[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the first half of January 1940, encompassing a total of 53 bouts, including one WBA title bout.

Jan. 4, 1940: The year commences with a Friday night card at Buffalo. Only one bout of note, which is the main event, a non-title affair matching two top 10 MWs: ex-WBA Champ Holman Williams and Freddie Apostoli, the “Boxing Bellhop.” First meeting of the two. In round three, Apostoli sustains a cut under his left eye. Early edge to Williams, but in round five Apostoli surprises the ex-Champ with a big shot that puts Williams on the deck for a five-count. Unofficial card has Apostoli ahead (49-46) at the midway point. Williams, who must now deal with a rapidly swelling left eye, begins to dig in and dominate the action as the bout heads into the later rounds. Apostoli, on the other hand, is unable to repeat in his success in round five. End result is a MD 10 for Williams (96-94, 95-95, 96-94) who takes the final four rounds on all three cards to overcome the early KD by Apostoli. Post- bout career records: Williams, 30-6 (19); Apostoli, 22-5-1 (19).

Jan. 5, 1940: Solid card at the Amor Bahn in Munich, featuring both German and Italian fighters. In the co-feature, two veteran MWs square off in a non-title bout, as German Hein Domgorgen faces Frenchman Edouard Tenet. Fifth meeting of these two familiar foes; prior results stand even at two wins apiece. This time, Tenet proves to be the better boxer but Domgorgen is more aggressive. Points edge to Tenet (49-47) at the midway point, according to the unofficial scorer, and he manages to stave off a late surge from the German to take a MD 10 (97-93, 95-95, 96-94) to run his career stats to 41-22-8 (9). The loss drops Domgorgen to 44-21-1 (22). The feature, for the EBU WW title belt, again matches two familiar foes as Bep Van Klaveren, now making his sixth defense of that title, faces Gustav Eder; their prior matchups show two wins recorded for each fighter. Eder sustains a cut over his left eye (due to an accidental butt) in round six; the unofficial card shows the German with a slim lead (58-57) at the midway point. A solid boxing exhibition from Eder continues to build on this early success, forcing Van Klaveren to step up the pace in the later rounds. The cut becomes worse and leads to a late stoppage, but the fact that it was caused by an accidental butt means reference to the scorecards, and Eder takes a UTD 11 (96-92, 95-94, 95-93) to capture the EBU after five previously unsuccessful tires (two versus Van Klaveren, three versus Cleto Locatelli). Post-bout career marks: Eder, 34-8-9 (9); Van Klaveren, 29-12-7 (11).

Jan. 5, 1940: Next fistic action is back in the States at Miami Stadium. A non-title contest tops the card, featuring former WBA LH Champ John Henry Lewis, still on the comeback trail, facing veteran and long-time LH contender Fred Lenhart. The bout is a rematch of sorts of a 1939 encounter that resulted in a DQ win for Lewis. This time around, with both men at Post-Prime career stage, Lenhart gets off to a solid start but Lewis is able to hold his own, particularly during some sharp exchanges with both men working on the inside in round five. The unofficial card has it even (48-all) at the midway point. From round six onward, Lewis begins to gain the upper hand in terms of the punches landed stats. Lenhart, trailing, becomes more aggressive in the later rounds, but in round nine he gets into trouble and walks into a Lewis cross that sends him to the canvas. Lenhart arises after taking a four count, but he winds up with a rapidly swelling left eye that bothers him for the remainder of the bout. End result is a solid UD 10 for Lewis (97-94, 97-91, 97-91), who boosts his career totals to 25-7-3 (18), compared to a post-fight mark of 35-19 (26) for Lenhart.

Jan. 11, 1940: Next up is a Friday fight night at the Forum in Montreal. It’s an abbreviated card but with an intriguing feature that matches a fan favorite, LW Dave Castilloux, with an aging but still highly ranked LW contender, #10 Cecil Payne. Good opportunity for the Canadian fighter to move up the ranks, as Payne is at Post-Prime. Castilloux takes charge with a big round four, and Payne shows a trace of swelling around his right eye at the end of the round. Big points lead (50-46) for Castilloux at the midway point. Round six sees more trouble for Payne, as he suffers cuts both above and below the injured eye. Payne becomes more aggressive in the later rounds, but in the end the cuts around his eye cause a late stoppage with Castilloux well ahead on points. TKO 10 for Castilloux to improve his career record to 22-5-3 (9). The loss drops Payne to 41-15-4 (9).

Jan. 12, 1940: Havana’s Gran Stadium is the scene for the next fistic action, a big card featuring FWs in both the main event – which is for the WBA FW title – and two FW contenders in the main supporting bout. The main support pairs ex-WBA FW Champ Simon Chavez with newly-crowned USBA FW Champion Everett Rightmire. The two met once before, back in 1933 when both were at Pre-Prime, resulting in a UD 10 win for Chavez. The bout remains close in the early going, but some strong shots from Chavez in round four end up causing some swelling to appear under both eyes of Rightmire. Chavez holds a narrow points lead (48-47, according to the unofficial ringside observer) at the midway point. Rightmire battles back but Chavez retains his focus, being the more aggressive of the two, even in the later rounds. End result is a UD 10 for Chavez (98-93, 97-94, 96-95), repeating his earlier triumph. Post-bout career records: Chavez, 26-12-2 (6); Rightmire, 28-8-3 (13). Then, in the main event, Chalky Wright makes the fourth defense of his WBA FW title, facing hometown favorite, the “Cuban Bon Bon,” ex-Champ Kid Chocolate. Fifth career meeting and the prior results between these two stand at a win, a loss and two draws apiece. Kid Chocolate is at Post-Prime but still manages to look sharp in the opening few rounds. In fact, he catches Wright with an uppercut in the very opening round, forcing the Champ to cover up. More of the same in round four, when the Cuban challenger stuns Wright with a right hook. Wright bounces back with a big round five, causing noticeable swelling around the right eye of Kid Chocolate; nonetheless, the unofficial card has Chocolate ahead (49-46) at this point. Chocolate remains the aggressor throughout the middle rounds of the bout, with little effect on Wright until round nine, when a cut appears over the Champion’s left eye, in addition to a trace of swelling under his right eye. Both men begin to tire and, surprisingly, the unofficial card has the bout even (95-all) heading into the final five rounds. Then, in round 11, Chocolate is able to re-open the cut over Wright’s eye, and the cut is ruled too dangerous to allow the bout to continue. In a controversial decision, Kid Chocolate regains the title via a TKO 11 on the cuts stoppage. The win lifts the Cuban fighter to 39-8-7 (17), while the hapless Wright slips to 34-11-4 (14).

Jan. 12, 1940: Next up is a card at Phoenix’s Dodge Stadium. Featured bout matches K. O. Morgan and USBA BW Champion Georgie Pace for Morgan’s NABF BW title. Both men enter the bout on three-bout winning streaks, and Morgan has the advantage of having won their only prior meeting (a UD 12 for the USBA title) back in 1938. Morgan is the aggressor in the early rounds, but little action occurs until round five, when Pace connects with a winging right that stuns Morgan, who is forced to cover up and retreat with a rapidly swelling right eye as a result of a big round five for the challenger. Nonetheless, the unofficial card still has Morgan ahead (58-56) at the midway point. Into the middle rounds, and Morgan continues his aggressive approach. Pace rallies to take rounds seven through nine, which is enough to forge ahead (by 86-85) on the unofficial card. Close into the final rounds, with round 10 going for Morgan and round 11, for Pace. Both men are looking for the KO in the final round, which is relatively even. The bout goes to the scorecards and, after a long wait, it is declared a majority draw (115-113 for Pace, 114-114, 114-114). A fair result although it seems Pace was the moral victor – perhaps a third meeting in the future? Post-bout career marks: Morgan, 31-11-6 (17); Pace, 23-7-2 (17).