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This report includes bouts from the first half of February 1951. One WBA title bout is Included in this report.

Feb. 2, 1951: The month commences with a Friday night card at San Juan, Puerto Rico. Matched in the main event are two regional titleholders in the WW division: long-time LABF WW Champ Cocoa Kid, who is on his home turf taking on his EBU WW counterpart, Eddie Thomas, from the UK. The two have not met previously, and the bout is scheduled for 10 rounds. Kid, now at End career stage, struggles with his timing in the early going against his much younger (12 years his junior) opponent, Thomas. Thomas is able to compile an early edge in the punch count stats and, at the midway point, this translates into a points lead (49-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. By round six, a trace of swelling is apparent under the left eye of Kid. The stamina factor also favors the younger man, Thomas. In round seven, a sharp exchange of blows results in a cut over Kid’s already injured left eye. Kid throws caution to the wind and goes on the offensive in round nine, but Thomas is able to counter, reopening the cut. The ref has seen enough, and calls a halt to the action. The bout goes into the books as a TKO 9 for Thomas, now 21-3-2 (5) on the cuts stoppage. For Kid, this turns out to be the final bout of a 23-year career, as he ends up at 59-18-7 (13).

Feb. 3, 1951: Next card takes place at Liverpool. Two top 10 BW contenders square off in the main event, as newly crowned GBU BW Champion Frankie Williams takes on veteran Benny Goldberg, a former WBA BW Champ now near the end of his long career. This is the first meeting of the two, and the bout is scheduled for 10 rounds. Early edge in the punches landed stat favors the Brit, Williams. Williams, encouraged, moves inside in round three but is forced to absorb a sharp combination from Goldberg that rips open a cut over Williams’ right eye. Williams’ corner is able to patch up the cut quickly, and Williams bounces back to dominate the ring action until, midway through round five, Goldberg is unable to put up any resistance, so the ref calls a halt. Impressive TKO 5 for Williams, who continues his rise up the BW ranks while Goldberg is now just one or two bouts away from retirement. Post-bout career records: Williams, 24-6-2 (14); Goldberg, 38-10-4 (14).

Feb. 3, 1951: Chicago’s Comiskey Park sets the scene for the next fistic action; featured in the main event is a USBA HW title bout, with the “Cleveland Spider Man,” Jimmy Bivins, facing challenger Aaron Wilson. The two have not met before, and the bout is scheduled for 12. In the opening round, Wilson serves notice, dropping Bivins for a four-count. Bivins recovers quickly, after covering up and then clearing his head between rounds, then bouncing back with a strong round in round two. By the end of the third round, the tide had turned in Bivins’ favor, with Wilson showing the effects with a rapidly swelling right eye. Then, in round four, Wilson strikes again, sending Bivins tumbling to the deck for the second time; this time, he takes an eight count before arising, covering up once again. Even with two 10-8 rounds awarded to the challenger, the unofficial card shows the bout as even (56-56) at the halfway point of the bout. In the second half of the bout, Wilson continues to maintain an aggressive posture but, in round nine, Bivins gradually wears him down, finishing him off with a barrage of blows that put Wilson down and out. Great action bout, ending with a KO 9 for Bivins. With the win, Bivins improves to 35-8-3 (23). Wilson ends the bout at 21-4 (16).

Feb. 9, 1951: Next is a Friday night card at the Coliseum Arena in New Orleans. In the main event, former WBA LW Champion “Bobcat” Bob Montgomery, now at Post-Prime career stage, faces Brit Harry Hughes, the reigning EBU and GBU LW titleholder. The two have not met previously and, with no titles at stake, the bout is scheduled for 10 rounds. The action heats up in round three, when Hughes drops Montgomery with a nice combination; Montgomery arises at the count of six, then covers up to last the round. At the halfway point, Hughes has a narrow points lead (48-47), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. In the second half of the bout, both fighters continue to take an aggressive approach, and the stamina factor favors Montgomery. The bout goes into the 10th and final round, when Montgomery comes alive, decking Hughes twice, but the British Champ is able to survive until the final bell. The strong final round is sufficient for Montgomery to take a MD 10 (96-92, 94-94, 96-93). Post-bout marks: Montgomery, 42-7-2 (22); Hughes, 23-8-1 (9).

Feb. 10, 1951: The scene shifts to Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens, where a WBA title bout is the centerpiece, preceded by an impressive supporting bout matching two top 10 WW contenders: Billy Graham and Johnny Greco, the current Commonwealth WW titleholder. No titles are at stake, the bout is scheduled for 10, and Graham took a close points win in their one prior encounter, back in New York City in 1944 when both were still at Pre-Prime. This time around, Greco has the support of the Canadian crowd. Graham has the edge in the punch count stats before Greco, a slugger, elects to move inside in round three. Greco manages to keep the bout close, but, at the halfway point, Graham is up by two (49-47) on the unofficial card. In the second half of the bout, an aggressive Greco pulls ahead in the punches landed count, plus the stamina factor also favors the Canadian fighter. The bout goes the rest of the distancer without incident, and Greco prevails, taking a close but UD 10 (96-95, 96-94, 96-95) to run his career record to 30-13-3 (16). The loss leaves Graham at 29-12-1 (12). The ring is cleared for a WBA BW title bout, and Canada’s Fernando Gagnon is making the fifth defense of the title he won back in 1949. The challenger is Harold Dade, who recently won the USBA BW title. Three prior meetings, the most recent in 1948, all resulted in points wins for Gagnon. However, this time, it is Dade who rocks Gagnon with a three-punch combo less than a minute into the bout, putting the Champ on the defensive; Gagnon responds by covering up, enabling him to survive the round without further damage. After taking some time to clear his head, Gagnon moves inside in round three, and he connects with a big uppercut in the final minute of the round. Dade responds by covering up and lasting the round. Dade battles back with a solid round in round four, Early in the fifth round, a straight right from Gagnon gets through, and, again, Dade adopts the cover up approach to last the round. At the one-third point of the bout, the unofficial scorer at ringside has the bout scored as even (48-48). At this time, a huge welt has formed under the right eye of the challenger. Early in round six, Dade doubles up on his jab and manages to draw blood in the form of a cut over Gagnon’s right eye. As the two continue to battle through the middle rounds, Gagnon gradually pulls ahead in the punch count stats and, after 10 rounds are in the books, he has a solid points lead (98-93) as well, according to the unofficial scorer’s card. In round 12, Dade manages to reopen the cut over Gagnon’s eye. The cut is patched up between rounds, and then Gagnon is finally able to break through in round 13, firing a barrage of blows that sends Dade tumbling to the canvas. Dade barely beats the count, and he is able to cover up to survive the remainder of the round. Gagnon continues to display his dominance over Dade in round 14, connecting for two more knockdowns, with Dade being saved by the bell at the end of the round. The bout does manage to go the distance, with Gagnon’s superiority in the middle and late rounds making it a lopsided UD 15 (147-135, 147-136, 146-137) in favor of the Champion, a result that is well received by the Canadian fight fans in attendance. Post-bout records: Gagnon, 34-5 (18); Dade, 28-10-4 (9).

Feb. 10, 1951: A twin bill of featured bouts tops the next card at Mexico City. In the first co-feature, Enrique Bolanos, “the Durango Dropper,” the current LABF LW titleholder, is matched with Maxie “Little Duke” Docusen. The two have not met previously and, with no titles at stake, the bout is scheduled for 10 rounds. Bolanos, to the delight of the Mexican fight fans in attendance, connects with a big cross near the end of the opening round. By the end of the second round, Bolanos has landed sufficient leather to cause some initial puffiness to appear under the right eye of Docusen. In round four, a sharp jab from Docusen gets through, opening a cut over Bolanos’ left eye. At the halfway point, Bolanos is up by three (49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Docusen battles back with a strong round six and, as a result, there is a trace of swelling under Bolanos’ right eye, plus the cut over the other eye is reopened as well. In the end, the cut decides the outcome, after being reopened twice more, in round seven and finally, in round nine, after which a halt is called. TKO 9 for Docusen on the cuts stoppage, so Docusen improves to 24-3-5 (3) as a result; the loss leaves Bolanos at 29-7 (21). The second co-main event is for the LABF Flyweight title recently vacated by Black Pico, who is now the WBA Flyweight Champion. Matched for the vacant belt are two Mexican fighters, Otilio Galvan and Monito Flores, both of whom were unsuccessful in challenging Pico for the belt in past. No prior meetings, and the bout is set for 12 rounds. Galvan has the upper hand in the early going, and he manages to compile an early lead in the punch count stats over the first two rounds. By round three, Flores is showing the effects, with a rapidly swelling left eye. At the halfway point, Galvan has a nice points lead (59-55), according to the unofficial scorecard. As the rounds tick off, Galvan maintains a huge stamina edge as well as an advantage in the punches landed stats. Flores, trailing, goes on the attack in the final three rounds, but he is unable to penetrate Galvan’s defenses. Thus, in his fourth try (having lost three times to Pico in prior encounters), Galvan lifts the belt via a UD 12 (118-111, 116-112, 118-111). Post-bout career records: Galvan, 29-14-3 (5); Flores, 20-8-1 (4). It should be noted that Flores was at Post-Prime career stage for this bout.