Ferguson No Match For Golota

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

January 31, 1999 / 2:50 AM EST / CBS Sportsline

Heavyweight Andrew Golota posted a unanimous 10-round decision Saturday over out-of-shape journeyman Jesse Ferguson, who took the bout on two days' notice.

Golota (33-3) dominated the fight from start to finish, staggering the 41-year-old Ferguson with stinging left jabs that had him on the ropes in the first round. He never knocked him down, though.

Ferguson (26-18) was a last-minute substitute for Jimmy Thunder, who tore an Achilles tendon in training and pulled out Wednesday. Ferguson signed for the fight Thursday.

He entered the ring in the 3,000-seat Convention Hall ballroom as the strains of the Mission: Impossible theme boomed from loudspeakers. It was either a poor choice of music or a prophetic one.

Ferguson, who had won six of his seven previous fights, was slow and conservative in his style and never challenged Golota seriously or landed any big punches.

He backed Golota into the ropes in the first round, but the slugger pushed him away and landed four crisp blows to the head. Near the end of the round, Golota staggered him and then teed off with five punches to the head, but Ferguson was saved by the bell.

Looking sharp and keeping his dirty tactics to a minimum, the 31-year-old Golota -- twice disqualified for repeated low blows against Riddick Bowe -- frequently scored by leading with two left jabs and then following them with an overhand right.

He said he bruised or broke his left hand in the fourth round, though, and that that hampered his style.

"It made it tough to throw the job after the fourth round because of the pain I was feeling," he said.

Jesse Ferguson was no match for Andrew Golota. (AP)

"My jab was very good, I was moving well, I felt confident in there," Golota said.

According to CompuBox statistics, Golota landed 53 percent of his 747 punches, to 29 percent of 361 for Ferguson.

Ferguson said he thought he was ready for the fight, despite the short notice.

"Andrew hit me a couple times but not like I was out of it. I thought I was (ready) but I was little sluggish in the beginning. And he moved a lot," said Ferguson.