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December 3, 1927 -- Atlantic City's Convention Hall: Unbeaten HW prospect James J. "Jimmy" Braddock takes on veteran TC Carl Wheeler in a scheduled 10-rounder. Braddock enters the ring with a perfect 10-0 career mark while Wheeler has a very undistinguished 2-13 career record.

Round one: Braddock is tied up by Wheeler. A leaping shot by Jimmy falls short. Wheeler smothers Braddock's attack. Braddock traps Wheeler in the corner, the two clinch. Braddock circles the ring, showing good lateral movement. Braddock wings a big left but doesn't fully connect. Braddock works the head and body. Not much action, edge to Jimmy Braddock.

Second round, Braddock fights outside. Wheeler pins Braddock in a neutral corner but misses with the jab. Back at ring center, Braddock misses and Wheeler doubles with a hook to the body, one of which gets through. Braddock pushes Wheeler and struggles to find his timing. A cross scores for Braddock, who fires and misses with the follow-up shot. Another flurry, then Braddock lands a jolting uppercut inside. It's his best blow of the fight thus far, and the crowd roars. Braddock is wild with a hook, but he has done enough to take the round.

Round three, this time Braddock is moving inside. He drills Wheeler with a three-punch combination. A right cross scores for Braddock. Wheeler clinches for a bit of a breather. Braddock lets loose with a right cross that scores. Wheeler misses, and Jimmy pounds away at the head and body. Wheeler retreats to the corner. Braddock presses forward, pinning Wheeler against the ropes. He works to the chest and neck, then follows with a right-left to the head. Wheeler shoots home a right, but Braddock responds with a jab. Big round for Braddock.

Fourth round, more fighting inside by Braddock. Braddock fires a jab but Wheeler misses with an uppercut from way outside. Braddock wings a cross then connects with a lead right. Wheeler misses with a left and then a right. Braddock wings a right cross that lacks power. Wheeler fires a big left that is sidestepped by Braddock. Braddock scores with a nice jab and then a follow-up cross. Wheeler is cut under the right eye. Braddock continues to score well, doubling up on his jab.

Round five, this time Braddock is looking for the knockout. Braddock tries to move in behind the jab. After some jockeying for position, Wheeler lands a lead right while Braddock wades in but misses with a huge shot before connecting with a nice two-punch combo. Braddock then circles his man, using a body shot to set up a jab to the chest. But again his timing is off as he is wild with a big hook. A hard uppercut and a straight right causes Wheeler's right eye to swell up. Huge edge (49-46) for Braddock at this point, according to the unofficial ringside observer.

Sixth round, Braddock is back to applying pressure on the inside. Wheeler is tiring already. Braddock is tied up by Wheeler. He gets in a hook but is short with a follow-up shot. Braddock lands a glancing overhand right that causes Wheeler's swollen eye to worsen. Braddock turns southpaw and sticks out a jab. Wheeler fires a return jab. Braddock misses with a follow-up shot and then the bell.

Round seven, Braddock is once again looking for the KO. Braddock scores with a glancing cross, backing Wheeler up against the ropes. Braddock uses the jab to set up a follow-up hook. Back at ring center, Braddock fires an uppercut that lacks steam. Wheeler fires a shot to the head, then is warned for head-butting. He unleashes a stinging jab, but Braddock rips a hook to the body. Then a cut is opened over Wheeler's undamaged left eye, apparently the result of an accidental butt. Braddock lands a stinging jab right before the bell.

Eighth round, the cut is still bleeding as Wheeler comes out. Braddock fires a hook to the head after an excellent head feint. The two trade blows, and Wheeler is struggling with his timing. Braddock lands a clean jab, and the cut over Wheeler's eye worsens. The two tangle up on the inside, and then Braddock gets a hand free to land an uppercut. The doctor is called in to examine the cut, and the bout continues. Wheeler clinches, and then retreats to the corner. Braddock bounces a shot off his shoulder but can't land a solid blow until a hook to the head right before the bell.

Round nine, this time Braddock is continue to stay outside. Bleeding from the cut eye on Wheeler has subsided, but Braddock rips two quick jabs, one on target, to back Wheeler up against the ropes. Braddock works the head and body, then circles his prey. Wheeler clinches. Braddock misses with a left and a right. Wheeler flicks out a quick jab. Braddock fires back with a jab of this own, doing enough damage to reopen the cut. This time the ref and ring doctor decide it's enough, and the bout is halted and goes to the scorecard (the cut being caused by an accidental butt).

Scorecards, as expected, show a lopsided win for Braddock (80-72, 79-73, 80-72) which goes down as a UTD 9 for Braddock. The win lifts Braddock to 11-0 (5), worth 524 PPs. Braddock is set to return to the ring in one month's time, in January 1928, for his next bout.

[JCWeb]

Pleased to report that action for the year 1927 has concluded, with one major surprise and several lesser ones, so now it's on to the year-end reports, starting with the HWs.

1927 HW Title Bouts

WBA

Martin Burke CH (29-7-1) vs Young Stribling #5 (22-3-1)

This is a rematch of a late 1926 title bout between the two, which resulted in a controversial DQ win for Burke. Burke enters the bout on a three-bout win streak.

After a close opening round, both men work outside in round two, which is another even round. Stribling works to apply pressure on the inside in round three, and it's a slight edge for the King of the Canebrakes who is seeking to regain the crown from Burke. Burke then moves inside in round four, but a strong counter from Stribling gives the round to the challenger. Both men mix it up on the inside in round five, which goes down as another strong one for the challenger who has a slight points lead (48-47) at this point, according to the unofficial ringside observer. Burke then tries unsuccessfully to re-establish control on the inside, with round six also falling into the Stribling column. Burke does a bit better as the two stay outside in round seven. Burke then battles back on the inside to take round eight as well. There is some furious toe-to-toe action on the inside in round nine, and the pendulum swings back toward Stribling. Stribling continues as the aggressor into the tenth, nailing the Champ with a huge left that forces Burke to cover up. Unofficial card has Stribling with a narrow lead (95-94) heading into the final rounds. Stribling pursues the KO in round 11, but Burke's defense holds up. Stribling sustains a cut on his forehead in round 12, and Burke then tries to pile up the pressure and take advantage. Both men are tired at this point, and Stribling continues to battle the cut which reopens in the 14th. Final round, this time it is Burke who is cut over the left eye while going for a final knockout that does not materialize. In a game effort, Young Stribling recaptures the WBA crown by a narrow MD 15 verdict (143-141, 142-142, 145-139).

Young Stribling CH (23-3-1) vs Gene Tunney #1 (39-7-3)

Stribling then defends versus the top ranked contender, former Champ Gene Tunney, who was remained unbeaten since his last loss via a TKO to Dempsey in 1925. It's a rematch of the 1926 title bout between the two that ended in a draw (with Stribling retaining the belt he won from Dempsey).

After an even opening round, Tunney gains a slight edge as both men settle into fighting outside in round two. Lots of action in round three, as the Champ moves inside and gets the better of it. Tunney then moves inside and stuns Stribling with a hook to the head in round four, huge round for Tunney. Round five, both men whale away on the inside, this time it's Stribling's round. At this point, the unofficial ringside observer has it dead even (48-all). Round six is another strong one for Stribling as both men lay back on the outside. Tunney steps up the pace in round seven, stunning Stribling with a huge blow that forces the Champ to cover up. Both work inside in round eight, and once again it's Tunney who gets the better of it. Stribling is the aggressor in round nine, doing well until Tunney comes on strongly at the end of the round. A big cross helps Stribling take the 10th, but the unofficial scorer has Tunney up by one (96-95) at this point. The Championship belt hangs in the balance as both men try to dominate on the inside in round 11, when Tunney dominating as Stribling shows signs of fatigue. Tunney's defense holds in rounds 12 and 13 as Stribling continues to try to force the action on the inside. Then, all of a sudden, in round 14 Stribling connects with a wild overhand right that puts Tunney down for an 8-count. Tunney goes into a defensive shell, surviving the round and hanging on through the final round as well. In the end, the knockdown was not quite enough for Stribling to keep his belt; the scorecards are read and it's a MD 15 for Tunney (144-141, 142-142, 143-142) who is WBA HW Champ now for the second time.

Gene Tunney CH (40-7-3) vs Larry Gains #4 (21-3)

Tunney accepts a challenge from the young black HW contender from Canada, Larry Gains. First meeting of the two, and many feel Gains (who is coming off a NABF title bout loss to George Godfrey) is overmatched.

The action is slow to develop in round one. Round two, both men stay outside and Tunney appears to be doing well until Gains lands a crunching uppercut right before the bell that leaves Gene reeling. Gains tries to press home the advantage on the inside in round three, pressuring Tunney in a good action round that sees both men getting in some good licks. Round four, Tunney gains more confidence, working inside and causing Gains' left eye to start swelling. Huge round for the Champ. Tunney continues to pound away as both men move inside in round five, and he breaks down Gains' defense until the referee decides he's seen enough. Saving Gains from further punishment, the bout is called as a TKO 5 win for Tunney.

NABF: Five NABF title bouts after none in 1926. Veteran Harry Wills starts the year with the belt, defending first versus George Godfrey who suffers a bloody nose in the opening round and then succumbs to early cuts; it goes down as a TKO 4 for Wills. Then young Canadian hopeful Larry Gains overcomes a sluggish start, one knockdown and multiple cuts, sending Wills to the canvas in the final round en route to a surprising UD 12 decision. He then drops the belt in his first defense (versus Godfrey) who builds an early lead and finishes Gains with a KO in the 10th round. Godfrey makes two more defenses, first versus Floyd Johnson (whom he ices in round four) and then veteran "White Hope era" fighter Fred Fulton, where Godfrey battles through despite a cut eye to finally prevail, again by KO, in the 7th round.

USBA: This belt, which was vacated by Tunney after he regained the WBA title, sees ex-Champ Burke matched with up-and-comer Jack Sharkey. Sharkey, who is unbeaten (17-0), is not ready to make the step up in class, suffering from an early butt cut, which allows Burke to win an abbreviated bout via a UTD in five.

CBU: Bartley Madden, who had held the belt since 1924, finally meets his match when he faces Aussie George Thompson, who breaks open a close bout when he puts Madden down and out in the 11th round with a wicked hook to the head. Thompson then defends once versus aging British vet Tom Cowler, who his down once, suffers a cut eye, and never really much competition although he manages to last the distance as Thompson takes a lopsided UD 12.

GBU: Big surprise as "Fainting Phil" Scott puts the GBU belt on the line against Cowler, in what was supposed to be a relatively "easy" defense. However, Scott is called for a flagrant low blow while well ahead on the cards, and Cowler annexes the title via a DQ in round 7. Then, even more surprisingly, a rematch several months later has the exact same result: more flagrant fouls by Scott and another DQ win (this time in the 8th) for Cowler.

EBU: Madden enters the year with this belt as well, putting it on the line versus Guiseppe Spalla, brother of ex-EBU Champ Erminio. Spalla puts Madden on the deck twice, but the judges still call it a draw, allowing the Irishman to retain his title. Next up is German HW Hans Breitenstrater, who gets off to a strong start and puts Madden down in round 7. Again, Madden gets off the deck, battles back and escapes with another draw to retain the title into 1928.

OPBF: Tom Heeney, "the Hard Rock from Down Under," defends versus Aussie George Cook, building an early lead and holding on despite a cut eye to win via a close but UD 12. Then, taking on countryman Cyril Whitaker, Heeney appears to be headed toward a lopsided points win when a late cut leads to a surprising stoppage in the final round, and Whitaker captures the title via a TKO 12.

[JCWeb]

Jan. 1928 HW Division Profile

Total: 213 RL: 133 TC: 80

RL by Career Stage:
End - 11
Post - 17
Prime - 47
Pre - 40
Beginning - 18 (13 New)

Rated: 84
800+: 12
500+: 40
200+ : 75

Jan 1928 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1927 in Parens):

Champ: Gene Tunney 41-7-3 (25) (1873) (+1)
1. George Godfrey 34-7 (24) (1601) (+2) (NABF Champ)
2. Larry Gains 21-4 (14) (1348) (+16)
3. Young Stribling 24-4-1 (15) (1342) (+2)
4. Harry Wills 56-8-1 (45) (1341) (-2)
5. Jack Dempsey 51-7-1 (47) (1201) (-1)
6. Martin Burke 30-8-1 (8) (1175) (-6) (USBA Champ)
7. Fred Fulton 39-15 (31) (1115) (+1)
8. George Thompson 20-1 (12) (970) (+14) (CBU Champ)
9. Bartley Madden 45-13-5 (18) (949) (-4) (EBU Champ)
10. Floyd Johnson 22-6-1 (19) (928) (+3)

Also: 14. Cyril Whittaker 18-5-1 (6) (763) (+14) (OPBF Champ)
66. Tom Cowler 34-24-5 (16) (276) (was UNR) (GBU Champ)

Comments: An aging group, as five of the above list (Wills, Dempsey, Fulton, Madden and -- starting in 1928 -- Tunney) at Post; additionally, the lower ranked Whitaker and Cowler are both at End career stage. Tunney has gone unbeaten for the past 2 1/2 years (7 wins, one draw) since his TKO loss to Dempsey back in 1925, and currently his PP total is at a new all-time high. Godfrey recovered from an early year TKO loss to Wills, winning his last four (last three by KO) to move into the top contender spot. Gains leapfrogged in the rankings by virtue of successive UD wins over Dempsey and Wills, but he has lost his past two to the higher-rated Tunney and Godfrey. Stribling had an up and down 1927, regaining then losing the WBA title, scoring a TKO over Wills in his latest bout to hang onto the #3 spot. Wills began to show his age, winning just two of four contests during the year. Dempsey recovered from the upset loss to Gains with three successive wins, including a UD over up-and-comer Jack Sharkey. Burke, the surprise Champion from last year, kept in the mix with a win over Sharkey for the USBA crown. The veteran White Hoper, Fulton, ripped off three straight wins over Homer Smith, Samson-Korner and Roper before dropping the NABF title tilt with Godfrey. Thompson suffered his first defeat, a SD to George Cook, then zoomed up the ranks with his CBU title win over Madden; he also scored a UD over another promising youngster, Bob Lawson. Madden suffered through a winless 1927, struggling to draws in two EBU title defenses before being KO'd by Thompson for the Commonwealth belt. Rounding out the top 10 is Floyd Johnson, who impressed with KO wins over Weinert, Samson-Korner and Whittaker but lost his first title try to Godfrey.

Other Notables: Charley Weinert slipped out of the top 10, dropping three spots to #13 after KO losses to Johnson and Pat Lester. Lester finished up 1927 at #11, with a 22-4 (19) career mark, having won seven of his last eight. Former OPBF Champ Tom Heeney fell eight spots to #15, dropping the title to Whittaker and a MD 10 to Wills. Bob Roper slipped from #10 to #16, after dropping UDs to Dempsey, Fulton and Jack DeMave. Italy's Erminio Spalla fell nine spots to #18, KOing Jack Thompson but suffering KO losses to Samson-Korner and Pierre Charles. The Dutchman DeMave figures at #12, fashioning a six-bout unbeaten streak to end the year at 19-2-2 (10). Jack Sharkey finished at #17, suffering his first two losses after stepping up in class to challenge the likes of Dempsey and Burke, falling short in both instances. The Basque Woodchopper, Paulino Uzcudan, won both his bouts to move to 21-2 (11), good for 20th spot overall.
Top newcomer to the ratings is highly regarded German HW Max Schmeling, whose 15-0 (13) career start is good enough to place 21st overall. Other newcomers to the list are Tuffy Griffith, who suffered his first loss (TKO to Vittorio Campolo) to finish #18 at 15-1 (11) and Jose Santo, the Portugese whose 14-1 (11) career start is good for #33 spot, as he bounced back from his initial loss to Schmeling with three straight wins.

Prospects: James Braddock is off to a 11-0 (5) career start; also with unblemished records are Roy "Hoot" Burger (11-0, 7 KO); Brits Don Shortland (11-0, 3 KO) and Tommy Farr (9-0, 6 KO); and Joe Banovic (10-0, 5 KO). Frankie Wine ended the year at 13-1 (8) after suffering his fist loss to Joe Sekyra. Sekyra won his first 12 before dropping a TKO to Burger in his last bout, finishing the year at 12-1 (10). Lou Barba dropped a UD to Johnny Grosso but bounced back with a UD over Canadian Jack Gagnon; he stands at 12-1 (6). Les Marriner stumbled versus a TC, but keeping clean slates were Sal Ruggirello (8-0, 7); Elmer Ray (7-0, 5); Gustav Limousin (6-0, 5); Emmett Rocco (6-0, 4); Jimmy Mendes, Ben Pound and Ernie Schaaf (all 5-0, 4); Ernst Guhring (5-0, 2); Ad Warren (4-0, 4); Jimmy Widd (4-0, 3); Charley Boyette (2-0, 1).

Retirements: Seven HWs hung up the gloves in 1927.

"Joplin Ghost" Jeff Clarke (USA) 1908-27 47-23-3 (32) WBA Champ 1920-21
Bombadier Billy Wells (UK) 1910-27 34-27-3 (19) GBU Champ Highest Rank: 32
Soldier Kearns (USA) 1909-27 32-30-6 (16) No Titles Highest Rank: 22
Fred Storbeck (SAF) 1911-27 31-23-6 (8) CBU Champ Highest Rank: 11
Al Benedict (USA) 1910-27 33-28-4 (14) No Titles Highest Rank: 37
Arthur Townley (UK) 1917-27 24-17-6 (4) No Titles Highest Rank: 50
Paul Samson-Korner (GER) 1916-27 33-14 (25) EBU Champ Highest Rank: 5

Looking Ahead: Definitely in the midst of a changing of the guard at the top of the division, as the Dempsey-Tunney-Wills era is coming to an end. Expect to see Jack Sharkey break into the top ten soon, once he reaches Prime after another bout (his 20th). Tom Heeney should bounce back and contend once again for the OPBF and Commonwealth titles. Gains should remain a top contender heading into the next decade. Schmeling is about a year away from making an impact. Thirteen newcomers to the division for 1928 include a real-life Champion, Primo Carnera, whose overall rating of 2 is the lowest (!) of the group. Natie Brown, Two-Ton Tony Galento and King Levinsky are among the other newcomers.

[JCWeb]

1927 LH Title Bouts

WBA

Tommy Loughran CH (28-4-1) vs Len Harvey #3 (26-2)

Loughran travels to London to take on the reigning EBU and Commonwealth Champ, Harvey. Harvey has won his last six, while Loughran has won his last four.

After a close opening stanza, Loughran finds the range as both men fight outside in round two, and Harvey is cut over the right eye. Not much action in round three, and the relatively few exchanges favor Harvey. Harvey tries to move inside in round four, but Loughran takes advantage and reopens the cut. Both men fight inside in round five, and Loughran emerges with a narrow lead (48-47) on the unofficial card. Once again, the cut over Harvey's eye is opened in round six, but Loughran is warned for holding and hitting. Loughran presses the action, targeting Harvey's cut eye which has become a severe problem. Finally, in round eight, after the cut is reopened a third time, the ref calls a halt. TKO 8 for Loughran (cuts stoppage).

Tommy Loughran CH (29-4-1) vs Lou Bogash #6 (31-12-1)

Loughran holds a prior win over Bogash (UD 10 in 1923) but recent wins by Bogash over Jeff Smith and Jimmy Delaney have set him up for this title shot.

After a close round one, the Champ pulls ahead in round two as neither men can land any heavy blows. Bogash moves inside and takes round three. Loughran has a strong round four after pressing the action on the inside. Both men move inside in round five, and Loughran once again finds the range as both Bogash's eyes start to puff up. Unofficial scorer has Loughran up by two (49-47) after five. The Champ continues to pile up a points lead in the middle rounds, successfully countering all of Bogash's forays. Bogash finally has a strong round in the 10th, but by now Loughran is well in front (98-94 according to the unofficial scorecard). Bogash tires badly in the later rounds, and Loughran coasts to a UD 15 win despite a game effort by Bogash (148-137, 145-140, 144-141).

Tommy Loughran CH (30-4-1) vs Ad Stone #1 (24-1)

Stone defeated Loughran for the USBA belt in 1925, but Tommy has won seven of eight since then. Stone has ripped off seven successive wins after his only loss (to Greb for the title in 1925).

After an even opening round, both men trade blows from the outside in the second, another close round. Stone presses the action on the inside in round three, but Loughran counters with an effective jab to take the round. Both men are active in round four, as Loughran moves inside. Round five, Loughran dominates as both men battle inside. The ringside expert has Loughran well in front (50-47) at this point. Stone goes on the offensive, but strong defense and counterpunching enable Loughran to continue to build a points lead in the middle rounds. Stone, bothered by a swollen right eye, is eventually worn down and it goes as another UD 15 for Loughran (146-140, 147-139, 148-140).

Tommy Loughran CH (31-4-1) vs Jeff Smith #14 (46-19-4)

Lacking available contenders in the top ten, Loughran then commits to a relatively "easy" defense versus the aging veteran, Smith.

Loughran gets off to a strong start in round one. Both men stay outside for round two, an even round. Smith moves inside in round three and he holds a slight edge in the ensuing action. An aggressive Smith tries to press his advantage in round four, but Loughran gets the best of most of the exchanges. Both men stand inside for round five, another even round. At this point, the unofficial scorer has Smith with a slight lead (48-47) so it could be anyone's fight. Loughran appears back in control as both men stay outside in round six. Smith continues as the aggressor in rounds seven through nine, but Loughran's defense appears solid. After a close round ten, with both men working inside, the unofficial card has it even (95-all). Smith appears to tire in the later rounds, enabling Loughran to pull ahead. An all-out surge by Smith in the later rounds can make no impression on Loughran. The bout comes to an end, no knockdowns, both men unmarked. Final cards, all three judges see it the same: 143-143, a draw. Loughran retains the title despite a strong effort by Smith.

NABF: Ad Stone begins the year with the belt, and he defends it twice. First up is George Manley, who offers little resistance as Stone administers a beating, putting Manley down in round three and pounding out a TKO 5 win. Then he is challenged by "Cuban" Bobby Brown, in a bout that turns into a real see-saw affair. Brown puts Stone on the deck early in the bout. Stone battles back, stunning Brown with a big hook to the head and causing swelling about his left eye. Then the challenger stuns Stone with a big uppercut in round eight. Finally, Stone regains control in round nine, scoring another KD and finally prevailing on a TKO stoppage in the same round.

USBA: Lou Bogash and "Duluth Jimmy" Delaney are matched for the USBA crown vacated by Ad Stone, who moved up in late 1926 to become NABF Champ. Bogash builds a points lead, then survives a cut eye to pound out a UD 12 decision. His first defense is versus Jimmy Slattery, former NABF Champ, and this time an early cut means trouble for Slattery as Bogash takes the bout via a TKO 7 (cuts stoppage).

CBU: Harvey takes on Canadian challenger Charley Belanger, who is down early and offers little resistance. Harvey wins via TKO 4 as the ref steps in to save Belanger from further punishment.

GBU: Tom Berry defends versus Gypsy Daniels, who is making his fourth try for the GBU title. Daniels seizes control with an early knockdown, sealing the win with a second KD en route to a UD 12 win to become the new GBU titleholder.

EBU: No title defenses in 1927, as Len Harvey continues as EBU Champion.

[JCWeb]

Jan. 1928 LH Division Profile

Total: 131 RL: 85 TC: 46

RL by Career Stage:
End - 7
Post - 12
Prime - 40
Pre - 17
Beginning - 9 (7 New)

Rated: 59
800+: 11
500+: 29
200+ : 53

Jan 1928 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1927 in Parens):

Champ: Tommy Loughran 31-4-2 (12) (1471) (NC)
1. Ad Stone 25-2 (17) (1221) (NC) (NABF Champ)
2. Jack Delaney 31-2-1 (20) (1208) (NC)
3. Len Harvey 27-3-1 (12) (1085) (NC) (CBU, EBU Champ)
4. Lou Bogash 32-13-2 (17) (1042) (+3) (USBA Champ)
5. Jimmy Slattery 23-6-1 (9) (1031) (NC)
6. Maxie Rosenbloom 19-0-4 (10) (983) (NC)
7. Paul Berlenbach 19-2 (15) (867) (+6)
8. Young Tony Marullo 21-8-2 (13) (866) (NC)
9. Mike McTigue 35-19-5 (21) (832) (+9)
10. Young Firpo 17-1-1 (14) (824) (+5)

Also: 28. Gypsy Daniels 25-10-2 (16) (500) (+8) (GBU Champ)

Comments: Everyone still at Prime, except for Young Firpo, who has one more bout at Pre. Loughran remains the dominant force in the division, having gone undefeated in his last eight bouts over a two-year period. Stone's only loss in the last two years was to Loughran. Delaney maintains his high spot in the rankings with three wins and a draw during the year, taking a split duke from McTigue, a UD over Farmer, KOing Nichols while being held to a draw by Rosenbloom. Harvey retained his CBU title but lost to Loughran, and battled to a draw with Bogash in his most recent bout. Bogash improved his status by taking the USBA crown, then drawing with Harvey. Slattery lost to Bogash in the USBA title clash, but impressed in wins over Norfolk (TKO) and Marullo (UD). Rosenbloom is still unbeaten after suffering through three successive draws, versus Tommy Gibbons, Jack Delaney and Greb. Berlenbach emerged at Prime and reached the top ten by virtue of a UD 10 win over Marullo, recovering from a UD loss to Greb after a win over veteran Jack Dillon. McTigue climbed up the list by winning four of five in 1927, his notable victims including Jimmy Delaney (UD 10) and Jeff Smith (UTD 6). Rounding out the top group is a newcomer, Young Firpo, who suffered his first loss to Kid Norfolk (TKO) but bounced back with a KO win over aging veteran Tommy Gibbons.

Other Notables: Gibbons dropped seven spots to #11 after having gone winless since mid-1926; he is now at End career stage. Former Champ Harry Greb slipped five spots to #14, dropping a MD 10 to Jack Reeves after battling to a win over Berlenbach and a draw with Rosenbloom. Kid Norfolk fell from #10 to #16, after successive losses to Slattery (via TKO) and George Manley (a UD); both Greb and Norfolk are a Post-Prime. Jack Reeves has won six of his last seven and moved to #13 with a 28-13-1 (17) career mark. Top newcomer to the list is Lou Scozza, who won his first 16 before dropping a TKO to aging vet Jack Dillon; his 16-1 (14) career start places him at #20. Tiger Jack Payne, who suffered losses to Scozza and Harry Fuller, wound up at #24 after compiling a 15-2 (7) record. One spot lower is George Courtney, who won four of five during the year to move to 15-4 (14) overall, taking the measure of Saguero, Lynch, Weigand and Dusty Miller (all KO victims). GBU Champ Gypsy Daniels was unbeaten, winning his last three, including a SD over Battling Siki before taking the GBU crown.

Prospects: Harry Fuller, who conquered Tiger Jack Payne, stumbled versus Charley Belanger (UD loss) and then drew with Pal Silvers to end up the year at 12-1-1 (10). Silvers dropped a split duke to Scozza, drew with Fuller and then beat up on TC competition to end up at 12-1-1 (8). Arthur Flynn emerged unscathed versus TC opposition but then dropped a TKO to Mike Mandell; he enters 1928 with a 12-1 (9) record. Mandell similarly excelled versus TC opposition before running into Flynn; he ends the year at 11-1 (10). Keeping clean slates versus TC opposition thus far are Benny Miller (9-0, 8 KO); Rosy Rosales (7-0, 6 KO), Clyde Chastain (6-0, 6 KO); Gustave Roth (5-0, 2 KO); Pete Cerkan (4-0, 4 KO); and Willard Dix (4-0, 3 KO). Fred Lenhart, who stumbled in an earlier bout versus a TC, is now 7-1 (7).

Retirements: Two retirements in 1927.

Charles Baechli (SUI) 1919-27 22-12 (9) EBU Champ Highest Rank: 19
Harry Reeve (UK) 1911-27 31-29-1 (24) EBU, CBU, GBU Champ Highest Rank: 13

Looking Ahead: Once again, Loughran appears to be the top LH right now but the narrow escape in his last title defense suggest he may be vulnerable, particularly to the likes of Jack Delaney, Berlenbach and Rosenbloom. McTigue is back in the top ten after some tough losses and may finally be prepared to contend for a title. Difficult to see some of last year's top newcomers (Scozza, Payne and Courtney) breaking through given all the current top ten will be at Prime in 1928. There will be an impressive crop of newcomers, led by John Henry Lewis (a 12 rated LH), Tiger Jack Fox (rated 11), along with Bob Olin and Tony Shucco.

[JCWeb]

WBA

Mickey Walker CH (33-1) vs Dave Shade #4 (26-9-4)

Having disposed of Billy Shade in a late 1926 title defense, the Toy Bulldog now takes on his brother, Dave. No prior bouts between these two.

Not much action in round one, when Walker lands the only telling blows. Slight edge to the challenger as both men position themselves on the outside in round two. Walker moves inside in round three, and gets back on track to take the round. Shade tries to counter by pressing the action on the inside in round four -- slight edge to the challenger. Walker then uncorks the heavy leather, taking the fifth round as both men trade blows on the inside. Unofficial scorecard has Walker narrowly ahead by one (48-47) at this point in the bout. Shade cautiously tries to continue pressing on the inside, despite some swelling around his right eye. Repeated punches landed by Walker also cause the other eye to start puffing up, making it even more difficult for the challenger. In round seven, Walker breaks through, dropping Shade with a strong combination. A wild overhand right late in the round sends Shade toppling to the canvas for a second time, and shortly after that the ref steps in to save Shade from further punishment. Walker retains the title via an impressive 7th round TKO.

Mickey Walker CH (34-1) vs Jack McVey #6 (26-6)

Walker's next challenger is McVey, who holds the USBA MW belt. Walker holds a UD 10 win over McVey back in 1924.

After a close opening round, both men work outside in round two -- another even round. The Toy Bulldog then moves inside, opening up as both men begin to show signs of swelling about the right eye. McVey battles back on the inside, taking round four. A strong effort in the fifth round puts Walker back on top (48-47 according to the unofficial ringside observer). Both men are back on the outside in round six, and the challenger seems to have the better of an action-packed round. Walker fires away on the inside in round seven, but he can't break through the defenses of McVey. The Toy Bulldog steps up the pace, and his aggressiveness pays off with a very dominant round eight. More of the same in round nine, but McVey catches Walker with a short, clean shot and the Champ takes a tumble to the canvas. Walker recovers with a strong round 10, and the unofficial scorer has Walker still ahead (96-95) despite the 9th round KD for McVey. Both men elect to work inside in round 11, and Walker is repeatedly on target as McVey's eye continues to worsen. Round 12, slight edge to the challenger who is more aggressive at this point. Round 13 sees a tired McVey get nailed by a strong shot, and he goes down and does not get up. Walker comes off the deck to take a KO win in the 13th to keep the belt for another year.

NABF: Brian Downey finally yields to Billy Angelo, who makes the most of his first title shot, dropping Downey in the 8th en route to a solid UD 12 win. Angelo's first defense comes versus Dave Shade, and it turns out to be a real brawl, a good action bout which sees both men taste the canvas in the middle rounds. Angelo gradually wears down his game opponent to take a narrow but UD 12.

USBA: McVey defends versus Frankie Schoell, and a badly swollen eye leads to a late stoppage, TKO 10 win for McVey.

CBU: Aussie Alf Stewart defends versus Brit Billy Bird, in a rematch of a title bout from a year and half earlier which resulted in a TKO win for Stewardt. Bird seemed to be doing well until he ran into a combination from Stewart that put him down and out. KO 5 for Stewart.

GBU: Len Johnson defends versus Tommy Milligan, who scores an early KD and hangs on for a SD 12 win to lift the belt. Milligan then accepts a challenge from Frank Moody, who battles back from a poor start having been decked by Milligan early in the bout. A late surge by Milligan leads to a 9th round stoppage, TKO win for Milligan to retain the belt.

EBU: The "Little Fox," Belgian Rene DeVos, proves to be a tough Champion, turning aside the challenges of Milligan (bout decided on late cuts stoppage, TKO 11 for DeVos) and Ted Moore, who lasted the distance despite a KD by DeVos midway through the bout (which was scored as a UD 12 for DeVos).

OPBF: Filipino Ceferino Garcia became the first holder of this title, coming off the deck to take the measure of Alf Stewart, who was down three times before being counted out in round 8. Then a first defense versus another Aussie, veteran Frankie Burns, turned out to be a one-sided affair, resulting in a UD 12 for Garcia.

[JCWeb]

1927 -- Middleweight Part II

Jan. 1928 MW Division Profile

Total: 165 RL: 101 TC: 64

RL by Career Stage:
End - 8
Post - 14
Prime - 41
Pre - 27
Beginning - 11 (8 New)

Rated: 73
800+: 14
500+: 41
200+ : 67

Jan 1928 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1927 in Parens):

Champ: Mickey Walker 35-1 (26) (1722) (NC)
1. Bryan Downey 44-15-4 (20) (1171) (NC)
2. Jock Malone 29-12-2 (11) (1170) (+6)
3. Rene DeVos 36-8-2 (17) (1153) (+3) (EBU Champ)
4. Panama Joe Gans 48-10-1 (19) (1142) (+1)
5. Mike O'Dowd 41-13-1 (16) (1098) (-3)
6. Frankie Schoell 30-10-3 (11) (1072) (+6)
7. Jack McVey 26-7 (16) (1021) (-3) (USBA Champ)
8. Dave Shade 26-11-4 (9) (965) (-5)
9. Johnny Wilson 40-21-1 (12) (899) (+1)
10. Len Johnson 20-8 (12) (886) (+16)

Also: 11. Billy Angelo 21-5-1 (16) (885) (+7) (NABF Champ)
27. Ceferino Garcia 19-2 (14) (593) (+9) (OPBF Champ)
34. Alf Stewart 21-9-2 (16) (555) (-6) (CBU Champ)
37. Tommy Milligan 20-8 (15) (534) (+9) (GBU Champ)

Comments: Downey, Gans and Wilson at Post; O'Dowd at End while everyone else still at Prime. Walker, with two more successful title defenses, has remained unbeaten over the past three years and is riding a 12-bout win streak. Downey held on to the #1 contender spot despite losing his NABF title, bouncing back with a TKO win over Wilson and battling to a draw with another aging vet, Mike O'Dowd. Malone appeared to be in position to move up, scoring a TKO over EBU Champ DeVos, but dropped a UD 10 to Panama Joe Gans. DeVos won four of five in 1927, bouncing back from the loss to Malone with a UD win over Gans in addition to a UD over McVey earlier in the year. Gans had a four-bout win streak snapped by the loss to the Belgian. O'Dowd maintained his top five spot despite only winning one bout in 1927, a UD over Grayber despite an earlier loss to Schoell, whose TKO loss to McVey hurt his chances despite winning his other bouts (including UDs over Graybar and Gordon McKay). McVey captured the USBA belt but suffered losses to DeVos and Walker. Dave Shade has a disappointing year, losing both title bouts (versus Walker for the WBA title and also to Angelo for the NABF belt). Wilson won a UD over aging vet Mike Gibbons but then lost two more recent bouts to Gans and Downey -- and still clings to the #9 spot. New to the rankings is Len Johnson, former GBU titleholder who zoomed up the rankings after a UD 10 win over NABF Champ Billy Angelo.

Other Notables: Angelo wound up the year at #11, sliding out of the top group after the loss to Johnson snapped an impressive seven-bout winning streak. Al Grayber dropped five spots to #12, going 0-3 for the year and is now in the midst of a four-bout loss string. German Hein Domgorgen slid from #9 to #18, coming up short in both his 1927 encounters (both TKO losses) with Ted Moore and Marcel Thil. Other notables include Cuba's Kid Charol, who won all three of his bouts in 1927 to rise to #20 with a 21-4-1 (12) record. Topping the newcomers on this year's list is Young Terry, who checks in at #23 with a 16-1-2 (9) mark after surviving two close calls with Vince Dundee (one draw, one SD win) to run his unbeaten streak to seven. Walcott Langford, who remains unbeaten at 15-0 (9), is ranked 26th, ahead of another unbeaten newcomer, Italy's Enzo Fiermonte, who also won his first 15 (with 8 KOs) to wind up at #30. OPBF Champ Garcia was one of Terry's victims. CBU titleholder Stewart won his only defense after suffering two stoppage losses to Downey and Garcia. Milligan captured the GBU title but is still looking to improve his overall ranking after falling short in his EBU title try versus DeVos.

Prospects: Many are still undefeated, feasting off TC opposition. Still sporting a clean slate are Herman Ratzlaff, 11-0 (7); Willie Feldman, 10-0 (8); Virgil Kincaide, 10-0 (8); Cuba's Relampage Saguero, 10-0 (8); and Brit Archie Sexton, 8-0 (7). Joey LaGrey suffer his first loss to Langford and finished the year at 9-1-3 (5). Spain's Ignacio Ara suffered a TKO loss to a French TC to finish up at 6-1 (5). Those with clean slates thus far also include the trio of Pete Horton, Johnny Romero and Ad Zachow (7-0, 7 KOs for all three); Scot Jock McAvoy and Freddie Steele (both 5-0, 5 KO); and Ben Jeby (3-0, 2 KO).

Retirements: Six retirements in 1927, including one former Champion.

Mike Gibbons (USA) 1908-27 48-18-4 (15) WBA Champ 1921-24
Joe Borrell (USA) 1911-27 35-23-1 (22) USBA Champ Highest Rank: 2
Battling Ortega (USA) 1915-27 29-20-5 (17) USBA Champ Highest Rank: 13
WIllie Brennan (USA) 1909-27 34-29-5 (18) No Titles Highest Rank: 18
Jimmy O'Hagan (USA) 1911-27 30-26-5 (14) No Titles Highest Rank: 38
Len Rowlands (USA) 1913-27 28-25-6 (11) No Titles Highest Rank: 16

Looking Ahead: No one appears to be a strong candidate to take the WBA title belt from Walker. DeVos has dominated the action in Europe but has had trouble when matched with other top contenders from outside Europe. Schoell and Dave Shade may still succeed, at least in claiming lesser belts. Expect Angelo to bounce back into the top ten. Steele is probably the best of the young prospects in the division right now. Harry Smith and Lou Brouillard lead the eight newcomers to the division in 1928.

[PWillisTheMan]

What a time for Light Heavyweights. Incredibly loaded, should be some awesome fights to run there next year.

[JCWeb]

1927 WW Title Bouts

WBA

Young Jack Thompson CH (22-0-2) vs Bermondsey Billy Wells #1 (40-7-1)

First meeting of the two; Wells enters the bout having won his last 11 bouts. For Thompson, the unbeaten Champ, it is his sternest test so far.

The Champ gets off to a good start, taking round one and then having the upper hand as both men trade blows from outside in round two. Wells tries to move inside in round three, which goes down as an even round. Thompson steps up the pace in the fourth, which turns out to be a big round for the challenger. Both men stand toe-to-toe in round five, another good round for the challenger. At this point, the unofficial scorer has the bout even (48-all). Both men stay outside in round six, another even round. Both Wells and Thompson try to take charge on the inside in the middle rounds, with both men having thier moments. An aggressive Thompson catches Wells with a sharp combination to take round 10. Five rounds to go, and the title is definitely up for grabs (it's 96-96 according to the ringside expert). Thompson continues to work inside in round 11, and Wells' left eye shows signs of swelling. Wells steps up the pace in rounds 12 and 13, but Thompson's defense holds firm. Not much action in round 14, and then finally an all-out effort by Wells in the final stanza appears to fall just short. The scorecards have it as a SD 15 win for the Champ (146-141 Thompson, 143-144 Corbett, then 144-142 for Thompson).

Young Jack Thompson CH (23-0-2) vs Young Corbett III #3 (24-5-1)

No prior bouts between these two, but Corbett has posted two recent wins over Carroll and Harmon for the NABF title to make him a serious contender.

After a lacklustre opening round, a strong round for the challenger who has the best of the outside action in round two. Thompson presses forward in round three and appears to have gained control from the inside. Round four, Corbett is the aggressor, taking the fight to Thompson. Fifth round is another strong one for Corbett, and the unofficial ringside observer has the bout even (48-48) at this point. A slight edge to the Champ in round six, as he fights from the outside more effectively. Thompson continues to do well in round seven, except for the fact that a dangerous cut has appeared just above his right eye. Corbett targets the cut, but is off target while the Champ continues to pile up the points in round eight. Corbett presses forward on the inside, having a better time of it in round nine. Thompson then tries to crowd his opponent on the inside in round 10, but he is cautioned by the ref. It's a close bout (96-95 lead for Thompson) heading into the final five rounds. Corbett becomes more aggressive, keeping the bout close in rounds 11 and 12 as Thompson's left eye starts puffing up. The cut is reopened and becomes a problem, but Thompson battles through the adversity to survive the bout. Scorecards have it a draw (144-143 for Thompson, 144-all, 142-146 for Corbett), so Thompson keeps the belt and retains his unbeaten slate.

Young Jack Thompson CH (23-0-3) vs Jimmy Jones #5 (21-9-3)

Thompson takes on Jones, whom he handled (TKO 8) in an earlier bout. Jones has gone 5-1 since that loss in 1926.

Action starts early as Jones manages to rip open a cut over the left eye of the Champ, signaling that things may be different this time. Jones targets the cut, stalking Thompson for most of round two, an even round. Both men stay outside in round three, and Thompson finally gets on track, but the cut is still a problem. Thompson presses the action on the inside in round four, another even round. Round five sees both men whale away on the inside. Thompson appears to have the better of it, but Jones has a slight edge (48-47) according to the unofficial scorecard. Jones goes back to work on the cut in round six, but Thompson responds with a big round. The Champ puts Jones under pressure in round seven, and by round eight Jones' left eye is starting to swell. Thompson continues to press forward in round nine, taking the round. Jones battles back, dropping the Champ in a quick barrage in round 10. Nonetheless, Thompson is ahead (96-94) on the unofficila card. Jones pursues an aggressive approach, but Thompson is alert and much more cautious in the later rounds. A late rally by Jones in the last two rounds raises the question of whether or not Thompson was too conservative. Final scorecards have it 142-all , 145-142 Thompson, and 141-145 Jones -- and Thompson escapes with the belt and another draw (his second in succession and his fourth overall).

Young Jack Thompson CH (23-0-4) vs Young Corbett III #3 (25-5-2)

Corbett is given another shot at Thompson's title given the closeness of their bout earlier in the year.

Good action in the opening stanza, essentially an even round. Another even round in the second, a bit less action as both men stay outside. Not much action in round three, but the challenger takes round four as Thompson appears to be a bit overly aggressive. Corbett takes round five as well as Thompson's right eye shows signs of swelling. Unofficial scorer has Corbett with a slight lead (48-47) at this point. Both men take a breather, staying outside in round six, and Corbett continues to pile up points. Thompson tries to be more aggressive in rounds seven and eight, but he cannot make much impression on Corbett. After a couple of rounds that could go either way, Corbett appears to have the upper hand (98-94 on the unofficial card after 10 rounds). Thompson continues as the aggressor and has a strong round 11 to remain in contention. Both men battle on the inside in round 12, another close round of many in this bout. Thompson stuns Corbett with a big left in the 13th but the challenger survives the onslaught without going down. The Champ continues to press in the final two rounds, but most observers think Corbett has done enough to take the belt. The bout goes the distance, and it comes down to a split decision with one judge favoring the Champ. However, Corbett wins the other two judges by the narrowest of margins (144-143, 141-146, 144-143) to take the title.

NABF: Willie Harmon starts off 1927 with the belt but runs into a tough challenge from Young Corbett III, who zeros in on an earlier cut and takes the title via a late cuts stoppage (TKO 10). Corbett then defends versus Pete Latzo, battling a cut over the eye to emerge with a UD 12 win. Finally, after taking the WBA title, Corbett vacates the NABF title heading into the new year.

USBA: Tommy Robson defends versus Johnny Adams in an exciting bout. Robson takes a beating in the early rounds, and one eye starts puffing up. He battled back to put Adams down in round seven, then opens a cut over the eye of the challenger heading into the final three rounds. Adams does not quit, however, landing a huge cross to deck Robson in the 11th; with a second KD in the final round, Adams goes on to lift the belt via a close MD 12. His first defense versus Jimmy Jones doesn't go so well, as Jones takes advantage and dominates the action en route to a UD 12 win. Finally, the USBA title changes hands for the third time in a year as Jones meets Pete Latzo. Latzo surges to an early lead and hangs on for a MD 12 decision win to take the belt.

CBU: Wells makes his first defense in over a year, taking on up-and-coming young Brit Alf Mancini. It turns out to be a relatively easy defense, and a big hook puts a tired Mancini on the canvas late in the bout, sealing a lopsided UD 12 win for Wells who keeps the belt for another year, having held it since 1924.

GBU: Hamilton Johnny Brown takes on veteran Ted Kid Lewis, and it's a hard-fought battle, with Lewis battling a cut eye starting midway through the bout. Brown survives the test, holding on to register a SD 12 win over the wily veteran in a bit of an upset.

EBU: Wells defends this title twice in 1927, first versus Belgian Piet Hobin who is cut early on due to an accidental butt. A trip to the canvas only delays the inevitable, and the bout is halted due to the butt cut in the seventh, going down as a UTD win for Wells. GBU Champ Brown is the next challenger, and the bout proves to be much closer than three prior encounters, all won by Wells. Wells battles a cut eye, withstands a late surge from Brown and escapes with a SD 12 win.

OPBF: Tenorio has a busy year, defending his OPBF title won in 1926 on three separate occasions. He takes on veteran Aussie Tommy Uren, falling behind in the middle rounds but battling back as Uren suffers a late cut; the late surge allows Tenorio to post a SD 12 win. Jack Carroll, another Aussie, is up next, and the Filipino again takes advantage of a late cut and scores another SD 12 win. Then, he takes on countryman Macario Flories, who puts on one of the strongest performances of his career and takes the final round to secure a draw. However, Tenorio retains the belt for another year despite the three close calls.

[JCWeb]

Jan. 1928 WW Division Profile

Total: 110 RL: 70 TC: 40

RL by Career Stage:
End - 4
Post - 9
Prime - 34
Pre - 19
Beginning - 4 (4 New)

Rated: 56
800+: 9
500+: 31
200+ : 48

Jan 1928 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1927 in Parens):

Champ: Young Corbett III 26-5-2 (11) (1160) (+6)
1. Bermondsey Billy Wells 43-9-1 (16) (1189) (NC)
2. Joe Dundee 27-7-4 (11) (1178) (+12)
3. Young Jack Thompson 23-1-4 (15) (1159) (-3)
4. Pete Latzo 27-9-1 (11) (1037) (+3) (USBA Champ)
5. Jimmy Jones 21-10-4 (9) (962) (+3)
6. Willie Harmon 23-6-2 (11) (958) (-1)
7. Ted Kid Lewis 50-16-4 (22) (876) (-5)
8. Packey McFarland 65-13-5 (30) (827) (-5)
9. Jimmy McLarnin 20-2 (16) (797) (NC)
10. Jack Sparr 20-8 (12) (796) (+2)

Also: 11. Lope Tenorio 20-2-5 (6) (796) (+12) (OPBF Champ)
14. Hamilton Johnny Brown 19-11-4 (9) (780) (-3) (GBU Champ)

Comments: Lewis and McFarland are at Post; everyone else still is at Prime. Corbett is unbeaten in his last five and enters 1928 as the Champion despite having only the third highest PP total. Wells, still in the #1 contender slot, had a busy 1927, going 3-2, dropping a UD 10 to Joe Dundee in addition to the World title clash with Thompson. Dundee has gone unbeaten in his last seven but has yet to earn a title shot; his 1927 wins came versus Ted Kid Lewis (KO win), Bermondsey Billy Wells and Harmon (both UDs) and JWW Johnny Jadick (also via UD). Thompson slipped after suffering his first loss in the final title bout of the year versus Corbett. Latzo won four of five in 1927, his only loss coming to Corbett, with UD wins over Britton, McFarland and Brown. Jones, whose MD loss to Latzo snapped a five-bout win streak, which featured a TKO over Levine and a UD versus Schlaifer to set up the USBA title shot. Harmon rebounded from consecutive losses to Corbett and Dundee with a UD 10 win over Shevlin and then a major win over McLarnin via a late TKO stoppage. Ted Kid Lewis went 2-2 for the year, recording a UD over McFarland after the KO loss to Dundee. McFarland remained a top-rated WW despite winning just one of five in 1927, a UD win over Adams. McLarnin hit a plateau in his career, impressing in a UD over McFarland and a TKO over Robson but suffering his first two career defeats at the hands of Harmon (TKO loss) and Baby Joe Gans (a surprising MD 10 loss). Rounding out the top 10 is Sparr, who had a four-bout winless string snapped with wins over Schlaifer (UD) and Archie Walker (KO).

Other Notables: Tenorio has gone unbeaten in his last eight to zoom up the ratings list, notching a UD win over aging vet Britton in addition to his OPBF title defenses. Hamilton Johnny Brown's 1927 featured just one win, over Ted Kid Lewis, dropping UDs to Latzo and Britton. Britton, who had held the #10 spot heading into the year, retired. Robson went 0-3 in 1927 and has now lost his last four to slide 12 spots all the way down to #16. Indrisano was unbeaten during the year (three wins and a draw) and wound up at #17 with a 17-1-2 (9) career record heading into his Prime years. Johnny Leto is the top newcomer, remaining undefeated after a busy year that included six wins and two draws; the wins came via TKOs over Ruby Goldstein, Pat Corbett and King Tut, a UD over Jack Hood, a SD versus Clyde Hull. His 15-0-2 (10) career start places him 18th in the rankings. Goldstein struggled in 1927,drawing with Jack Zivic but losing to Leto and JW Jack Kid Berg to end up his Pre-Prime career stage at 16-3-1 (13), good only for #25 in the rankings. One spot lower at #26 is another newcomer, Don Fraser, who suffered his first setback (a UD loss to Joe Simonich) but gaining a measure of revenge by taking a MD from that same opponent in a rematch. Jack Hood of the UK is third among those new to the list this year, checking in at #33 with a 15-2 (6) record thus far.

Prospects: Freddy Polo remains perfect, racking up wins versus TCs and Buckey Lawless to go 12-0 (10) thus far. Lawless' first loss to Polo meant he wound up the year at 12-1 (8). Pinky Kaufman suffered a DQ loss to Hull, held Leto to a draw and ended up 1927 at 10-2-1 (5). Jackie Fields TKO'd JWW Basil Galiano but suffered the first blemish on his slate when he was held to a draw by Andy DiVodi; he ends the year at 11-0-1 (9). Canada Lee has kept a clean slate, winning over My Sullivan en route to posting a 11-0 (7) career mark so far. Sullivan bounced back with a win over Swiss Cleto Locatelli and ended the year at 10-1 (7) while Locatelli checks in at 10-1 (5). King Tut TKO'd DiVodi but dropped a TKO to Leto to go 11-1-1 (10) thus far. TC opposition proved no problem for Tiger Joe Randall and Saverio Turiello; each won their first seven, Randall with 6 KOs and Turiello with three.

Retirements: Four WWs left the ranks in 1927, including one all-time great (four-time WBA Champion Jack Britton) who had spent 20 consecutive years in the WW top ten list.

Johnny Basham (UK) 1910-27 36-24-3 (14) CBU, GBU Champ Highest Rank: 4
Johnny Alberts (USA) 1909-27 40-25-5 (19) NABF Champ Highest Rank: 6
Jack Britton (USA) 1905-27 61-24-4 (19) WBA Champ 1909-11, 1912-13, 1914-15, 1920
Tommy Uren (AUS) 1913-27 37-21-1 (17) WBA Champ 1920-21

Looking Ahead: The WW ranks actually shrunk in 1927 as there were four retirements versus two new entries. The situation near the top remains fluid, as Wells, Dundee, Thompson, and Latzo all remain top contenders while Jimmy McLarnin seeks to regain some of the momentum he lost in 1927. Tenorio survived some close bouts and is on the verge of reaching the top 10. Indrisano, Leto and Ruby Goldstein also might be ready to move up. Jackie Fields is probably the top new young prospect and a couple of years away from making his mark. Top newcomer for 1928 is expected to be the German, Gustav Eder.

[JCWeb]

1927 JWW Title Bouts

WBA

Pinkey Mitchell CH (28-10-3) vs Archie Walker (21-5-1)

Walker is stepping up from the LW division to challenge Mitchell at JWW. First meeting of the two.

Mitchell gets off to a great start, dominating the action in the opening stanza. He lands a huge shot right before the bell, and Walker goes down and does not arise. Mitchell by KO 1. Walker decides to move up to the WW division immediately after suffering this humiliating defeat.

Pinkey Mitchell CH (30-10-3) vs Johnny Jadick #2 (16-5-1)

First meeting of the two, Jadick enters the bout with the USBA JWW belt. Mitchell has won his last three.

After an even opening round, the Champ takes a slight edge as the two trade blows from the outside in round two. Jadick works his way inside in the third round, which turns out to a good one for the challenger. Mitchell's left eye is starting to puff up even at this early stage of the fight. Mitchell then take his turn fighting inside in round four, result is another even round. Round five sees both men battle on the inside, a huge round for Mitchell. The Champ has a narrow lead (49-48) at this point, according to the unofficial card. Jadick's left eye is starting to swell as the two battle on the outside in the sixth, another close round. Jadick's effort to mount an inside attack is thwarted by Mitchell, who takes round seven. Jadick continues with his aggressive approach in rounds eight and nine, with mixed results. Mitchell's clever defense and effective counterpunching enable him to build a substantial points lead (98-94 on the unofficial card) heading into the final rounds. Jadick gradually runs out of gas in the later rounds, despite a game effort. The bout goes the distance, and it's no surprise when Mitchell is declared the UD 15 winner (145-142, 148-138, 145-141).

USBA: Mushy Callahan accepts the challenge of Jadick, who -- fighting at Prime for the first time -- seizes control after the first four rounds, then builds a decisive points lead en route to a UD 12 win.

Jan. 1928 JWW Division Profile

Total: 17 RL: 9 TC: 8

RL by Career Stage:
End - 0
Post - 2
Prime - 4
Pre - 2
Beginning - 1 (0 New)

Rated: 8
800+: 1
500+: 2
200+ : 6

Jan 1928 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1927 in Parens):

Champ: Pinkey Mitchell 31-10-3 (13) (1140) (NC)
1. Jack Kid Berg 18-0-1 (8) (740) (new)
2. Johnny Jadick 17-7-1(5) (345) (NC) (USBA Champ)
3. Spug Myers 21-5-4 (9) (401) (-3)
4. Mushy Callahan 16-5 (7) (317) (-3)
5. Mickey Cohen 12-4 (7) (239) (new)
6. Harry Wallach 13-8 (8) (51) (-2)
7. Basil Galiano 22-18-1 (4) (32) (-2)

Comments: Mitchell and Galiano will be at Post in 1928, their real-life retirement years; Berg has one more bout at Pre-Prime and Cohen, the other newcomer to the list, is at Pre also. Mitchell won all three of his bouts in 1928, and has fashioned a four-bout win streak; he scored a UD 10 win over WW Paul Demsky in addition to defending his JWW twice. Berg has emerged as the top newcomer, maintaining an unbeaten slate through the year; the only blemish on his record is a draw with WW Manuel Quintero, and he also squeaked by with a SD 10 over Mushy Callahan. Then, in a weird numbers situation, Jadick (with a lower PP total) is ranked ahead of Spug Myers. Jadick had a busy year, fighting six times, but went 1-3 versus WWs, dropping UDs to Joe Dundee and Tommy Uren after a MD 10 loss to lowly-rated Al Mello. Myers actually swept all three of his 1927 contests, taking a UD from Callahan and then registering TKO wins over two WWs (Andy DiVodi and Macario Flores). Callahan slipped badly, losing the USBA title and bouts to Myers, Berg and WW Manuel Quintero before bouncing back with a UD 10 win over WW Ted Krache to snap a four-bout losing skein. Mickey Cohen split a pair of split dukes with Wallach, but continued to falter versus WWs when he suffered a TKO loss to Don Fraser. Wallach did little to impress, dropping four in a row after an early season win over Mickey Cohen. Galiano also struggled, taking on WWs but suffering two TKO defeats with a draw with aging journeyman Phinney Boyle as his best 1927 result.

Prospects: Battling Shaw got his career underway, going 3-0 (2) versus TCs.

Retirements: Too soon for this as the division is still too new.

Looking Ahead: With two of the few RL fighters in decline, the future looks kind of bleak to be honest. Jack Kid Berg is probably the top talent and likely to emerge as the Champion once he hits Prime. No newcomers on the horizon for 1928.

[JCWeb]

On to the LW recap, which will include probably the biggest surprise result of the year.

WBA

Benny Leonard CH (65-2-1) vs Tommy O'Brien #3 (37-10-4)

First meeting of the two. O'Brien, the USBA Champ, has performed well in recent bouts, going unbeaten in his last nine (seven wins and two draws) while capturing the USBA title in the process.

Leonard is down briefly in round one, but the ref rules it a slip; nonetheless, a strong start for O'Brien. The "Ghetto Wizard" regroups for round two, dominating the action on the outside. O'Brien tries to pressure Leonard on the inside in round three, but it's another good round for the Champ and the challenger is already suffering from a rapidly swelling right eye. O'Brien has a better round in the fourth, as Leonard tries to work inside but is largely ineffective. Both men work to establish control on the inside in round five, and the pendulum swings back to Leonard, who has a comfortable lead on points (49-46 according to the unofficial scorer) at this point. O'Brien is the aggressor in the middle rounds, but Leonard continues to combine good defense and excellent counterpunching to continue to pile up the points. Leonard appears to be close to victory in round 10, but he cannot put the stubborn challenger away. The swelling around O'Brien's eye gradually worsens and leads to a late stoppage, with Leonard well ahead on points. Leonard wins via TKO in round 12.

Benny Leonard CH (66-2-1) vs Ernie Rice #19 (26-11-1)

Leonard takes on the reigning GBU Champ, Rice, in Rome, Italy. The two met back in 1924, with Leonard taking a TKO win.

Good start by the Champ in the opening round, and Leonard maintains a slight edge in the outside exchanges featured in round two. Rice moves inside in round three and does well to hold his own versus Leonard. Leonard comes back strongly, moving inside and dominating the action in round four. Another close round in the fifth, and Leonard has the lead on points once again on the unofficial card (49-47) after five. Rice tries, unsuccessfully, to be more aggressive in the middle rounds, but he can make no impression on the Great Bennah. In round 10, Rice is floored by a Leonard combination, but he hangs on to last the round. Rice is dead-tired in the late rounds, but Leonard (aided by a second KD in round 12) is content to coast to an easy UD win (149-132, 148-132, 149-132).

Benny Leonard CH (67-2-1) vs Benny Valgar #5 (35-11-2)

Second meeting of the two, with Leonard winning an earlier title clash back in 1919 in Valgar's last bout at Pre-Prime. This time, in Valgar's third try for the World crown, he fights before a less hostile crowd in Berlin, Germany.

Leonard gets off to a strong start to take round one. Both men are content to work outside in round two, and Leonard connects with a big hook that stuns Valgar. Valgar covers up, then late in the round an over-eager Leonard is called for a blatant low blow. In a controversial decision, referee Waldemar Schmidt DQs Leonard, and the title is awarded to Valgar in a huge surprise that reverberates throughout the boxing world.

NABF: Five title tilts for this belt. Sammy Mandell begins the year as the titleholder, and he defends versus Ray Miller. Miller gets off to a good start, and he takes the belt when Mandell is DQ'd for holding and hitting in round seven. Miller takes on Billy Petrolle, the "Fargo Express," who makes the most of his first title shot, battering Miller around the ring before the action is called to a halt in round eight -- TKO win for Petrolle as Miller's eye is nearly closed due to severe swelling. Petrolle then outclasses Cuban LW Emory Cabana, taking a UD 12. Then Jimmy Goodrich takes on Petrolle in a bruising battle that sees Goodrich out to the early lead, with Petrolle battling back but falling just short at Goodrich takes the belt via a SD 12 in a well-fought, energetic battle. Goodrich defends versus Sid Terris, and Terris takes a beating as Goodrich pounds out a UD 12 win.

USBA: Andy Chaney defends versus O'Brien, who takes advantage of the fact that Chaney has hit the downside of his career; O'Brien by UD 12 as the challenger dominates the second half of the bout. First defense versus ex-NABF beltholder Mandell is not an easy one, as O'Brien survives a cut eye and steadily improves in the later rounds as Mandell also sustains a cut in a dangerous location; still, a close bout, with O'Brien prevailing with a MD 12 win.

CBU: Billy Grime keeps the belt for another year, despite not defending in 1927.

GBU: Ernie Rice gives a title shot to the aging vet, "Ring Gorilla" Phil Bloom, who is down in the second and then counted out in the third in a very one-sided affair. The bout turns out to be Bloom's swansong as he retires soon after the defeat.

EBU: Valgar defends once, a solid performance against Brit Harry Mason in which the "French Flash" is never seriously challenged and takes a UD 12 verdict. Shortly after winning the WBA title, Valgar vacates the EBU title.

[JCWeb]

Jan. 1928 LW Division Profile

Total: 127 RL: 76 TC: 51

RL by Career Stage:
End - 5
Post - 11
Prime - 34
Pre - 20
Beginning - 6 (4 New)

Rated: 53
800+: 14
500+: 31
200+ : 51

Jan 1928 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1927 in Parens):

Champ: Benny Valgar 36-11-2 (12) (1469) (+7)
1. Benny Leonard 67-3-1 (40) (1468) (-1)
2. Jimmy Goodrich 36-8-1(10) (1338) (NC) (NABF Champ)
3. Tommy O'Brien 33-11-4 (16) (1114) (+3) (USBA Champ)
4. Billy Petrolle 23-2-2 (16) (1080) (+5)
5. Ray Miller 22-2 (12) (1067) (-1)
6. Lew Tendler 44-14-2 (14) (1062) (-3)
7. Andy Chaney 37-12-2 (12) (1012) (-6)
8. Luis Vicentini 24-4 (11) (958) (+2)
9. Ever Hammer 38-15-5 (16) (945) (-4)
10. Sammy Mandell 26-7 (7) (917) (-2)

Also: 11. Billy Grime 21-9-1 (14) (756) (-1) (CBU Champ)
14. Ernie Rice 26-12-1 (15) (691) (-2) (GBU Champ)

Comments: A bit of musical chairs action here, as all of the top ten from last year are back in the list again, but most in different positions. Tendler and Chaney are at Post, everyone else is at Prime. Valgar is currently on a four-bout winning streak, taking UDs from Grime and Seeman in addition to two title bout wins; his last defeat was a MD 10 loss to veteran JLW Johnny Dundee. Leonard, whose shocking DQ loss to Valgar snapped a 25-bout win streak (his last loss coming via KO to Andy Chaney in March 1921 after another DQ loss in late 1920 to Sam Robideau for the title) was closing in on a record PP total of 1900. Goodrich has won his last five, going 4-0 for the year with a MD over Tendler and a UD over Rocky Kansas to go with his two NABF title wins. O'Brien moved up by virtue of his two USBA title bout wins, going 2-1 in 1927, all three in title bouts. Petrolle continued to progress, adding a TKO over veteran Charley O'Connell to win three of four in 1927, and his one SD loss to Goodrich was his only loss in the last three years which covers a span of 12 bouts. Miller had an 11-bout win streak snapped when he was TKO'd by Petrolle; he recovered with a DQ win over Lew Tendler to maintain a top five spot in the rankings. Tendler had a busy year, six bouts, but slipped due to losses to Goodrich and Miller, and could only manage a draw with JLW Sid Barbarian; his three wins were UDs over Hammer, Vicentini and "Kid Lucky," Jimmy Dundee. Chaney took a nosedive by virtue of a SD loss to Jimmy Dundee (which he avenged with a MD 10 win in a rematch) and bounced back with a MD win over Kaiser. Vicentini dropped a UD to Tendler but impressed with a TKO win over Grime and a SD over Hammer, who has now lost four of his last five. Mandell also struggled, falling short in two title efforts but taking a UD from Billy Wallace.

Other Notables: Sid Terris wound up one spot short of the top 10, at #11, with a 21-5-2 (7) mark. Former JLW king Sid Barbarian moved up, taking the measure of GBU Champ Rice and battling to a draw with Tendler to end up #12 with a 28-9-1 (14) career record. Grime won just one of three bouts, a UD over Jimmy Dundee. Top newcomer to the rankings this year is Sammy Fuller, who wound up his Pre-Prime career with an excellent 19-1 (8) record, good enough for #19 in the rankings. He bested fellow prospect Maxie Strub in a split duke, had a pair of wins over Johnny Trambitas, and TKO'd Meyer Grace -- his one loss came to JLW Mike Ballerino. Rice struggled, dropping a UD 10 to Barbarian while doing enough to keep his GBU title belt. Sammy Dorfman remained unbeaten and debuts at the #21 spot, registering five more wins to end the year at 15-0-1 (3), including UDs over veterans Special Delivery Hirsch and Joe Welling. Strub is the third highest ranked newcomer, despite losses to Fuller and Dorfman, he battled back to post a TKO win over Bruce Flowers and wound up at #25 with a 15-2 (8) record.

Prospects: Baby Sal Sorio won his first 13 before suffering a KO 1 loss to Lew Kirsch in his most recent bout; he had been impressive in earlier wins over Joe Salas and Joe Guerrero to end up the year at 13-1 (10). Kirsch dropped a MD to Strub but recovered with two wins, including the KO over Sorio, to finish 1927 at 12-1 (11). Al Winkler stumbled with a pair of losses (via SD and TKO) to Belgian Francois Sybille; he checks in at 10-2-1 (9). Joey Goodman and Jimmy McNamara feasted on TCs before battling each other to a draw; Goodman's record is now 11-0-1 (3) while McNamara is 10-0-1 (9). Mexico's Joe Guerrero has suffered three straight losses, including a TKO loss to a TC in addition to dropping a UD to Strub; the losses dropped him to 10-3 (5). Well documented has been the career start of the "Roman Warrior," Tony Canzoneri, who avenged a DQ loss and now stands at 11-1 (10). Keeping clean slates versus TC competition are Pedro Amador (8-0, 7 KO); Billy Townsend (8-0, 5 KO); George Rose (8-0, 4 KO); Harry Dublinsky (8-0, 3 KO); Cecil Payne (6-0, 3 KO). Also off to good starts are Jack Portney (5-0, 5 KO), Roger Bernard (5-0, 3 KO), Al Singer (5-0, 3 KO), Ah Wing Lee (3-0, 2 KO), and Lew Feldman (2-0, 1 KO).

Retirements: Five retirements to report:

Phil Bloom (UK) 1910-27 33-19-4 (13) CBU, GBU, EBU Champ Highest Rank: 17
Emanuel Jacobsen (DEN) 1917-27 26-19-2 (12) EBU Champ Highest Rank: 30
Charley White (USA) 1906-27 47-30-6 (13) USBA Champ Highest Rank: 5
Special Delivery Hirsch (USA) 1908-27 34-30-10 (4) No Titles Highest Rank: 15
Mexican Joe Rivers (USA) 1910-27 36-26-3 (13) No Titles Highest Rank: 18

Somehow missing on an earlier list was the retirement of veteran Aussie LW, Herb McCoy, whose career stats are noted here:

Herb McCoy (AUS) 1909-25 34-34-2 (13) CBU Champ Highest Rank: 5

Looking Ahead: Future of the division is a bit uncertain given the shocking DQ title loss by Leonard. Benny had been considering a move up to WW regardless of what happened in the Valgar bout; he may or may not do so. Certainly the top flight of the division is loaded with talent, as Goodrich, O'Brien, Petrolle, Miller and Mandell are hitting the prime of their careers. Sammy Fuller could also develop into a top 10 contender. Older veterans like Andy Chaney, Lew Tendler, Ever Hammer and Rocky Kansas are beginning to fade. Canzoneri may or may not move up to JWW where the competition may be a bit easier. Not much in the way of new talent, as Eddie Cool and Argentinian Justo Suarez are the best of the newcomers set to join the LW ranks in 1928 (which will not be sufficient to replace the five who retired in 1927).

[JCWeb]

Will try to squeeze the JLW recap into one post.

WBA

Sid Barbarian CH (27-8) vs Jack Bernstein #6 (19-11)

Rematch of the 1923 USBA title clash that resulted in a TKO win for Barbarian.

Barbarian uses his jab to set up a hard shot off the top of the head, and Bernstein tumbles to the canvas in round one. More trouble for the challenger in round two, as a cut is opened on his mouth. The cut is still bleeding in round three, but at least Bernstein survives another onslaught from Barbarian without further damage. Closer round in the fourth, as both men stay outside in safety-first mode. Then some good inside action in round five, and surprisingly, the ringside observer has it even (47-47) although it seems as if Barbarian has certainly had the best of it in the opening rounds. Barbarian continues to press the action on the inside in round six, strong round for the Champ. Bernstein battles back on the inside in round seven, an even round. After another close round with lots of inside action in round eight, Barbarian steps up the pace and, as a result, Bernstein's left eye starts to swell. Another strong round for the Champ in the 10th, and Barbarian now has the nod by one (95-94) from our ringside expert. After another close round in the 11th, Barbarian impresses with a huge round 12 -- Bernstein appears to be tiring badly. After another strong round by Barbarian in the 13th, Bernstein throws caution to the wind, putting Barbarian down in round 14 and the Champ, in real trouble for the first time, has to cover up. The final round is anti-climatic, and Barbarian turns out to be a UD 15 winner (145-138, 145-138, 144-139) as the ringside observer's scoring seemed a bit off for this bout.

Sid Barbarian CH (28-8) vs Tod Morgan #2 (22-5)

Morgan has been unbeaten since suffering a TKO loss to Barbarian in their one prior meeting in 1926; Barbarian has won his last five.

The two seem evenly matched in round one, when all of a sudden Barbarian unleashes a three-punch combo that forces Morgan to cover up. Both men trade from the outside in round two, slight edge to the Champ who moves inside and seems to have the better of the action in round three as well. Barbarian lands a strong shot and puts Morgan on the deck for an 8-count in the fourth. Morgan battles back and holds his own in the inside action in round five. At this point, the unofficial scorer has Barbarian well ahead (50-44). A more aggressive Morgan starts to turn things around in round six. The challenger continues to impress in the middle rounds, as an aggressive Barbarian seems to fall victim to Morgan's strong defense and counterpunching. Morgan is cut over the right eye late in round nine, and he battles back in round 10 to reduce the gap (96-93 in Barbarian's favor, according to the unofficial scorer). A puffy right eye starts to trouble Barbarian in round 11, and Morgan presses the action on the inside to take advantage. Morgan battles all the way to the end and Barbarian, worried about the eye, appears to be overly cautious in the late rounds. When the scorecards are read, the belt changes hands as it goes down as a UD 15 for Morgan (143-142, 144-140, 144-140).

Tod Morgan CH (23-5) vs Eddie Wagner #1 (34-15-1)

The two split two prior bouts, with Morgan taking a UD in 1924 but Wagner scored a TKO in 1925. Each enters the bout on a three-bout win streak.

Not much action in round one, but Wagner is off to a good start. Both men remain cautious in round two, another close round. Wagner tries to work inside in round three, good round for the Champ. Morgan presses the action on the inside, another close round in the fourth. Both men trade blows on the inside in round five, and Morgan dominates the round to seize the early points lead (49-46 on the unofficial card). Both men stay outside in round six, another strong round for the Champ. Wagner gets more aggressive in the middle rounds, but this just plays into Morgan's hands as he continues to build an unassailable points lead. Wagner starts to tire and is bothered by a split lip suffered in round 10. Morgan is well ahead now (99-91 on the unofficial card) which means Wagner needs a knockout to win. Instead, Morgan continues to wear down his opponent and coasts to another UD 15 win (145-139, 145-139, 144-140).

USBA: Johnny Dundee takes on Morgan, who takes advantage of the fact that the "Scotch Wop" is no longer in prime shape. Morgan comes on strong in the later rounds to take a UD 12, which sets up the title shot with Barbarian. With Morgan winning the WBA title, the belt is up for grabs later in the year, and Eddie Wagner is matched with Mike Ballerino. Wagner battles a cut eye but does enough to take the belt with a close but UD 12 win.

Jan. 1928 JLW Division Profile

Total: 16 RL: 10 TC: 6

RL by Career Stage:
End - 1
Post - 21
Prime - 4
Pre - 30
Beginning - 0 (0 New)

Rated: 8
800+: 2
500+: 6
200+ : 7

Jan 1928 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1927 in Parens):

Champ: Tod Morgan 24-5 (8) (946) (+4)
1. Eddie Wagner 34-16-1 (15) (873) (+1) (USBA Champ)
2. Johnny Dundee 49-18-2 (15) (769) (-1)
3. Steve Sullivan 34-23-7 (8) (683) (NC)
4. Mike Ballerino 20-7-4 (5) (663) (+1)
5. Frankie Klick 15-3 (9) (558) (new)
6. Jack Bernstein 19-13 (5) (373) (+1)
7. Vincent Martin 26-21-3 (12) (54) (+1)

Comments: Dundee and Sullivan are at Post-Prime, Klick at Pre, Martin at End while the others are still at Prime. A bit of musical chairs action here, as all of the top ten from last year are back in the list again, but most in different positions. Morgan began the year with a UD win over veteran George Chaney then won the USBA and WBA titles to fashion a four-bout win streak. Wagner had a very strong year going, impressing with a SD win over veteran LW Rocky Kansas, then winning the USBA crown before falling short in the WBA title clash with Morgan. "Scotch Wop" Dundee seemed to reflect the effects of aging, dropping a UD to Kansas in addition to the USBA title loss after a promising UD win over Benny Valgar (now the WBA LW Champ) to start the season. Sullivan fought only twice in 1927, losing both (a SD to Wagner and a UD to Ballerino). Ballerino had notched up some impressive results (a draw with LW Al Gordon, then wins over Sullivan and hot LW prospect Sammy Fuller) but did not come through when given the USBA title shot versus Wagner. Top newcomer to the rankings list is Frankie Klick, who started the year with his third career loss (a UD to LW prospect Sammy Dorfman) before reeling off five straight wins, including UDs over LWs DeMarco and Marcus, a MD over Tommy Cello, and a SD over George Chaney. Bernstein had a SD win over Tommy Cello, but dropped the title bout and then lost a UD to Meyer Grace. Bringing up the rear is Vincent "Pepper" Martin, who won only one bout during year (that coming versus a TC) but dropped three versus LW opponents, including a TKO at the hands of Mexican Joe Rivers who was approaching retirement.

Prospects: Leslie Wildcat Carter (10-0, 8 KO) and Pete Nebo (8-0, 3 KO) continued to make progress versus LW and JLW TC opposition.

Retirements: None as yet.

Looking Ahead: Dethroned Champion from last year, Sid Barbarian, moved up to the LW division as did the aging George Chaney; thus the number of active RL fighters in this division has shrunk from 1927. Since Johnny Dundee seems to have lost interest in the division, it looks like there are no serious challengers to Morgan unless Barbarian returns to the division for a rematch of the close 1927 title clash. No newcomers on the horizon for 1928, so (like its counterpart, the JWW division), this division's prospects are not all that great.

[JCWeb]

1927 FW Title Bouts

WBA

Chick Suggs CH (27-8-3) vs Carl Duane #7 (21-6)

Rematch of the 1924 WBA title bout, won by Suggs on a late round TKO.

Suggs drops Duane for a six-count with an overhand right less than a minute into the bout. Duane survives the round but his right eye starts to puff up in the second as the Champ inflicts more punishment. Round three sees both men stay outside, an uneventful lull in the action. Duane moves inside in round four, another even round. The two stand toe-to-toe in the fifth round, and the Champ does well, pulling well ahead on points (50-45) according to the unofficial ringside observer. Round six, once again the Champ has the best of it as both men elect to stay outside. Duane starts to apply some pressure in round seven, but it goes down as another strong round for Suggs. Duane does better in round eight, as he gets even more aggressive and manages to put Suggs on the defensive. Suggs is able to re-establish control in round nine. Suggs stuns Duane with a three-punch combo in the 10th, and Duane is forced to cover up. Suggs is now well ahead (99-91) on the unofficial scorecard. Things get even worse for Duane as he sustains a cut over his left eye in round 11, and Suggs is contend to step off the gas, conserving his energy while staying out of trouble and protecting his points lead. The bout goes the distance and turns out to be a lopsided UD 15 win for Suggs (148-137, 148-137, 146-138).

Chick Suggs CH (28-8-3) vs Louis Kaplan #1 (28-4-1)

Kaplan holds a MD 15 win over Suggs in an earlier title bout back in 1924; two and a half years later, Suggs is looking for revenge.

After an uneventful opening round, action is slow to develop in round two as both men stay on the outside. Suggs moves inside in round three but Kaplan defends well, taking a slight edge into round four where it is Kaplan trying to dictate the pace from the inside. Kaplan rocks Suggs on his heels and continues to impress. Round five, both men stay toe-to-toe on the inside, and it's another good round for Kaplan. The unofficial scorecard has the challenger out in front (50-46) after five, and Suggs is beginning to show signs of swelling under his left eye. Suggs applies pressure and does somewhat better in round six. More battling on the inside in round seven, another close round. The action favors the challenger in round eight as Suggs tries to become more aggressive, all to no avail. More of the same inb round nine, but Suggs does better in round 10 although Kaplan still holds a substantial points lead (98-94 according to the unofficial card) after ten. Suggs keeps pressing in the late rounds, but Kaplan's defense remains strong and the Champ gradually tires. No knockdowns, the bout goes the distance. One judge (surprisingly) favors the Champion, Suggs, but Kaplan repeats his earlier success to regain the WBA crown via a SD 15 (142-145, 145-142, 147-140).

Louis Kaplan CH (29-4-1) vs Benny Bass #2 (27-5-2)

Kaplan accepts the challenge from Bass, who has held the NABF belt for much of the time over the past few years. Kaplan has a win (SD 10) and a draw in two prior encounters.

After a close opening round, the Champ settles in and has the better of the outside exchanges in round two. Kaplan moves inside in round three, this time it's a slight edge for Bass. The challenger continues to do well in round four as he takes charge on the inside. The two battle inside in round five, and it's another close round although the ref deducts a point from Bass for a low blow. Unofficially, Kaplan is ahead now (49-45) although the bout seems fairly competitive. Bass picks up the pace in round six, but Kaplan is able to keep up and it's another even round. Kaplan then moves inside for round seven, taking control with some sharp exchanges that leave Bass with a rapidly swelling left eye. Kaplan has the edge in rounds eight and nine as Bass can't deliver on the inside. Then, in the tenth, the challenger has his best round yet, unleashing a barrage of blows. Nonetheless, the unofficial scorecard has a huge lead for Kaplan (98-92) with just five rounds to go. Bass continues as the aggressor but Kaplan's defense is solid. No knockdowns, Bass makes a late surge but Kaplan fashions a UD 15 win (144-141, 146-139, 144-141) to keep the title.

Louis Kaplan CH (30-4-1) vs Andre Routis #1 (31-7-2)

Kaplan journeys to France to take on the reigning EBU Champion, before a hostile crowd. This is a rematch of a 1925 title clash, which resulted in a TKO 13 for Routis. Kaplan has won his last eight since that loss, and Routis has won six in a row since losing the WBA title in 1926 to set up this rematch.

Great start for Kaplan, who dominates the opening round. After a much closer round two, Routis steps up the pace in the third round, but Kaplan piles up the points from the outside. The situation is reversed in round four, with Kaplan moving inside, but Routis takes the round while firing away at long range. The two trade blows on the inside in round five, another even round. The unofficial scorer also has it even (48-all) after five. Both men are content to stay outside in round six, another close round like the rest of the bout. When Kaplan tries to force the action on the inside, Routis responds with a very effective jab to take the round. Kaplan continues as the aggressor in round seven, but the momentum continues to swing toward the Frenchman, who also takes advantage and moves inside with a strong effort to take round nine. Round 10, Kaplan presses forward, but Routis continues to do well fighting from the outside. Unofficially, though, it's still a close bout as the challenger has a narrow lead (96-95) headed into the final rounds. Routis continues to pile up points and takes round 11, but the Champ gets back on track with a strong effort in the 12th. Routis moves inside for round 13, and it's a big round for Kaplan as he responds to the pressure with his title belt in jeopardy. Routis deals with a swollen right eye and battles back in round 14, an even round. Final round, Routis goes all-out with a very strong flurry right before the finish. Was it enough to impress the judges? After a long pause, the scorecards are read, and it turns out that the final round made all the difference -- Routis takes the title once again, this time by a narrow SD 15 (143-144, 146-140, 143-142).

NABF: Benny Bass started the year with the belt, and he defended it twice -- first versus Panama's Ansel Bell, who started well, staggering Bass with a big left in the opening round. However, Bass regrouped, nailed Bell with a huge shot and pulled out a SD 12 win. Next was Chick Suggs, the dethroned WBA king, who proved to be a stiff test, as the two battled in a bruising battle. Both men suffered swollen eyes and the end result -- a draw --seemed justified. Bass continues as NABF champion for another year.

USBA: This belt was vacated by Suggs, and Bud Ridley and Steve Smith were matched to fight for the vacant title. Smith does well in the early and middle rounds, but the "Little Dempsey" (Ridley) battles back with a late surge. A cut eye late in the fight slows Ridley, and Smith takes the belt with a SD 12 win. His first defense comes versus lowly-rated Mickey Cohen, who keeps the bout close and Smith is fortunate to escape with a draw.

CBU: Three title bouts for the CBU belt in 1927, first Young Johnny Brown took on Al Foreman, who got off to a good start and staved off a late surge by Brown to take a UD 12 verdict and the belt. Foreman defended versus French Canadian Georgie Balduc, dominating the bout which ended with three knockdowns in round nine -- TKO win for Foreman. Next up, another French Canadian, Leo Roy, challenges Foreman with much better success, taking an early lead and then pounding out a TKO win in five rounds, as a listless Foreman seemed to have an off night as Roy landed unanswered blows repeatedly throughout the contest.

GBU: Just one title defense by Dom Volante, versus former GBU titleholder Johnny Cuthbert. Turned out to be a highly competitive bout, as Volante rocked Cuthbert with a huge uppercut in round one, but Cuthbert came back with a surge in the middle rounds, staggering Volante with a big hook to the body midway through the bout. End result was a draw, which enabled Volante to keep the title for another year.

EBU: Routis defended the EBU title twice, first versus Foreman who appeared overmatched as Routis romped to a lopsided UD 12 win, then it was fellow Frenchman Edouard Mascart, who started well but seemed to wear down late in the bout, so it went down as another UD 12 for the more experienced Routis. By year's end, the belt was vacated after Routis successfully captured the WBA title for the second time.

OPBF: Four OPBF title bouts during the year. Johnny Hill took on countryman Young Nationalista, and a close bout was broken open when Nationalista put Hill down in the 11th which proved enough for a UD 12 win. Nationalista defended versus Elino Flores, whom he put on the deck with a big hook en route to another UD 12 triumph. Then Aussie veteran and former OPBF titleholder Jimmy Hill challenged Nationalista, but the aging vet was no match for his youthful adversary, succumbing to an uppercut that meant a KO 8 win for the Filipino. Nationalista then took on another countryman, Johnny Datto, who proved resilent as Nationalista put Datto down in the fifth, seventh, 10th and 12th rounds, with the UD 12 win a foregone conclusion.

[javier_83]

will beny leonard have his rematch??

[JCWeb]

Javier,

It's hard to say right now. Leonard would have to be drawn to fight the same month as Valgar, which I don't think is going to happen. Current plans are for Leonard to move up and take on the WWs in 1928. But that doesn't mean there can't be a rematch down the road, particularly if Leonard decides to drop back down to LW at some time down the road.

(Note: Just submitted a correction on the JLW report, as the rankings weren't accurate.)

[JCWeb]

Jan. 1928 FW Division Profile

Total: 115 RL: 72 TC: 43

RL by Career Stage:
End - 5
Post - 7
Prime - 38
Pre - 13
Beginning - 9 (2 New)

Rated: 51
800+: 7
500+: 27
200+ : 46

Jan 1928 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1927 in Parens):

Champ: Andre Routis 32-7-2 (15) (1255) (+2)
1. Louis Kaplan 30-5-1 (10) (1254) (NC)
2. Chick Suggs 28-9-4 (10) (1004) (-2)
3. Benny Bass 27-6-3 (10) (993) (NC) (NABF Champ)
4. Mike Dundee 33-10-3 (18) (869) (NC)
5. Eugene Criqui 48-14-6 (21) (817) (+1)
6. Carl Duane 22-7-1 (11) (806) (+2)
7. Leo Roy 23-9-2 (7) (780) (+12) (CBU Champ)
8. Al Foreman 21-9 (17) (778) (+10)
9. Dick Finnegan 24-8 (8) (766) (+5)
10. Young Nationalista 21-5-2 (9) (742) (+23) (OPBF Champ)

Also: 16. Steve Smith 20-5-5 (8) (631) (+9) (USBA Champ)
20. Dom Volante 17-5-2 (13) (566) (+6) (GBU Champ)

Comments: Criqui is at Post, everyone else listed at Prime although Routis and Duane have one more year before hitting Post in 1929. Routis won all five bouts in 1927 to extend his winning streak to seven bouts; he scored UD wins over Dundee and Bobby Garcia in addition to three title bout wins in 1927. Kaplan's loss to Routis snapped a eight-bout winning streak; he registered a UD over Criqui prior to engaging in the series of title bouts. Suggs, struggled during the year, with just a win, draw and a loss while taking on all the top contenders; the draw came versus Bass. Bass, likewise, won one, lost one, drew one, the win and draw in title bouts. Dundee survived a UD loss to Routis and TKO loss to Criqui, drawing with Duane and winning just once (a UD over Jimmy Hill). Criqui won two and loss two in 1927, taking it on the chin (KO loss to Foreman) after successive wins over Dundee (TKO) and Young Johnny Brown (UD), Duane rebounded from his losing title bid with a win over Brown and a draw with Dundee. Roy shot up the ratings, winning all four of his 1927 bouts, winning UDs over Vierra and O'Keefe and a MD over Shea in addition to the CBU title. Foreman had a busy year, going 3-2, four title bouts and then a UD over Criqui that propelled him into the Top 10 group. Finnegan won three of four in 1927, taking UDs from Kramer, Kilbane and Ansel Bell while dropping a UD to Bud Ridley. Finally, a huge gain was made by Nationalista, winner of his last six, including four OPBF title bouts and a UD 10 over Bell that moved him into the #10 spot.

Other Notables: Andy Martin wound up one spot short of the top 10 at #11, taking a UD over Kilbane and a MD versus Elino Flores after suffering a TKO loss to Shea; his career mark stands at 20-4 (7). Dropping out of the top ten at #12 (down two spots from 1927) is Danny Kramer, who beat Volante but has been winless since, losing a UD to Finnegan while managing draws with Garcia and Ridley. Panama's Ansel Bell KO'd Johnny Farr but dropped his last three (UD losses to Finnegan and Nationalista in addition to a NABF title loss) and fell six spots to #13. Bud Ridley had an inconsistent year, winning over O'Keefe (MD) and Finnegan (UD) but faltering in the USBA title try and managing only a draw with Kramer; he ended 1927 at #14. Brit Young Johnny Brown lost all three 1927 bouts, a UD to Criqui and a technical decision loss to Duane on top of the CBU title defeat, losing 10 spots in the rankings to #15. Newly crowned USBA Champ Smith was unbeaten with one win and two draws, his only result outside of the title tilts being a draw with former Champ Kilbane. Joey Sangor impressed, winning all four of his 1927 contests, albeit versus lower rated FWs, to move to 22-5-1 (6), good for 17th spot in the rankings. Volante kept the GBU belt but stumbled with a UD loss to Kramer, rebounding later with a UD win over Bobby Garcia. Garcia fell all the way from #9 to #21 in the ratings as a result of the loss. Top newcomer to the rankings is Filipino Ignacio Fernandez, who suffered his first loss to fellow prospect Willie Smith and ended the year at #19, sporting a 15-1 (10) mark. Smith failed to capitalize on his MD win over Fernandez, as he lost a UD to Petey Sarron in his next bout to end the year at 14-1 (5), good for 25th in the rankings. Third highest ranking newcomer was Sailor Willie Gordon, who struggled once beyond the safety of TC opponents, taking a SD from Phil Zwick but drawing with Al Tripoli and losing a UD to Johnny Cuthbert in his most recent bout; his 13-2-1 (6) career start was only good enough for #31 in the rankings.

Prospects: Frenchman Maurice Holtzer leads the prospects, compiling a perfect 13-0 (9) mark, all versus TCs. Panama's Santiago Zorilla kept his unbeaten string alive, running his record to 12-0-1 (6), featuring a UD over Vierra on his resume. Al Tripoli struggled once past the TC stage, dropping a UD to Sarron and posting a draw with Sailor Willie Gordon to wind up the year at 12-1-1 (5). Sarron continued to progress, taking UDs over Tripoli and Willie Smith and drawing with Chafferdet to check in at 11-1-1 (7), with his early career DQ loss to a TC long forgotten. Chafferdet, a Venezuelan, had won 10 in a row versus TC competition before the draw with Sarron left him at 10-0-1 (4). Seaman Tommy Watson stumbled, dropping a UD to a TC en route to a 10-1 (8) career start. Abie Israel (10-0, 8 KO), Nel Tarleton (10-0, 6 KO), Harry Blitman (10-0, 3 KO) ran up their records versus TC opposition. Getting off to good starts were Battling Battalino (5-0, 4 KO), Tommy Paul (4-0, 2 KO), Freddie Miller (3-0, 2 KO), Kid Chocolate (2-0, 2 KO) and Baby Arizmendi (2-0, 1 KO). Pete DeGrasse stumbled early with a DQ loss to a TC and checks in at 3-1 (2); ditto for young Filipino Varias Milling, who dropped a SD to a TC in his debut but avenged the loss in his next outing.

Retirements: Three FWs hung up the gloves, including a former WBA Champion.

Charlie Beecher (USA) 1919-27 19-14 (7) No Titles Highest Rank: 25
Battling Reddy (USA) 1911-27 32-32-5 (5) No Titles Highest Rank: 15
Kid Julian (ITA) 1909-27 38-26-4 (15) WBA Champ 1918-19, 1923

Looking Ahead: No dominant performer in the division since the days of Attell and Kilbane; Routis, Kaplan, Suggs and Bass appear to be the cream of the division and, at least for right now, all four are fairly evenly matched. Second-level guys like Finnegan and Martin are being groomed for shots at lesser USBA and NABF titles. Steve Smith will be looking to move into the top ten. Sarron seems to be poised to move to a strong initial position in the rankings this year. Looking to the future, there is a strong group of prospects heading into the next decade, paced by Battalino, Kid Chocolate, Miller, Arizmendi, and Tarleton. Only two newcomers slated to joing the FW ranks in 1928, but both should be factors in years to come.

[JCWeb]

1927 BW Title Bouts

WBA

Charley Phil Rosenberg CH (22-3-2) vs Panama Al Brown #6 (22-3)

First meeting of the two, with Brown coming off a UD 10 win over Bushy Graham while Rosenberg had won six in a row.

The action is slow to develop, and the first two rounds are relatively even. Panama Al shakes up things when he moves inside in round three and stuns the Champ with a hard cross. Brown continues to apply the pressure in round four, ripping open a gash over Rosenberg's right eye, but the Champ battles back to keep the round close. The cut is patched up and there is more excitement generated by Brown in round five, as he puts Rosenberg down with another cross. The unofficial card has Brown ahead (48-46) after five. The cut is still a problem in the sixth, as Panama Al works inside, continuing to apply pressure. The Champ's right eye starts to puff up. Brown looks to finish matters in round seven, re-opening the cut but Rosenberg hangs on to last the round. After an uneventful round eight, the cut is still a problem and Brown continues to dominate the action. More of the same in round 10, and the ringside observer has the challenger well ahead (98-94) at this point. Brown's stamina does not prove to be an issue as he remains energetic in round 11 and then in round 12, where the cut is ripped open again and the bleeding is out of control. The ref calls a halt, and Brown is the winner and new Champion via a TKO 12 (cuts stoppage).

Panama Al Brown CH (23-3) vs Chuck Hellman (18-7-2)

Hellman is not even in the top 20, so it looks like an easy first defense for Brown. The two have not met before.

Slight edge for the Champ in a slow-paced opening round. Panama Al looks sharp in the second round, and Hellman's left eye is already showing signs of swelling. An overconfident Brown is surprised by a Hellman cross in round three, and the Champ takes a brief trip to the canvas for his carelessness. Not much action in round four, as Brown seems to be recovering from the effects of the shock knockdown. Round five, in the toe-to-toe on the inside, Hellman suffers a cut under the right eye. Nonetheless, the knockdown is enough for Hellman to hold a narrow lead (48-47) at this point in the fight. Panama Al presses forward on the inside, taking round six. Brown follows up with a solid effort in round seven, and Hellman decides to get more aggressive despite the fact that a second cut has developed, this one in a dangerous spot just over the right eye. Brown lands a big shot in round eight, putting Hellman down and reopening the cut. The game challenger battles back, keeping the bout close in round 10. Unbelievably, the unofficial card has Hellman still up by one (95-94) even though Brown has the momentum. Panama Al continues to press the action on the inside in round 11, re-opening the cut over Hellman's eye. Brown then decks Hellman for a second time in the 12th, connecting with a short, clean hook. The cut continues to ooze blood, leading the ref to call in the ringside doctor in round 13. The bout continues, and Hellman's left eye is partially closed in round 14. Finally, in round 15, Brown wears Hellman down, and with the cut re-opened, the ref decides to call a halt. Brown retains the title via TKO 15 (another cuts stoppage).

Panama Al Brown CH (24-3) vs Pete Sarmiento #2 (26-6-4)

No prior meetings, as this bout sees former Champ Sarmiento seeking to regain the title. Brown wisely decides to defend in his home country.

Strong start by Panama Al in round one, followed by a bit of a lull in round two although the Champ still appears to have the upper hand. Sarmiento can't connect from the inside in round three, and Brown continues to pad his points lead. The Champ then moves inside and dominates round four. More of the same in round five, and by this time it's a whitewash (50-45) for the defending Champ as Sarmiento cannot get on track. Sarmiento picks up the pace in the sixth, and finally he begins to get rewarded as some of the punches get through Brown's defenses. The seventh is an even round, but the Champ's left eye starts to swell. Sarmiento pushes forward on the inside in round eight, another good round for the challenger. The Champ displays some effective counterpunching, bouncing back with a strong round nine. Sarmiento continues as the aggressor in round 10, but the Champ takes the round; he now holds a huge lead (99-93) on the unofficial car. Brown decides to adopt a defensive posture in the later rounds, as a frustrated Sarmiento tires badly. The current Champ totally outclasses the former Champ and coasts to a UD 15 win (146-138, 146-138, 145-139).

Panama Al Brown CH (25-3) vs Howard Mayberry #4 (25-8-1)

Brown goes to Vancouver to defend versus the Canadian Mayberry, who now holds the NABF title. Panama Al won a prior bout in 1925 (UD 10). Mayberry enters having won his last seven, while the Champ has won his last four.

Action is slow to develop in the opening round, but Brown unleashes a barrage to dominate the second round as both men fight outside. In the third round, Mayberry bulls his way inside and manages to outscore the Champ to take the round. Panama Al bounces back a round later, taking control and dropping the challenger with a cross, and following up with a second knockdown late in the round. The Champ goes for the kill in round five, continuing to dominate while Mayberry at least manages to remain upricht. After five rounds, the unofficial scorer has the Champ ahead (48-46) based on the early knockdowns. Both men battle on the inside in round six, which is another good round for Brown. Mayberry tries to mix it up on the inside in round seven, but he runs into a Brown cross as the Champ registers another KD to take the round and pull ahead even further. Undaunted, Mayberry remains the aggressor in round eight, but once again Brown responds, connecting with a wild overhand right that puts Mayberry down for the fourth time in the fight. Round nine, Panama Al is content to lay back, and he continues to pile up points. Mayberry is the aggressor again in round 10, but once again the Champ has the best of the action and takes an unassailable lead (97-89 on the unofficial card) into the later rounds. Brown sits on his lead, focusing on safety first, while Mayberry tires and no longer poses any threat. Panama Al cruises to another UD 15 win, this one by a wide margin due to the knockdowns (148-131, 146-133, 146-133).

NABF: Abe Goldstein began the year with this belt, defending it versus Mayberry who put in a career-best performance, landing repeated blows while Goldstein appeared listless; thus, a UD 12 win for Mayberry who adds the NABF belt to his CBU title. Mayberry then elects to defend twice, first versus Happy Atherton who gets off to a strong start, but a late surge from Mayberry is sufficient to net him a SD 12 in a close bout. Then, he takes on Archie Bell who seems a bit overmatched in his first title shot, and Mayberry keeps the crown heading into 1928, racking up a UD 12 win.

USBA: Lots of action with four title bouts for the USBA crown in 1927. First up, Harold Smith and Packey O'Gatty were matched for the title, which had been vacated by Goldstein. O'Gatty races off to an early lead and hangs on to regain the belt after a seven-year hiatus with a UD 12 win, as Smith starts to show the effects of aging in this bout. Bud "Blonde Terror of Terre Haute" Taylor is next to contend for the belt, and Taylor battles through an early cut but manages to put O'Gatty down early in round six. Later in the round, however, the cut is reopened and becomes too severe for the bout to continue, and thus O'Gatty escapes with a TKO 6 win (cuts stoppage). Then next up is Atherton, who is coming off his narrow NABF title bout loss to Mayberry. O'Gatty seals the win with a late KD in the final round where Atherton is saved by the bell, UD 12 win for O'Gatty. Final title clash of the year sees Bushy Graham challenge for the belt, and in his first title try Graham duplicates an earlier MD win over O'Gatty with a solid effort to take the belt by a UD 12.

CBU: Mayberry challenges Brit Harry Lake for the CBU belt, and the challenger surges to an early lead, takes some hard shots by Lake and survives a late rally to post a UD 12 win to take the belt. After winning the NABF title later in the year, Mayberry renounces the title which paves the way for a meeting of two of his countrymen, Vic Foley and Carl Tremaine, who battle for the vacant belt. Foley puts Tremaine on the deck early in the bout, then hangs on to register a UD 12 win to take the title which he holds heading into 1928. .

GBU: Nipper Pat Daly takes on veteran Joe Fox, in what was on paper an "easy" defense versus the aging Fox, instead Daly battled two cuts before emerging victorious with a UD 12 win. Daly's next opponent, Johnny Brown, proves to mount a serious challenge, in a bruising battle where Daly suffers a split lip and Brown is dealt a swollen eye, Brown takes a UD 12 and the title. He defends later in the year versus Teddy Baldock, in another bloody affair that sees Brown suffer a split lip while Baldock must contend with a cut lip as well as a bloody nose. Close throughout, Brown takes a SD 12 verdict to keep the title into 1928.

EBU: Veteran EBU titleholder Charles "Little Apache" Ledoux, is matched with Baldock in a rematch of a closely contested 1926 title contest (won by Ledoux via a SD 12). Ledoux does better this time around, as the Brit suffers an early cut that leads to an early stoppage -- TKO 3 win for Ledoux.

OPBF: Action has been dormant for this belt in the BW class in recent years, as Pete Sarmiento has lacked any reasonable challengers in the region.

[JCWeb]

Jan. 1928 BW Division Profile

Total: 94 RL: 57 TC: 37

RL by Career Stage:
End - 5
Post - 12
Prime - 25
Pre - 10
Beginning - 5 (4 New)

Rated: 44
800+: 10
500+: 26
200+ : 37

Jan 1928 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1927 in Parens):

Champ: Panama Al Brown 26-3 (13) (1182) (+6)
1. Memphis Pal Moore 46-13-5 (14) (1380) (+1)
2. Charley Phil Rosenberg 24-4-2 (11) (1136) (-2)
3. Abe Goldstein 34-9-3 (10) (993) (-2)
4. Bud Taylor 25-8 (9) (959) (+5)
5. Charles Ledoux 51-19-2 (35) (953) (NC) (EBU Champ)
6. Bushy Graham 22-8 (8) (953) (+7) (USBA Champ)
7. Pete Sarmiento 26-8-4 (19) (952) (-4) (OPBF Champ)
8. Howard Mayberry 25-9-1 (13) (949) (+16) (NABF Champ)
9. Packey O'Gatty 33-13-2 (19) (814) (+3)
10. Johnny Brown 24-5-3 (17) (749) (+16) (GBU Champ)

Also: 13. Vic Foley 23-9 (9) (703) (+14) (CBU Champ)

Top Ten: Four of the above (Goldstein, Ledoux, O'Gatty and Brown will be at Post in 1928, everyone else listed at Prime. Lots of turnover with four new members of the top 10, although two spots were opened up by retirement (Pete Herman and Philly Pal Moore, who left the ranks in 1927). Brown swept all four of his bouts in 1927 (all for the WBA crown) and, riding a five-bout win streak, solidified his position atop the division. Memphis Pal Moore remains the top contender with a higher PP total by virtue of four 1927 wins (a KO over Herman, and a UDs versus Wolfe, Ledoux and Rubidoux) but no title contests. Rosenberg remains highly ranked, as he bounced back from his title loss with successive UD wins over Harold Smith and Vic Foley. Goldstein slipped, despite battling back with a SD over Catena and a UD versus Wolfe as the NABF title loss to Mayberry set back his ranking considerably. Bud Taylor is a surprising fourth, as his three wins versus lower rated fighters (UDs over Philly Pal Moore and Harold Smith and a SD versus "Cannonball" Eddie Martin) were enough to offset the title loss to O'Gatty. Ledoux defended his EBU title but lost to Memphis Pal and thus remains in the same relative position. Graham surged up the rankings by virtue of his USBA title win, following up with a UD 10 over Sarmiento to solidify his top 10 status. Sarmiento was winless in four 1927 bouts, struggling to draws with Baldock and Smith, then dropping the title shot as well as the UD to Graham. Mayberry shot up the list, capturing the CBU and NABF title but slipped as his loss to Brown for the title snapped a seven-bout win streak. O'Gatty climbed back into the top group, going 3-1 in USBA title bouts (see above post for details). The top group is rounded out by the new GBU titleholder, Johnnny Brown, who started off the year with a UD 10 loss to Atherton, but finished with three straight wins, taking a UD from Dynamite Murphy before the two title bout wins.

Other Notables: Teddy Baldock dropped three spots to #11, holding Sarmiento to a draw but losing both the GBU and EBU title bouts to go winless for the year. Also falling out of the top ten was Harold Smith, who also drew with Sarmiento but lost his other three 1927 bouts to end the year at #12, down from seventh a year earlier. Newly-crowned CBU Champ Vic Foley compiled a four-bout win streak (including a SD over Burrone, a UD over Graham and a MD versus Rubidoux plus the CBU title win) before dropping a UD 10 to ex-Champ Rosenberg. Archie Bell, top newcomer to the list in 1927, had difficulty, falling short in his first title try and managing only draws with Wolfe and Atherton after scraping through on a split duke versus Dixie LaHood; his career mark of 18-2-2 (7) is good for 16th in the rankings this year. Harry Lake battled back from his CBU title loss with three straight wins to end the year at 21-11-2 (4), good for 19th in the rankings. No newcomers to the list this year, and aging veteran and former Champ Joe Lynch is mired in #31 position as he approaches a likely retirement in 1928 after going winless since 1925.

Prospects: All the young prospects are still a year or more away from entering the ranking list, and most have been content to pad their records while feasting on TC opposition. Pete Sanstol (10-0, 7 KO), Joey Scalfaro (10-0, 7 KO), Brit Dick Corbett (10-0, 6 KO), and Huerta Evans (8-0, 4 KO) have kept clean slates against a steady diet of TCs. Bucking the trend is Filipino Pablo Dano, who has 6 KOs in six starts, the most recent coming over fellow prospect Pablo Dano, whose record dropped to 7-1 (6). Similarly, two UK prospects squared off, and Johnny King got the best of a UD 8 over Alf Pattenden; King is off to a 7-0 (4) start while Pattenden finished the year at 6-1 (5). Canadian Bobby Leitham (5-0, 1 KO) and Frenchman Gustave Hemery (2-0, 2 KO) got their careers off to good starts with easy tests versus TCs.

Retirements: Two former WBA Champions were among the three retirees in the BW ranks for 1927.

Pete Herman (USA) 1912-27 50-8-4 (15) WBA Champ 1917-18, 1919-22
Joe Burman (USA) 1916-27 26-19-4 (12) No Titles Highest Rank: 7
Philadelphia Pal Moore (USA) 1908-27 38-26-4 (15) WBA Champ 1910-11, 1912

Looking Ahead: Panama Al Brown may be positioned for a long title run, but just as likely he could be upended by one of several improving young BWs, like Taylor, Graham, Mayberry or even Atherton. Any one of a number of British hopefuls might be in position to unseat the aging Ledoux as EBU Champion. Overall, though, this looks like an aging division, in transition as Brown and other younger fighters are likely to dominate headed into the 1930s. Just about all of the current prospects are a couple of years away from contending for top ten status. Four newcomers, paced by Little Pancho, also including Benny Sharkey and Lew Farber, are set to join the BW ranks in 1928.