Jose Urtain vs. Jurgen Blin (1st meeting)

Jose Manuel Urtain 198 lbs beat Juergen Blin 192 lbs by PTS in round 15 of 15

• Date: 1970-06-22
• Location: Plaza de Toros Monumental, Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain
• Referee: George Smith 71-69

"Jose Urtain of Spain retained his European heavyweight title Monday night on a controversial win on points over challenger Jurgen Blin in Barcelona's Bull Ring. Urtain, 197 1/2, finished in worse condition than Blin, 192 1/2. The German frequently shook the champion and floored Urtain in the 10th round. Urtain, who had won 30 fights by knockout, managed to get up after the compulsory eight-count and floored Blin with 13 seconds left in the round. The highly partisan crowd booed Urtain when he went into frequent clinches. Urtain was in trouble in the 13th and 14th rounds, with Scottish referee George Smith unable to prevent the champion's countless clinches." -United Press International

• Unofficial UPI scorecard - 7-4-4 (in rounds) for Blin
• Ring Magazine's European writer Jack Tree felt that Blin had Urtain in trouble from rounds 8 to 12, but conceded that referee Smith's verdict was just.
• Both fighters were cut around the eyes and nose.
• The 10th round knockdown suffered by Urtain was the first of his career
• Attendance - 20,000 (sellout)

Post-fight comment

• "Madison Square Garden is right in refusing to promote a Joe Frazier-Jose Urtain title fight now. The European champion is strong and game but green. Blin decked him in the 10th and Blin is no KO artist. In short, to send Urtain against Frazier would ruin the Basque's career beyond repair." -Unnamed American boxing expert, sent to scout Urtain.