***I put 64 Light Heavyweight fighters into a pre-tournament round robin regular season to determine the 16 tournament participants.
Archie Moore vs Matthew Saad Muhammad
After a slow first round, Moore jumped all over Saad Muhammad in the second, rocking him with a left hook and dropping him with an overhand right. Moore scored two knockdowns in the third but Saad Muhammad somehow managed to survive. Moore was battering him along the ropes when Saad Muhammad landed a vicious right, sending Moore to the canvas.
Saad Muhammad pressed the attack in round five as Moore remained on the defensive. The 6th and 7th featured brutal toe to toe action. By the 8th round, Moore had assumed complete command as Saad Muhammad was badly cut over his right eye. Moore dropped Saad Muhammad with a left hook in the 9th and by this time Matthew had nothing left. Moore battered a defenseless Saad Muhmmad along the ropes prompting the referee to stop the fight.
MOORE WINS TKO 9
Sam Langford vs Bob Foster
Foster took advantage of his nearly 9 inch height advantage to build an early points lead over Langford over the first six rounds. Foster rocked Langford in the 7th with a wicked left hook and continued to press the advantage in the 8th. Langford finally worked his way inside and dominated the next four rounds.
After 12 rounds, the fight was even. Both fighters landed hard power shots in the 13th and 14th and the fight was very much in doubt entering the final round. Langford landed a tremendous right which dropped Foster with less than one minute left in the fight. Foster rose at the count of 7. Langford battered a badly hurt Foster but was unable to finish him. The fight went to the scorecards and Langford was awarded a majority decision. 144-141, 143-141, 142-142.
LANGFORD WINS MD15
Philadelphia Jack O’Brien vs Tommy Gibbons
This fight was a dull chess match with not much to separate the fighters. The fight was even after 10 rounds. O’Brien had the edge over the next three rounds as Gibbons seemed to be tiring. Gibbons had a slight edge over the final two rounds. In the end, in a battle between two clever boxers, O’Brien had the edge on the scorecards, winning by majority decision: 144-142, 144-143, 144-144.
O’BRIEN WINS MD15
John Henry Lewis vs Tommy Loughran
This was another chess match with Loughran the slicker boxer over the first eight rounds. Lewis found Loughran with a good right in the 9th round and pressed the attack in the 10th and 11th, narrowing Loughran’s points lead. However, Loughran dominated down the stretch. In a tactical battle between two highly skilled fighters, Loughran was the superior man.
Loughran wins by unanimous decision: 146-139, 145-140, 145-141 on the scorecards.
LOUGHRAN WINS UD15
Archie Moore vs Matthew Saad Muhammad
After a slow first round, Moore jumped all over Saad Muhammad in the second, rocking him with a left hook and dropping him with an overhand right. Moore scored two knockdowns in the third but Saad Muhammad somehow managed to survive. Moore was battering him along the ropes when Saad Muhammad landed a vicious right, sending Moore to the canvas.
Saad Muhammad pressed the attack in round five as Moore remained on the defensive. The 6th and 7th featured brutal toe to toe action. By the 8th round, Moore had assumed complete command as Saad Muhammad was badly cut over his right eye. Moore dropped Saad Muhammad with a left hook in the 9th and by this time Matthew had nothing left. Moore battered a defenseless Saad Muhmmad along the ropes prompting the referee to stop the fight.
MOORE WINS TKO 9
Sam Langford vs Bob Foster
Foster took advantage of his nearly 9 inch height advantage to build an early points lead over Langford over the first six rounds. Foster rocked Langford in the 7th with a wicked left hook and continued to press the advantage in the 8th. Langford finally worked his way inside and dominated the next four rounds.
After 12 rounds, the fight was even. Both fighters landed hard power shots in the 13th and 14th and the fight was very much in doubt entering the final round. Langford landed a tremendous right which dropped Foster with less than one minute left in the fight. Foster rose at the count of 7. Langford battered a badly hurt Foster but was unable to finish him. The fight went to the scorecards and Langford was awarded a majority decision. 144-141, 143-141, 142-142.
LANGFORD WINS MD15
Philadelphia Jack O’Brien vs Tommy Gibbons
This fight was a dull chess match with not much to separate the fighters. The fight was even after 10 rounds. O’Brien had the edge over the next three rounds as Gibbons seemed to be tiring. Gibbons had a slight edge over the final two rounds. In the end, in a battle between two clever boxers, O’Brien had the edge on the scorecards, winning by majority decision: 144-142, 144-143, 144-144.
O’BRIEN WINS MD15
John Henry Lewis vs Tommy Loughran
This was another chess match with Loughran the slicker boxer over the first eight rounds. Lewis found Loughran with a good right in the 9th round and pressed the attack in the 10th and 11th, narrowing Loughran’s points lead. However, Loughran dominated down the stretch. In a tactical battle between two highly skilled fighters, Loughran was the superior man.
Loughran wins by unanimous decision: 146-139, 145-140, 145-141 on the scorecards.
LOUGHRAN WINS UD15