By By Ryan Satcher/staff writer
July 28, 2002
After two consecutive draws, Meridian's Brad McNeil was looking for a win when he took the ring at the Frank Cochran Center on Saturday night. He was able to walk away with the win he needed, but it wasn't easy.
McNeil won by a unanimous six-round decision over a game Robert Terrell of McComb.
In other bouts, Phillip Hammac of Philadelphia, got revenge by beating Chuck Orso in a four-round decision. Michael Shaffer beat Ricky Franklin while Joe Johnson beat John Peters in the first round. Bo Skipper beat Charles Chaney with a first-round TKO. In the final bout of the night. James Jones defended his Mississippi Heavyweight Championship with a fourth-round knockout.
McNeil was originally scheduled to fight Mac Willis from Atlanta, but Willis canceled on Thursday night. Terrell had been training and agreed to the fight. The fight turned out to be a good one for both fighters.
McNeil came out in the first two rounds and worked Terrell with some vicious body shots. He controlled the fight in the early rounds and it looked like McNeil had Terrell hurt.
Terrell didn't throw in the towel after the two tough rounds, however, and came back swinging in the third round. He even got in one really good shot on McNeil after bouncing off the ropes.
McNeil came back and took advantage of the bout. He got some good shots in, but reinjured his hand in the fifth round.
McNeil continued to control the fight even with the sore hand but was unable to knock Terrell out. After the six rounds, each judge scored the bout 60-54 in favor of McNeil.
In another fight that kept the fans on their seats, Hammac of Philadelphia beat Orso in a four-round majority decision.
One judge scored the fight for Hammac 40-37 and another ruled it 39-38. The final judge scored the bout 38-38.
Hammac was able to get revenge with the victory. Orso had beaten him earlier in his career.
Orso was not very aggressive in the early rounds of the bout and Hammac was able to control the first three rounds. Orso came back fighting in the final round but was unable to knock out Hammac.
In the first bout of the night, Shaffer beat Franklin after one round. Franklin seemed to be taking the punches from Shaffer well and was wearing the fighter from Pascagoula down, but decided to throw in the towel after the first round.
In the second bout of the night, Johnson and Peters came out punching. Johnson broke Peters nose midway through the first round and Peters called it quits a few punches later.
In the other fight of the night, Chaney knocked Skipper down and controlled the first round. Near the end of the round, however, Chaney popped his shoulder out of place and had to drop out of the fight, giving the Laurel fighter the first-round TKO.