Ringside Report Looks Back at Blaine Dickson

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By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart

6 years might not seem a long time in which to have a distinguished career, but I suppose it is all about what you pack into it…

From 1979, a year when the world in the UK got turned upside down because we got our very first female prime minister – hey USA we are on our second, how many female presidents y’all had – and the bleak winter of the previous year was due to give rise to a glorious summer. What happened in the early eighties was not a glorious summer but seasons of further discontent.

For Blaine Dickson, 19-1, 10 KO’s, 1979 was the beginning of a professional career that would see his rise to the heights of being the temporary holder of the NABF belt at super featherweight before losing it in the ring to a man who brought the fire wherever he went, Hector “Macho” Camacho in 1981.

Dickson’s style was all action – a popular style at any time – and his ability to knock fighters to the canvas whilst getting back up himself if it happened to him was noticed early in his career especially – a Ney Santiago stoppage in the 2nd round as his debut, Mauro Fuente in the first, a sixth round stoppage of the tough and respected Vito Romero and a rise from his backside that saw him get a points win against Maurice Cissi. This was all in an action packed first year, 1979, the first year he turned professional!

His style of fighting captured people as he was a very durable fighter and his manager, Tom Fischer, had enough faith in him to constantly talk about him as a future world title contender – unfortunately it was not to be!

By the early 1980s though he was taking on tougher opponents and, on the 2nd April 1980, the tough Ricardo Jiminez was in the opposite corner in Las Vegas. It was a toe-to-toe encounter with Blaine getting a 10 round decision. The arena was showered with coins from the public, such was their admiration for what they had just seen.

Hi first loss came later that year when he was not well and against Ken Sallee. It was a 6th round stoppage as Sallee, having hit the floor in the 2nd got up and took Dickson into the 6th blowing and struggling.

In 1981 he was to face Refugio Rojas and gave a more than decent account of himself with his skills being the key to unanimous 10 round win with the first 7 rounds crucial as again he found the later rounds difficult though eh at least got to the end of the fight and got his hand raised.

All roads though led to a battle in 1981 with Hector “Macho” Camacho when Dickson went in against a man who had the ability and the promise to go all the way. Camacho was an undefeated fighter over 11 fights, Dickson was a man with 18 fights and 3 losses. The excitement was built on the fact that both men had scored 6 knockdowns. Camacho was only 19 years old and in a fight he won, the battle was intense in what was only his 12th professional fight.

Dickson had his moments including in the 8th and 1th rounds where Camacho was forced to hold but ultimately Camacho got what was for many a boxing insider, a marquee win as Dickson was THAT highly rated.

The bout was not without its own comedy elements as they continued to fight after the bell and Camacho managed to land a decent right hand on the referee!

Dickson was beaten but not happy as Camacho had held for most of the fight and whilst not even a crowbar could have got Camacho off, an observer at the time noted that ”Blaine was more upset with the way he got away with the holding than with the decision.

Having hit a high, Dickson’s career was now to drop, though he continued for another 4 years and another 7 fights that held up a record for those last few encounters as 4 wins, 2 losses and a draw.

In Las Vegas he had his last fight, in 1985, on the undercard of a Larry Holmes title defense – his 47th fight and a successful one against David Bey; Dickson was also to win!

For a brief period, Blaine Dickson was in our sights and though brief, perhaps hidden behind others who took the glory it was a memorable time in which he fought and conquered our admiration…

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