Knock him out, Andrzej!
Adam from Conn, The Man Who Sold The World & Fellow Hard-Hittin' Pollack
Golota sucks
Everyone will eat their words tomorrow when Golota shocks the world and KO's boring-ass byrd. GO LOW BLOW!!!
Definitely rooting for Chris in this one.
Go five punch ball-shot combination!
ttt for a 5 shot combo to the nuts. that was the funniest thing i've ever seen in a boxing match
Golotta definately won the first 3 rounds I think, but Byrd isn't hurt too much either. Body shots might get him though.
Adam why did you call my name for?
"Golota sucks"
Apparantly, not tonight.
That sucks, sounds like two bullshit decisions for Byrd in a row. I like him, but that's fucked up. Sorry that your boy got robbed tonight Adam.
It's okay man. Everyone knows Golota won the fight.
He took a lot of time off, had two rinkydink fights, and then owned the World Heavyweight Champion. He didn't foul him and exercised a lot of restraint and sportsmanship. He left the ring after he was robbed, but came back to do an interview, and said "I thought I won... I'll have to see the tape."
Golota came across as a man totally matured and, honestly, like a class act. I'm proud of him.
Adam from Conn, Hard-Hittin' Pollack
Sounds cool of him. How old is he now??
LOFL @ new name!!!
Byrd may have a belt but is not the World Heavyweight Champion.
The AP boxing reporter seems to think Byrd was the better man there...Ruiz wins ugly fight with sudden punches By TIM DAHLBERG, AP Boxing WriterApril 18, 2004NEW YORK (AP) -- Andrew Golota kept his hands up and his wits about him. Chris Byrd did even better, keeping his heavyweight title in a draw that gave Golota another bad moment at Madison Square Garden. Byrd, fighting at his crafty best, kept a determined Golota off of him enough Saturday night to keep his IBF title in a fight that was up for grabs until the very end. Golota was the aggressor the entire way, but Byrd landed well with counter shots to the head, fighting off the ropes at times and using all his boxing skills against a bigger and stronger challenger. Judge Steve Weisfeld had Byrd winning 115-113, while Tony Paolillo had Golota ahead by the same margin. Melvina Latham had it 114-114, the same as The Associated Press. When the decision was announced, Golota bolted from the ring in disgust, only to come back and express his disappointment. ``I'm glad you feel it was a great fight, but I thought I won the fight,'' Golota said. Byrd seemed to tire in the final two rounds, but had built up enough points to escape with the draw. ``That's what we need in this division, two guys willing to fight,'' Byrd said. ``I sat there and banged with a 230-pound guy.'' The fight was one of two heavyweight title fights on the card. In the other, John Ruiz stopped Fres Oquendo late in the 11th round to retain the WBA title. Golota, in his first fight at Madison Square Garden since his disqualification for low blows eight years ago against Riddick Bowe set off a riot, was frustrated but didn't snap. He did hit Byrd in the back of the head after the bell sounded to end the sixth round, but that merely drew a warning from referee Randy Neumann. At the end of the eighth round, Golota threw a right hand that landed in Byrd's midsection, and Neumann said something, prompting a wink and grin from Golota. Mostly, though, Golota kept his punches up and his wits about him in a performance that might have put him squarely in the heavyweight mix. Unlike the ugly fight that preceded it between Ruiz and Oquendo, the Byrd-Golota fight was both entertaining and a classic matchup of slugger versus slick boxer. Byrd was the smaller fighter, outweighed at 210 1/2 pounds by 27 pounds, but the slick southpaw slipped many of Golota's punches and answered back with his own. Golota was urged on by man in the crowd eager for redemption for the fighter often scorned as the ``Foul Pole.'' ``Don't underestimate him because he's now in the heavyweight division,'' Byrd said. Byrd spent long stretches of the fight with his back against the ropes, daring Golota to punch and then hitting him back when he missed. Helping work Byrd's corner was his mother, Rose Byrd, who was afraid her son was giving away rounds. ``You're toying,'' Rose Byrd told him after the sixth round. ``I'm not toying,'' her son replied. Byrd (36-2-1) was making the second defense of the title he won against Evander Holyfield, while Golota was getting an early title shot on the comeback trail. Golota (38-4-1) had fought only twice since retiring after being beaten by Mike Tyson in October 2000. He wasn't ranked, but got the fight with Byrd and a payday of $150,000 after signing with Don King, who promotes both boxers. The Byrd-Golota fight looked even better than it was because it followed a fight that was about as bad as heavyweight title fights get.
That doesnt' make it sound as bad, I'll have to see it. lol # foul pole, that's just wrong.
I don't understand how Golota could not have won.
Byrd did seem to tire in the final two rounds, yes.
Golota was owning him undeniably earlier in the fight, though. The first 5 or 6 rounds, minus the 2nd, were SQUARELY Golota-owned. The others were very close, but there is no way that Byrd won all of them.
This decision is an absolute travesty, IMHO.
Adam from Conn, Hard-Hittin' Pollack
BTW, one thing I took note of, which I found especially impressive:
In the corners, it seemed like Golota was way more gassed than Byrd. I mean seriously gassed.
But his corners kept shouting at him "Remember your children, Andrew! Do it for your children!"
When they would resume fighting, there was not really any sign of him gassing whatsoever. Hell, he outlasted Byrd - one of the most athletic, if not the most athletic, heavyweights out there. He has heart in spades. I feel as though this fight redeemed him entirely.
Adam from Conn, Hard-Hittin' Pollack
Byrd impressed me but Golotta won I thought. Byrd might have even more problems in a rematch, it seemed as if Golotta adapted more to Byrd then vice versa, but Golotta seemed tired to at the end. A few more fights and this guy could be champ. I don't know about him and Klitchko though, I think Vitale is just too good right now, I definately think he would own Byrd.
Golotta needs to get paid though, 150k? Thats MMA baby. I bet he makes more next time after people see this one, plus its a compelling rematch. I guess this was just to get Golotta's name back out there for bigger paydays.
I thought Golota seemed the most tired in rounds 9 and 10. And even then, the effect was negligible. He seemed to rally at the end, and Byrd at some hard shots.
Adam from Conn, Hard-Hittin' Pollack
You mean the same Tyson that headbutted him illegally twice and opened up huge cuts?
The same Tyson that Golota owned in the second round?
Golota's one legit loss, IMO - "legit" meaning, he would have lost the fight even without DQs and quitting - was Lennox Lewis.
Golota would have wrecked Tyson if they had continued.
Adam from Conn, Hard-Hittin' Pollack