AJC Article

BOXING REPORT: Forrest lifts fellow locals on undercard

BYLINE: J.C. CLEMONS; Staff
DATE: January 19, 2003
PUBLICATION: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The (GA)
EDITION: Home; The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
SECTION: Sports
PAGE: D23

The Atlanta boxing scene will get a big boost Super Bowl Saturday.

When Vernon Forrest defends his WBC welterweight championship against WBA champ Ricardo Mayorga in Temecula, Calif., (near San Diego) on HBO, he will be lifting the profiles of three other local fighters as well.

Middleweight contender Robert Allen (33-4, No. 3 WBC, No. 4 WBA), up-and-coming heavyweight Cedric Boswell (20-0, 15 KOs) and promising welterweight Xavier Tolliver (10-2, 8 KOs) will fight on the undercard.

"This does wonders for Atlanta boxing; it's huge," local trainer Chris Johnson said. "Now when these guys fight in Atlanta, a lot more people will have heard of them."

Allen fights Antonio Robinson (26-6-1). Boswell meets Jim Strohl (24-2). Tolliver's foe has not been set.

Tolliver turned heads with an impressive win on the undercard of Forrest-Shane Mosley II. He said Saturday's lineup speaks volumes about Forrest's make-up.

"It says a lot about how good a person Vernon is," said Tolliver, who lives in College Park. "He knows how hard it was for him to get to the top; he had a hard way. Now he's reaching out to make it better for other guys from Atlanta."

Switching sides

Lithonia's O'Neil Bell, the WBC's No. 1 ranked cruiserweight, is joining David Oblas and Austin Wingo to promote six fight cards this year at Buckhead's Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre. Last year, Oblas promoted three successful local shows.

Billed as "Atlanta's Friday Night Fights," the shows will take place the third Friday of every other month, beginning Feb. 21. Oblas said Tolliver could be the headliner for next month's card.

"Having O'Neil involved is huge," Oblas said. "He's the most recognizable fighter in Georgia outside of Evander Holyfield and Vernon Forrest, and someone that all the fighters, trainers and media know and respect. He brings a world of credibility to these fights."