Notes from an All-Time Light Heavyweight Tournament

[Jersey-Jim]

Notes From An All-Time Light Heavyweight Tournament

Jack Root was a very good boxer, but he was a "tweener": Too big for the middleweight class, which then had a limit of 158 pounds, but not big enough to take on top heavyweights, who weighed 180 pounds and up.

Root's manager, Lou Houseman, in 1903, created a new division with an oxymoronic name and challenged any fighter of 175 pounds or less to take on his fighter for the light heavyweight title. The idea won general acceptance. On April 22, 1903, Root defeated Charles "Kid" McCoy to become the first light heavyweight champion, and the division has flourished ever since.

Welcome to “Notes From An All-Time Heavyweight Tournament.” In keeping with the “Notes From An All-Time” series, this tournament will continue from where the Heavyweight Tournament left off. Some of the fighters in this tournament, as with the Heavyweights, have been modified after additional play-testing and are not rated indentically to those supplied with Title Bout Championship Boxing 2.5.

Below is a list of 64 fighters who will be competing in this tournament. The fighters will be re-listed in order of ability for seeding purposes.


1. Archie Moore
2. Michael Spinks
3. Maxie Rosenbloom
4. Tommy Loughran
5. John Henry Lewis
6. Bob Foster
7. Jack Dillon
8. Billy Conn
9. Dick Tiger
10. Michael Moorer
11. Dariusz Michalczewski
12. Roy Jones, Jr.
13. Virgil Hill
14. Jack Delaney
15. Antonio Tarver
16. Philadelphia Jack O’Brien
17. Eddie Mustafa Muhammad
18. Matthew Saad Muhammad
19. Joey Maxim
20. Harold Johnson
21. George Gardiner
22. Victor Galindez
23. Bob Fitzsimmons
24. Paul Berlenbach
25. Iran Barkley
26. Jimmy Slattery
27. Dwight Qawi
28. Willie Pastrano
29. Battling Levinsky
30. Gus Lesnevich
31. Marvin Johnson
32. Thomas Hearns
33. Georges Carpentier
34. Prince Charles Williams
35. Fabrice_Tiozzo
36. Mate Parlov
37. Henry Maske
38. Reggie Johnson
39. Jeff Harding
40. William Guthrie
41. Montell Griffin
42. Danny Green
43. Chad Dawson
44. Bobby Czyz
45. John Conteh
46. Melio Bettina
47. Leeonzer Barber
48. Dennis Andries
49. Leslie Stewart
50. Battling Siki
51. Jack Root
52. Bob Olin
53. Freddie Mills
54. Mike McTigue
55. Julio César González
56. Bruno Girard
57. Anton Christoforidis
58. Silvio Branco
59. Clinton Woods
60. Don LaLonde
61. Bob Godwin
62. Miguel Angel Cuello
63. Tomasz Adamek
64. Mike Rossman

[Jersey-Jim]

The All-Time Light Heavyweight Tournament

Round 1

Archie Moore vs. Mike Rossman (Moore KO6)
Rossman takes more than he gives in a gutsy, albeit – losing performance. Moore is like an old professor against a younger student in Rossman. Class is abruptly dismissed with a cranking overhand right to the temple at 2:46 of round 6th.

Michael Spinks vs. Adamek Tomasz (Spinks TKO9)
Spinks tried to end this one early, but Tomasz hung in there and even turned the tide a bit in the 6th round. In the end, it was the Spinks Jinx – detonating off the side of Tomasz's head one time too many that brought this one to a close. Arthur Mercante stops the fight with Adamek Tomasz rapidly departing from the land of consciousness as he was sagging through the ropes with thirty seconds left in the 9th.

Maxie Rosenbloom vs. Miguel Cuello (Rosenbloom KO1)
There’s nothing “slapsie” about Maxie in this fight. Cuello promised to empty of few rounds from his big guns into Maxie’s chin before the fight started – but never had the chance. Rosenbloom pulls the trigger first, and the KO artist from Argentina says “goodnight.”

Tommy Loughran vs. Bob Godwin (Loughran TKO5 Cuts)
Tommy boxed beautifully, but Godwin was never more than a step behind. Loughran draws first blood in the 4th and from there it was all down hill for Godwin. Mercante stops the fight after the cut was reopened for the second time on the advice of the ringside physician.

John Henry Lewis vs. Donny LaLonde (Lewis W15 unan.)
O’Canada – almost! LaLonde brings up a left hook from the twilight zone in the 2nd and plants in squarely upon Lewis’ chin. Lewis stumbles around the ring for the remainder of the round like a drunk in a log rolling competition. Both fighters beat the hell out of one another for 15 rounds. Lewis edges LaLonde on all three scorecards.

Bob Foster vs. Clinton Woods (Foster KO4)
Clinton Woods kept Foster moving backward for much of the first 3 rounds. Shades of an upset seemed to be developing in the air. Foster began finding his range in the 4th. A vicious right uppercut from Foster ends the Cinderella story in the making long before midnight. Mercante could have counted to 100.

Jack Dillon vs. Silvio Branco (Dillon W15 unan.)
Dillon surgically dismantles Silvio Branco over 15 rounds to come away with a unanimous decision victory. Dillon seemed capable of pushing the accelerator all the way to the floor anytime after the 10th to bring the evening to a close, but opted to coast to victory instead.

Billy Conn vs. Anton Christoforidis (Conn W15 unan.)
Billy Conn versus Anton who? They weren’t saying “Anton who” after the bell rang ending the 15th and final round in this fight. Christoforidis picked himself off the canvas in the 6th and took the fight to Conn the rest of the way. While he came up short in the end, this was one fight where the loser sizzled while the winner fizzled.

Dick Tiger vs. Bruno Girard (Tiger KO7)
Bruno Girard shows the world – he’s no French “pastry.” Girard takes Tiger into deep waters in a thrilling shootout. But it’s Tiger who returns to the shore. Alone. The crowd rises to its feet moments into the first and remain there until 2:47 of round 7.

Michael Moorer vs. Julio Gonzalez (Moorer W15 unan)
Best fight of the tournament so far! This one could have been fought in a phone booth! Moorer makes one trip to the canvas, Gonzalez makes 3! How this one went the distance is anyone’s guess. Moorer has all kinds of heavy artillery at this weight, and a much better chin, too! In a match of “machismo” the game goes to Moorer.

Dariusz Michalczewski vs. Mike McTigue (Michalczewski KO8)
Michalczewski and McTigue light up the midnight sky with fistic fireworks. Both fighters elicit “Ooo’s” and “Ahh’s” from spellbound fans as they exchange thunderous shots through 7 rounds. Michalczewski lights up the skies once again in the 8th… while McTigue fires duds. Mercante signals and end to the proceedings with a full, uninterrupted 10 count at 2:23.

Roy Jones Jr. vs. Freddie Mills (Jones Jr. W15)
Despite sending Mills to the canvas – once in the 13th and twice in the 14th, Roy Jones Jr. chose to pot shot Freddie Mills from a distance to take a unanimous 15 round decision. Mills press the action throughout, but Jones was just a little to fast for Mills tonight.


Virgil Hill vs. Bob Olin (Hill TKO12)
Sometimes boxing reminds me of horse racing. The horses seem to get out of the gate fast. They’re all pretty much neck and neck. So it was with Hill vs Olin. Onlin started fading a bit around the back stretch. Now, here’s where the horse racing similarities end. Around the final bend – heading into the home stretch, Olin got brutally knocked to the canvas three times. I guess it was sort of like getting trampled by horses?


Jack Delaney vs. Jack Root (Delaney KO9)
Jack Root was born in 1876. One hundred years later, I sat in a living room with my Grandmother and played a bi-centennial trivia game. One other thing; Jack Delaney beat up Jack Root pretty bad before his dropped him for 10 in the 9th.


Antonio Tarver vs. Battling Siki (Tarver TKO5)
What happens when you take a kill or be killed approached against an opponent who is just durable enough to take you best and answer back? Well, it Battling Siki’s case, it meant – a fifteen round bout ended in five. A thriller while it lasted!


Philadelphia Jack O’Brien vs. Leslie Stewart (Stewart TKO9)
For 5 rounds, O’Brien unleashed a pillow-fisted attack against Stewart, piling up the points and rounds. In the 6th, Stewart threw caution to the wind and fought like it was already the championship rounds. The strategy paid off when a right cross took off a chunk of skin above O’Brien’s right eye. O’Brien tried to put Stewart away as the blood flowed freely but didn’t’ have the firepower to close the show. Leslie Stewart logs the first upset of the tournament!

Eddie Mustapha Muhammad vs. Dennis Andries (Muhammad KO9)
If anyone remembers Dennis Andries’ losing effort against Thomas Hearns, this fight was almost a duplicate with the exception of Muhammad replacing Hearns. Andries awkward style troubled Eddie early, but once he solved Andries’ game, Dennis was canvas bound - making 4 trips to the canvas, the final one coming at 2:56 of the 9th.

Matthew Saad Muhammad vs. Leeonzer Barber (Saad Muhammad KO10)
They don’t make them like Saad Muhammad anymore. Barber gets off to a great start, pounding Muhammad from pillar to post, turning his face into a bunch of lumps by the 5th. Just when it looks like Matt’s a few punches away from taking a nap on the floor, he roars back to batter Barber in the 9th, and put him to sleep in the 10th. Philadelphia has never been prouder.

Joey Maxim vs. Melio Bettina (Maxim TKO13)
Maxim and Bettina go neck-n-neck around the final turn. If you like the “sweet science,” boxing doesn’t get much sweeter than this. Bettina sends Maxim to the canvas with a beautifully timed counter hook - right on the button in the 12th. Maxim returns the favor in the 13th with the same punch! His pin-point follow-up, though, makes all the difference. Bettina gets sent to the land where little green men ride purple unicorns. All 3 cards read 114-114 at the time of the stoppage!

Harold Johnson vs. John Conteh (Johnson TKO1)
I’m not from the UK, but if I were, I might be shaking my head after this one saying, “Poor bloke!” Conteh’s ring entrance lasts longer than the fight. Conteh starts off with a jab. It would be the first and last punch he would land in this tournament. Johnsons rains down punches from all angles and Conteh’s night concludes with 9 seconds left in the 1st.

George Gardiner vs. Bobby Czyz (Gardiner TKO3)
Histories “Forgotten Champ” slugs it out with Bobby “Chappie” Czyz for 3 exciting rounds. Czyz came out for the second on fire… but wound up going down in flames after taking some thunderous hooks from Gardiner.

Victor Galindez vs. Chad Dawson (Dawson W15)
Chad Dawson has enough skill to counter Victor Galindez’s bullish rushes and aggression to secure the second upset of the tournament with a close, yet comfortable unanimous decision. Dawson survived a few shaky moments to land the cleaner, crisper punches. No gift decisions for Galindez in this one.

Bob Fitzsimmons vs. Danny Green (Fitzsimmons KO10)
Fitzsimmons and Green trade bombs in a Union Jack slugfest that didn’t have a dull moment from the opening bell to the moment Arthur Mercante counted “10” over Danny Green in the 10th. Fitzsimmons awkward style ultimately set up the “goodnight” punch in the 10th, but not before they traded knockdowns in their all-action showdown.

Paul Berlenbach vs. Montell Griffith (Griffith TKO9)
The upsets are in full-bloom now! Griffith fights the fight of his life – coming back from the brink of several TKO stoppages to mow Berlenbach down along the ropes with several seconds remaining in the 9th. Every now and then, Griffith enters the zone as he did in his first fight with Roy Jones Jr. Tonight, he does it again!


Iran Barkley vs. William Guthrie (Barkley KO4)
“The Blade” cuts down Guthrie in 4 one-sided rounds. Guthrie has the power, but isn’t able to lower the boom on Barkley. Guthrie makes a valiant effort, though, getting cut down in the process. With the dust settles, Barkley's the last man standing.

Jimmy Slattery vs. Jeff Harding (Slattery TKO7 cuts)
Slattery pitches “fastballs” down the center round after round and Harding catches… with his face. By the 6, Harding’s sporting several “leaks” around the eyes. In the 7th, Mercante’s seen enough and halts the bout at 2:00 into the 7th.

Dwight Qawi vs. Reggie Johnson (Johnson KO2)
In a shocking upset, the Camden Buzzsaw gets counterpunched into unconsciousness by Reggie Johson! Qawi starts out like a mini-Joe Frazier, bobbing, weaving and throwing leather from different angles. Johnson slips and counters with surprising accuracy staggering Qawi in the opening frame. In the second, Johnson brings down the house – right on Qawi’s head, and the buzzsaw stops buzzing at 2:23 of the 2nd.

Willie Pastrano vs. Henry Maske (Maske KO4)
Little Willie-Willie goes home in the 4th. The second of two trips to the canvas is for the complete count. Pastrano was out so cold you almost wanted to slide a pillow under his head and turn out the light. Maske produces yet another tournament shocker.


Battling Levinsky vs. Mate Parlov (Parlov TKO10)
In the third upset in a row, Mate Parlov picked apart Battling Levinsky from a distance before closing the distance and dropping Levinsky in the 10th. Levinsky arose from the knockdown but had to be rescued moments later by Arthur Mercante as he lay defenseless against the turnbuckle.


Gus Lesnevich vs. Fabrice Tiozzo (Lesnevich TKO11)
Both of these guys leave it all in the ring. A tremendous fight – the kind that you hate to see either guy lose. This was on the level of Gatti-Ward, maybe better. A great, great action fight with Tiozzo doing everything in his power to get Lesnevich out of there, but getting taken out in the process.

Marvin Johnson vs. Prince Charles Williams (Johnson TKO11)
A close fight through the first seven rounds. Johnson begins reaching Williams with power punches to the head and body in the 8th. Prince Charles rises from a 9 count in the 9th as well as a 9 count in the 10th – only to be beaten into submission in the 11th. An impressive win for “Pops.” Not every prince winds up becoming a king. Especially in boxing!

Thomas Hearns vs. Georges Carpentier (Carpentier TKO11)
After taking a pounding for 10 rounds, Georges Carpentier (peering through two swollen eyes) realized something. Hearns was out of gas, and wasn’t going to knock him out! In the 11th, Carpentier sent Tommy spiraling to the floor 3x to record an exciting eleventh round – “I hit the Hit-Man” stoppage.



This concludes the first round of the Tournament!

[Jersey-Jim]

I can hardly believe Qawi's chin gave out the way it did. His KD rating and KO ratings are both 1.
Great performance by Reggie Johnson.

[Jersey-Jim]

I never would have thought it possible... but the fights in this tournament are actually more entertaining than the fights I watched play out in the "Notes from an All-Time Heavyweight Tournament" thread.

[Ric915]

C'mon Czyz!!!.. Next to Ray Mancini he was my next favorite fighters as a youngster.I still remember that right cross he landed on Willie Sandman Edwards still one of the prettiest KO punches I've ever seen

[Jersey-Jim]

Originally Posted by Ric915

C'mon Czyz!!!.. Next to Ray Mancini he was my next favorite fighters as a youngster.I still remember that right cross he landed on Willie Sandman Edwards still one of the prettiest KO punches I've ever seen

I was rooting for Czyz, too. But George landed "bushels of hooks" to stop one of New Jersey's favorite sons in an exciting fight.

[Ric915]

Originally Posted by Jersey-Jim

I was rooting for Czyz, too. But George landed "bushels of hooks" to stop one of New Jersey's favorite sons in an exciting fight.

Ahhh Crap.

[Jersey-Jim]

Round 2

• Archie Moore
• Bob Foster
• Billy Conn
• Michael Spinks
• Maxie Rosenbloom
• Tommy Loughran
• John Henry Lewis
• Jack Dillon
• Dick Tiger
• Jack Delaney
• Roy Jones Jr.
• Virgil Hill
• Dariusz Michalczewski
• Michael Moorer
• Bob Fitzsimmons
• Joey Maxim
• Harold Johnson
• Matthew Saad Muhammad
• Eddie Mustafa Muhammad
• George Gardiner
• Antonio Tarver
• Iran Barkley
• Gus Lesnevich
• Jimmy Slattery
• Marvin Johnson
• Georges Carpentier
• Henry Maske
• Mate Parlov
• Chad Dawson
• Montell Griffin
• Reggie Johnson
• Leslie Stewart

[bear]

Berlenbach and Qawi being ousted are a couple of shockers.

[bear]

In your initial list Fabrice Tiozza appeared twice and my head hurts too much to try to figure out who the other fighter actually was.

[Jersey-Jim]

Originally Posted by bear

In your initial list Fabrice Tiozza appeared twice and my head hurts too much to try to figure out who the other fighter actually was.

Yes, there was a technical difficulty or two along the way, but I think everything is on the money now. Poor Fabrice is now a footnote.

[Jersey-Jim]

I'm spending the weekend in Florida on Business, but I'll be back to the "Boxing Business" next week with Round 2 of my All-Time Light Heavyweight Tournament

[Jersey-Jim]

Archie Moore vs. Leslie Stewart (Moore TKO8)
Leslie Stewart, inexplicably, came into this fight out of shape. For several moments, it looked as though he wasn’t going to make it through the first round. Then – the fight began! From rounds two through seven, the fight was up for grabs with both men having their moments. The fight was even on all three scorecards. In the 8th, however, Stewart was out of gas and Moore sealed his fate.

[Jersey-Jim]

Bob Foster vs. Reggie Johnson (Johnson KO10)
Welcome to upset city! When you get knocked down by the first punch that lands, you certainly have an uphill battle on your hands. If you’re picking yourself up off the canvas two rounds later, the hill looks even steeper. If you’re out of gas by the 9th round of a scheduled 15 round fight, you may as well stick in the fork. Unless you’re Reggie Johnson, that is! Johnson suffers all the above and goes for broke in a do or die 10th round. Abe Goldstein counts Foster out in the upset of the tournament as Foster regains his feet a second too late!

[Jersey-Jim]

Billy Conn vs. Montell Griffith (Conn W15 split)
Billy Conn wins a surprisingly close decision over Montell Griffith by split decision. Conn fights a steady, yet unspectacular fight, using a “tempered aggression” type of approach. Most ringsiders scored the bout for Conn but also agreed that he will have to step it up a notch if he is to continue on past the next round of the tournament.

[Jersey-Jim]

Michael Spinks vs. Chad Dawson (Spinks TKO1)
Michael Spinks opens the show fast and brings down the curtain on Chad Dawson – dropping him twice in the first round – the second time for the count. Dawson got hit by a big right cross moments into the fight and never recovered. Dawson never landed a punch. An impressive win for Spinks.

[Jersey-Jim]

Maxie Rosenbloom vs. Mate Parlov (Rosenbloom W15 unan.)
Maxie fought the first half of this bout at an unusually aggressive pace. He seemed, however, content to coast the rest of the distance, allowing Parlov the opportunity to get back into the match. The final two rounds were fought to a chorus of booing as neither fighter provided much bang for the buck. One ringsider had Rosenbloom the winner by a point. When the official decisions were read, however, Rosenbloom was declared the winner by a comfortable margin.

[Jersey-Jim]

Tommy Loughran vs. Henry Maske (Loughran W15 unan)
With a fight that exhibited all of the action and drama of a pillow fight, Tommy Loughran “out-flicked” Henry Maske over 15 dreary rounds. At the conclusion of the 7th, the announcer stated, “By looking at these two guys faces, you’d hardly know they’d been in a fight.” I felt the same way – while watching the fight!

[Jersey-Jim]

John Henry Lewis vs. Georges Carpentier (Lewis TKO10)
Pier Six brawls are back in style as John Henry Lewis throws caution to the wind in the 10th round. An entertaining fight from the opening bell. Carpentier almost finished Lewis in the 7th with an all out – go for broke assault that dropped Lewis and almost finishes him. Lewis finishes the 9th with a badly swollen eye and “empty tank” to boot. Like a gambler realizing it’s now or never, Lewis goes “all in.” Carpentier distains the safe route and does likewise. Both fighters fire their biggest guns. Lewis’ lands first. The risky strategy pays off in dividends for Lewis and Carpentier's tournament run comes to an end.

[Mad Bomber]

Jim, I'm still in shock at the fact that Foster lost, but this has been a great tournament thus far, and I'm looking forward to see how it plays out.