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ESPN Friday Night Fights Recap

September 7, 2007

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino-Biloxi, Mississippi

The host venue for tonight's show is on the shoreline of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and was badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  It was re-opened only 2 months prior to this event, and this is the first boxing event the casino has held according to boxrec.com.

Heavyweight (200+ pounds) 10-Round Match:

Adam Richards (18-1, 12 KO's, 226 pounds) vs. Rafael Pedro (20-6-1, 14 KO's, 247 pounds)

Richards had an extensive amateur boxing background of around 250 amateur contests. He has been the primary sparring partner of Evander Holyfield, during Holyfield's most recent comeback. Richards is on a 16 match winning streak, since losing via round 3 technical knockout to Kevin Petty, on June 17, 2001. After the loss to Petty, who was coming in on a 7 match winning streak, Richards has faced only one opponent coming in on a 2 match winning streak. Richards' last match was a round 4 knockout over Billy Willis, on June 30, 2007. Willis was 2-8-1 in his last 11 matches before facing Richards.

This is Richards first scheduled 10 round match. He has gone 8 rounds before, winning an 8-round unanimous decision on March 17, 2007, over Earl Ladson.

Richards has also had weight issues boxing as low as 208 pounds and as high as 256 pounds. Even 30 pounds lighter for this match, Richards would do well to get together with Diamond Dallas Page and start doing some Yoga for Regular Guys (it really works).

Richards is ranked by boxrec.com as the number 83 heavyweight in the world.

Pedro was born in Havana, Cuba and left the country as a refugee at 17-years-old by floating to the United States on innertubes tied together for 3 days. He is a massive heavyweight that has a body Vince McMahon would drool over. However, Pedro's record suggests that he is being brought into this match to lose, and help Richards get some rounds in in a competitive environment. Despite coming from Cuba, Pedro had no amateur boxing experience, before turning pro in the United States. Pedro has only suffered 1 knockout lost, and that was in his first match. However, he is the proud holder of 2 disqualification losses, which does not bode well for this contest. The first came on February 22, 2003, when Pedro knocked Gilbert out cold with a punch thrown on a break in round 2. The last time on March 3, 2005 competing for the Mid-South Heavyweight Championship, against Frank Wood. Pedro's last match was a 10-round unanimous decision loss to Chris Henry for the IBA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship, on June 2, 2007 in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Pedro has a habit of running out of gas late into matches, due to poor conditioning and arguably a lack of mental toughness when it comes to the boxing ring.

Pedro is the number 313 ranked heavyweight in the world, by boxrec.com.

Richards is the younger boxer at 26-years-old, while Pedro is 32-years-old. Pedro holds a huge height advantage standing 6' 7" tall, compared to 6' 2" tall for Richards. Boxrec.com reports that Pedro has a wingspan of 85" long. There are no reach numbers listed for Richards. Both boxers will employ the orthodox stance, but Richards is naturally left-handed and will use the left hook for his big power punch.

There is a serious accidental clash of heads with 2:08 to go in round 1, that has both boxers checking for blood. There is no blood on either boxer from this clash of heads. With around 30 seconds to go in round 1, there is bruising forming around the right eye of Richards, and possibly a small cut opening up there as well. The cut is the result of an accidental clash of heads. Richards wins round 1, 10-9. At the beginning of round 2, Pedro is docked 1 point for throwing a series of right hands during a break. Pedro tried to make some weak excuse, it was unclear if he claimed that he did not hear the command to break or that the final punch of the late combination was not that hard. Either way the referee did not buy it, nor should he with Pedro's history. Once the action is resumed, Pedro knocks Richards to the ground by pushing down on the Tennessee natives head and tripping him at the same time. Referee Bill Clancy, who is doing an excellent job, immediately calls time to tell Pedro that he will not tolerate any dirty fighting. Pedro tried to talk back to Clancy, and nearly lost another point that way. Clancy is on the verge of disqualifying Pedro, and may even do it for talking back to the referee. Richards wins round 2, 10-8. Richards leads after 2 rounds on my scorecard, 20-17. The final explanation on why the point was taken was that the punch that drew the point deduction was not only late, but a rabbit punch behind the head of Richards.

This match goes from getting ugly, following another borderline cheap shot thrown on the break by Pedro less the 20 seconds into round 3, to real ugly with 2:32 to go in round 3. The referee moved in to separate a clinch, and had his hands on both fighters to signify they were to stop punching, but stunningly, Pedro threw an overhand right hook. The fighters then held onto the the clinch with the referee pulling at them. Then as the fighters finally separated, Pedro threw another left hand while Clancy was holding onto Pedro with both hands and pulling the fighter away. Both fighters are sternly warned, but nothing good can happen from here on out. This match should be thrown out or something really bad could happen. Clancy may have not seen the last cheap shot from Pedro, because he was pulling the fighter away and the punch may have been behind his back. Apparently, Pedro has watched his share of Ric Flair tapes. There is 2:13 to go in round 3, when action is resumed. Pedro, threw a left hand that missed on a break that the referee had to block or it would hit him in the face, with 9 seconds to go in round 3. Pedro was hurt at points during round 3 and for all of that garbage, Richards wins round 3 on my scorecard, 10-8. Richards leads on my scorecard after 3 rounds, 30-25.

The referee moves in to break the fighters as they come in to a clinch to start round 4 and Pedro again hits after the referee has called for a break. This time Pedro decided to throw his cheap shots while Richards was spun around, landing a right hand square to the back of Richards head. The referee then steps between the two fighters and Pedro decides to keep throwing punches over the top of the referee. Finally, the referee has called for the disqualification. It came a few minutes late, but was well deserved. Pedro is really upset about the decision and is following around Clancy. It might be very wise to get lots of security in the ring quickly, and for Pedro's people to get a hold of their fighter if he ever wants to box again. The microphone catches Clancy telling the ring announcer to announce whatever type of disqualification he wants. Clancy said, "(inaudible) unsportsmanlike. You name it. You name it.  Hitting after the break, hitting on the break..."

The final outcome as announced and partially decided by M. Mark Biero is: that at 0:10 of round 4 the referee has "disqualified the red corner for a flurry of unsportsmanlike conduct" making the winner "Atomic" Adam Richards. Good job by Biero in coming up with that decision, and avoiding using Richards other potentially racially insensitive, even though Richards is Caucasian, nickname of "Swamp Donkey" (he sweats like a swamp and hits like a donkey). The win moves Richards to 19-1, with 12 of those wins coming by way of knockout.

With the loss, Pedro probably will and should get suspended for a while. That should end his boxing career, and that is a good thing. Pedro continuing to box is not in the best interest of the sport, and can greatly endanger other boxers who compete fairly.

Richards did not show anything in the victory to indicate a great deal of potential in his future. He would probably be most effective boxing down a weight class.

This show is an easy skip.