By Dr. Peter Edwards

 
Heavyweight contenders Shannon Briggs (43-4-1, 37 KOs) and Ray Mercer (34-6-1, 25 KOs) showed the audience in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, that newer does not necessarily mean better. Both veteran contenders entered the ring with hopes of gaining a victory impressive enough to land them a title shot in the near future. Most experts did not expect a competitive fight, but the heavyweight veterans proved them wrong.
 
Briggs came out throwing some thunder in the first round to set an unexpected pace of excitement for the bout. While Briggs was relying on his power punches, Mercer was using his bread and butter punch, the jab, to keep Briggs at bay for most of the fight.
 
Mercer withstood the barrage of power shots from Briggs in the early part of the fight and it appeared that Briggs was starting to get tired by the sixth round.  Just when the tide of the fight was starting to turn in favor of Mercer in the seventh round, the bout ended in a flash.
 
Briggs landed three short right hands that appeared to hit the temple of Mercer against the ropes and Mercer suddenly went down for the count.
 
There was a lot of bald blood between both fighters, heading into the bout, but after the fight, both men shook hands, hugged and exchanged compliments.
 
Shannon Briggs stated after the bout that he would like to face any of the heavyweight champions in his next fight.
 
On the undercard:
 
IBF cruiserweight champion O'Neil Bell (25-1-1, 23 KOs) defeated Sebastian Rothmann (18-4-2, 12 KOs) by way of a scored an eleventh round knockout. It was a very close fight down the stretch as both fighters stood their ground. Going into the eleventh round, the bout was even on two of the judges and Rothmann was ahead on one card. The defending champion landed a picture perfect right hand late in the eleventh round to put Rothmann out.
 

Jameel McCline (32-5-3, 20 KOs), coming off a decision loss to undefeated heavyweight Clavin Brock, picked up a confience building win by way of a dominating third round knockout over Steven Pannel (34-9, 28 KOs). McCline was in control of the bout from the sound of the first bell and sent to the floor in Pannel in every single round.

 
Undefeated junior welterweight Juan Urango (16-0-1, 13 KOs) defeated Andre Eason (15-4, 6 KOs) by way of seventh round technical knockout.  Urango dropped Eason in rounds four and seven.
 
Heavyweight Lance "Mount" Whitaker (30-3-1, 25 KOs) stopped Louis Monaco in three rounds.