Harold Johnson vs. Jesse Bowdry

Johnson sends Bowdry to the canvas

Harold Johnson 172 lbs beat Jesse Bowdry 173 lbs by TKO at 0:45 in round 9 of 15

• Date: 1961-02-07
• Location: Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida, USA
• Referee: Cy Gottfried 80-71
• Judge: Gus Jacobson 79-71
• Judge: Carl Gardner 80-71

• National Boxing Association World Light Heavyweight Title (vacant)
• Fight Poster

Notes

• The NBA title was stripped from Archie Moore for failure to defend within the stipulated time of six months.
• Johnson was a 3-1 betting favorite.
• The crowd of 4,017 produced a gate of $20,829.50.
• The Associated Press reported: "Johnson, who came in at 172 to 173 for Bowdry, paved the way for the finish by scoring knockdowns in the sixth and eighth rounds. When the bull-shouldered St. Louis battler went down under a vicious barrage in the ninth, and arose groggy and helpless when the count reached seven, Referee Cy Gottfried stopped the slaughter."
• "I don't feel like the champ yet," Johnson said after the fight. "When I beat the old man (Archie Moore) I'll get that feeling."