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Old 10-29-2018, 02:22 PM   #1304
JCWeb
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Oct. 1941, Part 2 of 2

This report covers a total of 61 bouts taking place during the second half of October 1941. One WBA title bout is included in this report.

Oct. 18, 1941: It’s North of the Border to Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens, and topping the action is a Commonwealth FW title contest, featuring Pete DeGrasse defending that belt versus Brit Dave Crowley, who is seeking to win a third title belt to go along with his GBU and EBU FW titles. DeGrasse holds two prior wins over Crowley but has recently shown signs of aging, so this time around, there is hope for Crowley despite facing a hostile crowd and a popular Champion in Toronto. Not much in the way of action, with DeGrasse holding a slight punches landed edge headed into the middle rounds. After a strong round six, the unofficial scorecard has DeGrasse clinging to a narrow one-point lead (58-57). In the second half of the bout, Crowley picks up the pace, working inside and generally trying to be more aggressive, taking the fight to DeGrasse. Some solid defense from the veteran Canadian Champion enables him to stave off Crowley, and the bout goes the distance. The judges are split, one favoring DeGrasse, but two favor Crowley, who lifts the belt, by a narrow SD 12 (115-113, 113-114, 115-112) to add to his EBU and GBU titles. Post-bout career marks: 33-23-1 (13) for Crowley; 39-22-4 (10) for DeGrasse.

Oct. 18, 1941: It’s fight night in Los Angeles with a powerful card at the Olympic Auditorium, featuring tripleheader action at the top of the card. First in the trio of featured matchups is a HW tilt featuring Max Baer, the “Livermore Larupper,” facing an up-and-coming talent in Bob Pastor. No prior meetings, and the hard-hitting Baer is dealing with the fact that he has recently hit Post-Prime career stage. Baer draws first blood (literally) in round three, ripping over a gash over the right eye of Pastor. Then, at the outset of round four, Baer decks Pastor with a wicked cross to the head, then follows with a hook for a second KD while Pastor is struggling to recover. A third KD quickly follows, ending the bout via an automatic TKO 4 for Baer halfway through the round. Baer ups his career record to 33-16 (29) with a much needed KO win, ending a three-bout losing skid. Pastor drops to 23-6-2 (10) and must take some time to regroup after the loss. In the second co-feature, two top five BWs square off in a non-title affair, as Georgie Pace takes on current OPBF BW titleholder Mickey Miller. For Pace, it’s his first bout in the ring after losing the WBA BW title to veteran Panama Al Brown; meanwhile, Miller has travelled from Australia to face Pace in this 10-round, non-title affair. Solid start from Pace, who seems to be quicker off the mark with his punches in the early rounds. The bout appeared to be heading towards a decision when, all of a sudden, out of the blue, midway through the fifth round, Miller uncorked a huge uppercut that put Pace down and out. Huge KO 5 win for Miller, enhancing his status as a top contender in the BW division. Post-bout records: Miller, 30-9-2 (18); Pace, 27-10-2 (19). In the final co-feature, #1 ranked FW contender Harold “Homicide Hal” Hoshino faces Petey Scalzo in a rematch of a 1938 bout won by Hoshino when both men were still at Pre-Prime career stage. This time around, Hoshino wasters little time, dropping Scalzo with a combination to score a KD in the opening round. Scalzo covers up, survives the round, and actually begins to dominate the action, culminating in a surprising fourth round knockout of Hoshino late in round four. The KO 4 lifts Scalzo’s career record to 20-2-2 (11), while it is Hoshino’s third career setback (and first ever KO loss), leaving him at 28-3 (15). Turned out to be a good night for fight fans wanting to see knockouts, as all three featured bout ended with KO or TKO stoppages well inside the distance.

Oct. 24, 1941: Friday Night fight card in Manila, topped by an OPBF Flyweight title battle matching the Japanese titleholder, Yoichiro Hanada, with homegrown fan favorite Little Dado. Dado took a MD 10 in their only prior encounter, back in 1939, but after a 23-0 career start, he has struggled recently, losing three of four (albeit to top flight competition) and is returning to the ring after a five-month layoff. Dado shows little signs of ring rust, dancing around for the first few rounds, exhibiting excellent defensive boxing skills as he forces Hanada to miss repeatedly. In round three, Hanada moves inside and appears to have a slight advantage, although the overall punches landed stats favor the Filipino challenger. Another strong round in the fourth for Dado, and midway through round four, he connects with a strong combination that sends Hanada to the canvas. The Japanese fighter successfully covers up to last the round, but at this point, the die appears to be cast for the rest of the fight. Solid points lead for Dado (59-55) on the unofficial scorecard at the halfway point, and Hanada simply does not appear to have much to offer for the rest of the way. Big trouble for Hanada in round eight, as both eyes begin to puff up, plus there’s a nasty cut over his left eye. Dado plays it smart the final few rounds, with a points win solidly in the bag, and Hanada is too tired to make any impression. A solid UD 12 for Dado (117-109, 117-109, 116-110) enables him to regain the OPBF title; Dado’s record now stands at 25-3 (13). The loss leaves Hanada at 28-10-2 (8).

Oct. 25, 1941: Next card is at the Olympia in London. A Commonwealth title bout headlines the agenda, amply supported by a pair of preliminary bouts featuring British titleholders paired with top 10 contenders from the States. In the first of these, two veteran BWs do battle as American Pete Sanstol faces Brit Dick Corbett, who recently captured the Commonwealth BW crown. Sanstol, a former NABF and USBA BW titleholder, recently hit post-Prime so Corbett’s camp sees a good chance of defeating the higher rated American. Not much to choose between the two through the opening few rounds, and the bout remains close through the midway point – with the unofficial card showing a narrow one-point edge (48-47) for Sanstol. Into the late rounds, and the stamina factor seems to weigh in favor of Corbett, who is in Prime condition for this fight. However, despite several efforts to apply pressure, Sanstol’s defense remains firm, and he does just enough to escape with a narrow SD 10 win (96-95, 94-97, 96-95) that is roundly booed by the pro-Corbett crowd. Post-bout career marks: 41-16-6 (9) for Sanstol; 37-22-4 (13) for Corbett. Next up as an intriguing matchup in the MW division, featuring a former WBA MW Champ Freddie Steele in his first meeting versus long-time GBU MW Champ Jock McAvoy – it’s the “Tacoma Assassin” (Steele) versus the “Rochdale Thunderbolt” (McAvoy). As in the previous bout, the lower rated British fighter has a chance due to the aging factor, given Steele is now in his Post-Prime decline. Solid pair of opening rounds from McAvoy, while Steele – who hasn’t fought since February and has not won in well over a year, shows definite signs of ring rust. Steele gets on tracking by moving inside and becoming more aggressive in round three, but then McAvoy does the same to take round four. The two whale away at each other in round five, which appears even until a Steele uppercut decks the British fighter with a minute left in the round. A wobbly McAvoy recovers, covering up to last the round, but at this point the unofficial card favors Steele (48-46), who leads at the midway point. However, McAvoy stages a minor rally in round six, taking the round and targeting the somewhat swollen right of his opponent. Both men are tired headed into the final few rounds, and Steele feels it incumbent to assume the role of aggressor. Some solid shots from Steele in the eighth round leave McAvoy with a mouse under his right eye. Then, a minute into round nine, the end comes as Steele unleashes a crushing blow that puts McAvoy down and out. The KO 9 for Steele snaps a two-bout losing streak and runs his career record to 48-8-1 (32), while the loss drops McAvoy to 36-17-5 (24) – and another disappointing result for the British fight fans. In the finale, the Commonwealth Flyweight title is at stake, as Ireland’s Rinty Monaghan takes on British prospect Teddy Gardner. Some feel Gardner, the challenger, who is still at Pre-Prime, may need some more bouts under his belt before challenging for a title belt, but the match with Monaghan has been made. Both men are content to trade blows from the outside for the first two rounds, then Monaghan moves inside to apply some pressure in round three. Gardner appears to be holding his own until a cut appears over his left eyebrow in round four. At the midway point, the unofficial card has a very narrow lead for Gardner (58-57), but the situation with the cut makes this lead quite tenuous indeed. Monaghan targets the cut as bout enters the later stage, and he begins to pull even on the punches landed stat. Both men appear very tired for the final few rounds, with Monaghan continuing to press the action, looking to do more damage with a knockdown or perhaps a cuts stoppage. In round nine, the cut is reopened and continues to ooze blood in round 10. By round 11, the cut is patched up, and the weary fighters continue to exchange blows, although the punches from both men lack steam. The bout remains in doubt into the final round, with Gardner abandoning his defensive posture and taking some heavy swings at Monaghan. The bout goes to the final bell, and – to the delight of the British fans but in a minor upset – Gardner lifts the belt via a UD 12 (115-114, 117-112, 117-114) – with Gardner winning all three of the last rounds on two of the judges’ cards. Post-bout career marks: Gardner, 15-1-1 (10); Monaghan, 28-6 (11).

Oct. 25, 1941: A massive crowd has gathered for a spectacular evening of fistic action at the Polo Grounds in New York City, with some WBA title action topping an action-packed agenda. The undercard includes a hot unbeaten WW prospect “Sugar” Ray Robinson, who is facing his first “name” opponent, Vinnie Vines, in a 10-round bout. Vines is able to take Robinson deeper than any of his prior opponents, but finally in round nine, “Sugar Ray” catches him with several good shots, eventually forcing a stoppage. The TKO 9 runs Robinson’s perfect career record to 11-0 (10). No knockdowns, but Vines’ face was showing the effects, with both eyes partially swollen and half-shut. More non-title action in the 10-round main supporting bout matching two top MW contenders, both coming off recent title losses: Al Hostak,”the Savage Slav,” who recently lost the NABF MW title to Charley Burley; and ex-WBA MW Champ Ken Overlin, who recently lost a split duke to Tony Zale for the WBA MW belt. The bout is rematch of a 1940 encounter, which resulted in a MD 10 win for Hostak, who used that success as a springboard to his successful NABF title challenge. Not much in the way of action for the first four rounds, but the bout appears fairly close. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Hostak in front (48-47). Into the later stages, and Hostak, the slugger, is the aggressor, while Overlin, the boxer, is content to lay back and play a more passive role. Both men begin running low on energy in round eight, and but Hostak – who is behind in terms of the punches landed stat – continues to swing away, hoping for a knockout or a knockdown. In the end, it is not enough as the steady Overlin comes away with a UD 10 win (96-95, 97-94, 96-95), improving his career totals to 36-8-5 (14), while the loss leaves Hostak at 31-7 (25). Following the “Savage Slav” into the ring is the “Croat Comet,” Fritzie Zivic, who is defending the NABF WW title he won just two months ago, facing a familiar foe in Eddie “Irish Red” Dolan, a fighter who has been a bit of a nemesis for Zivic, as the two have met no fewer than five (!) times previous, with Dolan winning three and drawing two. After a couple of indifferent opening rounds, Zivic moves inside and tries to do some damage in the third round. Dolan’s defense holds up until the final minute of round five, when a cross from Zivic gets through and puts him on the canvas. After a six-count, Dolan regains his footing and lasts the remaining seconds of the round. Despite winning rounds five and six, the unofficial card has the bout even (57-57) at the midway point. Overlin stays on the outside for most of the second half of the fight, content to let Zivic dictate the pace. Late in round 10, a clash of heads and suddenly blood spurts forth from a nasty looking cut over Dolan’s right eye. The cut continues to ooze blood for another round before it is closed. The bout goes the distance, and the end result – a draw (115-115, 113-117 Dolan, 116-115 Zivic) – seems appropriate, with Zivic rallying in the later rounds to keep the belt. Post-bout records: Zivic, 29-10-5 (15); Dolan, 34-9-5 (14). In the featured bout, the WBA MW title is on the line as Tony Zale faces challenger Antonio Fernandez, the reigning LABF MW Champion, who making his first WBA title challenge after a dozen years in the ring wars. The duo has not met before, and it is the third WBA title defense for the heavily-favored Zale, whom some suggest is ducking more worthy challengers. Zale goes to work in round three, moving inside and landing sufficient leather to cause puffiness under the left eye of the challenger. As a result, the unofficial card has Zale, the “man of Steel,” holding a solid points lead (49-46) after the first five rounds. In round six, Fernandez begins to battle back, scoring well and causing some swelling around Zale’s right eye. Another good round for Fernandez in round eight compels Zale to resume his aggressive posture, all while taking advantage of his stamina advantage to try to wear down his opponent. As the bruising battle heads into the final five rounds, Zale retains a narrow two-point edge (96-94) on the unofficial card. Finally, in round 12, Zale finds the range with a vicious hook and puts Fernandez down for a five-count. A game Fernandez does well to recover and last the distance, but Zale retains the WBA title via a UD 15 (148-136, 144-140, 145-139). Post-bout career marks: Zale, 32-2 (20); Fernandez, 33-14-4 (12). Overlin, who was relegated to the undercard, has been grumbling for a rematch, having lost a close split decision to Zale earlier in the year – it remains to be seen if this the NABF LW title, is also angling for a WBA title shot, particularly given how vulnerable Canzoneri seemed in this most recent effort.

Oct. 31, 1941
: The month wraps with Friday night card at Gothenburg, Sweden. Only one bout of great interest, which is the main event for the EBU LW title currently held by Jack Kid Berg, aka “the Whitechapel Whirlwind.” It’s a case of “at first you don’t succeed” for Italian challenger Aldo Spoldi, who is taking on Berg for the fifth time, having lost all four prior outings – all by UD, and all for the EBU LW crown. This time around, with Berg now at Post-Prime, there’s some ray of hope in the Spoldi camp. Early on, late in the opening stanza, Berg stuns Spoldi with a quick hook to the head, but the Italian challenger remains upright. Spoldi settles in after few more rounds, but by round four, Berg is zeroing in on the Italian’s rapidly swelling right eye with laser-like accuracy. A determined Spoldi continues battling away, matching Berg punch for punch, until there is a trace of puffiness around Berg’s right eye as well. At the midway point, the issue remains in doubt, with Berg holding just a narrow one-point edge (58-57) on the unofficial scorer’s card. The bout remains competitive down to the final few rounds, with both fighters showing signs of fatigue as early as round nine. Berg decides to adopt a rather defensive posture, while Spoldi is the aggressor, targeting the swollen eye, which become worse as the bout progresses. To complicate matters, Spoldi rips open a cut over Berg’s lip in round 10. The cut continues to bleed in round 11 and, to make things worse, Berg is called for holding and hitting, losing a point at a crucial juncture. The bout goes the distance and, in the end, that one point proved crucial, as Spoldi regains the belt after four long years, winning a narrow UD 12 (114-113, 115-112, 114-113). For Spoldi, who had not lost in over two years, it is his fifth win in a row, regaining a title he held briefly back in 1937. Post-bout, Spoldi improves to 40-9-5 (15) with the win, with almost half (four) of his career setbacks coming at the hands of Berg, whom he finally defeated. Berg, now 47-17-5 (15), has been knocked off his perch as a top contender to Tony Canzoneri’s WBA title.
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