1970's ~ Top Heavyweight Upsets

[Bill Paxtom]

'Upset Special #66'

Friday ~ October 24, 1975

Palazzo Dello Sport {Sports Palace} ~ Milan, Lombardia, Italy

'Italian Heavyweight Championship'

Lorenzo Zanon ~ 14-0-1 {2 KO's} ~ 6' 2" ~ 207 lbs. ~ Age; 24 years, 1 month
vs.
Dante Cane ~ 37-12-5 {28 KO's} ~ 6' 4" ~ 230 lbs. ~ Age; 35 years, 4 months
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'The Skinny'

Lorenzo Zanon >
Was the 'Toast of Italy', as he had earlier upset Guiseppe 'Bepi' Ros on May 26, 1975
to capture the Italian Heavyweight Championship. He was the hometown boy here in
Lombardia, where the bout is to be held.

Zanon is a fast-handed boxer, who can snap off quick-punches in {3-and-4} punch bursts
with precision. But, Lorenzo lacked power and there was a question about his chin.

Lorenzo was favored to defeat the 'old' Italian veteran Dante Cane. Lorenzo was expected
to win here, and then move on to challenge for the European Heavyweight Championship
next.

Lorenzo's fight plan > is to box-and-move, and make the slow-footed and plodding 35 year-old
veteran chase him. And then, to attack with fast combinations, and get out of there. In the
'speed department', Dante will be no match for Lorenzo.

Dante Cane >
The fading Italian from Bologna. Dante was a '3-time' Italian Heavyweight Champion, and
was hoping to re-capture the Championship one more time.

Dante had fought in '11' Italian Heavyweight Championships, and was an experienced fighter
with '54-Bouuts in his career.

A big fighter at 6' 4" and 230 lbs., Dante could still 'punch' despite his slow-plodding style.

Dante, who at one-time was being mentioned as a Challenger for Muhammad Ali in early
1975, saw that hope get extinguished, when he was stopped {L TKO 5} by Joe Bugner on
February 28, 1975 in a challenge for the European Heavyweight Championship.

Dante's fight plan > to pressure the fast-handed but light-punching Zanon. Try to work the
body and wear Zanon down, and hope to catch the 'suspect chinned' Champion late in the
bout with his heavy hooks.
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'The Bout'

In from of 8000 hometown Lombardia fans, Lorenzo Zanon utilizes his quickness and
accurate punching to control the first 3-Rounds over the slow-footed Dante Cane.

Lorenzo mixes in quick left-jabs, and fast right-hand leads into the face as Cane moves
forward. Dante has done next-to-nothing thru the first 3-Rounds.

In Round 4, Lorenzo rakes over the 'old veteran' with fast-flurries and sends the awkward
Cane reeling backwards from right-hands to the chin.

In Round 5, Lorenzo again is having his way over the first {2:30}, but he gets a little
too brazen, and during 'one-exchange' late in the Round, he gets tagged by a hard
right-hook, and is badly staggered.

Luckily for Lorenzo, the punch comes at the end of the Round, and he survives.

In Round 6, Lorenzo was now more cautious, and was reluctant to move in to throw
his fast-combinations. On the other hand, Dante was more aggressive, and moved in
throwing looping right-hands and left-hooks as the 'veteran' dominates the Round.

In Round 7, Dante went to free-swinging as he pressed Lorenzo, and trapped him
several times on the Ropes, where he unloaded with is heavy hooks. By the end of
the Round, Lorenzo looked 'groggy' after taking several punches to the head.

Coming out for Round 8, Dante immediately went after Zanon, and raked him over
with a barrage. At the {0:40 Mark}, Dante landed a hard right-hook to the chin that
sent Zanon down on 'all-fours'. Lorenzo was up at the '6-Count', but looked in
bad shape.

Dante moved in, and landed several hard punches to head as Lorenzo reeled around
the Ring on unsteady-pins.

Dante then added in a left-hook and right-cross to the chin the dropped Zanon again.

Zanon struggled up at the 7-Count, but Referee - Bruno Amaglia had seen enough, and
called the bout over at {1:08 of Round 8}, awarding Dante Cane the TKO victory.