09.12.06 – By Scott Frake: Former heavyweight champion Michael Moorer (48-4-1, 38 KOs) scored had little trouble tonight, stopping Cliff Couser (26-11-2, 14 KO’s)in the 1st round of their bout at the The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Florida. This bout wasn’t expected to be a competitive fight. However, no one thought that Moorer, who was making his first appearance in the boxing ring in over two years, would be up to the task of taking out Couser so quickly. Quite honestly, Couser, a Tyson look alike, never saw the knockout coming, thinking that he had Moorer trapped and helpless against the ropes.
Moorer, responded in a flash with two quick right hooks, each of which landed with brutal force against the side of Couser’s head, which sent him down to the canvas. Couser was literally out cold, and a medical team entered the ring and administered Oxygen to Couser until he came to a couple minutes later. With this knockout over Couser, Moorer immediately becomes a factor in the heavyweight division. Granted, it will probably take a half dozen more fights before Moorer could challenge for a title, but if he keeps stepping it up each time, it’s entirely possible.
In other action, 41-year old, Oliver McCall, (49-8, 36 KO’s) came from behind to stop Yanqui Diaz in the 7th round. Up until then, McCall looked slow and old. However, in the 7th, he showed that he still has considerable power when he caught Diaz with a left hand and then poured it on with several right hands that dropped Diaz. I’ll admit, McCall still hits like a ton of bricks, but Diaz made it easy for him by just standing in front of him and presenting little in the way of defense. If, however, McCall expects to get a shot at another title, he’s going to have to move a little better than tonight.
Heavyweight prospect Roman Greenberg (24-0, 17 KOs) stopped the hard punching journeyman Steve Pannell (34-11, 28 KO’s) in the 3rd round. In the first two rounds, both fighters traded big shots. However, in the 3rd, Greenberg got serious with Pannell, knocking him down several times before the fight was ultimately stopped.