[Cap]

Giants Battle in Frisco

San Francisco - Refere Herb Goldstein looked like a midget in the ring last night as he worked the Abe Simon-Harry Bobo 8 rounder at the Sailors Memorial Arena. The two huge brawlers dwarfed the veteran ringmaster as they battled hammer and tong before a loudly appreciative crowd. Pre-fight hype had it that the two behemoths had exchanged heated words laced with obscenities in the parking lot and were practically clawing the walls to get in the first punch, so the mob was ready for blood.

Simon obliged the fans by dropping Bobo in round one with a bomb-like right to the head that opened an old cut under his eye. From that point on, Goldstein did his best to get out of their way.

Round two went to Bobo as he slammed rights and lefts to Simon's gut, driving him across the canvas floor, several times forcing him onto the ropes where he worked him to the head. In round three Simon counter-attacked behind a decent jab, landing thudding shots to Bobo's ribs and face. So it see-sawed back and forth until the sixth, when big Abe tagged Bobo with a Hail-Mary overhand right that buckled the giant Pittsburgh pugilist's knees. A second big shot that may have wandered down Mexico way took the wind out of Bobo's sail, and he clinched like death itself.

In the seventh, they exchanged some heavy leather at ring centre, but Simon was clearly the fresher man. With seconds left, he punched through Bobo's faltering defence and had him hanging on open-mouthed at the gong.

At the start of the final round, Bobo rose to his full 6' 4" and waved Simon in. They crashed together like enraged water buffaloes, trading explosive jolts until a short hook by Simon staggered Bobo, forcing him into a shell. For the last minute of the fight, Simon strove to deliver a knockout, landing on arms, shoulders and elbows until the bell. Minutes later, a weary referee Goldstein struggled to raise Abe Simon's soggy-gloved fist as announcer Joe Morton declared him the winner by unanimous and popular decision.