[JCWeb]

This report includes bouts from the second half of April 1949. This time, a total of three WBA title bouts are included.

Apr. 16, 1949: To Europe and the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden, for the next fight card. Paired together in the main event for the second time are two top Flyweight contenders, ex-WBA Fly Champ Rinty Monaghan and Belgium’s Raoul DeGryse. The first time these two met, the WBA title was at stake, and Monaghan prevailed with a unanimous points win. This time, the bout is scheduled for just 10 rounds, both are at Post-Prime career stage, and no titles are at stake. A strong start by DeGryse, who looks sharp in the opening couple of rounds and seems determined to reverse the results of their earlier encounter. However, in the third round, Monaghan begins to assert himself and, as a result, there is a trace of swelling apparent under the right eye of DeGryse. By the halfway point, Monaghan has pulled ahead on the unofficial scorer’s card (48-46). In the second half of the bout, DeGryse begins show signs of fatigue, and his punches lack steam. With Monaghan apparently well on his way to victory, late in round nine, DeGryse lands a big shot that drops Monaghan, who is able to scramble back on his feet just before the bell sounds to end the round. With the issue still very much in doubt, the bout goes the distance and, aided by the late knockdown, DeGryse is able to turn things around and register a SD 10 victory (93-94 Monaghan, 94-93 DeGryse, 94-93 DeGryse). Post-bout marks: DeGryse, 33-16-5 (17); Monaghan, 44-16-1 (12).

Apr. 16, 1949: Next card in Detroit features a WBA title contest as the headliner, preceded by a MW bout matching a Post-Prime Artie Levine with an up-and-comer in Carl “Bobo” Olson. No prior meetings, and while Olson hopes to use this to break into the top 10 in the MW ranks, Levine has other ideas, and the bout comes to a sudden end less than a minute into the second round when Levine lands a big shot that puts Olson down and out. Impressive KO 2 for Levine, who improves to 28-9-1 (17) as a result. For Olson, it is just his third career loss (and the first via a KO stoppage), leaving him at 18-3-2 (12). Then, the ring is cleared for the main event, which sees Norman Rubio challenge the timeless veteran Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong for the WBA LW title. Rubio, who lost on points in one prior meeting, is also on the downside (post-Prime stage) of his career, while Armstrong has already hit End career stage. Not much in the way of action for the opening few rounds, but what little action there is favors Armstrong, as Rubio struggles with his timing. While Rubio is able to gradually work his way into the bout, Armstrong has a solid points lead (50-47) after the first five rounds are scored, according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. In the middle rounds, Rubio tries to take a more aggressive stance, but he is unable to make much of an impression on a determined Armstrong. Then, late in round eight, Rubio walks into an Armstrong combination, drops to the canvas and is counted out, just before the bell sounds. KO 8 for Armstrong, who retains the title. Post-bout records: Armstrong, 57-11-3 (46); Rubio, 30-11-4 (13).

Apr. 22, 1949: The Rand Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa sets the scene for the next fight card, a Friday night affair topped by a LW contest, matching Aussie Vic Patrick, a former WBA LW Champ, with Santa Bucca. The two met once before, in Patrick’s native Australia, in early 1948, and Patrick easily dispatched of Bucca via a first round knockout. This time around, After a rather placid opening round, Patrick comes out swinging in round two, decking Bucca with a strong hook less than a minute into the round. Bucca manages to regain his footing and resorts to covering up to avert further damage; however, by the end of the round there is already noticeable puffiness around his left eye. Despite the early knockdown, Bucca maintains a slight edge in the punches landed count. However, a determined Patrick ignores his Post-Prime career status, connects with a picture perfect combination late in the fifth that puts Bucca down for the count. Impressive KO 5 for Patrick, who was trailing on all three cards after the first four rounds were in the books. Post-bout career marks: Patrick, 32-7-1 (23); Bucca, 20-7-3 (8).

Apr. 23, 1949: Time for some more WBA title bout action, this at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, and featured in the main event is the rematch of Sandy Saddler and Willie Pep as they renew their rivalry with the WBA FW crown at stake. First up, however, is an enticing main supporting bout, matching the “Bronx Bull,” Jake LaMotta, with the “Man of Steel,” Tony Zale, for LaMotta’s NABF NW title. This duo has met three times before, with LaMotta losing all three (accounting for all but one of his losses thus far in his career), but this time Jake hopes to break through against a post-Prime Zale. This time, it takes a few rounds for the action to develop. In round three, it is LaMotta who surges forward, seizing the initiative and doing some damage on the inside. Zale strikes back with a solid round in the fourth, but LaMotta has the edge in the crucial punch count stats. At the midway point of the contest, the unofficial scorecard has LaMotta in front (59-57), and two sluggers continue to whale away at each other as the rounds tick off. The stamina factor favors LaMotta and, as the bout wears on, an increasingly frustrated Zale tries to become more and more aggressive, but to no avail. LaMotta grinds his way to a UD 12 (117-112, 118-112, 115-114), recording his first win versus Zale and improving his overall career mark to 33-4-1 (21). Zale falls to 47-12-2 (27) with the loss. Then, in the main event, it is a much anticipated rematch for the WBA FW title, which sees Sandy Saddler making his second defense versus Willie Pep, whom he dethroned in a very close and entertaining bout that was the Fight of the Year for 1948. In this long awaited rematch, after a close opening round, Pep begins to find the range, pulling ahead with a strong round two. Saddler seizes the initiative and moves inside in round three, only to be peppered with some solid jabs and long range accurate punching by Pep. Less than a minute into round four, Pep staggers Saddler with a sharp three punch combo that forces Saddler to cover up to avert further damage. After the first five rounds are in the books, the unofficial card has Pep with a comfortable points lead (50-45). In the middle rounds, Saddler bears down, focusing on working his way inside, but Pep remains an elusive target. By the end of round seven, however, there is a trace of puffiness under Pep’s right eye and, in round eight, a Saddler jab snakes through and opens a cut over Pep’s left eye. Nonetheless, at the two thirds mark, Pep still holds a significant points lead (98-92) on the unofficial card, despite some major inroads made by Saddler in the middle third of the bout. The momentum swings back in Pep’s direction, as he decks Saddler with an uppercut midway through round 11. Saddler is quick to regain his footing (arising at the count of three), and he once again covers up to last the round. Into the final rounds, and, although Saddler is able to reopen the cut over Pep’s eye in round 12, it is patched up between rounds. Pep recovers quickly and goes on to dominate the action in the 13th, eventually forcing a stoppage as Saddler is helpless against the ropes. Via a TKO 13, Willie Pep is once again a WBA FW Champion, and Saddler is handed the first loss of his career. Post-bout records: Pep, 38-3 (25); Saddler, 25-1 (20). Could a third chapter in this saga be in the offing?

Apr. 29, 1949: Next up is a Friday night card in Seattle, and some HW action tops the card, as the main event matches former NABF HW titleholder Roscoe Toles with Phil Muscato, and at stake is the USBA HW title that was vacated by Tommy Gomez who moved up and captured the NABF HW crown from one of Toles’ successors. No prior meetings and, for Muscato, who was gone undefeated in his four most recent outings (three wins, one draw), it is his first title shot of any kind. With Toles now at Post-Prime, Muscato is optimistic about his chances, and he manages to pull ahead in the punch count stats in the early going. Some slick boxing from Toles enables him to keep the bout close as it heads into the middle rounds. At the midway point, the unofficial scorecard has Toles actually ahead by a point (58-57), this despite the fact that the punch count stats tend to favor Muscato. Muscato bears down in the second half of the bout, taking the initiative and moving forward in a more aggressive posture. Toles has caught up in terms of the punches landed stats, but Muscato has a slight edge in terms of the stamina factor, but both fighters are tired by the end of the ninth round. The outcome remains very much in doubt as the bout heads into the final few rounds, with both men seeming to be exhausted at this point. No cuts or knockdowns, so the bout appears to be headed for a judges’ decision when, with seconds remaining, Muscato connects with a hard shot that sends Toles tumbling to the canvas. Toles is able to scramble to his feet as the count reaches six, then the bell sounds to end the contest. The late knockdown is sufficient to secure the title belt for Muscato, who takes a close but UD 12 (116-113, 116-113, 115-113), thereby improving his career record to 25-5-3 (10). Toles, now 45-19-6 (8), has lost his last four, and thus it appears his days as a top flight HW contender are at an end.

Apr. 30, 1949: Final card of the month takes place at the Olympia in London, England, and two British fighters face each other in the main event, yet another WBA title bout (the fifth this month). First up, the main preliminary match features two FWs from the Western Hemisphere who have come from across the pond to do battle: former LABF FW Champ Diego Sosa takes on Sal Bartolo, a former USBA and NABF FW titleholder. The two met once before, in a 1945, in a bout that ended in a MD 10 for Sosa. This time around, with Bartolo at Post-Prime career stage, it is Sosa who takes the initiative after a couple of close opening rounds, moving inside to apply pressure on his opponent. Sosa pulls ahead after putting Bartolo on the deck with a big hook in round four. At the halfway point of the bout, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Sosa up by three (49-46). Into the later rounds, and the stamina factor favors Sosa, while Bartolo manages to maintain relative parity in the punch count stats. A late surge by Bartolo falls short, as Sosa is able to retain the early lead through to the final bell. Sosa takes a close but UD 10 (96-95, 97-94, 97-94) to run his career record to 32-8-2 (16). Meanwhile, the loss leaves Bartolo at 35-14-1 (10). Then, it is time for the final event on the card, for the WBA Flyweight title, with the top ranked challenger, EBU Flyweight kingpin Teddy Gardner, challenging Peter Kane for the title. This represents the fifth meeting of these familiar foes, with Kane having prevailed in all four of their previous encounters. In their most recent meeting, with no titles at stake, Kane took a 10-round points win, but Gardner has bounced back, winning his last three, to set up this title clash. Kane, the slugger, tries to set up shop on the inside in round three, but Gardner manages to hold his ground. In round five, both fighters elect to mix it up on the inside, and Gardner turns out to be the winner, decking Kane with a combination with just under a minute remaining in the round. Kane drops to the deck and is unable to beat the count. Gardner has won the WBA title for the first time in shocking fashion, via a KO 5 over the heavily favored Kane. Post-bout records: Gardner, 33-9-2 (12); Kane, 41-11-1 (15).