Eddie Spence vs. Paul Kasper

Eddie Spence 172 lbs beat Paul Kasper 175 lbs by KO at 2:28 in round 2 of 10

• Date: 1970-04-23
• Location: Exposition Building, Portland, Maine, USA
• Referee: Pete Bennett

SPENCE WINS N.E. TITLE, KASPER IN 2ND: BERKSHIRE EAGLE, Friday, April 24, 1970.

PORTLAND,Maine. - Irish Eddie Spence, 172, of Pittsfield, Mass. is New England light heavyweight champion today after scoring a knockout over Paul Kasper, 173, of Portland at 2:28 of the second round before 2,200 fans last night at the Portland Exposition Building.

Spence became the third Berkshire County boy to take a six-state regional crown. He joined welterweight Al Romano of North Adams and Terry Rondeau of Pittsfield. All three are managed by Roger Sala of Pittsfield.

Spence had promised to finish off Kasper within three rounds, and made good his boast. But Kasper kept him honest and, for a while, appeared set to prove his own prediction that he would chill Spence in the same time.

The large crowd roared at the ceaseless action and applauded both boxers wildly at the finish.

Kasper appeared to have taken the first round with a bulling rush and steady two-handed attack. Spence was rocky before the end of the round. However, Eddie scored a stream of lefts, and landed one smashing right before the bell.

Opening the second round, Spence crashed home a right hook that sent Kasper's mouthpiece spinning into the audience. Two more jabs swelled Kasper's nose and started it bleeding. Spence's nose had been dripping blood since early in the first round.

Kasper staged a fierce,desperate rally in his own corner, and strove gamely to turn the tide. But Spence maneuvered him into mid-ring, set him up with five lancing jabs to the mouth and then ripped a solid combination of four punches. He drove a left to the belly, a right uppercut that hurt Kasper, another left to the head and a final right to the jaw. Kasper plunged to the floor, tried to get back to his feet, made it to his knees, and then fell back again.