FULLER SCHOOLS MURPHY By George Elsasser

 

Hammond, Indiana …site of last nite’s ESPN FNF pit stop … better than the usual fare  … lightweights Damian Fuller ( 23-4, 11 KOs) and Lamar Murphy (29-6-1, 20 KOs) shared top billing.

Fuller a southpaw … a quick one with all the moves and punches in the book … and Murphy a slightly faded prospect of yesterday at age 31 - and didn’t take long to see who the nite belonged to.

Murphy had problems from the start in attempting to solve the puzzle named Damian … was the quick movement coupled with the much busier hands … wanted to go to the body but could never find a flow.

Was all Fuller over the halfway mark of round six … then stanza seven and a big left hand scores and down goes Murphy … only question at that point is whether Lamar makes it to the wire.

Wasn’t until the final candle that Murphy springs a surprise … overhand right lands flush and now it’s Fuller on the canvas … but too late in round to get it finished.

Scoring is unanimous for Fuller 117-109, 117-109, 116-110.

Post Scripts ~ Damian Fuller: Something of a shame that this kid comes up short in punching power … equally sad is a chin of the imported variety … still, the skills are a site to behold … and earns a spot among the IBF rankings off this win.
                       Lamar Murphy: The veteran can still earn a stipend here and there among the pit stops of the club fight tour … clock is working against Lamar … and were Fuller a big hitter it could have been a career ender.

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Welterweight prelim bout an action affair …  undefeated James Webb with 13 wins and 11 coming via KO facing Xavier Tolliver 13-3, 9 KOs … Webb tossing a proverbial shutout into the final round five  … Tolliver corner waves things off at 17 seconds mark with Webb pitching and Xavier catching.

Post Scripts: Webb a tough one … big and strong at welter … but see no future since skills are not there. Proved much too strong for Tolliver but is one dimensional in style and too late for a refresher course.
                      Tolliver: Actually was the better tutored … but it took no more than two rounds to see this one was man vs. boy … and the corner knew it.

                      Referee Eric Fetzer: In one word Brutal  … gabber  from get go … first round action both banging away … then a low blow from Webb … Eric, the not so great , jumps into the mix disrupting things with a loud caution. From that point to the finis this hack never stopped the jawing, gestures etc. No surprise he misses the big things … took two cuts over the left eye and a third over right eye before da man declared the latter wound arrived via inadvertent head butt.

GEL

4-30-2004