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

[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.