Well we are back for the 8th installment of Fight of the week, where we review, rescore and remember some historic fights of the past. We have looked at MW, SBW, HW (x’s 2) WW, FW and Fly this week we take our first trip to the Lightweight division, so far we have traveled to 1989 (x's 2) , 2008, 1971 (x’s 2) 1951 and 1986 this week we travel back to 1981, 40 years ago! April 12, 1981 Hilmer Kenty was preparing to make his 4th defense of WBA Lightweight title, while Sean O'Grady was attempting for the 2nd time to win a title after coming up short in a TKO loss to Jim Watt (another fun fight for those interested) for the WBC Lightweight title. So lets travel back to April 12, 1981 at Ballys Park Place Hotel Casino, Atlantic City NJ This content is protected
Does anyone know the history origin of the nickname the Motor City Cobra? I have always attributed it to Thomas The Hitman Hearns, but as I am reading up on Kenty (and O’Grady) it seems that it was a dual nickname given to both Kenty and Hearns who were fighting out of the Kronk. Kenty was the first Kronk fighter to win a world championship. It seems they were jointly called the Motor City Cobras rather than just a nickname of Hearns. Anyone got any info on how they got the nickname?
This was a nice performance from O'Grady, but Kenty didn't seem to have his legs here. He threw and backed up in a straight line when attacked, giving not much movement at all. He was a punching bag for much of the bout. Been a few years since I saw it, but from memory.......
I watched this one last year for the first time (I think @scartissue recommended it) and I really enjoyed it so very happy to watch it again.
Thanks for the video. Good fight. Kenty just couldn't hurt O'Grady, despite landing many clean right hands, and I think that was the difference here. O'Grady did well in consistently attacking the body, and he looked far stronger than Kenty.
O'Grady was better than a lot of people think. He was royally screwed up in Scotland in his fight with Jim Watt. I also think he was a pretty good announcer; better than some of the mongs we have today.
Rewatched and scored this I think last summer on the sticky thread. O’Grady was very good in this. I think his body punching had a lot to do with taking away Kenty’s legs — just battered him downstairs and also landed clean shots to the head. Sean’s dad ruined him, dropping this belt and starting the WAA (World Athletic Association, aka WBO’Grady) and installing him as champ. All that drama played out and Sean got hammered by Andy Gannigan, a hard-punching southpaw best avoided.
Sean O'Grady v Hilmer Kenty Great fight. I had it a little closer this time than when I first scored it previously but no doubt O'Grady was the clear winner. But it was competitive throughout and it had some great back and forth action, particularly the 11th round, although there were plenty of exciting exchanges in other rounds too. Here's my card: 1 9-10 2 10-8 (straight right to the body puts Kenty down) 3 10-9 4 9-10 (close) 5 10-9 (O'Grady has Kenty in trouble but gets cut) 6 10-10 (Kenty seemed to be controlling the action but O'Grady came back at the end of the round) 7 10-9 (Kenty is in trouble again) 8 10-8 (Kenty started the round well but goes down again) 9 10-9 10 9-10 11 10-10 (terrific round. Kenty has O'Grady in trouble but O'Grady turns the tables by the end of the round) 12 10-9 13 9-10 (close) 14 9-10 (close. Kenty had O'Grady hurt but he came back again) 15 10-9 O'Grady 145-140 Kenty
Thanks for sharing bro, I am Interested in seeing what I think as it has been a few years for me. 2 of the judges had an even round and the 3rd judge scored 2 even rounds so your card seems right on the official line.
Neither one of these guys get a whole lot of threads discussing them. It’s a great time to discuss them and/or this fight. Kenty was the first world champ out of the Kronk stable, and as I mentioned above was half of the Motor City Cobras with Thomas Hearns. I have always attributed the nickname to Hearns so it was cool finding out that it was a nickname that they shared. O’Grady’s fight with Watts was a fun one, that I thought was closer than the judges had at the time of stoppage. I don’t think the butt was intentional but rather they “both” moved into it. Just one of those things. I wonder if O’Grady ever softened his stance on it? Watt says they were in the hospital together after the fight and talked nicely to each other. I feel like O’Grady’s dad messes his career up by having him get stripped and then his own efforts to create the WAA lightweight title with Sean as Champ was short lived in losing to Ganigan in his next fight.
O'Grady survived a serious cut and went to the body for 15 rounds, Kenty was tough for being able to take those punches to the body and go the distance and he was still fighting hard at the end. I scored for O'Grady 11-3-1, or 147-137. I gave O'Grady 2,3,5,6,7,8,9,11,12,14,15, scored 13 EVEN, and gave Kenty 1,4,10. I don't remember ever seeing a fighter go to the body from the outside as much and as well as O'Grady did. I suspect that was a surprise to Kenty and affected his entire game plan. O'Grady also went to the body effectively from the inside and I have no idea how Kenty took all of those body shots and still had the strength to punch and take punches late in the fight. O'Grady fought a near perfect fight and Kenty showed toughness and skill. An excellent fight for heart, and skill. For anybody who likes body punching, it's well worth watching.
Went back to the Fights You Watched/Scored thread and after a bit of hunting found my scorecard post from last May: Sean O’Grady vs. Hilmer Kenty, April 12, 1981, at Bally’s Park Place Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., for the WBA lightweight championship O’Grady enters 74-2 (65). Kenty is 20-0 (15) and making the fourth defense of his title. O’Grady weighs 133 to Kenty’s 134 1/2. Earlier in the day came news that Joe Louis had passed away (RIP Bomber). 1. 10-9 Kenty 2. 10-8 O’Grady (knockdown late in the round) 3. 10-9 O’Grady (by a wide margin) 4. 10-10, even 5. 10-9 O’Grady (O’Grady suffers a bad cut on the corner over his left eye which never stops bleeding the rest of the fight) 6. 10-9 O’Grady 7. 10-9 O’Grady (batters Kenty, who sustains his own cut but it never becomes a factor) 8. 10-8 O’Grady (scores another knockdown 9. 10-9 O’Grady 10. 10-9 Kenty 11. 10-9 O’Grady (great round, both hurt) 12. 10-9 O’Grady 13. 10-9 Kenty 14. 10-9 O’Grady 15. 10-9 O’Grady My scorecard: O’Grady 147-137. Every round I gave Kenty except for the first was debatable. A couple of the ones I gave O’Grady were close and could have gone the other way. Official scoring: O’Grady wins UD — 145-141, 146-141, 147-141 O’Grady’s body punching was fierce. He landed solid rights to the body from the outside from start to finish and then worked Kenty over really well to the belly in close.
