November 24, 1978: Bennett punches way to women’s ring title by Lou Torres

HISTORIC PHOTOS ON WBAN ARCHIVE COLLECTION

The Hyatt opened it’s grand ballroom to four women bouts Tuesday evening but fight fans went away disappointed that the Bonnie Prestwood-Karen Bennett World Bantamweight title fight lasted only two rounds.

What supposed to be the most entertaining and exciting fight of the evening turned into a second round TKO.  For Karen Bennett of Las Vegas, though, it was a joyous occasion.  She stripped Bonnie Prestwood of the World Bantamweight title with a surprising TKO early in the second round.

Prestwood, from Muncie, Indiana, was completely outboxed to the shock of boxing fans that expected Prestwood to display the hard punching that made her a champion.

Prestwood never had a chance against her more aggressive opponent.  Bennett came out with a combination of hard lefts and rights that kept Prestwood on the defensive.

Prestwood, a 27-year-old housewife and recognized bantamweight champion by the three groups rating women boxers, stayed in the corner trying to cover up her face.  But Bennett continually pounded away at her head to dominate the first round.

The second was no different.  Bennett remained in control, finally hurting the 5-foot-3 Prestwood.  Referree Jay Nady stepped in to stop the fight.

“I don’t know what happened.  I’m usually a slow starter for the first two or three rounds.  But this time I couldn’t do anything, ” Prestwood explained.

Fight promoter Bill Dickson was even more surprised than Prestwood.

“I don’t believe what happened.  I guess the Western ladies are ahead of the Eastern ones.  I don’t know how to explain it,” Dickson said.

In one of the better fights of the night, Lydia “Squeaky” Bayard of San Pedro, California, won a unanimous decision  over a UCLA student Carlotto Lee.

Julie Mullens of Virginia City continued her comeback by stopping her idol LaVonne Ludian of Los Angeles in the fourth round.  After a series of injuries had slowed Mullens down on her road to the title, Mullens has now won two fights in-a-row to capture the Nevada State Welterweight title. (photo of Mullen)

In the shortest fight of the evening, Genate Troy, 112, Los Angeles, dropped her opponent Lauri Ferris with a knockout at 1:21 of the first round to win the flyweight championship.

In the only men’s fight of the evening, Jerry “Red” Wiles of Tacoma hit the floor twice during the first two rounds before stopping Roland Brookter of Sacramento in the fourth round.  Wiles had defeated Brookter when the two fighters fought in Truckee in July.

The most entertaining bout of the evening, though, was the Bayardo-Lee contest.

Bayardo showed a vicious left hand a strong right to defeat Lee.  Very few opponents have been able to go the distance against Boyard.  Although Bayardo dominated the fight, Lee was able to mix it up with Bayardo in the fourth round.  In that round Bayard had blood streaming from her nose.  However, Bayardo consistently hit Lee with powerful rights and left jabs in win the fight.

Bayardo remains undefeated at 8-0-1 while Lee too her first loss after six wins.

It took only three rounds for Mullens to dispose of 35-year-old LaVonne Ludian.

Mullens displayed a tremendous roight-cross in the first and second rounds.  In the decisive fourth round, Ludian took a hard right in the face that floored her.  She recovered somwhat but Mullens wen in for the kill with a strong combination to knockout Ludian.

“I didn’t want to hurt her.  She is a really nice lady,” Mullens said.  Mullens has an 8-0-1 record while Ludian is now 10-4-1.

News article:  North Lake Tahoe Bonanza, Friday, November 24, 1978, Page 1A