Luis Manuel Rodriguez vs. Holly Mims
Luis Rodriguez 151 lbs beat Holly Mims 158 lbs by UD in round 10 of 10
- Date: 1964-03-20
- Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, USA
- Referee: Ruby Goldstein 6-3
- Judge: Joe Eppy 5-4
- Judge: Al Berl 8-2
Rodriguez subsituted for Joey Archer on 10 days notice, after Archer was forced to withdraw, after he recieved a gash on his brow in training.
Mims appeared to win the first two rounds, with strong punching in close, as Rodriguez did little. Rodriguez though took control in the third round, as he began to beat Mims to the punch regularly; a pattern he would maintain through the remainder of the contest.
"Welterweight contender Luis Rodriguez, Friday night, racked up a unanimous and decisive 10 round decision over veteran middleweight Holly Mims of Washington, D.C. at MSG. Rodriguez, now a Miami resident, at 151 pounds to Mims' 158, was just too fast and shifty for his 35 year old opponent. There were no knockdowns although Luis had his aging foe in distress in the 4th and 5th rounds with his blazing barrages to the body and head." -Associated Press
- Unofficial AP scorecard - 8-2 Rodriguez
- Going into this bout Rodriguez was already signed to meet Jesse Smith in Miami on April 3rd and Emile Griffith for the welterweight title in Las Vegas on June 12th.
Post fight comment
- "You mark my words. In one maybe two years, I will be the welterweight and then the middleweight champion of the world." -Luis Rodriguez
Miscellaneous factoids
- Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali was ringside for the show, and was booed loudly by the fans. Ali had refused to be presented to the crowd, as Madison Square Garden promoter Harry Markson had insisted on announcing him under his previous name Cassius Clay.
- Ruby Goldstein was working his first bout as a referee since the tragic third bout between Emile Griffith and Benny Paret.
Source: New York Times, March 21, 1964