Footage, Florentino Fernandez vs Jose Gonzalez, etc..

Monday Night- June 17, 1974

University Arena, Albuquerque, New Mexico

World Light-Heavyweight Championship

Attendance; 19,000

Tale of the Tape

* Robert 'Bob' Foster
* Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
* WBA/WBC World Light-Heavyweight Champion
* Age; 35
* Height; 6' 3"
* Reach; 79"
* Weight; 174 lbs.
* Record; 51-6-0 (42 KO's)

* Jorge Victor 'Aconcagua' Ahumada
* Mendoza, Argentina
* Rating; #7 WBA / #6 WBC
* Age; 28
* Height; 6' 0"
* Reach; 74"
* Weight; 173 1/2 lbs.
* Record; 48-5-1 (26 KO's)

The Skinny

* This fight was 're-broadcast' on ABC-TV Wide World of Sports, '5' days later, on Saturday June 22, 1974.
* There was much controversy over the scoring of the fight, by the '2' Albuquerque, New Mexico Boxing Judges.
* Gil Clancy, Jorge Ahumada's Boxing Manager/Trainer, was not there for the fight.
* Both, Victor Galindez (#1 WBA Light-Heavyweight) and John Conteh (#1 WBC Light-Heavyweight) were in attendance.

* Bob Foster did acknowledge after the fight, that Jorge Ahumada had won the bout.
* This was Bob Foster's '15th Title Defense', since he won the World Light-Heavyweight Title on May 24, 1968.
* Entering this bout, Bob Foster had not scored a 'Knockdown' over one of his opponents in 19-month's.

* The New Mexico Boxing Commission was supposed to have '2' International Judges scoring the bout.
* All '3' Officials, were from the New Mexico Boxing Commission.

* Referee, Jim Cleary scored the bout for Jorge Ahumada (145-142) or (8-4-3) in Rounds for Jorge Ahumada.
* Judge, Stan Gallup scored the bout a Draw (144-144) or (6-5-4) in Rounds for Jorge Ahumada.
* Judge, Jim Keleher scored the bout for Bob Foster (148-143) or (6-2-7) in Rounds for Bob Foster.

* Jorge Ahumada had '1-point deducted' for a low-blow, he administed on Bob Foster in Round 10, a round he dominated.
* The bout was extremely rough, as Bob Foster thumbed Jorge Ahumada in the eyes numerous times.
* Jorge Ahumada charged in with his head throughout the bout, butting Bob Foster numerous times.

* Through '4-Rounds', the fight was Even.
* Rounds 5 thru 9, were Jorge Ahumada's best scoring rounds of the fight.
* The Television Fight Announcers, Sal Marciano and Bud Farello, had Jorge Ahumada up by '3-points', after '9-Rounds'.
* Round 10 was scored 9-9, by all 'three officials'.
* Bob Foster had his 'best round', in Round 12, when he scored with his most accurate punches.
* Round 13 was an Even Round.
* Round 14 was Jorge Ahumada's Round.
* Round 15, Jorge Ahumada came charging back like a bull, after Bob Foster had scored well in the first-half of the round.

 

Gil Clancy, Manager of Jorge Ahumada, claimed that one of the scorecards had been
tampered with, before reading of the (Split-Decsion Draw).

Gil Clancy, in New York, had gotten a telephone call from someone at Ringside
(Commission Observer), who informed him that the Scorecard of Stan Gallup
had been changed, making the Light-Heavyweight Championship a Draw, instead of
a victory for Jorge Ahumada.

Newspaper Sports Writers who witnessed the bout, called the 15-Round Draw,
'an absurd decision', 'corrupt scoring' and 'robbery of the century'.

The closed circuit fight announcers, Sal Marciano and Bud Farello, had stated
after the 9th-Round, that Jorge Ahumada was '3-points' ahead on the scorecards,
and that the Argentinian was on his way to the 'Upset of the Decade'.

Promoter, Bob Arum stated, 'I apologize to all the people of Argentina. I will petition the
World Boxing Association and the World Boxing Council to name Jorge Ahumada
Light-Heavyweight Champion'.

Gil Clancy, stated that the New Mexico Boxing Commision had promised him that
at least '2' International Judges would be there to score the bout. But, the Boxing
Commision Chairmain Walter Brown, instead authorized 'two local' judges from the
New Mexico Boxing Commission to score the bout.

Local New Mexico Referee, Jim Cleary was accepted by both camps, as the 'third man
in the ring'.

According to inside sources, after each round, the Scorecards were brought to the
Chairman Walter Brown, who was supposed to read out loud the scores to Commission
Member, Richard Kozlowski. But, sources said, that after the 10th Round, Mr. Brown
kept the Scorecard results to himself.

It appears, that Rounds 13, 14 and 15 on Stan Gallup's scorecard were changed, resulting
in a Draw for the Champion Bob Foster, who is from Albuquerque.

ABC-TV Sports reporter Howard Cosell, said he reviewed the fight, Round by Round on film,
and that in his view and opinion, Jorge Ahumada had won the fight by at least
2-Points, while being generous to the Champion Bob Foster.

 

Dave,


Bob Foster vs. Jorge Ahumada

Stan Gallups' scorecard, ended up 144-144.

According to Gil Clancy's connection, Jorge Ahumada was up '3' points on the scorecard after the 9th-Round.
In points, it was 88-85, and (5-2-2 in Rounds).

Round 10, Jorge Ahumada won the round, but had '1-point' deducted, so the round was scored 9-9 (Even).

Rounds 11 and 12 were scored for Bob Foster, each a 10-9 score.

Entering Round 13, Bob Foster was down 1-point.

Before the Round started, Walter Brown (New Mexico Boxing Commissioner) was standing on the ring apron,
near Bob Foster's corner, talking to Billy Edwards (Bob Foster's cornerman). According to Gil Clancy,
Brown was telling Billy Edwards the 'Scorecard Tally'.

ROUND 13
Bob Foster, who had spent alot of energy in Round 12, was gassed. Foster spent the whole round
moving and throwing light left jabs. Jorge Ahumada, was the one moving forward, trying to pin Foster still,
to land one his potent left hooks. No fighter scored with any significant punches, and it was a close round.
Though Jorge Ahumada was the aggressor, Round 13 could easily be scored 'Even'.

According to Gil Clancy, Stan Gallup scored Round 13 (10-10) Even, but the card
was changed to 10-9 for Bob Foster making the bout 'All Even' on Gallup's 'doctored' scorecard.

Instead of Jorge Ahumada being up '1-point' (125-124) on the properly logged scorecard, it
was now (125-125), an EVEN fight.

 

Ahumada pressured and left-hooked his way to a clear victory. I thought it was an outrageous robbery then, like it still is today.

 

New Mexico Judge, Jim Keleher actually scored the bout for Bob Foster
148-143 or (6-2-7 in Rounds).

He only scored Rounds 5 and 8 for Jorge Ahumada.

Through 4-Rounds, he had it 1-0-3 in Rounds for Bob Foster.

A little 'PAYOLA' in Abuquerque...???

 

One helluva thread Vic..I've enjoyed Ahumada and the Escalera-Shibata fights esp.

 

Utterly obscene.

 

Pac-Hatton left hand