Tony Chiaverini vs. Odell Leonard

Tony Chiaverini lost to O'Dell Leonard by TKO at 1:23 in round 6 of 10

• Date: 1980-12-12
• Location: Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, Missouri, USA

"Odell Leonard posted a TKO over Tony Chiaverini at 1:28 of the 6th round of their middleweight fight Friday night. Leonard scored repeatedly with overhand rights against the southpaw Chiaverini, knocking him down in both the 1st and 2nd rounds and breaking his nose in the 3rd. Leonard was knocked down himself in the 1st round with a straight left by Chiaverini and spent most of the next five rounds on the ropes while Chiaverini was punching himself out. Leonard landed three straight lefts in the opening minute of the 6th and then two overhand rights that sent Chiaverini into a neutral corner, his arms down, sending his manager Angelo Dundee through the ropes to signal a halt to the fight." -United Press International

Post-fight comments

• "I don't fault anyone in the corner for stopping the fight. They are in the corner for my protection. I beat myself. I just didn't execute. I didn't think he'd come out after the 3rd round." -Tony Chiaverini
• "He fought our kind of fight by coming at me. This is exactly what we wanted. He's a good puncher, but he doesn't have the power I do." -Odell Leonard