Jean-Marc Mormeck regained his WBA/WBC cruiserweight titles from O’Neil Bell in Saturday’s rematch in Levallois-Perret, France, on Saturday night.
It was a unanimous decision, and an action-packed slugfest from start to finish. Sadly, much of the drama was erased as the WBC announced the judges scores periodically throughout the bout, and it was a foregone conclusion that Mormeck (33-3) was the victor after Bell failed to finish him in the twelfth.
“I felt the whole country of France on my shoulders going into this fight,� the 34-year-old Mormeck said to Eurosport, “but it helped me. I was fighting for them tonight. We were in it together. I couldn’t let them down.�
The first fight, on Jan. 7, 2006, was a stellar outing and this one was as well.
Both fighters barely paused for breath as they tossed shot after shot. Bell, age 32, clowned some, playing the hurt possum act several times, but mostly, he was all business.
The judges scored the fight for Mormeck, 116-112 and 115-113, twice.
The Jamaican Bell is now 26-2-1, 24 KOs.
“Mormeck is a monster in the ring,� Bell said to Eurosport. “I spared him the knockout this time but I think I did enough to win.
“I am disappointed by this decision. I thought I won every round. I am appalled by the judges. He never hurt me. ”
Bell rushed toward Mormeck during the postfight press conference, and a brief scrum took place, Eurosport reported.
“I do not respect him as a person but I do have tremendous respect for him as a fighter,� Mormeck said.
The next move is a no brainer for promoter Don King: sign these two up for a third go.
Just give them six months off, first…
Bell is a tool
Bell won that fight………… I was there and Mormeck had to be carried out of the ring and taken to the hospital, he walked right pass me and you could see it in his eyes he did not know where he was, France is a very rude and disrespectful country, I will never go back or would recommend anyone to visit that country it is very over rated.