Thanksgiving Tournament of the Turkeys

[mikehoudini]

There are a ton of challenge matches in this round, and Boone Kirkman advances after his win over Buddy Baer.

Amos Johnson (0-1) vs. Jose Luis Gonzalez (2-1 2) – Famous Amos had been way ahead, but Gonzalez had taken him out with a KO in the 9th, perhaps while Amos was dreaming about his next bout. Gonzalez opened like he’d ended the prior fight, hurting Johnson with a sonic cross, then decking him with a blistering hook! Amos heard the bell sound, and made it upright, barely, at the count of 9, but he had taken a 26-2 pasting!

Amos hadn’t trained all that hard for this match, possibly believing he could easily handle Gonzalez. After the shellacking he took in Round 1, he was all business, boxing carefully in the next 3 rounds, winning them 10-4, 10-6 & 12-5. He was effective with hooks and crosses, and evaded Gonzalez’s bombs. He was losing in the 5th, when Gonzalez stunned him with a sweet combination, but rallied in the last minute to take it, 10-8, landing 34 times. He was well up at the intermission, but had been as well in their first encounter!

A minute into the 6th, Gonzalez rocked Johnson with a straight right. Amos was hurt, but a huge winging right caught Jose Luis coming in, staggering him in turn! Johnson was active, landing a series of crosses as he built up a 17-11 round, and Gonzalez’s left eye was swelling big time as a result of the cumulative punches.

Amos looked exhausted coming out for the 7th, and Gonzalez reached him, first with a laser left, then with a major cross. Johnson had evaded those types of punches earlier, but he was slowing down, in a bad way! Gonzalez punished him, winning 21-4, and then continued to barrage him in the 8th. Tired himself from the punches he had launched, Jose Luis snapped an uppercut flush, and Johnson dropped head over heels to the deck! This was almost déjà vu all over again, but a shaky Johnson again beat the count, but only just, at the count of 9! He was on Bink Street, trying to cover up, and the crowd roared as Gonzalez caught him with an awesome hook. He somehow stayed upright, then found the reserves to rally in the last minute, staving off another KD, 22-8!

I had the fight dead even, between two fighters who both looked dead from exhaustion! Gonzalez hurt Johnson with a huge double hook in the 9th, but Amos was landing a series of lighter punches, which were increasing the swelling in Gonzo’s eye! Gonzalez kept trying for the putaway punch, and missed regularly, as Johnson pulled out an 8-5 round!

After a slow first minute in the 10th, Johnson, who had been clinching, came to life with a series of hooks. Interspersed, he drilled Gonzo with a wicked combination, and was way more effective in a 12-2 finale. Would his rally carry weight with the judges?

He had outlanded Gonzalez, 288-184, but Jose Luis had those 2 huge knockdowns. I scored it for Johnson, 95-94, and the judges all agreed, each of them scoring it 95-93! It had almost been a Xerox version of their prior fight, but Amos had a little more left in the tank, and will advance!

[mikehoudini]

Fabulous 5s Challenge Match Round 1 Fight 2

Dominick Guinn vs. Patsy Perroni – They had drawn in their first fight, then Perroni pulled out a majority decision. He came out and boxed a beautiful 1st, landing 63 times, punishing Guinn, 19-2! He was moving nicely and jabbing occasionally in a quiet 2nd, which ended 8-7, a pick-em round. Guinn solved Patsy’s defenses in a 18-2 3rd, landing cross after cross, as well as a big hook and uppercut. Perroni’s right eye was swelling at round’s end.

Perroni came back with a masterly attack in the 4th, his jabs landing almost at will. Only a late hook to the body by Guinn made it respectable, 15-9, and Dominick’s left eye was beginning to swell. Dominick landed a bunch of jabs and a huge uppercut in taking the 5th, 9-4, and Perroni’s eye was worse after all those jabs found it!

After a quiet minute in the 6th, Guinn turned it up a few notches. Banging home 10 crosses, which made Patsy’s eye even worse, he hurt him with two savage combinations and a hook, and waltzed, 20-2. Patsy got on his bicycle in the 7th. He was reached by a straight right, worsening his swelling, but countered enough to possibly have pulled the round out, 7-6.

Perroni tried to rest in the 8th by clinching, but Dominick rammed a right hook home, and his eye was now more than half-closed! Guinn took the round, 8-4, and Patsy was seeing his win slip away. Going for the KO, he got some nice punches home, softening Guinn up as Guinn’s eye got worse and worse! Patsy landed a sizzling straight right and a deadly hook, and Guinn was ready to go, exhausted and barely able to see out of his eye! Patsy didn’t have enough left to put him away, but dominated, 21-2, getting a badly-needed round!

Neither could see well coming out for the 10th, and it shoed in a lackluster 6-6 round. I had Guinn winning, 97-96, while the color commentator had Perroni by a 97-93 margin. Two judges scored it 95-95, the third went for Guinn, 96-94, so it ended a majority draw!

[mikehoudini]

Perroni opened the rematch with a flashy display in the first 2 minutes, and one of his blows cut Guinn outside the right eyebrow. Dominick rallied strongly after the cut, and a booming hook to the body may have won him the round, 8-7. Throwing jabs and crosses, Patsy opened up a small lead in the 2nd, and won it, 10-7, despite a late flurry from Guinn.

A sharp Perroni jab reopened Guinn’s cut as the 3rd began. Guinn roared back in the last two minutes, a nasty combination paving the way to a 13-4 round! Perroni was just too quick and crisp with his punches in the 4th, steadily pulling away, 15-4, and Guinn’s left eye was now swelling. They both fought defensively in the 5th, but Guinn flurried in the last minute, taking it on my card, 9-6. It was virtually even at the halfway point, raising the ominous specter of a second draw and yet another fight!

Perroni was jabbing and moving in the 6th. He threw other punches as well, and peppered Guinn’s eye with jabs, the swelling worsening as Patsy took the round, 12-5. Patsy fought a brilliant last two minutes in the 7th, his crosses being particularly effective, and he won handily, 15-6!

Guinn went all out for a KO in the 8th, but was wild with his swings, and Patsy countered nicely in the first two minutes. Guinn’s eye was getting to be a mess, so he battled inside and got some nice shots in during the last minute, but still came out on the short end, 11-6. Dominick was exhausted coming out for the 9th, and it showed. Perroni switched to the hook, and Guinn’s eye was half-closed after Patsy kept banging it, taking his fourth straight round, 10-4!

That rally made it look like “10-4, over and out!” Perroni came out covering up in the 10th, confident he had a big lead. Guinn kept banging away at his turtle-like defense, and won an uncontested round, 9-0. Would Perroni be correct in his assessment?

I had Perroni winning, 97-94. The judges scored the fight 97-93 Perroni, 96-94 Guinn (huh?) & 96-94, for the winner by a split decision…Patsy Perroni! Patsy had way outlanded Dominick, 277-180, as his jabs and crosses piled up points. These guys have now fought 40 rounds, with 2 draws, a majority and a split decision. I’d say they were about as evenly-matched as possible! Guinn may have gone to grab a Guinness, but his fighting in this tournament is done!

Next up, Lou (Super) Nova challenging Amos Lincoln!

[mikehoudini]

Lou (Super) Nova (0-1) vs. Amos Lincoln (3-1 3) – The Oakland Assassin had been beating Lincoln, but a 4th round TKO derailed Lou. Amos launched the fight with a super cross, but was unable to follow up. Nova rallied with a monster hook, and may have taken the round, 8-7.

When Lou opened the 2nd with another big hook, he seemed to be in charge, but this time it was Lincoln who blocked punches and then came back with a series of hooks & uppercuts, winning convincingly, 13-6. The 3rd round was a yawner for 2 minutes, then they had several good exchanges, punctuated by a monster Lincoln uppercut that sent Nova reeling and won the Train the round, 9-7!

Nova recovered fast, and was crisp with his punches in the 4th, landing a bunch of combinations and frustrating Amos, 13-0! A big hook got him running again in the 5th and he built up a nice lead. In the last minute, Lincoln came back with a furious counterattack, throwing hooks and uppercuts again, and winning on my card, 13-10! I had Lincoln ahead at this point.

Lou landed yet another big hook early in the 6th. He pounded an uppercut home, then hurt Lincoln with a sizzling straight right followed by another punishing right! Lincoln fought back, but came out on the short end after all those power shots, 19-7!

Lou opened the 7th with a lightning-fast uppercut and a wicked hook, and seemed off to the races. Amos’ right eye was swelling badly, and he looked on the point of exhaustion. He stemmed the tide with a sweet hook to the body, but only temporarily, as Nova was landing hook after hook! Lou rocked Lincoln with a laser jab, then sent him flying into the ropes with a jolting double hook! The bell rang, saving Lincoln, whose eye was now a mess, but he took a 25-7 pasting and seemed out on his feet.

Lincoln had rallied in each of his 3 wins, and he opened the 8th with a desperate charge, and a giant uppercut almost floored Nova! Amos’ fans, including the Mad Bomber, jumped up, as Lincoln loaded up on a hook! Nova sidestepped and fired off a furious combination, and the Big Train dropped, derailed! He couldn’t quite beat the count and, for one night at least, Nova’s comet burned bright, as he won by a KO at 0:48 of the 8th, avenging his prior loss! Lou had put the train to sleep!

[mikehoudini]

Franco Cavicchi (0-1) vs. Hubert Hilton (3-1-1 1) – The Happy Wanderer, Hilton had won a split decision over the Italian champion. Having upset the touted Mel Turnbow once in real life, he expected to make short work of Franco. Instead, it was Cavicchi who boxed brilliantly in the 1st, jumping out to a 12-2 lead. Hilton won the 2nd, 11-6, hooking well and winning most exchanges after a dull first minute.

They went back and forth in a 10-10 3rd, having some spirited exchanges. Franco jabbed and cinched his way to a dull 8-5 4th, Hube rallying in the last minute. They each landed a hard cross in the 5th, but Cavicchi was more active, and pasted Hilton with a hook and a round-ending shot that had him wobbling. Franco won, 20-7, and suddenly Hilton seemed to be in trouble!

And he was soon in major trouble, as Franco smashed him with a massive uppercut to start the 6th, dropping him instantly! Hubert was up at the count of 8, but looked pitiful, and Franco wobbled him even more with a Corbi combination! Hilton was swaying, and Franco tagged him with a wild overhand right, putting Hube’s lights out! Franco wins over the American with a KO at 3:00 of the 6th! Hilton was starched flat as a pancake, or pizza dough! That’s 3 wins in 4 matches for the challengers so far this round!

[mikehoudini]

Harold Carter (1-1-2) vs. Tommy Jackson (0-1-1)– I hesitated before sanctioning this challenge match, as they fought through a chess-like (a.k.a.) boring 20 rounds, until Carter got a majority decision. Carter won the opening 3 rounds, 8-4, 6-2 & 6-2, in a truly boring beginning. The Hurricane was looking more like a stagnant breeze, the doldrums, in the Sargasso Sea! Carter did just enough, while Jackson showed almost no offense.

Tommy changes strategy in the 4th, going inside, and he equaled his total punches landed in the past 3 rounds (24), blazing his way to an 8-6 round. You could have heard a pin drop, for all the interest the crowd had. Using the same strategy in the 5th, Jackson landed the first real punch of the fight, a snappy uppercut, and bulled his way to a 13-6 round, getting him almost even. A few of the fans even stirred at this brief bit of offense!

They both took the 6th off, though I can’t for the life of me figure out why. Carter actually connected on a stinging cross, and cruised to a 12-0 round! Hurricane finally resembled one in the 7th, going back inside and ripping a sweet combination home to start the round! He nailed Harold flush with a hook, and for a second Carter’s legs looked like they were wobbling! Jackson kept swinging, landing a double hook and some jabs, and fans were awake and even clapping as he pummeled Carter, 19-6!

In the 8th, they both rested, and Jackson clinched a lot, landed a bit, and won, maybe, 6-4. In the 9th, they rested, again I wonder why? Carter again had his way, 11-4, and had the lead, on my card.

Carter covered up coming out for the 10th, and the himicane landed a wicked combination, then shook his right hand, as he might have hurt it! He had enough left to outpoint Carter, 11-8, and make it a draw for me. Carter had landed 221 times, Jackson only 168, but he had fired and missed a lot!

The judges scored it 96-94 Jackson, 96-94 Carter and…95-95, a draw! They’ll have to fight again! Oh, no. I need a few beers after this debacle!

On deck, Bob Foster and Henry Clark, who fought a barn-burner!

[Mad Bomber]

Originally Posted by mikehoudini

Lou (Super) Nova (0-1) vs. Amos Lincoln (3-1 3) – The Oakland Assassin had been beating Lincoln, but a 4th round TKO derailed Lou. Amos launched the fight with a super cross, but was unable to follow up. Nova rallied with a monster hook, and may have taken the round, 8-7.

When Lou opened the 2nd with another big hook, he seemed to be in charge, but this time it was Lincoln who blocked punches and then came back with a series of hooks & uppercuts, winning convincingly, 13-6. The 3rd round was a yawner for 2 minutes, then they had several good exchanges, punctuated by a monster Lincoln uppercut that sent Nova reeling and won the Train the round, 9-7!

Nova recovered fast, and was crisp with his punches in the 4th, landing a bunch of combinations and frustrating Amos, 13-0! A big hook got him running again in the 5th and he built up a nice lead. In the last minute, Lincoln came back with a furious counterattack, throwing hooks and uppercuts again, and winning on my card, 13-10! I had Lincoln ahead at this point.

Lou landed yet another big hook early in the 6th. He pounded an uppercut home, then hurt Lincoln with a sizzling straight right followed by another punishing right! Lincoln fought back, but came out on the short end after all those power shots, 19-7!

Lou opened the 7th with a lightning-fast uppercut and a wicked hook, and seemed off to the races. Amos’ right eye was swelling badly, and he looked on the point of exhaustion. He stemmed the tide with a sweet hook to the body, but only temporarily, as Nova was landing hook after hook! Lou rocked Lincoln with a laser jab, then sent him flying into the ropes with a jolting double hook! The bell rang, saving Lincoln, whose eye was now a mess, but he took a 25-7 pasting and seemed out on his feet.

Lincoln had rallied in each of his 3 wins, and he opened the 8th with a desperate charge, and a giant uppercut almost floored Nova! Amos’ fans, including the Mad Bomber, jumped up, as Lincoln loaded up on a hook! Nova sidestepped and fired off a furious combination, and the Big Train dropped, derailed! He couldn’t quite beat the count and, for one night at least, Nova’s comet burned bright, as he won by a KO at 0:48 of the 8th, avenging his prior loss! Lou had put the train to sleep!

Naturally I'm devastated by the outcome of this one.

[mikehoudini]

Originally Posted by Mad Bomber

Naturally I'm devastated by the outcome of this one.

Devastated, I can bet, but you and I know how to deal with losses, unfortunately! But was his loss unexpected? Many challengers are advancing - oops I'm giving away some results!

[mikehoudini]

Carter opened the nightcap of this doubleheader with a savage uppercut, but Jackson came to life early, tattooing Harold with hooks and crosses in the last minute to triumph, 13-8! Carter’s defense settled down in the 2nd, as he was too shifty for Tommy to reach, and he took it 10-6, hooking nicely. Carter pulled away after an even fist minute in the 3rd, banging away for 47 punches, mostly hooks and crosses, to rule, 14-4. Jackson’s brief offensive flurry hadn’t carried forth the last 2 rounds.

Tommy shifted to an inside attack in the 4th. After a desultory first minute, he began hooking with impunity, carving out an 8-2 round. Carter danced better in the 5th, keeping Hurricane from getting inside, his hooks making the difference, 8-4. When he probably won a 6-4 round in which both men seemed like they were resting, he had built up a 2 point lead, on my card, in a fight largely devoid of excitement!

Hurricane went back to the inside in the 7th, and was a little more effective in the first 2 minutes, a cranium-cruncher briefly staggering Carter. Harold covered up, and Tommy went at it like a hurricane, straightening Carter up with jabs, then punishing him with uppercuts. Harold’s left eye was suddenly quite swollen, and he looked ready to drop, as Jackson won the round going away, 17-6! Just that quickly, he was back in the fight!

Tommy opened the 8th with a sweet hook to the body, but Carter summoned up some extra energy and began slipping and blocking. He hurt Jackson with a thumping hook, then tried to end it. A straight right stood Tommy up, but Carter could do no more damage. The round ended, pick-em, 8-8! Carter rocked Jackson with a laser right early in the 9th, then boxed nicely to win it easily, 13-2. He needed that round after the momentum Jackson had after the 8th, and was in a good position on my card.

They traded punches early in the 10th, Then Tommy had a slight advantage after a jarring jab found its mark. Landing a series of uppercuts in the last minute, Tommy won it, 16-10, but it might not have been enough!

I scored it for Carter, 96-95, in yet another close fight between the two! Carter had only outlanded Jackson 243-222, but he’d landed a few power punches this time. The color commentator scored it for Jackson, 96-95. I’d say a hush went over the crowd as they awaited the judges’ verdict, but I’d be lying, as most of the crowd was asleep or at the beverages stand. The judges scored the fight 97-94, 96-94 & 96-95, a unanimous decision (yay, they won’t have another bout) for…Tommy Jackson! These two, over 4 fights, have been separated by a flea’s foot. Hurricane is the 4th challenger to advance in this round!

[mikehoudini]

Bob Foster (2-1) vs. Henry Clark (0-1) – These two had fought a war, Clark building up a nice lead, then Foster flooring him twice in the 10th to pull out a majority decision! For some reason, Clark hadn’t been training for this rematch. Would that be a factor?

After an uninspiring first minute, Bob started jabbing and hooking, all the while backing up, and he got the nod, 8-4. The first minute of the 2nd, was a continuation, and the fans started booing as they’d expected much more action. Foster heard the taunts and threw caution to the winds. He blasted home a hook, then rocked Henry with an uppercut, followed by a rapier jab that sent Clark back into the ropes! He connected on a series of crosses, and Clark held onto the ropes after the last one, as the bell sounded. Foster had dominated, 27-2, but Clark was still alive!

Bob may have punched himself out in the 2nd, and both fighters were content to clinch and lean on each other in a dull 7-4 3rd, arguably won by Foster. When he ripped a jab home to start the 4th, he was in good shape, Clark having shown no offense to date, a far cry from their prior clash! They had a few decent exchanges, then Clark finally caught fire, landing a bunch of hooks to outscore Bob, 10-8.

They went at each other in the 5th, Henry being a little more active and accurate with his hooks, and he pulled away, 12-7. After his two round rally, he was tired, possibly because of his training regimen. Foster fired a cranium-crusher that knocked him sideways, then landed a few lighter punches to rule the 6th, 8-2, as Clark was content to clinch.

Clarkie came back with some nice crosses in the 7th, making Foster miss. Bob needed a hard uppercut at the end of the round to make it even close, 10-7. Henry was like Henry Armstrong in the 8th, throwing hooks and crosses at breakneck speed! Foster blocked some, but many got through, and one hook caused Bob to wince. Landing 53 times in all, this was reminiscent of the way he’d fought the first time, and Clark ruled, 18-4! Foster looked exhausted after absorbing all those punches, and the fight seemed about even. Who would prevail?

Foster blocked a Clark hook to begin the 9th, countering with one of his own that was picture-perfect! He followed that in short order with a hard cross and even harder uppercut, and Henry was hurt! Landing uppercut after uppercut, he knocked Clark into the ropes, and caught him bouncing off them with a searing combination, then an uppercut that sent Clark flying into his corner! Henry was almost helpless, and Foster measured him for and then delivered a straight right, then turned to the referee, pointing to his dazed foe! The ref agreed, and Foster, who was head, 27-2, was declared the winner by a TKO at 2:02 of the 9th! Clark’s conditioning woes might have been a factor, as he wasn’t as active as in their first match-up. In any event, Foster is only the 2nd to successfully defeat his challenger!

[mikehoudini]

Joe Goddard (3-1 1) vs. Eliecer Castillo (0-1) – Joe had won a split decision in their first meeting, though, in my opinion, his winning the last 2 rounds, and having scored a KD, gave him the fight by 2 points. Castillo, again, came in for this fight after visiting Party central!

Eliecer came out swinging, hurting Joe with a freight train right hook, then dropping him with an awesome uppercut! Goddard was up at the count of 4, covering up as Castillo came in for the kill. Goddard blocked and slipped Castillo’s clumsy bomb attempts, then starting landing some sharp counters, so the round ended 13-9, very close in light of the fact that there was plenty of time for Castillo to notch a stoppage!

Castillo landed a few jabs and hooks in the 2nd, enough to take the round, 8-5, as Goddard couldn’t get untracked, as his timing was off. Joe landed a crisp cross to open the 3rd, but still wasn’t operating on all cylinders, and kept misfiring. Castillo landed a good hook, and mugged Goddard, picking up 2 warnings, but his roughhouse tactics won him the round, 12-4. Would Goddard get untracked?

Yes, he would and did after a plodding first minute in the 4th. Goddard exploded with a sharp right, then stunned the party animal with a double hook. To his credit, that seemed to wake Eliecer up, and he started connecting on punches, many of them uppercuts, to narrow the gap to 15-10. Opening the 5th with a bang, Goddard nearly floored Castillo with an uppercut. The party man looked beat, but rallied during some nice exchanges, and made it respectable, 13-8.

Goddard started with a great two minutes in the 6th, again nearly decking Eliecer with a strong uppercut to start the festivities! Castillo fought back with some furious flurries, his hammering hooks almost pulling the round out, 14-12! Again the fast starter, Goddard dropped Castillo with a shot that almost caused the rum in his belly to erupt! Eliecer was up at the count of 6, but clearly on Bink Street! Goddard, who had got 7 KDs against Andrew Golota, went after the covering Castillo, but the game Cuban showed his mettle, avoiding further damage and even landing a few crisp counters, so the round ended only 10-6! Still, I had Goddard ahead after his 4 round rally!

Goddard was tired coming out for the 8th, as he had fired indiscriminately trying to end it the previous round. He landed a nice right, and was up after two minutes, but Castillo rallied yet again, and a searing right just before (or after?) the bell sounded may have won him the round, 9-8! Joe went for broke in the 9th. After a quiet first minute, he tagged Eliecer with a deadly combination, and turned back every Castillo rally with punches of his own, winning, 12-6.

Eliecer needed the 10th, so he went out and clinched mightily for the first half of the round. Goddard finally got untangled and was quicker to and more frequent with the punches, racking up at 8-4 round that won him the fight, in my opinion, 96-94! He had ruled from Round 4 on! The wise judges scored the fight 94-94, 95-93 Goddard and 95-93, Castillo, so it went into the books as a draw. Goddard stood there stunned, muttering something that was close to “Goddard” but rhymed with god-ham. They’d fight again!

[mikehoudini]

Joe Goddard (3-1-1 1) vs. Eliecer Castillo (0-1-1) – Castillo had celebrated escaping with a draw, visiting a few gin joints in old Chi-town! Goddard was still upset over the officiating, and it showed in Round 1 as he got tagged with a smoking hook, got hammered from pillar to post afterward as he covered up, and then had a point deducted for a head butt that never happened! Castillo landed 48 punches and dominated, 19-4!

Joe tried to get his head back in the match. After a slow first minute in the 2nd, he started firing off some nice crosses, tattooing Eliecer’s face! Castillo landed one rocking straight right, but Goddard answered, lashing out like a leopard with a crushing combination, and Castillo did the electric slide to the floor! Castillo staggered to his feet at the count of 9, but clearly was ready to go. The bell saved him even as Goddard was getting set to unload, and a dazed Castillo had to be helped to his corner, down, 22-6!

Castillo rinsed his mouth out with some sweet Jamaican rum, swallowing a bit of it, and came out firing and gliding for the 3rd! Amazingly, his cross was keeping Goddard at bay, piling up points, and he got a respite and a much-needed round, 13-6! Ah, the restorative powers of rum!

The effort had exhausted the party animal, and Joe piled up some points early in the 4th, and Castillo clinched and tried to dance with him. Joe finally got himself disentangled, then walked into a Hail Mary uppercut, which caught him on the button! The crowd sat stunned as the count reached 10, Castillo getting the KO at 1:39 of the 4th with one lucky punch! Goddard must have annoyed the gods, as Castillo is the 5th challenger to advance. Needless to say, he partied on afterward like it was 1999!

[mikehoudini]

Andrew Golota (2-1 2) vs. Bob Devere (0-1) – Devere had been winning in their first contest until Golota clocked him in the 7th round. Devere began with a few jabs, trying to feel Golota out, and Geets caught him with a ripping hook. Devere blinked, backed away and, as Golota followed, threw a blistering combination, and Golota dropped with a thud! He jumped up at the count of 3, and Devere hammered him with a sizzling hook! Golota staggered backward, trying to get out harm’s way. Devere landed some more hooks, causing Golota to move his arms in an attempt to block. Seeing what he needed, Devere uncorked a shot to the body, and Golota dropped again. The bell sounded, alas to late for Golota, as he couldn’t beat the count of 10! Bob Devere avenged his loss with a KO at 3:00 of the 1st round! Golota truly was the man for whom the bell tolled!

And a 6th challenger has come through!

[mikehoudini]

Wayne Bethea vs. Leroy Jones – Originally, they had drawn, then Bethea stopped Jones in the 10th on a cuts TKO, when Leroy had been way ahead. Jones came in for this match in fine shape, ready for revenge, while Bethea was out of shape. The prior fights hadn’t exactly been barn-burners. Would this one break the mold?

Bethea won the opening round, 10-6, rallying nicely in the last minute. Jonesey took the 2nd & 3rd, 8-4 and 10-4, relying mainly on combinations, as he’d reach Wayne, then dance away. He hurt Bethea with one solid combo, but the fight was taking on the intensity of a chess match. When Round 4 ended 2-2, Bethea missing almost constantly, you could hear the calm munching of popcorn from those attending!

Wayne had a point deducted early in the 5th for a low blow. He became active, landing 14 hooks, and won the round, 12-6, despite a crisp cross from Jones. They went back and forth in an 8-8 6th, Jones landing another sweet cross but having his own point deducted for using his elbows. Leroy fired off 10 rapier-like jabs in the 7th, pulling away for a 9-6 round. It was déjà vu, all over again, with little real offense displayed in what was an even match.

Early in the 8th, Bethea decided to go for broke. He connected on a sweet hook to the body, as well as a sizzling cross. His crosses were effective, setting up a big hook at round’s end, a round he won big time, 16-4. A few fans even clapped! That sudden expenditure of effort cost him, as he looked tired coming out for the 9th. Jones seized the moment, and it was his turn to pour it on. He landed jabs interspersed with combinations, 24 of the former, 20 of the latter, and, with 68 punches getting through, dominated, 22-4! Even more fans, in double digits, cheered as this rare display of offense!

I had Jones ahead, barely, and he decided to cover up from the start in the final round, while Wayne was again going all out for a KO. Early on, Jones was effective in holding and hitting, drawing a warning in the process. He was able to avoid Bethea’s bomb attempts, landing a few counters, and scored a 7-0 shutout!

Leroy had outlanded Wayne, 237-183. He was well up on his connection percentage, 51-20%. His jabs and combinations had been enough to get the win, at least from me. The judges scored the bout 95-93 Jones, 94-94 & 95-93 for, Leroy Jones, the winner by a majority decision! Bethea’s conditioning may have played a part in his defeat, as he faded in the 9th & 10th. Jones is now the 7th challenger to advance, out of 9! I’m seeing a trend here!

[mikehoudini]

Karl Mildenberger vs. Young Bob Fitzsimmons – Fitzsimmons had won a majority decision in a defensive contest, as Mildenberger’s being left-handed frustrated him. Since Karl hadn’t changed from being a southpaw, it remained to be seen if Young Bob could solve his defenses.

Fitz took the opener, 10-5, on the basis of a strong last minute when he tagged Karl several times. Karl returned the favor in an 8-6 2nd, landing a string of combinations in minute 3. Mildenberger opened well in the 3rd, moving nicely and frustrating Fitz with his right hooks. Fitz came back a bit, but was still on the short side, 10-7.

They traded punches in a pick-em 4th, Karl getting more points, 9-8. Karl jabbed beautifully in the last minute of the 5th, winning a snoozer’s delight, 6-4! Fitz took dull 6th & 7th rounds, 8-4 & 6-2, evening this low-scoring affair. He came out swinging in the 8th, but Mildenberger was evading and blocking. Fitz did rock Karl with an uppercut, the best punch of the night, and he kept going back to the uppercut, winning decisively, 12-2.

Needing a round, Karl was active in the 9th. After a few decent exchanges, he began to pull away with his jabs setting up his other punches, winning 12-4! Karl chose to cover up in the 10th. He was rocked by a combination early on, but bounced back and countered nicely. In the last 30 seconds, he countered well, winning, 10-6.

I had Karl winning 96-95. The judges, who were still awake after this match filled with ring movement and misses, scored it 97-94 Mildenberger, 95-95 & 97-95 for the winner by a majority decision, Karl Mildenberger! Karl wasn’t pretty, but he did just enough to win. Close though these two were in their 2 contests, I think people would rather watch paint dry than witness the rubber match.

And now it is 8 of 10 challengers that have triumphed over adversity, or whatever name their opponent had!

[mikehoudini]

Hein Ten-Hoff vs. Mac Foster – Foster had tired out in their first encounter, and Ten-Hoff rallied to a unanimous decision. They each landed a huge shot in the 1st, Mac a gigantic hook, Hein a cross, and that was, literally, it in a 4-4 round! Hein led early in the 2nd, a big cross doing some damage, but Foster rallied for a 15-13 round, despite being hurt late by a sweet uppercut.

Foster ripped home a searing straight right in the 3rd, staggering Ten-Hoff, but the burly German slugger came back with jabs, crosses & combinations, 46 all told, to take the 3rd, 14-7! He dominated Mac in the 4th, 14-2, seemingly landing his crosses (18 of the 34 punches he landed) at will! Firing a super hook, then another almost as deadly, he took the early lead in the 5th, but Mac rallied in the 2nd minute, landing some hard shots. They went toe to toe in the last minute, Mac connecting on a big hook, Hein on cross after cross, one straight right forcing Foster to back up! Hein won this hotly-contested round, 24-18, and Mac was left demoralized, his left eye swelling, and his lip bleeding after a last-second accidental head butt!

Foster looked tired coming out for the 6th, shades of the prior fight. He was still bleeding, and clinched a bit in a quiet first minute. He landed a hook to the ribs and definitely hurt Hein, but Hein moved away and landed a few counters to make the end close, 7-5. Mac probably had won the round, but did he have anything left?

Ten-Hoff, who had coasted for most of the 6th, came out like a ball of fury in the 7th, peppering Foster with an unending stream of crosses and jabs. Foster’s cut was now worse. He landed a ferocious combination at the end of the round, but it was too little, too late, Hein taking it easily, 17-6!

Going for a KO, Mac landed a savage right, and Ten-Hoff, who had been evading punches pretty well, slowed down in a hurry. A desperate Foster landed another sizzling combination, and Hein was hurt, covering up! Mac landed hook after hook, one a nasty shot, but Hein kept his feet in a 22-7 shellacking!

The fight was suddenly closer, and Foster’s cut finally stopped. Hein landed some nice punches early in the 9th, a stalking Foster one massive hook! Mac missed on a few, then struck with another hook, and Hein was in trouble! Mac’s eye was much more swollen, but, even with the limited vision, he rocked Hein with a hook and a super cross! The bell sounded, Foster having won another, 16-8, and I had the fight even!

The last 2 rounds had tired Foster, and Hein was able to unload with a savage combination in the 10th, then throw some effective counters after blocking Foster’s ponderous bombs! Ten-Hoff was far fresher at the end, pulling away to a 14-4 round that won him the fight, on my card!

He had outlanded the game Foster, 294-189, landing more jabs and crosses than Mac did punches! The judges scored it 96-94 Ten-Hoff, 95-95 & 96-94, for…the winner by a majority decision, Hein Ten-Hoff! Mac had been much busier, but landed at a poor 23%, while Hein waited his time and scored against Foster’s less-than-stellar defense at 1 61% rate.

A third defender was defeated his challenger! Woohoo!

[mikehoudini]

Jim Maloney (2-1 1) vs. Earl Walls (0-1) – Maloney had stopped the Hooded Terror by way of a TKO in Round 6, but the fiery Canadian, who had received some good press in another thread, vowed the rematch would be different! After a feeling out minute, Walls went to work, landing crosses and a hard shot that dazed Jim. The Hooded Terror stayed on the offensive, connecting 33 times to shut Maloney out 16-0! Walls landed a few times at the start of the 2nd, then Maloney belted him with a sonic hook, and Earl was cut outside his right eyebrow. Angry, Walls ripped home a hook of his own, staggering Maloney. Pouring it on, Walls was truly a terror, landing 45 times, 15 being crosses, and he battered Jim, 20-10, and Jim’s right eye was now well-swollen!

Maloney had weathered a savage onslaught and husbanded his strength. He rocked Walls with a titanic uppercut, and Earl’s cut was reopened. Jim landed another big punch, and Earl’s cut was worsening! That rejuvenated Walls, who was effective with his hooks, narrowing the deficit to 12-9 and worsening Maloney’s swelling. Both men looked like they’d been through a pretty good battle already!

Jim landed a sizzling left early in the 4th, staggering Walls for a second, and caught him with a flurry of punches in the aftermath. Earl blocked a punch, moving well, and resumed the attack once his head cleared, hurting Maloney with a lightning left, and now Jim was on the defensive. The Hooded Terror fought intelligently, landing some punches, then moving away, and Maloney was unable to retaliate. The round ended all even, 9-9, but momentum was favoring Walls.

Earl came out like two fists of fury in the 5th. The whirling dervish resembled Danny Wofford as he built up a huge lead early on with a variety of punches. Maloney’s eye was getting worse, and Walls went after it with a vengeance. He loaded up and hurt Jim with a left hook to the body, then drilled him with a laser cross, and Maloney was in trouble, big time! Jim landed a few punches, but Earl’s jabs were landing like a metronome, and the cumulative effect of the 50 punches landed was a 27-9 round, with Jim’s eye almost closed! The Hooded Terror was way up at the intermission!

Walls was a bit tired from all his punches, and took the 6th off. Maloney dodged and clinched effectively for two minutes, then landed a sweet double hook, and Earl’s cut was reopened, an ugly mess! The ref halted the fight, but the doctor allowed the fight to continue. Jim landed a left hook, and the cut worsened, the referee halting the fight again. Earl’s fans were worried, but the ring doc, possibly realizing the beating Walls had given to date, allowed the fight to continue, and the round ended before Maloney could do any further damage. He’d won, 6-0, and now Walls had to be protecting his eye!

Earl’s corner couldn’t staunch the cut, though they’d greatly reduced the flow of blood, and he immediately caught a searing cross to open the 7th! Maloney picked his spots as Walls’ vision was now impaired, and landed a huge hook. Maloney looked exhausted, and couldn’t follow up on his two big blows. He was able to clinch and land some devastating kidney punches, earning a warning, but he picked up his second consecutive shutout, 12-0, and suddenly this fight was even!

Earl landed a stunning right to lead early in the 8th, his cut now closed. He landed a blistering combination, evading Maloney’s clumsy counters, and took the wind out of Jim’s sails with a bodacious hook to the midriff. Maloney was gasping, but able to catch a charging Walls with a hard right, then a wicked combination, both just before the bell. The Hooded Terror may have escaped with the round, 13-12, but the late rally might have sent the judges Maloney’s way!

Maloney was clinching to beat the band as the 9th began. Both men were tired, and could only land a punch or two for the first 2 minutes. Walls suddenly saw an opening and lanced Jim with a big cross, but Maloney countered with one of his own. Earl beat him to the punch with two jabs, and may have won the round, 8-6. Both men looked done in in a close struggle!

Earl chose to cover up in the 10th, and Maloney seemed to be happy just to clinch. In an ugly round, the worst of the fight, Maloney might have won it, 4-3. I had the fight a draw, 96-96. Walls had outlanded Maloney, 219-170, but the last three rounds had been almost even. The judges scored the fight 96-95 Walls, 97-94 Maloney and 96-95, a split decision win for…Earl Walls, the Hooded Terror! Earl had avenged his defeat, barely, and would live to fight again. He had dominated the first half of the fight, but needed to show he could go at that pace for a full 10 rounds!

Now it is 9 out of 12 for the challengers, with Henry Akinwande taking on Piero Tomasoni next, with Luis Firpo challenging Tony Galento in the hole!

[mikehoudini]

Henry Akinwande (1-1 1) vs. (0-1) Piero Tomasoni – Piero had been pounding Henry in their first meeting, but Henry escaped with a 9th round TKO on cuts, only to lose on a DQ in his next fight against Tony Galento. He opened this fight with a sizzling combination, then hurt Tomasoni with a shot south of the border, earning himself a warning. Firing away with crosses and hooks, he caught Piero with another big combination, and a huge hook at the end of the round sealed a big start, 20-5!

Akinwande may have won a dull 2nd, 5-4, and started the 3rd with a sweet hook. He banged away with hooks, throwing in an occasional clinch, to take the round 14-4. He started fighting from the outside in the 4th, but it backfired, as Tomasoni countered nicely with some crosses, amassing a 12-4 round. Henry landed a big hook in the 5th, possibly winning this pick-em round, 9-8, as Piero again was landing effectively with his crosses.

Henry’s hooks gave him a slight lead in the 6th, and then one landed like a pile-driver, good enough to give him the round, 14-6, and a big lead thus far. Henry started quickly in the 7th, and Piero was cut outside his right eye by an accidental head butt. This angered him, and he tore at Akinwande with a barrage of crosses and jabs, rallying for a 12-5 round.

Tomasoni’s charge had left him tired, and Henry was opportunistic in the 8th, landing regularly, primarily with hooks. Piero, who had been trying for a one punch, KO, settled down, and ended the round by rocking Henry with a hook and another one to the ribs. He pulled out again on this late rally, winning, 14-11. Now the fight was close, though no one knew how the judges would view the pick-em rounds (or any others, for that matter).

Tomasoni landed a few times in a slow first minute of the 9th, then started to find the range with crosses & jabs. Akinwande was confused, and his right eye was beginning to swell. Tomasoni switched tactics and blasted home an uppercut, followed by a thunderous straight right that sent Heny into the turnbuckle! The round ended, Piero having dominated, 25-2, as he tattooed Henry with 59 punches and almost took him out.

Akinwande was exhausted after eating all that leather and absorbing the big blows, but he came out going for the KO, while Piero went into his turtle defense. Those of us from Maryland know to fear the turtle! Henry missed with alarming regularity, Piero countered a number of times, and took a round Henry needed, 6-0.

The last 4 rounds were huge for Piero, and I had him winning, 97-95, avenging his prior loss. He had outlanded Henry, 268-206, and had taken charge of the fight in Round 7. The judges, one of whom fortuitously was from Italy, scored it 96-93, 97-93 & 97-94, Piero Tomasoni winning this challenge match! That’s 10 out of 13 for the underdogs so far. Does anyone see a trend?

Next up, Galento-Firpo. Will that one go the distance?

[mikehoudini]

Tony Galento (3-1 2) vs. Luis Firpo (7-5 5) – These two had engaged in a war, with Tony gradually wearing down the Wild Bull of the Pampas and garnering an 8th round KO. Tony had been partying since being eliminated in the tournament proper, but that was his normal modus operandi. Firpo had taken the bout on short notice, as he’d been almost on a boat leaving the country, but he was happy to have a second chance.

Bear, not to be confused with Black Orpheus, was in attendance, rooting for both men, but with a soft spot for Luis! Would his second chance work, as it had for 10 so far this round? I have to note that it didn’t for the author, at least in terms of marriages, but that’s another story.

Tony opened the first minute with a few hooks that got past Firpo’s defense, but Luis answered with a cross and a snappy uppercut. Tony surprised Luis with a straight left, and it smacked home with authority. Firpo snorted in anger, throwing a hook that nearly lifted the gravity-challenged Galento off the floor! Luis led, 13-10, at the 2 minute mark, as he was jabbing effectively as well!

Luis, whose aim had been impeccable to date, connected on a blistering combination, then a series of crosses and uppercuts. Galento looked a little the worse for wear, as Firpo’s onslaught was keeping him from unloading with his classic hook! Luis knocked him into the ropes with a searing straight right and, as Tony rebounded off the ropes, Firpo caught him with a colossal cross, knocking him through the ropes! The bell sounded, and the Galento fans were on their feet, many of them stunned, as Tony groggily got to one knee. They leaped forward to give him a helping hand, but were stymied when he fell flat on his back! They might need a fork lift to get him back into the ring, and none was readily available!

The count reached 10 and the Firpo fans were roaring, Luis Firpo notching a KO at 3:00 of the 1st! Galento had landed 30 times, almost all in the first 2 minutes, while the Wild Bull of the Pampas had connected on all 62 of his attempts, decimating Tony with what had to seem (and in fact was) an endless stream of crosses (16), uppercuts (14) & jabs (13). Tony asked, once he was revived, if a piano had fallen on him. Nope, just a mad bull!

It was a major win for Firpo, making him the 11th challenger to avenge a prior loss. Galento said he’d be better prepared for their next fight, and that it would be in a bar where other weapons could be at hand! Bear smiled, having broken his curse, temporarily!

[mikehoudini]

Buddy Baer vs. Rex Layne – In a rock-em, sock-em first bout, Baer had had the last word, knocking Rex out in the 6th. Rexxy took this fight upon short notice, as Buddy had decided only in the last minute to offer it. Baer had lost earlier to his challenger, so Rex needn’t have taken the fight, but he was anxious to get it on once more with Buddy!

The opening bell sounded, and Baer plastered Rex with an uppercut. Rex retreated and Buddy missed with some would-be bombs. Layne nailed Baer with a sweet uppercut of his own and some hooks. Rex ripped Buddy with a crisp straight right, then Baer returned the favor! Both fighters were landing some nice hooks, but Layne was more active in arguably won the round, 14-12. The battle was joined!

Layne hurt Buddy with a hook to the body early in the 2nd, then staggered him with a hook upstairs! Connecting on several crosses, he was making Buddy his own personal punching bag. He nailed Buddy with an uppercut, and had a chance to end the fight then and there. Somehow, Baer came back, staving off a KD or worse, but Layne dominated the round, 18-4!

Buddy found the mark in the 3rd with a nasty uppercut, then followed up with a series of combinations. He kept connecting with his combos, and now Rex seemed to be hurt. In the last minute, Layne rallied, helped by a monster right hook and a flurry of hooks, but it was still Baer’s round, 18-10! He’d landed 36 times, 13 being combinations, and fought a great first two minutes!

The rock-em, sock-em robots battled on in the 4th. The blue robot, Buddy, was hammering home uppercuts, building a nice lead in the first minute. Then the red robot, Rex, dictated the pace, landing hooks (18), crosses (15) & uppercuts (11) in an awesome offensive display, rallying from a 9-6 deficit to take the round 21-9! Buddy’s right eye began to swell early on, and a sizzling left and a cranium-crusher resulted in the eye being almost half-closed. The red robot landed 56 punches.

Baer looked to be on his last legs coming out for the 5th, and both men were unable to do anything significant in the first minute. Rex dazed Buddy for a moment with a gonzo combination, but Buddy answered with a booming hook, and now Rex was suddenly in trouble! Buddy landed some more punches, but was too tired to connect on any bombs, but he landed enough to rule this round, 18-10! I had the red robot up by a point, 48-47, at the halfway mark!