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Jan. 1928 WW Division Profile

Total: 110 RL: 70 TC: 40

RL by Career Stage:
End - 4
Post - 9
Prime - 34
Pre - 19
Beginning - 4 (4 New)

Rated: 56
800+: 9
500+: 31
200+ : 48

Jan 1928 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1927 in Parens):

Champ: Young Corbett III 26-5-2 (11) (1160) (+6)
1. Bermondsey Billy Wells 43-9-1 (16) (1189) (NC)
2. Joe Dundee 27-7-4 (11) (1178) (+12)
3. Young Jack Thompson 23-1-4 (15) (1159) (-3)
4. Pete Latzo 27-9-1 (11) (1037) (+3) (USBA Champ)
5. Jimmy Jones 21-10-4 (9) (962) (+3)
6. Willie Harmon 23-6-2 (11) (958) (-1)
7. Ted Kid Lewis 50-16-4 (22) (876) (-5)
8. Packey McFarland 65-13-5 (30) (827) (-5)
9. Jimmy McLarnin 20-2 (16) (797) (NC)
10. Jack Sparr 20-8 (12) (796) (+2)

Also: 11. Lope Tenorio 20-2-5 (6) (796) (+12) (OPBF Champ)
14. Hamilton Johnny Brown 19-11-4 (9) (780) (-3) (GBU Champ)

Comments: Lewis and McFarland are at Post; everyone else still is at Prime. Corbett is unbeaten in his last five and enters 1928 as the Champion despite having only the third highest PP total. Wells, still in the #1 contender slot, had a busy 1927, going 3-2, dropping a UD 10 to Joe Dundee in addition to the World title clash with Thompson. Dundee has gone unbeaten in his last seven but has yet to earn a title shot; his 1927 wins came versus Ted Kid Lewis (KO win), Bermondsey Billy Wells and Harmon (both UDs) and JWW Johnny Jadick (also via UD). Thompson slipped after suffering his first loss in the final title bout of the year versus Corbett. Latzo won four of five in 1927, his only loss coming to Corbett, with UD wins over Britton, McFarland and Brown. Jones, whose MD loss to Latzo snapped a five-bout win streak, which featured a TKO over Levine and a UD versus Schlaifer to set up the USBA title shot. Harmon rebounded from consecutive losses to Corbett and Dundee with a UD 10 win over Shevlin and then a major win over McLarnin via a late TKO stoppage. Ted Kid Lewis went 2-2 for the year, recording a UD over McFarland after the KO loss to Dundee. McFarland remained a top-rated WW despite winning just one of five in 1927, a UD win over Adams. McLarnin hit a plateau in his career, impressing in a UD over McFarland and a TKO over Robson but suffering his first two career defeats at the hands of Harmon (TKO loss) and Baby Joe Gans (a surprising MD 10 loss). Rounding out the top 10 is Sparr, who had a four-bout winless string snapped with wins over Schlaifer (UD) and Archie Walker (KO).

Other Notables: Tenorio has gone unbeaten in his last eight to zoom up the ratings list, notching a UD win over aging vet Britton in addition to his OPBF title defenses. Hamilton Johnny Brown's 1927 featured just one win, over Ted Kid Lewis, dropping UDs to Latzo and Britton. Britton, who had held the #10 spot heading into the year, retired. Robson went 0-3 in 1927 and has now lost his last four to slide 12 spots all the way down to #16. Indrisano was unbeaten during the year (three wins and a draw) and wound up at #17 with a 17-1-2 (9) career record heading into his Prime years. Johnny Leto is the top newcomer, remaining undefeated after a busy year that included six wins and two draws; the wins came via TKOs over Ruby Goldstein, Pat Corbett and King Tut, a UD over Jack Hood, a SD versus Clyde Hull. His 15-0-2 (10) career start places him 18th in the rankings. Goldstein struggled in 1927,drawing with Jack Zivic but losing to Leto and JW Jack Kid Berg to end up his Pre-Prime career stage at 16-3-1 (13), good only for #25 in the rankings. One spot lower at #26 is another newcomer, Don Fraser, who suffered his first setback (a UD loss to Joe Simonich) but gaining a measure of revenge by taking a MD from that same opponent in a rematch. Jack Hood of the UK is third among those new to the list this year, checking in at #33 with a 15-2 (6) record thus far.

Prospects: Freddy Polo remains perfect, racking up wins versus TCs and Buckey Lawless to go 12-0 (10) thus far. Lawless' first loss to Polo meant he wound up the year at 12-1 (8). Pinky Kaufman suffered a DQ loss to Hull, held Leto to a draw and ended up 1927 at 10-2-1 (5). Jackie Fields TKO'd JWW Basil Galiano but suffered the first blemish on his slate when he was held to a draw by Andy DiVodi; he ends the year at 11-0-1 (9). Canada Lee has kept a clean slate, winning over My Sullivan en route to posting a 11-0 (7) career mark so far. Sullivan bounced back with a win over Swiss Cleto Locatelli and ended the year at 10-1 (7) while Locatelli checks in at 10-1 (5). King Tut TKO'd DiVodi but dropped a TKO to Leto to go 11-1-1 (10) thus far. TC opposition proved no problem for Tiger Joe Randall and Saverio Turiello; each won their first seven, Randall with 6 KOs and Turiello with three.

Retirements: Four WWs left the ranks in 1927, including one all-time great (four-time WBA Champion Jack Britton) who had spent 20 consecutive years in the WW top ten list.

Johnny Basham (UK) 1910-27 36-24-3 (14) CBU, GBU Champ Highest Rank: 4
Johnny Alberts (USA) 1909-27 40-25-5 (19) NABF Champ Highest Rank: 6
Jack Britton (USA) 1905-27 61-24-4 (19) WBA Champ 1909-11, 1912-13, 1914-15, 1920
Tommy Uren (AUS) 1913-27 37-21-1 (17) WBA Champ 1920-21

Looking Ahead: The WW ranks actually shrunk in 1927 as there were four retirements versus two new entries. The situation near the top remains fluid, as Wells, Dundee, Thompson, and Latzo all remain top contenders while Jimmy McLarnin seeks to regain some of the momentum he lost in 1927. Tenorio survived some close bouts and is on the verge of reaching the top 10. Indrisano, Leto and Ruby Goldstein also might be ready to move up. Jackie Fields is probably the top new young prospect and a couple of years away from making his mark. Top newcomer for 1928 is expected to be the German, Gustav Eder.