NABF Heavyweight Champion Wastes No Time in Knockout

After watching Orlin Norris of San Diego demolish Woody Clark in Tuesday night’s 10-round, co-main event at the Reseda Country Club, an observer could come to one of three conclusions:

1) Orlin Norris is the second coming of Mike Tyson.

2) Norris hides horseshoes in his gloves.

3) Woody Clark has about as much business being in the ring with a bona fide heavyweight as does Woody Woodpecker.

Since there is no evidence whatsoever to support either of the first two conclusions, we are left with the third.

It took Norris (16-1, nine knockouts) one minute, four seconds of the first to end the fight, but that’s because it took him that long to throw his first punch.

After feeling out Clark, perhaps to see if he was breathing, Norris, the North American Boxing Federation heavyweight champion, threw a slapping overhand right that sent Clark into the ropes and then to his knees. Clark got up, then turned away from Norris, as if to say he had already had enough.

And that is exactly what he indicated to referee Robert Byrd.

It was a fitting conclusion to the curious case of Woody Clark. The North Carolina fighter was a late replacement for Dwain Bonds, who reportedly had a rib injury. Clark originally told the California State Athletic Commission he had a 12-7-1 record. But a further check Tuesday revealed he was actually 6-13-1. Still, since he had gone the distance with heavyweight contender Carl Williams and had several other good performances, the fight was allowed to proceed.

Norris weighed in at 209 for the non-title bout, Clark at 203.

The night’s other major fight, also a 10-round non-title match, proved to be far different. Jesus Poll, the California featherweight champion, went the distance in a tough match to win a unanimous decision over Victor Paredes of Los Angeles.

Paredes suffered the only knockdown of the bout when he hit the canvas in the eighth round after being on the receiving end of a straight right from Poll.

Poll, 125, of North Hollywood, improved his record to 15-0-2. Paredes, 126, dropped to 12-6.

Norris was not the only fighter to enjoy an easy payday Tuesday.

In the final preliminary bout, junior welterweight Jerry Rosenberg (4-1, two knockouts) of Glendale stopped Robert Olvera (1-2) of San Diego just 32 seconds into the first round of a scheduled four-rounder with a solid right.

Olvera crumpled to the canvas, managed to get up before the count was finished, then stumbled headfirst into the ropes where he passed out.

In Rosenberg’s most recent fight, held in Irvine, he beat Paul Martinez on another first-round knockout. That fight lasted 42 seconds.

In the first preliminary, featherweight Juan Hernandez (3-3-2) of Los Angeles knocked down Pulga Franco (2-2) of Oxnard in the first round of a four-rounder and went on to win a unanimous decision.

In the other fight on the card, junior welterweight Steve Lewis (3-2, three knockouts) of North Hollywood recorded a second-round TKO over Jose Rodriguez (2-5) of Bakersfield in another scheduled four-rounder.