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SportsTranscript
00:00All right, guys, in the dressing room, you both receive the same instructions.
00:06Whatever you do, do it within the rules of boxing.
00:08Protect yourself at all times and obey my commands at all times.
00:11Touch up.
00:13So Ali Follies, and you listen to that introduction
00:17and you hear his amateur accolades right away, Timmy.
00:20Gold medalist from the 2023 U.S.
00:23Olympic Trials.
00:24That was in Louisiana last December, a U.S.
00:26national amateur champion.
00:28You say, well, why is he not over in Paris getting ready to box for Team USA?
00:32Listen, different landscape nowadays when it comes to the way
00:36the amateur program feeds into the Olympic program
00:38and the decisions that young men will make.
00:41And he said, I'm turning pro.
00:42So this is fight number three.
00:45Makes a lot of sense to me.
00:46I mean, you don't make you don't make any money in the amateurs
00:50at the end of the day.
00:54Rob Perez, the opponent's only been a pro for one year.
00:56His last fight was actually in bare knuckle boxing.
00:59You can see the speed of that right hand from Follies.
01:03Yeah, Follies is extremely athletic.
01:05Smaller heavyweight at 6'2", but extremely athletic.
01:09Great movement and test.
01:11He's a switch hitter also.
01:13He can fight from the southpaw stance.
01:15Orthodox as well.
01:16Good counterpunching skills.
01:20Two punch combination from Follies.
01:23Perez tries to get to the inside.
01:25A right hand split the guard from the young heavyweight.
01:2820 years old from Danbury, Connecticut.
01:31His father was a pro that we would cover on ESPN back in the day.
01:41Perez is trying to take his time.
01:42He's trying to get to his mark.
01:43But Follies again, he has his distance down already.
01:48Just missed on a right uppercut.
01:50And what I like about Follies is he doesn't move a whole lot.
01:52He moves when he has to.
01:54But you can tell that he's starting to get comfortable inside the pocket.
01:58From his first fight to second fight, didn't go that long.
02:00But I'm starting to see a little bit more from him in this fight already.
02:04Some maturity.
02:07You got to get comfortable inside the pocket.
02:09You just can't move all night.
02:11You know, eventually he's going to build up to 12 rounds test.
02:15What I like is the activity and the frequency,
02:17because we were just sitting back, what, four weeks ago.
02:19We were across the river at Madison Square Garden
02:22and watched him dismiss Lamar Riley in one round.
02:25Get right back in there. Get right to work.
02:27Yeah.
02:29Just a chopping right hand.
02:30Got Perez on the temple.
02:33And you see, he's not a one punch guy.
02:35I mean, he's landing clean shots on Perez.
02:37Perez, he's tough.
02:39He's durable as of now, but he's more of an accumulative type
02:43of heavyweight type of puncher.
02:45He will get your attention if he catch you off guard.
02:47But for the most part, it's going to take some time to really deliver a shot
02:51and get you about it in.
02:57We're going to go to the body was Perez.
03:04He's got a good accuracy right there from Felice.
03:07Perez, again, not using the jab, not giving Felice anything to worry about.
03:11So, of course, Felice is going to feel comfortable
03:14in doing whatever he wants to do.
03:15I mean, when you don't give a fighter a jab, at least let him look at the jab test.
03:20Just think of it like this.
03:22You let him come through the front gate.
03:23He's at your door and he's knocking on the door.
03:26That's what's happening with Perez right now.
03:29Coming to the end of round number one, heavyweights getting a nice start
03:32as Ali Felice will return to his father.
03:42I want to talk to him.
03:45He's very slow.
03:48Give me the speeding box.
04:00He's got a hard head.
04:02Speak up.
04:04How are you feeling?
04:08You see everything now.
04:10So, now let's go to work.
04:12Three and four punches.
04:18Just keep touching him.
04:24Work on your speed, step in a little bit.
04:26Don't get caught up with stupid shit.
04:28His dad, Fernelli, was a veteran heavyweight.
04:3322 years ago, February 25th of 2002, he fought in a main event on ESPN.
04:42And yes, Tim, I was covering boxing back then for ESPN.
04:47Did you get to see him?
04:49Yes, absolutely.
04:51And there are a few gray hairs in the production truck right now
04:53who also covered his father.
04:55If we get to covering the grandchildren, that's when I'll retire.
05:01I've done fathers and sons, but when we get to the grandkids,
05:05that's when it's time to call it quits.
05:07Round number two here.
05:0920 years old is the promising heavyweight prospect, Ali Felice,
05:13against the rugged Rob Perez from Southbridge, Mass.
05:16We told you, bare-knuckle boxing was his last time in the ring.
05:20Last October, he fought the month before that in traditional boxing in Philadelphia
05:25and won a four-round majority decision against Daniel Bean.
05:31But Perez made his pro debut at 30 years old.
05:34And of course, Felice was a wildly accomplished amateur
05:38who at age 11, the story that was told to us long ago,
05:42at age 11, he was put in the gym to spar with a 21-year-old and knocked him out.
05:48Oh, that's some confidence boosting right there.
05:51Knocked him out.
05:53Good body shot.
05:54But he couldn't have been a normal 11-year-old.
05:57No, this guy was a prodigy.
05:59Yeah.
06:03Good jab.
06:06Felice right now, he's just taking his time.
06:08You know, he's not rushing and looking for the knockout.
06:10He's kind of letting the fight develop.
06:12He's hitting Perez with some big shots.
06:15But I like the fact he's not rushing.
06:17I would love to see him go back down to the body.
06:19Nice left hook coming on the inside right there from him as well.
06:22But Perez, again, is not giving him any kind of resistance.
06:25Perez has to let his hands go in order to bag off Felice.
06:33Or he's just going to continue to take this offense.
06:41Like Felice is trying to set lateral traps now.
06:44Picking up his feet, changing positions.
06:48See, this is exactly where Perez needs to be right here.
06:50This is exactly where Perez needs to work.
06:52He lets him escape off the weak side right there on the left side.
07:04There's a long-range right hand.
07:06One, two.
07:07Able to set that up.
07:10But again, he's landing a clean test, but not a whole lot of effect on him.
07:13It's more of a breakdown type of fighter.
07:16And it would serve Felice more if he was to dig downstairs.
07:20Bring those hands down.
07:21Take some of that stamina.
07:23Hit those guts.
07:30Of course, Shakur Stevenson is coming up in our main event.
07:33He sat down with Mark Creagle to discuss the landscape of the lightweight division.
07:40I'd like your thoughts on a few people.
07:43Devin Haney.
07:45A good fighter.
07:46Tank Davis.
07:48Special talent.
07:49Vasily Lomachenko.
07:51One of the best to ever do it.
07:55That one really bothers you.
07:57Yeah, it does.
08:00Because you felt you could measure yourself against an all-time great.
08:04I mean, honestly, I already knew the outcome in my brain.
08:07Like, I know how I'm going to pick him apart.
08:10And it'll be a master class.
08:13Teofimo Lopez.
08:15Scary.
08:16Scary.
08:18I seen him go on an interview and say,
08:22he will never fight me.
08:24I don't understand how he can say no to making money.
08:30Of course, Teofimo, former lightweight four-belt king.
08:33And now we saw him last week defend his 140-pound title.
08:36Shakur looks to defend his WBC lightweight championship later on tonight.
08:40We'll hear more from his conversation with Mark Creagle.
08:43Lightweight division right now.
08:45Shakur Stevenson.
08:46Dennis Baranchuk, who upset Emmanuel Navarrete for that vacant belt.
08:50Vasily Lomachenko and Tank Davis already in negotiations for what should be a
08:54mega fight on the back half of the year.
08:56But that's where it stands right now.
08:58I see an undisputed championship in the near future.
09:01Do you really?
09:02I do.
09:03Well, we're going to have a unified champion once Tank and Lomachenko
09:05fight.
09:06Yes.
09:07And I see the 135-pound division heating up as the 140-pound kind of
09:12fading out a bit.
09:14Getting a little bit dull.
09:16In the midst of round number three.
09:19And our heavyweight opener is a good one-two combination from Ali Felice.
09:24But again, look at the control.
09:26Look at the control from Felice.
09:27That's what you want to look for.
09:28Control.
09:29He's just not in there throwing punches.
09:31He's trying to place those shots inside.
09:34Shortening the shots on the inside.
09:37Keeps searching for that right uppercut.
09:39Just off the mark.
09:40Went back to the left hook moments ago.
09:42And Perez can't continue taking these types of punishments.
09:44I don't know what his corner is looking at or what they're doing.
09:47I'm not even sure what the referee is doing.
09:49But he's taking shot after shot after shot after shot.
09:52You can see his face starting to wear down.
09:54Very noticeable to him, especially around the left eye.
09:57And I understand he hasn't been buzzed in, but he hasn't won a round yet.
10:00And I understand it's four rounds as well.
10:03If a guy can go home with some of his faculties left with a check to his family, why not?
10:10When you turn pro at 30 years old and you make a decision to take part in bare-knuckle boxing,
10:15perhaps your judgment doesn't fall in line with that.
10:18But I don't think the referee understands that emotion.
10:21Tim, would you ever cross the line of bare-knuckle boxing?
10:25No, not at all.
10:28Chopping right hand. Comes back with it.
10:31Shoulder to shoulder on the inside.
10:34Perez tries to go with the left hand to the body.
10:39Perez is saying to Felice, what is keeping this man up?
10:44Swelling much more significant around that left eye.
10:47And that's thanks to the right hand of Ali Felice.
10:52I like the good defensive response from Felice after his offense as well.
10:56Look at that left eye, Timmy.
10:58Looking bad.
11:00You have to get the end swell in that corner on that eye.
11:04Good thing he's only a round left after this round if he goes that long.
11:10Now you're seeing the switch stance by Felice.
11:16Fighting from the southpaw stance.
11:19He's not as comfortable in his fluidness from the right-handed stance, though, Tess.
11:26Time!
11:40You're looking beautiful.
11:43Looking good, buddy.
11:45Let's steal the show now.
11:47You can stop this guy, right?
11:49Do whatever you want.
11:51Steal the show. Have fun, buddy.
11:57Those body punches are dynamite.
12:08How are you feeling? Beautiful?
12:15Beautiful work. Just keep popping that jab.
12:17Pop up. Have fun, man.
12:19Let's work that body, boy.
12:22He's going to come in. He's got no choice now.
12:24Right up on your defense.
12:30Last round.
12:36He kind of reminds me of a Joseph Parker type of heavyweight.
12:40How so, Timmy?
12:41Just with the speed. He's not going to be one of those one-shot punching type of heavyweights.
12:45It's going to take some time, but I like his footwork and coordination and speed and accuracy that he uses to win fights.
12:51He just ate a right hand.
12:54He's going to have to be more cerebral and just be savvy in there against the bigger, taller, more ranger heavyweights.
13:07Just heard his father say, work the jab, Ali. Work the jab.
13:13Look at Perez coming out hard. He's coming out guns blazing.
13:16Knowing the end is near.
13:18That was a good shot by Felice on the inside.
13:22Nice uppercut.
13:23That's quite a mark under the left eye of Perez.
13:26Right hand to the body.
13:31Mary Glover with the warning. Keep it up.
13:34He stopped the action and said, head to head.
13:37Can't be doing that.
13:39These four rounds are valuable rounds for Felice.
13:45Usually this can be a confidence booster for him if he's going to get the knockout.
13:50His last first two fights he got knockouts.
13:52It's good right now that he's doing the distance.
13:55Because now he knows he can go.
13:58The next step is six rounds, then eight rounds, then ten, and then finally twelve for the championship.
14:04These are great, valuable rounds that he can go back and look at the drawing board and say, what could I have done better?
14:21You better get up.
14:39Felice 2-0 with two knockouts, but Perez a rugged guy.
14:43He's been taking punishment.
14:45He's looking to get to this finish line no problem.
14:48Nearly used his head right there.
14:53Don't actually worry about the condition. Felice looks good right now.
14:56Looks solid for four rounds.
14:59That's a good indication that he's ready for at least six.
15:04Maybe one more four.
15:07But he's going to be ready for six really soon.
15:09This is about to be his first distance fight.
15:13Pro debut is a second round TKO.
15:15We were with him down in Corpus Christi, Texas for that back in April.
15:18Then last month we told you, real quick work on June 8th in Madison Square Garden when we saw Xander and Xuxu top that traditional Puerto Rican Day Parade card.
15:30He's from just up the road from where we are, from Danbury, Connecticut.
15:34Not that far of a drive from here in Newark, New Jersey.
15:39All right, Timmy, if you have to take Ali Felice to the gym and say, here's what we want to work on, what are you telling him?
15:48I would tell him, you got to continue to learn how to sit down on your punches.
15:52One, mechanics got to get a little bit better as well with his punches.
15:56I would also say, slow your feet down a little bit more.
15:59You moved a little bit too much when you didn't have to.
16:03I love his combinations. I love his speed. I love his accuracy.
16:08Also, I love his range and where he was fighting.
16:13He wasn't smothering himself. He was shortening his shots up on the inside.
16:16On the outside, he's using his jab. He's using the correct punches.
16:22Conditioning looked good. I'm going down. I'm trying to think, test. I'm thinking, thinking, thinking.
16:26What else would I work on?
16:28That's a good checklist.
16:30He didn't get much resistance tonight. He didn't get hit a whole lot.
16:35He kind of took his time and was able to do what he wanted to do.
16:39Do you want to toss it to Mark Chinook for the official decision?
16:42Well, let's see what Mark Chinook has. I think I know what he has.
16:46Ladies and gentlemen, after four rounds here inside the Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey,
16:50we go to the judges' scorecards for the official decision.
16:54John Singliore, Robin Taylor, and Steve Weisfeld all have it 40-36.
17:00For your winner by unanimous decision, Ali Feliz!
17:12Feliz goes to 3-0. First fight that goes the distance for him.