My Universe

[JCWeb]

This report summarizes action from the first half of May 1947, and one WBA title bout is included.

May 2, 1947: First up in May is a Friday night card at the “Aud” (Memorial Auditorium) in Buffalo. Two top Flyweights do battle in the main event, as former and two-time WBA Flyweight Champ Jackie Jurich faces Brit Teddy Gardner. The bout is scheduled for 10, and Jurich, who defeated Gardner twice in WBA title bouts, has hit Post-Prime career stage, so the outcome is more in doubt than in the prior encounters. Not much happens until late in the opening round, when Gardner connects with a three punch combo, stunning Jurich, but the bell sounds before Gardner can follow up. The bout remains close, with either man gaining the upper hand, until Jurich decks Gardner midway through the fifth round, connecting with a sharp combination. Gardner picks himself up off the canvas after taking a count of three, and the bout resumes. At the halfway point, the 10-8 round in the fifth propels Jurich to a two-point lead (48-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Gardner becomes more aggressive in the second half of the bout and, in round nine, he manages to cause some puffiness to appear under Jurich’s left eye. In the 10th and final round, Gardner is still swinging away, and he manages to rock Jurich with hard hook. From here, the bout goes to decision, and the final round makes all the difference, as Gardner goes on to take a razor-thin UD 10 (95-94 on all three cards). The win lifts Gardner to 28-7-1 (11), while the loss leaves Jurich at 37-10-1 (19).

May 3, 1947: It’s North of the Border for the next card, at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. In the main event, two veteran FWs face off, as former WBA FW Champ Harold “Homicide Hal” Hoshino takes on the reigning EBU FW Champ, Brit Dave Crowley. These two, now both at the Post-Prime stage of their respective careers, are meeting in the ring for the first time. After a couple of even rounds, Hoshino moves inside in round three, going on the offensive and backing up, then putting the British fighter down with a good shot just before the bell sounds to end the round. Into the middle rounds, Hoshino is ahead on the punches landed stats, but he is showing signs of fatigue. Halfway through the bout, the unofficial scorer’s card shows Hoshino with a wide lead (50-45). In the second half of the bout, Crowley becomes more aggressive, pressing the action, but he, too, begins to tire and appears to be unable to trouble Hoshino. The bout appears to be headed towards a points win for Hoshino, but, in the final round, Crowley connects with a cross to the head, and Hoshino tumbles to the canvas. Hoshino picks himself up off the canvas as the count reaches eight, and he manages to survive to the final bell. When the judges’ cards are read, to the surprise of many, the final round KD has a dramatic impact, as Crowley prevails via a MD 10 (96-92, 94-94, 95-94). Post-bout career records: Crowley, 42-31-1 (17); Hoshino, 38-8-3 (21).

May 9, 1947: To Manila for a Friday night card at the Rizal Arena. The feature matches former WBA BW Champ Benny Goldberg, who is now on the downside of his career, versus OPBF BW Champ Tirso Del Rosario. In a prior meeting, in New York in 1946, Goldberg eked out a SD 10 but this time around, the advantage shifts to Del Rosario, who has advanced to Prime career stage, in addition to the advantage of fighting before an appreciative hometown crowd. The bout remains close through the opening rounds, By the midway point of the bout, Del Rosario has gained the upper hand, and he has forged a narrow lead (48-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Meanwhile, Goldberg has begun showing signs of wear and tear, with a trace of swelling apparent around both eyes. In the second half of the bout, a more aggressive Goldberg is unable to make much of an impression, and Del Rosario maintains the edge in the punches landed stat and, after the final bell, raises his arms in victory. However, two of the three judges find otherwise, and the end result is a majority draw (97-93 Del Rosario, 95-95, 95-95), a minor surprise and certainly a result not well received by the Filipino fight fans in attendance. Post-bout records; 34-5-3 (14) for Goldberg; 18-4-2 (4) for Del Rosario.

May 10, 1947: Next, to Philadelphia, and the main event pairs two top WW contenders, as LABF WW Champ, Cuba’s Joe Legon, faces Marty Servo, a former WBA WW titleholder. The two met once before, in Havana in 1944, and Servo took a UD 10 before going on to win the WBA title the following year. This time around, both fighters are at Post-Prime career stage, and Servo get off to a tremendous start in the opening round, landing sufficient blows to cause some initial puffiness to appear under Legon’s right eye. Servo maintains his lead through the midway point, and the unofficial scorer has Servo up by three (50-47). In the second half of the bout, with both fighters beginning to tire, Legon moves inside and tries to take a more aggressive approach. Despite Legon’s best efforts, he is unable to make much of an impression on Servo, let alone the judges, who award Servo a UD 10 win by a comfortable margin (98-94, 99-92, 97-94), and this moves Servo’s career totals to 33-8-1 (12). Conversely, the loss leaves Legon at 33-16-6 (14). Solid win for Servo, but given his Post-Prime career status, his chances of regaining a major title at this point are rather low.

May 10, 1947: Chicago’s Comiskey Park sets the scene for the next card, and topping the agenda is a MW clash matching “the Man of Steel,” former WBA MW Champ Tony Zale, with Tommy “Irish” Sullivan. This is a non-title affair, scheduled for 10, and the two have not met before. Zale, seeking to pad his credentials for another WBA title challenge, serves notice in the opening minute when he stuns Sullivan with a strong cross; Sullivan wisely covers up to avert further difficulty. While Sullivan is able to survive the opening stanza while remaining upright, he still takes a beating from Zale, who manages to cause some initial swelling to appear under Sullivan’s right eye. In round three, Zale moves inside and rocks Sullivan with a hook to the head that rips open a cut over Sullivan’s other eye. Just before the bell sounds to end round five, Zale rocks Sullivan with an uppercut to the head. At the halfway point, it is a bit surprisingly to see Zale up by just a single point (48-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In round seven, Zale lands some more big shots, reopening the cut and causing Sullivan’s swollen right eye to puff up even more. Into the final few rounds, and Sullivan, apparently needing a knockout or at least a knockdown to stand a chance of winning, ups his effort, despite running low on energy. However, all he succeeds in doing is making himself a more attractive for Zale, who takes advantage, flooring Sullivan twice in the ninth round, all while causing the cut to reopen a second time. Then, in the final stanza, with an exhausted and desperate Sullivan seeking to land the knockout punch, Zale responds, dropping Sullivan a third time, then opening up a new cut on Sullivan’s lip. Then, after the cut over Sullivan’s eye is ripped open once again, the ref has seen enough, and he orders an immediate stoppage. The bout goes in the books as a TKO 10 for Zale on the cuts stoppage, running his career record to 44-8-2 (27). Sullivan slips to 21-4-1 (14) with the loss.

May 16, 1947: It is time for the next installment of the Friday Night Fights “Down Under” series, and there is excitement in the air as a WBA title clash tops the card, with a homegrown Aussie fighter earning a title shot. However, in the main preliminary bout, two Japanese fighters do battle, as the OPBF Flyweight title is up for grabs. In this matchup, former titleholder Yoichiro Hanada challengers Yoshio Shirai in what is Shirai’s third defense of the belt. The two have met twice before, both times for this same title, with Shirai prevailing both times. After a couple of close opening rounds, Shirai, the more aggressive of the two, moves inside in round three, dictating the pace of the bout. Shirai continues to hold the upper hand and, late in the fifth round, he stuns Hanada with a hook to the head. The challenger remains upright, covering up to last the round. At the midway point, Shirai has a large points lead (59-55), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. Not much changes in the second half of the bout, and so Shirai goes on to retain the title to take a solid UD 12 win (117-112 on all three cards). Post-bout records: Shirai, 20-2 (10); Hanada, 37-21-4 (9). Then, in a long awaited finale, Aussie OPBF LW Champ Vic Patrick steps into the ring to challenge Ike Williams for Williams’ WBA LW title. The two have not met before, and this is Patrick’s second try for a WBA title belt, and it is Williams’ second title defense. Williams shows he means business early on, decking Patrick with a solid uppercut for an eight count in the opening round. After taking some time to clear his head, Patrick moves inside in an effort to pressure Williams in round three; with Williams being warned for low blows, Patrick is able to make some inroads and wins the round. After a close round in round four, the two do battle on inside in round five, and Patrick takes the round; at the one third mark, at least on the unofficial card, the Aussie challenger has an early points lead (47-46). In round six, a sharp jab from Williams rips open a cut on the nose of Patrick. Then, in round seven, the momentum swings in the other direction, as Williams leaves himself open for a barrage of blows, and he goes down, but arises after taking a count of three. With the fans in attendance on their feet, Patrick attempts to press his advantage, but a wise cover up by Williams denies him this opportunity. In round eight, this exciting seesaw battle continues, as the cut on Patrick’s nose is reopened. In round nine, Patrick strikes back, decking Williams a second time, this with a strong combination. Williams takes a four count, tries to regain his composure, but late in the round, Patrick catches him with a hard cross and, with just two seconds left in the round, Williams is counted out. An exciting KO 9 win for Patrick, the hometown fighter, lifting him to 29-4 (21) overall. Williams’ title reign comes to an abrupt end, leaving him at 30-4-1 (25). Given the dramatic swings in this tension filled WBA title bout, this is a leading contender for Fight of the Year honors.

[JCWeb]

This report summarizes action from the second half of May 1947, and one WBA title bout is included.

May 17, 1947: To Europe for a substantial card at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. The main event features a WBA title clash, but first up, in the main support, is a MW encounter, matching Coley “the Fighting Iceman” Welch with the GBU MW titleholder, Vince Hawkins, in a 10-round, non-title affair. In the early rounds, Welch gradually pulls ahead in the punches landed count. Then, in round five, Welch clocks Hawkins with a powerful left, but Hawkins is able to cover up and remain upright through the rest of the round. At the midway point, Welch holds a slim lead (48-47) on the unofficial scorecard. In the second half of the bout, Welch maintains his edge in the punches landed stat, plus he takes advantage of an edge in the stamina factor as well. The bout goes to decision, and Welch goes on to take a MD 10 (96-94, 95-95, 96-94), running his career totals to 33-12-4 (14). Meanwhile, the loss drops Hawkins to 18-12-4 (7). Next, in the featured bout, is the third of a trilogy of title bouts for the WBA Flyweight title, with Hans Schiffers, the current titleholder, facing, for the third time, Rinty Monaghan, with each having won once, one via a split decision (Monaghan) and, more recently, one via a controversial DQ call (Schiffers). A solid opening round sees Monaghan unload with an effective two-fisted assault, landing some solid shots that caused initial swelling under both eyes of Schiffers. Monaghan continues to dominate the early action and, with the first five rounds in the books, Monaghan had a healthy lead (49-46) on the unofficial scorecard. In the middle rounds, Schiffers tries to recover lost ground and close the gap by taking a more active approach; at the two thirds mark, Monaghan continued to hold a sizable points lead (98-94) on the unofficial card. In the final few rounds, a tired looking Schiffers continues to flail away, without much success, as Monaghan remains firmly in control of the situation. Monaghan takes a lopsided UD 15 (146-140, 148-138, 147-139). Post-bout career marks: Monaghan, 41-13-1 (12); Schiffers, 27-9-5 (8).

May 17, 1947: Next is a card at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, and the headliner is a BW bout matching Manuel Ortiz with Harold Dade. First meeting of the two; Dade, who is new to the top 20 BW ranks, is looking to move up, while Ortiz, a former WBA BW Champ, is still trying to bounce back from a couple of recent losses that dropped him out of the top 10 after having previously risen to the #1 contender spot. Ortiz is able to touch up Dade in the opening round, causing a trace of swelling to appear around Dade’s right eye. Dade, for his part, manages to keep the bout close while his cornermen manage to keep the swelling under control. At the halfway point, Ortiz holds a slim one-point edge (48-47) on the unofficial scorecard. Ortiz targets the cut, adding to his lead with a strong round six. Dade, sensing the bout slipping away, begins to take a more active approach. Dade manages to land sufficient leather to cause puffiness under Ortiz’s right eye, enabling Dade to work his way into the bout. In the final few rounds, with both fighters tiring badly, Dade goes all out on the attack. However, Dade leaves himself open for a big shot that lands for Ortiz in round nine, decking Dade for a seven count. Dade scrambles to his feet and manages to last the distance, but Ortiz goes on to take a solid UD 10 (98-91, 98-91, 97-92). Post-bout career records: Ortiz, 31-8-3 (17); Dade, 20-6-2 (5).

May 23, 1947: To Havana for a Friday night card, and a LABF LW title bout tops the menu. The Cuban titleholder, Humberto Sierra, faced with a mandatory defense of the title that he last defended in 1945, almost two years ago, takes on a Mexican fighter, Mario Trigo. Sierra and Trigo have not met before, and Trigo is still at Pre-Prime career stage. Midway through the opening round, Trigo manages to trap Sierra in a neutral corner, pummeling him with a combination of blows to the head. Sierra goes down, and he barely beats the count, then covers up to last the round. After recovering from the early knockdown, Sierra gradually works his way into the bout, battling back with a strong showing in round five. At the midway point, Sierra has pulled ahead in the punches landed stats and, according to the unofficial scorer at ringside, he trails Trigo by one (58-57). In round nine, Sierra opens a cut on Trigo’s lip. The cut has little effect on the outcome, and the bout remains a close one as the final few rounds tick off. Trigo has a strong finish, causing some puffiness to appear around Sierra’s right eye in the final round, and this is enough for the judges to find in his favor, so Trigo lifts the belt, taking a UD 12 (116-111, 116-111, 115-112). Post-bout records: 14-3 (4) for Trigo; 19-5-3 (7) for Sierra.

May 24, 1947: Next is a big card at New York’s Yankee Stadium topped by a twin feature of regional title bouts. In the first co-main event, USBA LH Champ Archie Moore challenges Billy Conn for Conn’s NABF LH title. The two have met three times previously, producing all three results: a win, a loss and a draw for each fighter and, with all three bouts going to decision, none of the decisions resulted in a unanimous victor. This time around, after a couple of close opening rounds, Moore seizes the initiative, moving inside in round three. Some solid defense from Conn enables him to stave off the attacks, and the punches landed stats favor Conn as the bout enters the middle rounds. By the midway point, Moore had been making progress, winning the fifth and sixth rounds on the unofficial card to forge a solid points lead (60-56). Starting in round eight, Conn moves inside and begins chipping away at Moore’s lead. At this point, both the stamina and punches landed count indicate a close fight that could go either way. In round 10, Moore responds by taking a more aggressive approach, but Conn’s defense remains firm, making for an exciting round of boxing that does little to choose between the two. A strong finish by Conn, who manages to cause some puffiness under Moore’s left eye in the final round, and this is sufficient enable him to secure a majority draw (111-119 Moore, 115-115, 115-115) although one judge had Moore winning by a wide margin. So, Conn, now 41-8-4 (16), retains the belt, while Moore, who finished the bout at 39-4-5 (28), has the USBA LH title to fall back on. Then, in the second co-feature, Jake LaMotta, the “Bronx Bull,” takes on a former WBA MW Champ, Charley Burley, for Burley’s USBA MW title belt. Midway through the opening round, LaMotta launches a vicious assault, and he manages to rip open a cut under Burley’s right eye, then he decks the Champ with an uppercut. Burley recovers quickly, bouncing back to his feet at the count of two, then is able to cover up and avert further trouble, lasting the round. After a heavy exchange of blows on the inside in round five, LaMotta is able to reopen the cut under Burley’s eye. At the midway point of the bout, the unofficial card has LaMotta up by two (58-56). By the later rounds, Burley has succeeded in keeping the bout close, and his punches have had an impact, causing some puffiness around the right eye of LaMotta. The bout goes the full 12 and, in the end, a close but UD 12 (115-113, 115-113, 116-112) enables LaMotta to lift the belt, improving his career totals to 27-3 (19) as a result. The loss leaves Burley at 42-4 (29). Both remain viable contenders for future WBA title honors.

May 30, 1947: Two fight cards remaining in the month, and next is a Friday night affair at New Orleans’ Coliseum Arena. No title bouts on the agenda, but nonetheless an intriguing non-title contest in the main event, featuring two WWs: one, a relatively newcomer to the ranks, facing an established veteran, as Kid Gavilan takes on Fritzie Zivic. No prior meetings, and the post-Prime Zivic is seeking to hand the fast rising, unbeaten Cuban prospect his first loss as a professional. The action picks up early in round two, when Gavilan snakes through an uppercut that rips open a cut over Zivic’s left eye. Then, in the third round, a hard cross from Gavilan puts Zivic, whose eye is still bleeding, on the defensive. Despite Zivic’s adoption of the cover up strategy, Gavilan is able to force an early stoppage, as the cut worsens, causing the ref to step in and call a halt. TKO 3 for Gavilan, who remains unbeaten, pushing his career stats to 17-0-1. Meanwhile, Zivic drops to 40-18-6 (17) with the loss.

May 31, 1947: The talents of two top HW contenders are on display in the final card of the month, held at the Earls Court in London. American Pat Comiskey, currently #2 in the world HW rankings, visits the UK to take on Bruce Woodcock, the reigning GBU and EBU HW Champ who will have some very vocal fan support in this encounter. The two have not faced each other before, and Woodcock impresses both the home crowd and his opponent with an impressive display in the bout’s opening round. In round three, Woodcock moves inside in order to follow up on his earlier success, and he succeeds in causing some trouble for Comiskey in the form of a rapidly swelling left eye. By the middle rounds, both fighters are fully engaged, swinging away freely and engaging in some exciting toe-to-toe action. At the halfway point, Woodcock is up (by a count of 49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. As the bout heads into the later stages, Comiskey tries to get more aggressive but, in round eight, he runs into an overhand right from Woodcock that puts him down for an eight count. Comiskey regains his footing and, after covering up, he manages to last the round, but only after going down a second time and being saved by the bell to end the round. In the final round, Comiskey goes down three more times, and the bout ends as an automatic TKO 10 for Woodcock, who enhances his prospects for a WBA title shot. Post-bout career marks: Woodcock, 26-2 (22); Comiskey, 29-7 (19).

[JCWeb]

This report summarizes action from the first half of June 1947, and one WBA title bout is included.

June 6, 1947: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at the Uline Arena in Washington, D. C. Featured in the main event is former WBA LW Champion Bob “Bobcat” Montgomery who, on the comeback trail, faces Santa Bucca, who has been rising in the LW ranks after reaching Prime career stage. No prior meetings of the two, and Montgomery takes advantage of the opportunity, pummeling Bucca in the opening few rounds. By the end of the third round, Bucca is showing the effects, as his right has begun puffing up considerably. In round four, Montgomery does even further damage, ripping open a cut over Bucca’s left eye. At the midway point of the bout, Montgomery has a wide lead (50-45) on the unofficial scorecard. Montgomery continues to dominate the action in the second half of the bout and, late in round seven, he decks Bucca with a hard shot Bucca is saved by the bell, giving him time to recover between rounds. In the end, it is the cut that does in Bucca, leading to a late stoppage after being reopened in round nine. Solid TKO 9 for Montgomery, who continues to build momentum for another title shot, while improving his career record to 34-4-2 (20). Meanwhile, the loss drops Bucca to 17-3-3 (7).

June 7, 1947: North of the border for the next card at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. Featured in the main event is a Commonwealth BW title clash, with a Canadian challenger, Fernando Gagnon, taking on Ritchie Tanner for the title belt. The two have not met before, and Tanner gets off to a solid start by the end of the second round, there is a trace of swelling under Gagnon’s right eye. Then, in round three, a sharp exchange results in a cut over Gagnon’s left eye. With Tanner piling up a huge lead in the punches landed stats, it is not until round five when Gagnon gets off the mark, landing a straight right that causes Tanner to cover up. At the midway point of the bout, Tanner holds a large lead (59-55) on the unofficial scorecard. In the second half of the bout, Gagnon begins to turn things around, taking advantage of a large stamina advantage. In round seven, he decks Tanner with a strong combination. Then, early in round nine, a big hook from Gagnon lands flush, and Tanner remains upright, covering up to survive the round. By the end of the 10th round, Gagnon is once again bleeding from the cut over his left eye. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and Gagnon manages to scoop up the title with a UD 12 win (116-111 on all three cards). Post-bout career records: Gagnon, 24-4 (15); Tanner, 26-13-2 (12).

June 7, 1947: To Chicago for the next fight card, and a USBA LW title bout tops the menu. Joe Brown, who surrendered his NABF title belt in an unsuccessful challenge for the WBA LW title, has set his sights a bit lower, as he now takes on Sammy “the Clutch” Angott for Angott’s USBA title. This is the first meeting of the two and Brown, the challenger, goes to work with a strong opening round, launching a two-fisted attack that causes some minor swelling to appear under both Angott’s eyes. As the early rounds tick off, Brown is able to build on his early success, and he holds a large edge in the punches landed stats. At the halfway point of the point, Brown has a wide lead (59-55) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In the second half of the bout, Angott, seeking to stage a rally, goes on the offensive, but he runs into some stiff resistance and, in the ninth round, he runs into a Brown cross and tumbles to the deck. Angott barely manages to beat the count, but then covers up to last the round. From this point, things only get worse as Brown puts Angott down two more times in round 10, and once more in round 11, before the ref steps in to call a halt. The bout goes into the books as a TKO 11 for Brown, who moves to 27-2 (18) with the win. Meanwhile, the loss leaves Angott at 34-11-6 (11).

June 13, 1947: Next is a Friday Night “Down Under” card at Sydney, Australia. In the main event, Aussie Norm Gent squares off versus Japan’s Juro Fukuda. At stake is the OPBF LW title recently vacated by Vic Patrick, who successfully challenged to win the WBA LW title belt. No prior meetings of the two, and Gent has the early edge in the punches landed stat. Meanwhile, Fukuda, who is the more aggressive of the two, is struggling with his timing. By the midway point, Gent has pulled ahead to a fairly comfortable lead (59-55) on the unofficial scorecard. Not much changes in the second half of the bout, and the bout goes the full 12 rounds, with Gent taking a UD 12 (118-110, 117-11, 115-113) to lift the belt. Post-bout, Gent improves to 17-2-3 (6). Fukuda dips to 17-11-2 (3) with the loss.

June 14, 1947: Twin bill title action tops the next card at the Palais des Sports in Cannes, France. In the first co-feature, Brit Terry Allen faces Mustapha Mustaphaoui, who is the challenger for Allen’s EBU Flyweight title. It is the first meeting of the two, and this is Allen’s first defense of the title he won earlier in the year, also in Cannes. Allen takes advantage of a sluggish start by Mustaphaoui to complie a solid early edge in the punches landed category. In round six, Allen faces his first bit of adversity when he sustains a nick under his right eye; nonetheless, at the midway point, Allen has a wide lead (59-55) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Mustaphaoui, who himself is battling a rapidly swelling left eye as the bout enters its later stages, tries to become more aggressive in an effort to pose some problems for the British EBU Champ. In the end, neither man can make much progress, so Allen goes on to retain the title via a UD 12 (117-111, 120-108, 119-109) to move to 25-2 (3) overall, signifying his readiness for a future WBA title challenge. For his part, Mustaphaoui drops to 24-7-6 (6) with the loss. In the finale, the “Casablanca Clouter,” Marcel Cerdan, faces the “Savage Slav,” Al Hostak. At stake is Cerdan’s WBA MW title and, in one prior meeting, Cerdan manages to force an early stoppage in the third round. This time around, Cerdan dominates most of the action in the early rounds, but Hostak manages to survive an early onslaught. However, late in round five, with both fighters working on the inside, Cerdan catches Hostak, who is already distracted by a recently opened cut over his right eye, with a hard cross that puts the challenger down and out. KO 5 for Cerdan in another impressive win as he retains the WBA title belt. Post-bout records: Cerdan, 47-7-3 (31); Hostak, 43-14-3 (32).

June 14, 1947: Next card is back in the USA, in Philadelphia, and the main event showcases the talents of two top MWs, both former WBA Champions, as Holman Williams challenges Freddie Apostoli, the “Boxing Bellhop,” for Apostoli’s NABF HW title. This is the fifth meeting of the two, with Williams having prevailed in three of the four previous encounters. Additionally, both fighters are looking to rebound from recent losses: Williams, to former WBA MW Champ Charlie Burley, and Apostoli, to current WBA MW Champ Marcel Cerdan. Williams has the upper hand in the early going and, by the end of the fourth round, he has landed some heavy shots sufficient to cause some initial swelling around the left eye of Apostoli. Near the end of round five, Apostoli finally gets on track, landing a hard cross that stuns Williams; however, Williams remains upright, and there is not enough time remaining in the round for Apostoli to follow up. At the halfway point, the unofficial card has Williams winning all the rounds (with a 60-54 points lead). As the bout heads into the later stages, Apostoli becomes more and more desperate to ignite a rally, but Williams’ defense remains solid. The bout goes the full 12, and there is little suspense as Williams goes to on take a lopsided UD 12 (118-110, 118-109, 117-111) to capture the NABF belt. Post-bout career marks: Williams, 53-13-1 (24); Apostoli, 38-16-2 (24). However, one piece of bad news here, given Williams is due to hit Post-Prime career stage with his next outing.

[JCWeb]

This report summarizes action from the second half of June 1947, and no WBA title bouts are included.

June 20, 1947: Next is a Friday night card at Luna Park in Buenos Aires. On tap in the main event is a LABF MW title clash, with Argentina’s Mario Diaz making his first title defense against a former titleholder, Chilean Antonio Fernandez. It is the first meeting of the two, and, surprisingly, the bout lasts less than a minute as Diaz connects with a left hook to the body that causes Fernandez to wince in pain, dropping to one knee. The immediately impact of the punch was to cause a fractured rib, forcing an early retirement by the challenger. Thus, Diaz is able to retain the belt via a TKO 1. Post-bout, Diaz improves to 17-5-2 (6). The loss leaves Fernandez, who slips to the End career stage with his next outing, at 41-24-6 (13).

June 21, 1947: A nice crowd has gathered for the next fistic action, this at the Olympia in London. The featured bout is for the GBU Flyweight title, and Peter Kane defends that belt, facing challenger Jackie Paterson. The two met once before, for the WBA Fly title, and Paterson prevailed via a points win. Fairly even for the first four rounds, then Paterson pulls ahead slightly after a strong round five. Midway through the sixth round, Paterson connects with a straight right that sends Kane reeling, and Kane resorts to the cover up strategy to last the round. At the midway point of the bout, Paterson has forged a slim points lead (58-57) on the unofficial scorecard. Kane tries to become more aggressive in the second half of the bout, but in round nine, he leaves himself open and Paterson is able to rip open a cut over Kane’s left eye. Late in round 10, Kane goes down, victim of a Paterson hook; Kane scrambles to his feet, but the bell sounds before Paterson can do further damage. The onus is on Kane to go on the attack in the final two rounds, and, while he does manage to cause some swelling under Paterson’s right eye, the cut remains a problem. Then, in the final round, a Kane cross floors Paterson just before the final bell, but the bell sounds just as the ref is picking up the count. Thus, it goes to the scorecards, and Paterson picks up the title via a MD 12 (115-112, 113-113, 115-111). Post-bout career records: Paterson, 29-7-2 (19); Kane, 36-9-1 (13). Despite the narrow loss, Kane still has the Commonwealth Fly title to fall back on, as that belt was not on the line in this GBU title encounter.

June 21, 1947: To Los Angeles for the next fight card, and twin feature title bouts top the agenda. In the first co-feature, Tony Olivera takes to the ring to defend his USBA BW title against challenger Tommy Forte. In two previous meetings, each has won once, and now, both are at Post-Prime career stage. Forte has the upper hand through most of the early rounds, and in the fifth round, he connects with an overhand right that puts Olivera on the deck for an eight count. At the halfway point of the point of the bout, Forte is ahead on the unofficial card (by a count of 57-56), largely on the strength of the one knockdown. Olivera takes a more active approach to the second half of the bout, but he soon begins to tire and falls further and further behind as the bout wears on. Thus, while Olivera manages to stage a minor rally in the 10th, the bout goes the distance, and Forte scoops up the belt with a UD 12 win (115-112, 115-112, 116-111), running his career stats to 36-9-3 (12). Meanwhile, the loss leaves Olivera at 31-10-2 (19). In the second co-feature, aging veteran Baby Arizmendi is back in the ring, challenging Carlos Chavez for Chavez’s NABF FW title. The two have not met before and Arizmendi, who is at Post-Prime, is looking to call on his vast experience in the ring wars to defeat his younger foe. The bout devolves into a tactical battle, with the two boxers both probing for openings. The bout is a close one through the opening few rounds, with Chavez seeming to pull ahead in the middle rounds. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has the bout scored as even (57-57). Into the later stages of the bout, both fighters show signs of fatigue, while Chavez clings to a small lead in the punches landed stats. No cuts or knockdowns, so the bout goes to decision, and Chavez is able to retain the title via a SD 12 (115-113 Chavez, 113-115 Arizmendi, 117-112 Chavez). Post-bout records: Chavez, 28-7-1 (10); Arizmendi, 59-14-4 (14).

June 27, 1947: Next card is a Friday night affair at Havana’s Gran Stadium. Featured is a twin bill of non-title bouts. In the first of these, the “Durango Dropper,” Mexican Enrique Bolanos faces another young LW contender, Canada’s Harry Hurst. It is the first meeting of the two, and the 22-2 Bolanos is quick to exploit any weakness, landing some hammer blows in the opening stanza of the bout, doing enough to cause a trace of swelling to appear under Hurst’s right eye. In the final minute of round three, Bolanos connects with a big cross, sending Hurst tumbling to the canvas; after arising at the count of eight, Hurst covers up to survive the round. A badly shaken Hurst returns to his corner, and Bolanos continues swinging away freely in round four, but he cannot finish off his Canadian opponent. After dominating the action for the first half of the bout, it is no surprise that Durango has a wide lead (50-44) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In round six, the first blemish in Bolanos’ performance appears in the form of a bleeding cut on his upper lip. In round seven, there is more trouble for Hurst as a cut appears over his right left eye, plus his right eye has puffed up to an even greater degree. Bolanos eases up in the final few rounds, coasting to a lopsided UD 10 win (99-91, 99-90, 99-90), running his career stats to 23-2 (19). Meanwhile, Hurst ends the bout at 23-9-1 (10). In the second co-feature, a pair of top 10 HW contenders take to the ring as Lee Q. Murray takes on Cuban knockout artist Nino Valdes. These two sluggers have not met before and, in the bout’s opening minute, Valdes brings the Cuban fight fans to their feet when he rocks Murray with a hard hook. Effective use of the cover up strategy enables Murray to remain upright and survive the opening round onslaught relatively unscathed. The two continue swinging away at each other for the remainder of the opening rounds, with Murray being cautioned for a low blow in round four. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has Murray with a slight lead (48-47), although the bout remains very close. By the end of round six, a welt has formed under Murray’s right eye. As the bout wears on, the stamina factor favors Murray, and Valdes’ punches seem to lack steam as the Cuban slugger begins to slow visibly in the later rounds. Punches landed stat remains close, with a slight edge to Murray in this key category. The bout comes down to the final few rounds, with little to choose between the two. After a long pause, the cards are read, and it is a split decision, one judge for Valdes, but the other two for Murray, who escapes with a SD 10 verdict in his favor (98-94 Murray, 94-97 Valdes, 97-95 Murray) – a wide divergence of opinion, and a result that is not well received the Cuban fight fans, whose chorus of boos echo throughout the arena. Post-bout career marks: Murray, 30-9-1 (23); Valdes, 19-5-2 (15). A bit of a disappointment that the bout between these two did not see more action in the form of knockdowns, given the prior records of both fighters.

June 28, 1947: To New York’s Madison Square Garden for another exciting card of fisticuffs, topped by a HW encounter featuring Jersey Joe Walcott, still on the comeback trail and now in the Post-Prime of his career; Walcott takes on Johnny Haynes, a much lower rated fighter who should prove to be a nice confidence booster as Jersey Joe seeks to remain a viable top contender in the HW ranks. No prior meetings of the two, and the lightly regarded Haynes has reached Prime career stage and fashioned a three-bout winning streak to set up this, his first main event appearance on any fight card. The opening round sees a solid start from Haynes, who is some nine years Walcott’s junior; by the end of the round, Walcott’s right eye is beginning to show signs of puffiness. By round three, however, Walcott has got things on track, decking Haynes with a hook to the head. Haynes recovers after taking a seven count, but he emerges some worse for the wear, as Walcott has managed to cause some initial swelling under and around Haynes’ left eye. The tide shifts again in the fourth round, when a hard cross from Haynes rips open a cut on Walcott’s forehead. At the midway point, Walcott has the upper hand, having landed more punches, and this translates into a points lead on the unofficial card (by a count of 48-46). In round six, Haynes manages to reopen the cut on Walcott’s forehead, and the cut gets worse as the round progresses. The end comes two rounds later, after the cut is reopened once again; despite pleading from Walcott and his corner to allow the bout to continue, the ref has seen enough. Haynes is declared a TKO 8 victor due to the cuts stoppage. Post-bout records: Haynes, 19-2-1 (14); Walcott, 53-14 (31). Tough loss for Walcott, who drops out of the top 10 in the HW ranks for the first time in over a decade, putting him one step closer to retirement.

June 28, 1947: Final card of the month takes place at Seattle’s Sicks Stadium. In the feature bout, Georgie Crouch is on hand to defend the NABF WW title he won earlier in the year. In his first defense, the challenger is Johnny Greco, who has journeyed south from Canada to take on Crouch for the belt. The two have not met before, and Crouch takes advantage of a sluggish start by Greco to compile an early lead in the punches landed stats. However, Greco regroups quickly and comes out swinging, decking Crouch with a hard shot early in the third round. Crouch arises at the count of six, then covers up and manages to last the round. Not much changes in the overall complexion of the bout, which remains a close one, with Crouch holding a slim one point lead (57-56) at the midway point, according to the unofficial scorecard. Into the second half of the bout, and Greco is the more aggressive of the two. Midway through round seven, Greco stuns Crouch with a straight right and, once again, Crouch wisely elects to cover up to avert further damage, remaining on his feet for the remainder of the round. By this time, however, Crouch is showing signs of wear and tear, with a rapidly swollen and bruised left eye having borne the brunt of Greco’s aggressive posture. However, the stamina factor works in Crouch’s favor, as Greco tires badly and, early in round 11, he runs into a Crouch cross and goes down. Greco goes down a second time late in the final stanza, and this allows Crouch to break open a close bout to take a fairly comfortable UD 12 (115-111, 116-109, 115-110) to retain the NABF belt. Post-bout career marks: Crouch, 35-13-4 (18); Greco, 22-9-1 (13).

[JCWeb]

This report summarizes action from the first half of July 1947, and one WBA title bout is included.

July 4, 1947: To Washington D. C.’s Uline Arena for some fireworks and a July 4th card. The main event features HWs, with the big Argentinian, Alberto Santiago Lovell, taking to the ring to face a Yank in Bill Poland in a non-title contest. Despite this being the first meeting of the two, Lovell wastes little time, pummeling Poland with a crushing left hook to the body midway through the opening round. A stunned Poland manages to remain on his feet, and he wisely covers up and manages to last the round without sustaining further damage. After the two take turns trading blows on the inside, Lovell is able to maintain a healthy lead in the punches landed count as the bout heads into the middle rounds. In the waning seconds of the fifth round, Lovell demonstrates his superiority by dropping Poland to the canvas with a devastating hook to the head; this time, Poland is saved by the bell. At the midway point, it is no surprise to see Lovell with a wide points lead (50-44) on the unofficial scorecard. A tired and weary Poland tries his best to lift the pace as the bout heads into the later rounds, but all he does is run into more trouble, going down a second time in round eight. The bout goes to decision, and the result is a lopsided UD 10 in favor of Lovell (97-92, 98-90, 99-89), who runs his career record to 40-17-1 (30). The loss drops Poland to 29-12-1 (17). With this win, Lovell has put himself in line for another WBA title challenge versus the seemingly invincible Joe Louis.

July 4, 1947: San Juan, Puerto Rico sets the stage for the next fight card. Newly crowned USBA WW Champ Bernard “Big Doc” Docusen is the main attraction in the feature match, as he takes on Puerto Rican veteran Cocoa Kid, who is on the downside of a long career that included two brief stints at WBA WW Champion. No titles are at stake in this, the first meeting of these two, with a big age difference (Kid is 34, while Docusen is only 20), plus Docusen has yet to taste defeat thus far in his young career. It is a cautious start by both boxers, and not much happens for the first few rounds. Docusen builds a narrow lead in the punches landed category and, at the midway point, he has a slim points edge (48-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In round seven, a sharp jab from Docusen rips open a cut over Kid’s left eye. The bout remains close into the final few rounds, with Kid taking a more aggressive posture. In the end, it pays off, as Kid takes a close SD 10 (97-94 Kid, 95-96 Docusen, 96-95 Kid) to hand Docusen his first career setback. Post-bout career records: Kid, 53-14-5 (13); Docusen, 20-1-3 (4).

July 5, 1947: To the Forum in Montreal for the next fight card, and a pair of feature bouts top the agenda. In the first co-feature, BWs take to the ring, with OPBF BW titleholder Tirso Del Rosario visiting to face Canadian Lou Alter. The two have not before, and the action picks up in the second round after Del Rosario rips open a cut under Alter’s right eye. The cut continues to ooze blood as the bout continues into the middle rounds. By the midway point, Del Rosario has a slight points lead (48-47) on the unofficial card. In round six, the cut is reopened, and it continues to pose a problem for Alter and his corner. A late rally by Alter falls short, so Del Rosario goes on to take a MD 10 victory (96-94, 95-95, 96-94) to run his career stats to 19-4-2 (4). Meanwhile, the loss leaves Alter at 21-7-2 (14). In the second co-feature, veteran Canadian LW Dave Castilloux makes a defense of the Commonwealth LW title he won in late 1946, facing a former WBA LW Champ in the Jamaican, Lefty Satan Flynn. Flynn won both their prior encounters, so Castilloux is looking for his first win over “his Satanic Majesty.” Midway through the second round, Flynn connects with a strong combination that sends Castilloux reeling against the ropes; the Canadian manages to hang on and then covers up to avert further damage. After another good round for Flynn in the third, Castilloux tries to become more aggressive, moving inside in round four, but he has limited success. Castilloux gradually works his way into the bout and, at the halfway point, the deficit is two (58-56), in favor of Flynn, the challenger, on the unofficial card. Headed into the later rounds, the issue remains very much in doubt as the bout is a close one. Castilloux pulls ahead in the punches landed category and Flynn, sensing his early advantage slipping away, elects to take a more aggressive posture. Finally, early in round 10, Flynn breaks through, decking Castilloux for an eight count. Dazed, the Canadian fighter is able to continue, weathering the storm after resorting to the cover up strategy. Flynn dominates the action in the 11th round, but he is unable to finish off Castilloux, despite going all-out for a knockout. The bout goes the full 12 and, largely on the strength of the one late knockdown, Flynn picks up a MD 12 (114-112, 113-113, 114-112) to capture the belt. Post-bout records: Flynn, 38-16-4 (19); Castilloux, 36-19-3 (9). Thus, the CBU LW belt has changed hands for a fifth time in as many title bouts.

July 5, 1947: Next card takes place at St. Louis. Featured in the main event are a pair of top WWs, as former WBA WW Champ Marty Servo faces Brit Ernie Roderick, who is the reigning GBU and Commonwealth WW titleholder. These two met once before, in Liverpool back in 1942, and Servo emerged a MD 10 victor on Roderick’s home turf. In this, the return match, after a couple of close opening rounds, Servo maneuvers his way inside and attempts to force matters in round three. While Roderick manages to hold his own and keep the bout close in terms of the punches landed stat, Servo draws blood when he connects with a cross that opens a cut over Roderick’s right eye. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has the bout as even (48-48). It takes several rounds for Roderick’s corner to bring the cut under control, and things get worse for the British boxer in round eight as the cut is reopened, plus Roderick appears to have injured his hand. Servo continues to grind away, turning in a workman-like performance, and he is rewarded with a close but UD 10 (96-94 on all three cards). Post-bout career marks: Servo, 34-8-1 (12); Roderick, 38-21-5 (8).

July 11, 1947: A twin bill of title bouts headline the next fight card, a Friday night affair at Mexico City. In the first of these, LABF Flyweight Champ Otilio “Zurdo” Galvan takes on Frenchman Emile Famechon. These two are locking horns in a 10-round, non-title contest, and two prior encounters resulted in a win and a draw for Galvan. In the early going, Famechon, the more aggressive of the two, tries to work his way inside but has little success. Galvan, on the other hand, gradually builds a solid early lead and, by the midway point, is well ahead (by a count of 50-45) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Famechon does somewhat better in the second half, but he offers little to trouble Galvan. In a bout where both fighters survive the encounter unmarked, Galvan is able to grind out a UD 10 (97-94, 98-92, 97-93). Post-bout marks: Galvan, 19-7-2 (5); Famechon, 20-8-1 (17). In the second co-feature, another Mexican fighter, LW Mario Trigo, who recently claimed the LABF LW title, takes on reigning EBU LW Champ Aldo Spoldi. There is a 15- year age gap between the two, who have not met before; Spoldi is at Post-Prime career stage, while Trigo is still at Pre-Prime. After both fighters are unable to make much progress in the opening four rounds, the two do battle on the inside in some toe-to-toe action in round five. At the halfway point, Spoldi has the nod from the unofficial scorer at ringside (by a 49-46 margin), but the Mexican fight fans see the younger man, Trigo, as offering some stiff resistance to the Italian veteran. While Trigo manages to keep the bout relatively close in terms of the punches landed stats, the guile and experience of the crafty Spoldi makes it a tough test for the young Mexican. The bout goes the distance and, in the end, the judges are unable to declare a winner, and the bout is a draw (95-95 on all three cards), with Spoldi, no stranger to draws, ending the bout at 47-16-7 (17) compared to a 14-3-1 (4) post-bout ledger for Trigo.

July 12, 1947: A twin bill of title bouts top the next card at Rome’s Palazzo del Sport, including a WBA title clash. In the first co-feature, Italian Egisto Peyre defends his EBU WW title against veteran and former titleholder Gustavo Eder. After four prior meetings with Eder, Peyre is still looking for his first win; the ledge thus far has three wins and a draw in favor of the German. After a couple of even rounds, Peyre moves inside in an effort to assert himself in round three. Peyre is able to pull ahead to a slight lead in terms of the punches landed category and, by the midway point, Peyre has built a solid lead (59-55) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Peyre, who is already running low on energy, takes a more aggressive posture as the bout heads into the later rounds. Peyre solidifies his position with a great round in the ninth, then he goes on to prevail, but only via a SD 12 (117-111 Peyre, 113-115 Eder, 115-113 Peyre), as one judge stubbornly had Eder as the winner. Post-bout career marks: Peyre, 25-5-2 (12); Eder, 47-19-11 (10). Then, in the second co-feature, Dado Marino challenges Rinty Monaghan for Monaghan’s WBA Flyweight title. The two met once before, in 1944, and Monaghan scooped up a MD in a non-title contest. This time around, Marino, winner of four of his last five, including a win over veteran Istvan Enekes in his most recent outing, is able to hold his own through the opening few rounds. In fact, after the first few rounds are in the books, Marino is slightly ahead in the punches landed category. At the five round mark, the unofficial scorer at ringside has the bout even (48-48). In the middle rounds, Monaghan bears down, taking a more aggressive approach and working his way inside in an effort to inflict punishment on a very determined challenger. At the two thirds point, Monaghan’s efforts appear to have paid off, as he is up three (97-94) on the unofficial card. In round 11, Marino continues to bear the brunt of Monaghan’s offensive prowess, and his right eye is beginning to puff up. In the later rounds, Marino shifts tactics and pushes forward, but to no avail. The bout goes the distance, and the end result is a UD 15 for Monaghan (146-140, 147-139, 144-142). The win lifts Monaghan to 42-13-1 (12), and the loss leaves Marino at 27-9 (13).

[JCWeb]

This report summarizes action from the second half of July 1947, and two WBA title bouts are included.

July 12, 1947: To Pittsburgh for the next fight card and, topping the agenda is none other than the hometown hero, the “Pittsburgh Kid,” one Billy Conn. Conn, the current NABF LH titleholder, squares off against his British counterpart, “Fearless” Freddie Mills, who currently holds three title belts in the LH division (the EBU, CBU and GBU LH titles). In one prior meeting, back in 1941, Conn came out on top, taking a points win. In the opening stanza, Mills serves notice that he means business when decks Conn with a big shot that sends Conn to the canvas to take a five count before regaining his footing. Fortunately for Conn, the bell sounds before Mills can do more damage. By the midway point of the bout, however, Conn, boxing beautifully, has worked his way into the bout, taking a massive lead in the punches landed stats; Conn has also pulled ahead (48-46) on the unofficial scorecard as well. In the second half of the bout, Conn seems to have matters well in hand, while Mills gradually becomes more and more desperate as he runs low on endurance chasing an elusive target like Conn around the ring. In the final few rounds, Conn eases up considerably, retreating into a defensive posture which is sufficient for him to claim a UD 10 win (98-92, 98-92, 97-93) despite the early knockdown. Post-bout, Conn runs his career record to 42-8-4 (16). The loss drops Mills to 32-14-2 (15).

July 18, 1947: Next, it’s time for another Friday night fights “Down Under” card, this one at Sydney. No titles on the line, but a pair of attractive co-features top the agenda. In the first of these, Aussie Commonwealth MW Champ Dave Sands takes on George Abrams, a former two-time USBA MW titleholder. First meeting of the two, and, after a couple of competitive opening rounds, Sands moves forward and takes charge in round three, decking Abrams with a mighty hook that puts the American MW down and out. Impressive KO 3 for Sands, running his record to 29-3 (19). Abrams slips to 31-11-3 (11) with the loss. The second co-feature matches two other first time opponents, one a fast rising young fighter from the Americans, unbeaten WW prospect Kid Gavilan, who takes on Aussie veteran and current OPNF WW titleholder Jack McNamee. A strong opening round from the Cuban serves notice, as he puts McNamee on his heels and is able to inflict enough punishment to cause a trace of swelling to appear under McNamee’s right eye. Gavilan continues to hold a solid lead in the punches landed stats through the first half of the bout and, at the midway point, his lead is only one (48-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. As the bout wears on, the swelling around McNamee’s eye becomes even more pronounced, and, with fatigue beginning to set in, the Aussie fighter’s movements become even more labored. Still, a nice bounce back by McNamee with a strong round in the seventh give the Aussie fight fans in attendees some semblance of hope. However, McNamee’s efforts to turn the bout into a slugfest prove unsuccessful, and Gavilan goes on to take a MD 10 (97-93, 95-95, 96-94) and remain undefeated. Post-bout career records: Gavilan, 18-0-1 (3); McNamee, 41-18-2 (23).

July 19, 1947: To Havana’s Gran Stadium for an exciting card, topped by a WBA title clash. In the main preliminary bout, two top FW contenders do battle in a 10-round, non-title contest, with former WBA FW Champ Harold “Homicide Hal” Hoshino facing Cuban FW National Kid, with Kid being a former NABF FW Champion. In one prior encounter, for the WBA FW title, Hoshino won on points as the bout went the full 15, and both guys are now at Post-Prime. This time around, Late in round one, Hoshino connects with a solid uppercut that leads id to adopt a cover-up strategy to avert further difficulty. Then, midway through the third round, Kid walks into a combination and goes down, taking a seven count; Kid is able to resume and, once again, resorts to the cover up in order to last the round. By the midway point, Hoshino is up by three (49-46) on the unofficial card. A second KD for Hoshino follows in round seven, and the ex-Champ, Hoshino, coasts to a rather lopsided UD 10 (99-90, 99-90, 97-92) to run his career stats to 39-8-3 (21). Meanwhile, the loss leaves Kid at 28-11-3 (12). Then, in the main event, it is the WBA BW title as David Kui Kong Young makes his sixth title defense; this time, the challenger is NABF and LABF BW Champ Luis Galvani. Kui Kong Young took a UD 15 in their one prior meeting, in early 1946, also for the WBA crown, and also in front of a pro-Galvani crowd in Havana. Galvani has a decent start, and he grabs an early edge in the punches landed stats. Then, suddenly, the prospects for a long bout come to a surprising and sudden end midway through round four, when Kui Kong Young walks into a combination, then goes down and out for the count. KO 4 for Galvani, and all of a sudden, Kui Kong Young’s reign as WBA BW Champion is at an end. Post-bout records: Galvani, 23-3 (15); Kui Kong Young, 42-4-4 (20).

July 19, 1947: Another WBA title bout tops the next card, which takes place at San Francisco’s Cow Palace. Willie “Will O’ the Wisp” Pep faces challenger Diego “El Tigre del Cerro” Sosa, a Cuban fighter who has fought Pep twice before. At stake is Pep's WBA FW title. In one of those encounters, Sosa handed Pep one of his two career losses (both of which came on a controversial DQ call); the other bout resulted in a routine points win for Pep. This time around, some solid boxing in the opening few rounds translates into an early points lead for Pep, who holds a wide lead (50-45) on the unofficial card after the first five rounds are in the books. In the middle rounds, Pep is content to control the action from the outside, while allowing Sosa to move forward, leaving himself open to some strong counters from Pep. In round seven, a hard shot from Pep sends Sosa to the deck, and Sosa is able to scramble to his feet, beating the count, then covering up to last the round. By round eight, it is clear that Sosa is taking a beating; his right eye has begun to swell, and Pep has a similarly huge edge in the punches landed stats. At the two thirds mark, Pep continues to dominate on the unofficial scorer’s card (leading by 99-90). Late in the bout, Sosa sustains a cut over his left eye, and he is unable to seriously challenge Pep, who goes on to take a lopsided UD 15 (150-134, 148-136, 150-134) to record his 13th consecutive win, running his career record to 34-2 (23). Meanwhile, the loss leaves Sosa at 28-6-2 (16).

July 25, 1947: Next is a Friday night card at New York’s Madison Square Garden. In the feature, popular MW Jake LaMotta, the “Bronx Bull,” is in action, defending his recently won USBA MW title, as he takes on challenger Artie Levine. The two met once before, in 1944, also in New York City, and LaMotta prevailed via a late stoppage. This time around, the early edge in the punches landed stat goes to LaMotta, but LaMotta is unable to land any telling blows in the first half of the bout, as Levine proves to be a tough nut to crack. At the midway point, this translates into a wide lead for LaMotta (59-55) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Not much changes in the second half of the bout, and LaMotta breezes to a comfortable UD 12 win (117-111, 117-111, 119-109). Post-bout career marks: LaMotta, 28-3 (19); Levine, 23-6-1 (14).

July 26, 1947: A twin bill of title bouts top the final card of the month at the Earls Court in London. In the first co-feature, Gus Foran faces former WBA BW Champ Johnny King for Foran’s GBU BW title. Believe it or not, these two veterans of the ring wars have not faced each other before. The action barely has time to heat up, when Foran manages to deck King with a big shot midway through the second round, and King is unable to beat the count. The KO 2 lifts Foran to an impressive career total of 24-5-3 (14). The loss, his fourth in succession, drops the Post-Prime King to 63-14-1 (26). In the finale, another veteran, Dave Crowley, makes the first defense of his EBU FW title in several years, taking on fellow Brit Jim Kelly for the belt. This is the fourth meeting of the two, with Crowley prevailing twice before but losing once, 11 years earlier, in a GBU FW title matchup. Some solid boxing by Kelly in the opening three rounds yields him an early lead in the punches landed category. After a sluggish start, Crowley finally gets going and begins to assert himself, landing some sharp blows in round four. In round six, a cut appears over the right eye of Kelly, and it appears to have been the result of an accidental head butt. At the midway point, Crowley has the momentum, recovering from the slow start, with the unofficial scorer at ringside calling the bout even (57-57) at this point. In the second half of the bout, Crowley continues to press the action, but both men begin to tire visibly, while the cut over Kelly’s becomes less of a factor. The bout remains close into the final few rounds, with Kelly clinging to a slim lead in the punches landed stat. After reopening the cut over Kelly’s eye in round 11, Crowley makes one final push, and in the last minute of the bout, he is able to put Kelly on the canvas with a big hook. Kelly is able to recover, regain his footing and cover up in order to make the final bell, putting the outcome in the hands of the judges. As it turns out, the late KD was not enough to turn things around, at least in the eyes of two of the three judges, so Kelly goes on to lift the belt via a SD 12 (114-113 Kelly, 112-115 Crowley, 116-111 Kelly) – a decision that is loudly booed by the fight fans here at Earls Court. Post-bout career marks: Kelly, 39-22-7 (12); Crowley, 42-32-1 (17). This marks the eighth time in as many bouts that the EBU FW title has changed hands, going back to 1939.

[JCWeb]

This report summarizes action from the first half of August 1947. One WBA title bout is included.

Aug. 1, 1947: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at the War Memorial Auditorium in Syracuse, New York. Locking horns in the main event are two top MW contenders, both former WBA Champions, as Freddie Apostoli, the “Boxing Bellhop,” faces Steve “Spider” Belloise. The two have not met before, and there are no titles at stake in this, a 10-rounder. The bout remains fairly close through the opening few rounds, with both fighters jockeying for position, while neither man is able to gain an upper hand. At the midway point, the unofficial scorecard shows Apostoli with a narrow one-point lead (48-47) – still anyone’s bout to win. However, into the second half, and it is Apostoli who asserts himself, seizing control of the bout in the sixth and seventh rounds, finally backing Belloise into a corner and forcing an early submission late in round seven. Belloise, suffering from a badly swollen left eye, is unable to fend off Apostoli, so the ref steps in to save him from further punishment. The end result, a TKO 7 for Apostoli, ups his career mark to 39-16-2 (25), while the loss drops Belloise to 30-8-2 (14).

Aug. 2, 1947: The Rand Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa hosts the next fight card and, featured in the main event, is South Africa’s own Laurie Stevens, a former WBA LW Champion now on the downside of a long, illustrious career. Stevens’ opponent in the featured bout is American George LaRover, and the two will be meeting for the first time in this 10-round, non-title bout contest. The action heats up a minute into the second round, when an overhand right from LaRover sends Stevens toppling to the canvas. A dazed Stevens picks himself up off the deck after taking a five count, and he covers up to finish the round with no further damage. The boost from the early knockdown gives LaRover the earl edge in terms of the punches landed stat and, and has a comfortable points lead (49-45) on the unofficial card. As the bout wears on, Stevens begins to show the effects, with a rapidly swelling right eye becoming a major issue for his corner. Late in round six, LaRover connects with another big shot, decking Stevens for a second time, but there is not enough time left in the round for LaRover to follow up. Trailing badly, Stevens makes an abortive attempt at a rally but, early in round nine, he runs into a LaRover hook and goes down a third time. The bout goes the rest of the distance without incidence, and LaRover, on the strength of the three knockdowns, takes a rather lopsided UD 10 (99-88, 98-89, 98-89). Post-bout career records: LaRover, 22-4-1 (13); Stevens, 38-18-1 (21).

Aug. 8, 1947: North of the border for the next fight card, this a Friday night affair at the Edmonton Gardons. The main event is a NABF FW title encounter, with Carlos Chavez defending, for the second time, the belt he won in late 1946. The challenger is Jackie Graves, the “Austin Atom,” who has won his last three, hitting Prime career stage, after falling short in his first title challenge, for the USBA FW belt, in mid-1946. It is the first meeting of the two, and Graves wastes little time, decking Chavez with a wicked hook to the head inside the opening minute of the very first round. Chavez struggles to his feet, barely managing to beat the count, then he manages to last the round by covering up. Chavez struggles in an effort to work his way into the bout; by the midway point, though, he has only one good round (the fifth), and trails badly with Graves well ahead (59-54) on the unofficial card at the halfway point. In the second half of the bout, Chavez continues to try to battle back from the early points deficit, and a strong second half enables Chavez to pull even in the punches landed category. The bout comes down to the wire, with Graves finishing strongly with a good final round. Thus, the challenger hangs on to prevail by a close but UD 12 (115-112, 116-111, 115-112), as the early lead from the first round knockdown manages to hold up. With the win, Graves is now 19-2-1 (14). Meanwhile, the loss leaves Chavez at 28-8-1 (10).

Aug. 9, 1947: To the UK for the next fight card, which takes place at Liverpool. Main event is a GBU MW title contest, with Vince Hawkins making his first defense after having won the belt over two years previously. His opponent, Mark Hart, is still at Pre-Prime career stage. The two have not before, and Hart, who enters the bout sporting a 15-1 record, has earned this title shot with recent wins over Jean Despeaux and Robert Villemain. Hawkins piles up an early edge in the punches landed stats, but Hart comes alive after moving inside and forcing the action in round three. At the midway point of the contest, Hawkins has a nice but by no means insurmountable points lead (59-56) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In the second half of the bout, Hart increases the pressure, taking a more aggressive posture. As the bout wears on, Hart shows signs of increasing frustration as he is unable to seriously trouble Hawkins. In round 11, Hart resorts to repeated fouling, in particular excessive rabbit punching, and this, unfortunately for the challenger, does not escape the ref’s attention. Finally, the ref has seen enough, and Hart is disqualified, so Hawkins goes on to keep the title belt via a DQ-11. A peek at the judges’ cards through 10 showed Hart with a narrow one-point edge on one card, but Hawkins was well ahead on the other two. Post-bout career marks: Hawkins, 19-12-4 (7); Hart, 15-2 (9).

Aug. 9, 1947: The next card in Boston boasts the first WBA title bout of the month, preceded by an NABF title clash. In the co-feature, the NABF LW title is on the line, as Beau Jack defends against former WBA LW Champ “Bobcat” Bob Montgomery, who is challenging for the title he once held after rebounding with a pair of wins after his WBA title loss. First meeting of the two, as Jack is back in action after winning the NABF belt earlier in the year. Jack breaks through late in round one, connecting with a hard cross that sends Montgomery tumbling to the deck. Montgomery manages to regain his footing at the count of six, then the bell sounds to end the round before Jack can follow up. Montgomery battles his way into the bout with a strong round in round three. Even as Montgomery manages to work his way into the bout, Jack is able to maintain the edge in the punches landed stats and, at the midway point of the contest, Montgomery holds a two-point lead (58-56) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Into the later rounds and, with both men running low on stamina, Montgomery goes on the offensive, Jack’s defense manages to hold up until the final minute, when Montgomery breaks through, decking Jack twice. The late rally, resulting in a 10-7 final round for Montgomery on all three cards, is just in time to convince the three judges, so Montgomery regains the NABF title via a close but UD 12 (115-111, 115-112, 115-112), lifting the “Bobcat” to a career mark of 35-4-2 (20). The loss leaves Jack at 31-5 (20). In the main event, after an unsuccessful foray into the HW ranks, Ezzard Charles is back in the ring to defend his WBA LH title, facing challenger Jimmy Bivins, as the “Cincinnati Cobra” faces the “Cleveland Spider Man.” First meeting of the two, and it will be Bivins’ third try for the WBA LH belt after falling short (a loss and a draw) in two prior attempts versus Lloyd Marshall. Charles, who was a first round KO victim of Pat Comiskey in his most recent outing, wastes little time to erase that memory by decking Bivins with an uppercut in the opening stanza. Bivins barely beats the count and covers up to last the round, but his right eye has begun to puff up as the accumulated impact of Charles’ strong start has had a definite impact. It is not until late in round three that Bivins comes alive, staggering Charles with a left. Then, in round four, Bivins goes down a second time, the result of a delayed reaction to a well-timed Charles combination. Once again, Bivins is able to resume, but Charles continues to dominate and has a wide lead (49-44) on the unofficial card after the first five rounds are in the books. In the middle rounds, Bivins, trailing badly at this point, tries to take a more assertive posture as he tries to work his way into the bout. Charles, for his part, is content to lay back on the outside, occasionally targeting Bivins’ injured eye. However, early in round nine, the bout takes a surprising turn as Bivins connects with a combination that draws blood from a massive gash over Charles’ right eye. The cut is in a bad spot, and he flow of blood is uncontrolled, so the ref is forced to call an immediate halt. Thus, despite trailing on all three scorecards, Bivins becomes the new WBA LH Champion via a TKO 9 due to the cuts stoppage. Post-bout career marks: Bivins, 28-4-3 (20); Charles, 25-4 (21). While it will take awhile for Charles to recover, it is likely he will devote his full time attention to the HW division when he resumes his career.

Aug. 15, 1947: Two veterans of the ring wars lock horns in the featured bout in the next card, held at Denver’s Mammoth Gardens, as reigning USBA BW Champ Tommy Forte faces Lou Salica for the vacant NABF BW title. The title has been vacant since Mexican BW Luis Galvani stepped up and won the WBA title, and this will be the fourth meeting of these two, with prior results being a win for Forte and two draws. This time around, Forte, the more aggressive of the two, comes out swinging and is able to secure an early edge in the punches landed category. Salica recovers from a slow start, battling back with a solid performance in round four. At the midway point, the bout remains extremely close, with Forte in front (by 58-56) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In round seven, Salica manages to open a cut over Forte’s right eye; it is not until round nine until the cut is closed by Forte’s corner. Salica targets the cut, working on the inside as the bout heads into the later stages. Salica is able to pull ahead in the punches landed stat, but nothing much happens in the final few rounds as the bout goes the distance. The judges’ cards are read, and Forte ends up with the NABF belt via a MD 12 (115-113, 114-114, 115-113). Post-bout career marks: Forte, 37-9-3 (12); Salica, 35-19-5 (13).

[JCWeb]

This report summarizes action from the second half of August 1947. Two WBA title bouts are included.

Aug. 16, 1947: To Luna Park in Buenos Aires for the next fight card. Only bout of note is the main event, which matches two Argentinian boxers for the LABF MW title. Mario Diaz, the titleholder, faces challenger Raul Rodriguez. The two have not met before, and it is the challenger, Rodriguez, who seems to have the upper hand in the early going. Diaz manages to battle back to keep the bout close but, at the midway point, Rodriguez has the points lead (58-56) on the unofficial card. More of the same in the second half of the bout and, by the end of round nine, a mouse has formed under the left eye of Diaz. A late attempt to mount a rally by Diaz in the final few rounds comes to naught, and Rodriguez emerges as the winner, at least on two of the three judges’ cards, taking a SD 12 (117-113, 112-116, 117-111) to lift the belt. As a result, Rodriguez improves to 39-16-2 (25), while the loss drops Belloise to 30-8-2 (14).

Aug. 22, 1947: The Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden hosts the next fight card and, featured in the main event, are two veteran WW contenders: Cuba’s Joe Legon and Italy’s Michele Palermo. Legon, the current LABF WW titleholder, and Palermo, a past EBU WW Champion, met once before, back in 1944, and Palermo emerged as a UD 10 winner. Since then, Legon has hit Post-Prime while Palermo is still a couple of bouts away from reaching Post-Prime as well. In this rematch, a 10-round, non-title bout, Legon is the aggressor in much of the early going. According to the punches landed stats, the bout is a close one heading into the middle stages, with neither man gaining the advantage. Late in round four, Palermo, who has been warned once, is deducted a point for excessive holding and hitting. At the midway point, the unofficial card has Palermo up by just one (48-47), this after Legon has a point deducted for excessive rabbit punching. By the end of round six, Palermo has pulled in front in the punches landed stats, and Legon has upped the pace, applying more pressure in an effort to break down the Italian’s defenses. Early in the final round, Legon is able to rip open a cut on Palermo’s lip but, otherwise, the Italian is able to resist Legon’s advances, so the end result is a solid UD 10 for Palermo (96-93, 97-94, 97-91). Post-bout career records: Palermo, 45-15-10 (12); Legon, 33-17-6 (14).

Aug. 23, 1947: To a packed house in Detroit for the next fight card, and a tripleheader of feature bouts is topped by Joe Louis once again defending his WBA HW title. In the first co-feature, former three division Champ Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong is back in the ring, taking on another top WW, Norman Rubio. Rubio, a former NABF WW Champion, is facing Armstrong for the first time in this 10-round, non-title contest. Armstrong, despite being at Post-Prime career stage, still has some snap on his punches, and he pulls ahead in the punches landed stats in the early going. By the midway point of the contest, Armstrong has compiled a points lead (49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. With a minute remaining in the seventh round, a wicked cross from Armstrong puts Rubio on the deck for a seven count. Rubio recovers, covers up to last the round, and the bout goes the rest of the way without incident. To no surprise, Armstrong scoops up a fairly routine UD 10 win (97-91 on all three cards) to run his career record to 51-10-3 (41). The loss drops Rubio to 27-8-4 (13). Armstrong, who has won four in succession since a WBA title loss to Sugar Ray Robinson, remains a viable contender in the WW ranks, despite having hit Post-Prime career stage. Next, in the second of the trio of featured bouts, Coley “the Fighting Iceman” Welch challenges Holman Williams for Williams’ NABF MW title belt. The two have not met before. Late in round one, there is a clinch, and a clash of heads, with Welch taking the worst of it, as a cut suddenly appears over the right eye of the challenger. From this point on, Williams is the more effective puncher of the two, and he is gradually pulling ahead when, late in round five, the cut over Welch’s eye is re-opened, and it proves to be bleeding out of control, leading to a halt in the festivities. The stoppage due to the accidental butt requires a check of the judges’ cards after the first four rounds, and this results in a MTD 5 for Williams (40-36, 38-38, 39-37). Post-bout career marks: Williams, 54-13-1 (24); Welch, 33-13-4 (13). Finally, wrapping up the card, Joe Louis is making the 32nd defense of the WBA HW title he won in 1939; this time around, the challenger is Connie Norden, who has risen through the HW ranks as a fringe contender to earn this, his first title shot. It is the first meeting of the two but Norden, now at End career stage, poses little threat to Louis, who is dominating the action in the opening round, until Norden is able to snake through a punch that draws blood, as Louis suffers a split lip. Louis quickly regains his composure, winning the next two rounds decisively, punctuating his superiority by driving a hard hook to the body near the end of the second that rocks Norden, who is fortunate to remain upright. After the first five round are in the books, Louis has a wide lead (50-45) on the unofficial card. Midway through round eight, Louis decks Norden with a hard shot that drops the challenger to his knees. After taking an eight count, Norden is able to resume, and he manages to last the round through use of cover up strategy. However, Louis seems in no great hurry to finish matters, so Norden continues to hang around A second KD follows in round 10 and, once again, Norden is able to cover up and survive another round. At the two third point, Louis continues to hold a wide lead (100-88) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Norden, despite a rapidly swelling right eye, continues to soldier on, lasting into the later rounds. At third KD occurs in round 11, and a devastating hook to the head puts Norden on the deck a fourth time, late in round 13, and this time, the challenger is saved by the bell. A Louis combination in round 14 results in another (fifth) knockdown, and this time, Norden barely manages to beat the count. At this point, with Louis dominating the action and Norden virtually out on his feet with no chance, the ref steps in to call a halt. The bout goes in the books as a one-sided TKO 14 for Louis versus a game challenger, running Louis’ career totals to a whopping 57-1-1 (55). Norden, who elects to call it quits after this fight, ends up with a career record of 27-7-7 (15).

Aug. 29, 1947: Manila’s Rizal Arena sets the scene for the next fight card. The main event matches two veteran FW contenders, as multiple division Champion Baby Arizmendi faces Tsuneo “Piston” Horiguchi who, off and on, has held the OPBF FW title for much of the past decade, after first winning it in 1937. The two have met twice before, both times for the WBA FW title, with Arizmendi winning once, and the outcome of the second bout being a draw. This time, they meet with no titles on the line, in a 10-round feature bout. After an uneventful opening round, less than a minute into round two, Horiguchi backs Arizmendi into a corner and fires a hard shot that puts the ex-Champ down and out. Shocking early end to the contest, an impressive KO 2 for Horiguchi that runs his career record to 42-14-3 (21). Arizmendi, who is now one step closer to retirement, ends the bout at 59-15-4 (14) and will slip to End career stage in his next outing.

Aug. 30, 1947: The next card is at the Olympia in London, and the only notable bout is the main event, featuring Ritchie Tanner defending his EBU BW title against challenger Norman Lewis, a fellow Brit and former EBU BW Champion. The two have me twice before, both times with the title at stake, with each winning once. In this, the rubber match, Tanner, the consummate boxer, has the early edge in the punches landed, despite being warned by the ref for excessive use of his elbows. On the other hand, Lewis, the slugger, struggles to find the range with his punches in the early rounds. However, that all changes a minute into the fourth round, when Lewis decks Tanner with a hard shot. Tanner regains his footing at the count of six, then covers up to last the round. More action in round five, with Tanner ripping open a cut over Lewis’ right eye, only to have Lewis respond by flooring Tanner a second time with a hook to the head. Again, Lewis recovers and covers up to last the round. However, midway through round six, just before the halfway point, the bout comes to a sudden end as Tanner, who has been warned for repeatedly fouling and continues to engage in head butting, is disqualified. Thus, Lewis regains the EBU title via a DQ-6. Post-bout career marks: Lewis, 26-8-1 (15); Tanner, 26-14-2 (12).

Aug. 30, 1947: The month wraps with a huge extravaganza of a card at the Polo Grounds in New York City. A WBA title matchup tops the agenda, with not just one, but two, chief supporting bouts. In the first of these, two WW contenders do battle, with Billy Graham, who has been rising in the ranks, facing a veteran but now post-Prime Izzy Jannazzo. This is a rematch of a 1945 bout that resulted in a points win for Graham, who is favored to repeat in this encounter, a non-title contest set for 10 rounds. Graham gets off to a strong early start and, into the middle rounds, Jannazzo tries to make up for his poor start, only to be floored by a Graham hook in round five. A shaken Jannazzo struggles to his feet, covering up to finish the round, but the 10-8 round means Graham holds a huge lead (50-45) on the unofficial card after the first five rounds are in the books. In round seven, another Graham hook rips open a cut on Jannazzo’s left cheek. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and Graham goes on to scoop up a UD 10 by a convincing margin (99-90, 100-89, 99-90) to run his career record to 23-7-1 (10). The loss leaves Jannazzo at 42-14-5 (13). In the second main supporting bout, two top lH contenders face each other, as former WBA LH Champ Lloyd Marshall takes on Harry “Kid” Matthews. It is the first meeting of the two, and a key crossroads bout for both fighters as they maneuver for another title shot. Early edge in the punches landed stat to Marshall who, by the end of round two, has landed sufficient blows to cause a mouse to form under Matthews’ right eye. By the middle rounds, Matthews appears to be settling into the bout until, midway through the fifth round, he goes down from a devastating uppercut to the head from Marshall. Matthews is unable to beat the count, so Marshall chalks up a KO 5 win. Post-bout marks: Marshall, 34-6-5 (29); Matthews, 29-8 (20). Then, in the feature, the WBA WW title is on the line, as Tommy Bell faces “Sugar” Ray Robinson in a rematch of their March 1947 encounter that resulted in a surprising points win for Bell. This time, after a couple of even opening rounds, Bell pulls ahead to a slight early lead with a good round in round three. Hoever, Robinson bounces back and dominates round four, working both inside and outside. Then, midway through the fifth, Robinson clocks Bell with a sweet uppercut. Shaken, Bell remains upright, then retreats into a neutral corner and covers up to last the round. After five, the unofficial card has Robinson with a narrow lead (48-47). In the middle rounds, while Bell strives to keep the bout competitive, Robinson gradually wears down his opponent, taking advantage of his superior stamina and endurance. At the two thirds mark, Robinson has retained a small lead (96-94) on the unofficial scorecard. Not much happens until the waning seconds of round 12, when Bell absorbs a wicked uppercut to the head and goes down, only to be saved by the bell just as the count gets underway. By this time, it is clear that Bell is taking a shellacking, and the only way to try to turn things around is to launch an all-out offensive in the bout’s later rounds, which he does. However, Robinson is up to the task, and he manages to put Bell on the deck a second time in round 14 and again in the final round, before the ref steps in to call a halt. With the TKO 15 win, Robinson regains the WBA WW title and improves to 32-2-1 (23), while Bell drops to 26-3 (15).

[JCWeb]

This report summarizes action from the first half of September 1947. One WBA title bout is included.

Sep. 5, 1947: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at Atlantic City. Only bout of interest is the main event, an intriguing WW matchup pairing the EBU WW titleholder, Egisto Peyre, with unbeaten Cuban sensation Kid Gavilan, “the Cuban Hawk,” in a 10-round, non-title affair. The two have not faced each other previously, and Gavilan, who is one bout away from hitting Prime career stage, is the more active of the two in the early going. However, Gavilan’s punches lack steam and, late in the second round, he leaves himself open for a straight right from Peyre that leaves Gavilan stunned, sucking for air, and covering up while remaining upright to last the round. Despite Gavilan’s best efforts, at the midway point it is Peyre who holds a wide points lead (49-46), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. In the second half of the bout, Gavilan presses forward, but midway through round seven he runs into a Peyre hook that puts him on the canvas. After taking an eight count before arising, Gavilan wisely covers up to avert further difficulty. Confident of victory, Peyre eases up in the final two rounds and coasts to a comfortable UD 10 win (98-91, 98-91, 97-92). As a result, Peyre improves to 26-5-2 (12). For Gavilan, his first career loss wraps up the Pre-Prime stage of his career with a 18-1-1 (3) slate.

Sep. 6, 1947: Next card, at the Sports Palace in Rome, features a EBU LW title bout, as Aldo Spoldi makes his first defense in over two years, facing a lightly regarded challenger in Frenchman Jean Mougin. It is the first meeting of the two, and, early in the second, a sharp punch from Spoldi rips open a nasty looking cut over Mougin’s right eye. The cut continues to ooze blood through the following round and, in the fourth, a second cut appears under the left eye of the challenger. Finally, the original cut is reopened and, with Mougin’s face now a bloody mess, the ref has no choice but to call a halt to the festivities. Spoldi is declared a TKO 4 victor due to the cuts stoppage. Post-bout career records: Spoldi, 48-16-7 (18); Mougin, 18-8-2 (3).

Sep. 6, 1947: To St. Louis for the next fight card, and, in a rematch, the main event showcases the talents of two top LHs: Tommy Yarosz and triple belt holder “Fearless Freddie” Mills, the reigning GBU, EBU and Commonwealth LH titleholder. This is a rematch of their 1946 encounter in London that resulted in a points win for Yarosz, who will have the benefit of a favorable hometown crowd this time around. After a couple of close opening rounds, Mills takes the initiative in round three, moving inside and applying pressure. Some solid boxing from Yarosz enables him to pull ahead in the punches landed category. At the halfway point of the 10-rounder, surprisingly, Mills has a narrow one point lead (48-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Both fighters tire badly in the closing rounds, and Mills – despite a swollen right eye – remains the aggressor down to the final round. No cuts or knockdowns, and the bout goes to decision, and Yarosz repeats his earlier success by taking a MD 10 (95-95, 96-95, 98-92) to run his career totals to 25-4-2 (9). The loss drops Mills to 32-15-1 (15).

Sep. 12, 1947: Next, it is a huge Friday night fight card in Havana, with two preliminary supporting bouts leading up to the main event, which is a WBA title contest. In the first of the two supports, Cuban HW Nino Valdes takes on another top 10 HW contender, Turkey Thompson. The two met once before, in New York City in 1945, and battled to a draw: this time, however, the matchup takes place on Valdes’ home turf. Despite the fact that both fighters are sluggers, both take a cautious approach to the opening few rounds, with neither gaining a large advantage. In round five, the two lock horns on the inside, but with no dramatic results, except for Valdes being warned for holding and hitting. At the halfway point of the match, in a bit of a surprise, Thompson has a nice points advantage (49-46), but many of the rounds were close and could have gone either way (particularly with some hometown judging to favor the Cuban fighter). In the second half, it is Valdes who assumes the role of aggressor, but, late in round eight, he runs into a Thompson cross and is deposited on the canvas. Valdes arises at the count of five, badly shaken, and there is not enough time left in the round for Thompson to follow up, but the damage has been done. Then, in round nine, Thompson – despite a rapidly swelling left eye – is able to finish off an overly aggressive Valdes, putting the Cuban down for the count. Impressive KO 9 for Thompson, stopping another big hitting HW contender to move his overall record to 27-8-2 (21) compared to a post-bout ledger of 19-6-2 (15) for Valdes. In the second main supporting bout, another talented Cuban boxer takes to the ring, as National Kid, a long-time top FW contender, faces “the Aldgate Tiger,” Al Phillips, who is the reigning GBU and Commonwealth FW Champion, in another 10-round, non-title bout. Not much in this one for pundits to go on, as the two appear to be evenly matched, and they have not met before. Phillips seems to have the early edge, taking the fight to Kid and, by the end of the fourth round, a mouse has formed under Kid’s right eye. At the halfway point, the unofficial card shows Kid with a slight points lead (48-47), although the punches landed stats seem to tell a different story. In the second half of the contest, it is Phillips who presses home the action, while Kid seems content to box mostly from the outside. Then, with the rounds ticking off, the bout comes to an ugly and dissatisfying conclusion as Phillips is cautioned for some low blows, then disqualified with over two minutes remaining in the ninth round. A shocking result, but the DQ-9 win for Kid gives the Cuban fight fans something to cheer about. Post-bout career marks: Kid, 29-11-3 (12); Phillips, 27-8-1 (12), and this is the second DQ loss of Phillips’ career. Then, in the feature, the WBA BW title is contested by Luis Galvani, the titleholder, and Manuel Ortiz, a former Champion. The two met once before, in a bout marred by an accidental butt and an early stoppage, that resulted in a win for Galvani, who subsequently went on to win the LABF and WBA BW titles. A solid start from the challenger in the opening couple of rounds causes some initial puffiness to appear under the right eye of Galvani. After a sluggish start, Galvani continues to struggle with his timing and, midway through the fifth, he is felled by an Ortiz combination. Galvani is back on his feet after taking a count of four, and he covers up to survive the round. However, after the first five rounds are in the books, Ortiz is well ahead (by a count of 49-45) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In the middle rounds, Galvani struggles to work his way into the match. While Ortiz remains largely unfazed, Galvani has managed to inflict enough punishment to cause some initial swelling around the right eye of the challenger. Then, a minute into round 10, Ortiz connects with a right cross, sending Galvani to the canvas for a second time. Galvani arises after taking a five count, but Ortiz is unable to follow up, being warned for hitting below the belt and hitting after the break in some clinches late in the round. At the two thirds mark of the contest, the unofficial card shows Ortiz with a wide lead (98-90) by virtue of the two KDs. The final few rounds see Galvani stage a minor rally, while Ortiz continues to clutch and grab, fouling repeatedly while simply seeking to maintain his advantage. In the end, Ortiz hangs on to his lead and lifts the belt via a UD 15 (147-136, 146-137, 147-137), administering a comprehensive beating to the now ex-Champ. Post-bout career marks: Ortiz, 32-8-3 (17); Galvani, 23-4 (15).

Sep. 13, 1947: The next card is at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. Topping the agenda is an EBU MW title clash, with Luc Van Dam defending versus first time challenger Leon Fouquet of Belgium. (With Marcel Cerdan as WBA MW Champ, the opportunity has opened up for more fighters to contend for the EBU title belt.) Van Dam, who has a prior points win over Fouquet, starts well, dominating the early action and causing some puffiness to appear around the left eye of the challenger as early as round three. Van Dam continues to demonstrate his superiority as the bout heads into the middle rounds and, at the halfway point, Van Dam has a solid lead (59-56) according to the unofficial scorecard. As the bout heads into the later stages, Fouquet tries to apply more pressure and take a more aggressive posture, but Van Dam remains an elusive target. Thus, despite the challenger’s best efforts, Van Dam is able to repeat his earlier success and take a UD 12 (119-111, 118-111, 117-112) to retain the title. Post-bout career marks: Van Dam, 28-9-1 (12); Fouquet, 20-5-1 (16).

Sep. 13, 1947: To Seattle for some more fistic action, and this time the NABF WW title is at stake, as former titleholder Cocoa Kid seeks to regain some past glory as he challenges the current titleholder, Georgie Crouch, for the belt. The two met once before, back in 1941, with Kid winning, but this time around, Kid is at Post-Prime while Crouch has the advantage in being the current titleholder. Nonetheless, it is an intriguing matchup, and Kid starts well, winning the opening round. However, Crouch is fully engaged by the end of the second round, and the bout remains a close one headed into the middle rounds. Some accurate punching by Kid gives him the edge in the punches landed category and, at the midway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Kid up by one (58-57) on the points tally. I the second half of the bout, Kid continues to press his advantage, while Crouch has the edge in terms of the stamina factor. Then, in round seven, a lead right from Crouch draws blood, opening a cut over Kid’s right eye. This changes the complexion of the bout, as Crouch targets the cut, while Kid focuses on preventing further damage to the injured eye. Into the later rounds and, with Crouch having pulled ahead on the unofficial scorecard, Kid adopts a more aggressive approach, looking for a knockout. However, in round 10, the cut over Kid’s eye is reopened, slowing his progress. The cut is patched up between rounds but is reopened once again in the final round. After consulting with the ring physician, the fight is allowed to go the distance, and Crouch is able to retain the title via a UD 12 (115-113 on all three cards), enabling him to run his career record to 36-13-4 (18). The loss leaves Kid at 53-15-5 (13).

[JCWeb]

This report summarizes action from the second half of September 1947. No WBA title bouts are included.

Sep. 19, 1947: A twin bill of title bouts top the next Friday night fights “Down Under” card, this time held at Melbourne. In the first of these, the OPBF MW title, which has been inactive in recent times, is revived, with Commonwealth MW Champ Dave Sands being matched with his relatively inexperienced countryman, Ron Toohey, for the vacant belt. The two have not met before and Toohey, with only 15 pro bouts on his resume, is still at Pre-Prime for this, his first title shot. Sands starts strongly, dominating most of the early going, while Toohey struggles to get his bearings. After four rounds, a welt has formed under the left eye of the overmatched challenger. By the middle rounds, Toohey has begun to settle into the bout and, having been warned a couple of times for some infractions, Sands finds himself with only a two-point lead (58-56) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Into the later rounds, a game Toohey tries to up the tempo and go on the offensive, but Sands takes no chances to allow Toohey to make inroads. Then, late in round nine, Sands uncorks a devastating uppercut to the head that puts Toohey down and out. KO 9 for Sands lifts his career totals to 30-3 (20). The hapless Toohey ends the bout at 13-3 (5). Sands has won five in a row, his last four by knockout, and is angling for a WBA title shot. In the second co-feature, the Commonwealth LW title is at stake, with Lefty Satan Flynn defending that belt against an Aussie challenger in Norm Gent, who recently captured the OPBF LW title. First meeting of the two, and the well traveled Flynn, a former WBA LW titleholder, is a slight favorite despite the bout taking place on Gent’s home turf. Gent manages to hold his own through most of the early going and, by the halfway point, he actually has a slight edge in the punches landed category. The unofficial scorer, however, has Flynn ahead on points (59-56) at the midway point. Both fighters take an active approach as the issue remains in doubt into the later rounds. Late in round nine, Flynn suffers a cut nose, and it is the cut that decides matters when it is reopened in round 11, leading to an immediate stoppage despite howls of protest from Flynn’s corner. Gent is awarded the Commonwealth title via a TKO 11 on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout career marks: Gent, 18-2-3 (7); Flynn, 38-17-4 (19). A peek at the judges’ cards after 10 rounds revealed a very close fight, with Gent ahead on one card while the other two had scored the bout as even to that point.

Sep. 20, 1947: Next card is at Miami, and the featured bout matches two top 10 Flyweights who would normally be seen at a European venue, as GBU Flyweight Champion Jackie Paterson faces Hans Schiffers, a former WBA Flyweight titleholder. The two have not met before, both men are in Prime career stage for this encounter: a 10-round, non-title contest. A solid start by Paterson gives him the early edge in the punches landed stat. Schiffers works his way into the bout and has a big round in round four, where he lands sufficient blows to cause some puffiness to appear under Paterson’s right eye. With both fighters positioning themselves on the inside in round five, Schiffers lands a perfect hook to send Paterson tumbling to the canvas. Paterson quickly regains his footing and covers up to last the round, and this time, there is noticeable puffiness under both his eyes. At the midway point, Schiffers has a two-point lead (49-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In the second half of the bout, Paterson takes on the role of the aggressor, stalking Schiffers who seems content to rely upon the one KD to supply the margin of victory. A strong second half rally by Paterson puts the issue in doubt headed into the final few rounds. There, Paterson holds off a belated aggressive display from Schiffers and, despite suffering the one knockdown, Paterson is able to prevail via a MD 10 (97-93, 95-95, 96-94) to improve to 30-7-2 (19) overall. The loss drops Schiffers to 27-10-5 (8).

Sep. 20, 1947: To Mexico City for the next fight card, and a pair of LABF title bouts top the agenda. In the first of these, the LABF BW title belt vacated by Luis Galvani (who won but subsequently lost the WBA BW title) is being contested by two Mexican boxers (both of whom are former titleholders): Luis (“Pocket Battleship”) Castillo and Ernesto Aguilar. This is the third meeting of the duo, and Castillo prevailed in both prior meetings, both being points wins. This time around, after a couple of close opening rounds, Castillo moves inside in round three to gain the upper hand. The action picks up as the two battle away on the inside in round five and, again, Castillo seems to be making the most progress. At the halfway point in the bout, Castillo is up by three (59-56) on the unofficial card. In the second half, Castillo has a large advantage in both stamina and punches landed that makes it difficult for Aguilar to overcome. In a bout with no cuts or knockdowns, Castillo eases up the later rounds and coasts to a solid UD 12 triumph (118-110, 119-109, 119-109) to lift the LABF title belt. Post-bout marks: Castillo, 25-10-1 (11); Aguilar, 18-11-2 (6). The second co-feature sees two more Mexican fighters facing off in another LABF title clash, as Enrique Bolanos, the “Dorango Dropper,” challenges Mario Trigo for Trigo’s LABF LW title. It is the first meeting of the two, and most observers favor the more experienced Bolanos to win in his first title try in this encounter. Not much happens until, later in the second round, Bolanos rocks Trigo with a three punch combo that forces the Mexican titleholder to cover up. Bolanos continues to dominate most of the early round action and, by the halfway point, Bolanos is well ahead (59-55) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In the second half of the bout, things get only worse for Trigo. Late in round nine, Bolanos lives up to his nickname as he drops Trigo with a nice combination. Trigo arises after taking a six count, and there is not enough time left in the round for Bolanos to follow up. While Trigo is able to mount a bit of a rally in the later rounds, it is simply not enough to overcome Bolanos’ early lead, so Bolanos captures the belt via a UD 12 (115-112, 117-110, 117-110) to run his career totals to an impressive 24-2 (19). Trigo, who is still one bout away from hitting Prime career stage, ends the bout at 14-4-1 (4).

Sep. 26, 1947: To the Far East for the next fight card at the Rizal Arena in Manila. The main event on this Friday night affair is an OPBF FW title bout matching two familiar protagonists, defending Champion Tsuneo Horiguchi of Japan and challenger and ex-Champ Eddie Miller from Australia. In five prior meetings – all for this same OPBF title belt – Horiguchi has won three times, Miller twice. This time around, Horiguchi takes advantage of a slow start by Miller to grab an early lead in the punches landed category. However, when Horiguchi moves inside in round three, he runs into some stiff resistance from Miller, whose effective counterpunching enables him to dominate and win the round by a wide margin. By the midway point, although the unofficial card has Horiguchi well ahead on points (59-55), the punches landed stats tell a different story, with the Aussie challenger holding a slight edge. Thus, the issue remains in doubt into the later rounds, with Miller taking on the role of the aggressor, moving inside to apply more pressure in an effort to win back the OPBF title. Horiguchi’s defense holds up, and he manages to land a few good shots, sufficient to pull ahead in the punches landed count. Not much changes in the final few rounds, except that both fighters tire badly, and Miller ends up with a swollen left eye for all his troubles. The bout goes to decision, and Horiguchi retains the title via a UD 12 (116-112 on all three cards), turning aside a game challenge from Miller. Post-bout career marks: Horiguchi, 43-14-3 (21); Miller, 29-13-1 (11).

Sep. 27, 1947: The next card is at the Earls Court in London. The main event matches two top 10 HWs in a 10-round, non-title contest as EBU and GBU HW Champ Bruce Woodcock faces Lee Q. Murray. It is the first meeting of the two, yet Woodcock wastes little time as he decks Murray with an overhand right midway through the opening stanza. Murray recovers quickly, but goes down a second time before the round is over. By round two, Murray has regained his composure, and the two sluggers battle on equal terms through most of the first half of the bout. At the midway point, the 10-8 opening round provides the margin for Woodcock on the unofficial scorecard (58-56). Woodcock seems to have the upper hand again in round six, as a right hand rips open a cut over Murray’s right eye, plus there is a welt forming under Murray’s left eye. The cut is patched up between rounds, but Woodcock manages to reopen it with a two-fisted assault in round seven. Then, in the eighth, a hook to the head from Woodcock puts Murray on the deck once again. In the later rounds, Woodcock eases up, taking no risks, and the three KDs are sufficient to provide him with a comfortable UD 10 win (98-89, 97-90, 97-90). Post-bout career marks: Woodcock, 27-2 (22); Murray, 30-10-1 (23). As a winner of his last five, Woodcock has positioned himself as a likely contender for Joe Louis’ WBA HW title.

Sep. 27, 1947: The month wraps up with a huge fight card at New York’s Madison Square Garden. No WBA titles at stake, but topping the card are a pair of stellar regional title bouts featuring some big names. In the first co-feature, it is top rated LHW contender Billy Conn, who puts his NABF LH title on the line against another top flight LH contender, USBA LH titleholder Archie Moore. It is the fifth meeting of these two, and four prior matchups have produced one win apiece and two draws, so another close encounter is predicted, with Conn having the advantage of being the current titleholder. As expected, Moore comes out swinging, while Conn adopts a more defensive minded posture. The result of this prototypical boxer vs slugger matchup, at least in the early going, is a stalemate, as neither man can make much progress. After a strong round in the fifth, in which he managed to cause a welt to appear under Conn’s left eye, Moore has moved in front on the unofficial card, opening a three-point lead (59-56) at the midway point of the contest. In round eight, sensing things going against him, Conn moves inside in an effort to become more aggressive, but it backfires as he is decked in a barrage of blows from Moore. Conn recovers after taking a six count and resumes, covering up to last the rest of the round. In the final few rounds, a desperate looking Conn tries to launch an attack, but he only gets into more trouble, being felled a second time by Moore near the end of the 11th round, only to be saved by the bell. The bout goes the full 12, and Moore walks away a solid UD 12 winner (118-109 on all three cards), winning the NABF title and improving to 40-4-5 (28) overall. Conn, who will be at Post-Prime with his next outing, ends the bout at 42-9-4 (16). In the second co-feature, it is Jake LaMotta (“the Bronx Bull”) versus Tony Zale (“the Man of Steel”), for LaMotta’s USBA MW title. The two have met twice before, with Zale winning both, so LaMotta is hoping that the third time around provides a different outcome. After a solid opening round, LaMotta settles in, allowing Zale to take on the role of the aggressor through the early rounds. Then, starting in the fourth round, LaMotta moves inside and tries to turn the tables by applying some pressure on Zale. At the midway point, however, it is Zale with a two-point advantage (58-56), according to the unofficial scorer’s card. Into the second half of the bout, and LaMotta, who holds a slight edge in the punches landed stat, is pushing hard to put Zale on the defensive. After a couple of strong rounds for LaMotta in rounds seven and eight, Zale takes a more aggressive posture in round nine. Finally, midway through round 10, Zale breaks through, dropping LaMotta with a hard shot. LaMotta regains his footing and covers up to last the round, but the damage has been done. By round 11, both fighters are showing the visible effects of this bruising battle, as there is noticeable swelling under the left eyes of both fighters. The battle between these two protagonists goes down to the final round and, in the end, the one KD by Zale made all the difference, as Zale takes a razor-thin but UD 12 (114-113 on all three cards) to take the USBA title belt. Post-bout career records: Zale, 45-8-2 (27); LaMotta, 28-4 (19).

[JCWeb]

This report summarizes action from the first half of October 1947. One WBA title bout is included in this report.

Oct. 3, 1947: The month commences with a Friday night card at “the Aud” in Buffalo. No titles are at stake, and featured in the main event are two top ranked MW contenders, as Freddie Apostoli, the “Boxing Bellhop,” a former WBA MW Champ, faces George “Georgie” Abrams, who previously held the lesser USBA MW belt on two occasions. One prior meeting of the two (back in 1940) ended in a draw. The action heats up in round two, when Apostoli rocks Abrams with a quick hook to the head; Abrams wisely covers up, remains upright, and manages to last the round without any serious repercussions. Abrams is able to gradually work his way into the bout and, at the halfway point, he actually has a slight lead (58-57) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Into the later rounds, and the bout remains extremely close, with the stamina factor favoring the former WBA Champ, Apostoli. Some solid, aggressive boxing in the final few rounds is sufficient for Apostoli to come from behind and secure a draw (95-95 on all three cards), repeating their earlier result. Post-bout records: Apostoli, 39-16-3 (25); Abrams, 31-11-4 (11). Both of these guys are due to hit Post-Prime in 1948, the real-life retirement year for both.

Oct. 4, 1947: Next card is at Chicago, and Joe “Old Bones” Brown faces challenger Freddie Dawson for his USBA LW title in the main event. It is the first meeting of the two, and it is Brown’s first title defense. Dawson has won his last five in succession to set up this, his first title shot. After a couple of fairly close opening rounds, Brown attempts to work inside to control the bout in round three. However, he runs into some stiff resistance from Dawson, who is making an impressive showing in his first title bout. The bout remains extremely close into the middle rounds, At the midway point, Brown clings to a narrow one-point lead (57-56) on the unofficial scorer’s card. As the bout wears on, Brown edges ahead in the punches landed stats, plus his superior stamina begins to tell. Then, in round 10, the complexion of the bout changes, as a Dawson uppercut rips open a cut over Brown’s right eye. Dawson appears to targeting the cut when, suddenly, Brown is warned for excessive holding and hitting and, ignoring the referee’s instructions, he is disqualified. In a controversial call, Dawson is awarded the title via a DQ-11 result. The win improves Dawson’s record to an impressive 20-1-2 (5) overall. Brown, who vows revenge in a possible return match, ends the bout at 27-3 (18). A peek at the judges’ cards at the time of the stoppage showed that the challenger, Dawson, was ahead on all three.

Oct. 10, 1947: Boston’s Boston Garden is the scene for the next card, a Friday night affair, topped by a contest for the vacant USBA LH title. Matched for the vacant belt (recently held by Archie Moore who then won the NABF title and vacated the lesser USBA one) are two veterans of the ring wars: Melio Bettina and Gus Lesnevich, with Lesnevich being a former WBA LH titleholder. This is the third meeting of the two, with Bettina holding the edge with a win and a draw in their prior matchups and, this time around, he is aided by the fact that Lesnevich is at Post-Prime career stage. Not much happens in the opening few rounds, as the fighters jockey for position. Then, late in round four, Bettina fires a barrage of blows that cause Lesnevich to tumble to the deck. Although Lesnevich is able to regain his footing, beating the count and covering up to last the round, Gus looks a bit worse for wear, with some telltale swelling noticeable around his left eye. By the midway point, Bettina has a solid lead (60-56). In the second half of the bout, Lesnevich takes on the role of the aggressor, but his punches simply lack sting, and Bettina coasts to a comfortable UD 12 win (118-109, 118-109, 117-110) to lift the belt. Post-bout marks: Bettina, 41-10-7 (16); Lesnevich, 39-18-3 (16).

Oct. 11, 1947: To the Sports Palace in Rome, Italy for the next fight card. Meeting for the second time in the main event are two WW contenders: Michele “Kid” Palermo, a former EBU WW titleholder, and George “Sugar” Costner, who fell short in his most recent outing when he attempted to win the NABF WW title but lost to Georgie Crouch. The bout, a non-title affair, is scheduled for 10, and, in their previous encounter, Palermo prevailed via an eighth round KO. In this rematch, Palermo moves in front in the punches landed stats after the first three rounds. At the midway point, despite some stiff resistance from Costner, Palermo has a two-point lead (49-47) on the unofficial card. Costner, trailing, steps up the pace in the second half of the bout. By the final two rounds, both fighters are running low on energy, and Palermo (who is content to work from the outside for most of the bout) takes a MD 10 (96-94, 95-95, 97-93) to move to 46-15-10 (12) overall. The loss drops Costner to 24-7-2 (15).

Oct. 11, 1947: The next card takes place at New Orleans. Two bouts of note, the main event which is an USBA title bout preceded by a main supporting co-feature matching two LW contenders, fast rising star Beau Jack and veteran Lew Jenkins, the “Sweetwater Swatter.” The two have met twice already, with Jack prevailing both times via stoppages inside the distance; however, Jenkins is still at Prime and capable of providing a stiff challenge. This time around, the bout is a close one until Jack moves inside and asserts control in round three. However, Jenkins rallies with a couple of strong rounds, plus Jack loses a point for hitting below the belt; thus, at the midway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Jenkins up by one (48-47). The bout remains a close one and, as it heads into the final few rounds with the issue still in doubt, both fighters are swinging away freely despite running low on stamina. The bout comes to a sudden end midway through the ninth round, when Jack connects with a perfect cross that puts Jenkins down and out. With the KO 9, Jack improves his career record to 32-5 (21), while Jenkins ends the bout at 33-11-4 (16). Then, wrapping up the festivities is the main event, for the USBA WW title. Bernard “Big Duke” Docusen is defending this belt versus challenger Jackie Wilson. No prior meetings of the two. Docusen, who won the belt earlier in the year, gets off to a sluggish start, while a blistering body attack by Wilson in the opening round pays dividends, forcing Docusen to carry his hands low. By the middle rounds, Docusen has managed to work his way into the bout, but he is warned for leaning on the neck of Wilson in round five. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has the bout as even (57-57). In the second half of the bout, Wilson, as the challenger, is the more aggressive of the two, while Docusen, the consummate boxer, favors laying back on the outside. In round nine, Docusen is warned for rabbit punching, but the ref takes no further action. Then, early in round 10, Wilson stuns Docusen with a sharp combination; Docusen, forced back on his heels, retreats and resorts to the cover up, clinching and other dilatory tactics to avert further damage. No cuts or knockdowns, and the bout remains a close one right up until the final bell. No great surprise that the judges are in disagreement, so the end result is a draw (115-113 Docusen, 113-115 Wilson, 114-114). Post-bout career marks: Docusen, 20-1-4 (4); Wilson, 36-1-3 (18). A rematch is likely, with Wilson just one bout away from hitting Post-Prime career stage.

Oct. 17, 1947: Next, in Melbourne, Australia, is a bigger than ususal Friday night fights “Down Under” card, as Aussie WBA Champ Vic Patrick will be in action defending his WBA LW title. First, Flyweights take to the ring as Yoichiro Hanada challenges Yoshio Shirai for Shirai’s OPBF Flyweight title belt. It is the fourth meeting of these two and, in all three of their prior encounters, all for the OPBF title, Shirai has come away a points winner. This time around, Shirai wastes little time, as he floors Hanada with an overhand right less than a minute into the opening stanza. Visibly shaken, Hanada arises at the count of eight and successfully employs the cover up strategy to last the rest of the round. Shirai continues to dominate most of the early round action, as Hanada elects to take a more passive approach, after having weathered the storm in the opening round. Shirai is more comfortable pressing forward, and he is able to win most of the exchanges as the two battle away on the inside in round five. At the midway point of the bout, Shirai has a three-point lead (58-55) on the unofficial card, so there is still hope for Hanada to mount a rally. Hanada takes a more active posture in the second half of the bout, encouraged by the fact that some puffiness has appeared around the right eye of Shirai. As the bout enters the final stages, the issue remains in doubt, punches landed stats are close, and both men show signs of fatigue. In the final few rounds, Shirai’s other eye begins to puff up, but he manages to hold on to record another UD 12 win (114-113 on all three cards), albeit much closer than in their prior encounters. Post-bout records: Shirai, 21-2 (10); Hanada, 39-22-4 (10). After this, it is time for the main event as Aussie Vic Patrick defends the WBA LW title against former Champ, “Bobcat” Bob Montgomery, who has won his last three (including the NABF LW title belt) since losing the title to Ike Williams earlier in the year. Patrick, who enters the bout as the underdog, is seeking to avenge a KO loss to Montgomery in an earlier WBA title try back in 1946. There is not much to choose between the two in the opening rounds, with Patrick, the slugger, taking on a more aggressive posture. After a strong fourth round, Montgomery appears to have the upper hand, while Patrick has some noticeable swelling under his left eye. Montgomery staggers Patrick with a big uppercut near the end of the fifth, but Patrick remains upright and eschews the cover up strategy. At the one third mark of the bout, Patrick has a narrow lead (48-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card, although it would appear that Montgomery has been able to land the more telling blows. In the middle rounds, Montgomery continues to press his advantage, while Patrick is off target with many of his punches. This enables Montgomery to pull ahead dramatically in the punches landed category and, on the unofficial card, he has also pulled ahead (96-94) after having won four rounds in a row to lead at the two thirds mark of the bout. After a good action round in round 11, Patrick goes on the attack in round 12, but he is unsuccessful in his efforts to break down Montgomery’s defenses. In a bout that goes the distance with no cuts or knockdowns, Montgomery is able to regain the WBA title by grinding his way to a UD 15 (145-141, 114-112, 145-141), after having taking control in the middle rounds. With the win, Montgomery improves to 36-4-2 (20) overall, while the loss drops Patrick (who will hit Post-Prime with his next outing) to 29-5 (21).

[JCWeb]

This report summarizes action from the second half of October 1947. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Oct. 18, 1947: To the French Riviera for the next card in Cannes, and France’s WBA MW Champion, Marcel Cerdan, is featured in the main event, making another title defense. Preceding this is a main supporting bout matching the OPBF BW kingpin, Tirso Del Rosario, who has journeyed all the way from the Philippines to face Spaniard Luis Romero in a 10-round, non-title bout. As the two have not met before, there is a long feeling out process at the outset, with both men circling each other, feinting and probing for openings. Then, in round three, Romero moves inside and does some damage, causing some initial puffiness to appear around Del Rosario’s left eye. In round five, the two battle away on the inside, and this time Del Rosario has the upper hand. At the halfway point, Romero has a slim one-point lead (48-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In the second half of the bout, and the punches landed stats as well as the stamina factor both favor the Spaniard, Romero. Late in round seven, Romero stuns Del Rosario with a sharp combination, but there is not enough time left in the round for Romero to follow up. In the final few rounds, Del Rosario tries to battle back, becoming more aggressive, but is unable to make much of an impression on Romero, who goes on to take a surprisingly close MD 10 (96-94, 95-95, 96-94), withstanding a late surge from Del Rosario that closed the gap in the final two rounds. Post-bout career marks: Romero, 19-1-2 (8); Del Rosario, 19-5-2 (4). Then, in the finale, Marcel Cerdan, the “Casbalanca Clouter,” makes the third defense of the WBA MW title, taking on a two-time former Champion in challenger Holman Williams. These two have met four times previously, and Williams has won three, Cerdan just once. However, this time around, Williams is at Post-Prime career stage – a big advantage for Cerdan. In this rematch, Williams gets off to a solid start, holding his own through the opening few rounds. Near the end of the round four, just before the bell, Cerdan lands a hard shot that snaps Williams’ head back. At the one third mark of the bout, the unofficial scorer has it even (48-48). In the middle rounds, Cerdan steps up the pace, taking the fight to Williams, who is content to spar away from the outside. Williams has a big round in the seventh, but from then on, the stamina factor begins to weigh heavily in favor of the French Champion. After 10 rounds are in the books, the unofficial scorer has Williams up by two (96-94), including a 10-8 round in the ninth where Cerdan was called for holding and hitting. With the crowd behind him, Cerdan takes on a more aggressive posture, attempting to rally in the latter stages of the bout. However, Williams’ defense remains solid, and he has a huge edge in terms of the punches landed stats, frustrating Cerdan. Then, early in round 14, Cerdan gets a lucky break as Williams injures his hand while landing a punch, and pulls away, contorting in pain. Williams is unable to continue, and Cerdan is declared a TKO 14 winner. With the win, Cerdan keeps the belt and improves to 48-7-3 (32). For Williams, who was leading on all three cards at the time of the stoppage, it is a bitter loss that leaves him at 54-14-1 (24).

Oct. 18, 1947: Next card is at San Francisco’s Cow Palace, and the main event pits “the Austin Atom,” Jackie Graves, versus “the Pride of East Boston,” Sal Bartolo, for the NABF FW title that Graves won earlier in 1947. Previously, these two met in 1946 for the USBA title belt, and Bartolo came away a points winner, but Graves has hit Prime career stage since then, plus he will have a possible further advantage as the defending titleholder in this matchup. In the opening minute, Bartolo unleashes a barrage of blows, dropping Graves, who cannot beat the count. Thus, 35 seconds in (one of the quickest KOs in the history of this Uni, particularly in a title matchup), the bout comes to a sudden end, with Bartolo taking the title via a KO 1. Post-bout records: Bartolo, 33-10-4 (10); Graves, 19-3-1 (14). With this impressive win, Bartolo’s connections are now angling for a WBA title shot.

Oct. 24, 1947: Next is a Friday night card at Mexico City, and popular Mexican Flyweight Otilio Galvan is matched in the main event with a boxer who has become his nemesis, Cuban Black Pico. At stake is Galvan’s NABF Flyweight title but of note is the two past results, all within the past 15 months, both in Mexico City, which saw Pico prevail, both times by a unanimous points win, both for the LABF Flyweight title, still held by Pico but not at stake in this rematch. Nonetheless, Pico is still a bout away from Prime career stage, so there is hope for Galvan to produce a different result. The bout is fairly close through the opening few rounds, but Pico, the sharper and more accurate puncher of the two, has managed to land the more telling blows, causing some initial swelling to appear under the right eye of Galvan. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has the bout as even (57-57). Galvan, urged on by the Mexican fight fans in attendance, is the more active of the two in the second half of the contest. Pico holds the edge in terms of the punches landed stats, but Galvan exhibits slightly superior stamina. However, as the bout wears on, Pico has settled into a rhythm, while Galvan struggles to find the range with his punches. Near the end of round 10, a frustrated Galvan is warned for holding and hitting. Galvan ramps up the aggression in the final few rounds, but to no avail, as Pico goes on to win the title, but only via a SD 12 (118-111, 113-115, 116-113), as one of the judges favored Galvan. Nonetheless, this was Pico’s third win in succession over Galvan, and he added the NABF title to his LABF one, upping his career totals to 17-2-2 (0) – with all the wins coming via decision, no knockouts. For Galvan, who had impressive in a split duke over Jackie Jurich to win the NABF belt, the loss drops him to 19-8-2 (5).

Oct. 25, 1947: To the Earls Court in London for a massive fight card; featured are no fewer than three title contests, two for a GBU belt followed by a WBA title matchup. In the first of these, it is the GBU BW title that is at stake as Gus Foran faces challenger Norman Lewis, who picked up the EBU BW title (which is not at stake in this contest) in his most recent outing. The three prior meetings – none of which were title bouts – Foran emerged as a UD 10 winner. This time around, Lewis drives a hard left hook to the body in the opening round that stops Foran in his tracks, forcing the Champ to cover up. Then, later in the second round, it is Foran who lands a telling blow, a big left that sends Lewis reeling and resorting to the cover up to clear his head, all while remaining upright. The two continue to mix it up for the remainder of the early rounds, with Lewis, the sluggers, taking on the role of aggressor while Foran, the boxer, tended to hang back. Early in round five, Lewis breaks through, decking Foran with a hard shot, then quickly following up with a quick combination to deliver a second KD. Covering up once again, Foran was able to survive the round, but Lewis followed up with another good round in the sixth. At the midway point, surprisingly, despite a 10-8 round for Lewis in the fifth, the unofficial scorer had Foran leading on points (57-56). In round seven, an offensive minded Lewis continues to fire away, and he manages to rip open a nasty looking cut on Foran’s lip. As the rounds tick off, the punches landed stats are relatively even, as is the stamina factor, the only difference being the cut and two KDs suffered by Foran, the defending Champ. In the end, the bout goes to decision and, largely on the strength of the two knockdowns, Lewis captures the belt via a UD 12 (115-111, 115-112, 114-112) to run his career record to 27-8-1 (15). The loss leaves Foran at 24-6-3 (14). In the second GBU title encounter, it is Vince Hawkins defending the GBU MW title against Mark Hart. This is a rematch of their title bout in August that ended in a controversial DQ win for Hawkins. This time around, it is a workman-like performance by Hawkins that enables him to build a solid points lead. At the halfway point of the contest, Hawkins has a solid points lead (59-55), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. Hart, forced to go on the offensive and take more risks in the second half of the bout, is unable to make much progress, so Hawkins goes on to retain the title via a routine UD 12 (115-113, 118-110, 117-111). Post-bout records: Hawkins, 20-12-4 (7); Hart, 15-3 (9). Wrapping up the festivities is a bout for the WBA Flyweight title, with Rinty Monaghan defending against a familiar foe in challenger Peter Kane, the reigning Commonwealth Fly titleholder. The two are meeting for the fifth time, with Kane having prevailed in three of those prior encounters, although one was via a controversial DQ call. In this rematch with the WBA title at stake, Kane seizes the initiative with an effective inside attack to dominate the action in round three. Into the middle rounds, Kane continues to pound away and, at the one third mark, he has pulled out to an early points lead (49-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In round nine, Kane breaks through and drops Monaghan with a hook. Monaghan scrambles to his feet, but then is dropped a second time by a Kane combination. Monaghan recovers his footing and survives the onslaught but, after 10 rounds are in the books, Kane is well ahead on points (98-92) on the unofficial card. In the later rounds, Monaghan tries to battle back, becoming more aggressive, but he is unable to make much of an impression on a determined challenger. To make matters worse, Monaghan has to deal with a badly swollen left eye in the later rounds of the contest. In the end, it goes the distance and is a solid UD 15 for Kane (145-139, 148-135, 145, 138), who lifts the WBA belt for the second time and improves to 37-9-1 (13) as a result. Monaghan slips to 42-14-1 (12) with the loss.

Oct. 25, 1947: A pair of HW bouts top the next card at New York’s Madison Square Garden. In the first co-feature, Swede Olle Tandberg visits the States to face Johnny Haynes. The two have not before, and not much happens in the opening few rounds. By the midway point, Tandberg has a narrow lead in the punches landed as well as a slim lead on points (48-47), according to the official scorer at ringside. In the second half of the bout, Haynes takes a more active role, swinging away freely. Tandberg, working outside, manages to control the situation, resisting Haynes’ aggressive forays. Consequently, Tandberg goes to on to capture a UD 10 (96-94, 96-95, 97-93) to run his career record to 27-6-3 (9). On the other hand, Haynes ends the bout at 19-3-1 (14). Then, in the second co-feature, “Tampa” Tommy Gomez is on hand to defend his USBA HW title versus Curtis “Hatchetman” Sheppard. First meeting of the two, and the action heats up less than two minutes into the opening round, when Gomez stuns Sheppard with a quick hook to the head, forcing the challenger to cover up. Then, in round two, Sheppard turns the tables, staggering Gomez with an uppercut, and this time, Gomez resorts to the cover up approach to survive the round. By the end of the second round, there is a trace of swelling under Gomez’s left eye. The bout remains close through the opening rounds, until round five, when, as the two are battling away on the inside, Gomez lands a crushing hook that sends Sheppard crashing to the deck. Sheppard is unable to beat the count, so Gomez retains the title via a KO 5, setting himself up for a possible WBA HW title clash with Joe Louis. Post-bout career marks: Gomez, 32-6-1 (29); Sheppard, 28-9-1 (18).

Oct. 31, 1947: Wrapping up the month’s activity is a Friday night “Halloween Fright night” card at Havana’s Gran Stadium. A LABF title clash tops the card, preceded by a WW bout pairing Cuba’s LABF WW Champion, Joe Legon, with veteran Tippy Larkin. No prior meetings of the two, and not much in the way of action takes place in the early rounds. Larkin has the early edge in the punches landed stats, taking advantage of the fact that Legon is at Post-Prime career stage. At the halfway point, the unofficial card has Larkin with a slim one-point lead (49-48). With both fighters beginning to tire in the later stages of the contest, Legon takes the initiative, pressuring his opponent. Finally, in the 10th and final round, Legon breaks through, dropping Larkin for an eight count with an effective combination. Larkin picks himself off the canvas and finishes the bout, but the damage has been done, as the late KD was sufficient to enable Legon to squeak through as a SD 10 winner (95-96, 96-95, 96-94). Post-bout career records: Legon, 34-17-6 (14); Larkin, 31-14-3 (14). Then, in the final bout on the card, Cuban HW Omelio Agramonte challenges Alberto Santiago Lovell for Lovell’s LABF HW title. No prior meetings of the two, and Agramonte gets off to a good start with an excellent showing in round two. By the end of round four, there is noticeable swelling visible under the left eye of Lovell, indicating that Agramonte’s punches have had an effect. Then, with both men battling away on the inside in round five, Lovell rocks Agramonte with a solid cross, causing the Cuban fighter to cover up. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has the bout as even (57-57). Lovell, trailing in the punches landed stat, takes a more offensive posture in the second half of the bout. By round eight, some puffiness appears under Agramonte’s right eye, indicating that Lovell had begun to make progress. Thus, the issue remained in doubt as the rounds ticked off, with Agramonte now taking on the mantle of the aggressor, starting in round 10. The bout remains a close one into the final few rounds, and Lovell manages to keep the title via a SD 12 (116-112, 113-115, 115-113). As a result, Lovell’s career mark improved to 41-17-1 (30), while Agramonte ended the bout at 21-7 (13).

[JCWeb]

This report summarizes action from the first half of November 1947. One WBA title bout is included in this report.

Nov. 1, 1947: The month’s action starts with an extremely rare event, a back-to-back card as the Halloween night festivities in Havana spell over into the next day, for a second consecutive fight card spanning the months of October and November. This time, only the main event is of interest, and it matches a pair of veteran FWs, both in the declining years of their respective careers, as Baby Arizmendi, the Mexican legend and a WBA Champ in two divisions (at LW as well as FW) faces National Kid, who will enjoy the support of the hometown crowd. The two have met just once before, in Mexico City in late 1946, and Arizmendi emerged a points victor, so Kid hopes to reverse this outcome in the return bout before the Cuban fight fans here in Havana. After a couple of uneventful opening rounds, Kid seizes the initiative and moves inside in round three. After the first four rounds, Arizmendi has a slight lead in the punches landed category, plus he has managed to cause some initial swelling to appear around the right eye of Kid. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer has Arizmendi well ahead on points (50-46), although a few of the rounds have been close. Meanwhile, Kid’s other eye has begun to puff up, as the accumulation of punches landed by the Mexican ex-Champ has begun to take its toll. Kid adopts a more aggressive posture in the second half of the bout, but he fails to make much of an impression on Arizmendi, who is determined to repeat his win in Mexico here in Havana. In fact, things get even worse for Kid as an Arizmendi hook opens up a cut over the Cuban’s left eye in the ninth round. The bout goes the distance, and Arizmendi scoops up a UD 10 (99-91 on all three cards) to run his career slate to 60-15-4 (14). The loss drops Kid to 29-12-3 (12).

Nov. 7, 1947: Next is a Friday night card at Atlantic City, and two regional LH Champions meet in the feature, as Archie Moore, the reigning NABF LH Champ, faces Freddie Mills, the holder of three LH titles (the GBU, EBU and Commonwealth belts) in a 10-rounder in which none of these titles are at stake. Moore, who won their one previous encounter via a stoppage, is a heavy favorite to repeat his earlier win in this rematch. As if on cue, midway through the opening round, Mills runs into a Moore uppercut and goes down. Mills is counted out, and Moore takes an impressive KO 1 to improve to 41-4-5 (29), hoping to set himself up for a WBA LH title shot soon. Mills, who still holds on to his three title belts, has lost his last three and ends the bout at 32-16-2 (15).

Nov. 8, 1947: Next card takes place at the Palazzo del Sport in Rome, Italy. Main event is a rematch of two top LW contenders, as American Willie Joyce faces Italy’s Aldo Spoldi, the long-time EBU LW Champion. In their one prior encounter, back in 1943 in Havana, Spoldi took a split duke. In this rematch, both are now at Post-Prime, and, after some tepid early rounds, each fighter is able to make an impression by working away on the inside, with Joyce coming away with a welt under his left eye after getting the worst of some inside exchanges with Spoldi. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Joyce with a slight lead (48-47). With the issue very much in doubt, it is Spoldi who takes the initiative, applying pressure as the bout heads into the later stages. Joyce, whose vision is somewhat impaired due to the swollen left eye, takes a more cautious, measured approach by working mainly from the outside. In the final round, Spoldi catches Joyce with a nice combination, and Joyce hits the deck, bouncing back to his feet after taking a four count. The late KD is sufficient to swing the judges toward Spoldi, who takes a very close but UD 10 (95-94, 95-94, 96-93). Post-bout career marks: Spoldi, 49-16-7 (18); Joyce, 30-14-3 (14).

Nov. 8, 1947: To Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens for the next fight card, and matched together in the main event are two first-time title challengers, Lulu Costantino and George LaRover, who are the contesting the NABF LW title recently vacated by Bob Montgomery who subsequently stepped up to regain the WBA LW title. The two have not met before, and both enter the bout with impressive recent winning streaks (Costantino has won two in a row, while LaRover has won his last six). Midway through the opening stanza, LaRover serves notice as he decks Costantino with a solid cross. Costantino quickly regains his footing, and he wisely covers up to last the round. After the flurry of activity in the opening round, the two boxers settle in for a long, grueling contest. However, late in round four, LaRover attracts the unwanted attention of the ref with some repeatedly low blows that, unfortunately, lead to his immediate disqualification. The surprising DQ-4 result means Costantino lifts the belt, despite trailing in the early going. This result improves Costantino’s career record to 30-8-3 (11), while the loss leaves LaRover at 22-5-1 (13). Whether or not a rematch will take place remains to be seen.

Nov. 14, 1947: Next is another Friday Night “Down Under” card, this time in Sydney. Former WBA LW Champ Ike Williams has ventured to Aussieland to take on Norman Gent, the current OPBF and Commonwealth LW titleholder, in a 10-round, non-title affair. No prior meetings, and Gent will have the hometown crowd support behind him, although it may not be enough versus the much more talented Williams. Williams dominates the action from the opening bell, and he soon emerges with a large edge in the punches landed stats. By the end of the second round, Gent is suffering from a rapidly swelling left eye, caused by some accurately targeted blows delivered by Williams. Then, midway through round five, Williams drops Gent with a wicked cross, and Gent is barely able to beat the count. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorecard reveals a one-side affair, with Williams well ahead on points (50-44). In round seven, Gent goes down for a second time, courtesy of a Williams hook. The bout comes to an end a round later, with the ref stepping in to call a halt as Gent is unable to fend for himself. A solid TKO 8 for Williams over a regional Champ helps re-establish his credentials as a credible contender for a WBA title rematch. Post-bout career marks: Williams, 31-4-1 (26); Gent, 18-3-3 (7).

Nov. 15, 1947: To Miami for a packed fight card, with a WBA title clash topping the agenda. First up, in the main supporting bout, the NABF BW title is on the line, with Tommy Forte defending that belt versus challenger Mexico’s Luis Castillo, the “Pocket Battleship,” who is also the reigning LABF BW Champion. It is the first meeting of the two, and Forte gets off to a rather sluggish start, allowing Castillo to build up an early edge in the punches landed stats. Near the end of round four, Castillo is warned for repeatedly hitting low, and this causes a one-point deduction on the judges’ cards, costing him the round. At the midway point, despite the large differential in the punches landed category, the unofficial scorer has the bout even (57-57). In the second half of the bout, it is Forte who is pressing forward, forcing most of the action. While Forte is able to close the gap somewhat in the punches landed stats, his second half surge falls short, and Castillo is able to claim the NABF belt via a very close but UD 12 (115-113, 115-113, 115-114), running his career record to 26-10-1 (11). The loss drops Forte to 37-10-3 (12). Then, in the main event, Willie Pep, who has been an active Champion since winning the WBA FW title in mid-1945, makes his 11th title defense. This time, the challenger is OPBF FW Champ Tsuneo Horiguchi, a new opponent for Pep as the two have not met before. Some accurate punching in the opening round by Pep causes some initial puffiness to appear under the left eye of the challenger. Undeterred, Horiguchi presses forward, moving inside and attempting to outmuscle Pep. Midway through round four, Pep walks into a Horiguchi combination and takes a seat on the canvas. Pep quickly bounces to his feet and covers up, but the damage has been done. A round later, Pep is back in control, boxing beautifully, and, despite the knockdown, he holds a two-point lead (48-46) at the five-round mark. In the middle rounds, Pep settles into a comfortable pattern, laying back on the outside, firing jabs to keep Horiguchi off balance. The pace of the bout slows, but the action picks up midway through the ninth round, when Pep nails Horiguchi with a sharp combination that forces the Japanese challenger to cover up. At the two third point of the bout, a check of the unofficial scorer’s card shows Pep has extended his lead (to 98-91) by winning all of the middle rounds. Late in round 12, a tired looking Horiguchi goes down, taking a four count, the result of a Pep hook. Confident of victory, and with Horiguchi continuing to flail away, Pep eases up in the final few rounds, retaining the WBA title with a lopsided UD 15 result (148-135 on all three cards), with the one early KD being the only blemish in an otherwise dominant title defense. Post-bout career records: Pep, 35-2 (23); Horiguchi, 43-15-3 (21).

[JCWeb]

This report summarizes action from the second half of November 1947. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Nov. 15, 1947: To Los Angeles for the next fight card, and the featured bout sees Roscoe Toles making another defense (his sixth) of the NABF HW title he has held since 1944. His opponent for this defense is Joe Baksi. It is the first meeting of the two, and the first title shot of any kind for Baksi, who has struggled to get any traction in his career thus far, lingering in the #25 to #30 rankings among HWs in recent times. In this encounter, Baksi hopes to take advantage of the fact that Toles has just hit Post-Prime career stage. Toles shows little signs of aging in the opening few rounds, as he manages to compile an early lead in the punches landed category. By the end of the fifth round, Baksi is clearly getting the worst of it, and a trace of swelling is apparent under his left eye. At the halfway point of the contest, the unofficial scorer has the bout scored as even (57-57), after giving Baksi the edge in both the fifth and sixth rounds. With Toles showing signs of slowing down in the second half, Baksi presses the action on the inside. With both fighters tiring badly as the bout reaches the later stages, Toles is taking safety first approach, allowing Baksi to initiate most of the action. No cuts or knockdowns in a rather boring bout and, once again, Toles grinds his way to a UD 12 (116-112 on all three cards), running his career record to 45-15-6 (8). The loss drops Baksi to 24-9 (16).

Nov. 21, 1947: No titles are at stake in the next card, a Friday night affair in Pittsburgh. The main event matches two guys who have been fringe contenders in WW division in recent years, so it is kind of a crossroads matchup as Norman Rubio faces George Costner. Their one prior meeting, in San Francisco two years ago, ended in a draw. This time around, after a couple of nondescript opening rounds, Costner works his way inside and lands some effective blows in round three. Rubio responds with a big round in round four, and there is a touch of swelling under Costner’s right eye as the round comes to an end. The action really heats up in round five, with Costner ripping open a cut over Rubio’s right eye, but then Rubio comes back, even with blood streaming down his face, overwhelming Costner with a combination of blows to the head and body; Costner collapses to the canvas but is saved by the bell. After this dramatic round, a check of the unofficial scorer’s card shows Rubio with a comfortable points lead (49-45) at the midway point. In the second half of the bout, with Rubio comfortably settling in on the outside, resting on his laurels, Costner is forced to adopt a more aggressive approach, but it comes to naught as Rubio’s defense remains solid. The bout goes to decision, and Rubio, despite being cut over his other eye, takes a one-sided UD 10 (99-90, 99-90, 97-92). Post-bout records: Rubio, 28-8-4 (13); Costner, 24-8-2 (15).

Nov. 22, 1947: Next card takes place at London’s venerable Harringay Arena. Topping the agenda is an EBU title clash, preceded by a main support matching two British BW contenders, both of whom have held numerous titles in the past, but both of whom enter this contest with no titles, and none are on the line, as former WBA BW Champ Johnny King faces Ritchie Tanner. It is their fourth meeting, and King holds a 2-1 lead in the series but, with King being at Post-Prime, Tanner certainly has a chance to succeed in this 10-round, non-title contest. Not much happens in the opening few rounds, but Tanner is able to connect from the outside enough to forge an early lead in the punches landed category. Midway through round five, though, King unleases a punishing left hook to the body that causes Tanner to retreat, and Tanner covers up to avert further damage, all while remaining upright. At the midway point, it is a close fight, with the unofficial scorer having Tanner up by one (48-47). In round six, the momentum swings back to Tanner, who manages to rip open a cut over King’s right eye. By the end of round seven, the cut over King’s eye is still bleeding, and it continues to remain an issue into the eighth round as well. The cut is finally closed by the start of round nine, and King, trailing, makes a big effort to try to turn things around, but Tanner is able to withstand the pressure. The bout goes the distance and, in a minor surprise, a late rally by King, winning the last two rounds, is sufficient to secure a draw (95-95, 96-94 King, 94-97 Tanner). Post-bout career marks: King, 63-14-5 (26); Tanner, 26-14-3 (12). Following this is a bout for the EBU Flyweight title, currently held by Brit Terry Allen, who faces Italian Otello Belardinelli in his second defense of the title he won earlier in 1947. In one prior meeting, back in 1944 when both were at Pre-Prime, Allen came away a UD 10 winner. In this rematch, Allen starts well, boxing beautifully, and Belardinelli simply lacks the weapons to seriously challenge him. At the halfway point, Allen holds a commanding points lead (59-55) on the unofficial card, and the Italian challenger is already showing signs of fatigue. From here on, Allen maintains his composure and grinds his way to a lopsided UD 12 win (118-110, 119-109, 118-110) to retain the belt. With the win, Allen improves to an impressive 26-2 (3) overall, while Belardinelli ends up at 24-9-2 (6) with the loss.

Nov. 22, 1947: Next card takes place at the Motor City, Detroit, hometown of the great Joe Louis who will be gracing the ring in the featured bout. First up are a couple of supporting bouts; the first of these matches a couple of top 10 LH contenders, with former WBA LH Champ Lloyd Marshall facing Young Joe Louis. The two met once before, back in 1944, for the NABF LH title and Marshall prevailed but, in this rematch, no titles are at stake. Louis, seeking to win on the undercard headlined by his namesake, compiles an early edge in the punches landed count. Marshall, however, gradually works his way into the bout and, at the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Marshall in front (49-47). By the end of round six, a trace of swelling appears under Louis’ right eye. Louis is the more aggressive of the two in the second half of the bout and, while he makes some progress, in the end, he falls just short as Marshall prevails via a MD 10 (97-93, 95-95, 96-94), improving his career record to 35-6-5 (29). Louis, who is due to hit Post-Prime career stage in his next outing, ends the bout at 31-17-1 (14). In the second main supporting bout, another former WBA Champion, former WBA MW Champ Charley Burley, faces Antonio Fernandez, a former LABF MW titleholder. These two have also met once before, with Burley winning via a late stoppage. Solid start from Burley in this rematch, and, in round three, he moves inside to do more damage. Fernandez continues to struggle with his timing through the early rounds, and he tastes the canvas late in round five, dropped by a Burley combination. Fernandez regains his footing but is showing the effects, with a bruise under his right eye and, by the midway point, Burley is well ahead on points (50-44), according to the unofficial card. Not much changes in the second half of the bout, with Burley putting Fernandez down twice more in round seven, Despite suffering a cut over his left eye in round eight, Burley finishes with a final knockdown, with Fernandez being saved by the bell. The end result is a lopsided UD 10 for Burley (100-87, 100-87, 99-88). Post-bout career marks: Burley, 43-4 (29); Fernandez, 41-25-6 (13). Then, in the main event, Joe Louis makes yet another defense of his WBA HW title. The challenger this time is Gus Dorazio, who has spent most of his career as a journeyman and is considered a fringe contender at best. The two have not met before, and Louis wastes little time demonstrating his superiority, decking Dorazio with a hard shot midway through the opening stanza. Dorazio scrambles to his feet after taking an eight count, and he wisely covers up to last the round. Despite taking a pummeling, Dorazio manages to survive the next couple of rounds, but the end comes in round four, with Louis bearing down, as he finishes off Dorazio with a perfectly timed uppercut. Dorazio goes down and cannot beat the count. Another impressive win, the KO 4 ups Louis’ career record to 58-1-1 (56), while the loss leaves Dorazio at 29-15-8 (8), and Louis’ dominance of the HW division continues unabated.

Nov. 28, 1947: Next is a Friday night at Buenos Aires’ Luna Park. Featured in the main event, in a 10-round, non-title contest, is former WBA WW Henry Armstrong, who faces reigning OPBF WW kingpin Jack McNamee for the first time. Although Armstrong is at Post-Prime career stage, he is still a powerful force in the WW division, having also won WBA titles in two lower division (FW and then LW). The action picks up in round three, when Armstrong stuns McNamee with a quick hook to the head that sends the Aussie slugger reeling. McNamee retreats, remains upright, and then covers up to last the round. An Armstrong combination rocks McNamee again late in the fifth round, and again, McNamee covers up to survive the round. By the halfway point of the bout, Armstrong has a solid points lead (49-46) on the unofficial scorecard. Early in round seven, a barrage of blows from Armstrong drops McNamee, who barely beats the bout and, once again, lasts another round. The end comes a couple of rounds later, early in round nine, when a hard shot from Armstrong puts McNamee down and out. Impressive KO 9 for Armstrong. Post-bout career marks: Armstrong, 52-10-3 (42); McNamee, 41-19-2 (23). McNamee will hit Post-Prime career stage in his next outing.

Nov. 29, 1947: The month’s fistic activity concludes with a big card at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The main event, a WBA title encounter, is preceded by a USBA MW title clash, with Tony Zale, the “Man of Steel,” once again facing Freddie Apostoli, the “Boxing Bellhop,” who is the challenger. This is the fifth meeting of these two, with each having won twice in their four previous bouts. Late in round one, Zale rips a quick hook to the head that stuns Apostoli, so the challenger covers up to last the round and avert further damage. Zale continues to dominate most of the action in the early rounds, moving inside to do more damage in round three. Then, in round four, a hard shot from Zale decks Apostoli for the first time; the challenger scrambles to regain his feet, then covers up and survives the round. Despite a rapidly swelling left eye, Apostoli recovers and, a round later, in the waning seconds of round five, he lands a vicious hook that puts Zale on the canvas. Zale is saved by the bell, and he takes a cautious approach after having a minute between rounds to recover. At the halfway point of this very intriguing encounter, Zale has a three-point edge (58-55) on the unofficial scorecard, as well as a wide lead in the punches landed stats. In the second half of the bout, Apostoli takes the initiative, and he is encouraged by the fact that some puffiness has appeared under Zale’s right eye. Then, in round 10, Zale decks Apostoli for a second time, demonstrating his superiority. From here, the bout goes the full 11 and Zale racks up a solid UD 12 win (116-109 on all three cards) to run his career totals to 46-8-2 (27). The loss drops Apostoli to 39-17-3 (25). Significantly, both of these veteran MWs will hit Post-Prime with their next outings, in 1948, which was their real-life retirement years. Then, in the main event, WW Champ Ray Robinson, who himself has been contemplating a move up to MW, is on hand to defend the WBA WW title versus challenger Georgie Crouch. Robinson, now in his second stint as WBA WW Champion, is facing Crouch for the second time, having recorded a stoppage win in an NABF title encounter in 1946. From the opening bell, Robinson looks sharp, and he dominates the early action. After conceding the early rounds to the quick starting Robinson, Crouch gradually works his way into the bout. After the first five rounds are in the books, Robinson is well in front (49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. After another good round for Robinson in the sixth, Crouch returns to his corner sporting a rapidly swelling left eye. In the middle rounds, Robinson continues to add to his early lead, and Crouch offers little to seriously trouble the reigning Champ. At the two thirds mark, “Sugar’ Ray has extended his lead (to 99-91), according to the unofficial card. Early in round 11, Crouch goes down, a delayed reaction to an uppercut delivered by Robinson. Crouch is unable to beat the count, so Robinson walks away a KO 11 winner. Post-bout career records: Robinson, 33-2-1 (24); Crouch, 36-14-4 (18).

[JCWeb]

This report summarizes action from the first half of December 1947. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Dec. 5, 1947: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium. Featured in the main event are two former Champs, as Al “the Savage Slav” Hostak, a one-time WBA MW Champ, meets former LABF MW Champ Mario Diaz of Argentina. The two have not met before, and both are still at Prime career stage, so a competitive match is in the offing. The action heats up late in round two, when Hostak decks Diaz with a hard shot, but Diaz quickly recovers and is able to continue. By the midway point, on the strength of the one knockdown, Hostak has forged a points lead (48-46) on the unofficial card. Into the second half of the bout, and the punches landed count favors Hostak, who also has the support of the crowd here in Detroit. Late in round seven, Hostak wings a right that stuns Diaz, who remains upright this time, covering up in order to last the round. By the end of round eight, there is noticeable swelling under the left eye of Diaz, who soldiers on despite being outclassed by Hostak for much of the contest. The bout goes the distance, and Hostak takes a convincing UD 10 (99-88 on all three cards) to re-establish his position as a top MW contender. Post-bout records: Hostak, 44-14-3 (32); Diaz, 18-7-2 (6).

Dec. 6, 1947: Next is a huge card at Montreal, with a WBA title clash topping the agenda. First up, in the main supporting bout, is a matchup of two LW contenders, as Sammy “Clutch” Angott faces Dave Castilloux. No titles are at stake in this 10-rounder, and the duo met once before, in Chicago back in 1940, with Angott racking up a points win. This time around, Castilloux, with the hometown crowd behind him, hopes to reverse that earlier result, although he is one bout away from hitting Post-Prime in 1948, his real-life retirement year. Castilloux starts well, moving inside to take round three, while leaving Angott in retreat and with a rapidly swelling left eye. Angott bounces back quickly, moving inside and dominating the action in round four. In round five, with both fighters swinging away freely, also goes to Angott, who has edged ahead (by a count of 48-47), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. Into the second half of the bout, and Castilloux is also suffering from a rapidly swelling left eye. Undaunted, Castilloux takes the initiative as the bout heads into the later rounds, despite working with a stamina deficit. Not much happens for the rest of the contest, and the steady Angott emerges as a SD 10 victor (94-95, 95-94, 97-92), as Castilloux, even with the benefit of some hometown judging, fell a bit short. Angott, who has bounced back from the loss of his USBA LW title in his prior outing, improves to 35-11-6 (11) with the win. The loss drops Castilloux to 37-20-3 (10). Then, it is time for the main event as Canadian BW Fernando Gagnon, already holder of a regional title, challenges for the WBA BW title, taking on Manuel Ortiz, who won the title earlier in the year. Interestingly, these two faced each other once before, also in Montreal, and this for the NABF BW title, and Ortiz emerged a MD 12 victor on that occasion. Lots of jockeying for position in the opening few rounds, which sees neither man with any measurable advantage. Working inside, Ortiz pulls ahead in the crucial punches landed stats. Early in round five, Gagnon connects with a powerful right to the head, stunning Ortiz, who falls back, adopting the cover up strategy to last the round. Despite a big fifth round for the challenger, Ortiz is ahead on the unofficial card (48-47) after the first five rounds are in the books. Into the middle rounds, and Ortiz takes the initiative, landing sufficient blows to cause some initial puffiness to appear under the right eye of Gagnon. However, the bout remains close, as both boxers continue to probe for an advantage. At the two thirds mark, the unofficial scorecard has the bout as even (95-95). With the rounds winding down and the issue still in doubt, both fighters continue to press the action, and both continue to resist by exhibit some solid defense. Gagnon, whose eye continues to puff up, also begins to carry his hands low as a result of the accumulated impact of Ortiz’s punches. No cuts or knockdowns, and the bout goes the distance, with Ortiz taking a MD 15 (145-143, 143-143, 145-142), enabling him to retain the WBA belt. Post-bout career records: Ortiz, 33-8-3 (17); Gagnon, 24-5 (15).

Dec. 12, 1947: Next is a Friday night card at Manila’s Rizal Arena. In the main event, former WBA BW Champion David Kui Kong Young, on the comeback trail after losing the WBA title, takes on OPBF Champ Tirso Del Rosario. It is the first meeting of the two, and a bold move by Kui Kong Young to agree to face the Filipino titleholder on Del Rosario’s home turf. In the early going, it is Kui Kong Young who initiates most of the action, and the light hitting Del Rosario does well to maintain his composure to stay in the fight. After a sluggish start, Del Rosario does well in the third and fourth rounds, making the contest competitive. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Kui Kong Young with a narrow one-point lead (48-47). Not satisfied with such an insecure lead, Kui Kong Young continues to try to muscle his way inside, taking an aggressive approach headed into the later stages of the contest. While Del Rosario battles on, Kui Kong Young continues to mete out sufficient punishment to cause some swelling around Del Rosario’s right eye. In the end, Kui Kong Young goes on to take a UD 10 (98-92, 97-93, 97-93), and there is little protest from Del Rosario’s corner about the result. Post-bout career marks: Kui Kong Young, 43-4-4 (20); Del Rosario, 19-6-2 (4).

Dec. 13, 1947: To Rome for the next fistic action, and an EBU title match tops the lineup. In the feature bout, it is a rematch of a 1946 encounter between Egisto Peyre and Ernie Roderick, in which Peyre took a points win to retain the EBU WW title, which is once again on the line in this, their second meeting. This time, Peyre gets off to a solid start in the opening few rounds, but Roderick offers some stiff resistance when Peyre tries to work his way inside in round three. Roderick wins the majority of the inside exchanges in round five, putting him on even terms with the Italian titleholder. At the halfway point of the bout, Peyre is up by one (58-57) on the unofficial scorecard. Into the second half of the bout, and while Peyre has a slight edge in the punches landed stats, the stamina factor favors the British challenger. Despite running low on energy, Peyre remains active, taking an aggressive approach as the bout enters its final stages. Roderick manages to battle back to gain the upper hand in the punches landed stat, yet either man is able to land a telling blow. In round 11, Peyre sustains a cut over his right eye, but the cut is not a factor as the bout goes to decision. After a long pause, the judges’ cards are read, and the result is a draw (114-114, 113-115 Roderick, 115-113 Peyre), so Peyre retains the title, improving to 26-5-3 (12). Meanwhile, Roderick ends the bout at 38-21-6 (8). Roderick’s connections are seeking to arrange a return bout on Roderick’s home turf in London, but Roderick is due to hit Post-Prime in his next outing.

Dec. 13, 1947: Next up is a card in Miami. In the main event, the USBA HW title is on the line, and aging veteran Jersey Joe Walcott, now in the post-Prime of his career, gets another shot at glory as he challenges “Tampa” Tommy Gomez for Gomez’s USBA title belt. A series of recent losses has caused Walcott to slip outside the top 10 HWs for the first time in over a decade; one of these, a points loss to Gomez in July 1946, is a loss Walcott seeks to avenge in this title clash. In the early going, Walcott is content to stay on the outside, allowing Gomez to assume the role of aggressor. With some stout defending, Walcott is able to avoid serious trouble until the final seconds of the fourth round, when he falls victim to a Gomez uppercut. Jersey Joe hits the deck but is saved by the bell just as the count gets underway. This completely turns things around in Gomez’s favor and, despite a game effort from Walcott, a second KD a couple of rounds later finishes matters, as Walcott is unable to beat the count. An impressive KO 6 win lifts Gomez’s career record to 33-6-1 (30). Walcott, who may be done as a serious HW contender, ends the bout at 53-15 (31) – a rapid fall from grace after being a top five HW contender just two years previously.

Dec. 19, 1947: It’s time for the next Friday night “Down Under” card, and this time, at Sydney, Australia, it’s a special one with a WBA title clash topping the menu. First up is a non-title bout serving as a main support, matching two LH contenders, Brit Bert Gilroy, a former GBU LH Champ, and Aussie Jack A. Johnson, a former Commonwealth LH titleholder. Now, with both men without titles, they meet for a third time, with Johnson having prevailed in their two prior meetings. With a solid start, Johnson grabs an early lead in the punches landed stats. However, Gilroy does well to hold his own and, at the halfway point, Johnson’s lead is just one (48-47), according to the unofficial scorer’s card. Gilroy, still hopeful of pulling off an upset, becomes more aggressive in the second half of the bout. No cuts or knockdowns as the bout goes the distance, and Johnson’s early lead holds up as he takes a UD 10 (98-91 on all three cards), repeating his early success. Post-bout, Johnson improves to 26-12 (19) but will soon hit Post-Prime, as 1948 was his real-life retirement year. On the other hand, Gilroy ends the bout at 32-15-4 (18) and will still be at Prime for a few more bouts. Then, in the main event, it is the WBA Flyweight title that is on the line, as Peter Kane is defending the title against a challenge from Yoshio Shirai, the reigning OPBF Fly titleholder. The two have not met before, and the action is slow to develop in the opening few rounds. As the two settle in, Kane gradually builds an early lead in the punches landed category. Late in round four, Kane catches Shirai with a big hook, and the Japanese challenger, who is stunned, goes down from a follow-up blow, but is saved by the bell. At the one thirds mark, the knockdown has an immediate impact as Kane has a solid early points lead (49-45) on the unofficial card. Then, in the middle rounds and, at the outset of round seven, Shirai connects with a solid blow that drops Kane to the canvas. Kane is unable to beat the count, and, in a huge surprise and a dramatic turnaround, the title changes hands as Shirai captures the belt via a KO 7. Post-bout career marks: Shirai, 22-2 (11); Kane, 37-10-1 (13). Thus, Shirai becomes the fifth different WBA Flyweight Champ in the past two years.

[Lee]

just a tip of the cap to 16 RL years in now. This is like an encyclopedia

[JCWeb]

Encyclopedia continuing, LOL

This report summarizes action from the second half of December 1947. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Dec. 20, 1947: Next is a card at the Boston Garden, and paired together in the main event are the “Cleveland Spider,” Jimmy Bivins, and Melio Bettina. At stake is Bivins’ WBA LH title, which he recently captured from Ezzard Charles. The two have not met previously, and Bettina, the USBA LH titleholder, has gone unbeaten in his last five bouts (four wins, one draw) to set up this title shot. The action picks up midway through the second round, when Bettina fires a couple of quick shots, the second of which reopens a cut over Bivins’ left eye. The cut continues to ooze blood through the following round, but it is patched up between rounds at the end of round three. Bivins digs in, and he grinds his way to an early points lead (49-46) after the first five rounds, according to the unofficial scorer’s card. However, landing a hard shot near the end of the fifth leaves Bivins shaking his hand as if he has suffered an injury. Additionally, the cut remains an attractive target for Bettina, and it is reopened in round six. This time, the cut is quickly patched up but, by the end of round seven, it is bleeding once again, plus there is noticeable swelling under the right eye of Bivins. Then, in the opening minute of round eight, a barrage of punches from Bettina dispatch Bivins on the canvas. Bivins arises at the count of four, but the cut continues to ooze blood, and finally the ref has seen enough. The title changes hands, with Bettina taking a TKO 8 on the cuts stoppage. Bettina improves to 42-10-7 (17) with the win, but he will hit Post-Prime with his next outing. Tough loss for Bivins, now 28-5-3 (20), who was leading on two of the three judges’ cards at the time of the stoppage.

Dec. 20, 1947: A couple of regional title contests top the next card at Los Angeles. In the first of these, former WBA FW Champ “Homicide Hal” Harold Hoshino, now at Post-Prime career stage, is challenging for the NABF FW title held by Sal “the Pride of East Boston” Bartolo. The two have not met before, and, in the opening round, a Bartolo right gets through, opening a cut on Hoshino’s mouth. The cut is not a factor, and Bartolo continues to dominate most of the action in the early rounds, piling up an early lead in the punches landed stats. By the end of round five, there is noticeable puffiness under Hoshino’s right eye. At the midway point, the unofficial scorecard has the bout scored as even (57-57), contrary to the punches landed stats. Hoshino goes on the offensive as the bout heads into the later rounds, while Bartolo remains content to box from the outside. In round eight, Bartolo manages to reopen the cut on Hoshino’s lip. Hoshino battles back with a strong round in the tenth, and, with Hoshino continuing to apply pressure, the bout goes the distance. In the end, despite one judge finding for the more aggressive Hoshino, the other two rule for Bartolo, who takes a SD 12 (110-117 Hoshino, 116-111 Bartolo, 116-111 Bartolo) to retain the title, all while improving to 34-10-4 (10) with the win. The loss leaves Hoshino at 39-9-3 (21). Then, in the second co-feature, Bernard “Big Doc” Docusen makes his second defense of the USBA WW title, facing a veteran WW contender in Jackie Wilson. The two are meeting for the second time, with their first meeting (for this same title in October) having ended in a draw. In this rematch, the bout is once again a close one through the opening few rounds. The action heats up midway through round five, when Wilson decks Docusen with a short, clean combination. Docusen picks himself off the canvas after taking a seven count, then he covers up to last the remainder of the round. At the end of the round, there is a trace of puffiness around Docusen’s right eye. At the halfway point, the unofficial card scores the bout as even (57-57). In the second half of the bout, Wilson has a huge edge in stamina. Docusen takes a more aggressive approach as the rounds tick off, heading into the later rounds, but in round 11, he allows Wilson to counter with a sharp uppercut, and, once again, Docusen is forced to resort to the cover up strategy to avoid further damage. The bout goes to decision, and Wilson scoops up a UD 12 (118-110, 118-110, 117-111). Post-bout career marks: Wilson, 37-13-1 (18); Docusen, 20-2-4 (4). However, Wilson will be at Post-Prime with his next outing.

Dec. 26, 1947: Next is the traditional Boxing Day card, at the Olympia in London, and it’s a huge one, headlined by a tripleheader of title bouts, with a total of four different title belts up for grabs. In the first of the trio of title bouts, two familiar foes, Jackie Paterson and Teddy Gardner, are paired together to contest the Commonwealth Flyweight title previously held by Peter Kane, who vacated that belt after winning the WBA Fly title; Paterson’s GBU Fly title belt is NOT at stake in this bout. Three prior meetings have resulted in a win for each fighter plus one draw. In this rematch, early in round two, a Gardner uppercut rips open a cut over Paterson’s right eye. The cut seems to have little effect on Paterson, who compiles an early lead in the punches landed stats. By the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has Paterson with a slight edge in points (58-56) as well. By the end of round seven, there is puffiness forming under Gardner’s left eye; meanwhile, the cut over Paterson’s eye has been reopened. Into the later rounds, Gardner, trailing, tries to apply more pressure, but Paterson, with the cut now under control, launches a two-fisted counterattack, causing Gardner’s other eye to swell. The bout goes the distance, and Paterson takes a lopsided UD 12 (120-108, 120-109, 117-111) to capture the vacant belt. The win lifts Paterson to 31-7-2 (19), and the loss drops Gardner to 28-8-1 (11). Next up is another contest for a vacant belt, this being the GBU LW title that has remained vacant since the retirement of Jack Kid Berg. Matched for the vacant title are “the Fen Tiger,” Eric Boon, and Harry Hughes, who just this year reached Prime career status. It is the first meeting of the two, and the action takes awhile to develop. Not much to choose between the two in the early rounds, but Boon is warned for excessive use of his shoulder. Then, late in round four, Boon catches his opponent with a big hook, putting Hughes on the canvas, but Hughes beats the count, arising just before the bell, so no further damage is done. The punches landed stats reflect a relatively close bout and, at the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has the bout as even (57-57), despite awarding a 10-8 round to Boon based on the one knockdown in the fourth. In the second half of the bout, Hughes’ confidence grows, and he pulls ahead in the punches landed count. Despite the fact that he has landed sufficient leather to cause a mouse to form under Hughes’ left eye, Boon sees his chances slipping away in the later stages of the bout. Hughes goes on to win the vacant title via a MD 12 (115-113, 114-114, 115-113), as one judge saw it even. Post-bout career marks: Hughes, 16-5-1 (8); Boon, 31-20-2 (26). Then, wrapping up the Boxing Day trilogy is a HW matchup with not one, but two, titles at stake, as EBU and GBU HW Champ Bruce Woodcock seeks to add the Commonwealth HW title to his resume, facing Ernie Woodman. At stake in addition to the CBU title belt, vacant since the retirement of Tommy Farr in 1945, is the GBU HW title that Woodcock won in 1945, sending none other than Farr into retirement. The two met once before, back in 1943 when Woodcock was still at Pre-Prime, and Woodcock won via an early stoppage. This time around, Woodcock is on target in the early going and, by the end of round two, there is a welt forming under Woodman’s left eye. Then, in round four, Woodcock strikes, dropping Woodman with a strong combination. Woodman regains his footing but goes down a second time, this from an uppercut, and then a third KD with seconds remaining bring an end to the festivities. Woodcock repeats his earlier success as a TKO 4 victor; now 28-2 (23), he holds three title belts (EBU, GBU and now the Commonwealth HW title as well). Woodman, who will be at Post-Prime with his next outing, ends the bout at 25-17-2 (15).

Dec. 27, 1947: To New York City and the Madison Square Garden, and showcased in the main event are the talents of unbeaten FW prospect Sandy Saddler, who is in his first title bout, facing veteran FW Phil Terranova for the vacant USBA FW title (previously held by Sal Bartolo, who went on to win the NABF FW title). First meeting of the two, and Saddler is still a couple of bouts away from Prime career stage. Some good early round action, as both guys are willing to mix it up, and the bout remains a close one as it heads into the middle rounds. At this point, Saddler takes charge, dominating most of the action in rounds four and five; Terranova is battling a rapidly swelling left eye as a result. At the midway point, Saddler has forged a solid lead (59-56) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Terranova closes the gap in the punches landed category, mounting a sustaining rally to work his way back into the bout. The issue remains in doubt until the final round, when Saddler stuns Terranova with a big hook, then follows up with a big shot that puts Terranova on the deck. Terranova barely beats the count, but he is an inviting target for Saddler, who follows up with a right hand, and this time Terranova goes down for good. KO 12 for Saddler, who wins a title on his first try. Post-bout records: Saddler, 19-0 (16); Terranova, 25-8 (10). A peek at the judges’ cards showed Saddler with a narrow one-point lead on all three, headed into the decisive final round.

Dec. 27, 1947: Next card takes place in Mexico City. Highlighted is a WBA title match, where a Mexican fighter, Enrique Bolanos, “the Dorango Dropper,” the current LABF LW Champion, has earned the title shot, taking on “Bobcat” Bob Montgomery for Montgomery’s WBA LW title. First meeting of the two, both of whom are at Prime career stage for this title matchup. In the final minute of the opening round, Montgomery rips a hook to the body that hurts Bolanos, who covers up, lasting the round but, when returning to his corner, there are traces of swelling under both Bolanos’ eyes. Montgomery works his way inside in round three, enabling him to forge an early lead in the punches landed stats. However, Bolanos, urged on by the hometown crowd of Mexican fight fans, battles back with a strong fourth round and, by the end of the round, a mouse has formed under Montgomery’s left eye. Another big round in the fifth puts Montgomery ahead on the unofficial card, but by a narrow margin (48-47) at the one third mark of the contest. Early in round six, a Montgomery hook finds its mark, dropping Bolanos to the canvas. The challenger arises at the count of five, and Bolanos wisely elects to cover up, lasting the round. Montgomery follows up with two more KDs in round seven, with Bolanos being saved by the bell at the end of the round. Despite being on the receiving end of three knockdowns, Bolanos soldiers on, but Montgomery gradually wears him down and the bout ends with a ninth round stoppage, as Bolanos is unable to fend for himself. Over the boos of the Mexican fight fans, Montgomery is declared a TKO 9 winner, improving to 37-4-2 (21) as a result. The loss, only the third in his career, drops Bolanos to 24-3 (19).

Dec. 31, 1947: The month and the year wrap up with a New Year’s Eve card at Havana’s Gran Stadium. Only one bout of note, and it is the main event, which sees two Cubans – Kid Gavilan and Joe Legon – paired together for the LABF WW title currently held by Legon. The two have not met before, and for Legon, now at Post-Prime, this is the first defense of this title in over a year. Meanwhile, Gavilan has recently graduated to Prime career stage with just one loss on his ledger. Gavilan starts strongly, dominating the action in the opening round. Legon, off to a sluggish start, tries to become more aggressive, moving inside in round three. However, he is thwarted by some smothering defense and accurate counterpunching by the challenger. Late in round four, a frustrated Legon resorts to kidney punching, for which he draws a warning from the ref. Solid, steady performance by Gavilan who is able to compile a large points lead (60-54) at the halfway point, according to the unofficial scorecard. Into the second half of the bout, while Legon tries to apply some pressure, Gavilan simply continues grinding way, working mainly on the outside, negating Legon’s power. As the bout enters the later stages, Legon tires badly, and Gavilan appears to be on his way to an easy points win. However, in round 11, he is called for repeated low blows and, as the fouling is deemed flagrant, a controversial DQ-11 is the result, enabling Legon to retain the belt. Tough result for Gavilan, who was dominating the action and well ahead on points. Post-bout career marks: Legon, 35-17-6 (14); Gavilan, 18-2-1 (3). With another year in the books, the Year End reports will be up next.

[JCWeb]

On to the first of the Year-End Reviews, starting with the HW division:

HW
Division Profile

Total: 183 RL: 105 TC: 78

RL by Career Stage:
End - 6
Post - 22
Prime - 35
Pre - 26
Beginning - 16 (9 New)

Rated: 62
800+: 12
500+: 26
200+ : 53

Jan 1948 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1947 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Joe Louis 58-1-1 (56) (2267) (NC)
1. Roscoe Toles 45-15-6 (8) (1668) (NC) (NABF)
2. Tommy Gomez 33-6-1 (30) (1494) (NC) (USBA)
3. Alberto Santiago Lovell 41-17-1 (30) (1392) (+1) (LABF)
4. Bruce Woodcock 28-2 (23) (1338) (+5) (EBU, CBU, GBU)
5. Pat Comiskey 29-7 (19) (1293) (-2)
6. Ezzard Charles 25-4 (21) (1225) (new)
7. Turkey Thompson 27-8-2 (21) (980) (+10)
8 Olle Tandberg 27-6-3 (9) (927) (+13)
9. Lee Q. Murray 30-10-1 (23) (922) (-1)
10. Nino Valdes 20-6-2 (16) (890) (-4)

Other Notables: 11. Bill Poland 30-12-1 (18) (856)
12. Curtis Sheppard 28-9-1 (18) (799)
13. Freddie Beshore 20-2-2 (2) (769)
17. Jersey Joe Walcott 53-15 (31) (687) (-7)
22. Johnny Haynes 19-4-1 (14) (609)

Top Prospects: Joe Weiden 14-0 (7)
Carl Nielsen 12-0 (10)
Cesar Brion 12-0 (5)
Hein Ten-Hoff 10-0 (7)
Marty Marshall 9-0 (3)
Don Cockell 7-2 (5)
Rocky Marciano 4-0 (4)
Roland LaStarza 4-0 (2)

Retirements:

Lem Franklin (USA) 1932-1947 28-13 (21) No Titles Highest Rank: 12
Max Schmeling (GER) 1924-1947 70-13-1 (45) WBA Champion 1932-36, 1938-39
Harry Bobo (USA) 1939-1947 23-11 (16) No Titles Highest Rank: 19
Connie Norden (USA) 1941-1947 27-7-1 (15) No Titles Highest Rank: 12
Walter Neusel (GER) 1930-1947 37-23-3 (25) EBU Champ Highest Rank: 7
Lou Nova (USA) 1936-1947 32-20-1 (25) No Titles Highest Rank: 4
Eddie Mader (USA) 1929-1947 32-31-2 (15) No Titles Highest Rank: 52

Outlook for 1948: The big question hanging over the division is, of course, how much longer can the record-setting reign of Joe Louis as WBA HW Champion last? Long-time rival Max Schmeling hung up the gloves during the year, and one logical successor, Jersey Joe Walcott, faded from contention, falling out of the top 10 and hitting Post-Prime career stage. On the other hand, Louis’ real-life successor, Ezzard Charles, declared his status as a HW having abandoned the LH division after having risen to the top but then being dethroned as WBA kingpin. Brit Bruce Woodcock, now a regional titleholder of three different belts, has emerged as a potential successor, but, otherwise, fans might have to wait a few more years unti the “Brockton Blockbuster,” Rocky Marciano, reaches Prime career stage. With the dormant CBU HW title being reactivated (and won by Woodcock), the one inactive HW title remains the OPBF which has remained dormant since the retirement of Tom Heeney. Of the newcomers set to join the HW ranks in 1948, Brit Jack Gardner (an “8”) is the highest rated.

[JCWeb]

LH
Division Profile

Total: 123 RL: 77 TC: 46

RL by Career Stage:
End - 4
Post - 17
Prime - 23
Pre - 22
Beginning - 11 (6 New)

Rated: 46
800+: 12
500+: 28
200+ : 40

Jan 1948 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1947 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Melio Bettina 42-10-7 (17) (1325) (+5)
1. Archie Moore 41-4-5 (29) (1619) (+2) (NABF)
2. Lloyd Marshall 35-6-5 (29) (1598) (NC)
3. Billy Conn 42-9-4 (16) (1591) (-2)
4. Harry Matthews 29-8 (20) (1285) (NC)
5. Jimmy Bivins 28-5-3 (20) (1170) (+4)
6. Tommy Yarosz 26-4-2 (9) (1018) (+6)
7. Young Joe Louis 31-17-1 (14) (910) (-1)
8 Freddie Mills 21-16-2 (15) (866) (+2) (EBU, CBU, GBU)
9. Gus Lesnevich 39-18-3 (16) (861) (-1)
10. Eddie Booker 31-13-3 (18) (842) (-3)

Other Notables: 11. Jack A. Johnson 26-12 (19) (842)
12. Joey Maxim 21-6-4 (5) (764)
15. Bert Gilroy 31-15-4 (18) (723)
17. Dolph Quijano 21-7-1 (16) (633)
26. Bob Amos 14-1 (4) (507)

Top Prospects: Harold Johnson 14-0 (8)
Albert Yvel 13-1 (4)
Leonard Morrow 10-0 (8)
Charley Williams 7-0 (5)
Eddie Cotton 3-0 (2)

Retirement:

Danny Devlin (USA) 1929-1947 40-26-8 (17) No Titles Highest Rank: 7

Outlook for 1948: Musical chairs at the top of the division appears to be the order of the day, as the current Champ (Bettina) will be at Post-Prime with his next outing. Other top contenders (Conn, Louis, Lesnevich and Booker) are also on the downsides of their respective careers. Looking to crack the top 10 for the first time is Joey Maxim, who rebounded in 1947 after a rough start in the Pre-Prime and early Prime stages of his career. Ontly two guys (Moore and Mills) with regional titles, as several (USBA, LABF and OPBF) are inactive for this division. Harold Johnson is the best of the current crop of prospects and a likely future title contender. Canadian Yvon Durelle and German Gustav Scholz are among those set to join the LH ranks in 1948.

[JCWeb]

MW
Division Profile

Total: 178 RL: 118 TC: 60

RL by Career Stage:
End – 3
Post – 18
Prime – 39
Pre – 33
Beginning – 25 (16 New)

Rated: 71
800+: 21
500+: 46
200+: 65

Jan 1948 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan 1947 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Marcel Cerdan 48-7-3 (32) (1799) (NC)
1. Tony Zale 46-8-2 (27) (1796) (+2) (USBA)
2. Charley Burley 43-4 (29) (1521) (-1)
3. Freddie Apostoli 39-17-3 (25) (1508) (-1)
4. Holman Williams 54-14-1 (24) (1497) (NC) (NABF)
5. Jake LaMotta 28-4 (19) (1478) (+4)
6. Dave Sands 30-3 (20) (1320) (+2) (CBU, OPBF)
7. Steve Belloise 30-8-2 (14) (1275) (-2)
8 George Abrams 31-11-4 (11) (1181) (-2)
9. Al Hostak 44-14-3 (32) (1056) (+4)
10. Coley Welch 34-13-4 (15) (937) (+6)

Other Notables: 11. Ossie Harris 26-9-2 (7) (921)
12. Raul Rodriguez 25-8-1 (14) (910) (NC) (LABF)
13. Tommy Sullivan 22-4-1 (14) (869)
15. Luc Van Dam 28-9-1 (12) (868) (+11) (EBU)
19. Tony Janiro 19-1-2 (2) (808)
25. Artie Towne 17-1-1 (7) (763)
34. Carl “Bobo” Olson 15-1-1 (11) (661)

Top Prospects: Cyrille Delannoit 14-0 (5)
Chico Varona 13-0 (7)
Jackie Darthard 12-0 (3)
Randy Turpin 10-0 (7)
Paddy Young 8-0 (5)
Tiberio Mitri 7-0 (1)
Lester Felton 6-0 (0)

Retirements:

Tony Almeida (USA) 1940-1947 17-10-5 (8) No Titles Highest Rank: 49
Pete Mead (USA) 1942-1947 12-13-1 (6) No Titles Highest Rank: 48
Jupp Besselmann (GER) 1930-1947 39-24-6 (29) No Titles Highest Rank: 13
Ossie Stewart (USA) 1934-1947 21-24-4 (15) No Titles Highest Rank: 46
Glen Lee (USA) 1938-1947 31-19-7 (21) No Titles Highest Rank: 22
Allen Matthews (USA) 1929-1947 38-26-5 (25) No Titles Highest Rank: 16

Outlook for 1948: Cerdan retained the title, making three title defenses during the year. Despite the fact that several of the top contenders (notably Zale, Apostoli, Williams and Abrams) have hit Post-Prime career stage, the division remains highly competitive. Burley, LaMotta and Sands are all credible title contenders. Looking further down the list, Janiro, Towne and Olson all have the potential to move up the list and reach top contender status. However, Graziano – currently ranked 35th – has been a big disappointment thus far. Delannoit, Turpin, Mitri and Felton are the best of the current crop of prospects. Finally, to top it off, a record number of 16 (!) newcomers will swell the division’s ranks, with Joey Giardello and Holly Mims (both rated “9”s) being the potential standouts.