08.10.07 – By Gary Jones: Heavyweight contender Andrew Golota (40-6-1, 33 KOs) stopped one-time Mike Tyson conqueror Kevin McBride (34-6-1, 29 KOs)in the 6th round on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. Golota, 39, staggered McBride with a big left hand in the sixth round and then finished him off with a flurry of punches, prompting referee Arthur Mercante Jr to step in and halt the bout. Golota was hurt in the first round after getting hit with several right hands that drove him back several steps. Later on in the round, Golota was hurt a second time by a powerful left hand.
McBride, however, appeared to punch himself out in the process of trying for a knockout and never regained his stamina for the remainder of the bout. For the next five rounds, McBride was visibly out of breath and could barely manage more than a few punches landed.
From appearances, he seemed to not be in fighting shape and was nothing more than a punching bag for Golota beginning in the 2nbd round. For his part, Golota’s punches were almost as slow as McBride’s and seemed as if he fighting under water. However, the speed of his punches didn’t matter, for McBride was in no position to throw anything back after the first round.
In rounds two through six, Golota had his way with McBride, hitting him at will with left hooks, right hands and a lot of jabs. In the 5th round, McBride’s right eye began to badly swell with visible bruising. Golota opened up McBride’s left eye in the sixth round after connecting with a big left hook that staggered McBride and sent him reeling backwards to the ropes. Golota followed after him and tagged him with flurry of punches causing the referee to step in and halt the one-sided beating.