This WBA light heavyweight title fight between Champ Monte Parloff vs Marvin “Pops” Johnson took place in Marsala, Sicily…..the island off the coast of Italy….for this was a fight that had generated a great deal of interest with the locals on the Isle of Sicily…..who like the Italians, just love boxing…..however, there was extra excitement in the air above Sicily because about 250 miles across the island near the City of Catania…..a 10,000 foot mountain blew its top as Mount Etna erupted a few days before the fight…..and was still blowing lava and rocks into the sky on the day of the fight.
Boxing commentators Stu Nathan and former world heavyweight champion Ken Norton were calling the fight that featured Marvin “Pops” Johnson fighting for the light heavyweight championship for the first time in his career…..entering this fight as the sentimental favor of the Sicilian fight fans. His opponent Mate Parloff from Croatia was the 1st boxer from behind The Iron Curtain to win a world boxing title with a 9th round KO of then champ Miguel Angel Cuello on January 7, 1978…..defended his title against British champion John Conteh and American Tony Greene with a 6th round TKO….then on December 2, 1978 he fought Marvin “Pops” Johnson….as seen in this video herewith.
The fight was good….lots of action with both boxers landing big staggering punches….and this fight also featured one great boxer of the golden age of boxing in Pops Johnson throughout his 43 win 6 loss career in which he held the world light heavyweight title on three separate occasions…..and Parloff was a really good light heavyweight champion….who ended his career with 24 wins 3 losses and 2 draws….holding the light heavyweight title for almost a year…..as both of these guys in the ring together makes this fight well worth watching.
