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

[brocktonblockbust]

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

[Bill Paxtom]

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.
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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."

[Bill Paxtom]

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'.

[Bill Paxtom]

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."
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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.

[Bill Paxtom]

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

[Bill Paxtom]

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."