41 years ago

Date: 3rd September 1983

Title: WBA World Welterweight Title

Promoter: Top Rank

Tv: ESPN

Donald Curry
( 16 - 0 - 0 )
Weight: 147 lbs

Roger Stafford
( 22 - 3 - 1 )
Weight: 146¾ lbs

On Saturday 3rd September 1983, Donald Curry, the WBA world Welterweight champion and future International Boxing Hall of Fame member, defended his title against Roger Stafford at Stadio Municipale, Marsala, Sicilia. The fight was promoted by Top Rank and aired on ESPN. This was the first defense for Curry, who weighed 147 lbs, and Stafford also weighed 147 lbs.

The fight ended in a TKO victory for Curry at 1:42 in the first and only round of the scheduled 15-round bout. Referee Stanley Christodoulou was the third man in the ring. Curry dropped Stafford three times in the first round with powerful punches, showing his superiority from the outset. It was a dominant performance by Curry, who demonstrated his exceptional skills and punching power.

Stafford had been touted as a challenger for Sugar Ray Leonard's world championship the previous year. Although the fight was cancelled due to Leonard's health issues with his retina, Stafford's name was widely known and he garnered major media attention. Stafford had also beaten Hall of Fame member Jose Pipino Cuevas, a former world champion known for his hard-hitting style, in 1981. Despite his credentials, Stafford was no match for Curry's skills and power.