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[JCWeb]

Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the second half of May 1933, covering a total of 66 bouts.

May 19, 1933: Friday night card at Havana’s Gran Stadium features a pair of FW bouts as the co-main events, although no titles are at stake. In the first of these, two Cuban fighters – Filio Julian Echevarria and the "Cuban Bon Bon," Kid Chocolate – square off in a rematch of a 1932 bout that ended in a draw. The bout remains close through the early rounds, with Chocolate taking on the role of the aggressor through much of the action. Both men battle hard into the later rounds, with Chocolate suffering from a swollen right eye while Echevarria develops swelling under his left eye. It goes the distance, and by the narrowest of margins, Kid Chocolate emerges as a SD 10 winner (97-95, 93-97, 95-94). Post-fight records: 19-3-5 (14) for Kid Chocolate; 19-5-3 (11) for Echevarria. Then, in the second of the two bouts, current USBA FW king Battling Battalino faces OPBF titleholder Johnny Hill. Battalino pulls ahead in the middle rounds, but the veteran Hill (now at Post-Prime career stage) is able to battle back to keep the bout close. In round nine, Hill suffers a cut on his forehead. The bout goes the distance, and it’s a another SD 10, this time going to Battalino (94-96, 97-95, 96-94) who moves to 25-6 (12) with the win. Hill drops to 29-13-2 (6) with the loss.

May 20, 1933: The next card is at the UK, at London’s Harringay Arena. The card is topped by a Commonwealth Flyweight title clash, with Kid Socks defending against the reigning GBU titleholder, Jackie Brown. The two have met three times before, with Socks winning twice and Brown, once. Socks takes a slight lead from the early going into the middle rounds. Brown works his way into the bout, closing the gap as the bout heads into the later rounds. Neither man has the punching power to score a knockout, so the bout goes the distance, and Socks retains the title via a majority draw (114-114, 114-114 with the third judge going for Socks, 115-112). Post-fight career totals are 29-17-3 (8) for Socks, 21-7-3 (9) for Jackie Brown. Brown keeps the GBU Flyweight title which was not at stake in this bout.

May 20, 1933: Next fistic action is at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. On the undercard is once-beaten FW prospect Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong, facing a winless TC to further expand his career totals. Armstrong bides his time, measuring his foe in the opening round, then goes to work in round two, nailing his opponent with a devastating uppercut for the first knockdown, then following up with another strong shot before finishing his man off with a cross for the third KD and an automatic TKO 2 win. Armstrong is now 11-1 (10) and continues to build his record. The main event is a WBA title contest, with another clash of two different generations as long-time Champ Mickey Walker defends against Freddie Steele, the “Toy Bulldog” versus the “Tacoma Assassin,” who is the still youthful NABF Champ and #1 MW contender. It is Walker’s 24^th defense of the WBA MW crown he has held since 1925, and Steele hopes to improve on one prior result from 1930 that resulted in a TKO win for Walker. After a close first two rounds, Walker moves inside in round three and begins applying pressure to his opponent. Steele shows himself willing to mix it up, but Walker prevails in the toe-to-toe action on the inside in round five. Walker takes a breather in round six, and Steele takes advantage by working well on the outside. By round nine, however, Steele is tiring badly and suffering from a rapidly swelling left eye. Walker holds a solid points edge into the later rounds, and a desperate Steele tries to become more and more aggressive. In round 11, Walker causes Steele’s knees to buckle when he connects with a big hook to the body, and he then follows up with an uppercut that puts Steele down for a three-count, but the challenger is able to last the round. Walker eases up a bit in the later rounds, and a tired Steele is able to last the distance but he comes up short on the scorecards, and it goes down as a UD 15 for Walker (146-139, 148-140, 147-138). After the bout, Walker’s career totals are now 54-3 (38), with only one loss as a MW; Steele is now 28-3 (23).

May 26, 1933: Friday night fights moves to Rizal Arena in Manila for a packed evening of fistic action. On the undercard is a interesting matchup with ex-USBA LW Champ Jack Portney facing current CBU titleholder, veteran Aussie Billy Grime. The action commences in round two when Grime surprises Portney with a wicked cross to the head; Portney bounces back to his feet at the count of one. More trouble for Portney in round three, as a cut is opened over his right eye. In the fourth round, Grime lands a bone-crushing uppercut that staggers Portney, who must cover up to survive. Portney bounces back with a strong round five, and Grime must turn to his corner for treatment of a rapidly swelling left eye. The cut is reopened twice, and the second time it leads to a late stoppage. TKO 9 for Grime on the cuts stoppage, at a time when the bout was still very close on two of the three cards. Post-fight records: Grime, 28-18-2 (26); Portney, 24-5-2 (14). The main support bout brings together two fighters who battled to a draw in their one prior meeting: USBA BW Champion K. O. Morgan and up-and-coming Filipino Little Pancho, who brings a seven-bout winning streak into the bout. Morgan is the aggressor and builds a points lead in the early rounds. Then, in round seven, Little Pancho lands a big shot at Morgan hits the deck briefly Pancho follows with a second KD in round eight. These two knockdowns are enough to turn the bout around, and the UD 10 goes to Little Pancho by a narrow margin (95-93, 95-93, 95-94). The win, his eighth in succession, moves Little Pancho to 19-2-2 (7) overall; K. O. Morgan suffers his second career setback to end the bout at 18-2-3 (14). Pancho is now eyeing a title bout, for either the OPBF belt, or possibly the WBA one. Then, in the main event, OPBF WW Champion Irineo Flores, a top WW contender, defends that title against his lightly regarded namesake and countryman, Macario Flores. Surprisingly, it is the first meeting of the two Floreses. From the start both men are content to set up shop on the outside, and M. Flores simply lacks the firepower and boxing skills to seriously contend with I. Flores. This results in a one-sided affair that ends in round eight when Irineo Flores connects with a clean shot, putting Macario Flores down and out. KO 8 for Irineo Flores. Post-fight, he moves to 39-12-2 (19) while Macario drops to .500, with career totals of 26-26-7 (7). The win serves to solidify Irineo Flores’ position as the #1 WW contender for WBA Champ Jimmy McLarnin’s title.

May 27, 1933: Next card is at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. After a series of fairly routine bouts on the undercard, it is time for the main event – a WBA Flyweight title clash between a pair of veterans, Midget Wolgast and Frankie Genaro. It is a rematch of their February encounter that ended in a draw. Wolgast starts strongly, and by the end of round three, Genaro is already showing the effects with some swelling around his right eye. Wolgast holds a 49-46 lead on the unofficial card through the first five rounds. Genaro picks up the pace in the middle rounds, but some solid defense by Wolgast keeps the challenger at bay. In round 12, Wolgast rips Genaro with a hook to the head that forces the challenger to cover up. The bout goes the full 15, and the UD 15 goes to Wolgast (145-142, 148-139, 148-139) who retains the title belt with his seven successive defense. Wolgast, who has not lost since 1930, is now 31-48-1 (15) with the win, while Genaro slips to 40-14-2 (18) with the loss.

May 27, 1933: May’s action wraps up with a nice card at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, site of the 1932 Olympics. Headlining the card is a NABF WW title clash with Ruby Goldstein, who has a nine-bout unbeaten string going, facing challenger Buckey Lawless, who has won his last five to propel him into his first ever title bout of any kind. Goldstein does well in the opening two rounds, gaining the upper hand with some accurate punching. Lawless rebounds quickly to take rounds three and four. In round five, Goldstein stuns Lawless with a big cross that puts the challenger on the defensive. Midway through the bout, the accumulated punishment begins to take its toll on the game Lawless, who shows signs of swelling around his left eye. Near the end of round nine, a big left scores for Goldstein. In round 10, Goldstein follows up with an overhand right for the bout’s first knockdown, and then there’s a second KD late in the same round, with Lawless barely lasting to the bell. Then, in round 11, more punishment from Goldstein means Lawless is out on his feet. The ref has no choice but to call a halt. TKO 11 for Goldstein, who is now riding a 10-bout unbeaten streak to run his career totals to 29-7-3 (20). Dropping to 27-9 (14), Lawless will look for an easier opponent for his next outing.

[JCWeb]

Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the first half of June 1933, covering a total of 58 bouts.

June 2, 1933: June starts with a Friday night card at Seattle’s Sicks Stadium. It’s not a really strong card, as no titles are at stake. The undercard matches a pair of LH: Young Firpo, aka as “the Wild Bull of Idaho,” and veteran Mike Mandell who has spent much of his career under the radar. These two power punches have a combined total of 36 KO wins on their career stats. Firpo presses the action on the inside, while Mandell is content to stay on the outside for most of the early going. Not much in the way of action until round six, when Firpo lands a big uppercut. Then, in round seven, he puts Mandell on the deck with a combination. Mandell tries to battle back in the later rounds, but he is unable to penetrate Firpo’s defenses. The bout goes the distance, and it is a fairly comfortable UD 10 win for Firpo (98-92, 96-94, 98-93). Post-fight records: 23-9-3 (15) for Young Firpo; 27-6-2 (21) for Mike Mandell. Then, in the main event, ex-WBA HW Champ Tuffy Griffith, now at Post-Prime career stage, faces another under the radar fighter, Argentinian Juan Domingo Carattoli, in a non-title contest. Griffith starts well, stunning Carattoli with a cross in round three. However, Carattoli is able to throw and land punches at a higher rate, and Griffith seems to slow as the bout enters the later rounds. The end result is a UD 10 win for Carattoli (96-93 on all cards). Carattoli moves to 21-3 (9) and a spot in the top 20 HW ranks with the win. Griffith, who has had better days, falls to 26-7-1 (16) with the loss.

June 3, 1933: The next card is at the Sports Palace in Rome, Italy. It’s an abbreviated card, but topping the agenda is an important EBU title clash. Kid Francis is defending the EBU BW belt against Johnny King. King holds a prior win (via MD 12) over Francis for the same title back in 1931. This time around, King is the aggressor in the early rounds, while Francis seems a bit flat. King is able to capitalize on the situation and builds a solid points lead. No knockdowns until lthe bout’s final minute when a hook to the head puts Francis on the canvas. The Italian arises, only to see his EBU title slip away. To no surprise, King takes a UD 12 (118-109, 116-112, 118-110) to regain the title and move to 28-3-1 (14). Francis is now 27-12-3 (16) with the loss.

June 3, 1933: The scene of the next fistic action is Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. Not a huge card, and the big draw is the main event which pits LH Jack “Bright Eyes” Delaney against long-time GBU LH Champ Gypsy Daniels for Delaney’s Commonwealth LH belt. Delaney enters the ring as a heavy favorite, but he is beginning to feel the effects of aging, having hit Post-Prime career stage. Daniels takes on the role of aggressor from the early going, but in round three he runs into a Delaney uppercut and is forced to cover up to last the round. Delaney follows up with a big shot to send the British challenger to the canvas, but he cannot put Daniels away. By the end of round five, Daniels’ right eye is beginning to swell from the impact of accumulated punches landed by Delaney. Delaney has a huge points lead, and Daniels appears to be hopelessly outclassed for most of the bout. Late in the bout, Daniels’ other eye begins to swell. In round 11, Delaney connects for another KD and Daniels appears to be ready to go. Then, Delaney gets careless and starts holding and hitting and hitting below the belt. He is called for a flagrant foul and, amidst a chorus of boos, the ref calls a halt and awards the win to Daniels via a DQ-11. The result is hard to accept, especially for the pro-Delaney crowd which seems on the verge of a riot. The post-fight records are: Daniels, 31-20-2 (18); Delaney, 41-12-3 (26). The sporting Daniels is willing to offer Delaney a rematch in the UK later in the year, and that will have to satisfy Delaney supporters for now.

June 9, 1933: It’s a very abbreviated card at Melbourne, Australian in another edition of the popular Friday night fights “Down Under” series. It’s a very abbreviated card this time, headlined by a non-title bout featuring OPBF MW Champion Ron Richards, who faces long-time MW contender Jock Malone in the feature bout. Richards opens up in round three, decking Malone with an overhand right. Malone arises at the count of nine and manages to cover up and last the round. Later in the bout, Richards staggers Malone with a hook in round seven, and by then Malone is also troubled by a rapidly swelling left eye. Malone, well behind on points, opens up more in the later rounds, and Richards responds by flooring the American for the second time in round nine with a hook to the head. Once again, Malone picks himself off the canvas, and the rest of the bout unfolds without incident. The judges’ cards show a solid margin for Richards, who takes the UD 10 (98-91, 99-90, 97-92). Post-fight, Richards moves to 23-2-2 (18) while Malone drops to 39-21-4 (14).

June 10, 1933: Next fight action is back at the UK at the Stadium in Liverpool. Several British fighters are featured in lesser bouts, and the card is headlined by a GBU title bout for the MW crown held by Jock McAvoy; McAvoy’s opponent is former EBU and GBU Champ Len Johnson. It is the first meeting of the two; McAvoy is on the comeback trial after losing the Commonwealth title earlier in the year. McAvoy gets off to a good start, and seizes the advantage in the early rounds. Heading into the second half of the bout, Johnson is feeling the effects of McAvoy’s accurate punching, and his right eye begins to puff up as a result. Johnson decides to go on the attack in round 10, but his aggressiveness only lands him a seat on the canvas as McAvoy drops him with a nice uppercut. In round 11, McAvoy follows up with a nice cross for the bout’s second KD. He puts Johnson down again later in the round and then a fourth KD follows in round 12. A game Johnson manages to regain his footing to last the distance. But, in the end, it’s a UD 12 for McAvoy (117-107, 118-105,116-107) by a wide margin. McAvoy retains the belt, while the veteran Johnson (now at Post-Prime) is on the downside of his career. Post-bout career totals: McAvoy, 23-3-4 (16); Johnson, 30-15-3 (17). The win gets McAvoy’s career back on track as he moves back into the top 20 in the MW rankings.

June 10, 1933: Back in the States for a nice card at Boston Garden. A couple of notable LH bouts on the card, first one featuring two unbeaten prospects, 14-0 John Henry Lewis versus 12-0 Al Gainer. Lewis starts off as the aggressor, while Gainer appears to be focused on just surviving to the final bell (something that none of Lewis’ prior opponents have been able to accomplish). The action heats up in round four, when Lewis sustains a nasty cut over his left eyebrow, while Gainer’s right eye begins to swell as a result of the accumulated punishment from Lewis. In the fifth round, Gainer sees a glimmer of hope and tries to take advantage of the cut, but instead he is forced to cover up after getting nailed by a Lewis hook. In round six, both men are willing to mix it up on the inside, but Lewis seizes control and drives Gainer back into the ropes, pummeling him until the ref finally calls a halt as Gainer’s other eye is also beginning to swell. TKO 6 for Lewis is his 15^th straight win inside the distance, one of the most impressive career starts ever. Gainer slips to 12-1 (10) with his first career setback. Next up in the main support bout are two top five LHs in a non-title contest, as George Manley faces Tony Marullo. These two sluggers met once previously, back in 1928, with Marullo winning by KO but since then Marullo (formerly known as Young Tony Marullo) has hit Post-Prime career stage. This proves to be the key factor as Manley slowly builds a solid points lead, and by mid-bout Marullo is showing signs of swelling under his left eye and also beginning to slow as a result. Manley goes on to take a UD 10 after pitching a shutout on two of the three cards (100-90, 98-92, 100-90). Post-fight career totals: Manley, 32-14 (16); Marullo, 32-14-4 (18). Then, it’s time for the main event, which matches Tony Tozzo and Vince Dundee for Tozzo’s USBA MW title. This is kind of a crossroads fight for both men, as Tozzo makes his second defense after falling short in two recent tries for the NABF and WBA belts, while Dundee is back in a title contest for the first time in three years, since losing his NABF title back in 1930. Tozzo is the aggressor through much of the early rounds, and in round five he drops the challenger for a nine-count with a strong shot. Dundee gamely hangs on, and he begins to impress the judges with some strong boxing skills through most of the middle rounds. However, from round six on, Dundee is bothered by some noticeable swelling under his left eye. Dundee also seems to tire quickly as the bout heads into the later rounds. It goes the distance and the result – to many – is a surprise: Vince Dundee takes the title from Tozzo via a SD 12 (117-109, 110-116, 114-112) in a decision that is greeted by a chorus of boos from many who thought Tozzo had done enough to retain the belt. The 14-point differential between the first two judges is about the most I have seen in scoring a title bout. Post-fight, Dundee is now 32-7-2 (14) and once again a factor in the MW division. For Tozzo, it is his third straight loss – all in title bouts – to drop him to 19-8-2 (13).

[JCWeb]

Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the second half of June 1933, covering a total of 65 bouts.

June 16, 1933: Next up is a Friday night card in New Orleans. No titles at stake, and the main event pairs two top five FW contenders, Babe Herman and Freddie Miller. No previous meetings of the two, and Herman is now at Post-Prime. Herman suffers a bad break early when a severe cut appears over his left eye in the opening round. Miller quickly decides to target the cut, which never really closes, oozing blood until forcing an early stoppage. Miller takes a TKO 4 to advance his career totals to an excellent 23-3 (12). Herman drops to 34-19-5 (15) with the loss. With the win, Miller takes over from Herman as the #1 FW contender.

June 17, 1933: Next up is an abbreviated card at the Amor Bahn in Munich. Headliner is an EBU title bout, but the main support has an intriguing matchup of two young HW prospects: homegrown Walter Neusel, against Chilean Arturo Godoy. Both a free-swinging sluggers so it should be an exciting bout. Neusel gets off to a strong start, and Godoy shows signs of ear and tear after just one round with some slight swelling under his left eye. Neusel remains slightly ahead for most of the bout, but neither man can penetrate each other’s defenses to land a knockout blow. The bout goes to decision, and it’s a fairly convincing UD 10 win for Neusel (96-93, 96-93, 97-92) to up his record to 14-1 (13). Godoy is now 13-2 (6). Then, in the main event, German Harry Stein makes his second defense of the EBU Flyweight belt against young upstart Istvan Enekes, the Olympic gold medalist from Hungary. The bout is close through the first few rounds, and by round four, both men are showing signs of swelling under their left eyes. In round five, Enekes puts Stein on the deck with a hook to the head. Stein’s other eye begins to swell, and he begins to sense that his EBU title may slip away. A late rally from Stein, however, enables him to retain the belt, as he takes a UD 12 (114-113 on all three cards), perhaps with the help of some favorable hometown or defending Champion bias in the judging. The win puts Stein at 29-9-1 (19). It is only the second career setback for young Enekes, who is now 16-2-1 (8).

June 17, 1933: The next fistic action is at Yankee Stadium in New York City. No titles at stake, but some exciting action topped by co-main events. In the first of these, USBA HW Champion Joe Banovic squares off against Tommy Farr, the current EBU and GBU HW titleholder. Farr starts strongly, dominating the action in the opening two rounds. Then, in round three, the complexion of the bout changes as Farr suffers a cut over his left eye. Banovic begins to target the cut which gets worse and worse as the bout wears on. Finally, in round seven, it becomes too severe for the ref to allow the fight to continue, and he orders a stoppage. TKO 7 for Banovic on the cuts stoppage, despite howls of protest from Farr’s corner. Post-fight career marks are 28-6 (9) for Banovic; 28-7-1 (12) for Farr. Then, in the second main event, unbeaten German WW Gustav Eder, in his first trip outside of Europe, takes on USBA WW Champ Barney Ross. The bout is close for the first couple of rounds before Eder lets loose with a barrage of blows that rock Ross to take round three. By this time, Ross is suffering the effects of a rapidly swelling right eye. Eder remains the aggressor in the middle rounds, and Ross does his best to use his boxing and counterpunching skills to stay in the bout. The bout goes the distance, and the decision – a very narrow UD 10 for Eder (97-96 on all three cards) is not a popular one with the pro-Ross crowd. Nonetheless, Eder remains unbeaten while Ross needs to reassess. Post-fight records are: Eder, 24-0-1 (8); Ross, 20-2-1 (7).

June 23, 1933: Another light card, this time at Manila’s Rizal Arena. Lighter weight classes mainly, mostly Filipino fighters of varying talent on display in another Friday night card. The main event is a non-title contest pitting OPBF Champ Speedy Dado against his GBU counterpart, Benny Sharkey. Dado races to an early lead by outboxing the slower Sharkey. In round six, Dado connects with an uppercut that sends Sharkey toppling to the canvas. He follows up with a second KD later in the round, but Sharkey scrambles to his feet and is able to continue. In round eight, Sharkey has his best moment when he stuns Dado with a hook to the head, but the Filipino manages to remain upright and maintains his edge in the bout. Both men show signs of wear and tear as the bout goes the distance, with Dado the clear winner, taking a UD 10 (96-93, 97-91, 96-92). Post-fight, Dado improves to 23-9-2 (12) while Sharkey drops to 20-4-1 (15).

June 24, 1933: Next fight action is back at the UK, this time at the Olympia in London. Two bouts of note despite the lack of any title action. In the co-feature, unbeaten HW prospect Jack Peterson faces his toughest opponent yet, the crafty veteran from Belgium, Pierre Charles, a former contender for the EBU crown. The bout remains close into the middle rounds, when Charles’ experience begins to tell. Then, in round eight, the Belgian delivers an uppercut that decks a visibly tired Peterson. It is the first time in his career Peterson has been down. Two more KDs follow in round nine and, while Peterson is able to make it to the finish, it is Charles who takes a relatively comfortable UD 10 (96-90, 97-90, 97-90) after scoring the three knockdowns. Post-fight records: Charles, 32-15-2 (21) while Peterson’s first career setback leaves him at 15-1 (11). Then, in the main event, veteran MW contender Jack McVey faces Frenchman Marcel Thil on neutral turf. Thil takes a slight points lead into the middle rounds, but McVey rallies with a strong second half in this 10-round, non-title affair. Thil shows signs of swelling under his left eye late in the bout, and McVey goes on to take a SD 10 (96-94, 94-96,96-95) with a strong finish in the final two rounds of the bout. Post-bout career totals: McVey, 35-16-2 (17); Thil, 31-18-5 (11). Thil’s connections are clamoring for a rematch, which may or may not be in the cards.

June 24, 1933: The month concludes with a card at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. On tap is a USBA title bout preceded by a HW clash featuring Max Baer, in his last outing before hitting Prime career stage. For this, his 20^th career start, Baer faces a crafty opponent in Charley Retzlaff. Retzlaff has won his last five and is expected to be a tough test for the 17-2 Baer. Baer gets off to a strong start and builds an early points advantage. In round five, Retzlaff catches Baer with a cross that forces the “Livermore Larruper” to cover up; it’s a 10-8 round for Retzlaff that turns the bout into a real contest. However, a cut on the forehead suffered by Retzlaff in the seventh round slows his progress. The bout hangs in the balance into the final round, with both men trying for a knockout. Baer connects with a barrage of blows to put Retzlaff down. When Retzlaff cannot beat the count, it goes down as a KO 10 for Baer. Post-fight career totals: Baer. 18-2 (17); Retzlaff, 18-8 (13). With the win, Baer appears now ready to take the next step and challenge a top 20 HW. The feature is for the USBA Flyweight title, matching two familiar foes: Defending Champ Fidel LaBarba and challenger Izzy Schwartz. The two have split two prior bouts, and both are now at Post-Prime career stage. It’s a contest of two boxers, and LaBarba digs in to build a slight points edge through the initial rounds. Kind of a boring bout, no cuts or knockdowns, and the only excitement is in round 10 when Schwartz rocks LaBarba with a strong shot. LaBarba’s right eye shows some signs of swelling late in the bout. Then, in the final round, it is Schwartz whose left eye begins to swell from the accumulated punishment. The bout goes to decision, and it’s a SD 12 in favor of LaBarba (113-115, 116-112, 115-113) who does just enough to retain the belt. Post-fight, LaBarba is now 31-6-1 (9); Corporal Izzy drops to 29-15-2 (7) with the loss.

Now halfway through the year, so will take a bit of a break before picking up with July 1933 action.

[JCWeb]

Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the first half of July 1933, covering a total of 46 bouts.

July 1, 1933: Kicking off the action is an abbreviated card at the Ullevi Stadium in Stockholm, Sweden. No title bouts on the agenda, and the main support sees Johnny Romero coming off a loss to hammer away at aging vet Rene “Little Fox” DeVos. He has DeVos down in the third and again in the sixth before the ref calls a halt. The TKO 6 improves Romero to 24-6 (17) overall, and he picks up a few spots in the MW rankings. DeVos, forced to deal with declining skills, ends the bout at 49-17-3 (18). Then the main event follows, with ex-WBA Champ Young Stribling, now at Post-Prime career stage, facing Paulino Uzcudan. The “King of the Canebrakes” versus the “Basque Woodchopper” – first meeting of the two. Right at the outset, a straight right from the Basque fighter stuns Stribling, but Uzcudan cannot follow up. Stribling soldiers on throughout the bout but looks ineffective, and Uzcudan lacks the firepower to put him down or out. The UD 10 goes to Uzcudan (96-94, 97-93, 97-93) to move him into the top 10 HWs. Post-fight career marks are 33-9-1 (12) for Uzcudan, 43-8-2 (24) for Stribling.

July 1, 1933: More action back in the States, this time at the Mammoth Gardens in Denver. Up first are two top five LW contenders, Sammy Fuller and veteran Tommy O’Brien. Fuller outboxes an aging O’Brien to take a fairly routine UD 10 (97-93, 99-91, 98-92) to move to 35-7 (9) overall. O’Brien slips to 40-19-6 (17). Then, in the main event, JWW Champ Jack Kid Berg travels to the USA to take on former LW Champ Billy Petrolle. It’s the “Whitechapel Whirlwind” versus the “Fargo Express,” and it takes little time for the crowd to take the side of the American, Petrolle. Petrolle takes on the role of aggressor in the early going. In round five, he catches Berg with a straight right, dropping the Brit. In the later rounds, it is Berg, trailing, who picks up the pace. However, in round seven he runs into a Petrolle uppercut that results in the bout’s second knockdown. Berg battles back with a late surge that causes Petrolle’s left eye to swell up, but otherwise it is Petrolle’s fight. The UD 10 goes to Petrolle (96-92, 97-91, 97-91), who improves to 41-5-3 (21) with the win and remains as the #1 LW contender. Berg is now 29-7-3 (13), and is rethinking his decision to abandon the JWW ranks given the stiffer competition in the LW division.

July 4, 1933: Next up is the traditional Fourth of July card, this time at Philadelphia. Nothing of note on the undercard, and the main event is a 10-round non-title affair, matching LH contender Young Firpo with a now fading former contender, Lou Bogash. The action, slow to develop, heats up in round four when Firpo staggers Bogash with a hard hook. Then, later in that same round, Firpo drops Bogash with a short, clean combination for an eight count. Bogash is forced to cover up again in the fifth round when rocked by a Firpo uppercut. Then, in the seventh, Bogash bounces back, stunning Firpo with a big left. Firpo suffers a cut under his right eye, but his corner manages to keep the bleeding to a minimum. The bout goes the distance, and Firpo manages to hang on to take a SD 10 verdict (95-94, 94-95, 97-92). Post-fight records: Firpo, 24-9-3 (15); Bogash, 40-22-3 (19).

July 7, 1933: Another light card, this time at the Edmonton Gardons in Canada. Featured is new Commonwealth MW Champ Lou Brouillard, who faces Teddy Yarosz in a non-title affair. It’s a revenge match, as Yarosz took a UD from Brouillard in a prior meeting when both were at Pre-Prime. This time around, Brouillard, buoyed by the hometown crowd, takes charge when he decks Yarosz in round five. Then, in round seven, Yarosz suffers a split lip. Then, in round eight, Brouillard is cut over his left eye. However, in the bout’s final round, Brouillard seals the win with a second KD as Yarosz absorbs a uppercut to the head and takes a nine-count. Brouillard is able to reverse the earlier loss, taking a lopsided UD 10 (96-91 on all three cards). Post-fight, Brouillard improves to 18-4-1 (11) while Yarosz drops to 19-5 (11).

July 8, 1933: More fistic action, this time at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Topping the card is a NABF FW title bout, with Pete Sanstol making his first defense against Canadian Pete DeGrasee, the current Commonwealth titleholder. Trouble right from the start for Sanstol, who sustains a serious cut over his right eye in the opening round. The cut takes awhile to close, but it becomes a big issue in round four when it is reopened. The ref calls in the ring doctor, and finally the bout is waved off. TKO 4 for DeGrasse on the controversial cuts stoppage. Lots of turnover, as it is the fourth new NABF Champion in the last four title contests. DeGrasse adds the NABF belt to the CBU one, and he moves to 24-8-1 (6) overall. Sarron is now 23-10-4 (8).

July 14, 1933: Friday night fights travel to Mexico City, where the card is headlined by a WBA FW title bout, showcasing the talents of the first Mexican World Champion, Baby Arizmendi. On the undercard, unbeaten BW Sixto Escobar puts his 17-0 record on the line against his toughest opponent to date, ex-Champ Panama Al Brown. Ever the wily veteran, Panama Al builds a points lead over the first few rounds. Then, in round six, Brown suffers a cut nose; the bleeding is a major cause for concern for his corner. A barrage of blows from an angry Brown puts Escobar on the canvas in round seven. Escobar’s right eye begins to swell up. Depsite a late rally by Escobar, Brown takes the UD 10 (96-93, 96-93, 95-94) although the scores were a bit closer than many observers saw it. Post-fight, Brown is now 40-7 (16) while Escobar’s first career setback leaves him at 17-1 (9). Then, in the co-feature, Tommy Paul faces the “Cuban Bon Bon,” the popular Kid Chocolate. Kid Chocolate is the more active of the two in the opening rounds of the bout. Paul is forced to attempt a comeback in the later rounds, and near the end of round nine, he gets lucky with a wild overhand right that puts Chocolate down for a five-count. Nonetheless, it is not enough to change the overall result, as Chocolate survives and takes a narrow UD 10 (95-94, 95-94, 96-93) to run his record to 20-3-5 (14). Paul is 23-6-2 (6) with the loss. Then, WBA FW Champ Baby Arizmendi faces USBA Champ Battling Battalino for the WBA title. Arimendi holds an earlier UD win over Battalino, but it was back in 1930 when both men were at Pre-Prime. This time, a determined Battalino gets off to an excellent start, and he is especially dominant with a strong round three. After five, the unofficial ringside observer has it 49-46 for the “Bat.” However, he has to deal with Arizmendi, the Champion’s swagger, and the Mexican crowd. In the middle rounds, Arizmendi digs in and regains some lost ground. The Mexican Champion steps up the pace in the later rounds, but Battalino holds his own. The bout goes to decision with no knockdowns, and both men are unmarked. To the dismay of the Mexican crowd, Battalino takes a UD 15 (145-141, 146-139, 144-143) to capture the WBA belt. Post-fight, Battalino is now 26-6 (12); Arizmendi drops to 23-3-1 (10) with the loss.

[JCWeb]

Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the second half of July 1933, covering a total of 57 bouts.

July 14, 1933: Next card is at Chicago’s Comiskey Stadium. It’s a relatively light card, and the featured main event has Al Singer defending his USBA LW title against challenger Ray Miller. It is Singer’s first defense, and he faces a higher ranked opponent in Miller. The die is cast in the opening round when a dangerous-looking cut is opened just above Singer’s left eye. Miller targets the cut, which is reopened in the second round. When the cut is reopened a second time in round four, the ref wastes no time in calling a halt. Miller takes the USBA via a TKO 4 on the cuts stoppage. Post-fight career marks are 35-9 (15) for Miller, 22-7-1 (13) for Singer.

July 20, 1933: The scene shifts to Europe, with a rare Friday night card at the Palazzo del Sport in Rome, Italy. The co-feature has EBU WW Champ Cleto Locatelli facing his NABF counterpart, Ruby Goldstein, in a non-title clash. Locatelli seems to have the upper hand when Goldstein sustains a cut over his right eye midway through round five. Locatelli takes charge with a strong seventh round, and the cut is reopened in the seventh, eighth and finally in the ninth round. In round nine, Goldstein’s injured eye also shows signs of swelling, and the eye leads to an eventual stoppage in the final round of the bout. It goes down as a TKO 10 for Locatelli via the cuts stoppage. The Swiss moves 26-8-1 (9) with the win; Goldstein slips to 29-8-3 (20) with the loss. Then, in the main event, crowd favorite Enzo Fiermonte puts his EBU MW title on the line, facing challenger Hein Domgorgen. Fiermonte holds an earlier win, back in 1931, over Domgorgen. However, the challenger is determined and he stuns the Italian champion in round four when he connects with a hard hook. Then, a round later, the German puts Fiermonte on the deck when the Italian runs into a big cross. Fiermonte gets back on his feet, survives the round, and actually takes the fight to Domgorgen, dominating the action in rounds seven and eight. The pendulum then swings the other way, in favor of Domgorgen, who has a strong round nine, landing repeatedly and causing Fiermonte’s left eye to begin swelling. This very good action fight concludes as both men last the distance, and this time it is Domgorgen who takes a UD 12 (115-113, 114-113, 117-110), reversing the earlier result and capturing the EBU MW title. The German improves to 35-11-1 (18) with the win; Fiermonte is now 29-7-2 (11). Good fight of the year candidate.

July 21, 1933: Next card is at the Earls Court in London, England. Two heavyweight tilts top the card. In the main support, Elmer Ray has journeyed across the Atlantic to face Ireland’s Jack Doyle, a former EBU and Commonwealth titleholder, while Ray has briefly held the NABF HW title. In this non-title affair, Ray tags Doyle with a big cross in the opening stanza; Doyle covers up and manages to last the round. Midway through the bout, Doyle develops swelling under his left eye as Ray continues to land at will, building a solid points advantage. An increasingly desperate Doyle soldiers on, becoming gradually more and more aggressive. In round eight, he catches Ray with a big left, then follows up with a series of blows that leave “Kid Violet” helpless against the ropes. The ref calls a halt, and Doyle is awarded a TKO 8 win. The “Gorgeous Gael” moves to 27-13-3 (20) with the win, while Ray drops to 25-5 (16). Then, in the main event, Larry Gains makes the first defense of his Commonwealth HW crown in over a year, facing a familiar foe, Tom Heeney, the current OPBF Champ from Down Under. Heeney is seeking to reverse the results of a previous encounter, which resulted in a DQ win for Gains in 1931 after Heeney was called for a flagrant foul. This time, the bout remains close in the early rounds. In round five, both men mix it up on the inside, and Heeney suffers a gash over his left eye, while Gains comes away with a cut forehead. Good work from both corners patches up the cuts – for the time being. Heeney is the more active fighter, outlanding Gains by two-to-one according to the unofficial punch stats. In round seven, Gains is forced into a defensive posture as the cut is reopened. Then, in round eight, the tables are turned on Heeney as the gash over his eye is reopened, and the bleeding proves too difficult to control. The ref calls in the ring physician, resulting in an immediate stoppage. Despite protests from Heeney’s corner, Gains is declared the winner via a TKO 8 on the cuts stoppage. A peek at the scorecards after seven showed it even (66-all) on all three cards, so Heeney missed out on a golden opportunity to capture the title. Post-fight records: Gains, 33-9 (21); Heeney, 34-18-1 (11).

July 21, 1933: Next up is a big card at the Polo Grounds, showcasing a couple of up-and-coming fighters followed by the main event, a long-awaited WBA HW title contest featuring Champion Max Schmeling and #1 contender, Jack Sharkey. First up is hot FW prospect Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong, who faces journeyman Al Tripoli in a scheduled 10-rounder. Armstrong seizes control from the outset, pounding away at his hapless opponent; Tripoli’s right eye begins to puff up as early as round three as a result. Then, in round four, a solid cross drops Tripoli on his back. Armstrong follows up, landing blow after blow until Tripoli is out on his feet. The ref calls a halt, and the TKO 4 win lifts Armstrong to 12-1 (11) overall. Then, unbeaten HW Art Lasky faces a tough challenger in veteran Floyd Johnson. In the opening round, Johnson suffers a nick under his left eye. Lasky takes advantage, building an early lead and causing some swelling under Johnson’s left eye. Then, Johnson unloads in round three and it is Lasky who shows signs of swelling under his right eye. Johnson proves to be a difficult opponent for Lasky, and the veteran – despite his diminishing skills – exhibits superior defense and counterpunching into the later rounds of the bout. The end-result is a UD 10 for Johnson (97-93, 96-94, 97-93) who moves to 32-15-1 (23) with the win. He hands Lasky his first career loss, leaving Art at 15-1-1 (15) – all of Lasky’s wins coming inside the distance. All this is prelude to the main event, a long-awaited contest featuring the two top HWs, WBA Champ Max Schmeling and #1 contender, NABF Champ Jack Sharkey. It’s the first meeting of these two who have moved to the top of the HW ranks in recent years. Schmeling gets off to an excellent start, taking the first three rounds. By the end of round three, Sharkey – showing the effects of several punishing blows landed by Schmeling – has a rapidly swelling right eye as a result. At the outset of round four, Schmeling rocks Sharkey with a big cross, forcing the challenger to cover up. Then, a round later, Sharkey backs Schmeling up agains the ropes and lands a big uppercut; this time it is the Champion who is forced to cover up to last the round. Then, in round six, Schmeling sustains a cut over his right eye. The cut appears to be in a bad spot, and Schmeling goes on the offensive a round later, putting Sharkey on his back with a strong shot; Sharkey takes a seven-count before resuming. Sharkey shows signs of tiring as early as round eight. In round nine, the cut over Schmeling’s eye is reopened. Good cornerwork prevents further damage. The fans are urging Sharkey on, but he is unable to take advantage of the situation. In round 11, Schmeling connects with a hook to the head that puts Sharkey down for a second time. This time, Schmeling is able to follow up until the ref is forced to call a halt. Sharkey is finished, and Schmeling keeps the title via a TKO 11. Post-fight career marks: 32-3 (24) for Schmeling, who has now won his last 11 in a row. Sharkey slips to 30-8 (18). An exciting bout that led up to his pre-fight hype, another “Fight of the Year” candidate.

July 27, 1933: It’s a Friday night card at the Coliseum Arena in New Orleans. Headlining the card is a WBA WW title bout, with Jimmy McLarnin making the seventh defense of the title, facing #1 contender and current OPBF Champion Irineo Flores. Both men are on long winning streaks, with McLarnin having won his last 10 while Flores has won his last seven coming into the bout. McLarnin pulls ahead to a slight advantage in the early rounds. However, he faces a determined foe in Flores, who digs in on the inside, gaining ground in the middle rounds. In round seven, McLarnin rips open a cut over Flores’ right eye. Flores battles back, and soon McLarnin shows the effect, with some noticeable swelling appearing under his left eye. The bout remains close into the later rounds. In round 14, McLarnin scores with a hard hook that forces Flores to cover up. The bout goes down to the final bell, and McLarnin raises his hands in victory. However, when the judges’ scorecards are read, Flores is declared the winner by a razor-thin SD 15 (145-140, 142-143, 143-142). Post-fight records: Flores, 40-12-2 (19); McLarnin, 39-5 (21). A shocking result, as a 6-rated fighter (Flores) defeats a “13” (McLarnin) in a title fight with both men at Prime career stage.

July 28, 1933: The month closes with a nice card at Manila’s Rizal Arena, topped by a WBA title clash. This time, it is the WBA BW title that is on the line, as Pablo Dano defends against countryman Little Pancho. It’s Dano’s second title defense, with Little Pancho having won his last eight to set up his first title shot of any kind. After an indifferent start, Dano gradually works his way into the bout. By rounds five and six, he is dominating the action and the challenger begins to show telltale signs of swelling under his right eye. Nevertheless, it is a close bout heading into the final third of the bout, with the ringside observer calling it even (95-all) on the unofficial card. In round 11, Little Pancho suffers a cut lip. Then, in round 13, Dano plants a right hand that lands flush, causing Pancho to cover up but he manages to stay on his feet and last the round. A late surge nets the last round for Pancho and secures a majority draw (143-143, 143-143, 142-144 Pancho) which enables Dado to keep the belt by the narrowest of margins. Both men walk away from the bout with stellar records: Dano, now 26-2-3 (14); Pancho, now 19-2-3 (7).

July 1933 turned out to be a good month for some solid fistic action, with good quality fights and several notable upsets. There were four WBA title bouts which produced two first-time champions and two or three “Fight of the Year” candidates, including the Schmeling-Sharkey HW “Superfight.”

[JCWeb]

Moving on to a summary of ring action from the first half of August 1933, covering 64 bouts.

Aug. 4, 1933: The month starts with a Friday night card at Vancover’s Exhibition Gardens. The headliner is a 10-round non-title contest between two top BWs, Archie Bell and Pete Sanstol. With two boxers, there is not a lot of heavy hitting action. Sanstol grabs an early lead but the bout remains close into the final rounds. Sanstol goes on to register a UD 10 win (95-94, 96-93, 96-93) that enables him to move up in the BW rankings. Post-fight career marks are 26-4-2 (8) for Sanstol, 33-9-3 (9) for Bell.

Aug. 5, 1933: The scene shifts to Europe, and the Palais des Sports in Cannes. A relatively light card is topped by a EBU FW clash between Brit Al Foreman, who defends the belt against former Champ, French fan favorite Maurice Holtzer. Holtzer surprises Foreman with a big uppercut that puts the Champ down briefly in the opening round. Holtzer continues to cling to a points lead through the middle rounds, and Foreman looks tired and sluggish as the bout heads into the later rounds. The end result is a narrow UD 12 win for Holtzer (116-112, 114-113, 114-113) who regains the EBU title, to the delight of the French fight fans in attendance. Holtzer improves to 27-8-1 (11) with the win; Foreman is now 31-19-1 (21).

Aug. 5, 1933: Next card is at the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis. All eyes on the main event – a WBA title clash. Midget Wolgast is making the eighth defense of the belt he won in 1931. His opponent is Ruby “Dark Cloud” Bradley, whom Wolgast bested in a UD 10 back in 1930, also in St. Louis. the winner via a TKO 8 on the cuts stoppage. The Champ gets off to a solid start, and a move inside in the third round produces results, as Bradley comes out of the round with swelling under both eyes. In the middle rounds, Wolgast settles in to a more comfortable position fighting outside, while Bradley is forced to battle a serious cut over his right eye sustained in round seven. The cut is reopened twice, and finally in round 13 the ref has seen enough and calls a halt. The TKO 13 win on the cuts stoppage means Wolgast keeps the belt. Now undefeated since January 1930, Wolgast runs his career totals to 32-4-1 (16). Bradley, who was outclassed for most of the bout, is now 24-12-5 (5).

Aug. 11, 1933: The scene shifts to the War Memorial Auditorium in Syracuse, New York for the next card. No titles on the line, and the main event features two top ranked MWs, Young Terry and Jack McVey, battling it out in their first meeting. Young Terry looks sharp in the early going, landing repeatedly and causing swelling under McVey’s left eye by the end of round three. In the middle rounds, it is McVey who has the best of it, and by round seven there is noticeable swelling under Terry’s right eye. A big shot from McVey finds its mark in round eight, and Terry crumples to the canvas. However, Terry gets up and summons the energy to recover to mount a strong rally to win the final two rounds and take a hard-earned SD 10 by the narrowest of margins (94-95, 95-94, 96-94). Terry moves to 27-9-3 (10) with the win. McVey ends up the bout at 35-17-2 (17).

Aug. 12, 1933: Back to the UK for a very abbreviated card at the Stadium in Liverpool. The only bout of note is the feature, which pits veteran LW contender Stanislaus Loayza against JLW World Champ Tod Morgan in a 10-round, non-title affair. This is the rubber match between the two, who have split two prior encounters. Loayza starts out by attempting to pressure Morgan on the inside, but Morgan shows good defense and counterpunching. By the end of round five, Morgan holds a huge points lead and Loayza is sporting a rapidly swelling right eye. Trailing, Loayza is forced to adopt a more aggressive posture in the later rounds, but it is to no avail as Morgan romps to a one-side UD 10 triumph (98-92, 100-92, 99-91). Post-fight records: Morgan, 41-9-1 (11); Loayza, 29-15-4 (11).

Aug. 12, 1933: Back in the States for a card at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix. On the undercard, two young HWs do battle and Lee Ramage emerges victorious in a bruising battle where both he and his opponent, Patsy Perroni, are cut. The UD 10 win for Ramage (96-94 on all cards) lifts his career record to 21-2 (8) to move him into the top 20 HW rankings. Perroni dips to 22-4-1 (3) with the loss. The main event is for the lightly regarded USBA JWW title, with Johnny Jadick defending versus Mushy Callahan. Jadick is confident entering the bout, having defeated Callahan in an earlier encounter, but Callahan was still at Pre-Prime at the time. Jadick gains the upper hand, and midway through the bout Callahan is bothered by a rapidly swelling left eye. In round seven, Jadick catches Callahan with a wicked uppercut to the head that puts the challenger down and out. KO 7 for Jadick, who retains the belt. Post-fight marks are 31-14-2 (8) for Jadick, 26-13-2 (9) for Callahan. The lack of competitiveness in the JWW division has led the USBA to seriously consider withdrawing recognition to this very thinly populated division.

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the second half of August 1933, covering 53 bouts.

Aug. 18, 1933: Next Friday night card is at Havana, Cuba’s Grand Stadium. The undercard includes a HW matchup featuring Primo Carnera, the “Ambling Alp,” who faces Cuban slugger Goyito Rico. Despite facing another slugger and a hostile crowd, Carnera gives a strong performance. In round three, he opens a gash over Rico’s right eye. Carnera targets the cut, and in round five he drops Rico but cannot finish. Carnera suffers a momentary setback when Rico stuns him in the sixth round with a solid cross. A second KD for Carnera in round eight seals the win, and he takes a UD 10 to up his career totals to 19-4-1 (15). The card is headlined by a pair of bouts pairing some top 20 WW contenders. In the first of these, veteran Tommy Freeman faces Cuban Manuel Quintero, who bested Freeman in one prior encounter back in 1929. This time, the bout remains close into the later rounds, with neither able to land a telling blow. To the disappointment of the pro-Quintero crowd, Freeman is able to pull ahead in the later rounds to take a UD 10 (98-93, 97-94, 98-93) and moves to 30-14-2 (12) overall as a result. This loss leaves Quintero at 25-10-5 (12). Then, in the final bout of the evening, veteran Joe Dundee faces Sergeant Sammy Baker. Baker sustains a cut over his left eye in round two, and the cut remains an issue throughout the bout. By the midway point, Baker’s eye gets worse as there is swelling accompanying the cut as the result of some accumulated blows from Dundee. The cut becomes a huge issue as the flow of blood is difficult to control. It is finally patched up by the corner headed into round nine, but the cut is reopened in the final round and becomes too much of a problem for the referee to ignore, leading to a late stoppage. The bout goes into the books as a TKO 10 for Dundee on the cuts stoppage. Post-fight career marks are 38-15-6 (13) for Dundee, 28-11 (17) for Baker.

Aug. 19, 1933: Next card is at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. The featured main event is a USBA title bout, but the main support matches unbeaten HW prospect Jersey Joe Walcott in his toughest test to date, as he faces a former NABF HW titleholder, veteran Jack Gross. Walcott impresses from the outset, seizing control with a dominant opening round while snuffing out any chances for Gross. In round five, he ends it with a huge shot that puts Gross down and out. KO 5 for Walcott is his 14^th KO in 16 bouts, all wins for Jersey Joe thus far. Gross – whose days as a serious title contender appear to be over -- is 24-10 (13). Then, in the feature, USBA LH Champ Battling Bozo, coming off a loss to WBA Champ Tommy Loughran, makes his first defense against the higher ranked George Manley. The bout evolves into a defensive struggle with the challenger, Manley, being the more aggressive of the two. In the end, Manley is rewarded with a SD 12 verdict (115-114, 114-115, 115-114) and his first title belt. Manley improves to 33-14 (16) with the win; Bozo is now 22-4-1 (10).

Aug. 19, 1933: Next is a light card at the Rizal Arena in Manila, Philippines. Attention is focused on the main event, which matches two former WBA BW Champions – Speedy Dado and Pete Sarmiento – for Dado’s OPBF BW belt. The two are familiar foes, and Dado holds a 2-1 edge in prior meetings. Sarmiento, now at the tail-end of his career, offers little resistance. Dado ends the bout in round five when he decks Sarmiento with a strong cross, putting the challenger down and out. KO 5 for Speedy Dado to retain the belt. Dado runs his career record to 24-9-2 (13). Sarmiento ends up the bout at 34-19-6 (21).

Aug. 25, 1933: The scene shifts to London for a rare Friday night card at Harringay Arena. Another light card, no title bouts on the agenda, and the main event is a HW bout matching USBA Champion Joe “Bingo” Banovic with a rising star from Argentina, Jose Domingo Carattoli. Banovic works mostly on the outside, forcing Carattoli to take the initiative. Early in round four, Banovic suffers a cut over his right eye. He holds a slight points advantage while continuing to battle both Carattoli and the cut. Banovic puts the Argentinian down in round six, but Carattoli arises and battles on the rest of the way. Despite a late surge from Carattoli, Banovic holds on to register a UD 10 win (95-94, 95-94, 97-92). Banovic, now the #2 ranked HW, moves to 29-6 (9) with the win; Carattoli is 21-4 (9) with the loss.

Aug. 26, 1933: Back to the States for a packed card at New York’s Yankee Stadium. Two feature bouts, one with veteran Benny Leonard continuing to try to advance in the WW ranks as he faces veteran Jimmy Leto. It is the 93^rd pro bout for the 37-year-old Leonard. Not much in the way of action until round five, when Leto drills Leonard with a three-punch combo that staggers the veteran. Leonard, not having the best of nights, battles to the end, despite some swelling under his right eye. In the end, though, it is Leto who prevails, via a razor-thin SD 10 (95-94, 94-95, 96-93). Post-fight carer marks: Leto, 27-7-5 (11); Leonard, 82-9-2 (42). Then, in the final bout of the evening, WBA LH Tommy Loughran is campaigning as a HW, facing James J. Braddock, aka “the Cinderella Man.” Braddock, unable to penetrate Loughran’s defenses, tries his luck on the inside. While Loughran suffers a swollen and cut left eye in round seven, he manages to maintain a points lead and take a solid UD 10 (98-93, 99-92, 96-95). Post-fight records are Loughran, 51-4-4 (18); Braddock, 22-9-2 (6).

Aug. 26, 1933: The month wraps up with a card at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. The only bout of significance is the main event, which matches FWs Freddie Miller and Dick Finnegan for the USBA FW title vacated by Battling Battalino who recently won the WBA title. For Miller, it is his first title effort despite rising to the top three in the FW ranks, while Finnegan is an aging veteran who has held the USBA belt twice in the past. It is a solid effort by Miller, who methodically builds a points advantage, exposing Finnegan’s weakness while maintaining a solid defensive posture. Late in the bout, Finnegan shows signs of swelling under his left eye, and Miller coasts to a UD 12 win (117-113, 118-110, 118-110) to take his first title belt. Post-fight marks are 24-3 (12) for Miller, and 32-16-2 (10) for Finnegan, who is at the tail end of his career. Miller, now that he has his first taste of success in title bout action, has to be considered a serious potential challenger for the WBA crown as well.

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the first half of September 1933, covering 53 bouts.

Sep. 1, 1933: The month starts off with a Friday night card “Down Under,” in Melbourne, Australia. The feature matchup is a WBA LW title bout, matching Champ Tony Canzoneri against Aussie Billy Grime, the reigning Commowealth titleholder. This is Grime’s third try for the WBA title, having been stopped by Benny Leonard and Billy Petrolle in two prior efforts; for Canzoneri, it is his fifth defense of the WBA title. In the opening round, Grime surprises “the Roman Warrior” by putting Canzoneri on the deck with a sharp combination, to the delight of the Aussie crowd. Canzoneri picks himself off the canvas and battles back quickly, and by the end of round three Grime is showing signs of swelling under his left eye as a result of Canzoneri’s very consistent punching. Grime’s left eye is also cut in round four. Despite having a couple of bright moments, Grime is for the most point outclassed by Canzoneri who goes on to take a solid points win despite the early KD. UD 15 for Canzoneri (147-138, 145-139, 146-138) as the judges’ cards are read. Post-fight career marks are 30-4-2 (15) for Canzoneri, 28-19-2 (16) for Grime. Canzoneri, who has not lost a bout in over three years, is now firmly entrenched as LW Champion.

Sep. 2, 1933: The scene shifts to Europe, this time at the Sportpalast in Berlin. Intriguing card with a couple of interesting matchups on the agenda. In the co-feature, unbeaten German WW Gustav Eder faces CBU and GBU Champ Jack Hood; the two battled to a draw in an earlier bout which is the only blemish on an otherwise flawless record for Eder. Eder is able to pull out a slight advantage, boxing well through the early rounds. Hood battles back, keeping the bout close into the later rounds. No cuts or knockdowns, and the bout goes to decision, with the end result – a draw (96-96, 96-95 Hood, 95-96 Eder) – the same as in the prior encounter. Post-bout, Eder remains unbeaten at 24-0-2 (8); Hood, now with seven draws on his resume, is 25-8-7 (9) after the bout. Then, in the main event, German Harry Stein makes his third defense of his EBU Flyweight title in front of a friendly hometown crowd; his opponent, Kid Socks, is the reigning Commonwealth Flyweight titleholder. It is the first meeting of the two, and Socks gradually builds a points edge through the early rounds. Stein becomes gradually more aggressive as the bout wears on, in a game effort to retain his title. A late cut over his left eye only adds to Stein’s troubles. In the end, Socks takes the belt with a SD 12 verdict in his favor (118-111, 114-115, 116-113) with one judge obviously given too much deference to the defending Champion. Socks adds the EBU belt to his CBU one and moves to 31-17-3 (8) with the win; Stein dips to 29-10-1 (19) with the loss.

Sep. 2, 1933: Out to the Pacific Northwest for another card in Seattle, Washington, featuring a top-notch local fighter, the “Tacoma Assassin,” Freddie Steele, in the main event. This time, Steele -- #1 MW contender behind Mickey Walker – is making the fifth defense of his NABF MW title, facing a much lower ranked contender in Ben Jeby. Steele gets off to a whirlwind start and, by the end of the first round, Jeby is in trouble, suffering from some swelling under his right eye. For the next three rounds, Jeby does well to battle on relatively even terms with the much more skilled Steele. However, in round five, Steele breaks down Jeby’s defenses, decking the challenger with a big combination. A wobbly Jeby arises, but late in the round a barrage of blows from Steele results in the second KD and ends Jeby’s challenge for good. KO 5 for Steele to run his career record to 29-3 (24). Jeby is now 19-7-2 (9). With Mickey Walker contemplating a move to LHW, Steele is the most likely successor assuming he can win a title eliminator.

Sep. 8, 1933: North of the border, more Friday night action, this time at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. The feature is a NABF BW title bout, with Bobby Leitham, the “Verdun Flash,” defending against USBA Champion K. O. Morgan. In round four, Morgan suffers a severe cut over his right eye. Leitham targets the cut which becomes an issue as the boat wears on, eventually leading to a stoppage. TKO 8 for Leitham on the cuts stoppage enables him to retain the belt. Now 27-4-1 (11), Leitham has emerged as the #1 contender for the WBA BW crown. The loss leaves Morgan at 18-3-3 (14)

Sep. 9, 1933: Another card back at the UK at the Stadium in Liverpool. Not a real exciting series of bouts, and the headliner is the GBU LW title clash between Harry Mason, the defending Champion, and challenger George Rose. It is the fourth meeting between these two, all for the same belt, with Mason having won two and drawn one in the previous encounters. This time, Mason begins to pull ahead on points in the middle rounds, and it is apparent that Rose lacks the skills to seriously challenge Mason. In Round 11, Rose begins to show signs of swelling under his right eye. The bout goes the distance and, once again, Mason retains the GBU title, this time via a UD 12 win (115-114, 115-113, 117-111) although the margin on two of the cards is smaller than expected. Post-fight records are Mason, 33-20-3 (5); Rose, 20-9-2 (7).

Sep. 9, 1933: Next card in the States is at the Boston Garden. No titles at stake, and the feature matches two top 10 Flyweights – veteran Frankie Genaro and Emil Paluso. Genaro is a former WBA titleholder, while Paluso has fallen short in several prior title attempts; Genaro holds a UD 10 over Paluso in one prior meeting. Genaro outboxes Paluso to gain an early points lead; in round six, Paluso suffers a cut over his right eye as well as experiencing swelling under his left eye. Then, in round eight, Genaro gets careless with some low blows that cause the ref to call a halt and, in a controversial decision, the flagrant foul leads to DQ-8 win for Paluso. Loud boos accompany this call, but the result stands, and so Paluso emerges as the victor with a 32-16-2 (8) career record; Genaro’s career totals are now 40-15-2 (18).

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the second half of September 1933, covering 62 bouts.

Sep. 15, 1933: Next Friday night card is at Manila’s Rizal Arena. Featured matchup pairs two Filipino FWs, with Johnny Hill facing Ignacio Fernandez for Hill’s OPBF FW belt. Hill took a UD 12 in a prior encounter between these two. Early on, Fernandez lands some solid shots that cause Hill’s right eye to begin to puff up by the end of the fourth round. Hill seems to grab a solid points lead in the middle rounds of the bout. By the end of round nine, there is noticeable swelling under Fernandez’s right eye. Hill goes on to take a MD12 (117-111, 114-114, 118-110) to retain the title. Post-fight career totals are 30-13-2 (6) for Hill, 26-10-3 (12) for Fernandez.

Sep. 16, 1933: The scene shifts to Europe, and a card at the Palais des Sports in Cannes, France. Co-main events are on the agenda, with the headliner being an EBU title bout. In the first of these, NABF Flyweight Champ Newsboy Brown takes on French Flyweight Eugene Huat. In round five, Huat suffers a cut over his left eye. Nonetheless, the Frenchman battles on and pulls ahead on points. In round eight, Brown suffers a nick under his left eye. Then, in the key ninth round, Huat puts Brown twice with a series of combinations and then goes on to register the upset over the higher rated Brown, taking a UD 10 (97-92, 95-93, 95-93) to zoom up the rankings and run his record to 20-10-5 (9). Brown is left at 37-12-2 (11) after the loss. The EBU title bout has EBU LH Champion Gustave Roth defending against the man he defeated for the belt, Brit Len Harvey. Roth builds an early points edge but the bout comes to a sudden halt in round six when Harvey nails Roth with an overhand right that causes the Belgian to recoil in pain, the result of a broken jaw. Roth cannot continue, and the bout goes down as a TKO 6 win for Harvey, who regains the EBU LH title as a result. Post-fight records: Harvey, 41-10-2 (17); Roth, 27-5-2 (12).

Sep. 16, 1933: Next card is at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium. No titles, and the featured main event has ex-WBA HW Champ Tuffy Griffith facing Jack DeMave. Griffith gets off to a strong start, and by the end of round five he breaks through DeMave’s defenses and puts the Dutchman on the canvas for a five-coutn. DeMave’s left eye begins to swell. Griffith goes on to take a lopsided UD 10 (98-90, 96-92, 99-89) that improves his overall record to 27-7-1 (16). DeMave is now 28-12-2 (15).

Sep. 22, 1933: It’s a Friday night card at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. The feature pairs two hot young HW prospects, unbeaten Jersey Joe Walcott and once-beaten Steve Hamas. Both men start cautiously, and not much happens for the first four rounds. Then, in round five, the action picks up, as Hamas is cut over his right eye, while Hamas jars Walcott with a jolting uppercut that forces Jersey Joe to cover up. The cut over Hamas’ eye is reopened in the eighth round and is still bleeding going into the final two rounds. Finally, a hard shot from Walcott causes the eye to worsen and, after consultation with the ring physician, the ref calls a halt. TKO 10 for Walcott on the cuts stoppage. Jersey Joe maintains a perfect record, now 17-0 (15), having passed a stern test with a tough opponent in Hamas, who is now 17-2 (13).

Sep. 23, 1933: Next card is at the Olympia in London. The main event is an EBU BW title bout, preceded by a main support matching two ranked FWs, Kid Chocolate from Cuba and veteran Johnny Cuthbert, a former Commonwealth and British titleholder. Nothing of note until round five, when Kid Chocolate connects with a combination of blows that put Cuthbert down for a count of seven. The Cuban takes a large points lead into the later rounds, although Kid Chocolate’s right eye shows signs of swelling by round nine. In the end, though, the UD 10 goes to Kid Chocolate (95-94, 99-90, 99-90), a convincing win with even one hometown judge giving the Cuban the nod. Post-fight records: Chocolate, 21-3-5 (14); Cuthbert, 31-21-1 (10). Then, in the main event, BW Johnny King defends his EBU title against Baltazar Sangchili. King connects with a cross in round five, and Sangchili drops to the canvas in a delayed reaction to the punch, taking an eight count before arising. Then, in round six, there is a clash of heads, and Sangchili emerges from the exchange with a gash over his left eye. King targets the cut, but Sangchili battles back, and by round eight there is noticeable swelling under King’s right eye. The cut over Sangchili’s eye is reopened but is quickly patched up by his corner. The bout goes the distance, with King retaining the title via a solid UD 12 win (117-110, 116-111, 116-111) to run his career record to an excellent 29-3-1 (14). King is now riding a four-bout unbeate streak. Sangchili, who still has a bright future, is 19-4 (15) despite the loss.

Sep. 30, 1933: The month wraps up with a huge card at New York City’s St. Nicolas Arena. Two different WBA Champions are in action, but one of them – MW king Mickey Walker – has moved up to LH, challenging NABF LH Champ, the unbeaten Tiger Jack Fox, in a non-title bout that serves as the co-feature, leading into a WBA title clash as the finale. Walker seems to have some difficulty with Fox and the additional weight, and by the end of the first round, Walker’s left eye begins to swell up. Walker tries to apply pressure on the inside, but Fox responds with surprisingly strong defense and counterpunching. In round three, though, Fox suffers a split lip. Early in round five, with both men mixing it up on the inside, Walker staggers Fox with a strong cross but cannot follow up as Fox does a good job of covering up to last the round. In round eight, the cut is reopened but it turns out not to be a major issue. In the ninth round, an off-balance Walker swings and misses, slipping to the canvas; the ref correctly calls it no knockdown. The bout goes to decision without further incident, and Tiger Jack Fox keeps his unbeaten slate clean by taking a UD 10 (95-94, 97-92, 97-92) with a healthy margin on two of the three cards. Post-fight marks: Fox, 29-0 (21); Walker, 51-4 (38). Walker may need to rethink his move to LH, and he has retained the WBA MW title as a fallback plan. Then, in the WBA title clash, Battling Battalino makes the first defense of his WBA FW title won earlier in the year, facing challenger Commonwealth FW Champ Pete DeGrasse. Early on, DeGrasse suffers a cut on his mouth. DeGrasse, however, lands his share of punches and manages to keep the bout close on points through the early and middle rounds. The bout evolves into a tough, defensive struggle, and it comes down to the final few rounds with the title hanging in the balance. As it turns out, it is the Canadian challenger who outperforms Battalino down the stretch, and he walks away with a UD 15 win (146-141, 146-140, 144-142) and the WBA FW title. DeGrasse improves to 25-8-1 (6) as a result; Battalino’s career totals are now 26-7 (12).

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the first half of October 1933, covering 65 total bouts.

Oct. 6, 1933: The month’s action kicks off with a Friday night card at the Stadium in Liverpool, England. Featured matchup is a rematch for the Commonwealth LH title, but it is preceded by an encounter pairing top five BW Bushy Graham with GBU BW Champ Benny Sharkey. The bout comes to a sudden halt midway through round two, when Graham is called for persistent head-butting and the ref takes the radical step of awarding the bout to Sharkey via a DQ-2. The controversial call leaves Sharkey at 21-4-1 (15) while the veteran Graham slips to 32-16-1 (10). Then, in the main event, Gypsy Daniels, who won the Commonwealth LH belt through a similar DQ result, makes the very sporting gesture of allowing the victim of that controversial call, Canadian Jack “Bright Eyes” Delaney, the opportunity of a rematch. Despite the disadvantages of having hit Post-Prime and facing Daniels on Gypsy’s home turf, Delaney is able to build a solid points lead in the early going. Daniels, who looks overmatched against the skilled Delaney, opens up in the later rounds and is decked twice in the ninth and two more times in the 12^th, and barely manages to finish on his feet. The four knockdowns means the result is a predictable lopsided UD 12 for Delaney (118-105, 118-104, 117-105) to regain the title. Despite the loss, Daniels still has the GBU LH title belt to fall back on. Post-fight career totals are 42-12-3 (26) for Delaney, 31-21-2 (18) for Daniels.

Oct. 7, 1933: The scene shifts to Europe, and an action-packed card at the Sports Palace in Rome, Italy. No titles at stake, but in one of the preliminary bouts, unbeaten Italian LW hopeful Aldo Spoldi runs his career record to 20-0-1 (11) with a UD 10 win (97-93 on all cards) over Tony Morgano, who ends up at 18-5-1 (6) after the loss. Then, in the main event, two former EBU MW Champions do battle as Italian fan favorite Enzo Fiermonte faces Brit Len Johnson in the first meeting of the two. Fiermonte gradually pulls out a points edge through the first half of the bout, forcing Johnson to be more and more aggressive as the bout wears on. Johnson’s left eye begins swelling near the midway point, and the swelling gradually worsens. There are no KDs and cuts as the bout goes to decision, with Fiermonte taking a UD 10 (99-93, 99-93, 98-94) to retain his spot among the top MW contenders. Post-fight records: Fiermonte, 30-7-2 (11); Johnson, 30-16-3 (17).

Oct. 7, 1933: Next card is at Chicago’s Solider’s Field. It’s a packed card, headlined by a USBA title bout with two top LHs on the agenda in the co-feature: popular “Slapsie Maxie” Rosenbloom facing veteran Lou Scozza. Rosenbloom starts well, and Scozza is already in difficulty by the end of the opening stanza when his right eye begins to swell. In round five, Rosenbloom rocks Scozza with a hard cross; Scozza is staggered but remains upright and lasts the round. Rosenbloom goes on to dominate the rest of the bout, which goes to decision without further incident. The UD 10 goes to Rosenbloom (99-91, 98-92, 98-92), and Maxie runs his record to 30-10-6 (13) to solidify his position as a top five LH contender. For Scozza, it is his last bout at Prime and he ends that stage of his career at 33-7-1 (24). Then, in the main event, veteran LH Sammy Fuller challenges Ray Miller for the latter’s USBA LW title. It’s the third meeting of the two, with Miller having registered a pair of UD wins, including one back in 1929 for this same USBA title. The early sparring through the first few rounds seems to favor the challenger. Miller, seeing his title slipping away, steps up the pace in the middle rounds. Good counterpunching by Fuller continues to register, and there is some noticeable swelling under Miller’s left eye as a result. Miller contines to battle back, but in the end he falls a bit short as Fuller takes a close but UD 12 (116-113, 116-113, 115-114) to capture the belt, as the USBA LW title changes hands for the sixth time in the last six title bouts. Post-fight records are 36-7 (9) for Fuller; 35-10 (15) for Miller.

Oct. 13, 1933: Next is another Friday night card at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. Featured are two top LWs, veteran Stanislaus Loayza from Chile and former NABF titleholder Cecil Payne. The two have not met before. Payne gets off to a good start, and in round four Loayza sustains a cut under his left eye. Then the bout comes to a sudden conclusion early in the fifth round when Loayza connects with Payne’s forehead but comes away with an injured hand. After a slight break, the Chilean is unable to continues, thus the bout goes down as a TKO 5 win for Payne due to the injury. Payne improves to 29-5-3 (8), while Loayza slips to 29-16-4 (11).

Oct. 14, 1933: Next card is at the Forum in Montreal. The main event features former WBA WW Champion Jimmy “Baby Face” McLarnin, on the comeback trail after losing the title in his most recent outing. His opponent is veteran top five WW Joe Dundee, not an easy opponent despite the hometown edge for McLarnin. McLarnin gets off to a sluggish start, and by the end of the opening stanza McLarnin shows signs of swelling under the left eye as a result of some strong blows landed by Dundee. Dundee goes on to pile up an early points lead as McLarnin is obviously having an off-night. McLarnin battles back to make it close into the later rounds, and he is extremely lucky to escape with a draw (96-94 McLarnin, 95-95, 95-96 Dundee), and he is unlikely to return to the ring until some time in 1934. Post-fight records: McLarnin, 39-5-1 (21); Dundee, 38-15-7 (13).

Oct. 14, 1933: To the West Coast for a nice card at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. The co-feature has HW Max Baer in his first bout at Prime career stage, and he is gunning for a top 20 spot in the ratings, taking on veteran Bearcat Wright. Things get off to a rocky start for Baer when Wright tags him with a straight right that forces Baer to cover up. Then, in round three, Baer returns the favor with a shot off the top of Wright’s forehead. Baer follows up a round later with an all-out assault that has Wright suffering the effects of a rapidly swelling right eye. Baer traps Wright in a corner and has his man out on his feet before the ref steps in to save Wright from further punishment. TKO 4 for Baer, lifting Max to 19-2 (18) overall. Wright is now 29-15-4 (20). The final bout of the evening is the main event, which sees Pinky Silverberg challenging Fidel LaBarba for LaBarba’s USBA Flyweight title. It’s the first meeting of these two veterans of the ring wars in the lower weight classes. LaBarba is at his best, compiling an early points lead that becomes too much for Silverberg to overcome. It turns out to be another workmanlike performance by LaBarba in a relatively boring boxing exhibition. The UD 12 goes to LaBarba by a fairly comfortable margin (119-113, 118-110, 118-110). LaBarba, who has now won his last four in a row – the last two at Post-Prime – is now 32-6-1 (9) overall. Silverberg drops to 34-22-5 (10).

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the second half of October 1933, covering 67 total bouts.

Oct. 20, 1933: Next up is another Friday night card “Down Under” at Melbourne. Up for grabs in the main event is the Commonwealth FW title belt, which was vacated by Pete DeGrasse who moved up to claim the WBA title. Long-time British FW Champion Al Foreman faces Aussie Merv “Darky” Blandon for the vacant title; for Blandon, who is still at Pre-Prime, it is his first title bout of any kind. Buoyed by the support of the hometown crowd, Blandon starts well and takes the opening round. Foreman does better in round two, landing several telling blows and causing Blandon’s right eye to swell. Foreman moves inside to do more damage in round three, and by the midway point of the bout he has pulled ahead to a solid points lead. Blandon, forced to battle from behind, leaves himself vulnerable to some sharp counterpunching from Foreman. In round nine, Foreman rocks Blandon with a hard shot to the top of the head, forcing the Aussie to cover up. Meanwhile, the swelling around Blandon’s right eye has worsened considerably. In round 10, Foreman puts Blandon on the deck with a big hook. Blandon bounces back up but then the ref wants to take a closer look at his eye. He calls a halt after consulting with the ring physician; there’s not much protest from Blandon’s corner as he was trailing on all three cards. TKO 10 for Foreman to take the CBU title. Post-fight career totals are 32-19-1 (22) for Foreman, 16-2 (14) for Blandon.

Oct. 21, 1933: Back to Europe, and a good solid card at Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. No title action, but at least three bouts of interest. In one of the supporting bouts, EBU FW Champion Maurice Holtzer faces ex-WBA Champ Babe Herman. However, a post-Prime Herman is a step slower and thus the Frenchman is able to gradually build a solid points lead to take a UD 10 (97-93, 96-95, 97-94). Post-fight, Holtzer is 28-8-1 (11); Herman is 34-20-5 (15). Then, in the main support, unbeaten German WW Gustav Eder faces another top contender, former NABF and USBA titleholder Johnny Indrisano. In the opening round, Indrisano surprises Eder with an uppercut. Eder bounces back quickly, and the bout remains close through the opening rounds. Then, in rounds five and six, Eder gradually gains the upper hand. Indrisano has to deal with a rapidly swelling left eye. Then, in the final round, an overhand right from Eder causes Indrisano to cry out in pain, the result of a broken jaw. The American is unable to continue, and Eder walks away with a TKO 10 win to run his career record to 25-0-2 (9) while Indrisano ends the bout at 26-8-4 (11). A peek at the scorecards showed Eder ahead on all three, but only by a point (86-85). Then, in the main event, former WBA HW Champ Young Stribling, now at Post-Prime, faces Norwegian Otto Von Porat, a former EBU HW Champ still at Prime career stage. It is the second meeting of the two, with Stribling having captured a UD 10 in 1932. The action develops in round three when Stribling staggers Von Porat with a solid hook that puts the Scandinavian heavy back on his heels. Then, in round four, Von Porat begins suffering from swelling under his right eye. Midway through the bout, the unofficial ringside observer has Stribling in front by a 49-46 count. Von Porat tries to become more aggressive, but in round seven things get even worse as he walks into a Stribling combination and goes down for an eight count. Stribling goes on to repeat his earlier win, taking another UD 10 (98-91, 97-92, 98-91). Post-fight records: Stribling, 44-8-2 (24); Von Porat, 23-9-1 (13). Von Porat will remain inactive until 1934, at which time he will also be at Post-Prime career stage.

Oct. 21, 1933: Next card is at Miami. Plenty of good fistic action featuring top 10 contenders leading into a main event for a WBA title. The first of these to report, two top 10 BWs face off as Pete Sanstol takes on ex-WBA Champion Panama Al Brown. The action is a bit slow to develop, with Panama Al taking control with a strong performance in rounds three and four. The ex-Champion from Panama gradually pulls ahead in the middle rounds. Sanstol, who is ineffective for most of the bout, manages to land some blows in the later rounds that cause swelling under both of Brown’s eyes, but it is too little, too late as the UD 10 goes to Brown (96-94, 97-93, 98-91), and Panama Al runs his career totals to 41-7 (16). Sanstol ends the bout at 26-5-2 (8). Then, in the main support, two HWs take to the ring, as Elmer “Kid Violent” Ray faces Paul Cavalier. The two sluggers do not take long to heat up the action in the ring, with Ray connecting with a straight right in the opening stanza that forces Cavalier to cover up. By the end of the second round, Cavalier is showing the effects of a rapidly swelling left eye. Then, in round three, it is Ray’s left eye that is beginning to puff up. After this flurry of activity, the two settle into a more comfortable pace, with the bout going the distance. Ray takes a UD 10 (97-93, 96-94, 97-95) and improves to 26-5 (16) as a result. Cavalier is now 30-11-2 (15). Then, in the main event, USBA JWW Champ Johnny Jadick challenges Jack Kid Berg for the WBA title that has been Berg’s exclusive property since 1928; it is Jadick’s third try for the WBA belt after losing to Berg in 1930 and 1932. Berg starts off strongly, and by the end of round five he is building a solid points lead. He continues to outbox Jadick through the middle rounds, and the challenger lacks the firepower to offer much in the way of resistance. The bout goes to decision, and Berg takes a UD 15 (146-140, 145-141, 145-141). The win snaps a four-bout losing string --as Berg had spent most of the year facing difficult opponents outside the rather thin JWW ranks -- thus moving Berg to 30-7-3 (13). Jadick slips to 31-15-2 (8) with the loss.

Oct. 27, 1933: Next is Friday night card at Havana’s Gran Stadium. The main event is for the vacant NABF FW title, but there are some good bouts on the undercard featuring Latin American fighters. In one of these, Cuban LW Emory Cabana looks to move up in the rankings as he takes on former USBA LW Champion Jack Portney. Portney seems to have the better of it but is bothered by a cut over his left eye. The cut was first opened in round four, then reopened in rounds five and seven. Cabana targets the cut, but he has also wound up on the receiving end of a lot of leather from Portney, developing a swollen left eye as a result. In round eight, Cabana tags Portney with a strong shot, forcing the American to cover up, but he cannot follow up. This turns out to be Cabana’s big chance to turn the bout in his favor, as Portney manages to last the distance and take a very narrow UD 10 (96-94 on all cards), much to the dismay of the Cuban fight fans who were rooting for Cabana. Post-fight records: Portney, 25-5-2 (19); Cabana, 31-15-4 (12). Next bout of note is the co-feature, which sees 20-year-old Puerto Rican BW sensation Sixto Escobar bringing his 17-1 record into the ring against aging veteran Bud Taylor. As it turns out, Taylor is a shadow of his former self and becomes little more for a punching bag that showcases Escobar’s considerable talents. Taylor, suffering from a cut and swollen right eye, survives a strong shot from Escobar in the ninth round and manages to last the distance. Escobar takes a lopsided UD 10 (99-91, 99-91, 99-90) to run his record to 18-1 (9). Taylor, who is on the verge of dropping out of the top 20, ends the bout at 34-20-1 (10). Then, in the main event, USBA FW Champ Freddie Miller faces Chalky Wright for the NABF FW title vacated by new WBA Champion Pete DeGrasse (DeGrasse had held both the Commonwealth and NABF belts). It is the second meeting of these two, with Miller having won a UD when both were at Pre-Prime back in 1930. The opening four rounds see Miller quietly and patiently building a points lead by outboxing Wright. Wright tries to pick up the pace in the second half of the bout, but –except for a few good moments in round nine – he is unable to break down Miller’s defenses. In the end, Miller takes a UD 12 (117-112, 115-113, 115-114) to annex the NABF belt. Miller improves to 25-3 (12) with the win, while Wright dips to 24-5-2 (11) with the loss.

Oct. 28, 1933: Next card is back in the UK at London’s Earls Court. Featured bout has British HW Tommy Farr defending his EBU title against the “Basque Woodchopper,” Paulino Uzcudan. Uzcudan impressed in his most recent outing when he defeated former WBA HW Champ Young Stribling, and thus he is expected to offer a strong challenge to Farr. It’s a classic boxer versus slugger matchup, and Farr is able to pull out a slight lead in the early rounds. After four rounds, Uzcudan is already beginning to show signs of swelling under his right eye, mainly due to the effectiveness of Farr’s rapier-like blows. Uzcudan is simply unable to break through Farr’s defenses, and his fate is sealed when a severe cut appears over his battered right eye in round eight. The cut worsens and leads to a stoppage three rounds later. TKO 11 for Farr, who keeps the belt and advances his career totals to 29-7-1 (13). Uzcudan ends the bout at 33-10-1 (12) and must go back to the drawing board.

Oct. 28, 1933: The month’s fistic action wraps up with a card at Madison Square Garden in New York City. On the undercard is a struggling Jimmy Braddock, who is looking to reinvigorate his flagging career, taking on aging veteran HW Ernie Schaaf. Schaaf is the aggressor in the early rounds, then in rounds four and five Braddock opens up, enabling him to build a points lead. Then, in the second half of the bout, Braddock is content to stay outside, relying on his counterpunching while Schaaf gradually tires. The bout goes to the judges, and Braddock takes a UD 10 (98-92, 97-93, 98-92) to improve his record to 23-9-2 (6) and get his career back on track. Schaaf is now 22-9-1 (12). The final bout of the evening is the main event, and young WW Barney Ross makes the first defense of his USBA WW title against Jackie Fields, a former USBA titleholder. The two have not met before, and Fields is now at Post-Prime but is coming off an impressive win over veteran Benny Leonard to set up the title opportunity. The bout remains relatively close for the initial four rounds, then in round five – as the two men mix it up on the inside – Ross comes out on top, and Field’s right eye begins to puff up as a result. Ross goes on to build a solid lead in the middle rounds, and then he coasts in the later rounds. The UD 12 goes to Ross by a comfortable margin (117-111, 118-110, 117-111). Ross improves to 21-2-1 (7) and, with this win, becomes a serious threat for the WBA title. For Fields, it is only his second career loss but, despite the stellar 28-2-2 (14) record, is on the downside of his career.

[JCWeb]

Nov. 1, 1933 -- NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH NEWSFLASH

Tommy Loughran, who has held the LH WBA title belt for the past seven years, has taken the drastic step of vacating the title belt and gone "all in" with his bid for the WBA HW crown. To that end, he has agreed to a title bout with reigning Champ Max Schmeling, set for Nov. 25th.

This opens the door for #1 LH contender Tiger Jack Fox, whose previously scheduled encounter with Brit Len Harvey, set for the night before (Nov. 24) in Havana, Cuba, has been upgraded to a WBA title bout with the belt vacated by Loughran as the main prize.

This now means the final weekend of Nov. 1925 will feature three WBA title tilts, as Midget Wolgast will defend his Flyweight title on a separate card on Nov. 25th, in London, against Commonwealth Champ Kid Socks.

[JCWeb]

While many are awaiting the three big title matchups near the end of the month, here is a summary of ring action from the first half of November 1933, covering a total of 66 bouts.

Nov. 3, 1933: The month opens with a Friday night card at the War Memorial Auditorium in Syracuse. Only one bout of note on the card, with Cecil Payne making the third defense of his NABF LW title, facing challenger Wesley Ramey. It is Ramey’s first title bout of any kind. Payne welcomes Ramey to the title bout arena when he stuns the challenger with a big hook in the opening stanza. The bout develops into a typical boxer vs slugger matchup, with Ramey quietly building up points while exhibiting strong boxing skills. Payne is forced to become more aggressive in the later stages of the bout, but he is unable to mount a rally or otherwise penetrate Ramey’s defenses. The bout goes to the cards and, after they are read, Ramey is declared the victor via a MD 12 (118-111, 114-114, 116-112) as the three judges each saw the bout a bit differently. Ramey, who has only tasted defeat once, is now 18-1-4 (9). Payne slips to 29-6-3 (8).

Nov. 4, 1933: Back to Europe, and another card at the Sports Palace in Rome, Italy. No titles at stake, but a pair of interesting bouts headlines the card. In the co-feature, former EBU MW Champ Enzo Fiermonte faces ex-USBA MW Champ Jack McVey. Shortly after the opening bell, McVey forces Fiermonte to take notice when he staggers the hometown favorite with a three-punch combination, following up later in the round with another combination that causes the Italian to topple to the canvas. In round three, Fiermonte turns the tables, putting McVey on the deck with another combination. More action in the fourth round, with McVey bouncing back and stunning Fiermonte with a big cross. Fiermonte attempts to cover up, but later in the round McVey is able finish Fiermonte with a cross to the head. This time the Italian cannot beat the count. The KO 4 runs McVey’s career stats to 36-17-2 (18); Fiermonte ends the bout at 30-8-2 (11). The main event features two top 10 WWs: EBU Champion Cleto Locatelli and former NABF WW Champ Tommy Freeman. Freeman starts well, and by the end of round three, Locatelli’s left eye is beginning to swell. Midway through the bout, Locatelli battles back and the two appear to be fairly evenly-matched as the bout heads into the later rounds. By the end of round eight, Freeman is also showing the effects of a swollen left eye as well. In the end, Locatelli does enough to take a close MD 10 (95-95, 96-94, 97-93) as Freeman tires down the stretch. Post-fight records: Locatelli, 27-8-1 (9); Freeman, 30-15-2 (12).

Nov. 4, 1933: Next card is at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix. It’s a good card, but the only bout of note is the main event, which sees Freddie Steele defending his NABF MW crown against the recently crowned USBA MW Champion, Vince Dundee. It is the first meeting of the two, and Dundee gets off to a strong start through the opening three rounds. Steele recovers quickly, and the bout remains close through the middle rounds. Both men tire in the later rounds, but Steele gradually pulls ahead on points to take a UD 12 (117-112, 115-114, 116-113), and thus he retains the NABF title belt. Post-fight, Steele improves to 30-3 (24) while Dundee is now 32-8-3 (14). Steele, whose career has been overshadowed by MW WBA kingpin Mickey Walker, has remained a very active Champion, with now six successful defenses since winning the NABF title in early 1932

Nov. 10, 1933: Next is Friday night card at the Forum in Montreal. The main event features the “Verdun Flash,” Bobby Leitham, defending his Commonwealth BW title but there is another key matchup in the co-feature with another Candian boxer, HW Larry Gains, the current Commonwealth HW Champ, taking on rising Argentinian HW Jose Domingo Carattoli in a 10-round, non-title affair. The fans have something to cheer for when Gains decks Carattoli with a big shot near the end of round three. For most of the rest of the bout, Gains is content to set up shop on the outside, with Carattoli becoming gradually more aggressive but also more desperate given Gains’ accurate punching and likely points lead. The bout goes the distance and, as expected, Gains walks away with a UD 10 (97-92, 96-93, 97-92) to raise his career totals to 34-9 (21). Carattoli suffers just his fifth career setback and ends the bout at 21-5 (9). Then, in the main event, Leitham puts his Commonwealth BW title at risk, taking on challenger Johnny King, the current EBU BW Champ. It’s a rematch of a prior CBU title contest that resulted in a MD 12 win for King in early 1932 before King then began his brief reign as WBA BW Champion. In this meeting, the action picks up near the end of round two when King puts Leitham on the canvas with a solid hook. A couple of rounds later, midway through the fourth, Leitham also goes down after King lands a two-punch combo, but this is ruled a slip by the referee. Then, in round five, a huge cross from King puts the “Verdun Flash” down and out. To the disappointment of the Montreal crowd, King lifts the belt via a KO 5. King improves to 30-3-1 (15) with the win, re-establishing his credentials as a top-flight contender for the WBA crown. Leitham slips to 27-5-1 (11) with the loss, but still holds the NABF BW belt.

Nov. 11, 1933: It’s another strong card is back in the UK at the Stadium in Liverpool. No titles at stake, but an interesting matchup in the main event plus a matchup of two top Flyweight prospects on the undercard, with Benny Lynch facing Spain’s Fortunato Ortega. Lots of action early on, with Lynch nailing Ortega with a sharp combination in round one. In round two, however, problems for Lynch emerge as a gash appears over his left eye. Lynch’s corner patches up the cut, and Lynch manages to pull ahead on points through the middle rounds of the bout. Ortega, however, battles back, focusing on the cut which reopens in round seven and, in round eight, he manages to rock Lynch with a solid right to the jaw. Meanwhile, Ortega’s left eye is showing signs of swelling. The bout comes to a sudden end a round later, when the cut over Lynch’s eye is reopened a second time, and despite howls of protest from his corner and the fans, the ref calls an immediate halt and awards a TKO 9 win to Ortega. Post-fight records: 15-2-1 (10) for Ortega; 14-2 (11) for Lynch. Ortega solidifies a top 20 ranking, but Lynch still has a bright future. Then, in the main event, two FWs collide as Kid Chocolate faces Dom Volante, a former EBU and GBU titleholder. The action commences in round two, when Volante breaks through Chocolate’s defenses with a combination of blows that put the Cuban down for a four-count. By the end of round three, Chocolate has battled back, and it is Volante who is showing the signs of swelling under his left eye. In round five, with both men mixing it up on the inside, Volante lands a big hook that forces the Cuban to cover up to last the round. Chocolate carries a slight points edge into the second half of the bout, but his lead is threatened as Volante bounces back with a strong effort in rounds seven and eight. Then, in the ninth round, Volante leads himself open for a Kid Chocolate combination, and Volante goes down and is barely able to beat the count, arising after taking a nine-count. One KD each way, with Kid Chocolate surviving to take a UD 10 (95-93 on all cards) in another “Fight of the Year” candidate. Post-fight records: Chocolate, 22-3-5 (14); Volante, 28-12-2 (17).

Nov. 11, 1933: More fight action back in the States, once again at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. No titles at stake, but some interesting pairings featuring some top contenders and promising young unbeaten fighters. First up, in one of the main support bouts, unbeaten MW prospect Ken Overlin takes a gaudy 18-0 record into the ring against Chick Devlin in a matchup of two boxers. Overlin gets off to a solid start, but Devlin battles back to keep the bout close. Late in the bout, Devlin suffers a cut over his right eye that turns out not to be a factor. The decision goes the way of Overlin, who eeks out a SD 10 (96-95, 95-96, 98-93) to run his career totals to 19-0 (11) compared to 21-8-1 (10) post-fight for Devlin. The second main support showcases two top LH contenders, with wily veteran “Slapsie” Maxie Rosenbloom facing Young Firpo. Rosenbloom quietly uses his superior boxing skills to quietly build a solid points lead. As the bout wears on, Firpo is forced to battle a cut over his right eye and rapidly swelling left eye. Then, in round nine, a second cut – this time the result of an accidental head butt – is opened over Firpo’s left eye. This causes the ref to call a halt, and the bout goes to the scorecards after round eight. Rosenbloom takes a UTD 9 (79-73, 78-74, 80-72) to run his record to 31-10-6 (13). Firpo comes away from the bout at 24-10-3 (15). The final bout of the evening, the main event, features hot young HW prospect Jersey Joe Walcott in his toughest test to date, facing veteran George Godfrey, a former NABF HW titleholder. Things go badly for Godfrey when he sustains a cut forehead in the opening round. Walcott wastes no time to take advantage, trapping Godfrey in a corner in round two then dropping the aging veteran with a short, clean uppercut that puts Godfrey down and out. KO 2 for Walcott, enabling Jersey Joe to keep his unbeaten slate at 18-0 (16). Godfrey, who is nearing the end of his long career, is 45-17-2 (33). The win secures a spot among the top 20 HWs for the impressive young Walcott.

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the second half of November 1933, covering a total of 61 bouts and featuring three huge WBA title contests topping the last three cards.

Nov. 17, 1933: It’s time for another Friday night fights “Down Under” in Sydney Stadium. Two bouts of interest, including an OPBF title contest which serves as tonight’s main event. The co-feature matches all-time great Benny Leonard with veteran Aussie WW Jack Carroll. In the opening round, Carroll catches Leonard with a cross, and Benny is forced to cover up to last the round. Carroll continues as the aggressor through the first half of the bout, with Leonard content to work on the outside. In the second half, Leonard – believed to be trailing on the scorecards – becomes more and more aggressive. Carroll tries to slug it out, and he ends up with a swollen left eye for his troubles. In round eight, Leonard suffers a cut lip. A late surge by Leonard – winning both of the last two rounds, rounds nine and ten – enables him to escape with a draw (95-all on all three cards). Post-fight, Leonard is 82-9-3 (42) after completing his 94^th ring encounter (having been stopped just once). Carroll ends the bout at 27-13-5 (12). The finale is for the OPBF MW title, with Ron Richards making his first defense of that belt against fellow Aussie Fred Henneberry, who enters the bout with a gaudy 19-1 record. Henneberry proves to be a tough opponent for Richards, who is forced to pick up the pace in the middle rounds in an effort to retain the belt. The bout appears to be a close one heading into the later rounds, with no cuts or knockdowns although Henneberry appears to be suffering from a swollen left eye late in the bout. The cards show a UD 12 win for Richards (117-112, 117-113, 117-113) as Richards appears to have benefited from some advantages from being the defending Champion from all three judges. Richards has now won his last seven to run his career totals to 24-2-2 (18). Henneberry, who still has a promising career, is now 19-2 (10), snapping a three-bout winning skein after losing his initial title try in his first bout at Prime.

Nov. 18, 1933: Back to Europe for an abbreviated card at the Palais des Sports in Cannes, France. No title bouts on the agenda, but a pair of interesting encounters. Former Flyweight Champ Frankie Genaro, attempting to bounce back from losses in his last two outings, has responded to the lure of a nice payday to face French fan favorite Valentin Angelmann, who is looking for a chance to move up in the Flyweight ranks. Genaro takes charge, dominating the first three rounds, and Angelmann – who is already carrying his hands low – is having difficulty keeping up. By the midway point of the 10-round bout, the Frenchman is showing signs of swelling under both eyes. Genaro continues with a solid effort and is rewarded with a comfortable UD 10 win (99-92, 98-92, 99-91) to move his career totals to 41-15-2 (18). However, starting next year, Genaro will be at Post-Prime career stage. Angelmann is now 21-8-1 (12). Then, in the main event, WW Jimmy Leto faces veteran Young Corbett III. Leto has fashioned an impressive six-bout winning streak, boosting his stock in the competitive WW ranks with recent wins over Benny Leonard and Young Jack Thompson in his two most recent outings; Corbett is looking to re-establish his credentials as a top contender after some recent setbacks. Corbett starts well and gradually builds a solid points lead. In round seven, Leto suffers a cut over his right eye. The cut is ruled to be caused by an accidental butt, and the ref calls a halt a couple of rounds later. The cards are added up and Corbett takes a UTD 9 (80-73, 78-75, 79-74). Post-fight records: Corbett, 39-11-4 (12); Leto, 28-8-5 (11).

Nov. 18, 1933: Next card is at St. Louis’ Kiel Auditorium. Solid card is headlined by a matchup between two first time title contenders for the vacant USBA FW title, recently vacated by Freddie Miller who successfully challenged for the NABF belt. These two, Eddie Shea and Abie Israel, are looking to move into the top 20 FW rankings with a favorable result. Not much action until round three, when Shea takes the initiative, landing a good shot that puts Israel down for a count of six. Shea goes on to dominate the rest of the action, easing up some in the later rounds en route to a solid UD 12 win (117-111 on all cards) to become the new USBA LW Champion. Post-fight, Shea improves to 28-15-3 (15) while Israel slips to 22-8-3 (10). Unfortunately, Shea’s run as USBA Champion may be short-lived, as he hits Post-Prime career stage in his next outing, in 1934.

Nov. 24, 1933: Now it’s time for the final weekend of November 1933, with three WBA title clashes headlining separate cards. The first of these is a Friday night card at Havana’s Gran Stadium, and the main event – upgraded from a non-title bout – has Tiger Jack Fox facing veteran Len Harvey for the now vacant WBA LH crown. No prior meetings of these, with Fox reigning as the NABF LH Champ while Harvey holds the EBU counterpart. Next is a round-for-round summary of the bout. Not much action in the opening round, with Harvey holding a slight edge. Both work outside in round two, and again it’s a slight edge for Harvey. Tiger Jack Fox moves inside in round three, and he manages to dominate the action. Harvey bounces back in round four, sizing up Tiger Jack on the inside as well. Both men mix it up in the fifth round, and both score well. Harvey comes away from the round with some noticeable swelling under his left eye. After five, the unofficial scorer at ringside has a 49-46 lead for Fox which seems a bit optimistic in favor of the American. In round six, Fox carries the fight to the Brit, trapping Harvey in the corner and dropping him with a barrage of blows. Harvey arises, apparently unharmed, at the count of four. Fox now has Harvey on the defensive and continues with a strong attack in round seven, but is unable to follow on his earlier success in the previous round. In round eight, both men take a breather and stay on the outside, again the edge goes to Fox. Harvey battles back in the ninth round, moving inside to take the round. Fox is back on top in round 10, and the unofficial card has Tiger Jack well in front (97-92) at this point. Both men battle on the inside in round 11, which turns out to be another good round for Fox. Harvey has the upper hand in round 12, but he lacks the firepower to trouble Fox at this point. Fox continues to dominate the action in round 13, and midway through the 14^th, the ref becomes concerned about the state of Harvey’s now badly swollen left eye. The bout is over, and it goes down as a TKO 14 for Tiger Jack Fox, who remains unbeaten at 30-0 (22) and is now the new WBA LH Champ. Harvey is now 41-11-2 (17) with the loss.

Nov. 25, 1933: Second of the three cards in the weekend title trilogy takes place at the Olympia in London. Up for grabs is the WBA Flyweight crown, held since 1931 by Midget Wolgast, who makes his ninth title defense against Kid Socks in the main event. First up, however, is the main support bout, featuring two top MWs, with former USBA Champion Gorilla Jones facing GBU Champ Jock McAvoy. McAvoy is on the attack early on, decking Jones with a solid uppercut in round two. In round four, Jones suffers a cut over his left eye. Then, in round five, things begin to turn around as McAvoy runs into a Jones hook and is forced to cover up to last the round. Jones continues to outbox McAvoy, piling up points while the crowd continues to hope for a late surge from McAvoy. The bout goes down to the wire, and Jones manages to take a SD 10 verdict (95-94, 94-95, 95-94) that is roundly booed by the pro-McAvoy crowd. Post-fight records: 32-11-1 (18) for Jones; 23-4-4 (16) for McAvoy. After this, it is time for the main event pitting Kid Socks in his second try for Wolgast’s WBA title belt. Wolgast has not lost in over three years, so Kid Socks is facing a formidable challenge. Kid Socks is the aggressor in the early rounds, but Wolgast settles in and methodically compiles a points edge. The unofficial ringside observer has Wolgast up by just one (48-47) after the first third of the bout. Socks rallies with a strong round six, but Wolgast extends his lead to 96-94 after ten rounds. Then, in round 11, Wolgast suffers a cut over his right eye, creating an opportunity for the challenger. Wolgast adopts a defensive posture to protect both the cut and his lead. The bout goes to decision, and Wolgast comes away with a convincing UD 15 (147-139, 146-140, 146-139) to retain the WBA title. Post-fight records: Wolgast, 33-4-1 (16); Socks, 31-18-3 (8).

Nov. 25, 1933: Wrapping up the month is a big card at New York City’s Madison Square Garden with Max Schmeling facing long-time LH Champ Tommy Loughran for Schmeling’s WBA title belt in the main event. First up, however, are two top young LH aspirants, with unbeaten John Henry Lewis, who has stopped all 15 of his previous opponents inside the distance, facing 19-1 Marty Simmons in Lewis’ toughest test to date in his young career. The action picks up in the third round, when Lewis connects with a devastating hook, forcing Simmons to cover up. Then, midway through round five, Lewis rocks Simmons with a big uppercut. Simmons then focuses just on survival, and he manages to become the first fighter to last the distance with Lewis. Nonetheless, the judges reward Lewis with a lopsided UD 10 (99-91, 99-92, 99-92), enabling John Henry to run his career totals to 16-0 (15) and secures a spot among the top 20 in the LH rankings. Simmons, who still has a bright future, is 19-2 (13). Then, in the main event, it is the long-awaited matchup of two WBA Champions – Max Schmeling, making his fourth defense of his WBA HW crown, against Tommy Loughran, long-time WBA LH Champion making his first try for the HW title. It is the first meeting of these two great champion fighters. Not much in the way of action in the opening round. Then, in round two, Schmeling breaks through when he catches Loughran with a straight right late in the round; there is no time left for Max to follow up as the bell saves Loughran from further punishment. Then, in the third round, Schmeling is on target with a nice combination that puts Loughran down for a six-count. Loughran scrambles back on his feet, but by this time Loughran’s killer instinct has kicked in, and soon Schmeling has the LH Champ pinned against the ropes, helpless. The ref calls a halt, and it goes in the books as a TKO 3 for Schmeling. Schmeling moves to 33-3 (25) with the win, while the loss – Loughran’s first since December 1925 – leaves him at 51-5-4 (18).

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the first half of December 1933, covering a total of 65 bouts.

Dec. 1, 1933: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at the Exhibition Gardens in Vancouver. The main event, a LH encounter, has been upgraded to a NABF title bout after Tiger Jack Fox stepped up to win the WBA title, vacating his NABF belt. Canada’s Charley Belanger and another Tiger Jack, Tiger Jack Payne, are matched for the vacant title. Payne holds a prior UD win, but this time he is taking on Belanger on the latter’s home turf. It doesn’t take long for the action to heat up, with Belanger sneaking in a straight right in the opening round, stunning Payne. Then, near the end of the second round, Belanger rocks his opponent with a nice combination. Payne’s woes increase when he sustains a cut lip that is reopened a few rounds later. Belanger holds a solid points lead at half-distance, and Payne appears unable to mount a comeback in the bout’s later rounds. Then, a huge surprise – Belanger is called for holding and hitting in round 11, and the ref takes the drastic step of disqualifying the Canadian, and this before a pro-Belanger crowd. DQ-11 for Payne means he succeeds Tiger Jack Fox as NABF LH Champion. The post-fight career totals of the two are 25-11 (9) for Payne and 28-12 (13) for Belanger. Despite howls of protest, the decision stands but there is already talk of a possible rematch.

Dec. 2, 1933: Back to Europe at the Sportpalast in Berlin, and the lure of a big payday has lured WBA MW kingpin Mickey Walker here to defend his title for the 25^th time against newly-crowned EBU Champion Hein Domgorgen. Walker holds a prior win (UD 15) over Domgorgen in 1930, but this time he faces the German on foreign soil in front of a pro-Domgorgen crowd. Undaunted, the “Toy Bulldog” gets off to the right start when he nails Domgorgen with a straight right in the opening round, forcing the challenger to cover up. Walker moves inside in round three and continues to dominate the action, smothering any attempts by Domgorgen to initiate a counterattack. Then, in round five, Walker unleashes a series of unanswered blows, and it is clear that Domgorgen is out on his feet. TKO 5 for Walker to run his career record to 52-4 (39); Domgorgen, who must be content to continue as EBU MW Champion, is now 35-12-1 (18).

Dec. 8, 1933: Next card is at the Coliseum Arena at New Orleans. Only one bout of interest, and it is once again the main event, which features Ruby Goldstein making his second defense of the USBA WW title against a up-and-coming Puerto Rican fighter, Cocoa Kid. It looks to be a stiff challenge for the veteran Goldstein, who has to ward off the swarming attacks from Kid in the opening rounds; by the end of round four, he has already paid the price in terms of a rapidly swelling right eye. Then, in round five, Goldstein threatens to turn things around quickly with a huge round, and this time it is Cocoa Kid who is suffering the effects, with noticeable swelling beginning to appear under his left eye. In round six, Goldstein unleashes a huge combination that forces the Kid to cover up. Goldstein gets a break in round eight, when he slices open a gash over Kid’s right eye. The cut is in a bad spot, and shortly after it first appears, the ref steps in to call a halt. TKO 8 to Goldstein on the cuts stoppage. Ruby improves to 30-8-3 (21) with the win, while Cocoa Kid drops to 20-2-2 (10) with just the second loss of his young career. A peek at the scorecards showed the Kid was ahead on all three cards at the time of the stoppage.

Dec. 9, 1933: Back to the Stadium in Liverpool for some more fistic action. Co-main events on the agenda, with some double-barreled title action. First, two top British BWs square off as Benny Sharkey faces Dick Corbett for Sharkey’s GBU BW title. It’s the first GBU BW title bout for over two years, as the title remained dormat after Johnny King moved up to claim the WBA crown. It is the first meeting of the two, and Sharkey has a slight edge in the early going after the usual feeling-out process. Later, however, Corbett – a skilled boxer – impresses the judges with his fluid style and begins to pull ahead. No knockdowns, and neither man is marked until Sharkey sustains a cut in the final round which turns out not to be a factor in the fight. A later rally by Sharkey keeps the issue in doubt until the very end, but -- with the title hanging in the balance to the very end -- Corbett takes the final round to walk away with a SD 12 verdict (115-114, 113-116, 115-114) and the title. Post-bout records: 27-7 (10) for Corbett, 21-5-1 (15) for Sharkey. The final bout of the evening is for the Commonwealth WW title, featuring the current holder (Jack Hood) against a long-time former WBA and Commonwealth Champion (Bermondsey Billy Wells). Wells is on the downside of his lengthy career but still looking for one more shot at glory. Wells gives a good accounting for himself through the first half of the bout, but Hood seizes control in rounds seven and eight, after which Wells begins to tire badly. Hood goes on to take a fairly solid UD 12 (117-112, 117-112, 115-114) to turn aside Wells’ challenge and move his career totals to 26-8-7 (9). It will be Hood’s last bout at Prime, however, as 1934 was his real-life retirement year. Bermondsey, already at Post, slips to 51-22-4 (18) but may still have a couple of good bouts left in him.

Dec. 15, 1933: A new venue – the Paceambu Stadium at Sao Paulo, Brazil – debuts for the “Friday Night fights” series. A series of bouts featuring Latin American fighters precedes the main event which matches up two top ranked LW contenders: Chile’s Luis Vicentini and American Jack Portney, who has been a recent USBA LW titleholder. It is a rematch of a bout held earlier in 1933 that resulted in a UD win for Portney. Vicentini has clawed his way back up the rankings and is currently ranked ahead of the American once again. In the early rounds, Vicentini appears to have the better of it. This slight edge disappears in round five, when Portney decks the Chilean with a big upper cut. Vicentini is slow to arise, but manages to beat the count when he reaches his feet at the count of eight. Vicentini attempts to battle back, but in the second half of the bout he is slow, tired and ineffective. Portney is content to stay on the outside, and he goes on to take a UD 10 (96-93, 98-91, 98-91). Post-fight, Portney improves to 26-5-2 (14) and regains a top five spot in the LW rankings; Vicentini ends the bout at 36-13-1 (13).

Dec. 16, 1933: Another card back at the States and the popular Cow Palace venue in San Francisco, and there are two noteworthy bouts on the agenda. In the co-feature, WW Jackie Fields, coming off a loss to Barney Ross for the USBA title, faces veteran Baby Joe Gans. Fields holds a prior win (via TKO) but now he is at Post-Prime so the result is far from certain. This time around, Gans starts well, surprising Fields with a big shot that puts him down in the very first round. A groggy Fields arises at the count of seven and manages to last the round. By the end of the third round, however, Gans is cut under his right eye. From the fifth round on, he is also battling a rapidly swelling left eye. Nonetheless, Gans perseveres and goes on to notch an impressive UD 10 victory (97-93 on all cards) to boost his career totals to 33-14-1 (14). Fields ends the bout at 28-3-2 (14). However, both men are living on borrowed time as both will enter 1934 at Post-Prime career stage. The final bout on the card is the main event, for the USBA Flyweight crown currently held by veteran Fidel LaBarba. LaBarba’s opponent is Emil Paluso, and both men enter the bout at Post-Prime in their respective careers. LaBarba, who holds a MD 12 win over Paluso for this same belt five years earlier, is the prohibitive favorite. LaBarba pulls ahead in the early rounds, and then settles in to a fluid defensive position on the outside, not giving Paluso much of a target. Paluso’s left eye begins to swell up midway through the bout. Late in the bout, LaBarba sustains a cut over his left eye, but fortunately for him, the cut does not worsen, enabling LaBarba to take a very convincing UD 12 (118-110, 119-109, 118-110) to retain the belt. Post-fight career marks: LaBarba, 33-6-1 (9); Paluso, 32-17-2 (8).

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the second half of December 1933, covering a total of 60 bouts. Two WBA title fights included -- a good way to wrap up another exciting year of fistic action.

Dec. 22, 1933: It’s a Friday night “Down Under” card in Melbourne, Australia. A relatively light card, but heavy on quantity with two title fights, including a WBA title bout as the main event. In the co-feature, Canadian Lou Brouillard makes his first defense of his Commonwealth MW title against the man he defeated for that belt, Aussie Ambrose Palmer. This time around, the bout is close for the first four rounds. Then, in round five, Brouillard drops Palmer with a hook to the head. Then, in the second half of the bout, Brouillad adopts a defensive posture, creating an opportunity for Palmer to regain lost ground. Late in the bout, Palmer’s left eye begins to swell as Brouillard is able to land sufficient countershots to maintain a points lead. The bout goes to decision, with Brouillard taking a UD 12 (116-112, 115-113, 116-112) to keep the title. The post-fight career totals are 19-4-1 (11) for Brouillard and 20-5 (12) for Palmer. Then, in the main event, WBA BW Champ Pable Dano faces ex-Champ Kid Francis. It’s another rematch, with Dano having won a UD 15 for the title back in 1931. This is Dano’s third title defense in his second stint as WBA Champion. Early on, the action favors the Filipino but things change quickly in round four when Francis rips open a nasty cut over Dano’s right eye. The Italian challenger follows up in round five, rocking the Champ with a nice uppercut. Dano tries to pick up the pace in the middle rounds, and Francis’ right eye shows signs of swelling as a result. The bout is just get interesting when, in round eight, the cut over Dano’s eye worsens and proves decisive, as the ref calls in the ring physician and the bout is halted. TKO 8 for Francis who regains the WBA title. Francis improves to 29-12-3 (17) with the win, while Dano drops to 26-3-3 (14) with just his third career loss.

Dec. 23, 1933: St. Nicholas Arena in New York City is the venue for a big fight card two days before Christmas. “Cinderella Man” James Braddock is on the undercard, once again looking to jump-start his flagging career against Johnny “the Cleveland Rubber Man” Risko. Braddock takes an aggressive approach in the early rounds, but he pays a price as Risko is able to open a cut over Jimmy’s left eye near the end of the third round. Midway through the fight, things get even worse as Braddock has to battle a rapidly swelling left eye. In the second half of the bout, Braddock – trailing on points – is forced to pick up the pace. He manages to last the distance, keeping the bout close, but in the end, it is a UD 10 for Risko (97-93, 97-94, 98-95). Post-fight totals are 31-11-3 (7) for Risko; 23-10-2 (6) for Braddock. Then, hot FW prospect “Homicide Hank” Armstrong takes to the ring, facing veteran Sailor Willie Gordon, a well traveled journeyman now in the Post-Prime stage of his career. Armstrong takes a few rounds to break down Gordon’s defenses, but he manages to deck Gordon with a hook in round five before finishing matters with a KO in the seventh. Armstrong moves to 13-1 (12) with this win. Then, in the co-main event, two young HW sluggers are matched – Harry Thomas and Art Lasky –- who have counted for a combined 27 KO in 33 total bouts. Lasky breaks through with a huge round two, landing repeatedly and causing Thomas’ left eye to swell as a result. The end comes in round four, when the ref steps in to save a hapless Thomas from further punishment. TKO 4 for Lasky. Lasky moves to 17-1-1 (all 17 wins inside the distance); Thomas’ first career setback leaves him at 14-1-1 (11). Then, in the main event, Joe Banovic puts his USBA HW title belt on the line, facing Ad Warren who has finally been rewarded with a well earned first title shot. Banovic, who has won his last four, meets Warren for the first time. In the fourth round, Warren sustains a cut over his left eye. Banovic targets the cut, but Warren’s makes sure the cut is not a factor in the bout. Banovic decks Warren in round six, and Warren is forced to get more aggressive in the second half of the bout. By the end of the eighth round, Warren catches Banovic with a nice uppercut, forcing the Champ to cover up. Warren continues attacking through the final rounds. The bout goes to decision, and the SD 12 goes to Warren (111-117, 115-113, 115-113) who lifts the belt. It is the third split decision in the last three USBA HW title contests. Warren improves to 24-5(19) with the win but will hit Post-Prime stage in 1934. Banovic, who remains a viable HW contender, is 29-7 (9) after the loss.

Dec. 29, 1933: Next Friday night card is at the Miami Stadium. No title bouts on the agenda, and the main event showcases ex-WBA Baby Arizmendi in his first outing since losing the WBA crown earlier in the year. His opposition is OPBF FW kingpin Johnny Hill, who has traveled all the way from the Philippines, and will be angling for an upset win to improve his chances for a WBA title bout. The Mexican ex-Champion gets off to a solid start, and he uses his considerable boxing skills to snuff out all chances for Hill. In round five, Arizmendi is cut over the right eye but, fortunately for the Mexican, the cut turns out not to be a factor and he goes on to register a lopsided UD 10 (98-92, 99-92, 100-91) to up his career stats to 24-3-1 (10). Hill is 30-14-2 (6) after the loss.

Dec. 30, 1933: Back to the Far East for more action, this time at Manila’s Rizal Arena. There’s a WBA title on the line, preceded by a main support featuring unbeaten MW prospect Holman Williams, in his toughest test to date against Italian Oddone Piazza. Williams, who has won all 12 of his prior bouts inside the distance, puts on a display of slick boxing skills and toys with the less skilled Piazza. By the end of round four, the Italian’s left eye is swelling as a result of being on the receiving end of Williams’ punches. It is a solid, workmanlike performance by Williams, who takes a lopsided UD 10 (100-91, 98-93, 99-91) for his first decision win to move his overall career totals to 13-0 (12), while Piazza wraps up the Pre-Prime stage of his career at 15-5 (10). Then, in the main event, Filipino Irineo Flores returns home to make his first defense of his WBA WW title against Barney Ross, the newly crowned USBA WW Champion who has surged through the ranks to become a top contender this year. Flores enters the bout riding an eight bout winning streak, but Ross proves to be a stern test. Flores comes out swinging, stunning Ross with an uppercut in the opening round. Unfazed, the patient Ross is willing to adopt a defensive posture, remaining on the outside through the early rounds. Then, in the middle rounds, Ross quietly and methodically builds a solid points edge. Flores, seeing the title slipping away, becomes desperate in the later rounds, but he lacks the firepower to seriously trouble Ross. While one hometown judge favors the Filipino, the other two go for Ross in a SD 15 verdict (145-141, 142-144, 147-139) who goes on to claim the title – a result that is roundly booed by the partisan, pro-Flores crowd here in Manila. Post-bout records: 22-2-1 (7) for Ross, 40-13-2 (19) for Flores.

Dec. 30, 1933: Next up is a rare card at the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. No titles at stake, but OPBF titleholder Tom Heeney is featured in the main event. Also on the card is hot young MW prospect Ken Overlin, who wraps up the Post-Prime stage of his career with a solid UD 10 win over Barney Keiswetter, running his record to a perfect 20-0 (11). Heeney’s opponent in the main event is another South African fighter, Don McCorkindale, who has earned this opportunity by winning his last eight bouts. With the crowd solidly behind him, McCorkindale has a big opening round. Then, in round three, Heeney manages to open a cut on the bridge of the South African’s nose. Lacking other offensive weapons, Heeney decides to target the cut. This approach pays off, as the cut is reopened and leads to the bout being stopped in round seven. McCorkindale appeared to be leading, but the TKO 7 goes to Heeney on the cuts stoppage. Post-fight career marks: Heeney, 35-18-1 (12); McCorkindale, 23-5-1 (13).

Dec. 31, 1933: Final card of the year is the traditional “Boxing Day” celebration, this time at Earls Court in London. A couple of quality matches on the undercard, and one of these sees former WBA FW Champion Battling Battalino on the comeback trail, facing Chalky Wright in his first outing since losing the title belt earlier in the year. In the opening stanza, Wright suffers a cut over his right eye. Late in round three, the cut is reopened, and there is noticeable swelling under the eye as well. Despite the cut and swelling, Wright goes on the offensive in the later rounds. He rallies, taking the final two rounds which is just enough for him to take a SD 10 (93-97, 96-94, 96-94) to improve to 22-5-2 (11), while Battalino drops to 26-8 (12). In the co-feature, BW prospect Sixto “El Gallito” Escobar takes on Brit Alf “Kid” Pattenden; it is Escobar’s last bout at Pre-Prime against an aging Pattenden who is at Post-Prime. Not much in the way of action until round five, when Escobar rocks Pattenden with a big shot, forcing Alf to cover up. By the end of round eight, Pattenden has been worn down to the point that he is carrying his hands low and suffered noticeable swelling under his left eye. Not much surprise to see Escobar go on to take a solid UD 10 victory (97-93, 99-92, 98-92) to wrap up his Pre-Prime career at 19-1 (9), his one loss coming to former WBA Champ Panama Al Brown. Pattenden ends the bout at 23-9-3 (14). Then, in the main event, HW Tommy Farr makes his second defense of his EBU title won a year earlier against a former EBU titleholder, Irishman Jack Doyle. So, it’s the “Tonypandy Terror” versus the “Gorgeous Gael.” Wales versus Ireland, to wrap up the year’s action. Farr seems to be doing well until round seven, when Doyle breaks through with a big hook to put Farr on the canvas for the fight’s first knockdown. Then, a round later, a nice combination results in a second KD as Farr is down once again. Looks like a big upset in the making as Farr scrambles to his feet. The Welshman even manages to mount a late rally, with Doyle showing signs of swelling under his left eye. In the end, though, it is not enough for Farr to keep the belt as Doyle takes a UD 12 (114-110 on all three cards) to regain the EBU title. Post-fight career marks: Doyle, 28-13-3 (20); Farr, 29-8-1 (13). Classic boxer versus slugger confrontation, and this time the slugger (Doyle) came out on top.

Look for the year-end reports in a few days.

[JCWeb]

1933 Title Bouts

WBA: Max Schmeling, the titleholder coming into the year, defended against top-flight competition, besting EBU Champ Tommy Farr (UD 15), top-ranked contender Jack Sharkey (TKO 11) before blasting out long-time LH Champ Tommy Loughran (TKO 3).

NABF: Jack Sharkey successfully challenged Young Stribling for this belt (taking a UD 12), then defended against Paul Cavalier (KO 12).

USBA: Sharkey, who had held the belt since 1930, vacated it after winning the NABF title. Joe Banovic defeated Jim Maloney (SD 12) for the vacant belt, but lost it to Ad Warren (another SD 12) in his first defense.

CBU: Larry Gains began 1933 with this belt, and defended once against Tom Heeney (TKO 8).

GBU: Tommy Farr was able to retain this belt, despite no title defenses since 1931.

EBU: Farr retained this title in his first defense against Paulino Uzcudan (TKO 11) but then lost the belt to Jack Doyle (SD 12) in the final bout of the year.

OPBF: Tom Heeney did not defend this belt in 1933.

HW Division Stats

Total: 214 RL: 133 TC: 81

End: 9
Post: 40
Prime: 46
Pre: 29
Beginning: 14
New: 7

Rated: 99
800+: 20
500+: 50
200+: 85

Jan 1934 HW Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from 1933 in Parens):

Champion: Max Schmeling 33-3 (25) (1793) (NC)
1. Tommy Loughran 51-5-4 (18) (1792) (new)
2. Jack Sharkey 30-8 (18) (1503) (NC) (NABF)
3. Young Stribling 45-8-2 (24) (1269) (-2)
4. Larry Gains 34-9 (21) (1238) (NC) (CBU)
5. Paulino Uzcudan 33-10-1 (12) (1097) (+7)
6. Tom Heeney 35-18-1 (12) (1044) (+18) (OPBF)
7. Ad Warren 24-5 (19) (1041) (+15) (USBA)
8. Joe Banovic 29-7 (9) (1040) (-3)
9. Jack Doyle 28-13-3 (20) (1023) (+2) (EBU)
10. Tommy Farr 29-8-1 (13) (1022) (-4) (GBU)

Comments: Stribling is joined by Heeney and Warren at Post for 1934. Schmeling looked impressive in winning all three title defenses; Loughran took the plunge and moved into the HW ranks, abandoning his LH title and suffered his first loss in eight years but Braddock, who is no longer in the top 50, was the only HW he defeated in 1933. Lots of movement with four new faces (in addition to Loughran) gracing the top 10 list. Heeney returns to the top 10 after a six-year hiatus, mainly as a result of his win over ex-Champ Griffith. Warren went 3-0 during the year to leapfrog up the ranks after capturing the USBA title. Dropping out of the top group from last year were Elmer Ray, dropping four spots to #11; ex-Champ Tuffy Griffith, down nine at #12; Jim Maloney, dropping from #10 to #15; Patsy Perroni, down 10 to #18; and George Godfrey, who lost three of four in 1933 to slide all the way from #9 to #22. Top newcomers to the rankings: Jersey Joe Walcott, now 18-0 (16), is in the top 20 at #19; Brit Jack Peterson, #30 at 17-1 (11), the one loss coming at the hands of Belgian Pierre Charles, who shot up the rankings to #13. King Levinsky has won four of his last five to move to #14, with an excellent 21-3-1 (11) career mark. Max Baer, who suffered his second career loss to Steve Hamas, bounced back with a couple of wins to end up #23, at 19-2 (18). Art Lasky’s 17-1-1 (17) has only lost to Floyd Johnson, and is ranked 26^th after wins over Hamas, Corn Griffin and Harry Thomas. Primo Carnera is 19-4-1 (15), good only for 46^th, while Jimmy Braddock continued to struggle, slipping outside the top 50 at #54.

Prospects: The most impressive career starts from a rather lackluster group of prospects have come from Roscoe Toles, who is now 12-0 (5), and Frankie Edgren, who has won nine straight after a couple of early draws to check in at 10-0-2 (6). South African prospect Ben Foord has maintained a clean slate against TC opposition and is now 8-0 (4).

Retirements:
Ten left the HW ranks in 1933. Their career stats:

Frankie Campbell (USA) 1924-33 26-13-1 (13) No Titles Highest Rank: 19
Giuseppe Spalla (ITA) 1919-33 30-22-5 (23) No Titles Highest Rank: 15
Clayton Peterson (USA) 1924-33 15-18 (5) No Titles Highest Rank: 70
King Solomon (USA) 1922-33 19-20-2 (8) No Titles Highest Rank: 48
Martin Burke (USA) 1919-1933 33-20-2 (9) WBA Champion 1926-27
Brad Simmons (USA) 1920-33 29-22-4 (17) No Titles Highest Rank: 39
Quinton Romero Rojas (CHI) 1921-33 28-19-3 (17) No Titles Highest Rank: 21
George Cook (AUS) 1916-33 39-27-3 (18) No Titles Highest Rank: 22
Johnny Grosso (USA) 1925-33 23-15-1 (13) No Titles Highest Rank: 43
Don Shortland (UK) 1926-33 23-12 (5) GBU Champ Highest Rank: 22

Outlook: The division is in a state of suspended animation with Schmeling as the default Champion until the long-awaited debut of Joe Louis in 1934. Until then, there should continue to be quite a bit of volatility in the rankings, with a few pretenders but very few serious contenders for Schmeling’s crown, although a upset by the likes of Max Baer is a possibility. Look for Baer to surge up the ranks to top 10 status in 1934. Louis the leads the crop of seven newcomers which also includes Buddy Baer, Santiago Lovell and Nathan Mann.

[JCWeb]

1933 Title Bouts

WBA: Tommy Loughran made his 23d and 24^th defenses of the belt he has held since 1926, taking a pair of UD 15s from Maxie Rosenbloom and Battling Bozo before abandoning the belt in pursuit of the HW crown. The timing was fortuitous for Tiger Jack Fox, who went on to claim the vacant title by winning a previously scheduled bout with Len Harvey (TKO 14) that was elevated to title bout status once Loughran vacated the belt.

NABF: Jimmy Slattery began 1933 with this title, but soon lost it to Young Tony Marullo (UD 12). Then, Tiger Jack Fox moved up from the USBA title to defeat Marullo (KO 7) and claim the NABF belt. After one successful defense (a UD 12 over Maxie Rosenbloom), Fox went on to succeed Loughran as WBA Champion. Another Tiger Jack, Tiger Jack Payne, claimed the vacant title via a DQ-11 over Charley Belanger.

USBA: Tiger Jack Fox began the year with this belt, but vacated it once he won the NABF title. Battling Bozo then downed Lou Scozza (UD 12) to take the vacant belt. Then, George Manley defeated Bozo (SD 12) to take the title.

CBU: Jack Delaney defended once versus former titleholder Len Harvey (UD 12), then lost the title to Gypsy Daniels via a controversial foul call (DQ 11). A rematch was arranged, and Delaney regained the belt, soundly trouncing Daniels (UD 12).

GBU: No 1933 defenses by Gypsy Daniels, who retains the title as there are were no credible challengers.

EBU: Gustave Roth, who won the belt in 1932, was unable to retain it in his first defense, dropping the title to ex-Champ Len Harvey (TKO 6) in a rematch of their 1932 encounter, as Roth had to retire with an injury (broken jaw).
.
LH Division Stats

Total: 124 RL: 78 TC: 46

End: 6
Post: 24
Prime: 31
Pre: 12
Beginning: 5
New: 4

Rated: 62
800+: 15
500+: 31
200+: 54

Jan 1934 LH Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from 1933 in Parens):

Champion: Tiger Jack Fox 30-0 (22) (1523) (+1)
1. George Manley 33-14 (16) (1347) (+1) (USBA)
2. Maxie Rosenbloom 31-10-6 (13) (1184) (+3)
3. Young Firpo 24-10-3 (15) (1063) (+12)
4. Lou Scozza 33-7-1 (24) (968) (+3)
5. Battling Bozo 23-4-1 (10) (943) (+1)
6. Jimmy Slattery 31-15-3 (12) (905) (-3)
7. Gustave Roth 28-5-2 (19) (903) (+4)
8. Young Tony Marullo 32-15-4 (18) (887) (NC)
9. Tony Shucco 20-5 (8) (870) (+18)
10. Len Harvey 41-11-2 (17) (863) (+3) (EBU)

Others: 12. Tiger Jack Payne 25-11 (9) (824) (+4) (NABF)
19. Jack Delaney 42-12-3 (26) (674) (-15) (CBU)
28. Gypsy Daniels 31-21-2 (18) (573) (+10) (GBU)

Comments: Loughran’s move to HW cleared the way for Fox, who remains unbeaten as the new WBA LH Champion. Of those listed above, five (Scozza, Slattery, Marullo, Delaney and Daniels) are at Post-Prime. Manley has won five in a row to earn his #1 contender status. Loughran’s move opened up a spot in the top 10, and there is once again a reshuffling of the rankings list as a result. Young Firpo zoomed up the rankings by virtue of a KO win over Slattery; he followed up with wins over Mandell and Bogash but fell short against Rosenbloom. Shucco moved into the top 10 by virtue of a big win (UD 10) over Delaney. Roth lost the EBU title but managed to move up the list with non-title wins over two aging vets, Berlenbach and Ad Stone. Harvey was 2-2 for the year, but he did enough – beating both Roth and Payne -- to regain his top 10 status. Dropping out of the top group from last year were Delaney; George Courtney, winless during 1933, dropped six spots to #16 and is now at Post-Prime career stage; veteran Paul Berlenbach, now battling the effects of aging, lost his only two outings and slid all the way from #6 to #18. Joe Knight, who won all three of his 1933 contests, just missed the top 10 and is now #11 with an excellent 22-3-2 (13) resume. Top newcomer to the list, debuting at #15, is John Henry Lewis, who is off to an excellent 16-0 (15) career start – his last bout, versus Marty Simmons, is the only one to last the distance.

Prospects: Al Gainer, who ended the year at 13-1 (11), leads the list of prospects, his only loss coming to the aforementioned John Henry Lewis. Jack Gibbons, at 11-0 (9), and Heinz Lazek, at 11-0 (10), have feasted almost exclusively on TC opposition. Leo Kelly, at 8-0 (6), and Jimmy Adamick, at 6-0 (5) have been impressive thus far while maintaining clean slates against TC foes.

Retirements:
These five left the LH ranks in 1933.
Pat McCarthy (USA) 1912-33 34-28-1 (14) No Titles Highest Rank: 21
Charlie Nashert (USA) 1920-33 30-23 (11) No Titles Highest Rank: 14
Charlie Tonner (UK) 1923-33 26-19-1 (22) No Titles Highest Rank: 56
Harry Dillon (CAN) 1925-33 20-15-1 (10) No Titles Highest Rank: 50
Ad Stone (USA) 1922-33 38-11 (24) NABF, USBA Champ Highest Rank: 1

Outlook: Tiger Jack Fox appears to be a worthy successor to Loughran as LH Champ, and it seems that the only fighter with the ability to challenge him – after a few more bouts at Pre-Prime – is another unbeaten fighter, John Henry Lewis. Rosenbloom appears to have been relegated to perennial contender status. The jury is still out on whether or not Firpo, Bozo, Shucco, Knight or Payne can become viable contenders. Looking to the future, young prospects Lazek, Kelly and Adamick are off to promising starts. The small group of newcomers includes some likely future Champions, in particular, Billy Conn, not to mention Anton Christoforidis and Gus Lesnevich.

[JCWeb]

1933 Title Bouts

WBA: Mickey Walker, titleholder for the better part of the last decade, defended twice during the year, having dabbled without success in the heavier LHW division. His victims were Freddie Steele (UD 15) and Hein Domgorgen (TKO 5) to run his record number of successful title defenses to 25.

NABF: Freddie Steele has held this belt since 1932, and he retained it with three successful defenses, versus Johnny Romero (TKO 6), Ben Jeby (KO 5) and Vince Dundee (UD 12).

USBA: Tony Tozzo began 1933 with the belt, but was dethroned by Vince Dundee (SD 12) in his first defense.

CBU: Aussie Ambrose Palmer, who won the belt in 1932, lost it in his first defense to Canada’s Lou Brouillard (UD 12). Brouillard then won a return match with Palmer (UD 12) in his first defense.

GBU: Jock McAvoy, who has held this belt since 1930, made one defense during the year, downing Len Johnson (UD 12).

EBU: Enzo Fiermonte, who captured the title in 1932, defended against Jupp Besselman (UD 12), but lost the title to Hein Domgorgen (UD 12).

OPBF: Ron Richards, who won this belt in 1932, defended it against fellow Aussie Fred Henneberry (UD 12).

MW Division Stats

Total: 156 RL: 94 TC: 62

End: 10
Post: 24
Prime: 47
Pre: 7
Beginning: 6
New: 5

Rated: 79
800+: 22
500+: 49
200+: 74

Jan 1934 MW Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from 1933 in Parens):

Champion: Mickey Walker 52-4 (39) (1529) (NC)
1. Freddie Steele 30-3 (24) (1321) (+1) (USBA)
2. Hein Domgorgen 35-12-1 (18) (1125) (+1) (EBU)
3. Ron Richards 24-2-2 (18) (1075) (+10) (OPBF)
4. Jack McVey 36-17-2 (18) (1042) (+7)
5. Enzo Fiermonte 30-8-2 (11) (1041) (-4)
6. Young Terry 27-9-3 (10) (1040) (-1)
7. Vince Dundee 32-8-3 (14) (1019) (NC) (USBA)
8. Johnny Romero 24-6 (17) (1008) (-2)
9. Gorilla Jones 32-11-1 (18) (972) (+9)
10. Rene DeVos 50-17-3 (18) (952) (-6)

Others: 16. Jock McAvoy 23-4-4 (16) (839) (-7) (GBU)
19. Lou Brouillard 19-4-1 (11) (835) (+11) (CBU)

Comments: All of the above at Prime heading into 1934, except for Fiermonte and DeVos, who are now both at Post-Prime. The “Toy Bulldog,” Mickey Walker, continued his long run as WBA MW Champ despite losing to top-ranked LH (and now LH WBA Champion) Tiger Jack Fox. Richards won all four of his 1933 outings to move up the list as others faltered. McVey was 2-2 for the campaign but it was his most recent result (a KO over Fiermonte) that moved him into the top five. Jones went 3-0 in 1933, the most recent being a SD 10 over McAvoy. The top 10 dropouts include aging veterans Jock Malone (down 3 to #13) and Brit Len Johnson (down 10 to #18), but GBU titleholder McAvoy narrowly lost to Jones. Top newcomer to the rankings is Ken Overlin, who is off to a perfect 20-0 (11) start, including six wins during 1933, good for 22^nd spot. Other notable newcomers to the list are German Erich Seelig, off to a 18-1 (8) start, good only for 42^nd spot and Sammy Slaughter, who checks in at #45 having suffered a TKO loss to Billy Angelo after an impressive 15-0 career start.

Prospects: Holman Williams is the hot prospect right now, having blasted out 10 TCs then settled for a UD win over Orlando Piazza to end up the year at 13-0 (12). South African Eddie Peirce feasted on TC opposition to check in at 9-0 (7) and is ready to step up to 10-rounders. Al Hostak has been perfect thus far, with 8 KO wins in 8 starts.

Retirements:
Six MWs hung up the gloves during 1933, including one former WBA Champ.
George Fifield (CAN) 1923-33 20-20-1 (10) No Titles Highest Rank: 47
Panama Joe Gans (PAN) 1914-33 56-20-3 (20) WBA Champion 1922-23
Tillie Herman (USA) 1916-33 37-28-4 (14) No Titles Highest Rank: 41
Roland Todd (UK) 1917-33 30-22-10 (8) CBU, GBU Champ Highest Rank: 17
Billy Shade (USA) 1918-33 31-24-3 (18) No Titles Highest Rank: 13
Kid Mexico (USA) 1916-33 35-25-5 (13) No Titles Highest Rank: 23

Outlook: Walker is not scheduled to hit Post-Prime until 1935, but there is no clear consensus on who will end up as his successor. Steele, Domgorgen and Richards have proven their ability by winning lesser belts and continuing their success against other top contenders. Ken Overlin has been brought along carefully, but has the potential to become a top contender, as does current hot prospect Holman Williams. Some solid fighters among the newcomers – notably Freddie Apostoli, Marcel Cerdan and “the Man of Steel,” Tony Zale Tiger – means the long-term prospects for this divison are very bright.

[JCWeb]

1933 Title Bouts

WBA: Jimmy McLarnin began the year with the belt, made two successful defenses (a pair of UD 15s over Johnny Indrisano and JWW Champion Jack Kid Berg. However, in his seventh title defense, he was upset by Irineo Flores (SD 15). This was followed by another close title clash and a new Champion, as Barney Ross topped Flores (another SD 15).

NABF: Tommy Freeman began 1933 with this title, but lost it to Ruby Goldstein (TKO 4). Goldstein then went on to defend twice, beating Buckey Lawless (KO 11) and Cocoa Kid (TKO 8).

USBA: Johnny Indrisano entered the year as USBA Champion, but he was dethroned by Barney Ross (MD 12). Ross made one defense, beating Jackie Fields (UD 12) before successfully challenging for the WBA title. Thus, the USBA belt is vacant heading into 1934.

CBU: Jack Hood made his first defense of this title a successful one, decisioning an aging former titleholder, Bermondsey Billy Wells (UD 12).

GBU: This belt had remained dormant for a long time, with no title bouts for over two years. Then, Jack Hood defended, topping Alf Mancini (UD 12).

EBU: Cleto Locatelli, who has held this title since 1930, did not defend in 1932. Expect to see a mandatory defense in 1933.

OPBF: Irineo Flores made one title defense, beating Macario Flores (KO 8). Flores then moved up to win the WBA title belt. The OPBF title has remained vacant since then.

WW Division Stats

Total: 120 RL: 80 TC: 40

End: 10
Post: 17
Prime: 36
Pre: 9
Beginning: 8
New: 4

Rated: 66 (includes one TC)
800+: 21
500+: 35
200+: 59

Jan 1934 WW Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from 1933 in Parens):

Champion: Barney Ross 22-2-1 (7) (1309) (+22)
1. Jimmy McLarnin 39-5-1 (21) (1520) (-1)
2. Irineo Flores 40-13-2 (19) (1308) (-1)
3. Cleto Locatelli 27-8-1 (9) (1230) (NC) (EBU)
4. Gustav Eder 25-0-2 (9) (1209) (+7)
5. Joe Dundee 38-15-7 (13) (1192) (NC)
6. Jack Hood 26-8-7 (9) (1056) (+11) (CBU, GBU)
7. Baby Joe Gans 33-14-1 (14) (1003) (+3)
8. Jackie Fields 28-3-2 (14) (1002) (-1)
9. Ruby Goldstein 30-8-3 (21) (998) (+4) (NABF)
10. Johnny Indrisano 26-8-4 (11) (978) (-4)

Comments: The bottom three (Fields, Goldsetin and Indrisano) at Post-Prime, everyone else listed still at Prime. Ross shot up the list, first by winning the USBA title, then the WBA crown, but he still does not have the highest PP total (that honor resides with the former Champion, McLarnin). Eder won four and drew one, maintaining his unbeaten slate with impressive wins over Ross, JWW kingpin Jack Kid Berg and Young Corbett III; he was held to a draw by Hood. Hood moved into the top 10 with a TKO over Young Jack Thompson. Goldstein won all four of his 1933 outings, including a TKO over EBU Champ Locatelli, and he now has a three-year unbeaten streak, his last loss occurring back in 1930. These four supplant Tommy Freeman (dropping two spots to #11 after losses to Goldstein and Locatelli); all-time great Benny Leonard (down 10 to #12 after going winless in 1933, making this his first time outside the top 10 of either the WW or LW division in two decades); Young Corbett III (-9 to #13, who suffered an upset loss to Vaccarelli but rebounded with wins over Jimmy Leto and top JWW contender Battling Shaw); and Young Jack Thompson (-9 to #17, after losing his last three). The top newcomer to the WW rankings list is Italian Michele Palermo, who debuts at #28 with a 14-0-1 (9) slate – wins coming over some lower rated WWs and TCs while the one draw was against fellow prospect Ernie Roderick. Wildcat O’Connor, who slipped with two losses during the year, checks in at 14-2 (11) which leaves him at #38.

Prospects: Despite a loss to Eddie Dolan (via a technical decision), Fritzie Zivic remains the top prospect, having compiled a 13-1 (11) record thus far. Dolan checks in at 12-1 (7), his one loss coming via a split decision to Palermo. Brit Ernie Roderick is now 10-1-2 (5). Everyone else is still in the formative stage, padding their respective records via TC opposition.

Retirements:
Four retirements from the WW division in 1933:
Jimmy Jones (USA) 1920-33 26-22-6 (10) USBA Champ Highest Rank: 5
Pat Corbett (USA) 1922-33 21-20-1 (8) No Titles Highest Rank: 45
Jack Sparr (USA) 1918-33 34-21-1 (19) NABF, USBA Champ Highest Rank: 5
Piet Hobin (BEL) 1916-33 34-30-3 (13) EBU Champ Highest Rank: 15

Outlook: Barney Ross has looked impressive thus far, despite the one setback to German Gustav Eder who has to be viewed as a serious threat for the WBA and/or EBU titles. Jimmy McLarnin is looking to regain his status as WBA Champ, ditto for Irineo Flores who may be content with the OPBF title belt. (That belt and the USBA one, formerly held by Ross, are vacant heading into 1934.) Not much in the way of hot new prospects, and this is a fairly “old” division with approximately one-third of the real-life fighters at Post or End career stage, so look for the list of top contenders to remain fairly constant through the next years – barring some JWWs moving up to challenge for titles and top contender status.