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00:00It's amazing how time seems to fly by when you're having fun.
00:04Sometimes it's hard for me to believe it was two decades ago when I made my boxing debut on HBO.
00:10Back then I was just a kid.
00:14It's hard to see how crazy it could last.
00:17In the beginning I showed Joe Frazier and the boxing world that I could punch.
00:24The game is over. The winner is George Foreman.
00:30And then, there was one night against Muhammad Ali, I'd rather forget.
00:41Then came a time in my life when I thought it was necessary to hang up the gloves
00:46and concentrate on something much more important than boxing.
00:50In retirement, George Foreman would become a new man.
00:53And then in 1987, I knew it was time for me to come back.
01:01I knew there was still much for me to accomplish.
01:03Through hard work, I earned a shot at the heavyweight championship.
01:10A great opportunity against Evander Holyfield.
01:14I showed that I could compete against younger fighters.
01:19Although one night against a rough and tough Alex Stewart in Las Vegas,
01:22he hit me a lot more than I would have liked.
01:25And at my age, you don't like fighting.
01:29And so tonight, HBO celebrates its 20th anniversary of covering boxing
01:33and its third decade of covering George Foreman.
01:37So, sit back, relax, get ready, because tonight's fight is going to be a good one.
01:47Nineteen years and 359 days have passed since world championship boxing
01:51and George Foreman debuted together on HBO.
01:55Tonight, the tradition continues.
01:57Here is how George looked.
01:59In Kingston, Jamaica in 1973, the night he took the heavyweight championship
02:03from Joel Frazier on HBO.
02:06And here is how George looks tonight as his glorious career continues
02:11and he gets ready to enter the ring for the 75th time.
02:15In his second career, which began with the comeback from a 10-year hiatus in 1987,
02:21Foreman, as he prepares to fight Pierre Kutzer, has won 26 times in 27 outings.
02:26But by far the most disquieting of those 27 outings
02:30Well, the fighter who is 44 years old, considerably more disquieting, really,
02:34than his decision lost to Evander Holyfield in April of 1991,
02:38was the last fight.
02:39April of last year against Alex Stewart,
02:42the fight which created the bloody and swollen mask we have shown you a few times tonight.
02:47Larry Merchant, let's get down to business.
02:49We know Pierre Kutzer.
02:50We saw him against Bowen July of last year.
02:52Does he have the capacity to embarrass George in the same way that Stewart did here last April?
02:57Well, not in the same way because Stewart, as the fight developed, became a boxer
03:02and George doesn't like to fight boxers at this stage of his career.
03:07What we have here in Kutzer is a guy who comes straight at you like a choo-choo train,
03:12like a fastball.
03:13He's right there.
03:14Kutzer is a throwback, really, to the great old catchers in prize fighting
03:19like George Chavalo and Tex Cobb, guys who try to break your spirit and your hands on their jaw.
03:26Tough, strong-minded guys, but guys without a big punch.
03:31And in addition to that, Kutzer is susceptible to cuts.
03:34So he would appear to be made to order for this George Foreman.
03:38But let's remember, both fighters are coming off bad beatings.
03:41One of them is 44 years old.
03:44We just saw a hellacious fight.
03:46Who knows, we might be in for another one.
03:48So it's Kutzer the catcher against Foreman, the man with the wry sense of humor.
03:52And to continue the baseball analogy, our Gil Clancy actually trained George Foreman
03:58back in the dead ball era prior to his long retirement from the ring.
04:02He's 44 years old.
04:03He took a beating from Stewart.
04:04Does he still belong in there, Gil?
04:06Well, I think he's picked the right opponent.
04:08George's best punch is a left jab, and Kutzer eats left jabs.
04:12The only thing, you can hit him with three jabs, four jabs, Kutzer will punch back.
04:16You have to remember, George Foreman's 44 years of age.
04:19The skin doesn't have the elasticity anymore.
04:22He could get busted up in this fight, but I still think he's got enough to win it.
04:25But he's an unknown quantity, really.
04:27Absolutely.
04:27It's a toss-up going, and you just don't know what you're going to see.
04:30All right.
04:30George Foreman, despite his age and all the questions,
04:33adamantly supports his own right to make decisions about his boxing future.
04:37He says he does so on behalf of all Americans over 40 years of age.
04:42You know, in life, there's a saying,
04:53never pass judgment on a man unless you've walked in his shoes.
04:57Well, it's kind of the same in boxing.
05:00In this sport, you'll never begin to understand a fighter
05:02unless you've laced up the gloves and stepped into the ring.
05:06There's nothing like it.
05:08To me, the sounds of the gym are like music to my ears.
05:13The spark, the speed bag, skipping ropes, even the smell of sweat.
05:19And then there's the night of the fight.
05:21The crowd, excitement.
05:23I can't even begin to describe it.
05:24Bottoms in my blood has been and always will be.
05:28I'll be the one who decides when it's time for me to leave the ring.
05:31No one's going to tell me when I should quit.
05:34To retire or not to retire.
05:37That's been the question in the boxing community
05:39ever since George Foreman lost to Evander Holyfield.
05:42Why in the world, we ask, does George Foreman continue to fight?
05:46Many in the game will tell you that George is a much better businessman
05:49than a legitimate heavyweight contender
05:51and that he has now become boxing's greatest con man.
05:56Let people say what they want to.
05:57George Foreman would never try and con the public.
06:00If I felt in my heart that I couldn't fight anymore,
06:02I'd walk away without any regrets.
06:04But I know that I can still fight and compete with any heavyweight today,
06:08so why not fight?
06:09Even those who question Foreman's motives applaud his feudalistic journey.
06:14What began in 1987 as a comeback to raise money
06:16for his struggling youth center in Houston
06:18has turned into more than a fundraising mission.
06:21From his ring earnings, Foreman has collected enough money
06:24to finance the center hundreds of times over.
06:27The only thing Foreman hasn't acquired in his comeback
06:29is the championship belt.
06:31So many believe what was once a humanitarian cause
06:34has now become a festival of money and ego.
06:39For me, it's not about dollars or cents or a championship belt.
06:43For me, continuing my career is all about doing what I love to do.
06:47And sometimes it's hard.
06:49I'll admit there's times when I don't want to do it.
06:51And at my age, it's getting tougher.
06:53Running it done, the long hours in the gym,
06:55having to watch what you eat.
06:57But I've learned in life most things are tough and difficult
06:59before they get easy.
07:00And when you accomplish your goals or you look into the mirror
07:03and you say, wow, I did it.
07:07How about that?
07:09I did it.
07:10If nothing else, George Foreman has become
07:12the undisputed champion of the big sell.
07:15In boxing, no one is bigger, more admired, or more in demand.
07:19Four out of five George Foremans prefer the taste
07:21of new Doritos tortilla chips with more natural cheese flavor.
07:24Tell us your kids how to eat like this.
07:26Good, Dad.
07:28It takes a big man to go up against George Foreman.
07:31Oh, big guy.
07:33No, no, no.
07:33Uh-uh.
07:34I'm so big, sometimes I even scare myself.
07:37But you look good.
07:38You look great.
07:39You only say that because it's true.
07:43Don't make me take you out of here, all right?
07:45From talk shows to endorsements, now his own situation comedy,
07:50George has done exactly what a superstar is expected to do.
07:54He entertains out of the ring and in the ring in a big way.
07:58I think people really like watching me because I could be next to a neighbor.
08:03I'm approachable, someone you can relate to.
08:05I'm the type of guy you'll see playing with the kids,
08:08walking the dog, or barbecuing in the backyard.
08:10So when I fight, people like to turn on TV sets.
08:12It's almost as if they're saying, can this old guy really do it?
08:16So you see, I've got to show them.
08:18I've got to show them.
08:18I've got to show them.
08:19For HBO, Foreman has been a goldmine.
08:22Regardless of who he fights, people watch.
08:24And because of the extraordinarily high ratings,
08:27HBO has been generous with its paychecks
08:29and sometimes too accommodating in the selection of George's opponents.
08:33Yet despite Foreman's appeal,
08:35there are many who believe the Foreman Act has grown stale,
08:37is no longer funny.
08:39And after the Alex Stewart fight,
08:40some worry that by staying on longer, he risks his health.
08:45I'm concerned a 45-year-old man can really get hurt.
08:48And I'm concerned for him
08:49because he's in a young man's sport
08:52and in the history of boxing,
08:56I think there are only five heavyweight champions
08:58whose last fight was a win.
09:02And I want to remember George Foreman as a winner, not a loser.
09:06Debated all you'd like,
09:08but the fact is George Foreman continues to fight.
09:11At 44, will George ever be able to make a 40-something fighter
09:14into the king of the heavyweights?
09:16Will patience be a virtue for boxing's elder Staten?
09:19Or will father time for some unfortunate injury
09:22put an end to George's traveling show?
09:25Time.
09:26Even more of it will tell.
09:31Back live at ringside in the Reno Sparks Convention Center.
09:35And both fighters are already in the ring.
09:37There is George Foreman, still ranked among the top five heavyweight contenders
09:42by all three governing bodies.
09:45He is ranked number one, as you see there, by the IBF.
09:48He gets ready for his 75th fight.
09:50The losses were to Muhammad Ali, Jimmy Young, Andy Vander Holyfield.
09:55Among his 71 wins are enough knockouts
09:57to give him the highest knockout percentage
09:59of any heavyweight champion in the history of the sport.
10:01And that current inactive streak of 279 days
10:04is the longest in the second phase of his career.
10:09And his opponent, Pierre Kutzer,
10:11you last saw him here on HBO and Live last year,
10:13when Riddick Vaux got a TKO in the seventh round
10:16that catapulted Vaux for his heavyweight title shot against Holyfield.
10:20Since then, Kutzer was the victim of a similar TKO
10:23at the hands of Frank Bruno in London.
10:26The legitimate question about whether he's taken too much punishment,
10:32why they put him back into a fight too much
10:35after he took so much punishment from Vaux.
10:39Tail of the tape.
10:40Even an anvil can break.
10:43Pardon me?
10:43I was just saying, Jim, that even an anvil can break.
10:47And Kutzer is something of an anvil, yes.
10:49You see the tail of the tape,
10:51and you see that George weighed in at 258 pounds,
10:54same weight that he carried against Stewart,
10:55but he appears to be slightly tougher and more well-toned this time around.
11:00He has a 42-pound weight advantage.
11:02Punch stat numbers, Larry.
11:05All right, here is our punch stat profile
11:07of how many punches these fellows throw.
11:09You see Foreman with a very high connect average,
11:12and he throws a lot of power punches.
11:16And there's the big jab that George likes to throw
11:19and throws very effectively,
11:21and as Gill has said, that could be the key punch of this fight.
11:24The same rules as in a Tommy Morrison, Carl Williams fight.
11:32Three judges during the fight.
11:33The three knockdown rule is in effect.
11:35If the butt occurs, and that butt causes the fight to be stopped,
11:38you go to the scorecard, you have to the third round,
11:40you can be saved by the belt in the last round only,
11:42and only the referee can stop the fight.
11:44Jim?
11:44Thank you, Harold Letterman.
11:45And right now, let's go up to ring announcer Michael Buffer
11:47for the pre-fight introductions.
11:50Ladies and gentlemen, Top Rank Incorporated,
11:52along with the undisputed, undefeated king of beer, Budweiser,
11:56in association with the Reno Sparks Convention
11:58and Visitors Authority,
12:00presents the featured bout of the evening.
12:02This bout is sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
12:05Chairman, Dr. Elias Ghanom.
12:07Commissioners, Nat Carusalli, Luther Mack,
12:10Dr. James Knave and Bruce Lane,
12:12Chief Inspector at ringside, Mark Ratner.
12:15Efficient positions in attendance,
12:17Dr. Flip Omansky,
12:18Dr. James McLennan,
12:20and Dr. James Heflin.
12:21Timekeeper, Jim Carpenter.
12:23Counting for the knockdown seconds, John Rogers.
12:25The scoring for this bout will be done on a ten-point must system,
12:28and the three judges assigned at ringside are
12:31Patricia Jarman,
12:33Doug Tucker,
12:34and Keith McDonald.
12:35And when the bell rings,
12:37the man in charge of the action,
12:39referee Joe Cortez.
12:42And now, ladies and gentlemen,
12:44from the biggest little city in the world,
12:46Reno, Nevada,
12:48let's get ready to rumble!
12:55Ten rounds of boxing in the heavyweight division.
12:58Introducing first,
12:59fighting out of the blue corner,
13:01wearing the blue trunks with white trim,
13:03weighing in at an even 216 pounds.
13:06From Johannesburg, South Africa,
13:08ranked number 12 in the world by the International Boxing Federation,
13:11he brings an excellent professional record of 39 victories,
13:1527 KO's,
13:16against four defeats.
13:18Ladies and gentlemen,
13:20introducing,
13:20Pierre Cotter!
13:24And his opponent across the ring,
13:30fighting out of the red corner,
13:32wearing the red trunks with white trim,
13:35weighing in at an even 258 pounds,
13:38ranked number one in the world by the International Boxing Federation,
13:42number four by the WBC,
13:43number four by the WBA.
13:45This 1968 Olympic gold medal champion
13:49is 71-3 as a professional,
13:5266 by KO,
13:54introducing the former heavyweight champion of the world,
14:01Big John Fulman!
14:06All right, gentlemen,
14:11we went over the room in the dressing room.
14:13I want a good, clean fight.
14:15Obey my commands at all times.
14:17Say care.
14:18Good luck to both of you.
14:21People don't want to see George Foreman hurt,
14:23but they do want to see him.
14:24And I think we can say the same for all of us.
14:28I'll buy that.
14:29His popularity certainly remains intact,
14:32as evidenced by the outpouring of affection
14:35that greeted Buffer's announcement of his name.
14:38Referee is Joe Cortez.
14:49Foreman says we won't see as much of the crab-like Archie Moore defense tonight
14:54as has been evident throughout the comeback career.
14:57Well, he said we wouldn't see it at all.
14:59We've already seen it twice.
15:00That's right.
15:01He started right off with it as Kutzer went to the jab.
15:04And he said he was going back to basics.
15:06He was going to stand there and snap the jab.
15:08Never mind the Archie Moore defense.
15:10And incidentally, the ring tonight,
15:12only 17 and a half feet along each side.
15:16That is a phone booth.
15:17And it is something that George wanted
15:19so that he could get at Kutzer.
15:23So far, it's been all Kutzer in round number one.
15:28Kutzer landing the left to the top of George's head
15:30and coming back with two more.
15:33And Foreman paws forward with a left jab.
15:41And Kutzer stays this busy all night.
15:43You wonder if George will ever get started.
15:45Now, there's an angry welt on Kutzer's nose,
15:51right on the bridge of his nose to begin the bout.
15:53It was heavily laced with salve yesterday.
15:57And we met with it.
15:57And we don't know exactly how badly abraded that nose is.
16:01Well, one thing, it isn't in a dangerous spot.
16:03Even if it busts wide open,
16:04there's no reason why they should stop a fight
16:06because of that kind of a cut.
16:08That's right.
16:08It's well below eye level,
16:09so it wouldn't affect his vision at all.
16:13Kutzer landing a right through George Foreman's guard.
16:17And you see Pierre moving on his feet to the right,
16:20staying away from George's right hand.
16:22And every time George lands a punch,
16:27everybody in the audience goes,
16:29ooh, he landed a left jab to the side of Kutzer's face.
16:38And Kutzer is moving to his right,
16:40which is a good thing to do
16:42to try to avoid that stiff left jab of George Foreman's.
16:47And he is moving off to that right again.
16:48And George's whacking left hand by George.
16:55And Angelo Dundee told me
16:56that Kutzer has a habit of bending to his right.
17:00And he says that when he does that,
17:01he's going to have George come up with left upper Kutzer.
17:03He said he thinks that will be
17:04the most effective punch in the fight.
17:05And George just tried to get set to throw it,
17:08but Kutzer was gone by the time his reflexes told him to do it.
17:11George throwing punches at the speed
17:13that Larry Merchant described against Holyfield
17:15as second-class male.
17:18But eventually they do deliver second-class male.
17:35An active first round for Pierre Kutzer.
17:38A couple of red welts on his face already.
17:41And that nose is already bleeding
17:51on the spot where he had the salve yesterday.
17:53Listen to me now.
17:58All right, here is Kutzer against Riddick Bowe,
18:01and you can see some of the hard, hard shots
18:03that this man can take.
18:05And look at him punch back after he gets hit, Larry.
18:07Yeah, that's a tough guy.
18:11Maybe better than Tex Cobb and George Chivallo.
18:15There's the end of the fight when he caught a low blow,
18:19a couple of low blows in that fight,
18:20hit him down around Johannesburg.
18:23But Bowe had done a very good job of beating him down.
18:26It could be said that Johannesburg hurt,
18:36but it was Pretoria that ended the fight.
18:42In round number one, Kutzer threw 70 punches.
18:45Only 41 for George.
18:47The foreman landed almost as many.
18:49He got 20.
18:50Kutzer landed 28 of his.
18:51Well, I thought George's punches were more powerful
18:58when he did leave that stiff jab.
19:01Couldn't have just backed George up
19:02with a straight right hand, though.
19:11There he is in his old-fashioned stance, Gil.
19:16I'm going to show you what we say
19:17about teaching an old dog new tricks earlier.
19:19There's that stiff jab, and there it is again.
19:27As you see, Kutzer punching bag.
19:29Kutzer with a solid left to Foreman's body.
19:34And there's a welt under Foreman's left eye.
19:38Can't tell if that's his blood or Kutzer's blood.
19:41Now, that's his blood, Jim.
19:42He started to swell in the first round
19:44underneath that left eye.
19:45Well, that's exactly what happened against Stewart.
19:47He swelled up so rapidly, it was shocking.
19:57That's what Kutzer does.
19:59He punches back.
20:00You can hit him or whatever,
20:01but you have to move after you throw your punches
20:03because he's going to be there to punch back.
20:07It's amazing to watch Kutzer's capacity
20:09to keep his eyes open,
20:10looking straight ahead and concentrating on punching,
20:13even while taking hard punches from his opponent.
20:20And Kutzer now is cut under the left eye.
20:26This could become a bleeding contest.
20:29Well, again, it's going to depend on the referee and the doctor
20:31to see if these corner men can take care of the cuts.
20:34I know Angelo Dundee can take care of George's.
20:39Kutzer's camp was very dissatisfied with Mills Lane
20:41after the bow fight.
20:43They don't know much about Joe Cortez,
20:45but they were happy that the referee would be him
20:46instead of Lane.
20:48There's that stiff jab.
20:49Yeah, George is starting to tattoo him with the jab.
20:54Right hand by Kutzer,
20:55back Foreman up again.
20:56And there's a lot of blood streaming
21:05from the welts in the middle of Kutzer's nose.
21:12And again, the right hand chases Foreman backward.
21:16A left right on Foreman's chops.
21:18I think Kutzer is trying to discourage him
21:20from throwing those lefts with that right hand, Gil.
21:24Well, he's got it.
21:24Another thing you should try to do
21:26is move his head, Larry.
21:28He just never moves
21:29out of the way of a left jab.
21:30Well, he's afraid he might not get hit.
21:34He's mad if he gets missed.
21:35You must move more.
21:59You have more.
22:00You can lift rights and lift hooks to your body.
22:03Close your eyes, son.
22:08Close your eyes.
22:09That'll be good.
22:11You're looking beautiful with the jab.
22:13It's all you need.
22:14Go.
22:16Do you want him to turn around?
22:18Huh?
22:18Do you want him to turn around?
22:19Come on, come on.
22:20Come on, come on.
22:21Let's take a look at that jab in action
22:23right on the nose.
22:25That splash of red blood is a target for George Foreman
22:30and will remain so as long as this fight goes on.
22:33Five seconds out.
22:36Well, guys, we saw George through the fights
22:39against Jimmy Ellis and Alex Stewart
22:40becoming increasingly dependent on the jab,
22:43and the pattern continues tonight.
22:44In the first two rounds,
22:46George has only thrown nine power punches.
22:49Every other attempted punch was a jab.
22:51And here Kutzer comes out very, very active
22:54with that left jab.
22:58And the right hand again.
23:00Kutzer has certainly taken a lesson
23:01from the Stewart fight, Gil.
23:04Yes, he has.
23:06But I think that he should punch
23:07a little bit more to the body.
23:08He's trying to reach up,
23:10and George is the big man with those big arms
23:11that blocks those head punches.
23:13Go.
23:13Go.
23:14Go.
23:14Go.
23:15Go.
23:15Go.
23:16Go.
23:16Go.
23:17Go.
23:17Go.
23:18Go.
23:18Go.
23:19Go.
23:19Go.
23:20Go.
23:21Go.
23:25Go.
23:26And another jab.
23:28And another.
23:30George beginning to take control of this round
23:32with that straight telephone pole jab.
23:37Good right hand by Koetzer.
23:39Right on the button.
23:41But he eats two more jabs.
23:47And now the entire center of Pierre Koetzer's face
23:50becoming a bloody match.
24:01You know, Mickey Duff, the famous London promoter,
24:04he said he loves Pierre Kutzer
24:05because he just fights hard enough to lose.
24:09Gives you a good fight, but he just doesn't win.
24:11Mickey is a realist, isn't he?
24:20George said he had been working in training
24:33on a straight right hand.
24:34So far, we haven't seen it.
24:36There goes Kutzer.
24:49He's looking to reach George's chin with that right hand.
24:52He should be going to the body.
24:54Bend up and down with his head.
24:57Straight up and down is an easy target.
25:00Big stamina will become a factor, Gil.
25:03Both fighters are richly bathed in sweat at this point.
25:07Well, the thing with George is he's so relaxed in that ring
25:09that, as people say, he can go 30 rounds.
25:13He just doesn't seem to get tired.
25:14Now, they're going to have to take a look at that nose.
25:16It's really angry right now.
25:18And George has begun to go to the left hook.
25:20He's landed two of them.
25:21Now comes back with the jab,
25:23but still a sitting target for Pierre Kutzer's straight right hand.
25:29Again, Kutzer that time started to go to the body
25:31but changed his mind.
25:43Boy, we've seen some big men land some big punches tonight, guys.
25:48Whoa.
25:57I want to close it, doctor.
26:01There you see what Kutzer looked like
26:08while he was fighting Riddick Bowe.
26:11He's not unaccustomed to sniffing his own blood.
26:18That is an angry cut along his nose.
26:22Why is that dangerous?
26:24It's not dangerous,
26:25except that people don't like to see the sight of blood.
26:28And if it gets bad, the referee may get a little nervous
26:32or the doctor can stop the fight.
26:33It's not in a dangerous spot at all.
26:35And now, gentlemen, as round four begins,
26:38we are joined at ringside by the victor in the first fight of the evening,
26:43Tommy Morrison.
26:43Welcome, Tommy.
26:45You've had a little while to reflect on what happened in the first fight.
26:48Do you feel a little bit relieved that you came back from difficult circumstances?
26:51I was able to.
26:52I think that's all part of learning.
26:54You know, it's a sort of sport that you never stop learning.
26:57And, you know, having these type of fights
26:58and coming back in those situations
27:00certainly, you know, puts you in a step all by yourself
27:02on a different level.
27:04And that's what we're looking to do
27:05because there's obviously some more levels
27:07that we have to get to before we accomplish our goals.
27:09So how long is the learning process
27:11between now and the ideal time for you to have a title shot?
27:15Well, at this point,
27:16you know, some very interesting things are going to happen.
27:17There's a very strong possibility
27:19that Foreman and I could face each other after this.
27:20The victory of that fight is probably a shot either to, you know,
27:25Riddick Bowe or Lennox Lewis.
27:26So there's some very exciting things going to happen.
27:28But you've got to take them on at a time.
27:29So what do you think of what you've seen against George
27:31or seen of George against Kutzer so far?
27:34The one thing that always impresses me against George
27:36is that he's so very calm.
27:37And he's a much better fighter now in his second career
27:39than he was in the first.
27:40That's something that's been said by a lot of people.
27:42You know, Coach is the type of guy that, well,
27:45Coach is the type of guy that, I'm supposed to say,
27:48that moves a lot, but he didn't get tight.
27:50And that's something you can't afford to do against George Foreman.
27:52Right now, he's a guy like a lot of others
27:54who has just tasted the canvas against George Foreman.
27:57And remember that Foreman said he wouldn't take pity on him
28:01the way he did against Stewart.
28:03He feels he let Stewart into the fight
28:04after knocking him down twice.
28:06That right hand of the body hurt Kutzer badly.
28:09And now Kutzer is so body conscious
28:10that he's not guarding his face.
28:12But he comes back with a right hand to Foreman's face.
28:15Kutzer can't take those body shots of George at all.
28:17Now, and he's so wary of the body shots
28:21that he's dropping his guard now, Gil.
28:23Remember that the three-knockdown rule is in effect.
28:30Are these guys warriors or what?
28:33Taking punishment.
28:35Kutzer has taken punishment
28:36and still trying to punch back.
28:39Right now, George is just overwhelming him.
28:41And there's that stiff jab again.
28:49Well, Pierre Kutzer has as much guts
28:52as any fighter in the division.
28:53That Foreman turned to the referee
28:55and said to stop the fight
28:56after he landed that right hand.
29:00Well, he said he wasn't going to take pity
29:01the way he did on Stewart,
29:02and it doesn't look like he is.
29:04But he also said that compassion
29:06is always a part of his character
29:08and that he will not wait
29:10to ask the referee to stop the fight
29:12if he thinks it's time.
29:13And if the fighter is punching back,
29:15he can't stop it here.
29:17With less than half a minute to go.
29:20Kutzer is likely to make it out of the round
29:22if Joe Cortez decides not to stop it.
29:24Look at the guts of this Kutzer has.
29:31Still trying.
29:33Sonny Morrison, your thoughts again?
29:35Well, at this point, you know,
29:36Coach is trying to, I think
29:37he should be moving a little bit more.
29:38He definitely has, you know,
29:40displayed a courageous chant,
29:41but George is a guy that's very calm
29:42and able to capitalize on those situations.
29:44All right, here's a knockdown.
30:11It was a right hand.
30:12He hasn't thrown many of them.
30:13There was a left hand in there first
30:15and there was a left hand that did it
30:16on a delayed knockdown.
30:19Very often when a punch fighter is hit
30:22with a punch he hasn't quite seen.
30:25It's like a parachute opening up
30:27a little bit late.
30:32All right, second down.
30:35Second down.
30:37Harold, how do you see the fight?
30:39Larry, 38 to 37, two rounds each,
30:41but George Foreman ahead by one point
30:43based on a knockdown.
30:44I went with the busier guy
30:45in the first two rounds,
30:46the harder puncher in rounds three and four.
30:48I've got Foreman ahead three rounds to one.
30:53George, one!
30:54I called the first round.
30:56He even gave Foreman the next three rounds.
30:58Oh, go home ahead.
30:59Go home ahead.
31:00Let's go.
31:01And you called round four a 10-7 round.
31:03Yes, I did.
31:04I thought that George gave him a terrible beating
31:06in that fourth round.
31:08Well, George landed two-thirds of his punches
31:10in round four.
31:11And unlike the first three rounds
31:13when almost every punch was a jab,
31:15he went back to power shots in the fourth.
31:19The jab sets everything up there, Jim.
31:21On the end of that left jab,
31:23then he falls for any kind of feint
31:25that George wants to throw.
31:26Well, the other thing we learned in the fourth round
31:28is that Kutzer takes it to the chin
31:29better than to the body.
31:30If George goes back to the body,
31:31he'll set up a knockout.
31:33Kutzer cannot take a body shot.
31:34I've seen him be hurt in other fights.
31:36Anytime he gets hit in the body.
31:38Of course, Bo hit him low,
31:39but maybe if the punch was a little higher,
31:41it would have had the same effect.
31:43That's true of a lot of guys
31:44with washboard stomachs, isn't it?
31:47He doesn't have to protect the belt around him
31:49the way George does.
31:50That's right.
31:50George has a pad.
31:58Foreman's pace slowing again
32:17in round number five,
32:19giving Kutzer a chance to become active again,
32:22but he's only taking marginal advantage of it.
32:28Kutzer badly off balance there,
32:32but George didn't deliver a shot.
32:34George is breathing kind of deep right now, Jim.
32:37He really is showing a little signs of fatigue.
32:42Boy, that jab is really something
32:43when he wants to snap pitch his head back.
32:45Place George's jab in historical context
32:48in the heavyweight division, Gil.
32:50I think the only other guy that had a stronger jab
32:52as George Foreman was Sonny Liston.
32:54Who was Foreman's idol early in his career.
32:59Better than Joe Lewis?
33:01Yes.
33:02Joe Lewis had a different kind of a jab.
33:03Joe Lewis' jab had more snap,
33:06could bust you open more than a George Foreman jab,
33:10a Sonny Liston jab.
33:11There's just like a plank coming out of a window.
33:13Look at that combination by Big George.
33:15And he went to the body again,
33:17and when he goes to the body,
33:18Kutzer stops punching
33:19and just stands and waits to take him.
33:22Come on, come on.
33:31Now Kutzer goes to the body.
33:33That's something I think he should do more on.
33:36Come on, come on, come on.
33:41Look at the goal, look at the goal, boys.
33:43Oh!
33:43Join us tomorrow night for an American reunion,
33:52the People's Inaugural Celebration,
33:53the first and biggest of the inaugural events
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34:27Nice and easy, George.
34:28No run of it.
34:29It jabs everything.
34:31We'll give it a round.
34:32All right.
34:33All right.
34:34Second's out.
34:36Second's out.
34:37Second's out.
34:37You heard George asking what round this is.
34:40Could mean he's getting a little tired.
34:42He fought a tired round.
34:43Well, he looked a little tired last round,
34:45but still, he's just,
34:47any time he lands any of those big bombs,
34:49whether it be a jab or whatever it is,
34:51it's just so effective.
34:54During the Alex Stewart fight,
34:56Foreman was also asking his corner man
34:58what round it was.
34:59In George's defense, guys,
35:02I often ask our stage manager, Don Lahan,
35:04what round it is.
35:05There's that jab.
35:28Kutzer just doesn't seem to have any kind of effect
35:30of the power in his punches at all.
35:33He just doesn't move, Big George.
35:36Well, that was the case against Riddick Bowe as well.
35:39He landed a lot of solid blows against Bowe
35:41and didn't seem to knock in loopy at any time.
35:44Same thing is happening here.
35:46I thought that the punches had a little more effect
35:49on Riddick Bowe than having on Big George.
35:51Well, George is bigger.
35:53He is bigger.
35:54There's no question about that.
35:55I wonder how much he weighs right now, though.
35:59258 yesterday.
36:00I wouldn't rule out 265 or 270.
36:04He said he was going to have a big deal.
36:08Uppercut by Foreman.
36:10And Kutzer comes back with a left and a right.
36:12All George has to do is throw a couple of body punches out
36:20and this fight's over.
36:23I think something else just opened up on Kutzer.
36:26Another shot.
36:26Yeah, I think his right eye is open, Larry.
36:29I think you're right about that.
36:30That's bothering him.
36:31Was that the same eye that Bowe opened?
36:33I don't recall.
36:34Bowe opened both eyes.
36:35Oh, solid right hand by Foreman over the top.
36:41There's that straight right hand he told us he would have.
36:46Well, he mentioned to be back to basics.
36:48We haven't seen the Archie Moore defense in quite a while.
36:52Kutzer with a straight right.
36:54No effect on Foreman.
36:55George plows forward.
36:57Hasn't remembered to go back to the body
36:59where both you and I believe, Gil,
37:01that he can set up an easy knockout.
37:05Is this looking like a guy who could star in a sitcom?
37:21There's nothing funny about George Foreman in the ring.
37:24And it must be difficult for George,
37:26given his palpable mercy streak,
37:28to pound away at a guy who looks as grotesque
37:31as Kutzer appears at this time.
37:33Well, the thing is with Kutzer,
37:36every once in a while he punches back.
37:38And George has to go on the offense
37:41that keeps on getting hit.
37:43Time!
37:49How's it, buddy?
37:53You got that.
37:56You got to kick me.
37:58Okay.
37:59Are you doing all right?
37:59Kutzer, let me work on Kutzer, please.
38:01Are you all right?
38:01Okay.
38:05Listen.
38:06How are you feeling?
38:08Right?
38:11Yeah.
38:12Just don't...
38:13Don't let him catch you.
38:15Don't let him catch you on the eye.
38:17Take a look at some of those jabs
38:19that is forcing Kutzer's people
38:21to do some quick surgery in the corner.
38:25Just as Foreman is doing some surgery in that corner.
38:28You know, if I was in Kutzer's corner right now,
38:31I would really think of stopping the fight.
38:33What could he possibly do to win this fight?
38:35He doesn't look like he has the power to hurt George
38:38unless George collapsed from heat exhaustion
38:40or something.
38:41I don't think he has the chance to win the fight.
38:43He's just taking more and more punishment.
38:45They did throw in the towel
38:47in the battle against Bruno in London.
38:50Right now, he looks, as Hank Williams once sang,
38:54like he'd have to get better just to die.
38:57That's about it.
38:58And, uh,
39:00his manager said that the reason
39:02they threw the towel in in London
39:03is not that he was in bad shape
39:04and he was getting fouled so often
39:06and he wasn't doing anything about it,
39:08but he just decided to stop it.
39:10He was going to show them.
39:10Uh-huh.
39:16Hold the head, hold the head, hold the head.
39:19That's referee Joe Cortez
39:20telling Kutzer not to hold behind the head.
39:23I think if I was refereeing,
39:25I'd let Kutzer do anything he could possibly do.
39:27I still don't say that.
39:28Why be cruel?
39:29Cruel.
39:34Is this fight becoming an anti-climax
39:36after the first one?
39:39Maybe it is.
39:40Well, that happens often, Larry.
39:43It's tough when you've got a guy in the main bout
39:44and the semi-finals, a great fight.
39:49Would another 10-round decision
39:51damage Foreman's appeal as a heavyweight contender?
39:56Is his identity dependent on knockouts?
39:59You can just see the exhaustion of Pierre Kutzer.
40:05Mr. Punchin almost fell on his face.
40:09And again, Jim, it's a question of how George Foreman looks.
40:13And he gets a knockout in this round to the next round.
40:16It's not going to change the public's opinion at all.
40:20Tell me, Gil, what good fighter in his comeback has he knocked out?
40:23Silence.
40:28Jerry Cooney?
40:29Jerry Cooney.
40:30I thought, you know, I trained Jerry Cooney.
40:32I thought I had him in great shape for that fight.
40:36Real good sparring partners.
40:37Everything looked like he was in excellent condition,
40:39but George just rolled all over.
40:43Are you answering in the affirmative about Jerry Cooney?
40:45Are you saying he was a good fighter?
40:47I thought that George Foreman beat a good fighter
40:49when he beat the Jerry Cooney.
40:53Good, sir, with an uppercut.
40:57But it doesn't seem to bother George.
40:59George is an incredibly powerful human being.
41:01I mean, I don't remember seeing him take many bad backwards steps
41:06in the seven years of his comeback.
41:09He just keeps coming no matter what.
41:11He's really amazing.
41:12He's an incredibly powerful human being,
41:14both physically and psychically.
41:16An awesome presence in there.
41:24George is now caught under the left eye.
41:27Yeah, he's bleeding.
41:29But by no means is his face the grotesque mask
41:32that it became against Alex Stewart.
41:33He's taken a lot of punches tonight
41:35without getting broken up the way he did in that fight.
41:39Well, Larry, you mentioned there's only good fighters
41:42that George Foreman is beating.
41:43No, he said knocked out.
41:45Knocked out.
41:47Sorry about that.
41:48Got the question wrong.
41:52No problem.
41:54On your eyelids.
41:56No problem.
41:57What about that?
41:58What about that?
41:58I'll get it.
41:59This is number eight coming up.
42:01Come here, partner.
42:02Come here.
42:02Come here.
42:03That was at the end of ten rounds against Alex Stewart.
42:15George doesn't seem to be on the way to that tonight.
42:18Okay.
42:19I'm going to make sure it'll open up.
42:20Got hit him with an elbow.
42:21I'll get you with an elbow.
42:23It's okay.
42:24Is Angela something a kind artist or what?
42:27He's great.
42:29Absolutely great.
42:30How many of you scored the fight so far?
42:32Larry, 68, 64, five rounds to two.
42:35George Foreman.
42:35I'll tell you the truth, Larry.
42:37I've seen totem poles that Bob and Grieve better than Pierre Kutzer.
42:39He's just standing two straight up, and George is pounding him.
42:42George has swept the last five rounds of my scorecard.
42:44Got a commanding four-point lead.
42:46Yeah, I have him ahead six rounds to one.
42:51In seven rounds, George Foreman has thrown 199 jabs and landed 132 of them.
42:57That's a connect percentage of 66%.
43:00And these are powerful jabs, Jim.
43:04They're not just flicks or fly-swatter jabs.
43:08They're good, solid punches.
43:11George's jab is as good as some guy's right hand.
43:13Yeah, when you talk about Foreman's dependence on the jab, it's a little bit like Tommy Morrison's dependence on the left hook.
43:22As Larry said, he was the opera singer who could only sing.
43:26Gala Kirchee.
43:27From what you see here, right now, if they go through with their contract, Foreman and Morrison, what happens, Bill?
43:35Well, I think that George would be in with a younger, quicker, stronger guy that could really hurt him in the fight.
43:43Morrison showed in the Williams fight that he can get hurt, but I think the speed of Morrison's punches would be a little too fast for George.
43:50So you would make Tommy the favorite over George Foreman?
43:53Oh, yes, I would.
43:55Which is probably why George will try to avoid that fight if he can.
44:00Yeah, I got a feeling that it's not going to turn out to be in the best business interest of either guy.
44:06Either one is potentially a championship contender without making that fight.
44:09Down goes Kutzer, second time in the bout.
44:14Beautiful one-two by George Foreman.
44:17Through two combinations in a row, second one a beautiful one-two.
44:21And George is puffing over there in that corner.
44:25Well, how much more of this does Pierre want?
44:28Referee said, do you want to stop it?
44:30Pitcher shook his head no.
44:32And now Joe Cortez disagrees.
44:34So Foreman gets the stoppage, just as Morrison did, in round number eight.
44:49Gentlemen, we saw tonight, like people love to watch heavyweight boxing.
44:55No question about it.
44:56There was a lot, a lot of solid punches landed.
44:59Guys going up and down, guys bleeding.
45:01Hey, think of the heavyweight fights we've had here in the last two and a half months, huh?
45:06Lennox Lewis against Ray Zerudek, lightning knockout.
45:10Evander Holyfield against Riddick Bowe, a battle for the ages.
45:13And tonight, two bloody wars.
45:20Let's take a look at this beautiful one-two by George Foreman.
45:23That might have been the most artistic combination George has thrown in a long time.
45:27But, Larry, right before that one-two, he threw a three-punch combination, which was also picture-perfect.
45:34Look at that, one-two, button-wise shoe, right on the chin.
45:39And he's in a position now to button his shoe.
45:42Yes, he is.
45:44And you see Kutzer dripping blood on the mat.
45:47There's the three-punch combination that I was talking about just before he landed the one-two.
45:51And there's the one-two.
45:58All right.
45:59So, George Foreman goes to 27-1 and has come back 72-3 overall.
46:05And we go up the ring announcer Michael Buffer for the official particulars.
46:08Ladies and gentlemen, referee Joe Cortez has to stop the bout at one minute and 48 seconds.
46:16In round number eight, the winner by TKO, the former heavyweight champion of the world,
46:23Pete, George Foreman.
46:27We take a look at final punch stat numbers and keep in mind that the overwhelming percentage of Foreman's landed punches were jabs.
46:49But, as Gil Glancy points out, a jab like none other in the heavyweight division.
46:54Here, Kutzer landed 174 blows and threw more than 100 punches more than Foreman.
46:59But it wasn't enough to bother Big George, who just kept methodically stepping forward and delivering his own tattoo.
47:06Here's a look at the jabs.
47:07Foreman landed 147 out of 218, 67%.
47:12Kutzer threw more jabs, but not nearly as effective.
47:16George has wasted no time in donning the shades that make him look like a bulbous rock star.
47:23And, uh, right now, Larry Merchant is standing by with him.
47:27Larry?
47:28Okay, George, I see that the sun has come out and you've got your sun.
47:31Yeah, you're great, Charles.
47:32Uh-huh.
47:35I'm cool.
47:36I want all the kids to know I'm out there.
47:37I'm cool.
47:37I got the shaved head.
47:38All right.
47:39And I got a car bed.
47:40George, if you ever want to...
47:41How are you doing?
47:42I love you.
47:42George, if you ever want to fight before with so many jabs, almost exclusively the jab until the right hand just ended it.
47:50Time after time, you're going to meet guys who are a lot tougher than you.
47:53Years ago, the Muhammad Ali days, I would have went wild trying to get that knockout shot.
47:56But I got a little older and wiser now.
47:58So I took my time and realized, I got a good left jab.
48:00Why not use it?
48:01I'm winning.
48:02And he was...
48:03It was just so tough.
48:04This is a tough guy.
48:05God bless him and his country.
48:07You had him hurt in an early round, and I saw you turn to the referee.
48:11Did you ask the referee to stop the fight?
48:13I really did.
48:13And there's something that's going to have to be done with your referees.
48:16At what expense do they take these guys' lives into their hands?
48:19And I mean, so they're going to have to do something.
48:20Why he didn't stop that fight and let the guy go on and on and get beat and knocked down again is strange.
48:25I mean, look, we're going to have to get some safety rules.
48:27Why?
48:28I'm a puncher.
48:28I'm not a boxer.
48:29At any time, I can execute a guy with my fist.
48:32It just so happens that I'm in shape and I can't hold back.
48:34But these referees are going to have to do something.
48:36Something's going to have to be done.
48:37In the next round, you had an easy round.
48:40You said you wouldn't show compassion this time because of what happened.
48:44I'd always be a little merciful because the merciful always obtain mercy in their lives, too.
48:49I took it easy to see if he was going to get back on his feet, moves around a little bit,
48:52and then got his strength back, and I knocked him out in good power.
48:55So I'm happy about that.
48:56I didn't go wild on him and try to hurt him.
48:58I just tried to knock him out.
49:00All right, let's look to the future.
49:02You have a contract to fight Tommy Morrison.
49:05What did you think of Morrison in his fight?
49:08I felt like when I saw Tommy Morrison, I mean, it's the way when the people saw the first Frankenstein movie.
49:14That big monster jumped up and you just don't want to fight him.
49:17Tommy Morrison is too dangerous for George Foreman.
49:19I want his brother, somebody who can't fight.
49:21I want Pee Wee Herman.
49:22Pee Wee Herman.
49:23We want Pee Wee.
49:24Well, so you say you're not going to go through that fight?
49:28You're going to look for a championship fight?
49:30I'm not saying that because promoters, they're the ones who dangled those green stems in front of you.
49:35My wife, I don't know.
49:36She said, look, I don't want to be nervous anymore.
49:38I've got to go home and talk to her.
49:39If she say I can't come back in the ring, I may not even come back.
49:41It's up to my wife.
49:42But Tommy Morrison is a dangerous young man.
49:45He used to get knocked down.
49:46That was the end of him.
49:46Now he gets up and waits later on.
49:48I don't want no part of that monster.
49:50Well, nobody believes a word of what you say about your wife, so let's go on to the next question.
49:56It's true.
49:57My wife has warned me.
49:58She said, all right, now come on home.
49:59I'm nervous in the stomach.
50:00I'm tired of it.
50:01So I may have a little compassion.
50:03I didn't know she felt like me.
50:04All right.
50:04There are now officially two heavyweight champions out there.
50:08Will you fight either one?
50:11I would prefer the one in England because he hasn't turned me down yet.
50:15I mean, he did not make a verbal agreement with me and back out.
50:17So what's his name?
50:19Lennox Lewis.
50:19I really would like him.
50:21Lennox Lewis.
50:21Forget Riddick Bowe.
50:22He's on some kind of trip.
50:25And he's not a baby boomer.
50:27He's like one of those kids that need a spanking.
50:31And you want to give the spanking to Lennox Lewis, however.
50:34I would prefer Lennox Lewis.
50:35He's tall, and I think he's a bit more braver than Riddick Bowe.
50:38Now, I'm not going to say Riddick Bowe is not brave, but his manager is kind of scared of this old guy.
50:41I'm 45 years old, and I got those young fellas scared of me.
50:44That's strange.
50:45So you old people, senior citizens out there, don't be scared of those gang members.
50:49The reason they grew up and tried to rob you, they're scared of you because you're older than they are.
50:52We're going to get headwrapped.
50:54We're going to rub them around our head.
50:55We're going to get earrings in our ear, and we're going to terrorize the street.
50:57We're going to have those gang members go in.
50:59You saw what happened.
51:00George Foreman is back.
51:01All right.
51:02Now George Foreman is gone and back to ringside.
51:06All right.
51:06For the record, the record says that he's 44, not 45.
51:10It's too late to be adding years to your age, George.
51:12And as for your wife, we know now she's a paper tiger.
51:16If what she said went, this fight wouldn't have taken place, because she's the one who
51:20said last year after the Stewart fight that he wouldn't be fighting again.
51:23He talked about Riddick Bowe.
51:25Let's go to Riddick once again now at Brookdale Caesars in the Poconos in Pennsylvania.
51:29Riddick, you heard what George says about you, that you deserve a spanking.
51:33Obviously, he's referring to the fact that the tentative plan for a fight between yourself
51:38and George did not come off.
51:40What happened, if anything, in the negotiation between your manager, Rock Newman, and George
51:45Foreman's people for a possible Bowe Foreman defense?
51:48Well, George kind of thought like he was a champion, unfortunately.
51:52But whenever George wants to fight or any way out there for that matter, I'm willing and
51:56able.
51:57Did it not happen because George asked for half the money and equal billing with you?
52:01And then so.
52:02And then so.
52:03All right.
52:04Well, that's not terribly surprising, frankly.
52:06Riddick, you said that he had to win and win impressively to maintain his status as a
52:09contender.
52:10Did he fulfill that prerequisite?
52:13Well, not really.
52:14He let Pia carry him into, you know, the eighth or ninth round.
52:18I thought George should have had the ability to stop Pia a bit sooner.
52:23So, at this moment, is Tommy Morrison the more attractive contender than George Foreman?
52:28I would have to think so, but I'm confident I can knock both of them out.
52:31On the same night.
52:33There have been some talk, or there has been some talk about a Morrison-Forman fight.
52:37Do you expect that it would ever happen?
52:40Well, again, you know, I think they're compatible.
52:43So, I think that fight would be very interesting.
52:46All right, Riddick.
52:47We've kept you up late tonight to watch both of these fights.
52:49We appreciate that.
52:50I know you'll be back in training tomorrow, and we're looking forward to seeing you in
52:53Madison Square Garden on February 6th.
52:56Okay.
52:56All right.
52:57Thanks very much.
52:57Gil Clancy, your final thoughts about George Foreman, who dominated the fight with that
53:01telephone pole jab.
53:03Did he look good enough?
53:04Well, you know, he really is his own manager.
53:06He's the best manager in the world.
53:08He knew that Kutzer walks right into those left jabs.
53:11He knew he was the perfect opponent, and it worked out that way.
53:14I don't think George will ever look this good again.
53:17All right.
53:17That's a statement in and of itself.
53:19You don't think he'll ever look this good again.
53:21How would he do against Bowe or Lewis?
53:24Well, again, we have the younger guys, the more active guys.
53:27They're both big guys.
53:29I think that either one of them would probably, at least they'd beat George anyhow in tough
53:33fights.
53:34Would they knock him out?
53:35Well, George is one of these guys who's got a great chin, and maybe in the latter rounds
53:40he may get tired and he may go, yeah.
53:42Gil, thank you very, very much for another wonderful job standing in for George with us tonight.
53:46We always have a ball working with you.
53:48Well, I'm only the designated hitter.
53:50Come back, George.
53:51Larry Merchant.
53:53He's coming back.
53:55That's right.
53:56George has created a whole new industry for Gil working here on HBO.
53:59Your final thoughts on two interesting and, in some cases, exciting heavyweight fights?
54:04Well, as I noted after the last fight, this is heavyweight boxing.
54:07This is what thrills people who really aren't fight fans.
54:11They're heavyweight boxing fans.
54:13And it thrilled me because we're going to have a fabulous year in heavyweight boxing.
54:19If I had my druthers, I'd want to see Bo fight Lennox Lewis tonight, tomorrow, as soon as possible.
54:27But that doesn't seem to be happening.
54:29They're both taking the corporate route.
54:31And perhaps next year they will have built that matchup to something extra, extra special.
54:38But in the meantime, we're going to have a lot of heavyweight fights.
54:41Every heavyweight out there is now inspired, as Williams was tonight, to come out there and do his best because a good performance can get you some other shot.
54:52A win can catapult you into a seven-figure fighter.
54:57Every round, every punch carries a big dollar tag on it.
55:02And in addition to the sheer drama of seeing guys up and down and show their courage, as we saw tonight, a lot riding on every heavyweight fight.
55:11And, boy, I'm just as excited as I've ever been about an upcoming boxing year.
55:16I'm thinking maybe if I put on 35 pounds, I can get a title shot.
55:19You want a title shot?
55:20No, no, I do.
55:21Well, all right.
55:22Maybe I'll think second thoughts about it, too.
55:24All right, let's take a look back now quickly at what happened in these two fights tonight.
55:28First of all, in the battle between Tommy Morrison and Carl The Truth Williams, Morrison floored Williams in the first and third rounds.
55:35Williams floored Morrison twice in the fifth round and seemed to have seized control of the fight.
55:39And with Williams ahead on two of the three scorecards, Tommy Morrison put him down and ultimately got the technical knockout in the eighth round again.
55:48The left hook was a sensational weapon.
55:50And then in the second of our two fights, Big George Foreman got his third consecutive victory in the wake of his title shot, lost to Evander Holyfield.
55:58This time a TKO at 148 of the eighth in a bloody battle with Pierre Kutzer.
56:03And once again, as has been the case for George so many times in his unbelievable career, the left jab was the dominant blow.
56:10Look at what it did to Kutzer's nose.
56:13Coming up immediately following tonight's coverage of World Championship Boxing on the East Coast, stay tuned for CIA codename Alexa.
56:19On the West Coast, we'll see Star Trek VI, The Undiscovered Country.
56:24Next month, we continue to celebrate 20 years of boxing on HBO.
56:27First on February 6th, heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe makes his first title defense against Michael Doakes.
56:33And then one week later, IBF super middleweight champion Iran Barkley defends his title against IBF middleweight champ James Toney.
56:41Two world championship fights live on HBO.
56:44And we remind you, join us tomorrow night for an American reunion, the People's Inaugural Celebration.
56:50The first and biggest of the inaugural events to be attended by President-elect Clinton and Vice President-elect Gore.
56:56And featuring a multitude of performances by top entertainers, don't miss this HBO exclusive special.
57:03A one-time only same-day telecast.
57:05Sunday, January 17th at 8 o'clock p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time.
57:12So now for Larry Merchant, Gil Plancy, and Harold Letterman, I'm Jim Lampley saying so long from Reno, Nevada.
57:21The executive producer of HBO Sports is Ross Greenberg.
57:24Tonight's coverage of world championship boxing was produced by Rick Bernstein and directed by Mark Payton.
57:30The associate producers were Michael J. Whalen, Kendall Reed, and Jeff Kuyper.
57:34Feature producer, Brian Brown.
57:36Assistance to the producer, Adam Berger, Dave Leapson, and Artie Curry.
57:40The production manager was John McCallie.
57:42And the technical supervisor was Bob Hunter.
57:45The production manager was John McCallie.
58:15The production manager was John McCallie.
58:45This has been a presentation of HBO Sports, the network of champions.
58:50My first name is Riddick.
58:56My last name is Bo.
58:58I'm heavyweight champion, in case you didn't know.
59:01Many have compared me to the greatest Ali, but I hit like a truck.
59:04He just sounded like a bee.
59:06See, Riddick Bowe's first title defense, Saturday, February 6th, only on HBO.
59:10I tell you, dooks, you shouldn't show off.
59:12Michael Dooks is so ugly, he hurts my feelings.
59:16Think you've seen boxing that's great?
59:18Riddick Bowles on HBO.
59:20Just wait.
59:22That rhymes, I like that.