Jimmy DuPree vs. Vicente Rondon ~ 'vacant' WBA Light-Heavyweight Championship

[Bill Paxtom]

~ The Bout ~

Round 1

Jimmy DuPree came out looking confiendt, and went right aftert the tall Venezuelan.

During the 'first-exchange', Jimmy nailed Vicente with a good 'right-left' to the chin, and
Rondon backed away in fear.

Jimmy then pursued, and slung hard left-hands into Vicente's body. By the {1:00 Mark}
a nervous Rondon was backing away fast.

DuPree contined to press, and jarred the 6' 3" Rondon with solid '3-Punch' combinations.
Rondon looked both nervous and tight, and was completely over-matched.

Jimmy clearly dominated Round 1,and won by a {10-9} score.
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Round 2

A replay of Round 1, as the American continued to press-and-punch, while the home-country
Venezuelan was retreating.

Rondon could not cope with Dupree's strength, and was reluctant to counter, despite having a
3" Height and 5" Reach advantage.

DuPree again caught Rondon with 'sharp' punches, and by the {2:00 Mark} he had the
Venezuelan 'groggy' as he over-whelmed him with '2-Punch' combinations.

Jimmy kept up the pressure on Round, and at the {2:40 Mark} he caught the Venezuelan
'flush-on-the-chin' with a right-hook and left-hook, and dropped him.

Rondon was up at the '3-Count', but was groggy and in bad-shape.

After the Count, Jimmy tore into the Venezuelan, and ripped him with left-hooks for the
last 10-Seconds of the Round.

Rondon was literally saved-by-the-Bell.

Jimmy DuPree dominated, and won Round 2 by a {10-8} score.
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Round 3

Jimmy Dupree came out looking to end it, and started 'swinging' with wide-punches. But
Vicente Rondon was smartly moving, and rolling with the incoming bombs.

Jimmy did land '2' good left-hooks at the {1:20 Mark}, but the power in the punches was
not the same as in Rounds 1 and 2.

By the {2:00 Mark}, Jimmy was starting to miss with his swings, and Vicente was gaining
confidence.

Then like hitting-the-wall, DuPree started to slow down significanlty. As Jimmy slowed down,
the Venezuelan started to punch back with left-jabs, and one-two's. By the {2:30 Mark} Vicente
was doing the leading and Jimmy was on the defensive.

Round 3 was scored 'Even'.

[Bill Paxtom]

Round 4

Coming out for Round 4, both fighters looked 360* different from the Opening Round.

Jimmy DuPree now looked unsure, and Vicente Rondon had the look of confidence.

Immediately, Rondon opened up quickly, and started scoring with rapid-fire 'left-right-lefts',
and DuPree was missing with his counters.

Just past the {1:00 Mark}, Rondon landed a hard right-hand that opened up a 'bad-cut' on
the bridge of Dupree's nose, and the cut started to bleed profusley.

Then at the {2:10 Mark}, the Venezuelan ripped a cut over the American's right eye-brow
with a fast 'left-right'.

As Rondon scored with quick 'left-right-lefts', the 10,500 Venezuelan's in the Nuevo Circo
{Bull Ring} were cheering deliriously for their fighter.

Vicente Rondon was completely dominant in Round 4.
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Round 5

Jimmy DuPree came out very slowly, and now had the look of defeat. On the other side,
Rondon was excited and bouncing up-and-down on his toes.

At Center-Ring, it was all the Venezuelan, as he hit the American at will with more of his
rapid-fire 'left-right-lefts'.

DuPree was on the receiving end of bad-beating. At the {1:20 Mark} DuPree suffered a
'cut' on his left eye-brow after taking a solid right-hand to the area.

Each time that Dupree tried to fire back he missed misserably. By the {2:00 Mark} Dupree
looked completely exhausted.

To prevent from getting hit, Dupree then moved in close on Rondon, and leaned on him while
trying to smother his arms.

Over the last-minute of the Round, the Venezuelan was getting increasingly stronger showing
excellent stamina, while DuPree was fading badly.

Vicente Rondon was again completely dominant.
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At the end of Round 5, the Ring Physician checked out the bad 'facial cuts' on Jimmy DuPree.
But though they were bad, he let the bout continue.

Round 6

Vicente Rondon came out strong, and landed several quick '2-Punch' combinations on DuPree.

Then the Venezuelan caught DuPree with a 'jarring' left-hook to the face at the {0:30 Mark},
and DuPree desperately clinched Rondon and held on to clear the 'cob-webs'.

While DuPree continued to try and stay in close on Rondon to smother him, the tall-and-lanky
Venezuelan tried to stay clear to give himself some punching-room.

To keep DuPree away, the Venezuelan started used his long left-jabs repeatedly into DuPree's
face and kept him from getting inside and close during the middle-session of the Round.

By the {2:20 Mark}, DuPree looked ready-to-go, as he was moving slowly and looked weary.

At the {2:35 Mark}, Rondon caught Dupree with a solid 'left-right-left' to the head, and the
American was staggered. Rondon then added in a series of left-jabs on the cut over DuPree's
left-eye, and the American turned away momentarily.

As Rondon moved in, DuPree turned his back. The Venezuelan then unloaded with a quick
succession of 'left-right' uppercuts into Dupree's head.

The American then collapsed with his back into the Ropes. Rondon then moved in to fire away
on a defenseless DuPree.

But Referee - Zachary 'Zach' Clayton moved in and pushed Vicente Rondon away and halted
the bout at {2:58}.

[Bill Paxtom]

February 27, 1971

~ Vicente Rondon Defeats Jimmy DuPree For WBA Light-Heavyweight Title ~

Venezuelan - Vicente Rondon came back from a 2nd-Round Knockdown and early bout
jitters to overwhelm American - Jimmy DuPree and stop him by a Knockout at 2:58 of
Round 6.

The Venezuelan {175 lbs.} was nervous during the early going, and appeared scared
in the Ring with the veteran Dupree {173 1/4 lbs.}, as the American nearly chased
the 6' 3" tall Rondon out of the Nuevo Circo {Bull Ring}.

DuPree hammered the Venezuelan with left-hooks in Round 2, and dropped Rondon
late in the Round with a vicious left-hook to the chin. Rondon who was 'groggy', was
saved by the bell ending Round 2.

But the lanky Venezuelan started to come back late in Round 3, as he withstood DuPree's
early attack, and rallied late with stiff left-hand's into the American's face.

Rondon turned the tide in Round 4 when he cut the usually durable Dupree on he bridge
of the nose, and over his right-eye with 'rapid-fire' left-right-left combinations. Rondon's
fierce-action was met by delerious-cheers from the { 10,500 } Venezualan spectators,
as the Nuevo Circo was sent into a frenzy.

In Round 5, Rondon hit the visibly-tired American at will, and raked him over with a series
of '3-Punch' combinations, inclduing opening a cut over DuPree's left-eye. After Round 5,
the Ringside Physician checked Dupree for 'facial-cuts' but allowed the bout to continue.

With a weary fighter in front of him, Rondon unleashed a series of 'left-right-left' punches
on his opponent, and staggered the DuPree as well as opening up a cut over the American's
left eye-brow.

As DuPee tried to move-in on Rondon and hold on, the Venezuelan moved away and used
left-jabs to keep DuPree from grabbing him to clinch. Rondon then scored with a series
of left-hands on DuPree's cut left eye-brow, forcing the tired American to turn away.

With a hurt fighter in front of him, Rondon unloaded with a succession of hard 'left-right'
uppercuts, driving DuPree backards and collapsing with his back on the Ropes while
'out-on-his-feet'.

American Referee - Zach Clayton then jumped in and pushed Vicente away and halted
the bout at 2:58 of Round 6.

[Bill Paxtom]

~ After Bout Comments ~

Vicente Paul Rondon >

"Jimmy DuPree is a very tough fighter. But I have fought many tough fighters before,
so I wasn't surprised. He has a very hard left-hand, and he did hurt me several times."

"I was very nerovous in the first 2-Rounds. I was not only fighting for myself, but for my
country {Venezuela}. Once I giot the 'jitters' out in Round 3, I was fine. And when the
Nuevo Circo erupted in Round 4, I was really motivated. I knew that I would win."
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Feliz Zabala Sr. {Manager} >

"Sure Vicente was nervous. He was fghting in front of { 10,500} screaming conutrymen,
plus the whole country was watching. He was scared at first, and was really afraid. He really
got clobbered in the 2nd-Round. But after he took the American's best punches, he got brave
and took over in Round 4."

"I've managed Vicente for 6-Years {since 1965}, and all the hard work has paid off. Now, we
will defend the WBA Title a few times, and look forward to getting Bob Foster in the Ring to
unify the Championship in 1972, if he still has his Championhip."
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Jimmy DuPree >

"I don't know what happened. All of a sudden at the end of Round 3, I got very tired. That's
the first time that has ever happned to me. It was like I was 'drugged' or something. I was
strong for the first 2 1/2 Rounds, then it was like I was walking in a 'muddy-swamp' in
New Jersey."

"I don't know, maybe it was something I ate, or possibly it was the climate here in Caracas.
This is the first-time that I have ever fought outside the United States. It was really strange,
as I never got this tired that early in a bout before."

"The cut over my left-eye really bothered me in Round 5. Then in the 6th-Round, he caught
me there a few times, and I had blurry-vision and had to turn away because I couldn't see."

"Give me 90-Days for my facial-cuts to heal, and then I'll knock him out in the rematch. I'll
even fight him here again, as I know what to expect now."

[Bill Paxtom]

~ Pre-Fight Weigh-In ~

Caracas, Venezuela

There was always 'talk' that the Scale was adjausted, so that the 6' 3" Vicente Rondon could make
the 175 lb. weight limit.

Vicente {Age; 32 years, 7 months} was no 'Spring Chicken'.

[Bill Paxtom]

Wednesday ~ March 3, 1971

~ Jimmy DuPree Says He Was Drugged ~

~ DuPree May Have Been Given Drug, Lost Bid For WBA Light-Heavyweight Title ~

American Light-Heavyweight - Jimmy Dupree said he was 'drugged' in his fight with Vicente Rondon
on Saturday Night - February 27th in Caracas, Venezuela.

DuPree, who had fought with a fierce attack in Rounds 1 and 2 in the Nuevo Circo Ring, suddenly
started to slow down at the end of Round 3.

By Round 4, DuPree was moving slowly, and in the 5th Round he was showing no effort at all.

The bout was eventually stopped at the end of Round 6, as DuPree nearly collapsed on the Ropes
and unable to defend himself.
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~ DuPree Friend Says, Fighter Was Drugged In Caracas ~

Miss Charliese Smith >

I was there Saturday Night with Jimmy DuPree. I am a Registered Nurse, and I was part of the group
that went to Caracas to support Jimmy.

Jimmy was very weak just before he entered the Ring, and he said that didn't feel well. He fought hard
for the first 2-Rounds, then he just lost strength, and very quickly. By the the 5th-Round, he was
very-sluggish and staggering around the Ring. And in the 6th-Round he was unable to properly defend
himself.

After the bout, we hurried Jimmy to the Dressing Room, and I examined him. He said he had blurry
vision, and he couldn't even see across the room to see the Fight Posters on the wall. He said that he
was very weak, and could hardly walk without losing his balance.

I examined him, and his eyes were dialated. Then I checked his Pulse-Rate, which was fast.
It is normally between 60-to-64. After the fight it was at a rapid-rate at 76-to-80."

It is possible that someone slipped Jimmy a 'muscle-relaxant', and that is why he suddenly lost strength
so quickly.

I know Jimmy, and I have never seen him react like that. He's a very strong man for 34 1/2 years-old,
with incredible endurance and stamina.

But the biggest problem is that Jimmy is stiil in Caracas. I stayed with him on Saturday Night {after the bout},
and was there on Sunday. We all went to the Airport on Monday Morning to leave, but the authorites
pulled Jimmy off the plane. They pulled his 'Passport' and would not let him leave. But I was allowed to travel,
and I arrived back home in New York on Monday, December 1st.

My concern, is that the Venezuelan Boxing Officials diod not do a 'post-fight physcial' of Jimmy after
the bout, and they allowed him to leave and go back to the Hotel, without being checked by a Physician,
to see if he was in 'good health'.

I have never seen that happen in an imprortant boxing match, especially for a World Championship.

If Jimmy was 'drugged' it will take about 72-Hours for the drug to dissolve out of his system. We need to
get him back home, to do a proper examination, and to do a Blood Test.

[Bill Paxtom]

Thursday ~ March 4, 1971

~ Vicente Rondon ~ "I Won Fair and Square" ~

Newly crowned WBA Light-Heavyweight Champion said that American - Jimmy DuPree's
claim that he was drugged are preposterous.

"Look, I won and he lost. Yes, he's a tough guy. But I'm used to fighting tough guys.
I have fought many tough fighters before."

"He came out throwing bombs, but he punched himself out. By the 5th-Round he had
nothing left, because he fought at to 'fast-a-pace' during the first 3-Rounds."
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Felix 'Tutu' Zabala {Manager} >

"Vicente was very nervous during the first 2-Rounds. But once he got his feet under him,
he took the American apart. As far as being 'drugged', I have no idea of what Jimmy DuPree
is saying."

"It's very simple. My guy was just better."

"We have a committment to defend the WBA Title against Italian - Piero Del Papa within
90-Days, which should be at the end of May or early-June. After that, we will most likely
fight Jimmy DuPree again, probably at the end of August."