Boxing Notables Lay Bare the Top Storylines of 2019 in Our Newest TSS Survey

Published

4 years ago

January 1, 2020

Ted Sares

Boxing-Notables-Lay-Bare-the-top-Storylines-of-2019-in-our-Newest-TSS-Survey

The first quarterly survey of 2020 is in the hopper. We asked our respondents this question: “If you were writing about the year 2019 in boxing, what would you title your article — and why?”

Almost 30 people weighed in with their thoughts. Here are their answers. The respondents are listed in alphabetical order.

MATT ANDRZEJEWSKI — TSS boxing writer: The Content Revolution. In 2019, there was more boxing available through various platforms than ever in the history of the sport. From small club shows in the US to fight cards all across the world, there was an unreal amount of live boxing for diehard fans to watch. And that is just the tip of iceberg as content is expected to grow in 2020. For those who love the sport, 2019 was as good as it gets.

DAVID AVILA — TSS West Coast Bureau Chief: The Year of the First Mexican World Heavyweight Champion as brief as it was.

BOB BENOIT– former boxer, now referee and judge: The Eleventh Round of a Ten-Round Fight. With the first ten rounds this year being very good ones

STEVE CANTON — President of the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame; author: 2019: The Year of the Unprofessional Professional. I would chronicle all those boxers who failed to make weight or never even tried to make weight, those who consistently made excuses to mask their laziness or lack of professionalism and those who talked a good game and didn’t produce. The boxers who only talk of how great they are but avoid all opponents who pose a risk and those who cheat (PED’s) to gain an unfair advantage would be detailed.

JILL DIAMOND — WBC International Secretary, WBC Cares Chair: Boxing Saves Lives and Also Costs Them. Boxing remains one of the most important tools we can give young people to help them live quality lives. This year, though, we’ve lost too many pros, and starting with the young, we must up the education on hydration and safety.

DAVID DIAMANTE — renowned ring announcer: Boxing Was Alive and Well in 2019. It’s undoubtedly expanding globally and getting stronger. However, the fans must continue to demand the super fights in 2020. The Fight Starts Now!

RICK FARRIS — former boxer, historian, and President and Founder of West Coast Boxing Hall of Fame: The Rise and Fall of the First Mexican Heavyweight Champ. That says it all for my memory of this past year.

BERNARD FERNANDEZ — TSS Mainstay and Lifetime Member of the BWAA; 2020 IBHOF Inductee: The More Things Change, the More They Remain the Same. For several decades, the best possible matchups often did not get made because of Don King’s longstanding blood feud with Bob Arum, or because HBO and Showtime were constantly at cross-purposes. Now HBO is out of boxing, but with new broadcast and streaming entities providing more coverage of the sport than ever before, a lot of the familiar barriers are still in place, with different players wielding considerable influence. Arum and Top Rank remain a major presence, but His Hairness, King, has been replaced by Premier Boxing Champions and Al Haymon, as well as Matchroom Sport’s Eddie Hearn. DAZN doesn’t want to play in the same sandbox with ESPN, the revised equivalent of HBO vs. Showtime, which remains in the game but confronted by more and more powerful adversaries than in the past. And while there was a spate of good fights made in the year about to end, don’t hold your breath expecting a welterweight megafight between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. to happen anytime soon.

JEFFREY FREEMAN (aka KO DIGEST) TSS writer — Attack of the Killer Streaming Apps: How Boxing Went From the TV Screen to the Tiny Screen And How Nobody Can Actually See the Fights Anymore Without Glasses So They Don’t Watch Them At All Because Then They Can’t Be On Their Phones 24/7 Reading Articles With Super Long Headlines so They Just Put it Down and Fall Asleep Under a Landslide of Commercials They’re Being Billed For Monthly.

RANDY GORDON — radio host, writer, former head of the New York State Athletic Commission: 2019: The Year Streaming Took Over

LEE GROVES — writer, author, researcher and CompuBox punch counter: The Streaming Revolution Transforms Boxing Landscape. Every year in boxing is difficult to condense into just a few words because one in-ring scenario rarely dominates the sport in total (“The Year of the Knockout,” “The Year of the Upset,” etc.). Therefore, I went with an aspect that covers the entirety of boxing regardless of in-ring results, and, to me, the extraordinary depth and breadth of streaming platforms in boxing is the transformational story of 2019. Yes, ESPN +, DAZN and Facebook Live — among others — existed in 2018, and pay-per-view cards are still around, but, as a whole, fight cards around the globe have been made available on a wide variety of sites throughout the entire year, and it’s nearly impossible to keep up with all of them. A big plus is that every single fight on a show can be seen, which gives undercard fighters unprecedented exposure, and an even bigger plus is that these services can be had for a tremendously affordable price compared to the subscription rates of the past, either monthly or per-event. Best yet, the younger generation gets a vast amount of their entertainment from streaming services, and because boxing has been at the forefront of this transition, it should bode well for the sport’s future. For once, boxing fans are getting bang for the buck, and this positive momentum in terms of availability looks like it will continue for years to come.

CLARENCE GEORGE — writer and historian: Anthony Joshua Could Eat No Fat. His Opponent Could Eat No Lean. Alternately, Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Fat. Joshua-Ruiz I was more than the Upset of the Year; it was payback for all those overweight heavyweights who came up short against all those lean-mean-fighting-machine pretty boys. Take that, Charles Atlas!

HENRY HASCUP– historian; President of the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame: The Ups and Downs of Andy Ruiz! Andy Ruiz shocked the boxing World twice in one year! First, when no one gave him a chance he came off the canvas to stop Anthony Joshua, who was being regarded as the next Great One, to become the Heavyweight Champion of the World! Then just 6 months later Andy shocked the boxing world again when he came into the ring 15 pounds heavier and in no condition to defend his title and now is regarded as an embarrassment.

CHUCK HASSON — writer, historian: Boxing Makes a Positive Comeback in 2019.

DANNY HOWARD — writer: 2019: The Year We (Almost) Got it Right. Our year in the ring featured shocking upsets, career defining moments and was packed to the brim with spectacular fights and fan engagement was the best it has been in the post- Mayweather era. Unfortunately, shades of the iron curtain have slowly fallen once again as the streaming networks begin to draw the battle lines, executives and media personalities once again aimed to steal the spotlight and the best possible fights that can be made face an insurmountable layer of red tape.

DR. STUART KIRSCHENBAUM — Boxing Commissioner Emeritus, State of Michigan: Raging Bulloney. 2019 marked the year in boxing when the bull hit the fan. We have slowly witnessed the demise of boxing as the king of sports. The one-time boxing fan can no longer name more champions than there are fingers on his hand. It is as impossible to have a conversation with another sports fan about boxing as it is to figure out the crimes Trump committed for impeachment. Most of your major news publications do not have a boxing writer…but just use the wire services. Reporters are so young that they don’t even recognize names that come across the news desk of deceased legendary champions or names of inductees into a hall of fame. Musical chairs of champions losing their title on their first defense is commonplace. Bling and entourage have replaced substance and loyalty. Is it so bad that no one has even noticed or yet cared what has happened? “Yeah….I’m talkin’ to you.”

JIM LAMPLEY — linchpin of the HBO Boxing announcing team, 2015 IBHOF inductee: My title is The Relentless Tide Of Globalism Strengthens.

ARNE LANG — TSS editor-in-chief, author, historian: I might title it with a metaphor such as The Levee Has Been Breached. In 2019, boxing was suddenly bursting out all over, resulting in many attractive shows going head-to-head with other attractive shows. This was the result of the sport’s new economic model with promoters contractually bound to provide a steady stream of fresh content to their live-streaming partners.

JIMMY LANGE — former boxer and promoter: It Ain’t the 80’s No More. This might sound negative but it’s not intended to be. Many complain that boxing has greatly diminished since the 50’s, but it’s still great with many outstanding fights in 2019.

RON LIPTON — A member of the New Jersey and New York Boxing Halls of Fame, former fighter, active pro referee and retired police officer: Holding the Big Fights at Madison Square Garden. Other wonderful venues in New York State such as Barclays Center, the renovated Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Resorts World, and Turning Stone keep big time professional boxing alive and well in the Empire State, yet the illuminating, electric and almost magical feeling that boxing fans visibly experience while attending a Madison Square Garden fight show takes on a life of its own as it certainly did in 2019. In refereeing several shows at MSG in 2019 the magic of it all never leaves me for a moment. Boxing at MSG remained as exciting to me as it did in the early 60’s when I attended every boxing show at the old Garden, never missing a prelim.

In mourning the loss of Patrick Day, it comforts me to know that his happiest career moment may have been winning the WBC Continental Americas Super Welterweight belt at Barclays Center where it was my honor to referee him that night.

PAUL MAGNO — author and writer: Business vs. Boxing. 2019 was the year the sport had to battle the business to keep from having its life force snuffed out. With so much talk about the business of boxing and why the best fights couldn’t be made, fighters were still able to show why boxing is such a magical sport. Joshua-Ruiz I, Golovkin-Derevyanchenko, Pascal-Browne, Cano-Linares, etc. were fights born out of cynicism and negativity where the will and drive of an underdog– one man with two fists—flipped the script and made for memorable moments. The business of the sport may be preventing some of the biggest and most anticipated fights from happening, but it hasn’t taken the spirit from the fighters just yet.

ROBERT MLADINICH— former boxer, former NY Detective, writer, author, actor (see him in The Irishman): Fleeced. Because after the first Ruiz-Joshua fight I was excited about my love affair with boxing being rekindled. It was all taken away in the rematch. Both fights reminded me of all that I love and loathe about the Sweet Science.

RUSSELL PELTZ — venerable Philadelphia boxing promoter and 2004 IBHOF inductee: It was another year in which the promoters who control television did what was best for their own company but not what was best for the long-term health of the sport.

FRED ROMANO — researcher formerly associated with ESPN, historian, author: Here Come the Young Guns: In 2019 a group of exciting young fighters moved forward in their quest to become boxing stars. This cadre of boxers include T. Lopez, D. Haney, G. Davis, R. Garcia and V. Ortiz. 2019 was the set-up year and 2020 should tell us who is legit and who is a product of promotional and media hype.

DANA ROSENBLATT — former middleweight champion of the world, inspirational speaker and TV host: Canelo Alvarez. In 2019, in his defeats of another two fighters that had odds makers questioning the matchups, Alvarez exhibited his dominance of the sport of boxing.

TED SARES — TSS writer: Viva Mexico. There were/are seven world champions of Mexican heritage at one point during the year—Saul Álvarez, Miguel Berchelt, Leo Santa Cruz. Rey Vargas, Emanuel Navarrete. Juan Francisco Estrada, and Elwin Soto—and, of course, Andy Ruiz.

ALAN SWYER — filmmaker, writer, and producer of the acclaimed “El Boxeo”: Why Every Boxing Trainer in The World is Happy. Why? Because if Andy Ruiz had beaten Joshua again, it would have given license to every aspiring boxer to skip workouts and eat three more desserts.

Observations:

The answers reflected an overview in some cases or turned on a specific event in others.

Andy Ruiz took a piñata–like pounding and that was predictable, but there was surprisingly little mention of the ring deaths that occurred during the year.

A common thread had to do with boxing’s new business model with more fights brought to the masses via live-streaming.

While many (but far from all) acclaimed 2019 as an excellent year in boxing, the biggest surprise (to me at least) were the number of potential respondents who have lost interest in boxing. For the most part, these were students of boxing history who recalled the days when the best often fought the best.

Any discussion about the advent of new business models and how they differ from those of yore seemed to go by the wayside for them as modern boxing was simply bypassed. Then again, maybe it IS the advent of such new business models that have turned off so many historians.

In the meantime, what would be the title of your article covering 2019?

Ted Sares can be reached at tedsares@roadrunner.com

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Ted Sares

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For Whom the Bell Tolled: 2019 Boxing Obituaries PART TWO

In a Massive Upset, Dakota Linger TKOs Kurt Scoby on a Friday Night in Atlanta

Published

5 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Arne K. Lang

In-a-Massive-Upset-Dakota-Linger-TKOs-Kurt-Scoby-on-a-Friday-Night-in-Atlanta

Although it was an 8-rounder on a show with two “tens,” Kurt Scoby’s match with Dakota Linger was accorded main event status on tonight’s card at the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. This had everything to do with Scoby (pronounced Scooby), a former record-setting college running back who was considered one of the brightest prospects in the 140-pound weight class. “[Scoby] works harder than almost anyone I’ve ever seen,” said veteran New York promoter Lou DIBella in a conversation with Keith Idec. “But he’s literally getting better after every fight and he’s got the hammer of Thor, man. He can punch through walls.”

The Duarte, California product who has relocated to Brooklyn and trains at Gleason’s Gym, was undefeated (13-0) heading in and was expected to make Linger his ninth straight knockout victim. But Linger, a 29-year-old Buckhannon, West Virginia policemen whose first ring engagements were in Toughman competitions, wasn’t intimidated by Scoby’s press clippings or by Scoby’s bodybuilder physique.

Linger, who improved to 14-6-3 with his tenth win inside the distance, took the fight right to Scoby and repeatedly found a home for his overhand right. In the sixth round, after Linger strafed the ever-retreating Scoby with a barrage of punches, referee Malik Walid determined that he had seen enough and waived it off. The decision seemed a tad premature, but neither Scoby nor his cornermen offered anything in the way of a protest.

Tournament results

In the first installment of an 8-man super welterweight tournament, Brandon Adams returned to boxing after his second three-year layoff and showed no ring rust whatsoever. Adams, a 34-year-old family-man who grew up in the Watts district of LA, dismissed Ismael Villareal with a wicked punch to the liver in the waning seconds of round three. The official time was 2:59.

A former wold title challenger, Adams who improved to 23-3 (16 KOs), has become the king of boxing tournaments. He first attracted notice in 2018 when he won the fifth edition of “The Contender” series, scoring a wide 10-round decision over Shane Mosley Jr in the championship round.

Villareal, a second-generation prizefighter from the Bronx whose dad fought the likes of Hector Camacho, declined to 13-3.

Adams next opponent will be Francisco Veron who will bring a record of 14-0-1 (10).

In an energetic 10-rounder, Veron, a Florida-based Argentine with a strong amateur pedigree, scored a unanimous decision over Mexico-born, LA southpaw Angel Ruiz (18-3-1). The judges had it 100-90, 99-91, and 96-94.

Ruiz certainly had his moments, but Veron launched and landed many more punches despite fighting the last six rounds with a damaged eye.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 281: The Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia Show

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2024

David A. Avila

Avila-Perspective-Chap-281-The-Devin-Haney-and-Ryan-Garcia-Show

Over the years bouts between old foes such as Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia tend to be surprising.

Yes, both are only 25 but have known each other for many years.

When undisputed super lightweight champion Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) steps into the prize ring at Barclays Center to meet challenger Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) on Saturday, April 20, fans will be witnessing the continuation of a feud that began more than a decade ago.

And though the champion is a heavy favorite, familiarity is Garcia’s best weapon heading into their fight on the Golden Boy Promotions card that will be shown on PPV.COM with Jim Lampley and friends. DAZN pay-per-view is also streaming the card.

In many ways Haney and Garcia have ventured down the same path. From amateur sensations to fighting in Mexico while teens to asking for the biggest challenges available.

“Whichever version of Ryan shows up on April 20, I will be ready for him. Ryan Garcia is just another opponent to me,” said Haney who holds the WBC super lightweight title after his win over Regis Prograis.

The first time I saw Haney as a pro he battled the dangerous Mexican contender Juan Carlos Burgos at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula. It was an impressive performance against a fighter who fought three times for a world title.

Haney was 19 at the time.

My first look at Garcia as a pro was in his first bout in the U.S. when he met Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Cruz at the Exchange in downtown Los Angeles. The Boricua looked at Garcia and tried intimidating him with stares, taunts and the usual patter. During the fight both swung and missed until the second round when Garcia zeroed in and took him out.

Garcia had just turned 18, the legal age to fight in California.

Both fighters did not have the Olympics credentials that lead to fame. But their talent has allowed them to fight through the dense smoke that is professional boxing.

Haney has defeated numerous world champions such as Prograis, Vasyl Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr., while Garcia has stopped champions Javier Fortuna and Luke Campbell.

As amateurs, Garcia and Haney battled six times with each winning three.

“They know each other very well,” said Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions. “Ryan is going to beat Devin Haney.”

Haney has a buttery-smooth style with one of the best jabs in boxing. He’s very adept at keeping distance and not allowing anyone to fight him inside. His reflexes are outstanding, yet he seldom fights inside. That’s his weakness.

Garcia fights tall and has superb hand speed and a lightning quick left hook. Though his defense lacks tightness his ability to rip off three-punch combinations in a blink of an eye pauses opponents from bullying their way inside.

“These guys always just look at me and look at me like I don’t know how to box,” said Garcia on social media. “Why was I one of the best fighters in the amateurs. Why was I a 15-time National champion…why did I beat everyone I came across.”

Haney is a strong favorite by oddsmakers to defeat Garcia. But you can never tell when it comes to fighters that know each other well and are athletically gifted.

When Sergio Mora challenged Vernon Forrest he was a big underdog. When Tim Bradley fought Manny Pacquiao the first time, he was also the underdog. And when Andy Ruiz met Anthony Joshua few gave him a chance.

Haney and Garcia have history in the ring. It should be an interesting battle.

PPV.COM

Jim Lampley will be leading the broadcast on PPV.COM for the Haney-Garcia card at Barclays and texting with fans on the card live. He will be accompanied by journalists Lance Pugmire, Dan Conobbio and former champion Chris Algieri.

The PPV.COM broadcast begins at 5 p.m. PT. and is available in Canada and the USA.

Other News

MMA stars Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal will be holding a media day event on Friday, April 19, at NOVO at L.A. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Diaz and Masvidal will be boxing against each other in a grudge match on June 1 at the KIA Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The two MMA stars met five years at UFC 244 with Masvidal winning by TKO over Diaz due to cuts.

This is a grudge match, but under boxing rules.

Fight card in Commerce, Calif.

360 Promotions returns to Commerce Casino on Saturday April 20 with undefeated super lightweight Cain Sandoval leading the charge.

Sandoval (12-0) faces Angel Rebollar (8-3) in the main event that will be shown live on UFC Fight Pass. Also on the card are two female events including hot prospect Lupe Medina (5-0) versus Sabrina Persona (3-1) in a minimumweight clash.

Doors open at 4 p.m.

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Boxing Odds and Ends: The Heavyweight Merry-Go-Round

Published

3 days ago

April 16, 2024

Arne K. Lang

Boxing Odds and Ends: The Heavyweight Merry-Go-Round

There were few surprises when co-promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren and their benefactor HE Turki Alalshikh held a press conference in London this past Monday to unveil the undercard for the Beterbiev-Bivol show at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on June 1. Most of the match-ups had already been leaked.

For die-hard boxing fans, Beterbiev-Bivol is such an enticing fight that it really doesn’t need an attractive undercard. Two undefeated light heavyweights will meet with all four relevant belts on the line in a contest where the oddsmakers straddled the fence. It’s a genuine “pick-‘em” fight based on the only barometer that matters, the prevailing odds.

But Beterbiev-Bivol has been noosed to a splendid undercard, a striking contrast to Saturday’s Haney-Garcia $69.99 (U.S.) pay-per-view in Brooklyn, an event where the undercard, in the words of pseudonymous boxing writer Chris Williams, is an absolute dumpster fire.

The two heavyweight fights that will bleed into Beterbiev-Bivol, Hrgovic vs. Dubois and Wilder vs. Zhang, would have been stand-alone main events before the incursion of Saudi money.

Hrgovic-Dubois

Filip Hrgovic (17-0, 13 KOs) and Daniel Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs) fought on the same card in Riyadh this past December. Hrgovic, the Croatian, was fed a softie in the form of Australia’s Mark De Mori who he dismissed in the opening round. Dubois, a Londoner, rebounded from his loss to Oleksandr Usyk with a 10^th-round stoppage of corpulent Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller.

There’s an outside chance that Hrgovic vs. Dubois may be sanctioned by the IBF for the world heavyweight title.

The May 18 showdown between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury has a rematch clause. The IBF is next in line in the rotation system for a unified heavyweight champion and the organization has made it plain that the winner of Usyk-Fury must fulfill his IBF mandatory before an intervening bout.

The best guess is that the Usyk-Fury winner will relinquish the IBF belt. If so, Hrgovic and Dubois may fight for the vacant title although a more likely scenario is that the organization will keep the title vacant so that the winner can fight Anthony Joshua.

Wilder-Zhang

The match between Deontay Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) and Zhilei Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) is a true crossroads fight as both Wilder, 38, and Zhang, who turns 41 in May, are nearing the end of the road and the loser (unless it’s a close and entertaining fight) will be relegated to the rank of a has-been. In fact, Wilder has hinted that this may be his final rodeo.

Both are coming off a loss to Joseph Parker.

Wilder last fought on the card that included Hrgovic and Dubois and was roundly out-pointed by a man he was expected to beat. It’s a quick turnaround for Zhang who opposed Parker on March 8 and lost a majority decision.

Other Fights

Either of two other fights may steal the show on the June 1 event.

Raymond Ford (15-0-1, 8 KOs) meets Nick Ball (19-0-1, 11 KOs) in a 12-round featherweight contest. New Jersey’s Ford will be defending the WBA world title he won with a come-from-behind, 12th-round stoppage of Otabek Kholmatov in an early contender for Fight of the Year. Liverpool’s “Wrecking” Ball, a relentless five-foot-two sparkplug, had to settle for a draw in his title fight with Rey Vargas despite winning the late rounds and scoring two knockdowns.

Hamzah Sheeraz (19-0, 15 KOs) meets fellow unbeaten Austin “Ammo” Williams (16-0, 11 KOs) in a 12-round middleweight match. East London’s Sheeraz, the son of a former professional cricket player, is unknown in the U.S. although he trained for his recent fights at the Ten Goose Boxing Gym in California. Riding a skein of 13 straight knockouts, he has a date with WBO title-holder Janibek Alimkhanuly if he can get over this hurdle.

The Forgotten Heavyweight

“Unbeaten for seven years, the man nobody wants to fight,” intoned ring announcer Michael Buffer by way of introduction. Buffer was referencing Michael Hunter who stood across the ring from his opponent Artem Suslenkov.

This scene played out this past Saturday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. It was Hunter’s second fight in three weeks. On March 23, he scored a fifth-round stoppage of a 46-year-old meatball at a show in Zapopan, Mexico.

The second-generation “Bounty Hunter,” whose only defeat prior to last weekend came in a 12-rounder with Oleksandr Usyk, has been spinning his wheels since TKOing the otherwise undefeated Martin Bakole on the road in London in 2018. Two fights against hapless opponents on low-budget cards in Mexico and a couple of one-round bouts for the Las Vegas Hustle, an entry in the fledgling and largely invisible Professional Combat League, are the sum total of his activity, aside from sparring, in the last two-and-a-half years.

Hunter’s chances of getting another big-money fight took a tumble in Tashkent where he lost a unanimous decision in a dull affair to the unexceptional Suslenkov who was appearing in his first 10-round fight. The scores of the judges were not announced.

You won’t find this fight listed on boxrec. As Jake Donovan notes, the popular website will not recognize a fight conducted under the auspices of a rogue commission. (Another fight you won’t find on boxrec for the same reason is Nico Ali Walsh’s 6-round split decision over the 9-2-1 Frenchman, Noel Lafargue, in the African nation of Guinea on Dec. 16, 2023. You can find it on YouTube, but according to boxrec, boxing’s official record-keeper, it never happened.)

Anderson-Merhy Redux

The only thing missing from this past Saturday’s match in Corpus Christi, Texas, between Jared Anderson and Ryad Merhy was the ghost of Robert Valsberg.

Valsberg, aka Roger Vaisburg, was the French referee who disqualified Ingemar Johansson for not trying in his match with LA’s Ed Sanders in the finals of the heavyweight competition at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Valsberg tossed Johansson out of the ring after two rounds and Johansson was denied the silver medal. The Swede redeemed himself after turning pro, needless to say, when he demolished Floyd Patterson in the first of their three meetings.

Merhy was credited with throwing only 144 punches, landing 34, over the course of the 10 rounds. Those dismal figures yet struck many onlookers as too high. (This reporter has always insisted that the widely-quoted CompuBox numbers should be considered approximations.)

Whatever the true number, it was a disgraceful performance by Merhy who actually showed himself to have very fast hands on the few occasions when he did throw a punch. With apologies to Delfine Persoon, a spunky lightweight, U.S. boxing promoters should think twice before inviting another Belgian boxer to our shores.

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