He Coulda Been a Champion - a Greg Page memorial uni

[BigBoyBrackey]

ROUND 1

The bell's echo has barely faded when Weaver and Cooney meet at the center of the ring. Dispensing with any formalities, Cooney unleashes his vaunted left hook, which lands squarely against Weaver's right jaw.

The belt-holder's knees buckle momentarily, but he has the presence of mind to deliver a right uppercut that jolts Cooney as he moves in to follow up. Weaver takes the opportunity to move inside, where he is able to slip several of Cooney's short-armed efforts before connecting with a jab just under the ribs.

Weaver blocks a left hook with his right shoulder and tries to work his left to Cooney's body, but it is deflected.

Cooney counters with a big left hook to the head, then fakes to the body before landing another in the same spot -- Weaver's cheekbone.

Weaver wobbles in reverse, pressing his back to the ropes, the last place he wants to be. Cooney, spurred by the ecstatic crowd, blasts him with a right uppercut. Weaver, his mouth hanging open, drops his hands but is spared further punishment, or worse, by the bell signaling the end of the round.

[BigBoyBrackey]

ROUND 2

Unofficial statistics kept by the closed-circuit production team show that Cooney landed a dozen left hooks in the first round, nearly half of his 27 connections.

"It speaks well of Weaver's chin that he is still standing, but he had best find a way to make Cooney miss with that hook once in a while," says legendary commentator Don Dunphy.

Dunphy has barely finished the sentence when Cooney lands another hook, sending sweat spraying from Weaver's head.

After landing a solid right cross, Cooney tries to drill a hook to the ribs, but Weaver shifts slightly to his left and the punch sails wide. Weaver catches the off-balance challenger with an overhand right and DOWN GOES COONEY!

Shocked, Weaver stands in place over his fallen opponent, wasting a second or two before Lane pushes him toward a neutral corner before beginning the count:

1 ...
2 ...

Cooney scrambles to his feet, looking more stunned than hurt after the knockdown. Lane wipes off his gloves and asks if he's OK. Looking disgusted with himself, Cooney nods and Lane steps aside, waving the fighters together.

Looking uncertain, Cooney takes a step back. Weaver seizes the initiative, rushing in with a left hook and another right cross. Both land squarely on opposite sides of Cooney's face, the second punch sending him sprawling across the ring, then back to the floor.

Lane moves in and again begins counting:

1 ...
2 ...
3 ...
4 ...

Cooney awkwardly gets to his feet, briefly falls back to his knees, then manages to get up again at the count of 5.

After again giving Cooney, who looks more hurt than stunned, the once-over, Lane signals for the action to resume.

Weaver races in, but Cooney blocks an uppercut. He throws a hook that lands, but Weaver fires a clean right to the jaw in return. Weaver hammers Cooney's ribs with a pair of rights, propelling him to the ropes.

Cooney legs sag, eliminating his height advantage. Weaver slams home a left hook to the head and Lane moves in, watching Cooney closely.

One shot looks to be enough to send Cooney down again -- triggering the WBA's three-knockdown rule and ending the fight -- but Weaver misses with a wild uppercut just before the bell, allowing the stricken Cooney to survive and stumble back to his corner.

[BigBoyBrackey]

ROUND 3

Weaver comes out looking to pick up where he left off, but misses badly with a leaping hook, leaving Cooney the opening for a hard right uppercut.

Weaver recovers quickly, bulling Cooney into his own corner, where he lands a right uppercut, then a murderous right cross. Weaver tries the same punch, but Cooney blocks this one, then answers with a vicious left hook to the ribs that doubles the titlist over. Cooney stands him up with a right uppercut, but Weaver responds with one of his own, then another as the crowd screams its approval.

Weaver clinches, then Cooney misses with a left hook just before the bell.

At ringside, Lee MacRae gives the close round to Weaver, putting him ahead 29-27 on his unofficial scorecard. The official margins figure to be larger, since the judges most likely scored the one-sided second round more decisively than MacRae's 10-8.

[BigBoyBrackey]

ROUND 4

With Weaver looking for the left hook, Cooney leads with a nasty right cross. Weaver scores a pair of short hooks to the body, which Cooney counters with a solid left to the head. A right by Cooney backs Weaver up, but he plants his feet and scores with a right uppercut as Cooney moves in. The shot doesn't seem to faze him, though, and Cooney blasts away with two left hooks to the side of the head.

A shaken Weaver fires back with a left-right to the head that lands, but to little visible effect. Cooney scores with a left uppercut-left hook combo that jerks Weaver's head violently, forcing him to grab his larger foe's arms tightly.

After Lane breaks them up, Cooney's hook to the body brings Weaver's hands down as the bell rings.

[BigBoyBrackey]

ROUND 5

Weaver is slow getting off his stool, but as Cooney advances toward him, he rushes to ring center and smashes a hook to the side of the head. Cooney makes some distance with a telephone pole of a jab, which sets up a solid right to the body.

Weaver looks hurt, but manages a right uppercut that forces Cooney back. A hook to the body allows Cooney to reclaim the advantage, though, and he traps Weaver on the ropes with two more. A right uppercut causes Weaver to stumble toward a neutral corner, where he eats one of Cooney's best hooks of the night.

Now it is Weaver drawing the referee's close attention as he looks unable to so much as lift his arms, much less throw a punch.

Cooney closes in to apply the finisher, but a left hook intended for the ribcage strays well south of Weaver's beltline. Lane leaps in and calls time, admonishing Cooney for the low blow.

The brief break allows Weaver enough time to muster up a left hook to the face, which puts Cooney on his heels until the bell sounds moments later.

At ringside, Lee MacRae's unofficial scorecard is all even at 47 apiece.

[BigBoyBrackey]

ROUND 6

Weaver looks tired, his hands held low and his mouth open, but he doesn't fight like it, standing toe-to-toe and swapping power punches with Cooney for the better part of three minutes.

Cooney lands a hook to the ribs, Weaver scores with a right to the face. Each time one lands, the other answers, driving the crowd into an ever-escalating frenzy.

A hard left hook by Cooney late in the round seems to break the stalemate, but Weaver clinches before the challenger can take advantage.

The fans give both fighters an ovation as they return to their corners after a round that couldn't have been closer.

[BigBoyBrackey]

ROUND 7

Weaver's right eye is badly swollen, while Cooney is showing signs of a mouse under his right eye as the round opens.

A thunderous hook under the ribs draws an audible gasp from Weaver and Cooney pins him on the ropes, firing away with both hands as the crowd screams approval.

Weaver fights his way to ring center and the two exchange shots at a blistering pace, though Cooney's shots seem to have more impact.

A pair of right crosses send sweat spraying from Weaver's head and a Cooney left hook lands hard against the right eye, increasing the swelling and opening a profusely bleeding cut above the brow.

Lane moves in, ready to save Weaver. But the beltholder saves himself with a three-punch combo that drives Cooney back and accelerates the swelling around the challenger's right eye.

They stand toe-to-toe, throwing punches for the round's final 15 seconds and for several more after the bell, forcing Lane to jump in.

At ringside, Lee MacRae scores the round for Cooney and, unoficially, has the challenger ahead by a point after seven rounds.

[BigBoyBrackey]

ROUND 8

Weaver's corner stops the bleeding above his right eye, but can do little about the swelling around it, which now has the orb about two-thirds closed.

Nonetheless, he rushes out throwing power shots with both hands. Several miss wildly, but an overhand right mashes Cooney's nose, shaking him badly. Cooney's own right eye is about half shut and he takes a step back, luring Weaver in. But Weaver misses badly with another overhand right, leaving him open to a short, but brutal, left hook that sends him to the floor for the first time.

As Cooney stumbles to a neutral corner, Lane moves in and begins counting:

1 ...
2 ...
3 ...
4 ...
5 ...
6 ...

Weaver makes it to his feet, but Lane gives him a long look, shaking his head as if to indicate that he's stopping the fight. But then he steps aside and waves the fighters together.

Cooney moves in immediately, missing with a left hook and a right cross, but forcing Weaver into his own corner. Once there, Cooney pounds him with a pair of jabs to the head, then hammers a left hook to the ribs followed by another one to the side of the head that causes Weaver's hands to drop and his head to droop.

Suddenly, it looks like the Norton fight all over as Cooney bludgeons Weaver with a series of unanswered left hooks, with the third in the sequence causing Weaver to spin involuntarily away from his tormentor and fall toward the crowd, leaving his muscular frame draped over the middle rope.

Cooney moves toward him, his left fist cocked, but Lane pushes him back and, once he retreats to a neutral corner, begins counting:

1 ...
2 ...
3 ...
4 ...
5 ...
6 ...
7 ...
8 ...
9 ...

Weaver somehow extricates himself from the ropes and gets himself to an upright position. Lane looks Weaver over and hesitates before making his decision.

Weaver makes it for him, though, when his knees buckle and he almost goes down again, only keeping himself upright by grabbing the ringpost. Lane shakes his head and waves his arms over his head before wrapping them around the semi-conscious Weaver.

[BigBoyBrackey]

POST-FIGHT

Cooney exalts for a moment, holding both fists high above his head as the crowd, chants "Ger-ry, Ger-ry" before issuing a roar of appreciation for both men.

Cooney cuts the celebration short, however, when he sees Weaver fall to his knees and then to the canvas, where his corner, Lane and the ringside physician gather around him.

Weaver comes to after about 30 seconds and Cooney helps him to his feet. The bloodied, bruised fighters embrace for a moment before Weaver leaves the ring under his own power.

Michael Buffer takes the microphone and announces the official result:

"Ladies and gentlemen. After almost eight great rounds, referee Mills Lane stops the fight. The winner by technical knockout at 2:07 of the eighth round, and NEW World Boxing Association heavyweight champion of the world:

GERRY COOOONEY!"

[kenyan_cheena]

Wow. Awesome fight.

[BigBoyBrackey]

Saturday Star

Punch-Up Postponed

Tonight's scheduled boxing at Ellis Park Tennis Stadium has been postponed due to the early summer thunderstorms that have been buffeting the Johannesburg area in recent days.

The promotion, featuring Gerrie Coetzee's first ring appearance since being knocked out by American Renaldo Snipes in August, has been rescheduled for Nov. 14. Coetzee is pitted against Leroy Caldwell, who also hails from the United States.

Fellow South African heavyweights Kallie Knoetze and Jimmy "Jumbo" Abbott are also scheduled to appear against separate opponents.

[BigBoyBrackey]

RINGS AROUND THE WORLD

October 1981

The World Athletic Association -- invented by Pat O'Grady for the expressed purpose of giving his son, Sean, a lightweight title belt -- is a joke.

Its first sanctioned title bout, however, was exciting while it lasted.

The younger O'Grady, still reeling from being stripped of his World Boxing Association title earlier this year for refusing to fight No. 1 contender Claude Noel, looked gaunt and a little bored entering the ring at the Little Rock Convention Center for his initial WAA defense.

Such disinterest seemed to be particularly dangerous, given the opponent. Executives at CBS-TV, which broadcast the Saturday-afternoon bout, insisted on a more dangerous opponent than the O'Gradys would have liked. From a list of potential foes, they chose Ganigan, a hard-punching 29-year-old known as "Hawaiian Punch."

Ganigan lived up to his nickname moments after the opening bell, when Ganigan rocked O'Grady with a right uppercut and followed up with a barrage that drove the "champion" into the ropes.

O'Grady got his bearings quickly, though, moving Ganigan back with an uppercut of his own, then cornering the Hawaiian with a series of left hooks to the head, then the body. Ganigan blocked a couple of shots, but O'Grady landed another big left just before the bell.

The second round was a near-replay of the first, with Ganigan blasting O'Grady with a left-right to the head, wobbling the favorite of the capacity crowd. O'Grady, though, landed a perfect right cross that sent Ganigan stumbling back before landing in his own corner.

Referee Larry Hazzard's count reached seven before Ganigan made it to his feet. He showed little inclination or ability to tie O'Grady up or defend himself, instead throwing bombs in an effort to ward off disaster.

His legs were gone, though, and while he showed heart in going toe-to-toe with O'Grady, the latter landed far more effective punches until landing a flush left hook with about 30 second left in the round. Ganigan went down on his face, where he remained until Hazzard tolled nine. Ganigan tried to push himself up, but fell again and was counted out at 2:33 of the second round.

With the knockout, O'Grady improved to 77-2 with 66 knockouts.

"I have no problem with fighting Claude Noel -- it was just a matter of who would promote it," O'Grady said when asked if he wanted to fight for his old belt, which the Trinidadian won via decision against Rodolfo Gonzalez last month. "Bob Arum insisted that he promote it, but I've decided to fight with my father as my promoter. I'll fight Noel, Alexis Arguello, Ray Mancini, whoever -- but not so that somebody else can make all the money."


OTHER RESULTS

Heavyweights

Alfonzo Ratliff KO2 Vernon Johnston
John Dino Dennis W8 Henry Porter
Young Louis KO9 Tim Johnson
Tommy Franco Thomas KO2 Jerry Hunter
Proud Kiliminjaro TKO4 Black Tiger
Leroy Caldwell W10 John Williams
Phillip Brown KO2 Cardell Morris
David Jaco KO3 Doug Meiring
Mike White KO4 Jesse Clark
Rick Kellar KO4 Dale Stahl
Joe Christle TKO2 Hughroy Currie
Michael Greer W8 Henry Porter
Sonny Barch KO2 Stanley Dollison
James Douglas TKO5 Abdul Muhaymin
George Graham DQ2 Young Louis
Guido Trane TKO7 Helmuth Owessle
Dragomir Milo Popovic W10 Lutshadi Mudimbi
Mike Cohen KO2 Gil Hall
Ken Laukusta KO1 Ron Rouselle
Les Myers TKO6 Ron Stander
Charles Hostetter KO2 Willie Stoglin
Funso Banjo W6 John Rafferty
Harvey Steichen W10 James Dixon
Andy Csonka KO1 Val Kid Gasaway

[BigBoyBrackey]

The highlight of the month will be Larry Holmes' defense of the true, if unsanctioned, heavyweight championship.

Holmes (38-0, 28 KOs) faces Renaldo Snipes (22-0, 12 KOs) on Nov. 22 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, headlining a card sponsored by the new Tropicana Hotel and Casino, which opens the next day. The undercard features Randall "Tex" Cobb against George Chaplin and Jimmy Young against raw young slugger Thomas Franco Thomas, as well as unbeaten prospect James "Buster" Douglas of Columbus, Ohio against the debuting David Bey.

Other notable November action in the heavyweight division includes the postponed South African card, rescheduled for Nov. 14 and topped by Gerrie Coetzee's comeback fight against Leroy Caldwell and undercard bouts featuring Kallie Knoetze, Jimmy "Jumbo" Abbott and Kallie Knoetze.

On Nov. 26, John Louis Gardner fights for the first time since being demolished by Michael Dokes in June when he travels to Paris to take on Lucien Rodriguez in defense of his European Boxing Union championship.

The prestigious Bahamian heavyweight title will be at stake Nov. 30, when Carl "Tank" Baker and Pat Strachan battle for the vacant championiship.

Former WBA titlist John Tate continues his comeback from a pair of devastating knockouts in 1980 when he takes on journeyman Chuck Gardner on Nov. 29 in Tate's hometown of Knoxville, Tenn.

Also on the comeback front, the 40-something trio of George Chuvalo, Bobby "The Hebrew Hammer" Halpern and Charlie Jordan are expected to continue plodding along this month against opponents yet to be determined.

At the other end of the spectrum, unbeaten Pinklon Thomas looks to pad his record against Curtis Whitner in Philadelphia on Nov. 25, while Tony Tubbs is paired with Jesse Brown four days earlieir in Erlanger, Ky. And novice James Broad takes a 2-0 record into his Nov. 5 pairing with the debuting James Smith on Nov. 5 in Atlantic City.

[BigBoyBrackey]

NEW YORK TIMES

BOXING NOTEBOOK: What's Next
For Cooney, Dokes, Holmes?

By Michael Katz

Boxing experienced a first this week -- two heavyweight championship fights in three nights, with nary a champion to be seen.

Gerry Cooney, who climbed off the floor twice to knock out Mike Weaver in eight rounds and won the latter's World Boxing Association belt, and Michael Dokes, who defeated Scott Frank via a far more one-sided stoppage in the same round to claim the World Boxing Council's crown, certainly burnished their credentials as top contenders.

Contenders, that is, to the throne rightfully occupied by Larry Holmes, whose only defeat as a professional boxer came not in the ring but in a closed meeting room where WBC officials granted promoter Don King's wish that Holmes be stripped of his title. His crime -- possession of the audacity to bolt King's stable of boxers in favor of fistic free agency.

Holmes defends his unofficial, yet undisputed by anyone with a hint of morality, championship on Nov. 22 against Renaldo Snipes in Atlantic City. Regardless of the veracity of the belts at stake in last week's "championship" bouts, their outcomes will have a tremendous impact on what happens next month and beyond.

Cooney's dramatic victory only figures to enhance his status as the biggest thing to hit the heavyweight division since an Olympic gold medalist born Cassius Clay decided to change his name.

Weaver had Cooney down, twice, and badly hurt in the second round. In a less-hyped situation, referee Mills Lane might well have stopped it with a seemingly defenseless Cooney laying on the ropes, taking punishment, in the final moments of the second.

Yet the Huntington native showed remarkable recuperative powers in the third and thereafter, using a thunderous left hook and a steadily improving right cross to take control, eventually dropping a spent Weaver twice in the eighth, forcing Lane to intervene.

Dokes withstood no such trial against Frank, the much-derided pug upon whom the WBC somehow saw fit to bestow the rank of No. 2 contender. Frank provided little more than a slightly moving target, albeit a willing one.

Demonstrating vastly superior hand and foot speed, defense and punching power, Dokes deconstructed Frank in front of a half-empty house in suburban Cleveland, winning every round. His performance earned Dokes the WBC title taken from Holmes, but what that accomplishment means is far from clear.

Having sacrificed his sanctioned title on principle, Holmes seems unlikely to reverse himself and fight Dokes, which would almost surely mean committing to another multi-fight deal with King.

Nor is there any incentive for Cooney, arguably the most marketable boxer in the world, to agree to a unification bout, particularly given the requisite entanglement with King. He can defend the WBA title as often as he wants until a Holmes fight is finalized, or simply bask in his growing fame.

Holmes-Cooney has been the fight the boxing world wants since moments after Ken Norton slumped to the floor at Madison Square Garden in May. Nothing that happened Friday, or is likely to on Nov. 22, will change that.

Dokes figures to mark time with defenses little more challenging than his first title fight while the Holmes and Cooney camps continue their courtship. The future is murkier for the world's best heavyweight who lacks a world championship, sanctioned or otherwise.

Greg Page won a close decision against former title challenger Trevor Berbick on the Cooney-Weaver undercard, improving his ledger to 19-0 with 17 knockouts. Successfully defending against Page could only enhance the reputation of Holmes or Cooney, but risking their eventual superfight makes little financial sense.

***

In an effort to provide clarity to the increasingly chaotic world of boxing, the self-described "Bible of Boxing" will begin releasing its monthly ratings to the press more than a month before they are published in the magazine.

"With two sanctioning organizations each naming their own titlists and one of the sport's true champions rebelling against the alphabet boys, we decided to put our two cents in a little sooner," said Bert Randolph Sugar, publisher of The Ring magazine. "The realities of the publishing business dictate that our ratings don't get out there until six weeks or two months after our worldwide panel of experts vote. We need to find a way to change that."

Starting Nov. 15, The Ring will release its most recent top-10 lists to media outlets, including the Associated Press and United Press International, in a manner similar to college football's Top 20 polls.

"The ratings published on Nov. 15 will cover fights up through Oct. 31, so the results of Cooney-Weaver and Dokes-Frank will be reflected in the heavyweight rankings," Sugar said. "We hope that this will help keep the focus where it belongs, on what happens between the ropes."

[BigBoyBrackey]

THE SUN


Ferris-Meade Rematch On,
Gardner Euro Defence Off

The British Boxing Board of Control has ordered a rematch of last month's epic heavyweight title bout, in which Gordon Ferris defended his crown with a thrilling 15th-round technical knockout of underdog challenger Neville Meade.

Ferris, making the first defence of the title he won via decision against Billy Aird in March, was knocked down in the third round and again in the 12th. He floored Meade in the eighth, however, and was ahead on the scorecard of referee Mike Jacobs when he pinned an exhausted Meade on the ropes and battered him throughout the 15th, triggering the stoppage with just eight seconds remaining.

Many at ringside had Meade ahead or at least even going into the 15th. The rumblings of a scoring controversy had less to do with spurring a rematch than the fight's back-and-forth swings, which made it arguably the most exciting BBB of C heavyweight title match in years, and possibly decades.

"He certainly proved himself a worthy challenger last time," Ferris said when notified of the rematch order. "I might have taken him a bit lightly, because of his record. I won't be making that mistake again."

Meade carried a career mark of just 18-11-1 into last month's clash, but 16 of those wins had come by way of knockout, including four in a row leading up to his title challenge.

"I showed that I can hurt him," Meade said. "This time, I won't let him off the hook."

Ferris (18-4, 10 KOs) had hoped to make an easier defense, then parlay his title into a shot at the European title or a date with an American contender.

The rematch is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 21 at the Royal Albert Hall in Kensington, London, the venerable venue's last major bout of the year.

The future of Ferris' predecessor as BBB of C champion, John Louis Gardner, in doubt since his knockout loss to Michael Dokes in June, has grown even cloudier. Gardner had reportedly relinquished his European Boxing Union title before the Dokes fight, but agreed earlier this fall to meet Frenchman Lucien Rodriguez in Paris in defence of his belt.

On Sunday, though, Gardner's manager, Mickey Duff, said the fighter would not fight Rodriguez as scheduled, or anyone else for the foreseeable future.

"John had been training, but finally accepted that he is not fully recovered from his loss to Michael Dokes," Duff said, referring to the sixth-round knockout he suffered after being dropped three times by the American, who won the vacant World Boxing Council title last week. "We're not sure when, or if at this point, he will return."

Instead, Rodriguez will battle Italian Lorenzo Zanon, who has not fought since being stopped in five rounds by Gardner nearly a year ago, on Nov. 26 for the vacant European title.

The British Commonwealth crown, which Gardner eschewed before the Dokes fight, is also in limbo. Jamaican-turned Canadian Trevor Berbick won it by way of 15-round decision over Conroy Nelson in July, but has shown no inclination to defend it and lost a grueling 10-round decision to Greg Page last week in the States.

"My management is talking to Commonwealth officials about putting that belt at stake, as well, when Meade and I meet up again," Ferris said.

[BigBoyBrackey]

The Star-Ledger

Smith Upsets Broad

James Smith, a late-starting heavyweight who goes by the moniker "Bonecrusher," started his professional career with a splash on Thursday, out-mauling almost-Olympian James Broad at Resorts International Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City.

Broad, who beat Marvis Frazier in the finals of the 1980 Olympic Trials, but had his medal hopes snuffed by the U.S. boycott of the Summer Games in Moscow, suffered his first loss as a professional after debuting with a pair of knockout victories.

Early on, Smith looked like Broad's third straight victim. The 28-year-old roookie appeared to be out on his feet midway through the first round after taking a series of heavy punches by Broad, but put his muscular 245-pound frame to good use thereafter. Smith began clinching frequently in the second round, slowing Broad's attack. Later in the frame, Smith began throwing and landing overhand rights during the infrequent moments the fighters were not entwined.

The third and fourth rounds were also close, with little to separate the fighters. Smith had a big fifth, recovering after eating a big right early on, then hurting Broad with a pair of big rights of his own. A nasty left hook with a minute remaining put Broad on the ropes, where he stayed for the rest of the round, clinching to survive.

The sixth also appeared very even, but a heavy right uppercut just before the bell may have given the edge, and the fight, to Smith. All three officials scored the round for Smith, giving him identical 4-2 advantages on each card.

Broad, who came in at a rather fleshy 237 pounds, yet still ceded eight pounds to his opponent, reacted to the decision in disbelief.

"All he did was hug me," Broad said. "You're supposed to throw punches in this game."

Smith, of course, saw things differently.

"Something made his eyes roll back in his head a few times," Smith said. "I don't think it was my hugs."

The Smith-Broad match was part of the undercard for Jeff Passero's points win over Rafael Ortiz in an eight-round welterweight bout.

[BigBoyBrackey]

PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY

Spinks Overpowers Johnson

It took Michael Spinks a few rounds to figure out Vonzell Johnson's awkward style, but once he did, the World Boxing Association's light-heavyweight champion quickly disposed of his first challenger.

Spinks, who took the WBA belt from Eddie Mustafa Muhammad in July, narrowly won a hard-fought first round, then joined Johnson in moping and mauling through the second and third.

Early in the fourth, though, Spinks (18-0, 12 KOs) took a pair of hard rights from Johnson but kept coming forward, finally positioning himself to score with a vicious left hook that pinned Johnson in his own corner. Moments later, Spinks followed with his vaunted right cross, the "Spinks Jinks."

Johnson never recovered fully, though he gamely stayed on his feet and kept himself conscious by clinching at every opportunity. Spinks still got enough shots through, though, to nearly force referee Larry Hazzard to stop things before the end of the fourth.

Johnson made it to the bell, but came out on heavy legs for the fifth. Spinks took control with another right, then hammered away with both hands to the head until Hazzard had no choice but to step in with 25 seconds remaining in the fifth.

Spinks was warned several times by Hazzard for hitting on the break and for a hard head butt late in the fourth, but was never officially penalized.

Johnson (22-3, 11 KOs) lost his second straight title bid, having been stopped in 11 by Matthew Saad Muhammad in 11 rounds for the WBC belt in February.

Spinks called out his WBC counterpart after the fight, repeatedly referring to Saad Muhammad as "Matthew Sad ... because that's what he'll be when I'm done with him."

Saad Muhammad recorded his eighth title defense by stopping Jerry Martin in September. He has made noises about moving up to heavyweight, though he is scheduled to face Dwight Muhammad Qawi come December in the same ring where Spinks stopped Johnson.

"Big deal -- he cleaned up my sloppy seconds," said Saad Muhammad, who was at ringside, invoking an unfortunate mixed metaphor. "I beat the fight out of Johnson -- he had nothing tonight. I've said it before and I'll say it now: Michael Stinks."

The undercard was highlighted by Quadir Muntaqim's upset of unbeaten prospect Elijah Tillery. Tillery, who fights on the border between cruiserweight and heavyweight, showed little of the aggressiveness that fueled his 11-0 start as a professional.

Muntaqim, who came in with a 2-2-2 record, gained confidence after surviving Tillery's opening barrage and began beating Tillery to the punch in the second, building a points lead and surviving a frantic final-round rally to eke out an eight-round decision.

Tillery, who weighed 194 pounds, insisted that he had been robbed, blamed his loss on a fight-week bout with the flu and demanded a rematch.

[BigBoyBrackey]

THE STAR

Prince Larry Tattoos Bray in Debut

NEWCASTLE, NSW -- As the fighters in Tuesday's main supporting match at the Cardiff Workers Club entered the ring, it didn't look like novice heavyweight Graham Bray stook a chance against the immensely larger Prince Larry Tattoo, even if the latter was making his professional debut.

As it turned out, he didn't. Size, and power, proved far more important than limited experience, or physical condition. The rather blubbery Tattoo, who weighed in at 243 pounds, bludgeoned the 179-pound Bray into submission in less than two minutes.

To his credit, Bray (1-1-1, no knockouts) landed the first punch, a jab to Tattoo's ample belly. But the Fijiian giant cuffed the Bathurst native with a left hook to the side of the head, which knocked Bray off balance, then caught him flush with a wild overhand right to the middle of the face.

Bray went down in a heap just 30 seconds into the bout, but made it to his feet at the count of five.

Tattoo lumbered in and blasted Bray with a left hook that landed awkwardly on top of the smaller man's head, causing Prince Larry to wince and shake the hand in pain. Apparently angered by the injury, Tattoo unloaded another overhand right before Bray could regain the presence of mind to counter, sending his wounded prey to the floor again.

This time, Bray did not come close to beating the count, hearing "ten" tolled at the 1:44 mark of the first round. The ecstatic victor bounded around the ring, leading some at ringside to fear the rather aged structure might give way.

If nothing else, the charismatic Tattoo promises to bring color to the rather drab Australian heavyweight scene, where Tony Mundine -- a national hero, but a blown-up middleweight -- presently holds the title belt.

The bout topped the undercard leading up to a rather dull 10-round decision win by Australian junior welterweight king Peter Berrigan over Andy Broome. Berrigan clearly got the better of the non-title bout, but his complete lack of power -- just one of his 14 wins have come by way of knockout -- figures to limit his long-range potential.

[BigBoyBrackey]

NEW YORK TIMES


BOXING NOTEBOOK: South African Heavies
Battle No-Name /Foes, Apartheid Stigma


By Michael Katz

Two south African heavyweights try to revitalize their once-controversial careers while a third tries to establish himself as something more than a novelty act on Nov. 14 at Ellis Park Tennis Stadium.

The card was postponed from Oct. 31, ostensibly because of late-spring rains. The promotion was reportedly disintegrating, however, as promoters were having difficulty luring quality opponents due to intensifying opposition to South Africa's policy of official segregation.

American heavyweights, in particular, have become increasingly hesitant to risk appearing in any way supportive of apartheid. Still, opponents have been secured for Gerrie Coetzee, who has challenged twice for world titles, Kallie Knoetze, who came within one fight of doing so in 1979. Jimmy "Jumbo" Abbott, the 290-pound colossus who was hoping to face a significant non-South African foe, was forced to settle for an over-the-hill American opponent.

Among the fighters who declined entreaties to fight in South Africa under current circumstances are Leon Spinks, George Chaplin, Alfredo Evangelista, Ron Lyle and Jimmy Young.

Coetzee (24-3, 15 KOs), who lost to John Tate and Mike Weaver in attempts for the WBA crown, will try to rebound from his third-round knockout loss to Renaldo Snipes in August against American Leroy Caldwell (26-25-5, 6 KOs), who was knocked out by Jeff Shelburg in July and struggled to a decision win over novice John Williams in early October.

Knoetze's brief attempt to campaign in the United States met with protests particularly after it became widely known that he had shot a black youth in the leg while serving as a police officer in Pretoria in 1977.

His upcoming fight is also fueling dissent throughout the continent of Africa. He will face Ngozika Ekwelum of Nigeria, who is the African Boxing Union's heavyweight champion. Ekwelum's belt will not be at stake, however, since the ABU refuses to recognize South African fighters.

"If I beat the African champion, then I am the African champion," said Knoetze, who was stopped in eight rounds by Tate in a 1979 title eliminator. "I don't care what a bunch of politicians think about it."

Knoetze (23-5, 22 KOs) dispatched Ekwelum (17-6-5, 14 KOs) in the seventh round of their bout in January 1977, a few months before he shot the youth.

Abbott (16-3-2, 13 KOs), will at least be picking on someone his own size, if not age. The 6-foot-5 22-year-old, who weighed in at 292 pounds for his decision win over Robbie Williams in August, will take on James J. Beattie, a 6-foot-9 American who has been campaigning on and off since 1962, but last fought in 1979.

Beattie was knocked out in that fight by Leroy Jones and has four losses and a no-contest in his last five outings. Beattie's most recent win came in May 1978, when he won a 10-round decision over Chuck Gardner.

Bennie Knoetze, Kallie's younger brother who is off to a 10-0 start to his professional career, with eight of the wins by knockout, faces veteran Terry O'Connor (20-19-2, 6 KOs), a Brit who dropped an eight-round nod to Abbott in 1978.

XXX

Muhammad Ali is having trouble finding a site for his latest comeback. Officials in Nevada, where Ali was systematically dismantled by Larry Holmes little more than a year ago, have reportedly sent word to the three-time champion's camp that he would not be granted a license to fight Jeff Shelburg. When the bout was announced last month, it was tentatively scheduled for December at a site to be named later.

New York, New Jersey and California are similarly disinclined to sanction a fight featuring Ali against anyone, given his lifeless performance against Holmes. Still, Ali insists that his closed training sessions are going well and that he will be ready to fight before the end of the year.

"We're still finalizing the right place for this fight," Ali said, declining to comment specifically on the reports. "Wherever it happens, I will shock the world."

[CONN CHRIS]

One of my favorite ring names - Prince Larry Tattoo!

His is very well done and flows well - thanks.