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02:26They couldn't be more unalike in terms of their in terms of their styles.
02:31And yet both of them have already become sort of nightmare opponents for most of the heavyweight division.
02:38Grant, because he's a big, big man with a big punch and Bird, because he's a smallish heavyweight who can hardly be punched.
02:47Take a look at the young heavyweights out there.
02:50There's Kirk Johnson, who is a boxer puncher of some promise, untested.
02:56David Tua went off the tracks after being very much on the fast track.
03:02And Hasim Rahman, a young, strong, willing fighter, but as yet still a work in progress.
03:10Grant is still regarded as the young fighter with the biggest upside of star potential.
03:16What all of that tells us, Jim, is that whatever we see in them now,
03:22young heavyweights are like young pitchers or like young racehorses.
03:27You never know which one is going to break down when or which one can go the distance.
03:33Two hours from now, we may have a different picture.
03:35Yeah, case in point, a year ago, Ibe Abuchi looked like clearly the best.
03:38We haven't seen him since.
03:40So let's see what Grant and Bird can do in his absence and working with us as always.
03:44175-pound world champion back on the block thunderously in that pound-for-pound sweepstakes
03:50with his one-punch body shot knockout of Virgil Hill, the great Roy Jones.
03:54And Roy, Chris Bird told us yesterday after winning the Olympic silver medal at 168 pounds,
03:59he now thinks maybe it was a mistake to go immediately into the heavyweight division
04:03because he might like to be at 175 pounds chasing you for a world title.
04:07So did he make a mistake, or will he make it, Dan, as a heavyweight?
04:11Well, I'm not ever going to say it's a mistake for somebody to chase me.
04:13It's always good to chase Roy Jones Jr.
04:15You're not going to catch me, but it's good to chase me.
04:17I think Chris Bird did the best thing.
04:19Number one, who would have ever thought that Roy Jones Jr. would move up to light heavyweight?
04:23I started out as a junior middleweight.
04:24Then I moved up to the middleweight division and won a title.
04:26Then I went on to super middleweight, and you know how the story goes.
04:29So who would have ever thought that I would really be in the light heavyweight division
04:32If it weren't for me in the light heavyweight division, there's not much other competition for Chris Bird.
04:37However, I do think that he does have the skill, if he can get the opportunity to fight a heavyweight champion,
04:42he can become heavyweight champion of the world.
04:44Well, let's take a look at the reason why heavyweights might be reluctant to fight Bird
04:48as you look at punch stat numbers that will show you how difficult he is to hit.
04:53The heavyweight average for connecting on total punches, 44%,
04:57but opponents land 24% against Bird in his last three fights.
05:01Only 10% of their jabs, and only 27% of their power punches, as opposed to the heavyweight average of 48%.
05:08That's the task that faces the relatively unpolished former Cuban amateur star
05:14and Cuban refugee with an ultra-colorful story,
05:18Eliezer Castillo, as he gets into the ring tonight.
05:21Castillo is one of 13 Cuban fighters to defect to the United States,
05:24now all members of the group called Team Freedom down in Miami.
05:28Nine months ago, he was a 190-pound cruiserweight, but the money is at heavyweight,
05:33so he's put on 33 pounds since then.
05:40Castillo is that rare opponent at this stage who's willing to fight Chris Bird.
05:44He needs the notoriety and the exposure, so he's not in a position to say,
05:49I won't take on a guy whose style might make me look bad.
05:53Tale of the tape for Eliezer Castillo and Chris Bird.
05:57And remember that Castillo's put on 33 pounds just in the last nine months.
06:01He outweighs Bird by seven pounds.
06:03Bird, of course, weighed 168 just five or six years ago.
06:07They are almost equal in height, the same in age and just about the same in reach.
06:11Rules of the bout with our unofficial ringside scorer, Harold Letterman.
06:14The Chris Bird, Eliezer Castillo fight is scheduled for 10 rounds, non-title,
06:19using the rules of the New Jersey Athletic Control Board.
06:22There is no standing eight count, no three-knockdown rule.
06:25Only the referee can stop the fight, and he cannot be saved by the bell in any round,
06:29including the 10th and final round.
06:31Jim.
06:32All right, thank you, Harold.
06:34Now let's go up to ring announcer Michael Buffer for the official introduction.
06:37Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Bally's Park Place, Atlantic City,
06:42where tonight, main events, along with your undisputed, undefeated king of beers, Budweiser.
06:49This Bud's for you.
06:51Present professional boxing for your entertainment.
06:54This first bout is also brought to you by Main Events Fight Night.
06:59It is sanctioned by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board Boxing Commissioner, Larry Hazard, Sr.
07:04The three judges assigned scoring this bout on a 10-point must system are
07:09Pierre Benoist, Emil Conforti, and Dan Shannon.
07:14And when the bell rings, the man in charge of the action, your referee, Tony Perez.
07:21And now, ladies and gentlemen, 10 rounds of boxing between two undefeated heavyweight contenders.
07:28Introducing first, fighting out of the blue corner, wearing white and wearing in at 223 pounds.
07:39A perfect professional record.
07:4114 victories, including 10 knockouts.
07:45Originally from Cuba, but now, living and fighting out of Miami, Florida for team freedom,
07:50ladies and gentlemen, here is the undefeated, Eliezer Castillo.
07:58And his opponent, across the ring, fighting out of the red corner, wearing black with white, weighing 216 pounds.
08:10Also, a perfect professional record.
08:1324 victories without a loss.
08:1514 by knockout.
08:17He's ranked among the top in the world in the heavyweight division.
08:21Ladies and gentlemen, from Flint, Michigan, the undefeated, Chris Benz.
08:28You already been giving you restriction.
08:43I caution again.
08:44I expect a good clean fight.
08:45Quiero una pelea olympia.
08:47Okay?
08:47Expect to obey my commands at all times.
08:50Obey my commands at all times.
08:52And protect yourself at all times.
08:53All right?
08:54Check hands.
08:54Good luck to us again.
08:55Jim, the biggest surprise when he fought Jimmy Thunder last fall on a boxing after dark,
09:03aside from the fact that he stopped Thunder, was the crowd reaction to him,
09:08which was much more positive than any of us could have imagined.
09:11So I'm curious to see whether the crowd is really into watching a boxer take on a bigger, stronger guy.
09:17Well, I have to say, I was surprised against Thunder.
09:22He wasn't nearly as dull as his billing would have indicated.
09:25And I think maybe the crowd was equally as surprised to find that there is some entertainment value in what Chris Bird does.
09:32Although, of course, it begins, Roy, with the art of self-defense.
09:36Yeah, but the bigger the boxer is, the stronger the guy is, the better Chris Bird looks.
09:41He's smaller.
09:42He seems as though he shouldn't even be in there with some of those guys because they're so much bigger than him.
09:46And then he comes out and he beats them.
09:48The crowd always loves things like this.
09:50They like the high wire act.
09:51Yes, they do.
09:52The fact that he's escaping from danger in every sequence.
10:01Bird acknowledges he's been making more contact, settling down more on his punches recently.
10:07He even said, I toyed with the idea of looking bad, maybe going down a time or two,
10:13to get other people interested in fighting with me.
10:17Decided against it, incidentally.
10:18Well, right now, I'd be interested to see Castillo start getting interested in fighting him.
10:27Body shot from Castillo as the crowd begins to express its discontent with the slow, early action.
10:34And now Bird drives Castillo back with a left-hand shot.
10:37What problem Castillo is going to have is that his head is still.
10:40Anytime your head is still targeted, it's much easier for your opponent to hit you.
10:48One southpaw heavyweight is an anomaly.
10:52Two southpaw heavyweights in the ring together, almost unheard of.
10:56And the Cubans, of which Castillo is one, of course,
11:01have a reputation for being more aware of how to fight southpaws than other fighters
11:05because there are so many in the amateur ranks,
11:08and specifically, supposedly, so many in Cuba.
11:10What?
11:11What?
11:11What?
11:12What?
11:12What?
11:12What?
11:12What?
11:12What?
11:13What?
11:13What?
11:13What?
11:14What?
11:15Castillo's starting to wake up a little bit.
11:18Bird smiles as the wide shot goes by.
11:27The thing to see here is, is the Cuban in shape to go a long 10-round fight like this?
11:34Most of them are used to going to three-round amateur fights.
11:36Can they adapt to this professional style?
11:38And there are questions about how well they're training down in Miami,
11:42whether any of them is really going to maximize his potential
11:45through the kind of hard work that defines the cream of the crop in American fighting.
11:52A guy like you, Roy.
11:57Bird blocking that shot with his right hand.
12:00Well, as Chris Bird goes back to his corner, it's a family affair there, Larry.
12:19That's his dad.
12:20Yeah, that's his dad.
12:21Joe, a long-time amateur trainer.
12:26I'm looking for Mama, do you see Mama back there?
12:29Right on the left of the screen, right in front of you, Larry.
12:33He telegrams all of you.
12:34Yeah, there she is.
12:35That's Rose.
12:36So you take him out of position, and you can catch him easily.
12:39She was screaming so much from ringside that Joe decided to put her up right on the ring apron.
12:47Trust that bring me in.
12:48Yep.
12:49We got a soundfall.
12:50Now, you got to fight him just like you did, you and your right side.
12:54So you jab him, so you hit him with good jab.
12:57All right, let's go.
13:10Castillo seems to be doing something very interesting, Roy.
13:13Rather than come out and wing a lot of punches and look bad missing,
13:18he's throwing very few punches and trying to make whatever he does work.
13:23Yeah, but is he doing that because, uh, is that his tactic to beat Chris Burry,
13:28or is it because he doesn't want to wear himself out?
13:30Well, that's a good question, and we'll find the answer.
13:37Because a strategic move is a very good move.
13:41But if it's a conditioned thing, then he's in trouble.
13:46Although fighting at this pace, Roy, how badly is he going to tire?
13:51Well, Chris Burry is going to pick it up on him soon.
13:53He's just trying to make sure he can see Castillo's shots.
13:55Make sure he doesn't walk down the pipe into a big shot, because that's the only thing that
13:59he's vulnerable for right here.
14:00running into a big shot.
14:02If he doesn't run into a big shot, he's going to be okay.
14:04And he knows that because he is well-conditioned, especially for a heavyweight.
14:08Castillo bounced a big shot off of Bird's shoulder, and Bird kind of grimaced as if to say,
14:13yeah, that's the kind of stuff I want to avoid.
14:16Castillo did land 46% of his punches in round one, which is an extremely high connect percentage
14:22against Bird, but he only threw 24 punches.
14:27Bird landing cleanly, as you can see.
14:31Doesn't try to do a lot of damage with his shots early in the fight.
14:35As his opponent tires, Bird will settle down a little more and try to put more into those
14:40power punches when he lands them.
14:42Stepping up to land the left right there.
14:45Double hook.
14:46You really see that from heavyweight, Roy.
14:49Left to the body, left to the head.
14:52Bird just tapping with the right jab.
15:06Castillo launches his own jab.
15:12Castillo just doesn't give the impression that he really wants to even win this fight.
15:21Maybe he thinks he's going to wear a bird out.
15:28Well, he should know better than that if he did any research on his opponent.
15:34Seems to be concentrating on the body.
15:38Maybe trying to build something for the second part of the fight.
15:44He has good hands when he does punch.
15:51Well, of course, whatever Elieza Castillo faces in the ring, it's nothing compared to what he had to face.
15:59Getting out of Cuba, he and his two brothers leaving Cuba on three inner tubes tied together.
16:06They went out into shark-infested waters on that raft and stayed there for five days before American Coast Guard seamen picked them up and sent them to Guantanamo Bay, where Castillo spent a year before he came here to America.
16:20As we go to the corner, our interpreter is another man who's made it out of Cuba in this lifetime, Hector Garcia.
16:27Squat down a little bit.
16:28Use your defenses.
16:29Use your defenses.
16:30Use your defenses.
16:31Use three punches.
16:32Three punches.
16:33And you work.
16:34Don't separate.
16:35Don't keep your distance.
16:36Work inside.
16:37Don't leave.
16:38Don't leave.
16:39Don't.
16:40Use combinations.
16:41Use the combinations.
16:42Watch Bird here with the left of the body, comes up to the head.
16:51Textbook stuff.
16:52Stuff you don't ordinarily see from heavyweights.
16:55Although I recall Mike Tyson has used that combination when he was younger and faster and eager.
17:03The advice in Castillo's corner that we didn't hear, according to Hector Garcia, he was told it's time to go to work.
17:29So let's see if Castillo can step up the pace a little bit.
17:32He threw 24 punches in round number one.
17:35He threw 27 punches in round number two.
17:38Those are very low outputs for a heavyweight.
17:43For any weight.
17:45Yeah, that's true.
17:47If they're low for a heavyweight, you know they're low for everybody else, right?
17:50Got a point there, Tim.
17:53I think it was your point, Roy.
17:55Castillo trying to bomb overhead with the left.
17:59That's right.
18:02This bird actually likes to go against the ropes.
18:05Yeah, Castillo's punches are so wide that he's leaving himself open after he throws these big shots.
18:11And Bird will come right back up the middle against him.
18:13Eventually he will.
18:14Castillo trying to find out the pace.
18:17See, make sure he doesn't run into anything.
18:19I think he'll start countering.
18:21And speed from Bird.
18:27Castillo still trying to work the body.
18:29Occasionally launching a shot upstairs.
18:31Castillo is picking up the pace and throwing more punches in this round.
18:35And as a result, Bird throwing more and connecting more as well.
18:38Yeah, but Castillo has good hand speed because most of the head weights, as we all know, can't seem to hit Bird.
18:44He hits Bird just about when he gets ready.
18:46Yep.
18:48Good body work by Castillo.
18:51Castillo landed upstairs, landed the body shot beforehand.
18:56Another body shot, another body shot.
18:59Bird may have to try to get his work done a little earlier tonight.
19:17Castillo taking four shots in succession from Bird and then lands a left hand over the top.
19:23You're absolutely right, Roy.
19:25Eliezer Castillo finds Bird easier to hit than any other opponent we've seen.
19:30He's also willing to hit him low, which is no surprise when you consider, in the gym, he hit Andrew Galata low, over and over.
19:40It may be a mistake for Bird to fight smallish heavyweights like himself, where he looks as best as fighting big, slow lugs.
19:55This guy's not the fastest low we've seen, though.
19:58Bird flurrying and coming to life in the last 20 seconds of the round.
20:10Castillo stepped up the pace.
20:13And still to come, as you look at what most would consider a likely 10-round decision for Chris Bird, a potential knockout about to follow.
20:236'7", 255-pound Michael Grant goes into the ring.
20:29This is on tape from just a little bit earlier this evening.
20:48We're told the song is called Stayed on Jesus by Fred Hammond, sung by Michael Grant, who is himself an ordained lay minister and by his own calculation spends hours a day in prayer.
21:03Castillo landing 45% of his punches through the first three rounds.
21:19That's an unheard of high percentage of connects against the elusive Chris Bird.
21:24And you can see that Harold Ledeman gave a round to Castillo.
21:28Right, Harold?
21:29Yeah, I did, Jim.
21:30I got a two rounds to one, 29-28 Chris Bird.
21:34Jim, I don't know how you can score a fight for a guy that doesn't do anything.
21:37And certainly, Elias and Castillo didn't throw a heck of a lot of punches around one and two.
21:41He came back and slammed Chris Bird with some real good body shots in the third.
21:44So I thought he pulled out the third, the close round.
21:54It could be a little difficult for Chris Bird, being that he is facing a southpaw, too.
21:58Southpaw's even had a hard time against other southpaw.
22:02Well, nobody's accustomed to facing a southpaw.
22:05Yeah, there was a time in heavyweight history when they wouldn't let a southpaw heavyweight in the building, much less into the ring.
22:12Nobody particularly wanted to fight Michael Moorer for exactly that reason, but Moorer was able to find a George Foreman who would fight him and other top opponents.
22:30Evander Holyfield, twice.
22:44A lot more trading going on now in round four.
22:46Yeah.
22:47Well, Castillo's head is so still until Chris Bird really can't miss it.
22:53Hard right hand shot to the body and a left landed upstairs for Castillo.
23:12Bird continues to pepper away at the Cuban.
23:15A lot more trading at the Cuban.
23:26Standing at close quarters and making your opponent miss is almost a lost art in boxing.
23:32Especially for heavyweights.
23:33Yeah.
23:34You expect to see Pernell Whitaker do it.
23:37You don't expect to see a heavyweight do it.
23:40Bird has that capacity to disappear in front of most opponents.
23:44He has not disappeared in front of Eliezer Castillo.
23:47Actually, Castillo has disappeared in front of him a few times himself.
23:54Good exchanges.
23:56Ah!
23:57Fire!
23:58Fire!
23:59Fire!
24:00Fire!
24:01Fire!
24:02Fire!
24:03Fire!
24:04Fire!
24:05Fire!
24:06Fire!
24:07Fire!
24:08Fire!
24:10Fire!
24:11Fire!
24:12Fire!
24:13Fire!
24:14Fire!
24:15Fire!
24:16Fire!
24:17Fire!
24:18Fire!
24:19Fire!
24:20Fire!
24:21Fire!
24:22Fire!
24:23Fire!
24:24Fire!
24:25Fire!
24:26Fire!
24:27Fire!
24:28Fire!
24:29Fire!
24:30Fire!
24:31Fire!
24:32Fire!
24:33Fire!
24:34Fire!
24:35Fire!
24:36Fire!
24:37Fire!
24:38Fire!
24:39Fire!
24:40Fire!
24:41Fire!
24:42Fire!
24:43Fire!
24:44Fire!
24:45Fire!
24:46Fire!
24:47Here we see Castillo going to the body, perhaps trying to construct something for a later
24:55round, or just admitting to himself that he can't get to the head, so he might as well
25:01go to the body first.
25:05He's breathing real heavy there.
25:07Chris Byrd threw 91 punches in an ultra-active round four.
25:22Interestingly, Castillo threw only 35 punches, but is given credit in CompuBox figuring for
25:29landing 22 of them.
25:30That's a 63% connect percentage against Chris Byrd, unheard of.
25:37Still, given the disparity in their activity levels, you have to believe Byrd was the
25:42likely winner of the round.
25:45That's the reason he's landed 60%, because most of these shots are big body shots.
25:50Easier to land a body shot than a head shot.
25:53Much easier, especially for a guy as elusive as Chris Byrd.
25:58So Castillo's showing a modicum of ring intelligence in there.
26:02I mean, that's a good choice, right?
26:03Yeah, it's a very good choice.
26:07That's a very good choice.
26:21Whoo!
26:21this bird comes in at 24 and all with 14 KOs maybe no previous opponent has made bird pay quite as much for his style in the early going as has this guy
26:42Eliezer Castillo
26:47Castillo has a knot coming under his roof right on his left eye that may be a problem for him later on
26:53yep swelling up pretty fast under the left eye
26:57is bird sitting down more in his punches now and not moving as much as he was a year or two ago Roy
27:06looks like he's just right there for you yeah he's sitting down trying to lay up power shots now I think
27:11yes he's willing to take more chances now you know that
27:26well if he wants to be a heavyweight he's going to have to do that
27:33I think he should do it to Castillo's body a little bit more
27:40well of course you've already pointed out though how still Castillo's head is and when the opponent's head is still there's a great temptation to stay there instead of going down to the body
27:55yeah but when you see the guys take your best head shots you should move down still for a minute to try to wear them down
28:02and so far Castillo appears able to take all of bird's best head shots
28:10and still escape the sharks when he came to America but he's in with a barracuda here
28:17I'm not going to escape him
28:19you have lost five rounds
28:22you have to throw those punches
28:25use three combinations and use those three punch combinations
28:29you're standing in front of this guy
28:31this guy this guy these guys using combinations you have to work use those heavy punches of yours
28:37that left hand of yours you have to use it
28:40three and four punches how's everything do you feel okay
28:46how do you feel we've got the six
28:50Castillo
28:53straight right hand
28:56all right seconds out
28:59but he hasn't been able to put any kind of a dent in bird
29:04well interpreter Hector Garcia making it clear that trainer and Manuel Elizondo is being totally honest with Eliezer Castillo
29:13telling his fighter you've lost five rounds
29:16well now the sixth begins
29:17well if a guy comes to the center of the ring breathing as hard as Castillo is
29:21that almost tells you Jim to start out in his body he's getting tired
29:24that's why I said in the last round that bird should go to his body more
29:28here
29:30there
29:36there
29:39there
29:45there
29:47there
29:49Castillo trying to go upstairs,
29:55and there you see some of Bird at his best,
29:57ducking, blocking, slipping, making Castillo miss
30:01and coming back with accurate counterpunches.
30:19Castillo has to start trying to make a war out of this.
30:38He's not going to out-Boxburg,
30:39and that's what he's trying to do, Roy.
30:41Yeah, but he's so nervous a lot about it.
30:43I don't think he's even trying to out-Boxburg.
30:46I think he's just satisfied that he's in here.
30:49I think he's just taking a paycheck, huh?
30:52In a sense.
30:53I mean, he's trying to knock Bird out if he gets a chance,
30:55but he's showing no effort, Jim.
30:58Right.
30:58He's going to need for Bird to make a big mistake
31:00to have that kind of chance.
31:01Yeah, Bird is not going to make that kind of mistake.
31:03That's why he took his time early to figure this guy out,
31:05because he knew the guy only wanted to land a big punch.
31:09That always works to Bird's advantage
31:11because he's not noted for his big punch,
31:13so he throws more punches.
31:14Yeah, and this round in particular,
31:20Castillo has allowed it to become target practice for Bird
31:23and an exhibition of Bird's defensive
31:25and counter-punching skills,
31:27more so than in any of the previous five frames.
31:31I tell you what, if Bird landed one good, solid fighter shot,
31:34Castillo would be through.
31:35His posture is going.
31:44His concentration is not there.
31:46You just can tell when a guy is tired.
31:50He either didn't hear what his corner had to say to him
31:52between rounds,
31:53or he doesn't have the stuff to respond to it.
31:56He doesn't have the stuff to respond to it.
31:58He's tired.
31:58He's tired.
32:15Target practice in that round,
32:17as you saw the connect percentage for Bird,
32:19rise to 55%.
32:22So by far the best offensive round there
32:24for Chris Bird,
32:26who comes from a fighting family.
32:28You heard Larry point out earlier
32:29that's his father, Joe Bird, training him.
32:31His mother, Rose Bird,
32:32is the chief second in the corner.
32:34Earlier this evening,
32:35brother Patrick Bird,
32:3613 wins, 2 losses,
32:37coming in at 154 pounds.
32:39Fought against a journeyman named Earl Allen.
32:42Scored a unanimous decision on the undercard here,
32:45and so he goes to 14 wins, 2 losses.
32:48Sister Tracy Bird,
32:49in the black singlet here,
32:51is, as you can see,
32:52a Flint, Michigan policewoman
32:54who is likewise unbeaten as a fighter
32:57and looking for a possible matchup
32:59with the great Lucia Riker,
33:01may be the outstanding talent
33:02in the sport of women's boxing.
33:08Round 7 begins.
33:10Schedule 10 between Eliezer Castillo
33:12and the white trunks.
33:13Chris Bird in the black.
33:14And one round after having told Eliezer Castillo
33:22that he'd lost five rounds,
33:24now Castillo's corner men tell him
33:26that the fight is even.
33:29Maybe they felt as though
33:30he wasn't properly motivated
33:32when they told him that he was behind,
33:34so they thought they'd tell him
33:35he's back in the fight.
33:36See what happens.
33:37Who knows?
33:39Castillo averaging 32 thrown punches per round,
33:42and he's going to have to throw more than that
33:43to do damage to Chris Bird,
33:45or so it would appear.
33:50Chris Bird is starting to tee off
33:52on Castillo a little bit.
33:56Well, when he teed off on Jimmy Thunder,
33:57he ultimately chopped him down.
34:00See if he can do the same here.
34:02If he continues to tee off,
34:03he will ultimately chop Castillo down.
34:05And Steele holds his hand so high,
34:30it looks like he's carrying a tray over his head.
34:32There must be Bird seed in it
34:40because Chris Bird is pecking away on it.
34:48The third man of Flint.
34:53Bird landing the right uppercut flushed.
34:56Pop Castillo's head back just a little bit.
35:00Bird slipping those two punches.
35:01He rolls, he ducks, he turns his head.
35:06He steps away.
35:09Bird has every defensive technique available
35:11to the heavyweight fighter.
35:14The last heavyweight at Bird type skills,
35:18I can recall who fought for a title,
35:21is Jimmy Young of Philadelphia,
35:25who fought Muhammad Ali, nearly upset him,
35:28and then fought George Foreman, and did upset him.
35:32I think Bird punched a little hard, but Jimmy Young.
35:35I was just getting ready to say that.
35:36It doesn't Bird punch a tiny bit harder.
35:38But yeah, the defensive skills are very much the same,
35:40weren't they?
35:41But I sort of think the only way Bird is going to get a shot at a title
35:47is if he fills a couple of suitcases with $100 bills
35:51and have him deliver it to those corrupt organizations
35:54that name mandatory challengers.
35:57You're prescribing bribery, is that right?
35:59Tribute, we call it.
36:08We know we don't have to bribe you or offer you tribute
36:11to stick around and watch Obed Sullivan fight against Michael Grant,
36:16a heavyweight fight which will help to illuminate further
36:20Grant's potential and his ultimate destiny in the division.
36:246'7", 255 pounds, Sullivan is more than 230.
36:29He will look like a smaller heavyweight
36:31in the ring tonight against Grant.
36:36You have to work.
36:37You have to work.
36:39We have to get this victory.
36:40You're losing this fight.
36:42Go down, squat.
36:44You want to win this fight?
36:46You have to work.
36:47Let's go to work.
36:49This is the only time.
36:50We've got to go to work.
36:51Two more rounds.
36:52Two more rounds.
36:52Come on.
36:53The mathematics in Castillo's corner
37:02is not of the highest caliber.
37:06There's some salesmanship going on there.
37:10Three more rounds, actually, if it goes the distance.
37:16Harold, how do you have it scored through seven as we count them?
37:19Jim, obviously, 6-1, 69-64, Chris Bird,
37:24based on his hand speed, all the punches he's made.
37:26Jim, I have three comments.
37:27Number one, Jimmy Young beat Muhammad Ali.
37:30He got jogged.
37:31Number two, if you tell a guy that he lost every round,
37:34and then you tell him that the fight is even,
37:37the only thing we can conclude is that he doesn't speak Spanish.
37:42And number three, did you ever see a heavyweight fight?
37:45Seven rounds, not one clinch.
37:46I mean, this is amazing.
37:47He watched hardly any clinches at all.
37:54Atta baby, Harold.
37:56Always the unique observation.
37:58I don't think I have seen a heavyweight fight
38:00with no clinches through seven rounds.
38:03Doesn't displease me all that much.
38:05I wonder what Henry Akilwande thinks of this.
38:10He thinks it's some kind of foreign dance going on.
38:14It's a difference, right.
38:15If you like clinching, next weekend is your weekend.
38:19He may think this is a hockey game.
38:20You can hear Bird grunting with his punches now
38:30as he tries to get a little more starch into them.
38:33And Castillo has nothing in his punches anymore,
38:36especially that left hand.
38:37Well, Castillo's legs are stiff,
38:39so what he's throwing now are arm punches,
38:42and he's big and strong, that's for sure,
38:45but he's not likely to develop the kind of leverage
38:48that'll hurt Bird with those punches.
38:50No, he's not.
39:00Castillo gets, I don't know, high marks,
39:03but some marks for being willing to fight Bird,
39:06which nobody else around seems to be willing to do,
39:10but he's obviously being outclassed here.
39:16Bird's lively face and eyes
39:18give you a running commentary on the fight.
39:21He lets you know on those occasions
39:23when Castillo's made contact.
39:25Gets a sort of surprised look in his eyes.
39:27the time.
39:35Oh, wow.
39:38Oh, wow.
39:39Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh.
39:44Uh, uh.
39:45Chris has real technique, doesn't he, Roy?
39:58Yeah, he's a very good technician in the ring.
40:00He still has that motorway style.
40:02He's up fighting in the heavyweight division,
40:04and it's so beautiful to see.
40:06Don't see many heavyweights that go out and execute anymore.
40:09He cannot fight going back.
40:16You see that?
40:16He tried to stand.
40:17He can't go back.
40:19You know none of the killers can fight going back.
40:21So you got to keep him going.
40:22You get him going back, keep him going back.
40:24He don't throw no punches at all going back, okay?
40:27You got to set out on a series of punches.
40:29You don't try to make them.
40:30You fish and think you're going to hit him with all of them.
40:32You're making this fight too easy for him.
40:37Work.
40:37Work.
40:38The right hand has to work.
40:41You have to start first.
40:43You have to come out first.
40:44Three, four punches.
40:47Three, four punches.
40:48You only started with one punch.
40:50You got to go to work.
40:51Why are you defending yourself so much?
40:56Three, let's go.
40:57Okay, let's go.
40:59Vámonos, vámonos.
41:00I know it's the corner's job to motivate the fighter,
41:05but, you know, I think in this spot we just ought to lay off him and he's trying his best.
41:16It's just not good enough.
41:17It's what we call here the shot pheasant syndrome again.
41:25Pheasant, when it's shot, will keep on flying for a while, even though it's dead.
41:34Is that true, Roy?
41:37Uh, I think so.
41:38I make you my pheasant expert here.
41:40I think it's fair to say that.
41:41So, a dead pheasant flies.
41:45Oh, yeah.
41:47Never knew that.
41:52Just like a chicken with his hair cut off.
41:54He'll still run.
41:56Somehow, running seems easier.
41:59He's really taking a terrible pounding, Castillo.
42:15And we'll have to count it as a moral victory to survive at this, the way this looks now.
42:21We'll have to give him credit for being tough, though, because he's still hanging in there.
42:30And Chris Bird has really been hitting him with some very good punches.
42:35Do you still think Bird would knock him out if he goes to the body more, Roy?
42:39Oh, yes.
42:39Most definitely.
42:40Had he started going to the body about the fourth or the fifth round, he'd have a TKO already.
42:45He would be in the dressing room by now, huh?
42:47Yep.
42:51And Chris does touch him to the body every now and then, but not with any true conviction.
43:01And Chris Bird does touch him to the body every now and then, but not with any true conviction.
43:01as herald pointed out before referee
43:23Tony Perez has never had an easier
43:26fight to work no clinches in close
43:31quarters punches and punches
43:47first of two here on HBO's Boxing
43:49After Dark this fight scheduled for
43:5110 rounds the Grant Sullivan fight
43:53that follows is scheduled for 12.
43:58The crowd thinks that Castillo should
43:59try to do more he's probably done
44:02about all he could everything he
44:05could
44:06is that a last round he's going to come
44:22out he's pushing him out he's hitting
44:24his feet put his hands down here he's
44:25tied so tired he is surviving you ain't
44:31getting the good shots at him you ain't
44:33getting him in at all you have to work on
44:34them solid shots you were running off a
44:36nice combination but all of you come out
44:38this is the last round.
44:40You're going to have to knock him out.
44:41We're not going to win this fight.
44:43You have to work.
44:44You got to knock him out.
44:46You can't stand there.
44:47Don't let him start.
44:48You get off first.
44:50If you don't work this round,
44:52we're going to lose him.
45:02Those numbers will tell you that
45:03the senators don't mean a whole heck of a lot.
45:06You land the same percentage
45:09if you throw twice as many punches,
45:11you'll win every time.
45:13One-third as many.
45:15Bird threw 104 punches in that round.
45:19Castillo threw 37.
45:32I'd really like to see Bird
45:33against a good heavyweight
45:36and see how he deals with someone
45:38of a higher caliber.
45:41All right, make the fight.
45:42Name one.
45:42Who do you want to see him against?
45:44Well, I don't know.
45:45Ray Mercer.
45:46I mean, Mercer's not going to fight him,
45:48but, you know, Ray Mercer can fight.
45:51Jab, he's tough.
45:52He's tough.
46:09He's tough.
46:10tussen,
46:14I said promoters wouldn't let these guys into the building in the old days, much less
46:38into the arena.
46:39You can hear those boos if they tell you what.
46:42Were they right?
46:43Yeah.
46:44I guess there was a school of thought that a Southcourt boxing heavyweight should have
46:50been strangled at birth.
46:55But Chris Byrd can't fight.
46:57He's way too nice a guy to have been strangled at birth.
47:02He's a very technically skilled young fighter.
47:04He's a terrific young man, great personality, lovely family.
47:08And he's throwing a lot of punches tonight.
47:10Absolutely.
47:11He can't hurt anybody, or at least he can't hurt this guy.
47:16He stopped thunder.
47:18I think he hurts the people, and I actually like to see him fight, because he shows that
47:23that skill level, it takes that skill level to another level in heavyweight boxing.
47:28Yeah, I don't think it's as bad as all this booing would seem to indicate.
47:32I think there's a lot of entertainment value in watching a guy who's as good at what he
47:36does, as Chris Byrd is, and throwing his pedals at other fighters' boulders, as he puts it.
47:44It takes nerve to know that every time you go in the ring, the other guy's stronger than you.
47:50It takes nerve to know that every time you go in the ring, the other guy's stronger than you go in the ring, the other guy's stronger than you go in the ring.
47:55It takes nerve to know that every time you go in the ring, the other guy's stronger than you go in the ring, the other guy's stronger than you go in the ring.
48:01It takes nerve to know that every time you go in the ring.
48:08Ten rounds complete.
48:13Crowd offers their opinion of that version of heavyweight boxing, and we will await the official decision.
48:21Castillo's folks on the way into the arena tonight promised a knockout.
48:27Wasn't to be.
48:30The amiable Chris Byrd, 24-0, waits now to hear if he has secured victory number 25.
48:53Castillo's still breathing heavily.
48:59Castillo is running more than twice as many as Castillo, and threw more than twice as many as Castillo.
49:06While it is, he can cause there, he can cause a hammer in the ring.
49:09Final punch that numbers total punches.
49:19You can see that Bird landed more than twice as many as Castillo
49:24and through more than twice as many as Castillo.
49:28Castillo's connect percentage of 44% is going to be one of the highest,
49:31if not the highest so far for an opponent against Chris Bird.
49:36And, in fact, the CompuBox folks are assuring me it is the highest connect percentage yet
49:41in 25 fights against Chris Bird.
49:43But what did it all add up to?
49:46In all probability, a resoundingly unanimous decision victory for Bird.
49:51Total jabs.
49:53Bird threw more than twice as many.
49:54And, well, he threw more than three times as many
49:58or exactly three times as many and landed almost three times as many.
50:03And now to Michael Buffer for the numbers.
50:06Ladies and gentlemen, here at Bally's Park Place, Atlantic City,
50:10we go to the Budweiser scorecards.
50:12All three judges, Pierre Benoist, Emil Conforti, and Dan Shannon,
50:17scored about the same 99 to 91 for the winner by unanimous decision,
50:24Chris Bird.
50:25Chris Bird.
50:26So yet another oddity for Harold Letterman to note in his encyclopedic boxing mind.
50:41All three judges scoring the bout the same way, 99 to 91.
50:47Another victory for Chris Bird and one which is not likely to elevate him toward a title shot
50:53anytime too soon just because of what you heard from the crowd
50:56and what you saw of his style and how difficult it makes him for other opponents.
51:01So let's turn our attention.