Thread: The Big Fellows
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Old 05-18-2009, 10:51 PM   #14
BigBoyBrackey
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Buffalo, N.Y.
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Friday night in San Francisco

Ernie Schaaf W10 John Lester Johnson: Johnson throws caution to the wind, to say nothing of the rulebook, but still comes out on the short end of a 97-92, 95-94, 97-92 decision.

Referee Tellis Assiminios issues five warnings to Johnson, but never takes a point. That may be because the slight underdog fouls so creatively, getting admonished for five distinct fouls – a low blow, hitting on the break, head butting, using his shoulder and leaning on Schaaf’s neck. Schaaf, in turn, gets scolded for holding and hitting.

Schaaf seals the win in the eighth, when he drops Johnson for an eight count midway through the round.

Larry Gains TKO9 Bill Hartwell: The Canadian’s edge in experience shows, as he finds a rhythm through the first four mostly even rounds, then takes control in the fifth.

Early in the eighth, Hartwell puts his head down to work Gains’ body along the ropes, but is straightened up by a right uppercut that opens a gash over his right eye. A left hook late in the round widens the cut and though referee Robert Ferrara allows the fight to continue, he changes his mind when the wound starts gushing again midway through the ninth.

Gains leads 77-75, 78-74, 77-75 at the end.

Tuffy Griffiths TKO6 Sandy Seifert: Seifert, whose inclusion in the tournament has beenwidely criticized, due to his pedestrian career, comes out eager to prove he belongs.

He succeeds – at least for one round.

After an early warning for holding and hitting from Paul Field, Seifert -- whose real-life career ended with a first-round stoppage by Griffiths -- shakes Tuffy with a hard left to the ribs, then works the jab before scoring with another hook to the body to seal the round.

It’s just about all Griffiths from there, though. The longtime contender starts to open up in the fifth and continues Seifert in the sixth, sending him slumping into the ropes with a crunching hook with nine seconds remaining. Only the bottom rope keeps the semi-conscious Seifert from hitting the deck and a merciful Field intervenes.

Griffiths leads 48-47, 49-46, 48-47 after five completed rounds.

Harry Wills KO5 Ray Neuman: Another heavy underdog with iffy credentials does little more than provide target practice for one of the tournament favorites.

Wills drops Neuman with a jolting left-right with a minute left in the first, then proceeds to batter the hapless Neuman with everything he throws for another 12 agonizing minutes.

Finally, with Neuman trying to stagger away from the onslaught, referee Earl Morton – who could have called it off with justification in three of the four completed rounds – belatedly takes action.

Wills leads 40-35, 40-36, 40-35 at the stoppage.
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