Madison Square Garden undercard report

Scott Shaffer @ ringside

06/10/2007

Madison Square Garden undercard report

Andrew Golota TKO6 Kevin McBride... In an entertaining heavyweight fight, Andrew Golota survived a rocky first round but busted open a huge cut over Kevin McBride's left eye near the end of the sixth round. An exhausted McBride, who was hit with numerous body blows by Golota, was willing to continue, but Arthur Mercante, Jr. wouldn't allow it.

Daniel Santos TKO8 Jose A. Rivera...The career of classy former titlist Jose A. Rivera apparently came to an end with an eight-round TKO loss to Daniel Santos. Santos was winning the bout, and in the eighth, his jab opened up a cut over Rivera's eye. Rivera waved Santos forward, and Santos obliged, sending Rivera crumpling to the canvas. Rivera beat the count but the referee decided to call it  technical knockout. Rivera's trainer John Scully seemed to agree with the call, and given that Rivera said yesterday this was his last fight, saving Rivera from additional punishment was a good thing. Rivera heads back to Worcester, Massachusetts with a 38-6-1 log and Boxingtalk wishes him sucess in his future endeavors. For Santos, himself a former WBO titlist, there is a WBA 154-ppound title shot in his future, likely against Joachim Alcine.

Kali Meehan TKO6 Davarryl Williamson... After nearly a year of inactivity and just a few days after the death of his father-in-law, Kali Meehan scored perhpas the most meaningful victory of his career by stopping Davarryl Williamson to remain a factor iinthe heavyweight division. Meehan, who many thought was robbed of the WBO title by bad judging in the Lamon Brewster fight, decked Williamson right at the end of the sixth. Williamson beat the count but was still groggy and the ringside physician ended the fight before the seventh could begin.