Kevin Howard was a pretty good fighter in the welterweight and super welterweight divisions….who had a professional boxing career that ran from 1978 to 1986…..while building a career of 21 wins, 8 losses and 1 draw….with bouts against Sugar Ray Leonard and Marlin Starling….as seen in this prefight show video seen herewith….being the only two champions that he fought.
In the other corner for this fight was Marlon “Magic Man” Starling….who is a retired American world champion professional boxer….that held the WBA, WBC, and Lineal Welterweight World Championships. After 25 straight wins to start his professional career…..he lost his first fight….a 12 round split-decision to Donald Curry in 1982 for the USBA Welterwt Title….when Starling had a rematch with Curry in 1984….thus challenging for the WBA and IBF welterweight titles…..which he lost by a 15-round decision.
Starling’s second world title fight came in 1987….when he knocked out Mark Breland in the 11th round to win the WBA welterweight title…..then in his third title defense….Magic Man lost the title in controversial fashion to Tomas Molinares…..when Molinares hit Starling with a punch that was thrown around the same time as the bell sounded to end round six…..as Starling went down for the only time in his career….and the referee counted him out. Molinares was declared the new champion by knock out….however, the decision was later changed to a no contest….but the Colombian kept the title.
In 1989, Starling knocked out Lloyd Honeyghan to win the WBC welterweight titles….then in the following year….Marlin Starling challenged Michael Nunn for the IBF middleweight title….but lost by decision. In his next fight, Starling lost his welterweight titles on a close decision to Maurice Blocker….which was Starling’s last fight…..when he retired with a record of 45-6-1-1 with 27 KO’s.
