My Universe

[JCWeb]

ROUND-BY-ROUND: SCHMELING vs LOUIS FOR WBA HW CHAMPIONSHIP

Round 1: Schmeling in control early, traps Louis in the corner but is off target with his punches. Louis lands a nice combination and is tied up by Schmeling. The two exchange blows, and Louis has the best of it. Schmeling feints and connects with a quick hook to the head of Louis. Schmeling misses with a cross, then bobs and weaves his way inside. After a long clinch, Schmeling lands a combination. Louis shakes it off, then fires a straight right that appears to stun Schmeling. The two move to ring center, then the bell. Edge to Louis.

Round 2: Schmeling probes with the jab, backs up Louis, who then clinches. The two part, then Louis rips a cross to the head of Schmeling. The German Champion responds with a right. Louis drills a left-right-left combination. Schmeling pins Louis in a corner and lands a right-left combination. Schmeling follows with a big left that stuns Louis. Joe is forced to cover up to last the round. Schmeling follows up with an uppercut and a right cross but cannot put Louis away. Louis smothers Schmeling and is able to remain afoot until the bill. Big round for Schmeling.

Round 3: Schmeling moves inside, Louis stays on the outside. Schmeling is the aggressor, hoping to build on his success of the previous round. Louis tags Schmeling with a strong cross. A straight right from Schmeling staggers the challenger. Schmeling doubles up on the jab, Louis clinches. Louis rips a combination to the head and body. Schmeling cannot find the range. Louis picks off a Schmeling jab. Undeterred, Max follows up with a wild hook that misses. Louis retreats to a neutral corner. Schmeling lands a hard cross right before the bell. Schmeling’s round.

Round 4: Louis moves inside while Schmeling elects to stay outside. Schmeling connects with a big hook to the head. Louis holds on before trapping Schmeling in the corner, landing a big hook but he is unable to follow up, allowing the Champion to escape. Schmeling connects with a hard cross, then shoots a jab to the chest of the challenger. Another exchange sees Schmeling connect with an uppercut, while Louis scores with a hook to the body. Schmeling lands a right to the head, forcing Louis to clinch. A leaping shot from Louis falls short just before the bell. Once again, good round for Schmeling.

Round 5: Both men elect to try their luck on the inside, with Schmeling showing little fear of Louis’ power. Louis lands a big hook. Schmeling clinches. Louis backs up Schmeling, landing a short hook to the body. Both men move to ring center. Louis connects with an uppercut from way outside, then he follows up with a winging right. At this point, there is some noticeable swelling appearing under the left eye of the Champion. Back to ring center. An uppercut lands for Schmeling. Louis responds with an uppercut of his own. Schmeling backs up. Pinned in the corner, he absorbs a straight right and then a cross from the gloves of Louis. The bell sounds. Huge round for Louis.

Round 6: This is only the third time in his young career that Louis has been past five rounds. Louis is looking to put Schmeling down, following on his success of the prior round, while the German takes a more cautious approach. Louis misses with a left and a right. Schmeling retreats. Louis is just short with a jab, but then he catches Schmeling with an uppercut to the head. Schmeling unleashes a fury of blows, then sticks a jab that has Louis retreating. A Schmeling uppercut from far outside backs up Louis even further. Louis sneaks in a cross. Schmeling flicks two quick jabs then corners Louis, landing a big hook to the body right before the bell. Big round for Schmeling.

Round 7: Both men elect to stay outside, perhaps taking a breather from the intense battle thus far. Louis gets a short hook past Schmeling’s defenses. The swelling under Schmeling’s eye worsens. Schmeling unleashes a flurry, then swings and misses. Louis moves to a neutral corner. Schmeling holds, then unleashes a hook to the head. Louis unleashes a shot to the ribs; Schmeling winces in pain. Schmeling misses with a jab, Louis responds with a cross. Good ring movement by Louis, who backs Schmeling into a corner. Louis has the best of the next exchange, then Schmeling connects with a big hook. Louis, back against the ropes, battles back and lands an uppercut. Close round, slight edge to Louis.

Round 8: Louis, looking more aggressive now, moves inside to try to do more damage. Louis is warned for holding and hitting. Schmeling clinches. Exchange of blows favors Louis. Schmeling unloads with a left hook to the body. Louis is in trouble. Schmeling lands a big left. Louis responds with a big left, and he begins targeting Schmeling’s swollen eye. Louis misses, then stuns Schmeling with a hook to the head. Schmeling is backed into a corner, and a hook from Max is blocked. Louis is on target with a hook of his own, then Joe drops a right hook on the chin of the Champ. Schmeling appears to be laboring now. Louis ends the round by landing a nice uppercut. Louis’ round.

Round 9: Louis is going for the KO now. Schmeling lands a quick jab. Right hook for Louis. Schmeling is showing signs of tiring. Louis snaps Schmeling’s head back but misses with a big shot. Schmeling backpedals, retreating out of range. Louis moves in, and Schmeling connects with a hard shot to the top of Louis’ head. Louis rips a hook that momentarily staggers Schmeling. Louis misses. Schmeling clinches. Louis lands an uppercut. Schemling lands a nice jab, then Louis scores with a hook to the jaw. The two clinch as the bell sounds. Even round, but Louis’ superior stamina is being to tell.

Round 10: Louis comes out firing, landing a left hook and then a right that penetrates Schmeling’s defenses. Schmeling traps Louis in a corner but can’t land any effective blows. Louis moves inside and lands a quick uppercut. Superior hand speed by Louis, who doubles up on the hook and then shoots a right home. Schmeling’s left eye looks worse. Louis lands a combination before the bell sounds. Clearly Louis’ round. Unofficial card has it 96-95 for Schmeling but Louis appears to be landing the heavier blows at this point.

Round 11: This time Schmeling comes out with the more aggressive posture. Louis blocks Schmeling’s punches and flicks a jab before shooting home the right. Schmeling lands a cross. Louis snaps a jab then follows with a three-punch combination that forces Schmeling to regroup. Schmeling ties Louis up. Louis gets free and lands an uppercut. Schmeling is in trouble. Louis backs Schmeling against the ropes and blasts a cross, followed by an uppercut. Schmeling spins off the ropes. Louis nails him with a sharp combination before the bell sounds. Solid round for Louis.

Round 12: Schmeling, trailing now, is even more aggressive, looking to land a knockout. Max lands a leaping shot that glances off Louis’ shoulder. Schmeling doubles up on his jab. Louis connects with a lead right, then follows with an uppercut. He backs Schmeling up into a neutral corner. The two clinch. Schmeling lets loose with a left that is sidestepped by Louis. Louis shoots home a right. Another big left from Schmeling is sidestepped by Louis. Louis lands a hard cross to end the round. Edge to Louis.

Round 13: Both men look exhausted. Schmeling is once again the aggressor. He lands a big left, forcing Louis to back up. Schmeling clinches; the referee warns Schmeling about leaning on the neck of his opponent. After the break, Louis jolts Schmeling with shots to body and head. Schmeling drops to the canvas. He tries to arise at the count of one, rolls back, and is back on his feet at the count of six. Louis’ killer instinct kicks in, while Schmeling covers up to try to last the round. Louis doubles up with a left to the head and body, pushing Schmeling back. Louis fires a quick three-punch combo; Schmeling is now trapped in the corner, and the New York crowd is on its feet. Louis is short with a hook to the head. The bell sounds, with a wobbly Schmeling still on his feet. Big round (probably a 10-8 round due to the knockdown) for Louis, who tried hard to finish Schmeling but could not.

Round 14: Schmeling, shaken by the knockdown the previous round, takes a more cautious approach although most observers now see him needing a knockdown to keep the title from Louis. Schmeling clinches at ring center, then both men take a step back. Schmeling muscles Louis against the ropes, but Joe unleashes a volley of punches. Schmeling connects with a nice cross. Schmeling misses with the left. Louis recovers with a two-fisted attack. Short hook to the midsection of Schmeling, more domination by Louis who wins the round.

Round 15: Final round, this time Schmeling is going all-out despite being fatigued and suffering from a partially closed left eye, made worse by all the punishment dished out by Louis. Schmeling telegraphs his punch, while Louis is wild with a hook. Schmeling digs a left hook to the body. Louis fires and misses. Schmeling lands a cross. Louis responds with a short right. The two clinch at ring center. Schmeling unloads with a quick hook to the head. More clinching. Louis breaks free and lands a jab, pushing Schmeling back into a neutral corner. Louis scores with a right. The final bell sounds, ending the fight.

The crowd eagerly anticipates the judges’ decision – the cards are read, and all are in agreement: It’s a UD 15 win for Joe Louis (145-138 on all three cards). The “Brown Bomber,” Louis, after just 16 fights, still in the Pre-Prime stage of his career, is the new WBA Heavyweight Champion.

Post-fight records: Louis, 16-0 (14); Schmeling, 41-4 (30).

Strong fight of the year candidate, Louis not only captures the belt but snaps an 18-bout winning streak by Schmeling.

[bob_bask]

Great fight. I was a bit worried for Louis in the early going but he got stronger the longer it went.

Look forward to following how he goes.

[SAL]

Louis will wear that belt for a lot of years

[JCWeb]

Back to the fistic action and it's now May of 1936 ...

This is a summary of ring action from the first half of May 1936, covering a total of 51 bouts. Lots of lesser title bouts covered in this report.

May 1, 1936: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at Atlantic City. The undercard has LH prospect Archie Moore, in his third pro bout, taking on a hapless TC opponent who lasts into the fourth round before Moore registers a TKO 4 victory. Moore is now a perfect 3-0 (3). After some more preliminary bouts, it is time for the main event, with Tony Vaccarelli facing Fritzie Zivic for the former’s NABF WW title belt. It is Zivic’s first title try, and the first meeting of the two. In the opening round, Zivic connects with a straight right that stuns Vaccarelli. Zivic continues on the attack in round two, piling up points and putting Vaccarelli on the defensive. In round three, more bad news for Vaccarelli as he suffers a cut over his right eye. In the fifth round, Vaccarelli begins to battle back, staggering Zivic with a big hook. Then Zivic is called for repeated low blows by the ref, leading to a controversial disqualification. The foul call enables Vaccarelli to hang on to the NABF belt via a DQ-5, despite howls of protest from Zivic’s corner. Post-fight, Vaccarelli improves to 33-18-3 (15); Zivic, who was well ahead on all three cards, is now 19-3-1 (13).

May 2, 1936: Next card is back in the UK at the Stadium in Liverpool. It’s a fairly light card, but the feature has the now #1 HW contender, Tommy Farr, holder of three HW title belts, facing Brit Jack Peterson for the British (GBU) HW title, which has remained dormant since Farr’s last defense back in 1931. In a prior meeting, for Farr’s EBU title, last year in Gothenburg, Farr prevailed via a MD 12, so this will be the second attempt to wrest a title from Farr for the youthful Peterson. After an uneventful four rounds, the bout remains close with Farr perhaps slightly ahead on points. However, in round five, the situation begins to change as Peterson doubles up on his hook and stuns the Champ, forcing Farr to cover up to last the round. More excitement in round seven, as the challenger continues on the attack, dropping Farr to the canvas with a perfect uppercut. Farr is unable to beat the count. KO 7 for Peterson, who becomes the new GBU HW Champion. Post-fight career marks: Peterson, 35-3 (17); Farr, 36-10-1 (14). Recent wins by Peterson (for the GBU belt) and Joe Louis (for the WBA title) have really shaken up the HW rankings.

May 2, 1936: Next card is in Canada, at the Forum in Montreal. Two key bouts of note, one a title bout but first up is the co-feature, matching two top MW contenders: Ken Overlin and reigning EBU MW Champion Jock McAvoy. Overlin works outside and gradually builds a slim but solid points advantage. McAvoy, forced to move inside, picks up the pace in an effort to close the gap. The result is a close but UD 10 win for Overlin (99-92, 96-95, 98-94) to move him to 26-1-4 (11) overall’ McAvoy drops to 27-9-4 (19) with the loss. Then, in the main event, Maxie Rosenbloom’s NABF LH title is at stake as he defends against Al Gainer. After a couple of close rounds, Rosenbloom pulls ahead with a big round three. Gainer lacks the firepower to mount a rally, thus enabling the Champ to dominate the rest of the way. In round eight, Rosenbloom rips open a cut over the right eye of Gainer, and the cut is reopened in round 10. A game Gainer hangs on, despite the fact there is blood trickling down into his eye from the cut. Finally, in the bout’s 12^th and final round, bleeding from the cut becomes too serious to ignore and the ref calls a halt. TKO 12 to Rosenbloom on the cuts stoppage, although Maxie was likely to win the bout via a unanimous decision anyway. Post-fight, Rosenbloom is now 39-11-6 (17) while Gainer suffers only his third career defeat to slip to 20-3-1 (13).

May 8, 1936: Action is back in the States with a Friday night card at the Boston Garden. Main event is a NABF title bout, preceded by a co-feature with aging veteran Benny Leonard in his 101^st career bout, facing another veteran, WW Young Jack Thompson. Both are near the end of their respective careers, and Leonard battles back after being down twice in the fight, decking Thompson in the ninth with a hook to the head, then following up with a couple of more KDs for an automatic TKO 9 win. Leonard, now 83-13-5 (43), may have a couple more bouts left before making the decision to call it a career; Thompson wraps up his career with a lifetime record of 36-18-6 (19). After a good round of applause for these two veteran warriors, the main event sees another veteran, Tommy Loughran, making a defense of his newly-won NABF HW title belt against Frankie Edgren. Loughran quietly builds a solid points lead, but Edgren – in his first title bout – gives a good accounting and does manage to keep the bout close. In the end, it’s only a narrow SD 12 win for Loughran (115-114, 114-115, 118-111) that enables Tommy to retain the belt. Post-fight marks: Loughran, 56-8-4 (19); Edgren, 18-4-2 (6).

May 9, 1936: Next card is at Mexico City. Featured is a LABF title bout, but two HWs with regional titles square off in a non-title contest that serves as the main support, as LABF HW Champ Jose Domingo Carattoli faces his OPBF counterpart, Tom Heeney. Both men are swinging freely at each other from the outset, and by the end of round two, there is noticeable swelling under both of Heeney’s eyes. The veteran Kiwi campaigner battles back, and in round five he rips open a gash over Carattoli’s left eye. However, by round seven, Heeney (now at End career stage) is beginning to tire. Carattoli, now in his first bout at Post-Prime, is unable to take advantage, and when the cut over his eye is reopened, the situation becomes serious enough to require an immediate stoppage. TKO 9 for Heeney on the cuts stoppage. Post-fight career marks: Heeney, 37-24-1 (13); Carattoli, 24-10-1 (10); there is talk of a possible rematch, later in the year, near Heeney’s home turf, down under. In the main event, Sixto Escobar faces former WBA BW Champion Panama Al Brown for Escobar’s LABF BW title. Escobar is hoping to reverse an earlier UD 10 loss to Brown, also in Mexico City, back in 1933 when Escobar was still at Pre-Prime. Now, defending a title belt and with more experience, he has a slight edge. In the early going, Brown is the more aggressive of the two; not much in the way of action under Escobar nails Panama Al with a solid hook in round five. Escobar pulls ahead, but Brown continues to battle and manages a draw (116-112 Escobar, 114-114, 113-115 Brown) which enables Escobar to keep the LABF title belt. Post-fight marks are 23-4-1 (10) for Escobar, 47-10-1 (19) for Brown as it is the first career draw for both.

May 15, 1936: Another Friday night card “Down Under” and a good one, with a pair of Commonwealth title bouts headlining the agenda in the action at Melbourne, Australia. In the first of these, Merv “Darky” Blandon makes the second defense of his CBU FW title, facing Nel Tarleton, a former GBU FW titleholder; both men are at Post-Prime career stage. Good action bout, as both men are on target early. In round five, as both men mix it up on the inside, Blandon emerges with a cut under his right eye, and Tarleton pulls ahead as a result. Tarleton gets stronger and stronger as the bout wears on, but Blandon is able to mount a late rally in a desperate attempt to retain the title. It comes down to the wire, and Tarleton takes a SD 12 (116-113, 113-117, 115-114) to lift the belt, to the dismay of the pro-Blandon crowd in Aussie-land. After the bout, Tarleton is now 28-11-5 (12); Blandon drops to 20-6 (15) but still has the OPBF FW title. Then, in the second co-main event, CBU WW Champ Jack Carroll defends against the current GBU titleholder, Ernie Roderick. First meeting of the two. Carroll is off the mark quickly, with his superior experience giving him an early edge in the contest. Roderick battles back, and in round six Carroll suffers a cut on his forehead. The momentum swings toward Roderick, who piles up points in the middle rounds. Carroll, motivated to keep the belt, shakes off the effects of the cut and picks up the pace in the later rounds, dominating the last four rounds to keep the title with a UD 12 (117-112, 117-112, 115-114). Carroll, now solidly ranked among the top 10 WWs, moves to 35-15-5 (13) with the win, while Roderick is now 15-5-3 (5).

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the second half of May 1936, covering a total of 67 bouts. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report.

May 16, 1936: The Gran Stadium in Havana, Cuba is the backdrop for the next fistic action, with a pair of LABF title bouts headlining a card that includes mostly Latin or Hispanic fighters. In the first of these, Emory Cabana puts his LABF LW title on the line, making his second defense against the man he defeated for the belt, Justo Suarez. Cabana enters the bout on a five-bout winning streak, but he is 2-2 in prior meetings with Suarez, who is now at Post-Prime. The bout turns into a boxing exhibition by Cabana, who easily outclasses Suarez, who struggles with his timing while also battling a rapidly swelling left eye. With little resistance from Suarez, Cabana goes on to post a UD 12 (118-111 on all three cards) to push his career record to 39-16-4 (12). Suarez is now 27-9-1 (17). Then, in the second co-feature, it is another rematch as Cocoa Kid takes on Manuel Quintero for Kid’s LABF WW title. Kid has won his last three, while Quintero has gone undefeated (two wins, two draws) since losing the inaugural LABF WW title clash to Kid via a MD, but now the Cuban is at Post-Prime career stage. Kid gets off to a solid start, and midway through the bout, Quintero suffers a cut lip. The cut proves to be a problem, and with the bleeding continuing after a reopening, the late stoppage enables Cocoa Kid to retain the belt via a TKO 9 due to the cuts stoppage. Post-fight, Cocoa Kid is now 27-4-2 (11); Quintero slips to 31-15-7 (12).

May 16, 1936: Next card is a packed one at Chicago, albeit one without any title bouts. In the co-feature, newly crowned NABF LW Champ Tod Morgan (the former WBA JLW Champ, which belt he relinquished in the move up to LW) faces his counterpart from across the seas, Harry “Leeds” Mason, holder of the GBU and Commonwealth LW titles (but recent loser in an EBU title fight). Morgan starts well, landing some effective punches early and, as a result, there is swelling under the left eye of Mason as early as the end of the third round. Morgan continues with a dominant performance, building a huge points lead and winning just about every round to claim a UD 10 win (100-91 on all three cards) to run his career totals to 46-13-3 (12). Mason is 37-24-4 (5) after the loss. Then, in the second co-feature, LHs are on display as Joe “Cairo Calamity” Knight, WBA Champ until losing his title to John Henry Lewis earlier in the year, attempts to rebound but faces a tough young opponent in fast-rising Jimmy Adamick, aka “the Midland Mauler.” In his first bout back after losing the title, Knight looks a bit rusty, and Adamick takes advantage, landing some good shots to cause Knight’s left eye to begin to puff up before the end of the second round. Knight battles back, however, and he manages to put Adamick on the deck in a barrage of blows in round three. Then, in the fourth round, once again it is Adamick in charge, as he connects with a solid uppercut that stuns Knight. Knight covers up to last the round, but the end comes a round later as Adamick continues to dominate, landing blow after unanswered blow until the ref calls a halt. TKO 5 for Adamick, who looked very impressive in coming off the canvas to defeat a former WBA Champion. Post-fight marks: Adamick, 20-1-1 (19); Knight, 27-6-2 (15). This win moves Adamick into the top 10 in the LH rankings, marking him as a future title contender.

May 22, 1936: Next up is a Friday night card at Gothenburg, Sweden’s Ullevi Stadium. Main support bout on the undercard (leading up to an EBU title clash) features “the Casablanca Clouter,” Marcel Cerdan, taking on Italian veteran Leone Jacovacci in a 10-round, MW affair. After a taking a couple of rounds to get going, Cerdan breaks down Jacovacci’s defenses in round three, ripping open a cut over the left eye, causing some swelling over the right eye, then finishing well with a couple of hooks followed by a nice combination that puts Jacovacci down and out. The KO 3 moves Cerdan to a perfect 12-0 (11), while Jacovacci will be hanging up the gloves after this one, wrapping up a 30-27-6 (9) career, mostly as a journeyman. In the main event, Frenchman Maurice Holtzer attempts to regain the EBU FW title from the main who took it from him twice, veteran Englishman Dom Volante. Volante, who bested Holtzer for the EBU belt in 1932 and again in 1934, may be more vulnerable this time by virtue of the fact he has now hit Post-Prime career stage; this will be his first defense of this belt in over two years since downing Holtzer in 1934. Holtzer gets off to a solid start while Volante struggles to find his timing, fighting inside mostly. Holtzer is content to box Volante from the outside, but in round four he leaves himself open to a Volante cross that puts the Frenchman down for the fight’s first knockdown. After that, Holtzer adopts an even more cautious approach that seems to work as Volante eventually punches himself out and is low on energy in the later rounds. Despite suffering the knockdown, Holtzer goes on to take a narrow UD 12 (115-113, 115-113, 115-114) to regain the EBU title. Post-fight career marks: 32-13-3 (12) for Holtzer, and 31-18-2 (20) for Volante.

May 23, 1936: Action is back in the States with a big card at Yankee Stadium in New York City. Headliner is a WBA MW title clash, but two interesting non-title bouts are on the agenda as well. In the first one of these, unbeaten LH prospect Gus Lesnevich is in action, facing veteran Lou Scozza. Lesnevich gets off to a solid start, nothing fancy, but by the end of the third round, there is noticeable swelling under the left eye of Scozza. Scozza is cut over the other eye in round five. Rest of the way, it’s not much of a contest as Lesnevich waltzes to a UD 10 triumph (100-90, 98-92, 100-90) to push his career totals to 17-0 (12), good for a spot in the top 20 LH rankings. Scozza is now 34-13-1 (25). In the co-feature, two popular HWs (each coming off a significant loss) meet in a crossroads career bout for both men, as Max Baer faces ex-Champ Jack Sharkey. Baer jumps off to a quick start while Sharkey tries to settle in, fighting outside. However, when the two mix it up on the inside in round five, Baer seizes control, landing punch after punch until a defenseless Sharkey is left, dazed and lifeless, against the ropes. The ref calls a halt, and it goes down as a TKO 5 for Baer, who improves to 24-7 (23) with the win, moving back into the top 10 in the HW rankings. Sharkey, now 34-14 (19), definitely appeared shopworn and, now at Post-Prime, is definitely on the downside of his career path. Then, Eddie “Babe” Risko meets Commonwealth Champ Ron Richards for the WBA MW title; it is Risko’s first defense and many believe that Richards, not ranked among the top 10 MWs, is likely to be an “easy” defense. However, Richards – out to prove the critics wrong – looks sharp early, causing Risko to retreat with swelling under his right eye as early as the end of the opening round. Then, in round three, Richards stalks his opponent, dropping the Champ with a vicious uppercut that puts Risko down and out. Surprise winner and new champion by a KO 3 is Aussie Ron Richards, who becomes the first Aussie to hold a WBA welt since WW Tommy Uren in the early 1920s. Post-fight marks: Richards, 28-6-2 (21); Risko, 26-4-2 (11).

May 29, 1936: Next ia a Friday night card at the Olympia in London. A WBA Flyweight title bout is featured, but first up is a non-title contest featuring two ranked BWs. Brit Benny Sharkey, a former CBU and EBU titleholder, takes on the current OPBF BW Champ, Young Tommy, and Sharkey is on target early, with Tommy sporting a rapidly swelling right eye as a result of Sharkey’s effective blows. Heading into the second half of the bout, Tommy decides to pick up the pace, but it also weakens his defenses – and in round eight, Sharkey catches the Filipino with a nice hook that puts Tommy down briefly. A round later, Sharkey follows up with a big shot to register a second KD and, after a third KD a round later, Tommy limps to the bell only to drop the UD 10 to Sharkey by a wide margin (100-86, 99-87, 99-87). Post-fight marks: Sharkey, 27-5 (13); Tommy, 28-8-1 (17) – and the win helps re-establish Sharkey’s credentials as a top 10 BW contender. Then, in the main event, Midget Wolgast, who has held the WBA Flyweight title since 1931, makes his 15^th defense against the “Tunis Terror,” Young Perez. Solid boxing by the Champ enables Wolgast to build a solid points advantage through the early and middle rounds. Perez digs in on the outside, doing the best he can to try to keep the bout close. However, he is no match for Wolgast, and by round 11, a frustrated Perez must deal with a badly swollen left eye. Wolgast goes on to capture another one-sided UD 15 (149-137 on all three cards) to run his career record to 40-4-1 (18). He has not lost since 1930 (over six years) and Wolgast’s five-year reign as WBA Champion is longer than any other current champions, except for Jack Kid Berg in the devalued JWW weight class. Perez, now 24-7-3 (10), will go back to training and hopefully launch another try for the EBU title in the future. Right now the WBA title matchup in this dividion that many are hoping for is between Wolgast and the reigning EBU Champ, Istvan Enekes.

May 30, 1936: The month wraps up with a solid card in Los Angeles at the Olympic Auditorium. Featured is a NABF BW title contest, with Bobby Green facing challenger K. O. Morgan, who is a former USBA BW titleholder; these two battled to a draw in a prior NABF title tilt in 1935. This is Green’s third defense of this title, won back in 1934. Morgan is the aggressor, establishing early control on the inside. By the end of round four, Green is already wearing down, and his right eye is showing signs of swelling. Then, in round five, Morgan opens up and lands a big hook that puts Green down and out. KO 5 for Morgan, who moves to 24-4-5 (15) and is back in the picture as a WBA title contender. Green drops to 36-19-8 (15) with the loss.

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the first half of June 1936. Just 47 bouts covered in this report, but there is one WBA title on the line.

June 5, 1936: The month commences with a card at Atlantic City. Featured is the “Cinderella Man,” Jimmy Braddock, taking on the higher rated Joe “Bingo” Banovic in a non-title affair. Banovic is a former NABF and USBA HW Champion, and a win could move Braddock into the top 10 in the HW rankings, a position held by Banovic for the past five years. Braddock starts well, taking the opening two rounds. Then, in round three, Braddock moves inside and continues to hold a slight edge. Banovic responds with a big round in round four, then continues to do well in the fifth round before sustaining a cut under his right eye. Braddock tries to step up the pace in round six, but some good counterpunching by Banovic give him the round. Braddock seems to tire badly down the stretch, and the bout goes the distance, with a draw (95-96 Braddock, 97-95 Banovic, 96-96) being the end result. Post-fight, Banovic is now 33-12-1 (9) compared to 30-12-3 (6) for Braddock.

June 6, 1936: Next card is in Europe at the Sports Palace in Rome, Italy. An EBU WW title bout headlines the card, but the main support is a HW non-title clash between Paulino Uzcudan, a former EBU HW titleholder, and Primo Carnera. So, it’s the “Basque Woodchopper” against the “Ambling Alp” in an attractive matchup before a partisan pro-Carnera crowd here in Italy. Carnera gives them something to cheer about when, in the opening round, he nails Uzcudan with a crushing uppercut that forces the veteran Spaniard to cover up. After struggling to find the range in the early going, Uzcudan bounces back with a big round four, and by the end of round five there is a trace of puffiness around the left eye of Carnera showing the effects of the blows being landed repeatedly by Uzcudan. In round seven, Carnera begins bleeding from a cut inside his mouth, but he soldiers on, doing well to keep the bout reasonably close. In the end, Uzcudan escapes with a MD 10 win (97-93, 95-95, 95-94) as even some hometown judging was not enough to help Carnera. Post-fight career marks: 36-16-1 (12) for Uzcudan; 23-8-1 (17) for Carnera. Then, in the feature, Cleto Locatelli defends his EBU WW title belt against Dutchman Bep Van Klaveren. Locatelli, who has held the EBU title since 1930, is making his eighth defense, whereas Van Klaveren, in his first title bout of any kind, has gone undefeated (three wins, two draws) in his last five outings. The two boxers have similar styles, and Van Klaveren starts well, with Locatelli taking awhile to get on track, but he responds with a huge round five, nailing the challenger with a huge cross that forces Van Klaveren to cover up to avoid further damage. Locatelli is unable to follow up however, and the Dutchman remains an elusive target for the rest of the bout. A late surge from Locatelli enables the Swiss veteran to retain the EBU title and his lofty WW ranking with a draw (112-114, 114-112, 114-114) despite a strong showing by Van Klaveren in his first title shot. Post-fight, Locatelli is now 32-10-2 (11), while Van Klaveren is 23-8-4 (9).

June 6, 1936: Back to the States for a fairly pedestrian card at Seattle’s Sicks Stadium, with the only notable bout being the main event, pitting veteran Freddie Steele against LABF MW Champion Kid Tunero for Steele’s NABF MW title. It is the 13^th defense for Steele, who has held the NABF title continuously since 1932, and one of those defenses was an earlier UD 12 win over Tunero. Turns out to be a good action bout that goes the full 12 rounds. Early on, in the second round, Tunero is cut over the right eye and also suffers from some swelling under his left eye. In round three, Steele backs up Tunero and fires a hook to the head that puts the Cuban on the deck. Tunero survives the round, but in round five he leaves himself open to a Steele counter-shot that puts him on the deck a second time. Tunero recovers and has a good round six, his best round of the fight. Then, in round eight, Steele connects with an uppercut to the head. Tunero goes down for knockdown number three. By this time, Tunero’s other eye is beginning to swell up, but he battles on. Round ten, Steele catches him with a big hook for knockdown number four. Tunero battles back, and in round 11 there is trouble for Steele who sustains a cut over his left eye, which begins to puff up also. Undaunted, Steele punctuates his superiority with a nice uppercut that connects for the bout’s fifth and final KD in round 12. All three judges render a lopsided UD 12 win for Steele (118-107 on all cards) to push the “Tacoma Assassin” to 36-5-1 (27); Tunero ends the bout at 26-6-4 (8). Steele’s connections are angling for a WBA title shot later in 1936.

June 12, 1936: Next is a Friday night card at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. Featured is a Commonwealth title bout, but the main support has top 10 HW, Canadian Larry Gains, in action against ex-Champ Young Stribling, Stribling won an earlier encounter, but he is now at the tail-end of his career while Gains is still at Prime. Gains gets two work right away, doing damage with an uppercut that staggers Stribling. Midway through round three, a nice combination from Gains drops Stribling for an eight-count. In round seven, with Stribling visibly slowing, a hook from Gains results in a second KD. Four more knockdowns follow but Stribling is able to regain his footing at each one, managing to last the distance against Gains, who takes a lopsided UD 10 (99-84, 98-86, 99-83) to avenge the earlier loss and move to 41-1- (23) overall. Stribling, who has only a couple of fights left in him, is now 50-13-2 (25). Then, in the main event, it is another rematch as Charley Belanger faces Jack “Bright Eyes” Delaney for Belanger’s Commonwealth LH title previously held by Delaney. The two have met twice before, each winning one, but this time Belanger (still at Prime while Delaney is nearing the end of his long career) is favored. A solid hook from Belanger puts Delaney on the deck in round one. Delaney rallies with a big second round. More power punching from Belanger, who nails Delaney with a combination for a second trip to the canvas in round four. A third KD follows in round seven, then two more before the final bell. Once again, the younger man prevails by a lopsided UD 12, this time for Belanger (117-104 on all three cards). Post-fight career marks: Belanger, 35-16 (17); Delaney, 46-15-4 (30).

June 13, 1936: Next card is at the Stadium in Liverpool, England. No titles on the line, but the feature has top five LH Tony Shucco facing current EBU and GBU LH Champ, long-time contender Len Harvey, a fan favorite in the UK. It is the first meeting of the two, and Harvey wastes little time, unleashing a barrage of blows that puts Shucco on the canvas in the bout’s opening round. Shucco regains his footing after taking a five-count, and he quickly bounces back with a strong second round, landing repeatedly and causing some initial swelling under the right eye of Harvey. Both men land solid scoring blows in round three, and there is swelling around the right eye of Shucco as a result. By the halfway point, Shucco has shaken off the effects of the early knockdown and pulled ahead to a slight points edge. Harvey continues to battle on, but he is unable to close the gap – this one goes as a UD 10 for Shucco (97-92, 97-94, 97-93) – a surprise result to many observers who thought Harvey might have the advantage with the support of a raucous hometown crowd. The win enables Shucco to run his career record to 26-8 (9). Harvey ends the bout at 46-13-3 (19).

June 13, 1936: Back in the states for a packed card at Detroit, with a WBA title matchup as the headliner. First, up some notable prospects take to the ring. Young LH Lloyd Marshall takes out a hapless TC with a KO 2 for a successful debut. MW Charley Burley also continues to impress, stopping his opponent inside the opening stanza to move to 2-0 (2) – it is the second time Burley has stopped an opponent inside the first round. Then, in the co-feature, Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong – still looking for a WBA title shot – goes international, taking on British FW Champ Jim Kelly in a 10-round, non-title affair. Coming into the bout, Armstrong is 20-1-2 while Kelly is 20-2-1, two excellent records for these young FWs. Armstrong starts well, and he presses the early advantage in the opening rounds against the defensive-minded British Champion. By the end of round four, there is a welt forming under Kelly’s left eye. Early in the fifth round, a vicious uppercut from Armstrong puts Kelly down. The Brit arises, but unfortunately for him there is plenty of time left in the round, and Armstrong’s killer instinct kicks in, resulting in a second KD followed by an early stoppage. TKO 5 for Armstrong, who is now 21-1-2 (19) and eager for a WBA title shot. Kelly slips to 20-3-1 (7) but still holds the GBU belt. The main event is for the WBA WW title, and it’s a rematch as Jimmy McLarnin faces Barney Ross, the man he defeated for the title back in 1934. It is McLarnin’s seventh defense in his third stint as WBA Champ and, despite two early wins over Ross, he is now at Post-Prime while Ross is still at Prime. Ross pulls ahead in the opening three rounds, as McLarnin struggles with his timing. McLarnin battles back, taking rounds four and five. Ross settles into a comfortable role, fighting outside in the middle rounds. Round six goes to Ross, round seven to McLarnin, while round eight is even. After a close ninth round, Ross’ superior stamina begins to tell. Late in the bout, McLarnin suffers a cut over his left eye and is unable to connect. Ross retreats to a defensive shell for the final two rounds and walks away – for the second time – with the WBA WW title – taking a well-earned UD 15 (146-140, 146-140, 147-139) over McLarnin. Post-fight career totals are 29-5-2 (10) for Ross, and 46-6-1 (23) for McLarnin.

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the second half of June 1936. A total of 57 bouts are covered in this report.

June 19, 1936: Friday night card “Down Under,” this time in Sydney, Australia. No titles on the line, but the feature matches top five MW Vince Dundee against reigning OPBF MW Champion Ambrose Palmer, a hometown crowd favorite, who is coming off a big win over all-time great Mickey Walker. Dundee gets off to a solid start, and he builds a points edge over Palmer, who is unable to get on track. Dundee has a big round seven, and Palmer tries to step up the pace and stage a late rally. Dundee is cut over his left eye in round nine, but he manages to last the distance and take a SD 10 over Palmer (97-93, 94-96, 98-92), with one hometown judge going for Palmer. Post-fight career marks: Dundee, 39-10-4 (15); Palmer, 26-10 (16).

June 20, 1936: Next card is in Europe at Copenhagen, Denmark. Istvan Enekes, EBU Flyweight Champion, after failing in his effort to line up a WBA title shot, will defend that title against Jackie Brown, the reigning Commonwealth and British Fly titleholder, in the main event. Could be a tough matchup; an earlier 1935 encounter ended up in a controversial DQ win for the Hungarian. This time, Enekes works on the outside in the early rounds, gradually building a points lead. In round four, Enekes is cut over his right eye. A few rounds later, in the sixth, it is Brown who suffers a cut over his left eye. Brown continues to swing away, landing some blows – enough to cause some swelling to appear under Enekes’ right eye in round seven. As the bout heads into the later rounds, it is a close one on the scorecards and it becomes a battle of the cuts which are reopened in the later rounds. Brown manages to keep the bout close, and in the final round he is successful in ripping open the cut over Enekes’ eye, triggering a late stoppage. TKO 12 for Brown, who adds the EBU title to his CBU and GBU belts. Tough break for Enekes, who had a slim lead on all three scorecards heading into the final round. Post-fight, the win lifts Brown to 29-10-3 (11). Enekes, now 25-4-1 (10), is clamoring for a rematch, but it is Brown who has improved his status, emerging with his third belt and a shot at the WBA title as a possibility later in 1936.

June 20, 1936: Back to the States for some more fistic action, this time at the Miami Arena. In the feature, two top 10 WWs square off as Baby Joe Gans challenges Young Corbett III for Corbett’s USBA WW title. It is Corbett’s second defense of the belt he won last year, and he holds a prior UD 10 win over Gans back in 1934. The early edge in the bout goes to Corbett, forcing Gans to become more and more aggressive as the bout wears on. By the end of the fifth round, there is a trace of swelling under Corbett’s left eye, proof that Gans’ blows are having some effect. However, Corbett remains able to outbox Gans and maintain a comfortable points lead; near the end of the bout, Gans’ left eye is beginning to show signs of swelling as well. The UD 12 goes to Corbett (116-112 on all three cards) without much protest from Gans’ corner. Post-fight career marks: Corbett, 49-12-5 (12); Gans, 36-18-2 (14). With McLarnin no longer the WBA Champion, Corbett’s connections are angling for a shot at the belt.

June 26, 1936: Next is a Friday night card at London’s Harringay Arena. No title fights on the agenda, but an intriguing main event matches top-ranked Flyweight contender, NABF Champ Frankie Genaro, with Benny Lynch, a young British title hopeful who is yet to make his mark in the division. In the opening round, Lynch connects with a sharp uppercut that drives Genaro into the ropes, forcing the savvy veteran to cover up to last the round. As the bout evolves, Genaro finds it difficult to get on track against Lynch, who is proving to be a tricky opponent who also has the vocal backing of the hometown croed here in the UK. Meanwhile, Genaro, now at Post-Prime, is finally beginning to show his age. In round eight, Lynch is on target, once again forcing Genaro to cover up. Undaunted, Lynch unleashes a powerful hook to the head that puts Genaro down and out. Big KO 8 win for Lynch, moving him to 22-4 (13) overall. Genaro is now 45-16-5 (18).

June 27, 1936: Next card is back in the States at the Polo Grounds in New York City. On the undercard is LH prospect Billy Conn, aka “the Pittsburgh Kid,” in a scheduled 8-rounder against TC opposition. Conn starts slowly, finally moving inside in round three and dominating the action, taking a TKO 4 win to move his career stats to 7-0-2 (7) – but Conn has yet to prove himself against named opponents, with just two draws outside the comfort zone of spoon-fed TC competition. Then, in the co-feature, two HW sluggers meet as “Two Ton” Tony Galento takes on ex-NABF Champ Joe Sekyra in a rematch of a 1933 encounter that ended in a SD win for Galento. Since that time, Galento suffered some losses but has recently got his career back on track with five straight wins. In the opening round, a Galento uppercut finds the mark, forcing Sekyra to cover up. By the end of the second round, Sekyra’s left eye is beginning to swell up from the impact of Galento’s blows. However, Sekyra begins connecting with some heavy leather of his own, and by round four, Galento’s left eye is beginning to puff up as well. In round five, Galento traps Sekyra in a neutral corner and connects with a hook; Sekyra drops to the canvas and takes an eight-count before arising. Galento continues to pound away, putting Sekyra down a second time just before the bell. In round six, Galento tries to end it but gets careless and this time, Tony takes a seat as Sekrya finds the range to register a KD of his own. After a big round seven for Sekyra, both men are slugging away in an action-packed round eight. This time, Sekyra is able to land the big shots and force an early stoppage. TKO 8 for Sekyra to bring an end to an exciting, action-packed bout. Post-fight career marks: 35-10-3 (25) for Sekyra, versus 28-8 (24) for Galento. Then, in the main event, Lew Farber and Tony Marino meet to contest the USBA BW title vacated by Pete Sanstol, who stepped up to win the WBA belt. In contrast to the previous bout, this one features two skilled boxers meeting for the first time, so it is a cautious, defensive-minded struggle through the early rounds. Marino pulls ahead to a slight points lead in the middle rounds. Late in the bout, Marino suffers a nick under his right eye but it has little effect on the outcome. Farber, on the other hand, struggles with a split lip. In the end, the bout goes the distance and it’s a narrow MD 12 win for Marino (116-115, 115-115, 116-115) who claims a title belt in his first try. He runs his career record to 20-7 (10). Farber ends the bout at 26-6-2 (16).

June 27, 1936: Last card of the month is South of the Border at the Mexico City Arena. Held under the auspices of the LABF organization, it features several Latino boxers leading to the main event, a LABF FW title clash. Featured are two former WBA Champions, “the Cuban Bon Bon,” Kid Chocolate, who is defending the LABF belt, and Baby Arizmendi, who will have the support of the boisterous hometown crowd. It is the second meeting of these two; they battled to a draw back in 1929 when both were young prospects. This time, Kid Chocolate seizes the early edge, outboxing Arizmendi. The Mexican battles back, looking stronger in the middle rounds. Chocolate becomes more aggressive, breaking through with a big round in round seven. By this time, there is noticeable swelling under the right eye of the Mexican., Rounds eight through ten fall to the Cuban, who has regained control of the bout. A late surge by Arizmendi falls just short, as Kid Chocolate takes a UD 12 (116-112, 117-112, 116-113), to the dismay of the Mexican crowd rooting for Arizmendi. Post-fight career records: Chocolate, 31-5-5 (15); Arizmendi, 27-7-2 (10).

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the first half of July 1936. A total of 55 bouts are covered in this report.

July 3, 1936: Friday night card is in Canada at Edmonton Gardons. Main event has Commonwealth BW Champion Horace Gwynne challenging K. O. Morgan for Morgan’s NABF BW title. Morgan assumes the role of slugger in the bout, while Gwynne does his best to neutralize Morgan’s power. Gwynne pulls to a slight points lead in the early going, and by round four there is a trace of swelling under Morgan’s right eye. Morgan carries superior stamina into the later rounds, but in round nine he gets careless, and is called for repeated low blows. Ignoring the ref’s warning, Morgan is subjected to the harsh result of an immediate disqualification. The DQ-9 result means Gwynne, who was ahead on all three cards at the time, adds the NABF belt to his CBU title. Post-fight career marks: Gwynne, 21-1 (13); Morgan, 24-5-5 (15).

July 4, 1936: Next card is in Europe at the Sports Palace in Rome, Italy. No titles at stake, and in the feature, ex-WBA BW Champion Johnny King returns to the ring after losing the title, facing another veteran Bushy Graham, who lost a 15-round decision to King for the WBA belt two years earlier. King is the aggressor through much of the first half of the bout, and by the midway point, Graham is showing the effects, with some noticeable swelling under his right eye as a result of the accumulated blows landed by the ex-Champ. Then, to make matters worse, in round six Graham suffers a cut over his right eye. King continues to dominate and, in the eighth, he puts Graham on the deck briefly with a short, clean uppercut. Graham regains his footing but is unable to rally, as King takes a fairly one-sided UD 10 (98-92, 98-92, 99-93) to run his career totals to 39-4-1 (15); Graham is now 37-21-2 (11). With such a convincing win, King is back in the picture as the #1 contender for a WBA title shot.

July 4, 1936: Philadelphia is the scene for the traditional Fourth of July card back in the States. A fairly weak undercard is headlined by a NABF WW title clash, with Tony Vaccarelli defending that belt against veteran Ruby Goldstein, who held that same belt from 1933-1934. Two sluggers matched up in this one. Goldstein erupts with a big round two, then follows up a couple of rounds later when he tattoos Vaccarelli with a big cross that forces the Champ to cover up. Vaccarelli starts to pick up the pace as the bout reaches the middle rounds. However, he gets careless in round seven and is decked by a wild overhand right from Goldstein. Goldstein manages a second KD late in the round, but Vaccarelli is saved by the bell. Then, in round nine, Goldstein catches Vaccarelli in a corner and drills him for the third knockdown of the fight. Later in the round, a hard shot to the top of the head puts Vaccarelli down again, and this time he cannot beat the count. KO 9 for Goldstein, who regains the NABF WW title, improving to 37-10-3 (24). For Vaccarelli, it is his last bout at Prime as he slips to 33-19-3 (15).

July 10, 1936: Friday night card at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. The “Pittsburgh Kid,” unbeaten LH prospect Billy Conn, is on the undercard, in his first career outing in a 10-round co-feature. He takes on a hapless TC opponent yet to make his mark in the division. After toying with his opponent for the first few rounds, Conn pounds away and takes a TKO 5 win after leaving his opponent helpless to move to 8-0-2 (8). Then, in the main event, once again LHs are on display as George Courtney faces a young slugger, Ray Actis, in a 10-round, non-title affair. The younger Actis hopes to move up in the LH rankings with a win over the now Post-Prime Courtney in this battle of two sluggers. Near the end of the third round, Courtney lands a big shot, and Actis goes down and takes a nine-count. Actis rebounds in round four, nailing Courtney with a shot to the top of the head. Then, Actions gets the better of the inside exchanges in round five, despite sustaining a cut over his right eye late in the round. By round seven, Actis is back on the attack, landing enough leather to cause some telltale signs of swelling to appear under Courtney’s left eye. Late in round eight, Actis catches Courtney with a nice combination, putting him on the deck for a six-count. An Actis cross leads to a second KD in round nine, and Courtney barely lasts the round. Finally, a barrage of blows in round 10, and the ref has seen enough. TKO 10 for Actis. Post-fight career marks: Actis, 22-4 (21); Courtney – now at End career stage -- 29-16-5 (23).

July 11, 1936: Next card is at Liverpool in the UK. Double-barred Commonwealth title bout action is featured. First of the co-main events is for the CBU FW title, currently held by Nel Tarleton, who faces a stiff challenge in the form of Pete DeGrasse, the Canadian who is a former WBA FW Champion. Near the end of round four, Tarleton suffers a blood nose, and the cut proves to be an issue as the bout wears on. DeGrasse manages to take advantage of the situation, compiling a solid points lead while Tarleton’s corner struggles to keep the cut under control. After being reopened on two or three occasions, the cut finally results in a stoppage. TKO 9 for DeGrasse, who annexes the belt. The win moves DeGrasse to 30-11-2 (7), putting him once again in WBA title contention. Tarleton, who is now on the downside of his career, ends the bout at 28-12-5 (12) with the one brief title reign as CBU Champ that lasted just a couple of months. Then, in the second co-feature, it is the CBU MW belt that is up for grabs, having been vacated by Ron Richards after the Aussie won the WBA MW title. The two protagonists for this title are Frank “Fireball” Battaglia, a Canadian, and Brit Jack “Cast Iron” Casey. Turns out to be a good action bout with both men having their moments. Battaglia has the edge through the early rounds, but in round five, Casey staggers the Canadian with a sharp uppercut. Then, in the seventh, Casey decks Battaglia with a big hook but can’t finish. Battaglia bounces back quickly, taking the next round, the eighth, by a wide margin. By the end of round eight, Casey is sporting a rapidly swelling left eye. Battaglia clings to a narrow points edge in the later rounds, while Casey assumes the role of aggressor. After another big round in the 11^th, Battaglia coasts through the final round and emerges victorious, taking a close but UD 12 verdict (115-114, 115-113, 116-111) to claim the vacant belt and run his career totals to 26-6-1 (13); Casey is now 27-9-4 (16). Good day for the visiting Canadian fighters who picked up both the belts on offer.

July 11, 1936: Back in the States at Los Angeles for the next card. Headliner is a USBA MW title clash, with Holman Williams making his first title defense against a former titleholder, Johnny Romero. Romero gets off to a solid start, but Williams began landing some heavy shots beginning in round three. Williams settled into boxing from the outside, while Romero mixed an inside and outside attack. With Williams beginning to pile up points through the middle rounds, Romero gradually became more and more aggressive at the bout wore on. Romero began to fatigue in the second half of the bout, as Williams exhibited superior stamina in addition to superior boxing skills. It appeared as if Williams was on his way to a comfortable win when things went awry in round 11, as he was called for repeated fouling and low blows, leading to a disqualification by the very strict referee. Thus, Johnny Romero regains the title via a DQ-11, much to the consternation of Williams, who was well ahead on all three cards. Post-fight career records: Romero, 32-9 (19); Williams, 22-2 (15).

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the second half of July 1936. A total of 58 bouts are covered in this report – including three WBA title contests.

July 17, 1936: St. Louis’ Kiel Auditorium is the site of the next Friday night card. No titles at stake, and not too many bouts of great interest save for the main event, which matches veteran LW contender Cecil “Kaintuck Colonel” Payne against Tony Chavez, who is looking to move up the ranks with a win over Payne. The bout remains close through the early and middle rounds, with Chavez assuming the role of aggressor much of the time. In round seven, Payne suffers a cut over his right eye but also must deal with some swelling under his left eye. Payne rebounds quickly, taking round eight by a wide margin. However, whatever edge Payne had is seen to be slipping away in the last couple of rounds, and Chavez does just enough to impress the judges and take a close MD 10 verdict (96-94, 95-95, 96-94) to move him into a top five spot in the LW ranks while improving his career stats to 20-3 (10). Payne, who had a six-bout winning streak snapped, is now 36-8-4 (8).

July 18, 1936: Next card is at a seldom used venue, the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. No titles on the line, but it is a full card with unbeaten LW Lou Ambers in the feature bout facing hometown favorite Laurie Stevens, who is looking to avenge an earlier TKO loss at the hands of Ambers. Stevens starts strongly, landing repeatedly in the opening stanza to the extent that there is a trace of swelling under the right eye of Ambers as a result. Ambers rallies, and he carries a slim points edge into the second half of the bout. Stevens, however, is exhibiting superior stamina as Ambers begins to tire as early as round six. Stevens takes advantage, picking up the tempo and continuing to land blow after blow until Ambers is helpless against the ropes. The ref then steps in to call a halt. TKO 6 for Stevens, who hands Ambers his first career defeat. Post-fight marks: Stevens, 18-2 (13); Ambers, now 19-1 (15).

July 18, 1936: More fistic action, and a huge card, at Chicago, headlined by a WBA title bout. In the co-feature, LWs Tommy Paul and Mike Belloise are matched for the vacant USBA FW title. However, two young MW prospects are looking to build their records on the packed undercard. Charley Burley, in his third pro start (a bout scheduled for six rounds), once again takes less than a round to finish his TC opponent, scoring a TKO 1 to move to 3-0 (3). Then, in a 10-rounder, the “Savage Slav,” Al Hostak, with a KO 5 over aging vet Phil Kaplan successfully wraps up the pre-Prime stage of his career with a stellar 19-1 (18) record; Kaplan, now 29-22-2 (14), calls it quits after the loss. In the co-main event, both protagonists – Paul and Belloise – ride unbeaten streaks into the USBA FW title matchup for the belt vacated by “Homicide Hank” Armstrong, who moved up to claim the NABF version without making even one defense. (Paul has two wins and a draw in his last three; Belloise has two wins and two draws in his last four.) Belloise seizes control early, landing sufficient blows to cause some initial swelling under the left eye of Paul by the end of round three. Paul, who held the USBA title briefly in 1934-35, is at Post-Prime now, and he lacks the stamina and the firepower to mount an effective comeback. Belloise, in his first title try, maintains the points edge to take a solid UD 12 (116-114, 117-113, 117-113) to capture the belt. Post-bout career totals: 18-2-3 (7) for Belloise; 28-9-4 (16). Then, in the main event, the man who previously held the USBA FW belt – Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong -- steps up to challenge WBA FW Champion Chalky Wright for the former’s WBA FW title belt. It is a rematch of a late 1934 encounter, which went as a MD 10 for Armstrong. This time around, there is plenty of action in the opening few rounds as both men land some solid punches. Armstrong is the more aggressive of the two, and he gradually pulls ahead with a solid points lead through the early and middle rounds. In round seven, he does some very effective work on the inside. Then, in the eighth, an Armstrong hook finds its target, dropping Wright for an eight-count. Armstrong gradually wears Wright down in the later rounds, but he cannot put his opponent away. The bout goes the distance, and it is a fairly one-sided UD 15 win for Armstrong (147-138, 146-141, 145-140) who becomes the WBA FW Champ and moves to 22-1-2 (19), while Wright is now 26-8-4 (13). Within minutes of the winning the belt, Armstrong’s camp is already eyeing the prospect of moving up in weight class to try for another WBA title (either LW or WW).

July 24, 1936: Friday night card at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. A USBA HW title bout is featured, preceded by a co-feature that matches unbeaten LH Gus Lesnevich, off to a 17-0 career start, against another slugger, Bob Olin. In the bout, Olin proves to be the more aggressive of the two, and he exhibits superior stamina against Lesnevich, who seems to be just a bit off the mark with many of his punches. Olin unleashes a ferious attack in a big round seven, but he cannot follow up. A couple of rounds later, Olin hurts Lesnevich with a sharp combination that forces Gus to cover up to survive to the next round. Olin goes on to take a solid UD 10 (95-94, 97-92, 97-92) handing Lesnevich his first career loss in a minor upset. Post-fight records: Olin, 25-9-3 (10); Lesnevich, 17-1 (12). Then, in the feature, Jersey Joe Walcott – unable to arrange a meeting with the new WBA HW Champ, Joe Louis, falls back on his USBA HW title belt, making a defense against a tough opponent, Elmer “Kid Violent” Ray. After a huge round two, Walcott settles into a comfortable pattern. A good action round in the fourth sees both men able to land some good shots. In round five, the two sluggers battle toe-to-toe on the inside, neither giving quarter. A big shot from Ray stuns Walcott, who is forced to cover up to prevent further damage. Ray connects with a hard hook in round six, once again forcing Walcott to cover up. From the halfway point onward, Jersey Joe is suffering from a rapidly swelling right eye. Two more good rounds for Ray in rounds seven and eight, and Walcott is forced to ramp up the pace in an effort to salvage the title belt. He connects with an uppercut in round 10, and this time it is Ray who is forced to cover up. Walcott battles back with a strong round 11, then Ray is able to neutralize his attack in round 12 as both men show signs of fatigue from this grueling title encounter. It goes to the scorecards and Ray’s hand is raised in triumph, via a UD 12 (117-111, 116-113, 115-113); in another upset, Walcott loses his USBA HW title. The win pushes Ray’s career totals to 32-7 (19), while Walcott is 28-3 (20).

July 25, 1936: A rare treat as not one, but two WBA title bouts are on the agenda for a huge card, this time at the Olympia in London, with new Champions Joe Louis and John Henry Lewis visiting from the States to defend their belts against some tough European competition. There are some exciting fighters on the undercard, with Freddie Mills making a successful debut in the LH ranks, blasting out a TC in less than two rounds to go 1-0 (1). Then, in a main support bout, top Flyweight contender Ruby “Dark Cloud” Bradley, the reigning USBA Fly Champ, takes on a young Brit, Jimmy Gill, in a non-title affair. Bradley starts while, piling up points and causing some traces of swelling to appear around Gill’s left eye as early as round four. Gill does well to keep the bout reasonably close, perhaps hoping for a hometown verdict from one or two of the judges. A determined Bradley grinds out a UD 10 win (96-94, 97-93, 96-95), moving his career totals to 31-13-6 (6) and putting himself into the #1 contender spot for a shot at Midget Wolgast’s WBA crown. Gill, now 18-2-3 (10), has plenty of time to develop. Then, John Henry Lewis steps into the ring to defend his WBA LH title against Belgian Gustave Roth. (UK fan favorite Len Harvey was originally slated to be the challenger, but Harvey had to pull out at the last moment, with Roth named as a late stand-in.) Roth, who has fashioned a two-bout winning streak since losing to Harvey, starts well, taking the opening round. However, a bad gash over the challenger’s right eye in round two spells trouble. Lewis takes control, carefully pecking at the damaged eye while occasionally landing a bomb or two of his own. In round five, Lewis staggers Roth with a strong hook, forcing Roth to cover up. Roth’s right eye begins to puff up, adding to his woes as the cut is re-opened once, then twice, and finally, in round nine, a third re-opening leads to an immediate stoppage. TKO 9 for Lewis, who was well ahead on the scorecards. Post-fight career marks are 21-2-2 (17) for Lewis, 34-9-2 (12) for Roth. Then, in the feature, the “Brown Bomber” Joe Louis, makes his initial title defense, facing newly-crowned GBU HW Champion Jack Peterson, winner of his last four, including an upset of Tommy Farr for the British title, for the WBA HW crown. After a close opening round, Louis begins to find the range in the second, then takes charge by moving inside in round three. Louis’ rapid-fire blows are unanswered, and soon Peterson finds himself an easy target, helpless against the ropes. The ref then calls an end to the punishment, with Louis retaining the belt via a TKO 3. The win leaves Joe with a perfect 17-0 (15) career mark, while Peterson slips to 25-4 (17) with the loss. Good night in London for Louis and Lewis, the reigning HW and LH titleholders.

July 25, 1936: One more fight card to wrap up the month, and it’s a bit anticlimactic, taking place under the auspices of the LABF in Panama City. No titles at stake, and the only bout of interest is the main event, with hometown favorite and ex-WBA BW Champ Panama Al Brown, still seeking a shot to regain the title, facing Brit Benny Sharkey, a long-time contender and former EBU and CBU Champion. Panama Al gets off to a solid start and begins to pressure his opponent, moving inside in round three. In rounds four and five, Brown is able to parry the multiple thrusts from the Brit, contributing to an early, solid points lead. By round nine, Sharkey is battling the effects of a swollen and cut left eye, making any efforts at a rally unrealistic. Brown goes on to take an impressive UD 10 win (99-91, 100-91, 98-92) to move to 48-10-1 (19) overall, re-establishing his credentials as a top BW contender. Sharkey ends the bout at 28-9-1 (17).

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the first half of August 1936. A total of 64 bouts are covered in the cards contained in this report – including two WBA title contests.

Aug. 1, 1936: The month leads off with a card at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium. Active on the undercard, and making his fourth career start, is LH prospect Archie Moore, who works his jab to set up a powerful attack, taking out TC Al Henry in one. TKO 1 for Moore who emerges with a perfect 4-0 (4) career start, having won three of those contests inside the opening two rounds. Then, in the main event, veteran Jack Sharkey – reeling from a recent two-bout losing streak – His opponent, Natie Brown, has been unbeaten (two wins, two draws) in his last four. Brown starts well, takes the opening round by a wide margin. Sharkey recovers, settling in on the outside to take a slight edge at the midway point of the bout. Brown becomes more aggressive as the bout heads into the later rounds, and he is aided by the fact that Sharkey – now at Post-Prime – begins to tire early. SD 10 for Brown (96-94, 93-97, 96-94) to hand Sharkey his third straight loss, with Brown improving to 24-8-4 (7). Sharkey falls to 34-15 (19). This may be the end for the “Boston Gob” as far as his career as a top 20 HW contender.

Aug. 7, 1936: Next card is in the UK at the Stadium in Liverpool. On tap is an EBU Flyweight title contest, with newly-crowned Champ Jackie Brown – who dethroned Istvan Enekes – facing Young Perez. Brown has won his last three, while Perez has dropped two in a row, the most recent being a WBA title bout loss to long-time Flyweight Champ Midget Wolgast. It is a contest between two boxers and King, content to set up on shop on the outside, builds an early lead, although Perez does well enough to keep the bout close. In the later rounds, the Tunisian challenger becomes more and more aggressive, mounting a late rally that falls just short. Brown escapes with a MD 12 win (117-115, 116-116, 117-114) to keep the EBU title belt along with his two others (the CBU and GBU Flyweight titles) that were not on the line. Post-fight marks: Brown, 30-10-3 (11); Perez, 24-8-3 (10).

Aug. 8, 1936: Next is a solid card at the Sports Palace in Rome, topped by an EBU HW title tilt. The main support matches long-time fringe WW contender Jimmy Leto with Italian Saviero Turiello; tough test for Leto who is looking to revive a flagging career. Leto comes through, building a solid points lead in the early rounds then coasting to the win after Turiello was bothered by a cut over his left eye that opened up in round seven. UD 10 for Leto (98-93, 99-92, 99-92) moves him to 32-14-5 (11) overall, compared to a post-fight record of 23-10-7 (10) for Turiello. Then, in the main event, EBU HW Champ Tommy Farr, rebounding after the loss of his GBU title to Jack Peterson, defends the belt against Italy’s Roberto Roberti, a man who upset Farr during their pre-Prime career days, taking a MD from the Brit back in 1928. Eight years later, Farr is back in Italy looking to avenge that loss with the European HW title at stake. Roberti is the aggressor from the early rounds of the bout, while Farr – after a subpar opening round – rallies and seems well in control by the midway point. However, Roberti has landed a few sporadic shots, doing enough damage to cause some minor swelling under Farr’s left eye. Farr continues to dominate, at least from the standpoint of two of the three judges, and he retains the belt via a MD 12 (118-111, 114-114, 118-110), as one of the judges was apparently influenced by the hometown crowd that was favoring the Italian challenger. Post-bout career totals: 37-10-1 (14) for Farr; 29-13-1 (21) for Roberti. This was the fourth defense of the EBU HW title for Farr, who still has aspirations of ascending to the WBA HW crown.

Aug. 8, 1936: Chicago’s Soldier’s Field is the scene of the next fistic action, and it is a stellar card headlined by a WBA title bout. In the main support, all-time great Benny Leonard sets a new mark with his 102^nd pro bout, besting the previous mark of 101 set by Jack Blackburn. Leonard’s opponent for this historic encounter is Andy Callahan, a rugged WW ranked among the top 20 WWs. Tough ask for Leonard who is giving away several pounds in weight, not to mention several years in age. The two trade blows from the outside for the opening two rounds, then Callahan moves inside to assume a more aggressive posture in round three. Leonard is able to counter, but the aging veteran tires as the bout moves through the middle into the later rounds. Callahan lands all the telling blows in the later rounds to pull away to a comfortable UD 10 win (97-93, 96-94, 97-93) to improve to 24-6-5 (10). Maybe just one or two bouts left for Leonard, who is now 83-14-5 (43) after 102 pro bouts. The main event has Tony Canzoneri, “the Roman Warrior,” unbeaten since 1930, making the 17^th defense of the WBA LW title he has held since 1932. His opponent, Tod Morgan, has registered two wins and three draws since his most recent defeat, to Canzoneri for this very same belt back in 1934. Morgan, the long-time WBA JLW Champion, is no match for Canzoneri, who quickly sets up shop outside and controls the bout from the outside, landing all the important blows. A solid cross from Canzoneri in the third round leads to Morgan covering up to avoid further damage. Canzoneri is content to sit on a solid points lead, and Morgan is slowed by a cut under his right eye that appears in round 12. Another workmanlike performance from Canzoneri, who takes a lopsided UD 15 (147-140, 147-139, 148-139). The win pushes Canzoneri’s career totals to 41-4-3 (16), while Morgan is 46-14-3 (12). There is talk of a big money fight matching Canzoneri with “Homicide Hank” Armstrong, but so far nothing definite has been worked out.

Aug. 14, 1936: Next is a Friday night card at the Mammoth Gardens in Denver. Headlining the card is a USBA LH title clash, with Battling Bozo defending the belt he won earlier this year against an up-and-coming young slugger, the rapidly rising Jimmy Adamick. It’s the first meeting of the two, and the first title bout of any kind for Adamick, who has lost just once in 22 outings thus far. Bozo starts by dominating from the outside in the early rounds, while Adamick struggles with his timing and Bozo’s excellent defensive abilities. Bozo carries a large points lead into the later rounds, with Adamick tiring and also suffering from the effects of a rapidly swollen right eye beginning in round 10. Bozo goes on to record a well-deserved UD 12 (118-110, 119-109, 118-110) to boost his career totals to 30-8-3 (11) to put himself in the spotlight as a possible WBA LH title contender in the near future. Adamick, now 20-2-1 (19), remains a dangerous opponent.

Aug. 15, 1936: Instead of a “Friday night Down Under” card, Melbourne is the scene of a very attractive Saturday card featuring a WBA title clash as the main event. MWs are featured, both in the feature but also in the non-title, main support as OPBF MW Champ, Aussie Ambrose Palmer, faces Spaniard Ignacio Ara. In the opening round, Palmer stuns Ara with a huge left hook. The Spaniard remains afoot and covers up to last the round. Then, in round four, Palmer once again catches Ara with a big hook, dropping the Spaniard with a strong follow-up blow for the bout’s first knockdown. Palmer wastes little time, putting Ara down and out to record an impressive KO 4 victory. Post-fight, Palmer is now 27-10 (17); Ara, 29-12-3 (26). Then, in the main event, Ron Richards puts his newly-won WBA MW title on the line against a tough opponent, the highly regarded Ken Overlin. Richards has won his last three, while Overlin, with two wins and two draws, is unbeaten in his last four. It’s a prototypical slugger (Richards) versus boxer (Overlin) matchup. Both men manage to get some shots in, and by the end of the fourth round, a trace of puffiness begins to form under the right of the challenger. However, Overlin maintains his pace, and he continues to build a steady edge in punches landed. Overlin gradually wears down Richards, who begins to tire in the later rounds, to the dismay of the large crowd of hometown supporters attending the bout. By the end, there is swelling under the left eye of the Champ. The bout goes the distance, and Overlin emerges the victor and new WBA MW Champion via a close but UD 15 (143-142, 144-141, 144-141) – an impressive result in the Champion’s backyard. Overlin improves to 27-1-4 (11) with the win, while Richards is now 28-7-2 (21).

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the second of August 1936. Two WBA title contests are included among the 52 bouts covered in this report. Also featured is a return to the ring for Max Schmeling, the recently dethroned WBA HW Champ.

Aug. 15, 1936: Saturday card at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. Topping the card is a Commonwealth LH title clash, with Canada’s Charley Belanger defending against veteran Brit Len Harvey. Belanger, who has won his last three, is making his second defense against Harvey, who held this belt for seven years, from 1924 through 1931. While Harvey has suffered a string of recent setbacks, he holds two prior wins over Belanger, who is hoping for the best as the defender in front of a favorable hometown crowd. However, his hopes are dashed even in the opening round, as Harvey is on target early and often, causing some swelling under the right eye of Belanger. Belanger tries to be more aggressive but struggles with his timing against a clever boxer like Harvey. Trailing, Belanger tries to pick up the pace in the later rounds, but he only opens himself up to more punishment from Harvey. In round nine, Harvey drops Belanger with a solid combination, then he follows with a second KD a round later to seal a fairly comfortable UD 12 victory (118-108, 119-107, 119-107). Post-fight records: 47-13-3 (19) for Harvey; 35-17 (17) for Belanger.

Aug. 21, 1936: A huge throng descends on the Sportpalast in Berlin for Max Schmeling’s first outing since being dethroned as WBA HW Champion. In the main event, he faces countryman Walter Neusel in a 10-round, non-title affair. But first, in the main support, another German fan favorite, Gustav Eder, faces an up-and-coming WW, Fritzie Zivic. Zivic rocks Eder with a strong shot in the opening round, forcing the German to cover up. An aggressive Zivic continues on the attack in rounds two and three, forcing Eder to weather the storm. By the end of the third round, there are traces of swelling under Eder’s left eye. Zivic carries a solid points edge into the later rounds, where an Eder rally – with the full support of the German fans – is thwarted. UD 10 for Zivic (97-91, 97-91, 97-92) that is even more impressive because it occurred in a hostile environment. Post-fight, Zivic improves to 20-3-1 (13); Eder dips to 26-5-7 (9). Then, in the main event, Schmeling faces Neusel. First meeting of the two, with Neusel having won his last four to rise to the top 20 in the HW rankings. Schmeling starts strongly, taking the opening round, but the outside exchanges in round two favor Neusel. In the third round, Schmeling suffers a cut under his left eye. Then, in round four, the crowd is stunned into a shocked silence as a Neusel hook puts Schmeling on the deck. Max arises, holding his own in the inside exchanges in round five. Neusel breaks through with a second KD in round six. Schmeling gets off the deck again, then mounts a nice rally in round eight, stunning Neusel and causing some difficulties for his opponent in terms of a swollen left eye and a nasty cut over the right eye. Schmeling traps Neusel in a neutral corner but cannot finish, and the bout goes the distance. Max is lucky to escape with a draw (95-95, 96-94 Schmeling, 94-96 Neusel). Post-fight marks: Schmeling, 41-4-1 (31); Neusel, 22-3-2 (16). Schmeling has sunk to a low point in his career after having been on top as WBA Champion for almost four years: Can he rebound?

Aug. 22, 1936: More fistic action in London, at the Earls Court with a WBA title matchup on the agenda. Barney Ross faces Jack Kid Berg for Ross’ WBA WW crown. First, there are a couple of interesting matchups on the undercard. In one of these, two unbeaten MW prospects collide as Frenchman Marcel Cerdan faces Freddie Apostoli; the two have combined for 24 knockouts in a combined total of 26 bouts thus far. The “Casablanca Clouter” faces the “Battling Bellhop.” Early edge in this one goes to Cerdan, who establishes control while operating on the outside in the first two rounds, then he moves inside and decks Apostoli with a big cross in round three. Cerdan then coasts to a solidUD 10 win (96-92, 96-92, 97-91) to move his career record to 13-0 (11) overall, while Apostoli’s first career loss leaves him at 14-1 (13). Then, in the main support, two top 10 Flyweight contenders do battle as Brit Benny Lynch faces the French veteran, Eugene Huat. It is the second meeting of the two, with Lynch taking a UD back in 1933 but his career has stalled after a recent loss to Jackie Brown. Lynch takes charge early, sending Huat to the canvas in the opening stanza with a sharp combination. More trouble for the Frenchman in round three when Lynch rips open a cut over his left eye. By the end of round four, there is swelling under Huat’s other eye, and the cut leads to a late stoppage with little resistance from Huat’s corner. TKO 9 for Lynch, who moves to 23-4 (14) with the win; Huat drops to 24-13-7 (10) after the loss. After this, it is the main event with Barney Ross defending his WBA WW title against Jack Kid Berg, who is nominally still the WBA JWW Champion. Ross has won his last three and defeated Berg in a prior title bout, back in 1934; Berg has only won once since then, in his most recent effort, a UD over Jimmy Leto, to earn the rematch. Ross starts well, boxing almost exclusively from the outside. He accumulates an early points lead, and Berg is forced to become more and more aggressive in an effort to close the gap. By the end of round seven, there is noticeable swelling under the right eye of Berg. Berg bounces back with a strong round eight, causing traces of swelling to appear around the right eye of Ross. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and Ross retains the WBA title by a comfortable margin, taking a UD 15 (144-140, 145-139, 144-140). Post-bout career totals: 30-5-2 (10) for Ross; 32-12-4 (14) for Berg, who still is the nominal WBA JWW Champion although that title has been inactive for almost two years.

Aug. 22, 1936: New York’s Madison Square Garden is the scene for the next fistic action, and the feature is a USBA HW title clash, preceded by an intriguing co-feature, a non-title affair featuring two former WBA MW Champions, Jack McVey and Mickey “the Toy Bulldog” Walker. Walker turns back the clock and is able to outmuscle McVey for most of the bout, catching him with a big uppercut for the bout’s first KD in round nine. Walker’s killer instinct kicks in, and he puts McVey down and out to record a KO 9 win, running his excellent career totals to 56-9-1 (42). In the main event, popular Jimmy Braddock, who has worked his way into the 20 in the HW rankings, faces nemesis Tommy Loughran for Loughran’s NABF HW title. Loughran enters the bout having won his last three, while Braddock, the “Cinderella Man,” qualifies for his first career title shot by recording three wins and a draw in his most recent outings. Loughran is able to impress the judges by clever boxing, staying mostly outside the range of Braddock’s punches which are off target or slipped, for the most part. Braddock moves inside and takes charge with a strong third round. However, Loughran remains an elusive target, and he is able to repeat the results of an earlier UD 10 win over Braddock back in 1933. Final result is a UD 12 win for Loughran (118-112, 117-113, 117-114) who still retains hope of capturing the WBA HW crown after a long reign as LH Champion. For Braddock, time is running out despite his recent rise in the HW ranks. Post-bout career totals: Loughran, 57-8-4 (19); Braddock, 30-13-3 (6).

Aug. 28, 1936: Next is a Friday night card at Havana’ Gran Stadium. Held under the auspices of the LABF (Latin American federation), but with no LABF title bouts on the horizon, the main event is a matchup of two Latino boxers for the NABF FW title recently vacated by the new WBA FW Champion, Henry Armstrong. Cuban Filio Julian Echevarria faces former WBA FW Champ Baby Arizmendi in the title contest. The pair have split two prior meetings, both split dukes. Arizmedni does some early damage and then sits on a points lead, forcing the Cuban to attempt to rally from behind. Echevarria, who suffers a cut under his left eye, is gradually worn down by his more talented opponent, and a late rally falls short. Arizmendi records a UD 12 win (117-110, 114-113, 116-111) and takes the NABF FW title belt while boosting his career record to 28-7-2 (10). Echevarria is now 26-9-4 (11).

Aug. 29, 1936: The month wraps up with a big card at Washington, D. C.’s Uline Arena. The main event is for the WBA BW title, but first up is an interesting main support featuring two top 10 WWs, Joe Dundee and Baby Joe Gans. No titles at stake and Dundee, who took a MD in their only prior meeting back in 1933, is a slight favorite. Dundee manages to take charge early and gradually builds an unassailable points lead that enables him to coast to a UD 10 (97-94, 97-94, 99-93). Post-fight career marks: Dundee, 45-17-9 (13); Gans, 36-19-2 (14). In the main event, the new WBA BW Champion, Pete “Baby Cyclone” Sanstol, makes his first defense against USBA BW Champion Tony Marino, who carries a four-bout winning streak into the title tilt. After a quiet series of opening rounds, Sanstol gradually begins pulling ahead as the bout enters the middle rounds. Marino puts in a game effort, and he does well to keep the bout close heading into the later rounds. Both men are tired, and the ringside observer has the bout almost even at this point. Big round 13 for the challenger, and Sanstol musters everything to launch a final flurry in the last two rounds in a desperate effort to retain the title. In the end, it is just enough as he wins the last two rounds from all three judges to emerges victorious by the narrowest of margins: SD 15 to Sanstol (143-142, 142-143, 143-142) to retain the belt, moving his career stats to 32-8-2 (9) overall. Marino is 20-8 (10) but has gained the respect of many observers who thought him perhaps overmatched going into the title contest. Could be a fight of the year candidate based on the closeness of the final result, but frankly there was little in the way of exciting action except for the one big round for Marino near the end, so right now Louis-Schmeling is the favorite to win that award for 1936.

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the first half of September 1936 – a total of 52 bouts covered in this report.

Sep. 4, 1936: The month’s action commences with a Friday night card at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, New Jersey. No title bouts, but the feature includes Jersey Joe Walcott, who is on the comeback trail, facing a former WBA HW Champ in Joe Sekyra. Sekyra gets off to a strong start, and he stuns Walcott with a big left just before the bell ending the opening round. Walcott recovers to take charge in round two, and then he moves inside in round three. A quick hook to the head from Sekyra, and Walcott is forced to cover up to last the round. Jersey Joe is already battling some swelling around both eyes as a result of the two-fisted attack from Sekyra, who is proving a tough nut to crack. Another big shot from Sekyra rocks Walcott in the fourth. Walcott bounces back with a big round five, then he follows with a huge round six, putting Sekyra down with a big hook. Sekyra recovers quickly, and it is Walcott who takes a seat on the canvas in the seventh, with Sekyra following up with a second KD before time runs out. Once again, a resilient Walcott recovers with a huge round eight. The bout comes down to the wire, and in the final round Walcott is able to deliver a hook to the head to register another KD as Sekyra takes an eight count. The 10-8 score in the final round tips the scores in Walcott’s favor, as he takes a UD 10 (94-93 on all cards) by the narrowest of margins. Good action bout, with Walcott just able to snatch the victory at the last moment when facing a certain defeat. Post-fight records: 29-3 (20) for Walcott; 33-11-3 (25) for Sekyra.

Sep. 5, 1936: The next card, at Manila’s Rizal Arena, features some good matchups in the BW division. In the first of these, former WBA BW Champ Speedy Dado faces former NABF and USBA Champ K. O. Morgan. Dado pulls ahead to a slight early lead, but a vigorous effort by Morgan yields results, as Dado’s left eye begins to swell up by the midway point of the 10-round bout. In the seventh round, a straight right from Dado stuns Morgan. Morgan suffers a split lip, and later a swollen right eye, further slowing his progress. Dado goes on to claim a narrow UD 10 win (96-95 on all three cards) to improve to 29-13-2 (13) overall; Morgan is now 24-6-5 (15). Then, in the main event, the OPBF BW title is on the line as another former WBA Champ, Pablo Dano, challenges Young Tommy for the belt. Tommy gets off to a solid start, but Dano effectively mixes and outside and inside attack to gain the upper hand in rounds three and four. Tommy rains a combination of blows to the head of Dano to deliver a knockdown in round eight, but the veteran recovers quickly, battling all the way to the end. Tommy escapes with a majority draw (114-114, 114-114, 113-115 Dano) which is just enough to enable him to retain the belt. Post-fight marks: Tommy, 27-5-1 (13); Dano, 30-7-5 (15).

Sep. 5, 1936: Back to England for a relatively light card at the Stadium in Liverpool. No titles at stake, but the feature pairing has reigning EBU and GBU MW Champ Jock McAvoy facing veteran Gorilla Jones, who managed to best McAvoy in a SD verdict in London back in 1933. The first half of the bout is reasonably close, with Jones managing to land the heavier blows to the extent that swelling is visible under the right eye of McAvoy from round six onwards. Thus, another close decision, once again going the way of the American visitor, as Jones takes a MD 10 (96-94, 95-95, 96-94) to run his career totals to 37-16-1 (20), compared to a post-bout mark of 27-10-4 (19) for McAvoy.

Sep. 11, 1936: Friday night at the Forum in Montreal, and this time it is two CBU title bouts featuring Canadian fighters defending their respective titles. In the first of these, ex-WBA FW Champ Pete DeGrasse takes on challenger Willie Smith, a former CBU titleholder now on the comeback trail after registering two wins and a draw in his last three outings. DeGrasse starts well, with a huge opening round, but the bout takes a dramatic turn in round five when DeGrasse rips open a gash over Smith’s left eye. The cut is so severe it leads to an immediate stoppage, and since it was not the result of an accidental butt, the bout goes down as a TKO 5 for DeGrasse, who retains the CBU FW title. Post-fight career records: DeGrasse, 31-11-2 (8); Smith, 29-12-4 (6). Then, in the main event, time for some HW action as Larry Gains defends the Commonwealth HW title against another South African ex-Champ, Don McCorkindale. The two split two prior bouts, each via a TKO, with Gains having defeated McCorkindale for the belt in the most recent encounter, earlier in 1936. This time, McCorkindale builds an early points edge, but Gains unleashes some heavy leather, and by the end of the fourth round there is a mouse forming under the left eye of the challenger. It is a see-saw battle the rest of the way, with Gains ramping up the pressure in round seven, using his jab to set up a series of blows that force McCorkindale to cover up to last the round. Then, in round nine, Gains stuns McCorkindale with a three punch combo. McCorkindale battles back, avoiding any more heavy shots to take the last two rounds and steal the belt from Gains with a MD 12 win (116-113, 114-114, 115-114). The win improves McCorkindale’s career stats to 30-8-1 (17); Gains drops to 41-11 (22).

Sep. 12, 1936: Back to Europe for a card at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. No titles on the line, but the main event features the current NABF WW Champion, Ruby Goldstein, facing one of the top Europeans, Dutchman Bep Van Klaveren, who recently battled to a draw for the EBU WW title. First meeting of these two. Action heats up near the end of the third round, when Goldstein connects with a short, clean combination to put the Dutchman on the deck. Goldstein battles a swollen and cut left eye through the middle rounds, but Van Klaveren’s efforts to target the cut are thwarted. A big left from Goldstein lands flush in round seven, causing more trouble for Van Klaveren. Goldstein goes on to take a UD 10 by a wide margin (98-91, 97-92, 98-91) to improve to 38-10-3 (24). Van Klaveren ends the bout at 23-9-4 (9).

Sep. 12, 1936: Next card is in Miami and, although no title bouts are on the agenda, reigning LABF BW Champ Sixto Escobar is featured, and he faces Dick Corbett, current EBU and GBU BW Champion. After a few rounds of trading blows from long range, Esbobar proves to be the stronger of the two and gradually pulls ahead on points. Corbett suffers a cut over his left eye in round seven that is reopened a couple of rounds later. Escobar eases up at the end, coasting to a solid UD 10 victory by a wide margin (98-92 on all three cards). Post-fight career marks: Escobar, 24-4-1 (10); Corbett, 32-12 (11).

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the second half of September 1936 – a total of 52 bouts covered in this report but, unfortunately, no WBA title bouts in this time period.

Sep. 18, 1936: No title bouts, but two interesting co-features headline a solid card at St. Louis’ Kiel Auditorium. In the first of these, unbeaten LW prospect Lew “the Sweetwater Swatter” Jenkins meets a fellow LW prospect, Sammy “the Clutch” Angott. It is a prototypical slugger versus boxer confrontation, with Jenkins as the slugger and Angott, the boxer. Jenkins is able to land a few good shots, but otherwise he cannot penetrate Angott’s defenses. The bout is close into the later rounds, when Jenkins’ aggressiveness begins to pay off as he gradually wears down his defensive-minded opponent. No cuts or knockdowns, as both men emerge unmarked and Jenkins claims a UD 10 (98-94 on all cards) although the bout seemed to be somewhat closer than the final four-point margin. With the win, Jenkins is now 11-0 (9); for Angott, it is his second career loss, dropping him to 10-2 (7). The second co-feature matches up two top 10 FWs, with former NABF and USBA Champion Freddie Miller facing Tommy Paul, who briefly held the USBA belt at one time. Miller enters the bout having won their only previous meeting, a UD 10 back in 1930, when both men were at Pre-Prime. The two trade blows mostly from the outside, with Miller pulling a slight lead through the early rounds. Paul becomes increasingly aggressive and more desperate as the rounds click by with Miller’s defense remaining intact. In the end, however, Miller (despite a huge punches landed edge) is punished by the judges for his uninspired performance and, in an upset, Paul takes a SD 10 (97-94, 95-97, 97-95). Post-fight career marks are 29-9-4 (6) for Paul, and 29-7-1 (13) for Miller. With the upset win, Paul moves into the top five in the FW rankings.

Sep. 19, 1936: An abbreviated card at the Palais des Sports in Cannes, France is next. Two bouts of interest. On the undercard, the “Ambling Alp,” Primo Carnera, is looking to re-establish his credentials as a European HW contender, and he faces American HW Patsy Perroni. The bout is a see-saw affair, with Carnera breaking through in round five, landing some heavy blows to put Perroni on the canvas. The American battles back, landing some good shots of his own. A mouse forms in Carnera’s left eye in round seven. In round eight, Carnera walks into a Perroni hook and goes down. Round nine sees a resurgent Carnera land a big hook of his own, putting Perroni down and out. KO 9 for Carnera. Post-fight, Carnera is now 24-8-1 (18) while Perroni dips to 25-11-1 (5). Then, in the main event, French Flyweight Valentin Angelmann takes on highly ranked contender and USBA Champion Ruby “Dark Cloud” Bradley in a 10-round, non-title contest. It is the first meeting of the two. Things go well for the slick boxing Bradley in the early rounds, and he has a solid points lead by the midway point. Later, in round eight, a serious of vicious blows rips open cuts over both eyes of the Frenchman, forcing an immediate stoppage. TKO 8 win for Bradley, who moves to 32-13-6 (7) with the win. Angelmann is 25-15-1 (12) after the loss.

Sep. 19, 1936: Back to the States for a nice card at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. One bout of the note, the main event, for the USBA HW title now held by Elmer Ray, who faces challenger Max Baer in his first defense of that belt, won earlier in 1936. Baer came out a TKO 2 victor in a prior meeting and is confident of success in the rematch. Baer is the aggressor, forcing the action on the inside in round three. However, Ray offers a clever mixture of boxing and slugging that provides a difficult puzzle for the inconsistent Baer to solve. Max struggles with his timing, missing repeatedly, and he falls behind in points as well as being low on stamina just past the bout’s midway point. Baer tries to ramp up an attack as the bout heads into the later rounds, but in round eight he is stunned by a Ray hook and forced to cover up. Then, a round later, Ray connects with another huge shoot, putting Baer on the deck and bloodying his right eye which is both swollen and cut. The end comes later after a second KD, and this time Baer cannot beat the count. KO 9 for Ray, who pushes his career totals to 33-7 (20) with the win. Baer, now 24-8 (23), no longer looks like the sure Championship contender from a couple of years ago.

Sep. 25, 1936: Next is a Friday card at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium. No titles on the line, but two co-feature bouts involve boxers in the MW division. In the first of these, the “Man of Steel,” Tony Zale, faces aging vet Jock Malone. Zale, who has been rising in the ranks under the tutelage of Ray Arcel, goes on the attack in the opening round, putting Malone down with a barrage of blows near the end of the round. Then, in round five, a short, clean hook from Zale finds its mark, putting Malone down for a second time. Malone suffers a bloody nose in round seven, and in the end is lucky to last the distance against his younger and much more energetic foe. UD 10 to Zale by a wide margin (98-90, 96-92, 96-92), with the four-point spread being somewhat generous to Malone. Post-fight career records: Zale, 15-1 (13); Malone, 42-31-5 (15). A top contender and a former WBA Champ do battle in the second co-feature, with Teddy Yarosz (unbeaten in his last six) facing Eddie “Babe” Risko in his first bout back since losing the WBA title earlier in the year. These two battle to a draw in 1935. Early edge to Yarosz, who begins well, outboxing Risko. In round five, the tide begins to turn, as the inside exchanges favor Risko. By the end of round seven, there is a trace of swelling noticeable under the left eye of Risko. More solid blows from Yarosz, and Risko’s other eye begins to swell in round eight. Yarosz holds on to take a UD 10 (96-94 on all three cards) to improve to 29-7-2 (11). Risko ends the bout at 26-5-2 (11).

Sep. 26, 1936: Back to the UK for a quality card at London’s Harringay Arena. Headliner is a Commonwealth LW title contest, pitting Harry “Leeds” Mason against Canadian Billy Townsend for the belt. The two have each won once in prior meetings for the same time, so this is the rubber match, with Mason as the defender and Townsend, the challenger. Action is slow to develop for the first three rounds, as both men battle on even terms. In round four, Mason is warned for a low blow. Townsend lands a big shot in round five, putting Mason on the deck. Mason continues to work on the outside, despite the fact that Townsend has pulled ahead in the bout. Then, in round 11, Townsend drops Mason again, then follows up with a combination for his third KD, ending the bout with another KD blow to regain the title via a TKO 11. Post-fight, Townsend is now 27-13-1 (16); Mason, 37-25-4 (5).

Sep. 26, 1936: Next card is at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In the feature, the USBA WW title is on the line, as Young Corbett III defends against challenger Eddie Dolan. Dolan has won his last two to set up this title shot. Through the opening four rounds, Corbett outboxes Dolan to build a huge points lead. However, late in round four Corbett sustains a nasty-looking cut over his right eye. In round six, Dolan rocks Corbett with a quick hook to the head. The cut over Corbett’s eye is reopened, and the bout is halted. TKO 6 for Dolan. Post-fight records: Dolan, 22-3-1 (9); Corbett, 49-13-5 (12).

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the first half of October 1936 – a total of 61 bouts are covered in this report.

Oct 2, 1936: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at Syracuse’s War Memorial Auditorium. No title bouts, but the main event matches two veteran, top 10 LH contenders: Tony Shucco and ex-WBA Champ Joe “Cairo Calamity” Knight. Shucco is coming off an upset win over long-time EBU and GBU LH Champ Len Harvey, while Knight is trying to shake off two recent losses, one for the WBA title and then a second, more recent setback to Jimmy Adamick. First meeting of the two. Knight is the aggressor in the early going, while Shucco proves to be effective with the jab while moving back and forth on the outside. By round six, some heavy blows landed repeatedly by Knight cause a mouse to form under Shucco’s left eye. Knight responds with a big round seven, targeting the injured eye. Both men tire badly in the last three rounds, and the bout goes to the judges. In the end, two of three judges are impressed with Knight’s aggressiveness, enough to give the ex-Champ a SD 10 win (97-94, 95-96, 97-94). Post-fight career marks are 28-6-2 (15) for Knight, compared to 26-9 (9) for Shucco.

Oct. 3, 1936: Rome, Italy is the scene of the next fistic action. Once again, no titles on the line but the main event matches reigning EBU LW Champ, Aldo Spoldi, against long-time top contender Ray Miller, in a 10-round, non-title affair. Miller, now at Post-Prime, has lost his last two, while Spoldi is seeking to avenge a UD loss to Miller suffered in 1935. Spoldi, the more aggressive of the two, is on target early, putting Miller on the defensive. By the end of the fourth round, Miller is showing the effects, as a trace of swelling appears under his right eye. Late in round five, more trouble for Miller who sustains a cut under the damaged right eye. Miller begins to tire badly in the later rounds, becoming more and more desperate but lacking the punching power and the stamina to mount an effective comeback. To the delight of the Italian crowd, Spoldi goes on to take a lopsided UD 10 (99-91 on all three cards) to improve to 26-3-3 (12) with the win. Miller, whose days as a serious contender appear to be numbered, drops to 41-14 (18) after the loss.

Oct. 3, 1936: Back to the States for a nice card at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix. The main event is for the USBA MW title, with Johnny Romero defending against challenger Ad Zachow. It is the first meeting of these two, and it is Zachow’s first try for a title after an upset win over Tony Tozzo. For Romero, it is his initial title defense after winning the belt via a controversial DQ win over Holman Williams. By the end of round four, there is noticeable swelling under the right eye of Zachow. Romero pulls ahead with a flash knockdown of Zachow in the fifth. Romero pulls out a huge points lead and settles into a defensive posture for the later rounds of the bout. In the end, though, the swelling under Zachow’s eye worsens, and the ref, in an extremely judicious call, decides to call a halt, awarding the win via TKO 11 to Romero. Post-fight career marks: 33-9 (20) for Romero, 30-14-1 (22) for Zachow, who will be at Post-Prime for his next outing, some time in early 1937.

Oct. 9, 1936: Next is a Friday card at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Good undercard leading to a USBA title bout as the main event. On the undercard is LH prospect Billy Conn, “the Pittsburgh Kid,” who faces a TC in an effort to build his record. Conn patiently bides his time, as this TC has a decent chin but he finally falls victim to a late stoppage; the TKO 7 win moves Conn to 9-0-2 (9) overall. Then, in one of the main support bouts, HW Art Lasky registers four KDs en route to a TKO 7 win over aging vet Paul Cavalier; it is Lasky’s 21^st career win (all by KO) and his first win over a top 20 HW, to move his career totals to 21-4-2 (21) overall. In the second main support, all-time great Benny Leonard takes to the ring for a record 103^rd career start; he faces Baby Joe Gans. Leonard, faced with retirement if he loses, starts well and is on target in the early going. Gans, bothered by a cut over his left eye, becomes more and more aggressive as the bout wears on. A solid cross from Gans results in the bout’s only knockdown, as Leonard takes an eight count in round nine. Leonard recovers and lasts the full 10 rounds, but the decision goes to Gans, via a narrow MD 10 (96-95, 95-95, 96-94), with the late knockdown (only the eighth time Leonard has tasted the canvas in his entire career) proving decisive. Post-fight, Gans moves to 37-19-2 (14) while Leonard ends a stellar 26-year pro career at 83-15-5 (43), including a remarkable 50-5 in title bouts. After sending Leonard off for his last hurrah, the crowd settles in for the main event, with Battling Bozo defending his USBA LH belt against Jack Gibbons. Both men are riding long winning streaks; Bozo has won his last seven, while Gibbons has won six straight to set up his first title shot. Bozo starts well, and by the end of the third round, Gibbons is battling a swollen and cut right eye. Bozo pulls out a slight points lead, and in round six he succeeds in reopening the cut, which is in a bad spot, just over Gibbons’ right eye. Bozo is forced to cover up after a sharp exchange of blows in round seven. The end comes a round later as the cut becomes to serious to allow the bout to continue. TKO 8 for Bozo on the cuts stoppage. Post-fight career marks: Bozo, 31-8-3 (12); Gibbons, 21-3 (17).

Oct. 10, 1936: Back to the UK for an abbreviated card at the Stadium in Liverpool. Featured bout matches WW Andy Callahan facing GBU WW Champ Ernie Roderick in a non-title clash. Callahan has won his last four, including a win over Benny Leonard in his most recent outing. Roderick does well to keep the bout close through the early rounds, but Callahan is able to pull ahead in the middle rounds, nursing a slight points lead into the final few rounds. Both men go all out, looking for the knockout, in an action-packed final round. A three-punch combo lands for Roderick, but Callahan is able to cover up and avoid further punishment while remaining upright. In the end, there is a wide disparity in the judges’ cards, as Callahan escapes with a SD 10 verdict (93-98 Roderick, 97-94 Callahan and 97-94 Callahan) – so one more hometown judge was needed for Roderick to claim the win. Post-fight, Callahan improves to 25-6-5 (10); Roderick ends the bout at 15-6-3 (5).

Oct. 16, 1936: Next is a Friday night “Down Under” card at Sydney, Australia. Two Aussies battle in the main event, with Jack Carroll defending his OPBF WW title against challenger Jack McNamee, who is still at Pre-Prime after an excellent 16-1 career start, including a win over former CBU WW Champ Jack Hood in his most recent outing. Carroll’s Commonwealth WW belt is not up for grabs this time around. Carroll is the aggressor in the early going, building a points lead before settling in and fighting outside most of the rest of the way. Both men are laboring heading into the final three rounds, and in round 10 McNamee begins to show signs of wear and tire with a rapidly swelling left eye from the effect of accumulated blows. Carroll retains the belt via a UD 12 (116-112, 117-111, 116-112). Post-fight records: Carroll, 36-15-5 (13); McNamee, 16-2 (12).

[bob_bask]

Originally Posted by JCWeb

Leonard ends a stellar 26-year pro career at 83-15-5 (43), including a remarkable 50-5 in title bouts.

How many of the 55 bouts were world championship fights?

[JCWeb]

Good question! Did some research, here's a quick synopsis.

As a LW, Leonard went 38-2 in WBA title bouts and 9-0 in bouts for lesser belts (NABF in all cases). He won the WBA LW title in 1916, made 18 successful defenses before losing via a DQ to Sam Robideau in 1920. He regained the WBA title in 1922 and made another 18 successful defenses before losing in 1927 (again via a DQ) to Benny Valgar. In other words, the only time he lost a title bout as a LW was via a DQ. (He did get KO'd once, in a non-title bout, in 1921, a KO 7 loss to Andy Chaney, which was his only loss as a LW other than the two DQs.)

Moving up to WW, he was far less successful. He managed to win the USBA title in 1928 and then won the WBA title later that same year, defending once and losing to Jimmy McLarnin in 1929. He lost his last two title bouts, one in 1931 for the NABF WW belt, and his last one (in 1934 to Barney Ross) for the WBA WW belt.

So, in summary, to answer your question, Leonard was 40-4 in WBA title contests, 38-2 as a LW and 2-2 as a WW.

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the second half of October 1936 – a total of 57 bouts are covered in this report, including three WBA title contests.

Oct 17, 1936: Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens is the scene of the next action, and the main event is for the WBA Flyweight title, held for the past five years by Midget Wolgast. Wolgast is making his 16^th defense against Jackie Brown, current holder of three lesser title belts (EBU, GBU and Commonwealth) who is making his first try for the WBA title. The two met back in 1928 when both were at Pre-Prime, with Wolgast walking away a UD 10 victor. Both men enter the bout riding long winning streaks, Wolgast having won his last 10, Brown his last eight. The action heats up in the opening stanza when Wolgast unleashes a combination that puts Brown on the canvas to take an eight-count. Wolgast is unable to finish his man, but near the end of round five he connects to register a second KD, putting the Champ well ahead on points. Near the end of the eighth round, Wolgast is called for head-butting his opponent, but the rest of the bout proceeds without incident. Wolgast settles into a defensive posture while Brown – perhaps too little and too late – attempts to apply more pressure in the last two rounds. In the end, Wolgast once again retains his title with a UD 15 win by a comfortable margin (145-137, 146-136, 146-136). Post-fight career marks are 41-4-1 (18) for Wolgast, compared to 30-11-3 (11) for Brown.

Oct. 23, 1936: Friday night fight card on the French Riviera at Cannes, France. No titles at stake, but a couple of interesting bouts that serve as co-main events featuring a pair of prominent French fighters. In the first of these, the “Casablanca Clouter,” MW Marcel Cerdan, faces Eddie “Irish” Peirce of South Africa. Cerdan looking to extend his unbeaten streak, looks sharp early, and Peirce is showing traces of swelling under his left eye by the end of the first round. By round three, Peirce’s other eye is starting to swell. Cerdan continues to dominate, piling up points, until Peirce recovers with a minor rally, taking round seven. But, in the eighth round, Cerdan connects with an uppercut to put Peirce on the deck. After taking a nine-count, Peirce regains his footing. A round later, Cerdan breaks through with two more knockdowns before the bout is halted. TKO 9 for Cerdan on the three-knockdown rule. Cerdan is now 14-0 (12) with the win; Peirce wraps up the pre-Prime stage of his career at 14-5-1 (9). Then, in the main event, top FW contender Battling Battalino, a former WBA FW Champion, faces hometown favorite and reigning EBU FW Champ Maurice Holtzer. It’s a rematch of an earlier encounter that resulted in a UD 10 win for Battalino. Battalino outboxes Holtzer in the early rounds to pull ahead. The game Frenchman battles back, keeping the bout close into the later rounds. Battalino escapes with a MD 10 victory (96-94, 95-95, 96-94) to run his career totals to 35-9 (12). Holtzer ends the bout at 32-14-3 (12).

Oct. 24, 1936: Back to the UK for a solid card at the Earls Court in London. The main event is a EBU title clash, preceded by a main support featuring two top young Flyweight contenders. First, on the undercard is unbeaten LH prospect Anton Christoforidis takes on young British hopeful, Ben Valentine. In round five, Valentine surprises Christoforidis with a huge uppercut that puts the Greek down for an eight-count. Christoforidis regains his footing and recovers and manages to dominate the rest of the action, escaping with a MD 10 win (96-92, 94-94, 95-93) despite suffering the knockdown. Post-fight records: Christoforidis, 12-0 (8); Valentine, 9-2-1 (8). Then, in the co-main event, British Flyweight Benny Lynch takes on current OPBF Fly Champion Small Montana. Montana suffers a cut over his right eye in the opening round, and the cut proves to be a difficult one for his corner to control. After being patched up once, the cut is reopened in round four, leading to an immediate stoppage. TKO 4 for Lynch on the cuts stoppage, meaning Benny has won his last four to improve to 24-4 (15) overall; Montana ends the bout at 18-6-2 (7). Then, in the feature, Tommy Farr defends his EBU HW title, facing challenger Pierre Charles. First meeting of the two, and Charles has won his last three to set up the title shot. Farr, boxing beautifully, takes the early points lead. Charles bounces back with a strong round four. Farr settles in on the outside, taking rounds five and six. In round seven, Charles catches Farr with a hook to the head, momentarily staggering the Champion. Farr continues to exhibit his superior boxing skills, and by the end of round eight, Charles’ corner must deal with some swelling forming under his right eye. A late surge from Charles falls short, and Farr is able to retain the EBU belt, taking a UD 12 by a comfortable margin (116-112, 117-111, 117-111). Post-fight career marks: 38-10-1 (14) for Farr; 41-18-2 (28) for Charles.

Oct. 24, 1936: Next action is on the West Coast, at Seattle’s Sicks Stadium. The card is headlined by a NABF MW title bout, featuring the “Tacoma Assassin,” Freddie Steele, long-time Champ making his 14^th defense of the belt he has held since 1932. His opponent is a former WBA MW Champ, Vince Dundee. Steele, who holds a prior win over Dundee (from 1933 for this very same belt), is still hoping to generate enough interest to force a WBA MW title shot in the upcoming months. He starts strongly, dropping Dundee on his back with a solid hook in the second round. Steele remains the aggressor, stunning the ex-Champ with a straight right in round seven. Then, in round eight, he puts Dundee down for a second time. The bout goes the distance, and another dominant performance by Steele earns him another UD 12 win (118-108, 117-110, 117-111) to retain the title and run his career record to an impressive 37-5-1 (27); despite never holding the WBA title, he is the highest ranking MW (in Perf Points) at the present time. Dundee drops to 39-11-4 (15) after the loss.

Oct. 30, 1936: Next is an outstanding card at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Double-barrel WBA title bout action, featuring HW Champ Joe Louis and LW Champ Tony “the Roman Warrior” Canzoneri. A strong undercard is topped by two long-time LH greats, as Tiger Jack Fox takes on Brit Len Harvey in a non-title contest. Fox prevailed in two prior meetings, one for the WBA LH title in 1932, but more recently (in London, earlier in 1936) he could only manage a SD 10 over the rugged Harvey. This time around, Fox’s aggressiveness enables him to build a slight points edge in the early rounds. Strong defensive and boxing abilities enable Harvey to keep the bout close. In round nine, Fox manages to drop Harvey for a three-count. In the end, the KD proves decisive as Fox takes a UD 10 (96-93 on all three cards). Post-bout career marks: 37-3 (27) for Fox; 47-14-3 (19) for Harvey. Then, in the first of the two WBA title bouts, LW Champ Tony Canzoneri faces challenger Lew Kirsch, the recently crowned USBA LW Champion, now in his first WBA title bout. For Canzoneri, it is his 18^th defense of the title he won back in 1932. In the opening round, the crowd holds its breath as an overhand right from Kirsch drops the Champion – Canzoneri manages to regain his footing after a few seconds on the canvas. Kirsch remains aggressive for the opening rounds, but by round three Canzoneri has steadied himself and begun landing repeatedly, doing enough damage to cause a nick to form under the right eye of the challenger, along with some swelling under Kirsch’s left eye. After a big round five for the Champ, the unofficial cards have the bout as even, 47-47 apiece. By the middle rounds, Kirsch’s corner seems to have the cut under control, but Canzoneri is piling up points, winning just about every round except for round eight when he is penalized on a foul call. Kirsch tires badly near the end and is unable to repeat his earlier success in round one. Another workmanlike performance from Canzoneri, who takes a UD 15 by a wide margin (146-137, 147-136, 146-137) to run his record to 42-4-3 (16); Kirsch is now 29-11-3 (17). Then, in the second WBA title bout, unbeaten HW Champ Joe Louis faces Joe “Bingo” Banovic, a choice that resulted in some criticism as Banovic, who managed only a draw against Jimmy Braddock in his most recent outing, is not considered a top HW contender. Anyway, Louis – who is still a few bouts away from hitting Prime career stage – wastes little time, dominating the action from the opening bell, with Banovic’s left eye already showing signs of swelling by the end of round one. The “Brown Bomber” moves inside to inflict even more damage in round two. The end comes a round later after a short hook from Louis puts Banovic on the ropes, allowing Joe to inflict even more pain before the ref calls a halt as Banovic is literally out on his feet. TKO 3 for Louis, who remains a perfect 18-0 (16) after the win (his second successful WBA title defense). Banovic slips to 33-13-1 (9) after the loss.

Oct. 31, 1936: The month wraps up with good, solid card held under the auspices of the LABF in Mexico City. The card is headlined by a LABF title tilt, preceded by a co-feature matching the current LABF FW Champion, Kid Chocolate, with his USBA FW counterpart, Mike Belloise. Chocolate, a former WBA FW titleholder, seizes the upper hand and is the more active of the two for most of the bout, overcoming a big round six for Belloise to take a UD 10 (99-91, 98-92, 97-93) in a rather pedestrian bout with no cuts or knockdowns. Post-fight, Chocolate improves to 32-5-5 (15) while Belloise slides to 18-3-3 (7). Then, in the LABF WW title clash, Cocoa Kid makes his third defense, facing hometown crowd favorite Kid Azteca. Cocoa Kid starts well, landing repeatedly and dishing out enough punishment to cause the Mexican challenger’s left eye to puff up by the end of the fifth round. Cocoa Kid suffers a nick under his left eye in round seven, but the cut proves not to be a factor as the Puerto Rican retains his title via a lopsided UD 12 (120-108, 120-108, 118-110) – a result that caused many observers to think Kid Azteca was overmatched in this bout. Post-fight career marks: Cocoa Kid, 28-4-2 (11); Kid Azteca, 22-7-1 (12).

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the first half of November 1936 – a total of 59 bouts are covered in this report, including one WBA title contest.

Nov. 6, 1936: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. In the feature, Tony Marino defends his USBA BW title against the higher ranked Archie Bell, a former WBA Champion now in the Post-Prime stage of his career. Marino starts well, ripping open a cut over Bell’s left eye in round two. However, it becomes a battle of the cuts a round later, when Bell returns the favor, opening a cut over Marino’s right eye. This cut proves to be the more telling of the two, as it is reopened in round seven, then begins oozing blood until the refe has no choice but to call a halt. TKO 7 for Bell, who takes the title on the cuts stoppage. Post-fight career marks are 38-12-7 (11) for Bell, compared to 20-9 (10) for Marino.

Nov. 7, 1936: Next up is an abbreviated card at Rome, Italy. No titles on the line, but the main event matches two top Flyweights in a non-title affair, as former EBU Champ Istvan Enekes takes on a former WBA titleholder, Fidel LaBarba who is now at Post-Prime career stage. The bout appears to be extremely close through the opening rounds, but then the younger man (Enekes) takes advantage of his superior stamina and begins pressing forward in the middle and late rounds of the bout. By round six, there is noticeable swelling under the left eye of LaBarba. A late KD (LaBarba goes down for a nine-count) solidifies what ends up as a lopsided UD 10 win for Enekes (98-93, 98-92, 98-93). The win runs Enekes’ career totals to 26-4-1 (10). LaBarba ends the bout at 38-12-1 (9).

Nov. 7, 1936: Back to the States for a solid card at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Key bout on the card is for the NABF Flyweight title, with Frankie Genaro defending the belt against the current USBA Champion, Ruby “Dark Cloud” Bradley. The two have met twice previously; first, back in 1930, when Genaro walked away a UD 10 victor, then, in 1934, the bout was ruled a draw. Now higher ranked, Bradley hopes to even the score and capture another belt to boot. The early edge goes to the steady Genaro, who seems to have turned back to clock to produce a stellar boxing performance. Bradley, on the other hand, struggles with his timing through most of the bout. By round 10, Bradley is suffering from a swollen left eye and a cut lip. Genaro drops back into a defensive posture for the last two rounds and then coasts to a UD 12 win (118-110, 119-110, 116-113) to retain the NABF title. Post-fight career marks: 46-16-5 (18) for Genaro; 32-14-6 (7) for Bradley.

Nov. 13, 1936: Friday night fight action at Havana, Cuba’s Gran Stadium is next. Two bouts of note: first, a non-title affair matching two top 10 FWs, veteran Freddie Miller and hometown favorite Filio Julian Echevarria of Cuba. Miller won a UD in their own prior meeting, back in 1929, when both were at Pre-Prime. This time, buoyed by the hometown crowd, Echevarria is the more active of the two, taking an early points edge into the middle and later rounds. Then, in round nine, Miller suffers a cut over his right eye; the cut is in a bad spot and forces a stoppage a round later. TKO 10 for Echevarria, who was ahead on two cards and even on the third at the time. Post-bout career marks: Echevarria, 27-9-4 (12); Miller, 29-8-1 (13). Then, in the feature, Sixto Escobar faces former WBA BW Champ Panama Al Brown for Escobar’s LABF BW title. Escobar is making his second defense, having battled to a draw with Brown for the belt back in May (Brown had won their only other encounter, a UD 10, back in 1930). This time, Brown starts well and holds a slight edge after the opening two rounds. In round three, Brown lands a big shot that puts Escobar on the deck for an eight-count; however, Brown cannot finish his man and Escobar recovers quickly after covering up to last the round. Both men begin to suffer from swelling under their left eyes, and Brown connects with a hard hook in round five, once again causing Escobar to cover up. More trouble for the Champ in round eight, as Brown connects with a hook to register the bout’s second knockdown. Then, in round 10, a quick end after Escobar is called for repeated low blows. It goes down as a DQ-10 win for Brown, who was well ahead on points anyway. Brown, now 49-10-1 (19), has resurrected his flagging career, putting him in line for a WBA title shot. For Escobar, now 24-5-1 (10), it is back to the drawing board but he has plenty of time to re-build his career after this devastating setback.

Nov. 14, 1936: Back to the UK for a card at Liverpool. No titles, but the main event matches two regional titleholders in the HW division, as GBU Champ Jack Peterson takes on his counterpart from “Down Under,” long-time OPBF Champion Tom Heeney. Peterson is on target early, while Heeney’s roundhouse blows are way off the mark. Moving inside in round three, Heeney succeeds in bloodying Peterson’s nose. Big round for Peterson, and the bleeding from the cut nose is halted – for the time being. In round five, the cut is reopened by Heeney. Then, in round seven, Peterson puts Heeney on the deck. The “Hard Rock from Down Under” quickly regains his footing and battles back. In round eight, the cut is reopened once again, and this time the ref decides to call a halt, to the dismay of the pro-Peterson crowd. TKO 8 to Heeney on the cuts stoppage. The win lifts Heeney back among the top HW contenders, improving his career mark to 38-24-1 (14). Peterson is now 25-5 (17).

Nov. 14, 1936: Big card at the Coliseum Arena in New Orleans, headlined by a WBA title clash. First, on the undercard, the “Old Mongoose,” LH Archie Moore, runs his record to 5-0 (5) with a KO 3 win over a TC; only once has Moore had to go beyond three. Then, in the co-feature, ex-WBA HW Champ Young Stribling faces a resurgent “Cinderella Man,” James Braddock, who is looking to continue his rise up the HW ranks. Both men are coming off losses, Stribling to Larry Gains and Braddock, to Tommy Loughran. Braddock gets off to a solid start, and by the end of round two, Stribling is suffering from a split lip. Stribling rebounds to take rounds four and five. Braddock moves inside and is effective in round six. By round eight, both men are showing signs of fatigue. Braddock has a big round in round eight. By round nine, however, Jimmy is showing traces of swelling under his left eye. The final round is close, with a lot of clinching. In the end, it is an ugly-looking win but a win nonetheless for Braddock, who takes a SD 10 (96-95, 93-98, 97-94) to move to 31-13-3 (6) overall, while Stribling drops to 50-14-2 (25). Then, in the main event, Ken Overlin defends his WBA MW crown, facing challenger Teddy Yarosz. Second meeting for these two, who battled to a draw in 1935; each has remained unbeaten since – Overlin, with two wins and draw, Yarosz, with two wins. Overlin is on target early, but Yarosz responds to take round two, with Overlin winning round three. Round four is even. The two boxers continue to trade blows in the middle rounds, with Overlin gradually pulling ahead on points. A late surge from Yarosz enables him to take rounds 11 and 12, but Overlin reigns supreme, regaining the title with a convincing UD 15 win (145-141, 145-141, 146-140). Post-fight career marks: Overlin, 28-1-4 (11); Yarosz, 29-8-2 (11).

[bob_bask]

Would of loved to have seen if Moore's career at MW panned out differently.

[JCWeb]

OOPS -- Header is Inaccurate, this is Nov. 1936 -- Part 2 of 2.

This is a summary of ring action from the second half of November 1936 – a total of 62 bouts are covered in this report, including one WBA title contest.

Nov. 20, 1936: Next is a Friday night card at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis. Featured is a USBA WW title bout, with Eddie Dolan defending against Tony Vaccarelli. Dolan has won his last three, while Vaccarelli is coming off a loss in a NABF WW title bout. This bout takes a strange turn in the third round, when Vaccarelli is called for several low blows, and as a result, Dolan is declared the winner. The DQ-3 lifts Dolan’s overall career totals to 23-3-1 (9) while Vaccarelli ends the bout at 33-20-3 (15).

Nov. 21, 1936: More fistic action, this time at the Sportpalast in Berlin. Featured bout is for the EBU WW title, with Cleto Locatelli defending and once again, the challenger is German Gustav Eder, who has lost twice to Locatelli and has not won a bout in over two and a half years. Eder, looking to turn things around, gets off to a good start in front of his hometown fans. Eder continues to do well as the bout heads into the middle rounds, but in round six, he loses a point for excessive holding and hitting. However, he appears to be getting the upper hand, as Locatelli is suffering from a rapidly swelling right eye. But the end comes suddenly, in round eight, when Eder is once again called for holding and hitting, and this time the ref declares Locatelli the winner on a DQ-8 after disqualifying Eder for the repeated fouling. Tough call that does not go down well with Eder’s hometown fans, particularly as he was leading on all three cards at the time. Post-bout career totals: 33-10-2 (11) for Locatelli, 26-6-7 (9) for Eder – half of his career losses have now come at the hands of Locatelli.

Nov. 21, 1936: Next card is at Montreal, headlined by a WBA title clash with plenty of attractive action on the packed undercard. Former WBA LH Champ Jack “Bright Eyes” Delaney is on the undercard, wrapping up an 18-year ring career in his final ring battle with fellow LH Fred Lenhart. In round two, a Lenhart combination puts Delaney on the deck for an eight-count. Delaney battles back, but he suffers a cut under his left eye in round three. By the end of round four, there is noticeable swelling under Delaney’s right eye. Delaney rallies to close the gap but, in round eight, a second KD blow from Lenhart puts him down and out. KO 8 for Lenhart, who improves to 30-13 (23) with the win. Delaney ends his career with an overall mark of 46-16-4 (30). In the co-feature, two top LWs do battle as LABF LW Champ Emory Cabana faces Canada’s Billy Townsend, the reigning CBU LW Champion, in a non-title contest. Cabana holds a SD 10 in their one prior meeting, back in 1935 in Cuba. This time, Townsend gets off to a slow start and there is really very little for the pro-Townsend crowd to cheer as Townsend is gradually worn down by Cabana’s superior boxing skills. Cabana goes on to take a solid UD 10 (98-92, 97-93, 97-93) that runs his career totals to 40-16-4 (12). Townsend, who will hit Post-Prime with his next outing, ends the bout at 27-14-1 (16). Then, in the main event, “Homicide Hank” Armstrong, after investigating the possibility of moving up in weight, decided in the end to defend his WBA FW title, accepting the challenge of ex-Champ Pete DeGrasse. Armstrong comes out with an aggressive, savage attack that puts DeGrasse on the defensive. DeGrasse suffers a cut over his left eye and swelling around his right eye by the end of the opening stanza. Armstrong steps up the pressure, until the cut becomes too severe, allowing for an early stoppage. TKO 3 to Armstrong on the cuts stoppage, with little protest from DeGrasse’s corner. Post-fight career marks: Armstrong, 23-1-2 (20); De Grasse, 31-12-2 (8). After the bout, Armstrong’s connections announce they are still planning to challenge for the LW or WW WBA title in 1937.

Nov. 27, 1936: Next up is some Friday night action in Philadelphia. Philly native Tommy Loughran is the main attraction, defending his NABF HW title, and there is more HW action in the co-feature as Lee Ramage faces ex-Champ Jack Sharkey. The bout does not go well for the aging veteran Sharkey, who is now at Post-Prime, as he suffers a cut over his right eye in the opening round. However, late in the round, Sharkey uncorks an uppercut that sends Ramage to the canvas. Ramage recovers quickly, and in the second round, the cut over Sharkey’s eye is reopened. Sharkey rocks Ramage with a sharp combination in round three, but once again, the cut proves decisive as it is reopened a second time, leading to an immediate stoppage. TKO 3 for Ramage on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout career marks: Ramage, 28-5 (11); Sharkey, 34-16 (19). Ramage, who has now won his last four, is on his way up, while Sharkey, loser of his last four, is out of the top 20 HW rankings for the first time in over a decade. In the main event, Loughran puts his NABF HW title on the line against the hard-hitting Elmer Ray, the current USBA HW titleholder. Loughran works hard to establish the jab in the early going. Unlike others, Ray is able to break through Loughran’s usually excellent defenses, scoring with a big hook in round five. Loughran is momentarily stunned, forced to cover up, and then Ray unleashes a big combination that puts Loughran down and out. KO 5 for Ray, who captures the NABF belt and moves to 34-7 (21) overall. For Loughran, it is only the third time he has been stopped inside the distance, and his last bout at Prime, leaving him at 57-9-4 (19) heading into an uncertain future in 1937.

Nov. 28, 1936: Back to the UK for a card at London’s Harringay Arena. Featured is a title contest for the GBU BW title belt, with Dick Corbett defending against former WBA Champ Johnny King. King, higher ranked of the two, holds a pair of prior UD wins over Corbett. The bout remains close through the opening rounds. In round five, King is cut under his right eye. In the middle rounds, King pulls ahead on points. Corbett continues swinging away, and by round six, there is noticeable swelling under King’s injured right eye. Corbett tries to target the eye, but he is unable to mount a sustained rally, and King goes on to take a UD 12 win by a comfortable margin (116-113, 116-113, 118-111) to capture the GBU BW belt and move to 40-4-1 (15) overall. Corbett, now 32-13 (11), still retains the EBU BW title which was not up for grabs in this encounter.

Nov. 28, 1936: The month wraps up with a solid card at Yankee Stadium in New York City. The strong lineup includes aging veteran MW Mickey Walker on the undercard, as he registers the 43^rd KO of his career, taking a TKO 9 over another ex-Champ, Eddie “Babe” Risko. Walker, now at Post-Prime career stage, proved he is still a threat, moving to an impressive 57-9-1 (43) overall. In the main event, another pair of former WBA Champions do battle, as Maxie Rosenbloom defends his NABF LH title against Joe Knight, who lifted the crown from Maxie in 1935 before losing it earlier in 1936. Rosenbloom, always an effective boxer, takes charge early and Knight, who stuggled with his timing, tries to become more aggressive in the middle and later rounds, but to no avail. In a rather mundane bout with no cuts or knockdowns, Rosenbloom goes on to retain the NABF belt via a UD 12 (118-110, 117-112, 116-112). Post-fight career marks: Rosenbloom, 40-11-6 (17); Knight, 28-7-2 (15).

One month to go and then another year in the books. Hoping to wrap up the fictional year 1936 by the end of real-life year 2014, and then I will almost be caught up – only 78 years behind!