Does anyone know or remember anything about Stan Ward?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by mr. magoo, Feb 20, 2009.



  1. scartissue

    scartissue Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I watched this fight live on ABC (I think) and recall having no problem with the decision. I thought Lyle won it fair and square. What I remember most was the big hugs Lyle was getting afterwards and me thinking, "I wouldn't be proud of that. You won a close decision over a guy you would have dominated in '74 and now you're acting like you just won the title." The things you remember.

    Scartissue
     
  2. Senor Pepe'

    Senor Pepe' Boxing Junkie banned

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    scartissue,

    After the decision was announced, the Caesar's Palace arena erupted in 'thunderous boos'.

    Ron Lyle was tired, and he 'badly labored' over the last 3-Rounds, where he did nothing
    but crowd Stan, and did not throw 'one effective punch'.

    Ron was aging in front of everyone's eyes. Stan Ward was landing the sharper punches
    from Rounds 6 thru 10. Stan gave Ron way too much respect thru the first 5-Rounds,
    where Ron came out with a 3-1-1 lead in Rounds.

    But from Round 6 and on, over the last '5-Rounds' - Stan was clearly the more effective
    boxer and won '3' of the rounds, with '2' Even.

    Las Vegas Sun scorecard;

    1...2...3....4....5...6....7....8....9....10....Total
    L - L - E - W - L - E - E - W - W - W = 4-3-3 = (Stan Ward)

    Tha was a proper scorecard.
     
  3. scartissue

    scartissue Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Like I said, I had him ahead but it wasn't by much. It may have only been by one round, I don't recall but I agreed with the decision. If you look at the Sun's 3 even rounds, they could be swing rounds on anyone else's card. What I remember is Lyle laboring to win a fight over a guy who he would have beaten clearly a year or two earlier. Lyle aged in front of us watching that fight.
     
  4. Senor Pepe'

    Senor Pepe' Boxing Junkie banned

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    I guess the Las Vegas Group wanted to push for Ron Lyle versus the
    winner of the Ken Norton vs Jimmy Young 'WBC Championship' to be
    held in November 1977.

    It was the 'last hurrah' for the 36+ year-old Lyle.

    Maybe the judges gave Ron the close rounds, or bent a little more than they
    should have. Stan Ward (a big 6' 2" 235 lb. guy) started to muscle Ron around
    after the 6th Round, when Lyle's power had dropped down to empty on the fuel gage.

    If anything, Stan gave Ronnie too much respect and room over the first '3-Rounds',
    and did dig himself a small hole to get out of.

    Last visions of Ronnie, watching him having a hard time keeping his hands up to block
    punches at the end of Round 9.
     
  5. kikibalt

    kikibalt Well-Known Member Full Member

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    A little story

    In 1973 I with other coaches (I was the head coach) flew to Sacramento, Ca. with a Southern California Coaches and Managers Association amateur team to do battle with a Northern California team. Jo Jo Torres was our heavyweight and his opponent that night was Golden Gloves champion Stan Ward…Right after the first round started Ward dropped Jo Jo. Jo Jo got up to one knee and was taking the count and I could tell by looking at his eyes that Jo Jo was not going to get up even though he could have. As the referee reached eight I jumped in the ring and stopped the fight to help Jo Jo save face. As soon as I stopped the fight Jo Jo jumped up and yelled at me “why did you stop the fight, I was going to get up!” “Of course you were going to get up, right after I stopped the fight!” I replied


    Flying back home on the Red Eye all I heard from Jo Jo was “why did you stopped the fight, I was going to get up at the count of nine” sure!!
     
  6. Senor Pepe'

    Senor Pepe' Boxing Junkie banned

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    'Stay down Jo Jo, your coach is right.'

    This content is protected
     
  7. kikibalt

    kikibalt Well-Known Member Full Member

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    :yep
     
  8. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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  9. Senor Pepe'

    Senor Pepe' Boxing Junkie banned

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    Stan 'The Avalanche' Ward

    Born; May 19, 1949

    Turned Professional; June 25, 1974 (at age 25)

    By September 1977; 8-0-2 (3 KO's)

    First Big Fight; September 14, 1977 vs. Ron Lyle (Lost 10-Round Majority Decision)
     
  10. Michaelnrn

    Michaelnrn New Member Full Member

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    Just FYI, Stan Ward coaches at Gios Boxing Club in Burbank, CA. I already said this, but I see him often. He's even helped me improve my cross :) Great guy, friendly, easy to talk to. If you are really interested and live in the area I'm sure you could chat him up when he's not busy...
     
  11. Sethblink

    Sethblink New Member Full Member

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    I can't add much about Stan's fighting career. The facts are easy to find. He was a heavyweight in an era of some great heavyweights. He fought some of the best, and beat some of the best. I would have to say looking at his list of fights that he probably didn't have great management, getting him into fights so early in his career with far more experienced fighters. That said, he won some of those fights. I can tell you about Stan's later life, as a trainer of professional fighters and civilians like myself. I trained with Stan for a number of years and he was as nice a guy as you'd ever want to meet. A kind and generous guy with great stories to tell and lessons to teach. He passed away in April and the world is poorer for it.
     
  12. ETM

    ETM I thought I did enough to win. Full Member

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  13. sweetsci

    sweetsci Well-Known Member Full Member

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    The things you learn from these old threads...

    Sounds like if Ron Lyle wouldn't have gotten into legal trouble and Jimmy Young would've gotten the decision versus Ken Norton, we would have been treated to Jimmy Young vs. Ron Lyle III in Young's first defense of his WBC title.

    Although Stan Ward did coach boxing after he presumably retired from teaching, I can't help but wonder if boxing was more of a keep-in-shape hobby for him. He wasn't particularly active, fighting three times a year at most, and didn't seem to ever gain any momentum after impressive performances. After a while he became a journeyman who would win against poorer opposition and provide a good name against top fighters when necessary. Good man from all accounts, though. RIP.
     
  14. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Haha, I don’t know if you’re still around the forum anymore but I always valued your contributions.

    Your story reminds me of a referee named Henry Brown who worked a ton of mostly club shows in Alabama when I was younger and coming up (I’d drive basically anywhere for a boxing show, and started attending pro and amateur shows with my Pops long before I could drive).

    Henry had a keen eye for guys looking to take the easy way out. Many times I remember him counting: 7 ... 8 ... 9 ... and instead of saying 10 he’s kind of move his hands like he was going to and the guy would pop up (hoping to be just too late for the 10-count so he could argue like he wanted to go on) ... but Henry would never count 10 if those guys hopped up, just grab their gloves and let the fight go on. I remember one guy exclaiming with an F-bomb but settling in to go the distance after being exposed. Afterward he was laughing with Brown like ‘you got me.’

    (If they didn’t jump up right away he’d count 10 and it was over, but if you go to enough shows you can spot those guys who want to deliberately get up just too late so they can claim they got cheated when they really don’t want to keep fighting.)
     
    greynotsoold likes this.
  15. juppity

    juppity Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Couldn't agree more. The old thread are better and full of invaluable info. It seems
    they have moved on or they grew tiresome of some petty indivuduals who have seem
    to have infilitrate this forum and spoil it for everyone else.