Brewster vs. Liakovich Post-Fight Analysis

It’s about to go down and I realize Lamon has a new pressure on him. The expectancy of a big knockout; so many individuals are expecting big things of him since he has hooked up with Buddy McGirt. The hopes of the boxing world are on his shoulders to bring boxing back into a credible light. A sense of order…

I sit back and the words echo… the last time they had a fight in Cleveland, Coetzee defeated Michael Dokes. I wonder if Dokes was rockin’ the cornrows back then.

The interviewer, a female, “agrees” with me more than Jim Grey… She’s at least respectful of the fighters

Lamon’s key to victory, according to Al Bernstein… “Land the left hook” Liakhovich? “Don’t get hit with the left hook.” Good ideas?

Liakhovich’s walk to the ring appears indifferent… when he enters the ring, he appears… indifferent.

Lamon heads to the ring and appears determined. He looks troubled when he steps into the ring… not scared… just troubled as if stressed and about to snap.

The introductions… “The White Wolf” stands still, you wonder why he is sweating. He doesn’t acknowledge the crowd by raising his hands… nothing

Brewster… with the Joe Louis t-shirt on… army fatigue get-up. What’s going on? His body doesn’t appear ready for battle… and I have to say I am a little surprised. I push the thought back.

Round 1
Brewster with a few good bombs – Liakhovich shooting with quick shots… depends on what you like. I can’t quite get my bearings cuz Liakhovich is better than expected for some reason. Draw.

Round 2
Nice pull back and come over the jab with the right by Lamon… reminds the Wolf to try the same. I can see Buddy’s teachings. Bell… again, nothing decisive. The Wolf answers back with the same stuff Lamon does. Like “if it works for you, it’ll work for me.” Lamon’s round.

Round 3
Liakovitch was the busier of the two fighters. Nice jab. And that right hook to the body is a pain. Wolf’s round.

Round 4
The thought comes to my mind that as many jabs as a fighter sees coming his way in his life, why doesn’t he block and defend against them? There is nothing tricky about a jab. Wolf round… but all Brewster has to do is jab and bring some heat. Get busier.

Round 5
Brewster hurt The Wolf… round ends early with Lamon against the ropes… Brewster’s round.  Controversial. Brewster not hurt but winded. I think ref has a personal liking of Lamon by giving time to the “Relentless” one after he slowed the onslaught.

Round 6
I begin moving my head defensively for the fighters as the action gets hotter… DAMN!!! This is a fight. There is no excuse for not being in the best condition possible… Lamon’s right eye swells. Brewster buzzed the Wolf at the end but the Wolf was much busier. Wolf’s round.

Round 7
DAMN!!! The Wolf hits the deck… Lamon’s round. Weldon wonders why Liakhovich doesn’t listen, but he doesn’t listen to anyone… even the ref. Brewster’s round.

Round 8
Don’t like that right hand to the body Brewster keeps getting hit with…  why doesn’t he adapt to that? I think Wolf is taking the easy way out by trading with Brewster. It is much harder to fight a disciplined fight than to just do what you feel. Even round, possibly to Liakovitch.

Round 9
Brewster gets rocked with an overhand right on the top/back of the head. The worst shot to get to get hit with. Brewster really hurt. Lack of conditioning won’t help him recover. Wolf round.

Round 10
Relatively uneventful. You can lose a fight for many reasons… not being in condition is not a good one. The one thing about a fight that you can control is your own ability to not get tired, and if you can’t do that you’re not giving yourself a good chance of winning. Wolf round

Round 11
Wolf bouncing like the first round. Hurts Brewster and gets distance to give himself time.  Wolf’s round.

Round 12
Buddy tells him he will pull the plug if Brewster takes too many shots. Brewster needs a KO. Didn’t get it… Wolf’s round.

Final Analysis
Was it Cus D’Amato that said “fatigue makes cowards of us all,” or was it Lombardi? Either way, fatigue didn’t make Lamon a coward… the man has incredible heart, BUT, fatigue definitely leveled the playing field. He let the Wolf into the fight from the start by not preparing to his utmost. He couldn’t do everything he was taught and everything he needed to do because of the fatigue. . Even if they give this fight to Brew, (that says much about the state of boxing, that I would even say that) he will not be the same. You can only go to the well but so many times. He has to train to the point were he doesn’t have to go to the well.

I hope Brew has a rematch clause; this is a winnable fight for him… They give the win to Liakhovich and he deserved it. What an amazing fight… I am aggravated by Albert and Bernstein calling the Wolf “Layovitch” throughout the fight… Even if they were pronouncing it right, that isn’t how it is spelled on paper.

Found out that this was Brewster’s last fight under his agreement with Don King… So King still has a champ and if Lamon wants the rematch, he’s going to have to re-sign with Don. For Lamon, it is back to the drawing board. This fight was won in the gym. Lamon’s endurance was low… once he got winded he never seemed to recover and the fact that something inside him told him he wasn’t in the best condition effected how he fought this fight, and come to think of it EVERY FIGHT he has. That’s gotta change if he wants this.

There was a saying my father always used to tell me when I growing up: “If you hurt a good fighter, you better get him out, cuz when he comes back his vengeance will be ferocious.” We saw what happened. Liakhovich is a nice fighter… a lot of heart and personable. My first time seeing him and he has quick hands… I would want to see him again, but I don’t know how much of it was him and how much of it was the fact that Lamon again didn’t perform up to his ability. But, this is the Wolf’s time. He throws a lot of punches and has great conditioning. He will get his piece of the pie and he deserves it.

For the fight fan, that fight was a bonanza! Excitement from the opening bell and drama to spare being that they both were hurt during the fight and they both kept missing the big shots by millimeters. Doesn’t get much better than that. Just think if you were a guy and watching boxing for the first time with your father? That memory is going to stay with you forever.