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This report covers fistic action from the second half of April 1939, encompassing a total of 61 bouts. One WBA title bout is on the agenda.

Apr. 15, 1939: To Los Angeles for the next card, which includes an exciting HW clash as the main supporting bout for the headliner which sees an NABF title up for grabs. In the HW matchup, long-time contender Elmer Ray faces Jack Trammell. It doesn’t take long for Ray to find the range, landing a big hook that forces Trammell to cover up in order to last the opening round. More of the same in round two, with Ray landing one big shot after another until the ref steps in. Ray is declared the winner via a TKO 2, lifting his career totals to 42-8 (28). Trammell drops to 25-8 (11). In the feature, new NABF LW Champ Wesley Ramey faces Tony Chavez, a former LABF LW titleholder making his second bid for the NABF crown. After a few close opening rounds, in round four Chavez connects with a cross that shakes up Ramey, who covers up. The score remains close, even on the unofficial card (57-all) at the midway point. In the second half of the bout, Ramey has to deal with a split lip but exhibits superior stamina. Chavez rallies to take rounds 10 and 11 and appears on the verge of victory, but Ramey battles back to win the final round, escaping with a draw (113-115 Chavez, 114-114, 115-113 Ramey) to keep the title. Post-fight career marks: Ramey, 29-8-6 (10); Chavez, 26-7-2 (11).

Apr. 21, 1939: Next up is a Friday night card “Down Under” at Melbourne, Australia. Only one bout of note, the main event, and it features former WBA WW Champ Vittorio Venturi facing Aussie fan favorite Jack McNamee, the newly crowned OPBF WW titleholder. First meeting of the two, and it matches a consummate boxer (Venturi) versus an aggressive slugger (McNamee). Slight edge in the early action for the hometown favorite, McNamee. Unofficial scorecard has it even (48-all) at the midway point. Venturi puts up some tough defense, while the Aussie exhibits superior stamina. Both men reach the end of the bout unmarked with no cuts or knockdowns, and McNamee manages to take most of the later rounds to emerge as a UD 10 winner (97-95 on all three cards). Post-fight career marks are 23-6 (15) for McNamee; 42-15-8 (11) for the well-traveled Venturi, who tumbles out of the top 10 with this loss.

Apr. 22, 1939: Fistic action on the French Riviera at the Palais des Sports in Cannes. Featured is unbeaten MW Marcel Cerdan, making his second defense of his EBU MW title, facing challenger Jock McAvoy, the current CBU and GBU titleholder. First meeting of the two as McAvoy, a former EBU MW titlelist, attempts to regain that belt. Cerdan starts well, dominating the opening round and causing a welt to form under McAvoy’s left eye. More punches on target for the Frenchman in round two; Cerdan follows up by moving inside and becoming more aggressive in round three. Undaunted, McAvoy battles back and does well in round four, and – by the end of round six – he has landed sufficient blows to cause a trace of swelling under the right eye of the “Casablanca Clouter.” Scores are knotted (57-all) at the midway points, with Cerdan taking the first three rounds while McAvoy captured the next three. Round seven, it is Cerdan back in control, and a few rounds later, Cerdan lands a big shot that puts McAvoy on the deck, arising at the count of seven. A second KD comes from a Cerdan cross in round 11, thus enabling the Frenchman to pull away to a solid UD 12 win (116-110, 117-109, 116-110) to retain the EBU MW belt and solidify his position as a likely challenger for the WBA title. The win pushes Cerdan’s career record to a near-perfect 24-0-2 (18). McAvoy is now 32-13-4 (21) after the loss.

Apr. 22, 1939: Next card is in Vancouver, and it features Jimmy McLarnin defending his WBA WW title. The main support has two top 20 HWs, with Lee Ramage facing Harry Thomas. This is the third meeting of the two; two prior wins for Ramage, but both close decisions (MD and SD) in 1936 and 1937. Thomas was won his last three to set up the rematch; both men are at Post-Prime career stage. This time, the bout remains reasonably close for the first few rounds, but Ramage gradually pulls ahead and goes on to take a UD 10 (98-94, 98-94, 97-94) to move to 33-9-1 (11). Thomas slips to 28-9-1 (20). In the feature, the WBA WW title is on the line as McLarnin – in his fifth run as WBA Champion – defends the title for the second time in 1939, facing NABF WW titleholder Eddie “Irish” Dolan. The two have not met before, and Dolan has compiled an impressive four-bout winning streak to set up the title shot. After a cautious start by both, Dolan takes charge by aggressively forcing his way inside in round three. Slight edge for Dolan in the early rounds, and the unofficial ringside observer has Dolan well ahead (49-45) after five. McLarnin finally comes to life in round seven, decking Dolan with a big shot that puts the challenger on the deck, but only briefly, as Dolan arises at the count of two. Dolan battles back to take round eight. The action is heating up when McLarnin gets called for a blatant low blow in round nine. This results in an immediate DQ, a controversial result that hands the belt to Dolan via a DQ-9. The pro-McLarnin backers are stunned. Post-fight career marks: Dolan, 29-5-4 (11); McLarnin, 53-10-1 (24).

Apr. 28, 1939: Polo Grounds in New York City is the scene of the next big card, featuring a big NANF title bout with a couple of strong main supports. In the first of the twin co-features, LH prospect Archie Moore faces Dave Clark. For Clark, it is his first bout at Prime career stage while Moore is still at Pre-Prime. Exciting bout that heats up after Moore is cut over his right eye in round four. Clark takes advantage to land a big shot, sending Archie to the deck for a count of three. Moore covers up, then bounces back quickly in the very next round, decking Clark with a barrage of blows. Beginning in round six, Moore must battle both the cut and some swelling under the injured right eye. The bout remains close until the ninth round, when Moore puts Clark down a second time with a big uppercut, and now it is Clark who battles a rapidly swelling right eye. The bout goes the full 100 and0 it goes down as a UD 10 for Moore (96-91, 95-92, 95-92), scores much lower due to the knockdowns resulting in several 10-8 rounds. Post-fight, Moore improves to 14-1-2 (12) overall; Clark ends the bout at 15-6 (9). Second main support has veteran Benny Bass facing Al Roth in a battle of two top 10 LW contenders. Not a lot of heavy blows landed, as Bass seems to have the better of it in the early going, holding a slight points edge (48-47) at the midway point, according to the unofficial ringside observer. Roth does better in the second half, despite suffering a cut over his left eye, and the UD 10 goes to Roth (98-94, 97-93, 97-93) as Bass, at Post-Prime, tires badly in the final few rounds. Post-fight career marks: Roth, 31-6-1 (11); Bass, 50-24-5 (16). Finally, it is time for the main event, with popular MW Tony Zale making his third defense of his NABF MW title belt, facing fading vet Mickey Walker in what would turn out to be Walker’s final outing of a 21-year career. Zale shows little respect for the aging veteran, going on the attack right away and decking “the Toy Bulldog” with a big hook. Walker takes a nine count but remains shaken, a shadow of his former self. Two more KDs follow, from a Zale overhand right and a combination, before the ref calls a halt to the bout and Walker’s career. The TKO 1 runs Zale’s career totals to 24-2 (19), topped by four straight KO wins. Walker ends up at 61-13-2 (44), including a decade of dominance of the MW division from the mid-20s to the mid-30s.

Apr. 29, 1939: Final card of the month takes place at Earls Court in London. Two title bouts top the arena, first for the CBU HW title as Tommy Farr defends against Jack Peterson, who upset Farr for the GBU belt back in 1936 after Farr had won a MD when the two hooked up for the first time, for the EBU title, in 1935. Thus, it is the third meeting of the two for a third, different title. Farr, the consummate boxer, starts well and builds an early points lead. Then, in round four, Farr drops an over-aggressive Peterson who takes an eight count before resuming. Later in the round, Farr slices open a gash over Peterson’s right eye. Farr continues to pile up a huge points lead then adopts a defensive posture in the later rounds. Will Farr well ahead, the cut is reopened and leads to a late stoppage. It goes down as a TKO 11 for Farr, who retains the CBU belt and improves to 43-13-2 (16). The loss leaves Peterson at 28-10 (18), and he moves from Post-Prime to End career stage for his next outing. Then, in the second co-feature, the “Whitechapel Whirlwind,” Jack Kid Berg, takes to the ring for defend his EBU LW title against a familiar foe, Italian Aldo Spoldi. It is the fourth meeting of the two, all for the same title belt, all resulting in UD 12 wins for Berg, two in Rome, and this will be their second meeting in London. A confident Berg pleases a hometown crowd, building an early points lead (40-37 on the unofficial card), with Spoldi showing signs of swelling around his right eye as a result. Then, a big round six for the Italian challenger slices the lead to one (58-57) at the midway point. Berg responds, going on the offensive and landing an overhand right to floor Spoldi for the bout’s only KD in round eight. Berg goes on to take a UD 12 (116-112, 117-113, 115-113) to keep the belt with his fourth career win over Spoldi. Post-bout marks: Berg, 39-14-5 (14); Spoldi, 32-8-4 (14) – half of Spoldi’s career losses have been at the hands of Berg.