Thanksgiving Tournament of the Turkeys

[mikehoudini]

Heinz Neuhaus vs. John Lester Johnson – They fought a back and forth opening 5 rounds, but Lester had the only telling round, as he dropped Heinz for a 6 count in the 3rd with a jarring uppercut. Otherwise each round was close.

John Lester unloaded the heavy artillery in the 6th, with a cross and a right-hand cranium-cruncher, and he dominated, 20-4. After both guys took the 7th off, they brought the crowd to their feet with a big 8th where they matched blow for blow, but Neuhaus’ right eye was swelling. Johnson rocked Heinz with a straight right and a combination to win the 9th, 13-8, and seemed to have a commanding lead.

Neuhaus fired a thunderbolt to start the 10th, a cross that flattened Johnson like a pancake! He regained his footing at the count of 7, and then fought a beautiful defensive round, blunting Heinz’s salvos and landing nicely with light punches to keep his opponent at bay! The judges scored the fight 96-93, 94-96 & 96, 92 for, the winner by a split decision…John Lester Johnson! This was a good contest, and the two may well meet again after the tourney!

Kallie Knoetze vs. Attila Levin (1-0-1 1) – These two went back and forth, trading the first 6 rounds. Kallie landed more power shots and was more effective overall, but Levin connected more to even things out. The 7th was a dead heat, Knoetze taking the lead with an effective hook, Attila rallying at the end with a sizzling left.

Kallie had the first dominant round in the 8th, rocking the Hun back on his heels with a smoking cross, following that with a straight right en route to a 19-2 dominance! The judges had the fight 76-76 at this point, anyone’s for the taking.

Kallie walloped Levin with a straight right in the 9th, Attila answered with a winging right that stopped Knoetze’s advance. Circling each other, Knoetze saw an opening, and threw a thunderous hook, and Levin staggered and then fell to the canvas! Knoetze was shaking his hand from the impact of the blow, and Attila could not get to his feet in time! At 2:01 of the 9th, Knoetze was declared the winner by a knockout in this close bout. His thunderbolt would have pleased the God of Thunder, Thor!

[mikehoudini]

George Chaplin vs. Tom Kennedy – Chappy Chaplin, the Boxer from Baltimore, opened the fight with a sizzling hook, taking the 1st round easily, 16-2. The next 3 rounds were low-scoring, with much defensive tactics and little punching. Kennedy won a fairly spirited 5th, 12-8, and may have had a slight lead at the halfway mark!

Chaplin boxed beautifully to take the 6th through 8th rounds, as Kennedy only could land a few punches, while George mixed in light punches with one big uppercut and a hook that rocked Kennedy, the best punch of the fight. Kennedy rallied to take the 9th, 14-4, with 3 big punches, a straight left, a gonzo uppercut and good combination, but Chaplin was never in serious trouble.

Chaplin fought defensively in the 10th (then again, he’d fought that way throughout), and Kennedy won it, 14-8, though George rang his bell with a three punch combination. I had it 96 all, George outlanding Tom, 224-174. The judges scored it 96-95, 95-96 & 95-95, a draw! So the two lived to fight again!

Kennedy rallied nicely with a string of combinations to capture the 1st in the nightcap. Chaplin won a close, low-scoring 2nd, then displayed some good offense to take the 3rd & 4th by large margins, helped by a huge hook that wobbled Kennedy’s knees! Chaplin won the 5th as well, and Kennedy showed his frustration and had a point deducted for a head butt. Chaplin was well ahead.

The 6th was dead even, but Kennedy’s main weapon was the famous clinch. Tom came back to win the 7th & 8th, a series of jabs capping his rally in the 8th! Kennedy rocked Chaplin with a hook to the body to open the 9th, then unloaded in an attempt to get the KO. He landed 54 punches, finally solving Chaplin’s defense, for a huge round, 25-5, but Chaplin still stood, albeit with a swollen right eye!

Kennedy continued his assault against a tiring Chaplin in the 10th, but would it be enough? That point deducted could loom large on the scorecards! I had it a draw, 95 all. The judges scored the fight 96-95, 95-95 & 96-94 for, the winner by a majority decision…George Chaplin! I am a Chaplin fan, but he barely escaped with this one. Kennedy landed more, 246-188, and had a spectacular 9th, but Chaplin’s early round mastery was just enough!

This fight concluded the first of four sets in the opening round.

[mikehoudini]

After a brief intermission, the second set of Round One battles commenced, the results as follows:

Willi Besmanoff vs. Omelio Agramonte – After two feeling-out rounds, Besmanoff winning one, the other being even, Agramonte came on strong, winning the next three convincingly! He pummeled Willi, 21-2, in the 4th, staggering him with two savage hooks! Willi connected on a series of jabs to rally back and take a close 6th, but Omelio bashed out a 15-8 win in the 7th, highlighted by a colossal hook, and had a big lead!

Besmanoff morphed into a slugger in the 8th. He landed a sizzling straight right, then ever-stronger uppercut, combination and uppercut! Omelio was reeling, and Willi finished him off with a classic hook, and the referee could have counted to 100! Besmanoff, up 38-2 in the round, came from behind to score a KO at the bell in the 8th!

Al McCoy vs. Toxie Hall (1-0) – After two snoozer rounds, Al tore into Hall, 19-4, in the 3rd, landing a ferocious hook. He won the 4th easily, but Toxie had his day in the 5th. McCoy pounded out a convincing round in the 6th, then Toxie rallied at the end to take the 7th. The 8th was 3 minutes of boredom and ineptitude. Hall took a badly-needed round in the 9th, 17-6, capped by a jarring uppercut. The 10th was another snoozer, Hall rallying in the last 30 seconds to halve it, 6-6.

I scored the fight even, while the judges went 96-97, 97-95 & 97-96 for, the winner by a split decision, …Al McCoy! Al outlanded Toxie, who at times was toxic, 265-199.

[mikehoudini]

Floyd “Jumbo” Cummings (1-0) vs. Peter Maher – Jumbo had nudged the popular Johnny Paychek via a majority decision, and came out like a lion, winning the first 4 rounds, three of them by large margins. He landed far heavier blows, and Maher was in a big hole! Peter erased part of the deficit in the 5th, winning, 21-2, highlighted by a 3 count knockdown! Peter won a close 6th, though Jumbo rallied with a nasty cross at the end.

Floyd reasserted himself in the 7th, scoring a 3 count knockdown on a brutal combination to start the round. He landed a big hook, but Maher avoided his other bombs, and weathered the storm, but for how long? Jumbo was up 68-64 at this point, well on his way!

Maher shocked Cummings with a five punch combination to open the 8th, and Jumbo crashed to the canvas! Up at the count of 8, he soon was back on the mat, a cross scoring a 4 count KD! Plucky but pudgy, Jumbo went down a third time, this time for a 7 count, but staggered back to his feet and waved his gloves to get it on! The referee did, stopping the fight, Maher the winner by a TKO at 2:13 of the 8th! The fans cheered Maher for his valiant comeback!

Roger Rischer vs. Jean-Francois Bergeron- Bergeron fought an Ernie Terrell-like fight, filled with fouls. He won one of the first three rounds, but had a point deducted for a head butt. The 4th was spirited and even, Rischer rallying in the last 30 seconds. Bergeron landed three huge shots, the best a searing right, to take the 5th by a wide margin.

Cut on the forehead in the 6th, Bergeron then picked up warnings for low blows in the next 2 rounds, one that was even, one where he was well behind. Another point was deducted for the 2nd violation, his 6th foul of the fight. Bergeron tried a novel approach, going above the belt, in the 9th, landing two savage uppercuts, a booming hook and two combinations. He cut Roger the non-dodger around the right eye, and outpointed him, 21-3.

Still well behing, Bergeron landed a punch early in the 10th that reopened Rischer’s cut, and the fight was stopped, Bergeron the winner by a TKO on cuts at 0:59 of the 10th! Rischer’s corner was livid, as their man was well ahead, but it goes in the books as a win for Bergeron. Rischer is demanding a rematch.

[mikehoudini]

Ed “the Hammer” Mahone (6-3 6) vs. Luis Firpo – The crowd-pleasing level 3 brawler Mahone, who had demolished Johnny Boudreaux, was meeting another defense-eschewing slugger in Firpo, and the fight promised to be full of action, for as long as it lasted. No one left their seats, as this could be a 30 second fight!

Mahone landed a savage straight right to open things up, living up to his slugger reputation. Firpo shook his head, smiled, and started punching. He landed a sweet uppercut and took the round, 13-4, as Ed kept missing on his haymakers, trying to end the fight with one punch!

The 2nd was a thundering crescendo of big blows, Firpo landing the 1st, a straight left, Mahone answering with a booming right and then a cross. Luis threw a left hook to the body that had the spectators in awe, and finished the war with a hook, taking the bombs’away round, 15-10!

Mahone slammed a hook home to start the 3rd, then walked into a textbook hook thrown by Firpo, and went down for a 9 count! Rather than cover up, he waded back into the action, landing a punch which Firpo countered with a booming cross. Firpo fired off a ferocious uppercut that dropped Mahone again. He was up at the count of 8, but the referee stepped in, declaring Firpo the winner by a TKO at 2:10 of the 3rd! Firpo put his arm around his daughty challenger and promised him a rematch anywhere and any time! Now there is only one level 3 fighter left!

[mikehoudini]

Gus Ruhder vs. Mike DeJeon – They split the first 4 rounds, DeJeon landing a straight right in the 1st that sent Ruhder grabbing along the ropes, and Mike landing more solid shots, making good use of his uppercuts. The 5th & 6th went the same way, Gus landing more, but lighter, blows, DeJeon a smashing hook.

Gus shocked the crowd by flooring Mike with a searing combination to start the 7th, good for a 5 count and a big round! The 8th was dead even, DeJeon rallying from a cut lip with a booming hook and straight right. Gus staggered Mike in the 9th, and DeJeon amswered with a winging right that sent Gus down for a 5 count at the end, evening the points for the round.

Down slightly on the judges’ cards, Ruhder rocked Mike with a cross that got a 7 count KD. He smashed a jarring hook home a moment later, and DeJeon was back down, this time for an 8 count! Mike battled back, but Gus caught him with a wicked body shot, and he dropped again, this time for the full 10 count! So Ruhder, who outlanded DeJeon 304-174, was the surprise winner by a KO at 2:31 of the 10th!

[mikehoudini]

Shannon Briggs (1-0) vs. Derrick Jefferson – The Cannon floored Jefferson for a 4 count to start the fight, but couldn’t put him away. Derrcik came back with a sweet 2nd, smashing an uppercut home and cutting Shannon inside the right eyebrow. After a close 3rd, Jefferson dominated the 4th & 5th, landing a number of heavy shots. He reopened Shannon’s cut in the 5th, and the fight was halted temporarily. The 6th was even worse, as Jefferson opened the round with a hook that rocked Briggs back, later reopened the cut, causing another brief respite, and finally decking him with a brutal combination for a 9 count!

Briggs started strongly in the 7th, but collapsed after an uppercut found its target. Up at the count of 8, his cut was reopened, and this time the ref stopped the fight, Jefferson the winner of this lop-side affair (54-58 on my card) by a TKO on cuts at 1:43 of the 7th!

Jim Savage vs. Maurice Harris - Savage didn’t really live up to his name. He won the first 4 rounds in desultory fashion, then finally blasted Maurice around in a 20-10 5th! Mo won the 6th, and tied or won the 8th & 9th, but any dreams of a victory became just that when Savage threw a savage (groan) cross to get a 2 count KD in the 10th! Savage won a ho-hum 98-92 unanimous decision, when both fighters should have preferred being anonymous!

[mikehoudini]

Kevin McBride UD10 over Lionel Butler
Red Burman (1-0 1) MD10 Rob Callaway
Scott LeDoux UD10 over Marion Wilson
Mario Schiesser Draw, UD10 over Roberto Davila
Leon Spinks KO5 Boone Kirkman (1-0)
John Lester Johnson SD10 Heinz Neuhaus
Kallie Knoetze KO9 Attila Levin (1-0-1 1)
George Chaplin Draw, MD over Tom Kennedy

Willi Besmanoff KO8 Omelio Agramonte
Al McCoy SD10 Toxie Hall (1-0)
Peter Maher TKO8 Floyd Cummings (1-0)
Jean-Francois Bergeron TKO10 cuts Roger Rischer
Luis Firpo TKO3 Ed Mahone (6-3 6)
Gus Ruhder KO10 Mike DeJeon
Derrick Jefferson TKO7 cuts Shannon Briggs (1-0)
Jim Savage UD10 over Maurice Harris

[mikehoudini]

Reuben Vargas vs. David Bey – Bey bullied Vargas in the 1st, dominating, 22-3, on the strength of a good hook and a straight right. He was almost as dominant in the 2nd, then lost a close 3rd as Reuben evaded his big attempts and connected with counters. Bey put Vargas down for a 2 count in the 4th on a nasty combination, pounded him with a huge right and then a winging right, and finished him off with a wild overhand right. Bey was the winner by a KO at 2:43 of the 4th. He landed 212 punches to 61 in this one-sided affair!

James Ellis (5-1 4) vs. Curtis Sheppard (1-0) – Ellis, the last of the level 3s, won a close 1st in which the two traded big punches. Sheppard had a superb 2nd, smashing two sweet hooks home and getting a 5 count KD at the end of the round on a 5 punch combination! The 3rd & 4th were nip and tuck, very close with Sheppard the slight leader on points. Through 4, Ellis was right there.

Curtis clobbered Ellis with a body shot at the end of the 5th, getting a 3 count KD, and James was shaken up. Curtis followed up his advantage in the 6th, flooring Ellis with a blazing hook for an 8 count, and Ellis seemed ready to go. A 3 count KD occurred in the 7th after Ellis took a brusing body shot from a Sheppard left, and Curtis poured it on but Ellis wouldn’t fall!

The 8th was even worse as Sheppard notched his 5th & 6th KDs, a combination for an 8 count and a blinding hook for a 9 count. Somehow, the energizer bunny got back up and weathered a 25-2 round! On his last reserves, but fighting for all the level 3 men out there, James unloaded with a perfect uppercut that sent Sheppard to the canvas for a 6 count! Ellis followed with a savage combination and another uppercut, but this time it was Sheppard who lasted the storm!

Ellis was exhausted coming out for the 10th, but fought bravely, though Sheppard pasted him with several shots en route to an 18-10 round. The crowd saluted Ellis for his gameness, as the announcer brought the verdict, a 97-86 unanimous decision for Curtis Sheppard! The Last of the Level Threes has fallen!

[mikehoudini]

Sante Amonti vs. Jim Coffey – Amonti had a great opening round, and Coffey’s right eye began to swell up. Coffey won a close 2nd as Amonti was warned for an illegal low blow. Sante won the 3rd on some good punches, and Coffey’s swelling was worse, but Sante lost a point for a low blow.

They traded the next 4 rounds, though it seemed like Coffey was tiring after absorbing a 21-7 7th. Amonti again tried some extracurricular tactics in the 8th, which he won after each man had landed a super blow, but had another point taken away for a head butt! The 9th & 10th were low-scoring affairs, as Coffey missed his caffeine, dropping them, 9-4 & 6-0. I had Amonti the winner, 95-93, as his penalties hurt him, and the last 2 rounds were pivotal. The judges scored it 97-93, 96-95 & 97-93 for Sante Amonte!

Jack Renault vs. Bernie Reynolds – Renault won the first 2 rounds, the fighters exchanging fouls, but was cut over his right eye. Reynolds had a huge 3rd, 25-4, landing a sonic hook and right. He won the 4th as well, then rallied to tie the 5th. In the 6th, he fired off a sweet combination, decking Jack for an 8 count. Ranualt was shaky, but landed a few punches to avoid further blows.

Bernie connected on an awesome hook and a solid right to control the 7th, and was up 68-64 on the judges’ cards. Ryenolds landed a straight right in the 8th that jolted Renault, but Jack saw an opening and fired a searing cross that landed flat on the chin, and Reynolds was down! He struggled to regain his footing, but the punch had too much steam on it, and Renault was declared the winner by a KO at 1:27 of the 8th! With one big punch, he was a comeback winner of a fight he was losing big-time, and Reynolds was left shaking his head, though hopeful for a rematch!

[mikehoudini]

Olle Tandberg vs. Al Reich – What a strange bout this was! Reich had landed a few punches, while Tandberg had missed all 18 that he had thrown. But then Al connected on a south of the border punch, was warned and then the referee disqualified him, saying the low blow was blatant! So Tandberg wins on a DQ in Round 1, and never landed a punch! Who’d have thunk?

Maybe it's appropriate that this is my 400th post, for the fight with the weirdest ending to date, a win where the winner missed on every punch attempted!

[mikehoudini]

Alex Miteff vs. Timo Hoffman – After losing a feeling-out 1st round, Miteff landed two monster hooks and an uppercut, cutting Timo above his left eye, en route to an easy 2nd. Timo boxed well and took the 3rd handily, then rallied in a mostly-defensive 4th after his cut was reopened and checked. Still bleeding, Timo fought furiously to narrowly win the 5th, 13-11, then was hammered by Miteff in the 6th, and his eye was swelling, to boot!

In a wild 7th, Miteff landed a giant cross and a cranium-cruncher, but then Hoffman, still bleeding, opened a gash over Alex’s left eye, causing a temporary halt. Miteff won the round, but he was the one bleeding as they came out for the 8th! A lightning right won the 8th for Miteff, but Timo floored him for a 2 count with a wicked combination in the 9th, and was up by 2 rounds on my card! Miteff landed a jab to start the 10th, and Timo’s cut reopened, worse than before. The ref called a halt and, despite Hoffman’s protest, awarded the fight to Miteff on a cuts TKO at 0:11 of the 10th! The crowd booed the poor decision.

Brian Nielsen vs. Ross Purity – Ross was pure, but Brian was powerful, notching a 6 count KD in the first and crusing through the first 4 rounds, though two of them were close, landing a number of power punches. Purity won the 5th, but the 6th & 7th went Nielsen’s way, as his firepower was too much! Ross fought well in the 8th, but left himself open, and Nielsen hammered him with a hook that dropped him for a 1 count KD at the end of the round.

Purity went toe-to-toe the last 2 rounds. He landed two solid shots in the 9th, but Nielsen got a bigger one home and won the round. The 10th was dead even, 13-13, as Ross started with the heavy blows but Brian ended with them! Nielsen was the winner by a unanimous 99-91 decision.

Tommy Morrison vs. Cedric Boswell (1-0) – After a feeling-out first, Morrison was awesome in the 2nd and almost so in the 3rd, winning both easily on a series of big bombs! Cedric beat him to the draw in the 4th, sending him to the canvas to start the round. Tommy made it up at the count of 9, and somehow evaded Boswell’s blows for the rest of the round.

Cedric smashed Tommy with a wild right, getting his 2nd KD, this time for just a 2 count, early in the 5th, answering and then some a Morrison left hook to the body. This time, Tommy should have stayed down longer, as Boswell hit him with a laser combination and stunning cross, and the ref jumped in to protect Morrison, declaring Boswell the winner by a TKO at 2:54 of the 5th. Morrison’s corner was upset, as only six seconds remained in the round, but their man was doing nothing except catching punches.

[mikehoudini]

David Bey KO4 Reuben Vargas
Curtis Sheppard (1-0) UD10 over James Ellis (5-1 4)
Sante Amonti UD 10 over Jim Coffey
Jack Renault KO8 Bernie Reynolds
Olle Tandberg DQ1 Al Reich
Alex Miteff TKO10 (cuts)Timo Hoffman
Brian Nielsen UD10 over Ross Purity
Cedric Boswell (1-0) TKO5 Tommy Morrison

[mikehoudini]

The fans at Fenway Park were fired up for the last 8 fights in Round 1 of the Fantastic Fours Tourney. As I usually do, I will summarize the 8 fights in a later post.

Gus Dorazio vs. Billy Walker (1-0 1) – Walker opened by walloping Gus in the 1st round, landing several solid shots. The 2nd was a no-action round, even. Dorazio took the 3rd, but Billy clearly won the next 2! Gus rallied to tie the 6th, but Billy blasted him in a 24-4 round 7, starting with a nice cross, following with a left hook to the body, then ending with punishing hooks. Dorazio was barely standing, and well behind on points!

Gus arguably won the 8th, 8-7, though he was cut over the right eyebrow. Still bleeding as they started the 9th, Gus had his best round of the night, 21-12, but his cut was worse after a Walker hook, and the fight was halted for a moment. They traded blows in the10th, and Dorazio came out slightly on top, 14-11, as he landed a bit more. I had Walker winning a close one, despite Dorazio’s rally, 97-96. The judges scored it 95-95, 97-93 Walker & 95-95, a majority draw! Billy had outlanded Gus, 318-282, landing almost 100 hooks! They both landed around 50% of their attempts. It was a good match, but they’d fight again, as Dorazio got the benefit of every close round.

Andreas Raht was the color commentator for the rematch. Walker again burst from the blocks, landing 54 punches to take the 1st. Dorazio landed 59, going Billy 5 better, in the 2nd, then won the next 3 rounds, making Billy miss a lot, avoiding Billy’s bombs and landing just enough! Billy was cut under the right eye, to boot, in the 3rd!

Walker had his best round, 21-6, in the 6th, flooring Dorazio for a 1 count at the end of the round! Gus didn’t fold, taking the 7th & 8th with precision punches, reopening Walker’s cut in the 7th. Needing a round, Walker won the 9th, 10-4, but still was missing a lot in trying for the big blow! Both men inexplicably took the round off in the 10th, and this hurt Walker, as Gus won it, 8-2. Andreas had Dorazio the clear winner, 96-93, and I agreed. The judges scored it 94-95, 96-93 & 95-94, for the winner by a split decision, …Gus Dorazio. Gus outlanded Billy, 296-243, and at a much higher percentage, 60-32%! Good sportsmen, they agreed to fight again once the tourney concluded!

[mikehoudini]

Alfredo Evangelista vs. Dennis Bakhtov – After trading the opening rounds, Alfredo hammred Bakhtor with solid punches in a 26-6 3rd. Dennis landed a sweet combination at the end to win the 4th, then pummled Evangelista, 22-0, in the 5th. Bakhtor won a pick-em 6th, then decked Alfredo for an 8 count in the 7th, and pasted him with a cranium-cruncher that had Alfredo hanging on to the ropes!

Going for the KO in the 8th, well behind, Evangelista landed a sweet uppercut, a jarring hook, a searing cross followed by another hook, a resounding smash and finally a fusillade of power punches that dropped Bakhtov for the count! Rallying from a 65-69 deficit, Evangelista was the winner by a KO at 2:36 of the 8th!

Pedro Lovell vs. Bert Whitehurst – Pedro won at least 4 of the first 5 rounds, but never by a points margin greater than 4. He landed power hooks, combinations and straight rights to outpoint Bert. Bert rallied to take the 6th & 7th, both by narrow but definite margins, and cut Pedro, then reopened the cut, on his forehead. The fight was very even in terms of points scored, though Lovell led on the judges’ cards, 68-65. In the 8th, after taking several shots, Bert fired off a wicked combination, and Lovell was down for an 8 count. Up but wobbly, he took another blazing combination and fell, never to rise again, and Whitehurst was declared the winner by a KO at 3:00 of the 8th! Pedro wants a rematch, and Bert has promised one at a later date. Two big punches won this extremely evenly-contested fight!

[mikehoudini]

Bob Baker vs. Ron Stander – Baker won three of the first 5 rounds in rounds where there was little action in terms of punches landing. The fans were on their feet in a rock-em 6th, which Stander won, 17-13, answering a big straight right with a booming uppercut. Baker then fought cautiously and won the 7th through 9th, as Stander had a hard time landing, looking clumsy in his attempts. Ron lost a point in the 9th for leaning on Baker’s neck. Needing the 10th, both men took the round off for a real snoozer. Baker, who outlanded Stander 270-186, was declared the winner by a 95-94, 96-93 & 95-94 verdict! The deducted point cost Stander a draw in this fight where neither boxer impressed.

Johnny Williams vs. Stan Ward – Ward boxed like a champ in taking the 1st, 18-4, but Williams came back to take the next 3, landing a hard right at the end to take the 3rd. Rounds 5-7 were low-scoring, with Ward arguably taking two by small margins, the other a dead heat. Ward had a big 8th, 16-6, landing frequently to offset a Williams uppercut, but Johnny returned the favor in a 17-4 9th, staggering Stan with a sonic hook and landing another big uppercut. The 10th scoring was 4-2, Ward, as both fighters played peek-a-boo!

I had Stan the winner by a narrow nargin, 96-95. The judges scored the bout 96-95 Williams, 97-94 Ward & 95-95, a draw! So they went back and regrouped for a 2nd contest!

Tom Trunzo was the guest commentator for the rematch. Williams landed a smashing hook to start the bout, and connected on 42 punches in a pick-em 15-14 round, as Ward answered with 37 punches, 15 being crosses! The crowd was cheering the offensive display. Johnny landed two ferocious hooks to dominate the 2nd, 15-4, then narrowly won the 3rd, despite being tagged by 10 combinations.

Ward was the aggressor in an almost-no-scoring dead-heat 4th that had the crowd booing. He used his combinations nicely to take the 5th & 6th, but then lost an exchange of crosses and the 7th. Stan had a picture-perfect 8th, landing the best punch of the fight, a cross that dropped Williams for a 4 count. Stan was a punching machine, Johnny a punching bag, as 75 blows landed, 23 crosses & 22 jabs, in a 25-2 round!

Ward has enough left to take the 9th, and Johnny had to feel the fight slipping away. He was aggressive but missing in the 10th, winning it by a narrow margin, and it was back to the scorecards! I had Ward the winner, 96-95, while Tom Trunzo saw it a draw, 95 all! The judges had it 97-92, 95-94 & 96-94, a unanimous decision for Stan Ward! Trunzo questioned Fred Brown’s ring strategy for Williams, as he did well at first, then tried (and that’s the operative word) to fight outside defensively, with poor results. These two could have fought all night, with little separating them. Will they meet again?

[mikehoudini]

There were just three fights remaining in the opening round at Fenway Park on a lovely spring might!

Alejandro Lavorante vs. Gerald Nobles – Lavorante won the 1st on the basis of a sweet hook, then belted Gerald around the ring in a 22-6 2nd, starting off with a jolting uppercut, and later landing two savage crosses. Nobles fought a bit better in the 3rd, but a late rally may have been enough for Alejandro! Nobles landed a gonzo hook that wobbled Lavorante, then connected for a solid shot that dropped him, Lavorante barely making it back up at the count of 9! Nobles connected on a five punch combination, and that was the fight, as Alejandro fell as if pole-axed! At 2:50 of the 4th, Nobles was the winner by a KO. The Jedi made a great comeback, with that sweet hook setting the table!

Al Ettore vs. Jesse Ferguson – Jesse won the first round with a variety of punches, one a monster uppercut. Al fought furiously in the last minute and captured both the 2nd and the 3rd! Landing an awesome hook, he cruised in the 4th, but Jesse came back to take his measure in the 5th. Ettore was a little more effective in the 6th, and smashed a hammering cross home to claim the 7th, 15-2. He looked to be well up at this point in time!

Ferguson was aggressive in the 8th, and decked Al for a 3 count with a searing combination. Al weathered the storm, but lost big time, 19-4, and suddenly the fight was much closer! Jesse got a nice uppercut in in the 9th, but Al wobbled him with a winging right, and took the round, 15-7. Ferguson had a bit more in the 10th, winning 14-8, showing some nice counterpunching skills.

Ettore outlanded Ferguson, 324-222, with 100 hooks, and I had him the winner by a narrow margin, 95-94! The judges scored it 95-94, 94-95 & 95-94 for, the winner by a solit decision,…Al Ettore! They shook hands and Al said he’d be happy to grant a rematch!

[mikehoudini]

Denver Ed Martin vs. Coley Wallace (1-0-1) – This was the last match of the opening round, and the fans were looking for a bang-bang finale. They weren’t disappointed. Wallace had narrowly triumphed over Freddie Beshore after many rounds in the box-in round, and vowed to not fight as many in this one!

Martin started the action with a hook to the body, and Wallace backed up. When Martin rushed in, he bashed him with a mnasty uppercut. The two exchanged blows. While Martin landed a nice cross, Coley hit more often, and won, 13-11. Wallace hammered the Denver lad with a hook that cut him inside his left eyebrow, but Ed didn’t let that affect him. Again they traded salvos, Martin hammering a sonic cross home, Wallace a combination that had Ed gasping for air! The round went to Wallace, 20-15.

Denver Ed found the range with a sizzling combination to open the 3rd, but Coley later connected with a laser straight right en route to his third straight round, 12-7. Martin stepped up his attack in the 4th, starting with a sweet right. He won easily, 20-2, staggering Wallace with a deadly uppercut and winging right!

In the 5th, both rested, and Coley got the nod. He was up 4 rounds to 1. Denver Ed landed a few more bombs to carry the 6th, 17-7, then Wallace put on a masterful defensive display in the 7th, reopening Martin’s cut and pitching an 8-0 shutout!

After being warned for a kidney punch in the 8th, Coley went back to legal blows, and floored Denver with a savage uppercut! Ed made it back up at the count of 8, only to go down under a Wallace fusillade for a 6 count. Somehow regaining his feet, he covered up, but Wallace saw a small opening and blated home another punch, and Denver Ed was dreaming about the rocky mountain high, in Colorado! At 2:53 of the 8th, Wallace was the winner by a KO!

This concluded the first round of the Fantastic Fours Tourney. Some of the fighters had dazzled like the Human Torch, others were almost as powerful as the Thing, a few emulated the Invisible Girl and disappeared, and a few used their noggins like Mister Fantastic! A summary of Round 1, then the Round 2 Pairings, follows in the next posts.

[mikehoudini]

Kevin McBride UD10 over Lionel Butler
Red Burman (1-0 1) MD10 Rob Callaway
Scott LeDoux UD10 over Marion Wilson
Mario Schiesser Draw, UD10 over Roberto Davila
Leon Spinks KO5 Boone Kirkman (1-0)
John Lester Johnson SD10 Heinz Neuhaus
Kallie Knoetze KO9 Attila Levin (1-0-1 1)
George Chaplin Draw, MD 10 over Tom Kennedy

Willi Besmanoff KO8 Omelio Agramonte
Al McCoy SD10 Toxie Hall (1-0)
Peter Maher TKO8 Floyd Cummings (1-0)
Jean-Francois Bergeron TKO10 cuts Roger Rischer
Luis Firpo TKO3 Ed Mahone (6-3 6)
Gus Ruhder KO10 Mike DeJeon
Derrick Jefferson TKO7 cuts Shannon Briggs (1-0)
Jim Savage UD10 over Maurice Harris

David Bey KO4 Reuben Vargas
Curtis Sheppard (1-0) UD10 over James Ellis (5-1 4)
Sante Amonti UD 10 over Jim Coffey
Jack Renault KO8 Bernie Reynolds
Olle Tandberg DQ1 Al Reich
Alex Miteff TKO10 (cuts)Timo Hoffman
Brian Nielsen UD10 over Ross Purity
Cedric Boswell (1-0) TKO5 Tommy Morrison

Gus Dorazio Draw, SD10 over Billy Walker (1-0 1)
Alfredo Evangelista KO8 Dennis Bakhtov
Bert Whitehurst KO8 Pedro Lovell
Bob Baker UD10 over Ron Stander
Stan Ward Draw, UD10 over Johnny Williams
Gerald Nobles KO4 Alejandro Lavorante
Al Ettore SD10 over Jesse Ferguson
Coley Wallace (1-0-1) KO8 Denver Ed Martin

[mikehoudini]

Round 2, which will determine the Sweet Sixteen in the Fantastic Fours Tourney, is almost ready to commence. The forum is still Fenway Park, and the weather for Tax Day, 2008, is simply balmy. The following are the pairings:

Kevin McBride (1-0) vs. Red Burman (2-0 1)
Scott LeDoux (1-0) vs. Mario Schiesser (1-0-1)
Leon Spinks (1-0 1) vs. John Lester Johnson (1-0)
Kallie Knoetze (1-0 1) vs. George Chaplin (1-0-1)

Willi Besmanoff (1-0 1) vs. Al McCoy (1-0)
Peter Maher (1-0 1) vs. Jean-Francois Bergeron (1-0 1)
Luis Firpo (1-0 1) vs. Gus Ruhder (1-0 1)
Derrick Jefferson (1-0 1) vs. Jim Savage (1-0)

David Bey (1-0 1) vs. Curtis Sheppard (2-0)
Sante Amonti (1-0) vs. Jack Renault (1-0 1)
Olle Tandberg (1-0) vs. Alex Miteff (1-0 1)
Brian Nielsen (1-0) vs. Cedric Boswell (2-0 1)

Gus Dorazio (1-0-1) vs. Alfredo Evangelista (1-0 1)
Bert Whitehurst (1-0 1) vs. Bob Baker (1-0)
Stan Ward (1-0-1) vs. Gerald Nobles (1-0 1)
Al Ettore (1-0) vs. Coley Wallace (2-0-1 1)

Which of these fighters will dazzle like the Human Torch? Which will display the power of the Thing? Which will be smart and stretch when needed, and use their noggin, like Mister Fantastic? And which will emulate the Invisible Girl and disappear? Which will emulate Mel Turnbow, Butterbean and Danny Woffordheroic battlers who almost made it into the Fantastic Four?

Select your favorite or favorites. With all due deference to the Incredible Hulk, its clobbering time!