Folley Taunted, Knocked Out

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31327, 25 March 1967, Page 15

Folley Taunted, Knocked Out

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) NEW YORK, Cassius Clay, toying with hit challenger for six rounds, unleashed a left hook and right cross to knock out Zora Folley in the seventh round of their world title fight in New York on Thursday. Clay began the seventh round taunting his opponent with cries of “Come on in.” Folley answered the challenge and landed a right which stunned Clay. But the champion replied with a left hook and a short straight right that put Folley flat on his face. It was the 25-year-old Clay’s ninth successful defence of his title and one of his easiest. The 34-year-old Folley could not match Clay’s speed and punching power. Clay, always the show-off type of boxer, hardly landed a good punch in the first three rounds, preferring to dance around with his nimble footwork, making Folley do all the leading. But in the fourth round, Clay opened up and floored Folley for a count of six with a left-right combination to the chin. Folley’s nose was bleeding off and on from the fourth round onwards and he had a swelling under his left eye. Clay threw more punches after this and at the end of the fifth round landed six successive left jabs to Folley’s face. In the sixth round Clay resumed his dancing tactics but it seemed clear he could finish the fight when he wanted—and the end came after Imin 48sec of the seventh round. With Clay’s call-up imminent, although his lawyers are still seeking deferment for him, this could be Clay’s last defence of his title for at least two years. As to his future plans, Clay would only say in the dressing room: “That’s up to my manager.” The crowd of 13,708 paid a gross gate of 244,471 dollars, breaking the previous Madison Square Garden record of 239,959 dollars set on March 30, 1965, when there were world welter-weight and light heavy-weight title fights on the same promotion. Clay’s purse was estimated at 260,000 dollars based on 50 per cent of the net stadium gate and a 150,000-dollar guarantee from television, radio and film rights. Folley was due to receive about 58,000 dollars for 15 per cent of the net gate and a 25,000-dollar guarantee from other revenue.