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The struggle was 42 years in the past, and it has aged very effectively. It was a magnificence in 1981 and it’s a magnificence right this moment.
A sizzling July evening in Detroit, Michigan, within the Twenty Grand Showroom, was the work web site for the ESPN televised, Prime Rank Boxing present.
The early portion of the night did function a few up-and-comers in future world champion Jimmy Paul and world title challenger Hurley Snead. However, the principle occasion would ship on what continues to be thought-about the most effective fights ever on ESPN.
Detroit’s personal William “Caveman” Lee (22-4, 21 KOs) and New York’s John LoCicero (19-8, 14 KOs) would step into the ring in the principle occasion. With Sal Marchiano and Al Bernstein calling the motion from ringside, the struggle was all-action, all evening, from the opening bell.
Lee, out of Manny Steward’s famed Kronk Health club, was coming in at a decent 19-2, and off of two massive KO’s within the 2 earlier months. LoCicero would enter the bout at 18-2, with 13 KOs and was on the lookout for a win after dropping a UD, 9 months earlier.
Kinds? Lee was in all probability the smoother, extra naturally gifted of the two fighters. Nevertheless, he must take care of a fearless and very aggressive LoCicero who was not missing within the braveness division.
The early a part of the struggle, rounds 1-4, noticed Lee controlling many of the motion towards an on-coming LoCicero who was within the ring for the primary time since recovering from a shoulder damage; he did present a little bit ring rust. Whereas Lee was in management, he couldn’t sleep on LoCicero who was winging arduous proper counters.
Then it occurred.
Late within the fourth spherical, LoCicero, trailing within the struggle, landed an enormous proper on the chin of Lee and had him out on his ft, however he simply couldn’t end him. He drilled him with punch after punch as the group, sensing an upset, went nuts.
Then, the two got here out for spherical 5 in what could be one of many all-time nice rounds in ESPN boxing. Lee swarmed and bombed LoCicero in the beginning of the fifth spherical, hammering him everywhere in the ring. It seemed like perhaps LoCicero had punched himself out within the earlier spherical. For each fighters, the sweltering warmth within the ballroom appeared to be doing as a lot harm because the punches.
Lastly, Lee dropped an exhausted and badly harm LoCicero within the spherical. It seemed like the top was close to for the robust, however out-gunned New Yorker. Nevertheless, an exhausted and harm LoCicero, who barely beat the depend, getting up at 9, had another run left in him. And, a counter proper, flush on Lee’s jaw, would begin the assault.
Lee was pouring on stress to LoCicero when John threw a Hail Mary shot that completely stopped Lee in his tracks. Then a 25-punch, continuous assault had Lee barely hanging on. Whereas Lee was hit with every part thrown at him, he did present an incredible chin and an enormous coronary heart in surviving the onslaught.
Then, late within the spherical, with an exhausted and punched-out LoCicero in shut, a lovely left hook from Lee caught LoCicero on the jaw and dropped him for the 10-count. Warmth exhaustion, as a lot because the left hook, completed LoCicero.
The gang, who had witnessed 2 of essentially the most thrilling rounds in boxing, went loopy. Lee had an enormous win and LoCicero, regardless of the loss, had earned the respect of everybody within the room.
On this evening, in a boiling sizzling ballroom within the “Motor Metropolis,” William “Caveman” Lee and John LoCicero delivered a traditional.
Epilogue. One should marvel what this struggle took out of them as each danced to some critical chin music within the bout. LoCicero would struggle 4 extra occasions over the following 16 months going 2-2. For Lee? He earned his title shot 2 fights later, within the spring of ’82. Middleweight king Marvin Hagler dusted him off in 1 spherical. This is able to basically finish his profession. He got here again for 1 struggle in 1986 and 1 in 1988 however for all intents and functions, Marvelous Marvin signed off on the top of his profession.
Each fighters had some nice moments earlier than. Each fighters had just a few nice moments after. However, on a sizzling evening in the summertime of 1981, each fighters had their biggest evening in a struggle that also sits as a traditional.
“J-Lo” and “Caveman”, thanks for the recollections.
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