Sang-Hyun Kim vs. Fitzroy Guisseppi

Flea Man,,,,,,

In May 1979, Jesse Reid,,,,,,,Bruce Curry's Manager at the time.

Reid, pressured the WBC for the Championship bout, after Bruce won the
NABF Light-Welterweight crown in April 1979, by defeating Willie Rodriguez.

Bruce Curry was ranked the #3 WBC Light-Welterweight at the time, and was
the highest ranked 140 lb. available for a June 1979 Championship bout.

They were 'yanked around' for a couple of weeks, and we were then offered a
'measly' fight purse of $4000 to come to Seoul, South Korea.

To make matters worse,,,, the contract had no expense (air travel or hotel) reimbursement.

In other words,,,, Bruce Curry would have 'broke even' at best, for taking that Championship bout.

Later in 1979, Bruce Curry in an interview stated;
'Financially, I just couldn't take that fight. The South Korean boxing promoters would not give
me up-front money, and they wouldn't even give me airline tickets or hotel accomodations.
Everything was going to come out of my pockets. I did not have much money to live on, let alone
travel to South Korea. And, I wasn't even sure they would pay me when I got to South Korea,
or even after the fight, if and when I beat Sang-Hyun Kim for the WBC Title.'

"Looking back, if I had someone who would have backed me, I would have taken that fight.
Instead, I got 'ten-times' as much ($40,000) to face Tommy (Thomas Hearns) on CBS-TV.
I was sure that I could beat him, or least give him a good fight. I had to take the gamble,
because if I beat Tommy, then I would have gotten a quarter-million to face Ray Leonard.

 

December 1, 1977

Belize City, Belize

Fitztroy Guisseppi in a 140 lb. Light-Welterweight bout in his home-country, gets
upset by Panamanian Light-Welterweight, 21 year-old, Ernesto Davis 25-7-1 (14 KO's).

The younger Davis, scores with a solid body-attack, and swarms over Fiztroy, preventing any punching room for the Trinidadian.

Scorecards all favor Ernesto Davis..... 98-93 (7-2-1 in Rounds).

Fitzroy Guisseppi falls to 29-11-4, and drops down to the #28 WBC Lightweight.

 

February 19, 1978

Trinidad and Tobago Lightweight Championship 'Rematch'

#28 WBC Lightweight - Fitzroy Guisseppi 29-11-4 (14 KO's) gets 'stopped' (L KO 9) by
#16 WBC Lightweight - Claude Noel 17-2-0 (14 KO's) for the 'second' time.

In a 'wild war', both Fitzroy and Claude Noel get tangled in a 'give-and-take' brawl, in which
each fighter gets badly hurt, and staggered.

Things seem to be 'swinging' in Fitzroy's favor in Round 6, as he staggers Claude, and pounds him
with a relentless attack, while keeping him pinned on the ropes.

But somehow Claude Noel survives, and comes back in Round 9, by throwng right-hand bombs. Claude finally
drops Fitzroy for the count with a 'bomb' at 2:02 of Round 9.

If Fitzroy had won, he was supposed to fight the 'come-backing' Esteban De Jesus in Puerto Rico in April 1978.

The 29 1/2 year-old Fitzroy, falls to 29-12-4, and out of the Top 30.

 

Fitzrou Guisseppi's '1978 Comeback Run'

Fighting out of Belize City, Belize

Starting off at 29-12-4 (15 KO's), and not ranked in the Top 30 Lightweights.

April 2, 1978
(W Dec 10) over #27 WBC Lightweight - Raul Molina 28-3-4 (22 KO's)

Fitzroy 'upsets' highly regarded 'Mexican' - Raul 'El Zurco' Molina
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May 2, 1978
(W Dec 10) over 'record padder' Julio Mendez 11-8-0 (8 KO's)

Fitzroy scores an easy win over a 'limited', but hard-punching opponent.
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June 21, 1978
(W Dec 10) over Arizona-based Sugar Sanders 19-14-0 (12 KO's).

Fitzroy 'cruises' to a solid Decision over a Southwest 'trial-horse'.
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Fitzroy Guisseppi improves to 32-12-4 (15 KO's), and is now campaigning
at 140 lbs. in the Light-Welterweight Division. The WBC ranks Fitzroy at #26.

 

October 6, 1978

Unable to secure a bout with Puerto Rican - Esteban De Jesus.

Fitzroy takes on Eddie Marcelle 26-5-0 (6 KO's) in a 147 lb. Welterweight bout,
for the Trinidad and Tobago Championship.

After getting 'stunned' in the 1st-Round, Fitzroy rallies to floor Eddie Marcelle in the
2nd-Round.

A back-and-forth battle ensues. Each of the 'light-hitting' fighters taking turns
swatting each other.

After 10-Rounds, Eddie Marcelle is awarded a 10-Round Majority Decision.

Fitzroy drops to 32-13-4, but remains as the #26 WBC Light-Welterweight.
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November 20, 1978

Fitzroy goes back to Belize, and scores an 'easy' knockout (KO 3) over 'out-gunned' Mexican
- Manuel Sanchez 5-4-0 (2 KO's)
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Still in Belize

February 18, 1979

WBC Central American Light-Welterweight Championship

#24 WBC-ranked - Fitzroy Guisseppi 33-13-4 (16 KO's) takes on
#9 WBC-ranked - 'Panamanian' Luis 'Lagunita' Rodriguez 19-1-0 (9 KO's).

Luis 'Lagunita' Rodriguez, a highly regarded and young fast-handed boxer,
is one fight away from a WBC Light-Welterweight World Championship fight.
All he has to do, is get by one Top 30 ranked fighter, to be approved by the WBC
Championship Committee.

The 30 1/2 year-old Fitzroy Guisseppi looks to be the safest 'Central American'
opponent.

In the fight, the 'fast-handed' Panamanian scores early, and controls the bout
with his sharp left jabs, and quick right-hand counters. But by Round 7, Fitzroy is
starting to close the gap, and is hurting Rodriguez with hard right hands to the
face.

In Round 10, Fitzroy drops Rodriguez with a double right hand, and then nearly
finishes the young Panamanian.

Entering Round 11, the bout is all 'Even' as Fitzroy has eliminated the big point lead
that Rodriguez had ammassed. Fitzroy 'loads up', and nails Rodriguez with solid
short right hands, dropping the Panamanian for the 'full-count' at 0:43 of Round 11.

The victory improves Fitzroy Guisseppi to 34-13-4 (17 KO's), and with it the
WBC Central American Federation Light-Welterweight Championship.

Fitzroy also is positioned as the #10 WBC Light-Welterweight.

 

Sunday Afternoon - June 17, 1979

ChangChung Gymnasium, Seoul, South Korea

Attendance: 10,000 (Capacity: 17,000)

WBC Light-Welterweight Championship

24 year-old WBC Champion - Sang-Hyun Kim 27-2-2 (17 KO's) (South Korea) was supposed to make the 'First Defense'
of his 'Title' versus 27 1/2 year-old #2 WBC-ranked - Esteban De Jesus 55-4-0 (32 KO's) of (Puerto Rico).

But, '1-month' before the fight, Esteban De Jesus ran into 'legal matters' in Puerto Rico.

As a replacement, #10 WBC-ranked, 31 year-old Fitzroy Guisseppi 34-13-4 (17 KO's) of Belize, was called-in,
and the location was 'switched' to ChangChung Gymnasium, South Korea.
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In a 'fun-filled' and wild affair, that included '5' knockdowns.

In Round 1, the Champion attacked quick, and scored a 'flash-knockdown' at the 1:12 Mark of the
'opening round'. Fitzroy was not hurt, and rose quickly to engage the Champion.

In Round 2, the Champion 'again' scored a 'flash-knockdown' at the 1:37 Mark of the 2nd-Round with a perfect counter
straight left-hand to the chin of Fitzroy. The Belize fighter was up at the '2-Count, and 'again' was not hurt.

But the 31 year-old 'veteran' with BELIZE embroidered on the front of his trunks, changed the flow of the fight
in Round 3, and started firing back with good right-hands on his southpaw opponent.

In the middle-rounds, Fitzroy showed good legs, and 'little-by-little' got back into the fight.

In Round 10, the Champion stunned the Challenger, and spent the round keeping Fitzroy pinned on
the ropes, where he raked his opponent with a two-punch attack. Though Sang-Hyun Kim won the
round, he expended alot of energy, and looked 'winded' at the end of Round 10.

In Round 11, Fitzroy turned 'aggressor' on the Champion, was able to catch the 'suddently tiring' Champion
with a booming right hand, flooring the Champion for a '5-Count'.

The 31 year-old Challenger went right after the South Korean, and raked the Champion with several
hard punches, before dropping in an 'electrifying' hard 1-2 that dropped the Champion again.

Up at the '6-Count', the Champion 'floundered' around the ring, as the Belize-fighter looked for the
right-hand finisher. Somehow, Sang-Hyun Kim was able to ride out the last '30-seconds', and make
it through the round.

In Round 12, Fitzroy spent the entire round looking for the 'one-punch knockout blow', winging right hands
throughout - on a still stunned Champion. Then Fitzroy he got a bit careless, as at the 2:48 Mark, Sang-Hyun Kim
tossed out a double right-jab, then dropped in a perfect straight left-hand to the jaw of the Challenger, that
staggered Fitzroy, who wobbled to the ropes, only to be saved by the bell.

Both fighters kept it together in Rounds 13 and 14, tagging each other with good shots.

In Round 15, after several exchanges where Fitzroy was dominating, suddenly the Champion caught Fitzroy with a
counter right-hand at the 1:04 Mark, dropping the Challenger for a 3-Count. Fitzroy rose, but was a little unsteady.
From there, Sang-Hyun Kim pressured Fitzroy into the ropes, where he let go with his 'two-fisted' attack, shaking
Fitzroy several times until the final bell.

Scorecards;
Mexican Referee - Ohambaridio........146-142
South Korean Judge - Vung Chul......145-140
South Korean Judge - Kwang Sooy...145-140

Tha Fight Tape.

Unfortunately the first '2-minutes of Round 1 has been removed, where Sang-Hyun Kim scores a
'flash-knockdown' on Fitzroy Guisseppi.

And Round 11, the best round of the fight has been deleted. Fitzroy 'floored' the Champion twice,
and had Sang-Hyun Kim out on his feet over the last 30-seconds of the round.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv2xf2p0BAA&feature=player_embedded[/ame]