5th Fight Up in the Tourny
Enrico Bertola 22 3 1 W PTS 6/6 Harry Staal 32 29 6
This tournament defeat to Bertola turned out to be Staal's last fight.
Harry Staal - HW - Netherlands
Career Record: W32(KO 19) / L30(KO 9) / D6
Unknown information is left blank.
Birth Name: Christian Schaffrath
Do not know who original rating is from. I've added my updated version.
Lost a 15 round decision to Dorus Elten in December 1939 for the Dutch Heavyweight title.
On a website,
https://www.gettyimages.com/ there's a photo with a caption of the weighin of the fight between Jack Doyle and Hary Staal. Referencing to "Irish Heavyeight boxer" Jack Doyle and Dutch heavyweight champion Harry Staal. So not sure of title bestowed on Staal in that photo caption.
Staal's last career fight turned out to be the 6 round decision loss to Enrico Bertola in the 1st round of the 1947 Eurpean Heavyweight Tournament.
Enrico Bertola - HW - Italy
Career Record: W34(KO 22) / L7(KO 4) / D1
TITLES:
Italy heavyweight title
Unknown information has been left blank.
Original rating believe by Mark Elwood/vistaman44
Defeated Phil Muscato, Joe Ray Stevens, Tony Bosnich, Art Swinden, Harry Staal, Luigi Musina, and Gino Buonvino.
Died after a brain operation resulting from a decision loss to Lee Oma.
Defeated Luigi Musina in September 1946 to gain the Italy Heavyweight Title. BoxRec notes then that Bertola abandoned the title. In early Sept 1947 he won back the vacant Italy HW title winning a 12 round deicison over Giovanni Martin. Bertoala, then in Sept/Oct 1947 he participated in a European Heavyweight tournament defeating Harry Staal in a 6 round decision in the first round only to be stopped by Jo Weidin in the second round by 1st round TKO. He then embarked on fighting in America in Feb. 1948 where he finished his career, except for a trip to Milan, Italy in November 1948 Bertola defended the Italy Heavyweight Title knocking out Gerolamo Giusto in the 1st round. BoxRec says he then abandoned the title again!
He returned to America in early 1949 to fight four more times beating Joe Ray Stevens, loosing to Richard Hogan then won a tough 10 round decision in May 1949. He stayed out of the ring till October when he fought Lee Oma loosing a 10 round decision and more tragically died the next day after a brain operation after he collapsed right after the fight ended with Oma.
Interesting to find in the Feb 1948 Ring a listing of Continental European ratings for 1947 and a list of 9 heavyweights had Giovanni Martin of Italy listed number 9. Bertola has defeated Martin for the Italy title in September. A listing of top Continental Heavyweights in Feb 1949 Ring for 1948 this time listed Bertola as the number 6 heavyweight.
Short article in the March 1948 Ring on Bertola noting him as another of an "invasion" of Italian boxers happening in 1947 including also the arrival oa Duilio Spagnola, the Minelli brothers, Bill Poli, Gino Buonvino and Roberto Proietti. Notes he will be based in Chicago and is being handled by Emil Nanny who is handling Luigi Valentini.