Doghouse Boxing remembers Bob Stallings - By Antonio Santiago - Doghouse Boxing News
Doghouse Boxing remembers Bob Stallings
By Antonio Santiago, Doghouse Boxing (April 10, 2013) Doghouse Boxing
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Despite what some may believe, there is no typical trial horse in boxing. Some, like Scott Le Doux, become very good fighters and challenge for the world title while making themselves a name both among boxing fans and among everyday people who don't otherwise know much about the sport. Others, like Mike Weaver, go even further and manage to win a world title. Then there are others, like Bruce Strauss, who can fight and have talent but who end up fodder for some hungry promoter's rising kid. And of course, you have Ivan Zamuco, Peter Buckley and etc, fighters who are brought in purely because they will not win but will lose with dignity. And lose they do, performing their job very well.
 
Then there is Bob Stallings.
 
When people talk about the Heavyweight division during the 1970's, they talk about Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes and Joe Frazier. They talk about the second tier of fighters the division had during that period, a magnificent fleet that included Jimmy Ellis, Bob and Mac Foster, Alvin Lewis, Jerry Quarry, Earnie Shavers, Ron Lyle, Thad Spencer, Chuck Wepner, a young John Tate, Weaver, Buster Mathis Sr., Stan Ward, and Hispanics Ringo Bonavena, Manuel Ramos, Gregorio Peralta, Alfredo Evangelista and Jose Roman. They even talk about Sonny Liston, Leotis Martin and Floyd Patterson, fighters who, although already out of the game (by one or the other way) by 1973, helped add a bit of extra flavor to the Heavyweight division of the era.
 
People don't talk about Bob Stallings.
 
Which is unfair because, of all the aforementioned warriors, Stallings fought seven. He beat three of them. Bob Stallings was a promoter's nightmare. He could lose but he could also win.
 
Stallings began his career by losing to 15-1-3 Arnie Brower by a third round knockout on September 29, 1964, in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. On his very next fight, he battled Walter Dietrich at the Madison Square Garden in New York, scoring his first win via four round decision. Two fights later, he lost to Mel Turnbrow, who had a respected career. With a 7-4, 1 KO record, Stallings faced Busther Mathis Sr., 3-0 at the time, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mathis Sr. had been an excellent amateur and was thought to be on his way to huge things as a professional boxer. Stallings did his thing, losing by decision in six. His next opponent, however, was not so lucky as Mathis Sr. was. Chuck Wepner, later to surprise "The Greatest" Ali himself by dropping him, and inspire Sylvester Stallone to write "Rocky", was subdued by Stallings with a six rounds decision at Sunnyside Gardens, in Queens, New York.
 
Stallings followed that with a string of four more wins (making it five in a row) before facing Mathis Sr., by this time 12-0, again at the Armory in Akron, Ohio. Stallings gave Mathis Sr. a close call but lost a split ten round decision. After two more losses, Stallings traveled to England, where he lost to Jack Bodell by knockout in seven on December 13, 1966. These three losses were part of a 10-fight losing streak, during which Stallings met Al "Blue" Lewis for the first time. That happened on December 12, 1967, at Buffalo, New York, and, one day to the one year anniversary of his loss to Bodell, Stallings lost identically to Lewis, being beaten in round seven by knockout.
 
Stallings met Alvin Lewis for a second time on May 8, 1968 in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. This time, he went the distance but still lost. Finally, on September 21 of that year in Detroit, 19-0 Lewis got rid of him by stopping him in two.
 
Winning 3 of his next 9 bouts, Stallings then met dangerous puncher Ron Lyle on April 14, 1973, in Missoula, Montana. Stallings stood Lyle's power and ended on his feet after ten rounds, although he lost by decision. Next, he would pull one of the great upsets of his career, when he met another dangerous puncher, 30-2, 30 knockouts Mac Foster. Incredibly, Stallings managed to beat Foster by a ten round decision!
 
After a win over Charley Green (who dropped former world Light Heavyweight Champion Jose Torres in a non-title affair), Stallings won the New York State Heavyweight title by knocking out James J. Woody in six on May 8, 1974, at Nassau Coliseum, in Nassau, New York. That win propelled Stallings to a fight with Earnie Shavers. And towards the biggest upset of his career.
 
Shavers was 46-3 and considered the best punching Heavyweight in history. It took a Muhammad Ali (barely) and a Larry Holmes to beat him. Ken Norton and Jimmy Ellis could not pull off the upset. But Bob Stallings did.
 
This was no "could have gone either way" type of fight either, because on November 4, 1974, at the Madison Square Garden's Felt Forum, Bob Stallings put a beating on Earnie Shavers, dropping him in round nine and securing a ten round unanimous decision.
 
Sadly, it was also Stallings' swan song. He fought on, but his shining moment had come and gone. He went 10-7, 8 knockouts, the rest of his career, ending it after being disqualified in round seven against Alfredo Evangelista in Spain. Stallings had a log of 31-32, 11 knockout wins. Maybe his was not an impressive record, but when you look at his opposition, then you may indeed, be impressed.
 
Besides, he was a "have gloves, will travel" guy, competing in 13 states and 8 countries!!
 
Bob Stallings may not be mentioned all the time when we talk about 1970's Heavyweights, but we will not let people forget this man who fought like he could, and sometimes could indeed!

Please send all Questions and comments to Antonio at TJ69662094@aol.com.

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