Oscar Bonavena-Karl Mildenberger(fight footage- 1967)

[Brutu]

Check out how clear this(high lights) b/w fight footage from their fight is.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=44892

[MikeSchreckwins]

Outstanding

[yancey]

I remember this fight well.

Oscar dominated and was physically too strong, but Mildenberger was starting to mount a late rounds comeback of sorts before the final knockdown stalled his momentum and left no doubt who was going to win.

[Brutu]

Muhammad Ali was scheduled to defend his title against Oscar Bonavena earlier that year May.27.1967 in Tokyo,
but the fight was cancelled in April because Ali recieved his draft call.

Ali also had planned to defend the title later that year in Ghana, Africa(7 years before the Rumble in the Jungle)against I believe
Thad Spencer too.

[Brutu]

Mildenberger was listed a 4 to 1 favorite going into this fight.
This is the fight that Bonavena injured his back,bad enough to post pone his next scheduled fight in the tournament with
Jimmy Ellis.
The Ellis fight was scheduled for
November.11.1967 then rescheduled for December.2.1967.
You got wonder if the reason Bonavena did not do so well in the Ellis fight was because of the re-occuring injury(which I think he had even before the Mildenberger fight).
in early October Joe Frazier said he would be interested in taking Bonavena's place in the tournament if Bonavena was not able to compete in it,perhaps that is the reason Bonavena went ahead with the Ellis fight.

[Brutu]

Here is a clip of Karl Mildenberger defending the European Heavyweight title against Billy Walker earlier that year March.21. 1967
at the Empire Pool Wembley London England.


http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=44620