By Frank Gonzalez Jr.
October 5th, 2007
“McCline Drops Peter Three Times and Still Loses”
The last time a Heavyweight got dropped three times in a big
fight and won was when Wladimir Klitschko got dropped three
times by Sam Peter but still out-boxed Peter and put enough
rounds in the bank to win the fight.
Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, Sam Peter (29-1,22
KO’s) gave an exhibition of himself that could become the
blueprint for future opponents on how best to beat him. Peter
keeps his hands too low on defense and is vulnerable to
uppercuts and hooks.
Jameel McCline (38-8-3, 23 KO’s) was the substitute opponent
whose credentials include his big size and experience of
losing to most of the “quality” Heavyweights he’s fought.
Peter even got to be named the WBC Interim Champion without
earning it since Oleg Maskaev (the actual WBC Champ) was hurt
in training and couldn’t keep his date with Peter for their
fight. Maskaev won the Title from Hasim Rahman, who inherited
the title without merit himself when Vitali Klitschko retired.
A REAL Champion is someone that TAKES the titles from all the
belt holders and stands alone at the top of the heap as the
ONLY fighter with all the titles. When you have four different
titleists, you have no champions, just top contenders. But
that don’t apply to today’s version of pro boxing.
The amazing thing about boxing is the constant improvised
rulings. How does a guy who was ranked #9 get a title shot?
Why not the fighter who is ranked #2 or #3? But these days,
it’s who promotes you that gets you ranked, not what you
earned or whom you fought.
There’s an expression I can’t stand that goes, “It is what it
is.” Well, unfortunately, boxing hardly qualifies as a
legitimate sport and that is why it remains in the cellar of
professional sports these days.
*
The Fight:
The fight turned out to be exciting for a couple of rounds.
The first round belonged to Peter, who was pressing the action
and McCline was only pawing with his jab and little else. 10-9
Peter.
While everyone on the planet expected Sam Peter to win by
early KO over McCline (who has a reputation for non
aggressiveness), it was Mc Cline who put Peter on his butt
three times between the second and third rounds. At the end of
the second round, after Peter had probably won the round,
McCline landed a sneaky right upper cut that put Peter on his
backside right at the bell. I scored that a 10-8 round for
McCline. Peter was winning the round, but not impressively.
It was unlike what the Showtime crew of Albert and Bernstein
would have you believe, as they flung adjectives around like a
Frisbee about how Peter “dominated” the round before the
knockdown. It was annoying to listen to since it was not true.
Throughout the fight, McCline showed a good chin and proved
quite capable of handling Peter’s power, which was sloppily
applied. McCline was in fact, the superior boxer Saturday
night. Peter’s defense was poor and it left him open to
counter uppercuts all night. McCline caught him and hurt him.
10-8 McCline.
In the third round, Peter was still on shaky legs and McCline
took advantage, threw a few more uppercuts and put Peter down
twice early in the round. Peter was holding when he wasn’t
wobbling about the ring and lucky that McCline punched himself
out or he wouldn’t have made it to round four. The great thing
about this “sport” is that you never know what can happen, in
spite of all the hype and the jabbering of the commentators in
favor of, “the house fighter.” 10-7 McCline.
The fourth round is where McCline really proved why he was
selected as the opponent as he let Peter off the
hook—literally. Because McCline showed no killer instinct, he
didn’t press the action enough and allowed Peter to regain his
legs. Peter was back to punching aggressively, albeit
ineffectively. Mc Cline showed better boxing skills, ring
generalship and defense to win the fourth round. McCline
landed the better punches, but I can see how some would’ve
given that round to Peter, if only for his exhibition of big
heart under adverse conditions. 10-9 McCline.
Sam Peter had shaken off the cobwebs by the fifth round since
McCline didn’t apply enough pressure in the previous round.
Peter won the fifth round because he simply outworked McCline,
who looked spent and put forth a lackluster effort. He took a
few good shots from Peter in the process. Peter was warned for
hitting behind the head, something he continued to do
throughout the fight. 10-9 Peter.
I scored the sixth round even because both guys had some good
moments but neither excelled past the other. McCline was
showing his fatigue, fighting with his mouth wide open. His
corner complained to him about this during the break. McCline
always looked like a man who suffers from breathing problems.
Peter did more work but was less effective and McCline landed
the better punches, mostly near the end of the round. 10-10
even.
The seventh round saw both fighters showing fatigue but Peter
was busier and McCline was only fighting in spurts. 10-9
Peter.
The eighth round was McCline’s. He landed some good
combinations early that hurt Peter, who held a lot. It wasn’t
a great round but Jameel did more damage. 10-9 McCline.
Round nine was close. Peter was busier but again, McCline
landed the cleaner punches. 10-9 McCline.
Peter showed a sense of urgency in the tenth and fought
aggressively, constantly pressing McCline to go backwards.
Both were tired but Peter did more to win the round. 10-9
Peter.
In the eleventh round, McCline didn’t do enough and Peter kept
up the pace and wailed on McCline right before the bell. The
only time Peter actually hurt McCline was when he threw a
punch while the referee was breaking up a hold that caught
McCline off guard. 10-9 Peter.
The final round saw Peter go for the kill. He was really
trying to land a big shot to knock McCline out but he was
unable to do so. McCline resorted to holding and rarely threw
punches. McCline gave it away…as I expected he would. When the
bell rang, Peter raised his arms. McCline didn’t. 10- Peter.
* *
It took a while for the official Judges’ cards to be read. I
was certain with Steve Weinsfeld and Julie Lederman among the
three Judges that the favorite would win. As the cards were
read, it was a Unanimous Decision: Billy Costello had it
115-110, Lederman had it 114-113 and Weinsfeld scored it
115-111 all in favor of Sam Peter. The moral of the story
is—the only way to keep the crooked Judges out of the result
is to knock your opponent out.
I had it 114-112 in favor of McCline.
After the decision was announced, McCline turned his back on
Jim Grey, who was trying to get his response to the decision.
McCline said he could understand losing by a point but that
two of the Judges cards were ridiculous. Grey asked if he felt
that it was because he let Peter off the hook after the
knockdowns and Jameel said, “Yes, I let him off the hook and
that’s why he won.” Then he left the ring.
Sam Peter was then interviewed and said things that made me
wonder if he was still on Queer Street. He said both his hands
were broken and a few other things that made little sense.
Maybe it’s his lack of English skills? Or maybe he has been
coached to say these type of things. Either way, Peter won
because McCline let him off the hook and that is the real
story of this fight.
In a way, McCline’s stock goes up. He put Peter down three
times and was able to take Peter’s power without much problem.
The way he let the fight slip out of his grasp will keep
getting him invited to fight more so called Champions who need
a win over a guy with a name.
Peter’s stock goes down. Yeah, he won the fight but he showed
that he really didn’t improve so much after two fights against
the slick defensive master James Toney. Sam Peter needs to go
to the gym and work on his defensive skills because if his
defense is that porous against the likes of Wladimir
Klitschko, he will be knocked out next time. If Oleg Maskaev
comes back soon, Peter will be better off fighting him next
since Oleg is way slower than Wladimir. But you never know
what might happen and I guess that’s why I still find myself
following this “sport.”
* * *
Comments can be emailed to Frank Gonzalez Jr.
