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Old 03-14-2006, 10:42 PM   #24
JCWeb
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Join Date: Jun 2005
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1906-Featherweights

WBA Title -- It took a bit longer than expected, but "Terrible Terry" McGovern finally has emerged to claim a World Title. In London, facing a hostile crowd, he took the FW belt from England's finest, Jem Driscoll, via a 13th round stoppage. Terry went on to prove his victory was no fluke by racking up wins in successive title defenses vs Young Griffo (also TKO 13 in a battle of two early legends from the Turn of the Century) and Brooklyn Tommy Sullivan (K0 12, a close fight where Terry needed to pull out all the stops to prevail). McGovern's record is now 29-11-1 (26).

NABF: Ironically, the year didn't start out so well for Terry as he was KO'd in 3 by NABF title holder Harry Lyons. (Thus, his surprise win over Driscoll came off a KO loss!) Abe Attell, looking to get back to the top of the FW roost he once ruled, easily won the NABF crown from Lyons (UD 12) and racked up title defenses versus Billy Snailham (UD 12), Benny Soloman (UD 12) and Young Corbett (KO 3).

USBA: Like McGovern, Attell had to bounce back from a loss, losing to Brooklyn Tommy by a KO 7 for the USBA crown. Tommy managed three more defenses vs Jimmy Devine (UD 12), Soloman (TKO 7) and Eddie Santry (KO 9) before his KO loss to McGovern.

CBU: "Old" Young Griffo continued as champ, defending against another aging Aussie, Tim Hegarty (UD 12). His record is now 71-9-3 (29).

GBU: Driscoll revived the dormant title with his third win over Ben Jordan (KO 8) for the British crown. Look for Owen Moran to move up from BW in 1907 to provide some new life to the scene, particularly if rumors about Driscoll testing the LW division are true.

Top 10 contenders as of Jan 1907:
Attell, unchanged at #1; ex-champ Driscoll at #2; BT Sullivan, up 1 to #3;
Lyons, down 2 to #4; Griffo unchanged at #5: Soloman up 3 to #6; Joe Bernstein, up 3 to #7; Santry unchanged at #8; Snailham new to top 10 at #9; finally, Corbett, down 4 to #10. Aurelio Herrera, who was #7 in the Jan 06 ratings, is just lurking outside the Top 10, one PP behind Corbett who beat him during the year.

All top 10 contenders are at Prime except for Griffo (at the End stage, finally) and Lyons (whose retirement year was 1907, meaning he starts off 1907 at Post-Prime). Solly Smith, a former WBA champ, hung up the gloves during 1906. His career stats:

1888-1906 44-24-6 (14) WBA Champ

Quite a few long-standing FWs not in the Top 10 are now on the downslide (most Post-Prime), such as Dave Sullivan, Oscar Gardner, Jimmy Devine, Ben Jordan, Tim Hegarty, and Hugh McPadden. George Dixon, like Griffo, is at End and probably good for a couple more bouts.

Prospects likely to move up the ranks in 1907 include Grover Hayes, now 14-2 (13), Percy Cove of Canada 12-1 (4) and Jimmy Walsh 11-2-1 (3). Cove handed Walsh a surprising defeat in 1906. Newcomers to the division in 1907 include Johnny Kilbane and Patsy Kline from Italy.
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