The Big Fellows

[BigBoyBrackey]

The semifinals of The Roaring Twenties Heavyweight Extravaganza will take place on a single night at the Polo Grounds, the upper Manhattan landmark that hosted top seed Jack Dempsey's legendary second-round knockout of Luis Firpo in 1923.

Jack Dempsey (1) vs. Max Schmeling (4)

In the main event of the semifinal card, Dempsey looks to continue his knockout streak against Max Schmeling, who bears a much stronger physical than stylistic resemblance to the tournament's prohibitive favorite.

Schmeling's best hope is to box well enough to survive Dempsey's initial onslaught. None of the Manassa Mauler's first four foes lasted five complete rounds, with only Cinderella story Quintin Romero Rojas making it to the fifth. Dempsey's quarterfinal win over No. 9 Jack Sharkey might have been his most impressive outing, as he demolished the rugged Boston Gob inside two rounds with a furious two-fisted attack in the second frame.

While Schmeling looks to extend Dempsey into the later rounds, he showed sufficient early power of his own in the quarters, shocking No. 5 Harry Wills with a fifth-round KO.

Gene Tunney (2) vs. George Godfrey (11)

Tunney enjoys tremendous advantages in technique and quickness, but Godfrey has proven his power and size to be tremendous equalizers.

In the quarters, Jack Johnson thoroughly outboxed and outpunched The Leiperville Shadow for 11 rounds, but a devastating left hook early in the 12th round put Godfrey in the semis.

Meanwhile, Tunney advanced by coolly outboxing No. 7 Billy Miske, tattooing his foe with rhythmic left-right combos for the first 10 rounds, then retreating over the final two frames to settle for a close, but clear-cut, 12-round decision.

[BigBoyBrackey]

Gene Tunney (2) W15 George Godfrey (11)

Tunney's superior hand speed, footwork and defense proved just enough to overcome Godfrey's advantages in size, strength and punching power.

A good cutman didn't hurt, either.

Tunney set the tone for the fight immediately after the opening bell, working behind his jab and patiently allowing referee Robert Ferrara to separate the fighters from Godfrey's frequent clinches, rather than wearing himself out by struggling under the larger man's grip.

Godfrey nearly shocked the tournament's second seed in the second round, shaking Tunney with a right uppercut early on, then strafing his target with power shots along the ropes. Tunney was able to move just enough to soften the worst of Godfrey's blows, however, and made it through his worst round of the night.

From there, Tunney's combination punching and defense took over and he built a comfortable lead heading into the later rounds. Godfrey did land hard shots with some frequency, but Tunney's more accurate shots and ring generalship carried most of the frames. Both men kept Ferrara busy, as Godfrey was warned for a low blow and holding and hitting, while Tunney was also scolded for letting his fists stray south of the border.

Late in an otherwise even 10th, Godfrey snapped Tunney's head back with a heavy jab and followed through with an overhand right that forced The Fighting Marine into a corner. Worse for the favorite, the blow ripped a large gash above his left eye. The wound was severe enough for Ferrara to call time and lead Tunney to the ring doctor, who allowed the fight to continue.

Bill Brady worked frantically in Tunney's corner between rounds, managing to staunch the profuse bleeding. Brady's handiwork held up through the 11th and most of the 12th, but a Godfrey flurry late in that round reopened the cut, which bled even more freely than before and forced the ring doctor to take another look.

Again, he did not deem the injury serious enough to stop the fight, even though Tunney had to blink his way through his own blood for the round's final few seconds.

Brady was able to stop the flow again and Tunney fought cautiously, allowing Godfrey to win a third straight round.

Not certain of how many of the earlier rounds were scored, Tunney abandoned his defensive tactics in the 14th and came straight at Godfrey, peppering the surprised giant with multi-punch combinations to the head and body and forcing him into the ropes for the final minute.

The 15th was more of the same, with Tunney attacking the exhausted Godfrey, whose right eye began to swell in the second half of the round.

But The Leiperville Shadow, who shocked Jack Johnson with a come-from-behind knockout in the final round of their encounter in the quarterfinals, had one desperation shot left in him. A left hook to the jaw -- the same shot that felled Johnson -- landed flush with 40 seconds left, causing Tunney's right knee to briefly buckle. But Tunney had the presence of mind to keep away as the rest of the 15th round ticked away.

The judges saw it 145-140 (twice) and 144-141 -- all in favor of Tunney, who advances to meet the winner of the Jack Dempsey-Max Schmeling semifinal.

[BigBoyBrackey]

Jack Dempsey (1) TKO14 Max Schmeling (4)

Max Schmeling's chin took the best Jack Dempsey could throw at him, but his skin doomed the German's bid to pull off the tournament's biggest upset.

After building an all-but-insurmountable lead after 13 rounds, a nasty gash over Schmeling's badly swollen right eye burst open early in the 14th, convincing the ring doctor to declare Dempsey the winner by technical knockout at the 1:01 mark.

The crowd at Polo Grounds, which Schmeling won over with a masterful display of short, straight punching blended with tremendous heart, met the announcement with a mixture of cheers for Dempsey and boos for what many saw as a premature stoppage.

Schmeling, however, had taken hundreds of Dempsey's hammering blows (359, according to PunchStat) and was staggering away from his pursuer when referee Brian Garry called time after the cut reopened.

The crowd became even more vocal, though, as word spread that Schmeling led on all three cards, by scores of 125-122, 124-123 and 126-122 through 13 rounds.

"I had him beaten, but he never stopped coming at me," said Schmeling, whose eye had completely swollen shut within moments of the fight's completion. "I would have won if not for the referee's action, but I must respect his decision."

Schmeling's manager, Joe Jacobs, was less circumspect.

"We wuz robbed!" Jacobs yelled at anyone who would listen, both at ringside and through a series of Broadway speakeasies through the wee hours.

With both his eyes swollen to mere slits, Dempsey looked anything but triumphant.

"I never gave up," Dempsey said. "He fougght a great fight, but I finally got him. No way they could have let it go on, the way his eye looked. He couldn't see my left coming. I mighta killed him if they let him keep going."

Though Dempsey had blown through the tournament's first four rounds with little competition, Schmeling established immediately that he would not be intimidated, connecting with hard combinations to the head inside Dempsey's wild swings and using a right to the belly to keep the Mannasa Mauler off balance.

Dempsey seemed to take control in the second, though, slamming hard shots to the body with both hands, adjusting his aim upstairs as Schmeling's hands started to fall. Dempsey had Schmeling ready to go by the end of the round, but missed badly with a pair of shots near the bell that may have finished him off.

Schmeling survived, but took severe punishment in the third and fourth, before rallying with a hard right cross that triggered a turnaround in the fifth.

Schmeling's revival was short-lived, however, and Dempsey seemed to retake control, up to the point when a left hook initially opened a cut over Schmeling's already swelling right eye in the eighth.

Perhaps from desperation, Schemling -- who had been trying to box from outside as Dempsey took over -- resumed his first-round strategy, going on the offensive and skillfully fighting Dempsey from in close. By the end of the eighth, it was Dempsey who looked to be one clean shot away from crashing to the canvas.

As Dempsey seemed to become arm-weary from round 10 on, Schmeling began sniping away from the outside, as well, causing both his foe's eyes to swell and building a lead on all three cards before the bloody end.

With the win, Dempsey secured a berth in the tournament final and another shot at the only man ever to beat him in a title fight, Gene Tunney.

[BigBoyBrackey]

The championship bout of The Roaring Twenties Heavyweight Extravaganza pits, to the surprise of no one, two of the most famous rivals in pugilistic history.

Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney fought two of the most legendary matches in boxing history. Their first meeting, in 1926, drew a crowd of more than 120,000 people to Philadelphia's Sesquicentennial (later JFK) Stadium. The rematch the following year attracted a live gate of $2.6 million in 1927 dollars, or about $33.3 million today. To put that in perspective, Pacquaio-Cotto drew a live gate of $8.8 million.

Despite Tunney's two clear victories, a couple of questions have lingered for more than 80 years. The more obvious is the question of "The Long Count," when Dempsey apparently forgot about a new rule requiring him to go to a neutral corner after scoring a knockdown, instead of looming over his wounded prey, as he had against Jess Willard and Luis Firpo.

So Tunney got at least five extra seconds to recover, though the fight film (linked below) shows him looking at the referee and listening to the count as soon as it begins, leading his supporters to argue that he could have gotten up before 10 even without the delay.

The more intriguing question for our purposes is how much Dempsey's age and inactivity -- he was sidelined for three years and nine days between the win over Firpo and the first loss to Dempsey. Films of the two Tunney fights show little of the aggression or hand speed that marked Dempsey's great fights.

At the same time, slick boxers gave Dempsey trouble, even at his peak. Could Tunney have stood up to the Dempsey who destroyed Willard and terrorized the division in the early 1920s?

Tournament results to this point are of little help in predicting the final outcome.

Tunney struggled at times with fighters well below Dempsey's level. In the semis, Godfrey -- big and powerful, but much slower than a peak Manassa Mauler -- landed a number of big shots and remained competitive throughout.

Likewise, Dempsey -- after blowing through his first four opponents without a serious scare -- fell behind on points to Max Schmeling before winning on a technical knockout in the 14th round, due to a cut over the German's right eye. A solid boxer-puncher, Schmeling lacked Tunney's ring artistry, but also hit harder.

The oddsmakers are torn here, but have established Dempsey as an early 6-5 betting favorite.

A few links to fuel the imagination:

Documentary segment including Dempsey vs. Firpo and Tunney I

Shirley Povich's contemporary account of the second fight

Documentary segment covering the second fight, including interview with Ray Arcel.

[BigBoyBrackey]

The championship bout of The Roaring Twenties Heavyweight Extravaganza pitting top seed Jack Dempsey against No. 2 Gene Tunney, will take place at Boyle's Thirty Acres, an 80,000-seat wooden stadium built for the Jack Dempsey-Georges Carpentier fight in 1921.



The enormous bowl was located in Jersey City, N.J., at the corner of Montgomery Street and Cornelison Avenue -- or so wikipedia would have us believe.

Other fights at the venue included Benny Leonard's defeat of Lew Tendler, Luis Firpo's knockout of Jess Willard, which earned him his shot at Dempsey, and Harry Wills' defeat of Firpo.



(Dempsey loosens up for his third shot at Tunney as the crowd settles in at Boyle's Thirty Acres in Jersey City, N.J./United Press Photo)

[BigBoyBrackey]

ROUND 1

Dempsey rushes out at the opening bell, which is drowned out by the roar of more than 80,000 fans packing the creaking, wooden rafters at Boyle's Thirty Acres.

Dempsey lands a solid right to the body, then a left hook to the ribs. Tunney probes with a couple of jabs while backing away from the charging Dempsey, a dance that continues for better than half the round.

With less than a minute left, Tunney slips a wild right to the head, sets himself, and unloads a stiff jab followed by a right cross down the middle. The shot mashes Dempsey's face and forces The Manassa Mauler to stop in his tracks, then stumble back a couple of steps.

Tunney, sensing that Dempsey is hurt, pounces, driving the tournament's top seed to the ropes as the crowd gets even louder, if that is possible.

Dempsey tries to bob and weave, but can't make Tunney miss. After briefly grabbing the top rope with his right glove to steady himself, Dempsey tries to clinch, but Tunney rebuffs the embrace with a hard right shortly before the bell.

Dempsey stays on his feet, but blinks his eyes hard, twice, and shakes his head before trudging to his corner after a first round that did not go at all the way he had planned.

ROUND 2

Rather than build on his dominant first round, Tunney is content to backpedal and jab in the second.

Dempsey is left with few options but to chase and spends most of the frame swinging at air. About a minute in, he connects with a jab-cross-hook combo that lands with some force, but is unable to follow up. Still, the flurry is probably enough to carry a slow round.

Dempsey's frustration shows late in the round, when he slams his right shoulder into Tunney's chin, drawing a reprimand from referee Samuel Viruet.

ROUND 3

Tunney begins the round back on his bicycle, but after withstanding another three-punch combination, sets his feet and begins trading with Dempsey.

This seemingly foolhardy approach works because Tunney is able to time Dempsey's attacks perfectly, slamming home right-hand leads and quick jab-hook combos as the latter begins to throw his wider punches.

Dempsey has some success after shifting his attack to the body, but Tunney seemingly takes the round with a hard right cross followed by an uppercut with the same hand shortly before the bell.

At ringside, Roy Paeth scores each of the first three rounds for Tunney, though many along press row give Dempsey at least the second.

ROUND 4

In a repeat of the second round, Tunney backpedals and jabs while Dempsey stalks. After little action for the first two minutes, Dempsey lands a double hook to the jaw, though neither connects with full force.

Tunney straightens the crouching Dempsey with a right uppercut, then clinches before his pursuer can respond. Dempsey lands a straight right just above the belt that seems to knock some of the wind out of Tunney. Another tough-to-score round, depending on whether the judges prefer defense and technique or the occasional hard punch.

ROUND 5

Tunney opens with uncharacteristic aggression, landing a right uppercut from waaay outside that takes Dempsey by surprise.

He quickly shakes it off, though, connecting with a crunching overhand right and following up with a hard left hook at the belt line.

Dempsey traps a wounded Tunney in a neutral corner and lands a four-punch salvo, forcing Tunney to clinch.

After Viruet separates them, rather than resume his retreat, Tunney stands toe-to-toe with Dempsey.

After several pretty even exchanges, Tunney snaps Dempsey's head straight back with a cracking right, then lands a jab inside a wide right. But with 10 seconds left, Dempsey jars Tunney with a nasty left hook to the side of the head.

At ringside, Roy Paeth gives a second straight round to Dempsey, putting his unofficial scorecard at 48-47 in favor of Tunney.

ROUND 6

Dempsey opens strong, scoring with a pair of hooks to the ribs and a right uppercut under the chin.

Midway through, though, Tunney starts having success with the jab and then the right cross.

Scoring is again a matter of taste, with Dempsey scoring fewer, but harder, shots.

ROUND 7

Dempsey leaves a pair of jabs short and Tunney responds with a crashing right cross. Dempsey lands a jab, but Tunney counters with an even harder right, which sends The Manassa Mauler stumbling back and to his right.

Tunney pursues, but Dempsey meets him with a left hook that stops him in his tracks. Dempsey seizes the momentum with a blinding flurry of at least eight punches, all of which at least partially land.

Now it is Tunney on the ropes, trying to dodge and parry as Dempsey unloads the heavy artillery.

After ducking a left hook, Tunney delivers a hook to the ribs and a right uppercut to the belly.

Dempsey plants a jab, Tunney connects with a left hook to the face.

The crowd roars more loudly than it has since the opening moments of the first round, responding to the best sustained action of the night.

At ringside, Roy Paeth scores a fourth straight round for Dempsey, giving him an unofficial 67-66 edge.

In the corner, cutman Jimmy Montoya applies an Endswell to Tunney's right eye, which has begun to puff.

ROUND 8

Tunney comes out moving forward, but is slowed by Dempsey's surprising reliance on an effective jab.

After Viruet warns Dempsey for a rather blatant low blow, Tunney misses with a right lead and is punished with a jab-cross combo up top.

Dempsey misses with a hook, leaving an opening for Tunney's arrow-straight right to the face. The two trade hooks to the body shortly before the bell. The swelling around Tunney's right eye worsens.

ROUND 9

Montoya has little luck reducing the swelling and Dempsey immediately targets Tunney's injured right eye.

Dempsey feints as if sending a hook to the ribs, then adjusts his aim upward and crashes a left to the eye. Dempsey misses with a jab but a follow-up cross lands flush.

Driven to the ropes, Tunney sets himself and drills Dempsey with a vicious right that halts the assault, but only temporarily.

Dempsey smashes Tunney with a pair of jolting jabs, hooking off the second one with a heavy shot to the ribs.

Tunney ducks a left hook, but Dempsey lands a brutal right to the top of the head, then straightens his target with a uppercut flush to the face.

Sensing that Tunney is hurt, Dempsey shifts into destroy mode, mixing hard body shots with blazing combinations to the head. All but out on his feet, Tunney is unable to so much as clinch as Dempsey follows a left hook just above the belt line with a thudding jab and a right uppercut that leaves Tunney draped over the top rope near his own corner.

Viruet jumps between the fighters, waving his arms. The crowd and both corners initially think it is merely the end of the round, since the din produced by more than 80,000 ecstatic fans renders any other sound, including that of the bell, mute.

But then Viruet continues walking around the ring, waving his arms above his head. Tunney's trainer, Enzo Calzaghe, realizes what is happening and goes berzerk, charging into the ring after Viruet.

As Montoya tackles Calzaghe to keep him from assaulting the referee, Dempsey, looking bewildered, wanders around the ring, tentatively raising his arms over his head as the crowd is split into three factions -- those cheering Dempsey's apparent victory, those booing an ending they believe to be at best premature and at worst indecisive, and those hollering for someone to explain exactly what happened.

The din quiets, if only slightly, as ring announcer Jimmy Lennon steps to the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, referee Samuel Viruet stops the fight at 2:57 of the ninth round. The winner, and champion of The Roaring Twenties Heavyweight Extravaganza: JACK DEMPSEY!"

POST-FIGHT

If Tunney has any complaint about the stoppage, he is in no shape to voice it. His right eye having swollen shut, he has to be helped from his stool to greet Dempsey, who has come across the ring to check on his opponent's condition.

"He was just too strong," is all Tunney has to say to reporters before being helped through the ring ropes and to his dressing room.

At ringside, Roy Paeth had Dempsey ahead 77-75 through eight completed rounds. The official scorecards had Dempsey even more firmly in control, by scores of 78-74, 78-75 and 78-74.

"I always knew I could take him, if I was at my best," Dempsey said. "Tonight, I was at my best."

[BigBoyBrackey]

Instead of another all-decade tournament (which I will get back to at some point) as a sideline to the Page uni, I'm reviving this long-dormant thread with something a little different -- a tournament involving everyone who ever fought for a world heavyweight title, but never possessed a remotely legitimate championship belt: The Tournament of Challengers.

Below is the list I compiled with (I think) every unsuccessful aspirant to an undisputed world champion or holder of the WBA, WBC, IBF or WBO belt. I was a little unsure about including the WBO, or at least including only the Vitali Klitschko era and onward. But then I thought, what's the point of a tournament like this without Tim Tomashek?

Now I'm starting to have second thoughts about the likes of the IBO and even the WAA. Not only would it further dilute, I mean, expand the field for this tournament, but for the inevitable follow-up, The Tournament of Titlists.

After that comes The Tournament of Guys Who Got Screwed Out of a Shot (I might shorten that when the time comes around), and, of course, the latest rendition of the bracket that we've all run, probably more than once -- The Tournament of Champions (lineal only).

Anyway, below are the 147 guys who are in as of now. Please let me know if you notice any names missing from the organizations listed above, as well as any thoughts about which, if any, organizations should be added:


TOURNAMENT OF CHALLENGERS FIELD

Dominick McCaffrey
Charley Mitchell
Tom Sharkey
Jack Finnegan
Gus Ruhlin
Jack Munroe
Jack Root
James J. Walker
Fireman Jim Flynn
Philadelphia Jack O'Brien
Bill Squires
Gunner Moir
Jack Palmer
Jem Roche
Jewey Smith
Bill Lang
Tony Ross
Al Kaufman
Stanley Ketchel
Battling Jim Johnson
Frank Moran
Billy Miske
Bill Brennan
Georges Carpentier
Jimmy Darcy
Tommy Gibbons
Luis Angel Firpo
Tom Henney
Young Stribling
Paulino Uzcudun
Tommy Loughran
Tommy Farr
Nathan Mann
Harry Thommas
John Henry Lewis
Jack Roper
Tony Galento
Bob Pastor
Arturo Godoy
Johnny Paychek
Al McCoy
Red Burman
Gus Dorazio
Abe Simon
Tony Musto
Buddy Baer
Billy Conn
Lou Nova
Johnny Davis
Tami Mauriello
Gus Lesnevich
Pat Valentino
Freddie Beshore
Nick Barone
Lee Oma
Joey Maxim
Roland LaStarza
Don Cockell
Archie Moore
Tommy Jackson
Pete Rademacher
Roy Harris
Brian London
Tom McNeeley
George Chuvalo
Henry Cooper
Karl Mildenberger
Cleveland Williams
Zora Folley
Chuck Wepner
Ron Lyle
Joe Bugner
Jean-Pierre Coopman
Jimmy Young
Richard Dunn
Alfredo Evangelista
Earnie Shavers
Buster Mathis
Manuel Ramos
Oscar Bonavena
Dave Zyglewicz
Bob Foster
Terry Daniels
Ron Stander
Jose Roman
Crawford Grimsley
Lou Savarese
Ossie Ocasio
Lorenzo Zanon
Leroy Jones
Scott LeDoux
Renaldo Snipes
Gerry Cooney
Lucien Rodriguez
Scott Frank
Marvis Frazier
David Bey
Carl Williams
James Tillis
Tyrell Biggs
Bert Cooper
Vaughn Bean
Jesse Ferguson
Phil Jackson
Zeljko Mavrovic
Michael Grant
Francois Botha
David Tua
Andrew Golota
Steffen Tangstad
Axel Schulz
Fres Oquendo
Jameel McCline
DaVarryl Williamson
Calvin Brock
Ray Austin
Tony Thompson
Eddie Chambers
Eddie Machen
Jerry Quarry
Joe Hipp
Kirk Johnson
Owen Beck
Monte Barrett
Matt Skelton
Carl Davis Drummond
Corrie Sanders
Danny Williams
Okhello Peter
Juan Carlos Gomez
Chris Arreola
Kevin Johnson
Derrick Jefferson
Charles Shufford
Kali Meehan
Luan Krasniqi
Obed Sullivan
Ed Mahone
Willi Fischer
Damon Reed
Scott Welch
Alexander Zolkin
Jeremy Williams
Jorge Luis Gonzalez
Tim Tomashek
Daniel Eduardo Neto
Johnny Du Plooy

[BigBoyBrackey]

After compiling the list of fighters who have challenged for a heavyweight title belt without ever winning one, then locating or creating ratings for all 148 never-weres, Big Boy Brackey's Tournament of Challengers is ready to get underway.

Unfortunately, 148 does not fit neatly into a bracket. Fortunately, there are 32 participants rated 3 or lower. So we'll start things off with a qualifier to determine the last 12 spots in the larger, 128-man field. Everyone who reaches the quarterfinals of the qualifier is in, and the eight-second round losers will be paired in box-offs to fill the final four berths.

In lieu of a preview for each match, every fighter's boxrec.com page is accessible by clicking his name, which is preceded by his qualifier tourney seeding. Their title-bout conquerors are listed in parentheses, with the belt held by non-lineal titlists following the year of the match.

1-Charley Mitchell (KOby3 James J. Corbett 1895)
vs.
32-Johnny Davis (KOby1 Joe Louis 1944*)

16-Bert Cooper (TKOby7 Evander Holyfield 1991; TKOby5 Michael Moorer 1992/WBO)
vs.
17-Jack Palmer (KOby4 Tommy Burns 1908)

2-Chuck Wepner (TKOby15 Muhammad Ali 1975)
vs.
31-James J. Walker (KOby1 Tommy Burns 1906)

15-Jose Roman (KOby1 George Foreman 1973)
vs.
18-Tony Musto (TKOby9 Joe Louis 1941)

3-Fireman Jim Flynn (KOby15 Tommy Burns 1906)
vs.
30-Jack Finnegan (KOby1 James J. Jeffries 1900)

14-Pat Valentino (KOby8 Ezzard Charles 1949)
vs.
19-Jean-Pierre Coopman (KOby5 Muhammad Ali)

4-Crawford Grimsley (L12 George Foreman)
vs.
29-Daniel Eduardo Neto (TKOby2 Francesco Damiani 1989 WBO)

13-Steffen Tangstad (TKOby4 Michael Spinks 1986)
vs.
20-Jack Munroe (TKOby2 James J. Jeffries 1904)

5-Bill Squires (KOby1 Tommy Burns 1907; KOby8 Tommy Burns 1908; KOby13 Tommy Burns 1908)
vs.
28-Damon Reed (KOby1 Herbie Hide 1994/WBO)

12-Terry Daniels (KOby4 Joe Frazier)
vs.
21-Jimmy Darcy (L4 Jack Dempsey 1922*)

6-Ed Mahone (KOby3 Vitali Klitschko 1999/WBO)
vs.
27-Jem Roche (KOby1 Tommy Burns 1908)

11-Johnny Paychek (TKOby2 Joe Louis 1940)
vs.
22-Jack Roper (KOby1 Joe Louis 1939)

7-Dominick McCaffrey (L7 John L. Sullivan 1885)
vs.
26-Jewey Smith (KOby5 Tommy Burns 1908)

10-Gus Lesnevich (TKOby7 Ezzard Charles 1949)
vs.
23-Tim Tomashek (TKOby4 Tommy Morrison 1993/WBO)

8-Willi Fischer (TKOby2 Herbie Hide 1998/WBO)
vs.
25-Gunner Moir (KOby10 Tommy Burns 1907)

9-Lee Oma (TKOby10 Ezzard Charles 1951)
vs.
24-Richard Dunn (TKOby5 Muhammad Ali 1976)

*Originally scheduled as exhibitions in Buffalo, but the New York State Athletic Commission insisted that the titles of Louis and Dempsey, respectively, be at stake in the scheduled four rounders.

[Lee]

Nice idea on the tournament, should be interesting.

[BigBoyBrackey]

Opening night action from Omaha's Civic Auditorium, site of the Tournament of Challengers Qualifier (and Joe Frazier's 1972 knockout of Ron Stander):

Richard Dunn KO2 Lee Oma: Perhaps fittingly, Lee Oma enters the ring for the first fight of the Tournament of Challengers Qualifier visibly out of shape.

After they mix it up to little effect through the first, Dunn lands a couple of jabs and, after being warned for holding and hitting, drives a right hook to the ribs that pins Oma on the ropes. Dunn fires a straight left, snapping Oma's head back. He collapses to the canvas and is counted out at the 2:57 mark.

Johnny Paychek KO8 Jack Roper: Roper goes down under a flurry of punches in the sixth and trails badly on all three cards when, with a minute left in the eighth, Paychek lands a left hook that ends a battle between charter members of Joe Louis' "Bum of the Month Club."

Tony Musto TKO5 Jose Roman: A clash of heads ruled accidental opens a gash over Roman's left eye in the third round and a Musto jab slashes him over the right in the fourth. When the second cut reopens in the fifth, The Blue Island Tank is declared the winner at 1:39 of the fifth.

Ed Mahone W10 Jem Roche: Some of the hardest shots landed are a series of allegedly unintentional head butts, one of which opens up Roche's left eyebrow in the sixth. The former Irish heavyweight champion is clearly bothered through the final few rounds, and Mahone sweeps the last two on all three cards to pull out a 96-95, 96-94, 98-94 decision.

Bill Squires TKO4 Damon Reed: Squires couldn't beat Tommy Burns, getting stopped three times in 13 months, but Reed is another story. A left hook opens up a nasty gash over Reed's right eye in the second and, after it begins gushing again in the fourth, Squires' hand is raised at the 2:43 mark.

Fireman Jim Flynn KO9 Jack Finnegan: Flynn batters the game Finnegan throughout, building an insurmountable lead before landing an uppercut that drops The Pittsburgh Stogie for the count, the end coming at the 1:06 mark.

Willi Fischer W10 Gunner Moir: Fischer's jab and steady body attack help him to control most of the action, as he swells up Moir's right eye and bloodies his mouth en route to a 97-94, 97-94, 97-95 nod.

Charley Mitchell W10 Johnny Davis: The qualifier's top seed thoroughly outboxes the crude Davis, whose credentials as a title challenger are limited to being the opponent for a Joe Louis exhibition in Buffalo that was ruled a title fight by the New York State Athletic Commission. Davis acquits himself far better than he did in his one-round blowout loss to Louis, dropping Mitchell with a left hook early in the fifth and landing several other heavy shots. Mitchell lands twice as many punches with nearly twice the accuracy, though, and prevails by split decision: 96-95, 97-94, 95-97.

[BigBoyBrackey]

Tim Tomashek TKO7 Gus Lesnevich: A cut over Lesnevich's right eye, suffered early in the first, reopened in the seventh, leading to a controversial stoppage. Lesnevich had a clear lead on all three cards, not having lost a round in the eyes of two judges, and Tomashek had been bleeding from a cut on his right eyebrow since the fifth round.

Lesnevich's cut, however, was more severe and referee Genaro Rodriguez said the amount of blood running into Lesnevich's eye left him with no choice but to act 18 seconds into the seventh.

Jimmy Darcy W10 Terry Daniels: Daniels suffered a torn mouth in the sixth that never quite stopped bleeding the rest of the way, was docked a point for a low blow in the ninth and was dropped twice in the final minute of the fight. The foul deduction gave Darcy a 10-8 edge in the ninth and a 10-7 margin in the 10th, helping him seal a unanimous win by scores of 97-91 (twice) and 96-92.

Crawford Grimsley TKO6 Daniel Eduardo Neto: Grimsley floors the pudgy Argentinian with a quick left-right to the head in the second round and finishes him with a series of sixth-round left hooks that leave Neto defenseless along the ropes, forcing referee Tommy Kimmons to intervene with four seconds remaining.

Steffen Tangstad W10 Jack Munroe: Tangstad uses a steady jab and effective body punching to keep Munroe at bay in the early going, then stands his ground when The Cape Breton Miner forces him into toe-to-toe action in the late rounds. The judges agree on only four rounds, but are unanimous in giving the decision to the Norwegian by scores of 97-93 (twice) and 96-94.

Dominick McCaffrey W10 Jewey Smith: Smith lands more punches (230-198), is equally accurate and floors McCaffrey for a nine-count with an eighth-round uppercut, but somehow loses a split decision.

McCaffrey, who was also hurt badly in the fifth, finished strong in taking both the ninth and 10th, with Smith wobbling about the ring as he managed to make it to the final bell. Still, the crowd at Omaha Civic Center issued a resounding chorus of boos when two judges awarded McCaffrey the win by scores of 95-94 and 96-93. The third judge scored it for Smith, 95-94.

Pat Valentino TKO6 Jean-Pierre Coopman: Boos accompany another controversial ending, as a severe cut over Coopman's left eye deal The Lion of Flanders a loss in a bout he was winning. Coopman was up 49-47 on all three cards when a right cross by Valentino reopened the wound that was inflicted two rounds earlier.

Bert Cooper W10 Jack Palmer: Cooper's heavier shots outweigh Palmer's smart boxing and a pair of ninth-round knockdowns seal a unanimous nod for Smokin' Bert. Palmer barely makes it through the ninth, only to come out on the short end of three identical 97-91 scores.

Chuck Wepner KO4 James J. Walker: After sleepwalking through three rounds against perhaps the least deserving challenger in the history of heavyweight boxing, The Bayonne Bleeder finally comes to after tasting his own blood early in the fourth.

Moments after a left hook from Walker -- who had lost all five of his recorded fights by knockout when he was tapped to take on Tommy Burns, who stopped him in the first -- opened up a cut inside his mouth, Wepner unloaded a right cross that dropped J.J. for the full count.

[BigBoyBrackey]

The top eight seeds held in the first round, but in the other eight bouts, the lower-ranked fighter won four times. Nine bouts ended inside the distance, with cuts causing four of the stoppages.

Second-round bouts will also be set for 10 rounds. Winners automatically qualify for the 128-man Tournament of Challengers (though the qualifier will continue until a winner is determined), with the eight losers being paired off in fight-in matches for the final four spots in the larger field.

All qualifier bouts will be held at the Omaha Civic Center.

QUALIFIER SECOND ROUND

1 - Charley Mitchell
vs.
16 - Bert Cooper

2 - Chuck Wepner
vs.
18 - Tony Musto

3 - Fireman Jim Flynn
vs.
14 - Pat Valentino

4 - Crawford Grimsley
vs.
13 - Steffen Tangstad

5 - Bill Squires
vs.
21 - Jimmy Darcy

6 - Ed Mahone
vs.
11 - Johnny Paychek

7 - Dominick McCaffrey
vs.
23 - Tim Tomashek

8 - Willi Fischer
vs.
24 - Richard Dunn

[BigBoyBrackey]

Dominick McCaffrey W10 Tim Tomashek: McCaffrey pulls out his second controversial decision in as many fights. This time, McCaffrey landed eight more punches, though Tomashek was slightly more accurate with his blows and dominated the middle rounds. Neither fighter was dropped or cut.

The three officials are unanimous in their view of only two rounds, the second and the fifth, as two ruled for McCaffrey by scores of 97-93 and 98-92, while the third saw it 98-92 for Tomashek. The revalation that one judge gave The Fighting Doughboy eight rounds while another did the same for McCaffrey triggered obscene chants and brought a shower of half-full beer cups down on the ring.

Willi Fischer KO2 Richard Dunn: The big German is too strong for Dunn, stretching the British southpaw with a single right cross late in the second.

After an even first round, Fischer hurts Dunn with a left hook to the side of the head early in the second, then bulls him into the ropes to set up the finisher. Dunn is counted out at the 2:40 mark.

Ed Mahone W10 Johnny Paychek: The larger Mahone controls the action early, hurting Paychek several times and gashing his right eyebrow. A left hook from Paychek rips open Mahone's right cheek in the seventh, though, and The Hammer is visibly bothered by the steady flow of blood down his face the rest of the way.

Though preoccupied with protecting a cut that offers no threat to his vision, Mahone wins a slow final round on all three cards, enabling him to eke out a majority decision by scores of 98-93, 96-95 and 96-96.

Bill Squires KO8 Jimmy Darcy: Darcy boxes well and gamely, but Squires lands harder punches and more of them, building a comfortable lead before flooring Fighting Jimmy with a left hook with a minute left in the eighth. Darcy climbs up at three, but eats another hook that puts him down for the count with 30 seconds remaining. Squires leads 68-65 (twice) and 69-64 at the end.

[BigBoyBrackey]

Crawford Grimsley W10 Steffen Tangstad: Grimsley is cruising, winning the first seven rounds on two cards and scoring a knockdown at the end of the seventh, when he gets caught with a right uppercut less than a minute into the eighth and crashes to the floor.

Grimsley just makes it to his feet and manages to survive the round despite taking more punishment. After a back-and-forth ninth, Grimsley gets the worst of it in the final round. But his early cushion is more than enough for a 96-92, 97-91, 97-92 win.

Pat Valentino W10 Fireman Jim Flynn: Valentino lands at will, out-punching Flynn by better than 2-to-1, nearly closes his right eye while causing the left to swell as well, yet still needs to win the final round to pull out a 95-94, 95-94, 95-93 decision.

Flynn gets little done beyond connecting with a right that drops Valentino for a seven-count in the fourth, but that and a point deduction for a low blow in the sixth keep the scoring tight. Referee Gary Rosato stays busy, warning or penalizing Valentino for four infractions while cautioning Flynn twice.

Bert Cooper KO3 Charley Mitchell: Cooper bludgeons Mitchell throughout in the qualifier's biggest upset so far, flooring the top seed with a left hook moments into the fight and dropping him four times in all, with the wee Brit taking the full count just after the bell ending the third.

Mitchell is only a little more than two inches shorter than Cooper, but gives away nearly 60 pounds after weighing in at 165. Mitchell is able to land a few punches, but none have any visible effect as Cooper wades in, throwing bombs from the outset.

Chuck Wepner W10 Tony Musto: Wepner's right tears the inside of Musto's mouth early in the first, an injury that rarely stops seeping the rest of the way, and drops The Blue Island Tank in the ninth.

Meanwhile, The Bayonne Bleeder doesn't and emerges a 97-93, 96-95, 96-93 winner despite getting rocked in the final round.

[BigBoyBrackey]

QUALIFIER QUARTERFINAL MATCHES

Bert Cooper (16) vs. Willi Fischer (8)
Chuck Wepner (2) vs. Dominick McCaffrey (7)
Pat Valentino (14) vs. Ed Mahone (6)
Crawford Grimsley (4) vs. Bill Squires (5)

The pairings for the losers' bracket box-in, which will determine the final four spots in the 128-man Tournament of Challengers field:

Tim Tomashek vs. Richard Dunn
Johnny Paychek vs. Jimmy Darcy
Steffen Tangstad vs. Fireman Jim Flynn
Charley Mitchell vs. Tony Musto

[BigBoyBrackey]

(Winners qualify for one of the final four spots in the 128-man Tournament of Challengers field, losers sigh with relief at not facing prospect of getting pulverized by a Chuvalo or Shavers.)

Tony Musto W10 Charlie Mitchell: Musto builds an early lead, then flatttens Mitchell in the fifth and again in the eighth. Mitchell, bleeding steadily from a cut over his right eye throughout the late rounds, boxes gamely but The Blue Island Tank prevails, 98-90 (twice) and 98-91.

Richard Dunn TKO10 Tim Tomashek: Dunn hits the floor in the third and sixth, courtesy of right crosses from The Fighting Doughboy, but otherwise controls the action and drops Tomashek with straight lefts in the eighth and 10th before finishing him with another cracking shot at the 2:47 mark. Dunn leads 86-83 (twice) and 85-84 at the end.

Steffen Tangstad D10 Fireman Jim Flynn: Flynn lands some big shots early (and gets warned for three fouls in the first two rounds), but Tangstad rallies and controls the second half of the fight, swelling Flynn's left eye and cutting his mouth. Tangstad takes his foot off the gas in the 10th, though, and settles for a majority draw by scores of 96-94 and 95-95 (twice). A furious Tangstad storms from the ring, alleging anti-Norwegian bias by the officials. The rematch will be fought after completion of the qualifier quarterfinals.

Johnny Paychek W10 Jimmy Darcy: Paychek is already well in control, despite being docked a point for kidney-punching in the seventh, when he floors Darcy twice in the ninth with overhand rights. Paychek cruises by scores of 96-91, 98-90, 97-90.

[BigBoyBrackey]

Pat Valentino TKO5 Ed Mahone: Valentino's superior hand speed overcomes Mahone's size advantage. A left hook floors Mahone for an eight-count in the fourth and a flurry puts him down again in the fifth. The Hammer makes it to an upright position, but is defenseless and ruled unfit to continue with two seconds left in the fifth.

Crawford Grimsley KO3 Bill Squires: After a slow first in which Grimsley dominates what little action takes place, he lands a hard right to the head early in the second and gets the better of some toe-to-toe action later.

Grimsley staggers Squires with a hook almost immediately after the bell starting the third and, after having his own head snapped back by a left hook/uppercut, de-bones Squires with a left hook to the chin. Boshter Bill is counted out at the 2:16 mark.

Chuck Wepner D10 Dominick McCaffrey: Wepner seems to be in control heading into the final round having swept rounds six through nine on all three judges' cards, despite severe swelling around his left eye. A minute in, though, The Bayonne Bleeder gets caught with a counter-right and dropped on the seat of his pants.

Wepner gets up and has McCaffrey in deep trouble by the final bell. Still, all three officials rule it a 10-8 round, forcing a 95-95 draw on each card.

Bert Cooper KO1 Willi Fischer: Cooper nearly decapitates Fischer, who apparently did most of his training at The Knockwurst Hut, with a left hook to the point of the chin. De Ox is counted out at the 2:09 mark.

[BigBoyBrackey]

Steffen Tangstad W10 Fireman Jim Flynn: Tangstad withstands a brutal head butt in the first, a nasty cut under his left eye in the sixth round and more questionable officiating to batter Flynn over the final third of the fight, pulling out a majority decision.

Flynn's butt draws only a warning and one judge sees a fight clearly won by Tangstad as a 96-96 draw, but he earns 96-95 and 97-95 advantages on the other two cards. Most observers thought Tangstad, who qualifies for the 128-man Tournament of Challengers field with the victory, deserved the win in their first match, as well.

Chuck Wepner KO7 Dominick McCaffrey: McCaffrey made it this far with the help of some very generous judges, earning controversial decisions over Jewey Smith and Tim Tomashek before pulling out a questionable draw against Wepner in their first meeting.

The Bayonne Bleeder takes it out of the judges' hands, though, flooring McCaffrey with right crosses in the first and third, then finishing him with a left-right. After a foul-filled slugfest that left both men with badly swollen right eyes, McCaffrey takes the count at the 2:41 mark of round seven.

[BigBoyBrackey]

QUALIFIER SEMIFINALS

Bert Cooper (16) vs. Crawford Grimsley (4)
chuck Wepner (2) vs. Pat Valentino (14)

[BigBoyBrackey]

Chuck Wepner W10 Pat Valentino: The Bayonne Bleeder never does, but he hits the floor courtesy of a left hook in the second round and is badly hurt in the third.

A right uppercut midway through the fourth, however, lifts Valentino off his feet and deposits him on the canvas. He's up at eight, but barely makes it to the bell.

Valentino regains control, though, and has Wepner stumbling around the ring in the seventh and appears to control the eighth. But Chuck comes on strong in the ninth and, with less than a minute left in the final round, follows a left hook with a chopping right and Valentino crashes again. He makes it to his feet at nine, but can do little but take punishment until the bell.

The scoring -- 95-92 (twice) for Wepner, with one judge seeing the exact opposite outcome -- draws a fair amount of booing from the crowd as Omaha Civic Center, as a majority seemed to think Valentino deserved the split nod, despite the late knockdown.

Bert Cooper KO4 Crawford Grimsley: Cooper wades in throwing left hooks from the opening bell, connecting with more than he misses. Grimsley tries to fend Smokin' Bert off with pawing rights and the occasional uppercut, clinching as often as he can, but does little damage other than a decent third round, when Cooper seems to take a breather.

Bert amps it up in the fourth, hurting Grimsley with a left hook to the head early, then dropping him with another to the kidney midway through. Grimsley staggers to his feet but goes down again courtesy of another hook, this one followed by a heavy right to the face, and is counted out with one second left in the fourth.