New HW Boxers Rated

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Originally Posted by bear

My current to do list involves rating every unrated fighter from the 1949 Ring Record Book. I've reached letter -C-.

Bought my 1st RRB back in 1981 and began trying to create fighters for my Title Bout Board Game. That RRB listed Ring top 10 fighters by year and weight class. I created an index card for each one and began cross referencing through fighter records looking for fights that these men had. Box rec is ever so much nicer. Began, initially, collecting record sources and that expanded into anything I can read and learn from.

Tend to get side tracked as well. This leads to expanding my to do list

that's an interesting project to work through Bear!

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Decided to go back with that title!

While going through papers looking for things on Dixie Lee Oliver I ran across 3 other guys from then that I found photos of the fighters in the newspaper articles!! I love it when I can find a photo of them. So decided to side track from Oliver for the moment to look at these guys. First up here is Ernie Petretti heavyweight from NJ/NY area....

Career Record: W2(KO 0) / L19(KO 9) / D1

Unknown Information has been left blank.

DOB has been estimated.

Fought 13 times beginning his career in 1940 with a 1-11-1 record. After getting KO'd in two fights in early 1941, the second to Tommy Gomez, he was out of the ring until late November 1945. Lost one and won one at the end of 1945 and then lost 4 in January 1946 ending his career per BoxRec.Fought Joe Baksi, in December 1940. Baksi, 6-0-1 KO'd Ernie in the 1st round of a 4 round affair.

A Jan 3, 1941 article in The Evening Sun (Baltimore), "Petretti is a newcomer to the boxing wars here and is reputed to be a hard puncher". It also notes Petretti as being from Newark.The Baltimore Sun, Jan 5, 1941 notes him from Newark, N.J.

The Tampa Tribune, FL, had a picture of Ernie and it's caption mentions he was from New York, a 1937 Diamond belt champion and Golden Gloves finalist in 1939.Some newspaper articles out of New York in 1939 covered the Golden Glove competitions with mentions of Petretti. One article mentions him to be and "Italian-American truck driver".

The Tampa Tribune, March 25 1941 posted this appraisal of Petretti's abilities before his fight with Tommy Gomez..."As far as we've been able to determine, Petretti is just another heavyweight, one of the boys used around New York to fill in the programs. He's reasonably clever, and has had considerable experience, but he's never fought anyone approaching Gomez' class..."!

Some earlier newspaper articles that mention Petretti refer to him as the "Garfield Italian".The Courier-News, Bridgewater, NJ, 26 Sept 1940 and The Morning Call, 28 Sept 1940 ran articles on some fights being set up in Newark. One of the fighters was Ernie Petretti which the articles places him as from Passaic. Passaic City, NJ? The Morning Call article mentions Petretti as a rough, tough nut who had been a sparring partner for Pat Camiskey.The Central New Jersey Home News, New Brunswick, NJ, 25 Oct 1940 and the Courier-News mentions Petretti as from Garfield in his win against Beams Palmer. Garfield is right beside Passaic City.So believe him to be from this area in New Jersey.But, some paper articles from back into 1938 when he was fighting as an amateur, mention him as from "East Side New York".

Could find no mention in any newspapers of Petretti during the time from after his March 1941 fight against Tommy Gomez until he shows up again in late 1945.Then only very brief, mention of any of his last fights in 1945-46.

I'll add that I found on the internet a Find a Grave website that showed the gave site of an Ernest Petretti who was born in July 8, 1919, served in the Army in WWII and died Nov. 11, 1989. Just got to wonder if it's by any wild chance this Petretti! Could find no obituary info on this Petretti.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Here's a group photo I found of several heavyweight fighters, couple well known ones, that included Petretti.
Has Petretti, Mike Alfano (going to look at him next as I found and individual photo of him), Jack Marshall, Tommy Gomez and Melio Bettina.

Someone did Marshall and then the TBCB3 team rated him. His record in BoxRec is little more updated so I might take a little look at him.

Anyway, thought you might be interested in this photo. Thought it was cool finding it.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Mike Alfano - HW - USA
Jersey/NY heavyweight 1936-1945

I've pasted just a part of his Bio I wrote up here. Look at his file and you'll find quite a bit on what I found on him. Interesting stuff.

Career Record: W9(KO 2) / L30(KO 12) / D3

Unknown information has been left blank.

DOB has been estimated.A couple newspaper articles on Alfano's fight with Tami Mauriello in December 1943 places his age then at 24, thus the 1919 estimated DOB.

Noted in newspaper articles as from Bay Ridge, which is a neighborhood in Brooklyn. Some articles will mention him being from New York, some for Newark.A couple article then mention him to be from Brooklyn while boxing out of Newark apparently much of his career.

Vic Marsillo his manager early in his career. Phil Lewis managed him later during his fight period when his fought Tami Mauriello three times.

A worthpoint.com website shows a contract that was signed April 21, 1942 between Michael Alfano and Manager Phil Lewis. The site notes Alfano was a Brooklyn born heavyweight. Says after his boxing career ended he became a professional wrestler!

Below are pieces of a good number of newspaper articles on his fights. Working at a Jersey shipyard apparently helped him to build the frame of a tough looking heavyweight. Apparently built some toughness in him to last through some fights, but on the whole he appeared to show not a lot of skill to help him win. His skills and toughness tended to get him through early round success or but his lack of skill failed him in the later rounds much of the time. His looks and toughness got him some fights with some of the name heavyweights of the 40s but, he could not match up to them.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Ok, sorry this took awhile to get this next post up. Started looking into this guy having found this one long article about him when actually working on Mike Alfano. Started then on Ralph Ivins and digging through newspapers found a really an interesting story on this guy. Very popular heavyweight out of Jersey who in the beginning of the 1940s was on the cusp of maybe getting into the big time group of heavys at the time. But, a major illness and WWII held him up and he never was able to reach to the upper echelon. Believe him to be tough fighter, especially liked to work inside and maybe that hurt him some never developing his punches to take him to the next level. Anyway, finding articles on this fights I uncovered some differences in information on his career than what BoxRec has. I've cut and pasted into a work document all the articles I found and am tempted to try and contact BoxRec to see if they want the info to update Ivins record.

Anway as I did with Alfano, I've pasted here just some of his Bio, But you will find his Bio file quite lengthly as it includes info on all his fights at least as I found it plus other information about him during his career. Hope you enjoy. I really enjoyed doing this research on him.

Ralph Ivins - HW - USA
Career Record: W24(12 KO) / L8(KO 2) / D4 (See accounts below of fights from newspapers.
BoxRec lists his record as W20(KO 11)/ L8(KO 2)/ D2

The career record here does not match BoxRec's. As you read through the Bio below you'll see why. A good many discrepies and contradictory information about Ivins fights and results.

Unknown Information has been left blank.

An April 2, 1944 article in The Central New Jersey Home News about Ivins that places his date of birth as July 30, 1917 born in Jamesburg, NJ. Thus I've filled in that information as such. This same article has a nice background on Ivins including how in April 1940 when he was diagnosed with rheumatic fever.Being sick with this fever obviously accounts for the break in his boxing career between January 1940 to April 1941.

This same article mentions his overall boxing record at the time as 24 wins, 4 losses and 2 draws since his debut in 1936. That takes into account his amateur career from 1936 through mid 1937. He started his anateur career in 1936 while a junior in high school under the tutelage of manager Bill Mowery and trainer Frankie Redd. He finished a fine amateur career by winning the Veterans of Foreign Wars A.A.U. Heavyweight Open Championship.

This article says Ivins started his pro career in September 1937 knocking out in two rounds a Charley Nell from Summit. This information conflicts with an article found in this same paper on 9/22/37 which notes Ivins first pro fight on 9/21/37 being a decision win over Johnny Glover Who was a Trenton Times A.A.U. champion the previous year. That article says that was also Glover's first pro fight. Now that conflicts with what BoxRec shows for Ivins record. It's lists that fight as Ivins 2nd pro fight on 11/29/37 against Glover with it recorded as a 2nd round KO with a note the KO time was 2:39 and the fight was at the Arena in Trenton and that it was Glover's debut fight?? Have not found record of where BoxRec got its information on this Ivins/Glover fight.

A Jan 1, 1940 editorial article, Out on the Limb by Ed Isaacs in The Central New Jersey Home News mentions In 1936 he fought his way past 5 opponents into the finals of the New Jersey Golden Belt championship, only to loose the light heavy title to Norman Gates of Roselle Park. He then came back in 1937 to win the heavyweight championship. He then turned professional. This article says Ivin's first fight found him knocking out Charley Nell of summit in the second round. You'll see later in this bio accounts of his fight found in papers that earlier newspaper account places his first professional fight against Johnny Glover and the Charlie Nell fight found record as his 3rd fight? Again, a good number of issues with accounts of Ivins fights, especially the early ones.

In 1939, Ivin's contract was purchased by one Joe Gould of heavyweight Jimmy Braddock fame. From then Joe Gould was his manager and highly regarded Ray Arcel was his new manager. A couple of pretty heavyweight names in boxing back then that gives some light on the fact Ivins was being heavyily regarded in heavyweight boxing at that time. After fighting about two years under Gould and Arcel, Ivins lost about a year with the rheumatic fever he fought a couple times in April 1941 but then on June 3rd, 1941 he as inducted into the US Army. Because of training as a railroad brakeman before the war, Ivins was assigned to the 711th Engineers and served as a conductor on a supply train. In october 1942 he was assigned to Iran arriving there in December and he was still serving there in 1944 when this article was written by the Jersey Home News.

While serving in Iran, Ivins took back up his boxing and eventually won the American Middle East heavyweight championship. On February 6, 1944, Ivins got probably attained his biggest fistic fame when in Cairo, Egypt, before an outdoor crowd of some 12,000 soldiers, fought in what was billed as the American and British heavyweight championship, fighting British officer, Lt. Joe L. Ingrams. Ivins stopped Ingrams part way through the 3rd round to take the championship!At the time of the article, Ivins was still serving in the Middle East.

Following newspaper accounts found on Ivins fights and some other information on his career.....(Go to his Bio in his file)

[Cap]

In doing my own research I've found numerous conflicts in newspaper stories. Deadlines probably account for some of them, shoddy journalism may account for others. I try to find at least two reports that agree on a point, but that's not always possible.

Cap

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Originally Posted by Cap

In doing my own research I've found numerous conflicts in newspaper stories. Deadlines probably account for some of them, shoddy journalism may account for others. I try to find at least two reports that agree on a point, but that's not always possible.

Cap

100% agree with you Cap on trying to double check info. Not always available but most of the time can usually find multiple sources even if many of them are just the simple 1-2 line brief recaps of multiple fight results. That one local paper, the Home News had a lot of great articles on Ivins fights but I also believe they are very full of poor journalism in them not fact checking. As you said many times may be rushed to meet deadlines.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Going to look at this gentleman next. Ran across a couple photos of him looking at I think it was Alfano, though he does not fight Alfano. Nice little record and one of BoxRec's fight entries for him does not list the opponent! Found that strange. So might be a nice challenge to see If I can find who that was.

Beans Palmer

ID# 105522 Pro Boxing
12 6 0 8 KOs 3 KOs

Pro Boxing
bouts 18
rounds 56
KOs 44.44%

status inactive
career 1939-1942
alias Claude Palmer
nationality USA
debut 1939-02-13
division heavy
residence Plainfield, New Jersey, USA
Pro Boxing Career
21 bouts
ratings on/off

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Well, don't you wish a boxing match or any kind of entertainment event would cost so little these days?!
Rocco

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Masonic Hall, Highland Park, NJ
Was trying to find some info/photo on this.
Found a website on the history of Highland Park, NJ.
http://hphistory.org/index.php

Under a historical timeline they have published it notes this>

1923 Masonic Hall constructed at Raritan and North Fourth Avenues.

And they had on the website the attached Photo. Anyone know/can confirm this is the Masonic Hall I'm seeing in a lot of articles where boxing matches were held? Could house around 1800- 2000 fans I've seen in some references to fan sizes.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Here's a guy I ran across a great photo of. Had a file in my DB that was done by Mark Elwood, vistamann44 way long ago. I went and updated some of the bio info for the fighter and here's a file along with the photos. First one is one I found the other is off BoxRec which I updated bio info as much as BoxRec have. I've not done anything with this as far as the rating itself. May post some files here and there if I find tidbits like this for what it's worth to anyone.
Rocco

Tommy Bland, Canada WW

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Some nice info and photos.....I know the first one has been posted here in the forums in the past.....

Hollywood Legion Stadium 1921-1959
Located at 1628 El Centro Avenue just south of Hollywood Boulevard.

Opened in 1919 as an open-air stadium for boxing matches so people did not have to travel to LA Stadium. A roof was added in 1921 opening as an 8,000 seat venue.
It was closed in July 1923 and the boxing ring was sank 6 feet to improve the viewing of the ring and add a ventilation system. Per the Los Angeles Times of the day, the venue then accommodated 5,100 people though some other sources put it at 4,500.

A new version that you see in the photos on a website, hollywoodpartnership.com, is a new version opened in September 1938 with a capacity of 6,300.It was owned and operated by the Hollywood American Legion Post 43. A plaque commemorating this is posted at the site of the Statium. Boxing shows at the Hollywood Legion were originally shown on Friday nights. They moved them to Saturday nights in March 1952 because the televising of boxing shows on Friday nights from the east coast were eroding the attendance at the Legion and many other boxing venues at the time.

In the 1920s, 30s and 40s the Legion was a favorite hangout of film celebrities.

The final boxing card at the Hollywood Legion was on September 12, 1959 and a wrestling bill two nights later as the last event at the Stadium.

Some photos on the hollywoodpartnership.com website, show the plague mentioned above and the current La Fitness gym where the Legion was located.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Continuing to look up some background on some of the west cost boxing venues I'm reading about.....Photos, maybe you all have seen.

Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles 1925 thru 2005.

Located at 1801 South Grand Avenue, now just south of the Santa Monica Freeway and now serves as a worship center for a Korean-American evangelical church, "Glory Church of Jesus Christ".

Built in 1924, it opened on August 5, 1925.It housed major boxing and wrestling from 1930s thru the 1970s until in the mid 1980s it's doors closed after promoter Mike Le Bell discontinued his weekly wrestling shows.

It reopened in 1993 but with it's capacity reduced from 10,400 to just over 7,300.It housed may diffeent entertainment and major musical events through the 90s and early 2000s as well as boxing and wrestling.Then in June 2005 the Glory Church of Jesus Christ purchased the entire property.

Read more on the history of the Auditorium on wikipedia.org. Another good site with historical background through the years especially its boxing history is on an ESPN.com site.

[bear]

Another old California venue was Jeffries' Barn. Mostly used for amateur fights. It was used as a venue in John Garfield's boxing film They Made Me a Criminal.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Originally Posted by bear

Another old California venue was Jeffries' Barn. Mostly used for amateur fights. It was used as a venue in John Garfield's boxing film They Made Me a Criminal.

Thanks Bear! I googled it and several articles came up about it! Quite a bit of information in fact with photos! A Los Angeles Times article from 2008.....
“Nearly every Thursday night, the hulking brick-red wooden barn owned by the former world heavyweight champion filled up with about 1,100 fans eager to see amateur boxing matches and special exhibitions and contests.”

So that places it as holding amateur boxing. None of the articles mention of any specific pro boxing matches ever held.
Rocco

[bear]

Originally Posted by Rocco Del Sesto

Thanks Bear! I googled it and several articles came up about it! Quite a bit of information in fact with photos! A Los Angeles Times article from 2008.....
“Nearly every Thursday night, the hulking brick-red wooden barn owned by the former world heavyweight champion filled up with about 1,100 fans eager to see amateur boxing matches and special exhibitions and contests.”

So that places it as holding amateur boxing. None of the articles mention of any specific pro boxing matches ever held.
Rocco

Tracy Callis & Chuck Johnston in their 2007 book, Boxing in the Los Angeles Area 1880-2005 discuss it. Book has tons of photos.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Originally Posted by bear

Tracy Callis & Chuck Johnston in their 2007 book, Boxing in the Los Angeles Area 1880-2005 discuss it. Book has tons of photos.

Thank you Bear for the not on that book. I'll will for sure look it up. See If It can be had anywhere. I've been looking up articles on Tommy Martin from the UK when he boxed in California in 1940-41 how I got looking at the boxing venues out there.
Rocco

[Rocco Del Sesto]

I got side tracked working on Beans Palmer (got part done and still intend finishing him in near future), and have been looking through for info on Tommy Martin, the British Brown Bomber of the 1930s-early 1940s.

I've seen on line in some articles on him mention of "Boxing Magazine" around 1936-37 rating Martin. I was just curious if anyone knows what publication that would be? I'm assuming it in the UK? Would that be the Boxing News?
Rocco

[bear]

Originally Posted by Rocco Del Sesto

Thank you Bear for the not on that book. I'll will for sure look it up. See If It can be had anywhere. I've been looking up articles on Tommy Martin from the UK when he boxed in California in 1940-41 how I got looking at the boxing venues out there.
Rocco

some of my notes from when I worked through the book

Jeffries AC open air arena 800 1908-1909

Jeffries Barn Burbank, CA 800 1931-1953 boxing on Thursday nights

Hazard's Pavilion Los Angeles, CA 4000 1887-1906 cradle of big time boxing in LA

Turnverein Hall Los Angeles, CA 800 1894-1906

Los Angeles Athletic Club 1880-1912 club relocated

Arcadia Pavilion was a boxing venue used in San Francisco between 1922 and 1927

The Association Club was a boxing club in San Francisco's Mission District during the four-round era (1914-24). It staged regular weekly shows on Wednesday nights throughout this period.

The Coliseum Bowl, seating capacity 3,300, was situated on 11th street, between Market and Mission Streets. It opened February 19, 1940. SF

It appears that San Francisco's Dreamland Auditorium, Dreamland Rink, and Dreamland Pavilion were all the same venue in the 1910s

Garibaldi Hall was a boxing club in San Francisco during the early 1920s, located at 441 Broadway. Garibaldi Hall was an entry level club during this era in San Francisco along with the Association Club and National Hall. The promoter for many of these shows was Gene Malatesta

Kezar Pavilion, located adjacent to Kezar Stadium, is an indoor arena in the southeast corner of Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California. The Pavilion, built in 1924, seats 4,000.

The National Hall was located in San Francisco's Mission District, on 16th and Mission Street. From the mid-1920s through 1949 it would serve as San Francisco's second-tier club.

Woodward's Pavilion was an early 20th century venue. In January 1904 Alex Greggains and Morris Levy took out a multi-year lease, with plans to remodel the theatrical building. It was to have a seating capacity of 7,000, and would compete with the Mechanics Pavilion in staging boxing programs.

I"ve combined notes from the book with info from boxrec's encyclopedia and venues.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Originally Posted by bear

some of my notes from when I worked through the book

Jeffries AC open air arena 800 1908-1909

Jeffries Barn Burbank, CA 800 1931-1953 boxing on Thursday nights

Hazard's Pavilion Los Angeles, CA 4000 1887-1906 cradle of big time boxing in LA

Turnverein Hall Los Angeles, CA 800 1894-1906

Los Angeles Athletic Club 1880-1912 club relocated

Arcadia Pavilion was a boxing venue used in San Francisco between 1922 and 1927

The Association Club was a boxing club in San Francisco's Mission District during the four-round era (1914-24). It staged regular weekly shows on Wednesday nights throughout this period.

The Coliseum Bowl, seating capacity 3,300, was situated on 11th street, between Market and Mission Streets. It opened February 19, 1940. SF

It appears that San Francisco's Dreamland Auditorium, Dreamland Rink, and Dreamland Pavilion were all the same venue in the 1910s

Garibaldi Hall was a boxing club in San Francisco during the early 1920s, located at 441 Broadway. Garibaldi Hall was an entry level club during this era in San Francisco along with the Association Club and National Hall. The promoter for many of these shows was Gene Malatesta

Kezar Pavilion, located adjacent to Kezar Stadium, is an indoor arena in the southeast corner of Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California. The Pavilion, built in 1924, seats 4,000.

The National Hall was located in San Francisco's Mission District, on 16th and Mission Street. From the mid-1920s through 1949 it would serve as San Francisco's second-tier club.

Woodward's Pavilion was an early 20th century venue. In January 1904 Alex Greggains and Morris Levy took out a multi-year lease, with plans to remodel the theatrical building. It was to have a seating capacity of 7,000, and would compete with the Mechanics Pavilion in staging boxing programs.

I"ve combined notes from the book with info from boxrec's encyclopedia and venues.

Thank you Bear! In the past had never paid much attention about the venues. Becoming more interested in them as I've built my collection of boxing magazines and searching through papers "finding" them in articles.