Thad Spencer 'Whats a Guy Have to do get a Shot at Clay'

Thad Spencer was 'The Pride of San Francisco'.

And correct, he was not well received by the Oakland Coliseum Arena fans
(attendance; 12,110).

But what does that mean, other than he was not popular in his home base.
Prior to the bout, Thad bad-mouthed Jerry Quarry in the media and at the press
conference, which did not sit well with the Oakland area fans.

I will say though Lord Tywin, you posted a very good recap of the bout.

After the bout, Thad Spencer did say he would commit to a better training regiment,
and re-dedicate his boxing profession. More-or less, to take boxing seriously.

3-days later, Thad Spencer was arrested for drunk-driving in Riverside County, while
returning home to his training camp in San Jacinto.

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Corky doesn't want it discussed on the site.....:huh

He did tell me, that Cassius couldn't spell or write at a 10th Grade-level
though.

 

April 1968

Thad Spencer, San Francisoco Heavyweight, hopes to rebound from his February
blunder versus Jerry Quarry.

The Syracuse Herald has reported that the 25 year-old #5 WBA-ranked contender
may fight former Champion - 33 year-old #7 WBA-ranked Floyd Patterson.

Spencer with a record of 33-6-0 (15 KO's) said a victory over Patterson will put him
right back in the Heavyweight Championship pool.

The former 2-time Heavyweight Champion, who was hoping to fight Cassius Clay on
April 25th in Las Vegas, has been removed as a challenger.
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Later, Thad Spencer signed to fight # 3 WBA-ranked Eduardo Corletti 25-2-5 (15 KO's) of
Argentina, in an April bout scheduled for the United Kingdom.

But, Spencer suffered a cut over his left-eye in training camp, and was forced to postpone the
bout for 5-weeks.

 

Those sliver spaceships in the sky,,,,,,,

I was in the Honorable Elijah Muhammad's 'silver Mercedes' when I
talked to him.

I got to use the car phone.

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Tuesday Night - May 28, 1968

Royal Albert Hall - United Kingdom

Attendance; 5000 (sell-out)

#5 WBA - Thad Spencer vs. #10 WBA Leotis Martin

25 year-old - Thad Spencer, 34-6-0 (15 KO's) looks to rebound from his February 1968
loss (TKO 12) to Jerry Quarry. Thad who has had to postpone his original bout
with Eduardo Corletti in April, has trained hard over the last month, and the 6' 0 1/2'
San Francisco Heavyweight comes into the bout at a 'fit and trim' 193 1/2 lbs.
(7 lbs. lighter than his bout with Jerry Quarry).

Eduardo Corletti of Argentina, the originally scheduled opponent hurt is knee in
training camp, and has had to pull-out of trhe bout.

As a replacement, 29 year-old - Philadelphia Heavyweight, and hard-right hand puncher Leotis Martin will fill-in.

Leotis, at 25-4-0 (15 KO's) is the #16 WBA-ranked Heavyweight. The 6' 2" 200 lb.
puncher, is regarded as having the best one-punch right-hand power in the Heavyweight Division.

Leotis has 'stumbled' recently, with '2' Decision losses in his last '3' bouts. But each loss was 'razor thin' and
by 1-point on the judges scorecards.

Before that, Leotis was 'stopped' on a brutal cut to Jimmy Ellis in the WBA Heavyweight Tournament back
on August 5, 1967.

 

The Best Heavyweight Fight in 1968

In front of a 'screaming' sell-out crowd at Royal Albert Hall

American Heavyweight's Thad Spencer and Leotis martin put on a great performance.

The Fight

In the opening round, Leotis martin and Thad Spencer go toe-to-toe, when Spencer
is stunned by a right-hand bomb from Martin. Leotis than attacks with barrage of punches,
and drops Spencer for a '3-Count' with a crushing flurry of lefts and rights. Spencer
leaves 'Round 1' stunned and dazed.

Remarkably, Thad Spencer is able to come back in Round 2, by pressuring Martin, scoring
with his own 'fast' right hand leads, and pulverizing left hooks to the body.

In Round 3, Leotis Martin finds the mark with stiff left jabs, as he tries to set-up
his hard right-hand. Spencer tries to bore in, but continually walks into stiff punches
while trying to get in his left hooks to the body.

In Round 4, Leotis Martin slows Spencer down, with hard straight hands to the
face, as he split's Spencer's nose. Martin continues to find a home for the straight
right hand lead, and Spencer tries to work Martin's body with hard left hooks.

Rounds 5, 6, and 7 - Leotis Martin lands murderous right hands to Spencer's head
time-and-again, rocking Thad who refuses to go down. Each time that he's hurt,
Spencer comes back with his own hard right hand and left hook.

After 7 Rounds, Leotis Martin has a 'solid lead' on the scorecard {6-1-0} (Associated Press)

In Round 8, Martin goes back to work with several hard left-rights, as Spencer
counters with left hooks to the body. Suddently, as Spencer moves in to throw a
right hand, their heads collide, and Leotis Martin comes away with a nasty gash over
his left eye. The blood flows like a stream, as the Referee George Smith of Scotalnd
calls the fighters to resume.

Thad Spencer seizes the opportunity, and goes right after the damaged eye with
stiff left jabs and right hands, opening the cut even more. Spencer stayed agggressive,
as he pounded on the 'blinded' Martin throughout the second-half of the round. The round
ends with Leotis Martin's face covered in blood, and Thad Spencer with renewed confidence.

In Round 9, Thad Spencer comes out fast, and goes right to work on the damaged eye of Martin.
Spencer scores with several flurries, as the cut opens up and streaming blood floes from
Martin's left eye. Many in the Royal Albert Hall call for the bout to be stopped.

But mid-way through the round, Leotis countered back effectively, and swarmed in, and landed
a series of blows, flooring Spencer for an '8-Count'. Spencer got up an 'shaky legs', and Leotis
attacked with another flurry of punches which drove Thad threw the ropes, where Referee Geoge Smith
intervened and called a halt to the bout at 2:28 of Round 9.

Leotis Martin, 'I knew the cut was bad, so I just threw everything I had.'

Thad Spencer, 'I just couldn't get warmed up early in the fight, as I felt too tight. He caught me
with a good one, and that was it. I'm going to take a few months off before I fight again.'

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Tuesday Night - November 12, 1968

Empire Pool - Wembley, United Kingdom

'Thad Spencer, The Once Promising Career Appears Over'

25 year-old - Thad Spencer 193 lbs., was battered throughout by Billy 'Golden Boy' Walker and
stopped and 2:04 of Round 6 (L TKO 6).

29 year-old Billy Walker 190 lbs., a one-time Heavyweght prospect himself - started
aggressively from the opening bell, staggering Spencer with a series of rights and lefts.

Spencer was able to re-group in Round 2, as he held his own. But in Rounds 3 and 4
'The Golden Boy' rocked the #9 WBA-ranked Challenger with a volley of punches.

In Round 5, Walker did not back-off, and had Spencer reeling from another series of
lefts and rights. Willie Ketchum, Spencer's Manager tried to stop the fight from
the corner, but Referee Roland Dakin let the bout continue.

Suprisingly, Willie Ketchum let his fighter come out for Round 6, where he was met
by a volley of right hands from Billy Walker that had Spencer reeling. Walker continued
to hammer away at a defenseless Spencer with a fiery flurry of rights, that forced Referee
Roland Dakin to call a halt to the Round at 2:0, by a TKO 6.

The 'loss', Thad Spencers 'third straight knockout loss' drops him to 32-8-0, and most
likely into 'journeyman' or 'trial-horse' status.

Billy 'Golden Boy' Walker, improves to 21-7-2 (16 KO's). It was his first bout in over
1-year, and the victory suddenly throws himself back into the Heavyweight race.

 

November 12, 1968

Thad Spencer after getting KO'd by Billy Walker.

"I had nothing. I did not train for this bout, and I had no strength.
Look at me, I'm all flab and no muscle. He hit me good, and I was
hurt.'

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