Ringside Reflection

June 26, 2005

By Matt Richardson

There are some moments in time that you will always remember where you were and what you were doing.

September 11, 2001 was one of those times.

June 26, 2001 was another moment in time that I will never forget.

I was ringside for the David Toledo-Victor Polo featherweight fight on June 26, 2001. There were no well-known fighters on the card but the real star of the night was the unique venue: the flight deck of the USS Intrepid, a decommissioned WW II aircraft carrier, that was anchored in New York's harbor.

Fans and media alike had talked about the site of the fight for weeks and the atmosphere that evening was positive. A cool wind swept in off the waters as ESPN 2 televised its weekly Tuesday Night Fights.

While the main event was an interesting affair, the co-feature also figured to be enjoyable.

Unbeaten light-heavyweight prospect George Khalid Jones was set to face top-contender David Telesco in a true crossroads match. But Telesco wound up breaking his nose in training and had to pull out of the fight.

Enter Beethavean "Bee" Scottland.

Scottland, 20-6-2 with 15 KO's at the time, was a tough journeyman who figured to go a few rounds. Scottland had never been stopped or knocked out and he was a southpaw with a good right jab. While the fight on paper was not as competitive as the Jones-Telesco matchup may have been, it wasn't a total mismatch either.

Despite the expectations, it was clear that Scottland was in for a long night from the opening bell.

Jones had no problems adjusting to his opponent as he rocked Scottland repeatedly in the first few rounds.

It was a one-sided beating.

After four rounds, Jones was in total control. I wrote in my notes: "In round five Scottland was pummeled on the ropes by Jones' powerful left hooks and uppercuts."

Later in the same round, as the pummeling continued, I wrote: "…..fight should be stopped."

And it should have been.

But referee Arthur Mercante Jr. never seemed ready to call a halt. The same could be said for Adrian Davis, the trainer of Scottland, as well as the entire New York State Athletic Commission.

So the beating continued.

Jones continued to dominate in the sixth and seventh but Scottland surprisingly came back well in the eighth and ninth.

Make no mistake though: Scottland was losing the fight.

Sure he threw back punches but nothing so significant to make one think he could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Scottland was a beaten and bruised fighter.

Jones came out for the tenth round with a newly discovered energy and in the last minute of the last round of the fight he dropped Scottland with a short right. It wasn't really a knock out but more of a "collapse" as ringside commentator Max Kellerman called it.

Mercante began counting.

The referee called the fight off after reaching the count of three when it looked like Scottland couldn't rise.

Doctors quickly entered the ring and instructed Scottland to lie down as the fighter attempted to lift his head. The cool winds dried the sweat on his body as Scottland was placed on a stretcher and taken to a hospital.

Scottland would later that fall into a coma and six days after the bout he would pass away.

The father of three was only 26 years old.

This Sunday, the ESPN sports news program SportsCenter will mark the four-year anniversary of the death of Scottland with a poignant and introspective look at the events that took place that night of June 26, 2001 and how they affected all those involved.

Starting Sunday and ending Tuesday, SportsCenter reporter Tom Rinaldi will present a three-part series that details everything from what happened that night on the deck of the Intrepid to the unlikely relationship Jones would later develop with the widow of Scottland.

It is both reflective and thought provoking.

Should the fight have been stopped earlier? Would Scottland have lived if the action had been halted earlier? Could the NYSAC done more? Whose fault was it? Was it anyone's fault?

None of these questions have easy answers but they are worth asking and ESPN does a commendable job of presenting the situation.

Fighters can die in the ring. That's one of the cold truths of the "sweet science." Both George Jones and Beethavean Scottland knew this before they stepped into the ring on that fateful night. Unfortunate circumstances, however, left Denise Scottland a widow and Jones a man sparring with ghosts.

On June 26, 2001 a man was beaten to death before my eyes. It was one of those moments you never forget.