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00:00against him as Lyles let's see what he does tonight if Lyles comes on tonight then then the fight
00:04coming up is no question about it the Lyles and Collins would be a barn burner that would be great
00:09all right we'll see what happens as we turn to our other ringside colleague now two-time world
00:14champion Bobby Chez and Bobby so what's the answer in terms of gaining name recognition in these
00:19divisions the middleweights and the super middleweights is it title unification well Steve
00:23the age-old question is becoming quickly from modern-day boxing who is the best champion with
00:27so many ranking organizations so many different world championship belts we never get to see and
00:32it's not just that the fighters don't want to risk their belts but the promoters and the networks don't
00:35want to risk their money making machines I think every two to three years a mandatory tournament
00:40unification tournament should take place to give us the answer to just that who is the best that might
00:44be the solution indeed we look forward to your comments along with those of the fight doctor but
00:49coming up first in our world championship doubleheader here in Shreveport Louisiana it's the WBA super
00:55middleweight championship featuring fabulous Frankie Lyles and Segundo Mercado of Ecuador
01:03well tonight represents the fifth title defense for Frankie Lyles after winning the belt from Steve
01:08Little in ninety four his four successful defenses were against Michael Nunn one of the premier super
01:13middleweights of the early 90s then Frederic Selye Mauricio Amaral and Tim Littles in fact Lyle's vicious
01:19third round KO of Littles earned the distinction as Ring Magazine's number one Showtime knockout of
01:241996 the question is is Segundo Mercado of the same caliber keep in mind Mercado has lost two of
01:30his last three fights with the prevailing opinion he's just not on Lyle's level as we take you backstage
01:37into the dressing room of the champion fabulous Frankie Lyles normally Lyle starts out slowly and generally
01:42fights methodically but in his last fight nine months ago Tim Littles came out in such furious and reckless fashion
01:49Lyle's had no choice but to alter his style big time it was a wild free swinging slugfest a short but
01:57memorable fight punctuated by what KO magazine called the round of the year tonight he is making the fourth
02:06defense of his title please welcome the defending WBA super middleweight champion of the world introducing
02:13the fabulous Frankie Lyles I was like in trance on his own I just wasn't going to be denied of taking the title
02:24back home I just remember out boxing him punching hard anything he did I did better than that
02:30the first knockdown I started it with an uppercut I started it with a right uppercut and then he was
02:41stunned and I just hit him with two hooks and I think I hit him with a left hand that's what knocked
02:45down the first time Frankie Lyles looking to finish off Littles and there's the bell there could be
02:52something wrong with the bell as you saw our clocks at about 56 57 seconds I think it was a two minute
02:58round it was only a two minute round it was a two minute round and Tim Littles off the hook I just
03:04felt that it was I'm like gosh well that was a little early but I just like I said I just kept my
03:09composure went back to the corner I was shocked the way he cleared his head he came out for the second round
03:16Lyles is staggered oh and now he goes but he's pushed by Littles
03:21wwf type that's here I knew that he would do anything whatever it took he would fight kick
03:27whatever it took to win a title oh this is a foul fest from the start man what a straight oh look at this
03:33that's behind the punch and two kidney punches
03:38holding and hitting by Tim Littles
03:41so this alleyway raises on Lyles getting tagged by that straight right by Littles who stumbles
03:48to the canvas I remember knocking him down and the bell ringing I walked back over to
03:54the corner I just said I'm taking him out of here
03:59there's a straight right hand by Littles
04:01with a right hand and Lyles goes through the ropes clear through the ropes
04:05I remember it hit me with a few shots and I went down like off my balance and I didn't
04:10have anything to grab onto and I went through the ropes and I just said damn
04:14the champion says he's all right we resume round three wild swings and misses
04:19Michael's fight the wrestling tankless tie down called by Mitch Halpert
04:23I'm knocking what you get I don't want the breath I'm not around here you understand me
04:27we come up to 15 seconds remaining with the third round
04:30oh no it was Tim Littles what a beautiful counter right hand
04:35a perfect counter right hook the same thing they got in the trouble in the first time
04:39I decoyed them with the left hand he reacted to the left hand and then I just hit him with the hook
05:00and one of the more bizarre fights here on showtime and here at his first appearance
05:05since that june night in newcastle england
05:12fifth defense of the w
05:28Lyles making his way toward the rink what a sparkling
05:32which included
05:36amateur trials he also lost to jones
05:39at the olympic box office in 1988 six-time new york state golden gloves champion national
05:45golden gloves champ some feel he's safe though in the pros as long as roy jones remains a light heavy
05:50and ferdy his last fight nine months ago could his inactivity be a factor i don't think so with a champion
05:57he feels good and he's done an etiquette adequate preparation you know this guy's always in shape
06:06this guy's one of those work guys so i don't think this is a factor at all throw it out the window
06:12doesn't hurt also had a major change in management and training we'll see if that impacts as well
06:16the man he faces tonight the challenger segundo mercado a 1988 olympian representing ecuador his
06:24third shot today a world title had the draw in the seventh round tko loss to bernard hopkins in two
06:30previous title attempts off a fourth round tko lost to joseph chuanuka he's lost two of his last
06:37three by tko bobby chez is this another case of boxing's politics or does mercado deserve to be here
06:44well steve the champions have to defend against their mandatory their number one challenger once a
06:48year so for the rest of the year they still have to face someone in the top 12 mercado still ranked
06:53number 11 but the thing that we may want to look at the politics of the rating committees because with
06:57those two losses should he be in the top 12 that i don't think so all right bobby to the numbers we
07:01check the tail of the tape at 32 lyles two years older than mercado the height nearly even mercado
07:06under the weight limit at 166 and three quarters although rumors of a weight problem prior to
07:12yesterday's weigh-in lyle's at the 168 limit and a three-inch reach advantage for the southpaw lyle's
07:17to the wba rules for this title fight scoring is by the 10-point must system three judges will score
07:22there's no standing eight count the three knockdown rule is in effect only the referee can stop the
07:27fight a fighter cannot be saved by the bell except in the final round if an accidental foul occurs
07:32before the end of the fourth the fighters ruled a technical draw if it happens
07:36after the end of the fourth round they go to the scorecards incomplete rounds not scored so here at
07:42the shreveport municipal memorial auditorium in shreveport louisiana set for our opening bout the wba
07:47super middleweight championship between frankie lyles and segundo mercado let's get the formal
07:52introductions from our ring announcer james smith filling in tonight for an ailing jimmy lennon jr
07:57who is fighting a virus get well jim here's james smith
08:00ladies and gentlemen a very good evening to you and welcome to the first featured bout here at the
08:10shreveport municipal memorial auditorium in shreveport louisiana brought to you by don king productions
08:19and saint eyed's gold premium beer this bout is sanctioned by the world boxing association president
08:28gilberto mendoza supervisor rodolfo fordich along with the louisiana state boxing and wrestling
08:36commission commissioner mike cusimano the judges as appointed alberto mendez barry orgeron gonzalo
08:46rivarez refereeing tonight's fight terry wood
08:55presenting first the challenger in the blue corner he's wearing yellow blue and red trunks and hails
09:02from esmeralda ecuador he weighed in at 166 and three quarter pounds his record includes 19 wins four
09:13losses one draw with 11 wins coming by way of knockout please welcome tonight's challenger ranked
09:21the number 11 super middleweight contender by the wba and attempting to become the first ecuadorian
09:30to win a world title sagundo mercado
09:43and his opponent across the ring the defending champion in the red corner wearing white trunks
09:49and fighting out of las vegas nevada he weighed in at the super middleweight limit of 168 pounds his
09:57record stands at 29 wins one loss one no contest with 18 big wins by way of knockout
10:06tonight making the fifth defense of his title introducing the wba super middleweight champion of the
10:15world frankie liels
10:35guys you were giving your instructions in the dressing room earlier as i told you i expect you to obey my
10:40commands at all times i expect you to protect yourself at all times if either of you score a knockdown
10:47you go to the farthest neutral corner and you stay there until i complete my count if you come out of
10:52that corner before i complete my count i will stop it till you get back in that corner and then i will
10:58continue my count i will not have any kidney punches i will not have any rabbit punches i expect a good clean
11:05to fight touch gloves go to your corner and wait for the bell god bless you both final words from terry wood of
11:11bogalusa louisiana wba super middleweight champion frankie liels told us his lack of fights only three in
11:18the last two years won't affect him got some political things out of the way changed management
11:22trainers now trained by kenny adams a familiar name coach the 88 u.s olympic team
11:27and the wba's number 11 rated challenger segundo mercado said this is the first time in his professional
11:35career he is fighting a southpaw he comes in with a record of nineteen four and one eleven knockouts
11:41lyle's twenty nine and one one no contest with eighteen knockouts five and oh in world title fights his
11:47fifth title defense the champion lyle's in the white trucks with the blue trim the challenger mercado and the
11:54multi-colored trunks you know frankie's coming out and getting right he's gotten right to business
12:01shooting sharp sharp left hand straight left down the middle he looks like he doesn't want to play and
12:05he doesn't want to take his time today oh down go for seconds into the fight
12:12wow what a peculiar knockdown that was seven and he didn't look like it was a power punch at the same
12:18time he just stumbled all over him like like a rocket but strange strange and he went down with
12:23a thud lyle said mercado is made to order and he may have been prophetic he was kind of off balance
12:30there and almost diving out of the way and got hit on the way off to the side and i think it was an
12:35off-balance shot but it was still a clean punch it was a punch and then he went down but boy he went
12:39down with such force like that right hand almost got him again it wasn't no it was a left hook i think
12:44he didn't want to make it out of the way in the same way secundo mercado put on the canvas seconds into the
12:50opening round 27 seconds in to be precise with a big right hand by frankie last i think mercado is used
12:58goods and i think he's been at the used car lot too long and and he's he just doesn't have the
13:02reflexes you can see this almost at the beginning of round one he's a huge fighter his legs don't look
13:08He doesn't look like they're
13:09under him.
13:09If you watch him he doesn't look
13:10like he's sturdy on his legs.
13:11Everything seems to tip him
13:13move him so easily.
13:14That's why I think that punch
13:15was that sent him like a rocket
13:18it's just his legs are under.
13:19He just looks like a beaten up
13:21fighter as mentioned he's lost
13:23two of his last three by TKO
13:25off a fourth round TKO loss to
13:27underrated Ugandan Joseph
13:29Chuanuka for the NAVF super
13:31middleweight title.
13:32So many wondering what he is
13:33doing here in the first place.
13:35There's a two combination by
13:37Lyle.
13:38I must say that at the at the
13:39opening here I thought what
13:41Bobby said about explaining why
13:43he's here it was a wonderful
13:45explanation except both in Bobby's
13:46time and my time when I'm looking
13:48at it he should never be here.
13:50I don't you know twelve eleven
13:51whatever I don't know how he got
13:53here.
13:53This is only his third fight at
13:55super middleweight to he basically
13:57campaigned as a middleweight
13:58fighting Hopkins.
13:59We saw it twice so this is not a
14:00weight he's been campaigning at.
14:02I don't know if he's comfortable
14:03or strong enough to fight a
14:04Frankie Lyles.
14:06Times have changed.
14:07This is almost a microcosm of all of
14:09sports the dilution of talent the
14:12watering down of talent expansion.
14:14This is almost like boxing's
14:15version of expansion.
14:16Why a Mercado is here.
14:18Well I mean you know yeah okay
14:20let's let that it's not it's not
14:23enough to be labor all night.
14:24It's just unjust.
14:26Final seconds of round one as Lyles
14:29continues to have his way against the
14:33challenger Mercado of Ecuador.
14:35He said don't hurry yourself not go nice and slow but keep your balance.
14:47He said don't hurry yourself not go nice and slow but keep your balance.
15:04The winner.
15:06See if he had a quick time.
15:08Be calm.
15:08Be calm.
15:09Be calm.
15:10Be calm.
15:10Be calm.
15:11Be calm.
15:11Be calm.
15:12Be calm.
15:12Be calm.
15:13Be calm.
15:15Be calm.
15:15Be calm.
15:15All right.
15:16Here you watch Lyles on the attack he came out no nonsense and you see clearly off balance
15:22was Mercado was just the right
15:23hook that it wasn't the side of
15:24the head to take a look at that
15:27again it doesn't seem that see
15:30there is a punch but there's no
15:31legs under the count it's what
15:33Bobby said a moment ago he was
15:34slipping and then it was a punch
15:35on top of it and then he went
15:37down like a rocket ready for
15:40round number two normally the
15:42tall rangy awkward southpaw the
15:44champion Frankie Lyles very
15:47workmanlike likes to build up
15:49points but taking advantage of
15:52the opening here why not against
15:53the gun over title he gave it to
15:54him and looking to end this thing
15:57early we saw of course what
16:00happened in his last fight nine
16:01months ago in Newcastle England
16:03against Tim Littles when Littles
16:05came out in fast and furious and
16:06reckless fashion and Miles took
16:08him out in three well Lyle seemed
16:11to slow himself down here as
16:13well I mean maybe he's thinking
16:14well this is so easy I'm going to
16:16take it easier but he should step
16:18up instead of slow down and get
16:19out of here early and Lyle goes
16:21right back to work actually
16:23Frank he might have been just
16:24lulling because those last two
16:25shots were not about slowing
16:26down they were looking to do
16:27some damage he may just be
16:29trying to pick his rhythm and
16:30get the timing down of Mercado
16:32to start right away Mercado
16:34told us yesterday his plan was
16:35to wait for the first round see
16:37what Lyle does Lyle does then
16:38see what his quarter tells him
16:40well we're beyond that point he
16:43said it'll be a fast thinking
16:44fight he was right there he did
16:46call Lyle's a great fighter and
16:47the fact that he's a lefty
16:49complicates matters but he's got
16:50a good mental attitude and
16:51understands that this may be his
16:53last opportunity at a world
16:54title shot well how many can you
16:56possibly expect in life I mean
16:58this one's a with a ribbon wrapped
17:00around it gave it to him this is
17:02his third oh it goes again even
17:08that didn't seem like a big shot
17:09and yet it just did so much
17:11damage the legs are just not
17:13under Mercado he was lucky he
17:14didn't go down he really was
17:16lucky on that shot Biles continues
17:21to pummel the body and head of
17:24Mercado Mercado told us the key
17:28was to pressure Lyles but Lyle's
17:29not allowing him to do that not
17:33only that though if you're going
17:34to pressure a man that can
17:35punch and we know Frankie can
17:36punch you have to pressure him
17:38with your hands up sharp
17:39defensive key off the punches
17:40encounter which you're going to
17:41is not doing I think Lyle's
17:43very underrated in terms of
17:44punching power and also has a
17:48great heart but first and
17:50foremost a slick smooth ring
17:52technician terrific boxer very
17:54good hand speed hard accurate
17:56puncher is Lyle's has that
17:58terrific right hook and often
18:00likes to lead with his left then
18:02double up with his right and does
18:04have a good chin oh what a solid
18:06straight left to the jaw of
18:08Mercado and Mercado showing a
18:10pretty good chin it's a nice
18:12combination series of punches
18:14well he continues to line him up
18:18you watch those shots Franky
18:20Lane clean clearly big shots and
18:22didn't move him as he had early
18:23his balance is getting under his
18:25legs under him a little better I
18:26don't know nervous jitters but
18:28his legs seem to be better now
18:29after absorbing two rounds of
18:30punishment final seconds of the
18:34second round scheduled for 12 for
18:37the WBA Super Bowl a championship
18:53I mean what we got to work on
18:54now we still got the jab and this
18:56drop shots underneath and you're
18:57close enough drop them on the
18:58knee watch the head and see what's
19:00coming
19:01going on and you've got three
19:02points
19:06all right the action has a
19:09stunning combination sent him
19:10back and it looked like he could
19:12have progressed on back on the
19:13but his leg saved to Bobby well
19:16Frankie staying aggressive and
19:17he's pushing Mercado by keeping
19:18him back working again in behind
19:19the jab there double jab in a
19:20straight left he's keeping him at
19:21bay in that range the range he
19:22wants him at Mercado putting his
19:23back the ropes a dangerous place
19:24for him to be Frankie missing
19:25here on the ropes a little bit but
19:26he's keeping him at bay in that
19:27range the range he wants him at
19:28he wants him at bay in that he's
19:29going to be the first place for
19:30him to be Frankie missing here
19:31in the ropes a little bit but
19:32still getting the job done being
19:33effective so far it's been
19:36turn the shot going to make
19:37nothing but fabulous for Frankie
19:38Lyle don't respond here we go
19:43into round three Lyle's not
19:47Ricardo Dallas than 30 seconds
19:49into the opening round and well
19:51thus far it's been six minutes of
19:52punishment for the challenger
19:54Segundo Mercado in the gold blue
19:56and red trunks and needless to
19:58say that's reflected in the
19:59scoring because that's a 10 8
20:00round to begin with giving you
20:022017 now at this point only in
20:05the second round however only in
20:06the second round miles noting to
20:11us that he he thought Mercado
20:13and watching tapes of Mercado
20:14swung wide then he'd come
20:17directly to him but the heat
20:18box him but he's had the
20:20opportunity to slug away and
20:21pound away Mercado here in the
20:23opening stages.
20:24Frank he's not generally the
20:26type of guy who likes to
20:27predict rounds it'll knock a
20:28fighter out but said he
20:29doesn't believe this fight goes
20:30the distance he doesn't think
20:31so good is going to be able to
20:32take what he has to offer and
20:33somewhere along along the way
20:35he's going to fold Ricardo
20:41leaning in with a right there
20:42right bouncing off the chest to
20:44miles now some counter punch
20:48him a cutter trying to get some
20:49confidence is a wicked right
20:51hook by Lyles and that's his big
20:54punch there's a low blow by
21:05Ricardo Terry would with the
21:07caution right off the thigh of
21:12miles midway through round three
21:14Mercado is trying to box a little
21:17more from the outside not the
21:18pressure which he said was the
21:19key but from the outside jumping
21:21in and out hoping to be a little
21:23quicker than Frankie maybe catch
21:25him off balance normally Mercado
21:28a hard hitter an excellent
21:29puncher but he's getting tagged
21:30by Lyles once again he's got
21:33tagged that time really good
21:35back Mercado a man who decked
21:41Bernard Hopkins twice in that
21:44draw in their first fight then
21:47he was stopped in the seventh
21:48by Bernard the executioner
21:50Hopkins we'll see him later
21:52against John David Jackson
21:53meanwhile Ricardo trying to
21:54rally somehow Mercado's not
21:56winning the round he's actually
21:57doing a little better in his
21:58round being a little more
21:59effective getting some of his
22:00punches to land cleaner maybe
22:02the fact that he never fought a
22:03southpaw even though he sparred
22:05with some of this fight is
22:06really you know coming into play
22:07now and he's starting to get
22:08into a little rhythm it just
22:10seemed like he was bewildered
22:11by that left-handed style just
22:12at that moment I was going to
22:13remark that seems like he's
22:15getting some sense out of his
22:16left-handed style and now
22:18Frankie Lyles just firing
22:20salvos a barrage to the head
22:22of Mercado just trying to do his
22:24best to duck away the aggressor
22:28Lyles continues to press the
22:30attack and dictate the tempo
22:32has been Lyles from the opening
22:37bell which included an early
22:39knockdown in round one well our
22:44fifth boxing telecast of 1997
22:46brings us to Shreveport
22:48Louisiana the scenic Long Island
22:52Bridge in view here locals call
22:54it the Texas Street Bridge and
22:55it's the largest neon lit bridge
22:57in America it was dedicated by
22:59the kingfish himself governor Huey
23:01Long in October 1933 the
23:05population of Shreveport almost
23:06three hundred thousand a city
23:08that loves its sports tonight
23:10world-class boxing comes to
23:12Shreveport
23:14Monday
23:16we see
23:22the
23:25world-class
23:27is
23:32the
23:33I don't want you to say he's
23:35slower than the front to rapid
23:38rapid is the thing round number
23:44four for the WBA super middle
23:45weight championship it has been
23:47all Frankie Lyles Ricardo might
23:51be rethinking his strategy when
23:52he stays away he's been tagged
23:54by Lyle's long rights and when
23:56he backs into the ropes he's
23:57also been hit by the champ.
23:59The champ is going about it in a
24:03workman like fashion he's not
24:04rushing he's going after him
24:06every time he gets in close where
24:07he can put in something hard he
24:08does he seems he's fighting a very
24:11patient fight combination by
24:15Frankie Lyles thumping shots by
24:17Lyles put Ricardo on the canvas
24:2027 seconds into the fight with a
24:22long right hand.
24:23See if Ricardo doesn't have any
24:25zip on his shots he's not going to
24:26make Frankie worry about coming in
24:28but he's just going to walk home
24:30and bang away at will and Lyles
24:31now landing with that uppercut
24:33that was a very good uppercut
24:35it's amazing it didn't have more
24:37effect than it did Ricardo seeing
24:42the entire repertoire here of
24:43Frankie Lyles and he's welting
24:45he is welting visibly and that
24:48right hook is landing more and
24:49more cleanly and more and more
24:51often I think Mercado's got to do
24:53something in desperation real
24:54sooner it's going to be an early
24:55night for him I'll be oh there's
24:56a low blow by Mercado obviously
24:58that inactivity of nine months and
25:00only three fights in the last two
25:01years not impacting on on Frankie
25:03Lyles looking very sharp and
25:06Ricardo talked about using
25:07pressure as a key even if he
25:09doesn't pressure he's got to get
25:11inside that and cutting inside
25:12his arms he's got to fire up the
25:14middle he's got to react he
25:15covers Frankie punches he's got a
25:17counter he's got a counter clean
25:19try and time Frankie and get his
25:21attention get some respect and he's
25:23making Mercado miss widely too he
25:27predicted those wide shots to us
25:29yesterday in our top with him on
25:30that push Mercado back straight
25:33right now he just peppers him and
25:35vicious combinations to the
25:37midsection ball on he should have
25:39stayed there miles had him ready to
25:42go Ricardo just being punished
25:44under a minute remaining in round
25:47four the referee Terry Wood looking
25:49in very closely here nice straight
25:50left hand here by Frankie Lyle
25:52snapped the head back of Segundo
25:54Mercado and I'll tell you what he's
25:55got to fire back he's got a block
25:57he's got a counter he's going to
25:58slip these shots and he's got to
26:00dig and a solid straight left hand
26:02right that found a home on the
26:04nose of Mercado a moment ago
26:06this is the one way punching back
26:09here nobody's punching back
26:11relentless attack continues by the
26:14champion Frankie Lyle Mercado
26:18showing a lot of courage though
26:20standing in there and taking this
26:21beating just missed with that
26:25while left Frankie Lyle's two more
26:28body shots in the low Mercado and
26:31he's getting lectured by Terry
26:33Wood that's four low blows he
26:36got this drive Josh Biden is
26:38done game by Tom
26:38Jackson as we head for the
26:40Another good round for life
26:47One year
26:57Speaker 1
27:00He's telling if the Bucks don't
27:04go into the room
27:06Don't go to the ropes.
27:07Don't go to the ropes.
27:08Don't get stuck there.
27:09Get out.
27:13All right.
27:15Let's take a look at the replay.
27:17As Frankie continues to beat a tattoo on the retreating.
27:21Segundo doesn't have any options.
27:23He just stays there and takes it wilting away slowly with each round.
27:28You know he's just cleaning up on him and doing what he wants to.
27:31Dead body.
27:32Not too much work to the body right here.
27:33You see again the straight left hand will come flying right through there.
27:36There it is.
27:37Frankie's just doing whatever he wants.
27:38He's not even throwing all those punches that hard.
27:40He's being consistent.
27:41He's being accurate.
27:42He's taking his time.
27:44Perhaps a statement by Frankie Lyles telling everybody else in the super middleweight division.
27:49Hold up Frankie.
27:50That he is numero uno telling Robin Reed the WBC champ.
27:55And Steve Collins the WBO champ.
27:57A lot of moisture in the Mercado corner.
27:59Trying to clean it up.
28:02And here we go.
28:04Round five.
28:05Lyles indeed showing why he may be the class of this division.
28:10He is in total command.
28:12And still to my mind I can't see that he's turned up the heat.
28:16I mean he's by fighting methodically and at his own time.
28:20But I can't see that he's turned up the heat like one of those let's get this guy out of here.
28:23I agree with you.
28:24I think he has too much power too much guns all the way around.
28:27And he just should just walk to it and step to it.
28:30Get him out of there.
28:45There's a beautiful left hook by Lyles that that sent Mercado back.
28:52Again Lyles on the attack.
28:57Low blow there by Mercado.
28:58And as he unleashed he went down.
28:59It's a slip not a knock down.
29:01It's those old legs that won't hold you up.
29:04When you see an old fighter falling all over the ring it's his legs that don't want to get there.
29:08Yeah.
29:09He's an old 30.
29:10Oh.
29:11Well I'm not getting in this conversation fellas.
29:13People have been beating on him.
29:14You haven't taken one one-hundredth of the beatings he took Bobby.
29:18Frankie Lyles looking like a young 32.
29:23Bobby you're very young for an announcer.
29:25Oh look out.
29:26Oh Mercado is staggered and this could be the end.
29:29This is the beginning of the end right here.
29:31Frankie just calmed down a little bit.
29:32There it is.
29:33A relentless attack.
29:34Terry Wood steps in and stops the fight.
29:38Well done.
29:39Well done.
29:40That's it.
29:41Save this guy.
29:42Terry Wood just did Segundo Mercado a huge favor.
29:49And halted the punishment.
29:51Here's where you get hurt as a fighter.
29:52Right at the end of your career where a guy just cleaning up on you and you don't go down.
29:56So it's well done by the referee.
29:58Well done.
29:59Frankie Lyles with his new team led by Kenny Adams with Ruben Gomez Cutman Luis Spada.
30:08And now the two embrace.
30:10He's got a Mercado fortunately OK after taking quite a beating at the hands of Frankie Lyles.
30:21His fifth successful defense of the WBA super middleweight title improves his record to 30 and one.
30:25One note contest with 19 knockouts.
30:28And Mercado now 19 five and one.
30:32And may have seen his last shot.
30:34In a world title.
30:35You know Steve he really doesn't look like he deserved to be in there.
30:38And certainly there's a weight.
30:39Too much for him.
30:40Frankie Lyles cleaning up on him again.
30:42That right hook.
30:43See it.
30:44That counter right hook.
30:45Catches Mercado leaning in.
30:46And that's the beginning of the end.
30:47He'll land a couple more.
30:48There's one.
30:49There's one.
30:50And another.
30:51That right hook is dangerous.
30:52It's quick.
30:53It's deceiving.
30:54And sometimes you don't see when it sneaks around your glove.
30:56And Mercado's all but out here.
30:57The referee does.
30:58He could have let it go a little longer.
30:59Steve.
31:00But he really does the right thing.
31:01It's just a matter of time.
31:02You could see he was getting hurt with everything and hit him.
31:04Well we said at the outset before the fight Bobby that this would probably be somewhat one sided but no offering by Mercado whatsoever.
31:13Well that's just it.
31:14You saw again the right hook.
31:16Just keeps landing.
31:17It's clean clean.
31:18Another one two three in a row.
31:20He's a strong puncher from the right handed side.
31:22Not from the right hand side but with the right hand.
31:24Here's an overhead view.
31:25There it is.
31:26Right on the money.
31:27I don't think Mercado saw it snuck around his glove.
31:29You can see his legs not under him doing what I call Leon Earl.
31:32You know he's doing a little bit of a funny dance.
31:34Yes.
31:35And that's when you get him drunk you mug him.
31:36You take him out.
31:37You finish it.
31:38Frankie did what he had to.
31:39Took his time was very patient.
31:40It was real nice.
31:41Mercado just not in the same class.
31:42The same caliber as Frankie Lowzen.
31:44As we talked about earlier on top of that meeting a southpaw for the first time in his career.
31:51That had to be confusing as well.
31:53All right.
31:54We are set for the official time.
31:56Our ring announcer James Smith.
32:01Ladies and gentlemen the time one minute and 37 seconds of round number five.
32:09The winner by technical knockout and still the WBA super middleweight champion of the world.
32:19Fabulous Frankie Lyles.
32:27There you have it.
32:28Frankie Lyles retains his WBA super middleweight championship in convincing fashion over Ecuadorian Segundo Mercado.
32:35So the question now what's in the near future for fabulous Frankie.
32:39We know what's in the near future here.
32:41Coming up next at the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport Louisiana.
32:45Our main event.
32:46The IBF middleweight championship.
32:48Bernard Hopkins making his fourth title defense against number one contender.
32:52John David Jackson has the elements of a good one.
32:55That's coming your way next.
32:56But first we've got post fight reaction from our opening bout up to the ring of the fight doctor.
33:02Freddie Pacheco.
33:03Seem to have an easy night before we get into the night.
33:05You have a few hellos.
33:06Let's get those over with.
33:07I'd like to say hello to Gene Kilroy.
33:09Mr. Vic in Cleveland.
33:10And then happy birthday to Miss Henrietta and my family in New York and Los Angeles.
33:15All right you seem to start out just kind of lackadaisical.
33:18You were just working your way there and then all of a sudden you turn on the gas and got rid of them.
33:22Were you just kind of working out or you know I just I wanted a few rounds.
33:26I wanted to show off a little bit in front of my country.
33:30I mean I fight out of the country so much.
33:32So it was a good thing I needed.
33:33I wanted to work.
33:34I've been training for a long time preparing for this fight down.
33:37I've been working on a bunch of things and we've been working together collectively and everything is working out well.
33:41Inactivity.
33:42We thought you couldn't be bothered with an activity.
33:45You think it bothered you any that you were.
33:47I'm blessed that way.
33:48I live clean.
33:49I do everything I'm supposed to do in the gym and I have a great group of people working with me.
33:53Kenny Adams who never got his just due.
33:55He was the 88 Olympic coach.
33:56Ruben Gomez.
33:57Luis Spada.
33:58My brother Keith.
33:59And then we got Maserati Riggins and my cousin Fred Loves.
34:02Now.
34:03All right.
34:04Don.
34:05One last thing.
34:06Unification.
34:07Anything happening.
34:08Yeah.
34:09Well we work at my partner Frank Warren over in London.
34:11We're going to be working to try to get Stevie Collins in together.
34:13They've been talking about this.
34:14This will be a super fight and we're looking forward to making that fight and unifying the whole super middleweight championship.
34:19That'd be great.
34:20That certainly would be a very tasty fight.
34:22And you look forward to going over to Europe again.
34:26We can fight the night.
34:27Stevie and I could do it right here again.
34:28Right.
34:29I think that was so good that we can come right back to Stevie.
34:31We got a personal thing now.
34:32It's the thing with Freddie Roach and me now with no hard feelings between us.
34:36But I got another trainer.
34:37We got great harmony in our group and everything.
34:39We're ready for the world.
34:41All right.
34:42That sounds like a great deal of happiness.
34:44So let's go back to ringside.
34:46Steve and Bobby.
34:48Hi Ferdy.
34:49Thank you very much.
34:50Fifth round TKO decisive victory for Frankie Lyles over Segundo Mercado.
34:54How do you think he'd do against the Irish Steve Collins as he plans to enter the European theater?
34:59The thing about Stevie Collins, Stevie Collins is strong.
35:02He's physically imposing.
35:03He will impose his will in his body and he's got a great chin.
35:06Nigel Ben twice.
35:07Chris Eubank twice.
35:08You don't get through those guys twice each without having a good chin, having some strength and having some ability.
35:13I think it's a terrific fight right now.
35:14The best fight in the super middleweight division.
35:16He was feeling his outs against us yesterday.
35:19Well, one side of the table to the other at the fighter meeting saying,
35:22hey, I'm ready to bypass the light heavyweights and move up to 190 cruiserweights.
35:26You know, he talked about that and he's thinking about it in terms of smart politics.
35:30The light heavyweight champions are controlled by other fighters, other promoters, other networks.
35:34He doesn't want to wade through all of that red tape.
35:36He said, I'll go right to cruiserweight, 180, 590 pounds and look for Nate Miller.
35:41Now, I'll tell you what, that's a whole, that's a whole lot of looking to do.
35:43It's a lot of weight.
35:44It's a 20 pound plus jump.
35:46That's difficult.
35:47Miller's a strong guy.
35:48Could be tough.
35:49Strong and a good puncher.
35:50Okay, Bobby.
35:51Well, tonight Showtime Championship boxing making its first visit to Shreveport, Louisiana,
35:56founded on the banks of the Red River in 1839.
36:00The city was named for Captain Henry Miller Shreve, who cleared the river waters of a giant log jam,
36:05and he was deemed a hero.
36:07This particular building, the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium, is dedicated to the heroes of World War I.
36:13It also played a very, very prominent role in the history of music.
36:22The site for tonight's Fisticuffs is Shreveport's most famous building and a genuine landmark in the history of both country music and rock and roll.
36:30For the municipal auditorium was the home of the legendary radio show, the Louisiana Hayride.
36:35Hank Williams was one of its first stars, and Johnny Cash was a regular on the show.
36:41But its most famous discovery was a young singer from Tupelo, Mississippi, who wowed the teenagers and frightened their parents, Elvis Presley.
36:50I'd like to say how happy we are to be out here, the chance to appear on the Louisiana Hayride.
36:55Yes, thank you very much.
36:57And Elvis Presley probably would have appreciated the lavish costumes.
37:00That was a lame impersonation, wasn't it?
37:03And theatrical approach of Bernard Hopkins.
37:05But as you'll soon see, Hopkins has gone in a different direction in terms of his unique wardrobe.
37:10Stay tuned, Mr. Blackwell.