Round 3

Results

Muhammad Ali Tko 13 Sam McVey

Official Decison: Scorecards 116-113, 115-115, 115-114 Ali at time of stoppage.

Cox's Comments:McVey has a strong first round landing a hard right to the chest that suprises Ali early. McVey is also on target with two strong hooks. The next three rounds are Ali as he gets his jab working. He circles on his toes, dancing, jabbing, and moving. A hard left hook catches Ali on the chin in the 5th and drops his on his back! Ali is up at 7 but shaken. McVey pins Ali on the ropes, but misses to the head as Ali slips and dodges and forces a clinch to survive the round. In the 6th Ali's strategy is move, move, move. In the 7th Ali earns McVeys respect with a snapping right hand lead to the head that causes the sweat to fly off Sams head. Ali is now keeping the fight in ring center. Rounds 9-12 are typical Ali-Frazier like rounds. Both men are receiving alot of punishment Ali head-hunting, and McVey concentrating on the body. In the 13th Ali catches McVey coming in with a hard right cross to the jaw. Ali sensing he has his man hurt opens up with a torential flurry. McVey goes down! He is up at 9. Another sizzling right lead that Sam does not see has him wobbly. Ref Frank Cappucino stops the fight.

Lennox Lewis W 15 Unanimous Riddick Bowe

Official Decision: 146-137, 144-139, 145-140.

Cox's Comments: Lennox hurts Bowe early in the first with a crushing right hand but is unable to finish him. The second sees viscious exchanges on the inside with Bowe getting the better of it. In the third both men exude caution as the fight becomes a battle of the jabs. Lewis proves to have the better jab on the outside. Riddick has his best round in the 4th. A hard right uppercut on the inside has Lewis hurt. Another right to the head has him in trouble. They fall into a clinch and butt heads. Bowe is cut over his left eye. In the 5th an over-eager Bowe walks into a pulverizing right hand and he folds like an accordian. Bowe pulls himself up at 8. Bowe manages to survive the remaining seconds of the round. There are some good exchanges in the 6th and 7th as both men show the heart and will to win this grudge match. By the 9th round Bowe is visibly tiring from the pace as Lewis turns to hit and run tactics. Lewis is clearly the better boxer from the outside. In the 10th a damaging right cross in combination drops Bowe to the canvas for the second time in the bout. Bowe is up quickly at 4 but dazed. The bell ends the round. Bowe continues to fade in the 11th and 12th as Lewis is content to jab and box his way to a decision. The last few rounds are clutch and grab, hit and run by Lewis. In the 15th a badly tiring Bowe is almost knocked out in the final seconds. This fight was very reminiscent of the Golota-Bowe fights with the difference that Lennox kept his cool and cautious demeanor to earn the win.

Jack Dempsey Ko 4 James J. Corbett

Official Decision: Ref. Dick Young counts out Corbett in the fourth.

Cox's Comments: Dempsey lands a strong combination early in the first that has "Gentleman Jim" in trouble. After that Corbett adjusts and anticipates Dempseys attack well. Corbett displays fine hand speed and boxes superbly in winning the 2nd round. Corbett continues to do well in the 3rd. A perfectly timed right counter momentarily buckles Dempsey mid-way through the round. Dempsey comes out fired up in the fatal fourth. A left hook lands hard by Dempsey. Corbett answers with two sharp jabs but cannot keep the rampaging mauler off of him. A double hook under and over has Corbett wincing in pain. A follow up L-R staggers him. A solid uppercut drops Corbett on his back. Corbett cannot regain his feet. He is counted out.

Sonny Liston Ko 4 George Foreman

Official Decision: Foreman is counted out in 4th by Ref Davey Pearl.

Cox's Comments: R 1)Sonny tries to work his way inside behind his jab and long 84" reach. Sonny lands a hard left hook. George a powerful right. Both men are shaken. They exchange strong jabs. George lands a hammering hook that staggers Sonny before the bell. R 2) Liston lands a hard jab to the nose. George finds the target with a hard right to the head. Sonny is hurt! George traps Sonny on the ropes, his killer instinct has kicked in. The exchange powering hooks to the body. George lands a hard L-R to the head. Sonny blocks a big hook that had goodnight written all over it. George buckles Sonny with a hard right uppercut before the bell. Sonny survives a shellacking in the second round. R 3) George catches Sonny with a smashing uppercut and Sonny is in trouble again. A devastating right drives Sonny to the ropes. Foreman pounds both hands to the body as Sonny covers up. George lands a solid uppercut! Sonny is in serious trouble. George lands a hard right and a hard left to the head. Ref Davey pearl is taking a close look, he might stop the fight. Sonny ducks a huge left hook and forces a clinch. The bell ends further action. R 4) Liston appears to have recovered between rounds. Sonny gets his jab working again early. George appears to be tiring. George is too eager and walks in with his hands down. Lisotn lands a punishing jab. Both men launch left hooks. George misses wildly. A counter-hook by Sonny catches George flush on the chin. A crushing hook! George is wobbled. Liston now turns tiger connecting with a right to the temple and a left hook to the cheek. George is hurt! Sonny lands a hard left jab. Foreman is reeling backwards. Sonny lands a thunderous L-R to the body. Sonny lands another hard left jab that drives George to the ropes. A short clean hook by Sonny catches George flush. Foreman drops like he’s been shot. George tries to get up but cannot beat Davey Pearls count. A magnificent slugfest that had the crowd on its feet!!

Joe Frazier W 15 Unanimous Joe Jeanette

Official Decision:146-141, 147-140, 146-139 Joe Frazier.

Cox's Comments: In the first round Frazier tries to work his way inside but can’t get it done. Jeanette stands Frazier upright with a right uppercut under the jaw. Frazier is trying to walk through Jeanette’s punches. A hard right uppercut catches Frazier and drops him on the seat of his pants. Frazier is up after an 8 count. A huge right is ducked by Frazier before the bell. Jeanette is off too a strong start in the early rounds. A hard combination rattles Frazier in the 2nd. In the 4th Frazier begins to find his rhythm and doubles his hooks to the body. In the 5th a crunching left hook wobbles Jeanette. Hurry Dail 911! Jeanette is hurt! Frazier works Joe J. along the ropes. In the 6th they exchange hard hooks with Frazier getting the better of it. Frazier is bobbing and weaving and putting on the pressure in the middle rounds. Jeanette can’t find his range. By the 10th “Smokin’ Joe Frazier’s body work is beginning to tell. Frazier is clearly the fresher fighter. Frazier is in control by the 12th backing Jeanette up and hammering him with hooks to the body, and occassionally landing to the head as well. In the 13th Frazier lands a crunching left hook that staggers Jeanette across the ring but he won’t go down. Jeanette is saved by the bell in this round. The pace slows the last two rounds as both men tire. There is a lot of clinching, but Frazier keeps up the pressure and continues to land more effectively to the body.

Evander Holyfield W 15 Maj. Larry Holmes

Official Decision: 145-143 Holyfield, 143-143 Even, 144-143 Holyfield.

Cox's Comments: This was a tough close fight all the way and one that was difficult to score. This bout was reminiscent of Holmes-Norton. Holyfield fought in the manner of his second fight with Bowe. It made for a very close fight. Holmes won the first round with his strong left jab. Holyfield took the second with a strong left hook and began to counter-jab Larry effectively. Larry came back and took the third with a snapping right uppercut. A lot of punches were being thrown in the middle rounds with the Holyfield the effective aggressor. Strategically Larry allowed himself to be drawn into the wrong kind of fight and this cost him some close rounds. Larry had one of his best rounds in the 9th keeping Evander at bay with a nice jab and fighting at long range. He should have done more of this. Both fighters took off the tenth as there was a lot of clinching. Holyfield stunned Larry with a hard left hook in the 11th. Evander followed up with a flurry of blows and Larry was in trouble in this round. The 13th saw toe to toe action. Holmes shakes Evander up with a sizzling right uppercut. Later in the round Holyfield hammers Holmes with a strong left hook. In the 15th the fight appears up for grabs to many at ringside. Holyfield moves in and out well against Holmes ala Mike Spinks. Evander lands a nice L-R-L and then slips out of range of Larry’s counters. Larry tries to outmuscle Holyfield inside but Evander is busier. Ref Carlos Padilla seperates the fighters at the bell.

Jim Jeffries Ko 13 Sam Langford

Official Decision: Langford is counted out be Ref Octavio Meyran in 14th round.

Cox's Comments: Sam Langford used to advertise that he would face any man in the world except Jim Jeffries. Now they must fight. Langford started off sharply getting his shots off first. Jeff seems unbothered by Sams blows and is the aggressor from the opening round. A hard uppercut sends Sam reeling backwards in the 2nd. Sam is countering well in the 3rd. In the 4th a hard left hook stuns Sam and he tries to move away. Jeff bulls him to the ropes and goes to work with some strong body punching. In the 5th a hard left hook by Jeffries scores a knockdown. Langford is down on the seat of his pants but is up quickly at 3. Sam is in trouble again in the 6th from a slashing hook and uppercut. Sam recovers in the 7th and has his best round since the 3rd landing two sharp right hand counters. Rounds 8-10 are closely contested with Jeff the aggressor working the body while Sam seeks to find openings for his counters. By the 12th Jeffries superior size and strength is wearing Sam down. Jeff is in excellent shape and the pace is wearing out the smaller Langford. In the final 14th a leaping left hook by Jeff catches Sam flush and drops him flat. He is up at 7. Jeff traps Sam in a neutral corner. A hard uppercut connects solidly. Another upercut turns Langfords legs to rubber. A final damaging hook drops Langford sideways to the canvas. He is counted out by Ref Tommy Thomas.

Joe Louis Tko 2 Harry Wills

Official Decision: Ref Paul Cavalier stops the fight awarding it to Louis.

Cox's Comments: Louis attacks Wills early taking a page from Dempsey’s book the previous round. Louis handspeed is dominant as he rips a hard cross to the jaw, and a hard hook to the body. Joe steps inside with a snapping left jab to the face. Wills realizing what is happening plants his feet and cracks JL with a hard right to the jaw in return. Louis is stunned! Harry lands a left jab to the nose and backs Louis to the ropes. Louis, fighting like Roy Jones Jr. with his back to the ropes, covers up and retaliates with a left hook to the body and to the head. They are thunderous shots. Louis rocks Wills with a smashing right cross which causes him to step back. Louis slams a L-R to the body before the bell. The Brown Bomber comes out like a tiger in the second round. Wills is having difficulty with Louis speed of hand and tries to force a clinch so he can work inside. Louis pushes him away. Louis punishes Wills with a hammering hook to the body. Louis connects weith a staggering right cross to the chin! Another smashing right drives Wills to the ropes. Louis lands a 5 punch flurry to the head and body. Wills is seriously hurt. A crunching left hook makes Wills eyes roll in his head. Wills collapses on the ropes and his life is saved by Ref Paul Cavalier.

Jack Johnson Tko 13 Max Schmeling

Official Decision: Ref Rudy Battle halts the bout in the 13th round and awards it to Johnson.

Cox's Comments:This bout was never in doubt. Johnson took control from the opening bell with his superior speed, strength, and boxing skills. Johnson countered effectively over Schmeling’s pawing left jab with strong right hands. A whistling right uppercut by Johnson deposited Schmeling on the seat of his pants in the 4th. Max was up after a 4 count. Johnson proves once again that quick hands and feet can take one far in this game. Johnson dominates and systematically dismantles an increasingly frustrated Schmeling over the middle and late rounds. The only rounds Max wins are the 9th-11th which Johnson takes off to clown and showboat. By the 13th Johnson decides hios done toying with Schmeling and opens up with wicked uppercuts that stagger the German boxer. A flurry of blows deposit him on the canvas. Max is up at 5. Johnson again opens up with a flurry. He is taking a pasting when Ref Rudy Battle mercifully halts the contest.

Rocky Marciano Ko 13 Gene Tunney

Official Decison: Gene Tunney is counted out by Ref Frank Cappucino.

Cox's Comments:This fight was a lot tougher than many predicted. Rocky started off aggressivley throwing a lot of punches but missing frequently. Rocky stuns Gene in the first round with a hard right to the head. Gene won the third with some nifty boxing. In the 4th Rocky traps Gene near a corner and forces a furious exchange. A hammering right by Rocky at the end of the round has Tunney hurt. Tunney resorts to stick and move tactics the next few rounds. He is scoring more frequently and wins these middle rounds. Rocky is taking a lot of leather but is willing to take to or three to land one of his own. He keeps up the pressure and bangs away at Genes body, arms, shoulders. The fight is very close after 10 rounds with a slight edge to Rocky on 2 of the 3 cards. Tunney actually has his best rounds in the 11th and 12th jabbing and countering effectively. It appears to ringsiders that he may have solved Rocky’s style. But in the 13th Rocky perserveres exploding with a short right to the head. Tunney falls in a heap. He struggles but cannot beat Ref Frank Cappucino's count.

Still Undefeated After 3 Rounds: Muhammad Ali , Jack Dempsey, Joe Frazier, Jim Jeffries, Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Mike Tyson (Bye).

Still Alive: George Foreman, Evander Holyfield , Larry Holmes, Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe, Sonny Liston.

Eliminated With 2 Losses: Sam McVey, James Corbett, Joe Jeanette, Sam Langford, Max Schmeling, Gene Tunney, Harry Wills.

Round 4 Due May 5th

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