Thread: Howard 'Kayo' Smith ~ "Good Fighter - Bad Breaks"

February 7, 1976

Howard 'Kayo' Smith

~ I Train Hard Everyday, And Look Forward To Nothing ~

It's quiet for the #4 World-Rated Heavyweight. There are no offers out there, and
my California State Heavyweight Title is worth nothing.

For Ring Work, I have been hired by Ken Norton. The sparring keeps me sharp and
on my toes.

I know that I'm good, because I can stay with Ken in the Ring. I can hit pretty good,
and I've never been hurt real bad. The only thing, is that I bruised my right-hand
pretty bad down there in San Diego {back in December 1975}, and it kept me off
a Fight Card.

I got ranked in the 'Top 10' 2-years ago, and I thought that it would get me some
decent money bouts. Instead, nothing. I'm now ranked as the #4 WBC Heavyweight,
yet I get stepped over all the time.

Look at who Muhammad Ali is defending against. Some guy from Belgium that nobody
has heard of {Jean-Pierre Coopman}. He was ranked #14 last month, and has dropped
'2' spots this month. And he gets a Championship bout, and with a $120,000 Fight Purse.

For me, my top fight purse was $3000, and I had to go to Japan to fight Tony Doyle
to get it.

I wish the Belgian guy well, but he didn't earn that fight because he was good. He
earned it, because he's 'easy'.

Thursday ~ April 8, 1976

Olympic Auditorium ~ Los Angeles, California

~ Howard Smith Back In Olympic Ring ~

Howard 'Kayo' Smith ~ 21-1-0 {16 KO's}
vs.
John 'Speedy' Jordan ~ 19-8-3 {10 KO's}

Howard Smith, the #4 WBC-ranked Heavyweight is back in the Ring after an extended
'11-Month' hiatus. His last bout was back on May 8, 1975 - when he 'clobbered'
Larry Middleton by a KO in 5.

John 'Speedy' Jordan {Norfolk, Virginia} has won 5-Straight in the Virginia small-club
fight circuit, and hopes to score an 'upset'.

~ Howard Smith And John Jordan Bout Ends By 'No-Decision' ~

The 10-Round Heavyweight bout between Howard 'Kayo' Smith and John 'Speedy' Jordan
ended by a No Decision in Round 4, as Smith landed an accidental low-blow into Jordan
at 1:44 of Round 4.

Smith {207 lbs.}, the California State Heavyweight Championship, boxed well over the
first 2-Rounds, as he slammed Jordan {196 lbs.} with jolting left-hands and an occasional
'2-Punch' combination.

In Round 3, Smith again controlled the action, and just past the mid-way point in the
session he started working Jordan's body.

But the 31 year-old Norfolk, Virginia Heavyweight hung tough, and made it a fight at
the {2:10 Mark} when he came back with some decent body punches of his own to back
the 29 year-old Smith off.

Both fighters got into a 'heated exchange' at the end of Round 3, as they traded heavy
hooks into each others body.

In Round 4, both fighters met at Center-Ring, and each continued with their body-attack.

But at the {0:40 Mark}, Howard drove Jordan backwards and into the Ropes, and started
to let his body-blows fly into the Virginia Heavyweight.

Smith went after Jordan's body with hard hooks into the mid-section and sides.

Then at the {1:00 Mark}, Smith let a right-hand stray 'too low', and Jordan 'dropped' to the
canvas in pain from the punch.

The Referee determined it was an 'accidental-blow', and permitted John Jordan a
2-Minute 'rest period'.

The Referee - Dick Young asked Jordan if he wanted to continue, and he said >
"Ill give it a try, but I'm hurting down there."

When the action resumed, the Virginia Heavyweight tried to fight on, but it was
obvious that Jordan was still hurting. Howard Smith 'pulled' his punches, and
backed off when Jordan was not fighting back.

The Referee - Dick Young then halted the action, and called the bout over at
{1:44} of Round 4.

Under California State Boxing Rules, the bout is ruled a 'No Decision'.

Howard Smith was ahead on all '3' Scorecards {3-0 / 3-0 / 3-0} at the time the bout
was ended by an 'accidental' low-bow.

Saturday ~ April 10, 1976

Howard 'Kayo' Smith

Howard Smith was back in the Ring on Thursday Night at the Olympic Auditorium
against Virginia Heavyweight - John 'Speedy' Jordan.

Unfortunately, the bout only went 4-Rounds, as Howard accidentally struck his opponent
John 'Speedy' Jordan low, and the bout was halted and ruled a 'No Decision'.

Howard, who is ranked as the #4 WBC Heavyweight was using the bout as a 'tune-up'
to sharpen his skills for a possible 'Television Bout' with Earnie Shavers in May or June 1976.

The 29 year-old Californian had been 'idle' for 11-months {since May 8, 1975} before
Thursday Night's bout.

Howard, who has been a sparring-partner for Top Contender - Ken Norton, is an always
ready fighter, and hopes things turn around in 1976, after a 'near quiet' 1975.

Thursday ~ May 20, 1976

Howard Smith, the #4 WBC-Ranked Heavyweight signed to fight Atlanta, Georgia based
Heavyweight - Dan 'Ronnell' Johnson at the Olympic Auditorium next Thursday
on May 27th.

Howard Smith and Dan Johnson have fought before {3 1/2 years earlier}, back on
November 16, 1972 , where Howard won by a Knockout in Round 10 in a rather grueling bout.

If Howard Smith is impressive, he has a date lined up in New York against 'unbeaten'
Johnny Boudreaux, which will be on the undercard of the George Foreman vs. Joe Frazier
rematch.

Howard {Age; 29 years, 4 months} has a record of 21-1-0 {16 KO's}.

Dan Johnson {Age; 26 years, 7 months}, a hard right-hand puncher, has a record of
19-4-0 {17 KO's}, including '7' straight wins, with all coming by Knockout.

General Information

Howard 'Kayo' Smith

In 1968,

Howard was the Fifth Army Heavyweight Champion and was stationed in
Fort Carson, Colorado.

The Army Boxing Team visited the Canon City, Colorado Prison to face their
Boxing Team.

Howard {Age; 21} was pitted against the 'vicious punching' Ron Lyle, who was
a 27 year-old hardened Felon.

In their 1st-Bout, Ron Lyle used his strength to out-muscle the boxer Howard Smith
over 3-Rounds, as Lyle was awarded the Decision.

In their rematch, Howard got right on top of Ron, and never let him get off his
big punches. It was a one-sided bout, with Howard stopping Ron in Round 3.

Howard Smith >

"In our 1st-bout, I let Ron dictate the flow of the bout, and he out-muscled me. He
was very strong, but wasn't all that skilled at the time."

"In the rematch, I jumped all over him and kept punching. I really nailed him in
Round 2, and dropped him for a 3-Count. The Prison Inmates were in shock, as
nobody ever did that to Ron before."

"In Round 3, I smothered him with a barrage, because he really didn't know how to
roll with the punches or slide from the incoming right-hands. I had him out on his
feet and hanging over the Top Rope strand. The Referee jumped in and stopped it."

"After the bout, they handed me a big '3-Foot' Trophy for the 'Best Performance' at
the event."

"I told Ron that he was very good and had a hard punch. But he needed to work on
his speed, because he was kind of slow."

"He thanked me, and then told me that nobody ever hit him that hard before, even
with a Baseball Bat."

howard got a bum deal becaise ali was fighting ~bums~

Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

howard got a bum deal becaise ali was fighting ~bums~

Can you just imagine saying "Jean-Pierre Coopman" with a straight face.

Thursday ~ May 27, 1976

Olympic Auditorium ~ Los Angeles, California

Television Broadcast > Channel 13

Howard 'Kayo' Smith ~ 21-1-0 {16 KO's} ~ 203 lbs.
vs.
Dan 'Ronnell' Johnson ~ 19-4-0 {17 KO's} ~ 208 lbs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~ World-Ranked Howard Smith Unimpressive In Win Over Dan Johnson ~

Howard Smith was lackluster and unimpressive thru the first 8-Rounds of his bout with
hard-punching Dan Johnson of Atlanta, Georgia.

Smith used an occasional left-jab, and a less frequent right-hand during a dull and
uneventful 8 Rounds. Only a minor flurry in Round 4, and a hard combination in
Round 6 was the most action dished out from the 'highly-regarded' California
Heavyweight.

During Rounds 7 and 8, a disinterested Smith moved back the Ropes, and let the
strong-punching Atlanta Heavyweight hit him with left-hooks and right-hands,
without offering a quality return punch.

But in Round 9, a re-charged Smith came out with a 'flash-bang', and hammered a
game Dan Johnson around the Ring. Smith poured it on, as he 'stunned' Johnson
several times with right-hand crosses.

With only {3 Seconds} left in the Round, Smith unloaded a vicious right-hand to the
head, dropping Johnson to the canvas.

As Referee - Dick Young tolled off the Count, Johnson rose and was 'saved-by-the-bell'.

Coming out for Round 10, a 'still groggy' but game Dan Johnson hustled out to Center-Ring
and tried to make a fight out of it.

Johnson started winging in wide-hooks, as Howard stayed outside and used measuring
left-jabs in an attempt to set up Johnson for a right-hand.

The action was 'even' for the first 50-Seconds. Then Johnson attempted a wide right-hook,
but Howard beat him to the punch and caught Johnson on the chin with a 'hard' right-cross
at the {1:02 Mark}.

Johnson was 'stunned'. Then Howard fired off a fast 'left-right-left', sending Johnson backwards
to the left-side Ropes.

With a 'stunned fighter' in front of him, Howard unleashed a tremendous overhand-right that
landed on Johnson's head, sending him crashing to the canvas.

Referee - Dick Young counted out Dan Johnson at 1:21 of Round 10.

everybody ducking Smith for the entire 70s. He coulda blew Jimmy Young and Ken Norton away. for starters.

Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

everybody ducking Smith for the entire 70s. He coulda blew Jimmy Young and Ken Norton away. for starters.

Howard 'Kayo' Smith knew that 'styles' make fights.

* Howard would have out-boxed Jimmy Young. The same thing with 'slow-footed' Ron Lyle.

* Ken Norton would have been a more difficult task, but it would have been a close fight.

* Howard would have been 'too' quick for Muhammad Ali in 1976 and 1977.

* The only fighters that Howard was worried about > Earnie Shavers and George Foreman.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Howard Smith >

"With Earnie Shavers, you have to survive the first 3-Rounds. That's easier said than done.
He has so much power, that even his 'misses' hurt."

"George Foreman is the strongest man in Boxing. But he exhausts himself trying to kill you.
You have to box him, and stay away from him. You have to be patient, as the openings are
there. But you cannot make a 'single' mistake with him, or he'll take you out."

Saturday ~ May 27, 1976

~ Howard Smith Turns Down Offer To Be On 'Muhammad Ali - Antonio Inoki' Card ~

Harry Kabakoff, Manager for #4 WBC Heavyweight Howard Smith has turned down an
offer to be on the fight card in the 'War of the Worlds' Martial Arts bout between
Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki that is to be held in Tokyo, Japan on June 26, 1976.

Harry Kabakoff >

"Bob Arum offered us $20,000 to be on the Fight Card, and for Howard to fight a 'wrestler'
on the undercard."

"We're not into 'gimmicks'. This is an 'Oddball Bout' and serves no purpose, other than
ripping off the Public."

"This thing in Japan will be a 'sham', and can only hurt Boxing. I can't believe that
Muhammad Ali and his Manager - Herbert Muhammad are doing this. Yes, there is
a lot of money to be made, but that doesn't make it right. This thing will be a 'farce'.

June 2, 1976

~ Howard Smith and Johnny Boudreaux Set For George Foreman - Joe Frazier Undercard ~

California's - Howard 'Kayo' Smith and Houston's - Johnny 'Johnny Be Good' Boudreaux are
set to battle on Tuesday - June 16th at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York.

The bout will be on the undercard of the George Foreman - Joe Frazier long awaited rematch.

Smith, a 29 1/2 year-old Heavyweight from Los Angeles is rated as the #4 WBC Heavyweight
and is ranked #7 by Ring Magazine, and has a record of 22-1-0 {17 KO's}.

Harry Kabakoff, Manager for Howard Smith >

"We've been waiting '2' long years for a bout like this, where Howard can show off his skills
on a big stage. Boudreaux is a good fighter, but he's nowhere in Howard's league."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boudreaux {Age; 23 years, 11 months}, a fast-handed boxer from Houston, is a highly-touted
'unbeaten' Heavyweight, and brings in a record of 19-0-1 with {7 KO's}. Boudreaux is ranked as
the #8 WBA Heavyweight and is slotted at #8 by Ring Magazine.

Boudreaux is co-managed by Paddy Flood, who stated that his fighter is the 'Heir Apparent to
the Heavyweight Throne'.

Paddy Flood >

"Johnny has the fastest hands in the Heavyweight Division. He's faster than Ali. After we win
this bout, we'll take on Ron Lyle on the undercard of the Ali - Norton Championship bout in September.
After that, it will the World Championship in early-1977."

Both fighters stand at 6' 2 1/2" and each weigh in at 205 lbs. for their respective fighting weight.

Tuesday ~ June 16, 1976

Nassau Coliseum ~ Long Island, New York

Attendance ....... { 10,200 }

~ Howard Smith Defeats Johnny Boudreaux In Spirited Bout ~

Howard Smith {204 lbs.} rallied strongly over the last 2-Rounds to capture a
10-Round Split-Decision over Johnny Boudreaux {206 lbs.} in a spirited and
well contested Heavyweight bout.

Smith, the harder-puncher, scored well during the first 2-Rounds and carried
the fight as Boudreaux was cautious and played it safe on the outside.

But the Houston-based Boudreaux stepped up the pace, and exhibited fast-hands
during Rounds 3, 4 and 5, and took the Rounds as Smith looked perplexed with
Boudreaux's hand-speed.

But in Round 6, Smith was able to stop Boudreaux's momentum as he landed
several jarring right-hand leads over Boudreaux's low-left guard.

Boudreaux came out of Round 6, with a swollen left cheekbone, courtesy of a
Howard Smith right-hand.

In Round 7, the best action of the bout was seen, as both fighters got into several
heated-exchanges, with each landing sharp punches on each other.

Boudreaux landed several 'left-left-right' combinations, and was also able to land
several right-uppercuts underneath each time that Smith ducked low while inside and
close.

The action hit a lull in Round 8, as both fighters took a break from the previous Round's
fast pace.

There was nothing more than 'light-jabbing' thru the first 2-minutes. But just past the
2:00 Mark, Boudreaux opened up with a fast-flurry, and started winging in his hardest
punches of the bout. Boudreaux landed several sharp punches as he caught Smith
napping and off-guard.

But at the {2:40 Mark}, Smith came on with a charge, and landed his own solid punches
to back Boudreaux up, forcing the Houston fighter to grab-and-hold until the Bell.

Coming out for Round 9, the bout was 'up-for-grabs'.

In Round 9, it was Howard Smith who took control, as he started to back up Boudreaux
with solid 'left-right' punches to the head. At the {1:20 Mark}, Smith started to go to
the body with hard-hooks, and Boudreaux looked in pain from the rib-smashes.

Then Smith went back upstairs at the {2:10 Mark} and 'rocked' Boudreaux with a
big right-hand smash to the face. Smith then tore into Boudreaux with a barrage, and
the Houston Heavyweight was on the verge of getting floored.

Boudreaux was just barely able to ride out the storm, as he grabbed-and-clinched
several times over the last 40-Seconds.

In the 10th and Final Round > Howard Smith was the effective aggressor and carried
the fight to Johnny Boudreaux who was forced backwards, where he was on the defensive.

Howard peppered away with solid left-jabs and occasional right-hands as Boudreaux
could not getting anything going.

Scorecards
* Referee ....... 5-4-1 {Howard Smith}
* Judge .......... 5-4-1 {Johnny Boudreaux}
* Judge .......... 6-4-0 {Howard Smith}

The Associated Press score it > 5-4-1 for Howard Smith.

AP Scorecard >
Rounds > 1, 2, 6, 9 and 10 for Howard Smith
Rounds > 3, 4, 5 and 7 for Johnny Boudreaux
Round > 8 'Even'

Fight Purses
* Howard Smith ........... $10,000
* Johnny Boudreaux ..... $15,000

June 16, 1976

Howard Smith vs. Johnny Boudreaux

Post Fight Comments >

Howard Smith >

"I hurt my right-hand badly in Round 2. It went 'numb', and it took 3 Rounds before
I could feel it again. I couldn't start using it until Round 6."

"At the end of Round 8, my corner told me that I better get it into gear, as the fight
was too-close-for-comfort. I came out for Round 9 with a charge, and hurt Johnny
pretty bad with some body-punches. Then I caught him in the head with my right.
I had him in trouble, and he was 'out-on-his-feet' over the last 20-Seconds, but
I ran out of time."

"I guess I gave some Rounds away {3, 4 and 5}, but I turned it on when I had to.
I won the last 2-Rounds big."

"Johnny is a good fighter, and he's really fast. The fastest guy that I have ever faced.
He's going to be a tough competitor to get around for a lot of guys. He doesn't have
a lot of power, but he's a sharp puncher. I could see him fighting for a World
Championship in a year or so."

Howard 'Kayo' Smith is the kind of boxer that I like. Gentleman with 'class'.