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

[Bill Paxtom]

60,000 is beans

Howard Smith

"You've got to be a masochist to be in boxing. It's a never ending death."
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Saturday ~ January 15, 1977

The Aladdin ~ Las Vegas, Nevada

CBS Television

Howard 'Kayo' Smith ~ 23-1-0 {17 KO's}
vs.
Howard 'Gunslinger' Clark ~ 33-10-4 {10 KO's}

~ Howard Smith and 'veteran' Henry Clark To Get It On At The Aladdin ~

San Francisco 'veteran' Heavyweight -Henry Clark {Age; 31 years, 10 Months} will test
'little-known' but talented Los Angeles Heavyweight - Howard Smith.

Clark a 13-Year veteran who has been competing as a Professional since May 1964, has
only been stopped '3-times' in 47-Bouts. But, Henry has 'never' been floored.

Clark, who is a 'multiple' California State Heavyweight Champion, is also the chief
sparring-partner for former World Champion - George Foreman.

Only 10-months ago, Henry was ranked as the #5 Heavyweight {March 1976}, and was one
win away from challenging Muhammad Ali for the World Title.

But an 'uspet loss' {L Dec 10} to Earnie Shavers in Paris, France on March 28, 1976 ended
Henrys' {3+ year} unbeaten streak at '9'.

After that loss, Henry took 6-Months off, and contemplated retiring after 12-Years in the Ring.

Henry decided to come back, and stepped into the Ring again with Earnie Shavers on
September 28, 1976 on the undercard of the Muhammad Ali - Ken Norton bout at Yankee Stadium.

In that bout, Henry got caught 'napping' in Round 2, and Earnie bombarded him with punches
while he was trapped in the Corner. The Referee stopped the bout with Henry 'dazed', but
still on his feet.
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Henry 'Gunslinger' Clark >

"I am ready for this bout. I have nothing to lose, and will come out bombing instead of boxing,
which is my normal style. I can punch hard if I want to."

'I am much bigger than Howard {236 lbs. to 205 lbs.}, so I will put pressure on him early and make
him use up his strength. I'll just wear him down, and deliver hard-punches."

"He's good, but he's unsure of himself and lacks confidence. That is where I have the advantage.
He knows that he can't hurt me, and he knows that I know it."
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[brocktonblockbust]

amazing stats and details

[Bill Paxtom]

amazing stats and details

Thank You Sir,

Much appreciated..........

[Bill Paxtom]

Saturday ~ January 15, 1977

The Aladdin ~ Las Vegas, Nevada

Howard Smith Floored, But Pounds Out Decision Over Henry Clark ~

In a very strange bout, which saw the original Referee suffer a seizure in the 1st-Round,
causing a re-start of the bout. Howard Smith then scored a solid 10-Round Decision over
veteran Henry Clark.

In the initial start, Howard Smith and Henry Clark both measured each other during the first
minute of Round 1, when suddenly Referee - Ferd Hernandez suffered a seizure {epileptic fit}
in the Ring.

The bout was halted, as Mr. Hernandez was attended to by the Ringside Physician and
emergency personal from the Aladdin Hotel.

A break period of 15-Minutes was taken, to allow for the fighters to re-group. A replacement
Referee {Richard Greene} was brought in, and the fight was to re-start as a new bout.

Re-start >

At the Bell, Henry Clark {236 lbs.} bolted quickly from his corner in an effort to catch
Howard Smith {203 lbs.} cold and off-guard.

Clark landed a grazing right-hand and a slapping left-hand to the head on an off-balance
Smith, sending the California Heavyweight backwards.

Clark then swarmed in, and used his shoulder to bull Smith into the Corner. Henry then
landed a variety of punches on Smith for the first 20-Seconds as he was 'pinned' in his
own Corner.

Smith then tried to counter-back, but was caught by a Clark right-hand to the jaw, and Smith
dropped to the canvas at the {0:28 Mark}.

Smith was up at the '1-Count', and was clear-eyed and looked fine.

After the Mandatory '8-Count', Clark moved in and continued to take advantage of his size and
bulled Smith into he Ropes where he landed slapping punches as Smith covered up.

Clark kept Smith 'pinned' on the Ropes for the rest of Round 1.

In Round 2, Clark again stayed on top of Smith, and used wide slapping punches to smother
Smith who was driven backwards, where he stayed on the Ropes throughout most of
Round 2.

[brocktonblockbust]

at this poiint in his career I think Smith felt only depsair and a lack of motivation.

[Bill Paxtom]

Howard Smith vs. Henry Clark

In Round 3 >

Henry Clark again charged out his corner, and went back to smothering Smith
with his size. Clark continued with slapping-type punches, but though he was
out-punching Smith, he wasn't doing any real damage to Howard.

Turning point {1:40 Mark} >

Howard changed-the-flow of the bout, when he dug in and fired a 'wicked' right-hand
into Clarks' face. Henry immediately backed off, and moved across the Ring, as he
was stunned.

Howard moved in, and worked over Henry with 'left-right' combinations, as Clark
was kept on the defensive and covering up along the Ropes.

In Rounds 4, 5 and 6 > it was more of the same, as Howard used fast '2-Punch'
combinations mixed in with double left-jabs to Clarks' mid-section.

Henry was now a completely different fighter, as he was forced backwards during
each exchange.

And when Henry was on the Ropes, Howard would unload 'heavy' right-hands into
the left-side of Clark's body.

In Round 7 > Howard poured it on, as he raked Clark over with a variety of sharp
punches to the face. By Rounds end, Clark looked worn down and had little left in
offense.

In Round 8 > Henry made a last-gasp to get back into the fight, and tried to unload
a few heavy punches on Smith. But by the {1:30 Mark}, Clark had nothing on his
punches, as Smith stayed on the perimeter and cruised for rest of the Round, while
resting and taking a break.

In Round 9 > it was all Howard Smith, as he landed 'thudding' body-punches into Clark
who was now nothing more than a 236 lb. punching-bag. Howard shook Clark late in
the Round with a 'left-right' to the chin, and slammed in an overhand-right to the head
at the {2:40 Mark} which buckled Henry's legs.

Only Henry's 'granite chin' prevented him from going down, as Smith 'unleashed' a
barrage of right-hands into Henry's head over the last 20-Seconds as Henry leaned
with his back on the Ropes.

In Round 10 > Smith continued with 'rapid-fire' punches, and pounded Clark into
the Ropes. Smith kept working Clark over with 'left-right' one-two punches as the
'veteran' was doing little other than tossing out an occasional weak punch.

~ Howard Smith Pounds Out Decision Over Henry Clark ~

Scorecards
* 47-44 {Howard Smith}
* 47-44 {Howard Smith}
* 47-43 {Howard Smith}

* Associated Press > 46-43 {7-3-0 in Rounds} for Howard Smith.
Note; Henry Clark won Round 1 {5-3}, after scoring a Knockdown.

[Bill Paxtom]

January 25, 1977

Howard 'Kayo' Smith

I felt that it was a good win over Henry Clark. We kind of got messed up when the original Referee {Ferd Hernandez}
had a seizure, and I had to sit around for 15-Minutes to wait for Emergency Medical Team to tend to Mr. Hernandez.

When we re-started, I was cold. At the 'new start' when the Bell rang, Henry rushed me, and caught me off-guard,
and he stunned me right away. I tried to counter him, but he timed my punch and nailed me with a good right-hand
on the 'chops'.

I went down, and found myself on the canvas after only '28-Seconds'. But I was up right away. Yea, it was a
'flash-knockdown', but I wasn't hurt, just a little shaken I guess.

It took me 2 1/2 Rounds to get warmed up, but I really took it to Henry at the end of Round 3. I nailed him with a
big right-hand and I hurt him. That was it, and I knew that I had him.

I beat him up pretty good after that, and won the last 7-Rounds, and I won going away.

CBS-TV paid me a Fight Purse of $40,000 - and it was the largest pay-check that I have ever received.

When Henry came in at 236 lbs., I knew that he wasn't in the best of shape. He usually fights at 220 lbs.
I figured that he would use his size early, to try and wear me down. He knew that he couldn't out-box me.

He's a smart boxer, but for his size he doesn't punch all that hard. I took everything out him during the
middle-Rounds, and I put a hurting in him in Round 7. There was never a doubt that I would win fairly
easy.