This is what I wrote/scored when last watching it: Trevor Berbick v Renaldo Snipes (NJ rounds scoring basis) I saw it when it happened and although I didn't score it, I felt Berbick had done enough to win. I was in the total minority with some people at the time that also watched it, but like then, I seemed to be more impressed with the short jolting punches Berbick would throw while infighting. I read on a message board someone commenting on this fight that they too had Berbick winning so I thought I would check it out again. The fight tends to get sloppy as they tire and there are some subjective rounds that could go either way such as rounds 5, 9 and 10, so I really don't have a problem with the decision or if anyone else scores in Snipes favor. The scoring is on a rounds basis, so no extra point for the knockdown unless the fight is scored a draw such as Mercante's card and then they go to supplemental scoring, in which an additional point for the knockdown can be employed. Round 1: Snipes (scored a knockdown) Round 2: Berbick Round 3: Snipes Round 4: Berbick Round 5: Even Round 6: Berbick Round 7: Berbick Round 8: Snipes Round 9: Even Round 10: Berbick Total: 5-3-2 Berbick (actual scores: 6-3-1 and 7-1-2 both for Snipes and Mercante's card was 5-5, but with supplemental points added when a card is scored a draw, Mercante had Snipes ahead 45-44 on points)
His fight vs Lionel Washington was good a little slugfest aswell, Snipes was always value for money win or lose.
Snipes was a curious guy .. inconsistent .. some nights capable of being very challenging with his decent size and awkward style and others looked like he was phoning it in .. remember this fight and was surprised how he bounced Berbick around .. not far after he dropped Holmes ... Snipes did seem to fight everyone and was pretty tough .. even when he lost against Page and Witherspoon he showed heart and guts .. still, his bizarre fights like the gift over Coetzee and the draw with Frank and losing to Evangelista added to his inconsistent , quirky career rep .. sidetone, Crazy Hector Camachoi was ringside for the Page fight and as Greg closed Renaldo's eye was caught on camera mocking "yo Adrian."
Renaldo was nothing if not awkward, and that’s how it goes with awkward guys sometimes — that quickly style throws one guy off and another just kind of walks through it. Snipes was generally tough, sturdy and had some pop in that right hand. But that herky-jerky style made him look like he was making it up as he went along … and maybe sometimes he was.
I rewatched the Witherspoon fight and it seemed Snipes lost a bum decision ... forgot about that , he actually deserved the decision but they were hyping Tim as a DK up and comer .. he also closed strong in the Page fight ... interesting guy .. I spent a bit of time with him a few years back .. he was soft spoken , well spoken, had street sense of a sort, was a regular NY guy, took the trains with compete anonymity , had funny and interesting stories for sure ... very humble ..
I saw Renaldo fight live in 1989 in Memphis. He was on a bit of a run through 88-89 with a win streak against modest opposition, presumably headed to another shot against a top name to get back in the picture, then had one fight in early 1990 and dropped off the map — resurfaced for singular fights in ‘92 and ‘93 and then got stopped by Jorge Luis Gonzalez in the final bout of his career. I remember thinking Mr. Snipes was a bigger, thicker guy than I had realized (I don’t mean out of shape — he had tree trunk legs) and he came to work … chopped down his opponent pretty methodically. Glad I got to see him in person, even though it was probably at a point where he was post-peak.
One of my all time favorite fights, believe it or not. It's just so much fun; those guys made a war of it for the first three and you could tell they had nothing left from the fourth on but they persisted in the punch-drunk brawl. All of Renaldo's 80s fights are loads of fun. The Tyrrell Biggs fight is absolutely wild.
