Ron Stander obit

Ron Stander, Bluffs Butcher, dies; fought Frazier in 1972

 

He was not on the list.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Ron Stander, whose fight against unbeaten world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier in 1972 was the highlight of his 13-year career, has died. He was 77.

Toddy Stander said her husband died Tuesday from complications of diabetes at their home in the Omaha, Nebraska, suburb of Ralston.

Stander was known as the “Bluffs Butcher,” a nod to both his hometown of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and his aggressive, brawling style. He was 38-21-3 in a professional career that spanned the years 1969-82.

Stander first drew national notice with a fifth-round knockout of Earnie Shavers in 1970, and he was 23-1-1 when he got his opportunity against Frazier on May 25, 1972.

The Frazier fight was at the Civic Auditorium in Omaha, across the Missouri River from Council Bluffs, and Stander went right at the champion from the opening bell. The two fought on even terms early, but Frazier was able to impose his will and bloodied Stander’s face, and the fight was stopped after four rounds.

Stander also fought, and lost to, heavyweights Scott LeDoux, Ken Norton and Gerrie Coetzee in the 1970s, and remained a popular figure in boxing circles the rest of his life.

Prior to his unsuccessful match versus Frazier, Stander had scored a fifth-round knockout victory over hard-punching Earnie Shavers in 1970, and a decision win over contender Thad Spencer in 1971. An award-winning documentary titled "The Bluffs Butcher," after his adopted hometown of Council Bluffs, Iowa, produced by journalism student Andrew Batt, was released in 2004. The documentary tells the story of Iowa's arguably best shot at a World Heavyweight Boxing Title and chronicled Stander's journey from virtual unknown to boxing's largest stage.