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1919 HW Title Bouts

It's on to the year-end reports, starting with the HW division, where it's time to announce a big surprise -- just as Jack Dempsey appeared to be on track to rule the HW roost for a long time, there was a huge upset. As a result, the four WBA title bouts staged in 1919 resulted in four different HW champions ...

WBA

Jack Dempsey CH (27-0-1) vs Carl Morris #4 (28-8)

Dempsey makes his first title defense, riding a 9-bout win streak. Morris (the new USBA Champ) gets the nod, having won six in a row. The Manassa Mauler took the measure of Morris (TKO 7) in October 1916, and is a heavy favorite to repeat that result with the title belt at stake.

Round one, Dempsey starts well, landing a big uppercut but then leaves himself open and Morris lands a punch that rips open a dangerous cut above the left eye of the Champ. Dempsey tries to continues, but the blood gushing out leaves the ref no choice but to order a stoppage. Surprisingly, Morris is the new HW champ by TKO 1 (cuts).

Carl Morris CH (29-8) vs Bill Brennan #13 (23-7)

Morris, who follows in the footsteps of Jeannette, McVey, Wills and Dempsey to become the fifth USBA Champion to capture the WBA belt, takes on Bill Brennan in his first defense. It's the first meeting of the two, and Brennan actually comes into the title bout off a LOSS to Fred Fulton because other higher ranked contenders were unavailable.

Round one features a flash knockdown as Brennan puts Morris on the canvas. The Champ bounces back and appears to be unaffected. Brennan pressures Morris and has a huge round two. Round three, Morris tries his luck on the inside but Brennan again takes the round. Morris has a strong round four, but Brennan dominates the toe-to-toe action in round 5, and Morris' left eye shows signs of swelling. Things get worse for Morris in round 6 when a cut opens below his right eye. Morris hangs around until round 9, when a solid overhand right by Brennan drops him again. A groggy Morris is nailed by a cross for a further KD, and after that the ref calls a halt. Bill Brennan is the new WBA HW champ by TKO in 9.

Bill Brennan CH (24-7) vs Sam Langford #1 (65-9-1)

Ex-Champ Langford, who has rung up seven in a row after losing a WBA title bout to Wills in 1917, earns a chance to regain the crown. It may be the veteran Langford's final hurrah, however, as he hits Post-Prime career stage after this bout. It will be the first meeting of the two.

After a cautious start by both men in round one, Langford begins asserting himself in round 2, dominating the action. Langford pursues the Champ in the third, but at the end of the round Brennan surprises Langford with a big right hand that lands flush. Brennan tries to be more aggressive in round 4, but Langford bounces back and connects with a big uppercut. The Champ has a good round 5 when both men elect to stay on the outside, and the unofficial scorer has it a 48-48 after five. Langford breaks through in the toe-to-toe action in round 6, raining blow after blow until Brennan clings to the ropes, defenseless. It goes down as a TKO 6 for Langford, who is once again the WBA HW Champ.

Sam Langford CH (66-9-1) vs Bartley Madden #6 (26-6-3)

Langford now must fight at Post-Prime, and his opponent is the Irishman, Bartley Madden, the new EBU Champ whose previous career highlight was a draw with a young Jack Dempsey. No prior bouts, and Madden enters the bout by winning four of his last five contests.

Round one sees a long feeling out process, with Langford gaining the upper hand by outhitting Madden. Langford moves inside for round 2, but Madden exhibits some stellar defense to take the round. The challenger starts to find the range in round 3 when both men bang away from the outside. Both move inside for round four, and Madden dominates the action again. There are signs of swelling around the right eye of the Champ. Round five is a close round, and the unofficial card has Langford ahead by 48-47. Langford is the aggressor, taking charge to take round 6. Round 7 sees both men wage all-out war, and Madden lands more blows but late in the round a huge barrage by Langford causes Madden's left eye to start swelling. Round 8, Langford stays outside but Madden is off target with his punches. Langford starts to tire in round nine, and Madden dominates the action with some strong counterpunching. Both stay on the outside in round 10, and by now Madden is starting to run out of gas as well. The Irish challenger is more energetic in round 11, but Langford still connects with a big hook. From round 12 on, the younger Madden is able to keep the Boston Tar Baby at bay as the aging Langford tires badly. It's the late rounds going to Madden that make all the difference as the verdict is a UD 15 for Madden (146-142, 144-143, 144-142), who becomes the fifth WBA champion in the last five title bouts.

NABF: Langford defended versus unbeaten prospect Fat LaRue, who carried a gaudy 17-0-1 record into the bout. Langford took control early and scored three KDs en route to a dominate UD 12 win. Once Langford regained the WBA belt, the vacant NABF title was up for grabs; "Joplin Ghost" Jeff Clarke met "Newark Adonis" Charley Weinert for the vacant belt. A close bout was broken open by Clarke, who overwhelmed a defenseless Weinert in round four for a TKO win to take the title.

USBA: Carl Morris took on Jim Savage for the belt, previously held by Dempsey. Morris took charge early and ended it with a vicious combination for a KO in round 7. The belt was vacant once again after Morris became WBA champ, and Frank Moran took on Billy Miske for the title. Moran was the early aggressor, but Miske came on strongly in the middle rounds, taking the belt when the bout was stopped on cuts in round 7. The title came full circle when Miske defended versus ex-Champ Dempsey, who was making his comeback after the stunning WBA title loss to Morris. Dempsey was cut below the right eye, came back to deck Miske in round 9, scoring a UD 12 win to regain the belt.

CBU: Langford defended the CBU belt twice, scoring a KO 12 over Charlie Penwill and then pounding out a lopsided UD 12 over Ireland's Bob Devere, whom he floored twice. Langford vacated the belt after taking the WBA title, and Aussie Colin Bell finally got his chance, taking on Kiwi Albert Pooley for the vacant belt. Bell repeated his earlier result over Pooley with a KO in round 10 to annex the Commonwealth title.

GBU: Penwill defended against Bombadier Billy Wells, who entered the bout with losses in two recent bouts. Wells was the aggressor from the start, pounding away on the inside and icing Penwill in five to take the belt.

EBU: German Otto Flint defended versus Bartley Madden in what proved to be a close, tough battle where Madden's strong defense overcame the wild-swinging, aggressive German. Madden by UD 12 to take the title. Madden defended once versus Brit Joe Beckett, whom he KO'd in one before moving on to challenge Langford for the WBA title. With Madden's success, the EBU belt will be up for grabs as 1920 action commences.

Recap, all six belts changed hands in 1919.