On May 25, 1948, Wrigley Field in Los Angeles hosted the second of three world lightweight title bouts between champion Ike Williams and challenger Enrique Bolanos. This fight drew a substantial crowd of 25,332 spectators, highlighting the interest in the matchup.
Williams, weighing in at the lightweight limit of 135 pounds, faced off against Bolanos, who came in slightly lighter at 134 pounds.
The fight went the full 15 rounds, with neither boxer scoring a knockdown. This was in stark contrast to their first encounter in 1946, which ended in a 4th round TKO victory for Williams.
The official decision was a split decision in favour of Williams, though the scorecards showed a wide disparity in how the judges viewed the fight. Referee Charley Randolph scored the bout narrowly for Bolanos at 83-82. However, the two judges saw it quite differently. Johnny Indrisano scored 85½-79½ for Williams, while Frankie Van had an even wider margin of 88½-76½ in Williams' favour.
The discrepancy in scoring was reflected in the audience reaction, with most onlookers reportedly agreeing with the judges who saw Williams winning by a considerable margin. This disconnect between the referee's score and the general consensus suggests a closely fought but clearly decided bout in Williams' favour.
This victory marked Williams' second win over Bolanos in their trilogy. Their third and final meeting would occur on July 21, 1949, ending in another TKO win for Williams, cementing his dominance in their rivalry.
The fight exemplified the competitive lightweight division of the late 1940s, with Williams solidifying his status as the premier fighter in the weight class. For Bolanos, despite the loss, his performance in lasting the full 15 rounds against a dominant champion like Williams spoke to his skill and durability as a top contender.
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