[Gunsmoke]

WWBU Monthly,
Volume 8, December 1902

November saw the start of the Heavyweight World Title Tournament, with some very surprising results. With the public concentrating on the two important HW clashes several important battles were overshadowed. Ruben Olivares will carry the hopes of Mexico on his shoulders when fights Jiro Watanabe for the top ranking in the Bantamweight division. In a important eliminator undefeated welterweight Billy Backus fights the always tough Packy McFarland. Also in an important crossroads bout, Vergil Cooper and Eric Lucas would maneuver for rankings as the Middleweight division moves ever closer to the world title becoming active.

November In Review
The main event of the month would involve the two most decorated fighters in the Heavyweight Champion of the World, however in a stunning result Greg Page (27-1-0) suffered a DQ loss to Frankie Daniels (24-4-0). These two fighters had met twice previously to this bout, with Page taking both fights, the most recent a sixth round knockout win. Page started on fire, battering Daniels around the ring. The second round was slightly more subdued as Page looked for the picture perfect KO punch, but third saw the referee almost step in too stop the slaughter with the Daniels skulking back to his corner and Page stalking him as he paced waiting for the onslaught to continue. Page had been warned twice in the earlier rounds for roughhouse tactics, but when he felled Daniels with a low blow the referee had no option but disqualify him to the stunned silence of the fans in the stands and the outrage of Page’s corner. The police moved quickly to protect the officials and Daniels’ corner from missiles from the crowd but several got through and Daniels’ wife was badly gashed by a well aimed iron filling that was callously thrown from the stands. Page had to be physically removed from the ring as he ranted and raved his way back to the dressing room. Daniels, after recovering from his felling, could not believe his luck as he slowly realised that he would be fighting for the championship in a couple of months time.

In the co-main, the second semi final of the Heavyweight World Title Tournament took place with Alfio Righetti (21-0-1) taking a decision win over a battered Jimmy Clark (18-7-0). Clark started the contest on fire with an opening two minute burst that had Righetti looking overwhelmed by the circumstances, but Righetti began to emerge from his shell as the round ended. The second stanza saw a grand round of action as several significant blows found their way home, with Clark maintaining a slight edge in effectiveness at the bell. The next two rounds saw good exchanges as Righetti continued to establish his game plan on the fight. Clark seeing the way the fight was travelling came out steaming in the fifth and had Righetti in trouble against the ropes early in the round, but Righetti ate the punishment before landing a succession of clean crosses and hooks that result in Clark landing on the canvas for an eight count. Righetti kept his head and boxed beautifully over the next 5 minutes of action. Late in the seventh round a nasty cut had opened above Clark’s right eye, which Righetti had clawed at for a couple of minutes needed to be checked by the ringside physician before getting the all clear to continue the bout. Righetti would show flashes the rest of the way but largely cruised his way to the final bell. The judges all saw the bout as a unanimous decision for the young Italian by scores of 116-111, 116-112 and 115-112. Also in action that night Flyweight #1 contender Little Dado (19-1-0) was far too talented for Robert Burdine (1-3-1) who gamely chased the fleet footed Dado around the ring to no avail.

The fight for the honour of being top dog in the Bantamweight division, number 1 ranked Jiro Watanabe (17-1-0), stuns the previously undefeated Mexican, Ruben Olivares (#3, 15-1-0) with a first round KO. In their first meeting Olivares, in his typical cavalier style, starched Watanabe in the second round, with the ref stepping in to save the Japanese fighter. In the early stages of the round, it looked as though Olivares was out for a repeat performance as he stalked Watanabe around the ring. After catching up to Watanabe, the Japanese star would grab and hold Olivares prompting the referee’s intervention. Near the 2 minute mark it appeared as though Watanabe hit Olivares with an intentional head butt, which stunned Olivares, Watanabe then followed up with a wicked assault that culminated with an overhand right that landed flush. Olivares gamely tried to regain his feet, as the referee counted, but he was unable to stand up and the ref counted him out on his knees.

A battle between two fighters who figure to matter in the Welterweight division, Billy Backus (#2, 16-1-2) would find Packy McFarland (#4, 16-3-0) packing too much firepower. Backus, who was undefeated through 18 fights, fought a clever outside fight in the early stages of the bout. However McFarland began to catch him in the fifth round, before flooring him for the full measure with an uppercut in the seventh round. In a bid to work his way back to contender status Eric Lucas (#5, 20-4-1) wins a vindicative unanimous decision over the tricky Vergil Cooper (#3, 18-3-0). In the first meeting between these two fighters, Cooper blew Lucas away with a torrid two round TKO victory. Lucas starts the bout on fire, putting Cooper on the back foot with a consistent offense. But Cooper hit back hard and threw six Lucas held a very narrow lead on most experts cards. From that point on Lucas’ greater stature and bulk seemed to wear on Cooper, who while he had flashes of power, could not effectively counter Lucas. Lucas takes the bout with the unanimous decision 117-111, 115-114 and 116-112.

Results of Note
HW: Frankie Daniels #4 24-4-0 DQ4 Greg Page #1 27-1-0 – HW World Title Tournament
HW: Alfio Righetti #2 21-0-1 UD12 Jimmy Clark #3 18-7-0 – HW World Title Tournamant
BW: Jiro Watanabe #1 17-1-0 KO1 Ruben Olivares #3 15-1-0
WW: Packy McFarland #4 16-3-0 KO7 Billy Backus #2 16-1-2
MW: Eric Lucas #5 20-4-1 UD12 Vergil Cooper #3 18-3-0
FLY: Little Dado #1 19-1-0 UD6 Robert Burdine 1-3-1
LHW: Fred Lenhart 7-1-0 SD8 Don LaLonde 14-1-0
FW: Ricardo Cardona #3 16-1-1 UD8 Joe Newell 1-5-0
LHW: Victor Robledo #2 17-3-0 SD8 Marcus Antill 2-7-0
BW: Leo Espinosa 11-0-0 MD10 Chan-Yong Park 10-1-1
MW: Johnny Wilson 9-0-0 UD8 Denny Moyer 11-1-0
MW: Charley Burley 14-0-0 TKO2 Timmy Bermuda 0-1-1

Current Rankings and Analysis

Heavyweight Division
Champ – Vacant
1. Frankie Daniels
2. Greg Page
3. Alfio Righetti
4. Kevin Isaac
5. Audley Harrison
6. Jimmy Clark
7. Rex Layne
8. Tom Kennedy

Daniels takes #1 spot with his shock win over Greg Page (#2), Jimmy Clark falls to #6 after his loss to Alfio Righetti.

Light Heavyweight Division
Champ – Vacant
1. Michael Bennett
2. Victor Robledo
3. Leslie Stewart
4. Jacob Mofokeng

Mofokeng joins the rankings at #4 with his 15th win.

Middleweight Division
Champ – Vacant
1. Mike O’Dowd
2. George Abrams
3. Eric Lucas
4. Rocky Mosley Jr.
5. Vergil Cooper
6. Robin Reid
7. Daniel Santos

Lucas rises to #3 based on his win over Vergil Cooper, who falls to #5.

Welterweight Division
Champ – Vacant
1. Felix Trinidad
2. Packy McFarland
3. Reuben Shank
4. Billy Backus

McFarland moves to #2 after defeating Billy Backus, who falls to #4.

Lightweight Division
Champ – Vacant
1. George Lavigne
2. Jack McAuliffe

No Change

Featherweight Division
Champ – Vacant
1. Jaime Garza
2. Vuyani Bungu
3. Ricardo Cardona

No Change

Bantamweight Division
Champ – Vacant
1. Jiro Watanabe
2. Felix Friedemann
3. Ruben Olivares

No Change

Flyweight Division
Champ – Vacant
1. Little Dado
2. Rosendo Alvarez

No Change