Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, May 24, 1993 TAG: 9305230157
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Bowe knocked Ferguson down with a crushing left-right late in the first round. The 36-year-old challenger struggled up at nine and the round was over. A bell cannot save a fallen fighter.
Bowe charged out at the beginning of the second round and floored Ferguson with a six-punch barrage. Referee Larry Hazzard started to count, but stopped when it became obvious that Ferguson couldn't continue. It came 17 seconds into the second round.
"By no means am I taking Jesse Ferguson lightly," the 25-year-old Bowe said before the fight. "This is his last chance."
Ferguson never had a chance as he lost for the fifth time in his past seven fights and the 10th time in his 29-bout career.
Ferguson landed just 19 punches in the 3 minutes, 17 seconds of action, while Bowe landed 65.
Bowe now has needed less than 6 minutes to defend the title twice. In his first defense, he stopped Michael Dokes at 2:19 of the first round on Feb. 6 at Madison Square Garden in New York. On that card, Ferguson upset Ray Mercer on a 10-round decision to get the title shot that was supposed to have been Mercer's.
He wasn't fighting Mercer on this cool Saturday night before about 9,000 in RFK Stadium. It was this city's first championship fight since Joe Louis beat Buddy Baer on May 23, 1941, at the old Griffith Stadium.
Ferguson had supplemented his income during his checkered career by sparring with the likes of Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. That's exactly how Bowe treated him - like a sparring partner.
The 6-foot-5 champion, who weighed 244 pounds, 20 more than Ferguson, came out jabbing and then landed several stiff right uppercuts. He was in control from the outset, and it looked as if he would have a first-round knockout.
He landed a thunderous left-right combination to Ferguson's head, and draped the challenger across the lower strand of the ropes. Ferguson then rolled over and it appeared he wouldn't beat the 10-count. But he struggled up at nine and wobbled back to his corner.
He should have stayed there.
Bowe was on top of him before the clang of the bell died to open round 2, and Ferguson was the champion's 29th KO victim.
Bowe is 34-0.
Bowe earned $7 million for the defense of the IBF and WBA titles. Lewis, a Briton, is recognized as champion by the WBC because Bowe wouldn't meet that organization's deadline for signing for a defense against Lewis.
"I'm a great man with a championship," Bowe said. "Lennox Lewis is a bogus champion."
The two probably will meet next spring. Bowe's next fight should be in November against Evander Holyfield, from whom he won the undisputed title on Nov. 13, 1992.
Ferguson, of Philadelphia, earned $500,000, more than 10 times his previous biggest purse.
The fight also will go into the record books as the first heavyweight title fight to be judged by three women. They were Patricia Jarman of Las Vegas, Jean Williams of Atlantic City and Sheila Harmon-Martin of Washington.
At least they had good seats.
In a preliminary to Bowe's title defense, Roy Jones, who missed out on an Olympic gold medal five years ago because of a bad decision, got a world professional championship.
Jones was much too fast and much too strong for Bernard Hopkins and won the vacant International Boxing Federation middleweight championship on a unanimous decision.
The fight was a disappointment to many in a crowd who had expected more fireworks from fighters who had a combined 37 knockouts in 43 fights.
Jones controlled the first five rounds, landing several right-hand leads and rights and lefts to the head. Hopkins kept pressing the fight but never could turn the tide.
Judges Al DeVito, Lynn Carter and Eugene Grant each scored it 116-112 for Jones, 159 1/2, of Pensacola, Fla. He is 22-0 with 20 knockouts.
"This was a long time coming for me," Jones said. "I knew I had to stay inside his power to be successful."
Hopkins, 159, of Philadelphia, had a 22-fight winning streak snapped. His other loss came in his pro debut in 1988.
Jones had 13 knockouts inside the first three rounds. Hopkins had 11 in the first round and 13 inside of three rounds. Neither man was close to going down, although the 24-year-old Jones did rattle the 27-year-old Hopkins on several occasions.
Jones became widely known in 1988 when he lost a highly controversial decision to a Korean opponent in the 156-pound final in the Olympics at Seoul, South Korea.
by CNB