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Jan 1921 LW Division Profile

Total: 118 RL: 65 TC: 53

RL by Career Stage:
End - 3
Post - 10
Prime - 32
Pre - 10
Beginning - 10 (5 New)

Rated: 49
800+: 15
500+: 28
200+: 45

Jan 1921 Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from Jan 1920 in Parens)

Champ: Sam Robideau 28-14-1 (10) (1303) (+20)
1. Benny Leonard 42-1-1 (25) (1302) (-1)
2. Rocky Kansas 29-7-2 (27) (1207) (+1)
3. Lew Tendler 27-4-1 (10) (1192) (+3)
4. Llew Edwards 22-7-3 (13) (1127) (-3)
5. Willie Ritchie 37-16-3 (12) (1065) (-1)
6. Charley White 35-18-5 (12) (964) (+6)
7. Ever Hammer 26-6-4 (10) (929) (+1)
8. Lockport Jimmy Duffy 33-15-3 (15) (915) (+2)
9. Herb McCoy 30-14-1 (13) (902) (-4)
10. Jimmy Dundee 22-4-1 (9) (851) (+4)

Comments: All the above at Prime, except Lockport Jimmy, who hits Post in 1921. Robideau is the surprise Champ, rising from #20 at the start of 1920. He suffered a UD loss to Richie Mitchell, then scored a UD over Young Tommy Coleman and a TKO versus Eddie Wagner to set up the title chance. Leonard, of course, suffered only the second blemish on his record, the first being a draw back in 1913 with Special Delivery Hirsch. Kansas scored two wins and a loss to Leonard, all in title bouts. Tendler moved up with three wins in 1920, a KO over White and a UD versus Driscoll in addition to his successful USBA title bout effort. Edwards dropped a bit, dropping a MD to Ritchie but registering a TKO over Tait in addition to a UD win over McCoy. Ritchie's only win was over Edwards, as he lost to White and could only manage a draw with Hammer. White was 2-1 in 1920, scoring a MD over Blackburn but losing by KO to Tendler. Hammer scored a UD over Bronson and a draw versus Ritchie to edge up the list. Lockport Jimmy split the two USBA title tilts and defeated Johnny Arrousey (UD 10). McCoy tumbled after two losses to Driscoll and Edwards halted a three-bout win streak. Finally, Jimmy Dundee moved into the top 10 after a UD over Harry Stone, a MD versus Hirsch and a draw with Andy Chaney.

Other Notables: Veterans Ray Bronson, Driscoll, and Blackburn dropped out of the top ten. Bronson fell four spots to #11, losing to Hammer and Wagner. Driscoll also fell four spots, to #13, suffering a KO loss to Canadian Clonie Tait after MD wins versus McCoy and Valgar. Finally, vet Jack Blackburn dropped all the way from #4 to #16 as three more losses extended his losing streak to five. CBU Champ Clonie Tait has compiled a 19-5 (6) record, good for #12 spot worth 831 PPs, one spot and one PP ahead of Driscoll, the GBU Champ whose career totals are now 64-15-2 (32). Andy Chaney checks in at #14 with a UD over Hyland to go with his draw versus Dundee. "French Flash" Benny Valgar defeated his countryman, de Ponthieu, and winds up the year at #15 with a19-2-1 (11) record, his second loss coming in 1920 to Driscoll. Eddie Wagner at #17 suffered the loss to Robideau, which snapped a five-bout win streak, which featured KOs over Bronson and Koehler and a UD over Blackburn. Hirsch was 2-1 for 1920, dropping a MD to Dundee which left him at #18. Willie Beecher compiled three wins and a draw to wind up the year in 19th spot. Ditto for George "KO" Chaney, who is further down the list at #26. Tommy Cello debuts at #34, scoring a MD over fellow prospect Alex Hart, but dropping decisions to Farren and Gallant; his record is now 15-3 (8). Jimmy Goodrich at 14-1 (8) is one spot lower, but he has yet to be tested beyond TC competition. Hart won his first 15 but lost his last three and wound up at #38. UK prospect Ernie Rice is even further down the list, at #45, despite a 14-2 (10) start.

Prospects: Sid Barbarian has compiled a 11-0 (9) record, all versus TCs. Charlie O'Connell downed Johnny Trambitas and split a pair of 8-rounders with Joe Ryder. O'Connell's record stands at 8-1 (6), Ryder is at 7-1-1 (1). Trambitas checks in at 6-1 (3). Still unbeaten are Billy Wallace (6-0, 4 KOs); Solly Seeman (5-0, 3 KOs); Johnny Kaiser (4-0, 3 KOs); Brit Harry Mason (4-0, 1 KO); Aussie Billy Grime (3 wins, all by KO); and Sammy Vogel (3-0, 2 KOs). Sammy Mandell has won two UDs in four-rounders to get his career off the ground.

Retirements: The LW ranks were definitely reduced by a record total of 8 (!) retirements in 1920. Career records and stats:

Kid Black (USA) 1902-20 43-33-3 (19) USBA Champ Highest Rank: 7
Arthur Douglas (SAF) 1901-20 41-30-2 (16) CBU Champ Highest Rank: 5
Joe Shugrue (USA) 1910-20 22-19-3 (10) No Titles Highest Rank: 31
Tommy O'Keefe (USA) 1905-20 26-29-2 (10) No Titles Highest Rank: 20
Paul Koehler (USA) 1908-20 33-24-4 (9) No Titles Highest Rank: 14
Young Otto (USA) 1903-20 37-26-6 (18) USBA Champ Highest Rank: 5
Fighting Dick Hyland (CAN) 1903-20 36-32-5 (20) NABF, CBU Champ Highest Rank: 4
Young Donahue (USA) 1903-20 39-28-5 (10) USBA Champ Highest Rank: 5

Looking Ahead: Leonard will obviously be itching for a rematch with Robideau, meanwhile other top contenders like Kansas, Tendler, Ritchie and White are lining up for a WBA title shot. CBU Champ Clonie Tait needs to step it up against top level competition, as is also the case for Jimmy Dundee and Andy Chaney. Valgar will be looking for an EBU title shot, and young prospects such as Jimmy Goodrich and Sid Barbarian will be looking to establish themselves. Two Chileans, Stanislaus Loyaza and Luis Vicentini, will headline the five additions to the LW division in 1921.

Predictions: Was off in two of three predictions last year -- Valgar did not win the EBU belt, and Edwards did not take the CBU belt (was correct in forecasting that Blackburn's NABF belt would pass to Kansas).
For 1921, I predict that Leonard will regain the WBA belt. Tait will try for the NABF title but come up short. For Valgar, once again, I see a EBU title in his future.