February 18, 2000

Review of the boxing card in Aalborg, Denmark, February 18th.
Promoted by Bettina Palle.
Attended by a crowd of an estimated 2000.

Super Middleweight
Jerry Lee Williams (11-8-1) W4 Simon Lundt Hansen (6-1)
The american came with seven losses in a row and few thought he would turn the tables in this matchup. But Simon Lundt Hansen is still very green and he couldn't cope with the very agressive Williams. Not many punches landed cleanly, but the american had the initiative and that gave him the decision. Hats of to the 3 danish judges who voted against their fellow countryman. This is something that doesn't happen every day. According to my books Jerry Lee Williams was the first in 12 years to win a decision in Denmark against a danish fighter in a fight scored purely by danish judges appointed by the Danish Professional Boxing Federation. I had it 39-38 Williams. The official scorecards were unanimous: 39-38, 39-38, 39-37.

Super Cruiserweight
Simon Welms Nielsen (2-0) KO4 Mike McGrady (8-14-1)
A terrible boxing match. The american came to run and the dane came to chop woods. I didn't see a single jab from Simon Welms Nielsen. He tried to kill his opponent with every single punch but most of them missed. He was able to put McGrady down with a punch to the body in round one - and again in round two with a left hook. It was a left to the body that ended the unpretty fight in round 4. Welms needs to go back to the gym and learn how to box.

Heavyweight
Brian Nielsen (55-1) KO3 Jeff Pegues (17-7)
The great dane finally looked good. He hasn't really been his own self since loosing to Dick Ryan, but tonight he was agressive and his punches had an address attached to them. However Nielsen couldn't keep himself from giving the crowd a laugh when he raised his arms and allowed Pegues to throw 3 big punches to the body. The big dane didn't blink once and just stepped back and smiled as if to say: Is that all you have ? That must have taken a last drop of moral out of Pegues. The show ended in round 3 when Nielsen connected with a good combination to both the head and the body. By the way Jeff Pegues was once again overhyped by Team Palle. The Ring announcer told a story about how Pegues proved to be a hardhitter when he knocked out Joe Hipp in a world title match. Once again this was a NON-title fight and Pegues didn't knock out anyone. Hipp injured his knee and was unable to continue.

Cruiserweight
Steffen Nielsen (3-0) W4 Jesse Corona (5-8-1)
A fight that quickly be forgotten. Steffen Nielsen looked ordinary and without motivation. Corona was just too ordinary to do any serious harm to the dane.

Junior Middleweight
Mikkel Kessler (15-0) KO3 Charles Whittaker (17-8)
The European juniorversion of Oscar De La Hoya finally was able to knock out his opponent again. Whittaker proved to be very competetive until round number 3 in wich Kessler caught the american in the corner and finished it off with a left hook and a straight right. Those who will attend the Ayala vs. Bredahl PPV card in Vegas on March 4th will get a chance to see Kessler in action as he will fight on the undercard.

Welterweight
Frank Olsen (33-1) TKO3 Rene Prins (13-5-1)
Olsen finally avoided getting rocked himself after trying that experience in his last three fights. Rene Prins was overmatched and was knocked down once in every round, before the referee did the right thing and stepped in to stop the fight.

Junior Bantamweight IBC title
Jesper David Jensen (37-1) W12 Edgar Cardenas (25-9-1)
This was a great and very entertaining fight. Both fighters decided to slug it out for 12 rounds and it was very close. However Jensen once again finished strongly and therfore deserved the decision. I scored it 117-114 Jensen. The three judges scored it 116-114, 115-113, 117-111.

Weltweight IBC title
Thomas Damgaard (19-0) W12 Phillip Holiday (36-3)
What a war! The crowd gave both fighters a standing ovation. Referee Roy Francis had busy night cause both fighters fought a bit dirty and landed some very low punches. No doubt that Phillip Holiday was the better boxer of the two, but Damgaard was simply too agressive insisting to come forward time and time again. Damgaard put Holiday in serious troouble in round 9 but the dane didn't succeed and looked very tired. Damgaard won the fight, but it was close, and he can't survive in the boxing business for that many years if he needs to take this many punches in order to come out on top. I scored it 116-114 Damgaard, but the judges apparantly didn't think it was that close.

Unfortunatly I cannot give a report on the following off tv-fights, as my request for accreditation was turned down by Team Palle: Steffen Noerskov W4 Delroy Spencer Frederik Alvarez TKO7 Louis Llovet Tue Bjoern Thomsen KO4 Mike Sedillo