Harold Weston

Friday Night - February 6, 1976

Madison Square Garden - New York

On the undercard of the Duane Bobick vs. Larry Middleton Heavyweight Bout.

23 1/2 year-old - Harold Weston (#7 Welterweight) battled to a 10-Round Draw
with 28 1/2 year-old - 'Sweet' Saoul Mamby (unranked Light-Welterweight)

In a battle of 'boxer counter-punching' defensive wizards, neither of the
New Yorkers could take control in the 10-Round bout.

Harold Weston (146 lbs.) appeared to get the better of the exchanges thru
the first '4-Rounds'. But Saoul Mamby (142 lbs.) showed his excellent counter-
punching skills, and was able to land right hand leads over Weston's low left hands
in Rounds 5, 6 and 7.

Both fighters did go toe-to-toe in Round 8, in the most exciting round of the bout,
as each landed good right hands to the head, rocking each other.

But, both fighters were content to jab and counter-punch over the last 2-Rounds,
as neither would take the lead.

Scorecards (6-4-0 Weston / 5-4-1 Mamby / 4-4-2 Even)

Harold Weston with the draw is 19-6-4.
Saoul Mamby goes to 18-8-5.

It was reported, that WBA Lightweight Champion - Roberto Duran was looking to have a non-title bout
with Saoul Mamby at 140 lbs. in '2-months' (Light-Welterweight Division) if he looked good tonight.

 

Flea Man,

I'll see on Thomas Americo,

Saoul Mamby did say Thomas Americo was 'physically', the strongest guy he ever fought.

 

Harold Weston Jr. 'The Consumate Professional'

1976

Got a free ride to Paris, France -
March 28, 1976 -- W Dec 6 --- Jacques van Mallaerts - 22-8-2 (11 KO's)

Harold wins a 'shortened bout' 6-Round Decision over the 'France Welterweight Champion'
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Nassau Coliseum - Long Island, New York
June 2, 1976 -- W Dec 10 -- Rafael 'The Rifle' Rodriguez - 17-3-1 (7 KO's)

In a bout, on the George Foreman vs. Joe Frazier undercard.

Harold had a hard-fought battle with 'big Minnesota Welterweight' #9-ranked - Rafael Rodriguez.
In a back-and forth 'mini-war', Harold landed the cleaner punches over the hard-puncher,
to escape with a 10-Round Majority Decision.
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Felt Forum, New York
December 20, 1976 -- KO 2 -- Ronald 'Bo' Whyms - 14-4-2 (10 KO's)

Harold 'knocks-out' the 'Spanish-New York' Light-Welterweight Champion.
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By the end of 1976, 24 1/2 year-old - Harold Weston at 22-6-4 (6 KO's) was ranked as the #5 WBA Welterweight.

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Wednesday Night - February 2, 1977

Madison Square Garden, New York City

Attendance; 10,930

Live Gate; $110,437

10-Round Welterweight Bout

Wilfred Benitez vs Harold Weston

24 1/2 year-old - Harold Weston 22-6-4 (5 KO's) the #5 WBA / #6 WBC Welterweight
will fight WBA Light-Welterweight Champion - Wilfred Benitez 28-0-0 (21 KO's).

The 18 year-old 'Wunderkind' is having difficulty making the 140 lb. weight limit at
Light-Welterweight, and will now campaign in the higher weight division.

 

Wilfred 'El Radar' Benitez vs Harold 'Baby Harold' Weston I (February 2, 1977)

The 10,930 Madison Square Garden spectators in attendance, were
overwhelming pro-Benitez fans.

The 5' 8" 146 lbs. Harold Weston was putting at risk, a chance to fight
WBA Welterweight Champion - Jose 'Pipino' Cuevas.

The 5' 9" 144 3/4 lbs. Wilfred Benitez, was being pressured by the WBA
to make a 'Light-Welterweight Championship' defense versus former Champion -
#1 WBA-ranked - Antonio 'Kid Pambele' Cervantes.
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In Round 1 - Wilfred showed off his amazing defensive skills, and quick hands
to edge the agressor Harold Weston.

But in Rounds 2 and 3 - it was Harold who was making the fight, as he was
forging ahead as the effective aggressor, backing up Benitez while landing
glancing right hands and sweeping lefts.

In Round 4, Harold had a slight-edge over the first '2-minutes', by leading
as the aggressor. But Wilfred turned on the speed over the last-minute,
by scoring with a flurry of light pitty-pat punches.

Later Harold would say, 'His punches felt like that of a Featherweight, no sting.'

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Round 5, Wilfred turns aggressor, and calls for Harold to fight. Benitez has his best
round of the fight, as he scores with an assortment of punches, while switching
to southpaw several times. Benitez 'befuddles' Harold with his angle punching, and
clearly wins the round. It was a 'brilliant' display of boxing.

Round 6, Wilfred was very busy, scoring with an assortment of lunging lefts, and
then switching to southpaw to rip right jabs and left hooks to the body. Wilfred
controlled the first-half of the round easy. But Harold dug in, and started to
trade with Wilfred, and battled him even over the second-half of the the round.

Harold leaves Round 6, with a slight-cut over the left eye.

Round 7, Harold turns aggressor, and starts pushing Wilfred back to the ropes,
and into a 'neutral corner'. At the 0:39 Mark, Harold lands a good right-left off
of Wilfred's jaw. Harold continues to press, and bounces several good punches
off of Benitez' face. At the 1:17 Mark, Harold lands a solid right to Wilfred's jaw.

Wilfred counters with pitty-pat punches, while Harold presses and pushes Wilfred
backwards. Harold lands another good right-left at the 1:55 Mark. Harold is
the aggressor over the last-minute of Round 7.

Round 8, this time it is Wilfred who pecks non-stop for the first-half of the bout,
as Harold follows. Benitez does not stay stationary, and keeps moving to not
give Harold a target. Wilfred steals the round with pitty-pat punches again.

Round 9, Wilfred opened up with a quick 5-punch combination, but that was about
the amount of his offense in the round. Harold pressed, and landed the crsiper punches,
though there weren't that many that landed. Harold tried to make the fight, as Wilfred
did nothing more than pose, and show off his defensive skills.

Round 10, Harold was the effective-aggressor, as he scored with the harder punches,
including a good left-right to Wilfred's jaw. Wilfred, again pitty-patted, and landed
nothing effective. Harold stayed as the aggressor, and was clearly th stronger fighter.

Scorecard (Bob Waters, Newsday)

Wilfred Benitez......10 - 9 - 9 - 10 -10 ---- 10 - 9 - 10 - 9 - 9 === 95
Harold Weston.......9 - 10 -10 -10 - 9 ----- 9 - 10 - 9 - 10 -10 == 96

 

R/T,

Wilfred was boo'd by his own fans late in the bout, for non-action.

Wilfred was actually talking to his friends at ringside, during the bout,
and seemed disinterested in engaging in any exchanges with Harold,
during times in the later rounds.

It looked like he was throwing the fight. But then he rallied at the end
to earn what everybody thought was a 'close' Decision win.

The bout was ruled a 10-Round Draw.

Scorecards;
Johnny Lo Bianco........7-3-0 (Wilfred Benitez)
Al Reid......................5-5-0 (Even)
Harold Lederman.........5-5-0 (Even)

Several of the boxing pundits thought that Wilfred had done enough to win a 'close' Decision.

Bob Waters, or New York Newsday scored the bout for Harold Weston Jr. {96-95}

Gil Clancy, Harold Weston's manager, threw his hands up in disgust, after the Draw
was called out by the ring announcer.

 

The Great A,

Nobody would look good against 'Baby Harold'.

On Harold before fighting Wilfred that night.

He trained extremely hard for that bout. But, he had only 1-bout in 8-months
before fighting Wilfred that night on February 2, 1977. And that was
a 2-Round blow-out (KO 2) over Spanish club-fighter Ronald 'Bo' Whyms in
December 1976.

Harold needed to stay busy, as he relied on timing and rhythm. He looked
'rusty' that night, and he wasn't really able to get off his punches.

 

After the somewhat disputed Draw with WBA Light-Welterweight Champion - Wilfred Benitez on February 6, 1977.

Harold was back at Madison Square Garden just 4-weeks later, on March 2, 1977

The opponent, 24 year-old -veteran 'Light-Welterweight 'fringe contender' Jimmy Heair 52-13-1 28 KO's), one of the busiest fighters around.

'Baby Harold' using his quick-feet, and fast-hands swept '6' of the first '7' Rounds. Harold was able to get in,
score, and get out without any problem, as he was too qucik for the Memphis, Tennessee slugger.

But in Rounds 8, 9 and 10 - Jimmy Heair put on a furious rally that had Harold reeling in both the 9th and 10th
Rounds, from right-hand bombs.

Harodl Weston escaped with a Unanimous 10-Round Decision, to improve to 23-6-5.

 

lora,

Angel 'Cholo' Espada opted to fight Johnny Gant instead of Harold Weston in
October 1975.

7-weeks earlier, Harold got jobbed in Johnny Gant's hometown, as the
judges scored the bout a 10-Round Draw.

You are correct, Harold would have been a pain-in-the-butt for anyone.

 

Great match-up between '2' stylists.

June 22, 1977 (Madison Square Garden)

25 year-old, Harold Weston 23-6-5 (5 KO's)
vs.
23 year-old, Andy Price 23-3-3 (6 KO's)

'Baby Harold', ranked as the #4 WBA / #4 WBC Welterweight, is looking for a
World Welterweight Championship bout for sometime in late-1977 with either Champion.

'The Hawk', Andy Price, the California 'stylist' with fast hands, ranked as the #18 Welterweight.

A perfect match-up of similar styles.

Harold has the better chin, and a better right hand. Andy has the quicker hands, and a better
left jab. Both can throw good fast combinations, but both lack power.

It should be a toss-up bout, but the fight will take place in New York, Harold's
home-base.

Andy Price has been guaranteed a Title Bout with WBC Champion - Carlos Palomino,
if he can defeat Harold.
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Harold Weston fighting in close quarters, was able to prevent the fast-handed Californian -
Andy Price from utilizing his quick combinations. The classy New Yorker was able to neutralize
Price with snappy right-hand leads and quick left hooks, while keeping the 23 year-old
'west coast opponent' backed to the ropes for the majority of the bout.

Price only scored when he was able to stay at long range, in Rounds 2, 5, and 8.
The 25 year-old Weston, showing more experience than his 23 year-old opponent,
smothered Price's attempts to rally in the last '2-Rounds', by landing right hands to the
body, then staying in-close to prevent counter-punches.

All '3' scoring officials had the bout for Harold Weston

New York Newsday scored the bout 6-3-1 for Harold Weston.