Jeff Warner vs. Harry Baptiste (1st meeting)

Jeff Warner 251 lbs beat Harry Baptiste 226 lbs by TKO in round 1 of 4

• Date: 1989-06-21
• Location: Venetian Inn, Little Canada, Minnesota, USA

From the article, "Shadow Boxer," written by George Dohrmann:

"Warner's opponent for his professional debut on June 21, 1989, was Harry Batist, who earlier that day had been plucked from People Sharing People, a Minneapolis homeless shelter. Whebbe, a small-time wrestling promoter and a friend of Warner's from Warner's wrestling days, said he worked as a supervisor at the shelter for five years and had befriended Batist, who Whebbe described as a 'big black guy who looked intimidating'."

"Whebbe said he picked Warner's opponent for six of his first seven bouts beginning with the Batist fight, put on in front of a smattering of rowdy fans at the Venetian Inn in Little Canada (Warner, in the deposition, said Whebbe arranged most of his early fights but couldn't recall which ones)."

"The Minnesota board of boxing sanctioned that first fight. The commission's fight report includes this description: '22-second bout. Batist quit without getting hit.' A note attached to the report read: 'Chairman Jerry Coughlin request (sic) that Harry Batist not be allowed to box for his own welfare.'"

"'(Jeff and I) knew Batist was a stiff. We knew he wasn't coming to win, but Jeff was shaking, he was pure white', said Peterson, who confirmed that Whebbe picked Warner's opponent. "'I knew he wasn't anxious to get out there. It was like I had to hold his hand to get him out there.'"

"'I told Jeff after the fight, 'I can't do anything with you.' I never trained him again.'"