Ah yes. You are right.bennie wrote: ↑04 Dec 2020, 10:35 I remember watching Glenn beat the crafty and dangerous Lumumba for the vacant IBF cruiserweight title in Stanley in 1989. It was a stinking hot summer. Jesus! Every day was almost unbearable in London and the amount of fight action was just as intense. In the month of May 1989 we saw Watson-Benn, McDonnell-McGuigan, McCallum-Graham (with Eddie Futch in Mike's corner), Carlos De Leon stopping Sammy Reeson, Pat Barrett flattening Tony Willis for the British title (a first for his trainer Brian Hughes), Najib Daho winning a war with Pat Doherty for the Commonwealth title, the death of Esteban De Jesus, Steve Cruz showing he wasn't finished against Tracy Patterson, Floyd's adopted son, Chris Pyatt, bruised and battered, stopping Argentina's Daniel Dominguez in the very last round, Julio Cesar Chavez surviving meaty right hands from Roger Mayweather to force a stoppage, John Lyon making it eight ABA titles, Henry Wharton slung out on the same night, which nearly triggered a Wembley riot - all in the space of 31 days.
Then came June and a thrilling draw between Leonard and Hearns in their rematch, Dave McAuley pounding the previously unbeaten Duke McKenzie in a huge upset, Jeff Harding walking through hell to stop our own Dennis Andries in another huge upset, Gary Mason's horrible knockout of Jess Harding, the pro debut of one Lennox Lewis, Keith Wallace maintaining an unlikely comeback against Marvin Stone...
McCrory showed real grit and determination to outscore Lumumba in the same month, really hurting the Kenyan in the first and going for it round after round until the decision was his. He then featured in one of the greatest world title fights ever seen in this country against South Africa's stocky and rugged Siza Makathini in Middlesbrough in October 1989, surviving a brutal beating for five rounds, particularly to the body, but hanging in there and rallying brilliantly from the sixth as Makathini began to fade. Gutsy Glenn finally finished his man in the 11th and proved he was all fighter and a true world champion. Sadly, he lost his title a few months later to the unheralded but solid and dangerous Jeff Lampkin, who had Gerry Cooney's trainer in his corner (Victor Valle). Lampkin waited for McCrory to load up with the right and dug in a beautiful left hook to the liver and Glenn folded, although Lampkin's task was made easier by McCrory's now desperate struggle to make cruiserweight and the ex-champ was back at heavyweight when he returned a year later.
P.S. I seem to recall that Glen sold his IBF belt because he never actually won a Lonsdale Belt outright.
And actually it might have been for charity....
