Fairy-tale comeback
NZPA-Reuter London Britain’s Maurice Hope completed a fairy tale comeback to the ring when he stopped the Australian, Rocky Mattioli. in the eleventh round to retain his World Boxing Council (W.8.C.) light-middleweight title in London on Saturday night. This was Hope’s first fight after an operation earlier this year to repair a detached retina in his right eye, an injury which had threatened to put an end to his career. But Hope made nonsense of those fears with an audacious
display, often walking through the former champion’s brutal punches to land telling blows of his own.
Mattioli. who lost the title to Hope 16 months ago when he fought eight rounds with a broken arm, also showed bravery above and beyond the call of duty.
But raw courage was never enough against a superb champion, who is now in line for a £1 million cheque to defend his title against the W.B.C. welterweight king, Roberto Duran, of Panama.
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Press, 14 July 1980, Page 4
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160Fairy-tale comeback Press, 14 July 1980, Page 4
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