"Berlin Bomber" Scores Big Upset on National TV Stage

BERLIN- Local boxer Joshua 'Berlin Bomber' Snyder scored a major upset on a national stage last weekend, beating previously unbeaten John 'No Mercy' Mackey in a four-round majority decision in an undercard match on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights.

Snyder, now 7-3 as a professional middleweight boxer, makes his home in Berlin and works in an Ocean City hotel when he is not boxing. He got a shot to show off his skills in front of a national television audience last Friday and made the most of his opportunity, scoring a majority decision in the four-round fight.

One judge scored the four-round fight 39-37 in favor of Snyder, while another scored it 38-37 in favor of the 'Berlin Bomber.' A third judge called the fight a draw at 38-38. Mackey appeared to be in control of the fight through the first round against the underdog Snyder, but the 'Berlin Bomber' rallied in the second round, knocking down the favorite with a big combination.

According to reports, Mackey was outboxing Snyder early in the fight, but the 'Berlin Bomber' was relentless and was clearly the more aggressive fighter in the bout. With about 15 seconds left in the second round, Snyder, with his back against the ropes, landed a big right hand into the jaw of Mackey and the big southpaw from Alabama fell forward into the ropes. Despite a standing eight-count, Mackey survived the knockdown and the fight continued into the third.

The third round was relatively uneventful with a recovered Mackey pecking away at Snyder to close the gap on the scorecards of the judges. However, the fourth round proved to be the difference in the fight as the 'Berlin Bomber' went on the attack again.

Both fighters landed huge punches in the furious fourth and final round during which Snyder knocked Mackey down for the second time in the bout, but Mackey recovered and finished on his feet. The big crowd at the Lackawanna College Student Center sensed the challenger Snyder had beaten the favorite Mackey and gave him a standing ovation at the end of the fourth round.

Mackey entered the fight with a perfect 14-0 record and was considered the prohibitive favorite over the local Snyder. Not only was Mackey undefeated, but he had recorded three knockouts in his 14 starts. In the end, however, Snyder prevailed to improve to 7-3 in his young professional boxing career.

There has already been talk about a rematch between Snyder and Mackey, but it won't likely happen until each of the boxers has at least one more fight. Snyder, who is gaining attention from national promoters, is scheduled to fight again next month.