In Appreciation of: Holyfield Beating Tyson In 1996

Published

12 years ago

February 12, 2013

Lee Wylie

In what was as complete a performance as one could imagine from a seemingly over-the-hill fighter, Evander Holyfield rewrote the script by dismantling Mike Tyson in eleven one-sided rounds at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas on November 9th, 1996.

Considered shot , and with concerns lingering over his health due to a suspected heart condition, many believed Holyfield wouldn’t make it past the second round against Tyson. Had the fight ended in tragedy, which was widely feared because of Evander’s tremendous heart and never say die attitude, there would have been public uproar. It would be no exaggeration to suggest that there was more chance of the sacrificial lamb coming out on top during the slaughter than poor “old” Evander had of avoiding severe punishment at the hands of “The Baddest Man on the Planet”. Anyone who had seen Holyfield’s last two fights (a knockout loss to Riddick Bowe and a lackluster win over former middleweight Bobby Czyz) alongside Tyson’s (demolitions of Frank Bruno and Bruce Seldon inside of three rounds) had every right to believe that while one man should be at the very top of father time’s things to-do list, the other was returning to something like his scintillating best.

Shame on us.

Evander Holyfield’s deconstruction of “Iron” Mike Tyson forever sealed his fate as one of the greatest heavyweights to have ever lived. Though Holyfield gave all credit to God for the victory, his fearlessness, physical strength and immense self-belief were also huge factors in allowing him to triumph against the odds. Holyfield showed no fear whatsoever toward a man who made other heavyweights, far larger than himself, tremble in fear with little more than a passing glance. As high as a 25/1 underdog prior to the fight, Evander Holyfield defeated Mike Tyson not just physically, but psychologically too.

That said, lack of fear alone would not have been enough to get the job done against Mike Tyson. Neither would relying solely on superior physical strength for that matter. Hence, I’d like to highlight many of the understated boxing techniques that Evander Holyfield implemented on that unforgettable night in Vegas. For make no mistake, Tyson’s demise on that night had more to do with Holyfield’s superior craft than it did with anything else.

Before we delve any deeper into the fight, however, I think it’s important to take into acknowledge that Mike Tyson had declined somewhat as a fighter. Although it was never really mentioned at the time, looking back, I think it’s clear that Tyson was no longer operating on the same offensive or defensive level as he was under the tutelage of Kevin Rooney. Not only had the angular attacks in combination gone missing, but also the pre-emptive head movement as he was looking to get closer to his opponent. During his prime under Rooney (1985-1988) Tyson’s defense as he was advancing, which consisted of slips and double slips to the outside and inside of his opponent’s jabs and straights, allowed him to set up hard counters with either hand. Without Rooney is his corner, Tyson had become a little one dimensional, resulting in predictable straight line attacks that lacked creativity or thought.

Nevertheless, let’s not take anything away from Evander Holyfield. Mike Tyson was still generally considered the best heavyweight in the world at the time as his hand speed and explosiveness –still way above average for a heavyweight- as well as his concussive punching power were usually enough for him to come out on top against most opposition not going by the name of Evander Holyfield.

Although I’m personally of the opinion that by the time Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield squared off, Tyson had all but forgotten about using his defense to set up his offense, he still frequently employed one of the many early signature attacks that were taught to him during the days of Cus D’Amato and Kevin Rooney. As Tyson looked to bridge the gap between himself and his opponent, he would often throw a half jab (jab feint) to create an opening for an overhand right or right cross –a variation on the cross counter.

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Here’s a young Mike Tyson performing one of his signature attacks. As Tyson looks to enter into punching range, he performs a half jab followed by an overhand right. Here, Tyson’s non-committal, distance closing half jab has drawn out a response and created a perfect opening for his right hand over the top of his opponent’s jab.

Let’s take another look at Tyson’s crushing right hand preceded by a half jab.

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Here again, we see Tyson closing in, using a half jab to set up his overhand right. Tyson’s slight level change along with a non-contact half jab help to create an opening for his right hand. Using the half jab as a set up also chambers his right hand, placing it into a cocked position.

Were it not for Evander Holyield’s tremendous set of whiskers, the fight may have been over the moment it started. As both fighters met in the center of the ring, Tyson quickly launched said attack, throwing a half jab before landing a huge right hand on the jaw of Holyfield.

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As Tyson looks to enter, he throws a half jab, proceeded by an overhand right. In this instance, Tyson’s deceptive jab draws out a rear hand parry from Evander, resulting in Tyson’s overhand right traveling through the created opening and sending Holyfield stumbling toward the ropes.

With Holyfield weathering the early storm, Tyson soon realized that the man standing in front of him was a far cry from what he’d become accustomed to facing lately. Along with remaining undeterred after eating Tyson’s right hand early, there was another key moment that signalled why Holyfield was very different from anyone who Tyson had recently shared a ring with. Where most of Tyson’s opponents would back up in a straight line in attempting to avoid his sudden rushes, Holyfield had a contrasting outlook as to how to defense Tyson’s attack. Here is where we got our first glimpse of Holyfield’s superior counterpunching ability.

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As Tyson throws a left hook, instead of distancing himself to avoid the blow, Holyfield blocks the hook using his right forearm, then immediately counters with a double hook (short left hook to the waistline then a left hook to the head). Notice how the low hook causes Tyson to lower his stance and bring his guard down which in turn opens up a target up top. This is the main reason behind lever punching. Also, notice how as Holyfield lands his double left hook, he immediately pivots on his lead foot, taking himself off the line off attack. This is how Holyfield ends up on the opposite side of the ring to where he started his combination from. Again, instead of backing up in a straight line, Holyfield is countering and turning Tyson.

Before we go any further, I’d like you to take a look at Tyson’s face in the last still of that sequence.

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As Tyson is adjusting his shorts, his facial expression says a thousand words. Mike Tyson was the ultimate confidence fighter, a front runner. Having seen his right hand prove ineffectual and then having another attack easily diffused and countered within the opening moments of the fight, I believe Tyson began to show early signs of defeat. His smirk here is almost that of surprise. Doubt was already beginning to creep in.

As the fight progressed, Tyson continued to attack Holyfield in a straight line. There was little to no head movement, no ducking or slipping before entering, and apart from a moment when Tyson managed to land his signature right hook to the body followed by a right uppercut to the chin, which Holyfield took without really batting an eyelid, there were no signs of the combinations that made him one of the most unique heavyweights around. With Holyfield jabbing from the outside, moving laterally to avoid Tyson’s rushes, he then began to stand his ground more. Any time Tyson managed to breech Holyfield’s range, Evander would simply clinch and push Tyson off. You see, this is one of the biggest misconceptions that surrounds Mike Tyson. Although he advanced in a way that suggested he wanted to get inside at all costs, his best work was actually done on the way in. Apart from his right hook/right uppercut combination and left hook to the body in close, which, were always more effective against opponents who were a lot taller than himself, Tyson wasn’t the inside fighter everyone seems to think he was. As I’ve already mentioned, many of Tyson’s opponents thought the best way to fight him was to avoid his rushes by backing up. This was suicide, especially during his prime. Tyson’s sudden shifts and explosiveness were simply too much for those who moved off in a straight line. Those who did always found themselves on the very end of his punches. Evander Holyfield showed that by getting close to Tyson, and by not giving him his desired momentum, he wasn’t as dangerous.

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Here’s a segment where Holyfield and Tyson are at close quarters. First, let’s look at Tyson’s body shape. His hands are chest height, his shoulders are square and his feet are parallel. Tyson’s balance, which is of the upmost importance during infighting, is severely compromised. By contrast, Holyfield’s rear leg is out behind, giving him far greater stability. His right glove is in a position to block against Tyson’s left hook and his body is chambered ready to deliver a left hook. Regardless of who was physically stronger, Holyfield’s infighting technique was simply better. At close quarters, it was Holyfield who had the advantage. Holyfield’s short hooks on the inside were a prominent weapon for him throughout the fight.

With each passing moment, as Holyfield’s confidence continued to grow, Tyson looked more and more a beaten man. With Holyfield controlling the fight, whether it was by jabbing from the outside or by landing shorts hooks on the inside, Tyson was slowly being broken down by a superior craftsman.

At the beginning of this analysis, I paid a lot of attention to Tyson’s half jab/right hand attack. The reason being that I believe the fight was quite literally won and lost on Tyson’s failure to land it, Holyfield’s ability to counter it, and Tyson’s inability to move away from it. Although Holyfield took Tyson’s right hand at the beginning of the fight, there’s no doubt that an accumulation of the same blow over the course of the fight would have eventually gotten Evander out of there. However, instead of looking to all out avoid the blow, Holyfield embraced it and used it as a way to trigger his counter right hand.

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As Tyson moves in behind a half jab, Holyfield performs a rear hand parry, rolls with Tyson’s right hand, and counters with his own right hand.

Much in the same way as Juan Manuel Marquez recently treated Manny Pacquiao’s non-contact feint and jab (a precursor for his straight left) as a trigger for his own overhand right, Evander Holyfield did the same in this fight. As Tyson threw his non-contact half jab, Holyfield parried it anyway and treat it as a precursor for Tyson’s right hand. Although parrying is primarily a defensive measure, it can also be used to get your opponent’s timing down. Throughout the fight, Holyfield parried Tyson’s jab to trigger his counter right hand.

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Once more, Tyson looks to attack by feinting with the jab to set up his right hand. Notice Holyfield’s rear hand in the first still. He’s already anticipating Tyson’s next move. As Tyson throws the jab, Holyfield is fully aware that the moment he parries, a right hand will be heading his way. As a result, he’s able to roll with the blow and counter Tyson with his own right hand. Notice also how Holyfield’s head is taken away from the centerline as he lands his counter right hand, thus eliminating any chance of Tyson countering back without having to punch across himself.

If any of you decide to watch the fight after this analysis, you may feel that Tyson is actually catching Holyfield clean every time he throws his right hand. However, what Holyfield is successfully doing is rolling in the same direction as the blow. This shouldn’t be confused with what Floyd Mayweather has made a career out of doing (rolling the blow off his shoulder). Rather, Holyfield is actually absorbing some of the blow. Instead of absorbing the full weight of it, however, Holyfield is turning his head in the same direction, taking away some of its weight, while chambering himself to come back with his right hand. It’s one thing to stand in front of Philip Ndou and roll with his punches, but standing in front of Mike Tyson and rolling with his right hand is another thing entirely.

Evander Holyfield’s counterpunching, more than anything else, continued to be the story of the fight.

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Devoid of ideas, Tyson continues to load up with his right hand. Again, Holyfield’s rear hand parry is key. This time, instead of waiting on the right hand, Holyfield parries the jab, continues forward and intercepts Tyson’s right hand with his own short right hand. Although the blow is short and doesn’t appear all that damaging, Tyson’s forward momentum is doubling up its impact. No doubt, these are damaging counters from Evander.

Although Evander Holyfield will likely be remembered mostly for his unmatched heart and resiliency, this next sequence highlights just how calculating he could be in the ring.

Below we see a double counter from Holyfield.

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As Tyson moves in again looking to land his right hand, Holyfield parries his jab and counters with his own jab. Because Tyson’s momentum carries him forward as he’s trying to land his right hand, Holyfield moves inside the arc of the blow and counters again with a right hand to the body. Although this sequence happens in an instant, seeing it frame by frame shows you just how quick Holyfield’s mind was working in there.

While I was watching the fight back, although I was in awe of Holyfield’s counterpunching ability, I couldn’t help but wonder how much Mike Tyson may or may not have benefited from a better corner on that night. For me, Tyson simply went to the well too many times by continuing to load up on his right hand. It clearly wasn’t working for him. Maybe a better corner may have instructed him to feint the jab to draw out the parry and throw a right uppercut instead. Or to change the rhythm of his attack, maybe feint with the jab, throw a real jab, then throw the right hand. Or, rather than using it exclusively as a set up for the right hand, maybe hook off the jab instead. Needless to say, Tyson’s predictable attacks allowed Holyfield to systematically counterpunch him to pieces.

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Here’s where Tyson tasted the canvas off a Holyfield counter left. As Tyson came forward in a straight line, Holyfield stepped out of range, blocked a Tyson left with the outside of his right glove, and countered with a short left shovel hook.

The end of the fight came after more counterpunching brilliance from Holyfield.

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Here, as Tyson throws his usual jab before the right hand, Holyfield fades and comes back with a counter right, catching Tyson coming in. Although Tyson was eventually finished with a volley of lefts and rights as his back was against the ropes, it was this counter right hand from Holyfield that all but ended the fight.

To simply put this fantastic performance down to Evander Holyfield being unafraid of Mike Tyson does the man a major disservice. Sure, Holyfield’s mental toughness and Tyson’s lack thereof had plenty to do with the outcome, but Tyson’s predictable attacks along with Holyfield’s superior boxing ability and in particular, his counterpunching excellence, had more to do with the outcome than anything else, resulting in Evander Holyfield having one of the best nights in the ring a supposed no-hoper could have.

Writer’s note: This analysis was written for Mr. Kelsey McCarson.

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Lee Wylie

Sebastian Fundora TKOs Chordale Booker in Las Vegas

Published

8 hours ago

March 22, 2025

David A. Avila

Sebastian-Fundora-TKOs-Chordale-Booker-in-Las-Vegas

Sebastian Fundora proved too tall and too powerful for challenger Chordale Booker in retaining the WBC and WBO super welterweight titles by TKO on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Despite a year off, Fundora (22-1-1, 14 KOs) showed the shorter fellow southpaw Booker (23-2) that rust would not be a factor in front of the crowd at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

“I felt ready this whole time. I’ve been working very hard,” said Fundora.

Behind a massive height advantage Fundora jabbed away at Booker, the subject of an award-winning documentary called “The Boxer” in 2016. It portrayed his journey from nearly being imprisoned and having boxing as an outlet to success on the streets.

Booker tried to offset Fundora’s height but could not.

Fundora established his long spearing jab to maintain a zone of safety and when Booker ventured past the zone, he was met with uppercuts and lefts.

It was a puzzle Booker could not figure out.

Fundora won the WBO and WBC titles with an upset over Australia’s much heralded Tim Tszyu. Though accepting the fight within mere weeks of the fight to replace Keith Thurman, the fighter known as the “Towering Inferno” was able to out-fight the favored Aussie to win by split decision.

Nearly a year passed since winning the titles and the months without action did not deter him from stepping on the gas second round and overwhelming the shorter Booker with a blistering attack.

Booker tried to survive and counter but no such luck.

In the fourth round a right hook by Booker was met with a thunderous four-punch combination by Fundora. A left uppercut snapped the head back of Booker who was clearly dazed by the blow. Another three-punch combination and the fight was stopped at 2:51 of the fourth round.

Fundora retained the WBC and WBO titles by technical knockout.

“We were training to wear him down,” said Fundora. “I’m a powerful fighter. With this fight I guess it showed even more.”

The two-belt champion is now smack in the middle of one of the most talented weight division in men’s boxing.

“I would love to be undisputed like my sister,” said Fundora of his sister Gabriela Fundora the undisputed flyweight world champion. “

Other Bouts

Arizona’s Jesus Ramos Jr. (23-1, 19 KOs) knocked out Argentina’s Guido Schramm (16-4-2) in the seventh round of their super welterweight match. Ramos, a southpaw, caught Schramm with a left that paralyzed him along he ropes. The referee stopped the match at 1:38 of the seventh.

Arizona’s Elijah Garcia (17-1, 13 KOs) survived a knockdown by talented veteran Terrell Gausha (24-5-1) in the first round to mount a rally and win by split decision after 10 rounds in a middleweight match up.

Photo credit: Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions

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Bernard Fernandez Reflects on His Special Bond with George Foreman

Published

16 hours ago

March 22, 2025

Bernard Fernandez

Bernard Fernandez Reflects on His Special Bond with George Foreman

For pretty much the entirety of my career as a sportswriter, I have doggedly adhered to the principle that there is a line separating professional integrity from unabashed fandom, and for me to cross it would be a violation of everything I believed in as a representative of whatever media outlet I was writing for at the time. In 50-plus years, only once did I cross that line. It was when I was in Canastota, N.Y., for an International Boxing Hall of Fame induction weekend and I had submitted the winning bid in a silent auction for an autographed photo of the great Carmen Basilio, being hoisted onto the shoulders of trainer Angelo Dundee and another cornerman after winning a title bout. I have that photo, which also was signed by Angelo, hanging on the wall of my apartment.

I broke my self-imposed rule by asking Carmen to pose with me holding the photo because he was my father’s favorite fighter, and thus mine when I was a little kid watching the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports Friday Night Fights with my dad, a former pro welterweight and Navy veteran of World War II in the Pacific before he became a much-decorated police officer. Anyway, Carmen was long-since retired and I chose to believe that on the grand scale of professional propriety, my posing with him was nothing more than a small blip on a very large radar screen.

But with the shocking news that George Foreman had passed away on March 21, at the age of 76, it suddenly occurred to me that my idealistic principles have forever prevented me from having an autographed photo of Big George hanging on the same wall with the one of Basilio, which I no doubt will regret to my dying day. If I had bent my own standards of how a sportswriter should act in his dealings with one of his interview subjects, I might even have had one of George and I together, side by side, as is the case with any number of my colleagues who asked for and were granted photo op access to the famous athletes they covered.

Why do I now place George Foreman in a separate category from so many other elite fighters I have covered during my career? Had I not rigidly held to my belief that it was unprofessional and maybe even a bit unethical to cross that inviolable line, I might now have photos of myself standing alongside Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Lennox Lewis, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, Bernard Hopkins, Oscar De La Hoya, Roy Jones Jr. and Felix Trinidad, not to mention such legends of other sports as Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Walter Payton, Wayne Gretzky, Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving and the quarterbacking family of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning.

I had, of course, covered a number of Big George’s fights, but although he knew of me, it was not to the extent that he considered me to be a friend. All that changed, however, through the intercession of a mutual friend, boxing publicist Bill Caplan, whose relationship with George was longstanding and so deeply ingrained as to be almost familial.

My newspaper, the Philadelphia Daily News, had sent me to Los Angeles to cover a bout in which Julio Cesar Chavez was to fight Philly’s Ivan Robinson. Despite increasing pain, I somehow managed to file features on both main-event participants in the days before fight night prior to my arrival at the Staples Center in a condition that had gone from bad to worse. Bill noticed my distress in the press room and said he was going to get a ringside physician to check me out. “Maybe after the fight I came here to cover is over,” I told him, grimacing through gritted teeth. But Bill insisted that I get a medical opinion, and quickly, and the doctor who took my blood pressure said it was at a near-stroke level and that I needed to be transported by ambulance to a hospital ASAP. In the emergency room, it was determined that I was suffering from an unpassed kidney stone, a problem I had had several times previously, but not to this extent. I did not cover the fight I had come to see, of course, but I was able to make it back home alive and reasonably well before receiving additional treatment.

George Foreman did the foreword for my first boxing anthology, Championship Rounds, but he consented to do so only after he consulted with Bill Caplan to inquire if I was a writer who could be trusted not to twist his words to fit my own narrative. Bill told him I was a fair guy and that he should do the foreword once he had read the manuscript and deemed it worthy of an endorsement. It didn’t hurt that when I spoke with George by telephone, I remarked that he “owed” me. “Why do I owe you?” he asked, seemingly amused. “Because I bought two of your grills,” I replied, which drew the chuckle from him I had hoped to get.

More than a few of my colleagues at various media outlets can accurately say that George considered them to be his friends, but my relationship with him continued to grow. It didn’t hurt that I was on very amicable terms with his younger brother Roy Foreman, who lives just outside Atlantic City, and whenever I needed to speak to George directly he either answered right away or returned my call at his earliest convenience. I also don’t think it hurt that my father had once appeared in a primary undercard bout of a show in San Diego in the 1940s that was headlined by the great Archie Moore, who would later serve as one of George’s most trusted advisers. Before George’s very respectable but losing performance against heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, the challenger confided that “Archie is the only one who can tell me anything. When Archie Moore takes you to the side to tell you something, you can’t argue because he knows. I can’t argue with Archie Moore. When he tells me something, I have to say, `Yes, sir, that’s right.’”

Maybe the only person George trusted as much as the “Old Mongoose” was Bill Caplan, and it was Bill who told his dear friend of the abject grief my family and I were enduring after my wife, who had been battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer, passed away on May 5 of last year. I would prefer not to divulge any details of something that shall forever remain private, but what George did in support of me and mine, and to honor the memory of a great lady who he never met, went above and beyond.

I included stories I did on George in three of my five boxing anthologies that already are in print (a sixth likely will come out this June), and I’d like to believe that our connection was solid enough that he shared the sort of insights that revealed him to be so much more than a devastating puncher inside the ropes. He was a quality human being in his everyday life, an individual who was widely admired and deserved to be recognized as such. But even if that were not the case, he would stand nearly alone for his ability to hit as hard as any heavyweight who ever lived. In recalling what it was like to share the ring with Big George in the epic “Rumble in the Jungle,” which Ali won by eighth-round knockout on Oct. 30, 1974, the victor said, “If you take any two heavyweights you can think of, and multiply (their punching power) by two, that’s George Foreman.”

Maybe Foreman might have fared better in that much-hyped bout in Kinshasa, Zaire, had he paced himself a bit more, but then that would not have been in keeping with his long-held belief that it did not pay for a powerful puncher to parcel his energy in measured doses.

“When you’re a puncher, it’s a real mysterious, almost magical thing,” he told me. “Guys who can’t punch, one thing they got to have is a lot of bravery because they knew they had to go 10 rounds, 12 rounds, 15 rounds almost every time. Punchers live with the fear if a fight keeps going another round, another round, they’re somehow going to lose. Every fight I ever had, I went for the knockout and nothing else. I didn’t really think I could win a decision. Even when I won on points, I felt like I failed.”

But even Big George didn’t have enough power to kayo the Grim Reaper indefinitely, although he might have dared to believe he could make that happen by dint of his indomitable will. After he won his first heavyweight championship, dethroning Joe Frazier by registering six knockdowns in less than two rounds on Jan. 22, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica, the new king of the big men said, “All of a sudden I’m beating a guy like Joe Frazier, who could punch like he could and never stop coming at you? I left there thinking, `Nobody can stand up to me.’ I just believed that if I caught anybody with a right uppercut or a left hook, he’s gone. I could knock anybody out with either hand. It seemed impossible to me that I could lose.”

In posting a 76-5 career record with 68 victories inside the distance, Big George didn’t lose often. Now that he’s taken his earthly leave, I can only regret the fact that I didn’t cross that line and ask him to pose for a picture with me. I hope he somehow knows that I shall forever be in debt for the graciousness he exhibited toward my wife and my family when we needed just such a gesture not only from a legendary fighter, but a true friend.

Editor’s note: Bernard Fernandez entered the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the Observer category with the class of 2020. The greatly-admired publicist Bill Caplan, now in his late 80’s, entered the Hall in 2022.

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Results and Recaps from Sydney where George Kambosos Upended Late Sub Jake Wyllie

Published

19 hours ago

March 22, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Results-and-Recaps-from-Sydney-where-George-Kambosos-Upended-Late-Sub-Jake-Wyllie

In his first fight at 140 pounds and his first fight in Sydney, his hometown, in more than eight years, George Kambosos Jr scored a unanimous decision over late sub Jake Wyllie, a fellow Aussie who took the fight on five days’ notice. Kambosos won by scores of 115-113 and 117-111 twice.

Wyllie, a massive underdog, had his moments, particularly in round eight, and scored a moral victory by lasting the distance. At the final bell, it was Kambosos that looked the worse for wear after suffering a bad gash above his left eye from an accidental head butt in round nine, but most observers were in accord with the two judges that gave him nine of the 12 rounds.

Kambosos, who improved to 22-3 (10), scored his signature win in November of 2021 at Madison Square Garden with a narrow decision over lightweight belts holder Teofimo Lopez. Heading in, the Sydneysider, a longtime Manny Pacquiao sparring partner, was considered nothing more than a high-class journeyman and, notwithstanding that well-earned upset, the shoe still fits.

Astutely managed, Kambosos parlayed that triumph into several lucrative paydays with another forthcoming as he is slated to meet IBF 140-pound belt-holder Richardson Hitchins in June providing that the cut is fully healed. Hitchins captured the title in December in San Juan with a split decision over another Aussie, Liam Paro.

A 24-year-old Queenslander, Jake Wyllie had won 16 of his previous 18 fights with one no-contest. He was a step-up from Kambosos’ original opponent, 37-year-old Indonesian Daud Yordan who pulled out with an injury. After the match, Wyllie said, “I fought my heart out tonight and I feel like I am destined for great things.” With his gutsy effort, he earned a contract from Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn.

Co-feature

Queensland southpaw Skye Nicolson, one of Eddie Hearn’s favorite fighters, suffered her first pro defeat in the semi-wind-up, losing a split decision to U.S. import Tiara Brown who came in undefeated (18-0, 11 KOs) but hadn’t defeated anyone of note and was lightly-regarded. The popular Nicolson, making the third defense of the WBC featherweight title she won in Las Vegas with a wide decision over Denmark’s Sarah Mahfoud, was a consensus 8/1 favorite.

This was an entertaining affair. The scores were 97-93 and 96-94 for Brown with the dissenter favoring Nicholson (12-1) by a 96-94 tally. Tiara Brown, a 36-year-old Floridian, is one of several top-tier female boxers represented by Philadelphia booking agent Brian Cohen.

Other Bouts of Note

In a WBA bantamweight title fight, Cherneka Johnson successfully defended her title with a seventh-round stoppage of Nina Hughes. The one-sided affair was stopped by the referee at the 46-second mark of round seven with the assent of Hughes’ corner. A 30-year-old Australia-based New Zealander of Maori stock, Johnson advanced to 17-2 (7 KOs).

This was a rematch. They fought last year in Perth and Johnson won a majority decision that was somewhat controversial when Hughes was originally, but erroneously, identified as the winner. A 42-year-old Englishwoman, Hughes declined to 6-2.

Teremoana Junior, one of the newest members of the Matchroom stable, blasted out James Singh in the opening round. A six-foot-six heavyweight from Brisbane with a Cook Islands lineage, Teremoana came out with guns blazing and Singh, a burly but fragile Fijian, lasted only 132 seconds before he was rescued by the referee.

Teremoana, who turned pro after losing to the formidable Bakhodir Jalolov in the Paris Olympics, has won all seven of his pro fights by knockout. None of his opponents has lasted beyond the second round.

In a 10-round light heavyweight contest, Imam Khataev (10-0, 9 KOs) was extended the distance for the first time in his career by Durval Elias Palacio, but won comfortably on the cards (98-90, 99-89, 99-89).

Despite the wide scores, this was a hard fight for the Australia-based Russian, an Olympic bronze medalist whose physique is sculpted from the same mold as Mike Tyson (relatively short of stature with a thick neck hinged to a thick torso). Khataev had a point deducted for a low blow in round five and ended the bout with a swollen left eye. A 34-year-old Argentine, Palacio proved to be better than his record, currently 14-4.

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