McBride lined up for shot...

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 27 Jul 2006, 11:58

Tyson-slayer Kevin McBride is lined up to challenge Belarussia's Sergei "White Wolf" Liakhovich on the October 7 Madison Square Garden bill topped by by Russian freak Nikolai Valuev against New Yorker Monte Barrett. "We're close to Liakhovich ," the massive Boston-based Irishman confirmed, though nothing has been signed.
Both McBride and Liakhovich are promoted by Don King.
The two fought on the same bill at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland in April - but while Liakhovich scored a stunning upset over defending WBO champion Lamon Brewster, McBride came in at 20st (shades of Danny Williams) for Missouri unknown Byron Polley and thumped out a routine four-round stoppage.
But 6ft 6ins McBride had already earned this big chance.
"The Clones Colossus" (a play on Barry McGuigan's "The Clones Cyclone") ended the career of Tyson in a shocker last summer at Washington DC. "He won't last three rounds," wrote Boxing News editor Claude Abrams of McBride. Others compared him to fellow Boston heavyweight Peter McNeeley, who lasted all of 89 seconds with Tyson in the 90's.
But Kevin showed character to withstand early pressure - to fire back in the way Williams had fired back in Tyson's previous fight. Trained by Goody Petronelli of Marvin Hagler fame (along with Packie Collins), McBride slowed Iron Mike with long rights to the body and used his size to lean on him in the clinches. The 38-year-old Tyson, fighting to pay off huge debts, looked exhausted from the fourth, resorting to butting and arm-twisting. Docked two points in the sixth, he was barely able to lift himself off the canvas after McBride pushed him down near the bell.
Jeff Fenech did the right thing and pulled Tyson out.
McBride is well known on these shores. He turned pro in Barking in 1992 and was held to a six-round draw by Leeds man Gary Charlton (1-6 going in). Considered average in those days, he got the full build-up treatment as a big, white heavyweight and was unbeaten in 20 when American Louis Monaco - a Tyson lookalike, ironically - burst his bubble in five rounds in Las Vegas in February 1997.
Kevin was brought back with a few wins, then pitched in with non-punching German Axel Schulz in 1997 in Berlin and stopped in nine. Two fights later, Manchester's Michael Murray, later to pen an autobiography The Journeyman, hammered him in three at Elephant & Castle Leisure Centre.
McBride relocated to the States and, after three wins, was hammered in five rounds by Denver's world class DaVarryl Williamson in Las Vegas in January 2002. He dropped down a level and reeled off seven wins to secure the career-changing fight with Tyson. He's currently on a winning run of nine - all of them stoppages - but Tyson apart, his recent company remains limited. One of his victims, Lenzie Morgan, gave Nigel Benn a good fight here at super-middleweight.
But the challenger gets plenty of top sparring in the States, is strong, tough and brave, and full of confidence a year on from his defeat of Tyson (June 2005). "You've got to admire what McBride has done,'' said his former promoter allegedly. "He got off his backside, went to the United States and made something of himself. I didn't think he could beat Tyson, but he took what Tyson threw at him and did it.''
Still only 33, he deserves a crack for finishing the fearful ex-convict.
Now comes the rugged Liakhovich, who also goes back a fair way. He represented Belarus in the 1996 Olympics, losing by one point to huge Tongan and eventual silver medallist Paea Wolfgramm in the first series. Liakhovich went on to lick Audley Harrison in the European championships in 1998 (points) but handed in his vest before the 2000 Olympics and, after a few paid wins in Belarus, began a pro apprenticeship in the States under trainer Kenny Weldon. A busy, aggressive, stiff-hitting, decent-boxing exponent, Liakhovich was raw in those days and suffered a setback when talented but enigmatic Maurice Harris outjabbed him for eight rounds and then took him out with a right in the ninth of a 2002 encounter in Atlantic City.
Harris also took away Liakhovich's unbeaten record after 16 wins.
The champion, based in Arizona, says he learned a lot about the effectiveness of a solid jab that night and was soon back to winning ways, boxing and punching his way to five wins and a 10-rounder with once-beaten Dominick Guinn in Atlantic City in December 2004. Liakhovich went in the underdog but bullied the mentally-fragile Guinn and outworked him all the way. It was a win he received little credit for, however. Most reporters concentrated on Guinn's subdued performance, given the Houston man barely threw a punch.
Worse followed for the Belarussian when visa problems and injuries kept him out of the ring throughout 2005 and right up to a surprise shot at WBO champion "Relentless" Lamon Brewster in April this year. Small wonder he was given no chance. Brewster had won the title flattening Wladimir Klitschko and taken out other European standouts Luan Krasniqi and Andrew Golota (52 seconds) in defences. He must have licked his lips in anticipation at the little-known import.
But in the most thrilling heavyweight title fight for years, Liakhovich met fire with fire and demonstrated the better boxing skills after taking a knee in the seventh from body shots. The challenger dominated the closing rounds behind the jab to clinch a unanimous 115-113, 115-112, 117-110 verdict.
"I answered Brewster every time," said the new champion.
"Liakhovich deserved to win," said a gracious Brewster, who replaced long-time trainer Jesse Reid with Buddy McGirt for the fight and suffered a detached retina.
"He earned it."
Still only 30, Liakhovich is a young, improving heavyweight at 23-1 (14). He's also well-sized heavyweight at 6ft 4ins and around 17st, with a punishing left jab and plenty of strength and snap in his work. He's a handful.
McBride holds all the physical advantages, of course, but lacks the same snap in his punches and likes to weaken opponents in close-quarter exchanges. He may have success, as Brewster did, targetting Liakhovich's body, but in truth is the perfect foil for a boxer-puncher like Liakhovich: willing, slow, not much of a puncher, not much of a boxer.
At 34-4-1 (29), McBride has been stopped every time he's lost and boxed only once since the Tyson win 13 months ago: the routine stoppage of Polley in April. He could do with a longer fight before October.
Ultimately, it boils down to class. McBride had the strength and commitment to get past a faded Tyson. But it will take more to beat Liakhovich. More than he has, I'm afraid.

jomothepure · Post by **jomothepure** » 27 Jul 2006, 12:51

What's do Kevin BcBride and a (all the way) stripper have in common? Both make their money lying on their backs taking a pounding from stiffs.

mikea · Post by **mikea** » 21 Aug 2006, 14:50

excellent post bennie, good read well done

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 21 Aug 2006, 18:03

Check: McBride now takes on three-time world title challenger Andrew Golota in Chicago on October 7.
The 38-year-old Golota infamously capitulated against Mike Tyson in October 2000 and hasn't fought since losing in 52 disastrous seconds to Lamon Brewster for the WBO heavyweight title in May last year. Brewster, like Tyson and Lennox Lewis, jumped on the Pole and caved him in mentally and physically. Allow Andrew to gain confidence, a foothold in the fight, and he's liable to make it very hard for you indeed.
Chris Byrd discovered that in defence of his IBF heavyweight title in April 2004, barely retaining on a contentious draw. John Ruiz also discovered it in defence of his WBA title seven months later. He survived two knockdowns to edge out Golota on another disputed decision.
But Golota's capitulation against Brewster revived the spectre of his surrender in fights with Tyson, Riddick Bowe (two fights) and Michael Grant. Other misdemeanours, such as when he took a chunk out of Samson Pou'ha's shoulder, or blatantly headbutted Danell Nicholson, are also etched on the memory.
Golota really is one of those talented, temperamental performers. His second fight with Bowe in Atlantic City in 1996 is universally regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight non-title fights of all time and he is still an obvious opponent for any of the current crop of eastern European heavyweight world champs.
For all his history, and perhaps because of it, he enjoys big Polish support in his adopted home city of Chicago. He is bound to have the crowd on his side in October.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 21 Aug 2006, 18:24

Both of the Golota Bowe fights were very interesting fights.

Golota for me is a guy who rather like a young Tyson wanted to destroy his opponents because of the fear of being defeated himself. Golota in both fights with Bowe punked out, fouling himself out of it as if subconsciously looking for a way out. Despite absorbing hellancious punishment in both bouts and especially the 2nd, Bowe just wouldn't go away, and got back up to try and slug his way out of trouble

I remember watching Golota on the way up, and thinking 'christ this guy is going to be very hard to beat.' Not only was he a fantastic physical specimen with terrific punching power, physical strength and early on great speed of hand and combination punching, he seemed hell bent on annihilating his opponents. However, that mental fragility was also there. Grant and Bowe both showed it, and Golota blew his chances against Bowe and never seemed the same again. He was unlucky against Byrd and Ruiz not to talk away with the decision, but in both fights after hurting his opponents and not being able to finish them off, he allowed the fight to slip away yet again.

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 22 Aug 2006, 02:56

I've always been a bit suspect that Golata was on the juice when he was boxing, he was always covered in spots, and had a very unpredictable temperment, and he seemed to all of a sudden carry alot more muscle as his career progressed.

comments?

E · Post by E » 22 Aug 2006, 10:19

topper123 wrote:I've always been a bit suspect that Golata was on the juice when he was boxing, he was always covered in spots, and had a very unpredictable temperment, and he seemed to all of a sudden carry alot more muscle as his career progressed.

comments?

Are you joking? he is seriously a big time juicer. drug testing in boxing is poor and anyway experience users know how to beat the tests. (Ben Johnson did for years as did Marion Jones in rigorously tested athletics.)

Probably 50% of heavies are on the juice, and Golota is a clear abuser. didn't Tommy Morrison (a slef confessed user) say ALL the top heavies are on the juice?

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 22 Aug 2006, 10:36

topper123 wrote:I've always been a bit suspect that Golata was on the juice when he was boxing, he was always covered in spots, and had a very unpredictable temperment, and he seemed to all of a sudden carry alot more muscle as his career progressed.

comments?

There is no doubt in my mind he was on the gear.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 22 Aug 2006, 10:51

Didn't Golota fail a steriod test at some point? He sure looked like a juicer though, spots etc, bad termperament

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 22 Aug 2006, 11:17

one thing with steroids they can't make you take a punch any easier, as Golota found out against Lewis and Brewster

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 22 Aug 2006, 12:46

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Didn't Golota fail a steriod test at some point? He sure looked like a juicer though, spots etc, bad termperament

At one time I had loads of spots and an incredibly bad temperament.

I was diagnosed a 'teenager'.

Now all I have is the bad temperament.

Yeah, drug testing in boxing is shite. I'm sure an enormous amount take steroids or 'supplements' that aren't legal.