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 © Tom Casino/Showtime |
IBF Heavyweight Champion Chris Byrd retained his title tonight on Showtime against reluctant challenger DaVarryl Williamson over the course of twelve rounds at the Events Center in Reno, Nevada. The two boxers are friends outside the ring and it was apparent tonight that the amicable relationship extends into the ring as well. Nevertheless less, we present |
the following round by round account of the contest between Chris Byrd, 38-2-1 (20), who weighed in at 213lbs and DaVarryl Williamson, 22-3 (18), who tipped the scales at 225lbs. Vic Drakulich referee
Round one: Both Byrd and Williamson pawing with jabs. Is Williamson looking for the big right hand? The crowd voices their displeasure with the cautious posturing, as southpaw Byrd looks to come in and land a left. Williamson just misses two hard right counters. Byrd finally gets inside and misses a healthy left. The unimpressed crowd continues to boo, as Williamson is intent upon making the defensive counterpuncher Byrd come to him. Round ends with a few body jabs.
10-10
Round two: Williamson moving more, pressuring Byrd at start of the round. He puts Byrd on ropes, lands a flurry to body. Williamson then goes back to the miserable strategy of making Byrd come to him. Byrd is having a hard time fathoming Williamson’s distance and the height advantage of the opponent. Referee Vic Drakulish actually stops the action and directs the combatants to throw more punches. Fighters respond by moving more but still not punching. Crowd sees through the ruse and is booing lustily now. Near the end of the round a bit of a skirmish breaks out but only tapping punches land.
10-10
Round three – Williamson hooks to Byrd’s side but not too much on the punch. Byrd lands a jab but misses with a come forward combination. Byrd is throwing more now but Williamson continues to circle and maintain distance. Combat breaks out along the ropes but nothing of consequence develops. Williamson lands a right to the body before a skirmish happens at the end of the round but again nothing develops before Williamson grabs Byrd at the bell.
10-10
Round four: Referee Drakulich again tells fighters to start fighting at beginning of the round, which stimulates a battle of cautious jabs. Byrd advancing more however as both miss winging shots. Crowd booing hard but Byrd seems to be getting closer. The two trade punches in clinch before Byrd reels off a fast right, left, right sequence that nails an upright Williamson on the ropes. Byrd launches a left hand over the shoulder that lands to Williamson’s head at round’s end.
Byrd 10-9
Round five: the action begins with Williamson succeeding with three jabs. Williamson lands right hand counter but Byrd just smiles. An exchange of offense happens along the ropes but the punches are just light shots. Byrd cranks in two good rights on ropes and Williamson responds with a hard jab. There’s an exchange on the ropes at rounds end, and Byrd lands good right hook. Williamson stands upright and gets hit for his troubles, as he really doesn’t move his upper body when Byrd gets in close.
Byrd 10-9
Round six: Williamson manages a serious right hand to the body but crowd yelling Fight! Fight! Fight! There’s an exchange in middle of ring but nothing lands. Williamson scores with a jab but Byrd counters with a left to the to the body. Wiliamson rams home a right, but misses two more. Byrd moves in, lands one to the body then one to the head. Crowd jeers however, unimpressed by the mild spirit on display. There’s an exchange at the end of the roundwhere Byrd lands a right hook that pushes Williamson a little off balance.
Byrd 10-9
Round seven: Byrd working behind jab, shoots a straight right to the body before finding Williamson with a good left. Williamson lands a counter right before the two men exchange jabs. Byrd lands a right to the midsection before an exchange breaks out on the ropes. Byrd focuses on the body before Williamson has him on the ropes and just throws jabs. Byrd launches a right jab and follows up with a hard left to the body. Byrd continues the bodywork as the round ends.
Byrd 10-9
Round eight: Williamson throwing effective jabs to begin the eighth. Byrd again goes to the body, Williamson offers a counter right, and they trade jabs. Byrd goes to body in a clinch, Williamson pays him back with good left to the body and resumes jabbing. Byrd misses left hand, misses another amid jeers from the audience. The champion comes forward, digs in a body shot before misses with a left hand. Byrd tags Williamson with a hard left – right combination before Williamson answers with two blows to the body.
Byrd 10-9
Round nine: Williamson had Byrd on ropes but missed a right hand. Both exchange shots, some miss, some land. Byrd scores with a body to head combination, before Williamson sticks the jab and finds a counter hook on the advancing champion. The end of the round has Byrd putting Williamson on the ropes and lashing him to the body with the challenger backpedaling and trying to counter.
10-10
Round ten: Byrd opens up with a mean left bodyshot before issuing a body – head combination on the ropes. Byrd pounds a right hand into Williamson before the taller man begins jabbing. Byrd jumps on him on ropes, they clinch, and a halfhearted right finds air from Williamson. Byrd drives him into the ropes and bangs home a left. Byrd aggressive and scoring with single shots during forays inside.
Byrd 10-9
Round eleven: after an exchange of jabs, Byrd lands a combo to body. Williamson slings jabs before Byrd cracks him with two left hands on the inside. Finally a full fledged engagement ensues and both fighters score but Byrd is better. The action slows, Williamson drops in a reaching right hand but Byrd rides it and smiles. The champion has his adversary on the ropes before Williamson spins Byrd but just misses with a whipping right hand before the round ends.
10-10
Round twelve: Williamson finally pulls the trigger on a nice left uppercut and does it again before Byrd lands to body and promptly misses with a right. Byrd driving, misses everything, Williamson slips to the canvas after missing with a right hand counter. Williamson manages to plant a right on an advancing Byrd. before both miss in an exchange. Byrd lands a good left Byrd, scores with a combination. Williamson lands with a right. The two trade shots at the bell.
10-10
The official scorecards are read with Byrd winning a unanimous decision 115-113, 116-112 (2x)
SaddoBoxing scored the bout Byrd 120-114
Williamson didn’t look like he wanted to be there. He certainly didn’t fight like a man who was getting a title shot, possibly the only one of his career at 37 years of age. This was a glorified sparring session. Byrd is by nature a counterpuncher and doesn’t do very well having to go forward. Williamson forced Byrd into the role of aggressor by his reluctance to throw punches but never opened up his own offense at any point.
