Transcontinental Boxing Federation

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Re: Transcontinental Boxing Federation

Highly anticipated March debuts:
Charley Burley
Tommy Gibbons
Ricardo Lopez
Freddie Steele
Rocky Graziano
Lupe Pintor
Kid Chocolate
Willie Pep
Harry Greb
Tony Zale

Potentially interesting fights:
Gibbons-Lesnevich
Steele-Graziano
Bratton-Zivic


Title picture:
Neither Harry Greb nor Willie Pep should be seriously threatened this month, and fans hoping for a title defense against an elite contender are going to be disappointed yet again. LeDoux vs. Pintor will quite possibly generate a Chandler vs. Pintor unification that never was fight, from back in the 80s. The LeDoux-Pintor fight will result in a mandatory title shot, but Chandler will have the option of ducking it in his June defense and (assuming he wins in June) postponing until October. If Chandler avoids the Pintor-LeDoux winner in June and is dethroned, the new champion will defense against LeDoux or Pintor in October.

Other notes:
Because March is an "anyone can fight anyone" month, we have some fights where a lot of rating points could swing, and hasten the fall of some top-group pretenders (and accelerate the rise of some deserving fighters who started out in the bottom group). Michael Spinks, for example, is a huge favorite to pick up 23 ratings points in his fight against Tom Bethea, as opposed to the 16 he would get fighting someone with an identical rating.

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Re: Transcontinental Boxing Federation

March 1970 Sunday Morning Massacre results:

#21 Pongsaklek Wonjongkam KO 3 Prince Larry Tattoo [Fly]. Wonjongkam had no trouble improving to 2-0 (2), winning the first two rounds, then knocking out Prince Larry in the third.

#21 Young Pluto W8(maj) Big Ben Taylor [FW]. Young Pluto, in contrast, had his hands full with Taylor. All three judges had the bout 38-38 at the halfway point, and at least one judge gave Taylor one of the remaining rounds except the 5th, scored unanimously for Pluto. In the end, though, Pluto squeaked by to improve to 2-0 (1). 77-75 76-76 78-74.

#22 Lou Salica TKO7 Sandman Thomas [BW]. Thomas's moral victory was lasting into the 7th, but Salica was never threatened, dropping the Sandman for an 8-count in the closing moments of the third, and causing his left eye to swell badly. Salica was winning rounds comfortably, but not devastatingly, until the 7th, when an out-of-gas Thomas had nothing left, and Salica just piled on the punches until the referee stepped in at the 2:46 mark. Scoring at time of stoppage: 59-54 59-54 58-55. Salica improves to 2-0 (2).

#23 Muhammad Ali TKO1 Farmer Smith [HW]. Ali piled it on from the opening bell, and the referee intervened at the 2:39 mark, with Smith having done almost nothing of note other than get pummeled throughout. Ali improves to an easy 2-0 (2).

#13 Gus Ruhlin W8(split) Frankie Page [HW]. Although he deserved the victory, Gus Ruhlin was thoroughly unimpressive in squeaking out a split decision against Page. Page won the first round handily, and a number of other rounds could have gone either way. Commentating for HBO, Al Bernstein noted that he had Ruhlin on top, 78-74, but said that anything between 78-74 Page and 79-73 Ruhlin would have been reasonable. Actual scores: 78-75 77-75 76-77. Ruhlin improves to a very shaky 2-0 (1).

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Re: Transcontinental Boxing Federation

TBF MONDAY NIGHT FIGHTS RESULTS (all 8-rounders ):

#33 Sixto Escobar KO4 #37 Rodolfo Martinez (BW)
A good scrap while it lasted. After winning the first round, Escobar dropped the next two, the third being the most decisive thus far, and it looked like Martinez might be on his way to pulling off the upset. After some back and fourth in the 4th, however, Escobar caught Martinez with a combination that sent him down for the 10-count. Escobar wins his debut and earns a spot on April's Sunday Morning Massacre, while a disappointed Martinez falls to 0-2.

The remainder of the Monday card featured lightweights:

#30 Tommy Murphy W8 (unan) #24 Philip N'dou
Murphy did a good job of outworking N'dou on the outside and avoiding the power shots that N'dou was firing. Murphy was never in trouble, and actually dropped N'dou for a 2-count in the 6th round. N'dou was always in there with a puncher's chance, but the scorecards were never in doubt.
80-70 79-71 78-72. Murphy wins his debut, while N'dou falls to 1-1.


#27 Jose Luis Castillo KO2 #33 Rafael Ruelas
Great action fight between two fighters making their debut. Castillo won a big action first round in which Ruelas got off some big shots, but was outworked by a 3-1 margin. Castillo assumed the role of the stalker in the second round, which had a much slower pace, but just beyond the halfway point, he found the range with a combination and Ruelas was counted out at the 2:01 mark. Castillo's second fight will be on the April Sunday Morning card, while Ruelas will be inactive for at least a few months following the knockout loss.


#36 Norman Goins W8 (split) #34 Jeff Mayweather
One of the worst decisions in TBF to date; ringside commentator Al Bernstein had it 79-73, Mayweather, but allowed as to how the rounds were close enough that it was conceivable that some of them could have gone the other way; apparently many of them did (Game note: the first 3 rounds were all in the 5-9 range for Mayweather, which gives him a 75% chance to take the round; in each of those rounds, 2 of the 3 officials scored it for Goins). Scorecards: 77-75 76-77 78-75
Both fighters were making their debuts.

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Re: Transcontinental Boxing Federation

TUESDAY NIGHT FIGHTS (all 8-rounders):


Welterweights -

#30 Billy Lynch TKO 1 #37 Adolfo Viruet
Adolfo Viruet dropped to 0-2 as Billy Lynch, in his debut, caught up to him late in the first round and strung together multiple combinations, prompting the referee to call a halt at the 2:22 mark. Lynch earns a second fight on next month's Sunday morning card.


#22 King Tut 1-0 TKO2 #35 Kirkland Laing
Kirkland Laing's debut did not go as he'd hoped, as after an even first round, King Tut swarmed all over him and earned the TKO win at the 1:14 mark of round 2. Tut moves to 2-0 (1), and will continue his quest to not only move up the ranks, but be the TBF's busiest fighter - we'll see him for the 3rd time in 4 months on April's Sunday card.


#28 Ricky Hatton W8(unan) #27 Young Corbett III
Very entertaining scrap between two debuting TBF fighters. All Bernstein at ringside had this one slightly in favor of Corbett on the basis of a second-round knockdown of Hatton, but in the judges' eyes, Ricky got off the floor and did enough to earn the nod. All three judges gave Corbett the final round, in contrast to Bernstein, and that made the difference. 76-75 76-76 77-76


Middleweights -

#30 Steve Collins TKO1 #33 Juan Roldan 0-0
Roldan offered precious little resistance as Collins landed repeated combinations, dropped Roldan late in the first round, and after he got up at the count of 5, continued to batter him until the referee intervened at 2:51 of the opening stanza. Both fighters were debuting.


#27 Charley Burley W8 (unan) #32 Cory Spinks
Another fight between first-timers. Burley decked Spinks for a 4-count in the second round, but Spinks got up and fought gamely the rest of the way. The outcome was never in doubt, though; Burley clearly outclassed him, and the judges' cards reflected that. 78-73 80-72 79-72. Burley narrowly misses the automatic TC fight (decision winners must drop fewer than 3 points on the combined scorecards), but the fans are hoping to see him in action again soon.


Light-Heavyweights -

#26 Tommy Gibbons W8(split) #33 Gus Lesnevich
Both fighters debuted in an entertaining fight with no knockdowns but plenty of action. Lesnevich was trailing after 7 but could have earned a draw with a round to go. Gibbons took the round on two cards, including the one he needed to not lose. 78-75 76-77 77-75


#29 Harold Johnson W8(unan) #21 Artur Beterbiev
Harold Johnson dropped Artur Beterbiev for 7 late in the first round, and mostly cruised to victory, though the game Russian stayed on his feet the rest of the way and made him work for it. Johnson was making his debut; Beterbiev falls to 1-1. 78-74 77-75 79-72


Heavyweights -


#26 Tim Witherspoon KO8 #29 Fred Fulton 0-0
Another battle of newcomers. Fulton staggered Witherspoon in the 2nd, 4th, and 6th rounds, but could never quite put him away. Fulton ran out of gas in the 7th, and Witherspoon took him out clearly at 2:19 of the 8th. Scorecards at time of stoppage: 67-66 69-65 69-64


#22 Max Schmeling 1-0 KO2 #39 Axel Schulz
Max Schmeling ran his record to 2-0 (1) when, following a dead even first round, he followed a jab-cross combination up with a right uppercut, and it was lights out for Schulz, who falls to 0-2 with the loss. Time of knockout: 2:09

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Re: Transcontinental Boxing Federation

TBF MARCH WEDNESDAY NIGHT FIGHTS (All 10-rounders):

Flyweights -

#34 Antonio Avelar KO 6 #14 Teddy Gardner
Two fighters making their debuts, and Antonio Avelar took full advantage of TBF rules allowing cross-class fights, stopping a boxer ranked 20 spots above him. This was a classic boxer vs. slugger matchup, with Gardner boxing beautifully and piling up points while trying to avoid Avelar's bombs. In the 5th, Gardner opened a bad gash above the left eye of Avelar, who added a little more desperation to his game in the following round. In the midst of a toe-to-toe exchange early in the round, Avelar landed a 1-2, and it was lights out. Scorecards at time of stoppage: 49-46, 48-47, 48-47 - all for Gardner.

#13 Ricardo Lopez TKO 9 #29 Dado Marino
Two more debuting boxers on the Wednesday card. Marino almost stunned hot prospect Lopez. Trailing only slightly on the cards after 6 rounds, Marino dropped Lopez for a 3-count in the 7th, securing a 10-8 round and tying things up after 7. That apparently woke up Lopez, who won the 8th, reopening a cut on Marino's right cheek in the process, then knocked him down for a 7-count in the 9th, and followed up with a flurry that prompted the stoppage at 0:25

Bantamweights -

#14 Pete Herman W10 (unan) #28 Johnny Tapia 0-0
Johnny "Mi Vida Loca" Tapia tried to drag Herman into a street fight, but was only successful occasionally, as Herman for the most part boxed beautifully and kept Tapia off of him, winning a unanimous decision. Herman was staggered in the second but otherwise never in trouble, and even rocked Tapia in the 7th and opened bad gashes above both of his eyes. Scores: 98-94 98-93 97-93. Both fighters were making their debuts.

Featherweights -

#14 Benny Bass W10 (unan) #35 Pete Zivic
Zivic, who previously dropped his debut, took a big step up in challenging a fighter ranked 21 places ahead of him, and he paid the price, falling to 0-2. Bass won almost every round on every card, staggering Zivic several times and dropping him for a 7-count in the 7th. Bass wins his debut easily on all cards, 99-91 100-90 100-89


#16 Petey Sarron W10 (unan) #18 K.O. Mars
Sarron had no trouble at all with Mars, opening (and reopening) a cut over his left eye and knocking him down in the 9th for 6 en route to a lopsided decision win. 98-90 98-92 99-91. Both fighters were debuting. With #21 Young Pluto winning earlier in the week, hope springs eternal for an interplanetary Pluto vs. Mars fight in the future.

Lightweights -

#16 Freddie Welsh TKO 7 #31 Carlo Orlandi
Welsh won every round on every card, including a 10-8 3rd after Orlandi went down for a 5-count, before opening a bad gash over the right eye of Orlandi that prompted a halt to a fight he had no chance of winning anyway. Scores through 6: 60-53 60-52 60-52.

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Re: Transcontinental Boxing Federation

TBF March THURSDAY NIGHT FIGHTS (All 10-rounders):

Middleweights -

#13 Freddie Steele D10 (split) #28 Rocky Graziano
Freddie Steele and Rocky Graziano got a light Thursday night card off to a great start in a back and forth action-packed fight. Steele won the first two rounds big, and it looked like it was going to be a one-sided drubbing, but Graziano won the next two, and things were off and running. No knockdowns, but both fighters left the ring with bloody noses, and Graziano had a cut over his right eye to go with it. The fight was up for grabs, and an exhausted Graziano still managed to stagger Steele to take the 9th, the first time either fighter was in trouble, but Steele recovered and captured the 10th to secure the draw. Both fighters were making debuts in this much-anticipated bout that lived up to the hype. 96-94 each way, and 95-95.

Light-Heavyweights -

#31 Leo Houck W10 (split) #15 Jimmy Slattery
The card was somewhat marred by a terrible decision in the second fight. Slattery appeared to most ringside reporters to have done enough, but in most of the rounds, the margin was close, and Houck received enough support to secure the upset. No knockdowns. 97-94 95-94 95-98. Al Bernstein, at ringside, had it 99-92 Slattery. Both fighters were debuting.

Heavyweights -

#17 Richard Dunn W10 (unan) #32 DaVarryl Williamson
Another debut fight for both contestants, and a close one. Dunn came out looking much the worse for wear, with a badly swollen right eye and a bad gash over the left one, but he staggered Williamson in the 9th, and was dubiously given the 10th on two cards to emerge with a close but unanimous decision. Al Bernstein at ringside had it 96-95 Williamson, but the cards that counted were all in favor of Dunn, by margins of 96-95 and 97-95 (twice).

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Re: Transcontinental Boxing Federation

TBF March FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS:
Great night with many of the top-5 fighters in multiple weight classes in action.


Flyweights -

#3 Guty Espadas 0-0 TKO 1 #32 Elky Clark
Espadas seemed almost offended at TBF rules that permitted the #32 contender to be in the same ring as him. He rushed from his corner at the opening bell, trapped Clark against the ropes, and rained a flurry of punches on him, prompting a stoppage just 27 seconds into the fight (Event Code 99). Both fighters were making their debuts.

#38 Hiroyuki Ebihara W10 (maj) #4 Knockout CP Freshmart
Ebihara evened his record at 1-1 with a massive upset of #4 Knockout CP Freshmart. This was a great back and forth fight which Al Bernstein at ringside scored a 95-95 draw, but Ebihara had a couple more decisive rounds, while Bernstein allowed as to how some of the rounds he gave Freshmart could have gone either way. Freshmart starts his career at 0-1. Scores: 95-95 97-94 96-95


#2 Charlie Magri KO 2 #5 Izzy Schwartz
The first of two bouts of the evening featuring top-5 boxers came to an abrupt end after an uneventful first round when Charlie Magri caught Schwartz with a picture-perfect combination very early in the 2nd, and the soon-to-be-former #5 flyweight was counted out 19 seconds into round 2. Both fighters were debuting.


Bantamweights -

#4 Jason Moloney W10 (unan) #30 Kid Francis
Two more fighters making debuts. Moloney had no trouble defending his top-5 status against Francis, who got off to a fair start, even on Al Bernstein's card after 3 rounds, 29-29. Moloney took control of the fight beginning in the 4th, and was never threatened thereafter, punctuating his win with a 9th-round record of Francis. 97-93 98-92 99-91

#2 Paulie Ayala KO 5 #8 Heriberto Ruiz
Heriberto Ruiz threw everything including the kitchen sink at Paulie Ayala in the 1st round Friday, winning a 10-8 round on one card even without a knockdown. Ayala settled down and dominated the next three rounds, though, and caught Ruiz early in the 5th; Ruiz was counted out at 0:19 of the round. Both fighters were making their debuts.

#1 Charles LeDoux KO 4 #3 Lupe Pintor
The stakes were high in this title eliminator. Lupe Pintor dominated the first three rounds and seemed well on his way to a title fight with Jeff Chandler, but Charles LeDoux had other plans, tagging Pintor early in the 4th and dropping him for the full 10-count. LeDoux improves to 2-0 (1) with the come-from behind stoppage. Pintor was making his debut. Jeff Chandler will announce shortly whether he will defend against LeDoux in June, or whether he will make an optional defense, in which case LeDoux will fight for the title in October.

Featherweights -

#3 Kid Chocolate KO 3 #33 Tommy Paul
Kid Chocolate won a couple of uneventful rounds, then stopped Paul early in the third with a flurry that sent him to the canvas for the full 10-count. Both fighters were making their debuts.

#27 Baby Arizmendi W10 (unan) #5 Miguel Berrios
Another bout between debuting fighters. Arizmendi pulls off the big upset with a clear decision victory. The fight was fairly even through 3, then Arizmendi slowly but steadily pulled away. No knockdowns.
98-95 (twice), 98-94.

Lightweights -
#21 Howard Davis, Jr. KO 10 #8 James Busceme 0-0
Howard Davis, Jr. improved to 2-0 (1) with a last-round kncokout over top-10 James Busceme, making his debut. There were no knockdowns, though Busceme was badly hurt twice in the 7th. The fight was even through 4, then Davis's class began to tell. Scores at time of stoppage: 88-82 89-83 88-84. Time of stoppage: 2:33 of round 10.


Willie Pep (Champion) TKO 4 #6 Davey Moore (Featherweight title fight)
Both fighters debuted in this championship fight that held little mystery. Moore put together a lot of punches in the first two rounds, winning the second, but his offensive output went to next to nothing over the next two rounds, as Pep rained combinations on him at will, and the referee intervened with 9 seconds left in the 4th.

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Re: Transcontinental Boxing Federation

TBF March 1970 SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS:


Welterweights -

#31 Dixie Kid TKO 3 #5 Don Jordan
Big upset between two fighters making their TBF debuts. After two fairly even rounds (two judges gave each round to Jordan, and one to the Kid), #5 Jordan is dropped late in the third round. Jordan might have been wiser to take a longer count, but he popped up at the count of 2, and Dixie Kid was all over him. The ref stepped in at 2:34 of hte round.


#15 Fritzie Zivic KO 10 #4 Johnny Bratton
The second fight of the night featured the second upset of a top-10 fighter, and even more drama. Bratton dropped Zivic for a flash knockdown at the end of the first round to score a 10-8 round, but after that, Zivic took control of the fight. After 9 rounds, Zivic led by 1, 2, and 3 points, but early in the 10th, he landed an apparently glancing blow that knocked out Bratton (Rare Event 1), who was unconscious for several minutes. It was revealed that Bratton had suffered an undisclosed injury prior the bout, but didn't want to miss his TBF debut (Zivic was also debuting). Bratton will be placed on a 1-year medical/disciplinary suspension, after which he will be eligible to apply for reinstatement; the TBF's first new entry will be named shor
tly to join the ranks, which will push the first mid-tier boxer into the top-10.


Middleweights -

#4 Tony Zale W12 (unan) #17 Dwight Davison
Two more fighters debuting, but this time, the favorite won. Davison gave a great showing and the fight was fairly even for the first 6 rounds, but Zale's better conditioning paid off, and he picked up the pace over the second half as Davison faltered. No knockdowns. 116-112 116-112 115-113.


Light-Heavyweights -

#5 Leo Lomski W12 (unan)#7 Saul Montana
Crowd-pleaser between two top-10 175-pounders. Lomski staggered Montana late in the first, but in the second, it was Montana who had Lomski in trouble twice. With his right eye swelling and a broken nose, Montana didn't let up, and scored a flash knockdown in the 9th. Lomski kept his cool and scored a knockdown of his own in the 12th and final round. Big cheers for both fighters, and a well-deserved decision for Lomski. 116-108 (twice), 115-110. Both fighters were debuting.


#23 Michael Spinks KO 9 #8 Tom Bethea
Another top-10 fighter went down, as debuting Tom Bethea was caught in the opening seconds of round 9 and counted out at 0:14. Spinks improves to 2-0 (1). The outcome was never in doubt, as Spinks took charge from the outset, winning rounds, causing swelling to and cutting Bethea's right eye, and staggering him twice. The only question was whether he could catch him before the final bell. He could.


Heavyweights -

#12 Abe Simon TKO 10 #7 Jack Geyer
Abe Simon improved to 2-0 (1) by spoiling Jack Geyer's debut in what may have been the fight of the week. After winning the first two rounds handily and splitting the third, Simon was dropped for a 6-count midway through the 4th round, and Geyer followed up with a flurry that had the referee on the verge of stepping in to stop it. He let the right continue, and it was fairly even for another three rounds, though Geyer staggered Simon yet again in the 7th. After 8 rounds, it was dead even on all cards, 76-76. Simon finally caught Geyer for some payback in the 9th, dropping him for a 7-count, and the 10th, decking him again for 5. He followed up the latter knockdown with a series of hard punches, and the referee called a halt at 1:11 over Geyer's fierce protests.


#6 Lou Savarese KO 8 #30 Ron Lyle
Yet another big upset of a top-10 fighter was averted when Lou Savarese caught Ron Lyle with a 1-2 to finish their fight at 1:16 of the 8th round. Savarese had dropped Lyle for a 1-count in the second round, but that was his only success through 7. Lyle in turn knocked him down for an 8-count in the 4th, and won every round other than the one he was knocked down in. Savarese was visibly gassed, but hung in there with a puncher's chance, saw his opening, and took it. A bitter disappointment for Lyle, who seemed to have the fight well in hand. Both fighters were making their debuts.


Middleweights -

Champion Harry Greb TKO 6 #5 Marcel Thil [Title defense]
"There hasn't been a TBF champion who's been dethroned yet, and I sure as hell ain't gonna be the first," said 160-pound champ Harry Greb before taking the ring in the week's final fight. He lived up to that prediction, stopping challenger Marcel Thil on cuts early in the 6th round. Greb had knocked down Thil for a 2-count in the second round before opening a cut on his left eye in the third. When the cut was reopened in the 6th, the referee stepped in, saving Thil from unnecessary further punishment, as Thil was seemingly in a hopeless position regardless. Scores through 5: 50-44 49-45 50-44. Both fighters were debuting.

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Re: Transcontinental Boxing Federation

TBF APRIL 1970 RANKINGS
[Rank Fighter Record [Rating] Last Month's Rank ("LM")]

HEAVYWEIGHTS:

Champion: Rocky Marciano 1-0 (1) [2309] LM:C

1. Renaldo Snipes 1-0 [2212] LM:1
2. Floyd Patterson 1-0 (1) [2212] LM:2
3. Lou Savarese 1-0 (1) [2206] LM:6
4. Vitali Klitschko 0-0 [2200] LM:3
5. Ray Mercer 0-0 [2200] LM:4
6. King Levinsky 0-0 [2200] LM:5
7. Pierre Coetzer 0-1 [2191] LM:8
8. Francois Botha 0-1 [2188] LM: 9
9. Denver Ed Martin 0-0 [2188] LM:10
10. Jack Geyer 0-1 [2185] LM:7



LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHTS:

Champion: John Conteh 1-0 (1) [2309] LM:C

1. Eddie Mustafa Muhammad 2-0 (1) [2213] LM:1
2. Leo Lomski 1-0 [2212] LM: 5
3. Fabrice Tiozzo 0-0 [2200] LM:2
4. James Scott 0-0 [2200] LM:3
5. Kid Norfolk 0-0 [2200] LM:4
6. Bob Olin 0-0 [2200] LM:6
7. Zulu Kid 0-1 [2191] LM:9
8. Murray Sutherland 0-1 [2188] LM: 10
9. Saul Montana 0-1 [2188] LM:7
10. Tom Bethea 0-1 [2182] LM:8



MIDDLEWEIGHTS:

Champion: Harry Greb 1-0 (1) [2309] LM:C

1. Rubin "Hurricane" Carter 2-0 (2) [2213] LM:1
2. James Kinchen 1-0 (1) [2212] LM:2
3. Nigel Benn 1-0 [2212] LM:3
4. Tony Zale 1-0 [2209] LM:4
5. Julio Cesar Gree 0-0 [2200] LM:6
6. Davey Moore 0-0 [2200] LM:7
7. Marcel Thil 0-1 [2191] LM:5
8. Charley Fusari 0-1[2188] LM:8
9. Bernard Hopkins 0-1 [2188] LM:9
10. Jeff Clark 0-1 [2188] LM: 10


WELTERWEIGHTS*:

Champion: Barney Ross 0-0 [2300] LM:C

1. Juan Manuel Marquez 2-0 (2) [2213] LM:1
2. Jose Napoles 1-0 [2200] LM:2
3. Wilfred Benitez 1-0 (1) [2200] LM:3
4. Johnny Saxton 0-0 [2200] LM:6
5. Pete Ranzany 0-0 [2200] LM:7
6. Ricardo Mayorga 0-1 [2188] LM:8
7. Owen Ziegler 0-1 [2188] LM:9
8. Benny "Kid" Paret 0-1 [2188] LM:10
9. Don Jordan 0-1 [2182] LM:5
10. Fritzie Zivic 1-0 (1) [2120] LM: 15




LIGHTWEIGHTS:

Champion: Ken Buchanan 0-0 [2300] LM:C

1. Battling Nelson 2-0 (1) [2213] LM:1
2. Gervonta "Tank" Davis 1-0 (1) [2212] LM:2
3. Devin Haney 0-0 [2200] LM:3
4. Bobby Dobbs 0-0 [2200] LM:4
5. Edwin Viruet 0-0 [2200] LM:5
6. Darleys Perez 0-0 [2200] LM:6
7. Wesley Ramey 0-0 [2200] LM:7
8. Sean O'Grady 0-1 [2188] LM: 9
9. Jim Watt 0-1 [2188] LM:10
8. James Busceme 0-1 [2182] LM:8

FEATHERWEIGHTS:

Champion: Willie Pep 1-0 [2309] LM:C

1. Marco Antonio Barrera 1-0 (1) [2212] LM:1
2. Abe Attell 1-0 [2212] LM: 2
3. Kid Chocolate 1-0 (1) [2206] LM:3
4. Jorge Paez 0-0 [2200] LM:4
5. Petey Scalzo 0-0 [2200] LM:7
6. Johnny Dundee 0-0 [2200] LM:8
7. Clemente Sanchez 0-1 [2188] LM:9
8. Solly Smith 0-0 [2188] LM: 10
9. Davey Moore 0-0 [2188] LM:6
10. Miguel Barrios 0-0 [2182] LM:5




BANTAMWEIGHTS:

Champion: Jeff Chandler 1-0 (1) [2309] LM:C

1. Charles Ledoux 2-0 (2) [2224] LM:1
2. Paulie Ayala 1-0 (1) [2212] LM:2
3. Jason Moloney 0-0 [2200] LM:4
4. Bobby Green 0-0 [2200] LM:5
5. Digger Stanley 0-0 [2200] LM:6
6. Joe Bowker 0-0 [2200] LM:7
7. Hurricane Teru 0-1 [2191] LM:9
8. Lupe Pintor 0-1 [2188] LM:3
9. Heriberto Ruiz 0-1 [2188] LM:8
10. Richie Sandoval 0-1 [2188] LM:10



FLYWEIGHTS:

Champion: Miguel Canto 1-0 [2309] LM:C

1. Charlie Magri 1-0 (1) [2212] LM:2
2. Frankie Genaro 1-0 [2212] LM:1
3. Guty Espadas 1-0 (1) [2206] LM:3
4. Fritz Chervet 0-0-1 [2200] LM:6
5. Alfonso Lopez 0-0 [2200] LM:7
6. Joey Olivo 0-0-1 [2200] LM:8
7. Julio Cesar Miranda 0-1 [2191] LM:9
8. Izzy Schwartz 0-1 [2188] LM:5
9. Venice Borkhorsor 0-1 [2188] LM:10
10. Knockout CP Freshmart 0-1[2182] LM: 4


Pound for Pound rankings:
1. Miguel Canto, Flyweight [2309] LM:1
2. Jeff Chandler, Bantamweight [2309] LM:2
3. Willie Pep, Featherweight [2309] LM:7
4. Rocky Marciano, Heavyweight [2309] LM:3
5. John Conteh, Light-Heavyweight [2309] LM:4
6. Harry Greb, Middleweight [2309] LM: 6
7. Ken Buchanan, Lightweight [2300] LM:5
8. Barney Ross, Welterweight [2300] LM: 8
9. Charles LeDoux, Bantamweight [2225] LM: UNR
10. Juan Manuel Marquez, Welterweight [2213] LM: 9


*Last month's #4 Welterweight, Johnny Bratton, is on a 1-year suspension, during which he will not be listed in the rankings. Were he not suspended, he would be ranked #9. Following his suspension, he may apply for reinstatement, and he will keep his rating (2185) and re-enter the rankings wherever that places him. Tommy Ryan has been admitted to the TBF to fill out the top 40, and enters the rankings at #30.

[DFO]

Re: Transcontinental Boxing Federation

Rating notes and analysis:

Not too much of significance in the heavyweights. Jack Geyer's upset loss to Abe Simon dropped him to the bottom of the top-10, while Simon elevated himself to the #11 spot, and the gap between the two groups has been cut in half. Lou Savarese climbed three spots to #3.

In the light-heavyweight division, Leo Lomski's win over Saul Montana propelled him into the top spot. Most of the action took place in the 21-40 group. Michael Spinks's second win moved him to the top of the group, the #21 spot opening up when Beterbiev's loss to Harold Johnson dropped him all the way down to #35. Johnson and Gibbons moved up with debut victories, as did Leo Houck, who jumped from #31 all the way up to #22.

In the 160-pound division, very little changed. Marcel Thil's anticipated unsuccessful title challenge dropped him a mere two spots, and there were some minor adjustments in the B and C groups, but nothing to speak of.

The welterweight division was where the real action was - Johnny Bratton's 1-year suspension dropped him out of the top-10, opening the door for the first inter-division jump, and Fritzie Zivic seized the opportunity, leaping from #15 to #10. Perhaps more significantly, the gap between the A and B groups has collapsed, opening the door to a possible future title shot to almost any B-group fighter who gets a big win. In every other division, there's at least a 50-point rating gap between #10 and #11; in the welterweights, the gap is a mere 3 points between Zivic (2020) and Kid Azteca (2017). The welterweight title is set for defense in April, but Zivic is ineligible until June. In August, however, there is a chance he'll become the lowest-rated title challenger in the TBF's short history.

Not much to report at 135, though Norman Goins made a nice jump from #36 to #24, on the strength of his split decision win over Jeff Mayweather.

Featherweight Miguel Berrios continued his plunge to the bottom of the A group. After starting at #4, Berrios went to #5 in February, and now sits at #10. Petey Sarron, hoping to replace him one day, leapt from #16 to #11.

Lupe Pintor's shocking loss to Charles LeDoux dropped him from #3 to #8 and solidified LeDoux's #1 ranking. He'll be fighting for the title later this year.

Flyweight Knockout CP Freshmart had climbed from #6 to #5 to #4, but his loss to Ebihara dropped him all the way to #10. Charlie Magri's debut win over Izzy Schwarz leapfrogged him past Frankie Genaro into the top spot. Antonio Avelar's knockout of Teddy Gardner moved him from #34 to #21.

[DFO]

Re: Transcontinental Boxing Federation

Well, my co-commish had a VERY hot hand in dice-rolling the April assignments, and we have some honestly random and genuinely exciting debuts coming in April...

[DFO]

Re: Transcontinental Boxing Federation

TBF April Schedule:

SUNDAY MORNING MASSACRE: The following boxers will be appearing in 8-rounders against TC opponents to be anounced:

#3 Guty Espadas 1-0 (1) (Fly)
#1 Charlie Magri 1-0 (1) (Fly)
#2 Paulie Ayala 1-0 (1) (BW)
#1 Charles LeDoux 2-0 (2) (BW)
#26 Sixto Escobar 1-0 (1) (BW)
#3 Kid Chocolate 1-0 (1) (FW)
#25 Jose Luis Castillo 1-0 (1) (LW)
#21 Dixie Kid 1-0 (1) (WW)
#27 Billy Lynch 1-0 (1) (WW)
#20 King Tut 2-0 (1) (WW)
#24 Steve Collins 1-0 (1) (MW)
#21 Max Schmeling 2-0 (1) (HW)


MONDAY NIGHT FIGHTS (all 8-rounders ):

#22 Pongsaklek Wonjongkam 2-0 (2) [2017] vs. #30 Eric Morel 0-0 [2000] (Fly)
#23 Julio Cesar Martinez 1-0 [2016] vs. #25 Ivan Calderon 1-0 [2016] (Fly)
#31 Yoshio Shirai 0-0 [2000] vs. #39 Tae-Shik Kim 0-1 [1984] (Fly)
#24 Percy Jones 1-0 [2016] vs. #34 Raton Mojica 0-0 [2000] (Fly)
#21 Alfonso Zamora 2-0 (2) [2017] vs. #28 Harry Harris 0-0 [2000] (BW)
#24 Owen Moran 1-0 [2016] vs. #30 Charley Rosenberg 0-0 [2000] (BW)
#27 Manuel Ortiz 0-0 [2000] vs. #36 Alberto Davila 0-1 [1984] (BW)
#24 Louie Espinoza 1-0 (1) [2016] vs. #30 Scott Harrison 0-0 [2000] (FW)
#27 Clarence Adams 1-0 [2016] vs. #31 Jackie Graves 0-0 [2000] (FW)
#25 Pat Cowdell 1-0 [2016] vs. #29 Juan LaPorte 0-0 [2000] (FW)
#21 Howard Davis Jr. 2-0 (1) [2039] vs. #32 Carlos Uribe 0-0 [2000] (LW)
#27 Pernell Whitaker 0-0 [2000] vs. #36 Aladin Stevens 0-1 [1984] (LW)
#22 Lew Tendler 1-0 [2016] vs. #39 Denis Shafikov 0-1 [1984] (LW)

TUESDAY NIGHT FIGHTS (all 8-rounders):

#28 Sugar Ray Robinson 0-0 [2000] vs. #31 Mike Sullivan 0-0 [2000] (WW)
#25 Jimmy Doyle 1-0 [2016] vs. #37 Otto Cribb 0-1 [1984] (WW)
#23 Ike Quartey 1-0 [2016] vs. #39 Maurice Blocker 0-1 [1984] (WW)
#22 Teddy Yarosz 1-0 [2016] vs. #38 Charles "Kid" McCoy 0-1 [1984] (MW)
#21 Stanley Ketchel 2-0 (2) [2017] vs. #33 Frank "The Animal" Fletcher 0-0 [2000] (MW)
#27 Archie Moore 0-0 [2000] vs. #33 Jimmy Slade 0-0 [2000] (LHW)
#30 Billy Conn 0-0 [2000] vs. #36 Mate Parlov 0-1 [1984] (LHW)
#29 Lou Bogash 0-0-1 [2000] vs. #34 Gary Summerhays 0-0 [2000] (LHW)
#26 Joe Louis 0-0 [2000] vs. #31 Willie Meehan 0-0 [2000] (HW)
#22 Muhammad Ali 2-0 (2) [2017] vs. #29 Ibar Arrington 0-0 [2000] (HW)
#37 Bob Armstrong 0-1 [1984] vs. #39 Joe Mesi 0-1 [1984] (HW)

WEDNESDAY NIGHT FIGHTS (All 10-rounders):

#12 Fermin Gomez 1-0 (1) [2116] vs. #15 Edgar Sosa 0-0 [2100] (Fly)
#16 Jose Medel 0-0 [2100] vs. #17 Midget Smith 0-0 [2100] (BW)
#15 Wilfredo Gomez 0-0 [2100] vs. #17 Yong-Kyun Park 0-0 [2100] (FW)
#17 Jimmy Goodrich 0-1 [2084] vs. #20 Rustam Nugaev 0-1 [2084] (LW)

THURSDAY NIGHT FIGHTS (All 10-rounders):

#13 Tommy "The Hitman" Hearns 0-0 [2100] vs. Jackie Fields 0-0 [2100] (WW)
#14 Lamar Parks 0-0 [2100] vs. #16 George LaBlanche 0-0 [2100] (MW)
#13 Billy Papke 0-0 [2100] vs. #15 Gorilla Jones 0-0 [2100] (MW)
#11 Sergey Kovalev 1-0 (1) [2116] vs. #12 Rudi Koopmans 1-0 (1) [2116] (LHW)
#16 Chris Arreola 0-0 [2100] vs. #19 Frank Childs 0-1 [2084] (HW)

FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS:

#4 Bobby Green 0-0 [2200] vs. #5 Digger Stanley 0-0 [2200] (BW) 12 rounds
#4 Jorge Paez 0-0 [2200] vs. #6 Johnny Dundee 0-0 [2200] (FW) 12 rounds
Champion Ken Buchanan 0-0 [2300] vs. #7 Wesley Ramey 0-0 [2200] (LW) 15 round title defense


SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS:

#1 Rubin "Hurricane" Carter 2-0 (2) [2213] vs. #6 Davey Moore 0-0 [2200] (MW) 12 rounds
#4 James Scott 0-0 [2200] vs. #5 Kid Norfolk 0-0 [2200] (LHW) 12 rounds (simulcast from Rahway State Penitentiary, New Jersey)
#4 Vitali Klitschko 0-0 [2200] vs. #5 "Merciless" Ray Mercer 0-0 [2200] (HW) 12 rounds
Champion Barney Ross 0-0 [2300] vs. #5 Pete Ranzany 0-0 [2200] (WW) 15 round title defense

[DFO]

Re: Transcontinental Boxing Federation

Much anticipated debuts:
Honestly, I might doubt the integrity of someone else who posted a month like this, but my partner in crime rolled the dice 1500 miles away not knowing what numbers corresponded to which fighters (I hand shuffled the available fighters in each group), and here's who's making their debuts in April:

Wilfredo Gomez
Pernell Whitaker
Tommy Hearns
Sugar Ray Robinson
Archie Moore
Billy Conn
Joe Louis
(!!!!!!!!)

Much anticipated fights (other than the aforementioned debuts):

We have three rematches scheduled in April:
Doyle-Cribb
Quartey-Blocker
Yarosz-McCoy
Will scores be settled, or will guys get further entrenched as "Haves" or "Have-Nots"?

In addition:
I couldn't put them in the same class as the other guys, but Gorilla Jones and Billy Papke are debuting against each other, and that should be a hot one. Alfonso Zamora, Stanley Ketchel, and Muhammad Ali, all 2-0 (2), will be back in action, as will Howard Davis Jr., who is 2-0 (1). We should have multiple guys getting their third win in four months. We have an 11 vs. 12 matchup at LHW (Kovalev-Koopmans) that will solidify one guy at the top of the B-group and send another one back to the middle of the pack. And Juan LaPorte - Pat Cowdell at featherweight promises to be interesting.

We're definitely looking forward to April at the TBF!

[DFO]

Re: Transcontinental Boxing Federation

APRIL 1970 Sunday Morning Massacre results:

Gunner Modell KO 1 #3 Guty Espadas (Fly). The Sunday Morning Massacres starts off with a shocker, as Modell becomes the first Tomato Can to knock off a ranked fighter, and it's the #3 title contender! All the more problematic as the TBF is introducing a new rule in May that in order to be eligible for a title fight, a fighter must have won his most recent fight (exception if the only rest-eligible fighter(s) are coming off a loss). The Flyweight title is set to be on the line in May...Espadas won't be involved. Not much to say about the fight; Espadas was cruising (this wasn't fast-played), winning the opening stanza...he got caught with Modell's first landed punches of the round, and he was counted out at 1:55. Espadas falls to 1-1 (1).

#1 Charlie Magri KO 1 Cyclone Burns (Fly). Magri, on the other hand, had no trouble at all with his opponent. Burns came out and tried to match Magri punch for punch with a fast start, as each fighter landed 6 punches in the first 20 seconds. But Magri kept up the pace and Burns was overwhelmed. Magri recorded two knockdowns, the first for a 9 count, and the second for the full 10, culminating at 2:16 of the first round. Magri improves to 2-0 (2).

#2 Paulie Ayala KO 2 Frankie Page (BW). Ayala improved to 2-0 (2) with a straightforward effort against Page. Ayala won the first round handily, and was well on his way to winning the second when he landed a 3-punch combination that put Page down for the count at 2:58.

#1 Charles LeDoux W8 (unan) Doc Purdell. Charles LeDoux improved to 3-0 (2), but despite scoring a first round knockdown, was extended to decision for the first time in his young career. 77-74 78-73 78-73.


More results to come...the April card is finished, but I don't have time to finish the writeup now.

[DFO]

Re: Transcontinental Boxing Federation

APRIL 1970 Sunday Morning Massacre results (continued):

#26 Sixto Escobar W8 (unan) Patsy Cragan (BW). Cragan was never really in trouble, but Escobar had no trouble pitching a virtual shutout to advance to 2-0 (1). 78-74 80-72 80-72. Because of the margin of victory, Escobar can bypass the typical rest period, and he will be eligible in May.

#3 Kid Chocolate W8 (unan) Tunney Hunsaker (FW). See previous writeup. No knockdowns, but a pretty easy night's work for Chocolate, now 2-0 (1). 79-73 80-72 79-73.

#25 Jose Luis Castillo W8 (unan) Victor Layton (LW). Again no knockdowns, but this time, the TC was a bit more competitive. Castillo improved to 2-0 (1), but it was Layton who impressed the crowd in a losing effort, taking the final two rounds on two cards to keep it close. 77-75 78-74 77-75.

#21 Dixie Kid W8(unan) Hal Chase (WW). Another one-sided fight with no knockdowns. The Kid cruises, but never threatens to end it early. 78-74 79-73 79-73. He improves to 2-0 (1).

#27 Billy Lynch TKO 5 Gus Berger (WW). Billy Lynch got back to showing the crowd what the Sunday night card was supposed to be all about, dropping Berger in the 2nd for a flash 1-count, then piling on the combinations early in the 5th until the ref stepped in at 0:49. He moves to 2-0 (2)

#20 King Tut W8 (unan) Hurricane Shida (WW). Tut joined the 3-win club with a lopsided decision of Shida. No knockdowns. He is now 3-0 (1). 78-75 79-74 79-74.

#24 Steve Collins KO 6 James Anson (MW). Collins was in the midst of pounding out a one-sided decision over Anson when he caught him with a 3-punch combination, and Anson was counted out at 2:16. Collins advances to 2-0 (2).

#21 Max Schmeling W8 (unan) Arthur Hammaker. Schmeling advanced to 3-0 (1) with a lopsided decision of Hammaker, who went down for a 6-count in the 3rd. Notwithstanding the knockdown, Hammaker was never in danger of not seeing the final bell, but neither was he in danger of winning the fight. 78-73 78-73 79-72.