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Cruisers clash: History, Holyfield, heavyweight future?By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
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Although undisputed welterweight champ Zab Judah will be facing obscure mandatory challenger Carlos Baldomir in the main event Saturday night, it is the co-featured fight that is the real deal.
The undisputed cruiserweight championship fight between Jean-Marc Mormeck of France and O'Neil Bell, and its potential for fireworks, is the reason Showtime bought the doubleheader (9 p.m. ET/PT). It matches two hard-punching, aggressive champions, but when promoter Don King placed the fight at Madison Square Garden's Theater in New York -- Judah's hometown -- the welterweight moved to the top of the bill.
That, however, does not change the stature of Mormeck-Bell.
Although Judah (34-2, 25 KOs) is expected to get in nothing more than a good workout against Baldomir (41-9-6, 12 KOs) to prepare for an April 8 showdown with pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr., Mormeck (31-2, 21 KOs) and Bell (25-1-1, 23 KOs) will be facing each other to determine the first undisputed cruiserweight champion since April 9, 1988.
TOM CASINO/Showtime
Will the world beat a path to Mormeck's door?
That night, Evander Holyfield stopped Carlos De Leon in the eighth round to unify the three major belts, a fight Showtime also televised.
Now, Showtime opens its 20th year of boxing coverage with the second undisputed cruiserweight title fight, and the champions each hope to follow in Holyfield's footsteps, in more ways than one.
"It is a great honor, although I do not think I will ever be able to fit in Evander's shoes with all the accomplishments that he has done," said Bell, who -- like Holyfield -- lives in Atlanta and coincidentally turned pro in 1998 with a first-round knockout of William Holyfield, Evander's nephew.
"Evander Holyfield is a great, great example for me," said Mormeck, whose chiseled body resembles Holyfield's. "I am very proud to be the one to do what he did. I have great respect for Holyfield's career, for the warrior, the man, for everything he has done. It would be a great honor and something magic to do what Holyfield did."
After Holyfield unified the cruiserweight titles, he quickly relinquished his belts and made the jump to heavyweight, where his legend blossomed. He became a four-time champion and was one of the biggest stars of his time.
Mormeck and Bell have the same idea in mind, believing a victory Saturday would be the perfect springboard to the higher-profile and more lucrative heavyweight division.
"That is the motivation for me -- to become the undisputed champion and then move up and conquer that [heavyweight] division, as well," Bell said.
Mormeck said he will move up after the fight.
“ It is kind of a dream to go up to heavyweight. If I would have to choose someone to fight, it would be [titlist] Lamon Brewster because he is really strong. ”
— Jean-Marc Mormeck
"It is kind of a dream to go up to heavyweight," he said. "If I would have to choose someone to fight, it would be [titlist] Lamon Brewster because he is really strong."
Mormeck unified two-thirds of the title in April with a decision victory against Wayne Braithwaite. He also owns two victories against former champ Virgil Hill, and he has looked extremely strong in his recent fights.
Bell, however, has dodged some bullets recently. He won a vacant title against Dale Brown in May, but many have called it one of the worst decisions of 2005. And in Bell's first defense in August, he was having a lot of problems with Sebastian Rothmann until blasting Rothmann out with one punch in the 11th round.
"Oh, the bloodier, the better. Toe to toe, that is my best fight possible," Bell said. "From the very first round, it is going to be an explosion."
Mormeck, on a 28-fight winning streak, said he can do without blood, but expects to make a statement.
"I do not like blood. I just love to win," he said. "As far as my advantages, it is not a question of size or speed. It is just a question of will. He did not want this fight. I have always wanted this fight and now I have got it, and this is my advantage."
ESPN.com
Archive
Although undisputed welterweight champ Zab Judah will be facing obscure mandatory challenger Carlos Baldomir in the main event Saturday night, it is the co-featured fight that is the real deal.
The undisputed cruiserweight championship fight between Jean-Marc Mormeck of France and O'Neil Bell, and its potential for fireworks, is the reason Showtime bought the doubleheader (9 p.m. ET/PT). It matches two hard-punching, aggressive champions, but when promoter Don King placed the fight at Madison Square Garden's Theater in New York -- Judah's hometown -- the welterweight moved to the top of the bill.
That, however, does not change the stature of Mormeck-Bell.
Although Judah (34-2, 25 KOs) is expected to get in nothing more than a good workout against Baldomir (41-9-6, 12 KOs) to prepare for an April 8 showdown with pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr., Mormeck (31-2, 21 KOs) and Bell (25-1-1, 23 KOs) will be facing each other to determine the first undisputed cruiserweight champion since April 9, 1988.
TOM CASINO/Showtime
Will the world beat a path to Mormeck's door?
That night, Evander Holyfield stopped Carlos De Leon in the eighth round to unify the three major belts, a fight Showtime also televised.
Now, Showtime opens its 20th year of boxing coverage with the second undisputed cruiserweight title fight, and the champions each hope to follow in Holyfield's footsteps, in more ways than one.
"It is a great honor, although I do not think I will ever be able to fit in Evander's shoes with all the accomplishments that he has done," said Bell, who -- like Holyfield -- lives in Atlanta and coincidentally turned pro in 1998 with a first-round knockout of William Holyfield, Evander's nephew.
"Evander Holyfield is a great, great example for me," said Mormeck, whose chiseled body resembles Holyfield's. "I am very proud to be the one to do what he did. I have great respect for Holyfield's career, for the warrior, the man, for everything he has done. It would be a great honor and something magic to do what Holyfield did."
After Holyfield unified the cruiserweight titles, he quickly relinquished his belts and made the jump to heavyweight, where his legend blossomed. He became a four-time champion and was one of the biggest stars of his time.
Mormeck and Bell have the same idea in mind, believing a victory Saturday would be the perfect springboard to the higher-profile and more lucrative heavyweight division.
"That is the motivation for me -- to become the undisputed champion and then move up and conquer that [heavyweight] division, as well," Bell said.
Mormeck said he will move up after the fight.
“ It is kind of a dream to go up to heavyweight. If I would have to choose someone to fight, it would be [titlist] Lamon Brewster because he is really strong. ”
— Jean-Marc Mormeck
"It is kind of a dream to go up to heavyweight," he said. "If I would have to choose someone to fight, it would be [titlist] Lamon Brewster because he is really strong."
Mormeck unified two-thirds of the title in April with a decision victory against Wayne Braithwaite. He also owns two victories against former champ Virgil Hill, and he has looked extremely strong in his recent fights.
Bell, however, has dodged some bullets recently. He won a vacant title against Dale Brown in May, but many have called it one of the worst decisions of 2005. And in Bell's first defense in August, he was having a lot of problems with Sebastian Rothmann until blasting Rothmann out with one punch in the 11th round.
"Oh, the bloodier, the better. Toe to toe, that is my best fight possible," Bell said. "From the very first round, it is going to be an explosion."
Mormeck, on a 28-fight winning streak, said he can do without blood, but expects to make a statement.
"I do not like blood. I just love to win," he said. "As far as my advantages, it is not a question of size or speed. It is just a question of will. He did not want this fight. I have always wanted this fight and now I have got it, and this is my advantage."