ROBERT DAVIS

 

Nickname: Desert Storm

   Akron Ohio's Robert C. Davis Jr. was successful in the amateur ranks and turned professional at what is considered a "late age" - in 1997.  He was 26 years old when he made his professional Debut - a first round knockout of fellow Ohioan Don Davis at a place called "The Trap Nightclub" in Nashville, TN.

   The U.S. Military Veteran known as "Desert Storm" ran his record up to 14-0, with 8 knockouts and got his first big test in highly regarded Sherman "The Tank" Williams (13-2) at the Grand Casino in Tunica, MS. Davis passed his test with flying colors as he stopped "The Tank" in round 5 of a bout scheduled for 8 rounds.  It was a big win that opened the door onto the stage of heavyweight Prospect-to-Contenders for Robert Davis. From this point on, the level of competition was raised.

   Less than 2 months later, Davis was put in with 46 fight respected journeyman - Reggie Miller (27-15-1) and it was no problem for Robert who dispatched Miller in the first round.

   After a great 4 fight win streak that included knockout victories over Don Hellyer (9-5), Tom Glesby (24-1-1), Wes Martin (11-21-8), and a 10-round shutout victory over previously unbeaten Charles Shufford (13-0), Robert was now 20-0 and would get his first shot at a title belt.

   April 1, 2000 was the night, and The Regent hotel & casino in Las Vegas, NV was the place. Robert "Desert Storm" Davis stepped in to face former WBF Inter-Continental Heavyweight Champion Keith McKnight (38-2) for the Interim NABF Heavyweight Championship. It was no April Fool's joke as Davis KO'd McKnight in round 5 to win that title belt. 

   Nearly 3 months later, the unbeaten contending heavyweight faced off with former world champion - Greg Page (57-15-1). Page's world of experience and former world champion status made this a huge test for Davis. Some felt Robert was not ready for such a leap, but he proved them wrong, stopping the former WBA champion in the 8th round!

   After picking up a title belt, and defeating a former world champion, it was now time for a cross-roads battle between two up-and-comers. Oct. 7, 2000 saw Davis fight on HBO's "After Dark" series at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT against another fighter that had the boxing world buzzing - Lance "Mount" Whitaker (21-1, 16 ko). The 6' 8" Whitaker had only 1 defeat on his record - a split razor-thin decision loss to Lou Savarese. It was a night of  Heavyweights that featured on the same card: Kirk Johnson, Oleg Maskaev, Gerald Nobles, Vaughn Bean and Taurus Sykes as the boxing world tried to sort out the bottle-neck of rising heavyweight prospects & contenders. The fight was highly anticipated, but did not end well for Davis who suffered a ruptured ear-drum en route to being stopped in the 2nd round by the heavy handed Whitaker.  Robert Davis had suffered his first loss.

   Disappointed by his performance against Whitaker, he went 6-4 against some very strong heavyweights in the 10 fight stretch following the Whitaker fight, among the boxers in that stretch: Michael Moorer (L-10), Terrence Lewis twice (tko-by-9, and w-10), Sedreck Fields (ko-1), Monte Barrett (L-10), and Frankie Swindell (w-10).  The strength of opposition was enough to earn Robert another title shot.

   June 24, 2003 saw Davis head out to Joe Mesi's home town of Buffalo, NY for a shot at the vacant NABF Heavyweight Title. Mesi was 25-0, and he was a pretty big favorite to win this one in front of his rabid home-town fans. That is exactly what happened as Mesi scored the tko in round 1 to win that vacant title belt.

   Davis would fight 9 more times after that, going 4-5. He got one more shot at a title belt when he traveled to New Zealand to take a shot at Shane Cameron's (22-1) IBF Pan-Pacific Heavyweight title. Davis took him into deep water, but it was Cameron scoring the tko in round 11. Robert fought his final fight on Sept. 12, 2009, against El Paso, Texas' David "Nino" Rodriguez (31-0) being stopped in round 3 of a fight that took place in Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, Mexico.

   Sadly, Robert was diagnosed with Leukemia, and lost his battle with that disease in 2014,  just 5 years after his final pro boxing match.

   An amazing journey that lasted better than two decades in the ring!  Davis faced some outstanding opponents, fought for titles, won a title and brought lots of excitement to his fans around the world!

 

Check out Robert's complete record on: BOXREC.COM - ROBERT DAVIS

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If you would like to see Robert "Desert Storm" Davis in action, I have the following bouts available on DVD:

ROBERT DAVIS vs

FELTON HAMILTON             [w-4]
REGGIE MILLER                   [tko-1]
TOM GLESBY                        [tko-5]
CHARLES SHUFFORD         [w-10] (*Missing Rd. 1)
KEITH MCKNIGHT               [ko-5] {Interim NABF Heavy}
GREG PAGE                            [tko-8]
LANCE WHITAKER              [tko-by-2]
MICHAEL MOORER              [L-10]
TERRENCE LEWIS #2           [w-10]
MICHAEL GRANT                  [tko-by-3]
JOE MESI                                 [tko-by-1]
AUDLEY HARRISON             [tko-by-7]
DAVID RODRIGUEZ              [tko-by-3] (* Robert Davis LAST Pro Bout)

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Contact: THE BOXING GURU via E-Mail

 

 

JOE HIPP

 

 Nickname: THE BOSS

   Joe Hipp opened his career against Steve Cortez on August 29, 1987 at the County Fairgrounds in Eugene, Oregon. His pro debut bout was on the undercard of Leon Spinks vs Jim Ashard.  Hipp dropped Cortez in the first round, and cruised on to a 4 round unanimoous win.  He would lose his next bout against Veti Katoa, after suffering a fractured jaw and having the bout stopped by the rinside physician.

The Southpaw heavyweight Hipp started at 1-1, and that is when he went on a 16-fight winning streak that included two wins over the man who handed Joe his only loss - Veti Katoa - winning a 5 round decision in their 2nd meeting, and then sealing it with a 3rd round tko stoppage in the 3rd and final fight of the trilogy.

   That winning streak included wins over Cleveland Woods, Sean McClain, and fellow Montana Native, and former IBF World Cruiserweight champion Marvin Camel.

Joe Hipp fought for his first title belt on Jan. 14. 1991. He challenged Mike Cohen (30-16) for the WBF Intercontinental title and won it with a 4th round knockout. It was a "minor" title, but it was his first shot at a title belt, and he wore it proudly!

   Joe Hipp now had a glossy record (18-1), a title belt, and it was time to step him up onto the big stage of heavyweights.  This process was started with a matchup against hard hitting former world title challenger - David "Bomber" Bey (17-7), and Hipp handled him in impressive fashion, disposing of Bey with a 7th round tko. He then stopped Billy Duncan, and scored another big win against Cleveland Woods via 1sr round knockout.  Joe now stood at 21-1 winning 15 by knockout.

   After 4 years of campaigning and gaining recognition as a probable world title challenger, Hipp was put in against another top contender - "Smokin' " Bert Cooper. The date was 10/18/91 and it was a featured undercard bout of the Ray Mercer/Tommy Morrison showdown. Hipp and Cooper went to war just as expected, but the heavy hands of Cooper battered the face of Hipp, the fight was stopped in round 5 when the swelling around Hipps eyes became too bad, his vision was affected, and the Ringside Doctor called a halt to the bout.

   It was a brutal fight, and a hard pill to swallow for the red-hot contender. It took a few months of healing, but Hipp was back in the ring with a "test bout" against  journeyman, John "Big Red" Morton, Hipp ko'd Morton in round 3. He was then put in against highly regarded prospect Kevin Ford (11-1) at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was on a card that featured some top heavyweight talent including: Lennox Lewis vs Levi Billups, and Michael Moorer vs Mike "The Giant" White. Hipp shined with a near shutout win over Ford on scores of 80-71, 80-72, and 79-72.

      Next up was a battle with the well regarded, Jesse Shelby. Shelby was coming off of a 10 round Technical Decision loss to Orlin Norris for the vacant NABF Cruiserweight championship.  It was a great night for Hipp who had control of the bout en route to a 10 round unanimous decision victory. This win really boosted Hipp's credibility as a contender, and he would find his self in a massive showdown against another top level contender.

June 27, 1992 - the date that Joe Hipp stepped in to go punch-for-punch with red-hot knockout machine Tommy "The Duke" Morrison.  Morrison's only loss to this date was in a big matchup of undefeated rising heayweights against U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Ray Mercer. Tommy was 32-1, winning 28 by

Morrison vs Hipp - A WAR from start to finish!

knockout. Hipp came in at 24-2 and it was a very anticipated matchup which would launch the winner into the upper atmosphere. The bout was televised nationally by ABC and it was a memorable crowd pleaser of a battle! Both men were damaged in this one. Hipp was bruised & battered with his right eye closing, he was knocked down in rounds 5 & 9, and suffered a fractured cheek bone. Morrison left the fight banged up too, suffering a broken jaw during the encounter. It was a WAR, but it was Morrison who was able to bring forth the power for the knockout, coming out on top with a 9th round stoppage! In the post-fight interview, Hipp said that he felt if he was able to continue, he would have been able to wear Morrison down for the decision victory. His confidence was definitely not shattered.

   Joe would come back strong, winning 6 straight against some high level opponents: A rematch with Kevin Ford (14-2), tricky Keith "Sir-Jab-a-Lot" Mcmurray, A dominating 12-round unanimous decision win over Alex Garcia (34-3-1) to win the NABF Heavyweight Title, A defense of that title against hard hitting Jose Ribalta (33-11-1), a hard fought split decision over Rodolfo Marin (20-2), and a 3rd round stoppage of Phillip Brown (33-11-2). With his record polished up a bit and now standing at 30-3, and back in the top-10 rankings, Joe got the call he dreamed about. A shot at The WBA Heavyweight title held by "The Atlantic City Express" Bruce Seldon (32-3). The MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV was the venue, and the fight was a not the most crowd pleasing as Hipp plodded forward, and Seldon stuck-and-moved around the ring.  Hipp tried to apply pressure, Seldon used his hand speed and movement to control the bout. Seldon piled up the points, and the punches tore up the face of Hipp, with his eyes swelling shut, and a tear on the flesh of his left cheekbone, Referee Richard Steele did the right thing, and stopped the fight in round 10.

   Hipp returned to the ring and put together a 10-1 streak, mostly against 2nd level opposition, although he had some nice wins in that run including wins over Fred Houpe, Will Hinton, and Marcus Rhode, and his loss to Ross Puritty which was considered a mild upset.

   After nearly a dozen years as a professional boxer, Joe Hipp got his chance at a World title belt. June 25, 1999 Hipp was given a chance to face 51 fight veteran Everett "Big Foot" Martin. Martin was a Journeyman boxer who would no doubt be the underdog in this title bout, but he had scored some amazing upsets along his journey, including wins over Derrick Roddy, Bert Cooper, and Tim Witherspoon. Hipp could not afford to take "Big Foot" lightly.  Joe came in at 262 pounds, the 2nd heaviest of his career. It didn't matter. Hipp's skills showed as he gave a workmanlike performance and won the 12-round bout via unanimous decision. Hipp earned the WBF championship on this night.

   Joe came back 6 months later but a knee injury in round 5 against Jeff Pegues resulted in a tko loss. Joe would return nearly 4 years later for 2 fights in 2003. He went 1-1, and then in 2005 he would fight his final match. At nearly 43 years old Joe won a majority decision over 6 rounds against Ted Reiter. Joe "The Boss" Hipp ended his career as he started it, with a win. That fight was held at the Clearwater River Casino in Lewiston, Idaho.

   Joe Hipp's amazing journey was over.  He ended his 18-year professional boxing campaign with a final record of: 43 Wins, 7 Losses, and won 29 by Knockout.  A winning, and very impressive record from a heavyweight that was no doubt a fan favorite!  This proud Native American Warrior was durable, powerful, had the heart of a champion, and he was a winner. The very definition of a "Blue Collar Fighter"!

Check out Joe's complete Ledger on Boxrec: JOE HIPP'S COMPLETE RECORD

Contact me at: THE BOXING GURU via E-MAIL

 

I have the following bouts on DVD:

 

JOE HIPP vs

 SEAN MCCLAIN            [tko-4]
DAVID BEY                      [tko-7]
CLEVELAND WOODS   [ko-1]
    BERT COOPER                   [tko-by-5]
JESSE SHELBY                [w-10]
TOMMY MORRISON           [tko-by-9]
KEVIN FORD #2               [w-10]
                                 ALEX GARCIA                   [w-12] {NABF Heavy Title}
                                 JOSE RIBALTA                  [ko-2] {NABF Heavy Title}
RODOLFO MARIN           [w-10]
PHILLIP BROWN             [tko-3]
                                   BRUCE SELDON                   [tko-by-10] {WBA Heavy Title}
  ROSS PURITTY                 [ko-by-10]

Other Stuff:
a) 2008 Exhibition bout vs unidentified  opponent  (2 Min. of footage)

 

 

 

 

ANDREW COUNCIL

 Nickname: "Council of War"

   Washington D.C.'s Andrew Council opened his pro boxing career on Nov. 14, 1990 and started with a 1st round knockout win over fellow DC'er Michael Duncan.

   He won his next fight and at 2-0, he was put in a battle of young east coast unbeatens against Brooklyn, NY's Lonnie Davis (3-0) on the undercard of Frank Tate vs Uriah Grant.  Council took his first loss by a unanimous decision over 4 rounds.

   Andrew was now 2-1, and he came back with a unanimous 6-round decision win over 26-fight veteran Robert Sawyer. It was a 2nd round knockout win over Mark Simmons who also came into that fight with amark of 3-1, and then a surprising draw against South Africa's Mpush Makambi, followed by a mild upset loss to tough and well respected Ricky "Time Bomb" Thomas by decision.  Council's place in the landscape of possible title contenders looked a little unclear as he now stood at 4-2-1.

   Council's record may have been mediocre, but everyone knew that he still held great promise, and he shined in a 14-0-1 run which included a 2nd round knockout win over unbeaten Patrick "The Wrath of" Cann (5-0), and a draw over 6 rounds in an attempt to avenge his first loss to Lonnie Davis who was now 5-0.

   July 1, 1994 was the night that Council took a big step up in class as he squared off with the battle tested and very popular "Tough" Tony Marshall (16-3-4) in a 10-round showdown of contending Jr. middleweights.  It was a very close fight, and after 10 rounds the 3 judges could not determine a winner. Judge Myra Grant saw it 97-93 for Marshall, Judge Bill Nealon saw it 96-95 for Council, and Judge Ron Greenley scored it 95-95, a 3-way split draw! Coucil did not get the "win", but the bout was televised nationally on espn, and it put a spotlight on the skills of Andrew Council, raising his stock in the division, and earning him a shot at the vacant USBA Jr. Middleweight title against Keith Holmes.

   Just about 11 weeks later, Council found his self in the ring going for his first title belt against one of the top rated contenders in the world, Keith Holmes, who came into the fight with a record of 23-1, with 15 knockouts. It was a huge step up for Council, but he had proven his self to be ready for this challenge. It was a good hard fight, maybe too hard - as Council was penalized 3 points for low blows. Those points deductions didn't help Andrew's cause as Holmes took the title belt via unanimous decision on scores of 115-111, 114-110, and 117-108. A good showing against one of the world's top contenders. These two would meet again down the road, and next time it would be for even higher stakes.

   Council's performances put him into the top 20, and after back-to-back impressive wins against highly regarded Anthony Ivory and Tim Dendy, followed by 2 easy victories, Andrew Council got the ultimate step-up showcase bout against former IBF Jr. Welterweight, and former WBC Welterweight king - James Buddy Mcgirt (67-4-1) in a 10 round main event televised nationally on CBS network.

Council's big win against James Buddy McGirt on CBS television

   Council came in as the underdog against the former 2-time world champion - Mcgirt. There was talk of a McGirt/Roy Jones Jr. matchup after this fight.  But... things sometimes don't go as planned, and that was the case here as Council shined, dropping McGirt in the 7th, and stopping him in round 9 for the unexpected technical knockout victory! A huge career boosting win for the contender.

   Council was red hot, and followed up with two first round knockout victories over two tough well respected journeymen fighters.  With a shiny record of 25-3-3, and having defeated Buddy McGirt, Council was given his 2nd shot at a title belt. March 5, 1996 saw Andrew step in against defending NABF Jr. Middleweight champion Ronald "Winky" Wright (33-1). Council was certainly an underdog in this 2nd shot at a title, but he was expected to give the slick boxing Winky Wright a real challenge in defending his title. It was a good matchup, but in the end Wright was just too hard of a puzzle for Council to solve.  The defending champion - Wright - held onto his title by unanimous decision on scores of 116-112, 116-111, and a surprising score that most at ringside did not agree with of 118-109. It was another one of those losses that really doesn't hurt you that much.  He showed well against one of the most avoided boxers in the division, and after two knockout wins against two more respected journeymen fighters, he was called on for another high level matchup, this time  it was against former USBA Middleweight champion - Robert Allen (18-2, 14 ko). It would be a step up in weight too, with the contest set at the full Middleweight limit of 160 Lbs. And, Council would have to travel to Shreveport, Louisiana - the state where Allen was born. Even though the fight was not for a title, it was scheduled for 12 rounds, and it went the distance.  But it was the 1992 U.S. Amateur Champion - Robert Allen getting the unanimous verdict by the three judges.

   Council's willingness to step up and face a world ranked middleweight, and then performing so well against a top contender, was rewarded with a 3rd title shot. A WORLD title shot! November 19, 1997 saw Andrew Council step in to challenge one of the most skilled boxers on the planet - defending IBF Middleweight Champion Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins (32-2-1) for his cherished world championship belt. This was the 6th title defense by Hopkins who had also held the USBA Middleweight Title before winning the world title. Hopkins had only lost twice, his first loss was in his professional debut where he dropped a majority decision to New York Light Heavyweight Clinton Mitchell in 4 rounds, and then would not lose again until challenging Roy Jones Jr. for the vacant IBF title. Hopkins would later get that belt via 7th round knockout against Segundo Mercado. 

Council's first World Title shot vs Bernard Hopkins

  After a campaign that spanned 7 years, Council knew this might be his one and only shot at a world title belt. Hopkins proved to be on another level as the boxing legend dominated the fight over 12 rounds on scores of 118-106 x 2, and 119-105. It was a near perfect performance by the man who is considered destined for the International Boxing Hall-of-Fame. 

   

 

 

 

 

   

   As he had done after losing in his 2 previous title challenges, Council followed up with impressive victories over some high level opponents.  First was a 10 round win over journeymen Benji Singleton, and then two much bigger wins against Michael Ward (24-3), followed by a 2nd round knockout over Floyd Williams (29-9-1) in Tunica, Mississippi.

   With a record of 30-6-3, and some big names on his resume' - Andrew Council got one last chance at wearing a world title belt around his waist. He would also get a chance to avenge a loss that he could not accept after having 3 points deducted for unintentional low blows against Keith Holmes who was now the WBC World Middleweight champion. With both fighters being from the Washington, D.C. area and fighting in front of their local fans at the MCI Arena, the crowd was totally into this one. The challenger Andrew Council came out fast, and had the fans getting behind the underdog, but as the round moved along, it became clear that Keith Holmes would be too much, and then to make matters worse, with both guys landing some heavy stuff, Council was knocked down at the end of round 9 landing face down, but getting up at the count of 8 looking shaky and being saved by the bell. Council showed the heart of a champion causing the Referee to deduct a point from Holmes in round 10 as the champion was penalized for holding to stop the aggressive attack of Andrew Council, who had been badly hurt in round 9, but refused to fold. After 12 rounds it was Keith Holmes who had his hand raised in victory on scores of 117-109, 116-110, and 116-109. Once again, Council proved that he could test the world class fighters of the division, he was once again unable to take a title from them.

   Andrew would step away from the ring wars for 4 years, but he would return at age 36 to make one more run at it. He scored a win over James McCallister (9-3-1) by unanimous decision over 8 rounds, before fighting his last bout on Oct. 31, 2003 - dropping a 10-round unanimous decision to very popular Michigan favorite Troy Rowland in his opponents home town of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

   Andrew finished his 13 year pro campaign with a fine record of  31 wins, 8 losses, and 3 draws. Winning 20 by knockout!  He twice challenged for World Titles, as well as title challenges for both the NABF and USBA Title belts. His upset win against James Buddy McGirt was a great upset, and the man they called "Council of War" never disappointed boxing fans with his gutsy, aggressive performances! We are honored to induct him as a member of The Boxing Guru's "Hall-of-Boxing-Fan-Favorites"!

Check out Andrew's complete Record: ANDREW COUNCIL COMPLETE PRO LEDGER ON BOXREC

 

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Available in The Boxing Guru's Collection (DVD):

ANDREW COUNCIL vs

RICKY THOMAS                                [L-4]
TONY MARSHALL                            [Draw-10]
KEITH HOLMES #1                           [L-12] {USBA Jr. Middle Title}
JAMES BUDDY MCGIRT                  [tko-9]
RONALD "WINKY" WRIGHT          [L-12] {NABF Jr. Middle Title}
BERNARD HOPKINS                        [L-12] {IBF Middle Title}
MICHAEL WARD                               [w-10]
KEITH HOLMES #2                           [L-12] {WBC Middle Title}

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Contact The Boxing Guru: VIA E-MAIL

 

 

 

 

PETE RANZANY

 

Sacramento's Pete Ranzany enjoyed a short, but excellent amateur boxing career fighting for the U.S. Army boxing team.  He went as far as the semi-finals of the 1972 U.S. Olympic Trials, defeating Carlos Palomino in the quarter-finals, but then losing to Sugar Ray Seales in the semi-final match. He fought at the top level in the amateurs, and that wouldn't change as a pro.

 

   His professional campaign opened on Oct. 2, 1973 and he gave a hint as to the excitement to come as he went down in round 1, only to get off of the deck and come roaring back to stop Marc Thomas in round 3 by knockout.

He stopped his next 4 opponents, and then won a decision over Jimmy "Mean Machine" Jackson by decision. That 5 round decision win over Jackson was a good one, and called for a rematch. It was Oct. 22, 1974 that Ranzany tasted defeat for the first time - losing an 8-round unanimous decision in the rematch with Jackson. That loss didn't sit well with Ranzany, and after 2 more knockout wins, he got the rubber match with Jackson, and this time it was Ranzany winning the unanimous decision. Ranzany was fighting often - nearly every 2 weeks - and just about 2 months later, with 3 more wins under his belt, he found his self in the ring for a 4th and final time with Jimmy Jackson. Just like the other 3 meetings, it was another barn-burner, but this time, Ranzany ended things with a knockout in round 8. It was a very satisfying win, avenging his only loss with 2 impressive wins and ending the 4-bout saga with "Mean Machine" Jimmy Jackson.

   Pete's first big step-up bout came in August of '75 when he ventured for his first pro bout outside of California and faced off with well regarded Quincy Daniels (13-3) of San Diego, California at the Silver Slipper resort casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was Ranzany's night to shine as he tko'd Daniels in round 7. It was an important win, and in his next two fights, Pete was matched against two more experienced veterans with winning records - Dave Oropeza (49-11-1), and Renato Garcia (32-5) - It was the same result. Pete Ranzany stopped them both to boost his record to 17-1 and began to be considered a serious threat for a world title in the not to distant future.

Sacramento Boxing fans were confident!

   It was just about 3 months and 4 more solid wins after the knockout win over Renato Garcia that Ranzany got his first shot at a title belt. Feb. 24, 1976 was the night that Ranzany faced off with New Jersey's undefeated Adolfo Viruet (13-0) for the vacant NABF Welterweight Title. Viruet was the former USBA Jr. Welterweight champion and now had his sights set on a 147 Lb. title belt. It was a great matchup of two rising contenders with a meaningful title belt on the line to bring out the best from both warriors. The fight was everything that boxing fans expected, and when the final bell was sounded the judges cards read: Referee Henry Elespuru 6-3 with 3 even rounds, Mario Duccini 7-2 with 3 even, and Terry Smith saw it even at 4-4 with 4 even rounds. The winner by hard fought majority decision was Pete Ranzany!

   With his pro record now standing at 21-1, having avenged his only defeat - TWICE, and now holding the NABF Welterweight title, Ranzany's ranking and reputation soared. Pete continued his winning ways and ran off an 8-0, 6 ko streak which included a very tough and somewhat controversial bout against Chilean Welterweight champion Julio Gomez. In what was an all-out war, Ranzany was busted open by an accidental head butt and the bout went to the scorecards with Ranzany ahead on 2 of the 3, and 1 judge having it even at the time. Howls of protest from the Chilean's management team resulted in a rematch just 3 months later, but this time it was for Ranzany's NABF title belt. The rematch was another war, but Ranzany looked sharp and won the unanimous decision over 12 rounds on scores of: 118-111, 118-113, and 119-113 a clear win for the champion in his first title defense. The NABF Welterweight champion now stood at 31-1.

   Ranzany defeated unbeaten prospect Bruce Finch (13-0-1) in his next fight handing Finch his first loss via 5th round tko. 3 more wins, and it was time for his 2nd title defense against another highly regarded California contender - Randy Shields (30-2). The bout didn't make it past round 2 due to an injury and the bout was declared a technical draw.  Ranzany remained NABF champion, but the fans demanded a rematch. That rematch would have to wait as Ranzany defeated tough Jose Luis Baltazar of Mexico, and then stepped up to face World title challenger - Mexico's Armando Muniz (43-12-1). In a non-title bout that Ranzany was leading on all 3 scorecards, the bout was stopped on a cut, resulting in a tko win for Muniz. Ranzany suffered his 2nd loss, but had performed well. His next fight would be his 3rd defense of the NABF title in a rematch with Randy Shields. Feb. 14, 1978 was the date, and the Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento was the venue. It was the war that everyone anticipated, Randy Shields was knocked down in the 9th round, and stopped via tko in round 11 of a back-and-forth war that left the fans roaring! It was a huge win that defined Pete Ranzany as no doubt, and officially - "World Class".

   3 fights, and 3 sparkling wins later, Pete Ranzany would get the call that he had been waiting for. Sept. 9, 1978 - his first chance at a coveted World Title against defending champion - Mexico's Jose "Pipino" Cuevas (22-6, 19 ko).

It was a huge event in Sacramento!

The defending WBA champion was willing to travel to Ranzany's home town of Sacramento, California to make the title defense! Ranzany was not able to take that title as Cuevas stopped him in round 2 of the bout scheduled for 15 rounds. It was an overwhelming offensive display put on by the Mexican KO king. Ranzany still heald the NABF title and would have to shake off the disappointment in losing his first world title try. He bounced back very nicely winning a decisive 10-round non-title main event against Rafael "The Rifle" Rodriguez before making another defense of his NABF title against world ranked "Irish" Jimmy Heair (71-16-1). Ranzany proved his superiority with a lopsided, dominant unanimous decision victory in his 3rd NABF title defense. After wins over Sammy Masias (18-7-1), and Bernardo Prada (23-7-2), it was time to make another defense of that NABF title belt. His 4th defense of that NABF title came against British Welterweight champion, and World title challenger Clyde Gray (65-7-1) and it was a spectacular win that saw Ranzany in control from the opening bell winning every round until a bad cut caused the referee to halt the fight - another tko win for powerful Pete.

   Pete's next fight was a huge one. He would make his 5th NABF title defense against a young up-and-coming contender looking for his first title belt. A young phenom from the amateur ranks - an Olympic gold medalist and undefeated professional. A kid named "Sugar" Ray Leonard (23-0). Ranzany was considered to possibly be Leonard's biggest test to date.

A big test for both boxers

The bout was carried on national live television before a big crowd at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was a big step for both fighters, but Ray Leonard showed his legendary skills in stopping the determined and rugged Ranzany in round 4. It was a huge starting point for Leonard who, from this point on, would remain at world class status until the very end of his incredible career. Ranzany had plenty of fights ahead of him, but this would be his last one with a title belt at stake. It was a very nice reign as NABF champion for sure.

   After the loss to Sugar Ray Leonard, Ranzany picked up and continued his winning ways going 5-0-1 in his next 6 with the draw coming on an unfortunate clash of heads resulting in a Technical decision draw against Ray Hammond.  That fight was "unfinished business" and the two would meet again down the line but for now it was a draw. 

   In December of 1980 another big name was added to Ranzany's ledger. he faced off with former world champion Wilfred Benitez (40-1-1).

A showdown of sorts

Ranzany remained a constant member of the "top 20 club" in the welterweight rankings, and this was an important crossroads match of sorts as the two contenders squared off. The legendary boxing wizard - Benitez - was able to come into Sacramento and get the unanimous decison win.
It was a unanimous decision, but it certainly was not easy.  The scores were 99-92 on Referee Larry Rozadilla's score card. It was much closer on the score cards of the two judges at ringside - Henry Elespuru and Terry Smith both seeing it 97-94 for Benitez. It was a loss, but it didn't hurt Ranzany's reputation at all. 

   Ranzany could feel good about his showing against another legend, and now it was time to take care of some "unfinished business". He secured the rematch with New York's Ray Hammond - the man who had left Sacramento with a technical draw in their last meeting. It was Feb. of 1981 at the same Memorial Arena venue where the first meeting took place. Ranzany was on a mission, and it showed. he won every round on every judge's score card right up until he scored the technical knockout in round 7. It was a powerful performance for the Sacramento, California boxing hero. With another "wrong" having been "righted", Ranzany continued on with his campaign hoping to land just one more title fight.

   He ran off another win streak, this time it was 5 in a row before taking back-to-back defeats at the hands of Pat Hallacy (28-7-1) via split decision loss over 10 rounds, and then traveling to Michigan to face off with an undefeated fast-rising prospect Milton McCrory (17-0) dropping another 10 round decision.

   Ranzany would fight 4 more times. Impressive wins over Rick Noggle (15-3), Sean O'Grady (80-3), and Frankie Moultrie (17-12-1) led him to a big fight in Italy that turned out to be his final pro bout, against an undefeated contender - Nino LaRocca (50-0). Pete lost his farewell fight on scores of 100-92 across the board over 10 rounds. It was the end of a remarkable and memorable professional boxing career.

   The California fighter remains a fan favorite whose name brings a brightness to the faces of boxing fans that enjoyed his battles. He finished a wonderful career with a final mark of 59 wins, 8 losses, and 3 draws, winning 38 by knockout! A record and career to be proud of for sure.  

   Check out his complete pro record on: BOXREC.COM - PETE RANZANY

    Boxing fans contact me at: The Boxing Guru via E-mail 

If you would like to see Pete Ranzany in action on DVD, I have the following bouts available:

 

PETE RANZANY vs

PIPINO CUEVAS                        [tko-by-2] [WBA Welter Title}
SUGAR RAY LEONARD           [tko-by-4] {NABF Welter Title}
WILFREDO BENITEZ               [L-10]
SEAN O'GRADY                        [w-10]
NINO LAROCCA                       [L-10] (*Ranzany's LAST pro bout)

JERRY BROWN

 

 Nickname: "Downtown"

 

 

   Indiana's "Downtown" Jerry Brown turned professional on June 2, 1987 with a 3rd round tko over 24 fight veteran - George Reedy, and then followed that with a 7-fight win streak before tasting his first defeat at the hands of a much bigger Bill Robinson on the undercard of the Marlon Starling/Fujio Ozaki WBA Welterweight title bout held at the Atlantic City Convention Center. After that promising 8-0, 5 ko start, Brown stepped onto a pretty big stage only to taste an upset defeat. Brown followed his first loss with a draw, and then took his 2nd loss by decision to a young 1-0 midwest circuit upstart named Tim Dendy.  Starting 8-0 and then going 0-2-1, Brown's record now stood at 8-2-1.  Still promising and having shown plenty of good skills, Jerry battled on.

 

    The popular Indiana fighter battled on and ran off a nice 6-0-1 streak fighting on local midwest

Jerry Brown was a welcomed additon to every local card!

circuit cards.  Putting his record at 14-2-2 and earning him the call to travel to Denmark and face world ranked Mads Larsen (14-1) on the undercard of Brian Nielsen vs Larry Holmes for the IBO Heavyweight Title. Brown was fighting out of his weight division and was stopped by the much bigger Denmark hero in the first round.  That loss did nothing to tarnish the reputation of Brown. He was not expected to win against a world ranked contender, on the road, and against a fighter who held an 8 pound advantage. It came as no surprise that Brown lost that fight, but it did show his willingness to take on any fighter that would challenge him, and not only did it not hurt his reputation, but it actually strengthened it, and "Downtown" Jerry Brown got the call to take his 14-3-2 record into the ring to face Freeman Barr (14-1) for the vacant IBO middleweight world title. Again, Brown would travel to the country of the home-town favorite, which was Nassau in the Bahamas, but this time he was inoculated against the power of the big stage, and Brown gave Barr all he could handle for 12 action packed rounds.  The world ranked local favorite prevailed by a unanimous decision, but, the fight demonstrated Jerry Browns much improved skills and ring savvy.

   Brown returned to Indiana and dropped a surprising 4 round majority decision to fellow Indiana local Michael Smith, and then followed that with a 4 round win over "traveling road show" - Reggie Strickland, a veteran of over 240 professional fights!

 

   Jerry's reputation was cemented as one of the best boxers on the midwest circuit of boxing, and he was given a shot at highly respected Craig Cummings (40-3-1) for his WBA North American Super Middleweight title belt.  That fight was held Feb. 24, 1999 at the Station Casino in Kansas City, MO. The fight went the full 12 round distance, and it was Cummings successfully defending his title belt on a close Majority decision. Cummings also added the vacant Mid American title belt to his collection. Jerry Brown was unsuccessful for the 2nd time at winning a title belt, but he returned with a 6 round decision win over Reggie Strickland in their rematch. And after a convicing 6 round win over Donnie "The Spoiler" Penelton, Brown was offered one more chance to put a title belt around his waist.

 

   Oct. 2, 1999 was the date and Brown (17-6-2) would have to win a 3rd meeting with fellow Indiana fighter Reggie Strickland.  Strickland had many reasons to give this battle all he had, including wanting to prove that he could beat Brown after losing 2 decisions to him, and to get that cherished Indiana State Title belt. Brown had failed in two previous attempts at winning a title, and this could be his final shot, so he went in with intentions to come away with a title belt around his waist.  The bout was set for 8 rounds and the venue was the arena at the Aztar Casino in Evansville, Indiana. It was a raucous crowd who were there to root for their local favorites, and it was a great night for Jerry Brown who won the State title via unanimous decision in front of that appreciative crowd!

 

   Jerry Brown never defended that title, but he finished with 2 more pro fights, scoring a 2nd round tko over Larry Hyatt, and then finishing his pro campaign with an unsuccessful NABA Light Heavyweight title challenge against Robert Koon (21-8-1) in Mobile Alabama. 

   "Downtown" Jerry Brown ended with a final tally of 19 wins, 7 losses, and 2 draws, winning 9 by knockout.  He held the Indiana state Light-Heavyweight championship, and was a real crowd-pleaser in every one of those 28 pro fights!

Check out Jerry's complete pro ledger on boxrec: JERRY BROWN PRO LEDGER

WILLY SALAZAR

   Wilibaldo Salazar opened his professional career on Dec. 14, 1979 in his home town of Jalisco, Guadalajara Mexico with a 4 round decision loss to fellow Jalisco pro debuter Librado Moran.  He won his 2nd pro fight and then won his 3rd pro fight via knockout before being stopped his self in fight number 4.  His record stood at a non-de script 2-2 and he was not seen as anything "special" by local boxing fans.

   He was improving though, and ran off a 7-fight win streak including 5 wins by knockout. He then labored with an up-and-down career that saw 3 straight losses, leading to a streak of fights in which he went 6-9-1 against mostly local talent. His record stood at a respectable 20-12-1 when he got his first shot at a title belt.  It was for the Mexico National Flyweight title, and he went the 12-round distance to earn that title with a decision win over fellow Jalisco resident - Adolfo Anguiano.  That belt probably felt pretty good around the waist of Salazar, and from the way he performed as "champion" it seemed to improve him as a fighter too.

   After the win against Anguiano, Salazar went on a 5 fight winning streak (4 by ko) against opponents with a combined record of 86-16-5, and on June 27, 1987 he found his self with a winning record of 26-12-1, in possession of the Mexican National Flyweight title, and now was named as a contestant for the vacant NABF Lt. Flyweight title.  The fight was held at The Forum in Inglewood, California and it was a good night for Willy as he scored a 12-round majority decision win over unheralded Jose Manuel Diaz to pick up his 2nd title belt.

   Salazar was finally being seen as more than just an "easy" opponent, but rather as a respected journeyman fighter who would not be easy for anyone to defeat. He proved that he was a respectable champion with back-to-back knockout wins in defense of his Mexican National Flyweight title, and then successfully defended his NABF Lt. Flyweight title with a knockout win over Julio Cesar Cardona in Tucson, Arizona.

   Willy climbed in the ratings with those wins and title defenses, earning him a shot at his first world title. He traveled to Seoul, South Korea to meet undefeated WBA Light Flyweight Champion Myung Woo Yuh (25-0) for that title. Feb. 7, 1988 was the big night, just a little over 8 years from his pro debut loss, Salazar found his self fighting for the World title! Although Salazar performed well, he lost a respectable unanimous decision to the unbeaten champion by scores of  113-116, 112-117, and 110-118. It did nothing to hurt the challenger's reputation, in fact, it raised his worth in the boxing world. From here on out, his level of opposition was raised quite a bit, taking an "easy" fight every now and then, but for the most part, he was fighting a much higher caliber of boxer.

   That higher level started with a nice win in defense of his Mexican National Title against hot prospect Ricardo Mijares (15-1) by tko.  It was an even battle when the fight was stopped on a cut suffered by the favored Mijares. Salazar lost his Mexican National Title in his next title defense against Armando Velasco (15-8-1), but bounced back with a nice tko win to defend his precious NABF Lt. Fly title belt against Mexican fast-riser Ysaias Zamudio (12-1), halting the challenger in round 9. And just to add to his reputation, Salazar regained his Mexican National Flyweight title by knockout over Gonzalo Villalobos, and then defended it with 2 straight knockout title defense wins, stopping Valente Flores, and Fernando Varguez before dropping a 12-round decision to 59-fight veteran Javier "Suzuki" Diaz (38-19-2) to lose his Mexican National Fly Title.

   Salazar then traveled to San Diego, California where he lost his NABF Lt. Flyweight title to Home-town favorite Tony "Bazooka" DeLuca (15-2-3) via tough 12-round decision.  Willy now found his self without a title belt, but he wasn't finished adding titles to his collection.

   The Mexican Flyweight put together a 3 fight winning streak including a rematch win over Ysaias Zamudio, again, stopping Zamudio in round 9. Salazar stood at 38-16-1 had held 2 title belts, and was now put in against some of the best fighters in the division as he went 0-5 against fighters with a combined record of 84-22-5 including Alejandro "Cobrita" Soto, Alberto "Raton" Jimenez, and Miguel "Maikito" Martinez!  Even after losing 5 in a row, all it took was 1 big knockout win over respected Alfredo Virgen (14-9) to put him back into a title challenging bout.

   The date was Feb. 24, 1995 - nearly 15 years after his first pro fight, Salazar found his self with a record of 39-21-1, and now challenging for his 3rd title belt - the WBC Continental Americas Super Flyweight Title held by defending champion Josefino Suarez (18-11-1). It was a grand evening for Salazar who ko'd Suarez in round 9 to win that championship and again feel a title belt around his waist! And then in his next fight Salazar defeated Noe Santillana (15-11) to win his 4th title belt - this time it was the Mexican National Super Flyweight championship! But, just two months later, he would lose both belts to Armando Salazar (34-7-4) via split decision loss.

   The up-and-down fortunes of Willy Salazar had one more big surprise to come.  On Sept. 8, 1995 IBF Flyweight World champion - Danny Romero Jr. (25-0) took what was supposed to be a "Tune-up" non-title bout against Willy who had a record of 41-22-1 at The Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas Nevada. Romero came in with a 5 pound weight advantage, and a huge reputation as a knockout artist, but as the rounds progressed it became clear that Salazar was ready to give Romero all he could handle.... and a little more! Salazar fought one of the best fights of his life as he punished the undefeated champion breaking the orbital bone of Danny's left eye causing the fight to be halted before the start of round 8. That fight was named as Ring Magazine's "Upset of the Year" and it was a stunner!

Salazar scores 1995 Upset of the Year against Romero

   That fight put Willy Salazar's name out there and he became the target of another big-time New Mexico flyweight fighter.

   With all of the talk about a possible matchup between New Mexico champions (Danny Romero vs Johnny Tapia) this was a perfect opportunity for Johnny Tapia's management team to present a comparison, and Salazar's incomprehensible upset win made him the obvious challenger for Johnny Tapia's WBO world title belt.

   Just 3 months after the huge upset win over Romero, Salazar stepped into the ring for a shot at the WBO Super Flyweight world title.  It wasn't the first time he had faced a fighter who was a current, former, or future world champion, but it was the second time he would face a World champion with their World Title at stake. And this time he wanted to leave the ring as Champion!  December 1st, 1995 was the date, Fantasy Springs Casino Resort ws the venue, it was held outside, on a cold night.The card was a pay-per-view event loaded with big names. Gabe Ruelas' rematch with Azumah Nelson, Stevie Johnston, John John Molina, even "Butterbean" Eric Esch were featured on the card. In an amazing turn of events, just as Romero was not allowed to come out for round 8 of their bout, it was Salazar who was battered and not allowed to come out for round 10 in this world title fight! It wasn't easy for the undefeated Tapia (now 33-0-2), but as well as Salazar performed, he was unable to win that coveted World title belt.

Willy's second shot at a world title against Johnny Tapia in 1995

   Salazar had pretty much reached the peak of his career with his 2 fights against the New Mexican Champions. He would fight for 2 more titles and ended his career fighting only ranked contenders. 2 fights later, he found his self in Thailand fighting for the WBU Flyweight World Title, being stopped in round 5 by another undefeated defending champion - Sornpichai Kratingdaenggym (8-0, 5 ko). In his next fight after the WBU title challenge, Willy fought for and regained the WBC Continental Americas Super Fly Title with a 9th round tko win over fellow Mexican Basilio Morales (23-6) in Tabasco, Mexico.


   In his 2nd to last outing, Salazar was unable to defend his newly won title belt, as he was stopped in round 9 by challenger Genaro "Poblanito" Garcia (12-1) in Salazar's home town of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

   Willy's last pro bout came on Nov. 14, 1997 when he traveled to Denmark and dropped a shutout unanimous decision to IBO and European Bantamweight Champion - Johnny Bredahl (34-1). That was it, the end of the nearly 18 year pro boxing career of a colorful and popular fighter.

   Willy Salazar's incredible boxing career finished with a final record of: 43 wins, 28 losses, 1 draw, and winning 30 by knockout. He held several titles, and even fought twice for world titles.

   Check out his complete pro ledger at Boxrec: WILLY SALAZAR COMPLETE PRO RECORD  



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RUDY ZAVALA

Rosemead, California's Rudy Zavala made his professional debut in march of 1990, opening with a unanimous decision win over Rafael Martinez.  Just 3 weeks later, they fought a rematch at the Forum in Inglewood, CA and this time Zavala stopped Martinez in round 3.

Just like that, the 21 year old was off to a 2-0 start, and he became a local favorite of The Forum as he ran his record to 11-0, 9 by KO before taking a big step-up fight against former WBC International Title challenger Virgilio Openo (18-2-4) of The Phillipines.  That bout was scheduled for 12 rounds, but it only took Zavala 6 to stop his first world class opponent. On that night, Rudy went from Prospect to Contender.

3 more fights against good solid mid-level opponents netted 3 more KO wins, and now with an impressive record of 15-0, 13 by KO, Zavala traveled to Phoenix, Arizona for a big 8-Round fight against ranked contender Johnny "The Torch" Vasquez (17-2) in Vasquez's home town.  It went the distance and it was ruled a Majority Draw with 1 of the Judges scoring it 78-74 for the local favorite, and the other 2 Judges seeing it at 76-76. It was a very unsatisfying result for both of these rising fringe contenders, and 2 months later, they were at it again, but this time, there was much more at stake.  The rematch was held at The Hacienda Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Scheduled for 12 rounds with the Vacant NABF Jr. Featherweight Title belt going around the waist of the winner.

April 18, 1992 was the date and the fight was televised nationally by Univision network. It went the full 12 rounds and when the final scores were read by ring announcer Danny Valdivia, it was Rudy Zavala remaining unbeaten, and picking up his first title belt on scores of: 115-113, 116-112, and 117-111 for the unanimous victory.

Even though it was a bruising war to defeat Johny Vasquez in the rematch, just two months later, Zavala was in with a ranked contender as he squared off with Pedro Decima (29-3) on the undercard of Evander Holyfield vs Larry Holmes at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Zavala shined again as he dropped the former World Champ 3 times before stopping him stopping him on a cut for the 6th round TKO win.

Incredibly just a little over a month later, Zavala was in the ring making a defense of his NABF title against former WBA & IBC World Champion - KO artist Jesus "Hawaiian Punch" Salud (41-5). It was a huge matchup, but it was Salud who handed Zavala his first defeat as a pro, and took the NABF title belt away from him via 8th round TKO in a war.

Zavala's management slowed the pace of matches just a little, but just 3 months later, Rudy was back in the ring where he stopped Freddy Hernandez (13-11) in 3 rounds by knockout. Rudy took another "tune-up" bout before taking on highly regarded veteran Jerome Coffee (35-7-1) in a bid for the vacant USBA Jr. Featherweight Championship. Zavala looked as good as ever in KO'ing Coffee in 5 rounds to win that coveted 2nd title belt.  Rudy Zavala now stood at 20-1-1, with the USBA title belt added to his collection.  World Ranked, and ready to take on the world.

Zavala took a "Stay Sharp" bout before making his first title defense of the USBA Title belt against Colorado's highly respected Max Gomez (11-3) at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, CA.  The showdown lived up to its billing but ended in a 3-way split draw with one judge having it 116-112 for Gomez, one judge saw it 116-112 for Zavala, and the deciding judge had it scored at 114-114. With a draw, Zavala retained his title, but would relinquish it to go after a much bigger prize just over 3 months later!

Rudy Zavala defends his USBA title belt with a draw against Max Gomez

Rudy Zavala got the call he had been waiting for.  He was named as the challenger for the IBF Jr. Featherweight World Title held by former U.S. Olympian Kennedy McKinney (23-0-1). The fight was held at The Pyramid arena in Memphis, TN.  The champion was just too much for Rudy that night, as Mckinney dominated from the start and referee Chris Wolleson stopped the fight at 2:08 of round 3.  Zavala was denied of the world title, but he was not deterred in his effort to get another shot at a world title.

Rudy decided to move up a half divison to Featherweight, and immediately got to challenge for the WBC Continental Americas title against defending champion James "Corky" Lonaker (21-1).  Zavala came out all business and knocked the champion out in round 2 to win his 3rd title belt.

Nearly 2 months later, Zavala was defeated in totally shocking fashion as he lost a 10-round split decision in what was supposed to be an easy bout against Mexico's unheralded Juan Francisco Soto (1-9) before a shocked crowd at the Airport Marriott in Burlingame, California.

Zavala was very disappointed in his performance against Soto, but just 3 weeks later, he was in the ring with another world ranked contender in Philadelphia's former State Champion - Tony Green (22-3-1). Zavala looked more like his old self, even knocking Green down in round 2, but in the end he dropped a close 10-round decision to the Philadelphia star.

He came back with back-to-back knockout wins, and then took on a battle of California favorites when he stepped into the ring against Jesse "El Cuervo" Magana (11-3-2) at the Forum.  The fans roared as these two banged it out, Zavala was dropped in the first, and second rounds, but got up to continue bringing the war to his skilled opponent.  Zavala was finally stopped in the 5th round by a cut.

Rudy went out big. His last 4 bouts saw him face off with some pretty big names: Juan Carlos Rubio, Ruben Castillo, Troy Dorsey, and his final bout against Tracy Harris Patterson.  He went 1-3 in that stretch before calling it a career.

Rudy Zavala was pure excitement in the ring and is remembered fondly by boxing fans, especially in the L.A. area where his ring wars are often remembered and talked about with great affection.  He finished his glorious campaign with a final record of: 25 wins, 8 losses, 2 draws, and winning 21 by knockout!

Check out Rudy's complete ledger: RUDY ZAVALA record on boxrec.com

Contact me: The Boxing Guru via e-mail

ED DONALDSON

   Mobile Alabama Police Officer Ed Donaldson turned professional in May of 1992 with an impressive 1st round knockout over fellow Alabama boxer Ben Green.

   Donaldson was then stepped up to a tougher opponent in Michigan's Warren Williams who came in with an impressive record of 6-1, with 4 wins by knockout.  It was a tough battle, but Donaldson got the split decision win over 4 rounds to move to 2-0, and gain a little attention from boxing insiders.

   

  The "Fighting Policeman" from Mobile, Alabama was then put in against a highly regarded boxer named James Gaines (1-0).  Although Gaines appeared overweight and not to be in great shape, he was in fact a very highly skilled boxer who would go on to fight some big names, score some upsets, and fight for a minor title belt.  Gaines came through and handed Donaldson his first loss in this battle of young fringe prospects.  It was a split decision loss for Donaldson that put his record at 2-1.

   They eased back on his level of competition, and Donaldson performed well running off a 4 knockout win streak, again finding his self in a battle of contenders, this time against Canadian amateur standout Kirk Johnson who was 2-0 and the favorite, but expected to be tested against Ed Donaldson.  The bout was on the undercard of Tommy Morrison vs Tim Tomashek at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, MO. It was Kirk Johnson scoring the 5th round stoppage of Donaldson, and while Donaldson took his 2nd loss, his reputation was solid in giving a top prospect a good test.

   Ed returned to the friendly confines of Mobile, Alabama and blasted out Florida's David Farnham in 2 rounds to get back on the winning track, and securing an April 14, 1994 showdown fight with undefeated Quinn Navarre (10-0-1) of Slidell, Louisiana.  The fight was a co-feature along with Bert Cooper vs Larry Donald.  Donaldson not only "tested" the unbeaten Navarre, but scored a shocking 2nd round knockout over the favored undefeated fighter!  It was a huge win for Ed Donaldson who moved his record to 8-2 and now was considered more than just a "test" for the bigger named contenders, but he was now an actual "threat" to these prospects, and was now a bit of a prospect his self!

   Donaldson scored two more easy knockouts over unheralded opponents, and brought his 10-2 record into a pretty big showdown fight with former NABF Heavyweight Champion, and world ranked contender - "The San Fernando Hammer" Alex Garcia (35-4-1, 26 KO).  The evening was a "Night of Heavyweights" in Albuquerque, New Mexico that featured Garcia/Donaldson in the main event along with Tim Puller, Marion Wilson, Mike "The Bounty" Hunter, Jimmy Thunder, Sean McClain, and some other contending heavyweights.  Garcia was coming off of his rematch win over Mike Dixon, which had avenged Garcia's first loss, and was looking for a big win over the respected Donaldson, to get back into title contention.  The fight went the full 10 rounds, and was a very close fight.  When the final bell rang, and the judges scorecards were tallied up, it was Garcia getting the unanimous decision nod on scores of: Rocky Burke 98-94, Albert Gutierrez 96-95, and my own scorecard also 96-95 for Garcia.

  

Donaldson battles Alex Garcia in a 10-round main event

   Less than a month later, Donaldson stepped right back into the ring against another world ranked contender, as he was stopped in round 2 by heavy handed James Thunder in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi in a nationally televised bout.  Donaldson probably came back a little too soon after the greuling bout with Garcia, but losing to some bigger names in the division didn't hurt his popularity with fans or promoters.

   Just 5 months later, Donaldson returned to the ring in front of his Mobile, Alabama fans, and scored what would be his final victory with a 10 round decision win over Memphis Tennessee's Mike Faulkner.

   The popular fighter from Mobile would end his career with 3 losses, against top names in the heavyweight division.  Larry Holmes, Michael Grant, and Keith McKnight had a combined record of 108-6, and they were the final trio that Ed Donaldson would face.  He was stopped in the 3rd round

Ed Donaldson's final bout against Keith McKnight

against red-hot unbeaten contender Michael Grant (18-0), and took both legendary former champion Larry Holmes (61-5), and top prospect Keith McKnight (29-1) - the full 10-round distance.

   Eddie Donaldson finished his pro campaign with a record of 11-7 scoring 9 knockouts. He never fought for a title belt, but took on some big names in the heavyweight division, and became a respected journeyman professional boxer that was loved by his fans in Mobile, Alabama, and picked up quite a few fans around the world in his wars with some pretty big names in the heavyweight division!

Check out Ed Donaldson's complete record on Boxrec: ED DONALDSON'S complete record

Contact "The Boxing Guru" via E-Mail: The Boxing Guru

DELMAR PAISAN

   Venezuela's Idelmar Jose Paisan opened his pro boxing career on March 5, 1979 with a decision victory over undefeated (4-0) Luis Godoy.
   He was moved along quickly and was put into a 6-rounder in his 3rd fight, an 8-rounder in his 4th fight, and by his 5th pro fight he was fighting in a scheduled 10-round fight!
   Paisan was staying busy on the venezuelan pro boxing circuit, and by Sept. of 1982 he held a record of 15-3, 13 wins by knockout, and was coming off of a 10-fight knockout win streak when he was put in against popular fellow Venezuelan Felix Mendez (17-3-4) in a 10-round showdown.  Paisan won by decision victory, and was becoming the talk of the Venezuelan boxing world.
   His winning streak continued and on Nov. 7, 1993 he got a shot at the Venezuelan national Lightweight title belt against defending champ Ramon Cotua (20-1, 17 KO). The battle of sluggers was expected to end in a knockout by either man, but instead, Paisan earned a decision win over 12 tough rounds to win the national title.
   Delmar then fought a pair of bouts against Venezuelan new-comer Junel Rodriguez, winning a 12 rounder and then losing the rematch in 12 rounds both by decision. Those 2 fights were both defenses of his Venezuelan national Lightweight title belt.  His record now stood at 22-4-1, 15 by ko. He was battle tested, and looked like it was time to step up, way up, in class.
   It was Jan. 12, 1985 when Paisan fought for the first time outside of his home country, he traveled to the island nation of Aruba to square off against a talented up-and-coming contender from Detroit, Michigan USA.  Jimmy "The Ringmaster" Paul was 20-1, with 17 knockouts and he would go 10 rounds against Paisan.  It was a unanimous decision win for the American rising star, but Paisan gave him all he could handle and proved that he was ready to contend.
   Paisan bounced back with a 5th round tko victory over Orlando Orozco to win the Venezuelan national Jr. Welterweight title belt. Having won 2 national titles, Paisan set his eyes on a bigger prize, and in his next fight he moved up in weight and challenged another popular countryman in Juan Rondon (21-3-2) for his  WBA Fedalatin Welterweight title belt.  That bout ended in the 9th round as a "No Contest" and even though Paisan was denied a 3rd title belt, his reputation as a warrior remained intact, and his ranking wasn't diminished.
   He then won the rematch with Orlando Orozco who was better prepared, but still lost by decision over 10 rounds to Paisan.
   Just 1 month later, Paisan really stepped things up and accepted the challenge of Panama's undefeated and world ranked contender - Rodolfo Aguilar (15-0).  The fight took place in Turmero, Venezuela, and after 10 rounds of war, the fight ended in a draw!  6 fights later, Aguilar would get a WBA world title shot against legendary Juilio Cesar Chavez, and 3 fights later Paisan would face another undefeated contender in Colombia's Rafael Pineda (12-0, 12 ko).  Delmar traveled to the undefeated hot-shot's home town, and was the first fighter to go the distance, albeit in a losing effort, over 10 blood-and-guts rounds.
   His showings against top level opposition raised his value, and from then on, his level of opponents was top-of-the-line prospects, contenders, or champions only.
   His next 5 fights included: Jose Barboza (11-1), Tracy Spann (23-0), Darryl Tyson (30-4), and a meeting with former WBC Jr. Welterweight World Champion "The Black Mamba" - Roger Mayweather (35-6) for Mayweather's WBA Americas Jr. Welter Championship.  Paisan went 1-4 in that murderous stretch (taking a 10-round decision over Barboza), but again, showed his skill and remained a viable contender.

   Delmar Paisan continued his campaign for nearly 10 more years after the Mayweather fight.  Becoming a popular "gate-keeper" against some of the top names in the divisions.  Vinny Burgese, Ricky Meyers, Wilfredo Rivera, Pedro Sanchez (twice), Alberto Cortes, Otilio Villareal, Juan Martin Coggi, and others, before finishing with his final fight in April of 2000 in Spain for the TWBA Jr. Middleweight Championship against undefeated Spaniard Jorge Araujo (9-0-1).  Paisan lost that final match by decision over 12 rounds.
   It was an amazing journey that spanned nearly 21 years of fighting! Delmar Paisan ended his pro boxing career with a record of 29 wins, 18 losses, and 3 draws. Winning 19 of those by knockout, and picking up 2 national titles.

Check out his complete record on Boxrec: IDELMAR "Delmar" PAISAN

Checkout Paisan's fight vs Tracy Spann:
DELMAR PAISAN vs TRACY SPANN