Mar. 13, 1964 - Eddie Cotton of Seattle, who maintained that he was the victim of a hometown decision in his loss to Johnny Persol of Brooklyn three weeks ago, made certain tonight in the same Madison Square Garden ring that he would not be victimized again.
Before 3,500 fans, the third-ranked light heavyweight knocked out Persol with a devastating barrage of blow that left his victim draped helplessly on the ropes. The battering was so severe that referee Zack Clayton had to step in to prevent injury to the youngster, who was bent over, his back halfway through the ropes, his hands at his sides.
Unable to offer the slightest resistance to the punching fury in front of him, Persol was a dead-ahead, short-range target for Cotton. The time of Clayton’s saving action was 2:37 of the fourth round. It will go in the record book as a technical knockout.
The blow that put the undefeated Persol on the skids was a smashing left hook flush to the chin. The blow snapped Persol’s head back sharply and turned his legs to jelly.
Cotton, wise in the ways of finishing an opponent after 17 hard and bitter years of ring warfare, closed in for the kill ruthlessly.
Even after Johnny Addie had announced the time of the knockout, Persol, now clad in his dressing robe, was wobbly on his feet. In the other corner, Cotton was jumping up and down in elation.
Until the knockout, the three ring officials had had the fight about even.
The victory was Cotton’s 51st against 15 defeats and one draw. He now has 28 knockouts. The 36-year-old winner weighed 172.
Persol, who turned professional in January of 1963 after 85 successful amateur bouts, suffered his first defeat after 11 victories. He weighed 173½.
