FINISHING SHOTS THE KING IS CROWNED: On June 22, 1976, Britain’s John H. Stracey made the second defense of his Ring and WBC welterweight championships against Mexican American challenger Carlos Palomino. Stracey, at the peak of his powers, was coming off consecutive standout triumphs over Jose Napoles (to win the crown) and Hedgemon Lewis. He also had home advantage at the Empire Pool in London. While Palomino didn’t have the champion’s experience, he had been battle-hardened from a string of tough victories at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles and was coming into his own as a professional. He fell behind in the first half but got the best of it from Round 7 on, punishing Stracey to the body and wearing him out. The end came in the 12th when a brutal body attack from Palomino produced two knockdowns and forced the referee to stop the bout.
94 RINGMAGAZINE.COM
RINGMAGAZINE.COM 95
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker