Sock of Ages!
Savarese beats clock, Holyfield clocks Savarese, in rousing showdown of heavyweight 40-somethings

Ringside by Chris Cozzone and Ricardo Trujillo*
Photos by Chris Cozzone
- FightWireImages.com

Had former four-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, 44, and former contender Lou Savarese, 41, fought ten years ago, it’s unlikely the action generated through ten rounds would have been any less than it was last night at the Don Haskins Center at UTEP in El Paso, Texas.

Holyfield, obstinate in his quest for a fifth world title, and Savarese, hopeful to once again break top ten contention, gave the loud-but-meager crowd of 3,500 a fight that outdid most top-level heavyweight matches between younger champs or contenders.

The fight, billed as “The Road to the Heavyweight Championship,” promoted by Main Events and shown on Pay-Per-View, edged Holyfield, winner by unanimous decision, one step closer to a title shot, and Savarese, surviving two knockdowns, announcing retirement.

Round one was a cautious one for Savarese, with Holyfield jabbing and landing an overhand right that sliced open a vertical cut between his opponent’s eyes.

After half a round of complaining of head-butts, Savarese picked up the pace in the second, mixing with Holyfield but losing to the former champ’s jab.

In round three, Savarese struck back, burying an uppercut in Holyfield that had his knees buckling. The former champ held on and weathered the remainder of the round, only to return in the next round at top form..

This time it was Holyfield’s turn to hurt his foe, first staggering Savarese with a right, then pummeling him against the ropes until he sank to his knees for an eight-count.

One round later, Savarese was back in the fight, taking the play away from Holyfield, who was no longer trying to jab his way on the inside. Savarese utilized his jab and timed his right.

The ebb and flow continued through round six, Holyfield double-jabbing and Savarese, landing big right hands.

Savarese’s uppercuts returned in the seventh, but, by the end of the round, he was breathing hard, his mouth wide open. Meanwhile, Holyfield was engaging Savarese in some of the best exchanges seen yet, but finding his underdog foe a harder-than-expected challenge.

Through the final three rounds, however, Holyfield took over.

Round eight was a war of jabs, but, with Savarese’s stamina fading, Holyfield upped his aggression until, in the ninth, he had Savarese on his bike.

With just moments remaining in the ninth, Holyfield shot a right to the pit of Savarese’s bread basket, followed by a bread-winning left hook to the chin that not only floored Savarese, but swept him off his feet.

Miraculously, Savarese beat the count and was saved by the bell.

Nearly out on his feet for most of the final frame, Savarese weathered Holyfield’s final assault, taking more than enough punishment to warrant Referee Jesse Reyes to keep a close watch, and for Savarese’s cornerman to keep a tight grip on a white towel, ready for the throwing.

Somehow, Savarese survived, and the fight went to the scorecards.

All three judges scored it for Holyfield: 99-87 (Ray Hawkins), 98-90 (Jerry Wright) and 96-91 (Glen Crocker).

Fightnews/NewMexicoBoxing (FN/NMB) had a similar score, 97-92 for Holyfield.

“Lou is a veteran and a very difficult fighter,” said Holyfield, now 42-8-2, 38 KOs.

“He was hitting me with uppercuts, and he hurt me with a few of them.”

Savarese, falling to 46-7, 38 KOs, announced his retirement at the post-fight press conference.

“I gave my all,” said Savarese, “but Holyfield’s a legend.”

Holyfield, rating his performance a “70 out of 100,” was satisfied with his performance.

“Age is just a number,” he said. “I think I proved that today. I am still determined and I will not quit until I am a five-time world champion.”

Dyer no match for Rodriguez

In a battle of undefeated heavyweights, that marked the loser owner of a padded record, El Paso’s David “Nino” Rodriguez dispatched Oklahoman giant Rick Dyer with as much ease as any of his previous 24 opponents.

Though outweighed nearly 30 pounds, Rodriguez made a statement in his two-round destruction of the awkward Dyer—flooring him twice and chasing him for a final beatdown before Referee Sam Garza waved it off at :45.

To his credit, a game Dyer launched himself at Rodriguez, jabbing and throwing awkward straight lefts. Rodriguez spent most of the first trying to get his rhythm and figure out a game plan while the two clinched, shoved and pulled at one another.

Once Rodriguez started to land, however, it was all over. In the final moments of the first, Rodriguez ripped a left hook to Dyer’s fleshy midsection and down he went. Though he beat the count, the referee would’ve been more than warranted to stop the fight, for Dyer’s legs were already shot. Lucky—or unlucky—for him, the bell rang, saving the destruction for another round.

Rodriguez was all over Dyer in the second, blasting him corner to corner. Big, short and precise body shots and blasts to the head had Dyer flailing all over the canvas. What was ruled a knockdown but could’ve been a throwdown, had Dyer taking the count again before half a minute was over.

Once again, the fight continued—for a few moments and half a dozen bombs, until Dyer was facing away from Rodriguez and looking like he was running for his life.

At this point, the ref called it off, official time, :45.

“I knew that he was going to be strong, really unorthodox and sloppy,” said Rodriguez, now 26-0, 25 KOs.

“I knew that I had to avoid his left cross—when I did that I was able to counter.

“His head was there for the taking. The first time I hit him with the right, I knew he was in trouble. I could see that he did not want any part of it.”

From here on out, say Rodriguez’s manager, Bob Spagnola, it’s going to be nothing but name opponents.

Rodriguez’s team expect a break into top ten contention sometime next year.

Roman batters Alonso

In the opening bout on pay-per-view, a ten-round featherweight bout, Juarez’s Miguel “Mickey Mouse” Roman battered veteran Jose Alonso to a fifth round stoppage.

It was body shots, body shots, and more body shots for Roman, who is finally starting to develop into what looks like a contender.

Alonso, however, has seen better days. Though game, the shopworn veteran was nearly dropped with the first left-hook-body-bomb thrown by Roman in round one.

Keeping Roman off him by jabbing, Alonso looked better in the second, but stepping up his aggression, the Juarez battler controlled the round, mainly with his money shot gancho (left hook.)

Mixing up a controlled body attack with jabs and rights upstairs, Roman continued to blast away at Alonso in the third, scoring a punishing liver shot in the final seconds.

Though willing to mix it, Alonso continued to eat leather through the fourth until, in the fifth, with Roman unloading shot after shot, the referee stopped the fight at 1:29.

At the time of stoppage, Roman was well ahead, 40-35 on two cards, 39-36 on the third.

“I went to the body because I knew that it hurt him there,” said Roman, now 21-0, 15 KOs. “

“I knew he was hurt because he grimaced from the punch to the liver. I knew that it would only be a matter of time. I knew he was ready to go but I really wanted a knockout.”

Alonso, of Sonora, Mexico, drops to 29-14-2, 14 KOs.

Vasquez dominates McGee

With the early destruction of Rick Dyer by David Rodriguez, a four-round super bantamweight swing bout, between hot Las Cruces, NM prospect Ricky Vasquez (2-0, 1 KO) and tough Anthony McGee (1-3), of McKinney, Texas, filled the wait time before Holyfield and Savarese made their walks to the ring.

McGee, coming off a very disputable decision loss in Albuquerque in May, is a good fighter, despite his record—unfortunately, Vasquez is looked upon in his hometown state as a fighter with world class potential.

Showing composure and skills far beyond his two-bout career, in part, due to a 100-bout successful amateur career, Vasquez controlled the fight through four action-filled rounds. 

Instead of running, as seen in previous fights, McGee stood his ground with Vasquez, though the Las Crucen did most of the pressing, showing good defense while countering with precise shots.

Vasquez fought in spurts in the second, but stepped it up in the third and fourth, throwing a variety of punches that hurt, but could not floor the tough McGee.

Two judges, and FN/NMB scored it for Vasquez, 40-36; one judge had it 39-37, Vasquez.

“I could have been a lot better,” said Vasquez, recently turned 19. “I could not get my punches together. But I’m proud I won, happy to fight in my home town. Hopefully, I can back here again and I will make a better fight.”

OFF-TV BOUTS
Richards KOs Willis

In an eight-round, pudgy heavyweight battle of former sparring partners, Adam Richards (17-1, 12 KOs), of Murfreesboro, TN kayoed Billy Willis (8-10-1, 7 KOs), of Houston, TX.

“Swamp Donkey” Richards showed more kick than the unwilling Willis in round one. Landing left hooks close quarter, Richards kept the pressure on his former sparring partner through the first two stanzas.

Finally, in round three, Willis started to open up by parrying Richard’s jabs, though the Tennessean’s harder shots and aggression put another round in the bank.

Then, shortly into round four, a short but devastating left hook to the jaw dropped Willis to the canvas for the count, with an official time of :34.

Willis was dragged off the ropes where he lay by the doctor and revived. After some tense moments of lying motionless, he took a stool and, seemingly, regained his sensibilities.

”When Willis came to he did not know his name nor where he was,” said ringside physician Brian August.

“He was out of shape, out of luck, and out to lunch.”

Fountains, Rivers draw

The card opened up with a four-round supermiddleweight female bout, ending in a draw for Akondaye Fountain (7-0-1, 4 KOs), of Houston, Tex. and Kathy Rivers (14-5-3, 5 KOs), of Hollywood, Fla.

Fountain stole the first with her aggressive attacks late in the round, and, blasting away at the taller Rivers in the center of the ring, took the second, as well.

In the third, however, Rivers jabbed her way to win the round, keeping Fountain at bay.

In the final frame, a relentless Fountain trapped Rivers and landed her best punches of the fight.

After four, the judges were mixed, two scoring it a draw, 38-38, and one giving Fountain every round, 40-36.

FN/NMB scored it 39-37 for Fountain.

Bonus Pics

* Ray de la Vega contributed to this report.