PHILADELPHIA -- Billy Douglas was one of the most feared middleweights of the 1970s, a golden age for 160-pounders in a division filled with guys like Carlos Monzon, Emile Griffith, Rodrigo Valdes and Bennie Briscoe.

He boxed out of Columbus, Ohio, and for most of his career he was managed by Bruce Trampler, now matchmaker for Bob Arum's Top Rank, Inc. Douglas boxed from 1967 to 1980. He was a devastating right-hand puncher who scored early-career wins over Willie Warren, Don Fullmer and Tom "The Bomb" Bethea. Trampler's friendship with me eventually led Douglas to Philadelphia where he headlined cards at the old 7,000-seat Arena and the 18,000-seat Spectrum.

Douglas' first fight for me in Philly had him scoring a 60-second knockout over Billy Lloyd at the Arena. Lloyd was a hard-punching lefty from West Philadelphia where the Arena was located. Douglas blew him out, then did an impromptu victory dance that lasted longer than the fight and had the crowd of more than 4,000 dancing in the aisles. They loved it.

Douglas was back at the Arena six weeks later. A crowd of nearly 6,500 turned out, some to see if he was the real thing, the rest to watch Briscoe in the main event. This time, Douglas struggled through nine rounds against classy veteran Carlos Marks, of Trinidad. He caught up with Marks in the 10th and last round, but the ref stopped the fight too soon and gave Douglas a last-minute victory. Again the fans responded, but this time it was with beer bottles and everyone ran for cover.

Two months later Douglas again beat Marks, this time by decision. Four months later Douglas kayoed tall, spidery Al Quinney, of Buffalo, in eight rounds at the Arena.

When I took over at The Spectrum in 1973, Douglas was co-featured on my first show there against tough Nate Collins, a California boxer-puncher who earlier had been the first man to beat Philly's Eugene "Cyclone" Hart at the Arena. Anyway, Douglas wore Collins down and stopped him in nine rounds.

There was not a patsy in that group of wins. All but Quinney were top 10 contenders at some point in their careers, and this was when there was only one top 10. Douglas came from a time when you fought the best because that was the only way to move up the ladder. He was not a throwback, he was the real thing. At a time when the middleweight division and, later, the light heavyweight division was filled with talent, he held his own with anyone and was feared by all. No one stood in line to fight him.

In 1976, Douglas caused a sensation in Madison Square Garden when he accepted a fight with heavyweight Pedro Soto. Garden matchmaker Teddy Brenner telephoned Douglas the morning of the fight after Soto's original foe backed out! Douglas flew to New York from Columbus the day of the match and floored Soto four times en route to a 10-round decision.

Later in 1976, Douglas lost a non-title fight decision to WBA light heavyweight champ Victor Galindez in Argentina, then had future WBC champion Matthew Saad Muhammad on the deck before losing on controversial stoppage in 1977 in Philadelphia. Later that year future three-time world champion Marvin Johnson also beat Douglas at the Spectrum. Douglas finally retired in 1980 despite having won seven of his last eight fights by knockout.

When he fought Muhammad (then Matthew Franklin) for me at The Spectrum in 1977, it had to be the fight of the year, certainly better than the main event which featured Roberto Duran vs. Edwin Viruet for the WBA lightweight title.

Anyway, Douglas was in the twilight of his career and Saad Muhammad was just emerging as a future world light heavyweight champion. The first three rounds went according to script. I was feeling sorry for Douglas. He was bleeding from the nose and mouth. Early in round five, Douglas drilled Saad Muhammad with a right cross and Saad was on the floor. Saad got up at three, then spent nearly a minute and a half absorbing left hooks and right crosses to his face. The ref could have stopped it, but didn't.

In the sixth, Saad Muhammad hurt Douglas and, after just a few seconds, the ref jumped in and stooped it. The fans responded with a barrage of boos that lasted through the official decision that the fight had been stopped. Back in the dressing room, I went wild, accusing the referee -- who, incidentally, was a close friend of Saad Muhammad's manager -- of blatant hometown favoritism. These were remarks I later apologized for in order to stem off a lawsuit against me.

As for the Pedro Soto match, it always had been Douglas' dream to box in Madison Square Garden, which is why he accepted that match the morning of the fight. How many of today's prima donna fighters would have done that?

Philadelphia promoter J Russell Peltz is also boxing consultant for Friday Night Fights.