- 3 weeks ago
Undefeated Welterweight contender Sugar Ray Leonard faces Johnny Gant on HBO Boxing
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00:00Very tough fight for 12 rounds. I hope Johnny Gantt cooperates and puts his chin up so I can hit it.
00:06I pictured it would be a tough fight, you know, for the first couple rounds.
00:09After all, then I would come on and do what I normally can do.
00:13Hit and don't get hit and experience and finesse will tell a fight.
00:30HBO Sports presents a welterweight fight.
00:37Johnny Gantt versus Sugar Ray Leonard, a 12-round non-title event.
00:44We are live from Landover, Maryland at the Capitol Center.
00:48You're looking at a Maryland record boxing crowd of 20,000, long a sellout, a bigger crowd than watch two Ali fights here.
00:55They've even sold tickets at $20 a pop to watch on closed circuit at the Washington, D.C. Armory.
01:02Never in memory has there been such interest for what amounts to a non-title neighborhood grudge match.
01:08The reason for all the interest, two local kids.
01:11Sugar Ray Leonard, the charismatic 22-year-old from Palmer Park, Maryland, the number one U.S. welterweight.
01:17He is 17-0.
01:19His challenger, the number two U.S. welterweight, Johnny Gantt from Washington, D.C.
01:24He's 29 years old, 58 fights, just 11 losses.
01:28He fought for the welterweight title and lost a decision in 1975.
01:34Good evening, everyone.
01:35Welcome to Maryland.
01:36Len Berman, along with Don Dunphy and Larry Merchant.
01:39They're calling this the Mid-Atlantic Welterweight Championship.
01:42Heck, this is just a fight to find out who's the toughest kid on the block.
01:46Don Dunphy on Blow by Blow Force.
01:47Don, an electric atmosphere here in Maryland tonight.
01:50It certainly is, Len.
01:51And I'm enthused because of the fact that this particular evening takes the emphasis off the heavyweights.
01:56It's good for Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton, and Larry Holmes.
02:00They're great fighters.
02:01But this proves that there's more to boxing than the big heavyweights.
02:04When a couple of little welterweights can draw 20,000 in here, it means that boxing is on sound footing.
02:11Well, Larry Merchant, our analyst tonight.
02:13Larry, where does this stack up on the ladder, the procession that Leonard's making towards the welterweight crown?
02:18I think, Len, that the brain trust behind Sugar Ray Leonard has maneuvered him very, very cleverly, picking his opponents very well.
02:26He started out against some young professionals that he clearly outclassed.
02:31He moved on to some better young professionals to test them over a 10-round distance.
02:35Then he went up against some ranked fighters, a former tough, top fighter like Armando Muniz.
02:42Now he's going in against Johnny Gantt.
02:44Now a part of the brain trust is Angelo Dundee.
02:47Most people know him as the trainer and the manager of Muhammad Ali.
02:52He once managed Gantt.
02:54And I gather from talking to Dundee that not for the fact that they could draw a house like this,
03:00he would just as soon let it not fight Gantt yet.
03:03And to get an edge, I think, we have a ring here tonight that looks like a telephone booth.
03:1017 feet.
03:1117 feet.
03:12We came out here this afternoon and measured it.
03:14It was a little less than 17 feet.
03:16What do you think he has a small ring, Don?
03:18I don't know.
03:19That's a puncher's ring because Johnny Gantt is a stick-and-move boxer.
03:23He's a classy boxer.
03:24And Leonard, while he's fast, may not be that fast.
03:28And it's to his advantage as the puncher to have a smaller ring service.
03:32Yes, I think we've seen that although Leonard isn't a big puncher, he is a very active action fighter.
03:39And this kind of a setting against this opponent, it is to his advantage to have a smaller ring.
03:44There's no place to hide in there.
03:46What's remarkable to me, Don and Larry, is the record paydays I think this is producing.
03:51We have a non-title event here, a couple of welderweights.
03:54And the money here that these two guys will be earning, I think, is staggering.
03:57Well, Leonard, outside of Ali, I think Leonard is the big money man in the ring as far as drawing people in.
04:04Naturally, a heavyweight championship bout will draw more shekels.
04:08But for people, Sugar Ray Leonard is bringing us back to the days of Sugar Ray Robinson and Graziano.
04:15And people like that.
04:17It's an extraordinary phenomenon, really.
04:19We've seen that wherever Leonard fights, he's the hometown boy, even if there's a real hometown boy going against him.
04:26This fight will draw about well over $300,000.
04:30The house tonight is $268,000 plus television revenue, plus whatever they draw to the D.C. Armory at $20 a head.
04:38And Gantt, I've learned, is getting a flat fee of about $20,000, which is twice as much as he's ever earned before.
04:46I would estimate that Sugar Ray Leonard will get somewhere between $150,000 and $200,000 tonight.
04:52This place is buzzing right now.
04:55The crowd is virtually standing around us.
04:58Fighters are about to walk on momentarily.
05:00Don, what do you think it boils down to, your pre-fight analysis?
05:04Well, it boils down to this.
05:05I think Leonard should get him early if he's going to get him because Gantt has an awful lot of experience.
05:12He's gone a 15-round route.
05:14Leonard has never gone more than 10 rounds, although he's done that four times.
05:18And I'm sure he can go 15, but as it goes on, this is a 12-round bout.
05:24Leonard may question his own stamina, and Gantt may seize an opportunity to come on.
05:30Now, I'm not picking Gantt by any means.
05:32Leonard is the favorite, and he should be.
05:34But Gantt is a tough man.
05:35He lost a very close decision for the well-await title.
05:38Crowd comes to a fever pitch.
05:41Let's go to the ring announcer.
05:42Our main event, these bouts brought to you by matchmaker Eddie Eureka,
05:50under the supervision of the Maryland State Athletic Commission, D. Chester O'Sullivan, chairman.
05:56The timekeeper is Izzy Buck, counting for the knockdown, Earl Clemens.
06:00The doctors in attendance, Ira Brescher and William Antraide.
06:05Your ring announcer, Marv Brooks.
06:08Our judges are Larry Barrett and Terry Moore, the referee, Joe Bunzong.
06:15We're waiting now for the principals to be introduced by Mr. Brooks.
06:36For the Mid-Atlantic Welderweight Championship, from Washington, D.C., weighing 144 and three-quarter pounds,
06:47wearing blue trunks, Johnny Gantt.
06:50Johnny Gantt is 29 years old, six feet tall, weighed in at 144 and three-quarter pounds.
07:12The rollerweight limit is 147.
07:15He's had 58 fights.
07:17Here comes Johnny.
07:17He's won 44, lost 11 with three draws.
07:22He has knocked out 25.
07:24He's been stopped himself twice.
07:26And he's won 15 rounds for the rollerweight title against Angel Espada in 1975.
07:33Weighing 146 pounds, wearing white trunks, Sugar Ray Leonard.
07:41Well, you can hear the roar that's beating Sugar Ray.
07:45He's 22 years old, five feet nine and a half, weighed 146.
07:51He's had 17 fights.
07:53He's won them all with 10 knockouts.
07:56He's never gone 12 rounds, however.
07:58He's never had to.
07:59He's gone 10 rounds four times.
08:01There may be a little grudge here because of the fact that the manager of Sugar Ray Leonard is Angelo Dundee who dropped Johnny Gantt.
08:14He was his manager.
08:15When he had that, when this match was made, naturally, he couldn't manage both men.
08:22Leonard is almost at the ring.
08:25Here comes Angelo Dundee preceding him in.
08:30Followed by David Jacobs, his trainer.
08:35Sugar Ray having trouble getting through.
08:37Oh, he looks very serious, doesn't he, Larry?
08:39Well, I should hope so.
08:41This is not a time to jive.
08:44I think he knows what the job is tonight.
08:48And I think we will also point out that Sugar Ray Leonard first saw Johnny Gantt fight when he, Sugar Ray, was 14 years old.
08:56The third man in the third, Jim Dudley, the manager of Johnny Gantt.
09:03The third man in the corner with Sugar Ray Leonard will be Jenks Morton, also a trainer.
09:11I think, I think, bespeaking the seriousness of the occasion, this is the first time I can recall seeing Sugar Ray Leonard without.
09:18The first time I've seen Sugar Ray Leonard without the tassels on his shoes.
09:43I guess he came here to fight.
09:45Not down.
09:46Right.
09:46The rules here, scoring is on a five-point must system by the referee and two judges.
09:53A mandatory eight-count is in effect.
09:56However, there is no three-knockdown rule.
09:59That is the discretion of the referee is how many times a man can be knocked down.
10:04The count continues at the bell.
10:05If a man is floored at or near the ringing of the bell, he must arise by ten, even though the bell is sounded or be counted out.
10:14Except in the last round.
10:15The ring is a small ring, 17 feet square.
10:21Sugar Ray Leonard in the white.
10:23Johnny Gantt, much so taller than the two, in the blue.
10:27Gantt is a good counter puncher.
10:30He's a stick-and-move boxer.
10:32He knows his way around the squared circle.
10:34Gantt's main weapon is the left jab.
10:49You see him using.
10:49He's already stuck it out there about a dozen times.
10:52He's also got a good stick right hand.
10:55He's got 25 knockouts.
10:57So that's not bad out of 58 fights.
11:00This is an important night for Leonard, but it's a more important night for Johnny Gantt.
11:09Leonard can lose and still come on, but Gantt, if he loses, well, Joe Bunset, B-U-N-S-A, is the referee.
11:21Not too much has happened so far.
11:25Leonard holding on to the left club of Johnny Gantt.
11:30I would think that Leonard would come on in the early rounds and try to get it over as quickly as possible.
11:40And he's trying that now.
11:44Straight to right hand here and shot in the left.
11:47But they're still feeling each other out and getting their distance measured before they really cut loose.
11:54Gantt is starting to find Leonard with the left jab.
11:57Leonard has found him with both hands.
11:59A little bit more than a minute to go in round one.
12:07Every so often you can hear the referee tell him to get out of it.
12:12There he is now.
12:20Leonard has every possible good punch that a boxer can have.
12:25Much more flat-footed than we've seen him before.
12:29Obviously coming out here knowing that in this fight, in this match, he is the puncher.
12:34He's going for the knockout right now.
12:36You can see the way Leonard is eyeing Johnny Gantt.
12:44That's a crazy follow-up punch there.
12:48Leonard not too accurate with his follow-up punches.
12:50He seems a little over-anxious, Don.
13:03He really hasn't softened up his opponent or measured him yet to be throwing those kinds of big roundhouse punches.
13:09He had a very experienced campaigner like that.
13:14Well, ending round one.
13:18Oh, they didn't like each other there.
13:27Well, when you have a neighborhood brawl, you're not supposed to like the other guy.
13:33There's a bit of a mistake in that tale of the chase.
13:38Johnny Gantt's reach is much longer than 74 inches.
13:41It's about 80 inches.
13:42Despite the fact that he has a three-inch advantage in his height, he does not have much of an advantage in his reach, about a half of an inch.
13:51But, of course, that left jab, as you've already seen, is the weapon that he fights off of.
14:00That sets everything else up in his armor.
14:03Looking at that first round, Larry, I would think that Johnny Gantt is thinking he'd prefer a 20-foot ring rather than a 17-foot or less ring, which this is, because Leonard is on top of him all the time.
14:18Number two, Sugar Ray Leonard undefeated.
14:22Then he'd think he's the coming champion.
14:24He's in the white trunks.
14:28Johnny Gantt in the blue, pecking away with that left hand, but remember, he's got a good right.
14:39Gantt is putting out the left hand.
14:41It is not landing.
14:47He might be luring Leonard into an opening by keeping that right hand back, not using it.
14:55One of these times, he'll get close enough to land the left and maybe follow up the right.
14:59I'm talking about Gantt.
15:02Leonard's still fighting flat-footed.
15:07He's cocking that right hand.
15:11You can watch their little nuances in there, the way they move their gloves around and faints, trying to get the other fellow out of position.
15:27Leonard's still over-anxious with a follow-up contact after scoring with the left.
15:37Leonard doesn't seem to be using his left enough, Don.
15:40He flicks it out once or twice and then shoots his right over, but he's not really working with the left hand.
15:45Round two is half over.
15:49Leonard is scoring with the Jazz now.
15:53They're getting a little bit closer to each other, which means the Jazz are going to land.
15:59And the right hand just grazed the face.
16:11Johnny Gantt in the blue with the yellow stripe.
16:15All white are the trunks worn by Sugar Ray Leonard.
16:19Less than a minute to go in round two.
16:23Good one-two by Leonard.
16:25Over-anxious with the follow-up.
16:27Now he's getting Gantt.
16:29And Gantt is left under the rope.
16:31He is hurt.
16:3340 seconds to go in the round.
16:35Gantt is hurt as Leonard tries to finish it.
16:38Gantt trying to weather the storm.
16:41He's woozy, though.
16:43He was set up by that punch beautifully.
16:46Now Gantt fights back.
16:48Leonard is holding Gantt, and the referee gets him apart.
16:5220 seconds to go in the round.
17:00Leonard almost had him.
17:07The crowd is really roaring.
17:09Gantt fighting back hard.
17:11Seconds to go now.
17:15There's the foul.
17:19Leonard throws his arms up.
17:21Round.
17:22Round whirl.
17:23Many on their feet.
17:24Around the nose.
17:25Surely the Sugar Ray Leonard.
17:27And remember that if a man is floored out or near the bell, he must arise by the count of ten if he considered out.
17:36Let's take a look.
17:37He sets him up with that left and lands on the right high on his head.
17:40He's pressing the attack.
17:41And there's the right hand that staggers Gantt.
17:44Leonard is in on him.
17:45He lands a left, but he's a little wild with his punches here.
17:48He really didn't do much when he had him against the ropes after he hurt him.
17:51And he did hurt him.
17:52Mr. Ray Leonard is very anxious to get to him.
17:54Johnny Gantt, you're looking at a very seasoned, resourceful professional.
17:55When he was hurt, he knew what to do.
17:56He did come out lashing at Leonard to let him know that he was still a dangerous, if wounded animal.
17:57And Larry, he did not use a stool between rounds.
17:58He just stood there.
17:59Round three.
18:00Leonard now is starting to smile a little bit.
18:01Not as serious as he was earlier.
18:02Gantt moving around more up on his toes.
18:04The guy is very anxious to get to him.
18:05He's very anxious to get to him.
18:06Johnny Gantt, you're looking at a very seasoned, resourceful professional.
18:10When he was hurt, he knew what to do.
18:12He did come out lashing at Leonard to let him know that he was still a dangerous, if wounded animal.
18:17And Larry, he did not use the stool between rounds.
18:18He just stood there.
18:19Round three.
18:20Leonard now is starting to smile a little bit.
18:22Not as serious as he was earlier.
18:23Gantt moving around more up on his toes.
18:24Gant moving around more up on his toes
18:29Trying to keep Leonard off with that jab and you're amazing at him
18:35This is Johnny Gantz 12th year as a professional even though he's only 29 years old
18:45Dan has to hold on
18:48It's a 59th fight
18:5118 as a professional that is
18:54That has done very little with the right hand
19:00Landed a few treads and that's all
19:05And on the one side it fits so far
19:18Leonard moving in confidently, but not carelessly
19:24And it's still being kept up by the jab on occasion
19:31That's a Joe Bunsen
19:41Leonard is getting to his man
19:43It's all Sugar Ray Leonard right now as Gantz has to hold on
19:47A hundred and fifteen seconds to go in the round
19:51It's all Sugar Ray Leonard right now as Gantz has to hold on
19:57A hundred and fifteen seconds to go in the round
20:01Leonard is smartly working the body as well as the head
20:05Leonard is smartly working the body as well as the head
20:09Leonard is smartly working the body as well as the head
20:11I don't think Gantz has landed a right hand yet
20:16He's landed a few jabs and that's all
20:17And we're near the end of round three
20:19Leonard is strong
20:22I don't think Gantz has landed a right hand yet
20:24He's landed a few jabs and that's all
20:27And we're near the end of round three
20:37Leonard continues to show his improvement as a fighter
20:41as a fighter right now it's johnny can't rather than gant
20:50a good thing for gant that that right was a grazing punch or it would have been over maybe
20:55i don't know the ranks just dance still smart round three almost over
21:15there's the bell
21:25all right let's listen to johnny dance corner now
21:55is handler just said there is even if you lose fight they're obviously very displeased with his
22:02performance so far that's his manager jim dudley
22:09he says you got to get on his butt so let's see if johnny can takes the fight
22:14the sugar ray leonard is here and let's see what the consequences of that action would be round four
22:20so the ray leonard in the white johnny gant in the blue johnny was shaken up in the second round but he
22:27wasn't hurt in the third he was not hurt in the first round either he has done very little very little
22:35it's been all leonard so far about a schedule for 12 rounds before a sellout crowd at the capital center in london maryland
22:45center in london maryland a very enthusiastic crowd
22:53leonard again is putting out his left hand as though he hopes he won't get tagged by a return punch
23:00but he isn't moving backward anymore don he is standing his ground and trying to move ahead
23:15leonard is fighting flat-footed but this time we've seen him fight flat-footed for so long a period
23:21usually up on his toes more but he's getting that power in his punches from the beginning he's
23:28wanted to get this over early the way gantt is fighting now don we can expect leonard to land
23:35something very good very soon and then the fight will be on we'll know right then whether gantt can
23:41stand up to him because he is moving closer and closer to leonard
23:45he's moving closer to the referee a good sneak right hand by leonard that time
24:03leonard a boxer and a puncher and he can take a punch
24:07he can't stand up very well now that may bother leonard psychologically that leonard that gantt could
24:27take those punches and take those punches and still come back
24:42conversely don i think it's emboldened gantt a little bit to find out he can move in to leonard
24:48and take some of those punches and still keep coming
24:50about 20 seconds to go in the round
24:58this is the best gantt has looked since the fight started now i don't mean he's winning the round
25:03but it's the best he's looked leonard over
25:07round four is over
25:22okay len don here's eddie richter the promoter of the guy you were also involved in the two
25:27ali fights that were held here in this building how does this one snap up this one out does the ali
25:32place the crowd was pulled out two days up front it's generated so much interest this kid has taken
25:38the magnetism that ali had had in his early career and he has generated more so being local both kids
25:44being local have made for a great fight both have different followings from different areas
25:49and ali in his greatness could not equal what we have here tonight eddie do you have to promote a
25:54title fight for sugar ray leonard here in this building i am anticipating it in the spring summer
26:00or by the latest fall okay thank you eddie good luck to you thank you good night here in maryland
26:04let's go back to god all right land johnny gantt now is uh sitting down between rounds he
26:11didn't do it after the first round we're coming up to round five it's been all sugar ray leonard so far
26:17good array in the white trunks gantt in the blue
26:29gantt showing a little more activity now than he did earlier
26:37he has shown that he can take leonard's good punches at least up to now
26:47and finally landed the right hand
26:55that's what he's been waiting for that stick right hand he's got it in there like a bullet
27:05and is finally making a fight of it
27:07a minute
27:15swan in this round two minutes left
27:22remember that's a 12 round bout
27:24he's going to be able to go
27:27gantt is off balance
27:29great stop back
27:41great
27:41great
27:41gantt is hitting and holding now
27:44Well, Leonard's trying to bring the guard down and being pecked by that jab again and
27:54again.
27:55It only pecks, but they all bother some.
27:59Well, he said that Gant was a stick-and-move box, so that's what he is in this round.
28:08Leonard has all the equipment.
28:18Less than a minute to go in the round.
28:33Most of the action out in the center of the ring.
28:37Leonard may be off his rhythm for a bit here.
28:52I think getting hit and grazed by that quick right hand has made him a little bit more cautious.
29:02Leonard is liking this man now, but Gant is playing up well under it.
29:17There's the bell.
29:18Nobody heard the bell.
29:19That last night from Gant, you have to tell.
29:25Well, more sports coming your way on HBO.
29:30Monday night, HBO takes a close look at 1978 in sports.
29:33It's a compendium of all the stories and athletes that made 78 such an incredible year in sports,
29:40from the Ali Sphinx saga to the miracle of the Yankees, from the Super Bowls to affirm the
29:45Super Horse.
29:46Kurt Gowdy will be your host along with Len Dawson, Larry Merchant here, and myself as we
29:50look at all the most memorable moments of 1978 in sports.
29:54Monday night, January 15th, right here on HBO.
29:57Tonight, we are live from Landover, Maryland.
30:00This is Glenn Berman along with Larry Merchant and Don Dumpy.
30:03We have gone five rounds.
30:05So far, what do you have, Larry?
30:08I have Sugar Ray for three, maybe two of them even.
30:11Leonard is way, way ahead.
30:13I think Gant's gonna have to start moving in and taking charge if he's gonna have any chance
30:22to win this fight.
30:23I've got it five to nothing, Leonard.
30:25So have I.
30:26Gant in the blue, Leonard in the white.
30:31This is the sixth round.
30:32It's scheduled for 12.
30:35Nevertheless, Gant is looking a little better than he did earlier, which is a comparative
30:40time.
30:41He did nothing earlier.
30:43Well, it turned into quite a pattern.
31:06I hope the decibels don't break our equipment.
31:10I've never heard six yelling.
31:12That was quite an exchange.
31:15Gant is now making a fight of it.
31:20He may feel that he has taken the best of Sugar Ray as well.
31:27They are maneuvering.
31:52Leonard is standing with his head now.
31:57Gant fighting more confidently.
32:02Not much is landing by either one, however.
32:09A minute to go in the round.
32:14Again, Leonard wild and over-anxious with his follow-up punch.
32:39Gant has been trying to set Gant up with that left hand.
32:46Gant knows it.
32:48Gant is fighting a fine defensive fight.
32:54That was faked by Johnny Gant.
33:00Gant is pushing it down
33:09Gant is cracking it.
33:12Gant isait.
33:13Gant is sounding
33:16Gant that was faked by Johnny Ganttan,
33:17but then gant are hanging on and there is D llend
33:20Mark down at the left hand.
33:22Gant is faked by
33:24X- Gant.
33:25Quite the hill.
33:26Oh my God,
33:27I have done!
33:28Four days before Mitch
33:29versus Mitch
33:30Let's see if we can hear Angelo Dundee in the corner over this quick crowd.
33:50Undefeated in 17 straight low bouts, but he's undefeated in 57 bouts overall.
33:55Amateur and professional hasn't lost 5 years.
33:58Let's take some of the action in that round and see if he has a right that landed just behind Sugar Ray's ear.
34:13Sugar Ray is obviously the quicker of the two men, and he moves inside the long reach of Gant.
34:20Sugar Ray took the towel out with him.
34:22He wasn't throwing in a towel, was he?
34:24Round 7.
34:27The bout has passed the halfway mark.
34:31Scheduled for 12, and I think Leonard has been told to go get him, get it over with.
34:37Gant still has a lot of bounce in his feet, although he's taken some good shots, some very good shots.
34:49He's only landed in maybe two good right hands himself.
34:53Leonard has been all over him.
34:54But Gant is still fighting.
34:55And is dangerous.
34:56Good right by Gant.
34:57You know, Larry, I don't think I've seen Gant throw a left hook.
35:01He's either thrown straight to edge or straight right hands.
35:09It looks like he learned how to box out of a textbook.
35:15And the pages on the hook were missing.
35:16Right.
35:17Or he might have been out since that day.
35:20He might have been out since that day.
35:21I can't remember saying the fighter delivered a 7th round without having to do it.
35:23I can't remember saying the fighter delivered a 7th round without having to do it.
35:24I can't do it.
35:25I can't do it.
35:26I can't do it.
35:27even Phuket is also ill.
35:30How big are he?
35:31Even in the wild one.
35:34Runner in the wild one.
35:40Now back to the ball.
35:41So I cannot do it.
35:48Finally, Melissa, good sir.
35:51The editor hole is up in Man Tampa.
35:55Leonard in the white, Gantt in the blue.
36:09Leonard is throwing everything in his punches now.
36:13Gantt is taking them well.
36:15Leonard is shifting the attack to the body.
36:25Less than a minute to go in the round.
36:45Both men are perspiring profusely, to use the old cliche.
36:50A headlock by Leonard.
36:58Joe Bunsa, B-U-N-S-A, is the referee.
37:04They did not land.
37:10Gantt may have Leonard off-balance, at least mentally now.
37:14Go ahead.
37:17Go ahead.
37:20There you were.
37:21There you were.
37:23Okay.
37:24Now it's going to reach him.
37:25This is the eighth round.
37:27...Raeley's brothers and sisters here.
37:30Roger, his brother, who fought earlier tonight.
37:32Sandra, his sister.
37:34How does his brother feel?
37:35How are you?
37:37He's working down to the body,
37:39and I think he's taking all the eighth of the ninth round.
37:42Yeah, you're gonna make it to the top the way your brother's doing your weight classes white light middleweight
37:50Well, we saw you up in Maine Sondra is your brother doing just as well tonight
37:57Six kids in the family, right?
37:59Go get along. Okay. No fighting, right? All right. Just to the ring. All right, Roger and Sandra
38:05Let's go back to Donna learn
38:07All right, lamb. I gave the last round even which is the first night round. I did not give to Leonard outright
38:14How about you Larry?
38:16Well, Leonard is way ahead. I think the question from here on out is to see just how professional he looks
38:22And trying to break down an extremely resourceful careful opponent
38:27He hasn't been able to put anything consistent together
38:31Dominated the action obviously
38:33Too quick forget on the inside. He's staggered again in the second round
38:38And raked him a few times after that
38:41But he has not hurt him since then
38:44And he's also clever
38:47Mark fighter
38:49Wild with that one
38:51He keeps showing that left jab out
38:55But maybe he's got a left hook that he's saving
39:03Leonard has thrown a lot of left hooks. He's thrown a lot of everything
39:09And then went into a grimace there for a moment
39:15Dad scores with the one two
39:20And is looking better
39:26Wild over the head
39:27Dad is fighting like a guy fighting for his life
39:39And maybe he's fighting for his physical life
39:42He's not doing such a bad job at the moment even though he's well behind
39:47Scoring on a five point must system by the referee and two judges
39:57He's not doing such a bad job
40:01Dad is coming on now
40:12That left hand foot
40:13He had pushed on the jaw as he was trying to move away
40:16And I don't know if he's staggered or not
40:20He might be hurt
40:21He's not doing such a bad job
40:25Listen to this floor
40:26Look at the hammers
40:33Leonard has got him in trouble
40:35That's very good
40:48Sam might go, down
40:49He lost his mouthpiece
40:5120 seconds to go in the round
40:59strikes
41:00Four, five, six, he's up, seven, taking a mandatory right pass.
41:06The referee asked him how it is and sends it back into action.
41:10Six seconds left.
41:12Oh, the referee is stopping the fight.
41:14The referee is stopping the fight.
41:16The winner, Kyle Knockout, took away Leonard.
41:20A badly cut lift by Johnny Gant.
41:23He was in real trouble.
41:25And the fight is over with about five seconds left.
41:30About five seconds left in the round when the referee, Joe Buncea, the UNSA, finally stopped the fight.
41:39And the winner in the eighth round is Sugar Ray Leonard.
41:43Here it is, Doc.
41:47That left hook did it.
41:49Did you see that left?
41:51It was a crunch-up.
41:51The time, two minutes, 57 seconds of the eighth round.
41:55Winner by a technical knockout, Sugar Ray Leonard.
42:01Two, two-fifty-seven of the eighth round.
42:03There's Sugar Ray Leonard with Angelo Jundee.
42:07He has won 18 in a row.
42:10He has scored his 11 knockout.
42:12And Johnny Gant has been stepped for the first time.
42:18Oh, you want to flip off to the ground, Don?
42:20I watched the T.C.
42:21I give Johnny Gant a three-round call because he's a great fighter.
42:25All right.
42:26Yes, that's nice.
42:28Leonard.
42:32Larry Merchant.
42:33Yeah, Larry's up in the ring trying to get us in touch.
42:36He's talking to somebody who never looked at the media.
42:38All right, Sugar, would you face the camera, please?
42:48What are your thoughts on the fight?
42:50Well, Johnny, like everyone said, he's a pebble fighter.
42:53Very smart, very articulate.
42:55I had to take my time.
42:57I rushed myself a few times.
42:59But I will say that I'm not in a great deal.
43:01You know, I look at this fight as a step closer to a title fight.
43:05You saw Johnny Gant fight when you were 14 years old.
43:09What were your thoughts about looking across the ring at him early in the fight?
43:13I never thought of him before, and then I, you know, thought about the fact of fighting Johnny Gant.
43:17But he's not in a great deal.
43:19I learned I can reach for our opponent.
43:21He's just good with my hands, but no damage.
43:24All I can say is that, hey, I'm dedicated to be a world champion.
43:28I'm with my way up the top.
43:30What is your, what do you look ahead toward now?
43:33What are you feeling?
43:34You've only been at this as a professional for two years.
43:37How close do you think you are to fighting people like Palomino and Benitez and Cuevas?
43:43You know, I really don't care.
43:45That's up to me.
43:45When Angelo said, hey, we better.
43:47I feel capable of taking any guy home.
43:49But like I said, a long time ago, I'm going to take step by step.
43:52Angelo, if you've got a minute, please.
43:56Yeah, sure.
43:56Angelo, what is your, how would you rate the performance tonight?
44:00Excellent.
44:01What he did, he's in there with a smart head, difficult target to hit.
44:05And what he did, he steadily took him apart.
44:07The body shots got the guy, then he tore him up with uppercut.
44:10How concerned, you knew about Johnny Gant.
44:12He's very resourceful, very seasoned, very careful.
44:15How concerned were you about how Sugar Ray Leonard would approach a fighter of this company?
44:20Well, I was concerned for the fact that I knew this kid would miss him a lot of shots
44:23because the guy's a very elusive target.
44:25I wasn't concerned once he started cooking, once he started dictating the pace.
44:29You thought that he was, what, too quick for him inside, too strong?
44:33Yeah, too strong.
44:34The body shots would take their toll, and that's what happened.
44:36We commented on the fact that we never saw Gant throw any hooks.
44:41You had him as a manager.
44:43Does he ever throw a hook, or did you know that he would just come at you straight with that left?
44:47Ray, if he threw that push, he would have gotten nailed by Ray's right hand.
44:51He's a smart head, so what he was trying to do was trying to sucker him into right hands
44:54and couldn't suck him.
44:55This is the kind of fight where a fighter like Sugar Ray Leonard can look bad winning.
45:00Well, no, I thought it was a good fight to look at.
45:02I thought it was to pick up the momentum, and I thought the shots were grating through.
45:07What I mean to say is that he could have looked bad winning against a fighter like this,
45:11and yet at the same time, he did take charge in perhaps his most impressive fight.
45:16Lavery could have trained for six months and couldn't have the experience that he got tonight.
45:19That's what I'm talking about.
45:20Thank you very much.
45:21So, once again, we've seen Sugar Ray Leonard take another very positive step
45:26towards a well-awaited championship fight, perhaps later this year, perhaps next year.
45:32One thing we have to say about Sugar Ray Leonard,
45:34a lot of people have thought that he doesn't have a big punch.
45:37Perhaps he doesn't.
45:39He fights every minute of the round.
45:41He's ambitious.
45:42He wants to be a great man in the ring.
45:45He has a lot of tools to be that great man.
45:48Let's go to ringside now.
45:52Mid-Atlantic Welterweight Championship trophy.
45:55Not bad.
45:56They're calling this the Mid-Atlantic Welterweight Championship.
45:59I think Sugar Ray, as we heard the promoter, Eddie Ricka, say before,
46:04in fact, we heard an interview with Sugar Ray for the first time.
46:07He's talking title now.
46:08He's saying that come summer, he wants to go for the title,
46:11and that's the first time we've heard him say any kind of a time tape.
46:15He did it before the match.
46:16You mean prior to that he was an undeclared candidate?
46:19That was Abe Polin, the owner of the Capitol, Santa Hill,
46:22who gave Sugar Ray that trophy.
46:24This has been a wonderful night, not only for Sugar Ray Leonard,
46:29but also for all boxing.
46:31There is the trophy with Angelo Dundee and Sugar Ray Leonard.
46:37Well done.
46:37Gantt was ranked eighth in WTC ranking.
46:41Leonard was tenth.
46:42That'll change now.
46:43And Sugar Ray Leonard, in the eighth round of 257,
46:47a technical knockout, wins his 18th straight, his 11th knockouts.
46:52That's going to do it from the Capitol Center in Landover, Maryland.
46:55We had a sold-out crowd, people watching on closed circuit,
46:58paying $20 apiece down at the armory in Washington, D.C.
47:01If they got their money's worth, Sugar Ray Leonard remains undefeated
47:06as he heads toward the welterweight crown.
47:10For Don Dunphy and Larry Merchant,
47:13this is Len Berman from Landover, Maryland, the Capitol Center.
47:17Join Tom Heinsohn and me Tuesday night from Dayton, Ohio,
47:21when we bring you collegiate basketball.
47:22The University of Dayton Flyers hosts the Louisville Cardinals,
47:27Tuesday night from Dayton, Ohio.
47:30From Landover, Maryland, good night, everybody.
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