Mark Lambie / El Paso Times Heavyweight Eric David, left, absorbed a blow from Gostable Horton on Friday night at Cohen Stadium. David collapsed after losing the decision to Horton and was taken off in an ambulance. His condition was unknown at press time

Bill Knight
El Paso Times

A few punches were flailed in the first round. Fewer in the second. And fewer still in the third and fourth rounds.

Gostable Horton of Houston won a four-round split decision against huge Eric David on Friday night in Cohen Stadium, though the term fight should be used loosely and the term ugly should be used liberally.

It was ugly and it was booed lustily.

David collapsed near his corner just after the decision was announced, finally rolled over and slipped under the ropes and found a seat ring side. Eventually, he was placed on a gurney and taken to Las Palmas Hospital.

Ring doctor Brian August said it could have been anything from dehydration to a mild heart attack.

"One of the EMS technicians told me he was having chest pains," August said. "But his trainer said no, he wasn't. His blood pressure dropped considerably and that is what concerned me. Yesterday he was at 136 cystolically. Tonight, he was at 93. His heart rate was at 125 and he is a big man (281-pounds). I would say it could be dehydration. He said he was having trouble breathing."

For those four rounds in the ring, it seemed to be a fight that no one wanted to win. David landed a couple of straight lefts in the first round, but little else. By the second round, both fighters appeared to be exhausted.

Midway through the second round the referee called a halt to the action and tried to remind the fighters that this was boxing, not sumo wrestling. They were just launching big bodies into each other and shoving.

The boos came floating through the Cohen Stadium night air, getting louder as the bout labored toward a finish. Ring announcer Able Rodriguez was almost smothered with boos as he announced the split decision verdict: 39-37 for David, then 39-37 twice for Horton.

One disgruntled fan yelled, "Take away his license." Another yelled, "Kick him."

For his part, Horton said, "I feel like I was supposed to knock him out. But the man is strong. I kept throwing punches and he would grab me. I got tired just trying to get away from him."

In fairness, each fighter was doing some holding, some shoving ... and getting more and more tired by the second.

In short, it got ugly in the second round. It reached double ugly and triple ugly as they lumbered happily toward a finish.

Bill Knight may be reached at bknight@elpasotimes.com; 546-6171.