Did Lou Bizzarro knock down Roberto Duran?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Saintpat, May 18, 2017.


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  1. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    I was reading the "Hands of Stone" book, which is pretty well researched -- lots of interviews with Duran opponents and also you get Duran's takes on a lot of the fight plus others like managers and cornermen and whatnot.

    If you've never seen the fight, it resembles an Olympic 10,000 meter race more than a boxing match. Bizzarro ran and ran and ran some more. That was the game plan -- try to frustrate and tire Roberto and steal late rounds and maybe get a hometown decision in Eerie, Pa. An oversized ring was specially constructed just to help the local boy try to steal the title (I don't buy the 30 feet dimensions claimed by I think it was Don Elbaum, Lou's manager or promoter, but I'd bet it's over 25 square from the film) and they also didn't put padding on it -- just canvas over boards to attempt to give further edge to the local track star/boxer.

    In the book, Bizzarro claims that he knocked Duran down in the seventh and eighth, and that the ref just ignored it and didn't count.

    (Funny side note, Waldimar Schmidt was the ref - Elbaum said he OK'd him because he thought he was German, only to find out he was from Puerto Rico.)

    Anyway, this prompted me to go take another look at the rounds in question, been years since I've seen the fight, and I surely didn't remember the runner knocking down the great Duran.

    In the eighth, definitely didn't happen -- Duran doesn't come close to tasting the canvas.

    But in the seventh, sure enough, they break and Duran rushes in and Lou lands a sneaky right hand -- almost a right jab, really -- and Duran quickly dips toward the canvas.

    I can't quite tell if his knee or glove touched, and if it did he was back up in a split second ... but it's very possible that he did knock down the Panamanian.

    I'm wondering if anyone else has studied this to see if it was indeed a knockdown. If it was, it was a flash knockdown that had more to do with Duran being a bit off-balance and not suspecting the punch coming, but if something besides the bottom of his feet touched the canvas that wouldn't matter.

    Any opinions, memories, etc.?
     
    Saintpat, May 18, 2017
    Saintpat, May 18, 2017
    #1
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  2. Perry

    Perry Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I watched the bout live. Don't remember that. Just remember Lou running around the ring and the horrific KO of an exhausted opponent.
     
    Perry, May 19, 2017
    Perry, May 19, 2017
    #2
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  3. KuRuPT

    KuRuPT Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I honestly thought he had killed Bizzaro when he first went crashing to the canvas?
     
    KuRuPT, May 19, 2017
    KuRuPT, May 19, 2017
    #3
  4. dempsey1234

    dempsey1234 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Yeah, I watched it live, and Bizzaro, ran,and ran. Corrected me if I am wrong but didnt Lou have blisters on his feet from running or was it Johnny?
     
    dempsey1234, May 19, 2017
    dempsey1234, May 19, 2017
    #4
  5. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

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    Duran threw some beautiful straight rights in this fight, beautiful.
     
    JohnThomas1, May 19, 2017
    JohnThomas1, May 19, 2017
    #5
  6. Longhhorn71

    Longhhorn71 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Bizzarro Right hand about 9-10 secs into highlight film.
    This content is protected
     
    Longhhorn71, May 19, 2017
    Longhhorn71, May 19, 2017
    #6
  7. Perry

    Perry Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Forget just how great Duran was at that weight. Incredibly skilled. When asked what Arcel thought of Duran when he first saw him fight he stated "the closest thing to Jack Dempsey he ever saw".
     
    Perry, May 19, 2017
    Perry, May 19, 2017
    #7
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  8. reznick

    reznick In the 7.2% Full Member

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    Looks like a KD.

    And that right hand KO is one of the nastiest on film. He punches so hard his entire body falls forward and he has to catch himself on the ropes, Willard-Johnson style.
     
    reznick, May 20, 2017
    reznick, May 20, 2017
    #8
  9. scartissue

    scartissue Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I was looking at that knockdown at the :46 second mark of the highlight reel and feeling it was unusually long. Well, he didn't get up until the 1:00 mark. Lou had himself a 14 second rest there.
     
    scartissue, May 20, 2017
    scartissue, May 20, 2017
    #9
  10. greynotsoold

    greynotsoold Boxing Addict

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    Had Bizzarro been talking bad about the referee' s mother, or was there another reason he tried to let Duran kill him?
     
    greynotsoold, May 20, 2017
    greynotsoold, May 20, 2017
    #10
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  11. Rope-a-Dope

    Rope-a-Dope Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I watched it at 1/4 speed...looks like his hand and knee both touch down. Never saw it that slow before, but it definitely looks like a knockdown. Shoddy refereeing...as noted above, Bizzarro appeared to be down for the count earlier before the final KO. The ref should have stopped it at the second to last knockdown...no way was Bizzarro going to last that round. Brutal finish.
     
    Rope-a-Dope, May 20, 2017
    Rope-a-Dope, May 20, 2017
    #11
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  12. Perry

    Perry Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Looks like Lou got a 15 count allowing him to lurch to stand to beat the count. Duran was a beast at this weight. Power, speed, limitless endurance.
     
    Perry, May 21, 2017
    Perry, May 21, 2017
    #12
  13. DirtyDan

    DirtyDan Worst Poster of 2015 Full Member

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    Looks like a knockdown to me.
     
    DirtyDan, May 21, 2017
    DirtyDan, May 21, 2017
    #13
  14. he grant

    he grant Historian/Film Maker

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    IT sure looks like it ..
     
    he grant, May 21, 2017
    he grant, May 21, 2017
    #14
  15. Chuck1052

    Chuck1052 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    What I remember about the bout between Roberto Duran and Lou Bizarro was the following:

    1. Bizarro was dancing or running around the ring while trying to avoid Duran almost every moment of the bout.

    2. After being knocked down in a brutal manner in a late round, Bizarro obviously was in a bad state after getting up. Inexplicably, the referee didn't stop the bout, resulting in a literally helpless Bizarro being knocked down for good a short time later.

    - Chuck Johnston
     
    Chuck1052, May 22, 2017
    Chuck1052, May 22, 2017
    #15
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