The Rob Calloway-Terry Smith heavyweight offering over ESPN last nite looked on paper a Smith tune up for a possible final stab at the proverbial brass ring - not to be.

Both aging veterans Calloway at 38 and Smith 36 on paper look fine as wine - Calloway a career protected species enters with a glittering rap sheet of 65-7-1, 52 by stoppage - one of those taken scalps belonged to Buck Smith who boasts a stat sheet of 178-17-2, 118 KO’s - the punchless Buck started out a welterweight.

Smith not exactly chopped liver on paper as well - 30-2-1, 18 KO’s chalked up the credits among the club level - but like Calloway failed against Jameel McCline when stepping up in caliber.

Then the opening bell with Calloway showing quicker movement and better skills behind a jab, pop and move approach - Smith slow but willing - and over most stanzas it was Calloway having the edge in scoring department.

First of two surprises of the night arrived late in stanza eight - actually no more than a second before the round ending bell - a Calloway right hand bomb drops Smith - manages to beat the count.

Now candle nine with Calloway taking "BP" on a slowed to a crawl Smith - and things looked too easy for the hungry for the knockout man from the show me state.

Then surprise two - maybe just over the halfway mark of final stanza ten - a careless Calloway on the attack walks into a Smith right hand and shows signs of doing the ol’ Zab Judah "hucklebuck" - but not quite - ready to go or not, he survives a Smith monster round.

Scoring all Calloway 96-93, 96-93, 96-94.

Post Scripts: Terry Smith (30-3-1, 18 KO) ~ age 36 - good news is this loss drops him from serious heavyweight contention - but even at the late age he can compete at the minor league level. Will always give it the honest effort.
                       Rob Calloway ( 66-7-1, 52 KO) ~ age 38 -  good news is he got away with one last night - bad news is it could find him in deep dung at a time he should be packing his bags and riding off into the sunset on a high note. Says here that final stanza ten carried a message - a reminder when protected species moved up a rung and the bubble exploded.
                       Referee Mike England - this hack sure gets plenty work for more carnival clown than ring official.

GEL  -