New Yorkers Prevail in IAB Boxing

War raged in the IAB last night as amateur boxers from the Boston and New York areas battled before a crowd of 800 in eight bouts to benefit the Boston chapter of the Leukemia Foundation.

And like the last installment of this northeastern rivalry fought in Fenway Park last October, the New Yorkers prevailed, this time by a five to three margin.

In the evening's featured fifth bout however, Brockton, Mass. Robbie Simms, the 19-year-old half-brother of top middleweight contender. Margin Hagler, took a unanimous decision from Simon Ramos of New York's Apollo Club.

Lean and tall at 147-lbs., Simms, the man they called the Scorpion, baited the more stocky Ramos with stuff left leads and quick counter-punching jabs. Early in round two, Simms staggered his opponent repeatedly, but could but knock him out. The judges gave the local fighter a unanimous verdict by scores of 60-56, 59-58 and 60-57.

"I never should have let him touch me," Simms said after his bout, disappointed at his failure to destroy his opponent.

Ringside experts touted Simms as a likely prospect for the Olympics squad which will travel to Moscow in 1980.

The seventh fight on the card, the light heavy weight contest between Anthony Doti of Providence, R.I. and Dennis Crowe of Mt. Loretto, N.Y. brought the crowd to a screaming frenzy with a nine-minute melee that ended with the New Yorker gaining a controversial decision.

Shattered

Late in the first round. Doti caught Crowe with a looping left hook, but he could not put the blond to the canvas. Crowe returned the favor by staggering Doti with a straight left, but he too, could not finish the task.

At the buzzer ending the second round, a Doti right hand--a virtual replay of his first successful blow--leveled Crowe for a two count. Crowe recovered his equilibrium in the one-minute break and gained a slight advantage in the final encounter.

Doti could not keep up the fight's torrid pace, and he like the exhausted fight fans, spent the third round breathing hard and not maintaining the previous round's pace.

In Tatters

The evening's only knock-out came in the 139-1b. class, when New York's Bobby Francis landed a right and left combination on Felix (Perez) Almonte's gut, then connected on a crushing roundhouse left hook to floor the Bostonian. The referee stopped the bout with 15 seconds left in the first round.

The night closed with heavyweight Chris McDonald of Fall River. Mass., the three-time New England Amateur Champ, out-pointing Steve Floch, also from Mt. Loretto, N.Y.

In the final round, Floch was clearly tiring and McDonald took advantage rapidly. He landed a short right hand to Floch's more-than-ample midsection, but he escaped ending the fight in prone postion by the barest of margins. The surprising close margin of the three judges read, 58-58 (McDonald's fight on aggression), 60-57 and 60-57.

Harvard's Black Student Athletes Association sponsored the evening called "The Fight Against Leukemia Night." George Jackson '80, president of the association and organizer of the event, said last night. "The fans are seeing some of the top amateur fighter on the east coast and I think they're enjoying it."