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Portland has to be content with only an infrequent night of big-time boxing.
Both the scene and the action last week at the Rose Garden will suffice for a while.
Michael Jordan, Roy Jones Jr., and James Toney provided the celebrity touch, veteran Jimmy Lennon Jr., handled the ring announcing, and Mike Phillips, introduced as the only nonathlete with a Brand Jordan endorsement contract, played a virtuoso jazz saxophone national anthem.
The headliner, Floyd Mayweather Jr., earned his $4.3 million by stopping Sharmba Mitchell, who made $175,000, in the sixth round.
The promoters did a decent job of filling the undercard. Olympic champion Andre Ward probably didn’t earn many fans with his showboating and lackadaisical approach in a win over Darnell Boone, but Portland native Steve Forbes was superb in a third-round knockout of Julio Cesar Sanchez. Ward earned $20,000, Forbes $10,000. Forbes improved to 29-3, with nine KOs, in his first pro fight in Portland.
Three wannabes from the Grand Avenue Boxing Gym in Northeast Portland —Osvaldo “Waldo” Rojas, Selso Bosquez and Nelson Zepeda —went 0-2-1. Rojas showed some boxing ability but lost a split decision to Teefo Seetso, who made an impression —and managed to make weight —by showing up nude for the well-attended weigh-in in the lobby of the Benson Hotel.
Bosquez lost by unanimous decision. Zepeda fought to a six-round draw with Robert “Bo” Marthaller, a former Oregon State football player who trains at the Knott Street Boxing Club in Portland.
Another Portland fighter wound up on the card at the last minute. Danny Fosmire, 40, took a bout on three days’ notice and lost by unanimous decision to National Golden Gloves champ Lorenzo Reynolds. Fosmire, a featherweight in the early 1980s, weighed 142 pounds.
Holy ****!!!
That's a huge disparity.
Portland has to be content with only an infrequent night of big-time boxing.
Both the scene and the action last week at the Rose Garden will suffice for a while.
Michael Jordan, Roy Jones Jr., and James Toney provided the celebrity touch, veteran Jimmy Lennon Jr., handled the ring announcing, and Mike Phillips, introduced as the only nonathlete with a Brand Jordan endorsement contract, played a virtuoso jazz saxophone national anthem.
The headliner, Floyd Mayweather Jr., earned his $4.3 million by stopping Sharmba Mitchell, who made $175,000, in the sixth round.
The promoters did a decent job of filling the undercard. Olympic champion Andre Ward probably didn’t earn many fans with his showboating and lackadaisical approach in a win over Darnell Boone, but Portland native Steve Forbes was superb in a third-round knockout of Julio Cesar Sanchez. Ward earned $20,000, Forbes $10,000. Forbes improved to 29-3, with nine KOs, in his first pro fight in Portland.
Three wannabes from the Grand Avenue Boxing Gym in Northeast Portland —Osvaldo “Waldo” Rojas, Selso Bosquez and Nelson Zepeda —went 0-2-1. Rojas showed some boxing ability but lost a split decision to Teefo Seetso, who made an impression —and managed to make weight —by showing up nude for the well-attended weigh-in in the lobby of the Benson Hotel.
Bosquez lost by unanimous decision. Zepeda fought to a six-round draw with Robert “Bo” Marthaller, a former Oregon State football player who trains at the Knott Street Boxing Club in Portland.
Another Portland fighter wound up on the card at the last minute. Danny Fosmire, 40, took a bout on three days’ notice and lost by unanimous decision to National Golden Gloves champ Lorenzo Reynolds. Fosmire, a featherweight in the early 1980s, weighed 142 pounds.
Holy ****!!!

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