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Jan 1916 WW Division Profile

Total: 91 RL: 46 TC: 45

RL by Career Stage:
End - 2
Post - 10
Prime - 24
Pre - 7
Beginner - 3 (2 New)

Rated: 39
800+: 5
500+: 26
200+: 35

Jan 1916 Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from Jan 1915 in Parens):

Champ: Ted Kid Lewis 22-3-3 (10) (1034) (+4)
1. Packey McFarland 33-2-2 (19) (1308) (NC)
2. Jack Britton 35-6-2 (15) (1173) (-2)
3. Dick Nelson 31-13-4 (19) (1033) (-1)
4. Dixie Kid 48-16-2 (20) (894) (+2)
5. Art Magirl 19-2 (16) (788) (+19)
6. Albert Badoud 19-5-1 (14) (776) (+8)
7. Willie Schaeffer 20-6-2 (14) (715) (+5)
8. Kid Graves 29-8-1 (9) (708) (+11)
9. Waldemar Holberg 26-9 (12) (684) (+1)
10. Matt Wells 20-10-1 (3) (664) (-2)

Comments: All these boxers are at Prime, except for Schaeffer who will be at Post starting in 1916 (his RL retirement year). Ted Kid Lewis stormed to the top with his WBA title win over Nelson, but McFarland remains the highest ranked WW -- able to beat just about everyone in the division except for Britton, the man who has handed him is only two defeats. Britton dropped to #2 with the two DQ losses to Nelson his only defeats since 1911. Nelson regained the title but lost it, registering a UD 10 over Schaeffer in a non-title bout. Dixie Kid is still high on the list with UD 10 wins over Summers and Whitney, despite the NABF title loss to McFarland. Magirl shot up the rankings like a rocket, going 5-0 for the year with wins over Mike Sullivan, Connolly and Willie Lewis to set up his USBA title tilt. Badoud also surged into the top 10, with a TKO 3 over Whitney plus strong showings in EBU title action. Schaeffer moved up with a 2-1-1 record on the year, beating Barrieau and Wells and drawing with Summers. Kid Graves has won four in a row, all in 1915, UDs versus Deshler, Hurley and Joseph, and a MD over Shevlin, and seems overdue for his first shot at a title. Holberg recovered from a SD loss to Jimmy Clabby with wins over Fryer, Glover and Barrieau to stay in the top group. Wells dropped with looses to Lewis and Schaeffer but hung on to a top 10 ranking with a TKO 7 over aging vet, Blink McCloskey.

Other Notables: Summers dropped 4 spots to #11 after going winless for the year, losing the EBU belt and losing to Dixie Kid but managing a draw with Schaeffer. Hurley dropped 4 to #13, being blown out by Magirl and losing to Graves; since 1916 was his last career year, he will be at Post starting his next bout. Whitney took a huge tumble from #3 to #16, losing all three bouts in 1915: KO losses to Badoud and Magirl, and UD to Dixie Kid. Willie Lewis, another veteran, dropped 14 spots all the way to #19 after suffering KO losses to Magirl and Clabby plus a UD loss to Shevlin. Ireland's Jimmy Gardner, a former Champ, holds down the #12 spot, bouncing back from a UD loss to Basham with a TKO 2 of Tom McCormick and a UD 10 win over Honey Mellody. Basham is rated #14 with wins over Clabby (MD), Gardner and Marty Cross but only a draw when matched with Badoud for the WBU belt. Eddie Shevlin is #15 despite losses to Nelson and Gardner. Clabby checks in at #18 with a TKO win over Willie Lewis and a UD over Fryer, but a SD loss to Spike Kelly on his 1915 resume. Long-time contender Mike Glover could only manage 20th this year, losing to Holberg, whom he had beaten back in 1913. Top newcomers to the rankings were Aussie Tommy Uren, who debuts at #24 with a 14-2 (8) mark, featuring UD 10 wins over fellow Aussie Fred Kay and Spike Kelly but suffered a surprise TKO defeat at the hands of Sid Burns, and Soldier Bartfield, #25 with a 15-4 (8) mark, after recovering from consecutive losses to Kelly and Marty Cross with a UD over Cy Flynn and a TKO 9 over aging vet Mike "Twin" Sullivan.

Prospects: Not as many as seen in the more deeper divisions right now. Fred Kay, who suffered his first loss to Uren, stands at 11-1 (3). Phinney Boyle is 12-2 (4), his two losses coming to Barrieau and Kay. Still perfect with 9 bouts and 9 KO wins is Willie Loughlin, and none of his TC opponents has lasted past the fourth round. Tommy Robson is 8-1 (7), having avenged his prior loss to a TC. Alex Trambitas kicked off his career in 1915 with a win in his debut bout.

Retirements: One WW called in quits. His career marks:

Jack Goodman (USA) 1902-15 26-28-2 (5) No Titles Highest Rank: 10

Looking Ahead: Ted Kid Lewis vacates two titles (CBU and GBU) which will be up for grabs. Look for guys like Basham, Wells, Evernden, and maybe Aussie Uren to be in contention. Kid Graves should finally get that long-awaited title shot, probably for Magirl's belt. And with Britton no longer Champ, perhaps McFarland can break through and claim the WBA title belt. Overall, though, this looks like an aging division with more fighters in Post career stage than in Pre-Prime. Guys like Hurley, Schaeffer, Whitney, Willie Lewis, Honey Mellody, Young Joseph and Mike Sullivan all are on the downslide with their best years behind them now. Only two newcomers, Bermondsey Billy Wells and Belgian Piet Hobin, are set to debut in 1916.

Bold Prediction(s) for 1916: Packey McFarland will get a shot at the WBA title and make the most of it (scoring a KO win). Basham will take the CBU or GBU belt (OK, that's a less bold prediction). Kid Graves will get a NABF or USBA title shot but fall short.