- 7/25/2025
Undefeated Super Middleweight contender Andre Ward takes on Roger Cantrell on Showbox The New Generation
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00:00Ladies and gentlemen, from the Beaux-Azure Cricket Ground in Gross Islet, St. Lucia, this is Showbox, the new generation.
00:17And nobody gonna give you nothing for nothing. You gotta work for what you get.
00:22You gotta get them shots off. Left hook, right hand, both hands up, both hands up. Let's go.
00:27Go out there, focus on the job that has to be done.
00:32This is what it takes to be chances. This is what it takes right here, baby.
00:36Opportunity only, nothing once. Let's go.
00:38Tonight on Showbox, the new generation, we come to you from a tropical paradise.
01:02This is St. Lucia, a windward island in the Eastern Caribbean on the boundary of the Atlantic Ocean.
01:09Mountains, rainforests, white sand beaches are the attractions by day.
01:15And on this night, fight fans have gathered here at the Beaux-Azure Cricket Ground, home of the West Indies Cricket Club.
01:25It's the first ever pro boxing on St. Lucia, the first nationally televised sporting event ever other than cricket.
01:32It's a delightful 79 degrees. We had showers earlier, cool island breeze now at 15 miles an hour, and we are ready for a boxing doubleheader on Showtime.
01:45Hi again, everybody. I'm Nick Charles. Happy to be coming to you from this spectacular setting for Showbox.
01:54We're especially excited because our first fight on this two-fight card features the Showbox debut of Andre Ward,
02:02the only American fighter in 11 years to win an Olympic gold medal.
02:07You'll see him in action in just a few moments against another unbeaten American, Roger Cantrell, at a super middleweight showdown.
02:14But first, let me bring in my broadcast partner and pal, Steve Farr, and talk about our second bout.
02:18It's a battle of young heavyweights, Steve.
02:21Two guys with questionable, good records, but questionable credentials, both trying to get noticed here tonight.
02:28What would a win do for Joey Abel or Tech A.O. Rube?
02:31Well, Nick, on Showbox in recent months, the young heavyweights have weeded themselves out.
02:36We've had Chris Arreola and Eddie Chambers jumping to the top, Travis Walker and Jason Estrada dropping.
02:44Tech A.O. Rube and Joey Abel aren't even in the conversation, but they will be talked about as legitimate young heavyweight prospects
02:50if they win tonight and win impressively, convincingly, and maybe dynamically, too.
02:59Joey Abel scored a knockout in all 17 of his wins, and he suffered a TKO in his one loss.
03:04To say he hasn't been tested is to understate the fact, but he's big, he's strong, and he's a lefty.
03:11Abel took this fight on two weeks' notice.
03:13He says he's ready, I'm sure he's willing, and tonight he gets a chance to prove he's Abel.
03:24Tech A.O. Rube is the latest in a long list of Nigerian heavyweights.
03:27He's unbeaten, also unproven, though he's sparred with the best heavyweights of this generation.
03:33O'Rube has a dangerous chopping right, but he's more boxer than puncher.
03:37Tonight he'll try to outslick only the second southpaw he's faced as a pro.
03:42Joey Abel, whose wins have all come by knockout, takes on undefeated Techie O'Rube in a 10-round heavyweight showdown later in the hour.
03:51Our doubleheader from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia opens with a super middleweight matchup.
03:582004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward faces Roger Cantrell in a battle of unbeatens scheduled for 10 rounds.
04:05We're at the Bosage Orc Cricket Club, outside, outdoors, skies have cleared, beautiful night here in the Caribbean.
04:21As we look at Andre Ward in the ring, most decorated U.S. amateur fighter of the decade.
04:27Two-time national amateur champion who capped off his career by winning a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics at 178 pounds.
04:34Ward turned pro three years ago, has settled in as a super middle, and been brought along slowly.
04:40He's got excellent hand speed, good jab, solid right hand, quick left hook.
04:44Moves well, uses the ring, and has obvious class.
04:48Ward's never been past six rounds, though.
04:50He's stopped the three opponents he's faced this year inside the distance, including a third-round TKO in his last fight in July.
04:57Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward, 13-0, 8 KOs.
05:01Steve, take us behind the numbers.
05:03Well, Nick, minus 10.
05:04For now, Ward's comfortable at 168 pounds or super middleweight.
05:08That makes the fact that he won the gold medal at 178 pounds even more impressive.
05:13Facing winners, Ward's faced only one fighter so far with a losing record.
05:17His toughest test to date, a pair of showboxers, Darnell Boone and Francisco Diaz.
05:22And catching up, Ward's biggest problem, inactivity.
05:25Only three fights in 06, only three fights so far this year.
05:28But he's only 23, so time is not of the essence.
05:32Well, 21-year-old Roger Cantrell started boxing at 10, won 74 of 78 amateur fights,
05:37lost to Vanus Martirosian in the U.S. National Championships, turned pro the next year when he was 18.
05:43He's fought his entire career in the same building, Emerald Queen Casino, Tacoma, Washington area where he lives.
05:48Cantrell trained for this fight, though, in Las Vegas and said his first camp away from home was invaluable preparation.
05:56He's a fighter who's gotten it done from outside but told us he's changing style for this fight
06:00and plans to put intelligent pressure on Ward.
06:03Cantrell scored a fourth-round stoppage in his last fight five months ago
06:07that boosted his record to 12-0 with eight knockouts.
06:10What's behind those numbers, Steve?
06:12Well, for Cantrell, six quickies.
06:14He's fought only 34 rounds as a pro, and that's because six of his bouts have been first-round blowouts.
06:19The combined record of those six victims, only seven and nine.
06:23Can of corn.
06:24Cantrell's making a humongous jump up in class.
06:26The only familiar name on his record is that of veteran trial horse J.J. Corn,
06:30who was 47-17-2 when Cantrell stopped him in four.
06:34And Southern Exposure.
06:35As Nick mentioned, all 12 of Cantrell's fights have been in Tacoma.
06:39No home cooking this time, though.
06:40Ward, on the other hand, is fought northeast, south, and west.
06:45Andre Ward, the only American fighter to win Olympic gold since 1996,
06:50puts his perfect professional record on the line
06:53against unbeaten and upset-minded Roger Cantrell.
06:56Let's go now to ring announcer Jimmy Lennon, Jr., for the official introductions.
07:04Ladies and gentlemen, a very good evening to you,
07:08and welcome to the Boise Jour Cricket Grounds in Gross Islet,
07:13in the beautiful Caribbean island of St. Lucia, simply beautiful.
07:20Ladies and gentlemen, we have a big night of action coming your way.
07:23It's Showbox, the new generation,
07:26and it's all brought to you by Goose and Tudor Promotions
07:29and the government of St. Lucia under the direction of Prime Minister
07:33the Honorable Stevenson King,
07:35in association with Reebok, American Airlines, and Showtime.
07:42This backcoming way, ladies and gentlemen,
07:44is also brought to you in conjunction with Brian Hallquist Promotions
07:48and sanctioned by Millock's Band of Ojibwe Indians,
07:52Department of Athletic Regulation,
07:54and the executive directors, Anibal Miramontes.
07:58Introducing to you our three judges scoring this bout from ringside,
08:02Roberto Ramirez, Cesar Ramos, and Nelson Vazquez.
08:07And our referee in charge of this bout,
08:11Jose Rivera.
08:14All right, fans, here we go.
08:17Super middleweights in the ring.
08:19Ten rounds of boxing scheduled.
08:23Introducing to you first on my right.
08:26Fighting out of the blue corner,
08:27wearing white trunks with red trim.
08:30He weighed in at 166 and one-half pounds.
08:35He is undefeated in his campaign in the ring
08:37with a record of 12 wins, no losses,
08:40eight wins coming by way of knockout.
08:43Hailing from Seattle, Washington, in the United States,
08:46please welcome the undefeated Roger Cantrell.
08:58And his opponent across the ring on my left,
09:02fighting out of the red corner in this ten-round featured attraction,
09:05wearing white trunks with black trim.
09:08He weighed in at 167 pounds.
09:11He also is undefeated in his campaign in the ring
09:15with a record of 13 wins, no losses,
09:18eight wins coming by way of knockout.
09:21Ladies and gentlemen,
09:22please welcome the 2004 Olympic gold medalist
09:26from Oakland, California,
09:29the undefeated Andre S.O.G. Ward.
09:35Once again on the free and charge,
09:41Luis Rivera now to give instructions,
09:43ten rounds of boxing schedule.
09:45I gave the inclusion about this line is illegal.
09:51Good luck.
09:53Good luck.
09:58You see the numbers,
09:59these super middleweights,
10:00almost identical in dimensions.
10:02It's hard to believe that Ward won the gold at 178
10:05because as a pro,
10:06he's fought as light as 160.
10:10And here,
10:11the first-ever fight in St. Lucia
10:13will go by the ABC rules of boxing.
10:16As you see them,
10:17they are a referee,
10:18Jose Luis Rivera,
10:19ready for this spectacular first
10:22here in St. Lucia.
10:24Showbox comes to the Caribbean.
10:27Andre Ward,
10:28the Olympian,
10:29white with the black trim,
10:30and pure white is Roger Cantrell.
10:33Both unbeaten,
10:34but there's no doubt about it.
10:36The class belongs to Ward.
10:38Ward with a big stare down
10:39before they started,
10:41and he comes banging with a hook,
10:43trying to back up Cantrell
10:44and make him think twice about moving in.
10:47Very important, Nick,
10:48for Cantrell to get off to a good start.
10:50He also knows he can't outbox Ward.
10:52He's got to back him up.
10:53He's got to hurt him.
10:55Ward's fast hands coming into play
10:57as Cantrell gets clipped on that exchange.
10:59And Steve, from earlier films,
11:01and he said he fought terribly
11:02on television before,
11:04but Cantrell's chin was in the air
11:06and he was arm punching to me.
11:10I saw the same thing on film, Nick.
11:11He's going to have to raise his game
11:13just to compete with Ward.
11:14And Ward, for a split second there
11:16a few seconds ago,
11:17went southpaw.
11:18He will do that.
11:19Yeah, he's ambidextrous.
11:21There Ward knows his way around the ring,
11:23probing to the body there with the jab.
11:25Watch his hands fly.
11:26He really has all the punches.
11:28Now they jab together.
11:29It's important for Cantrell
11:30to at least jab with Ward,
11:32maybe punch in between here
11:33instead of waiting.
11:34But it's Cantrell
11:35in pure white on the right
11:37trying to run down Andre Ward
11:39who clinches now off the ropes.
11:41Okay.
11:41Side back.
11:42Come on.
11:43As pros,
11:44Ward more rounds than Cantrell,
11:47even though he hasn't been that active
11:48since turning pro after the gold medal.
11:50Now at least Cantrell tries a jab.
11:56And you see the amateur experience.
11:58Cantrell, pretty good amateur background
11:59as well, lost in the U.S. Nationals.
12:02Not a gold medal winner though.
12:03Left hook there from Ward landed.
12:06And now Cantrell woke him up a little bit.
12:08He came fighting back
12:09but hit nothing but air.
12:11So Cantrell cannot get into this fight right now.
12:13He has tried some jabs.
12:14He's short with the shots there
12:16and he gets clipped,
12:17gets hit again from Ward
12:18who is selecting his shots nicely.
12:20Oh, he sure is.
12:21He's zeroing in.
12:23Cantrell already marked
12:24under the right eye, Nick.
12:25And what Ward's doing is very simple.
12:27He's making Cantrell's aggressiveness
12:29work for Ward.
12:30Right.
12:31And it's really controlling distance
12:32till we take that little half step back.
12:34We've seen him run Cantrell
12:36into shots a couple of times.
12:37And Cantrell's just not loose.
12:38He's very tight, Steve.
12:41Huge step up.
12:42We can't say enough.
12:43He fights your whole career
12:44in one building.
12:45Now you're taking on
12:46an old medalist.
12:49There's that cut.
12:50You see the swelling,
12:52a little bit of blood
12:53under the right eye
12:54of Roger Cantrell
12:54but under we should say.
12:56There's Ward connecting
12:57on the second shot.
13:01Ward really hasn't let his hands
13:02go to a great extent
13:03but he can fire combinations.
13:05No, no, no.
13:06Okay, okay, okay.
13:08Take the heck.
13:09Okay, come on.
13:10Some of the mistakes
13:11that they've worked on
13:12with the Hunter
13:13from Ward.
13:14As he polishes himself
13:16as a pro
13:16not to leap in as much
13:17with that hook, Steve.
13:19Exactly.
13:20And leaping in
13:20is exactly what Cantrell's doing
13:22when he punches.
13:23He's tight as he said, Nick.
13:25And that's a sign
13:25of a tight fighter
13:26when you leap in
13:26when you're shot.
13:27Boyan walking right into shots.
13:30And Cantrell's angry
13:31but he just can't connect.
13:34As we close out the first round,
13:35stare down from both men.
13:37They talked about
13:38what they have to do
13:39to win this fight.
13:40I'm stronger.
13:44I hit harder.
13:46I'm fast as well.
13:47He may have a little quickness
13:48on me but I'm fast as well.
13:50I'm as smart as he is.
13:52And I think
13:54when it all comes down to it
13:55I just got a lot more
13:56dogfighting me.
13:57My basic strategy
13:58for the fight
13:59is to go in there
14:00and take control of the ring
14:01right away.
14:02Dictate how the fight
14:03is going to be fought
14:04and along the way
14:05make whatever necessary
14:06adjustments we need to make.
14:08But the bottom line is
14:09just to stay formless
14:11so to speak.
14:12Flow with the fight
14:13and make whatever adjustments
14:14we need to make once again
14:15and win.
14:16Okay?
14:18Work behind the fundamentals.
14:20Okay?
14:21They're going to send him
14:21to do something stupid.
14:22He's going to run into something.
14:24Stay focused.
14:25Good advice.
14:26That's what happened
14:27a little bit from Cantrell.
14:28He did run into those shots
14:29in the first round
14:30but they want more.
14:31So they want Ward
14:32to obviously work off the jab,
14:35be first and then
14:36keep turning Cantrell.
14:37He's just much more fluid,
14:39isn't he, Steve?
14:40Fluid, more relaxed
14:41and boy, the fundamentals
14:42are exactly what he should
14:44be focusing on
14:44because Cantrell reaching,
14:46punching from too far away,
14:47over-anxious.
14:49Yeah, he is.
14:49He wants to make something
14:50happen offensively
14:51and he talked about
14:52the smart aggression,
14:53trying to be elusive
14:54walking in
14:54but he is hanging that shin out
14:56so he's got to keep his hands up,
14:57keep that tight guard
14:58but Ward's already found
15:00little openings to the body
15:01with that lead jab
15:02so he's working Cantrell nicely.
15:05There's the lead right hand
15:06as he continues to turn
15:07and use all of the ring.
15:10Well, Nick, Cantrell's people
15:11came into this fight
15:12with the belief,
15:13as is a somewhat common belief,
15:15that Ward can be hurt
15:16because he got rocked
15:16in his pro debut.
15:17He got dropped
15:18by Nornell Boone.
15:19But you can't hurt a guy
15:21if you can't hit a guy.
15:22Right, but you know,
15:22you can't...
15:23I want boxing, okay?
15:25You can't hit him inside there
15:26and Cantrell talked about
15:28the dog in him,
15:29he's got more fight in him.
15:30He's not showing it.
15:31That was a bad butt there.
15:33I saw Ward's forehead
15:34connected to Cantrell's
15:35left side of his sheet.
15:37Cantrell much too tentative.
15:39He's either wild or tentative,
15:41nothing in between.
15:43But he's doing nothing to...
15:44Box with Ward.
15:48Come on.
15:49Almost looks like
15:50he's having a fight
15:51taken out of him.
15:51There's a pen of him now.
15:52Time, time, time!
15:53Autograph?
15:55Yeah.
15:55Maybe after the fight.
15:58Okay, timing!
15:59Cuts on both cheekbones now
16:00with Roger Cantrell.
16:04Ward is taking his time.
16:05Cantrell, now he's getting rough.
16:07There's the rough stuff.
16:08Oh, and a combination.
16:10Rapid fire from Andre Ward
16:12out of the clinches.
16:13Beautifully done.
16:14Now Ward's circling right,
16:17now left.
16:19Waiting to get that jab going,
16:21missing, and now
16:22cleaning up with an uppercut.
16:25But here's where
16:26Cantrell's got to get rough.
16:32Steve, you mentioned
16:33same measurements,
16:34really reach and height,
16:35but Cantrell's not going to win
16:36this fight outboxing.
16:38Ward, as you said,
16:39so he's got to get tough inside.
16:40And that was their plan
16:41all along.
16:42You know, small signs
16:43of improvement here
16:45for Cantrell,
16:45in that he is trying
16:46to get rough on the inside.
16:50But Nick, Andre Ward
16:51has lost a fight in what?
16:53Ten years and about
16:54a hundred fights.
16:55He was 13 years old
16:56the last time he lost.
16:58Amazing.
16:59He's dominating so far
17:00here in the second
17:01schedule for ten.
17:02No, no, no, no.
17:03Ward's never been past six,
17:05nor has Cantrell.
17:11Okay, come on, come on.
17:12The telltale sign is
17:13this isn't going to distance.
17:16Ward is starting to lay a beating
17:18on Cantrell.
17:19Stop, stop, stop.
17:20And it's showing.
17:21Come on.
17:24Andre Ward on the left,
17:26back to us right now,
17:27in fact.
17:28Okay.
17:29But measured...
17:30Fight, not wasting anything.
17:36Oh, loaded up with that right.
17:40Go!
17:41Ward fainted with the left,
17:43loaded up with the right.
17:47He's breaking up.
17:48He's breaking up.
17:49Good job.
17:50You want to look at him?
17:50Look at him.
17:51Good job, Greg.
17:53How you feeling?
17:54Wearing good.
17:54Okay, he's ready to go.
17:56He's disgusting.
17:57But just keep working steady on him.
17:59Bring it closer to him.
18:00Bring that fucking...
18:00Now, listen.
18:01Come on, Don.
18:02I'm sorry, Don.
18:03I'm sorry.
18:04Listen.
18:05Keep your hands close.
18:06Keep it tight.
18:07Look at what you did.
18:09Action from round two.
18:10It's all Andre Ward.
18:11His hand speed too good.
18:13There, Cantrell.
18:14Cantrell's trying to rough Ward up,
18:15but Ward lands a big left hook
18:16as if to say it's not going to work.
18:19Then later in the round,
18:20watch.
18:21Set up, set up.
18:21Paw with the jab.
18:22Try to blind him with the left.
18:25Throw the overhand right.
18:26It landed perfectly.
18:27And clearly, Ward thought Cantrell
18:29was badly hurt there,
18:30but there was not enough time
18:31to follow up.
18:32On the right of Cantrell,
18:34you see Joe Hipp,
18:35former heavyweight contender,
18:37fought Bruce Seldon in 95
18:38for the title.
18:40He is also a Native American.
18:42There's a Montana connection as well.
18:43Roger Cantrell, a Native American.
18:46And he's in the fight
18:47against a gold medalist,
18:49Andre Ward,
18:50and looking intimidated, Steve.
18:52Clean fight, clean fight.
18:53It's just outclassed right now.
18:54You know, the speed difference,
18:56timing difference is pronounced.
18:58Every time Cantrell punches,
19:01he's telegraphing,
19:02and Ward's able to just step out of range.
19:04Look at that, every time.
19:05Cantrell not punching enough.
19:06There's a double jab from Ward,
19:08from Ward,
19:09and then with nothing coming back,
19:10Ward stung Cantrell with another left hand.
19:13Now he's letting his hands go.
19:16Big fight crowd here.
19:17They're loving it.
19:18They're really in it now.
19:19Again, first professional fight card ever on this island.
19:24It's exciting.
19:24The people feel that excitement.
19:26Oh, they are into it.
19:28All in, all in.
19:29Okay, stop.
19:29They packed this place,
19:30outdoor cricket stadium.
19:35Ward being as selective as he chooses,
19:38and now running in with a combination.
19:39So, he is punching his way in.
19:42He's controlling distance,
19:43hot-shotting from the outside,
19:45doing it all.
19:47Cantrell can't get wound up.
19:49No, no.
19:49But he is wound tight.
19:52Well, Cantrell, you know,
19:54he's going to have to keep applying pressure,
19:56keep getting close,
19:57because if he's going to land the shot,
19:58he's going to have to be very close.
20:00He's probably going to have to be a counterpunch,
20:01because he's not going to be first in the trigger.
20:03Okay.
20:05Ward's out of range now,
20:07and here we see Ward winning the inside slug fence.
20:13Yeah, Ward can fight any way he wants in this fight.
20:15Come on.
20:17Cantrell's got to rough him up a little bit.
20:19I don't know if he's capable of it.
20:22No, no, no, no.
20:23Hey, hey.
20:24Don't push.
20:25Okay.
20:25Check that, okay?
20:26Check that.
20:27Come on.
20:30No.
20:31Great.
20:33Good digging left hook to the body by Ward.
20:37Not a lot of body shots from Ward.
20:41I think Ward's a little surprised, Nick,
20:43that he's been as successful as he's been on the inside.
20:45He can fight Cantrell on the inside.
20:47He doesn't have to bother.
20:48Yeah, Cantrell.
20:49Not firing, not return fire at all.
20:52Well, Cantrell's never been an infighter.
20:54He's been a boxer who's usually taller
20:55with longer reach than his opponents,
20:57but not tonight.
20:58Yeah, he's sort of jumping in,
20:59trying to get himself time to start running in.
21:02Come on, Rick, come on.
21:02Cantrell is walking into shots.
21:05Good movement from Ward.
21:06Ward misses with that left hook.
21:12Cantrell on the left.
21:16Getting roughed up inside a little bit.
21:20Three rounds, Nick.
21:21Would you agree that Cantrell really has landed a punch?
21:24No.
21:24Yes, I would completely agree.
21:26As you say, it's a clear question of class.
21:32He's trying, though.
21:33He's still trying.
21:34Definitely is.
21:35Just doesn't have the skill.
21:39Jumping and reaching.
21:41Cantrell.
21:41Never going to land a shot that way.
21:42He needs strategic adjustment.
21:55Okay, Roger, you've got to start throwing some fucking,
21:57you've got to get in there and get mean, baby.
21:59Listen, he's taking the rounds, so come on.
22:02Take your time.
22:02You've got to step it up.
22:03Double it up.
22:03You've got to start fucking punching.
22:04Come on, baby.
22:05You've got to step to and fucking hit this son of a bitch.
22:07Double it up.
22:08Use your fucking right.
22:09Use that right.
22:10You're not using it at all.
22:11Start hurting him.
22:14He's trying to catch you with a jab and hook.
22:17I know, but that don't matter.
22:19That's right.
22:20So you've got to take him.
22:21When you're on the inside, throw punches.
22:24Be active.
22:25Be active.
22:26Keep them hands up.
22:27He's trying to, you're dropping that hand.
22:28He's trying to come over the top.
22:30Jab right.
22:31Right when he jabs, you throw your right.
22:33Step in.
22:34Get it.
22:34Second of my mouth here.
22:35Let's go.
22:36Second of my mouth here.
22:37Let's go.
22:37It's a lot to remember, Steve.
22:39I forgot.
22:40It's a lot to execute.
22:42But, you know, I do agree.
22:43He's got to step to Ward.
22:45And he's got to, he's got to let his hands go.
22:48Oh, I think so.
22:49But what I would do is have him faint.
22:51Because Ward steps back every time can't drop punches.
22:53If you faint Ward toward the rope, then he can step in.
22:57He'll have the advantage of Ward being a little bit squared up.
22:59Yeah, at least have a shot that way.
23:00He hasn't backed Ward up at all or moved him to the ropes at all.
23:03Yeah, the way he's fighting, he has no shot.
23:06Because we don't see tremendous firepower, although he hasn't hit.
23:12He hasn't had an authority able to touch land.
23:15No, no, no.
23:17Ward's movement is too good.
23:18He's controlling the ring.
23:20Come on, come on.
23:22Pressure, Ryan. Pressure.
23:23Come on, come on.
23:24Talk about Ward's performance, Nick, a little bit.
23:27He really should shine in this fight.
23:29I mean, he's more this, more skilled guy, and you see it right here.
23:32Yeah, now he's driving Cantrell back, and Cantrell basically arm punching, fighting for survival.
23:37He's holding on a little bit.
23:38Now he shoves Ward off.
23:39But I agree, Ward should start to let it go here, and not let it drag on the repetitive type of sparring section.
23:46That's exactly what I was getting to, because Cantrell's aggressive, and then he's coming to Ward, presenting a target.
23:53He tried to run Cantrell into an uppercut.
23:58Now, working the body a little bit.
24:01Take the heck. Come on.
24:04Ward getting a little wild.
24:05He's abandoned the jab for now.
24:07Trying to connect with that hook.
24:09Come on, come on.
24:10Yeah, and he's looking for one shot.
24:11Come on, come on.
24:12He should be just throwing punches and let the knockout come.
24:14Yeah, there's the hook.
24:15Does land straight uppercuts.
24:16Okay, very good.
24:17Now they trade inside, and Cantrell looks fairly out of gas.
24:21Come on, come on, come on.
24:23Yeah, on the inside, Ward's throwing in combination.
24:25On the outside, he's trying for one shot.
24:26Okay, I won't fight.
24:27Come on.
24:28lutconlet, for example, cantene.
24:30Cantrell just not letting his hands go.
24:35Ah, the tail end there, Ward wound up and found Cantrell's chin
24:42with a straight left hand.
24:44Take the hand.
24:48Take that.
24:49Good.
24:54But it's Ward all offense,
24:55and Cantrell in defensive mode.
24:57and into another shot, missing wildly
24:59as Cantrell short with the jab.
25:01And it's Ward backing off and creating that distance.
25:04Oh, come on.
25:06Lonnie, Lonnie, come on.
25:09Oh, Lord, Lonnie.
25:10You know, Cantrell has to be aggressive,
25:12but when he gets aggressive and he gets on the inside,
25:14he gets outfought on the inside.
25:15So what's his ticket to make?
25:16No, it's a dilemma.
25:18He doesn't have the guns.
25:19Come on.
25:22He does have eight K.O.s in 12 fights.
25:24Again, limited opposition.
25:27Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on.
25:32Okay, come on.
25:33Neither guy has been 10.
25:34Will it go 10?
25:35Here our first fight is doubleheader
25:38from St. Lucia and the Caribbean.
25:51Keep slowing up, baby.
25:52You're really getting a beating.
25:53Okay, you're settling down, son.
25:55Keep working behind the jab.
25:56On the inside, stay tight, okay?
25:58You're wearing him down, okay?
26:00You hear me?
26:01Good job, Pete.
26:02Okay.
26:03Breathe deep.
26:04Action from round four.
26:05A lot of the round was fought on the inside,
26:07and really all we can say about Roger Cantrell
26:09is that he's proving he's pretty tough.
26:10Look how wide his punches are.
26:11Andre Ward sees every one of them coming,
26:13even on the inside.
26:14Ward punned, mixing up his shots on the inside,
26:16throwing in combination more.
26:17And that was an interesting punch
26:18because even though he was on the inside,
26:19he sort of turned to southpaw on through that left hand.
26:22Be slick.
26:23Worked that jab, Dre.
26:24You know, Virgil Hunter, Ward's trainer,
26:25took a look back at Roger Cantrell's corner
26:27to see if maybe there was some quit in there.
26:29There isn't as they head out to the fifth round,
26:31but Ward has won every one, inarguably here.
26:34Andre Ward now.
26:55They want him a box, work off the jab more.
26:58Digging in, jumping in with that left hook against the
27:02shopping right, Ward just creating distance,
27:08and Cantrell not knowing how to cut it off
27:10to deal with that speed.
27:11No, no, no, no, no, no.
27:14Cantrell never been down.
27:15He's a pro.
27:16Come on.
27:17He's never stopped trying in this fight.
27:19He really can't get warmed up.
27:20Oh, the hand speed there, left, and then that right.
27:23And what was beautiful about that move
27:25is after he landed the right neck,
27:26he moves completely over to Cantrell's blind side.
27:30That's it, stepping around.
27:31Nice movement, yeah.
27:31Nice movement, boy.
27:33Hey, take that.
27:35Tail and left hand, out of the clinch.
27:38So Ward doing it all here.
27:43No, no, no.
27:44Okay, come on.
27:45Come on.
27:46Cantrell walking forward.
27:49Go to work, Roger!
27:51Go to work!
27:51Ward able to pot shot if he wants.
27:54As you said, Steve, when the war's inside,
27:56the battle's inside as well.
27:58Come on.
28:00More blood over Cantrell's left eye.
28:02Can't tell if it's new or not.
28:04Mist not clean shots to left-right,
28:06but that left hook landed, and that overhand right did as well.
28:09So Cantrell having a fight taken on it a little bit.
28:12He's still trying, but I don't know how much he could be believing at this point.
28:16As he has taken a pounding here in the fifth.
28:19Yeah, I think he's been broken down mentally.
28:21I don't know if he still thinks he can win.
28:23And here comes Ward letting it go, and staggering Cantrell, perhaps for the first time in his career.
28:29Cantrell takes a huge overhand right.
28:33Backing up here, the referee's starting to take a look at Cantrell.
28:37He's taking a beating, and the referee's seen it all.
28:40Good call.
28:41And look, he shoves the referee off.
28:42Come on, man.
28:43Throws his mouthpiece out, and he is hot.
28:45Come on.
28:46Come on.
28:47Come on.
28:48No way.
28:49Come on.
28:50Good call by the referee.
28:51I don't care whether Cantrell liked it or not.
28:54His head was getting snapped back with every shot, man.
28:56Well, it was inevitable.
28:57I don't think Cantrell was ready to quit by any means.
29:00And I don't know if he was in danger, Steve.
29:02Typically, I like a short hook, a real fast pull into the plug.
29:06But at this point, it was inevitable that he was going to lose this fight.
29:13Well, Roger Cantrell moves out of the Tacoma, Washington area for the first time as a professional
29:19and absorbs his first loss, a fifth-round stoppage by Andre Ward, the 2004 gold medalist
29:28from Oakland, California, moving to a perfect 14-and-0 with nine stoppages.
29:37So he's learning every fight.
29:40Steve, as we wait for the decision, any kind of a learning process,
29:43anything you could break down for us technically that you saw?
29:46Well, a good fight for Andre Ward.
29:48My main criticism is that he found Cantrell so easy to hit, Nick,
29:51that he was loading up and not punching in combination.
29:54As soon as he went on the inside, and he saw more combination punching,
29:57that's when he really wore down Cantrell and hurt him.
30:00But for me right now, Andre Ward's talent is obvious.
30:03Nobody needs to talk about his hand speed, his poison ring.
30:06The key is activity.
30:08He has not been that busy a fighter, and he's just got to fight some more.
30:12And now we're going to look at the end.
30:14And you...
30:17Now, this is action from round five.
30:19Not quite the end of the fight yet, but look at the number of shots.
30:21First of all, Cantrell's hands are low there.
30:23Look at the number of clean shots that land.
30:26Not so clean there, but they come on later in the round.
30:31And again, Ward probably trying a little too hard for the knockout.
30:36And now you see the end of the fight.
30:37I can't argue with this.
30:39Now, that's the last shot of right hand.
30:41Cantrell's hands wore off.
30:44But he had... and Nick put it best.
30:45He was not a threat to win this fight.
30:48Hey, Simone!
30:50Andre Ward is still perfect as a pro as we go to Jimmy Lennon Jr.
30:55Ladies and gentlemen, we have the time of one minute, 56 seconds.
31:03In round number five, a referee in charge, Jose Rivera, stops the contest.
31:09He is the winner by way of technical knockout and still undefeated, Andre Ward!
31:18Andre Ward had things his way, bell to bell every moment of this fight, completely dominating,
31:29which is something he had to do.
31:32Without disparaging Cantrell, he was full of fight.
31:35He was very wound tight at the beginning, never really got into it.
31:38But credit the question of being totally outclassed in this fight, we never saw the kind of aggression
31:44that Cantrell promised to bring to this fight to give him any kind of a chance to win.
31:49Okay, okay!
31:50But again, it was simply a question of him being overwhelmed by a better guy, Steve.
31:54Great job, though, too.
31:56Great job.
31:57Well, here's the close of the fight.
32:01Cantrell not protecting himself on the outside.
32:05That right hand landed.
32:06You know, it seemed like Cantrell took a lot of the power away by leaning away.
32:16I think his head was snapping back a number of times in that round, Nick.
32:19Hey, a small step for Andre Ward.
32:22Probably not, I shouldn't say probably not, not the toughest opponent he's faced.
32:29Well, he got careless there in the clinch and got dropped, right.
32:34And Boone is a tough guy.
32:36We've done several of his fights, a guy who wouldn't go away.
32:40But looking at him, he got wobbled in his first pro fight.
32:44He was down because he got careless and dropped his hands out of a clinch.
32:47He said it was an amateur mistake when a referee says, stop, you stop.
32:51And he got careless.
32:52So those are all justifiable.
32:53But, you know, we certainly didn't see him tested for chin tonight, Steve.
32:58No, that's for sure.
32:59That's going to be a reputation.
33:01But you know what?
33:02Cornell Whitaker, Oscar de la Hoya, not bad fighters.
33:04Both of them got dropped early in their careers.
33:07And later, when they were world-class superstars, their chins were really not an issue.
33:11Andre Ward, big win on national television.
33:16The first American fighter to win an Olympic gold medal in 11 years in 2004.
33:23Now he's a pro, and he's 14-0.
33:32Coming up next, Joey Abel, 17 wins, 17 KOs.
33:40Takei Oru, big, strong, unbeaten.
33:44Abel meets Oru in a heavyweight bout, 10 rounds or less.
33:51First, though, a reminder that a week from tomorrow night, two former champions looking
33:58to get there again clash when Fernando Vargas battles Ricardo Mayorga on Showtime pay-per-view.
34:05Here's more on an intriguing slugfest.
34:08I'm going to give you this one last opportunity for you to be able to collect a check and thereafter
34:17a pension check because I'm going to retire you from boxing.
34:19This will be my last fight.
34:20I do it for one reason and one reason only, and that's pride.
34:23You're going to do your wife a favor and not let her cry anymore after they disfigure
34:27every time that you go into the ring.
34:29Oh, hey!
34:37We should have sold tickets to this.
34:38With personalities more colorful than their national flags, the two rating bad boys of boxing, Ferocious
34:45Fernando Vargas and Ricardo El Matador Mayorga, are about to wake the world of boxing with
34:49a fight that can only be named The Brawl.
34:51Both have won world titles, both have earned reputations for their combative attitudes inside the ropes, and their outlandish behavior outside the ring.
35:00But despite their similarities, Vargas and Mayorga share a genuine and unconcealed hatred for one another.
35:06Why so much hostility between the two of you?
35:11You know, I made it a street fight.
35:13He wants to make it a street fight.
35:14We can make it, but I'm an intelligent fighter.
35:16He's a stupid ass.
35:17He looks like my son's ass, a little nice and round right now.
35:23He was the first one to say that he was going to retire me so my wife wouldn't be crying every time that they leave my face like a monster, and I said, what about your face?
35:36What about your face, the way they leave your face, you jackass?
35:40These two bad boys, originally scheduled to come together on September 8th, will now settle their differences in the ring on Friday, November 23rd.
35:51They meet not for a title, but for the sheer desire to fight.
36:04Vargas beats Mayorga.
36:06Meanwhile, here's what else is happening in the coming weeks on the Showtime sports calendar.
36:13Showbox closes out our year two weeks from tonight with unbeaten James Kirkland back on Showbox and looking to take out his aggression on Alan Conyers,
36:21who scored a spectacular knockout on Showbox earlier this year.
36:25And December 1st, Showtime Championship Boxing presents a triple header featuring Vernon Forrest and Antonio Tarver in co-main events,
36:33plus Nonito Donaire defending his World Flyway title.
36:37For the entire list of events on Showtime sports, log on to our website at show.com.
36:43The soaring twin pigs called the Pitons provide a stunning backdrop for Showbox coming to you tonight from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia.
36:55The island was discovered by Europeans when Christopher Columbus arrived in 1502 on the Feast of St. Lucie and named it Santa Lucie.
37:04The French colonized the island in the 17th century, the British came in the 19th, and St. Lucia finally achieved independence in 1979.
37:14The Caribs are the indigenous people here.
37:16Ninety percent of the people are of African descent.
37:19Creole is the native dialect spoken.
37:22The beaches are both white and black volcanic sand.
37:25There are rainforests, banana plantations, and breathtaking scenery everywhere.
37:31In this jewel of the Caribbean, which measures just 27 by 14 miles.
37:38St. Lucia calls itself appropriately simply beautiful, and we would agree.
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