It Happened in March, Boxing moments

MARCH MOMENTS IN BOXING: by Brian Zelley


Headlines:  "Gus Gets Stronger As He Ages" (The RING)
1948:  The year was 1948 and there were many great fights including
two in March when light-heavyweight champion Gus Lesnevich 
stopped Billy Fox in one round in a New York fight.  Across the wild
Atlantic flyweight RINTY MONAGHAN stopped Jackie Patterson in 7.


But 1948 was not the only month to produce some excellent title fights.
In 1953 Bantamweight Jimmy Carruthers stopped Vic Toweel in a title
bout in Johannesburg and in 1954 lightweight Paddy DeMarco  won a
decision over Jimmy Carter.  Then there was 1956 and the welterweight
title fight that had Johnny Saxton win a 15 round decision over the
great Carmen Basilio.   In the close of the Fifties, it would be the boxer
known as the "Springfield Rifle" Davey Moore who would win the
featherweight title from Hogan "Kid" Bassey.


MARCH MOMENTS IN THE SIXTIES:


It All Begins With the Filipino Flash
1960: The Filipino Flash arrives in great form when Flash Elorde
won the junior lightweight title from Harold Gomes. Referee
was former champion Barney Ross who stopped the fight in
round seven.


Beyond The Flash
After the flash, during the Sixties there were other title fights
that took place in the month of March.  The year 1967 would
result in an important point in time for the one known as
"The Greatest" or the "Louisville Lip", it was Muhammad
Ali/Cassius Clay's last title fight before he was sent into some
sort of exile from boxing.  It was March 22, 1967 that Ali
would defend the heavyweight title against the old veteran
Zora Folley.  There was no expectation that Folley would win.
Zora Bell Folley was well past his prime, but the title shot
was well deserved for Folley's years of effort.


Back in 1965, it was another slice against Ali when 
on March 5 th.  Ernie Terrell would earn the WBA
heavyweight title with a victory over Eddie Machen
by a 15 round decision in Chicago.  In March 1966,
Muhammad Ali would defend his share of the title
against the Canuck Clouter George Chuvalo which
also went the distance.  


In 1963, one Luis Rodriguez  would win the 
welterweight tutle with a decision over Emile Griffith.
But,  Emile would bounce back and regain the title
on June 8 th. in New York.


March 1968 - Nino Benvenuti defeats Emile Griffith
in a middleweight title fight.  In the heavyweight arena 
Joe Frazier defeats Buster Mathis for  the New York
version of the heavyweight title left vacant by the
removal of Ali for his draft evasion issues.  And in
the featherweight division, Raul Rojas wins a piece
of the title with a victory over Enrique Higgins in
California on March 28, 1968.


March 1969:  Fred Little wins Jr. Middleweight title
with a victory over Stanley Haywood.  In bantamweight
action, Australia's Lionel Rose faced England's 
Alan Rudkin.  The bout went distance in Melbourne
with Rose winning the decision.


THE MARCH MOMENTS IN THE SEVENTIES


ISMAEL LAGUNA would kick-off the Seventies with
his March 3, 1970 lightweight title bout with a stoppage
of then champion 21-year old MANDO RAMOS with
a gifted left jab that sliced and diced Mando until 
referee LEE GROSSMAN  to stop the fight and
save the young ex-champion for future action.  


`BOB FOSTER would continue the parade of 
March moments on March 2, 1971 when he 
stopped HAL CARROLL in 4-rounds in
Scranton.


CAROLS MONZON, JOSE NAPOLES, ALFONSO FRAZER,
RAFAEL HERRERA and MASAO OHBA would make March
a merry month tor title fights in 1972.  For Pacific Northwest 
they would here that former Jr. middleweight champion DENNY MOYER
would knock middleweight champion Carlos Monzon out of the ring
in Rome, Italy, but Carlos would charge back to stop Denny.  and the
smooth as butter Jose Napoles would defeat RALPH CHARLES at
Wembley on March 28, 1972


ANTONIO CERVANTES would win a 15-round decision in a 
Junior Welterweight bout in San Juan on March 17. 1973.


GEORGE FOREMAN and ROBERTO DURAN score K0's 
in March 1974 title fights.  Foreman over KEN NORTON and
Duran over ESTEBAN DEJESUS.  Also, Cervantes defended
his title, and BEN VILAFLOR earned a piece of the Juniior
lightweight title.  


MARCH 1975 was a busy month for champions including 
newly crowned heavyweight champion MUHAMMAD ALI
takes on the old trial horse CHUCK WEPNER who knocked
Ali down in the ninth round.  Ali pulled off a win when the
referee Tony Perez stopped the bout with seconds to go.
Why Perez stopped the fight when Ali was not fighting
like a newly crowned champions is not known. 


1976 to 1979: There would be more title fights with the 
likes of John Conteh, Eddie Gazo, Pipino Cuevas,
Larry Holmes, Maurice Hope Danny Lopes and
Carlos Zarate.  It would be the March 23 rd. bout
where heavyweight champion LARRY HOLMES
would stop OSVALDO OCASIO at Las Vegas in 7-rds.