HBO 12-6-2003
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00:00:00This time on The Buzz, two heavyweight powerhouses set a date to rock the garden.
00:00:05Hi, I'm Vitaly Klitschko.
00:00:07What's up? I'm Kirk Johnson.
00:00:09You're watching HBO.
00:00:18The Buzz dropped in on Vitaly Klitschko and Kirk Johnson
00:00:21as they met the press to talk up their upcoming fight on December 6th.
00:00:25I'm ready to fight. Matter of fact, the fight should be tomorrow, but that's okay. I'll wait the time.
00:00:29Win is very important to keep our dream alive.
00:00:33My brother Vladimir and I want to become, as soon as possible,
00:00:38our dreams to be world champion in same time.
00:00:43This highly anticipated matchup brings together two ambitious heavyweights eager to vindicate themselves.
00:00:49It's my first fight in Madison Square Garden and I hope this will be lucky fight for me.
00:00:55Just expect to see Kirk Johnson at his best.
00:00:58Last summer, Vitaly Klitschko lost a controversial fight against Lennox Lewis by TKO.
00:01:03The loss was a crushing disappointment to Klitschko, who was ahead on points when the fight was halted.
00:01:08Klitschko, in my eyes, he beat Lewis, so he's the man to beat right now.
00:01:13And for him to be fighting me, you know, that's a wonderful thing.
00:01:17Ironically, Klitschko's hard-fought battle with Lewis came about after Kirk Johnson was forced to bow out.
00:01:23June 21st would have been a victorious night for Kirk Johnson.
00:01:26I would have been the man right now, but God kept me back. I had an injury.
00:01:31Now both of these dangerous boxers feel they have something to prove.
00:01:35We had the chance at Lewis and did a great job, but now I want my chance at Lewis,
00:01:39so the only way I can get there is to beat this man right here.
00:01:42There's a lot on the line for both fighters, so we asked them for a prediction.
00:01:46The bottom line is December 6th is going to be my night.
00:01:50I want to say to Kirk Johnson, I give my best to beat you.
00:01:54And be sure to catch Macy vs. Barrett right before Klitschko vs. Johnson on HBO World Championship Boxing.
00:02:00Young, I'm undefeated, I'm very, very motivated. I'm for real, and I'm going to prove that to some of these people in New York.
00:02:06Coming up next on HBO.
00:02:10And you've just been buzzed.
00:02:15It's not TV. It's HBO.
00:02:20Exhilarating. Hard-hitting. Unbeatable. HBO Sports.
00:02:30And now, the HBO Sports presentation, World Championship Boxing.
00:02:50Celebrating 30 years of boxing, the following is a special presentation of HBO Sports, the network of champions.
00:03:01For half a decade now, heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis has commanded the spotlight.
00:03:06Now those who chase him must wait as the aging champion ponders his next step.
00:03:13And the questions surrounding Lewis' future have fueled a broad assortment of moods among the men who covet his crown.
00:03:20Vitaly Klitschko is anxious. A gaping wound cut short his spirited effort against the champion in June.
00:03:27He can no longer see. He's fighting on pure heart, Klitschko is now.
00:03:32Klitschko must win fights now to command the second chance he so desperately wants.
00:03:38Kirk Johnson is frustrated. Six months ago, Johnson was ready to challenge the champion until injury on the eve of the fight dashed his hopes.
00:03:48June 21st would have been a victorious night for Kirk Johnson. I would have been the man right now.
00:03:54Left to wonder what might have been, tonight Johnson takes out his frustrations on Klitschko in an attempt to prove he, and not Vitaly, is the rightful heir to the throne.
00:04:05Joe Macy is as patient as can be. Undefeated in 27 professional fights, Macy's steady climb through the heavyweight ranks drew heat after a devastating knockout of Gavarro Williamson in September.
00:04:18They call it star quality and Joe Macy has just provided a bundle of it to the heavyweight division.
00:04:25Tonight, the journey continues against New Yorker Monty Barrett. Heavyweights take center stage as big time boxing returns to the world's most famous arena.
00:04:35Will a legitimate title contender emerge or will the mystery deepen? The answer is next.
00:04:54For the last time, in fact, it's true.
00:04:59For the last time in 2003, HBO Sports celebrates 30 years of boxing coverage,
00:05:28building legends one round at a time.
00:05:30Tonight, we're in Madison Square Garden in New York City for a heavyweight doubleheader.
00:05:35First up, rising sensation baby Joe Macy faces Monty Barrett, possibly the toughest test of Macy's skyrocketing career.
00:05:44Then, Vitaly Klitschko, coming off his brave showing against Lennox Lewis, takes on legitimate contender Kirk Johnson.
00:05:52It's been more than two years since we've been at the big arena here at Madison Square Garden, Hopkins, Trinidad.
00:05:58Back then, in September 2001, the world was reeling from the after effects of 9-11.
00:06:04Now, we're here under much different circumstances.
00:06:06The focus tonight on boxing and on who may emerge as contenders for the heavyweight throne.
00:06:12We expect to see two men's stock rise and perhaps two fall tonight in the race to succeed Lennox Lewis.
00:06:21Hello again, everybody. I'm Jim Lampley.
00:06:23We welcome you to this special edition of World Championship Boxing, which will cap off an eventful year of boxing here on HBO in 2003.
00:06:31There's always special excitement when we have heavyweights on the card.
00:06:34There's always special excitement when we're in Madison Square Garden.
00:06:38So, let's get to it.
00:06:39Working with me, as always, HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant.
00:06:43Larry, as the opening tease suggested, Lennox Lewis is either retired or perhaps will take one more fight before retirement.
00:06:51So, how and through what process will a new legitimate champion emerge in the post-Lewis heavyweight landscape?
00:06:59From the usual assortment of prospects and suspects, but there are some serious prospects afoot right now.
00:07:09Rockman and Tua are still with us. Rockman fighting John Ruiz next week.
00:07:13Klitschko, if he wins tonight, could face Sanders, who defeated his younger brother, Vladimir, for a vacant title if Lewis retires.
00:07:23Among the little big guys, Byrd is the Pernell Whitaker of the division.
00:07:31Tony has leaped into prominence with his victory over Holyfield and now is going to face the 260-plus pound Jameel McCline.
00:07:40Roy Jones wants one more mega fight and out.
00:07:44The prospects, Vladimir Klitschko, still the youngest, still the most promising at 27.
00:07:51Dominic Gwynn of Arkansas and Macy are co-equals as among the best young American heavyweights to come along in a while.
00:08:01The heavyweight division periodically goes through this sort of transition and inevitably some one comes out of it sooner or later.
00:08:12Sooner, we hope.
00:08:15That's right. Right now, a lot of guys standing at the velvet rope and it remains to be seen who's going to be allowed into the inner circle.
00:08:21One man who made it in twice, winning the heavyweight championship through two vastly different routes, Big George Foreman.
00:08:28George, either Macy or Vitaly Klitschko could become the real thing in the heavyweight division.
00:08:33They both already have big public followings.
00:08:36What must either or both men show you tonight to stamp themselves as the one?
00:08:41Right out of adversity. Rocky Marciano, Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali.
00:08:45When you knock them down, when you beat them up, break their jaw, they start to fight.
00:08:49We're looking for someone who can just get up off the canvas and show us you don't need any protection.
00:08:54That's what we want.
00:08:56And we start with one of the most colorful personal stories in the sport.
00:08:59Boxing is a sport with many father-son stagas.
00:09:03We have covered many of them over the years.
00:09:05None more colorful and dynamic than the two-man pairing which has brought Joe Macy to unlikely heavyweight prominence.
00:09:17Joe Macy is momentarily the most crowd-pleasing heavyweight on the planet.
00:09:21Armed with a thundering right hand, a disarming smile and a charismatic personality.
00:09:27But behind the story of Macy's rise in the heavyweight ranks, there lies a tale of family tragedy and personal loss.
00:09:34As well as inspiration and bonding between a father and a son.
00:09:38I believe that everything happens for a reason.
00:09:40You have to learn from everything and you have to get stronger from every event, whether they're losses or gains.
00:09:47Macy grew up in a small suburb outside Buffalo, New York.
00:09:51Though his grandfather, uncle and brother were all boxers, Macy didn't step into a boxing gym until the relatively late age of 21.
00:10:00I never ever imagined myself being a boxer.
00:10:03You know, when I originally went to the gym, it wasn't in the intention to become a world champion, to be turned professional.
00:10:09I went there purely for the love of the sport, to maybe see what my grandfather and my uncle had experienced.
00:10:16And maybe at that time, most importantly, to kind of maybe lose some weight and get into shape.
00:10:21Joe lost almost 60 pounds and realized he had a knack for fighting.
00:10:25But his parents, Jack and Barbara Macy, had never envisioned Joe as a boxer.
00:10:30At first, Barbara tried to head off her son's passion for the sport.
00:10:34She was never really thrilled about me boxing, me fighting, always worried about me getting hurt.
00:10:40But she was my biggest supporter at the same time.
00:10:43Well, my wife was more of the academic.
00:10:47And her wish for Joe was to become a lawyer.
00:10:53She used to always tell me, quit that boxing, go to law school, I want you to be a lawyer.
00:10:58Joe kept boxing, calling on a fighting spirit he must have inherited from his mother,
00:11:03who fought her own ongoing battle with lupus, an autoimmune disease that prompts the immune system to attack the body.
00:11:10She fought for 15 or 20 years with lupus disease, and she was as tough as they come.
00:11:15And I draw inspiration from that.
00:11:17After the fights, because of her illness, she would literally be in bed for two and three days, recovering from the stress of the fight.
00:11:25I think maybe when she knew she wasn't going to be around much longer, she told me, be careful not to get hurt.
00:11:29I assured her that nothing bad was going to happen to me in the ring.
00:11:34Don't worry about me, because I'm going to be safe and I'm in good hands.
00:11:37In November of 2000, Jack and Joe watched as Barbara finally lost her fight with lupus.
00:11:42Their father-son relationship since then has deepened.
00:11:46One less parent, it's one less person to rely on, and I drew closer to him.
00:11:52But that's the one parent figure I have left, and we are as close as can be.
00:11:59Today, Jack manages Joe's career with the fervor only a father can supply,
00:12:04as he looks to catapult Joe into the upper echelon of the heavyweight division.
00:12:09I'm sometimes criticized for being controlling, but my whole purpose in doing this is to protect Joe and get him to the title.
00:12:17He is the reason that I think I'm the biggest ticket seller in the sport that does not hold a world title.
00:12:24He's a marketing genius.
00:12:27Known as Buffalo's third franchise to go along with the Bills and the Sabres,
00:12:32Macy admits giant crowds that come to his fights surprise him.
00:12:36It's crazy, and I never thought it would get like this.
00:12:39I'm an athlete that was born here, raised here, educated here,
00:12:43and plan on becoming heavyweight champion of the world and continuing to live here.
00:12:46And I think they appreciate that.
00:12:48As Joe's boxing skills sell out arenas, Jack tries to steer him into a title shot.
00:12:53Both men agree there's something much bigger in their lives.
00:12:57It's just father-son, father-son, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It never is a business to us.
00:13:02Someday when I'm an old man rocking in a rocking chair, I hope he'll get me my orange juice.
00:13:09And that's where we're going. It's way beyond boxing. We're going way beyond boxing.
00:13:15We tell each other everything. We do everything together. We're inseparable.
00:13:18He's, again, an inspiration and a big part of where we are.
00:13:23Joe Macy's had a spectacular year.
00:13:26Three fights, three knockouts, a total of four rounds.
00:13:30Tonight, he fights an opponent with vast experience going the distance.
00:13:35Let's take a look at the tail of the tape now for baby Joe Macy
00:13:39against New Yorker Monty Barrett.
00:13:41And you can see that Barrett, at 32, is two years older than Macy.
00:13:45He's also two inches taller.
00:13:47The arm length advantage, surprisingly, an inch and a half,
00:13:50measured from the armpit to the end of the fist, goes to Macy.
00:13:54And he outweighs Barrett, whom he met as amateurs several years ago, by 22 and a half pounds.
00:14:02Rules of the bout with our unofficial ringside scorer, Harold Letterman.
00:14:05The baby Joe Macy-Monty Barrett fight is scheduled for ten rounds
00:14:09using the rules of the New York State Athletic Commission.
00:14:12The three knockdown rule is in effect.
00:14:14The doctor or the referee can stop the fight.
00:14:17In case a cut is caused by an accidental headbutt,
00:14:19we go to the scorecards if the four rounds have been completed
00:14:22and you cannot be saved by the bell in any round, including the tenth and final round.
00:14:26Jim.
00:14:30First to enter will be Monty Barrett,
00:14:33the former high school football star from Queens.
00:14:37Had an excellent start to his career.
00:14:40Ultimately came a cropper twice, but only against fighters half a head taller,
00:14:46or half a foot, I should say, taller than Macy.
00:14:49Vladimir Klitschko, 6'7", and Lance Whitaker, 6'8", against fighters Macy-sized.
00:14:55Barrett's unbeaten.
00:14:57And nine times in his career, Larry, he's gone either ten or twelve rounds,
00:15:01something Joe Macy has yet to do.
00:15:04Well, Macy has not even completed nine rounds,
00:15:07which will give you an idea of what Barrett may try to do tonight to extend Macy.
00:15:14He's had a rough year and a half.
00:15:16His jewels were robbed, his stocks went down, he lost a lot of money.
00:15:20He says he's more motivated than ever now
00:15:23to try to get into the inner circle of heavyweight contenders.
00:15:28Hey, everybody.
00:15:30Welcome to the crowd.
00:15:32I'm Brock Lesnar.
00:15:34I'm here with Mike.
00:15:38Hi, everybody.
00:15:40The world fighting, but once you say you're in Madison Square Garden,
00:15:43it takes a lot out of you.
00:15:45In that dressing room, you can melt.
00:15:47And for tonight, from Boone Kirkman to Buster Mathis,
00:15:51I've seen them all fold because of the dressing room in Madison Square Garden.
00:15:55And that question applies really more to Joe Macy tonight
00:15:58than it does to Monty Barrett.
00:16:00Barrett has been in this building.
00:16:02Macy has been fighting most of his major triumphs
00:16:05in the cocoon of Buffalo, where he is totally idolized.
00:16:09You don't get used to it, though.
00:16:11You don't get used to it.
00:16:13Well, we shall see what happens to Baby Joe tonight.
00:16:16In his last appearance against Davaro Williamson in Buffalo,
00:16:19with the spotlight of the nation on him for the first time,
00:16:23he performed spectacularly, knocking Williamson out in the first round.
00:16:27Which caused me to comment, Jim, at the time.
00:16:32He's proven that he's too good for the minor leagues.
00:16:35We don't know if he's good enough for the major leagues.
00:16:38I think tonight we may find out if there is a spot in the lineup for him.
00:16:43If not, whether he's a clean-up hitter or not.
00:16:46How confident is he?
00:16:48Yesterday we said to Joe Macy,
00:16:50what do you think Barrett might be thinking tactically?
00:16:53Macy looked at us and said, I don't know what Marty's thinking,
00:16:56but I'm thinking he's in trouble.
00:16:58We're thinking right now, we're gonna go up to Jimmy Lennon Jr.
00:17:01for the pre-fight introductions.
00:17:04Oh.
00:17:12And now I'm told that Jimmy Lennon isn't quite ready
00:17:14to do the pre-fight introductions,
00:17:16but let's take a fuller look at Macy
00:17:19as he steps into the ring,
00:17:21looking calm and collected, as was the case yesterday.
00:17:27And now Jimmy Lennon moves to the center of the ring,
00:17:29and we are ready for the pre-fight intros.
00:17:33Let's go to the ring.
00:17:36Ladies and gentlemen, a very good evening to you,
00:17:41and we welcome you to the world's most famous arena,
00:17:45Madison Square Garden here in New York City.
00:17:50We have a big night of action in store for you,
00:17:53and it's all brought to you by Duva Boxing
00:17:55and Vitali Klitschko's promoter, Universe of Box Promotions,
00:17:59in association with the undisputed king of beers, Budweiser,
00:18:04Betz.com, and Pacific Entertainment Group.
00:18:08This bout coming away also provided courtesy
00:18:10of Tony Holden Productions.
00:18:14Introducing to you our judges scoring the bout from ringside,
00:18:17from Floral Park, New York, Joe Dwyer,
00:18:20from Garden City, New York, Arthur Mercanti Sr.,
00:18:24and from Albany, New York, Tom Schreck.
00:18:27Our third man to the ring, the referee in charge of the action,
00:18:30we have Mike Ortega.
00:18:33All right, fans, here we go
00:18:36with a 10-round heavyweight special attraction.
00:18:40Introducing to you first, on my left,
00:18:43fighting out of the blue corner,
00:18:45wearing blue trunks, fighting out of and representing
00:18:49his hometown of Queens, New York.
00:18:53He weighed in at a ready 215 pounds.
00:18:57His fine record stands at 29 wins,
00:19:01two losses, 16 wins.
00:19:04Coming by way of knockout,
00:19:06introducing Monty,
00:19:09two guns,
00:19:11Barrett.
00:19:17And his opponent across the ring on my right,
00:19:20fighting out of the red corner in this 10-round special attraction,
00:19:23wearing blue trunks with white trim,
00:19:26fighting out of his home of Buffalo, New York.
00:19:31He weighed in at 237 1 1⁄2 pounds,
00:19:35a highly decorated amateur champion,
00:19:38undefeated in his campaign in the professional ranks
00:19:41with a record of 27 wins, no losses,
00:19:4525 big wins.
00:19:47Coming by way of knockout,
00:19:49ranked the number four heavyweight in the world
00:19:52by the WBC.
00:19:54Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome
00:19:56the hard-hitting and undefeated
00:20:00Baby Joe Macy!
00:20:04-♪
00:20:06-♪
00:20:08-♪
00:20:10And this gentleman in charge, Mike Ortega,
00:20:13now to give instructions, 10 rounds of boxing schedule.
00:20:18Okay, gentlemen, we went over the rules.
00:20:20I want a good, clean fight.
00:20:22Obey my commands at all times.
00:20:24Good luck to both of you. Touch them up.
00:20:27Joe Macy's father, Jack,
00:20:29says that in the kind of blizzard conditions
00:20:32we have outside the garden,
00:20:34they grow flowers in Buffalo.
00:20:37We want to know if they grow heavyweights as well.
00:20:40-♪
00:20:42-♪
00:20:44-♪
00:20:46-♪
00:20:48-♪
00:20:50-♪
00:20:52Macy's last two fights have produced first-round knockouts.
00:20:56That seems unlikely against Barrett.
00:20:58But Barrett himself says,
00:21:00I don't think it'll be a long fight.
00:21:02I'm gonna knock Macy out.
00:21:04You wonder why Barrett would be thinking that way,
00:21:07given his on-the-record advantages
00:21:09having gone the distance
00:21:11and understanding how to finish fights.
00:21:14Baby Joe doesn't have any experience
00:21:16going a long distance.
00:21:18This is not the night to try to go and get some experience.
00:21:21If you can punch, do it.
00:21:24Barrett said that when he sparred with Macy
00:21:27in the amateurs many years ago,
00:21:29the one thing he remembers is,
00:21:31Macy's punches have power.
00:21:33Barrett said he's one of those guys with heavy hands.
00:21:36Macy's better be getting ready to hold on.
00:21:38You get hurt to hold on.
00:21:45Barrett's got the long reach.
00:21:47He's not using his jab when he should be.
00:21:49Barrett can tend to stand at a distance,
00:21:51Macy looking for ways to get in,
00:21:53and he lands a right cross right on the button.
00:21:57When you're fighting a puncher,
00:21:59you always supposed to be doing something
00:22:01if there's no more than just moving out of the way.
00:22:03Don't let him sit and think about his power.
00:22:05Barrett tried for the big right cross himself.
00:22:08Now he's thrown three straight right hands,
00:22:10Macy taking one and ducking two.
00:22:17Another hard right hand over the top by Barrett.
00:22:20Macy seems unaffected.
00:22:23Barrett's trying to mix up power,
00:22:25which is not a good idea.
00:22:27He's countering Macy's jab with his right cross
00:22:30and landing it.
00:22:32Macy's been going to the body
00:22:34Barrett wisely waiting for that to happen
00:22:37and came over with his right hand.
00:22:40Now Barrett throwing a hard left hook.
00:22:42Looks as though he's not interested
00:22:44in a boxing match here.
00:22:46Wants to slug it out with Joe Macy.
00:22:48If you got a good long left jab
00:22:51and a good snapping right hand,
00:22:53why go out and fight a guy?
00:22:55That's what Barrett is doing.
00:22:57He's trying to match power with a puncher.
00:23:01Macy gets inside, gets a chance to land,
00:23:04backs Barrett up with a left hand.
00:23:06And I think he dazed Barrett momentarily at least.
00:23:13Another left hook lands for Macy.
00:23:15This time he led with it.
00:23:17When you got a good strong jab,
00:23:19you can really bust a guy up,
00:23:21and Barrett may be doing that with Baby Joe
00:23:24as the fight go on,
00:23:26popping him with that jab to swell his eyes up.
00:23:28Macy's trying for another first round knockout
00:23:30to go with the two that he's already racked up this year.
00:23:36They're gonna trade some leather.
00:23:38Another left hook lands for Barrett.
00:23:40Macy lands a left hook in return.
00:23:43Barrett leads with the right hand to end the round.
00:23:46A good round especially for Macy.
00:23:54Water, water, water, water, water, water.
00:23:57Water, water, water, water, water, water.
00:24:03Listen, lay back.
00:24:05But relax.
00:24:07Relax.
00:24:09You're trying it too hard, right?
00:24:11You're trying it too hard.
00:24:12Now why don't you just jab a little more now, right?
00:24:14Can you do it?
00:24:19Jab this guy.
00:24:21Jab, this is a fight now, man.
00:24:23This is a fight.
00:24:24This is what you trained six weeks for in the gym.
00:24:27Do what you've been working on, man.
00:24:29Macy doing damage with his overhand right,
00:24:33but especially with that left hook.
00:24:41Right there.
00:24:42Classic left hook.
00:24:44Follows through with his shoulders.
00:24:47Copy box numbers in round 1.
00:24:49Macy, 18 out of 57.
00:24:51Barrett, 6 out of 30.
00:24:52You listen to the talk in Barrett's corner,
00:24:54they want him to box.
00:24:55He trained to box.
00:24:56They expected him to go in and jab and move.
00:24:58He didn't do it.
00:25:01Now for David Joe Macy,
00:25:03his corner should just refresh him
00:25:05when that bell rings.
00:25:06Don't talk too much.
00:25:07Just keep your punch refreshed.
00:25:09He needs his power.
00:25:12Good left inside by Barrett.
00:25:17Barrett is holding, which is good advice.
00:25:21Good strategy.
00:25:22Hold on when you can't do anything else.
00:25:28The interesting equation you saw in the tail of the tape.
00:25:31Barrett is taller.
00:25:32Macy has the longer arms.
00:25:34And there you see that Macy is able to land
00:25:37with his jab from the outside.
00:25:41It's interesting, Jim.
00:25:42In his street clothes, Macy does not present
00:25:45a picture of a powerful-looking guy.
00:25:48When you see him in trunks,
00:25:50you know, he looks like a linebacker.
00:25:52An uppercut by Barrett.
00:25:54Two in a row.
00:25:55Two uppercuts.
00:25:56That's what you want to punch you,
00:25:58to get a guy to start punching you back
00:26:00so you can mix it up with him.
00:26:01And I think that works for Baby Joe.
00:26:03Baby Joe Macy said a fascinating thing
00:26:05about Monty Barrett yesterday.
00:26:06That was stabbed by a right hand.
00:26:09Don't push him.
00:26:10You want a guy to start hitting you
00:26:12so he can get confidence that he can punch with you.
00:26:14And that's what Barrett did.
00:26:16You got to box to punch him.
00:26:20Joe Macy said an interesting thing
00:26:22about Barrett yesterday.
00:26:23He said if you want to see the best of Monty Barrett,
00:26:25go after him and fight him.
00:26:26He said Barrett's the kind of fighter that
00:26:28if you fight him, you'll bring out the fight in him.
00:26:31If you stand back and try to box him, he'll loaf.
00:26:34Nevertheless, Macy wants to go fight him anyway.
00:26:37Barrett's tasted some of that power now.
00:26:39He's going to have to do some mighty good thinking
00:26:41to stay out of trouble.
00:26:44The referee is not going to help you, Barrett.
00:26:49Swelling outside the left eye of Monty Barrett.
00:26:52Just a little mouse.
00:26:53Maybe from a Macy right hand.
00:26:55Macy catches him with a little left hook again.
00:27:01Macy doesn't have the best left jab,
00:27:03so he best stay away from the jabbing contest.
00:27:08I wouldn't be surprised if Barrett's legs
00:27:11feels like he just drank three dry martinis.
00:27:15Good body shot by Macy.
00:27:17Macy, again, set up a little left hand inside.
00:27:20Barrett with a hard right hand uppercut.
00:27:23All of that punching that Barrett does
00:27:25works against him because you're playing
00:27:27right in the hand of a puncher.
00:27:29Got to throw combinations and move.
00:27:32No, no, no. Step back, please. Step back, please.
00:27:34Stay off the top of him, okay?
00:27:35Don't push him down like that. Go.
00:27:38Hey!
00:27:40Let him out. Let him out.
00:27:42Go.
00:27:44In the first two rounds,
00:27:46Monty Barrett seems to have fought more
00:27:48out of pride and stubbornness
00:27:50than ring intelligence.
00:27:51We'll see where it goes from here.
00:27:53Come on.
00:27:54Meanwhile, next Thursday,
00:27:55HBO Latino's Jose Odiaro returns
00:27:58with Mike Enchando versus Gregorio Vargas.
00:28:01Next Saturday, K-1 is back.
00:28:04Mike Enchando versus Gregorio Vargas.
00:28:07Next Saturday, pay-per-view five-title fights
00:28:09featuring Gerardo Mayorga,
00:28:10Bernard Hopkins,
00:28:11Hasim Rahman against John Ruiz.
00:28:13January 24, live on HBO,
00:28:15Arturo Gatti back in action facing Gianluca Branco.
00:28:18January 31, boxing after dark,
00:28:20Antonio Margarito, one of the welterweight titleists,
00:28:23against Hercules Clivelos,
00:28:25plus Rafael Marquez against Pete Prisina.
00:28:27HBO building legends one round at a time.
00:28:32Swallow, swallow.
00:28:34You hear what I'm telling you, Monty?
00:28:36Breathe in, breathe in.
00:28:37Let go, Bobby.
00:28:40Go to finish him with the jab.
00:28:42Stick the jab.
00:28:49If Barrett wasn't in the good condition
00:28:52he appears to be in,
00:28:53he might not have survived the first two rounds.
00:28:58But in the second round,
00:29:00one CompuBox number is interesting.
00:29:02Barrett landing nearly half of his power shots,
00:29:058 of 17.
00:29:06Macy also landing 8 power shots.
00:29:09He threw 27.
00:29:11Again, as you pointed out, George,
00:29:13Barrett wants to punch with a puncher.
00:29:16Now he's gotten a little scared, Barrett has,
00:29:19which will make for a better boxing match for him.
00:29:22Fear makes you box.
00:29:28Massey's corner's got to be careful.
00:29:30Just let the man know he's not getting in the good power shots
00:29:33because his opponent is too tall.
00:29:36Don't get discouraged.
00:29:45Barrett has kept his head...
00:29:46Good left hook by Macy.
00:29:48Kept his head really high.
00:29:49Hard to get in a good punch.
00:29:52Sometimes young fighters think,
00:29:54oh, I can't do it.
00:29:56Right hand to the chest for Macy.
00:30:01Crowd oozing eyes when Macy lands
00:30:03because he commits so much to his power punches.
00:30:15Big left hook by Barrett.
00:30:17Macy takes it well.
00:30:22And that's discouraging to a boxer
00:30:24when he started missing the puncher.
00:30:29Macy willing to take a little leather
00:30:31to try to get inside and hack away at Barrett now.
00:30:34Barrett missing over the top of the right hand.
00:30:36Macy clips him with a left inside.
00:30:38Barrett keeps leaning on that left hook,
00:30:41which is not smart.
00:30:44Massey can hit with that left hook.
00:30:47You don't even mean when you said Barrett's leaning on it.
00:30:49Yeah, he's throwing too many left hooks.
00:30:50He's gonna get caught in these chains.
00:30:52Don't hook a hooker.
00:30:57From what we've seen,
00:30:58I think the left hook is Macy's best punch.
00:31:00Macy can take you out with a hook,
00:31:02so you don't want to get in a hooking battle.
00:31:04Keep it to the jab to the right hand.
00:31:14Boy, you know he can take it out of a puncher
00:31:16when a big guy leans on his neck
00:31:18like Barrett is doing.
00:31:20Barrett clips Macy with the right hand.
00:31:26Left hook, glancing blow.
00:31:33Solid left hook by Macy to the body.
00:31:35Misses with the right hand upstairs.
00:31:39And now blood from the left eye of Montee Barrett.
00:31:44And a little grin on Macy's face
00:31:46as he sees the blood emerging.
00:31:53Sit down, sit down.
00:31:54Montee Barrett's cut man is Jimmy Glenn.
00:31:58Outstanding trainer and cut man
00:32:00who will do a good job.
00:32:02There's that right hand.
00:32:08Talking about, we've often talked about fighters
00:32:11who punch from the back seat.
00:32:14They're always moving away from a punch.
00:32:16He's punching so far into the front seat,
00:32:19he's almost on the hood.
00:32:33Listen, now.
00:32:35Exactly.
00:32:37Uh-huh.
00:32:39Start working with the uppercut, right?
00:32:46You heard Macy's trainer, Juan de Leon,
00:32:50brother of a former cruiserweight champion
00:32:53who was popular around this area.
00:32:57Also, former 130-pound world champion
00:32:59Tracy Harris Patterson,
00:33:01son of Floyd Patterson,
00:33:03assisting in Montee Barrett's corner.
00:33:05Harold, how do you have it through three?
00:33:07Okay, Jim.
00:33:08Not so terribly hard a score.
00:33:10Three rounds to nothing.
00:33:1130-27, baby Joe Macy.
00:33:14Jim, I gotta tell you something.
00:33:15Montee Barrett just can't seem to get into a rhythm.
00:33:17Obviously, what he's trying to do
00:33:19is to drop the right hand down on Joe Macy,
00:33:22and he's been missing him by a mile.
00:33:24So, good defense by Joe Macy,
00:33:26good offense, good pressure by Joe Macy,
00:33:28and landing the cleaner, harder shots.
00:33:31I like what Macy is doing.
00:33:33He's charged in a few rounds,
00:33:35now he's taking a break.
00:33:36Balanced.
00:33:37Get back.
00:33:38Get your reserves back up
00:33:39for your punching power.
00:33:40Very few punchers know how to do that.
00:33:42Macy may feel that,
00:33:44just as Harold Letterman suggested,
00:33:46he's won the first three rounds,
00:33:48so he's got a cushion and can now begin
00:33:50to think a little bit more strategically
00:33:53about how to go about what comes next.
00:33:55He's got a lot of experience,
00:33:57think a little bit more strategically
00:33:58about how to go about what comes next.
00:34:00Well, in addition to that,
00:34:01Barrett is being more defensive now.
00:34:06Jimmy Glenn stopped the bleeding
00:34:07in Montee Barrett's left eye.
00:34:11Macy lands a right.
00:34:13Turn him up.
00:34:14Step back.
00:34:26Head's collided again.
00:34:37Come on, break.
00:34:44Come on, one, two.
00:34:45Come on, one, two.
00:35:01Macy has been the aggressor
00:35:03since the opening minutes of the first round.
00:35:10Hard to imagine he'll ever fight
00:35:11any other way than that.
00:35:16Barrett missing again with the right,
00:35:17but lands a left hook.
00:35:19Macy ducking the right that came behind it.
00:35:21Has that right hand that Macy's been trying to get in there.
00:35:24Barrett better be careful.
00:35:26Barrett wings his right hand from the outside.
00:35:29Macy throws his straight up the middle.
00:35:33Whenever Barrett gets on the ropes,
00:35:35he drops his hand instinctively.
00:35:36This is the time that if Macy want to get him,
00:35:39you're gonna have to jump on him
00:35:40right as soon as his back touch the ropes.
00:35:47Time!
00:35:48Quick left hook by Joe Macy to punctuate round 4.
00:35:52Meanwhile, Vitaly Klitschko warming up in his dressing room,
00:35:56hoping to make a big show tonight
00:35:58to galvanize public support
00:36:00for the idea of another challenge against Lennox Lewis,
00:36:04a big pay-per-view date
00:36:06that might mark the end of Lewis' career.
00:36:09That's where Vitaly wants to be
00:36:11after his date with Kirk Johnson tonight.
00:36:14Johnson says,
00:36:15hey, I'm the guy who ought to be fighting Lewis.
00:36:17If I'd gotten my chance to fight him in June,
00:36:19I'd have knocked him out in four rounds.
00:36:26What the hell with that, man?
00:36:27You're children, man, all right?
00:36:29This guy here came to take you out.
00:36:31In round 3, Macy landed that punch on the eye,
00:36:35and that was followed by this collision.
00:36:38Hard to tell which one of those blows
00:36:41caused the cut over Barrett's left eye.
00:36:47They're fighting at a pedestrian pace.
00:36:50Macy threw 39 punches in the fourth round.
00:36:52Barrett threw 41.
00:36:54Heavyweights often fight at about that rate of punch output,
00:36:59though sometimes up to 50 or 60.
00:37:03Macy in particular has been more active than that
00:37:05in some previous fights,
00:37:07and he's taking his time against Montee Barrett.
00:37:13Barrett is...
00:37:14He doesn't mind extending his fight.
00:37:16He's not looking for a quick knockout.
00:37:19Macy's better beware of that.
00:37:22Time your punches, plan your work, and work a plan.
00:37:27Barrett with the right hand,
00:37:29and Macy lands it.
00:37:31The wounds kept Barrett from hitting the canvas,
00:37:33but it's a legitimate knockdown for Macy.
00:37:36And we told you, Barrett wins his right from the outside.
00:37:39Macy comes right up the middle.
00:37:41That means Baby Joe gets there first.
00:37:44Now it's evident that the Baby Joe can punch.
00:37:49Now Barrett wants to try to even it up right away.
00:37:53As he gets aggressive again.
00:37:57Break! Break!
00:37:59Gotta be careful.
00:38:01Archie Moore says sometimes when these guys are hurt,
00:38:03they can do more damage to you.
00:38:05You'll wake them up, and they'll hurt you.
00:38:08A finisher. Hard to see.
00:38:13Well, he's not being reckless.
00:38:15Barrett has turned southpaw to make it more difficult.
00:38:19He's turned his...
00:38:20Put his right foot in front of him.
00:38:22Yep, southpaw stands for Barrett.
00:38:24He's a survivor. That's what Barrett is.
00:38:26Watch the backhand.
00:38:33Now Macy's gotta understand to lead with your right,
00:38:36then come back with your hook.
00:38:38In 31 previous fights, Monty Barrett has been knocked out once.
00:38:41That was by Vladimir Klitschko,
00:38:43who knocked him down five times.
00:38:45Interestingly, Macy said, you know,
00:38:47that was Monty's best performance
00:38:49because he fought with heart,
00:38:51he kept coming at Vladimir,
00:38:52he tried as hard as he could.
00:38:54Evidently, Macy's corner scouted Barrett,
00:38:57but didn't put this part in that he's a southpaw.
00:39:01He turned southpaw.
00:39:03Yeah, because Baby Joe has been hesitant
00:39:05ever since Barrett went into the southpaw stance.
00:39:08Macy's gotta understand now,
00:39:10you gotta lead with your right.
00:39:15Not many southpaws in the heavyweight division,
00:39:18so fighters like Macy don't have all that much experience
00:39:21facing a guy who stands this way.
00:39:25If you, if Macy can just lead with that right hand
00:39:28and come back with a hook,
00:39:29he can get him in the same position.
00:39:32Remember, there's only been
00:39:33one southpaw heavyweight champion in history,
00:39:35and Michael Ortega's gonna rule that a slip,
00:39:38not a knockdown.
00:39:39Barrett's looking at Macy as if to say,
00:39:41see, I knocked you down just like you knocked me down,
00:39:44but it's ruled a slip or a push.
00:39:46Macy was throwing combinations, which is good.
00:39:50Lost his balance.
00:39:56All right, Joe.
00:39:57You know what?
00:39:58Leave him there. No.
00:40:00Barrett got a little bit aggressive.
00:40:03Right hand straight over the jab.
00:40:07And what was impressive to me there, George,
00:40:10was it almost looked like the jab started first,
00:40:13and yet Macy beat him to the punch.
00:40:16It's all night he's been waiting
00:40:18for that right hand.
00:40:19Finally, Barrett was low enough to receive it.
00:40:23He's been too tall all night.
00:40:24You don't reach him with the first one.
00:40:25You reach him with the second one.
00:40:37Dibby, straight, straight your leg.
00:40:41Be careful on that one.
00:40:42You can hit with a hook.
00:40:49Barrett's trainer in the corner there,
00:40:51the old guy, Al Davis, 89.
00:40:57And clears Bell, incidentally.
00:40:59Yeah, fought in the early 30s.
00:41:03Calls Barrett pigheaded, and Barrett says,
00:41:06oh, he calls me worse than that.
00:41:10Pigheaded because his intuition is to fight
00:41:15even when he should be boxing.
00:41:18Such as tonight.
00:41:21But you are who you are.
00:41:24Well, Barrett was a big-time football player
00:41:26in high school.
00:41:28Now Macy's trying to be a counterpuncher.
00:41:30You don't want to do that.
00:41:31Just go on and take the lead to the fight.
00:41:33Barrett back in the conventional stance
00:41:36after finishing the last round
00:41:37standing with the other foot forward.
00:41:41Right hand lands for Barrett.
00:41:43Second one short.
00:41:44Now Macy says, okay, let's try it.
00:41:46I'll show you my right hand.
00:41:49Barrett doing some boxing now.
00:41:51Jab, get out of the way.
00:41:53Jab, get out of the way.
00:41:54No, but I think Barrett is now deciding
00:41:57that he's got to do some damage
00:41:59because he's way behind in this fight.
00:42:02And he's not going to win it by boxing.
00:42:08Macy is starting to move away a little bit.
00:42:10You don't want to chase Macy.
00:42:13That's one thing you run into,
00:42:14that's one thing you run into something heavy.
00:42:16If he moves away from you,
00:42:17you just stand your ground if you're Barrett.
00:42:19And let him go.
00:42:20Let him come back.
00:42:24Barrett misses over the top of the right hand.
00:42:26Macy gets in a little left to the body.
00:42:29What surprises me that Macy is able to
00:42:31weave away from so many shots.
00:42:34Real instinctively, he got a little bob and weave there.
00:42:41Now Macy's head stays still for a moment.
00:42:43Barrett pops him with a jab.
00:42:48Macy ducks a couple, tries a left inside,
00:42:51lands the right from distance.
00:43:01Macy's been doing all the fighting,
00:43:03so you really hope that his corner can refresh him.
00:43:06Ooh!
00:43:07Big right hand.
00:43:09Barrett tries to shake it off.
00:43:11It didn't land quite flush,
00:43:12and I think he had a slightly open glove when that landed.
00:43:19Now you got to go back and say to yourself,
00:43:21I've knocked him down with a straight right hand,
00:43:23I've hurt him with another one.
00:43:25Go back to what's getting you over.
00:43:27He's hurt now, Barrett.
00:43:28He just hurt him with another right hand.
00:43:30That was a punch around the ear
00:43:32that seemed to affect his equilibrium.
00:43:36You got to stick to what's doing good tonight.
00:43:39Right hands are doing it.
00:43:42Ooh, right in the ear.
00:43:44Macy with a right-hand barrage to end the 6th.
00:43:48Four rounds left in the fight.
00:43:50Joe Macy perhaps headed toward going the distance
00:43:52for the first time in his career,
00:43:54but with a hefty lead on the scorecards.
00:43:57Round 7 coming up.
00:43:59Where are you from?
00:44:00Queens.
00:44:01Okay, good.
00:44:02Raise your left hand now.
00:44:03Beautiful, okay.
00:44:05Round 7.
00:44:07Get me some water.
00:44:13Then let it go.
00:44:14The 7th round.
00:44:18Then double it then.
00:44:24Hold on, hold on.
00:44:25Deep breaths.
00:44:27Deep.
00:44:30A little more, listen.
00:44:32And hit this motherfucker with a hook.
00:44:34Here's the right hand once again.
00:44:38That time as he was coming in,
00:44:41it seemed to clinch.
00:44:42He thought he might as well throw a punch
00:44:44and it landed.
00:44:47You see him amused.
00:44:49Joe Macy goes to the 7th.
00:44:50George Vidal-Davis.
00:44:52Yeah.
00:44:53You see him amused.
00:44:56Joe Macy goes to the 7th.
00:44:57George Vidal-Davis.
00:44:59Yeah, because his fighter told him,
00:45:01he's countering my left jab.
00:45:04Now Macy goes down on a right hand by Barrett.
00:45:08As Macy gets overaggressive and makes a mistake.
00:45:13First time in Macy's career that he's gone to the canvas.
00:45:17So might be Barrett produces something.
00:45:19George, you said before the fight,
00:45:21you want to see whether guys can deal with adversity.
00:45:23That's what we want to look for today,
00:45:25is can the heavyweight get up off the canvas
00:45:28and show you his stuff?
00:45:30Well, both of them have gotten up now.
00:45:36And like Barrett did after the first knockdown,
00:45:39Macy's trying to show that there are no ill effects.
00:45:44Meanwhile, Barrett clips in the end with a left and a right.
00:45:47Macy's getting a look of frustration on his face,
00:45:49like, why am I making these mistakes?
00:45:52There's some swelling over Macy's eye
00:45:54causing him a little confusion.
00:45:56Left eye, product of Barrett's right hand.
00:46:00He also looks a little winded, or maybe that's just an illusion.
00:46:04His mouth is open.
00:46:06He hasn't gone this far in a fight in a few years, I think.
00:46:10This is the fourth time in his career
00:46:12that he's gone to the seventh round.
00:46:14He's been seven rounds once, eight rounds once,
00:46:17part of nine rounds another time.
00:46:20And now this.
00:46:22Well, he's knocked the guy down, hurt him a few times.
00:46:24You get out there and you think, I got him now.
00:46:26And you get caught. It happens every time.
00:46:29That's called the heavyweight division, right?
00:46:30That's right. And in Madison Square Garden,
00:46:32this happened to me once.
00:46:33I thought, surely I'm gonna win.
00:46:35And there I am holding on myself.
00:46:37Now Barrett is beginning to dominate this round
00:46:40as he hammers Macy with a good hard left to the body.
00:46:53Now Macy is shucking and jiving.
00:46:55Don't do that.
00:46:56Don't give your opponent any courage like that.
00:47:00Don't shuck and jive with him if you're Macy.
00:47:03Barrett is just fighting the way you want to fight now.
00:47:06Barrett's trying to end the fight with one big right hand.
00:47:09Comes back with a left hook and flips Macy with that.
00:47:13Been a huge seventh round for Barrett.
00:47:16Now Macy tries to even the score just a little bit
00:47:21in this round.
00:47:23This is the toughest round of Macy's career.
00:47:27Barrett is using the uppercuts now.
00:47:29Uppercuts.
00:47:30And Macy fighting back.
00:47:32Backs Barrett up with a big left hand.
00:47:34Crowd responds.
00:47:36In the big house, you gotta fight back.
00:47:38A lot of Buffalonians made the trip down from Buffalo
00:47:42to see their guy.
00:47:44Their voices prominent in the crowd
00:47:46in Madison Square Garden.
00:47:48Barrett in the corner.
00:47:49Macy's talking.
00:47:50Seventh round comes to an end.
00:47:52Baby Joe Macy was knocked down
00:47:54for the first time in his career.
00:47:57Listen.
00:47:59Listen, Joe.
00:48:01Listen.
00:48:02You're trying too hard.
00:48:04I want you to start using your jab.
00:48:06We're going for round eight now.
00:48:08All right?
00:48:09Eighth round.
00:48:10Eighth round now.
00:48:11Got it?
00:48:12Move this round.
00:48:13Box this round.
00:48:14Move.
00:48:16Watch this guy for a round.
00:48:18Straight your leg.
00:48:24Listen.
00:48:25And when you get hit hard,
00:48:26when you get hit hard,
00:48:27don't try to play hard.
00:48:28Move.
00:48:33Coming in with a left hook.
00:48:35Walking into a short left hand
00:48:38by Manny Barrett.
00:48:42Not much because he ran into it.
00:48:45Makes it even harder.
00:48:46Yep.
00:48:49Well, Barrett's walked into a couple of punches.
00:48:51Now Macy walked into one.
00:48:54Turnabout is fair play.
00:48:56Barrett's got to go for a knockout.
00:48:58Round eight of a scheduled ten.
00:49:00Harold, how do you have it coming into the eighth?
00:49:02Okay, Jim.
00:49:0368-63.
00:49:04Six rounds to one.
00:49:05Baby Joe Macy.
00:49:06Monty Barrett may have run out of rounds.
00:49:08He may need a knockout to win this fight.
00:49:10You got to give Baby Joe Macy
00:49:12and Monty Barrett off his feet in round five.
00:49:14Give Monty Barrett an extra point
00:49:16for knocking Joe Macy off his feet in round seven.
00:49:19Six to one.
00:49:20Macy.
00:49:25Barrett's better go for the knockout.
00:49:28You don't want to get Macy's courage back up again.
00:49:32You took it away from him.
00:49:33Keep it away.
00:49:34Hard right hand by Barrett.
00:49:36Swinging for the fence as now.
00:49:39He knows he needs to go for a knockout.
00:49:42And, of course, as Barrett opens up,
00:49:45he'll create opportunities for Macy
00:49:47to try to retaliate with power punches.
00:49:51Macy's got that swelling over the left eye.
00:49:53That's bothering him.
00:49:54Maybe he's never been in that position before.
00:49:58But you don't want to let Barrett get his courage up.
00:50:01Barrett, make him move backwards if you're Macy.
00:50:08Meanwhile, Macy continues to back up
00:50:10and allow Barrett to come forward.
00:50:12And with each step forward,
00:50:14Barrett's confidence is slightly reinforced.
00:50:23The Macy contention in the crowd.
00:50:26Nervous.
00:50:27Audibly.
00:50:28See, Macy did not go to the body enough.
00:50:31There's a good right hand by Macy.
00:50:34First rule of a puncher, go to the body.
00:50:37In case the guy gets stronger,
00:50:39he's too weak to knock you out.
00:50:41Macy didn't go to the body.
00:50:47Monte Barrett of Queens
00:50:49trying to pull off a hometown upset
00:50:52of Buffalo's Joe Macy.
00:50:58He's called Baby Joe Macy,
00:51:01but skeptics in Buffalo have said
00:51:03he's been Baby Joe Macy.
00:51:06You can't say he's been Baby anymore.
00:51:09And Macy walked into a Barrett right hand.
00:51:13And once again, seems slightly stunned.
00:51:16Barrett landed another big left.
00:51:18Macy's left eye is closing up.
00:51:21That's gonna be the thing tonight.
00:51:23Can his corner keep that eye open?
00:51:26Well, he's got one of the two or three best cut men in the sport
00:51:29in Al Gavin working in his corner.
00:51:31That eye's not cut, it's swollen.
00:51:33Barrett's got a cut in his corner
00:51:35and his corner closed it up real good for him.
00:51:38Jimmy Glynn did a great job, as we said he would.
00:51:55They've fought eight of a scheduled ten.
00:51:57Meanwhile, Kirk Johnson warms up in his locker room.
00:52:00Two weeks before June 21,
00:52:03Kirk Johnson had to drop out of his scheduled fight
00:52:06with Lennox Lewis because of a torn pectoral muscle.
00:52:09He says he thought he was over the disappointment
00:52:12until he watched Vitaly Klitschko
00:52:15flirt with a chance to become heavyweight champ
00:52:17against Lewis.
00:52:18It sent him into depression,
00:52:20thinking of what might have been.
00:52:21You know how to work?
00:52:22Lose.
00:52:25All right?
00:52:26Keep your hands up.
00:52:27Move your hand out, all right?
00:52:28Time to what?
00:52:29To stick and move.
00:52:30Dah, dah. Not too far.
00:52:31Not too far.
00:52:32Not too far.
00:52:33Start working with the right hand.
00:52:34He come with the right hand, chin down, seat down,
00:52:37and we're gonna bang on the motherfuckin' dust around.
00:52:39Come on.
00:52:40Come on, just show me.
00:52:41You got him.
00:52:42You heard him.
00:52:43Hit him to the body.
00:52:44Check this out. Let's go.
00:52:45Let's hit him to the body.
00:52:46Set that right hand up.
00:52:47Hit him to the body.
00:52:48It's overhand right by Barrett,
00:52:50high on the forehead.
00:52:52Barrett is not a strong puncher.
00:52:55Um, that's why he's gone the distance so much.
00:52:58He's a tough puncher that if you walk into a punch,
00:53:01you'll feel it.
00:53:03And he's proven Macy's point
00:53:05that he'll fight best when somebody fights hard against him.
00:53:08Macy fought hard against Barrett.
00:53:10He's brought out the fight in Barrett.
00:53:12In the last round, the 8th,
00:53:13Macy only threw 27 punches by copy of octa count,
00:53:16landing only 4.
00:53:17Barrett, 13 out of 38,
00:53:19easily, it seems, winning the round.
00:53:23The judges are all from New York State.
00:53:26The famous Arthur McHanty Sr. and Tom Schreier.
00:53:29Barrett had his man out of it.
00:53:31Now he's moving away and giving Macy more courage.
00:53:35Could have gotten a knockout if he really pursued it.
00:53:38Barrett could have.
00:53:42Now Macy's got his courage and his power.
00:53:45Of course, he keeps the power.
00:53:48Barrett lands a left hook.
00:53:52Macy's been much more self-protective
00:53:54since the knockdown,
00:53:55throwing fewer punches,
00:53:57backing away more,
00:53:59trying to stay out of harm's way,
00:54:01but still getting harmed more
00:54:03than he's harming Barrett.
00:54:05Boy, when you've never gone 10 rounds
00:54:07and you start watching the ring,
00:54:08people go by with those number
00:54:10that you've never seen before,
00:54:128, 9, 10,
00:54:14it's frightening for a puncher,
00:54:16I can tell you that.
00:54:17If they go to the final bell in this round,
00:54:19it'll be further than Joe Macy's ever gone in a fight.
00:54:25He's got the power.
00:54:33Macy better hope his lead on the scorecards
00:54:36was as solid as Harold Letterman makes it.
00:54:44Barrett seems not to have any fear at all.
00:54:46There's been a role reversal in this fight
00:54:48which started out with Barrett as the boxer
00:54:51and Macy as the aggressor,
00:54:53but he's actually in this boxing mode,
00:54:56so he does have versatility.
00:54:59Look and see number 9, number 10.
00:55:02Boy, that's scary,
00:55:03because you wonder about yourself.
00:55:06Macy shoots a right hand and lands it.
00:55:11He seems to have steadied himself
00:55:12a bit here in the ninth.
00:55:15I remember the first time I saw that ring card
00:55:17saying number 9.
00:55:19Boy, was I afraid.
00:55:21The left eye is Macy's lead eye, George.
00:55:23Can he see Barrett's right hand coming?
00:55:25So far, he can probably see,
00:55:27but it's gonna get worse.
00:55:30Well, he's only got 3 minutes, 21 seconds
00:55:32to go in the fight,
00:55:35so how much worse can it get?
00:55:37He's gotta take the aggression, though.
00:55:39Macy gotta get out there and show the world
00:55:41that he's the top boy.
00:55:46It'll be a victory for Barrett just to survive.
00:55:49What would you tell Baby Joe going into the tent?
00:55:52Go fight him or stay away?
00:55:53Go fight him. Go fight him.
00:55:55We need a champion now,
00:55:56a guy who can get up and win the 10th round.
00:56:04He's gotta pay off right now.
00:56:06He's gotta pay off.
00:56:07You gotta go out there.
00:56:14Double that left hand.
00:56:20You're not fighting him.
00:56:26He's trying to hit you with the right hand.
00:56:27That's all the hell he's got.
00:56:28Come on, Joe.
00:56:29You're a better fighter than this.
00:56:30Come on, show me. Come on.
00:56:32All right?
00:56:415 seconds. Let's go.
00:56:42Shorten him up on his side.
00:56:43Shorten him up.
00:56:44And double that left hand up.
00:56:47That was Al Gavin, the cut man,
00:56:48who said to Macy,
00:56:49come on, Joe.
00:56:50You're a better fighter than this.
00:56:52He still threw only 32 punches in the 9th round,
00:56:55allowing Barrett to throw 40.
00:56:57George Foreman said it.
00:56:58Joe Macy needs to fight and win the 10th round.
00:57:02Barrett had this man on the hook,
00:57:04could have knocked him out in the 8th round,
00:57:06and he backed away from the fight.
00:57:11Joe Macy has not fought in a fight
00:57:14that went to the judges,
00:57:15in more than 5 years.
00:57:18October of 98, a 4-rounder.
00:57:21That was the last time he went the distance.
00:57:25Barrett's fighting now the way Al Davis asked him to,
00:57:29and the crowd is beginning to back the local fighter.
00:57:32And Macy held on.
00:57:33That's smart now.
00:57:34Most guys who are punchers
00:57:35don't even have those instincts.
00:57:38Hold on.
00:57:39Try to get you one good shot in there.
00:57:43Break.
00:57:45Let's go, box.
00:57:46If any of the judges gave some early rounds to Barrett,
00:57:50this could conceivably be close.
00:57:53Hard right hand by Macy.
00:57:55And he did it by boxing.
00:58:04Macy goes home and studied his film.
00:58:07If this fight is over and he doesn't lose by knockout,
00:58:11he can always say,
00:58:12I can box, too.
00:58:13Big right hand by Macy.
00:58:15Barrett is hurt.
00:58:16Wobbles Barrett again.
00:58:22Finish strong if you're Barrett.
00:58:25Don't give up trying to get a knockout if you're Barrett.
00:58:27Loud rising for both fighters.
00:58:31Both fighters looking for a knockout shot.
00:58:40Macy demonstrating now that he's genuinely bothered
00:58:44by that swollen left eye.
00:58:46He's starting to lead in with his jab,
00:58:49throw punches.
00:59:02The thing about Barrett,
00:59:03you need to get aggressive,
00:59:04but when he does,
00:59:05Macy hits him hard.
00:59:08Which tends to discourage you a little bit, George.
00:59:11When someone,
00:59:12you chase a guy around and he hits you.
00:59:15It's been a close round so far,
00:59:17and it could be meaningful on the scorecards.
00:59:20Whatever happens in the last 30 seconds of the fight
00:59:22could conceivably be significant.
00:59:25Barrett just seems to think he's too far ahead on points
00:59:27for some reason.
00:59:29He's not throwing enough punches to get it done.
00:59:32Now he's throwing power punches.
00:59:35Macy's two right hands were the biggest punches
00:59:37of this round so far,
00:59:39but Barrett's throwing more.
00:59:41Macy seems staggered.
00:59:43Barrett lands a right hand.
00:59:45Barrett's better go for it.
00:59:46You better go for it.
00:59:49They brawl down the stretch.
00:59:51One punch.
00:59:55Both fighters will raise their arms now.
00:59:57I thought Macy won the fight.
01:00:00And it was a good fight.
01:00:01And we'll see what the judges thought.
01:00:04Will this take some of the luster
01:00:06off of Joe Macy's rising star, George?
01:00:09Oh, not at all. He's proven.
01:00:11I remember the first time they put me in the garden
01:00:13over the 10-round fight.
01:00:15Peralta had me breathing and holding on.
01:00:17The crowd even booed me.
01:00:19When you get in the garden,
01:00:20it brings the best out of your opponents.
01:00:22It's not gonna take any luster.
01:00:23I want to be champion of the world.
01:00:27The big right hands by Joe Macy
01:00:30scored in the 10th round.
01:00:34Surely he and his corner hoping
01:00:36that those two massive rights
01:00:38were enough to win him the round.
01:00:39But again, Barrett was throwing more
01:00:42throughout the round.
01:00:43Harold, how'd you score the fight?
01:00:45Okay, Jim.
01:00:46Six rounds to four.
01:00:4795-93.
01:00:49Baby Joe Macy.
01:00:50Jim, how do you feel?
01:00:51I feel great.
01:00:5395-93.
01:00:55Baby Joe Macy.
01:00:56Jim, I gotta tell you,
01:00:57from seven on through the end of the fight,
01:00:59Monty Barrett mugged him.
01:01:00I thought Monty clearly won the last four rounds.
01:01:02In the 10th round, he hurt him badly
01:01:04with about 30 seconds to go or so.
01:01:06So I thought Monty Barrett
01:01:07clearly won the 10th round.
01:01:09Monty made it real close.
01:01:10The problem was he ran out of rounds.
01:01:12If this were a 12-round fight,
01:01:13Monty Barrett could've won it,
01:01:14but I thought he just lost the first six.
01:01:17Joe Macy has enough points to win it.
01:01:19Change one of those rounds on Harold's scorecard,
01:01:22and he's got a draw.
01:01:2394-94.
01:01:26And once again, the three judges from New York State.
01:01:30Joe Dwyer.
01:01:33Johnson versus Montiel, a draw.
01:01:35That's not an overwhelmingly significant scorecard.
01:01:38Arthur Mercanti Sr.
01:01:41scored the first Ali Frazier fight the right way
01:01:44for Joe Frazier right here in this ring.
01:01:48And Tom Shrek.
01:01:51Shrek has never filed a scorecard
01:01:54as significant as the one he's just turned in here.
01:01:57You know, it was a good fight, heavyweight fight.
01:01:59You don't see many of those.
01:02:02You only see them when heavyweights are in the ring, huh?
01:02:04Yeah, I mean, good fights.
01:02:05Heavyweights, one is generally on the canvas,
01:02:07or the other look like he just came in for the payday,
01:02:10but these guys both fought.
01:02:12And both fighters scored clean knockdowns in the fight.
01:02:15If it was a draw, I wouldn't cry.
01:02:19If it was a draw, I wouldn't cry.
01:02:22Actually, Macy was on the canvas one other time.
01:02:24It was ruled a push.
01:02:27Had referee Michael Ortega seen fit to call that a knockdown.
01:02:31Barrett might be the winner now.
01:02:38Certainly, Macy now looks the way a fighter should look.
01:02:41With that left eye, a gargoyle.
01:02:49There you go.
01:02:56Once again, we point out that both fighters
01:02:59scored knockdowns in the fight.
01:03:02In round number 5, it was Joe Macy
01:03:05who landed that clean right hand
01:03:07that knocked Barrett into the ropes.
01:03:09The ropes kept him up.
01:03:11Ortega properly called it a knockdown.
01:03:14Then in round 7, Barrett reversed the damage
01:03:17as he caught Macy with that left hook coming in
01:03:20and put Joe on the canvas for the first time
01:03:23in Macy's 28-fight career.
01:03:26And now, Jimmy Lennon Jr. with the official scores.
01:03:32Ladies and gentlemen, after 10 rounds of action,
01:03:35we go to the scorecards with a majority decision.
01:03:38Here are the score totals.
01:03:40Judging ringside, Tom Schreck scores about 94-94,
01:03:44even a draw.
01:03:46Overruled by judges Joe Dwyer, who scores about 94-93,
01:03:51and Arthur Mercanti, who scores about 95-93
01:03:56in favor of the winner
01:03:58and still undefeated baby Joe Macy.
01:04:06A mixed reaction in the audience.
01:04:09Some approving
01:04:11and extremely happy with Macy's victory.
01:04:15Some ridiculing the decision,
01:04:17thinking that Barrett had overhauled Macy down the stretch.
01:04:22Final copy box numbers.
01:04:24Macy landed that clean right hand
01:04:26that knocked Barrett into the ropes
01:04:28and put Joe on the canvas for the first time.
01:04:32Final copy box numbers.
01:04:34Macy landing more and landing at a higher connect percentage.
01:04:38Barrett throwing more, particularly in the later rounds.
01:04:43Power punch numbers.
01:04:45Macy, not overwhelmingly accurate,
01:04:49but with his power punches.
01:04:51Neither, for that matter, was Barrett.
01:04:53Very similar there in what was statistically an even fight.
01:04:59Probably looked like a very even fight to spectators here.
01:05:02Macy winning the first half, Barrett winning the second.
01:05:05Let's go to Larry Merchant with the winner, baby Joe Macy.
01:05:09Thank you very much, Jim. Congratulations, Joe.
01:05:12Was your debut at the Garden
01:05:14a little tougher than you anticipated?
01:05:17Not as tough as I anticipated,
01:05:19because Manti is a slick, evasive-type fighter.
01:05:23Normally, I like when they come to you,
01:05:26and he doesn't really do that.
01:05:28Made me work for it.
01:05:30He's more experienced than I am and pretty slick,
01:05:32so it caused a little trouble.
01:05:34The first time you've been knocked down in a fight?
01:05:37Is this the first time you've got a fighter's mouse over your eye?
01:05:41You look like you've been in a fight for the first time.
01:05:44I've had mouses before. I've never been knocked down before.
01:05:47First time for everything.
01:05:49I'm glad that it happened and I learned from it.
01:05:51I got hit with something I didn't see.
01:05:53I got to learn to concentrate a little more.
01:05:56My legs were a little weary towards the end,
01:05:58but otherwise my conditioning was okay.
01:06:00Your legs were weary. Why?
01:06:02Because you've been punched more than you're used to being punched,
01:06:04or because you haven't gone the distance?
01:06:06Probably because I haven't gone the distance.
01:06:08In the gym, you do 12, 15 rounds.
01:06:10It's different from being in the ring here.
01:06:12Manti's slick. He's very evasive. He moves a lot.
01:06:15When I'm coming towards someone, it was a little difficult,
01:06:18but my wind was good.
01:06:20You're saying that you think,
01:06:22having narrowly escaped here with your life,
01:06:25that it's a good experience as you move forward.
01:06:29I hate to say it, but I needed it.
01:06:33I need to go the distance.
01:06:35I need to get knocked down, set you straight a little bit.
01:06:38I learned a lot from this, and you'll see me better next time.
01:06:41Do you think that in any way this slows down the Macy Express?
01:06:46No, I don't think so. In fact, I learned from it.
01:06:49He's a pretty knowledgeable fighter,
01:06:51and I will learn a lot from this.
01:06:53We'll keep the same pace you've been going.
01:06:55Thank you very much again. Congratulations, Joe.
01:06:57Got it. Tyler, baby.
01:06:59All right, thanks very much.
01:07:01So Joe Macy remains unbeaten, 28 wins, no losses.
01:07:04George, you said at the top of the show
01:07:06you were looking for heavyweights
01:07:08who could respond well to adversity.
01:07:10Did baby Joe fill the bill?
01:07:12He did. He was knocked down, clearly knocked down,
01:07:14a clean knockdown. He got up and fought.
01:07:16In trouble. Corner confused.
01:07:18He fought to the end.
01:07:20That's the kind of champions we're looking for.
01:07:22He filled the bill.
01:07:24All right, what about people in the crowd
01:07:26who think that Monty Barrett won the fight?
01:07:28Oh, you're going to always have them.
01:07:30They booed me in Madison Square Garden
01:07:32just because I went 10 rounds, not because the guy won.
01:07:34They expect Macy to get a knockout,
01:07:36and he didn't do it, so boo!
01:07:38All right, well... Live with it.
01:07:40We remind you that coming up in just a few minutes,
01:07:42you'll see another heavyweight battle.
01:07:44Vitaly Klitschko looking to enhance his credentials
01:07:46to fight for the heavyweight championship
01:07:48against another fighter in the same position,
01:07:50Kirk Johnson,
01:07:52from Lennox, Louis' native country of Canada.
01:07:55And a little bit later on,
01:07:57we'll also be showing you our year-in-review piece
01:08:00for what has been a fully eventful and tumultuous year
01:08:03of boxing on HBO in 2003.
01:08:05And as you watch the piece,
01:08:07keep in mind that you can log on
01:08:09to our HBO boxing website,
01:08:11hbo.com slash boxing,
01:08:13to vote for HBO's fighter of the year,
01:08:15upset of the year, fight of the year,
01:08:17and knockout of the year.
01:08:19We will keep the website question up
01:08:21until December 31
01:08:23so that you can vote for the entire rest of the year,
01:08:26and we'll give you the results of that poll in January.
01:08:29Meanwhile, next Wednesday,
01:08:31the debut of the next installment
01:08:33of our Sports of the 20th Century documentary series.
01:08:36A wild ride, a wild city,
01:08:39a wild decade.
01:08:41It was the 70s and their time to shine.
01:08:44The rate of defense was swarming maniacs.
01:08:47They broke the rules and gave a city its identity.
01:08:50If we were playing in New York,
01:08:52they would be calling us the greatest team in baseball history.
01:08:55Two teams with nothing to lose.
01:08:57They would wear you down by their sheer mean-spirited persistence.
01:09:00They lived fast.
01:09:02Guys were fighting on the buses, on the field.
01:09:04But we were winning.
01:09:05Played hard.
01:09:06We weren't going to lose. You had to beat us.
01:09:08No apologies.
01:09:09I only had three rules.
01:09:11Be on time.
01:09:12Pay attention.
01:09:13Play like hell.
01:09:14HBO Sports of the 20th Century presents...
01:09:16We were kind of like the stepchild of the Bay Area.
01:09:19Rebels of Oakland.
01:09:20The A's.
01:09:21The Raiders.
01:09:22The 70s.
01:09:23Their attitude, man.
01:09:25I don't give a damn.
01:09:26I'm here just to win this game and kick ass.
01:09:29Premieres Wednesday night at 9 on HBO.
01:09:31We won championships.
01:09:32We won championships.
01:09:35Epic stuff coming up now.
01:09:37Vitaly Klitschko against Kirk Johnson.
01:09:40This is act two of a drama that began June 21 in Los Angeles,
01:09:45the night of a heartbreakingly unfulfilled quest
01:09:48by Vitaly Klitschko to become the heavyweight champion of the world.
01:09:53The chance to fight for the heavyweight championship
01:09:56is maddeningly elusive for its pursuers.
01:09:59Injury robbed Kirk Johnson of his chance
01:10:02just days before his June 21 date with Lennox Lewis.
01:10:06In an instant, the opportunity of a lifetime vanished.
01:10:10They trade big right hands.
01:10:12Lewis gets the worst of it.
01:10:14Enter Vitaly Klitschko, who attempted to seize the moment.
01:10:18Combinations for increasingly confident Vitaly Klitschko.
01:10:22Until disaster turned up in the blink of an eye.
01:10:26Someone is bleeding pretty good there.
01:10:29Vitaly Klitschko's left eye is ripped up.
01:10:32Spilling blood, the champion found his footing,
01:10:35but the challenger stood his ground.
01:10:38It's just a pier 6 brawl in there, guys.
01:10:41All out war.
01:10:42Vitaly's certainly ahead on points,
01:10:44but can he finish the fight with that eye?
01:10:47Klitschko's moment of truth drowned in a garish crimson stream.
01:10:51They're stopping the fight.
01:10:53They're stopping the fight because of the damage
01:10:55to Vitaly Klitschko's eye.
01:10:57Tonight, Vitaly Klitschko looks to maintain the momentum
01:11:00from that eye-opening performance,
01:11:02while Kurt Johnson takes a step
01:11:04toward erasing the memory of his own misfortune.
01:11:07At stake for both.
01:11:09Another chance to find out what could have been.
01:11:14For his part,
01:11:15Vitaly Klitschko had hoped he'd be fighting Lennox Lewis tonight.
01:11:19Lewis said,
01:11:20I won't fight him until doctors certify that eye is okay.
01:11:23Klitschko says,
01:11:24all the doctors have said that.
01:11:26Lewis is ducking me now.
01:11:28Kurt Johnson says,
01:11:29I'm the guy who should fight Lennox Lewis.
01:11:32If I'd gotten the chance back in June
01:11:34when that torn pectoral muscle knocked me out,
01:11:37I'd have knocked Lewis out within four rounds.
01:11:39Anybody can see that from the way Lewis fought.
01:11:44So now let's get ready for this showdown
01:11:46between two men who both believe
01:11:48they can become the champion
01:11:50in the post-Lewis heavyweight era.
01:11:52George Foreman,
01:11:53Vitaly Klitschko,
01:11:54in his two biggest fights
01:11:55against Chris Byrd and Lennox Lewis,
01:11:58was leading on the scorecards in both fights
01:12:00before those fights were brought to conclusion
01:12:02by Klitschko injuries.
01:12:03How do you size him up off of those two performances?
01:12:06Well,
01:12:07they say when in Rome,
01:12:09he did the right thing for Europe.
01:12:11When you're hurt,
01:12:12you do a sensible thing.
01:12:13You just sit down and come back for another day.
01:12:15When you're in America,
01:12:16you gotta fight through adversity,
01:12:18cut,
01:12:19clean out,
01:12:20get up and fight.
01:12:21He's proven to me
01:12:22that he is the right kind of fighter.
01:12:24Tonight,
01:12:25let's just hope injuries do not reoccur.
01:12:27You make a great point.
01:12:28He was stunned at the criticism
01:12:29he took from American boxing writers
01:12:31when he retired against Byrd
01:12:32because the shoulder was legitimately hurt.
01:12:34So then he fought the way he did in Los Angeles,
01:12:36partially to prove them wrong, right?
01:12:38Yeah, and he did.
01:12:39I mean,
01:12:40the guy's got everything he needs.
01:12:41Can he escape these injuries
01:12:43that seems to follow him around?
01:12:45All right,
01:12:46let's turn to Larry Merchant.
01:12:47Larry,
01:12:48in his biggest fight,
01:12:49an opportunity to gain a heavyweight title belt
01:12:52against John Ruiz,
01:12:53Kirk Johnson imploded and self-destructed,
01:12:57losing the fight ultimately on a series
01:12:59of what seemed like senseless fouls.
01:13:02How do you size up Kirk Johnson?
01:13:05First,
01:13:06with a truck scale
01:13:07and a wide-angle lens
01:13:10because he weighed in the other day
01:13:12at 100,
01:13:13excuse me,
01:13:14260 pounds.
01:13:18He was swaddled in some sweat clothes,
01:13:21but that's still much higher than his highs,
01:13:25which are a little bit too high to begin with,
01:13:28in the past.
01:13:29So,
01:13:30Krispy Kreme breath,
01:13:31why would you do such a thing?
01:13:34He says that because he melted down
01:13:37against Ruiz in the ring
01:13:40because he had melted down outside of the ring
01:13:43by overtraining.
01:13:45Coming into this fight,
01:13:46conventional wisdom was
01:13:48that because of his quickness
01:13:50and his boxing skills,
01:13:52that Johnson has a real chance at an upset.
01:13:56Now,
01:13:57that he's melted up,
01:13:58who knows?
01:14:00Well,
01:14:01we're about to find out.
01:14:02Let's take a look at the tail of the tape
01:14:04for these two big,
01:14:05modern era style heavyweights.
01:14:08Klitschko,
01:14:0932 years old.
01:14:11Johnson,
01:14:12one year younger.
01:14:13Five-inch height advantage for Vitaly,
01:14:16and a two-and-a-half-inch advantage in arm length
01:14:19measured from the armpit to the end of the fist.
01:14:22Look at the weights.
01:14:23Again,
01:14:24these are 21st century heavyweights.
01:14:26Klitschko at 250.
01:14:27Johnson weighing in at a perhaps terribly indiscreet 260.
01:14:32Rules of the bout with our unofficial ringside scorer,
01:14:35Harold Letterman.
01:14:36The Vitaly-Klitschko-Kurt Johnson fight
01:14:38is scheduled for 12 rounds,
01:14:40non-title,
01:14:41using the unified rules of the Association of Boxing Commissions.
01:14:44There is no three-knock-down rule.
01:14:46The doctor or the referee can start the fight.
01:14:48In case the cut is caused by an accidental headbutt,
01:14:50we go to the scorecards.
01:14:51If the four rounds have been completed,
01:14:53you cannot be saved by the bell in any round,
01:14:55including the 12th and final round.
01:14:58Jim!
01:15:00Here comes Kurt Johnson,
01:15:04former Canadian Olympian.
01:15:08Knocked out Lou Savarese in four rounds.
01:15:11Set himself up for this yesterday
01:15:14in discussing the 260-pound weight allotment
01:15:18that he put on the scale the other day.
01:15:20He at first said,
01:15:21well, I had a lot of clothing on.
01:15:22I don't really weigh that much.
01:15:24Then he turned around and said,
01:15:25well, this time I'm not overtrained.
01:15:27This weight will help me to have more stamina.
01:15:31I hope he shows more eagerness
01:15:34when he gets into the ring
01:15:36than he seems to have
01:15:38in this slow-motion walk to the ring.
01:15:43Well, he's never been the kind of personality
01:15:45who elicits enormous excitement outside the ring.
01:15:49His big moments in the ring usually come
01:15:52from counter shots fired at odd angles
01:15:55against fighters who underestimate
01:15:57this big man's quickness and slickness.
01:16:02Now, George, you don't think it's a bad thing
01:16:05that a fighter like a big heavyweight
01:16:08doesn't try to get into perfect shape?
01:16:11Well, one year, perfect shape is one pound,
01:16:14and next year, perfect shape is another pound
01:16:16with the heavyweight.
01:16:17He's got Curtis Cokes,
01:16:18who really believes in this counterpunching anyway,
01:16:21so it's not like he needed to lose a lot of weight
01:16:23to do that.
01:16:24Curtis Cokes, the former welterweight star
01:16:26of the 50s and 60s,
01:16:28is the trainer for Kurt Johnson.
01:16:30And here comes Vitaly,
01:16:32and you hear the crowd support
01:16:34for this Ukrainian giant
01:16:37who now lives in Beverly Hills
01:16:39and is being idolized on both continents.
01:16:44We haven't mentioned the crowd much,
01:16:47but it's been blizzarding in New York
01:16:50for two days,
01:16:52and they were expecting
01:16:54upwards of 11,000 or 12,000 fans.
01:16:58They've got a crowd here maybe of 10 or 11.
01:17:02Quite amazing, given the conditions outside.
01:17:07And suddenly, the arena has erupted
01:17:09with Ukrainian flags,
01:17:11which are light blue and yellow.
01:17:14There are even some Russian flags on display here.
01:17:17The Klitschko's are frequently referred to
01:17:19in American media as being Russian.
01:17:22Their father was a Soviet Air Force colonel
01:17:26in the helicopter division.
01:17:27They were raised in the Soviet Union sports program
01:17:31and really were the last two major products
01:17:33off the assembly line
01:17:35of the Soviet Union's amateur boxing machine.
01:17:40Now let's go to ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr.
01:17:43for the official introduction.
01:17:45Ladies and gentlemen,
01:17:49a very good evening to you,
01:17:50and we welcome you to the world's most famous arena,
01:17:54Madison Square Garden here in New York City,
01:17:57as it is time for our featured bout of the evening,
01:18:00brought to you by Duba Boxing
01:18:02and Vitaly Klitschko's promoter,
01:18:05Universum Box Promotions,
01:18:07in association with the undisputed
01:18:10King of Beers, Budweiser,
01:18:12Bets.com, and Pacific Entertainment Group.
01:18:17This special attraction is a heavyweight eliminator
01:18:20for the number one ranking,
01:18:22sanctioned by the WBC President,
01:18:24Jose Sulaiman Supervisor, Juan Sanchez,
01:18:27along with the New York State Athletic Commission,
01:18:30the Chairman, Ron Scott Stevens.
01:18:32Introducing our judges, scoring the bout from ringside,
01:18:36from Brick, New Jersey, Tom Kazmarek,
01:18:38from Ardsley, New York, Melvina Lathan,
01:18:41and from Yorktown Heights, New York, Fred Ucci,
01:18:44and our third man to the ring, the referee in charge,
01:18:47he'll be giving instructions after the introductions,
01:18:50Arthur Mercanti.
01:18:54All right, fans, here we go.
01:18:5712 rounds of boxing scheduled
01:19:00for the bout you've all been waiting for.
01:19:03And now, ladies and gentlemen in attendance
01:19:06and boxing fans joining us around the world,
01:19:10live from Madison Square Garden,
01:19:13it's time for the main event of the evening.
01:19:19Introducing to you first on my right,
01:19:23fighting out of the red corner,
01:19:25entering the ring wearing black trunks with white trim,
01:19:29hailing from North Preston, Nova Scotia in Canada.
01:19:35He weighed in at 260 pounds even.
01:19:39His fine record stands at 34 wins,
01:19:42one defeat, one victory,
01:19:4534 wins, one defeat, one draw,
01:19:48with 25 wins coming by way of knockout.
01:19:52Ladies and gentlemen, here is the number five
01:19:54ranked heavyweight in the world by the WBC.
01:19:57Introducing Kirk Johnson.
01:20:09And his opponent across the ring on my left,
01:20:12fighting out of the blue corner,
01:20:13this 12-round main event,
01:20:15wearing black trunks with gold trim,
01:20:18hailing from Kiev, Ukraine.
01:20:22His weight, 250 pounds even.
01:20:25His record stands at 32 wins,
01:20:28two losses, 31 big wins coming by way of knockout.
01:20:33Ladies and gentlemen, currently ranked
01:20:35the WBC number one contender.
01:20:39Please welcome the former WBO heavyweight champion
01:20:43of the world.
01:20:44Introducing Vitaly Klitschko.
01:20:57Once again, Arthur Mercanti,
01:20:58our referee, now to give instructions.
01:21:01Good evening, Kirk.
01:21:03Good evening, Vidal.
01:21:04You received your rules early in the night
01:21:06by the New York State Athletic Commission.
01:21:07I want a nice, clean fight.
01:21:09Touch gloves.
01:21:10Good luck to the both of you.
01:21:12Klitschko and his cut man both insist
01:21:17that the cut, that terrible wound over his left eye
01:21:21has fully healed in six months
01:21:24and that it did not interfere at all in his training.
01:21:28We shall see.
01:21:30You saw two of the great cut men in the last fight,
01:21:32Jimmy Glynn and Al Gavin.
01:21:34Joe Souza, the man who worked that cut
01:21:37for Vitaly in Los Angeles,
01:21:39is also in the upper, upper echelon
01:21:42of boxing cut men.
01:21:44Kirk Johnson coming in,
01:21:45trying to go for both with big shots,
01:21:48and Klitschko bangs him
01:21:49straight up the middle with the left hand.
01:21:51This is not what we were led to believe Johnson would do.
01:21:56Maybe he was just coming out in the first moment
01:21:59to give something away.
01:22:00And Vitaly lands a right hand over the top
01:22:02straight onto Johnson's chin.
01:22:05Klitschko should go right for the body.
01:22:08Klitschko, go right for the body.
01:22:10Make him prove that he's in shape
01:22:12with that midsection.
01:22:13That's what you got to do when you see a guy like that
01:22:15who's numbly not in that kind of shape.
01:22:18Klitschko, as he showed against Lewis George,
01:22:20doesn't throw many body punches.
01:22:22He's a headhunter.
01:22:23This is when he should go to the body
01:22:25because this guy, if he's really out of shape,
01:22:27you got to bring it out of him and make him quit.
01:22:29Big right hand by Klitschko
01:22:31to get Johnson up into the ropes.
01:22:33Klitschko even now is aiming at the head.
01:22:35He should be aiming at the body.
01:22:37Whoo!
01:22:39Crowd thinks Vitaly can get a first-round knockout
01:22:42the way he's been able to land against Johnson.
01:22:45This is over the top with the right hand.
01:22:47This is an extremely aggressive Vitaly Klitschko.
01:22:50Normally, he's much more cautious than this
01:22:52in the early going.
01:22:54He's got to go to the body.
01:22:55You're not gonna be able to hit
01:22:56Kirk Johnson in the head right off.
01:22:58And there's a good body shot by Johnson
01:23:00trying a big right hand, looping it.
01:23:02Klitschko again stepped in
01:23:04and popped him right up the middle.
01:23:06This is not classic big punching.
01:23:09This is punching from the rafters.
01:23:13Break!
01:23:14The good thing about Klitschko,
01:23:15if he keeps the pressure on this guy,
01:23:17make him keep throwing a lot of punches,
01:23:20Kirk Johnson could give out easily.
01:23:23Johnson should be moving a little more
01:23:25because you don't want to just get hit
01:23:26just because the guy's in front of you.
01:23:28Does Johnson have an abrasion already by his right eye?
01:23:31Why is the right eye so red?
01:23:33I think this comes with the package.
01:23:36Left hand lands for Klitschko.
01:23:39Bangs Johnson into the corner.
01:23:41Left hand lands again.
01:23:43Good hook.
01:23:47If you're Klitschko,
01:23:48you don't want to totally disrespect the contender.
01:23:51Johnson has landed a couple of good-sized body shots.
01:23:55His best offense in the round.
01:23:57Six months is not enough time for that right eye to heal.
01:24:00Doesn't matter what they say.
01:24:11Watch behind that head!
01:24:17That's one right to the body.
01:24:23Break!
01:24:24When a guy's ducking and dodging,
01:24:26if you can go to the body
01:24:27to make him start protecting his body,
01:24:29then you can get the head.
01:24:31Time!
01:24:33Both fighters swung big in round 1.
01:24:36Klitschko landed more.
01:24:42And when we go to Vitali Klitschko's corner
01:24:44where Fritz Zydunic will speak German,
01:24:46our interpreter is Jens Holling.
01:24:51You're doing very good.
01:24:52Be careful when he comes with his right.
01:24:56Can you see him when he comes with his right?
01:24:59You gotta use your left.
01:25:03You did very good the last round.
01:25:10Give him the hard jab.
01:25:12Give him my jab, baby.
01:25:14You all right. You all right.
01:25:18You want to fight him a little bit now.
01:25:20You gotta fight him with a jab, right hand hook.
01:25:22Come on, baby.
01:25:23Use that jab. Use that jab, baby.
01:25:25Come on, Curtis.
01:25:28We didn't see a lot of Johnson jabbing in round 1,
01:25:30so you heard both Curtis Cokes and Lou Duva
01:25:33saying, please, use the jab.
01:25:35CompuBox numbers were a wipeout.
01:25:3726 out of 57 for Klitschko,
01:25:39Johnson 5 out of 38.
01:25:42Johnson, given credit by CompuBox,
01:25:45for throwing 23 jabs in the first round,
01:25:47but he only landed three.
01:25:49Is George, is Klitschko inviting that big right hand
01:25:53the way he holds his left?
01:25:55No doubt about it.
01:25:56He's bending his knee, which is worth.
01:25:59If you're gonna drop your hand, keep your height up high.
01:26:02Stand high on your legs.
01:26:04He's bending his knees, and he's dropping his left hand.
01:26:08There's a big left hand by Kirk Johnson.
01:26:12Johnson's corner told him to jab.
01:26:14That's not a good idea with this guy's right hand.
01:26:16He'll come over right on top of that jab.
01:26:19Klitschko can get you.
01:26:21Two extremely experienced boxing men
01:26:24telling Johnson to jab, and George says,
01:26:26that's not a good idea.
01:26:27Not a good idea.
01:26:28You want a combination and get out of the way,
01:26:31hold him whenever you can, but don't exchange jabs.
01:26:34He'll get you.
01:26:35It's like Bob Gibson coming off that bound
01:26:37with that straight right hand.
01:26:39There it is, see?
01:26:41Dropping the right hand over the jab,
01:26:44just as George Foreman said he would.
01:26:46Johnson's got to move left, right.
01:26:51Klitschko just missed with a right hand
01:26:53that might have knocked Johnson into next week.
01:26:58Klitschko's got to forget that he was in a fight
01:27:00with Lennox Lewis.
01:27:01This is a totally different opponent.
01:27:03Respect him in another way.
01:27:06Biddley landing a good left to the body,
01:27:08missing with a right hand,
01:27:09but Johnson shying away from the right hand
01:27:12and giving Biddley another chance.
01:27:16Crowd chanting,
01:27:17Biddley, Biddley, Biddley!
01:27:20Biddley, Biddley, Biddley!
01:27:21This boy's waiting for that left hand to just drop.
01:27:24Biddley, Biddley, Biddley!
01:27:26Biddley, Biddley, Biddley!
01:27:29Biddley fighting with tremendous confidence,
01:27:32chasing Johnson into the corner
01:27:34and pounding with a right hand.
01:27:36Crowd goes nuts.
01:27:40Got him again.
01:27:42Stunned with a left.
01:27:44Johnson's in trouble.
01:27:46Big jump.
01:27:483, 4, 5, 6, 7.
01:27:55Walk to me, Kirk.
01:27:58Nobody has ever done this to Kirk Johnson
01:28:02in 12 years as a pro.
01:28:04You want to see a heavyweight destroyer?
01:28:06Until Klitschko wants to be your man.
01:28:09He wants to be your man right now.
01:28:11Big right hand lands again.
01:28:14Johnson having trouble fighting back.
01:28:16Down goes Johnson.
01:28:17That's it, that's it.
01:28:19Arthur McCarthy's gonna stop the fight.
01:28:22That is it.
01:28:23That whale was just harpooned.
01:28:26Big time.
01:28:27And that is a great performance for Biddley Klitschko.
01:28:32I like it when they knock them out.
01:28:34There's no questions from the judges.
01:28:36No referee interference.
01:28:38Clean knockout.
01:28:40That's the way I scored them.
01:28:42We have to wonder, how does Lennox Lewis see this?
01:28:47Does he see it as an opportunity for a major,
01:28:50major pay-per-view event?
01:28:53Or does he see it as an opportunity
01:28:55to go quietly into the sunset with his career?
01:28:59What a turnaround.
01:29:00Klitschko was right there before,
01:29:01and he let the fight get away.
01:29:03It seems tonight he's thinking,
01:29:04I'm not letting it get away.
01:29:05I'm going for a knockout.
01:29:08Kirk Johnson.
01:29:09What an aggressive performance by Biddley.
01:29:12He sensed that this was his moment,
01:29:14and he seized it.
01:29:16Tremendous.
01:29:17Kirk Johnson, he knocked out the barbecue ribs.
01:29:24Well, the year began
01:29:26as badly as possible for the Klitschko family
01:29:29as younger brother Vladimir,
01:29:31considered the more gifted of the two fighters,
01:29:33crumbled in a heap in two rounds
01:29:35against Corey Sanders in Germany.
01:29:37Now Biddley Klitschko helps to erase some of that memory
01:29:40as he folds Kirk Johnson up in two rounds.
01:29:42I like it because he was brave enough
01:29:44to come back in six months
01:29:46after that eye has not even healed properly
01:29:48and take the fight to his men.
01:29:50He's won some fans in Los Angeles.
01:29:52Imagine how many fans he's won here.
01:29:55He's won New York now, the big house.
01:29:58Well, here are the replays,
01:30:00and we'll show you Vitaly Klitschko's
01:30:02unrestrained destruction of Kirk Johnson.
01:30:06There's the left hook that started it.
01:30:08Oh, and he keeps throwing shots.
01:30:10Generally, big guys wait.
01:30:12I didn't hurt you.
01:30:13He keeps throwing punches
01:30:14until the referee breaks them up.
01:30:16This is the way George Foreman
01:30:17used to finish opponents off.
01:30:18That's what you try to do.
01:30:19You get a guy hurt, why play around?
01:30:21Go for it.
01:30:22He see this guy's retreating.
01:30:24Why let him off the hook?
01:30:25Jab, good jab.
01:30:27Wait for a good right hand.
01:30:29Body shot.
01:30:31Stays right on him.
01:30:32Doesn't matter what.
01:30:35And he cleaned his house.
01:30:39Get up, Kirk.
01:30:41Right hand right on top of that left.
01:30:46And from the way he fought,
01:30:48you can once again put to rest
01:30:50any questions about
01:30:51Vitaly Klitschko's heart and bravery.
01:30:53Oh, he was brave tonight.
01:30:54He got a contender and charged at him.
01:30:59He was here to storm Kirk Johnson,
01:31:01and he did it.
01:31:02Let's go to Jimmy Lennon Jr.
01:31:03for the particulars
01:31:04on the second round knockout.
01:31:09Ladies and gentlemen,
01:31:12we have the time of 2 minutes 54 seconds
01:31:16in round number two.
01:31:18The referee in charge,
01:31:19Arthur Mercanti, stops the contest.
01:31:21The winner by way of technical knockout
01:31:25and still the number one heavyweight contender,
01:31:29Vitaly Klitschko.
01:31:38The winner by way of technical knockout
01:31:41and still the number one heavyweight contender,
01:31:44Vitaly Klitschko.
01:31:47The winner by way of technical knockout
01:31:50and still the number one heavyweight contender,
01:31:53Vitaly Klitschko.
01:31:59Vitaly Klitschko landing 55 out of 113
01:32:03and destroying Kirk Johnson,
01:32:05who managed to throw 65 punches,
01:32:07but only landed 9 of them.
01:32:10Power shots.
01:32:11Pretty much the same story.
01:32:14As in the power shot category,
01:32:16Klitschko was 39 out of 68, 57%.
01:32:19In other words, he was able to target
01:32:22big power shots at will
01:32:24against a fighter who is normally
01:32:26relatively slick and quick,
01:32:27but came in here tonight fat,
01:32:29out of shape,
01:32:30and discredited himself
01:32:31with this performance.
01:32:32Let's go to Larry Merchant
01:32:34with the winner, Vitaly Klitschko.
01:32:36Thank you very much, Jim.
01:32:37Congratulations.
01:32:38Vitaly, were you surprised
01:32:40that he wanted to stand there
01:32:42and exchange with you
01:32:43instead of boxing you?
01:32:46Actually, together with my team,
01:32:49we developed three situations.
01:32:54Kirk Johnson starting very aggressive
01:32:57is first situation.
01:32:59The second one,
01:33:00he will be sometime aggressive,
01:33:02sometime defensive.
01:33:05In third situation,
01:33:06he will be very defensive
01:33:08and make some attack
01:33:12every round,
01:33:15every end of rounds.
01:33:17So you were prepared
01:33:18for that kind of aggression.
01:33:20Did you want to knock him out early?
01:33:24Did you want to make a big statement
01:33:26being in the position you are
01:33:27in the heavyweight division tonight?
01:33:30Yes, of course.
01:33:31It's a motivation for me
01:33:33to be world champion.
01:33:35Actually, I was prepared
01:33:37to be world champion in June 21,
01:33:40six months ago against Lennox Lewis.
01:33:42Just can't stop me in fight.
01:33:47Right now, I was 100% ready
01:33:49for this fight
01:33:50and big motivation
01:33:52to fight against Lennox Lewis.
01:33:54I don't know.
01:33:55Lennox Lewis, I'm sure.
01:33:57Lennox, hi.
01:33:59I know you see this fight.
01:34:01Yes, I'm watching right now by TV
01:34:04and show this fight.
01:34:05And I hope the fight against Lennox Lewis
01:34:08will be or not.
01:34:10It's...
01:34:11If not, you might fight Corey Sanders
01:34:13who beat your brother.
01:34:15Yes, it's very interesting fight
01:34:16because behind this fight,
01:34:19very interesting story.
01:34:21Corey Sanders beat my brother.
01:34:23One time, I fight against Ross Purity
01:34:26and beat him.
01:34:27Chris Baird won.
01:34:29And the next fight,
01:34:30Vladimir beat Chris Baird.
01:34:32And right now, it's part 4.
01:34:37Have you gained,
01:34:38even at your age
01:34:40and having been a prize fighter so long,
01:34:42have you gained some confidence
01:34:45from how you performed
01:34:46against Lennox Lewis?
01:34:51I don't want to open the play
01:34:56when fight will be in the future
01:34:59against Lennox Lewis.
01:35:01When Lennox Lewis will be not retired,
01:35:04I promise for everybody,
01:35:06I beat Lennox.
01:35:07I give my best to beat him.
01:35:09Lennox is great champion.
01:35:11He's history of boxing.
01:35:13And to fight against great champion
01:35:16and to beat him, it's my dream.
01:35:18It seems that you wanted to end the fight
01:35:21before any injury
01:35:24could end it against you.
01:35:26Because in your other two big fights
01:35:28against Baird and Lewis,
01:35:30when you were ahead,
01:35:32you had to retire with injuries.
01:35:34No chance of an injury tonight.
01:35:42Actually, I was prepared for all 12 rounds
01:35:45for defensive work from Kirsten Johnson
01:35:47for L2 rounds.
01:35:48I was in great condition right now.
01:35:51And I was prepared for hard fight.
01:35:54Kirsten Johnson coming to me,
01:35:55want to fight.
01:35:56Come on.
01:35:57One last question.
01:35:58Were you surprised so many Ukrainians
01:36:01from this area came here
01:36:03to Madison Square Garden?
01:36:05I know in the United States and Canada,
01:36:07very big diaspora.
01:36:12Really big Russian and Ukrainian community.
01:36:15It's not just United States.
01:36:17It's many, many of my friends
01:36:18coming from Germany,
01:36:20coming from Russia,
01:36:22coming from Ukraine
01:36:23to support me in this fight.
01:36:25Thank you again.
01:36:26Congratulations, Vitaly.
01:36:28Jim?
01:36:29All right.
01:36:30Thanks very much, Larry.
01:36:31Thanks, Vitaly.
01:36:32George Foreman,
01:36:33what do you think Lennox Lewis saw?
01:36:35Did he see dollar signs or a stop sign?
01:36:38If Lennox Lewis is George Foreman-minded,
01:36:40he see dollar signs.
01:36:42I think that Lennox Lewis,
01:36:43we didn't see the best of him last time.
01:36:45He should get in shape
01:36:46and come back and get those dollars.
01:36:48Vitaly was looking great.
01:36:49Lennox Lewis need to leave out on a beautiful note, too.
01:36:52See the dollar sign.
01:36:53Go for the buck.
01:36:54And incidentally,
01:36:55if he doesn't see dollar signs,
01:36:57then the time is now to make up his mind
01:36:58and move on, right?
01:36:59Yeah, he needs counseling
01:37:00if he doesn't see the dollar signs now.
01:37:02Because the heavyweight division
01:37:03no longer needs to stay on hold.
01:37:05Larry, there are qualified candidates now.
01:37:08Yeah, I don't know if he is that someone
01:37:11that we talked about before the fight,
01:37:14that someone emerging,
01:37:16but that performance tonight,
01:37:18coming here in Madison Square Garden,
01:37:20coming at a dramatic moment
01:37:23in which there is going to be a turnover
01:37:25and who stays on top of the heavyweight division
01:37:28will get a lot of attention
01:37:30both in the boxing world
01:37:32and, as all of these fans showed,
01:37:35beyond the boxing world.
01:37:37All right.
01:37:38Let's give you boxing fans a huge treat.
01:37:40What a year it's been on HBO.
01:37:42What a way tonight brought us to finish the year.
01:37:45It began with a string of amazing upsets.
01:37:47It ended with another brave, vitally performance.
01:37:51Let's look at 2003.
01:37:54♪♪
01:38:03♪♪
01:38:14♪♪
01:38:19Roy Jones is able to go 12 rounds with this guy.
01:38:22He can do anything.
01:38:23You all know the risk,
01:38:25but Roy's just staring it down.
01:38:27This is the way Roy Jones looked fighting Glenn Kelly.
01:38:30This is the way Roy Jones looked fighting Richard Frazier.
01:38:33This is the way Roy Jones looked fighting Richard Hall.
01:38:36He's toying with Ruiz the way he did with him.
01:38:40Antonio Tarver has gotten off
01:38:42to a very confident start.
01:38:44Look at Tarver banging away with the left hand
01:38:47and landing them again.
01:38:49Jones has to come back in the late rounds,
01:38:51and he's doing it.
01:38:53What a performance now by Jones,
01:38:55reaching deep, trying to find the greatness
01:38:59that he needs to hold off Antonio Tarver.
01:39:02That's right.
01:39:03You can definitely do it, baby.
01:39:05Stop being the nice guy, okay?
01:39:07This guy wants your belly, wants your life.
01:39:09Two young fighters giving it everything.
01:39:12And they're gonna have a war.
01:39:14This is not the fight that Vernon Forrest wanted.
01:39:17Vernon wobbling on his feet as he threw the right hand.
01:39:19He goes down.
01:39:20Goes down in the face of a clutching right cross.
01:39:23I was fighting a clown.
01:39:25I did not come out in the first round
01:39:27because my corner told me to take it easy,
01:39:29but I got him.
01:39:30Filed the charges against Larry Merchant
01:39:32for inciting to smoke.
01:39:34Vladimir Klitschko seems so perfect,
01:39:37you wonder what's wrong with him.
01:39:40Klitschko goes down on a huge left hand inside
01:39:43by Corey Sanders.
01:39:45And the next big thing is about to become
01:39:49the last big bust.
01:39:51And bust ends.
01:39:53Vladimir Klitschko expressed.
01:39:56Vitalik Klitschko is roughing Larry Lewis up.
01:39:59He rips him again with the right hand.
01:40:01Lewis momentarily wobbles.
01:40:03He's winning the fight.
01:40:04Vitalik Klitschko's left eye is ripped up.
01:40:07Boy, that cut is bad.
01:40:09That cut is bad.
01:40:11Hold it, hold it.
01:40:12And they're stopping the fight
01:40:14because of the damage to Vitalik Klitschko's eye.
01:40:16I understand you were behind on all the judges' scorecards.
01:40:21Listen, he would have got knocked out
01:40:23the next couple rounds.
01:40:25You've got to put this guy on his ass.
01:40:27I'm serious now, okay?
01:40:29You're off his heart badly.
01:40:31Oh, my God, look at him.
01:40:34Oh, my God.
01:40:36Oh, my God.
01:40:37Oh!
01:40:38Oh!
01:40:39That's it.
01:40:40That's it.
01:40:41He's got him.
01:40:42He's down.
01:40:43Oscar dictating the pace of the fight
01:40:46to the judges.
01:40:47He's got him.
01:40:48He's got him.
01:40:49He's got him.
01:40:50He's got him.
01:40:51He's got him.
01:40:53Oscar dictating the pace of the fight
01:40:55and landing more punches.
01:40:57Hard right hand by Mosley,
01:40:58but again, one punch at a time.
01:41:00De La Hoya is the one who's landed combinations.
01:41:02You've got to win a round.
01:41:03You've got to knock it down.
01:41:04You'll win the fight.
01:41:05Oscar De La Hoya tries to hold on
01:41:07to his seemingly secure position in the fight,
01:41:10and Shane Mosley chases a knockout.
01:41:12It was a clear-cut victory for De La Hoya.
01:41:16And new...
01:41:18Oscar De La Hoya, champion of the world!
01:41:22He's all gaddy through the first three rounds.
01:41:25The last fight of your career,
01:41:26make him fight hard, baby.
01:41:28No question, Arturo Gatti has hurt his right hand
01:41:31and is now in trouble
01:41:32and getting pummeled by Mickey Ward.
01:41:34My hand.
01:41:35What you want me to do?
01:41:36My right hand.
01:41:37What you want me to do?
01:41:38I got to keep going.
01:41:39Look at Arturo firing that broken right hand.
01:41:41It's as if they're not even human.
01:41:43No, it's because they're human
01:41:45that makes this such a compelling drama.
01:41:47Mickey Ward and Arturo Gatti share together,
01:41:50only they know.
01:42:02Larry Merchant, 30 years of boxing on HBO,
01:42:04and that tape suggests that this was about as good
01:42:07as any of them have been.
01:42:09Well, if you love boxing the way we do,
01:42:12there are only good years and better years.
01:42:15I remember a couple years ago,
01:42:16we said it was the year of the upset,
01:42:18and then last year was the year of the rematch.
01:42:21This year, I think we're seeing a year of a changing
01:42:25of the guard with fighters like Mayorga and Pacquiao
01:42:28and now Klitschko.
01:42:30Other great things, the comeback of James Toney this year,
01:42:34the Boswell for next year.
01:42:36Happy New Year, everybody.
01:42:38The weather outside is frightful,
01:42:40but the fights are always delightful.
01:42:43Yeah, we got to see Roy Jones in a tough fight, too.
01:42:45Who thought we'd ever see that?
01:42:47And we remind you, you can go to our HBO boxing website,
01:42:51hbo.com slash boxing,
01:42:53cast your own vote for what was HBO's fighter of the year,
01:42:57upset of the year, fight of the year,
01:42:59and knockout of the year.
01:43:01These questions will remain on our website
01:43:03until December 31, New Year's Eve.
01:43:05You can vote right up until then.
01:43:06We'll give you the results in January.
01:43:09And if you've been reading your newspapers,
01:43:11the last couple of days, you probably know
01:43:13that our beloved George Foreman is getting ready
01:43:15to make a big career move and go on to other things
01:43:18besides working with us here on HBO.
01:43:21George, what's up?
01:43:22Well, you know what, for over 12 years now,
01:43:24my wife has been the only one present
01:43:26at the parent-teachers meeting.
01:43:28I got to get back into the PTA and all of that.
01:43:30I'm raising a lot of boys.
01:43:32They need me at the football games,
01:43:34and I'm going to just dedicate a few years to them
01:43:37before they grow up and make a rap video about me.
01:43:39We're happy for you.
01:43:40He wasn't there.
01:43:43All those Georges.
01:43:44We're happy for you that you're going to have
01:43:46those great personal moments, and we'll miss you a lot.
01:43:49Yeah, but I love you guys.
01:43:50I'll be watching you.
01:43:51I'm going to put one of those motors out there
01:43:53in a motorhome and watch HBO Box
01:43:55as good as it gets and better as it gets over the years.
01:43:59Well, we can't wear the big and tall stuff,
01:44:00but send us a little food every once in a while.
01:44:02Casual mail.
01:44:03And the good news is, incidentally,
01:44:04that this is not George's absolute last appearance
01:44:07with us on HBO.
01:44:08He'll be back with us in February for a final farewell,
01:44:10and we'll all tear up again then.
01:44:12All right?
01:44:13Thanks so much.
01:44:14Thanks very much for being with us
01:44:15on this last great HBO Boxing show of the year.
01:44:18We'll have a final word on what happened in the ring
01:44:20here in just a moment.
01:44:21Right now, let's look at some upcoming programs.
01:44:24Next Saturday on HBO Pay-Per-View,
01:44:26it's a monster card.
01:44:27Five title fights featuring Riccardo Mayorga,
01:44:29Bernard Hopkins, and Hasim Rahman against John Ruiz.
01:44:32January 24, live boxing on HBO.
01:44:35Arturo Gatti takes on undefeated Italian
01:44:37Luca Branco.
01:44:38It's Gatti's first fight since the classic trilogy
01:44:40against Mickey Ward,
01:44:41and it's live on World Championship Boxing.
01:44:43HBO, building legends one round at a time.
01:44:46Tonight, here in Madison Square Garden,
01:44:49you saw baby Joe Macy go ten rounds
01:44:52for the first time in his unbeaten career.
01:44:55Whether the storm of a knockdown
01:44:57at the hands of Monty Barrett,
01:44:59he knocked Barrett down himself earlier in the fight,
01:45:02Macy ultimately won a majority decision,
01:45:04despite the closed left eye,
01:45:06to remain unbeaten at 28-0.
01:45:10And then Vitaly Klitschko,
01:45:12facing what many regarded as a tough style matchup
01:45:15against Kirk Johnson,
01:45:16took advantage of Johnson's apparent failure
01:45:19to condition himself properly for the fight
01:45:22and destroyed Johnson
01:45:23with a barrage of power punches in two rounds,
01:45:25Vitaly building his campaign
01:45:27and galvanizing public support
01:45:30for his desire to become
01:45:32heavyweight champion of the world.
01:45:34Next on HBO on the East Coast,
01:45:36stay tuned for the premiere of Shock Video 2004.
01:45:39On the West Coast, for tonight, it's appropriately
01:45:42Legendary Knights Foreman Moorer,
01:45:44followed by the premiere of Analyze That.
01:45:47And as this is our final show in 2003,
01:45:50we'd like to thank all the many behind-the-scenes people
01:45:53who made our excellent productions possible this year.
01:45:56The executive producer of HBO Sports is Rick Bernstein.
01:45:59Our boxing producers are John Crystal,
01:46:01Dave Harmon, and Thomas Odelfeld.
01:46:03Every fight in 2003 was directed by Mark Payton.
01:46:06Our feature producers, Joe Gonzalez,
01:46:08Abdeen Motia, and Brooke Silverbraga.
01:46:11Assistants to the producer, Harley Glantz,
01:46:13George Jakovic, and Greg Stern.
01:46:15Production managers, Jason Cohen, Mike Davis,
01:46:18John McAuley, and Holly Peterman.
01:46:19Technical supervisors, Bob Hunter, and Roy Otake.
01:46:22Our technical director is Doug Goetz,
01:46:24and our production coordinator at every fight
01:46:27is Tammy Cotell.
01:46:29¶¶
01:46:58¶¶
01:47:08¶¶
01:47:18¶¶
01:47:32Celebrating 30 years of boxing,
01:47:34this has been a presentation of HBO Sports,
01:47:37the network of champions.