Was holed up in Best Western Inn just off I-95 at Santee, S.C. on night of December 9 - the first overnighter while en route to Long Beach, N.Y. - and peeked with interest the HBO special with Jermain Taylor defending and Kassim Ouma challenging for one of the middleweight straps - and underneath, young Andre Berto in a showcase with veteran Miguel Figueroa.

At this writing all precincts have been heard from - still, I’d like tossing my nickel’s worth on what I had witnessed.

Taylor too big for a light hitting Ouma - but not the big puncher he’s been advertised - my unofficial had it Taylor 8-4 in rounds and 116-112 in points - thought Ouma gave it an early effort, but later pretty much settled for going the distance.

Give Ouma credit for rock solid chin - never once in trouble when tagged with the Taylor heavy duty - problem is he was never able to find a rhythm to offset the size and physical strength of Jermain. At a now age 27, with some 29 kept appointments the game Ugandan should revisit the 154 groupies where his style is more compatible.

Taylor a whole different species - feelings here is Jermain’s game is all about size and heavy hands - still, an aging Hopkins and Winky Wright showed Taylor as solid middleweight but not exactly special in technique. Both fistic AARP qualifiers fared well enough with Taylor - Wright earned a standoff and Hopkins played to coin flip loss in respective meetings. As I see it, the undefeated middleweight shareholder is not a finished product - missing link the inability to "whistle while he works." 

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The co-feature prelim with HBO touted young welter Andre Berto and Miguel Figueroa in a scheduled ten rounder pretty much played to choreography - Berto displayed major league punching power and quality skills in a blowout of Figueroa who was expected to test the new kid on the block.

The  veteran arrived with good numbers (24-5-1, 14 KO’s) - and while blanked from start to finish, he showed he was there for more than a paycheck - problem was Andre held the hotter hand.   

Finally, stanza six, and a slow reacting referee Laurence Cole would pull the plug at the 1:59 mark of the round - in a nasty drubbing that could, and should have been aborted in candle five.

Berto ups the resumé to 16 wins with 14 stoppages - and it’s a given, the HBO gang will keep him busy in a fertile welterweight field of interesting folks - and this kid is worthy of circling on the fistic calendar of reference.

You may email George Elsasser here

GEL  - 

12-25-06