[JCWeb]

WW
Division Profile

Total: 133 RL: 90 TC: 43

RL by Career Stage:
End - 1
Post - 16
Prime - 42
Pre - 21
Beginning - 10 (7 New)

Rated: 67
800+: 25
500+: 38
200+ : 61

Jan 1946 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1945 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Marty Servo 30-5-1 (11) (1644) (+3)
1. Ray Robinson 27-1-1 (19) (1565) (+1) (NABF)
2. Henry Armstrong 46-9-3 (38) (1389) (-2)
3. Cocoa Kid 50-11-5 (13) (1343) (+1) (LABF)
4. Joe Legon 31-14-6 (14) (1286) (+12)
5. Fritzie Zivic 38-15-6 (16) (1273) (NC) (USBA)
6. Izzy Jannazzo 41-10-5 (13) (1239) (-5)
7. Michele Palermo 40-13-9 (10) (1219) (+8) (EBU)
8. Bep Van Klaveren 43-20-10 (13) (1218) (-2)
9. Ernie Roderick 35-17-4 (7) (1186) (-1) (GBU, CBU)
10. Eddie Dolan 42-5-6 (15) (1166) (-1)

Other Notables: 11. Billy Graham 20-4 (10) (1153)
13. Georgie Crouch 30-12-4 (16) (1069)
18. Jack McNamee 36-14-2 (23) (859) (OPBF)
21. Tommy Bell 20-2 (14) (822)
22. Jimmy Doyle 19-2 (7) (812)
31. Bernard Docusen 15-0 (4) (645)

Top Prospects: Charley Fusari 12-2 (7)
Jimmy Sherrer 12-0 (8)
Kid Gavilan 9-0-1 (1)
Johnny Bratton 9-0 (7)
Charley Salas 6-0 (5)

Retirements:

Steve Halaiko (USA) 1928-1945 34-26-4 (11) No Titles Highest Rank: 21
Milt Aron (USA) 1934-1945 27-16-1 (21) No Titles Highest Rank: 27
Vittorio Venturi (ITA) 1924-1945 48-28-11 (15) WBA Champion 1937-38
Leonard Del Genio (USA) 1933-1945 21-19-5 (13) No Titles Highest Rank: 32
Mike Kaplan (USA) 1936-1945 23-19-2 (8) No Titles Highest Rank: 35
Wildcat O’Connor (USA) 1934-1945 34-28-2 (22) No Titles Highest Rank: 13
Lew Feldman (USA) 1927-1945 39-26-7 (14) No Titles Highest Rank: 26 (2 as JWW)
Frankie Britt (USA) 1929-1945 33-24-8 (12) No Titles Highest Rank: 26
Kenny LaSalle (USA) 1929-1945 34-17-7 (16) No Titles Highest Rank: 30

Outlook for 1946: The division became more competitive after Henry Armstrong hit Post-Prime, but new WBA Champ Marty Servo is likely to be overshadowed by the Champion-in-waiting, Sugar Ray Robinson, who split two bouts with Servo and is itching for a WBA title shot to prove his superiority. In addition, there is excitement about an inter-generational matchup of Robinson with Armstrong. At any rate, Billy Graham, on his way to becoming a top contender, saw his career derailed with a pair of consecutive losses, to an aging Freddie Cochrane and then to Zivic when challenging for the USBA title. Winner of his last four and off to a 20-2 career start, Tommy Bell seems poised to move into the upper echelon of WW contenders as well. Quite a bit of interest in Europe with guys like Van Klaveren, Roderick and now Palermo passing the EBU title back and forth, although Van Klaveren is now at Post-Prime. Jimmy Sherer, Kid Gavilan and Johnny Bratton are some very solid prospects on the way up. Bobby Dykes (an “8”) is the best of the new blood set to join the division in 1946.