you know when i see it only makes me mad
30:03that's the way he should fight stay low keep your head down and just throw the short quick punches
30:13i'm looking for the big knockout points
30:24and this is the old beneath this trick ocassio's trapped on the ropes but he's landing all the
30:29punches well you know what i'm trying to do is snatch him off the rope snatch him off the rope
30:33put it back
30:33in the center let him go and those lane is on ocassio's case let him go let him go
30:43well they might stop this again until he picks up his cuff gives ocassio more rest
30:55so that's the end of the seventh round ray mercer again doing most of the work
31:02and ocassio choosing to stand between rounds will do so into this final eighth round
31:09it's very similar to andrew maynard's outing so far an easy fight for ray mercer in terms of how
31:16the scoring has gone least the way we see it but again a difficult fight in that he hasn't been
31:22able
31:22to dominate ocassio and from that perspective much more a good learning experience for the young pro
31:30roberto duran looking very relaxed in his dressing room carlos hibbert is handler behind him and
31:35he's preparing the hands for what should be a very dramatic and intriguing bout leonard duran three
31:43uno más
31:45nonosti fiedras being wrapped as we see
31:48final round ray mercer in black with gold trims ocassio and white this to me is going to be
32:02interesting round because ocassio might try to open up this round he could cost him
32:07he's very slick you know mercy if he's sick in there he's showing a little life ocassio he's
32:13dancing moving that head a little more than he had the other rounds he had the last round
32:16but you know he's fighting mostly from memory ocassio uh he only had two fights last year
32:25you have to give him a lot of credit i didn't believe that he would last this one really
32:33nice overhand right by ocassio
32:38now they swinging they want to get this thing over they know it's the last round
32:43mercer got nothing but air on three consecutive swings it's cold to look here
32:47without him the air conditioning in the place yeah we should mention the temperatures uh in the
32:52high 40s here outdoors at the beautiful mirage hotel having its official opening of this bout
33:00solid punches by ray mercer to the body
33:11as you mentioned mercer was going eight rounds which uh again should help him in his career
33:18yes you know uh everybody of course uh expects these guys to just come and knock out every opponent
33:23especially when they do it over the first three or four in their professional career but
33:27uh really is unrealistic the point is that he's now had two eight round bouts he could feel better
33:33about this one than he did the last one because it's been against a very experienced man well
33:37that's what i feel i think that uh mercy needed this kind of a fight he was very experienced he's
33:43been in there with a very shifty guy and he's got to build up his confidence he says he wants
33:48to fight
33:48mike tyson i mean uh he's got to do better than this well again he's going to have to have
33:55a lot more
33:56fights under his belt before he gets in there with tyson guys have been fighting these type of guys
34:01like this and putting them away all right let's get back hey let's get back come on here we go
34:06in the final minute of the bout olympic champion ray mercer former cruiser eight world champion osseo casio
34:22judges galby shirley paul smith and chuck giampa from las vegas will do the scoring in 30 seconds time
34:49this is something i think that uh that mercy is not used to he's backing right to the rope there
34:56you go
34:56at the end of the fight through eight rounds ray mercer and osseo casio heavyweights
35:03they have another heavyweight bout upcoming so for ray mercer it would appear to be his
35:0812th victory as a professional without defeat we'll have the official decision in a moment
35:13and it appeared to me that he got a little better as the fight went on now once he realized
35:17he was in
35:17there against such an experienced guy who was going to use his weight and his guile as
35:22ocassio did successfully and indeed he got a little bit of a nick over the right eye being attended to
35:28by percy richardson there's osseo casio at age 33 a creditable performance here you can see the busier
35:34man was ray mercer and neither boxer having a high percentage of success in landing punches
35:43but for ray mercer uh the career path toward what he hopes will be a title shot against mike tyson
35:49no doubt
35:51has continued here this evening let's go now to our ring announcer michael buffer for the decision
35:56here's the official scoring paul smith scores about 77 75 for ocassio chuck jimple scores about 78 74 for
36:08mercer and doggy shirley scores about 78 74 for the winner by split decision still undefeated
36:17merciless ray mercer well a somewhat surprising split decision for ray mercer and that'll probably
36:26get his attention too as he sees what professional boxing is all about we had him an easy winner
36:33we had him an easy winner but nonetheless he is now 12-0 and let's go once again to our
36:39host jim hill
36:43okay tim thank you so very much and we have something else for you viewers at home or wherever
36:47you're watching this tonight that this is really a great uh great evening of boxing for you and for a
36:51limited time only top rank incorporated is offering this official boxing memorabilia from leonard duran
36:58three from the luna moss warm-ups to the silk satin jackets caps and sweatshirts top rank is offering
37:03these affordable collector's items exclusively to you to order please include your size color and quantity
37:09include a check or money order payable to top rank 860 east twain suite 128-562 las vegas nevada 89109
37:18or call area code 702-739-1503 the official boxing memorabilia from leonard duran three available now
37:26and please wait for about four to six weeks for delivery with me as a man right now who knows
37:32a
37:32great deal about both the fighters in our main event i'm talking about thomas the hitman hearns and
37:35you knocked out one many people thought you should have won the last fight against sugar ray you have
37:41to be sitting at ringside tonight with mixed emotions well yes uh one thing i knocked out one
37:45i defeated the nuts but they have a slight problem there but um this is why i'm here today i'm
37:52here to
37:53watch them to root on the winner whoever the winner i think the winner is going to be i will
37:57root the
37:57winner on this tonight tonight and i'm hoping for a rematch a rematch with either one that i was just
38:02getting ready to ask you what's in line what's next for you well hopefully the rematch well this
38:07is what we're hoping for if not then we have to do something else who do you think will win
38:11tonight
38:12tommy and why i think that really don't you win the fight tonight i think he's a better boxer he's
38:17going to be moving to make it very difficult for duran to get to it but on the other hand
38:21if duran
38:22fight the fight he fought in 1980 and montreal it could be a very different fight roberto has waited
38:27nine long years for this his career has gone up and down could he be a little over anxious um
38:33i think
38:34he's motivated i think the motivation is a big factor in this fight i think uh duran is definitely
38:40motivated for it i think that he's going to go out and put out real hard for this fight what
38:44will be
38:44the key factors early in the early rounds will that tell us anything at all um i think the early
38:49rounds definitely will be in the tone of something i think that one thing you have to realize that
38:53great guy hit a lot in the last fight in the fight with me and his chin may not be
38:57as strong as it
38:58used to be and it may be a possibility that the red could connect and do some damage in other
39:03words
39:03what a lot of people are saying a lot of people are saying that sugar ray could possibly go the
39:06distance and win a decision but it wouldn't surprise them if he was knocked down once or maybe twice
39:10we know if the fight go the distance raylanta will win by decision uh there's no way where they can
39:16lose by decision here at home okay tommy i think we all know what you're talking about thanks for coming
39:22over and good luck to you thank you very much okay thomas the hitman hearns next up another tommy
39:26coming up and another heavyweight bow for you uh ken lacusta will take on tommy uh the duke morrison
39:32he's a relative of the late john wayne he's under
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