Hipp courageous in WBA title bout

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He was the underdog when he entered the ring. He wasn't the champion when he left it. But Joe "The Boss" Hipp, a member of the Blackfeet First Nation from Browning, Montana, via Seattle, Washington, earned the respect of everyone who saw his performance in a scheduled 12-round World Boxing Association heavyweight championship bout at the MGM Grand on Aug 19. Ranked number four in the first Native American ever to fight for the WBA heavyweight title.

Bruce Seldon's first title defence was on the under card of the fight of the year, coming moments before Mike Tyson's over-hyped return to boxing after three years forced absence from the ring. The capacity crowd was clearly waiting for the next bout, but they'd have done better to pay attention to the two classy competitors in front of them.

Hipp entered the ring in a head-dress and wearing a robe bearing the words "Clemency 4 Leonard Peltier." He gave a little in height, weight and age to Seldon, considerable more in reach ? some three-and-a-half inches. Both were coming off wins in their last fights, both in April.

The first two rounds were cautious ones, with Seldon working on Hipp's face with a left jab, the punch he would rely on throughout the fight. Seldon showed a strange reluctance to go to Hipp's body, concentrating instead on his head. In the end, however, his strategy paid dividends. Even half way through round one, Hipp's right eye already showed signs of the puffiness to come.

In the third round, Hipp came out more aggressively, and he had his best round in the fourth, catching Seldon with a right against the ropes and scoring regularly with both hands.

In the fifth, Seldon seemed to come to life, and he caught Hipp with a vicious left hook to the nose, probably breaking it. In the sixth, Hipp stung Seldon for the only time in the fight, catching him with a deceptive left that staggered the champion with 15 seconds left in the round. It would be too much to say that the bell saved him, but Seldon was happy to hear the sound a few seconds later.

In the seventh, Seldon's technical demolition of Hipp's face began to wear the courageous challenger down, both Hipp's eyes began to swell and the stage was set for the crucial blow in the eight. That was a huge right hand ? it didn't stagger Hipp, but it exploded the swelling under his left eye, causing a huge gash.

In the ninth, the game Hipp's eye swelled nearly closed, and only great work but his cut man Mario Macius allowed him to enter the 10th. Referee Richard Steele stopped the bout ? at absolutely at the right moment ? 1:47 of the 10th round.

Seldon retained his WBA heavyweight title by a technical knock-out. Hipp left the ring having shown a huge heart to those who would soon be disappointed by the featured match.