The ESPN2 Friday Nite Fite tour found its way to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino at Hollywood, Florida for a busy evening of fistic fury - and when the smoke cleared, it was O’Neil Bell squeaking by Canadian cowboy Dale Brown for the vacant IBF Cruiserweight title.

Expectations going in envisioned the celebrated bomber Bell (23-1-1, 22 KO) catching the boxer/puncher Brown (33-3-1, 21 KO) somewhere short of the scheduled 12 rounds - but, not to be.

Brown had the early edge over the opening three stanzas as he displayed the better boxing skills, and surprised Bell with power right hands that had the favorite on wobbly legs.

Bell would pick up the pace in stanza four, and from that point on it would be a contest of Brown movement and accurate counters, versus a one dimensional albeit knockout threat in Bell.

Both fighters had moments, but it would be destined to go to the judges once Brown showed he could handle the adversity of doing battle with cuts over both eyes, and Bell’s resolve equally evident when surviving a round three without legs underneath him.

The final tallies of the scoring judges at ringside, clearly revealed a strong like for the guy that assumes the aggressor role, opposed to the accurate but more conservative counter puncher.

Scoring went Bell to the tune of 117-111, 116-112, 115-113 - this neutral corner had it a more coin-flip affair with Brown scoring the better at 116-112 in points and 8-4 in rounds.

While I have no big quarrel over the verdict, I think a standoff would have been more than fair - and would have made for a natural of  a return for the IBF crown.
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Opening semi-final saw undefeated super-middleweight Edison Miranda (21-0, 21 KO) besting veteran Sam Reese (20-12-4, 8 KO) who once again answered the call on short notice - on this visit, it was two days, for the age 34 war horse.

Miranda answered the opening stanza with power punches that wobbled the cagey southpaw Reese, but Sam regained composure to make it a close round.

Surprisingly, what looked good on paper for the big punching 24 year young Miranda to continue the knockout streak, converted to a serious threat to the unblemished resume.

Had Reese been better prepared in the conditioning department  he would very likely have pulled off the upset - all scoring judges at ringside had it Miranda 96-93, 96-93, 98-91.

This unofficial had it "wrong" for Reese 95-94 in points, but even at 5-5 under the yesterday round by round method of scoring.

GEL

5-21-2005