PREFIGHT
It's a packed house. Valuev is getting warmed up in the locker room. Future hall-of-famer Evander Holyfield enters first in a scene reminiscent of Apollo Creed coming out to face Ivan Drago. A larger banner with the name "HOLYFIELD" is lit up with fireworks before a curtain reveals the living legend. The champion, Nikolai Valuev, enters next to a much bigger fireworks display as well as a live rock band (not 100% sure, but I think it might be the German rock band Reamonn). Pretty tight entrance as the lead singer of the band begins to rise in the air to reveal the giant Valuev beneath him. Both fighters look confident and ready for battle. Holyfield is in fantastic shape as usual. Valuev is...well...he's just huge. "Meine Damen und Herren, wilkommen...LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLEEEEEE!" Surprisingly, it seems like a pro-Holyfield crowd as there's a lot more cheers and applause for Holyfield than there are for Valuev. In fact, quite a few boos for Valuev.
ROUND 1
Holyfield bouncing on his toes and circling. Valuev fires his jab, but it falls short. Holyfield lands a jab and slips back out. The crowd is already chanting, "Holyfield! Holyfield! Holyfield!" Left hook lands for Holyfield. Right to the body lands for Valuev. Not much action so far. Overhand right lands for Holyfield. Probably the best punch of the round so far. Left hook lands for Holyfield. Valuev looks extremely slow in there. Round to Holyfield.
Holyfield 10 Valuev 9
ROUND 2
Holyfield continues to circle on the outside. Valuev not really pressing the action. Jab misses for Valuev and he eats a left hook from Holyfield. Still, little action from either man. Jab to teh body lands for Valuev. Left hook followed by a right lands for Holyfield and Valuev holds on the inside. One minute left and still little action. Not much to choose from this round. Right to the body and a left hook upstairs lands for Holyfield. Another left hook lands for Holyfield and Valuev holds on. Round to Holyfield.
Holyfield 20 Valuev 18
ROUND 3
Jab to the body lands for Valuev. Holyfield answers with one of his own. Valuev struggling to cut off the ring as Holyfield dances around on his toes. Again, very little action. Nice right hand upstairs lands for Holyfield. A minute left and nothing really going on. They trade jabs. Left and a right to the body lands for Holyfield. Round to Holyfield.
Holyfield 30 Valuev 27
ROUND 4
Jab from Valuev, when he actually throws it, continues to land short as Holyfield dances circles around him. Right hand misses for Valuev. Holyfield lands a right to the body. Double jab to the body lands for Valuev. Geesh....again, a minute left, and nothing. Jab to the body lands for Holyfield. Left hook upstairs lands for Holyfield, probably enough to win the round. Valuev lands a jab to the body. Round to Holyfield.
Holyfield 40 Valuev 36
ROUND 5
Holyfield has total command of the ring as he's free to move anywhere he wants. Left to the body lands for Holyfield. Left hand upstairs lands for Valuev. Holyfield lands a right to the body. Left hook upstairs lands for Holyfield. Another left hook lands for Holyfield. Valuev looks HORRIBLE in there. Round to Holyfield.
Holyfield 50 Valuev 45
ROUND 6
Holyfield slipping Valuev's punches with ease. Two hard left hooks to the body land for Holyfield. They trade jabs. Two short left hooks followed by a right upstairs lands for Holyfield. Jab lands for Valuev. Another. Holyfield circles away. Holyfield slips a four-punch combo. Jab lands for Valuev. Right and a left to the body lands for Holyfield. Round to Holyfield.
Holyfield 60 Valuev 54
ROUND 7
Holyfield continues to circle left and right. About a minute in and Holyfield hasn't thrown a punch while Valuev has landed anything. Right hand lands for Valuev. Holyfield answers with a 1-2. About a minute left. Two right hands over the top lands for Holyfield. Valuev answers with a right. Jab to the body lands for Valuev. Another uneventful round that I give to Holyfield simply for landing the more impressive shots.
Holyfield 70 Valuev 63
ROUND 8
1-2 lands for Valuev. Another right hand lands for Valuev. Right hand over the top lands for Holyfield. They trade shots. Right hand lands for Valuev. Jab and a right hand lands for Valuev, who seems to be turning up the pressure a bit. Holyfield continues to circle away. Left hand lands for Valuev. Holyfield answers with one of his own. Round to Valuev.
Holyfield 79 Valuev 73
ROUND 9
Jab to the body lands for Valuev. Left hook from Valuev just grazes Holyfield. They trade hooks. Nice three-punch combo lands for Holyfield. Holyfield still circling. Right hand lands for Valuev. Another and Holyfield answers with a 1-2 to the body. Two left hook upstairs lands for Holyfield followed by a body shot. Round to Holyfield.
Holyfield 89 Valuev 82
ROUND 10
Left and a right lands for Holyfield. Valuev holds on the inside. Wooooo...nice right hand over the top lands for Holyfield...best punch of the night (not that there have been very many punches at all). Jab to the body lands for Valuev. They trade jabs. Left hook lands for Holyfield. Another. Round to Holyfield.
Holyfield 99 Valuev 91
ROUND 11
Holyfield continues to circly and keep his distance. Left to the body lands for Holyfield. Valuev continues to follow and miss with his jab. Left hook and a right lands for Holyfield and Valuev holds on. Not much action again this round. They trade lefts. Right hand lands for Valuev. Jab lands for Valuev. Holyfield lands a left hook. Geesh...not much of anything to choose from in that round. I'll give it to Valuev I guess.
Holyfield 108 Valuev 101
ROUND 12
"You gotta knock this guy out," they tell Valuev in his corner. Holyfield dances around on his toes. Valuev has no clue of how to cut off the ring. Jab to the body lands for Valuev. Two right hands land upstairs for Holyfield. Left hook to the body lands for Holyfield, but he gets a warning for it being a little low. One minute left. They trade hooks to the body. Right hand lands for Valuev. Left and a right lands for Valuev. Another right lands for Valuev. Round to Valuev.
Holyfield 117 Valuev 111
Official judges scorecards:
114-114
116-112
115-114
THE WINNER BY MAJORITY DECISION...AND STILL WBA HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD....NIKOLAI VALUEV
POSTFIGHT
"I felt that I did the things that are necessary to win..whatever they scored it, that's what it was," stated Evander Holyfield. "I felt great...I know that he don't have much experience, but he's a big guy...facing someone who's 7-foot is difficult...he's a pretty good fighter...I hit him more times than he hit me I felt. I moved a lot and made him miss punches...that's the only thing you can do is your best...I'm gonna have to go home and see what's next on the drawing board...I'm happy that the crowd was behind me," he continued. On a side note, let me just say that this was one of the worst robberies that I've ever had the displeasure of doing a round-by-round for. Evander Holyfield may not have what it takes to unify the titles anymore, but today, he most certainly had what it takes to capture the WBA heavyweight title from an undeserving "champion" who's name shouldn't even be mentioned amongst any of the other title holders. Is boxing dying? That remains to be seen, but I think it's pretty clear that the heavyweight division is DEFINITELY dead!
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UNDERCARD RESULTS
- Larsen TKO7 Cocoo
- Pianeta UD12 Duhaupas (117-111, 116-112, 115-113)
- Olszewski DRAW Raoui (96-95, 92-98, 95-95)
- Kapanov UD8 Ferrara
- Stiverne TKO1 McDowell
- Platov UD8 Gavern (80-72, 79-72, 79-72)
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