BYRD, GOLOTA TURN BACK CLOCK VIA HOT DRAW

Andrew Golota, once notorious for punching infractions, fought on the level as promised with IBF heavyweight champion Chris Byrd and the intense pair finished in a furious 12-round draw that had 15,195 fans roaring their approval Saturday in Madison Square 0Garden.

Going in, there were some critics taking a shot at Don King for making such a title match but the promoter came up with a rabbit’s foot the way Golota and Byrd went to war in every round where the action was as close as your next breath.

And for the ultimate in irony, the 36-year-old Golota rose to his finest performance in the same venue where eight years ago he blew a big lead against Riddick Bowe with repeated low blows that started his slide to limbo and triggered a near-riot in the Garden.

There were some fight experts who wondered why Byrd, 35, of Flint, Mi., was willing to risk his share of the crown for a paltry $625,000 against a much bigger, harder puncher like the unpredictable Golota, whose pro career started in the Chicago area in 1992, an import from Warsaw,Poland.

Byrd, one of the slickest southpaw boxer-punchers in any division, wasn’t talking for hype when he told King “I’ve always wanted to fight Golota since1997.”

Byrd said weight would never be a problem and he proved it, coming in at 210 1/2 while Golota was no
speed trap at 237.The champion danced as he desired on and off the ropes, in and out of corners, sticking Golota with that right jab to set up stunning combinations throughout the fight and often making the powerful Pole just miss with that vaunted right hand.

There was nothing close to a knockdown and there were more rounds than not that could have gone either way, making ringside judges super alert in their duties. On the official ballots, Steve Weisfeld had it 115-113 for Golota while Tom Paolillo saw it 115-113, Byrd. Melvina Latham voted 114-114 to create the draw. This observer’s tab was 115-114, Byrd.

When Michael Buffer announced the results, it was a scowling Golota who left the ring, a trait that was no surprise in his two foul-marred disqualifications against Bowe in 1996. Without being pressed, it was a Handy Andy coming back to the ring for a post-fight recap.

“I’m glad people thought it was a great fight but I
thought I won. Did you see Byrd’s eye. There is no question in my mind that I won the fight. I know I worked hard to handle his style. I heard two judges gave the last round to me and the other went to Byrd,” said Golota, whose resume is now 38-4-1, 31 K0s.

Byrd, whose log moved to 37-2-1, 20 K0s. wasn’t as resentful as Golota.

“This is what boxing needs, two guys who are willing to fight. I thought I stole the early rounds, but Golota did come on late. I don’t take anything away from Andrew Golota, he can definitely fight. I was 40 pounds lighter than the big guy I was in with but it didn’t make any difference. I felt he was getting frustrated but he didn’t hurt me at all. I feel I fought like a champion. It was a very close fight, but I felt I won this fight,” said the seemingly pleased champion.

Byrd at 6’1” was three inches shorter than Golota but it was never a factor the way the quicker champion was doing some of his best work fighting off fthe ropes. Golota, almost always with gloves high from the first round on, pressed to get inside his fluid adversary but Byrd flicked that right and then dipped with a left hand to the body. Spectators seemed surprised at Byrd’s daring approach but in the ensuing four rounds, it was effective as Golota, working belt to belt, missed big right hands by the numbers.

After the third round, trainer Sam Colona railed Golota “that you have to get off first, not the other guy.”

Golota’s road game has always been combinations to the body and cross with the right to the head and it was reasonably effective in the fifth and sixth rounds. However, the Warsaw warrior’s irritation on missing punches showed facially but it wasn’t a factor when he punched Byrd in the back of the head after the bell ended the sixth round.

Referee Randy Neumann knew there was no intent and only warned Golota. As the eighth round ended, Golota caught Byrd with a legitimate right to the body. Neuman made a comment, but whatever it was, only drew a grin from Golota.

In some respects, Golota was fighting Byrd’s fight in the ninth and 10th rounds as the IBF ruler was still scratching his back with the ropes and countering well with the jab. Golota still had problems with those chopping rights but he got Byrd into a furious exchange at the bell.

Golota caught Byrd with a sharp combination to the body that made him clinch but the latter quickly countered wth a four-punch salvo to the head.

The respected rivals had to know the decision was on the line in round 12 and nothing changed in the scenario. Golota laid close on the dipping, darting Byrd. The pressing Pole was out with a combination to the body with Byrd landing two rights to the head on the ropes. Golota looked big with two rights and a left but Byrd was back with a serious four-punch volley that made the latter hold. The house was screaming on its feet with Byrd appearing to have a final edge as both combatants spent their arsenal.

In the post-fight festivities at center ring, Don King
used his own international TV network to answer the question the public expected to hear regarding Byrd and Golota.

“I’m happy because of this great fight. Chris Byrd fought as a super champion and Andrew Golota fought like a human being. It was an incredible fight. There is no question about it, we’ll do it again.”

RUIZ SAVES UGLY FIGHT, KAYOING OQUENDO IN 11

John Ruiz, 240, Chelsea, Ma., turned an ugly night’s
defense of his WBA heavyweight crown into a last-minute touch of respectability when he exploded to dispose of Fres Oquendo, 225, Chicago, Ill., on a TKO at 2:33 of the 11th round in Madison Square Garden’s semi-final.

As expected, it was a clutch and hold event from the
first round that had the house delivering catcalls of heavy disapproval that neither Ruiz or Oquendo could ever throw more than one punch at time.

Ruiz, in his second reign, said he would strive to bring some excitement to the ring in what must be considered a comeback since losing the WBA championship to Roy Jones, Jr., on a put-you-to-sleep 12-round decision Mar.1, 2003 in Las Vegas.

The plodding Ruiz was willing to mix it but every time he threw a punch that sailed over Oquendo’s head the latter got the New England hero into a headlock and wouldn’t let go until referee Wayne Kelley made the break.

Patience had its reward for the spectators when the obviously frustrated Ruiz finally caught Oquendo with two left jabs before he had the time to clinch. Ruiz instantly woke up the crowd with a solid five-punch
combination of rights that drove Oqendo into the ropes with his gloves down.

Ruiz then fired a right-left-left-right that left Oquendo barely standing and had referee Wayne Kelly rushing in to halt the rout.

Ruiz, now 40-5-1, 27 KOs, wasn’t too happy with the conditions of the fight.

“I was trying to bring him down all night with a good jab. Oquendo didn’t want to fight, he kept grabbing and clutching and that makes it impossible for two guys to fight. I really should have brought him down earlier,” Ruiz reflected.

Kelly had no qualms about the stoppage.

“Oquendo took two solid good punches. They came out of nowhere. I thought he was hurt and he stopped protecting himself. My job is to protect the safety of the fighter. He would have been hurt if I didn’t stop it.”

Oquendo, whose record fell to 24-3,15 K0s, sounded like a fighter who was still groggy.

“I was fine. I wasn’t hurt. It ‘s not fair that he stopped the fight. I wasn’t even knocked down. I knew what was going on. I’m a gladiator and I’d like to have a rematch.”

CompuBox fight stats does not include the number of clinches in a bout, but if you didn’t see how bad this action was, how does 60 clinches from start to finish grab you?

MAYORGA OVERWEIGHT, NO TITLE SHOT, PRELIM

Unpredictable Ricardo Mayorga jetted to New York from his native Nicaragua to challenge WBA welterweight champion Jose Rivera for the crown he lost to Cory Spinks last Dec.13 in Atlantic City.

Somebody in Mayorga’s camp forgot to tell him
the welterweight division limit is 147. The explosive Latino weighed in at 153. Rivera was on the money at 146 1/2 for what was to be the Garden’s third TV bout
in a four fight package.

The New York State Athletic Commission gave
Mayorga two hours to see what he could do on the scales. This time when he returned he was down to 151.

Rivera, fighting out of Worcester, Ma., with a 27-3-1, 24 K0’s record, told the commission he was uncertain what Mayorga would weigh and pulled out of the fight.
King got another break when Eric Mitchell, of New York with a 16-3-1,7 KOs record, was scheduled to appear on the undercard, weighing 155, same as Mayorga, and wound up on TV.

Mitchell wasn’t in awe of the heavy-punching Mayorga, who is still off-balance when he fires, and won the first two rounds. There were no knockdowns and Mayorga wound up winning a 10-round decision on scores of 96-92, 97-92, and 97-94.

Mayorga certainly didn’t enhance his image in the Big Apple but Mitchell’s performance seems certain be to awarded some future fights in Gotham.

BRAITHWAITE KEEPS WBC CRUISER TAG IN ROMP

Wayne Braithwaite,189, the undefeated WBC cruiserweight champion, stayed that way when he pitched a near-shutout 12-round decision over Louis
Azille, 193, Jersey City, N.J., in the Garden’s first TV bout.

When these rivals last met in 200l, Braithwaite scored a three-round knockout but this time he couldn’t do any better than a flash knockdown in the third round although an easy winner from start to finish. Braithwaite boosted his credentials to 21-0, 17 K0s while Azille fell to 18-3-2,15 KOs.

“I hurt my right hand when I got Azille with a good shot to the head in the third round. I feel I would have stopped him if that didn’t happen, but it was a good exercise where I had every thing my own way,” said the cruiser king.

(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in Las Vegas and a regular contributor to Ringsports.com and other sports publications)