73) Ray Boom Boom Mancini TKO14: US Fight Commentary TV -
v Ray Boom Boom Mancini 3 October 1981 WBC Lightweight Atlantic City [r1] … Mancini known as ‘Boom Boom’ all action; Arguello dubbed ‘The Explosive Thin Man’ … A seven and a half inch reach advantage for Arguello … Arguello feeling out Mancini [sic] … [r2] … Arguello picking up the pace … good left hand inside … [Mancini] upstairs with a left hook … Good right hand from Arguello … [r3] … Good stiff jab [Arguello] … outstanding technician … short little left … [r4] … So far Mancini’s done a nice job … letting his hands go on the inside … good stiff jab … Arguello with that subtle movement … Mancini steps in with a right … [r5] … Mancini has kept up a brisk pace … lands a combination … good jab … good right hand … [r6] … Chopping right from the champion … Right hand to the body from Mancini … You’d be hard pressed to find one round for the champion Alexis Arguello … Mancini gets on the inside … [r7] … Some very clean shots to the jaw of Arguello … Chopping right from the champion … good right hand to the body … backing Manicini up a bit … [r8] … Arguello kind of double up with that left … Mancini presses forward … Nice combination from the champion Arguello … doing a better job … [r9] … Mancini: head forward, motion, pressing forward behind a double jab … Good left hand on the inside scored by Arguello … back comes Boom Boom … Toe to toe … [r10] … Good stiff jab by the champion … a sharper round … [r11] … Left hook from Mancini, good jab … right cross from Arguello … [r12] … Manicini has come forward this entire fight … Left hand from the champion … letting some power go … Mancini got hurt … [r13] … Arguello sensing blood … the right hand … now Mancini in a retreat … Mancini looks tired … [r4] … Alexis Arguello has turned this fight around … good stiff left hand … good combination … Oh and a right hand drops Mancini! … You can sense the power of Arguello. US fight commentary
77) Kevin Rooney KO2: US Fight Commentary TV -
v Kevin Rooney 31 July 1982 Atlantic City [r1] … I think he’s going to try to outpunch Arguello … a pretty good right hand right on Arguello’s chin … [Arguello] has landed some big punches … [r2] … There’s a solid right hand landed by Arguello … another right … another … Oh big right hand and down goes Rooney! … It is all over. US fight commentary
78) Aaron Pryor I ***** Lost TKO14: US Fight Commentary TV -
v Aaron Pryor I 12th November 1982 Light-Welterweight Atlantic City [r1] … Pryor with the first punch; he scored with the right hand. Uptempo right from the opening bell … Uppercut [Pryor], left hand, another right hand … a lot of action … Arguello is hurt … [r2] … An uppercut sends Arguello reeling backward … Arguello is the consummate professional … Arguello fighting off the ropes very effectively … Pryor is still right on Arguello … [r3] … Both fighters headhunting early on … Arguello took a right hand from Pryor … A good clumping right hand [Arguello] … [r4] … Arguello takes a good right hand … Pryor with a left hand of his own … Overhand right at the bell [Arguello] … [r5] … A left hook by Arguello … Pryor of course has been aggressor since the opening bell … Takes the right hand from Arguello … Right hand by Arguello … [r6] Pryor again rushing off the stool … Pryor looks all business here … That hurt Arguello … And a good right hand by Pryor … [r7] … Pryor is picking up the pace here … It’s really impressive to see Aaron Pryor as a boxer … A good right hand [Pryor] right on the eye … A right hand might have hurt Pryor … [r8] … Pryor continues to work on the eye … A combination scores again [Pryor] … Arguello going downstairs, coming upstairs … [r9] … That’s a right hand from Arguello … After a big punch Pryor comes right back … A three-punch combination by Pryor … [r10] … They are showing championship quality … Uppercut by Arguello … [r11] … Pryor trying to work on the eye … There’s a right hand by Arguello … There’s a hard right hand by Arguello but Pryor does not take one step back … back with another overhand right … [r12] … Pryor off the stool … This fight is incredible … Left hand by Pryor … Pryor with a combination … Arguello with a right hand … Unbelievable … Pryor now … [r13] … Pryor forces the attack. Toe to toe! … Pryor leaning into his man now … There’s a right hand by Arguello … There is a right hand [Arguello] … There’s a good right hand by Pryor … Another tremendous round … [r14] … Combination by Pryor … Arguello in big trouble against the ropes … It’s over. Aaron Pryor has retained his Light-Welterweight championship! US fight commentary
Aaron Pryor II Lost KO10: US Fight Commentary TV -
v Aaron Pryor II 9th September 1983 Light-Welterweight Las Vegas [r1] ... Arguello’s down in the first round! ... Another right by Arguello, a left uppercut by Arguello, and back comes Pryor with a combination ... [r2] ... A right landed by Aaron Pryor ... That right snapped Arguello’s head back ... A crushing right hand by Alex Arguello ... Arguello is scoring now ... Round two going to Arguello ... [r3] ... Great right uppercut by Arguello ... Another right, he’s got Pryor on the ropes ... [r4] ... A beautiful flurry here by Aaron Pryor and Arguello is down ... It doesn’t look good for Alexis ... Where does he get that energy? ... What a tremendous fight, Steve ... Pryor will not step back ... He is a living windmill ... [r5] ... My God has he got power and full of energy ... [6] ... A war for the first five rounds and it might be turning into a tactical battle right now ... [r7] ... There’s a left by Arguello ... Those crisp punches are landing to the head of Arguello ... Beautiful right hand by Arguello ... [r8] ... Arguello has come to life but nothing seems to affect Pryor ... Tremendous comeback in this round by Argeullo ... [r9] ... Arguello opening up but Pryor is in too close ... It’s living up to its billing ... Toe to toe this war continues ... Arguello hits him again below the belt ... Aaron Pryor who possesses a seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy ... [r10] ... Combination by Pryor ... Another right cross dished out by Aaron Pryor ... Here goes Pryor again. Oh, what an uppercut to the chin of Arguello. Arguello’s in trouble. He’s down. That’s it! It’s all over! ... Aaron Pryor the fighter of the year has done it again. US fight commentary
[8.8] KID CHOCOLATE 152-136(51)-10-6: Encyclopaedia Brtannica online - Sweet Science online -
Kid Chocolate, original name Sergio Eligio Sardinias-Montalbo, byname Cuban Bon Bon (born 6 January 1910 Cerro Cuba; died 8 August 1988 Havana), Cuban professional boxer, world junior lightweight (130 pounds) champion from 1931 to 1933.
Kid Chocolate officially turned professional in 1927 after winning all 100 of his recorded amateur bouts in Cuba, 86 by knockout; however, some boxing historians question these numbers and consider 22 wins without a loss a more likely amateur record. After establishing a name for himself in New York City, Chocolate lost a 15-round decision (a fight whose outcome is determined by the judges’ scoring) in a world featherweight (126 pounds) title bout against American Battling Battalino (Christopher Battaglia) on December 12 1930. Chocolate became the world junior lightweight (also known as super-featherweight) champion by knocking out Russian-born American Benny Bass in the seventh round on July 15 1931, and he held that title until December 26 1933, when he was knocked out in the seventh round by American Frankie Klick. Meanwhile, Chocolate lost a title shot against the world lightweight (135 pounds) champion, American Tony Canzoneri on November 24 1933 when he was knocked out in the second round.
Although Chocolate was recognized in New York as the ‘world’ featherweight champion following his 12th-round knockout of American Lew Feldman on October 13 1932; it was a disputed title.
Chocolate fought his last five bouts in Havana before retiring in 1938 – having contested about 150 professional fights, with only 10 losses. He then opened a gym in Havana and chose to remain in Cuba after Fidel Castro took control of the government in 1959. In 1991 the Kid Chocolate Boxing Hall was opened in Havana for the Pan American Sports Games. Kid Chocolate was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994. Encyclopaedia Britannica
I was alerted to the possibility that Kid Chocolate might still be alive by Nigel Collins, then editor of The Ring magazine. I was trying to hustle him stories at the time. I was 23. This would probably have been the early part of 1988. I had heard about the Kid Chocolate legend through the Jackie ‘Kid’ Berg story. Berg, a Londoner, had been the first to beat him, in 1930. Previously the dashing Chocolate, whose real name was Eligio Sardinias-Montalbo, had been thought unbeatable. He was also known by American sportswriters as the ‘Cuban Bon Bon’ and the ‘Kandy Kid’.
Here is a flavour of that time, not admirable, though to be understood in the context of pervading prejudice. It does show, however, the impact that the long-forgotten Chocolate, born in a Havana slum in January 1910, had on American fight circles. It comes from the New York Journal in summer 1930, in the run-up to the Berg fight:
‘There’ll be a hot Chocolate around the old Berg tonight, my lady. I mean the Keed hisself. The sliver of ebony with the ivory smile known in the trade as Kid Chocolate came down from Orangeburg yesterday grinning and chattering away in his hybrid Spanish and ready to fight Jack Berg for who dropped the watermelon. The Keed also has between 100-150 suits depending on the state of his wardrobe at the time of the count; a brown-skinned sweetheart waiting for him beneath the sweltering palms, money in the bank and a good left hand. Practically the world in a paper sack, you might say.’