European Heavyweight Championship
Gardner defeated the Netherlands Rudy Guawe by TKO in 1980 for the Vacant European Heavyweight Championship. Afterwards, Gardner knocked out European rated Italian Lorenzo Zanon in his first title defense in 1980 after five rounds. Gardner, who never lost a title fight during his career, vacanted the title in hopes of a world title.
Gardner then defeated world rated Ossie Ocasio, the future world cruiserweight champion, in 1980 by KO after six rounds.
Read more about this topic: John L. Gardner
Famous quotes containing the word european:
“When the inhabitants of some sequestered island first descry the “big canoe” of the European rolling through the blue waters towards their shores, they rush down to the beach in crowds, and with open arms stand ready to embrace the strangers. Fatal embrace! They fold to their bosoms the vipers whose sting is destined to poison all their joys; and the instinctive feeling of love within their breasts is soon converted into the bitterest hate.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)