by James Slater – Last night in Memphis, Tennessee,38-year-old southpaw Tony “The Tiger” Thompson won easily against Owen “What the Heck” Beck, taking the 33-year-old Jamaican out at 2-minutes and 50-seconds of the 4th-round. Having things his own way throughout the fight, the big guy from Washington D.C never lost a round and was never close to being in any trouble.
Now 34-2(22) and 3-0(3) since his losing world title challenge of Wladimir Klitschko, “The Tiger” proved he remains at least something of a serious contender. Beck, who has now lost his last two outings by stoppage, is 29-5(20) and, truth be told, he should look at calling it a career..
Thompson, much the taller man, as well as being the only guy in the ring who was in fighting shape, came out with his southpaw right jab and he basically did as he pleased. Wobbling the fleshy-looking younger man early in the opening session, Thompson then scored a knockdown when he connected with a chopping right hand to the ear. Beck beat the count, but to me his legs never seemed to recover for the remainder of the bout.
Beck did try, wailing away at times; yet as he did so, Thompson merely covered up (or put the earmuffs on, as commentator Teddy Atlas said) and let the attack fade. Beck was under more fire during the short fight, taking a number of head shots in each round. It did look as though Thompson could end the fight whenever he chose to do so, and mercifully he made a big effort to close the show in the 4th. Pinning Beck on the ropes and teeing off with both hands, “The Tiger” forced Beck’s corner to throw in the towel.
Okay, so Thompson didn’t have too much to beat last night, and his critics will say he deserves no credit for having hammered an out of shape punching bag imitator such as Beck. But Thompson is at least keeping somewhat busy, he remains a top-ten ranked heavyweight and, as Atlas alluded to, he could probably live with or even defeat any heavyweight outside of the Klitschkos.
But it is a rematch with Wladimir Klitschko that the 38-year-old lefty wants and is pursuing. Thompson said, pre-fight, that he will “stomp on whoever it takes” for him to get to that rematch with the Ring magazine, IBF and WBO champ. But is there really a realistic chance of Thompson getting a second go at the man who took him out in the 11th-round back in July of 2008? How on earth would the promoters be able to sell such a fight to the paying public?
Still, Thompson, a talented fighter, has his goal, and as long as he keeps on winning he is likely to continue chasing after it.