The Mighty Atoms - All time Flyweight Championship

[Tosti]

Koji Kobayashi (#57) SD10 Michael Carbajal (#8)

Carbajal became the second top ten seed to be knocked out of the competition. There were pre fight rumours that the American fighter had taken his opponent lightly and gone easy in his training. His appearance when he entered the ring seemed to confirm this.

Behind on points, suffering from bruising around his left eye and bleeding from the mouth Carbajal was behind on points going into the last third of the bout, he rallied to win the eighth and ninth rounds but Kobayashi had something left in the tank and won the tenth and final stanza decisively.

Kobayashi advances to meet Sot Chitalada in the next round.

Up next .....

[Tosti]

Fidel La Barba (USA)(#7) V Alberto Jimenez (Mexico)(#58)

Madison Square Garden, New York

LaBarba (left) was fast on his feet and hit accurately. He was a converted left-hander and a great defensive fighter who used a weaving style. LaBarba won the Flyweight Championship of the World in 1927 and retired from boxing at the end of that year to attend Stanford University. He returned to the ring in 1928 and and fought for six years but never regained the title.During his career, LaBarba defeated such men as Kid Chocolate, Charles "Bud" Taylor, Pedro Villa, Frankie Genaro, Elky Clark, Petey Sarron, Santiago Zorilla, Young Montreal, Willie LaMorte, "Memphis" Pal Moore, Bushy Graham, Tommy Paul, Young Nationalista, Willie Smith, Georgie Rivers, Clever Sencio, "California" Joe Lynch and Melvin "Happy" Atherton.

Jimenez, by contrast, was a hard hitting slugger. He achieved 29 of his 34 victories by stoppage. He held the domestic and WBO version of 'World' Flyweight title. He defended the WBO crown 6 times before being defeated by Carlos Gabriel Salazar.

[CONN CHRIS]

Too bad about Carbajal. He was on T.V. quite a bit and always a good show.

[IceTea]

This is cool. I've been lurking in this thread for a while.

[Tosti]

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

Too bad about Carbajal. He was on T.V. quite a bit and always a good show.

He turned up in bad nick, tough luck considering his condition rating.

[Tosti]

Originally Posted by IceTea

This is cool. I've been lurking in this thread for a while.

Glad you're looking in.

[Tosti]

Fidel La Barba (#7) TKO9(Cuts) Alberto Jimenez (#58)

It was a long night for the brave but outclassed Jimenez.

LaBarba found his rhythm early, throwing rapier like jabs and crosses mixed with deft hooks to the midriff. After shipping a right cross in the first round Jimenez was badly cut over the left eye.

LaBarba was in control virtually throughout the scrap although the Mexican enjoyed a good eighth stanza. The end finally came in the ninth, when after consulting the doctor on Jimenez's cut for the third time the fight was waived off.

LaBarba was well clear on all three cards.

The number 7 seed will meet Little Dado in the next round.

Up Next .............

[Tosti]

Panama Al Brown (Panama)(#6) V Rocky Gattellari (Italy)(#59)

Madison Square Garden, New York

Brown (left) was tall and slender, quick and slippery and a fine boxer. He moved well, had a long reach and hit with stiff punches. In nearly 170 bouts, he lost only 19. During his career, he won the NBA Bantamweight Championship of the World, the Bantamweight Championship of the World (as recognized by New York state), the Bantamweight Championship of the World (as recognized by Canada), the IBU Bantamweight Championship of the World and the Bantamweight Championship of Isthmus. He defeated such men as Pete Sanstol, Emile "Spider" Pladner, Teddy Baldock, Johnny McCoy, Valentin Angelmann, Victor "Young" Perez, Baltazar Sangchili, Eugene Criqui, Knud Larsen, Kid Francis, Johnny King, Eugene Huat, Domenico Bernasconi, Benny Schwartz, Eddie O'Dowd, Henri Scillie, Maurice Dubois, Johnny Cuthbert, Dave Crowley, Dick Burke, Tommy Hyams, Joe Colletti, Frankie Ash, Kid Socks and Alf Pattenden.

The Italian born Gattellari moved to Australia and fought all his pro fights in his new country. He stopped Jackie Bruce to win the domestic crown in 1962. Three years later he was stopped by Salvatore Burruni when challenging for the WBC title. Two years on he made an unsuccessful attempt to win the Australian Bantamweight title when he was stopped by Lionel Rose.

[Tosti]

Panama Al Brown (#6) TKO5 Rocky Gattellari (#59)

For twelve minutes Gattellari gave as good as he got, even causing Brown to cover up on the ropes in the second round.

The Aussie stood toe to toe with Brown and gave no quarter, landing right hooks to both head and body.

It appeared that Brown had taken his opponent too lightly, then at the start of the fifth round he stepped up onto a completely different level. The Panamanian landed two heavy hooks before decking Gattellari with a right cross, Rocky got to his feet but was down again a minute later and was deemed unaible to defend himself.

It was a stunning ending from Brown but he will have to spend more time in the gym before his next bout against the winner of the Emile Pladner and Guty Espadas rematch.

Up next ...........

[Tosti]

Miguel Canto (Mexico)(#5) V Leo Gamez (Venezuela)(#60)

Azteca Stadium, Mexico City

Canto (left) was a splendid boxer. He was not a power hitter but was a "busy" and effective puncher. During his career, he won the WBC Flyweight Championship of the World and defended his title fourteen times. He also won the Flyweight Championship of Mexico and the Flyweight Championship of Yucatan. He defeated such men as Bertulio Gonzalez, Shoji Oguma, Martin Vargas, Gabriel Bernal, Antonio Avelar, Kimio Furesawa, Jiro Takada, Susumu Hanagata, Jose Luis Cetina, Ignacio Espinal, Orlando Maldonaldo and Sung Jun Kim. Canto was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1998.

Gamez was a hard hitting slugger. He reigned supreme domestically before defeating Bong Jun Kim to win the WBA Minimumweight Title. Five years he defeated Shiro Yahiro to get his hands on the WBA version of the World Light Flyweight crown. He later won WBA version's at Flyweight and Super Flyweight before finding the step up to Bantamweight world honours beyond him.

[CONN CHRIS]

I'll take Gamez with an upset!

[Tosti]

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

I'll take Gamez with an upset!

Honest Tom the bookie will lay you 4/1 sir!

[Tosti]

Miguel Canto (#5) UD10 Leo Gamez (#60)

Canto was a decisive winner of the bout. Gamez had his moment's but was unable to land enough right hooks to upset his opponent.

Canto kept the risks of the fight to a minimum, landing crisp left leads and right crosses. He dominated the second half of the bout to score a unanimous decision.

The Mexican technician will meet Zolani Petelo in the next set of bouts.

Next up .............

[Tosti]

Ricardo Lopez (Mexico)(#4) V Eyup Can (Turkey)(#61)

MGM Grand, Las Vegas

Lopez (left) was a very talented battler who achieved what all boxers strive to attain - an unbeaten career. Ricardo was a boxer-puncher warrior who packed a good punch; He won the IBF Light Flyweight Championship of the World, the WBC Minimumweight Championship of the World, the WBA Minimumweight Championship of the World, the WBO Minimumweight Championship of the World and the WBC Continental Americas Minimumweight Championship during his career.He defeated such men as Rosendo Alvarez, Saman Sorjaturong, Alex "Nene" Sanchez, Ala Villamor, Kermin Guardia, Andy Tabanas, Kyun Yun Lee, Mongkol Charoen, Ratanapol Sor Vorapin, Will Grigsby, Domingo "Pretty Boy" Lucas, Rey Hernandez and Rocky Lin.Lopez was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007.

Can was the European Flyweight Champion, he was Amateur bronze medalist at flyweight at both the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and 1986 World Championships in Reno.

[CONN CHRIS]

Originally Posted by Tosti

Honest Tom the bookie will lay you 4/1 sir!

No one should follow me to Vegas.

[CONN CHRIS]

Lopez kicks the can in 5.

[Tosti]

Ricardo Lopez (#4) UD10 Eyup Can (#61)

It took number 4 seed Lopez until the fifth round to work Can out.

The Turkish fighter had started brightly, landing some nice jabs and right hands. Lopez look sluggish, he was constantly looking for the big hits whilst his opponent built up the points.

The fifth round round saw the turning point, Lopez caught Can early with a right hook and landed countless punches for the rest of the stanza.

The Mexican cruised home for the rest of the fight, landing all the quality blows.

Lopez will meet Betulio Gonzalez in the next round.

Coming up ..............

[Tosti]

Pascual Perez (Argentina)(#3) V Jackie Brown (England)(#62)

Estadio Norte, Rosario

Perez (left) was a terrific hitter on a short frame. Shorter than most of his opponents, he usually hammered them down to size. He lost only 7 times in 92contests and had win streaks of 51 bouts and 28 bouts. During his career, Pasqual won the Flyweight Championship of the World. In doing so, he became the first World Champion from Argentina.

Brown was a talented fighter who lost only 24 bouts in 141 contests and scored 40 knockouts. During his career, he won the NBA Flyweight Championship of the World, the IBU Flyweight Championship of the World, the EBU Flyweight Championship of Europe, the Flyweight Championship of the British Empire (Commonwealth) and the BBBC Flyweight Championship of Great Britain.Jackie defeated such men as Victor "Young" Perez, Valentin Angelmann, "Battling" Jim Hayes, Len Hampston, Nicolas Petit-Biquet, Chris "Ginger" Foran, Aurel Toma, Eric Jones, Bert Kirby, Benny Jones, Phineas John and Emile Degand

[CONN CHRIS]

I'll keep my anti-prognostication skills sharpened with a pick of Perez in 8.

[Tosti]

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

I'll keep my anti-prognostication skills sharpened with a pick of Perez in 8.

Getting closer!