William "Caveman" Lee KO John Lociero - an ESPN classic

The fight was 42 years ago, and it has aged very well. It was a beauty in 1981 and it is a beauty today.

A hot July night in Detroit, Michigan, in the Twenty Grand Showroom, was the work site for the ESPN televised, Top Rank Boxing show. 

The early portion of the evening did feature a couple of up-and-comers in future world champion Jimmy Paul and world title challenger Hurley Snead. But, the main event would deliver on what is still considered one of the best fights ever on ESPN.

Detroit’s own William “Caveman” Lee (22-4, 21 KOs) and New York’s John LoCicero (19-8, 14 KOs) would step into the ring in the main event. With Sal Marchiano and Al Bernstein calling the action from ringside, the fight was all-action, all night, from the opening bell. 

Lee, out of Manny Steward’s famed Kronk Gym, was coming in at a respectable 19-2, and off of 2 big KO’s in the 2 previous months. LoCicero would enter the bout at 18-2, with 13 KOs and was looking for a win after dropping a UD, 9 months previous. 

Styles? Lee was probably the smoother, more naturally gifted of the 2 fighters. However, he would have to deal with a fearless and extremely aggressive LoCicero who was not lacking in the courage department.

The early part of the fight, rounds 1-4, saw Lee controlling most of the action against an on-coming LoCicero who was in the ring for the first time since recovering from a shoulder injury; he did show a little ring rust. While Lee was in control, he couldn’t sleep on LoCicero who was winging hard right counters.

Then it happened.

Late in the fourth round, LoCicero, trailing in the fight, landed a huge right on the chin of Lee and had him out on his feet, but he just couldn’t finish him. He drilled him with punch after punch as the crowd, sensing an upset, went nuts.

Then, the 2 came out for round 5 in what would be one of the all-time great rounds in ESPN boxing. Lee swarmed and bombed LoCicero at the start of the 5th round, hammering him all over the ring. It looked like maybe LoCicero had punched himself out in the previous round. For both fighters, the sweltering heat in the ballroom seemed to be doing as much damage as the punches.

Finally, Lee dropped an exhausted and badly hurt LoCicero in the round. It looked like the end was near for the tough, but out-gunned New Yorker. However, an exhausted and hurt LoCicero, who barely beat the count, getting up at 9, had one more run left in him. And, a counter right, flush on Lee’s jaw, would start the assault.

Lee was pouring on pressure to LoCicero when John threw a Hail Mary shot that absolutely stopped Lee in his tracks. Then a 25-punch, non-stop attack had Lee barely hanging on. While Lee was hit with everything thrown at him, he did show a great chin and a huge heart in surviving the onslaught. 

Then, late in the round, with an exhausted and punched-out LoCicero in close, a beautiful left hook from Lee caught LoCicero on the jaw and dropped him for the 10-count. Heat exhaustion, as much as the left hook, finished LoCicero.

The crowd, who had witnessed 2 of the most exciting rounds in boxing, went crazy. Lee had a huge win and LoCicero, despite the loss, had earned the respect of everyone in the room.

On this night, in a boiling hot ballroom in the “Motor City,” William “Caveman” Lee and John LoCicero delivered a classic. 

Epilogue. One must wonder what this fight took out of them as both danced to some serious chin music in the bout. LoCicero would fight 4 more times over the next 16 months going 2-2. For Lee? He earned his title shot 2 fights later, in the spring of ’82. Middleweight king Marvin Hagler dusted him off in 1 round. This would essentially end his career. He came back for 1 fight in 1986 and 1 in 1988 but for all intents and purposes, Marvelous Marvin signed off on the end of his career.

Both fighters had some great moments before. Both fighters had a few great moments after. But, on a hot night in the summer of 1981, both fighters had their greatest night in a fight that still sits as a classic. 

“J-Lo” and “Caveman”, thanks for the memories.