Jose Napoles vs. Billy Backus (2nd meeting)
Jose Napoles 146 lbs beat Billy Backus 146 lbs by TKO at 1:53 in round 8 of 15
- Date: 1971-06-04
- Location: Forum, Inglewood, California, USA
- Referee: Dick Young 6-1
- Judge: Larry Rozadilla 4-2
- Judge: Lee Grossman 5-1
- WBC World Welter Title (1st defense by Backus)
- WBA World Welter Title (1st defense by Backus)
- Promoter: George Parnassus
Bout Summary
"Jose Napoles, the pride of Mexico, won back his world welterweight championship by stopping the Syracuse southpaw, Billy Backus, who borrowed his championship on cuts last December. The end came at 1:53 of the 8th round after the second of two knockdowns forced referee Dick Young to halt the contest. The right eye of Backus was puffed like a melon and gore was pouring out of his left eyelid. Napoles, who had his left jab and right hand in Backus' face nearly all the way, stunned his victim with a hard left cross before a short right dropped Billy. After taking the maximum count, Backus gamely tried to rally, but he fell on his knees for a second knockdown after a series of blows in close quarters. His face was so battered, the referee immediately called the ring physician, who refused to permit the action to continue. Napoles had only one anxious moment - the 1st, when a cut opened above Jose's right eye after the fighters had butted each other. Trainer Angelo Dundee closed the wound, however, and it never seriously bothered the Cuban again." - Ring Magazine, September 1971 issue.
Notes
- Attendance: (app) 16,000.
- Gate: $186,550 live gate plus $55,000 in ancillary rights.
- Purses: Backus - $90,000 plus closed circuit TV rights for the Syracuse area, Napoles - $30,000.
- Unofficial AP scorecard (through 7 completed rounds): 6-0 Napoles.
- Unofficial Long Beach Press-Telegram scorecard: 7-1 Napoles.
- Unofficial Pasadena Star-News scorecard: 4-1 Napoles.
Post-Fight Quotes
- "When I'd catch him with a solid blow he would roll with the punch. I caught him a couple of times but when your car doesn't run that's it." - Billy Backus.
- "He was too tight and he tried too hard." - Carmen Basilio, Backus' uncle and trainer.
- "Jose won with his left hand. That's the way to handle a southpaw. If you try to right hand a guy like Backus, you get clipped." - Angelo Dundee, Napoles' cornerman.