Round By Round: Chris Byrd vs. Shaun George

We're just about set for Chris Byrd's return to light heavyweight, taking on Shaun George on the main event of Friday Night Fights. A video package explores the former heavyweight champion's weight loss, as he dropped almost 40 pounds to go down two divisions. The reactions of other boxers upon seeing the slimmed-down Byrd - especially the look he got from Roy Jones - are pretty amusing. At his heaviest, Byrd fought a fight weighing 222 pounds; tonight he comes in at 174.

George comes in riding a three-fight winning streak. The trainers share some thoughts on the boxers' fight plans: Byrd needs to use his speed, George has to let his hands go and throw combinations. Referee Jay Nady gives the instructions and we're good to go.

Round 1

George comes out firing while Byrd is a little more cautious. Byrd paws with the right hand and George throws quick counters. Body and head combos by George. Now a nice counter left from Byrd. Sharp right upstairs wobbles Byrd. He gathers himself but looks pretty clueless at this point. A right hand to the body sends Byrd to the canvas, and though he hops up quickly, the announcers think he looks hurt.

Franchise: 10-8 George
Spartan117: 10-8 George

Round 2

Guest announcer Shannon Briggs says he's already worried about Byrd. He looks a little more aggressive but George is ready to return fire with multiple right hands. A hook starts off another combo for George. Byrd switches to a conventional stance but still has few answers. George looks like he can land the right any time he wants. Byrd tries to find the range with left hands before the bell but that was George's round all the way.

Franchise: 10-9 George
Spartan117: 10-9 George

Round 3

Byrd follows George around but can't land anything of consequence. Now Byrd gets off a combo and George is quick to respond. Briggs says George has the whole package but sometimes loses focus. Byrd ducks away from a few punches and tries to establish the jab. Left from Byrd; George scores with several rights. George looks too quick and too strong.

Franchise: 10-9 George
Spartan117: 10-9 Byrd

Round 4

Both men reaching with jabs. Byrd shakes his head and he looks a little more bouncy in this round. His biggest problem is an inability to land any power shots. Quick right-hand counters from George. Left to the body and right to the head by Byrd. George fighting more in spurts now; tough to tell if he's tiring or just staying cautious. Closer round.

Franchise: 10-9 George
Spartan117: 10-9 Byrd

Round 5

Brian Kenny touts Burd's willingness to fight the best at heavyweight but wonders about the harm it did him. Tarver is impressed with George but thinks he needs to close the show. George stays mobile and lands a right upstairs. Byrd finaly lets his hands go inside to the delight of the crowd. Byrd scoring with light punches while George looks for the big shots. Shaun finds the mark with more right hands; it would be nice to see something else with them. Byrd continuing to come forward but not throwing enough, and as Briggs points out, his jab is completely absent.

Franchise: 10-9 George
Spartan117: 10-9 George

Round 6

Now George uses a jab and throws the right behind it. Left uppercut and some more rights. Byrd lands some lefts but they look weak. A nice exchange in the center of the ring sees both men land. Byrd finally unleashes a combo along the ropes. He's also jabbing more. George may have lost that round by inactivity over the final two minutes.

Franchise: 10-9 Byrd
Spartan117: 10-9 Byrd

Round 7

Byrd told the announcers between rounds that he looks like crap. George shows a little more fire in the early going. Byrd's defense looking a little better as he picks off some shots with his gloves. He lands a right-left combo upstairs. Now he covers as George throws more rights. Not a real impressive round for either man.

Franchise: 10-9 George
Spartan117: 10-9 George

Round 8

George scores to the head with a right. Another one makes Byrd grimace. Nice left and right by Byrd and George tries to respond to the body. Joe Byrd Sr. thinks his son is getting old. Quick jab by George helps keep Byrd at bay. George's head looks like it's there to be hit but Byrd can't take advantage.

Franchise: 10-9 George
Spartan117: 10-9 George

Round 9

George tries to say he was hit low, but the ref says fight on. He doesn't look hurt too badly. George's trainer thinks his man should be doing more to get Byrd out of there. This round is being fought more in the center of the ring, and Briggs thinks a right hand hurt Byrd. He's still coming forward though. Nice left uppercut followed by a straight right and Byrd goes down again. Crushing lefts and rights put Byrd down a third time in the corner, and Nady calls a stop to it. George calling out Tarver and others as he yells into the camera.

The winner, by TKO at 2:45 of the ninth round, Shaun George. At the time of the stoppage, Franchise had it 79-72 for George, Spartan117 had it 77-74 for George.

Tarver says George has inserted himself as a major player in the light heavyweight division and that he expected this. He likes George's movement and the way he was able to land counter shots. The Magic Man doesn't think Byrd's fate was due to his weight loss as much as his long, punishing career at heavyweight.

George joins Brian Kenny and Briggs, and he says he had more motivation for this fight and trained harder than ever before. He was not surprised that he could hurt Byrd early, and though he says he's willing to fight anyone, he really wants Glen Johnson or the winner of Tarver-Chad Dawson.

Byrd's shoulder is injured, quite possibly when he landed awkwardly during the second knockdown.