Boxing – USBA Heavyweight Championship – Scott LeDoux VS Greg Page

DOG ASIDE:

Alan Scott LeDoux, nicknamed “The Fighting Frenchman” was a politician, professional heavyweight boxer, professional wrestler and referee….who began his professional boxing career in 1974….with his first boxing match being a knockout victory over Arthur Pullens….as LeDoux’s final bout in 1983 was a technical knockout loss to Frank Bruno….retiring with a record of 33-13-4 (22 knockouts). LeDoux’s opponents included some really outstanding heavyweight fighters including Ken Norton, Ron Lyle, Gerrie Coetzee, Leon Spinks, Greg Page, Frank Bruno, George Foreman, Mike Weaver, and Larry Holmes….with seven (7) of those having been world champions. In his match with Leon Spinks, LeDoux earned a ‘draw’, just months before Spinks defeated Ali. He also scored a KO over broadcaster Howard Cosell’s infamous toupee knocking it off in front of millions of ABC network viewers in a scuffle that followed a losing effort with Johnny Boudreaux. LeDoux insisted the fight was fixed by Don King and he ranted to Cosell to “Tell it like it is” mimicking Cosell’s famous catch phrase. A pushing match ensued and in the process, Cosell’s headset along with his toupee was dislodged by an errant LeDoux shove in front of live ABC cameras. Cosell quickly retrieved his hair from the floor and replaced it on top of his head.

Ledoux’s best achievements were that he scored draws against Leon Spinks and an ageing Ron Lyle. He also nearly knocked out a past his peak Ken Norton in round ten….when after some confusion as to whether the Ref had signaled the fight over or not….it was declared a draw. Never a ‘fancy dan’ fighter style-wise as they say in the trade….Ledoux was probably underrated in much of his career….evidenced by those fighters named above. On April 22, 1976, LeDoux lost to fellow Minnesotan Duane Bobick before a crowd of 13,789….which is still a Minnesota boxing attendance record. LeDoux later worked as a ringside commentator for ESPN and in 1986 as a referee for the American Wrestling Association. It was announced on July 5, 2010 that LeDoux would be a member of the inaugural class of inductees to the Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame.

LeDoux’s opponent in the USBA Heavyweight Championship bout was Greg Page…..who started boxing at age 15 under the tutelage of Leroy Emerson at the Louisville Parks Department gym in the Cherokee Triangle neighborhood….where he came to the public’s attention by sparring several rounds with the iconic Muhammad Ali.  In 1976, at the U.S.A.-U.S.S.R. Amateur Heavyweight Championships in Las Vegas….Page scored a major victory when he defeated Igor Vysotsky….the big punching Russian who twice beat the legendary Cuban and three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Teofilo Stevenson.  Page won the National AAU Heavyweight Championship in 1977. The following year, he repeated as the National AAU Heavyweight Champion and won the National Golden Gloves Heavyweight Championship….finishing his amateur career with a record of 94-11.

Page turned pro in February 1979….knocking out Don Martin in two rounds before a crowd of 7,500 at the Commonwealth Convention Center in Louisville. He put together 13 straight wins with 12 by knockout. The only fighter to go the distance with Page was George Chaplin….whom he defeated by a ten-round majority decision. Afterwards, Page was ranked in the top ten by the WBA….signing to fight Stan Ward for the vacant USBA Heavyweight title on February 7, 1981…,whom he defeated with a seventh-round TKO. After knocking out Marty Monroe and Alfredo Evangelista….Page had a rematch with George Chaplin and won by a twelve-round split decision. He followed the Chaplin win with a fourth-round knockout of Scott LeDoux as seen in the video herewith….followed by retaining his USBA belt with a unanimous decision over Jimmy Young on May 2, 1982.  Then, while on the undercard of the Larry Holmes vs Gerry Cooney heavyweight title fight…..Page fought Trevor Berbick….having to fight with a broken right thumb from the second round….as Page lost for the first time as a professional….dropping a ten-round unanimous decision to Berbick.  Page returned to defend the USBA belt against contender James “Quick” Tillis in November 1982….where after suffering the first knock down of his career in the second round….Page came back to KO Tillis in the eighth round.