MARCH 13th
Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 8:46 am
On this very day eight years ago (March 13) Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield boxed one of the most controversial heavyweight title bouts in boxing history.
Almost everyone in attendance in Madison Square Garden, New York that night thought Lennox had done enough to win at the end of the 12 rounds. Everyone that, is except two of the three scoring judges. Stanley Christodoulou’s card was okay, giving Lewis the nod by a score of 116-113. But he was overruled by the cards of Britain’s Larry O’Connell, who had the fight all even at 115-115 and the downright crazy scoring of the now infamous Eugenia Williams, who somehow scored the bout as a Holyfield win by a 115-113 margin. Immediately after the result was announced the finger pointing and accusations began.
There is no doubt the decision was a bad one. In fact it was deemed so terribly controversial that the fight was subject to a Congressional inquiry. No less a figure than the mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani, said he was shocked and embarrassed at the verdict - particularly as it had come in the city over which he presided. As usual, however, most of the fingers were pointed in Don King’s direction. After all he had hired Williams. Of course he denied any wrong doing and, whether we liked it or not, nothing was ever proven. The verdict, like any other bad one in the sometimes chequered past of professional boxing, stuck. A rematch would be fought though.
After the huge outcry fight number one invoked a return bout was an absolute must. The predictions made by many experts leading up to it, however, were not proven to be correct. Angelo Dundee, the legendary trainer and corner-man, summed up many peoples’ thoughts when he stated how he felt an ultra quick destruction of the ageing Holyfield would be what we would see this time around. The beating he had appeared to have taken from Lennox in the first fight only served to convince many how correct Dundee’s assertions were. But things didn’t go the way Angelo said they would.
Another distance fight ensued and Lewis prevailed by a close, but unanimous, verdict. Retribution was the Englander’s. As too was the undisputed heavyweight championship. The rematch had been close, however. Much closer than the first fight in fact. Due to the furore the meeting in March had caused though, anything other than a Lewis win at the end of 12 close rounds would have been seen as a disgrace. The right man won this time, without too much doubt. But Evander Holyfield just might have been the one having his hand raised in November had the controversial first fight not taken place. The Sun’s Colin Hart, for example, scored the return fight as a close win for “The Real Deal.”
Whatever, Lennox Lewis was now justifiably recognized as the best big man on the planet. Nothing could ever have removed the embarrassment or outrage of the March meeting’s questionable officiating, but Lennox Lewis had at last seen his destiny fulfilled.
By James Slater
http://www.secondsout.com/news/index.cf ... 4&cs=21619
Almost everyone in attendance in Madison Square Garden, New York that night thought Lennox had done enough to win at the end of the 12 rounds. Everyone that, is except two of the three scoring judges. Stanley Christodoulou’s card was okay, giving Lewis the nod by a score of 116-113. But he was overruled by the cards of Britain’s Larry O’Connell, who had the fight all even at 115-115 and the downright crazy scoring of the now infamous Eugenia Williams, who somehow scored the bout as a Holyfield win by a 115-113 margin. Immediately after the result was announced the finger pointing and accusations began.
There is no doubt the decision was a bad one. In fact it was deemed so terribly controversial that the fight was subject to a Congressional inquiry. No less a figure than the mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani, said he was shocked and embarrassed at the verdict - particularly as it had come in the city over which he presided. As usual, however, most of the fingers were pointed in Don King’s direction. After all he had hired Williams. Of course he denied any wrong doing and, whether we liked it or not, nothing was ever proven. The verdict, like any other bad one in the sometimes chequered past of professional boxing, stuck. A rematch would be fought though.
After the huge outcry fight number one invoked a return bout was an absolute must. The predictions made by many experts leading up to it, however, were not proven to be correct. Angelo Dundee, the legendary trainer and corner-man, summed up many peoples’ thoughts when he stated how he felt an ultra quick destruction of the ageing Holyfield would be what we would see this time around. The beating he had appeared to have taken from Lennox in the first fight only served to convince many how correct Dundee’s assertions were. But things didn’t go the way Angelo said they would.
Another distance fight ensued and Lewis prevailed by a close, but unanimous, verdict. Retribution was the Englander’s. As too was the undisputed heavyweight championship. The rematch had been close, however. Much closer than the first fight in fact. Due to the furore the meeting in March had caused though, anything other than a Lewis win at the end of 12 close rounds would have been seen as a disgrace. The right man won this time, without too much doubt. But Evander Holyfield just might have been the one having his hand raised in November had the controversial first fight not taken place. The Sun’s Colin Hart, for example, scored the return fight as a close win for “The Real Deal.”
Whatever, Lennox Lewis was now justifiably recognized as the best big man on the planet. Nothing could ever have removed the embarrassment or outrage of the March meeting’s questionable officiating, but Lennox Lewis had at last seen his destiny fulfilled.
By James Slater
http://www.secondsout.com/news/index.cf ... 4&cs=21619