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FW Title Bouts

WBA: Chalky Wright emerged as a new Champion, dethroning Simon Chavez (UD 15) to capture the belt. Wright then defended three times, turning aside challenges from Kid Chocolate (SD 15), Baby Arizmendi (DQ 5) and Frankie Covelli (UD 15).

NABF: Freddie Miller began the year with this belt, but he lost it to Baby Arizmendi (MD 12). Arizmendi defending once, beating Battling Battalino (UD 12).

USBA: Chalky Wright began 1939 with this title but vacated it after winning the WBA title. IN a matchup for the vacant belt, Jimmy Perrin bested Petey Sarron (UD 12). Then, Everett Rightmire ousted Perrin (UD 12) to end the year with this title.

CBU: Pete DeGrasse started 1939 with this title and defended it once, beating Dave Crowley (UD 12). Then, Frank Parkes took the title from DeGrasse (DQ 10). In a rematch, DeGrasse regained the belt from Parkes (UD 12).

GBU: No title bouts as Frank Parkes keeps this belt for another year.

EBU: This title changed hands twice during 1939. Ginger Foran successfully challenged, dethroning holder Maurice Holtzer (UD 12). Then, Frank Parkes defeated Foran (UD 12) to capture the belt, holding it into 1940.

OPBF: Tsuneo Horiguchi continued as the holder of this belt, making one successful defense, versus Merv Blandon (TKO 11).

LABF: This title changed hands twice in three title bouts during 1939. First, Filio Julian Echevarria took the title from Enrique Chafferdet (UD 12). Then, Kid Chocolate dethroned Echevarria (UD 12), and later in the year Chocolate turned back a challenge from Chafferdet (UD 12).

FW Division Profile

Total: 112 RL: 68 TC: 44

RL by Career Stage:
End - 4
Post - 15
Prime - 28
Pre - 12
Beginning - 9 (6 New)

Rated: 51
800+: 16
500+: 32
200+ : 50

Jan 1940 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1939 in Parens):

Champ: Chalky Wright 34-10-4 (14) (1235) (+5)
1. Baby Arizmendi 39-9-2 (10) (1181) (+1) (NABF)
2. Kid Chocolate 38-8-7 (16) (1178) (-1) (LABF)
3. Freddie Miller 37-11-1 (15) (1127) (+1)
4. Filio Julian Echevarria 35-13-4 (12) (1032) (+6)
5. Battling Battalino 40-13-2 (14) (1023) (+1)
6. Frankie Covelli 31-11-8 (7) (1000) (+2)
7. Mike Belloise 25-8-5 (9) (969) (+9)
8. Harold Hoshino 22-0 (14) (956) (+7)
9. Pete DeGrasse 38-16-4 (10) (908) (-2) (CBU)
10. Maurice Holtzer 41-17-3 (15) (841) (-7)

Others: 14. Frank Parkes 22-4 (14) (801) (+4) (EBU, GBU)
15. Tsuneo Horiguchi 24-7 (15) (800) (-1) (OPBF)
16. Everett Rightmire 28-7-3 (13) (793) (-4) (USBA)

Comments: Kid Chocolate, Miller, Echevarria, Battalino, Covelli and Holtzer will all be at Post-Prime coming into 1940; others still at Prime. Wright had a stellar 1940 campaign, winning all four of his title bout outings to end the year as WBA Champion. Arizmendi registered three wins and had the unfortunate DQ loss in the WBA title bout; he remains the top contender at this point. Chocolate went 2-1 for the year, all in title bouts. Miller bounced back from loss of the NABF title with a pair of impressive UD wins over DeGrasse and Horiguchi. Echevarria had an active 1939, contesting five bouts and winning four. He managed to scrape through a SD 10 over Belloise and also posted solid UD wins versus Tony Dupre and ex-Champ Chavez. Battalino had a win, a loss and two draws in his 1939 outings; the draws were with Belloise and DeGrasse, and the only win was a TKO over Petey Sarron. Covelli fell back after the WBA title loss; he had reeled off three straight wins (a SD over Rightmire and UD 10s versus lesser guys like Hansford and Varner) to set up the title shot. Belloise was 4-1-1 in six 1939 outings, moving swiftly up the ranks after a UD 10 win over ex-Champ Chavez (the whipping boy in the division this year); his only loss was a SD to Echevarria. Hoshino remained unbeaten with three more wins, notably two good recent results, a pair of UD wins versus Chafferdet and then Horiguchi in his most recent outing. DeGrasse was 2-1 in CBU title bouts but slipped after dropping a UD to Miller. Holtzer was 1-2 for the year, dropping the EBU title and suffering a UD loss to Sarron; his only win came at the expense of an aging Chick Suggs. Sarron just missed the top 10, ending the year at #11 after a TKO loss to Battalino following a USBA title loss. Chafferdet dropped out of the top 10, down three spots to #12, going through a dismal 1-3 campaign; his only win was a SD over the aforementioned Chavez. For Chavez, it was a huge drop from the title all the way to #13; he lost all four of his bouts during the year. Parkes was 2-1 in title bouts after dropping a UD to Horiguchi early in the year. Horiguchi was headed for a top 10 ranking until he was derailed by two straight losses, both via UD, to Miller and Hoshino. Rightmire recovered from a poor start (losing to a UD 10 to Leo Rodak) with a KO over Petey Hayes, followed by the USBA title win. Rodak won all four of his 1939 outings to advance to a year-end #18 position. Top newcomers to the rankings list this year: Eddie Miller, whose 4-0 1939 campaign included UD wins over Willie Smith and Phil Zwick, putting him at #21, with a 15-1 (7) career start; Petey Scalzo, the only man to defeat Miller who ended up #23, at 16-2 (11), after a KO loss to Al Reid ; and, further down the list, at #35, is Sal Bartolo, 14-1 (6), who suffered his first career setback (a MD loss to Zwick) after compiling a perfect record, albeit largely versus TC competition.

Prospects: Albert Mancini took a SD over Jackie Callura but suffered his first career loss (a MD to Irving Eldredge) to end the year at 13-1 (7). Still unbeaten is Cuba’s National Kid, now 12-0 (7) after another solid year that featured a UD win over aging veteran Dom Volante. Bobby Ivy struggled once past the TC opposition, dropping a UD to Harold Lacey to end the year at 11-1 (8). Richie Lemos, now 10-1 (5), had his first loss (a MD) coming at the hands of Bartolo; Joe Marinelli, also 10-1 (5), also lost to his first non-TC opponent, Mancini (a UD result). Puerto Rico’s Pedro Hernandez maintained a clean slate versus TC opposition to end the year at 9-0 (2); so did Joey Iannotti, now 7-0 (6). Brit Al Phillips is off to an excellent 5-0 (3) start to his career.

Retirements: Four retirements from the FW ranks in 1939, including one former WBA Champion.

Merv Blandon (AUS) 1931-39 22-14 (15) CBU, OPBF Champ Highest Rank: 23
Dom Volante (UK) 1923-39 35-24-2 (21) EBU, CBU, GBU Champ Highest Rank: 3
Nel Tarleton (UK) 1926-39 30-18-5 (12) CBU, GBU Champ Highest Rank: 19
Chick Suggs (USA) 1918-39 48-26-10 (13) WBA Champion 1923-24, 1926-27, 1930-31

Looking Ahead: Frankly, there’s not a lot of great talent in the FW division, which is why the revolving doors at the top for the WBA title and other major belts. Right now, Chalky Wright is on top but his reign is tenuous, although many of the top remaining challengers are going to be fading due to the impact of aging. Baby Arizmendi is probably the most likely to successfully challenge, and the as-yet-to-be-tested-but still undefeated Harold Hoshino is still an unknown quantity. Petey Scalzo, still fairly far down the ranks, may contend once he hits Prime. None of the current crop of prospects appear to be poised to become strong contenders, but among the six newcomers is Willie Pep, certainly one to be watched for the future.