Reid Joins Olympic Mates as Pro Champ
Dateline: 03/07/99Fight fans have come to expect competitive, entertaining bouts from HBO Boxing and last night's doubleheader did not disappoint.
In the opener, Lou Savarese (39-2, 32 KO) outpointed Lance 'Mount' Whitaker (18-1, 16 KO) in a spirited ten rounder. Savarese's style (or rather lack thereof) makes him the heavyweight division's answer to Arturo Gatti -- every one of his fights is worth watching simply because you know that that while he's dishing out punishment, he'll also be absorbing his fair share (or more) in return. At 6'8", 249, Whitaker is one of the few fighters around who actually makes Savarese (6'5", 240) look small. So Savarese, who always comes up big in the heart department, was forced to demonstrate his ring smarts in this fight. After eating many of the 122 punches Whitaker unleashed on him in the sixth frame, Savarese wisely elected to take a knee in the round's final minute to gather himself and survive the final 30 seconds. While Whitaker was busier (outpunching Lou 694-563), Savarese was the sharper and more accurate fighter (outlanding Whitaker 242-227) and was awarded a narrow split decision victory (97-93, 95-93 and 94-95). At 33, Savarese keeps himself in contention for a big money fight; Whitaker, 26, gains some much-needed experience (he's been boxing professionally less than three years) and displays enough talent to suggest that we may not have seen the last of this 'Mount'-ain of a man.
In the main event, David Reid (12-0, 7 KO) became the third member of the '96 U.S. Olympic team to win a world title (joining Fernando Vargas and Floyd Mayweather) by outpointing French champion Laurent Boudouani (38-3-1, 32 KO). Boudouani, who had held the WBA junior middleweight title since KO'ing Julio Cesar Vasquez back in 1996, did everything he could to hold onto his belt but was in over his head against the faster, stronger Reid. Boudouani did land a fair share of sneaky right hands -- targeting a droopy left-eyelid which appears to impair Reid's vision out of that eye before the fight even begins. Nevertheless, the 25-year-old Reid staggered the champ with a left hook in the ninth, dominated the 12th and final round, and, overall, simply outpunched (750-415) and outlanded (249-171) Boudouani. The judges rewarded Reid's efforts with a clear-cut, unanimous decision (118-112, 117-112, 117-111). Reid, who plans to undergo a third round of corrective surgery to try and lift his left eyelid, figures to have some big money fights in his not-too-distant future: Vargas and maybe even De La Hoya, Trinidad or Quartey if any of these welters elect to move up in weight. Reid against any of these fighters would be a must-see bout!
