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03/19/2007 Archived Entry: "Holyfield destroys Maddalone"
Holyfield destroys Maddalone
Return to Main Events a success
By Karl Hegman at ringside
Photos by J.C. Diaz
Holyfield (left) pummels Maddalone
THE great four time heavyweight champion Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield continued his winning ways by annihilating Vinny Maddalone at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi Saturday night before a packed house of adoring fans.
Holyfield entered the ring adorned in a red velvet robe and boxing trunks looking all the part of boxing royalty and was the picture of focus and determination. Maddalone came right out at Holyfield just as he said he would before the fight and this left him an inviting target to Evander’s jabs, left hooks and right hands. Maddalone lunged at Holyfield just past the midway point of the round, and as Evander ducked to pull away, a clash of heads left Maddalone with a gash streaming blood down his forehead into his face. Maddalone protested, saying he had been butted, but that was not the case as Vinny himself had initiated the contact.
After the ringside doctor took a look the action continued and Maddalone again charged forward like a bull throwing haymakers and clubbing right hands at Holyfield who was just happy to engage in the rough stuff with him.
Holyfield shot in hurtful facers and body blows to Maddalone, stunning him in the process and sending his head back with the punches. Maddalone got in a couple, but the round was all Evander’s.
Holyfield established some distance in the second round with his jab and shot in blow after blow to the wide open slugger and frustrated Maddalone’s attempts to get at him. The cut was reopened by the jabs and Maddalone had trouble seeing the shots as the blood kept getting in his eyes but gamely chugged forward trying to end the fight with a big blow.
The referee stopped the action during the fight to have the doctor examine the cut, but Maddalone insisted he was ok and wanted to keep on fighting.
The third round began with Maddalone still coming forward and the two were engaged in an exciting exchange as the blood was really flowing now from the cut that had been ripped wide open by Holyfield’s rapier like left jabs. It was fungo practice for Holyfield as he sent Maddalone’s head flying back with brutal right uppercuts and fierce follow up left hooks and right hands.
The vocal crowd was behind Holyfield chanting his name all through the arena as “Ho-ly-field! Ho-ly-field!” boomed throughout in a near deafening experience.
Maddalone charged blindly forward again swinging for the fences and the two were locked in an exciting exchange along the ropes when Holyfield spun out and blitzed Maddalone with a series of searing combinations that prompted Maddalone’s manager Al Certo to wave the towel signaling the end for Vinny. The official time of the stoppage was 2:48 of round three despite the protests of Maddalone.
Holyfield looked very sharp in there as he continues his quest for a fifth heavyweight title that at first had many cynical media people and boxing fans scoffing and dismissing Holyfield’s comeback as impossible and wishful thinking. Those people are not laughing anymore, as he is now injury free and in fantastic physical condition. He certainly stands a good shot at the winner of Shannon Briggs vs. Sultan Ibragimov, and as stated here previously, I am very unimpressed with the seven foot tall giant Nikolai Valuev whom I really don’t think is a very good fighter, and is very clumsy and slow.
Holyfield was asked about the steroid allegations and he stated they were not true, and that if he used them, he would have on about forty more pounds of muscle, which is very true so he is indeed telling the truth when he denies their use.
I asked him about which champs he would prefer to fight and if there is a particular fighter he wanted to fight to get ready for one of them, and he said that he wanted to fight them all and eventually would as he unifies the championship. Evander said that they can all make a lot more money than are making now as his name still carries more financial clout at the box office than any other heavyweight, and that is also the truth as many casual boxing and sports fans don’t even know the names of the heavyweight title claimants presently.
All in all, it was a good win for the future first ballot hall of famer and he is very much adored and appreciated by Texas boxing and sports fans who have adopted him as one of their own, as they do many athletes from all sports.
On the under card:
Calvin Brock returned to the ring wars for the first time since his loss to Wladimir Klitschko and put Ralph West out cold with a booming right hand over the jab at the 2:49 mark of round one. Brock looked very impressive under his first fight with new head trainer, the former lightweight great Pernell Whitaker, and jabbed and hooked very well and was in great condition.
Undefeated featherweight Jose “Pit bull” Diaz ran his record to 13-0 by battering Jeremy Drapel for a unanimous six round decision, Damian Norris knocked out Rod Willis at the 2:50 mark of round three in a wild affair, Vanessa Juarez won a unanimous six round decision over awkward Elizabeth Villareal, Raul Martinez won a unanimous duke over Kevin Hudgins in a six round bantamweight bout, Adam “Swamp Donkey” Richards won every round in an eight round heavyweight affair over clutch artist Earl Ladson, who really should have been disqualified for excessive holding, and Alfonso Lopez won a decision over Bonnie Joe McGee in his pro debut at light heavy.
