00:05Next up, Floyd Mayweather, weighed in at 132 pounds, just a little bit over the 130 pound
00:13limit. Bobby Geepert, his opponent, weighed in at 133. Floyd, for the time being, planning
00:18to campaign as a junior lightweight at 130 pounds, 5-0 early in his professional career.
00:24And some people regard Floyd, Roy, as the best prospect off of the 1996 American Olympic
00:30team. Yeah, I've seen a couple of his fights in the Olympics, and he does look like a very
00:34promising athlete. He's an all-around athlete. I just think he needs to probably work on his
00:38attitude a little bit. Interesting, because he comes from a family of fighters. If any
00:43young fighter should be schooled in the proper mental approach to this, you'd think it'd be
00:47Floyd. Yeah, but, I mean, I don't mean the proper mental approach. I'm just speaking of
00:52the way that sometimes, you know, you have to be a sportsman. You want to set an example.
00:56I don't think all guys look to set that example, and I think Floyd should probably look to set
01:01more of an example some, because he is a good fighter, and many kids will want to be like
01:05Floyd. All right, and there's a look at the opponent, Bobby Geepert, second fight in 29
01:10months. 19 wins, 8 losses, and for most of those 29 months, Geepert's been doing a lot
01:16more electrical work than training or fighting. Roy Jones fought him as an amateur years ago,
01:22and we'll hear more about that in a few minutes. The opponent, Floyd Mayweather,
01:25Grand Rapids, Michigan, nephew of two continuing active professional fighters, Roger Mayweather
01:32and Jeff Mayweather, and his record so far is 5-0 with four KOs. 1996 Olympic bronze medalist
01:41and the first American boxer to defeat a Cuban in the Olympics since Leon Spinks knocked out
01:486-0 Soria back in 1976. Fail of the tape for Floyd Mayweather and Bobby Geepert. You can see the
01:55one-pound weight advantage for Geepert, the four-inch reach advantage for Mayweather.
01:59Eight years difference in age. The rules are the same as those for the last bout. Three knockdown
02:05rule in effect. Saved by the bell in the last round only. Let's go to Michael Buffer for the
02:10introductions.
02:10Ladies and gentlemen, top-ranking Budweiser present a special six-round bout. This is in
02:15the junior lightweight division. The three judges scoring this contest will be Carol Castellano,
02:22Cynthia Ross, and Lou Tabbit. And when the bell rings, your referee in charge of the action,
02:28Joe Cortez. Introducing first, fighting out of the red corner, wearing black, and weighing in
02:35132 pounds. And at 133 pounds, from Turretown, Louisiana, he brings a record of 19 victories,
02:42eight defeats, five KOs. To his credit, ladies and gentlemen, he is Bobby Geepert.
02:51And his opponent, across the ring, fighting out of the blue corner, wearing white trim with black,
02:58weighing 132 pounds. He captured Olympic bronze in 1996, and now has a professional,
03:05his record is 5-0 with four KOs. He comes to us originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan,
03:12but now living and fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Ladies and gentlemen, he is pretty boy,
03:19Floyd Mayweather.
03:26All right.
03:28Anything don't count.
03:31All right.
03:34All right, gentlemen, we went over the rules in the dressing room.
03:39I want a good, clean fight.
03:41I obey my commands at all times, all right? Shake hands, good luck to both.
03:47Floyd Mayweather's father, Floyd Sr., just out of prison about 10 days ago,
03:53is now in a halfway house, back in Grand Rapids, I believe.
03:58Had been imprisoned on a cocaine-related rap.
04:03Floyd Jr. in frequent contact with him while he was in prison, talked to him about fights.
04:09And he'll be joining his camp as soon as a six-week intermediate period is done.
04:16How long ago did you fight Bobby Geepert, Roy?
04:18Back when I was 13 years old.
04:20So that would be 14 years ago?
04:21Yep, exactly.
04:22What do you remember about him?
04:23That he was left-handed.
04:26Guess what? He hasn't changed.
04:30Still is the outlaw.
04:31Geepert said to us yesterday that he wanted to go to Floyd Mayweather's body.
04:34He thinks that's the vulnerability of all superstar young fighters,
04:38is that they probably haven't been tested to the ribcage yet.
04:41That's his plan.
04:42And the vulnerability of guys who haven't fought much
04:45is that they were in the later rounds.
04:50This one's scheduled for six.
04:53Down goes Geepert.
04:55Quick, straight, right-hand punch.
04:58Seems to be aware of what's going on.
05:02Does he want to get up?
05:03Yeah, he wants to get up.
05:04But he shouldn't last much longer now.
05:08I don't think he's ever been caught with a punch like that
05:10since being professional.
05:14A little blood trickling from the left nostril of Bobby Geepert
05:17as Mayweather looks for another opportunity to land the right hand.
05:20Bangs a left to the body.
05:23Geepert now fiddling with the nose
05:25as he tries to get the blood flow to stop.
05:29And Mayweather comes back with rights
05:30and Geepert will go down
05:31and Joe Cortez says that'll do.
05:35One minute, 28 seconds of the first round
05:38or about a minute and a half of the first round,
05:39something like that.
05:41And Floyd Mayweather has yet another quick KO victory.
05:44Come on, sir.
05:46All right, stay on your side.
05:47Come on, sir.
05:49I'll get him up here.
05:51Geepert is hurt.
05:53He's hurt bad.
05:54He got caught with some very sharp punches
05:56by Floyd Mayweather.
05:58Finding out that you can't be a part-time fighter.
06:02No way possible.
06:04He is an apprentice electrician
06:08in Gretna across the river from New Orleans.
06:13To borrow a bad pun from James Brown during our rehearsal,
06:17do you think this shocked the electrician, Geepert?
06:21Yes, it did.
06:23That was the first knockdown.
06:25He's on a quick, straight lead right hand.
06:27You can see that Mayweather has terrific tools
06:34and it's going to be interesting watching him mature.
06:37He's a lightweight now, could grow into a welterweight.
06:43This young man has some ability and he comes from a fighting tradition.
06:49That left to the ear started the end of that.
06:54Geepert is now sitting on a stool as we watch this rerun.
06:59Probably not a great choice for Bobby Geepert to come back to boxing
07:04after near retirement.
07:06Got $3,000 for this.
07:12And he can use it.
07:14That part is good.
07:15Let's go up to Michael Buffer for the official particular.
07:18Ladies and gentlemen, referee Joe Cortez calls a halt at about
07:22at one minute and 30 seconds of the very first round.
07:26The winner by knockout victory.
07:29His record now 6-0, 5 KOs.
07:32He is the pride of the fighting Mayweather's pretty boy, Floyd Mayweather.
07:43Well, JB, he electrocuted him with right hands.
07:48Make no mistake about it, Jim.
07:49He indeed did shock him strong with some very powerful punches.
07:52You know, Floyd Mayweather told all of us that
07:54the one thing he was going to have to work on in the ring
07:57was to tone down his performance, not to be so exuberant.
08:00I think he accomplished that nicely this evening
08:02with a very efficient workmanlike effort
08:04as Floyd Mayweather moves on impressively in that victory over Bobby Geepert.
08:09All right, folks, the main event, of course,
08:11Pernell Whitaker and Oscar de la Hoya
08:13as we take a look inside the locker room at Pernell Whitaker
08:16who still, as Jim Lampley indicated,
08:19maintains a very loosey-goosey approach to things.
08:22But, folks, don't be fooled.
08:23He worked extremely hard to get in shape
08:26and he maintains that he's got legs like he had
08:29some six or seven years ago.
08:31He may need them tonight
08:32as Oscar de la Hoya plans to press the attack.
08:36Other fights coming up on the preliminary bouts this evening
08:39include Paulie Ayala taking on Mr. Lopez
08:43in a bantamweight battle
08:44and then Butterbean Esch,
08:46the man who has developed quite a cult following,
08:48taking on Big Ed White
08:49and Alfonso Sanchez taking on Irish Mickey Ward.
08:54And that, in fact, will be.
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