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FW Title Bouts

WBA: Baby Arizmendi began the year with the belt, but he lost it to Chalky Wright (TKO 14) in his first defense. Then, Arizmendi lost the title to Henry Armstrong (UD 15). Armstrong defended once, beating Pete DeGrasse (TKO 3).

NABF: Henry Armstrong took the title from Freddie Miller (TKO 1), who had held the belt since 1933. Then, Armstrong relinquished the title after winning the WBA Championship. In the matchup for the vacant title, Baby Arizmendi (who began the year as WBA Champ) defeated Filio Julian Echevarria (UD 12) to claim the belt.

USBA: Once again, it was Armstrong winning and relinquishing the belt. He dethroned Petey Sarron (TKO 12), and then was succeeded by Mike Belloise, who bested Tommy Paul (UD 12) in a battle for the vacant belt.

CBU: Three title matchups produced two new Champions. First, Nel Tarleton took the title from Merv “Darky” Blandon (SD 12), then he was dethroned by Pete DeGrasse (TKO 9) who then took out Willie Smith (TKO 5) in his first title defense.

GBU: Jim Kelly retained this title with one 1936 defense, edging Dave Crowley (MD 12).

EBU: Dom Volante began the year with the EBU title, but he lost it to Maurice Holtzer (UD 12). Holtzer then defended against Jim Kelly (UD 12).

OPBF: For the second straight year, no activity here as Merv Blandon keeps the belt.

LABF: Kid Chocolate carried the belt into the year, and he successfully defended once – turning aside a challenge from Baby Arizmendi (UD 12).

FW Division Profile

Total: 113 RL: 70 TC: 43

RL by Career Stage:
End - 7
Post - 12
Prime - 31
Pre - 14
Beginning - 6 (3 New)

Rated: 57
800+: 13
500+: 34
200+ : 54

Jan 1937 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1936 in Parens):

Champ: Henry Armstrong 23-1-2 (20) (1180) (+11)
1. Kid Chocolate 32-5-5 (15) (1088) (+4) (LABF)
2. Pete DeGrasse 31-12-2 (8) (1050) (NC) (CBU)
3. Baby Arizmendi 29-7-2 (10) (1013) (-3) (NABF)
4. Tommy Paul 29-9-4 (6) (982) (NC)
5. Chalky Wright 27-8-4 (14) (972) (+3)
6. Filio Julian Echevarria 27-9-4 (12) (948) (+1)
7. Frankie Covelli 25-7-6 (7) (947) (+11)
8. Battling Battalino 35-10 (12) (946) (-5)
9. Freddie Miller 29-8-1 (13) (919) (-8)
10. Petey Sarron 30-13-6 (8) (916) (-1)

Others: 11. Maurice Holtzer 33-14-3 (12) (892) (+4) (EBU)
12. Mike Belloise 18-3-3 (7) (843) (+10) (USBA)
20. Jim Kelly 20-4-1 (7) (693) (-4) (GBU)
32. Merv Blandon 20-8 (15) (525) (-9) (OPBF)

Comments: Of those listed above, all at Prime except Paul, who is at Post. Armstrong swept all before him, winning all five of his 1936 encounters and remaining unbeaten since 1932; in addition to four wins in title bouts (chronicled above), he scored a TKO over British Champ Jim Kelly. Kid Chocolate won all three of his bouts during the year, running his win streak to four, including a pair of UD wins over Covelli and Belloise in addition to his winning title defense. DeGrasse went 2-2 for the year, dropping an early season UD to Battalino but moving up by virtue of two title bout wins before losing to Armstrong. Ex-Champ Arizmendi recovered from two title bout losses with a pair of wins late in the year, the most recent being a UD 10 over Jackie Wilson in a non-title affair. Paul retain his spot in the top group with a MD over Andy Martin and a SD over Miller despite coming up short in the USBA title clash with Belloise. Wright went 2-1 for the year, rebounding with a TKO of ex-Champ Louis Kaplan after winning and losing the WBA title. Echevarria also was 2-1 for the year, defeating Jose Lombardo (UD) and Miller (TKO) to compensate for the failed effort to capture the NABF title. Covelli shot up the rankings with three straight wins, the most recent (and significant) being a UD upset of long-time top FW Battling Battalino. Battalino slipped to #8 as a result of the loss to Covelli after fashioning a six-bout win streak, including a pair of wins over EBU Champ Holtzer and a UD over DeGrasse in 1936 non-title action. Miller won only one of four during the year (a UD over ex-Champ Dave Crowley) to slide down the rankings. Sarron rounds out the top 10, snapping a four-bout winless streak with a UD over Abie Israel and a SD over Simon Chavez. Holtzer missed out on the top 10 won three of five, taking a TKO over Enrique Chafferdet in addition to his two EBU title wins, but he stumbled in his two matches with Battalino (dropping a UD and a MD in non-title action). Belloise zoomed up the list with a pair of UD wins over ex-Champ Kaplan, followed up by a USBA title win, but then he faltered against tougher competition, dropping a UD to Kid Chocolate. Top 10 dropouts from last year were Andy Martin, down four to #14, primarily as a result of a UD loss to up-and-comer Everett Rightmire; and Chafferdet (-13 to #19), who lost all three of his 1936 outings to Holtzer, Chavez and Petey Hayes. British Champ Kelly slipped with two successive losses (to Armstrong and Holtzer) after retaining his GBU belt. Further down the list is OPBF Champion Merv “Darky” Blandon, whose only win during the year (a TKO over Petey Hayes) was followed by successive losses to Tarleton, Jimmy Perrin and Ginger Foran. Perrin, who ended the year at #18, is the top newcomer to the list and seemed on his way to a top 10 spot before suffering his first career loss, a UD 10, to Martin, leaving him at 16-1-1 (8), good for 18th spot, with two more bouts to go before hitting Prime career stage. Other newcomers of note are Tsuneo Horiguchi of Japan, #28, now 16-2 (11) after successive UD wins over Johnny Cuthbert, Bus Breese and Moon Mullins; and, at #29, Leo Rodak, who took a UD from Horiguchi but stumbled against Harry Jeffra (UD 10) before bouncing back with wins over Phil Zwick (UD) and Jackie Wilson (SD).

Prospects: Tony Dupre is off to an excellent 13-0-1 (9) career start, impressing with UD wins over Doc Snell and Irving Eldredge; the only blemish on his record is a draw with a TC. Al Reid checks in at 11-2 (4), breezing through TC competition but struggling with losses to real-life FWs like Harold Lacey and Claude Varner (both UD 10s). Lacey remained unbeaten, winning all four of his 1936 encounters (including the win over Reid) to end the year at 10-0-2 (1) after a pair of draws with TCs early in his career. Brit Frank Parkes, with a clean slate at 12-0 (4), is still looking to prove himself beyond the dozen TC bouts. Harold Hoshino, a perfect 9-0 (9), and Johnny Marcelline, at 9-0 (3), have impressed thus far. Canadian Jack Armstrong, now 10-1 (5), suffered his first career loss at the hands of a TC. Eddie Miller, 4-0 (3); Jackie Callura, 2-0 (1); and Petey Scalzo, 2-0 (1) have got their careers off to good starts.

Retirements: A slew of retirements (eight) reduced the FW ranks somewhat.

Knud Larsen (DEN) 1922-36 33-23-3 (15) EBU Champ Highest Rank: 2
Miki Gelb (USA) 1930-36 16-10-3 (3) No Titles Highest Rank: 57 (also JLW, highest at 6^th)
Elino Flores (PHI) 191-36 31-26-7 (12) OPBF Champ Highest Rank: 9
Frankie Albano (USA) 1922-36 23-27-3 (6) No Titles Highest Rank: 52
Eddie Anderson (USA) 1920-36 34-28-3 (13) No Titles Highest Rank: 30
Louis Kaplan (USA) 1919-36 45-22-3 (11) WBA Champion 1924-25, 1927, 1928-29, 1929-20, 1932
Harry Blitman (USA) 1926-36 27-14-6 (4) No Titles Highest Rank: 14
Santiago Zorilla (PAN) 1925-36 28-17-4 (7) No Titles Highest Rank: 22

Looking Ahead: Ever since capturing the WBA FW belt, Armstrong has been making noises about moving up in weight class to challenge for the LW or even the WW crown. With a weaker titleholder of WW WBA belt (the Post-Prime Ruby Goldstein), that move seems likely, opening up the FW crown to a pack of eager contenders, all still at the Prime of their respective careers. Chocolate, DeGrasse and Arizmendi lead the pack. Battalino and Miller, although still at Prime, have faded a bit. Other than Petey Scalzo, it does not look like much can be expected in the future from either the current crop of FW prospects or the three newcomers being added to the ranks in 1937.