Mate Parlov

I always felt like Parlov kept his Olympic style of fighting in the pro ranks, he had the standard straight up style of boxing. Definitely an awkward fighter with decent boxing skills, alot of people felt his fight with Conteh was controversial. But i personally had Parlov edging it based on winning the early rounds and the two point deductions.

I feel like Parlov could do well against most boxer types, but a fighter like Marvin Johnson who doesn't really fight queensbury way. And just comes straight for you like a freight train and hits you where ever he can, Parlov didn't really have any answers for Johnson who beat him up pretty badly.

Overall though Parlov was a solid professional in a strong era of Light Heavyweights.

 

A competent fighter but he definitely got a hometown gift in his defence against John Conteh. Even though John was n't at his best,he still did enough to pull out the decision in my opinion.

 

I thought Conteh took too long to get going, and the 2 point deductions were enough for Parlov to shade it for me.

 

@mr. magoo here was my write up of Conteh vs Parlov if your interested.

Mate Parlov vs John Conteh

1 Parlov
2 Parlov
3 Conteh
4 Parlov
5 Parlov
6 Conteh
7 Parlov
8 Parlov 10-8 point deduction
9 Parlov
10 Conteh
11 Conteh
12 Conteh
13 Conteh
14 Missing round so have to score it 10-10
15 9-9 point deduction

144-142 Parlov

So unfortunately round 14 was missing, but even if i scored that round for Conteh i still would have Parlov winning by a point. Now i've heard this fight was a bad decision, but i didn't see that at all TBH. The fact is kind of Eddie Mustafa Muhammad vs Victor Galindez the point deductions were the deciding factor in the fight, i don't think the referee should of took a point away from Conteh in 15th round though, i thought that was harsh TBH.

Without the point deductions i think Conteh wins a close fight, but saying that for me Conteh started a little too late. Parlov for the first 9 rounds had Conteh puzzled with his southpaw stance, movement, right jab, and occasional left hand. Conteh couldn't get past that right jab and couldn't really get his offence going.

The 10th round was a major turning point in the fight, finally Conteh started going to the body. And he finally found something to get his offence going, which was the left hook to the body and right hand up top. I thought Conteh swept every round from then on, he was able to get his offence going rough up Parlov and take Parlov out of his boxing rhythm, but the point deduction in the 15th round hurt Conteh, as did the 2 point round in the 8th round.

Overall it was an interesting tactical battle, which turned into an exciting fight in the last 4 or 5 rounds. As i said early very similar to Galindez vs Muhammad fight with the point deductions being the deciding factor in a close fight. I felt point deductions in the Galindez fight were bogus though and ridiculous, in this fight i can agree on 1 point deduction but 2 and especially in the 15th round of a close fight ? i felt the referee made a bit too much of an impact on the fight with that call TBH.

 

D, we actually didn't disagree on much. Only rounds 1 and 8 plus I had round 7 Even. But it was enough to have a different winner.

Mate Parlov v John Conteh (light heavyweight title)

Round 1: 10-9 Conteh
Round 2: 10-9 Parlov
Round 3: 10-9 Conteh
Round 4: 10-9 Parlov
Round 5: 10-9 Parlov
Round 6: 10-9 Conteh
Round 7: 10-10 Even
Round 8: 9-9 Even (I felt Conteh's round but he lost a point for use of the head)
Round 9: 10-9 Parlov
Round 10:10-9 Conteh
Round 11:10-9 Conteh
Round 12:10-9 Conteh
Round 13:10-9 Conteh
Round 14: ?? Round missing
Round 15: 9-9 Even (Conteh's round but lost a point for use of the elbow)

(actual scores: 147-141 Conteh but overruled by a 145-141 and 143-140 both for Parlov)

With the missing round my tally was 134-131 for Conteh. Even if I gave the 14th to Parlov we would be looking at 143-141 for Conteh. Parlov's style is a slapping open-handed right jab but he used it liberally, so you have to separate those point-getters from the power shots of Conteh. Tough loss for Conteh.

 

Just goes to show how a few close swing rounds can make a difference.

 

Of course he had the honour of being first world champion in pro ranks to come from a communist country.

Whether it coincidence or not but when he coached the Yugoslav team at the 84 Olympics that was the year they gained most Olympic medals. So a Gold medallist himself, and under his coaching aided others to do the same or similar.

 

I’ve always wanted to see his two fights with Matthew Saad Muhammad (a 10-round draw and an 8-round decision for Parlov, with MSM traveling overseas for both fights).

Russell Peltz I think mentions those fights in his splendid book “30 Dollars and a Cut Eye” and says Matthew hadn’t yet unleashed his inner beast, was trying to be more of a classic boxer at this stage, so I could see how he’d have trouble with a well-schooled amateur lefty if he hadn’t yet become the wrecking-ball warrior he was destined to be. But I’d like to see what those looked like.

In the same timeframe, MSM also fought a pair of fights with Marvin Camel, splitting those in two close decisions. Talk about coming up the hard way.

 

From what I've read Saad was shafted in Camel's home state (MT) and against Parlov in Itally. Italy was basically Parlov's home base

 

I don't reckon Conteh was bothered by the southpaw style. He handled Chris Finnegan twice. John didn't reckon he had a chance in a Football stadium in Belgrade and started the fight in that state of mind.
Once he got going, he realised he could beat Parlov and started to put it on him but the points deductions robbed the fight off him.
Turned out Conteh was right.

 

What was he deducted for? Conteh was known to use his head as a battering ram and probably bent other rules in his time.

 

Definitely some home cooking for Mate Parlov when he fought John Conteh in June 1978 in Yugoslavia, their President was in the audience. Afterward Parlov issued a challenge to WBA Champion Victor Galindez by referring to Victor as Victoria. I think that Victoria would have been too much for Parlov just as Marvin (Pops) Johnson was on Dec 2 1978.