Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion!!!

Not since Evander Holyfield's prime have you heard the words "Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion", but you're hearing them now. O'Neil Bell just knocked out France's Jean-Marc Mormeck in the tenth ugly round of their bout. Bell fought with a loose style, consistent with his yoga and meditation-filled training, though much of the fight played to Mormeck's strength, which is inside fighting on the ropes.

Starting in the fifth round, Bell began moving and landing better, as Mormeck started to fade. This fade was exacerbated by a low blow by Bell. Mormeck continued to land hard punches, but Bell demonstrated the chin to shrug them off, and returned 2-3 punches for each of the Frenchman's.

Bell's chin let him survive Mormeck's series of 2-shot salvos, but I say that conditioning was the deciding factor. Mormeck came into the ring magnificently muscled, but he was poorly conditioned for a twelve-round fight, while the post-fight Bell looked ready for another 10 rounds.

This fight was often sloppy, and referee Wayne Kelly let both fighters rabbit-punch, throw elbows, and shoulder one another about like amateur sumo wrestlers. Not my favorite fight, but it was entertaining, and I'd watch either guy fight again.