Skip to main content

From the archive · January 2, 1985

Chong Pal Park vs Roy Gumbs

IBF World Super-middleweight Title · Munhwa Gymnasium, Seoul, South Korea

Chong Pal Park

Record 35-3-1 · 167½ lb

Roy Gumbs

Record 26-10-3 · 165¼ lb

Chong Pal Park vs Roy Gumbs, Wednesday, January 2, 1985

The fight

Chong Pal Park retained his IBF World Super-Middleweight Title in commanding fashion, halting England's Roy Gumbs in just two rounds on January 2, 1985, at the Munhwa Gymnasium in Seoul, South Korea. The bout, promoted by Dong A Promotion, saw Park, weighing in at 167½ lbs, dominate the lighter 165½ lb Gumbs. Referee Abraham Pacheco waved off the fight at 1:42 of the second round after Gumbs was unable to continue.

Park, with a record of 35-3-1 entering the contest, demonstrated the talent that earned him the title six months earlier against Murray Sutherland in a contest that saw both boxers hit the canvas. Park found the reserves to halt Sutherland in the 11th round. Park's victory made him the second-ever IBF super-middleweight champion in a division still establishing its foothold in professional boxing. Gumbs, whose record stood at 26-10-3, was outmatched and unable to find an answer to Park's aggressive approach.

This marked Park's first defence, and he would go on to establish himself as a dominant figure in the 168-pound weight class. His reign included eight successful defences, including a 15th-round stoppage of Vinnie Curto in Los Angeles, cementing his place atop the new weight class. 

For Gumbs, the defeat was the beginning of an end to his career. He retired, only to return six years later in America, losing by majority decision to up and coming Ernesto Magdaleno in San Bernardino, California.