Boxing News magazine Download 4.1.1980.pdf

Boxing News magazine Download  4.1.1980.pdf

Boxing News Magazine 1980  Memorabilia
Boxing News Magazine 1980  History
Boxing Results 1980

BOXING NEWS FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

OVERSEAS TOP TEN FOR 1979

PALOMINO GOES INTO MOVIES

Wilshire and Cross are the medal heroes

NOLAN PUNCHES WAY TO  NABC FINAL

three times — in 1914 (Joe Symonds, fly, and Freddie Welsh, light) 1961 (Terry
Downes, middle, and John Caldwell, bantam) and 1979 (Jim Watt, light, and Maurice
Hope, light-middle).
For that reason alone it would be frivolous to place either J im Watt or Maurice Hope above the
other in terms of achievement. Therefore both men are jointly named Boxing News fighters of the
year for 1979.
At the beginning of the year it seemed Hope's was the more severe task. He was faced with a
peak-career, heavy-punching champion in the Italian-Australian Rocky Mattioli — and the
likelihood was that because of Maurice's supposedly unspectacular style the fight would go on in
Italy.

PICKING the top fight of 1979 in overseas rings wasn't easy. There were a lot of good
fights this past year. There were also two great ones, fights worthy of a place in a bouts
of the decade listing.
These were the tremendous battle for the World Boxing Council featherweight title
in which Danny "Little Red" Lopez had to fight tooth and nail to retain his title against
Mike Ayala and the ferociously exciting fight for the WBC light-heavyweight crown
between Matt Franklin (as he was then) and Marvin Johnson.

ENGLAND'S hastily organised and relatively
inexperienced four-man team exceeded all expectations
by winning two silver medals in the
American and Russian dominated first World
junior championships.
Previously unheralded light-heavyweight David
Cross and southpaw light-middleweight Nick
Wilshire were both halted in the finals after
scoring great victories which boosted England to
fifth place in the medais table.

A TREMENDOUS night's boxing was enjoyed at
the Fleming Park Sports Centre, Eastleigh, Hampshire
when the NABC staged their semi-finals on
December 15.
There were 25 bouts on the night involving 50
boxers all trying to win a place in the prestigious
NABC finals. This stage of the competition consisted
of bouts between London Federation champions
and champions of South and South-East of
England.