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00:00The following is a special presentation of HBO Sports.
00:30The following is a special presentation of HBO Sports.
01:00The following is a special presentation of HBO Sports.
01:30Long-time light heavyweight champion Virgil Hill returns home to make yet another North Dakota title defense.
01:36This time against native New Yorker Lou DelBao.
01:39It's a big night in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
01:45You look at Sadie McQuaid from down the road in Fargo as she prepares for her breakout role as a round card girl.
01:52And the writers at ringside are tapping away about the night that HBO Sports came to town to show North Dakota's signal devotion to its long-time light heavyweight champion Virgil Hill.
02:06Here on the campus of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, the Engelstad Arena, a hockey arena, is jammed with more than 7,000 boxing fans for the 21st time in Virgil Hill's career that he has fought before his home state crowd.
02:26First, a 12-round heavyweight bout in which two fighters will be trying to polish their credentials for further action in the division.
02:33Hello again, everybody.
02:34I'm Jim Lampley.
02:35Welcome to the third installment of Boxing After Dark, which has produced great action in its first two incarnations.
02:41Before we get to the fights, I want to mention that Larry Merchant is not here working with us tonight.
02:47He's spending the weekend with his ailing father.
02:49And, Larry, our thoughts and prayers are with both you and your dad tonight.
02:53Our normal expert commentator Roy Jones is also away on family business, so it's our privilege tonight to be working, as is so frequently the case in this situation, with the man who fills in so well for us, legendary fight trainer and manager Gil Clancy.
03:06Gil, welcome aboard again.
03:07Let's get ready for the heavyweight bout between Sullivan and Mathis Jr.
03:10What's the biggest difference between the two fighters?
03:13Well, the biggest difference is quality of opposition and experience, and Mathis has them both.
03:18And, again, Mathis has gone ten or more rounds nine times.
03:22Orbit Sullivan has only gone ten rounds once.
03:24A big edge for Mathis and experience.
03:26Sullivan, the former Marine, a hard puncher, comes in here on short notice replacing Lou Savarese, who was originally expected to be the opponent for Mathis Jr.
03:33He fell ill.
03:34This creates an opportunity for Sullivan, but only 11 days' notice, and he fought within the past two weeks.
03:40Good or bad?
03:41No, it's a great opportunity for Sullivan.
03:43He says he feels great.
03:44He likes to fight this way.
03:46He was in good condition, didn't have a chance to slap up.
03:48He's ready, and he says he's going to give a real good performance tonight.
03:51All right, both fighters are already in the ring, so let's take a look.
03:54Buster Mathis, you'll remember from his battle with Mike Tyson in December, he was KO'd in the third round.
04:01That's his only loss.
04:0221 wins.
04:03He had the no contest with Riddick Bowe about a year and a half ago.
04:07Seven KOs for the relatively light-hitting Mathis Jr.
04:10On the other hand, Obed Sullivan is regarded as a rising puncher of some note.
04:17Sullivan comes in with a seven-bout win streak.
04:20He's hoping to vault himself up onto that level where he can be considered along with Andrew Gulotta, David Tua, Courage Shabalala,
04:27some of the other rising young names in the heavyweight division.
04:30A win tonight would help to get him to that stage.
04:33And we take a look at the tail of the tape for these two heavyweights, and interestingly, they weigh the same,
04:42though, of course, their bodies are dramatically different.
04:46Sullivan, two years older than Mathis.
04:49Mathis gives up three inches in height.
04:51Both guys weighed in at 230, and you see the eight-inch reach advantage for Obed Sullivan.
04:57Rules of the bout with our unofficial ringside scorer, Harold Letterman.
04:59The Obed Sullivan Buster Mathis Jr. fight is scheduled for 12 rounds.
05:04There is no standing eight count, no three-knockdown rule.
05:08Only the referee can stop the fight, and you cannot be saved by the bell in any round, including the 12th and final round.
05:13Jim?
05:14Thank you, Harold.
05:15Let's go to ring announcer Danny Campbell for the pre-fight introductions.
05:18Ladies and gentlemen, fight fans all across the world,
05:22good evening and welcome to the beautiful Ingolstadt Arena here in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
05:29And the king of biz, Budweiser, HBO Sports, the network of champions,
05:37along with Cedric Kistner Promotions presents HBO Boxing After Dark.
05:43All these bouts are under the auspices of the North Dakota Athletic Control Board Executive Director at ringside, Miss Mary Feist.
05:54This bout will be governed under the rules of the International Boxing Federation President Robert W. Lee.
06:02Judges assigned for this championship bout are David Hess, Kevin McCarl, and Mark Nelson.
06:10And the third man in the ring, in control of the action, at the sound of the bell, referee Denny Nelson.
06:18Ladies and gentlemen, this co-feature bout of the evening for the IBF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship,
06:27scheduled for 12 rounds of action.
06:32Let me introduce first the challenger.
06:35He took the scales this afternoon at 230 and three-quarter pounds,
06:40wearing the all-black trunks, with a professional record of 21 wins against one defeat,
06:47seven of those wins via knockout.
06:50He is the former USBA heavyweight champion from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
06:58Ladies and gentlemen, introducing Buster Mathis, Jr.
07:03His opponent, hailing out of the blue corner.
07:15This young man tipped the scales at a ready, 230 pounds,
07:20wearing the gold trunks with red trim,
07:23with a professional record of 17-1-1 with 12 knockouts,
07:28hailing out of Houston, Texas.
07:30He is the IBF Intercontinental Champion,
07:35Obed Sullivan!
07:43Hey, gentlemen, you've been in here before, you know what I expect.
07:47On a good, hard, clean fight, and protect yourself at all times.
07:51Good luck.
07:52Good luck.
07:52Good luck.
07:53Good luck.
07:53Obed Sullivan coming in, says about the technician, Mathis,
08:02kind of a cutie who has given a lot of more powerful fighters considerable trouble.
08:07He says,
08:07I'm going to pretend for the first couple of rounds that he doesn't have a head.
08:10I want to wear him out to the body before I ever begin to throw punches to the head.
08:15You know, talking about wearing him out,
08:17again, Sullivan has only had one 10-round fight.
08:20But Mathis has been 12 rounds a few times, and he does have good stamina.
08:24But I would also want my fighter to be banging to the body with Mathis
08:29and bring his hands down so he can hit him on the chin.
08:31He's a very difficult target to hit.
08:33Good head movement.
08:35And he has very quick hands on the inside, Buster Mathis Jr. does.
08:39Mathis now trained by Kevin Rooney,
08:42inheritor to the tradition of Cus D'Amato.
08:44And D'Amato, of course, trained Buster's dad.
08:47In fact, Buster's middle name is D'Amato.
08:56There again, Sullivan threw a good left hook to the body,
09:00but Mathis returned three solid punches.
09:03Very quick hands, Mathis.
09:04Not a big puncher, but a busy guy.
09:07In close quarters, both punchers trying to get in the body shots
09:14that could add up to success later on in the fight.
09:19And, Jim, with these guys banging heads the way they are so early,
09:22you can look for one or both of these guys to get cut.
09:25Early on, Buster Mathis Jr. has been holding
09:28Ovid Sullivan's left arm against his ribcage,
09:30and you heard the referee moments ago saying,
09:32stop holding him.
09:33He just warned Sullivan for a low blow, too,
09:38and if he's going to be very efficient that way,
09:40that could affect Sullivan's body attack.
09:45Good left hook by Sullivan.
09:47The short left hook inside is regarded as Ovid Sullivan's best punch,
09:51and that may be what Mathis has in mind
09:53as he continually locks his arm, his right arm,
09:57around the outside of Sullivan's left
09:58and tries to pin that arm into inaction.
10:01Meanwhile, those heads are banging together pretty good.
10:09They saw Mathis land the little counter shot in there.
10:13He's very effective at countering inside
10:16against bigger punchers like Sullivan.
10:21Sullivan, true to his claim that he'll go to the body,
10:24is working the ribcage over and over here in this first round.
10:27And Sullivan really doesn't have that much experience,
10:30but he's throwing beautiful short punches on the inside.
10:35And he's maneuvering around pretty good, too.
10:37Five years in the Marine Corps for Ovid Sullivan.
10:40He took up boxing while he was in the Marines,
10:43had no amateur career to speak of,
10:45and he is every bit the former Marine
10:47in his personal presentation.
10:49Yes, sir.
10:50No, sir.
10:50I will do as you say, sir.
10:53Both fighters landed good, solid punches in that exchange.
11:00It's been an active first round
11:02and mostly fought at close quarters.
11:05Who benefits from this, Gil?
11:07Well, Ovid Sullivan is the sharper puncher on the inside,
11:11and he can hurt you.
11:12But if it's a fight that goes the distance,
11:14Mathis throws a lot more punches on the inside.
11:17Quick uppercut for Ovid Sullivan.
11:30Buster Mathis showing his ability to count.
11:32Hard left hook by Sullivan.
11:34And Mathis was hurt with that left hook.
11:36No question about it.
11:39Best punch of the round.
11:41Sullivan's punctuating left hook in the closing seconds.
11:47That wasn't bad.
11:49That wasn't bad.
11:51That wasn't bad.
11:53Spit that out.
11:56How you feeling?
11:57All right?
11:58Where's your champ?
11:58Get that.
11:59Get that mouth.
11:59Get his mouth.
12:00Get his mouth.
12:01Where's your champ?
12:02Climb to the champ.
12:03Take that one little step back.
12:06At the end of the round,
12:07you started to slide back.
12:09Slide back, straight slide back angle.
12:11As soon as you get your slide back,
12:13you get your weight on.
12:13And there's another left hook at the,
12:17or another look, I should say,
12:18at the solid left hook by Ovid Sullivan
12:21at the end of the round.
12:26And you can see Mathis wobble a little bit
12:28with that left hook.
12:29Sullivan maneuvers himself pretty good on the inside
12:31at gym for a guy with not that much experience.
12:34Sullivan's trainer,
12:35whom you heard in the corner,
12:36is Chuck McGregor.
12:37If you think you might have seen his face before,
12:40maybe you were watching when Scott Walker
12:43went against Julio Cesar Chavez
12:45on our Chavez Delahoya doubleheader in Vegas
12:48a couple of months ago.
12:49McGregor trains Scott Walker,
12:51the pink cat, as well.
12:53Round two begins,
12:54and Sullivan trying to follow up on the damage
12:56he did with that short left hook
12:57at the end of round one.
12:58He's giving opportunities to Mathis to counter,
13:01and Mathis is taking those opportunities.
13:03It's becoming a slugfest, though,
13:05and this will not be good for Buster.
13:13This is some pace for big men.
13:16What a pace.
13:20They threw a hundred punches between them in round one,
13:23and they are heating up to a faster pace now.
13:26You see that Harold Lederman
13:27had Sullivan winning the first,
13:29and we'll show you Harold's card
13:31from round to round as we go along.
13:32He talked about the two heads
13:41butting together in round one,
13:42and Obed Sullivan is bleeding heavily now
13:45from a cut on the right eyelid.
13:47That's a big cut, Jim,
13:48in a dangerous spot.
13:50Blood will go right into the eye.
13:52The cut man's going to have to
13:54do some good job on this cut,
13:56but again, it was these heads.
13:58When heads clash like that,
13:59something has to happen,
14:00and unfortunately, it happened to Sullivan.
14:02We saw it a week ago
14:03with Wilfredo Rivera
14:04against Brunel Whitaker down in San Martin.
14:08Rivera managed to stay in the fight
14:09the whole way
14:10despite the deep cut on his forehead.
14:12This one is in a more dangerous spot
14:14between the eyebrow and the eyelid.
14:17It's in a very bad spot, Jim,
14:19and if that's in that eye socket,
14:21it's a very, very dangerous spot.
14:23So in a moment,
14:25we will check with Harold
14:26on the rule regarding this.
14:27Right now, there's a lot of action
14:28as Obed Sullivan tries to fight his way
14:32past the danger created
14:34by that bad cut over his right eye.
14:42Unfortunate that he got cut, Jim.
14:44He showed me an awful lot
14:45in a short time, Sullivan.
14:48Good punch with either hand
14:50and good technique.
14:52That's wobbled Mathis
14:53a couple of times.
15:04Mathis not getting the kind
15:05of punching room
15:06against Obed Sullivan
15:07that he got, for instance,
15:08in his bout with Tyson in December.
15:10Well, Kevin Mooney told him
15:11to use a jab between rounds,
15:13but both fighters
15:14are just standing a jab.
15:16They're both making a war
15:17out of it on the inside.
15:21Hard right hand inside
15:22by Mathis.
15:27Sullivan goes back
15:27to the left hook
15:28and wobbles Mathis again.
15:30Buster throwing wildly
15:31and down he goes.
15:35Hey, Buster.
15:36Referee's gonna rule it a slip.
15:39Mathis didn't react
15:40as if it was a slip, Jim.
15:41I thought it was a knockdown.
15:42It's just a stretch.
15:54It's not bad real bad.
15:55Can you see?
15:56Yeah.
15:56Can you see?
15:57Yeah.
15:58Relax.
15:59Relax.
15:59Stay with me.
16:00It's nothing but a wick.
16:02Chuck McGregor does
16:03his own cut work, Gil.
16:04And it's in a bad spot.
16:06It's in that ice socket.
16:07Don't smother him so much.
16:08Give yourself some room.
16:10Touch with the couple.
16:11And how, with these rules,
16:12what is the rule on a headbutt?
16:14If the referee called it
16:15an accidental headbutt,
16:16it would have to go six rounds
16:17before we go to scorecards.
16:19It becomes a no contest
16:20if it's stopped here.
16:21All right.
16:22If they stop it before
16:23the sixth round,
16:24it's a no contest.
16:26Nobody would win.
16:27In essence, it's a technical draw.
16:29But they call it a no contest.
16:29Regardless of what's on the cards, Harold.
16:30Exactly.
16:31They don't go to scorecards
16:32until six rounds have been completed
16:33on an accidental headbutt.
16:35Gil, what about trainers
16:36that do their own cut work?
16:37Well, Jim, I can't knock them
16:39because I did my own cut work
16:40all the time.
16:41I was training fighters.
16:42If the guy knows his business,
16:43he knows his business.
16:44You know, you just don't know.
16:46There are specialists
16:47as far as cut men are concerned,
16:49but, for example, Angelo Dundee,
16:50he does his own cut work
16:52and he's one of the best
16:52in the business.
16:53Leading temporarily stopped.
16:55Now, as Sullivan comes out
16:56for round three,
16:57this is the round
16:58in which Tyson
16:58was able to get to Mathis.
17:00And look at that head.
17:01Look at that head
17:02on the inside with Mathis.
17:03Right on the cut.
17:04Look at that head
17:05going back and forth.
17:06Both fighters landing
17:12in close quarters.
17:13Sullivan, as usual,
17:14landing the harder blows.
17:19And now we're looking
17:24to see if Buster Mathis
17:26is cut as well
17:27or is the blood
17:28on Mathis' face
17:29a product of the cut
17:30on Sullivan's eye?
17:31No, Mathis is now cut
17:32over the left eye
17:34and if those heads
17:34keep banging together
17:35like this, Jim,
17:36we're going to see
17:37a lot more blood
17:38than we've even seen thus far.
17:40But look at those punches
17:41by Sullivan.
17:42He is an impressive-looking
17:43heavyweight
17:43as far as I'm concerned.
17:44You think it might be useful
17:47for Sullivan to back off,
17:48try to use the jab
17:49and create some punching
17:50space for himself?
17:51Nice combination
17:52by Mathis.
17:53Five solid punches.
17:56Sullivan got to him
17:57with a short right hand inside.
17:58He gets him
17:59with another short right.
18:01Both fighters able
18:02to counter effectively inside
18:04and the crowd loves it.
18:06I'd like to see Sullivan
18:07go on the outside
18:08and start using his stiff jab.
18:10That's what I'd like to see, too.
18:11I think he ought to create
18:12some distance for himself,
18:13try to protect that eye,
18:14and use his greater
18:16punching power from range.
18:17Punch out of him.
18:18Come on.
18:18Exactly.
18:19That's my thoughts entirely, Jim.
18:20And he started out
18:21the first amount
18:21throwing a good jab.
18:23We haven't seen one since.
18:25Blood flowing
18:26from both fighters
18:27as we reach the midway point
18:28of round number three.
18:30Head-banging action
18:31in grand forks.
18:38Again, Mathis is throwing
18:39more punches than Sullivan,
18:41but Sullivan's punches
18:43are far more effective.
18:44When he lands,
18:45he really lands.
18:46Plenty of leverage
18:47on his punches.
18:48Hard right-hand shot
18:49again by Sullivan.
18:50Mathis looked for a moment
18:51as though he was going to wobble,
18:53but then he held up
18:54and began to counter again.
18:56Bob and Weave!
18:58Bob and Weave come up punching!
19:00Kevin Rooney yelling at Mathis.
19:01Bob and Weave!
19:02Bob and Weave come up punching.
19:06Sullivan getting off again
19:08with the left-hand shots.
19:09Mathis goes to Sullivan's body.
19:11Mathis asked Kevin Rooney
19:17to train him for the Tyson fight.
19:19Kevin said,
19:20I don't think I would have time
19:21to get you ready,
19:22but check with me after the fight.
19:24Mathis did as he was told.
19:27Came back to Kevin Rooney
19:28after his trainer,
19:29Joey Fariello,
19:30suddenly died of a stroke
19:32eight days after the Tyson fight.
19:34Now Mathis is training
19:35in Catskill with Rooney.
19:37Sullivan coming forward.
19:39Sullivan butted Mathis that time.
19:41I mean,
19:41a real solid butt.
19:42All right,
19:43hold it.
19:50You gotta jam a little bit.
19:51That's all you gotta do.
19:52Step in his face.
19:58You can see how it's eye,
19:59B.
19:59No, don't do that.
20:00Don't even touch it.
20:01Don't touch it.
20:03It's not going in his eye.
20:05Give yourself some room.
20:06Take some deep breaths.
20:07Come on,
20:08another one.
20:09Hold it there.
20:09Get some breath from here.
20:10Okay.
20:12Listen to me.
20:14Give yourself some room.
20:16You're on the inside.
20:16You're killing him,
20:17but you're one.
20:20Take a deep breath.
20:23How about the low blows?
20:24No, it's a little bitty.
20:25He got nothing.
20:25How about the low blows?
20:26He's in the lower.
20:27Now this is a look at Sullivan.
20:31And that looks as though
20:32it could have been
20:33an intentional butt kill.
20:35It was a solid butt.
20:36There's no question about that.
20:37But I think he may have
20:39got a little frustrated
20:40because Mathis was really
20:41using his head
20:42an awful lot more
20:43than Sullivan was
20:45to be up until that butt.
20:47So both fighters
20:48have been butted.
20:49Both fighters show the damage.
20:50Sullivan's cut
20:51is unquestionably deeper
20:53and worse than the one
20:54above Mathis' left eye.
20:55Round four begins.
20:56Chuck McGregor suggested briefly
21:02to Obed Sullivan
21:04that he might ought to back off
21:05and try to get some
21:06punching range,
21:07but it's easier said than done.
21:09He's really not trying
21:10to use his legs at all,
21:12Jim.
21:12He's just staying right in there.
21:14Both guys trying to prove
21:15that they're the tougher
21:16of the two.
21:19I'd like to see Sullivan
21:20skip back,
21:21start using it,
21:22and as you say,
21:23give himself a little
21:24punching roll.
21:25Coming a battle
21:26of uppercuts here
21:27and you see that Mathis
21:28throws about twice
21:29as many punches inside
21:31as does Obed Sullivan
21:33and just has been
21:34the pattern all along
21:35when Sullivan lands,
21:36he lands the heavier blows.
21:37And again, Jim,
21:39Mathis has had
21:40that experience
21:40going 12 rounds
21:41a few times,
21:4310 rounds or more
21:43nine times,
21:44and Sullivan's only gone
21:4510 rounds once.
21:46So if this fight
21:48continues this way,
21:50unless Sullivan is Superman,
21:52Mathis should have
21:53the better of it
21:54as the fight goes along.
21:59Hey.
22:02Hard right hand
22:03by Sullivan.
22:04Backs Mathis up again.
22:06He had a little warm
22:07that time, Jim.
22:08That's why that punch
22:09was so effective.
22:10I wonder if he'll
22:11learn something from it.
22:12If he stays out,
22:14uses his jab,
22:15and sets up
22:15with some range,
22:16I think he's got a chance
22:17to whack Buster
22:18out of there.
22:19But I'm not sure
22:20it's going to happen
22:21if he keeps leaning
22:21in here inside on him.
22:26And Mathis, as you know,
22:28and as Gil set up
22:29before the fight,
22:30is the more durable fighter
22:31and the one with
22:32much more experience
22:33in the later rounds.
22:36Oh, come on, Jim.
22:41Wait a minute.
22:42Come on.
22:42Watch the button.
22:43Come on, man.
22:44You watch the button.
22:45Come on.
22:46Watch your hand.
22:48And Sullivan is losing
22:49his cool now, Jim.
22:50He's forgetting to box.
22:52He's forgetting to use
22:52a jab.
22:53He's really angry in there.
22:56They're banging those
22:57heads again together again.
23:00Well, as we mentioned,
23:01there's a vast experience gap.
23:04Buster's been around the ring
23:05a lot longer,
23:06even though he's
23:06two years younger.
23:07Sullivan hurts him
23:08again inside,
23:09head,
23:09and Mathis holds on.
23:11Don't swallow you
23:11sound there!
23:12Don't swallow you
23:14sound there!
23:15Don't swallow you
23:16sound there!
23:17Come around!
23:17Back him up,
23:17Buckley, run in the
23:22back!
23:23If I was in Sullivan's corner,
23:26I'd tell him to box,
23:28stay on the outside,
23:29use that jab,
23:30and insist that he do it
23:31because these heads are more dangerous than the punches.
23:45Four bloody rounds in the books
23:47for Mathis Jr. and Obed Sullivan.
23:51Crowd rises in appreciation for the action
23:54here in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
23:57Virgil Hill, the native son,
23:59still yet to fight.
24:01Harold Lederman, how do you have this one through four?
24:03Jim, 40-36, four runs to nothing.
24:06Obed Sullivan, he seems to be hurting him
24:07with the harder shots,
24:08but I want to tell you,
24:09both cuts were caused by accidental headbutts.
24:12I talked to referee Denny Nelson.
24:14If this fight is stopped before the sixth round,
24:17it becomes a no-cantest no matter who.
24:20Now, Denny Nelson is motioning to us.
24:24Damn.
24:26I mean, he don't win, do we?
24:27He ain't fighting me.
24:28He said that Obed Sullivan can't see out of his eye.
24:32They're stopping the fight.
24:33This fight will become a no-contest.
24:38And, Harold, I agree with you on the score.
24:40I've given Sullivan all four rounds.
24:41He's a very impressive heavyweight as far as I'm concerned.
24:44What do you think about the stoppage?
24:46We go home, we ain't lost nothing, right?
24:50It's just unfortunate because Sullivan showed me an awful lot, Jim.
24:54What about you?
24:56Well, I thought Sullivan looked like a strong fighter
24:59with a terrific punch
25:01and looked as though he had a good learning experience
25:04ahead of him here tonight,
25:05and it's going to be truncated
25:07by these unfortunate circumstances.
25:13And the crowd isn't going to like it.
25:18Referee doing his best to protect the fighters and their welfare.
25:20I'm not really sure that it's accurate or fair
25:24to say that Sullivan couldn't see out of that eye.
25:26Well, I don't think that it's fair to say that either.
25:30I mean, the cut is a terrible cut,
25:33but it's not bleeding.
25:34It's not bleeding into his eye.
25:35So unless he got some medication in his eye,
25:37I don't see why he couldn't see.
25:39The referee, Danny Nelson, has been around.
25:42He's a veteran of the game,
25:44although mostly in relatively backwater circumstances like this.
25:48We're not talking about a guy who has had exposure
25:51to a lot of big fights and big-name fighters.
25:54But right here, you have a circumstance
25:56where you're going to get a technical draw,
25:58a stoppage after four rounds,
26:00blood on both fighters, no contest,
26:03and I'm not sure what was gained
26:05for either Obed Sullivan
26:07or Buster Mathis Jr. here tonight.
26:09Harold Letterman.
26:10Fighting for the Intercontinental title
26:12held by Obed Sullivan.
26:13He retains his title.
26:15I mean, that's the only thing that comes out of this.
26:17Referee Danny Nelson went to the corner
26:19and observed that Obed Sullivan
26:21couldn't see out of his right eye
26:22because of the blood going into the eye,
26:24and he came over and he told me that
26:26because Obed Sullivan couldn't see,
26:28he stopped the fight.
26:29The cut was caused by an accidental headbutt,
26:32and because it was stopped before the year
26:34end of the sixth round,
26:35it becomes a no contest.
26:36So that's the story.
26:38Neither guy gains anything.
26:40It'll make a great rematch.
26:41Harold, you've seen a lot of fights.
26:43Do you think that Obed Sullivan
26:44couldn't see out of that eye?
26:45I'm sure that he couldn't see out of that eye
26:48because I know referee Danny Nelson,
26:50one of the finest referees in the world,
26:51an experienced man,
26:53a veteran of about 30 title fights.
26:54You couldn't get a better referee.
26:56If he was in a corner
26:57and he said that Obed Sullivan couldn't see,
26:59bet your life he couldn't.
27:00Couldn't get a better referee than Danny Nelson.
27:02No, Danny's one of the best.
27:05All right, let's quickly take a look at a replay.
27:09This is when Sullivan got cut.
27:11This would be early in the bout.
27:13First round, as a matter of fact, boom.
27:16And unquestionably, that's an accidental headbutt
27:19that causes a deep cut.
27:22And this is what happened later
27:24when in round three,
27:27Sullivan in his own frustration
27:28appeared to be wanting to give back
27:31as good as he got to Buster Mathis.
27:35And as a result of the headbutting activity,
27:39we get an incomplete result.
27:42Now let's go up to Danny Campbell
27:43for the official announcement on this one.
27:46Ladies and gentlemen,
27:49due to the fact that the cut was created
27:51by an accidental butt
27:52and the fight did not exceed six rounds,
27:56this fight is a no decision.
28:13So there you have it.
28:18No decision.
28:18And let's go to Gil Clancy in the ring
28:21with the man who appeared to be headed
28:23toward possible victory
28:24but won't get it tonight,
28:26Obed Sullivan.
28:28Obed, that was just a tough break.
28:30Tough break all around for everybody.
28:32But as far as I'm concerned,
28:34you certainly impressed me
28:35as a coming heavyweight.
28:36You didn't lose the fight,
28:38but you do have a bad cut.
28:39But it was just unfortunate.
28:40But you showed me an awful lot
28:42in that ring, Obed.
28:44Gil, I just got one thing to say.
28:46And if I had fought the type of fight
28:48that my trainer had instructed me to fight,
28:51he wouldn't have had the opportunity
28:52to headbutt me.
28:53So, you know,
28:54I'm so upset with myself
28:56because all I had to do
28:58was follow a simple game plan
28:59because Chuck warned me
29:01he comes in with his head like Tyson.
29:03And so you're going to get cut
29:05and lo and behold,
29:06I get my head opened up.
29:08This is not the type of debut performance
29:10that I wanted to show for the HBO viewers.
29:13I am totally disgusted.
29:14Well, you certainly weren't disgraced,
29:16but I'd have to agree with Chuck.
29:18We thought that if you stayed on the outside,
29:20use your left hand
29:21and gave yourself a little room,
29:23but you took the fight inside.
29:25And right in the first round
29:26when I saw the way you were fighting the fight,
29:28I said that both of these guys
29:29are going to get cut,
29:30or they should,
29:31and that's what happened.
29:32It was just an unfortunate thing.
29:33But, Obed, you showed me an awful lot.
29:36You looked like a very experienced fighter to me
29:38and a dangerous fighter.
29:40So you'll be back, I'm sure of that.
29:41We almost had him out.
29:42We almost had him out, guys.
29:43I just want to apologize again to HBO viewers.
29:46I want to apologize to my family.
29:48I want to apologize to all the commentators
29:49and all the representatives of HBO
29:51because they have so much faith in me
29:52and they believe me.
29:53A young fighter coming up.
29:55I'm just upset that I displayed myself,
29:57that I didn't follow my corner.
29:58So, you know, a hard head makes a soft behind,
30:01and I'm living proof to that tonight.
30:02But it's not going to happen again, Gil.
30:05Well, you'll be back.
30:05There's no question about that.
30:06You showed an awful lot of ability, Obed.
30:09And congratulations again
30:10for giving us a good performance.
30:12I'm sure you didn't disgrace yourself on HBO.
30:15I'm sorry, Gil.
30:16Thanks.
30:16Well, you get a sense there of the personality
30:19of one Lance Corporal Obed Sullivan,
30:222nd Marine Division, 3rd Battalion,
30:258th Marines, Lima Company, Camp Lejeune.
30:28And he wants to say hello to a Captain Ronald Bailey
30:31somewhere in the Marines
30:33who is the guy who got him into boxing in the first place.
30:36So it winds up as no mark on the record of Sullivan.
30:40But we have a sense that you might be seeing
30:42that rising young talent again.
30:44Meanwhile, Gil's with Buster Mathis, Jr.
30:46Gil.
30:47Buster, that was a real tough fight.
30:49Was this guy tougher than you thought he'd be?
30:50Oh, yeah.
30:51You know, the guy's got very good skills.
30:53And he did his homework, you know.
30:57I'm working on some new things
30:59with my new trainer, Kevin Rooney.
31:01And the guy was very good.
31:02You know, you can't take nothing away from him.
31:04Well, I thought he was very impressive
31:06as far as I was concerned, too.
31:08And the way you guys were fighting that fight
31:09with those heads, something was bound to happen.
31:13And it happened.
31:14Well, you know, my game is inside fight.
31:16His game was inside fight.
31:17So, you know, bound to happen.
31:19That's what the audience want.
31:20I want something to happen, you know.
31:21And, you know, I'm just very sorry it happened like this.
31:25But I can't wait to confront him again.
31:27It'll be a different story.
31:28You know, Buster, we thought that a couple of times
31:30that he hurt you in the fight.
31:31Did you feel that you were hurt at all in his fight?
31:32No, I was mostly off balance.
31:35He didn't hurt me at all.
31:36You know, I felt that I was coming on more at the end.
31:39You know, and, you know, as the fight goes on,
31:42I keep on going stronger and stronger and stronger.
31:44And, you know, yes, he hit me with some good shots.
31:46But I came back, and I'm planning to hopefully fight him again.
31:51Well, I'm sure that the public would like to see it again,
31:54providing that you guys can keep your heads apart.
31:56Yeah, you know, but, you know, there's something happened,
31:58and this is my third no contest.
32:01And I wait to see it.
32:04I'm anxious to fight Lou Sabarici and other people, you know.
32:08And I'm going back to school, custom model style.
32:11And Captain Rooney is up there to train me.
32:13So I got the best trainer in the world.
32:15And, you know, I'm just ready to go, you know, back to peek-a-boo.
32:19Okay, well, good luck, guys, and better luck in the future.
32:22Now let's go back to Jim at ringside.
32:24All right, thanks very much, Gil.
32:26Buster Mathis Jr., as he himself points out, has a flair for the no contest.
32:31It happens more frequently to him than it does to most other fighters.
32:34But, well, let's go back to Gil for a final word on the stoppage of the fight.
32:39Gil.
32:39No decision.
32:41Referee, I thought you did an excellent job in this fight
32:44because when the cut was open, you did come and inform everybody that it was an accidental butt.
32:50I've seen many a referee that really leaves you in the dark.
32:53And the way it happened, both fighters were cut,
32:55and their heads were banging from the opening bell.
32:58It's just too bad that they didn't stay apart.
33:00But I thought you did a wonderful job.
33:02And that was just the nature of the two fighters coming together.
33:05It was a headbutt.
33:07But otherwise, it was a slam-bang fight, I guess.
33:10Well, no, they were two good fighters, but they were two billy goats.
33:13And congratulations again for the job that you did.
33:16Now let's go back to Jim at ringside.
33:18All right.
33:19Thanks very much, Gil, and so much for the heavyweight bout that began the evening.
33:23Now let's get ready for these 7,000 North Dakotans to blow the lid off the Ingolstadt Arena.
33:28We are in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
33:30We are in Grand Forks, North Dakota.