BLH Classic Fight Night #2: Lopez-Ayala, Lee-Locicero, Jones-Pazienza

We’ve got three fights lined up for BLH Classic Fight Night #2, starting in 1981, moving to 1995, and then traveling back to 1979.

Here’s what’s on tap tonight. Join us over at Watch2Gether at 7 pm ET (Midnight UK) and enjoy not just the fights, but the camaraderie of your fellow nerds!

William “Caveman” Lee vs John LoCicero

Middleweights, 10 Rounds (July 9, 1981)

Twenty Grand Showroom, Detroit, Michigan, USA

Detroit’s Lee (19-2) has home field advantage in the Motor City, where he’ll face New York’s LoCicero (17-5) in the main event of a local fight card put on by the Kronk Gym in a veritable sweatbox.

Roy Jones Jr vs Vinny Pazienza

Super Middleweights, 12 Rounds (June 24, 1995)

Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

Jones (28-0) comes into this fight ranked No. 2 pound-for-pound by The RING, behind only Pernell Whitaker, and as a substantial favorite against Pazienza (40-5), whose career is something of a miracle. “The Pazmanian Devil” fractured his neck in November 1991, and was told he’d never fight again, but he came back to the ring 13 months later and has won 10 straight fights, including a pair against Roberto Durán. But even on the hot streak, Jones is seen as too big and too skilled. If nothing else, Pazienza has the heart and courage. Will it be a showcase of skill or a Cinderella story?

Danny “Little Red” Lopez vs Mike Ayala

Featherweights, 15 Rounds (June 17, 1979)

Convention Center Arena, San Antonio, Texas, USA

Lopez (40-3) and Ayala (21-1) square off for Lopez’s WBC featherweight title in San Antonio, the challenger’s hometown. Lopez lost three of four fights in 1974-75, but rebounded to claim the 126-pound belt from David Kotey in Ghana in November 1976. Since then, he has made successful defenses against Jose Torres, Kotey, Jose de Paula, Juan Domingo Malvarez, Fel Clemente, and Roberto Castanon, stopping all of them except for Clemente, who was disqualified in their October 1978 bout. 21-year-old Ayala’s résumé is pretty thin. He lost to Rodolfo Martinez in 1977, and his eight-fight win streak since then has come against questionable opposition. It’s a top fighter against a hometown boy in Mission City to close out our second BLH Classic Fight Night.