Fight:100579

10,000 turned out to see Flannery's test on January 23 1953. But boxing's premier villan was losing his touch. The fast punching Englishman made it all look to easy.

Flannery was knocked down 8 times and saved by the bell in rounds 2 and 7.

In round 2, Johnson had landed a pair of sizzling left hooks and then a right cross that knocked Flannery cold. The bell sounded at the count of 2 and Flannery, still concussed, came out looking for more.

In the seventh, Flannery was out again when the bell rang at the count of one.

In rounds eight and ten, Flannery hit the deck three times, and in the tenth, desperate to land any sort of telling blow, he swung himself off his feet, trying to score with haymakers.

After he went down from a second air swing in the tenth, referee, Terry Reilly ended it.

Flannery protested, Johnson was cut over the eye and needed for stitches.

"I could have won if it had gone the distance," said Flannery, who had to be carried out of the stadium. "I was hitting him with some beauties."