Pugalistic Gladiator
THE North West city of Manchester has long been regarded as a hotbed for domestic boxing. None more so than in the late 1990’s, early 2000’s when a plethora of talented fighters vied for supremacy in a multitude of divisions. Carl “The Cat” Thompson, a cruiserweight warrior, was largely unknown outside the circle of the hardcore fans and trade insiders, yet here was a man willing to put his body on the line in search of fame and glory.
On a cold November night in 2001, Thompson and American Ezra Sellers went to war in the confines of a Manchester boxing ring. The assembled fight crowd witnessed one of the most dramatic, action packed brawls you could ever wish to see. Both men hit the canvas on multiple occasions, Thompson four times and Sellers twice, as these two gladiators concocted the perfect blend of edge-of-your-seat tension and stunning bravery only fighting men are capable of.
Manchester’s Carl Thompson had previous. Two years earlier he was involved in a domestic classic for the British cruiserweight title, knocking out cold, former IBF world title challenger and rival Terry Dunstan. He had lost his WBO world crown to Johnny Nelson in a controversial stoppage defeat nine months previous, and with Nelson in attendance at the Wythenshawe Forum he and Sellers went to war.
Round one started off with both men stalking on the outside, southpaw Sellers looking to land his right hook and Thompson using lots of upper body movement and feints to offset the American. With a minute left in the session Sellers clipped Thompson with a right hook, knocking “The Cat” off balance. As Sellers backed into a neutral corner he cuffed an oncoming Thompson with a short right to the side of the head, dropping the surprised looking Mancunian to his knees. Referee Steve Smoger administered the count with Thompson having dusted himself down ready to go to war. Sellers, sensing an early victory moved in to add the finishing punches, but as both men swung wildly Thompson hurled a huge counter right hand that connected with a thud high on the forehead of the American, dropping him heavily on his backside. Sellers was noticeably more dazed than Thompson had been, struggling to steady himself as once again referee Smoger began his count. The bell intervened to end the round before the Mancunian could follow up. Right there, in a crazy few seconds, the thread for the fight had been set
The second round was a shoot out. Thompson started fast looking to capitalize on the previous rounds knockdown, catching Sellers with a hurtful straight right that momentarily buzzed up the American sending him back against the ropes. Both men traded punches landing hard uppercuts, but the heavy handed Sellers forced “The Cat” to call off his assault having caught Thompson with shots of his own. With a minute left in the round, the Florida native landed a carbon copy chopping right hand that dropped Thompson to his knees. This time the Mancunian was badly hurt as he drunkenly groped at the ring ropes to haul himself to his feet, staring with glazed eyes at ringsiders. Steve Smoger began his third count of the contest asking Thompson to walk towards him before allowing the fight to continue. Sellers, without much thought for defence, searched for the knockout punch but all the time the Mancunian was planning his reply. He missed with a wild swing but then, BANG, he connected with a massive right hand felling the big American like an oak tree. The crowd inside the Wythenshawe Forum went crazy, sensing victory for their man. Sellers was in trouble, his legs did a funny dance as he stumbled into a neutral corner all the while knowing Thompson was waiting to pounce. Surely “The Cat” had got his prey this time? With only 30 seconds remaining in the round Thompson opened up, landing another big right hand that spun the head of Sellers around and then a left hook followed by another right that had his man teetering on the brink of defeat. Still Thompson couldn’t take his man out.
Round three saw both men becoming increasingly brittle, forcing Spencer Oliver to comment “Thompson looks to be hurt by every shot he takes, but then again so does Sellers” it was that kind of war, almost as if each fighter had replaced their fists with anvils. Both warriors looked for the big fight ending punch and with only 17 seconds of the round remaining Sellers again landed his pet punch to the side of Thompsons head dropping him once more to the dismay of the Manchester man.
Power Puncher
Maurice Core, in Thompson’s corner, pleaded with his man to concentrate as they came out for the fourth round. Surprisingly Sellers opted to box on the back foot, picking his man off with his southpaw jab whilst Thompson desperately tried to land his heavy shots. As they exchanged punches along the ropes Sellers uncorked a beautiful short right hook that devastated Thompson, knocking him out cold before his head hit the canvas. A hushed silence fell over the stunned crowd as they attempted to digest what they had seen, as members of Thompson’s corner poured into the ring. The Florida man celebrated with his corner after an absorbing, dramatic spectacle that had been a small hall classic.
Carl Thompson went on to fight Sebastian Rothmann in 2004 in another classic war, coming from behind to knockout the South African with a huge right hand in the ninth round. This led him to his most high profile victory when seven months later he shocked the British game by out lasting future world heavyweight champion David Haye, stopping him in the fifth round after taking a beating. “The Cat” had his final fight in 2005 and still remains one of the most respected fighters in British boxing.
Ezra Sellers fought O’Neil Bell in an eliminator for the IBF title in 2004 losing by KO in the second round and finished his career at the age of 40 in 2008. Both men will undoubtedly always remember the crazy up and down war they shared together in2001.
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