My Universe

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the second half of March 1945. Two WBA title bouts are included, along with quite a few regional title contests.

Mar. 17, 1945: Two European title bouts top the next card at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. In the first co-feature, Aldo Spoldi makes the first defense of the EBU LH title belt in over three years, accepting a challenge from journeyman Hirsch Demsitz. One prior bout, in Rome in 1939, resulted in a UD 10 for Spoldi. This time around, the action picks up midway through round two, when Demsitz decks Spoldi with an overhand right that lands flush on the chin; Spoldi picks himself off the canvas and manages to last the round after successfully covering up. Demsitz keeps up the pressure, aided by the fact that Spoldi has recently hit Post-Prime career stage. Demsitz goes on to forge a points advantage (58-55 on the unofficial card) at the midway point. Spoldi bounces back with a strong round in the seventh, after which Demsitz returns to his corner with a rapidly swelling right eye. Spoldi continues to press the action on the inside, forcing Demsitz into a defensive position as he piles an impressive lead in terms of the punches landed stat. The bout takes a turn in round 10, when Demsitz is able to rip open a cut over Spoldi’s right eye. With both fighters battling to the end, the bout goes the distance, and Spoldi is able to escape with the belt, retaining the title via a narrow SD 12 (114-113, 113-114, 115-112). Post-bout career marks: Spoldi, 46-12-6 (17); Demsitz, 31-16-5 (6). In the second co-feature, former WBA MW Champ, Marcel Cerdan, the “Casablanca Clouter,” is back in action, defending his EBU MW title versus Luc Van Dam, in a re-run of their 1944 bout contesting the same belt that resulted in a UD 12 win for Cerdan. In this rematch, Cerdan wastes little time, finding the range with a big right hand that puts Van Dam on the canvas late in round two. When Van Dam arises, there is not enough time remaining in the round for Cerdan to finish matters. Midway through round five, another hard shot from Cerdan sends the Dutch challenger to the deck for a second time; once again, an effective use of the cover up strategy enables Van Dam to remain in the fight. A the midway point, it is apparent that Cerdan has matters well in hand; he has a large lead (60-53) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In the second half of the bout, Cerdan continues to hammer away at his hapless and overmatched opponent, effectively stamping out all resistance. In the final few rounds, the Dutch challenger is hampered even further by a badly swollen right eye. A third KD late in round 10 helps nail down a dominating points win, as the lopsdided UD 12 for Cerdan (118-107, 117-108, 118-106) lifts the Frenchman to 40-6-3 (27), setting him up for a possible WBA title shot later in the year. The loss leaves Van Dam with a career mark of 21-7 (11).

Mar. 17, 1945: The scene shifts to New Orleans, and the Coliseum Arena for a solid card topped by a HW contest as, Jack Trammell, who has held the USBA HW title since 1941, has finally been forced into a mandatory title defense against the recently dethroned NABF HW Champ, Jersey Joe Walcott. Walcott, who prevailed in their one prior encounter when Trammell unsuccessfully challenged for the NABF belt, is a huge favorite in this rematch. A sluggish start from Trammell gives Walcott an opportunity to demonstrate his superior boxing skills, dominating the action in the early rounds. Then, in round five, Walcott goes on the offensive, ripping open a cut under Trammell’s right eye, and Walcott continues hammering away until the ref steps in to call a halt. The bout goes in the books as a TKO 5 for Walcott, who captures the USBA title he held once previously, from 1938 to 1940 and improves to 51-8 (30) overall. Trammell, who will be at Post-Prime with his next outing, ends the bout at 35-17-1 (17).

Mar. 23, 1945: Next is a Friday night card at Havana’s Gran Stadium. A pair of top 10 FW contenders are matched in the main event, with former WBA FW Champ Simon Chavez facing, for the third time, Leo Rodak, with Chavez having prevailed in both their prior meetings. After a fairly indifferent start by both fighters, the bout devolves into a taut, tactical battle. At the midway point, the unofficial scorecard shows a slight edge (48-47) for Rodak. In the second half of the bout, Chavez becomes more and more aggressive, but in the end, he is unable to break through Rodak’s defenses. The end result is a solid UD 10 (98-93, 97-94, 97-94) for Rodak. Post-bout career records: Rodak, 33-15-1 (8); Chavez, 37-22-4 (9) – a fairly routine if uninspiring win for Rodak, aided by the fact that Chavez was at Post-Prime career stage.

Mar. 24, 1945: A huge crowd has assembled for the next fistic action at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. A WBA title fight tops the card, amply supported by a couple of regional (NABF and USBA) title bouts. Before these bouts take place, unbeaten MW Jake LaMotta runs his record to 21-0 (17) with a lopsided UD 10 (96-94, 97-93, 97-93) over fellow prospect Al Priest. Then, in the first the two main supporting bouts, Holman Williams faces Freddie Apostoli for Williams’ NABF MW title. This bout is the fourth meeting of these two, with Williams having won twice before, although Apostoli prevailed in their most recent encounter, in which the WBA MW title was at stake. This time around, Williams takes a careful and methodical approach, grinding his way to a solid points lead (59-55) at the midway point, and, by the midway point, there is a trace of swelling under Apostoli’s left eye as a result. Then, in round seven, a sharp jab from Williams rips open a cut over the right eye of the challenger. The cut remains to be a problem and worsens until it is reopened, leading to a stoppage midway through the ninth round. The TKO 9 enables Williams to avenge the prior defeat, retaining his NABF belt while improving to 46-9-1 (22); the loss leaves Apostoli at 34-13-2 (24). In the second of the two main supports, Archie Moore puts his USBA LH title on the line, facing challenger Harry Matthews. First meeting of the two, and late in round one, Moore serves notice when he stuns Matthews with a sharp combination. Matthews is able to survive the round by covering up. After the opening round fireworks, the bout settles into a tactical battle and, by the end of round four, Matthews has recovered and landed sufficient leather to cause some initial puffiness under the left eye of Moore. A peek at the unofficial scorecard at the halfway point of the bout shows Moore is in jeopardy of losing his title, as it had Matthews up by three (59-56). By round eight, Moore had begun to apply more pressure, causing noticeable swelling under the left eye of the challenger. Then, suddenly, near the end of round eight, Moore lands a hard shot that decks Matthews; the challenger barely beats the count, arising on wobbly legs, but – fortunately for Matthews -- the bell sounds before Moore can do further damage. Into the final few rounds, and it is clear that Moore has done enough to turn the bout around. In round 10, Matthews goes down a second time, this the result of a Moore combination. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and the two KDs are sufficient to enable Moore to retain the title via a UD 12 (116-110, 118-108, 116-110). Post-bout records: Moore, 33-3-4 (23); Matthews, 24-5 (17). After this, the crowd is treated to a WBA WW title contest, with Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong facing challenger Marty Servo in Armstrong’s 13th defense of the WBA WW title he has held since late 1939. The two met once before, in 1943, with a 13th round TKO for Armstrong enabling him to keep the title at that time. Servo, who previously handed “Sugar” Ray Robinson his first career loss. This time around,a strong start from Servo serves notice to the now Post-Prime Armstrong that the outcome of this bout could well be different. Armstrong recovers from his slow start and is able to forge a points lead (49-47) on the unofficial card at the five round mark. However, at this point, the punches landed stats favor the challenger, so Armstrong bears down and attempts to apply more pressure in the middle rounds. By the end of round 10, a more energized Armstrong has pulled further ahead (99-93 on the unofficial card). In the final third of the bout, Servo assumes the role of aggressor, and he manages to cause some swelling under Armstrong’s right eye. The bout goes the distance and, to the surprise of many, Servo’s aggressive in the final few rounds pays off, as he takes a SD 15 (144-141, 142-143, 144-141), bringing an end to Armstrong’s six-year run as WBA WW Champion. Post-bout, the win enables Servo to improve to 24-5 (11). The loss drops Armstrong to 45-8-3 (38). Another Fight of the Year candidate for its historical importance, but it lacked some of the dramatic action in past title bouts that were close.

Mar. 30, 1945: Final Friday night card of the month takes place at Phoenix’s Dodge Theatre. In the main event, two LWs take to the ring, as Lenny “Boom Boom” Mancini faces Lew “Sweetwater Swatter” Jenkins. One prior meeting, in Atlantic City in 1942, saw Jenkins way away a UD 10 victor. Since that time, Mancini has moved ahead of Jenkins in the LW rankings. In this rematch, the punches landed stats favor Jenkins as the bout’s early rounds are in the books. By the midway point, the unofficial scorecard has Jenkins ahead (59-56); however, Mancini has managed to land some telling blows, enough to cause an initial trace of swelling under Jenkins’ left eye. In the second half of the bout, Mancini works inside, seeking to penetrate Jenkins’ defenses with rapier-like thrusts. In round nine, Mancini connects with a hard cross that causes Jenkins’ knees to buckle, but he covers up and remains upright and lands the round. However, in the final round, it is Jenkins who lands a hard shot, sending an off-balance Mancini tumbling to the deck. Mancini manages to regain his footing and finish the bout, but the damage has been done. Jenkins goes on to take a UD 10 (99-91, 96-93, 98-92) in a bout that was much closer than the final scorecards might indicate. Post-bout marks: 30-7-3 (14) for Jenkins; 25-10-3 (6) for Mancini.

Mar. 31, 1945: The month wraps with a WBA title fight topping a big card at London’s Harringay Arena. First up is the main supporting bout, a 10-round non-title matchup of Commonwealth and GBU HW Champ Tommy Farr, who faces Belgian veteran Karel Sys for the first time. Sys gets off to a strong start when he decks Farr with a hard shot near the end of the opening round. Farr is able to beat the count, and there is not enough time left in the round for Sys to finish matters. By the end of round three, Farr has managed to steady himself, working his way into the bout. By the midway point, the unofficial scorecard has Sys ahead (48-47), largely the result of the first round knockdown. In the second half of the bout, Sys remains the more aggressive of the two, keeping the pressure on the more-defensive minded Farr. Farr’s defense holds up until the final minute, when a barrage of blows from Sys sends him to the canvas for the second time. Farr is able to resume, and the bout goes to decision. On the strength of the two knockdowns, Sys walks away a UD 10 winner (98-92, 97-91, 96-92), running his career record to 40-16- 1 (18), and the loss leaves Farr, now one step closer to retirement, at 53-22-4 (16). The main event, for the WBA Flyweight title, is a rematch of a recent encounter that saw Ireland’s Rinty Monaghan prevail by a split duke in October 1944; since then, Kane turned back a challenge from Frenchman Valentin Angelmann to retain the EBU Flyweight title. Kane, with two prior wins over Monaghan earlier in their respective careers, is confident of victory. Some good power punching on the inside by both fighters in the early rounds, and Kane seems to have the upper hand. After the first five rounds, Kane has a solid points lead (50-45) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Midway through round six, Kane jolts Monaghan with a quick hook to the head, forcing Monaghan to cover up. By round seven, with Kane continuing to attack, there is some initial swelling under the left eye of the defending Champ. Monaghan bounces back with a strong round in the eighth, causing some initial swelling around the right eye of the challenger. While Monaghan has managed to gradually work his way into the bout, the unofficial card still favors Kane (by a count of 98-92) headed into the final five rounds. In the final few rounds, Monaghan is clearly the aggressor, but he is unable to put Kane on the canvas or to land a telling blow. By round 14, an increasingly frustrated Monaghan has resorted to some fouling tactics and, after being warned repeatedly, he is called for holding and hitting, and Kane is awarded the title via a controversial DQ 14. Post-bout career marks: Kane, 32-6-1 (13); Monaghan, 36-10-1 (11). A peek at the scorecards after 13 round indicated a close bout, with Kane well ahead on one judge’s card, but the bout was close to even on the other two, so a tough way to lose a WBA title for Monaghan.

[Eskayenterprises49]

It's amazing how you have so many weight classes going at the same time! Simply awesome!

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the first half of April 1945. One WBA title bout is included.

Apr. 6, 1945: The month commences with a Friday night card at the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. No titles at stake, and the main event matches two ranked LW contenders, as Beau Jack faces OPBF LW Champ Vic Patrick in a 10-round bout. First meeting of the two, and the action picks up late in the opening round, as a sharp hook to the head from Patrick draws blood. Jack’s corner is able to patch up the cut, and from round two onwards, Jack begins to assert control, dominating most of the action. By early round five, there is noticeable swelling under the left eye of Patrick. However, late in the fifth round, Patrick succeeds in reopening the cut over Jack’s eye, and this time the cut is deemed too serious to allow the fight to continue. Tough loss for Jack, as the cuts stoppage sees Patrick walk away a TKO 5 victor, even though all three judges had Jack well ahead on points after the first four rounds. Post-bout records: Patrick, 21-2 (16); Jack, 25-3 (17).

Apr. 7, 1945: The scene shifts to Atlantic City’s Convention Hall, and there the main event is a NABF HW title bout, with Roscoe Toles making his second defense against challenger Nathan Mann. The two have met twice before, each winning once. This time around, after a couple of nondescript opening rounds, the action picks up in round three. Mann, pressing the action on the inside, is able to land sufficient blows to cause some puffiness under right eye of Toles, but just before the bell, Toles rips open a cut over Mann’s left eye. Into the middle rounds, and what was shaping up to be an interesting contest comes to a sudden end in round six, when the cut over Mann’s eye is reopened, causing an immediate stoppage. Thus, Toles retains the title via a TKO 6 on the cuts stoppage, running his career record to 40-14-6 (7). The loss leaves Mann at 31-12-3 (22).

Apr. 7, 1945: To the West Coast for the next card, at the Sicks Stadium in Seattle. Back in action if former WBA MW Champ Tony Zale, facing Argentinian Raul “Telarana” Rodriguez in a non-title contest. First meeting of the two, and Zale takes charge after a powerful display in round four, doing enough damage to cause some swelling under the left eye of Rodriguez. In round five, Zale continues to hammer away, using an uppercut to great effect; by the midway point, Zale has a solid lead (49-46) on the unofficial card. The second half seems more of the same, with the bout coming to an end in the final round. Rodriguez goes down twice (first from a Zale combination, then from an uppercut), and the ref orders a halt just 10 seconds before the final bell. Impressive TKO 10 for Zale, who improves to 38-6-1 (24) with the win. Little complaint from the corner of Rodriguez, now 22-5 (13), who was trailing badly on all three judges’ cards. With two impressive wins inside the distance in 1945, Zale’s connections are now angling for a title shot by the end of the year.

Apr. 13, 1945: A pair of regional title bouts, both in the FW division, top the next card, a Friday night affair at Havana’s Gran Stadium. In the first co-feature, popular Cuban fighter Diego Sosa makes the fourth defense of the LABF FW title he won in 1943. His opponent, Puerto Rican Pedro Hernandez, has yet to win a title but did manage a draw in a WBA title challenge to Harold Hoshino. Since then, Hernandez has fallen on hard times, losing his last three. This bout is the first meeting of these two. A slow start from Sosa coupled with a slow start from Hernandez puts the challenger in a good position headed into the middle rounds. By the midway point, Sosa has worked his way into the bout; the unofficial scorer has Hernandez with a slim one-point lead (58-57) at this point. Sosa, who has the edge in terms of the stamina factor, steps up the pace, putting the Puerto Rican challenger under pressure as the bout heads into the later stages. Late in round nine, Sosa brings the crowd to his feet when he rocks Hernandez with a hard cross, but the bell sounds before more damage can be done. Sensing things slipping away, it is Hernandez who goes on the attack in the final few rounds. The bout goes the full 12 rounds and, to the surprise of many, it ends in a draw (114-114, 115-113 Hernandez, 115-114 Sosa) – a result that enables Sosa to retain the belt. Post-bout marks: Sosa, 21-4-2 (14); Hernandez, 21-8-2 (7). A review of the judges’ scorecards shows that Hernandez’s aggressiveness in the final two rounds paid off, as it secured him the draw and a possible rematch. In the second of the two co-features, Phil Terranova visits hostile turf to challenge Cuban fan favorite National Kid for Kid’s NABF FW title. No prior meetings of these two, and the bout remains close for the first three rounds. Kid then takes charge with a strong round four; however, Terranova continues to pose a difficult challenge. After the first six rounds, the unofficial scorer has Kid up by one (58-57). With Kid as the aggressor, the bout remains close as the action heads into the later rounds. Terranova continues to offer stubborn opposition, but Kid continues as the aggressor to the very end, and he is rewarded with an extremely close but UD 12 (115-114, 115-113, 115-114). Post-bout records: Kid, 26-6-2 (11); Terranova, 18-4 (9).

Apr. 14, 1945: North of the border for the next fistic action taking place at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. Only bout of interest is the main event, which sees former WBA LW Champ Jack Kid Berg on hand, seeking to reclaim some of his former glory by challenging for the Commonwealth LW title currently held by Lefty Satan Flynn. First meeting of the two, and thus, it’s a cautious start by both men. After an uneven start, Flynn begins to assert himself as the bout heads into the middle rounds. At the midway point, the unofficial scorecard has Flynn ahead (58-56) of the post-Prime Berg, who is noticeably slower than in his prime years. Into the second half of the bout, and Flynn continues to dictate much of the action; by the end of round seven, a welt has formed under the left eye of Berg. In round eight, Berg walks into an uppercut from Flynn and goes down, taking an eight count before arising. Then, in round nine, an abrupt turnaround as a hard right from Berg rips open a cut over Flynn’s right eye. As the bout enters the final few rounds, a badly tiring Berg tries to take advantage, targeting the cut. The bout goes the rest of the distance without incident, and Flynn goes on to scoop up a UD 12 (116-110, 115-111, 117-110) to retain the CBU belt. Post-bout career marks: 33-13-3 (17) for Flynn; 54-22-5 (18) for Berg.

Apr. 14, 1945: Middle of the month, and next is a huge card topped by a WBA title fight that takes place in Chicago. First, in the main supporting bout, is a USBA WW title matchup with Eddie “Irish” Dolan facing veteran challenger Fritzie Zivic, aka “the Croat Comet.” Starting in round three, Zivic goes on the attack, forcing the action on the inside and putting Dolan on the defensive. Zivic continues to press his advantage into the middle rounds of the bout. By the halfway point of the bout, Zivic has build a solid points lead (59-55) on the unofficial card. In the second half of the contest, Dolan, by nature a boxer and not a slugger, is forced to go on the offensive, hoping to make up lost ground. However, late in round eight, Dolan falls victim to a devastating hook to the head, and he drops to the canvas but recovers quickly; there is not enough time remaining in the round for Zivic to follow up. Zivic continues swinging away, landing a crushing right that stuns Dolan a minute into the ninth round. Zivic eases up some in the final few rounds, and he secures a lopsided UD 12 win (118-109 on all cards) to lift the belt, running his career record to 37-13-6 (16). The loss leaves Dolan, now at Post-Prime, at 40-15-5 (14). The main event, for the WBA MW title, sees Steve Belloise challenging the “Savage Slav,” Al Hostak, for the title, with many accusing Hostak of ducking a possible title challenge from former WBA MW Champ Tony Zale. However, Belloise has fashioned a four-bout winning streak to set up this matchup, his first title shot of any kind. No prior meetings, so a slow start as there is a long feeling-out process that takes place in the opening couple of rounds. However, late in round two, a shocking knockdown as Belloise floors Hostak with a hard shot; the Champ recovers immediately, and there is not enough time remaining in the round for Belloise to exploit the situation. Hostak is able to recover between rounds and stabilize the situation, gradually working his way into the bout. After five rounds are in the books, the unofficial scorecard has Belloise clinging to a narrow one-point advantage (48-47). Midway through round six, another strong shot from Belloise stops Hostak in his tracks, resulting in a second knockdown. This time, Hostak takes a seven count before arising, then covers up to last the round. As further indication of the impact of the challenger’s punches, there is a trace of swelling under Hostak’s left eye. From this point, Hostak becomes more and more aggressive, taking more risks in an effort to rebound from the two KDs. As the rounds tick off, Hostak becomes more and more frustrated at being unable to penetrate Belloise’s excellent defense; plus, Hostak has the added disadvantage of suffering from a stamina deficit. After 10 rounds are in the books, Belloise has pulled ahead to a commanding lead (98-92) on the unofficial card. In the later rounds, not only has the swelling around Hostak’s left eye worsened, there is now a red blotch under his right eye. Except for opening a minor cut on Belloise’s lip in round 14, Hostak is unable to make much of an impression on the challenger. Belloise goes on to take a UD 15 (146-137, 144-139, 146-137) and capture the WBA belt. Post-bout career marks: Belloise, 27-5-1 (13); Hostak, 40-10-2 (30).

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the second half of April 1945. One WBA title bout is included.

Apr. 20, 1945: Continuation of the Friday night fights “Down Under” series with what proves to be a rather thin card (just three bouts) at Melbourne. In the featured main event, the OPBF WW title is at stake, with former Champ Jack McNamee attempting to regain the title, challenging Alan Westbury for the belt. Third meeting of the two, with each having won once previously. This time around, in the second round, McNamee draw first blood (literally) when he rips open a cut over Westbury’s right eye. After the cut is closed between rounds, Westbury strikes back late in round three, flooring McNamee with a solid cross. The count reaches seven before McNamee struggles to his feet; fortunately for him, the bell sounds before Westbury can inflict further damage. Late in round four, a second KD occurs, this time the result of a Westbury hook that finds its target. Then, in round five, more trouble for McNamee as Westbury connects with an uppercut that causes a cut to appear over McNamee’s right eye. More surprises to come in round six, however, as McNamee is able to turn things around, ripping open a cut over Westbury’s left eye, then a re-opening of the original cut over the right eye proves too much. The ref, after consultation with the ring physician, calls a halt, and McNamee is declared a TKO 6 victor, due to the cuts stoppage, despite the two knockdowns that had Westbury ahead on points. Post-bout records: McNamee, 36-13-1 (23); Westbury, 28-11-3 (15).

Apr. 21, 1945: The scene shifts to Europe, specifically the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. Twin bill main events top the agenda; the first of these matches the recently crowned LABF HW Champion, Arturo Godoy, who has reached top 10 contender status as a result. Godoy’s opponent is rugged Swedish HW Olle Tandberg, who will enjoy the support of the hometown crowd in this 10-round, non-title bout, representing the first meeting of the two. Tandberg looks sharp in the opening few rounds, forcing Godoy into a more aggressive posture. However, midway through the fifth round, Tandberg is warned for hitting low, but then, in a surprising move, the German ref rules the fouling to be blatant, and Tandberg is immediately disqualified. The DQ-5 lifts Godoy to 37-17 (15). The loss leaves Tandberg at 16-4-3 (5). Next is the second co-feature, which matches Bep Van Klaveren and Ernie Roderick for the EBU WW title, currently held by Van Klaveren. In two prior meetings, the Dutchman, Van Klaveren, has not lost, winning once and drawing once. Two boxers doing battle, and therefore a slow development with little in the way of aggressive action through the opening rounds. Roderick gradually builds a solid edge in the punches landed stat and, at the midway point, he is up by one (58-57) on the unofficial scorecard. In the second half of the bout, Van Klaveren, sensing his title slipping away, goes on the offense, while Roderick is content to stay on the outside. The bout proceeds the rest of the way without incident, as Roderick’s defense remains solid, so he takes the title belt with a UD 12 (116-112, 116-112, 115-113). Post-bout records: Roderick, 33-16-4 (7); Van Klaveren, 40-19-10 (12). It should be noted that Van Klaveren was at Post-Prime for this bout, which greatly increased Roderick’s chances for success.

Apr. 21, 1945: Back to the West Coast for the next card, this time at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. The NABF BW title is on the line in the featured bout, with Tommy Forte facing challenger Manuel Ortiz, a former WBA BW Champion. Second meeting of the two; in 1943, Ortiz came out on top via a MD 12 for the USBA BW title. This time around, with the NABF title at stake, Ortiz gets off to a solid start, putting Forte on the back foot for most of the opening few rounds. In round four, Forte moves inside and begins to have better success with a more aggressive posture. Then, midway through the fifth round, a combination from Ortiz sends Forte toppling to the canvas; Forte is able to beat the count, and then he covers up in an attempt to last the round. However, Ortiz’s killer instinct has kicked in, and he finishes off Forte with a picture perfect combination that puts Forte down and out with less than half a minute remaining in the round. KO 5 for Ortiz, who captures the NABF belt and improves to 27-6-2 (16) with the win. Forte ends the bout at 33-6-2 (12).

Apr. 27, 1945: To Manila’s Rizal Arena for the next card, and the main event pits Filipino veteran Little Dado, now at Post-Prime, against unbeaten British Flyweight prospect Terry Allen. It is the first meeting of the two, and a strong start by the younger fighter, Allen, puts the pressure on Dado. By round four, there is noticeable swelling under Dado’s right eye. By the midway point, Allen’s early pressure has paid off, enabling him to fashion an early points lead (49-46) on the unofficial card. As the bout wears on, things only get worse for Dado, as midway through round eight, Allen rips open a cut over Dado’s left eye. Then, in the final round, Allen rains a combination of blows to the head and bogey, dropping Dado for a six count. The bout goes to decision, and, to no surprise, Allen takes a fairly comfortable UD 10 (98-91, 98-91, 96-93) to remain undefeated. Post-bout marks: Allen, 18-0 (3); Dado, 31-8-1 (13). Many see Allen, now two bouts away from hitting Prime, as poised to challenge for a title soon.

Apr. 28, 1945: London’s Earls Court is the venue for the next fistic action, and twin GBU title bouts in the lower weight classes top the agenda. First of the two co-features is for the GBU Flyweight title, with “the Fighting Jockey,” Jimmy Gill, facing challenger Teddy Gardner, a former Commonwealth Flyweight Champ. One prior meeting, back in 1943, resulted in a UD 12 for Gardner. Solid start from Gill, who piles up an early points lead. By the midway points, Gardner has worked his way into the bout, and a solid uppercut from Gardner rips open a cut over Gill’s right eye. The unofficial scorer has the bout even (57-57) at the midway point. More problems for Gill in round seven, as some initial swelling emerges around the left eye of the defending Champ. The issue remains in doubt until the final few rounds; in round 10, the cut over Gill’s eye is reopened, and Gardner goes on the offensive in rounds 11 and 12, while Gill focuses on protecting the injured eye. The bout goes the rest of the way without further incident, and Gill ekes out a SD 12 (115-114, 114-115, 116-113) and barely manages to keep the belt. The win lifts Gill to 37-14-4 (12); the loss leaves Gardner at 23-5-1 (10). In the second co-feature, it is another re-match, with Ritchie Tanner making the first defense of his GBU BW title in over a year, facing Norman Lewis, who holds both the EBU and Commonwealth BW titles, neither of which is at stake in this particular contest. In one prior meeting, for the EBU title, Lewis came out on top. In the opening rounds, Lewis is the more aggressive of the two, but Tanner is the more accurate puncher. By the midway point, Tanner has forged a solid points lead (59-55), according to the unofficial scorecard. In the second half of the bout, Lewis tries to be more aggressor, but the bout comes to a sudden end when, just seconds into the eighth round, Lewis twists his hand and is forced to abandon the bout. Tanner thus retains the title via a TKO 8, and a peek at the judges’ cards showed him well ahead after the seven rounds that were completed. Post-bout career marks: 25-8-2 (12) for Tanner; 21-5-1 (14) for Lewis.

Apr. 28, 1945: Final card of the month takes place at New York City’s Yankee Stadium, and a WBA title clash is the headliner, amply supported by a meeting of two top 10 BW contenders, with ex-Champ K. O. Morgan facing Benny Goldberg. First meeting of the two, and the bout is fairly even for the opening few rounds. After a big round four, Goldberg does more damage as both men battle away on the inside in round five. At the midway point, Goldberg is ahead on the unofficial card (49-46), and Morgan is bothered by a rapidly swelling left eye. Morgan, who is at Post-Prime, tries to put on the pressure as the bout heads into the later rounds, but he is unable to break through versus some excellent defense from Goldberg. No cuts or knockdowns as the bout goes the full 10, and Goldberg takes a UD 10 (98-92, 97-93, 99-91), running his career record to 28-5-2 (13). The loss leaves Morgan at 40-18-8 (19). The main event, for the WBA LH title, sees “the Pittburgh Kid,” Billy Conn, the current titleholder, facing challenger Ezzard Charles, “the Cincinnati Cobra.” First meeting of the two, and it is the first title shot of any kind for the still unbeaten challenger. Lots of excitement in the opening round, with Charles warned for holding and hitting. Then, a hook from Conn snaps back the head of Charles, and rips open a cut over the right eye of the challenger. However, Charles keeps swinging away, and Conn’s left eye, which has become a target, shows signs of puffiness by the end of the round. After this, the bout settles in to a predictable pattern, with Charles applying more pressure, while Conn is content boxing on the outside. However, this interesting encounter comes an early and sudden end in round three, after the cut over Charles’ eye is reopened, leaving to an immediate stoppage. Thus, Conn is able to keep the belt via a TKO 3 on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout career marks: Conn, 35-7-3 (14); Charles, 21-1 (18). While it was disappointing to see the bout come to such a premature end, this was an important win for Conn, who returned to the LH division after a brief foray into the HW ranks. Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see if either Conn or Charles elects to move up to HW, where credible challengers to Joe Louis are needed to rekindle interest.

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the first half of May 1945. One WBA title bout is included.

May 4, 1945: The month’s action kicks off with a Friday night affair at the Boston Garden. Featured in the main event are two top MW contenders, both former WBA Champions, as Holman Williams takes on Marcel Cerdan, the “Casablanca Clouter.” Williams is the current NABF MW titleholder, while Cerdan is the reigning EBU MW Champ. Third meeting of the two, with Williams coming out on top in their two prior confrontations. The action picks up midway through the second round, when a Williams uppercut rips open a cut over Cerdan’s right eye. After some sharp exchanges in round five, the bout comes to a sudden end, after the cut is reopened. The ring doctor is called in, and the ref orders an immediate halt. Williams makes it three wins over Cerdan, taking a TKO 5 to run his career record to 47-9-1 (23). Cerdan drops to 40-7-3 (27) with the loss. Williams has cemented his position as #1 MW contender for the WBA title currently held by Steve Belloise.

May 5, 1945: The scene shifts to Europe, this time to wartorn Italy for the first fight card in some time at the Sports Palace in Rome. No title bouts on the agenda, and the main event features two veteran WW campaigners, with Italy’s Michele Palermo facing Belgian Felix Wouters in the main event. Third meeting of the two, with each having won once before. This time around, Wouters connects with a hard shot, decking Palermo in the opening minute of the first round. Palermo recovers quickly but, with plenty of time remaining in the round, covers up and manages to last the round without further damage. After this opening salvo, the bout settles down, and Wouters has just a slim lead (48-47, according to the unofficial card) after the first five. By the second half of the bout, Palermo has battled his way back into the bout, and he holds an edge in both the punches landed stat as well as the stamina factor. In round eight, attempting to regain the momentum, Wouters moves forward but steps into the way of a hard counter from Palermo that opens a cut on his lip. Palermo withstands a late surge from Wouters, who goes all-out aggressive in the final few rounds, and he takes a solid UD 10 (96-93, 95-94, 97-92). Post-bout records: Palermo, 38-13-9 (10); Wouters, 32-13-3 (14).

May 5, 1945: To Chicago for the next card, and this time there is a title bout topping the agenda, with Georgie Abrams on hand to defend his USBA MW title against a first-time title challenger in Cecil Hudson. First meeting of these two, and, with two boxers, it’s a tactical battle, with both men probing for openings. Some solid boxing from Abrams enables him to gradually build an early points lead and, at the halfway point, the unofficial scorecard has Abrams up by a wide margin (59-55). In the second half of the bout, the challenger tries to be more aggressive, but a rapidly swelling left eye slows Hudson’s progress. The rest of the bout sees Abrams withstanding all of Hudson’s efforts at applying pressure, and Abrams is able to grind out a convincing UD 12 (119-110, 120-109, 119-110) to keep the belt. As a result, Abrams improves to 26-8-2 (10) with the win. Hudson ends the bout at 24-7 (9).

May 11, 1945: To Johannesburg’s Rand Stadium for the next card, a Friday night affair. Featured is a non-title bout in the LW division, matching South Africa’s former WBA LW Champion Laurie Stevens with Sammy “the Clutch” Angott, a former USBA LW titleholder. No prior meetings, and Stevens dominates the opening round after stunning Angott with a hard shot in the opening 30 seconds of the bout. After another big round in the third, Stevens is well on his way to victory. A big right hand from Stevens in round five draws blood, cutting Angott’s lip. After the first five rounds, Stevens is up on the unofficial card (48-47). The action slows as the bout wears on, and both fighters begin to tire badly. No knockdowns as the bout goes to decision, and a lackadaisical approach in the second half ends up costing Stevens, as Angott takes a SD 10 (95-96, 96-95, 96-95) to walk away with the win by a razor-thin margin. Post-bout marks: Angott, 31-8-6 (11); Stevens, 35-13-1 (21).

May 12, 1945: Next up is a huge card in Montreal, with some WBA title bout action on the agenda. First up, in the main supporting bout, LW contender Lenny “Boom Boom” Mancini runs his career record to 26-10-3 (7) with a 10th round knockout of aging veteran Chino Alvarez, who has faded from top 10 contender status after hitting Post-Prime career stage; the win snaps a two-bout losing streak for Mancini, who won despite suffering a cut over his left eye and is eager to face other top LW contenders with an eye towards a possible title shot. LWs are also featured in the main event, as double WBA Champion (in two weight classes) Baby Arizmendi defends the WBA LW title against challenger and current NABF Champ “Bobcat” Bob Montgomery. First meeting of the two, and Montgomery has won three successive NABF LW title bouts to set up this, his second try for the WBA title (he lost to Jack Kid Berg in his one previous attempt). This time around, Montgomery gains the early initiative and presses home the attack against a rather passive Champion for the first few rounds. Finally, Arizmendi gets going with a strong round in round five; after five, the unofficial scorer has the bout as even (48-48). By this time, Montgomery’s early edge had evaporated, plus his corner had to deal with a cut on his mouth. Into the middle rounds, and Montgomery continues to press the action, but the cut on his lip is reopened in round seven, slowing his progress. By round 10, with both the stamina and punches landed factor favoring his aggressive opponent, Arizmendi finally elects to step up the pace and become more aggressive. With five rounds left in the scheduled 15, the unofficial card has Montgomery in front (by a count of 96-94). By round 12, Montgomery’s right eye has begun to puff up, indicating that Arizmendi’s punches have had some effect. The bout, a close one, comes down to the final round and appears to be headed to a judges’ decision when the cut on Montgomery’s lip is reopened and, this time, it leads to an immediate stoppage. Interestingly, all three judges had the challenger ahead at the time of the stoppage, so a tough loss for Montgomery that goes into the books as a TKO 15 for Arizmendi on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout career marks: 54-10-4 (13) for Arizmendi; 27-3-2 (15) for Montgomery, a hard-luck loser in this one.

May 12, 1945: Next fistic action takes place at Denver’s Mammoth Gardens. In the main event, two top 10 HW contenders square off in a non-title matchup, as Lou Nova faces Alberto Santiago Lovell, the Argentinian who currently reigns as LABF HW Champion. First meeting of the two and, despite facing a hostile crowd, Lovell does have one advantage in the fact that Nova is at Post-Prime and on the downside of his career. The key moment in this bout occurs in the opening seconds, when Lovell connects with his opening punch – a cross – that rips open a gash over Nova’s right eye. The cut is in a bad spot, and it is reopened in round three, and again, in round four. After the cut is reopened a second time, the ref, after consulting with the ring physician, calls a halt, and Lovell is declared a TKO 4 winner. With the win, Lovell runs his career record to 34-16-1 (27). The loss leaves Nova at 31-14-1 (24).

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the second half of May 1945. Two WBA title bouts are included.

May 18, 1945: To Manila for a Friday night card at the Rizal Arena. An OPBF Flyweight title bout tops the agenda, with Yoshiro Hanada defending that belt against his countryman, Noboru Kushida. The two met once before, earlier in 1945, with Hanada taking a split duke before capturing the OPBF title over Filipino Small Montana. In this rematch, it is a rather slow, indifferent start by both fighters, neither of whom seems in a position to seize control of the bout through the opening three rounds. A good round in the fourth for the Champion sees some accurate punching, enough to cause an initial trace of swelling to appear under Kushida’s left eye. By the midway point, Hanada has pulled ahead with a slight lead (58-56) on the unofficial scorecard. The situation does not improve for the challenger in the second half of the bout, as Kushida begins to tire as the rounds are counted down. By round nine, there is puffiness around Kushida’s other eye, in addition to the left eye which has continued to swell. Despite an all-out attack from the challenger in the final two rounds, Hanada is able to retain the belt via a fairly comfortable UD 12 (118-110, 116-113, 117-111) to run his career record to 34-16-4 (8). Kushida drops to 15-3 (6) with the loss.

May 19, 1945: The scene shifts to the UK, specifically London’s Harringay Arena, for the next fight card. This one features the longest serving Champion in any category, the “Rochdale Thunderbolt,” Jock McAvoy, now in his 15th year holding the GBU MW title, making this the longest single title reign in the history of this universe. McAvoy faces his first challenger for this belt in almost two years, taking on a new challenger in Tommy Davies, who previously lost a EBU title bid but his trying for the GBU belt for the first time. As this bout is the first meeting of the two, there is a long feeling out process, with Davies holding his own against the now Post-Prime McAvoy. By the midway point of the bout, the challenger has been able to forge a two-point lead (58-56), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. In the second half of the bout, the stamina factor favors Davies, who is 12 years younger than the now 37-year old McAvoy. McAvoy, sensing the title slipping away, gradually steps up the pressure, but he is battling a rapidly swelling right eye as the bout heads into the later rounds. Then, late in round nine, McAvoy is able to open a cut over Davies’ left eye. The cut is reopened in the final round but is apparently not a factor in the ultimate outcome, which sees McAvoy doing just enough to retain the title via a razor-thin MD 12 (115-114, 115-115, 115-114). Post-bout records: McAvoy, 41-21-6 (26); Davies, 21-6-2 (7). Turns out this bout could be McAvoy’s swansong, as he will move from Post-Prime to End career stage at his next outing.

May 19, 1945: No titles at stake for the next fight card, at St. Louis’ Kiel Auditorium, but an intriguing matchup of two top tier LH contenders in the main event, as reigning NABF LH Champ Lloyd Marshall takes on former EBU Champion Anton Christoforidis. After a good couple of opening rounds from Marshall, there is some puffiness under the right eye of Christoforidis. More trouble for the Greek fighter when, near the end of round four, Marshall decks him with a hard shot; Christoforidis appears to be on his way to being counted out when he is saved by the bell as the count reaches nine. Then, in round five, Christoforidis goes down a second time, this from a Marshall hook. As the round wears on, it becomes apparent that Christoforidis is not fighting back, and the ref steps in to call an early end, so Marshall is declared a TKO 5 victor. With this surprisingly easy win, Marshall improves to 29-5-3 (25); the loss leaves Christoforidis at 28-13-3 (13).

May 25, 1945: Next is a Friday night card at Panama City’s Olympia Stadium and, featured in the main event, it is the swansong for all-time great BW Panama Al Brown, who is wrapping up a career which spanned a quarter century. For his final appearance, the opponent is Tony Olivera, who is some 15 years younger, and the two are meeting for the first time, but with no titles at stake. Olivera, the younger man, seizes the early initiative by moving inside in round three. However, Brown connects with some solid countershots and manages to open a cut over Olivera’s left eye. The cut is patched up between rounds, and the two continue to battle away, both probing for openings on the inside, for the next couple of rounds. By the midway point of the bout, Olivera has a slight edge (48-47) on the unofficial card, and there is some worrisome puffiness under the right eye of the veteran, Brown. In round eight, Brown goes on the attack and is able to reopen the cut over Olivera’s eye. The action slows as both fighters tire in the final two rounds. The bout goes the distance and, to the disappointment of the large crowd of Panamanian fight fans, Olivera spoils Brown’s farewell to the ring wars by taking a MD 10 (97-93, 95-95, 96-94). Good career building win for Olivera, who improves to 27-7-1 (17) with the win, while Brown’s illustrious 95-bout career comes to an end, with a final career mark of 74-19-2 (26) for the five-time WBA Champion.

May 26, 1945: The crowd in New York’s Madison Square Garden is fired up for an exciting card, with a WBA title contest highlighting the action. First up, in the main support, two regional titleholders do battle as USBA LH Champ Archie Moore is back in action, facing EBU LH Champ Heinz Lazek in a 10-rounder, with no titles on the line. First meeting of the two and Moore, the top ranked LH contender, is going for his 10th win in a row. Solid start from Moore, who shows some good early initiative and is able to build an early lead in the punches landed stats. Late in round four, Moore connects with a hard shot, sending Lazek to the canvas, but Lazek is saved by the bell. Moore continues on the attack in round five, rocking Lazek with a hard left that forces the Austrian fighter to cover up. This time, there is plenty of time remaining in the round, and Moore follows up with three more KDs, finishing Lazek off to win via an automatic TKO 5 via the three-knockdown rule. Post-bout records: Moore, 34-3-4 (24); Lazek, 44-14-1 (25). After this, it is time for the featured main event, with Willie Pep defending his WBA FW title. Stepping up to challenge the "Will o' the Wisp" is Sal “the Pride of East Boston” Bartolo, who previously suffered a UD 10 defeat at the hands of Pep two years previously, when Pep was still at Pre-Prime. Pep starts well, dancing around the slip, popping his jab and slipping punches masterfully, frustrating his opponent all while building an early punches landed advantage. Early in round four, Pep goes to work and draws blood, ripping open cuts over both eyes of the hapless challenger. By the midway point of the fifth round, Bartolo’s left eye has begun to puff up, and the cuts continue to be a problem for veteran cornerman Doi Dollings. After five, it is no surprise that Pep has a large lead (50-45) on the unofficial scorecard. Into the middle rounds, and Pep remains dominant, as Bartolo is simply outclassed in this contest. More punishment is dished out by Pep in round nine, as the cut over Bartolo’s swollen left eye is reopened. Despite his best efforts, Bartolo simply lacks the stamina or the firepower to seriously trouble Pep. In rounds nine and ten, the ringside doctor is called in for repeated examination of the now massively swollen left eye, plus in round 10, the cut over the right eye is reopened as well. Mercifully, the bout is called late in round 10, and Pep is declared a deserving TKO 10 winner, putting an eand to this one-sided affair. The dominant showing lifts Pep to 25-2 (16) overall, and he is set to rule the roost in the FW division for the foreseeable future. Bartolo takes the loss in stride, and his post-bout career mark is 28-8-4 (7).

May 26, 1945: The month wraps with a big card at Los Angeles’ Olympic Auditorium. A WBA title bout headlines the agenda, amply supported by an NABF Flyweight title bout. Former WBA Flyweight Champ is the challenger, taking on Dado Marino for Marino’s NABF Fly belt; Marino’s other title, the USBA Flyweight belt, is not at stake. Third meeting of the two, each having won once before; Marino’s win came in 1944 on a cuts stoppage, enabling him to claim this belt. The bout is close through the opening few rounds, with Jurich having the upper hand in terms of the punches landed stats. Then, midway through round five, Jurich connects with a vicious hook; Marino goes down and is barely able to beat the count. Jurich is unable to immediately follow up, and Marino survives the round but, by the midway point, Jurich is well ahead on the unofficial card (59-54). In the second half of the bout, Marino, who is more of a defensive-minded boxer, is forced to come out and be more aggressive. However, Jurich, also known as the “Rose of San Jose,” remains focused and grinds out a solid UD 12 (115-112, 114-113, 115-112), with the early KD playing a major role in the outcome. Post-bout records: Jurich, 30-7-1 (18); Marino, 22-5 (13). Then, in the main event, back in action after winning the WBA BW title just two months previously, is David Kui Kong Young, and he faces OPBF BW Champ Little Pancho in his first defense of that title. First meeting of the two, and Kui Kong Young, who is still in the Prime of his career, is heavily favored over the post-Prime Pancho. A slow start by the Champ gives Pancho an opportunity, and he holds his own through the first four rounds of the bout. The two exchange some sharp blows battling on the inside in round five; after this, despite holding the edge in the punches landed stats, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Kui Kong Young ahead (48-47). Kui Kong Young finally gets on track with a strong round in the sixth, and early in round seven he rocks Pancho with a hard hook. Pancho remains upright and covers up to last the round, but the tide has turned in favor of the defending Champ. By round eight, there is noticeable swelling around the right eye of the challenger. The stamina factor kicks in, favoring the younger man; Kui Kong Young demonstrates his superiority by landing some telling blows in round nine, including a hard cross late in the round that staggers the determined Filipino challenger. After ten, it’s clear that Kui Kong Young is dominating the fight; the unofficial card has him up by a sizable margin (98-92). Having gradually worn down his opponent, Kui Kong Young puts Pancho on the canvas in round 12, connecting with a well-timed uppercut. Pancho is able to quickly regain his footing, and he manages to last the round, as well as the rest of the bout, as Kui Kong Young eases up a bit in the final few rounds. As expected, Kui Kong Young retains the title with a comfortable UD 15 win (146-137, 147-136, 147-137). With the win, Kui Kong Young runs his career record to 34-3-4 (17). The loss leaves Pancho, who will be at End career stage with his next outing, at 49-15-8 (10).

[JCWeb]

The last post regarding the lengthy run of Jock McAvoy as GBU MW Champion (now approaching 15 years) got me interested in doing some research into other lengthy title runs. I could only find four instances (including McAvoy) of a title being held for a decade or more by the same fighter over a continuous period. Two were WBA titles, and two were regional titles.

Here's the complete list:

Jock McAvoy (Oct. 1930 to present), GBU MW (14 defenses)

NP Jack Dempsey (Dec. 1885 - June 1897, WBA MW (28 defenses)

Joe Choyinski (Apr. 1890 - Mar. 1901), WBA LH (18 defenses)

Packey McFarland (May 1910 - Aug. 1920), NABF WW (22 defenses)

Of course, two of these were in the early years of the Universe, when there were simply not a large number of credible challengers in most weight classes. The longest serving current Champion, WBA HW Champ Joe Louis, has reigned since Feb. 1939, or a little more than six years, but his total of 25 consecutive successful title defenses is approaching the record set by NP Dempsey in the early years.

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the first half of June 1945. No WBA title bouts, but plenty of regional titles are at stake in this month’s action.

June 1, 1945: The month commences with a Friday night card at Johannesburg, South Africa. Due to the lack of any “Friday night fights Down Under” this month, several Aussie fighters have headed here to perform in front of the South African fight fans. No titles at stake, and the main event pits the OPBF LW Champ, Aussie Vic Patrick, up against former WBA and CBU LW titleholder Dave Castilloux, from Canada. First meeting of the two and the first notable moment occurs late in round two, when Patrick connects with a nice uppercut that staggers Castilloux, who covers up and manages to last the round. Late in round four, another Patrick uppercut finds the target, ripping open a cut over Castilloux’s right eye. Then, in round five, Patrick dominates the action on the inside. He manages to reopen the cut and, after the ref consults the ringside physician and allows the bout to continue, Patrick corners Castilloux and then puts his opponent down and out with a vicious hook. Impressive KO 5 for Patrick, running his career record to 22-2 (17). Castilloux drops to 33-16-3 (9) with the loss.

June 2, 1945: The scene shifts to Atlantic City’s Convention Hall, where the headliner is a meeting of former WBA MW Champ Ken Overlin, who faces a rising star in unbeaten MW Jake LaMotta, who has been rapidly rising up the MW ranks. First meeting of the two in this non-title bout, and it is a solid start from LaMotta, who moves inside in round three to press his early advantage. However, Overlin, despite being at Post-Prime, is able to work his way into the bout, keeping it close. At the halfway point, LaMotta is up by one (48-47) on the unofficial scorecard. Into the second half of the bout, and LaMotta continues to take the fight to his veteran opponent in an aggressive fashion. With both the punches landed stats and stamina factors favoring his younger opponent, Overlin finally comes forward and takes the initiative in the final two rounds, but to no avail. LaMotta walks away a UD 10 winner, although the scores were reasonably close (96-94, 98-93, 96-95), as Overlin proved to be a difficult opponent. Post-bout records: LaMotta, 22-0 (17); Overlin, 42-16-5 (14).

June 8, 1945: Next card at Montreal is topped by twin title bouts, both for regional titles. In the first of these, Ernie Roderick is on hand to defend his Commonwealth WW title, and the challenger is Canadian Berger, who is contending for his first ever title. First meeting of the two, and after a rather boring opening few rounds, Roderick opens up in round five, decking Berger with a hard cross. The Canadian challenger is able to regain his footing, covering up to last the round. At the midway point, the unofficial card has Roderick with a comfortable lead in points (60-53). Not much changes in the second half of the bout, and Roderick is able to retain the title via a lopsided UD 12 (119-108, 119-108, 118-109) to move to 34-16-4 (7) overall; the loss leaves Berger at 27-16 (6). In the second co-feature, at stake is the NABF BW title, with another Canadian, Fernando Gagnon, who emerged from the Pre-Prime stage of his career with a perfect 20-0 record, challenging for the title against defending Champ Manuel Ortiz. First meeting of the two, and the bout is a close one through the opening few rounds. Then, a minute into round five, Ortiz floors Gagnon with a vicious cross, and Gagnon is barely able to beat the count. By round six, there is noticeable swelling under the right eye of the challenger. At the halfway point, Ortiz is up two (58-56) on the unofficial card. In the second half of the bout, some good defense from Ortiz is able to negate any efforts by Gagnon to mount a rally. The bout goes the distance and, despite some favorable hometown judging that makes the scores close, Ortiz retains the title via a MD 12 (117-110, 114-114, 114-113), handing Gagnon his first career loss. Post-bout records: Ortiz, 28-6-2 (16); Gagnon, 20-1 (15).

June 9, 1945: More doubleheader title bout action topping the next card at Rome’s Sports Palace. In the first of these, Italy’s own Aldo Spoldi makes the third defense of his EBU LW title, facing a first-time title challenger, Frenchman Emile Di Cristo. First meeting of the two, and DiCristo hopes to take advantage of the fact that Spoldi has recently hit Post-Prime career stage. The bout remains close through the opening few rounds, and neither man has the upper hand. At the midway point, Spoldi hs a slight points lead (58-57) on the unofficial card. Spoldi steps up the pace, showing more initiative as the second half of the bout unfolds. As the bout wears on, Di Cristo tries to become more active, taking a more aggressive approach in the final two rounds, but he comes up a bit short as Spoldi ekes out a SD 12 (115-114, 114-115, 115-113) to retain the belt, taking the final round from two of the three judges to secure the win. Post-bout records: Spoldi, 47-12-6 (17); Di Cristo, 19-6-2 (7). Next up is another EBU title contest, with Istvan Enekes facing Mustapha Mustaphaoui for the EBU Flyweight title recently vacated by Peter Kane, who captured the WBA Flyweight title. First meeting of the two and, after a couple of indifferent opening rounds, Enekes moves inside and takes charge in round three. However, with Enekes at Post-Prime, Mustaphaoui begins to assert himself in the middle rounds, pulling ahead in the punches landed stat. At the midway point, the unofficial scorecard has the bout even (57-57). Into the second half of the bout, Enekes continues to work inside, while Mustaphaoui is content to stay on the outside. Late in round seven, Enekes connects with a hard cross right before the bell that stuns Mustaphaoui, but there is not enough time left in the round to follow up. Enekes goes on to grind out a UD 12 (117-113, 116-113, 117-112) to regain the title he held four times previously. With the win, Enekes improves to 46-14-2 (13), while Mustaphaoui ends the bout at 20-5-5 (6).

June 9, 1945: Next card at Pittsburgh features two former WBA MW Champions as Holman Williams puts his NABF MW title on the line, facing a tough customer in the “Man of Steel,” Tony Zale. The two have met twice before, each winning once, so this is the rubber match. The action picks up when Zale moves inside in round three and launches a two-fisted attack, landing sufficient blows to cause initial swelling to appear under both Williams’ eyes. Williams, however, is able to hold his own and, at the midway point of the bout, the unofficial scorer has the bout even (57-57). Zale continues to press the attack as the bout wears on; both fighters lands some solid blows in an action-packed round seven, and Zale’s corner is forced into action, hurriedly applying some ice to a welt forming under the left eye of the challenger. Less than a minute into the ninth round, Zale serves notice by ripping an uppercut to the head that stuns Williams, forcing the Champion to retreat and cover up; Williams manages to avert further damage and last the remaining two minutes of the round despite a powerful assault from Zale. Zale, still full of energy, continues pressing forward as the bout heads into the later rounds. In round 11, a Zale uppercut sends Williams tumbling to the canvas, and Zale is able to follow this up with a picture perfect cross for a second KD later in the round. Nonetheless, Williams is able to regain his footing after both knockdowns, and he gamely carries on, taking the bout into the final round. The bout goes the distance but, with the two knockdowns, Zale takes an undisputed UD 12 (117-111, 117-110, 119-109) to capture the NABF MW belt; he now sets his sights on another shot at the WBA MW title. The win, a big one, boosts Zale’s overall record to 39-6-1 (24). Williams takes the loss in stride, and his post-bout career mark is 47-10-1 (23).

June 15, 1945: To the West Coast for the next card at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Featured in the main event are a pair of post-Prime veteran BWs, as Georgie Pace and Lou Salica battle for the USBA BW title recently vacated by David Kui Kong Young, who is now the WBA BW Champion. The two met three times before with Salica winning twice and Pace, a former WBA BW Champ, winning once. Salica is on target early, and in round two, he manages to rip open a cut on Pace’s lip. At the midway point, Salica is ahead on the unofficial card (59-56). In the second half of the bout, Pace makes a determined effort to apply pressure by moving inside, ignoring the cut on his lip which has been closed due to some effective corner work. Despite Pace’s best efforts, he is unable to break through Salica’s defenses, and the SD 12 goes to Salica (117-110, 113-114, 117-110) by comfortable margin on a majority of the judges’ cards, although a third judge awarded the nod to Pace, who was by far the more aggressive of the two. Post-bunch records: Salica, 33-14-4 (13); Pace, 31-16-2 (20). Turns out this bout could be Pace’s last big night in the spotlight, as he will be at End career stage with his next outing.

[Hanson Bros]

good stuff!!

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the second half of June 1945. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report.

June 16, 1945: Next card takes place at Havana’s Gran Stadium. The main event is an LABF FW title bout, with Diego Sosa making his fifth defense of the title he won back in 1943. Former WBA FW Champ Simon Chavez is the challenger. The two met once before, also in Havana, back in 1944 for this very same title, and Sosa prevailed in a close bout, taking a MD 12 win. Chavez takes advantage of a sluggish start by Sosa to seize the upper hand in the early going. Sosa battles back with a strong round four, rocking Chavez with some solid shots and putting the Venezuelan fighter on his back heel. By the midway point, Sosa had worked his way into the bout, and the unofficial scorer at ringside had the bout as even (57-57). Late in round seven, Sosa breaks through and decks his more experienced opponent, finding the range with a powerful hook. Chavez regains his footing as the count reaches seven, covering up to last the remaining seconds of the round. Resting on his laurels, Sosa coasts for the final few rounds, decking Chavez a second time late in the final stanza to seal the win. The UD 12 (115-109, 117-107, 117-107) runs Sosa’s career totals to 22-4-2 (14). Chavez, who was at Post-Prime, drops to 37-23-4 (9) with the loss.

June 16, 1945: The scene shifts to Detroit’s Briggs Stadium, and featured in the main event is “Sugar” Ray Robinson, who opts to defend his NABF WW title, having been denied a shot at Marty Servo’s WBA WW title. Robinson faces veteran WW Izzy Jannazzo, who held the USBA WW title for three years from 1940 to 1943, but has been largely unsuccessful in attempting to win higher level titles (either WBA or NABF). First meeting of the two, and Robinson serves notice by connecting with a huge left a little more than a minute into the opening round; Jannazzo backs up against the ropes, and covers up, allowing Robinson to dish out more punishment, but Jannazzo manages to survive into the next round. Robinson continues to dominate the action, moving inside and scoring well with a huge round three. Robinson is equally adept and working on the outside as well as on the inside and, by the end of round five, he has inflicted sufficient damage to cause a welt to form under Jannazzo’s left eye. Nonetheless, Jannazzo has managed to pick up a couple of rounds on the unofficial scorecard, which has Robinson ahead by two (58-56) at the halfway point, although the punches landed stat and the stamina factor seems to tell a different tale – i. e., a rather dominant performance by “Sugar” Ray. In the second half of the bout, Jannazzo, who is more of a boxer type than a slugger, attempts to apply more pressure even though it is not his normal style. Robinson is finally able to break through and deck Jannazzo, landing a hard shot just before the end of round nine; Jannazzo is saved by the bell, so the bout proceeds to the final few rounds. Another KD by Robinson follows late in round 11, and “Sugar Ray” goes on to a comfortable UD 12 (117-110, 118-108, 118-109) to move his career totals to an excellent 25-1-1 (17). Post-bout, Jannazzo slides to 41-9-4 (13).

June 22, 1945: Next is a Friday night card at a rarely used venue, Buenos Aires’ Luna Park, and Argentinian fight fans are thrilled to play host to a WBA title matchup. First up, in the main supporting bout, are two regional Champions, both ranked among the top five FWs, as NABF FW Champ National Kid faces OPBF FW Champ Tsuneo Horiguchi in a non-title contest. First meeting of the two, yet the action picks up in the opening round, as a Horiguchi cross rips open a cut over Kid’s left eye. The existence of the cut does not seem to faze Kid, who carries on as normal, gradually piling up an early edge in the punches landed stat. Early in round four, Horiguchi rocks Kid with a hard hook, but he is unable to follow up. The bout is a close one and, at the halfway point, the unofficial card has Kid, the more accurate puncher, on top (49-47). In the second half of the bout, Horiguchi takes a more aggressive approach; in round seven, is able to reopen the cut over Kid’s eye, and he follows up with a straight run that stuns Kid, forcing the Cuban fighter to cover up. Kid continues to take a more conservative approach, staying on the outside and doing all he can to prevent the cut from being reopened. Horiguchi continues to press, and the connects with a big hook in the final round, but Kid manages to remain upright and lasts the remainder of the round to the final bell, despite some noticeable swelling around his right eye. Despite the late second half surge from Horiguchi, the bout is adjudged a draw (97-94 Horiguchi, 96-96, 95-95). Post-bout records: Kid, 26-6-3 (11); Horiguchi, 38-11-3 (20). Then, the fans are on their feet for the main event, as Joe Louis is on hand to make yet another defense of his WBA HW title facing, for the third time, Argentinian Alberto Santiago Lovell. The two met twice before, with Louis winning both on TKO stoppages, but their most recent bout, for the WBA title in 1943, saw Lovell offer some resistance that eventually ended in an 9th round stoppage in favor of the “Brown Bomber.” This time around, Lovell manages to survive the opening couple of rounds relatively unscathed. Then, in an action-packed round three, both fighters manage to draw blood: first, Lovell lands a hook to the head, opening a cut under Louis’ right eye; then, Louis bloodies Lovell’s nose, and the pro-Lovell crowd is on its feet at the end of the round, a strong one for the Argentinian challenger. The cut under Louis’ eye remains bleeding into the next round, but Louis is able to quickly reopen the cut on Lovell’s nose, and then he lands sufficient blows to cause some puffiness to appear under the left eye of the challenger. Next round, the fifth, sees both men jockeying for position on the inside, with Louis finding the range with some sharp blows, reopening the cut on Lovell’s nose. After a few more blows, Lovell’s face is a bloody mess, and the ref steps in to call a halt. Louis is declared a TKO 5 victor, once again winning inside the distance, and another solid effort from Lovell falls short. For Louis, it is his 26th consecutive successful title defense, and he runs his career totals to 51-1-1 (49). The loss by Lovell snaps a three-bout winning streak, leaving the Argentinian slugger at 34-17-1 (27).

June 23, 1945: Next card takes place in New Orleans. The main event is a USBA title matchup, but first up an exciting supporting bout matching two top five BW contenders, namely former WBA BW Champ Benny Goldberg, who faces Ritchie Tanner, the current EBU and GBU BW titleholder. The two met once before, in London in 1943, and Goldberg prevailed via a final round knockout. This time, the bout is a close one, with both men demonstrating excellent boxing technique and defensive skills through the early rounds. By the midway point, the unofficial scorer has Goldberg with a slight points lead (48-47). In the second half of the bout, Goldberg begins to assert himself, dominating most of the action. By the final few rounds, Tanner is showing signs of fatigue and carrying his hands low as a result. Goldberg connects with a huge left early in round nine, and suddenly Tanner is in trouble. The bout goes to conclusion, no cuts or knockdowns, and Goldberg takes a solid UD 10 (98-93 on all cards). Post-bout records: Goldberg, 29-5-2 (13); Tanner, 25-9-2 (12). Then, in the main event, Willie Joyce is on hand to make his second defense of the USBA LW title he won in late 1943. For this defense, Joyce’s opponent is Chester Rico, who has yet to win a title, coming up short when challenging Jack Kid Berg for the WBA LW belt in his one prior effort. First meeting of the two, and Joyce takes advantage of a rather uncertain start by Rico to pile up an early lead. However, by round six Rico has found his rhythm, and he fires a right-left combination that rips open a cut over Joyce’s right eye. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer has Rico with a narrow lead (58-57), but the punches landed stat favors Joyce. The cut is patched up by Joyce’s corner between rounds, and Joyce goes on the offensive in the second half of the bout. In round eight, a sharp jab from Joyce bloodies Rico’s nose. The end comes in round 10, after Joyce lands a quick hook to the head, reopening the cut on Rico’s nose. At this point, the momentum appears to be with Joyce, but suddenly Rico manages to reopen the cut over Joyce’s eye, and it proves to be too severe. Over the protest from Joyce’s corner, the bout is stoppage. It goes into the books as a TKO 10 for Rico on the cuts stoppage -- a really surprising result since Joyce appeared to be well on his way to a successful title defense. With the win and his first career title, Rico improves to 24-8-5 (11) overall, while Joyce ends the bout at 27-8-3 (14). Tough loss for Joyce but, interestingly, there was a split in the judges’ cards after nine, with one favoring Joyce, while another had Rico ahead, with a third having the bout even at that point.

June 29, 1945: Next card is a Friday night affair at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Featured in the main event is a WBA title contest, amply supported by a couple of attractive supporting bouts. In the first of these co-supports, coming all the way from Australia is Commonwealth LH Champion Jack A. Johnson; his opponent, Melio Bettina, is a top five LH contender and a former USBA LH titleholder. The two met once before, in San Francisco in late 1943, with Bettina coming away a TKO victor via a cuts stoppage. In this rematch, the bout is a close one, with no cuts occurring in the first four rounds; Bettina is warned for holding and hitting near the end of round four. Bettina takes charge with a strong round in the fifth, winning the majority of the exchanges as the two fighters mix it up on the inside. Johnson remains upright, but returns to his corner with a noticeable mouse under his right eye. After the first five, the unofficial scorer has the bout even (48-48). Early in round six, a sharp uppercut from Bettina rips open a cut over Johnson’s left eye; Bettina continues by targeting the cut, which bleeds even more profusely as the result of another well-timed uppercut from Bettina. In between rounds, Johnson’s corner goes to work on the cut, which still oozes blood for another round. Into the final few rounds, and, with both men showing signs of fatigue, Bettina has the upper hand in the punches landed stat, so Johnson, throwing caution to the wind, goes on the offensive. However, it is the cut that eventually decides matter, after being reopened by a Bettina right hand midway through round nine. This time, the cut is deemed too severe to allow the bout to continue, so Bettina walks away a TKO 9 victor, in a re-run of their earlier contest. Post-bout career marks: Bettina, 35-9-6 (15); Johnson, 22-8 (17). Tough luck for Johnson, particularly when one considers that two of the three cards had him even on points at the time of the stoppage, while a third had Bettina with a two-point edge. Next supporting bout also features LHs, and this is for the NABF LH title, with Lloyd Marshall defending that belt for the sixth time, facing a veteran challenger in Danny “Irish” Devlin. First meeting of the two. After a couple of indifferent opening rounds, Marshall goes to work in round three, decking Devlin for an eight count near the end of the round; there is insufficient time left before the bell for Marshall to effectively follow up. A couple of rounds later, Marshall again breaks through, landing a vicious uppercut; this time, Devlin goes down and is counted out. Impressive KO 5 for Marshall, running his career totals to 30-5-3 (26) and possibly setting him up for a future WBA LH title challenge. Devlin, who is at Post-Prime already, fell to 40-20-7 (17) as a result. Then, in the main event, Marty Servo puts his WBA WW title on the line, facing a challenge from the #3 ranked WW contender, reigning USBA WW Champion Fritzie Zivic, the “Croat Comet.” It is the first meeting of the two, and there is widespread criticism of Servo for failing to take on a higher rated contender, current NANF WW titleholder, “Sugar” Ray Robinson. Once this bout is underway, Zivic seizes the early initiative, taking an aggressive approach while Servo, after a dull opening round, seeks to gradually work his way into the bout. After the first five rounds, the unofficial scorecard indicates a close contest, with both fighters even on points (48-48). The middle rounds of the bout see a similar pattern, with the challenger seeking to initiate action on the inside, while Servo is content to box from the outside. As the bout wears on, stamina becomes a factor, and it seems to favor Servo, who is six years younger and more mobile than the 32-year old Zivic. However, Zivic continues to grind away and, at the two thirds mark, the two are still deadlocked (96-96, according to the unofficial card). With all at stake in the final few rounds, Servo switches tactics and starts to mix it up on the inside. With the two men battling away late in round 11, Servo connects with a short, quick uppercut that sends Zivic to the canvas, but, with only seconds left in the round, Zivic is saved by the bell. From here on, Zivic takes an all-out aggressive approach, but he has run out of energy and his punches lack sting. The bout goes the distance, and Servo goes on to keep the title via a close but UD 15 (145-139, 143-141, 143-141), with the two-point round from the 11th round knockdown playing a key role in the outcome. Post-bout career records: Servo, 30-5 (11); Zivic, 37-14-6 (16). Possible Fight of the Year candidate, although usually that is reserved for bouts with more excitement in terms of multiple knockdowns. Serious fans of the WW division are eagerly awaiting another matchup of Servo with “Sugar” Ray Robinson, given that each man has won once in their two prior meetings, so there is hope that a rubber match will be in the offing. Of course, it must be remembered that the man Servo defeated to win the WBA title, three division WBA Champ Henry Armstrong, is still a dangerous foe, even after hitting Post-Prime career stage.

June 30, 1945: Final card of the month is a huge one, taking place at London’s Earls Court. Not one, not two, but three regional title bouts top the agenda. In the first of this triple feature, the Commonwealth Flyweight title is on the line, with Teddy Gardner and Terry Allen matched for the title recently vacated by Peter Kane, who won the WBA Flyweight title. First meeting of the two, and it is the first title shot for the 18-0 Allen, facing a much more seasoned competitor in the form of Gardner, who previously held this title before losing it to Kane. Most of the action in the early rounds favors Gardner, who holds a slight edge in terms of the punches landed; Allen recovers from a slow start and comes alive with a strong round in the fifth. At the halfway point of the bout, Gardner held at two point lead on the unofficial card (58-56). The action heats up late in round nine, when Gardner finds the range with a looping hook, knocking Allen to the canvas. Allen regains his footing quickly, and Gardner is unable to follow up in what little time is left in the round. Not much happens in the final few rounds, and, largely on the strength of the one knockdown, Gardner takes a UD 12 (115-112, 116-111, 115-112) to regain the Commonwealth title, running his career record to 24-5-1 (10) as a result. For Allen, it is his first career loss, leaving him at 18-1 (3). In the next title attraction, Bert Gilroy makes his first defense of the GBU LH title against the main he dethroned to take the title, “Fearless” Freddie Mills. However, Mills won twice previously and is thus confident of turning things around in this rematch. Late in round two, Gilroy connects with a glancing, overhand right and draws blood from a cut over the left eye of Mills. Midway through round five, Mills lands a strong shot, sending Gilroy tumbling to the canvas. Gilroy covers up, and he manages to last the round; by the end of the round, however, a welt was noticeable under the left eye of Gilroy, evidence of the effect of Mills’ punches. By the halfway point, Mills has a wide lead (59-54) on the unofficial card, but his corner is still busy dealing with the cut, which was reopened in round six. Despite the cut, Mills continues to swing away, deftly mixing an outside and inside attack while maintaining an aggressive posture. Gilroy, seeing the title slipping away, gradually becomes more aggressive as the bout wears on. In round nine, while the swelling around Gilroy’s eye worsens, he manages to land some effective blows and cause some initial puffiness to appear under Mills’ right eye. Gilroy continues to swing away right until the end, but it is not enough, as Mills regains the GBU title with a UD 12 by a fairly comfortable margin (117-111, 117-110, 115-112). Post-bout records: Mills, 27-11-1 (14); Gilroy, 28-12-3 (16). The final chapter in this trilogy of title bouts brings HWs to the fore, as long time top contender Tommy Farr puts his GBU HW title on the line, facing a first time title challenger in Bruce Woodcock. At 18-1, Woodcock is one bout away from hitting his Prime, but in Farr, he faces a fighter near the end of this career. First meeting of the two, and Woodcock impresses with a strong start, particularly in round two, where he lands some solid blows to put Farr on the defensive. Late in round four, Woodcock snaps Farr’s head back with a strong shot, and the veteran Welsh fighter covers up to last the round. In round five, Woodcock continues to look sharp, hurting Farr with a three-punch combination; Farr’s right eye begins to puff up as a result of the accumulated punishment to this point in the fight. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Woodcock with a nice points lead (59-55), reflective of a two-to-one lead in the key punches landed count. Finally, in round nine, the bout comes to an after Woodcock decks Farr three times, twice from uppercuts, ending in an automatic TKO 9 win for Woodcock. The win runs Woodcock’s career record to 19-1 (16). For Farr, now 53-23-4 (16), the time to hang up the gloves has come, as he announces his retirement after a 20 years in the ring.

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the first half of July 1945. One WBA title bout is included in this report.

July 6, 1945: The second half of the year starts out with a Friday night affair at Miami. Some HW action in the main event, which matches two regional Champions in a non-title bout, as Jersey Joe Walcott, the reigning USBA HW Champ, faces his LABF counterpart, Arturo Godoy. First meeting of two, but Walcott wastes little time in gaining Godoy’s attention, connecting with a big hook in the opening round; momentarily stunned by the blow, Godoy covered up and managed to survive the opening round onslaught. After another strong round in the second, Walcott moves inside to inflict more damage in round three. Godoy takes a tumble to the canvas in the third round, the victim of a Walcott cross. In round five, Walcott finishes matters, decking Godoy twice, first with a combination, then with an overhand right. Although Godoy is able to regain his footing, he is clearly shaken, and soon after the last knockdown, the ref steps in to wave the fight off. Impressive TKO 5 for Walcott, who is looking to challenge for a WBA or NABF title soon; he moves to 52-8 (31) with the win. Godoy, who will be at Post-Prime after this bout, drops to 37-18 (15) with the loss.

July 7, 1945: First post-WW II card in France takes place at the Palais des Sports in Cannes. A HW clash tops the card, with EBU HW Champion Walter Neusel facing Tommy Gomez in a non-title bout. No prior meetings of these two, but Neusel is at Post-Prime career stage. Tough start for Neusel, who suffers a cut over his right eye in the opening minutes of the bout. The cut is patched up between rounds, but Gomez lands a solid hook to put Neusel on the canvas in round two. Neusel beats the count and attempts to cover up, but then a Neusel combination drops him for a second time. Neusel struggles to regain his footing, and there is not enough time left in the round for Gomez to finish matters. Gomez continues on an aggressive posture in round three, decking Neusel a third time with a cross. This time, a groggy Neusel regains his footing but is in big trouble, plus he is hampered by a swollen left eye. Gomez follows up, and the ref steps in to call a halt with less than a minute left in the round. Impressive TKO 3 for Gomez, lifting him to 26-4-1 (24) overall, and moving him further up the HW rankings. Neusel, who will need to make a defense of his EBU title soon, slips to 35-19-3 (23) after the loss.

July 7, 1945: To St. Louis for the next fight card, and a USBA title matchup tops the agenda. In this bout, George Abrams is on hand to make his second defense of the USBA MW title he won in 1944. His opponent, Coley Welch, aka “the fighting Iceman,” is hoping to repeat his earlier success, an upset points win over Abrams in a 1941 encounter. After fairly pedestrian opening couple of rounds, the bout devolves into a tactical battle, with both fighters evenly matched. It is an impressive display from Welch, a first-time title challenger, who is able to keep pace with the Champion; by the midway point of the bout, he has a slight lead (58-56) on the unofficial scorecard. With Welch clinging to a slight edge in both the punches landed and stamina factors, Abrams shifts to a more aggressive approach in the final rounds of the bout, all in a desperate effort to retain his title. The bout goes the full 12 and, with Abrams unable to mount a successful rally, Welch takes the belt via a UD 12 (116-112 on all three cards). Post-bout records: Welch, 29-8-3 (14); Abrams, 26-9-2 (10).

July 13, 1945: Next up is a Friday night card at Johannesburg’s Rand Stadium. The main event matches South Africa’s former World Champion, LW Laurie Stevens, with Ike Williams, a young American LW who is 10 years younger than Stevens. No prior meetings of the two, and Williams wastes little time, connecting with a right hand late in the opening rounds that causes Stevens, who is hurt, to cover up. Williams continues to hammer away in round two, connecting with several solid blows, doing enough damage to cause some initial swelling under the left eye of Stevens. Midway through round three, another good round for Williams, and this time it is a big left hand that causes Stevens to retreat and cover up once again. Williams continues to dominate the action, and this time the ref steps in to call a halt with seconds remaining in the round. Thus, the bout goes into the books as a TKO 3 for Williams, who runs his career record to 24-1-1 (21) with his fourth win in succession. Meanwhile, Stevens ends the bout at 35-14-1 (21).

July 14, 1945: Next card is at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. Headliner is a WBA title bout, preceded by a main supporting bout matching a couple of BW contenders, with former WBA BW Champ Johnny King facing the “Pocket Battleship,” Luis Castillo. First meeting of the two, and Castillo, who is 11 years younger than King, is hoping to take advantage of the fact that the British ex-Champ has recently hit Post-Prime career stage. Nothing much happens for the first few rounds, with both fighters jockeying for position and probing for openings. The bout is close one heading into the fifth round, when both men trade blows on the inside in some toe-to-toe action. After the first five, the unofficial scorer has Castillo with a slim lead (48-47). King takes a more aggressive approach in the second half of the bout, scoring well with a strong round seven. The issue remains in doubt up and until the final round, when King drills Castillo with some sharp blows, flooring the Mexican fighter, then following up with a second KD from a sharp uppercut. Castillo arises on rubbery legs, and there is plenty of time remaining for King to follow up and, with Castillo out on his feet, the judge calls a halt, and King walks away a TKO 10 win. Post-bout career marks: King, 61-10-4 (26); Castillo, 22-7 (11). Then, in the main event, two-division Champ Baby Arizmendi makes another title defense, as Commonwealth LW Champ Lefty Satan Flynn challenges for Arizmendi’s WBA LW title. First meeting of these two in this bout, the third defense of Arizmendi’s title. As in the prior bout, the action is slow to develop, with Flynn initiating most of the early activity, although he has little to show for his efforts through the first four rounds. Then, midway through round five, a hard shot from the challenger connects, and Arizmendi drops to the canvas, arising only after taking a seven count. The Champ covers up and manages to last the round, but the damage has been done, and Flynn has a nice points lead on the unofficial scorecard (49-45) with the first five rounds in the books. The middle rounds of the bout follow a similar pattern, with the challenger pressing the attack, while Arizmendi is content to try to control things while remaining on the outside. Arizmendi had a slight edge in the punches landed stats, but a couple of strong rounds in rounds eight and nine put Flynn ahead in this crucial category. At the two-thirds point, Flynn had pulled even further ahead (98-92) on the unofficial card. Sensing his title slipping away, Arizmendi takes a more aggressive approach as the bout enters its final stages, but, in round 12, he runs into a Flynn cross and goes down for a second time. From here on it is a mere formality as the bout goes the distance, and, based on the strength of the two knockdowns, Flynn takes the title with a solid UD 15 (148-136, 145-139, 146-138), indicating that Arizmendi’s days as a serious title contender may have come to an end. Post-bout career records: Flynn, 34-13-3 (17); Arizmendi, 54-11-4 (13).

July 14, 1945: To Philadelphia for the next card. No title bouts on the agenda, and the feature matches former WBA WW Champ Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong with Joe Legon, a Cuban fighter and former LABF WW titleholder. First meeting of the two and, with Armstrong at Post-Prime condition and Legon still at Prime, the Cuban has some reason for hope. Legon takes advantage of a slow start from Armstrong to build an early lead in punches landed, plus he manages to cause some swelling under Armstrong’s left eye that is apparent as early as late in the second round. Armstrong finally gets going, but he seems to be a shell of his former self. After five rounds are in the books, the challenger has a healthy points lead (49-46) on the unofficial scorecard. In the second half of the bout, the onus is on Armstrong to press the action, and an offensive-minded Armstrong closes the gap with a couple of solid rounds in rounds six and seven. At this point, both protagonists have become tired and, by the final round, with the issue hanging in the balance, both men are swinging away freely. Into the final minute, and Armstrong fires a jab that misses and then a right hand that is blocked, leaving himself open for a strong cross from Legon that puts “Homicide Hank” down and out. KO 10 for Legon, who runs his career record to 31-13-6 (14) as a result. For Armstrong, it is only the second time in his career than he has been knocked down and failed to beat the count (the first being a KO loss to Barney Ross back in 1937); he ends the bout at 45-9-3 (38).

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the second half of July 1945. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report.

July 20, 1945: Time for another Friday night “Down Under” card, and it’s a good one, with a CBU title clash featured with a couple of ranked MW contenders in a supporting bout. In the co-feature, CBU MW Champ Dave Sands takes on veteran MW contender Aaron “Little Tiger” Wade in a 10-round, non-title bout. First meeting of the two, and Sands, who is 10 years younger, seeks to get back in the win column after suffering his first career loss to Charley Burley. Midway through round two, a solid hook from Sands drops Wade on his back; Wade beats the count and covers up to last the round, but there is puffiness under both his eyes as he returns to his corner, a result of the very effective two-fisted attack from the Aussie Champion. Wade recovers with a good round three, but it is Sands, the hometown hero, who bounces back with two more KDs in round five, forging a solid points lead (48-45 on the unofficial card) by the midway point. Wade works his way into the bout and even has a slight edge in terms of punches landed; however, Sands connects with an uppercut, dropping Wade a fourth time in round nine. The bout ends up going the distance and, largely on the strength of the four knockdowns, Sands takes a UD 10 (96-90, 96-90, 97-89) to run his career record to 23-1 (15). Wade drops to 31-12-3 (13) after the loss. Then, in the main event, FWs are featured, as Aussie Eddie Miller challenges Dave Crowley for Crowley’s Commonwealth FW title – this represents Crowley’s first defense of that belt in over three years. No prior meetings, but plenty of action in the opening round, as Crowley opens a cut over Miller’s right eye, but later in the round, Miller stuns Crowley with a hard cross, but Crowley remains on his feet and covers up to last the round. Despite the cut, Miller is the aggressor through the opening rounds. Crowley targets Miller’s injured eye, which begins to swell as early as the third round. The cut eye is reopened a couple of times, keeping Miller’s corner busy; meanwhile, Crowley keeps grinding, and he holds a nice lead in points (60-55 on the unofficial card) as well as punches landed at the halfway point. It is the cut that decides the bout, when it is reopened for a third time in round seven, and an immediate stoppage results. TKO 7 for Crowley on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout career marks: Crowley, 40-28-1 (16); Miller, 25-11-1 (10). A peek at the judges’ cards showed Crowley well ahead, so it was unlikely that Miller would have prevailed in any event.

July 21, 1945: A MW clash tops the agenda in the next card, held at the Gran Stadium in Havana. Two familiar foes do battle, as Puerto Rico’s Jose Basora faces Chile’s Antonio Fernandez for Fernandez’s LABF MW title. In four prior encounters, Basora has won three times, Fernandez just once, this coming in their most recent meeting, a year ago, which saw Fernandez capture the LABF belt. However, since that time Fernandez has hit Post-Prime career stage, so Basora enters the bout as a slight favorite. Bad luck for Fernandez in the opening round, as the Chilean is cut over his right eye, the result of a solid right landed by the challenger. Basora elects to target the cut and, after it is reopened in round four, he manages to force an early stoppage as the cut worsens during the round. TKO 4 for Basora, who once again is the LABF MW Champion, lifting him to 26-5 (18) overall; the loss drops Fernandez to 39-21-4 (13)..

July 21, 1945: To San Francisco’s Cow Palace for the next card, and the headliner is a USBA title bout, but first a non-title supporting bout matching Harold “Homicide Hal” Hoshino, in his first outing since losing the WBA FW title to Willie Pep; his opponent, Carlos Chavez, is a top 10 contender. First meeting of the two and, not surprisingly, the action takes awhile to develop. Hoshino is the more active of the two and, at the midway point, he has a nice points lead (50-46) on the unofficial card. In the second half of the bout, Chavez, who is primarily a boxer and not a slugger, is forced to become more active, contrary to his natural proclivity. However, Chavez is unable to seriously trouble Hoshino; in fact, in the final minutes, he goes down twice and is saved by the final bell. Thus, Hoshino bounces back from the title loss with a solid UD 10 (99-90 on all three cards) to move to 34-4-3 (18) overall. Chavez slips to 24-5 (8) with the defeat. Then, in the featured bout, BWs take to the ring, as Tommy Forte, attempting to bounce back from the loss of his NABF BW title to Manuel Ortiz, challenges Lou Salica for the USBA BW title that Salica recently won from George Pace. This represents the third meeting of the two, with inconclusive results (two draws) in their prior matchups. A strong start by Forte coupled with a slow start from Salica give the challenger an early edge. The situation changes early in round three when a combination from Salica draws blood, and a cut appears over Forte’s left eye. The cut is patched up, and Forte rebounds quickly, staggering Salica with a hard hook midway through round five. In round six, a hard jab by Forte gets through, and this causes a cut over Salica’s left eye. At the midway point of the bout, Forte is ahead (by a count of 59-56) on the unofficial scorecard. Into the later rounds, a huge edge in terms of the stamina and punches landed factors seem to portend a Forte victory. However, the bout is not over, as in round eight, Salica reopens the cut over Forte’s eye, putting his likely win in doubt. Salica targets the cut, which continues to ooze blood into round nine, but then is patched up in the corner before round ten. The battle of the cuts continues in round ten, when the cut over Salica’s eye is reopened. Again, the cut is closed in the corner between rounds, but the bout is halted in the middle of round 11, when the cut over Forte’s eye is reopened once again, but, after a stoppage is ordered, the result goes to the scorecards, as the initial cut is ruled to be the result of an accidental clash of heads back in round three. A check of the judges’ cards after ten reveals a difference of opinion, with one judge finding Salica the winner, while the other two have Forte on top, so he take a STD 11 (96-95, 95-96, 97-95) to capture the title. Post-bout records: Forte, 34-6-2 (12); Salica, 33-15-4 (13).

July 27, 1945: Next up is a Friday night card at Mexico City. The main event matches two top LW contenders, Tony Chavez and “the Sweetwater Swatter,” Lew Jenkins in a 10-round, non-title tilt. One prior meeting, back in 1941, saw Chavez prevail with the USBA LW title at stake. This time, with no titles on the line, the action heats up a minute into round two, when Jenkins is stunned by a right delivered with some power by Chavez. Chavez has the upper hand through the early rounds, but Jenkins battles his way back and, at the midway point, the unofficial scorer has the bout even (48-48). In round seven, the two mix it up on the inside, and Chavez decks Jenkins with a nice combination; Jenkins is able to beat the count, but the bells sounds before Chavez can do further damage. The bout goes the rest of the way with Jenkins desperately attempting to land a knockout blow, but Chavez hangs on, doing just enough to take a UD 10 (97-93, 96-94, 96-94), with the one KD playing a huge role in the outcome. Post-bout, Chavez improves to 40-14-4 (15) with the win. The loss leaves Jenkins at 30-8-4 (14).

July 28, 1945: Twin title bouts top the next card at the Olympia in London. A WBA title clash headlines the agenda, amply supported by a GBU title contest. In the first co-feature, the “Rochdale Thunderbolt,” Jock McAvoy, is making another defense of the GBU MW title he has held since 1930. This time the challenger is Vince Hawkins, a first time opponent for McAvoy. Solid start from Hawkins, who demonstrates some excellent boxing skills and takes an early lead in terms of punches landed. In the middle rounds, McAvoy takes the initiative to step up the pace; by the midway point of the bout, a check on the unofficial scorer’s card has Hawkins with a narrow lead (58-57), indicating that the title McAvoy has held for almost 15 years is definitely up for grabs. Into the second half of the bout, and it’s clear that the 37-year old McAvoy is fading badly, while his 22-year old challenger remains fresh. Desperate to keep his title, McAvoy becomes more and more aggressive as the bout wears on. In the end, however, Hawkins maintains a two-to-one edge in the punches landed stats, and he is rewarded with a UD 12 (119-109, 117-111,117-111) to topple McAvoy, the longest serving titleholder in any division. Post-bout career records: Hawkins, 18-6-3 (7); McAvoy, 41-22-6 (26). In the second co-feature, recently crowned WBA Fly Champ Peter Kane makes his first defense of the WBA Flyweight title, facing a tough challenger, former WBA Champ Jackie Jurich, who now holds the NABF Flyweight belt. In three prior encounters, Kane won once but Jurich, twice, including a 1942 WBA title clash. In this rematch, Kane is the more active of the two in the early going, but early in round four, he sustains a cut over his left eye, the result of a Jurich cross. Jurich is also able to land some additional shots, enough to cause Kane’s other eye to puff up. After five rounds, the unofficial scorer has the bout even (48-48), but the cut, which has been reopened, is a major cause for concern in the Kane camp. The cut continues to be an issue in the middle rounds, but Jurich seems to content to bide his time, boxing from the outside and waiting for an opening to develop. The cut is patched up, but reopened a second time in round eight. Finally, the cut decides matters when it is reopened a third time in the 10th round, leading to a stoppage. Jurich is declared the winner via a TKO 10, and he regains the title for the second time, improving his career record to 31-7-1 (19); the loss drops Kane to 32-7-1 (13), but both boxers remain at Prime career stage, so yet another rematch could be in the offing.

July 28, 1945: The month’s action concludes with another big card at the Polo Grounds in New York City. A WBA title clash tops the card, preceded by a USBA LH title bout, and Archie Moore makes the seventh defense of this title which he won in 1943. Moore’s challenger is former WBA LH Champ Gus Lesnevich; the one squared off once before, back in 1941 for the NABF LH belt, with Moore emerging as a UD 12 victor. Slow start by Moore, conceding an early lead in punches landed to a determined Lesnevich. However, Moore takes charge in round five, landing punch after punch, eventually forcing a weary Lesnevich into submission. With only seconds remaining in the round, the ref steps in to save Lesnevich from further punishment, and Moore is declared a TKO 5 victor. Post-bout records: 35-3-4 (25) for Moore; 36-13-3 (16) for Lesnevich. In the feature, it is Charley Burley seeking to regain the WBA MW title he held in 1943 and 1944, and he challenges Steve Belloise who took the title from Al Hostak earlier in the year. No prior meetings of these two, and thus it’s a long sorting out process. Both fighters look sharp early, and it is a close fight through the opening rounds. Midway through round four, Burley lands a big hook flush on Belloise’s chin, staggering the Champ, who covers up and manages to last the round. After five rounds are in the books, Burley has a slight points lead (48-47), plus the added bonus of a welt forming under Belloise’s left eye. In round six, a Burley cross connects, sending Belloise to the canvas. Belloise is able to beat the count and, once again, uses the cover up strategy to last the round. However, in round eight, another Burley cross finds the mark, and this time Belloise goes down and is counted out. KO 8 for Burley, who regains the WBA MW title and improves to 38-2 (26) as a result. The loss leaves Belloise at 27-6-1 (13). s his career record to 31-13-6 (14) as a result. For Armstrong, it is only the second time in his career than he has been knocked down and failed to beat the count (the first being a KO loss to Barney Ross back in 1937); he ends the bout at 45-9-3 (38).

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the first half of August 1945. No WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Aug. 3, 1945: The month commences with a Friday night card at the Syracuse War Memorial Auditorium. Featured in the main event are a pair of MW contenders, indeed, two former WBA MW Champions as the “Savage Slav,” Al Hostak, faces Ken Overlin. The two have fought twice before, each winning once, but Overlin is at Post-Prime while Hostak is attempting to come back after losing the WBA title to Steve Belloise (who has since been dethroned by Charley Burley). In this rematch, Hostak is the more aggressive of the two, constantly stalking his opponent. For the first half of the bout, Hostak is unable to penetrate Overlin’s defenses, and the bout is a close one. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorecard has Hostak up by one (49-48), with a couple of even rounds. The stamina factor favors Hostak, who begins to assert himself with a big round in round eight. The bout goes down to the final round when Overlin gets a bit careless and is dropped by a barrage of blows from Hostak. After taking a five count, Overlin eschews the cover up strategy but is vulnerable to a series of strong follow ups from Hostak that force an early end, as the ref steps in to save Overlin from further punishment. TKO 10 for Hostak, running his career record to 41-10-2 (31). Overlin drops to 42-17-5 (14) with the loss. Interestingly, a peek at the judges’ cards after nine showed Overlin well ahead on one and even on another, so the rather cavalier aggressive approach in the final round appears to have been a poor strategy choice on his part.

Aug. 4, 1945: An EBU Flyweight title bout tops the agenda in the next card, held at the Sports Palace in Rome. Istvan Enekes, now at Post-Prime, is defending that belt against a challenge from Hans Schiffers. First meeting of two, as the journeyman Schiffers has always been ranked a cut below a top contender like Enekes; however, Schiffers has gradually worked his way up to #10 in the Flyweight rankings to earn this, his first title shot. Schiffers makes the most of this opportunity, keeping the match close through the opening rounds. By the midway point, to the surprise of many, Schiffers has a slim one point lead (58-57) on the unofficial card. Despite suffering from a stamina deficit, Enekes continues the press as the bout enters its second half. The bout remains extremely close headed into the final few rounds, with Schiffers content to stay on the outside, countering any aggressive moves by Enekes. No cuts or knockdowns, as the bout goes to decision and, in a mild upset, Schiffers takes the title via a UD 12 (115-112, 117-110, 116-111), winning the last three rounds on all three cards to cement the victory. Post-bout records: Schiffers, 24-6-5 (8); Enekes, 46-15-2 (13).

Aug. 4, 1945: To Chicago for the next card, and the headliner is a NABF title bout, with an unbeaten challenger, the “Bronx Bull,” Jake LaMotta, challenging Tony Zale, the “Man of Steel,” for Zale’s NABF MW title. An active approach to the bout from LaMotta, who seizes the early initiative, moving inside in round three. Early edge in punches landed stat for the challenger, However, the gritty Zale responds with a strong round four, and the impact of his punches causes some puffiness under the left eye of LaMotta. Zale is able recover from his relatively slow start and, at the halfway point of the bout, the unofficial scorecard has Zale with a slight points lead (58-57). Zale continues to press forward as the bout heads into the later rounds, and LaMotta also takes an aggressive approach, leading to a doubled edged contest. Zale adds to his early lead in the punches landed stat, and a tired and frustrated LaMotta gets more and more aggressive as the rounds tick off. Other than some slight puffiness under his right eye, Zale remains largely impervious to LaMotta’s efforts, and Zale goes on to take a UD 12 (118-110, 117-111, 117-111), retaining the title and handing LaMotta his first career loss. Post-bout records: Zale, 40-6-1 (24); LaMotta, 22-1 (17).

Aug. 10, 1945: Next up is a Friday night card at Havana’s Gran Stadium. Featherweights are featured in the main event, and two regional titleholders square off in a non-title bout as LABF FW Champ Diego Sosa faces “the Aldgate Tiger,” newly crowned GBU FW Champ Al Phillips. No prior meetings, but it does not take long for the action to heat up, as Phillips decks Sosa in the opening round with a wild overhand right. Sosa struggles to his feet and is able to last the round by covering up. After the excitement of the opening round, things settle down, with Sosa gradually working his way into the bout. At the midway point, Phillips retains the two-point lead from the opening round on the unofficial card (48-46). Sosa, urged on by the Cuban fight fans, presses forward in the second half of the bout. Sosa is able to battle back, staging a late rally and, in the end, Sosa’s aggressiveness is rewarded, as he takes a MD 10 (95-94, 95-95, 95-94), winning four of the last five rounds to complete the comeback. Post-bout, Sosa improves to 23-4-2 (14) with the win. The loss leaves Phillips at 24-6-1 (11).

Aug. 11, 1945: To Europe and Gothenburg, Sweden for the next fight card, and headlining the agenda is an EBU WW title bout, featuring Ernie Roderick, who also holds the GBU and Commonwealth WW belts, defending against a challenge from Italy’s Michele Palermo. This represents Roderick’s first defense of the title he won earlier in the year, and it is his second meeting with Palermo; their first encounter, way back in 1933 (when both were at Pre-Prime), ended in a draw. After a few uneventful rounds, the action heats up early in the fourth when a Palermo cross gets through and opens a cut over Roderick’s right eye. Then, later in the round, Roderick is penalized for hitting below the belt. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has the bout even (57-57), this including a point deduction from Roderick for the fouling in the fourth round. In the second half of the bout, Palermo targets the cut, which is reopened in round seven. In round nine, the cut is reopened a second time but Palermo’s corner also has problems in dealing with a rapidly swelling right eye. Meanwhile, the bout remains close, and Palermo has the slight edge in terms of the stamina factor. The outcome remains in doubt right up until the final rounds, with Palermo taking charge in round 11, then Roderick bounced back with a strong finishing round. In the end, the judges were unable to agree, with the SD 12 going to Palermo by a narrow margin (115-113, 113-115, 116-114) to win the EBU title in his fourth try after coming close a couple of times before. Post-bout career records: Palermo, 39-13-9 (10); Roderick, 34-17-4 (7).

Aug. 11, 1945: To the West Coast and Seattle’s Sicks Stadium, and the headliner is a clash of two WW regional Champs, as Cocoa Kid, the reigning LABF WW Champion, faces his OPBF counterpart, Aussie Jack McNamee, in a 10-round, non-title encounter. First meeting of the two, and McNamee is in difficulty early as he suffers a cut over his right eyebrow in the opening round. Kid continues to press forward, taking advantage of the situation and is the more active of the two in the early going. Late in round four, Kid is able to reopen the cut over McNamee’s eye. Kid has forged a solid points lead on the unofficial card (50-47) by the midway point. Round six sees the cut reopened a second time and, as the cut worsens during the round, it finally leads to a stoppage. Since the original cut was due to an accidental butt, the bout goes to the scorecards, and Kid takes a UTD 6 (50-46 on all three cards), as there appeared to be little chance of a comeback for McNamee. The win lifts Kid to 49-11-5 (13); however, he will hit Post-Prime with his next outing. McNamee ends the bout at 36-14-1 (23).

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the second half of August 1945. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Aug. 17, 1945: It’s time for another Friday night fights “Down Under,” this time with the card at the Melbourne Stadium. The main event features OPBF LW Champ Vic Patrick facing top five LW contender Sammy “the Clutch” Angott, who has journey all the way from the States to take on the Aussie hometown favorite. First meeting of the two, and a large crowd is on hand to see how the 22-2 Patrick fares against some high quality competition in this 10-round, non-title contest. After a decent start with a strong round two, Patrick moves inside to apply some pressure in round three. Angott, the vastly more experienced of the two, is able to slip most of the punches, but Patrick is putting up a good showing against the former USBA LW Champ. Then, in round four, Patrick delivers a huge wake up call, dropping Angott with a hard shot; the wily veteran allows the count to reach nine before arising, then covering up to last the round. By this time, there is noticeable puffiness under the left eye of Angott. By the midway point, Patrick has a clear points lead (50-44) on the unofficial scorecard. Angott, staring a possible loss in the face, decides to abandon his cautious, passive approach in the second half of the bout, gradually becoming more aggressive. For his part, Patrick takes a more relaxed approach, seeking to control the action from the outside. In the end, Angott is unable to stage an effective comeback, and the bout goes the distance, with Patrick taking a convincing UD 10 (99-90, 99-90, 98-91) over a quality opponent, running his career record to 23-2 (17). Angott drops to 31-9-6 (11) with the loss.

Aug. 18, 1945: Next card takes place at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. No Canadian fighters in the main event, which matches a pair of Flyweight contenders, as recently dethroned WBA Fly Champ Rinty Monaghan, now on the comeback trail, faces “the Fighting Jockey,” Jimmy Gill, the current GBU Flyweight titleholder, in a non-title bout. The two met once before, in London two years ago, with Monaghan taking a UD in the midst of a five bout winning streak that culminated with his winning the WBA title. Monaghan goes on the attack right away, trapping a sluggish Gill in the corner, firing away with a big uppercut that rips open a gash over Gill’s left eye. Monaghan presses home this early advantage and, later in the round, he opens a cut over Gill’s other eye with another uppercut and, with just seconds remaining in the round, the ref steps in quickly to call a halt. The cuts stoppage means it goes into the books as a TKO 1 for Monaghan. Post-bout records: Monaghan, 37-10-1 (12); Gill, 37-15-4 (12).

Aug. 18, 1945: To Los Angeles for the next card, which is topped by a WBA title bout. First up, two ranked LW contenders take to the ring, as Ike Williams, who is off to an excellent 24-1-1 career start, faces Lenny “Boom Boom” Mancini. No prior meetings, and Williams gets off to an excellent start, taking the fight to Mancini, whose right eye begins to puff up after just two rounds. In round three, Williams is able to open up a cut over Mancini’s injured eye. By the midway point, Williams is rewarded with a comfortable points lead (50-45) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Not much changes in the second half of the bout, and Williams cruises to a lopsided UD 10 win (100-90 on all three cards) to run his record to 25-1-1 (21). Mancini ends the bout at 26-11-3 (7). Then, in the main event, it’s a rematch as Willie Pep defends his WBA FW title against Harold “Homicide Hal” Hoshino, the man he took the belt from earlier in the year As in their prior encounter, Pep looks sharp early, landing shots at will while dancing around the ring. After the first five rounds, it is a clean sweep for Pep, who leads by a wide margin (50-45) according to the unofficial card. By round six, there is a welt forming under Hoshino’s left eye; Pep continues to hammer away, and he forces another stoppage, this time with seconds remaining in the sixth round. Another Impressive stoppage win goes in the books as a TKO 6 for Pep. Post-bout records: Pep, 26-2 (17); Hoshino, 34-5-3 (18).

Aug. 24, 1945: Next up is a Friday night card at Pittsburgh. No titles at stake, and the main event showcases a pair of top 10 LH contenders, with Eddie Booker facing Harry Matthews. First meeting of the two, and Booker, the higher rated of the two, has the disadvantage of being at Post-Prime career stage. Solid start from Matthews, but Booker quickly settles in, and the bout is a close one. By the midway point, Matthews is ahead (by 49-47) on the unofficial card. Booker, who shows signs of fatigue as the bout enters its second half, tries to become more aggressive, but Matthews’ defense remains solid. By round eight, there is a mouse under Booker’s right eye. Late in round nine, Booker runs into a Matthews combination and goes down, taking an eight count before resuming. Matthews keeps matters under control the rest of the way, going on to take a UD 10 (98-92, 97-93, 97-93), improving to 25-5 (17) with the win, and enhancing his prospects at a future title shot. The loss leaves Booker at 30-8-2 (17).

Aug. 25, 1945: To London’s Harringay Arena for an exciting card; topping the agenda is a WBA title tilt, amply supported by a couple of 10-round, non-title contests, and each of these bouts a British Champion is matched with a highly regarded American fighter. In the first of these two co-features, newly crowned GBU HW Champion Bruce Woodcock, who is off to a 19-1 career start, faces American HW Nathan Mann. First meeting of the two, and it is Woodcock’s first bout at Prime, after winning the GBU HW title from aging veteran Tommy Farr earlier in 1945. Woodcock starts well, and he stings Mann with a hard uppercut midway through round three. By the midway point, Woodcock has built a solid lead (49-46) on the unofficial card. Mann is gradually worn down in the second half of the bout, offering little in the way of resistance. In round nine, Woodcock decks Mann with a hard cross and follows up with a second KD later in the round. Mann is able to cover up and lasts the distance, but it is a comfortable UD 10 for Woodcock (98-91 on all three cards), lifting the British Champ to 20-1 (16) overall. Mann ends the bout at 31-13-3 (22). LHs are featured in the second main supporting bout, and this time it is two-time GBU LH Champion “Fearless” Freddie Mills who takes on top five LH contender Melio Bettina. Bettina has had the edge with a win and a draw in their two prior meetings. Bettina has the upper hand after a couple of strong rounds in the second and the third. Mills moves inside in round four and takes the round’ by the midway point, the bout is a close one, with the count on the unofficial card favoring Bettina (48-47). In round six, Bettina is on target with most of his punches, and Mills’ left eye begins to puff up. Into the later rounds, and it is Mills who begins to tire first. Mills tries to become more aggressive but things get worse, as his other eye begins to swell. Then, with the rounds ticking off, Mills is able to fire a combination that decks Bettina midway through the ninth round. Bettina regains his footing quickly, covers up to last the round, and takes a cautious approach for the remainder of the bout. The bout goes the distance and, despite the knockdown, Bettina is able to eke out a MD 10 (95-94, 95-95, 95-94), much to the dismay of the London fight crowd who were hoping for a Mills win. Post-bout career records: Bettina, 37-9-6 (15); Mills, 27-12-1 (14). Entertaining bout between two guys in the Prime of their respective careers. Finally, the WBA BW title is on the line, as GBU and EBU BW Champ Ritchie Tanner challenges David Kui Kong Young for the belt. First meeting of the two, and it is a prototypical boxer vs slugger matchup with the heavy hitting Kui Kong Young in the role of the slugger. With the support of the British fans, Tanner is able to hold his own through the first two rounds, but in round three Kui Kong Young doubles up on his jab to set up a vicious combination that sends Tanner tumbling to the canvas. Tanner is able to beat the count and covers up to last the round, but the damage has been done. Tanner rebounds quickly, however, taking the fourth round with a strong showing. After another good round in the fifth, Tanner trails by just one (47-46) on the unofficial scorecard. After another strong round for Tanner in the sixth, Kui Kong Young steps up the pace and takes a more aggressive approach as the bout enters the crucial middle rounds. However, an interesting bout comes to a sudden and surprising halt early in round seven, when Tanner is called for frequent head-butting and disqualified. Kui Kong Young retains the title via a DQ-8, and the ref making the call needs a police escort to exit the arena. The win lifts Kui Kong Young to 35-3-4 (17); Tanner slips to 25-10-2 (12) with the loss. A peek at the judges’ cards after seven show Kui Kong Young ahead on all three; it remains to be seen if the controversial ending will trigger a rematch.

Aug. 31, 1945: The month concludes with a Friday night card at New York City’s St. Nicholas Arena, and the featured bout matches two top HW contenders, as former WBA HW Champ Max Schemling s welcomed in the States from wartorn Europe to face “Tampa” Tommy Gomez. First meeting of the two, with Schmeling attempting to drum up support for a WBA title rematch with Joe Louis, while Gomez is fresh off a surprising TKO over current EBU HW Champ Walter Neusel, who took that title from Schmeling. Decent start from Schmeling, but Gomez is quick to seize the initiative and takes rounds two and, in round three, he decks Schmeling with a big shot. Max is able to regain his footing but is decked a second time just before the bell, so a huge round for Gomez. Schmeling comes out aggressively in round four, but Gomez is able to dodge his roundhouse blows, finally trapping the German ex-Champ in the corner and finishing him off with a big hook. Max is counted out, and Gomez takes a big KO 4 win that immediately elevates him to the top echelon of HW contenders. Post-bout career marks: Gomez, 27-4-1 (15); Schmeling, 69-9-1 (45). Gomez, who fell short in his one shot at the WBA title earlier in the year, is angling for another chance against Joe Louis while Schmeling, now at Post-Prime, is wondering whether his days as a serious HW contender may be numbered.

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the first half of September 1945. A total of four WBA title bouts are scheduled for this month, one of which is included in this report.

Sep. 1, 1945: The month commences with a card at the Stadium in Liverpool. No title bouts on the agenda, and the main event features two MWs, with the “Fighting Iceman,” USBA MW Champ Coley Welch crossing the pond to take on British hopeful Tommy Davies. No prior meetings of the two, and it appears to be a tall order for Davies, as Welch is coming off a win over Georgie Abrams in which he captured the USBA MW title. The bout is fairly close for the first two rounds, before Welch goes on the offensive in round three; while Welch manages to get a couple of good shots in, Davies’ defense remains firm. Urged on by an appreciative crowd, Davies manages to keep Welch off guard and, by the midway point, the unofficial scorer has him well ahead on points (50-45), although the punches landed stats suggest a much closer bout. Into the second half of the contest, and Welch continues to apply pressure; in round six, he manages to rip open a cut over Davies’ left eye. The cut is quickly patched up between rounds, and Welch continues to apply pressure, forcing Davies into a defensive posture. Finally, near the end of round eight, with Davies’ right eye beginning to puff up, Welch lands a huge straight right that staggers the British fighter, but the bell sounds before Welch can do further damage. Lots of work for the men in Davies’ corner, as the cut has been reopened, in addition to the swelling under the other eye. Welch keeps up the attack as the bout enters the final stages, but in round nine he gets careless, allowing Davies to connect with a right hook that also draws blood just above Welch’s left eye. In the final round, an increasingly frustrated Welch continues his aggressive approach, reopening the cut a second time, but Davies manages to last until the final bell. The bout goes to the judges, and, in what can only be described as a major surprise, Davies pulls off the upset, taking a close but UD 10 (96-94, 97-93, 96-94), perhaps with the aid of a bit of hometown bias in the officiating. Post-bout, Davies improves to 22-6-2 (7). Welch drops to 29-9-3 (14) with the loss. With a “4” outboxing a “7,” certainly this bout merits consideration as a candidate for “Upset of the Year.”

Sep. 7, 1945: Next card takes place at a seldom used venue, the Cirkusbygningen Arena in Copenhagen. Another non-title bout tops the card, as Bep Van Klaveren, the “Dutch Windmill,” faces Freddie “Red” Cochane for the first time. Van Klaveren, a former EBU WW Champion who is now on the downside of his career arc, has an indifferent start before moving inside in round three to apply more pressure on his American opponent; in a sharp exchange, he manages to rip open a cut over the right eye of Cochrane. More action in round five, when the cut is reopened, plus Cochrane is penalized for excessive rabbit punching. Thus, at the midway point of the bout, Van Klaveren has a slim lead (48-47) on the unofficial card. The Dutch fighter, despite being behind in the punches landed stat, continues to target the cut over Cochrane’s eye and, when it is reopened a second time in round seven, a stoppage is ordered. Van Klaveren prevails via a TKO 7 on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout career marks: Van Klaveren, 43-19-10 (13); Cochrane, 33-13-5 (9). It will take some time for Cochrane to heal, meaning he will be at Post-Prime for his next outing in early 1946, his real-life retirement year.

Sep. 8, 1945: Heavyweights are featured in the main event at the next card at Chicago, as Jersey Joe Walcott challenges Roscoe Toles for Toles’ NABF HW title belt. The two have met three times previously, with Walcott winning all three. For the first four rounds, the bout is a close one, with Toles holding a slight edge in the punches landed count. In an action-packed round five, Walcott has the best of it as the two exchange blows on the inside. Walcott also wins the sixth round but the unofficial scorecard at ringside has Toles with a narrow lead (58-57) at the bout’s midway point. Into the second half of the bout, and Toles seems content to box from the outside, putting the onus on Walcott to take an aggressive approach to pressing the action. Toles continues to hold the edge in punches landed as the rounds tick off, with the stamina factor being relatively even. However, Toles’ defense remains solid and, despite a strong rally from Walcott in the final round, the SD 12 goes to Toles by the slimmest of margins (115-114, 114-115, 115-114). Toles, now 41-14-6 (7), defeats Walcott for the first time and, having won his last five bouts, is seeking a rematch with WBA HW Champ Joe Louis. The loss leaves a disappointed Walcott at 52-9 (31), but Jersey Joe retains his USBA HW title which was not at stake, and he remains a formidable HW contender.

Sep. 8, 1945: Next, the scene shifts to Buenos Aires’ Luna Park, and featured is a twin bill of LABF title matchups. The first of these is for the LABF LW title, which has been vacant 18 months (last held by Baby Arizmendi who went on to win the WBA LW belt), and it matches Cuba’s Humberto Sierra and Panama’s Ralph Hurtado who are vying for the second time, having battled to a draw in late 1944 when attempting to claim this same title. In this rematch, Hurtado takes charge with a strong round three, putting pressure on his opponent. Sierra, however, is the more accurate puncher of the two, and he does well enough in the other rounds to forge a nice points lead (59-55) on the unofficial card at the halfway point of the bout. In the second half of the bout, Hurtado, a boxer by nature, shifts tactics and tries to force the action on the inside. He closes the gap in the punches landed stat, plus Sierra begins to tire as the bout reaches the later rounds. However, in round nine, Hurtado, swinging away freely, gets careless and is caught repeatedly hitting below the belt, an infraction for which is he disqualified. Thus, Sierra becomes the new LABF LW Champion, backing into the title via a controversial DQ-9 result. Post-bout career marks: Sierra, 18-1-3 (7); Hurtado, 32-18-4 (10). The title bout loss is a difficult pill for Hurtado to swallow, particularly since he had pulled in front on all three judges’ cards at the time of the stoppage. In the second co-feature, another Cuban fighter, Jose Basora, is on hand to make his first defense of the LABF MW title he won earlier in the year; the challenger is a homegrown fighter, Raul “Telerana” Rodriguez. The two met once before, back in 1941 when both were at Pre-Prime, and Basora walked away a TKO winner. This time, Basora has a big opening round, staggering Rodriguez with an uppercut, opening a cut under the right eye of the challenger, while also causing some puffiness to appear under Rodriguez’s left eye – a cause for major concern for the Argentinian’s corner in between rounds. Rodriguez recovers from the poor start and gradually works his way into the bout, while his corner manages to keep the cut and swelling under control. In round six, Basora manages to reopen the cut, but the unofficial scorer has the bout as even (57-57) after six rounds are in the books. In the second half of the bout, and Basora presses forward on the inside, targeting the cut whenever possible. In round nine, Basora breaks down Rodriguez’s defenses, with his hammer blows doing some major damage and forcing an early stoppage. TKO 9 for Basora, who retains the title and improves to 27-5 (19) with the win. The loss leaves Rodriguez at 22-6 (13).

Sep. 14, 1945: Next is more Friday Night finds “Down Under” action, this time at Sydney, with Aussie Dave Sands, current Commonwealth MW Champ, taking on a former WBA MW Champ in Holman Williams. First meeting of the two, and it’s a non-title bout. Solid start from Sands, who moves inside in round three to press his early advantage. Williams is up to the challenge, however, and he opens a cut under Sands’ right eye while dominating the third round action. As the bout reaches the middle stages, to the dismay of the Aussie crowd, the momentum seems to have swung in Williams’ favor, and the American ex-Champ has pulled ahead to a slight lead (48-47) on the unofficial card at the halfway point as a result. As the rounds tick off, Sands becomes more and more aggressive but also a bit desperate, as he finds it difficult to break through Williams’ defenses. Williams goes on to take a comfortable UD 10 (99-91, 99-90, 99-90) to hand Sands his second career loss. Post-bout career records: Williams, 48-10-1 (23); Sands, 23-2 (15).

Sep. 15, 1945: Next up is a card at New Orleans’ Coliseum Arena, and the only bout of note is the main event, but it is for the WBA WW title. Making the second defense of the WBA title is Marty Servo, and his opponent, Izzy Jannazzo, holds a prior win (albeit via a split duke) over Servo, in a bout that took place also in New Orleans, in early 1944. In this rematch, Jannazzo takes advantage of a slow start from Servo and takes the opening couple of rounds. By round three, Servo is on track and he moves inside in round four to put more pressure on his opponent. After the first five, the unofficial card has Jannazzo up by one (48-47), indicating an extremely close bout headed into the middle rounds. The two boxers both elect to try to outwit each other, rather than relying on raw power to dominate their opponent. After being warned a couple of times for holding and hitting, a frustrated Servo moves inside and tries to pressure Jannazzo. Jannazzo, for his part, remains calm and continues to find the range with his punches, causing some initial puffiness around the right eye of the Champ. After ten rounds, the bout remains close on the unofficial card, with Servo still ahead by one (96-95). Both fighters tire down the stretch, and Servo’s aggressive thrusts are thwarted by the challenger. With a huge lead in punches landed, Jannazzo is content to remain outside, putting the onus on Servo to initiate the action. In the final two rounds, Servo takes an ultra-aggressive approach, and the two battle to the very end. No cuts or knockdowns, and the bout goes to decision, with Servo managing to retain the title (barely) as the result is a majority draw (143-143, 143-143, 147-139 Jannazzo) with one judge leaning heavily in favor of the challenger. Post-bout career marks: Servo, 30-5-1 (11); Jannazzo, 41-9-5 (13). Tough result for Jannazzo, who had the momentum until the final two rounds (one of which went to Servo, one of which was scored even on all three cards), and a narrow escape for Servo, who was already subject of much criticism for not giving the title shot to Ray Robinson, who most experts believed would have been a stronger challenger, although Jannazzo certainly proved to be a worthy adversary.

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the second half of September 1945. Three big WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Sep. 15, 1945: To the West Coast for the next card, at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. HWs are featured in the main event, a non-title bout matching top 10 contender Lee Q. Murray with fast rising Connie Norden, who has won his last five to move smartly up the ranks. Murray, in the meantime, sports a record of three wins and a draw in his last four outings. First meeting of the two, and Norden’s chances are hampered by the fact that he is at Post-Prime career stage. A slow start from Murray enables Norden to gain an early advantage in the punches landed stat, but Murray lands the heavier blows, so by the end of round four, there is a trace of swelling under Norden’s left eye. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has the bout even (48-48). In the second half of the contest, Murray holds a slight edge in terms of the stamina factor, and he closes ground in the punches landed stat. More heavy leather landed by Murray in round eight and, while Norden remains upright, his eye is definitely in worse shape. Norden is the aggressor in the final few rounds, but he is unable to make much of an impression on Murray, who goes on to take a UD 10 (97-93, 97-93, 96-94), running his career record to 27-6-1 (23). Post-bout, Norden drops to 22-5 (13) with the loss.

Sep. 21, 1945: Next, to San Juan, Puerto Rico for a Friday night card. Featured bout is another non-title affair, this time matching a pair of BW contenders, as one-time WBA BW Champ Benny Goldberg faces Georgie Pace. The two met once before, with Goldberg prevailing on points in a USBA title matchup, and Goldberg is favored to repeat in this bout, particularly since Pace has reached End career stage. Goldberg looks sharp early, and Pace offers little in the way of resistance, as he appears to be a punching bag for Goldberg, at least in the opening few rounds. In round four, Pace steps inside, hoping to change things, but this only seems to make matters worse as he ends the round with a rapidly swelling right eye – the result of the accumulated impact of Goldberg’s blows. At the midway point, a check of the unofficial scorecard confirms that Goldberg is dominating the action (with a 50-45 lead in points). Finally, in round six, Goldberg sends Pace to the canvas as he connects with a big cross; Pace regains his footing and is able to last the round with an effective use of the cover-up strategy. Goldberg remains in control the rest of the way and coasts to a UD 10 (100-89, 98-91, 100-89). Post-bout career marks: Goldberg, 30-5-2 (13); Pace, 31-17-2 (20).

Sep. 22, 1945: A solid card takes place at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, headlined by a WBA title bout. First up, in the co-feature, it is a rematch of two ranked FW contenders, as Mike “the Bronx Spider” Belloise, a former WBA FW Champ, faces Georgie Hansford, a two-time NABF FW titleholder, for the third time. In their two prior meetings, Hansford has a points win, while the two battled to a draw in their most recent meeting, in Boston earlier in 1945. This time around, Hansford gets off to a solid start and has the upper hand through the early rounds of this 10-rounder. Belloise recovers from his slow start, effectively moving inside to apply pressure to his opponent. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Hansford up by one (48-47). In the second half of the bout, Belloise continues to focus on his inside attack, while Hansford prefers to keep his distance. Trailing in terms of punches landed, Belloise takes greater risks, becoming more and more aggressive in the final few rounds, but to no avail, as Hansford scoops up the UD 10 (96-94 on all three cards). Post-bout, Hansford improves to 38-19-3 (11), while Belloise slips to 34-17-8 (11). Then, in the main event, the “Pittsburgh Kid,” Billy Conn, takes to the ring to defend his WBA LH title, facing a highly regarded challenger in Lloyd Marshall, the reigning NABF LH Champion. Conn prevailed in two prior meetings, but neither was without controversy, one coming via a split duke, the other, for the WBA title, came via a cuts stoppage that resulted in a technical decision in Conn’s favor. This time around, Marshall serves notice early on, landing a solid right near the end of the opening round that momentarily stuns Conn. Marshall continues to pose a strong challenge and, after the first five rounds, the unofficial scorer has Marshall in front (by a count of 49-46). Into the middle rounds, and the bout devolves into a tactical battle between the prototypical boxer (Conn) and the slugger (Marshall). Conn is able to work his way into the bout with some accurate sniping from the outside, and by the end of the seventh round, there is a trace of swelling under the left eye of the challenger. More accurate punching from Conn continues to keep Marshall off balance, and, as a result, Conn has managed to close the gap somewhat, although the unofficial scorer has Marshall still leading (96-94) after ten rounds, but the punches landed stats favor the defending Champ at this point. No shift in strategies as the bout enters its final stages, with Marshall holding a slight edge in terms of the stamina factor. Trouble for Conn in round 14, when a cut appears on his forehead; in addition to the cut, his corner must address a rapidly swelling left eye as well. Midway through the final round, a hard cross drops Conn on the canvas and, although Conn is able to beat the count, the damage has been done, and the title is all but lost. The 10-8 final round seals a UD 15 win for Marshall (144-142, 144-141, 140-145), as a win in the crucial final round would have sufficed to save the title for Conn. Post-bout career marks: Marshall, 31-5-3 (26); Conn, 35-8-3 (15). Possible Fight of the Year candidate.

Sep. 22, 1945: To Vancouver’s Exhibition Gardens for an exciting card, headlined by yet another WBA title clash. Plenty of action on the undercard, with several bouts featuring homegrown Canadian talent. In one of these, BW Kenny Lindsay, a “2” rated boxer, pulls off a major upset, taking a UD 10 from a former WBA BW Champion, K. O. Morgan. The win runs Lindsay’s career totals to 18-7 (10); the loss leaves the Post-Prime Morgan at 40-19-9 (19). Then, in the main supporting bout, Canadian LW Harry Hurst takes to the ring in his first try for a title, facing former WBA Champ Jack Kid Berg for the Commonwealth LW title recently vacated by Lefty Satan Flynn, who moved up to claim the WBA title. First meeting of the two, and some accurate punching from Berg in the opening few rounds causes some initial puffiness to appear under the right eye of Hurst. Then, in the third round, a powerful right cross from Berg rips open a cut on Hurst’s forehead. Late in round five, the Canadian crowd comes alive, as Hurst lands a solid left that rocks Berg; the savvy “Whitechapel Whirlwind” covers up and lasts the round without taking a knee. Despite challenges in dealing with the cut and swollen eye, Hurst has done well enough to grab the points lead (58-56) on the unofficial card at the halfway point of the bout. However, the cut continues to ooze blood as Berg takes an active approach at cutting off the ring in the second half of the bout, forcing the Canadian challenger into a defensive minded posture. Both the punches landed and stamina factors favor the veteran Berg, who seems determined to regain another title belt despite being on the downside of his long, illustrious career that includes WBA titles in the JWW as well as the LW divisions. In round nine, a new cut appears under Hurst’s left eye and that, plus the cut on the forehead that is still not closed, causes the ref to call in the ring physician, and the end result is an early stoppage, with Berg regaining the CBU title via a TKO 9. Post-bout career records: Berg, 55-22-5 (19); Hurst, 21-6-1 (9). A peek at the judges’ cards showed Berg holding slight points lead on all three at the time of the stoppage; however, the British veteran will hit End career stage with his next bout. Finally, the WBA LW title is on the line in the featured bout, with Lefty Satan Flynn making his first defense of that title, facing veteran Tony Chavez, who is in his third WBA title bout, having lost to Tony Canzoneri in both his prior efforts. These two have met twice before, each winning once, with Flynn’s win coming via a controversial DQ of Chavez. This time around, late in round one the action picks up as Flynn hurts Chavez when he connects with a strong uppercut; skillful use of the “cover up” strategy enables Chavez to keep the impact to a minimum. Flynn presses this early advantage, but Chavez’s defense remains firm and unyielding. At the five-round mark, Flynn has forged a solid points lead (49-45), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. Late in round six, Chavez absorbs a hard shot to the head from Flynn; this opens an angry looking cut over the right eye of the challenger. The cut is closed between rounds, but it remains an issue and, after it is reopened in round eight, it leads to an immediate stoppage. Flynn retains the title via a TKO 8 on the cuts stoppage. With the win, Flynn pushes his career record to 35-13-3 (18); the loss drops Chavez, who will be at Post-Prime with his next outing, to 40-15-4 (15).

Sep. 28, 1945: To the nation’s capital for a Friday night card at the seldom used Uline Arena in Washington, D. C. Topping the agenda is a non-title bout in the LH division as Jimmy Bivins, who has worked his way into the top 20 with three successive wins, takes on veteran Tony Shucco, a long-time top contender who is now on the downside of his career. First meeting of these two, and Bivins gets off to a slow start, enabling Shucco to build an early lead in the punches landed stat. By round four, Bivins is back on track, and there is a trace of puffiness under the right eye of Shucco. Then, in round five, Bivins is able to rip open a cut over Shucco’s swollen eye and, just before the bell, a sharp combination from “the Cleveland Spider Man” sends Shucco tumbling to the canvas. At the halfway point, Shucco still has a narrow points lead (48-47), according to the unofficial scorecard – this despite a 10-8 round for Bivins by virtue of the fifth round knockdown. In round seven, the cut over Shucco’s eye is reopened, and, a round later, the cut is still oozing blood. When the cut is reopened a second time, midway through round nine, it leads to an immediate stoppage. TKO 9 for Bivins, who was ahead on all three cards at the time of the stoppage; a win over a rated opponent lifts him to 24-2-2 (19) overall. Shucco, who slips to 38-22-5 (14) after the loss, is slated to hit End career stage soon.

Sep. 29, 1945: The month wraps with another WBA title bout and a fine card at the Olympia in London, England. British Flyweights are featured in both the main WBA title action as well as the chief supporting bout. In this co-feature, Jackie Paterson, a one-time WBA Flyweight Champ, is attempting to work his way back to the top as he faces OPBF Fly Champ Yoichiro Hanada in a 10-round, non-title bout. First meeting of the two, and not much happens for the first four rounds then, suddenly, late in round five, Paterson drops Hanada with a hard cross. The Japanese fighter is able to regain his footing after the count reaches first, but the 10-8 round leaves him trailing on the unofficial card (by a count of 48-46) at the halfway point. Hanada recovers quickly and continues to keep the bout close as the rounds tick off. Paterson has the edge in terms of the stamina factor, plus the support of an enthusiastic British crowd. The bout goes down to the final round when Paterson, confident of victory, is dropped by a cross from Hanada, allowing the Japanese fighter to even the KD count at one apiece. This creates a dilemma for the judges, who end up issuing a split verdict, one judge finding for Hanada, while the other two deliver a SD 10 in favor of Paterson (93-95, 95-93, 97-92). The win lifts Paterson to 25-5-2 (16), thus retaining his status as a top Flyweight contender; the loss drops Hanada to 34-17-4 (8). Then, in the main event, two-time WBA Champ Jackie Jurich is on hand to defend the WBA Flyweight title, facing Commonwealth Flyweight titleholder Teddy Gardner, a man whom he defeated once before, back in 1942, during his first stint as WBA Champion. Some accurate punching sees Jurich seize the early advantage and, by the end of the second round, there is already a trace of swelling forming under Gardner’s right eye. Jurich continues to dominate the bulk of the early action, hammering the British challenger with a crunching cross late in round five that staggers Gardner. After the first five, the unofficial card has Jurich well ahead (by 49-46). Into the middle rounds, Jurich, with a comfortable lead, elects to stay outside, so it is up to Gardner to try to open up things. The situation does not improve for the British challenger and, in round nine, Gardner is cut over his left eye. By the two thirds mark, Jurich has extended his lead on the unofficial card even further (to 99-92). In the later rounds, Gardner tries to mount a rally, but he has to deal with the cut reopening and the swelling worsen as the bout wears on. The bout goes the rest of the way without further incident, no knockdowns or stoppages, and Jurich takes a fairly comfortable UD 15 (145-140, 148-137, 145-139) to retain the title. Post-bout career marks: Jurich, 32-7-1 (19); Gardner, 24-6-1 (10).

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the first half of October 1945. One WBA title bout is included in this report.

Oct. 5, 1945: The month’s fistic activity kicks off with a Friday night card at Atlantic City. In the main event, LWs take to the ring, as fast-rising Ike Williams faces Beau Jack. One prior encounter resulted in a points win for Williams, back when both were at Pre-Prime career stage. After a solid start from Williams, Jack bounces back with a big round in the fourth, landing several effective punches and doing enough damage to cause some initial puffiness to appear under the right eye of Williams. After the first five rounds are in the books, Williams has only a slight edge (48-47), according to the unofficial card. The bout remains close as the rounds tick off, with both fighters taking an aggressive posture and looking for chances to dominate. Then, a minute into round eight, a sharp combination from Jack drops Williams, who scrambles to his feet after taking a four count. Jack maintains the pressure on his hurt opponent, then catches Williams with a hard cross that puts Williams down and out with less than 30 seconds remaining in the round. KO 8 for Jack, who runs his career record to 26-3 (18). For Williams it is only his second career loss, leaving him at 25-2-1 (21).

Oct. 6, 1945: The next card, in Rome, Italy, features an EBU LH title matchup as Anton Christoforidis of Greece challenges for the belt currently held by Austria’s Heinz Lazek. This is a rematch of their Aug. 1944 encounter, for this very same title, that resulted in a 5th round knockout for Lazek, who captured the belt from Christoforidis on that occasion. This time around, after a couple of non-descript opening few rounds, the challenger is holding his own, with a slight edge in the punches landed stat. By the midway point of the bout, Christoforidis has pulled ahead (59-56) on the unofficial card. In the second half of the bout, Lazek bears down, attempting to pressure Christoforidis by moving inside. However, some excellent defense and boxing by the Greek challenger thwart Lazek’s efforts, and Christoforidis goes on to regain the EBU title by taking a UD 12 (119-110, 117-112, 117-112). Post-bout career marks: Christoforidis, 29-13-3 (13); Lazek, 44-15-1 (25).

Oct. 6, 1945: Next is a big fight night in Chicago featuring none other than HW Champion Joe Louis in yet another title defense. Preceding the main event, the USBA WW title is up for grabs, as the “Croat Comet,” Fritzie Zivic, against a first-time title challenger, Billy Graham. First meeting of the two, and the action picks up in the second round, as Graham delivers a hook that rips open a cut over Zivic’s right eye. The cut continues to bleed for awhile but is gradually brought under control by Zivic’s corner. In round four, Zivic goes on the offensive, moving inside and landing a few good shots, but Graham is able to reopen the cut. The issue hangs in the balance as the bout heads into the middle rounds; at the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has it even on points (57-57). While Zivic continues to aggressive pursue his strategy of working inside, Graham seems to content to work outside, targeting the cut when possible. In round 10, Graham succeeds in reopening the cut a second time. Effective cornerwork closes the cut, which is, once again, reopened by Graham in round 11. The continues to bleed, but Zivic manages to wipe away the blood and last the distance. The bout goes to the judges, and Zivic manages to escape with a SD 12 in his favor (114-115 Graham, 116-113 Zivic, 116-113 Zivic) to run his career record to 38-14-6 (16). Tough loss for the rapidly improving Graham, who ends the bout at 20-4 (10). Then, the “Brown Bomber,” Joe Louis, takes to the ring to make a record 28th defense of his WBA HW title. The search for a new challenger has led to a title shot for young LH contender, Ezzard Charles, aka “the Cincinnati Cobra.” The two have combined for an astounding 72 wins (67 by knockout) in just 75 fights (the vast majority recorded by Louis). As it’s the first meeting of the two, the action takes awhile to heat up but, after a couple of good opening rounds, Louis moves inside in round three. Punches landed stats from the first three rounds favor Louis, who then catches Charles with a nice uppercut in round four. Charles fires back immediately and, to the surprise of the large crowd at Comiskey Park, Louis goes down and barely manages to beat the count. The Champ manages to last the round after effective use of the cover up strategy. In round five, both fighters mix it up on the inside, and Louis wins most of these exchanges, enough to forge a solid points lead (48-46) after the first five rounds, this despite being down once in the fourth. Louis continues to pile up points as the action heads into the middle rounds, and the stamina factor weighs heavily in favor of the defending Champ. Finally, in round nine, Louis catches up to a weary Charles, decking him with a barrage of blows. Charles attempts to cover up, but there is still plenty of time remaining in the round, as Louis killer instinct kicks in. He decks Charles a second time and, with 15 seconds remaining in the round, the ref steps in to save Charles from further punishment. TKO 9 for Louis, an impressive win for the HW Champ, coming off the deck to defeat a game challenger. Post-bout career marks: Louis, 52-1-1 (50); Charles, 21-2 (18).

Oct. 12, 1945: To Havana’s Gran Stadium for a Friday night card. Topping the agenda is a bout for the vacant LABF BW title, previously held by the recently retired Panama Al Brown. Taking to the ring to contest the belt are hometown favorite Humberto Espinosa and Mexico’s Ernesto Aguilar. Second meeting of the two, as Espinosa scored an easy points win in a 1942 encounter, although it should be noted that Aguilar was still at Pre-Prime when that bout was fought. This time around, Espinosa is at Post-Prime while Aguilar is in the Prime of his career. In round two, the action picks up as a hard right from Aguilar opens a cut under the right eye of Espinosa. The cut is reopened in round four but some good cornerwork keeps it from being a problem. At the midway point, the bout is a close one, with the unofficial scorer giving the edge to Aguilar (by a 58-57 count). In the second half of the bout, both fighters are content to work from the outside, with Aguilar maintaining a slight edge in both punches landed as well as endurance. In round nine, Espinosa decides to sharpen up his attack, moving inside, cheered on by the Cuban fight fans in attendance. Then, late in round 10, a second cut appears, this over the left eye of Espinosa, this cut being caused by an accidental head butt. Despite the two cuts, Espinosa is able to finish strongly, landing sufficient blows to cause some puffiness to appear under the right eye of the challenger. The bout comes down to the final round, and Aguilar is able to send Espinosa to the deck with a well-timed uppercut. Espinosa is able to scramble to his feet and finish the bout, but the 10-8 in the final round swings the bout in Aguilar’s favor, as Aguilar takes a MD 12 (116-112, 114-114, 116-113) to capture the LABF belt. With the win, Aguilar pushes his career record to 15-8-1 (6); Espinosa slips to 32-14-6 (13).

Oct. 13, 1945: The next card takes place at Pittsburgh. The main event matches Ben “Belter” Brown versus Tony Zale for Zale’s NABF MW title. This is the fifth (!) meeting of the two, with Zale having won all but one of the previous four bouts. While Brown hopes to reverse the earlier results, Zale is angling for another shot at the WBA MW title he held from 1940 to 1942. This bout sees Zale on target from the opening bell, outhitting Brown and putting the challenger on the defensive. By the end of the fifth round, Brown is already showing the effects, with some noticeable puffiness around his left eye being caused by Zale’s accurate punching. A the midway point of the bout, Zale is well ahead (59-56) on the unofficial scorecard. Being headed for a points less, Brown shifts tactics and takes a much more aggressive approach; meanwhile, Zale is content to stay on the outside, countering Brown’s aggressive thrusts where appropriate. A minute into round 10, Brown runs into a Zale hook and goes down for the first time; he arises at the count of seven and manages to last the round by covering up. Two more KDs follow in round 12, and Zale manages to finish matters by a late stoppage with less than half a minute remaining in the final round. The bout goes into the books as a TKO 12 for Zale, running his career record to 41-6-2 (25) overall. Brown slips to 35-11-3 (21) after the loss.

Oct. 13, 1945: To Western Canada for the next fight card, at the Edmonton Gardens. The main event matches former WBA WW Champ Eddie Dolan with current OPBF WW titleholder, Aussie Jack McNamee, in a 10-round, non-title contest. Dolan is on top early and, by the end of round three, there is noticeable swelling under the right eye of McNamee. McNamee is unable to recover from his poor start, so the post-Prime Dolan is able to forge a nice points lead (49-47) at the halfway point. In the second half of the bout, and McNamee starts to turn things around, dropping Dolan with a combination near the end of the seventh round; aided by the ropes, a groggy looking Dolan arises, but the bell sounds before McNamee is able to follow up. After taking a round to recover, Dolan is back on track in round nine, decking McNamee with a powerful blow; McNamee is able to beat the count, then covers up to last the round. The bout comes down to the final round, and McNamee, who is swinging away freely, drops Dolan for a second time and, while Dolan is able to regain his footing and finish the bout, this is just enough for McNamee to secure a draw (94-94, 94-94, 94-94). Post-bout career marks: Dolan, 42-15-6 (15); McNamee, 36-14-2 (23).

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the second half of October 1945. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Oct. 19, 1945: This month’s Friday night “Down Under” card boasts a twin feature, two non-title contests featuring regional titleholders from around the world. In the first co-feature, FWs do battle, as OPBF Champion Tsuneo Horiguchi faces EBU and Commonwealth FW titleholder Dave Crowley. Second meeting of these two, with Horiguchi taking a MD in their one prior encounter, at Manila in early 1944. Less than a minute into the bout, Crowley rocks Horiguchi with a three-punch combo, forcing the Japanese fighter to cover up. Horiguchi recovers quickly and bears down, gradually pulling ahead to a points lead (49-47) on the unofficial card after the first five rounds are in the books. Crowley battles back, managing to keep the bout close as the bout heads into the later stages. By round eight, there is noticeable swelling round Horiguchi’s right eye as a determined Crowley is back on track with some accurate punching. In round nine, Crowley swings away freely, landing repeatedly, and he eventually forces a stoppage. TKO 9 for Crowley, who moves to 41-28-1 (17) with the win. The loss leaves Horiguchi at 38-12-3 (20). In the second co-main event, popular Aussie Vic Patrick, the current OPBF LW Champ, faces his counterpart, EBU LW Champ Aldo Spoldi. First meeting of the two, and Patrick’s chances are enhanced by the fact that Spoldi is at Post-Prime career stage. The action picks up in the final minute of round two, when Patrick catches Spoldi with a quick, hard hook to the head; a stunned Spoldi is able to gather his senses and then cover up to last the round. Spoldi bounces back quickly with a strong round three, and there is a trace of swelling under Patrick’s left eye as the Aussie fighter returns to his corner at the end of the round. Both guys are content to mix it up in round five, and, when Patrick connects with a short, clean uppercut, Spoldi sinks to the canvas, allowing the count to reach two before resuming. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has Patrick well ahead (50-44), with the knockdown extending his advantage even further. A barrage of blows decks the post-Prime Spoldi for a second time in round seven, and this time, the veteran Italian fighter cannot beat the cound. KO 7 for Patrick, an impressive win that puts him in the mix as a possible WBA title hopeful. Post-bout career marks: Patrick, 24-2 (18); Spoldi, 47-13-6 (17).

Oct. 20, 1945: Next card is at London, at the Earls Court. Topping the agenda is an EBU title bout, and the main supporting bout sees former WBA Flyweight Champion Rinty Monaghan, still on the comeback trail, facing Austria’s Ernst Weiss in a non-title contest. First meeting of the two, and not much to choose between the two until round three, when Monaghan takes charge with a dominating inside attack. Weiss is able to keep the bout close and, at the halfway point, the unofficial scorecard has Monaghan up by one (48-47). Not resting on his laurels, Monaghan continues with an aggressive approach to the second half of the bout. Weiss, trailing and battling a swollen left eye, ends up swinging wildly, and is soon exhausted. No cuts or knockdowns in this one, as Monaghan goes on to take a routine UD 10 (97-93, 97-93, 98-92) to improve to 38-10-1 (12). Weiss drops to 34-15-2 (10) after the loss. Then, in main event, Marcel Cerdan, the “Casablanca Clouter,” is on hand to defend his EBU MW title. His opponent, whom he is meeting for the first time, is newly crowned GBU MW Champ Vince Hawkins. The bout turns out to be a short one, as Cerdan connects with an uppercut to the head in the bout’s opening minute, putting Hawkins down and out. KO 1 for Cerdan. Post-bout career marks: Cerdan, 41-7-3 (28); Hawkins, 18-7-3 (7).

Oct. 20, 1945: Next is a big fight card at New York’s Madison Square Garden, featuring some popular fighters on the rise in two featured bouts, notably “Sugar” Ray Robinson and “the Bronx Bull,” Jake LaMotta. In the first of these co-features, LaMotta, after suffering his first career loss to Tony Zale, is back in the ring, taking on former WBA MW Champion Holman Williams. No titles at stake, but a key crossroads bout for both fighters, with LaMotta, on his way up, versus Williams, an established top tier MW contender, still in the Prime of his career. First meeting of the two, and not much happens in the first three rounds, then LaMotta breaks through and is able to bloody Williams’ nose midway through the fourth round. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has LaMotta with a narrow lead on points (48-47). In round six, the cut on Williams’ nose is reopened, and LaMotta redoubles his effort to initiate action on the inside. The cut continues to plague Williams for the remainder of the bout and, with the issue still hanging in the balance, LaMotta continues to apply pressure and maintain an aggressive posture into the final few rounds. Williams’ counterpunching also has had an effect, and there is swelling around the right eye of LaMotta as a result. The bout goes the full 10, and Williams, with an impressive edge in the punches landed stat, is able to convince the judges and ends up a UD 10 winner (96-94, 97-93, 98-92). Williams won the last two rounds on all cards to secure the win; now 49-10-1 (23), Williams remains a viable MW title contender. LaMotta, whose second straight loss drops his career totals to 22-2 (17), will need to reassess his situation and perhaps be more selective in his choice of future opponents. Then, in the second co-feature, popular WW contender “Sugar” Ray Robinson makes another defense of his NABF WW title, facing Canadian challenger Johnny Greco in what appears to be a relatively “easy” title defense for Sugar Ray, who is in a holding pattern while awaiting another WBA WW title shot. Despite this being the first encounter between these two, Robinson wastes little time, dominating the action from the opening bell, landing punch after punch to cause a welt to form under Greco’s left eye as early as the end of round two. Into the middle rounds, and Robinson refuses to ease up, although Greco is proving to be a tough opponent. At the halfway point, “Sugar Ray” has built a decent points lead (59-56) on the unofficial card. Then, in round eight, a Robinson cross decks Greco for a two-count. Greco arises, but Robinson swarms all over the hapless challenger, finishing him off with a sharp combination, prevailing via a KO 8. Post-bout career marks: Robinson, 26-1-1 (18); Greco, 20-5-1 (11).

Oct. 26, 1945: Next is a Friday night affair at Manila’s Rizal Arena. In the main event, aging veteran Little Pancho, now at End career stage, makes another defense of his OPBF BW title, facing an up-and-coming prospect in countryman Tirso Del Rosario, who is still at Pre-Prime career stage. First meeting of the two, and a sluggish start by Pancho gives Del Rosario an opportunity to grab the early lead in terms of the punches landed count. Pancho tries to take control by moving inside in round four, but he just becomes an easier target for some very accurate punching by the challenger. By the end of round four, there is noticeable puffiness around both eyes of Pancho. By the midway point of the bout, Del Rosario is well ahead (59-55) on the unofficial scorecard. By the middle rounds, Pancho seems to have recovered from his slow start and settled into the bout, but conceding so many early rounds to Del Rosario has made his task of retaining the title belt much more challenging. By the 10th round, it is clear that Pancho is running low on energy and the title is slipping away. Del Rosario, who fought on the outside for most of the bout, takes an even more defensive posture in the final two rounds, and he emerges victorious, taking a UD 12 (116-113, 115-114, 117-112) to dethrone Pancho, who had held this title on three separate occasions dating back to 1937. With the win, Del Rosario improves to 15-2 (4); Pancho, who still is a couple of bouts away from retirement, slips to 49-16-8 (10).

Oct. 27, 1945: Twin title bouts top the agenda for the next fight card at the Coliseum Arena in New Orleans, including a WBA title encounter. In the first of these co-features, veteran LH Gus Lesnevich faces “the Cleveland Spider Man,” Jimmy Bivins, for the vacant NABF LH title, held until recently by Lloyd Marshall, who moved up and captured the WBA LH belt. The two have not met before and, for Bivins, it’s a big step up in class as he faces a former WBA LH Champ in his first try for a title. Lesnevich, for his part, is looking to get his career back on track after two recent losses to two top LHs in Marshall and Archie Moore. Decent start from Bivins, who keeps the bout close and then explodes in the fifth round, landing some good shots and causing some initial swelling to appear under the left eye of Lesnevich. At the midway point, the unofficial scorecard has Lesnevich up by two (58-56). Undeterred, Bivins continues pressing forward and, in round seven, he lands a glancing, overhand right that rips open a cut over Lesnevich’s right eye. Into the final few rounds, and both guys continue to take an aggressive approach, with the issue remaining very much in doubt. The cut over Lesnevich’s eye is reopened in round 10, but not much happens the rest of the way, and Bivins, with a strong second half, goes on to capture the vacant title via a UD 12 (116-112, 117-111, 115-113) to improve his overall career record to 25-2-2 (19). With the loss, his third in succession, Lesnevich is now 36-14-3 (16) overall. Then, in the second co-main event, the WBA FW title is on the line, with Willie “Will o’ the Wisp” Pep defending his title for the third time. His opponent, Cuba’s National Kid, is the reigning NABF FW Champion and is making his second try for the WBA title. No prior meetings, and Pep, as expected, uses the early rounds to establish his jab, making himself an elusive target by dancing out of range when Kid attempts to work his way inside. After the first five rounds are in the books, some solid boxing and defense from Pep has given him a solid points lead (50-45) on the unofficial card. However, late in round six, Pep sustained a cut over his left eye, requiring immediate attention from his corner, while also providing a target and some hope for the challenger. By the end of round eight, the accumulated impact of Pep’s accurate punching has caused a welt to form under Kid’s right eye. At the two-thirds point, the unofficial scorecard has Pep well in front (99-92). With the bout entering its later stages, Kid appears exhausted while Pep looks fresh as a daisy. Not much changes in the final five rounds, and Pep walks away a UD 15 winner (150-135, 149-136, 149-136) in another masterful performance. Post-bout records: Pep, 27-2 (17); Kid, 26-7-3 (11).

Oct. 27, 1945: Final card of the month takes place at Los Angeles, and it also features a WBA title bout. The bout is amply supported by an NABF title bout but first up, in a preliminary supporting bout, two top 10 HWs do battle for the first time, as “Tampa” Tommy Gomez faces Lou Nova in a 10-round, non-title affair. Gomez, who is a knockout artist, goes to work in round two, decking Nova with a hard cross that puts the post-Prime Nova down and out near the end of the round. KO 2 for Gomez lifts him to 28-4-1 (26) overall, while Nova is now 31-15-1 (24); Gomez is angling for a regional title shot soon. The remainder of the card features the BW division, and first up, Manuel Ortiz faces Tony Olivera for Ortiz’s NABF BW title. For Ortiz, this is the second defense of the title he won from Tommy Forte earlier in the year, and it is the first title shot for Olivera, who dropped a UD to Ortiz in their one prior meeting, also in Los Angeles, back in 1943. This time around, after a couple of indifferent opening rounds, Ortiz moves inside in round three, applying some pressure and gradually building an edge in the punches landed count over a determined opponent. By the midway point of the bout, there is noticeable puffiness under the challenger’s right eye, and Ortiz is ahead on the unofficial scorecard (59-57). In the second half of the bout, it is more of the same, with Ortiz easing up in the final few rounds as a desperate Olivera becomes more and more aggressive. In round 11, Ortiz sustains a cut under his left eye, but the cut does not factor in as he goes on to keep the title via a close but UD 12 (116-112, 115-113, 115-113). Post-bout career marks: Ortiz, 29-6-2 (16); Olivera, 27-8-1 (17). Then, in the final, David Kui Kong Young makes the third defense of his WBA BW title; his opponent is USBA BW Champion Tommy Forte. The two have met twice before, each winning once, so this bout represents the rubber match. This time, Kui Kong Young wastes little time, going to work and dropping Forte with an uppercut less than two minutes into the opening round. Forte is quick to return to his feet, covering up to last the round, but the damage has been done. After another strong round in round three, Kui Kong Young is well on his way to another successful title defense. After the first five, the unofficial scorecard has Kui Kong Young well in front (49-45). Kui Kong Young continues to dominate in the middle rounds, gradually wearing down his opponent. Forte also begins to suffer the effects from a partially swollen right eye. In round 10, Forte goes down again, the victim of a Kui Kong Young uppercut, but he is saved by the bell. After 10 rounds, the two-thirds mark of the bout, Kui Kong Young is well ahead on the unofficial card (98-90). With such a huge lead, all Kui Kong Young has to do is to stay out of trouble in the final few rounds, and he do so, coasting to a convincing UD 15 (147-136, 145-138, 147-136) to run his career totals to 36-3-4 (17). Forte ends the bout at 34-7-2 (12).

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the first half of November 1945. One WBA title bout is included in this report.

Nov. 2, 1945: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at “the Aud” in Buffalo. No title bouts on the agenda, and the main event showcases the talents of two MW boxers, with George “Georgie” Abrams facing Walter “Popeye” Woods. First meeting of these two, and both are still at Prime condition despite neither making much progress moving up the rather crowded ranks in this packed division. Looking to prove himself, Abrams wastes little time, dropping Woods with a barrage of punches less than a minute into the bout. Woods barely beats the count, then covers up and manages to survive the opening round onslaught. After the opening stanza, Woods is already showing the effects, with a trace of swelling visible under his left eye. Abrams continues to maintain his advantage through the first half of the bout; at the midway point, he is rewarded with a nice points lead on the unofficial scorer’s card (49-46). Trailing on points, Woods decides to open up, taking more risks with a very aggressive approach as the bout enters its later stages. In round nine, Woods does manage to work his way into the bout, dropping Abrams with a cross late in the round; Abrams arises after taking a four count, but he returns to his corner with some puffiness around his right eye as Woods’ punches have been having some impact. With the issue somewhat in doubt at one knockdown apiece, the bout comes down to the final round, and Abrams is able to show great resilience to shake off the effects of the knockdown and walk away with a narrow but UD 10 (96-93, 95-94, 96-93), winning the last round from two of the three judges. With the win, Abrams improves to 27-9-2 (10). Woods, who will hit Post-Prime with his next outing, ends the bout at 29-15 (16).

Nov. 3, 1945: Next card is at San Juan, Puerto Rico. Featured is an LABF WW title contest, with Cuba’s Joe Legon challenging Cocoa Kid for the title belt. These two have met four times previously, all with this same title on the line; Kid has won three, Legon once. Only difference is that, this time around, Kid is at Post-Prime career stage, so there is hope that Legon, who has held this title twice before, may win it for a third time. The action picks up near the end of the opening stanza, as Legon sends Kid to the canvas with a hard cross; Kid arises after taking a four count, then covers up to last the remaining seconds of the round. Kid recovers quickly and gets back on track with some solid boxing that puts him ahead in terms of the punches landed stat. By the midway point of the bout, Kid has come all the way back and even has a narrow lead (57-56) on the unofficial scorecard. In the second half of the bout, Kid stays back on the outside, while Legon, with a stamina advantage, presses forward on the inside. Kid remains calm and composed and, in round nine, he causes a cut over Legon’s right eye, although the replay suggests the cut may have been caused by a butt, and not a punch. It takes another round, but the cut is finally closed, and Legon goes headhunting, looking for a knockout, in the bout’s final couple of rounds. With some solid defense, Kid is able to overcome the impact of the early knockout and post a close but UD 12 (115-112, 114-113, 115-112) to keep the belt, winning two of the last three rounds on all three cards. Post-bout career marks: Kid, 50-11-5 (13); Legon, 31-14-6 (14).

Nov. 9, 1945: Next is a Friday night card at the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg, and the main event is a Commonwealth LW title clash, with South Africa’s Laurie Stevens challenging aging veteran Jack Kid Berg for the belt. These two pugilists have a long history: in four prior meetings, Stevens has lost three times and managed just one draw. The challenger, Stevens, seems to be the sharper of the two, landing more punches in the early going. By the end of round five, there is a trace of swelling under Berg’s left eye. At the midway point of the bout, Stevens has compiled a large points advantage (60-54), according to the unofficial scorer’s card. The effects of aging are apparent as Berg slows noticeably due to fatigue as the bout heads into the later rounds. Solid effort from Stevens, who comes away a UD 12 winner (118-110, 117-101, 106-112). The win lifts Stevens, who will hit Post-Prime with his next outing, to 36-14-1 (21). Berg slips to 55-23-5 (19) and is clearly on the downside of his career path, although he still retains the GBU LW title.

Nov. 10, 1945: Next is a big fight card at the Forum in Montreal, and a large crowd is on hand as it’s a WBA title bout topping the agenda. First up in the main supporting bout is a matchup of two regional titleholders in a non-title bout, as LABF FW Champ Diego Sosa takes on Sal Bartolo, who won the USBA FW belt earlier in the year. No prior meetings of the two, and it turns out to be a prototypical boxer vs slugger matchup, with Bartolo as the boxer, Sosa as the slugger. Despite some early aggression from Sosa, Bartolo seems able to control the matters and shoots in front in terms of the key punches landed stat. Late in round four, an increasingly frustrated Sosa is warned for holding and hitting. However, Sosa manages to keep the bout close and, at the halfway point, Bartolo has a slim lead (49-48) on the unofficIal scorecard. In the second half of the bout, it is Bartolo who begins to slow down, while Sosa’s punches still have some sting to them. Then, in round seven, Sosa decks Bartolo with a sharp combination; Bartolo is able to regain his footing after taking a seven count, covering up in order to last the round. Late in round nine, a Sosa hook does even more damage; while a stunned Bartolo is able to remain upright, his left eye has ballooned up from the accumulated impact of Sosa’s sustained attack. Sosa eases up in the final round, and he emerges victorious, taking a SD 10 (95-96, 96-95-97-94), pulling ahead on two of the three cards based on the critical 10-8 round in which the knockdown occurred. Post-bout records: Sosa, 24-4-2 (14); Bartolo, 28-9-4 (7). After this exciting contest, the ring is cleared for the main event, as Lefty Satan Flynn is on hand to defend his WBA LW title against the #1 challenger, NABF LW Champ Bob “Bobcat” Montgomery. Somewhat surprisingly, these two have not before; for Flynn, who has been an active Champion, this is his second defense of the title he won in July; for Montgomery, it is his third try for the WBA LW title, having fallen short in two prior efforts versus Jack Kid Berg and Baby Arizmendi, who has announced a possible return to the FW division. The action picks up midway through the opening round, when Flynn connects with a devastating uppercut that rocks the challenger, and Montgomery reverts to the “cover up” strategy to avert further damage. Flynn takes an aggressive approach through the opening rounds, but Montgomery’s defense firms up and, in round four, he is able to rip open a cut over Flynn’s left eye, the result of a glancing overhand right. The cut is patched up between rounds, only to be reopened in the next round; Montgomery follows up, decking Flynn with another powerful overhand right. Flynn is barely able to beat the count, but he goes down again, this time from a hook to the head. Flynn regains his footing, albeit on rubbery legs, at the count of six, and soon thereafter, with 39 seconds remaining in the round, the ref calls a halt. TKO 5 for Montgomery, who improves to 28-3-2 (16) with the win, taking the WBA title and proving that the third time is indeed a charm. For Flynn, the loss drops his career totals to 35-14-3 (18).

Nov. 10, 1945: To New Orleans for the next fistic action, which sees a couple of former WBA Champions do battle in the main event, as the “Savage Slav” takes on ”the Man of Steel,” with Al Hostak challenging Tony Zale for Zale’s NABF MW title. Third meeting of these two, and Zale has yet to defeat Hostak, who holds the edge with a win and draw in their prior encounters. Hostak is on top in the early going, taking advantage of a slow start from Zale to take an early lead in the punches landed stats. Zale gradually works his way into the bout and, by the midway point, he has pulled even (57-57), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. Both fighters continue swinging away in the second half of the bout, with Zale connecting with a cross that causes Hostak’s knees to buckle just as the bell sounds to end round seven. Slight edge for Zale in terms of the stamina factor, and the “Man of Steel” seems to get stronger and stronger as the bout wears on. Hostak battles back, however, nailing Zale with a three-punch combo near the end of the eighth. Like Hostak, Zale remains upright, and he relies on an effective use of the “cover up” strategy to avoid further punishment. With both fighters battling away in round nine, Hostak fires a left hook to the body that causes Zale to wince, and Zale is forced to cover up once again. The tide turns again in round 10, a strong round for Zale, who lands sufficient leather to cause Hostak’s right eye to puff up in dramatic fashion. Hostak retaliates in round 11, and this time it is Zale who is suffering from the effects of a rapidly swelling right eye. Both fighters continue to go all out until the final bell, and it comes down to the final minute, when Zale breaks through, decking Hostak with a combination of blows to the head and the body. Hostak is able to beat the count – barely – and manages to last the distance, although the damage was done. Despite the dramatic final round knockdown, the judges cannot agree on a winner, with the end result being a split draw (113-113, 115-112 Zale, 112-114 Hostak), with the late KD enabling Zale to hang on to the NABF title belt. Post-bout career records: Zale, 41-6-2 (25); Hostak, 41-10-3 (31). Hard to see a bout with an indecisive result qualifying for the Fight of the Year but, if there ever were such a bout, this one might be it, given the drama and action that continued right up until the final bell.

Nov. 16, 1945: Time for another Friday night fights “Down Under” card, this time in Melbourne, Australia. A CBU title bout is featured, and also of note is a supporting bout matching two regional Champions, as newly crowned EBU Flyweight Champion takes on his OPBF counterpart, Yochiro Hanada. The two met twice before, in 1944, also in Melbourne, and the bout ended in a draw. This time around, the action picks up in the final minute of the opening round, as Schiffers connects with a hook to the head that staggers Hanada. Then, in round three, Schiffers is cut over his left eye, and the cut continues to ooze blood in the fourth round. By the end of round four, more punishment dished out by the Japanese fighter has caused some swelling to appear under Schiffers’ right eye. By the halfway point of the bout, Hanada has a narrow lead on points (48-47). The bout remains a close one into the second half, with the German EBU titleholder having a slight advantage both in stamina and in the punches landed category. The cut over Schiffers’ eye, reopened in round seven, continues to be an issue, and it eventually leads to a late stoppage, early in the bout’s final round. Thus, it goes in the books as a TKO 10 for Hanada, who moves to 35-17-4 (9) as a result. Schiffers, who ends the bout at 24-7-5 (8) was up on two of the three cards at the time of the stoppage. In the main event, Aussie Jack A. Johnson makes the fourth defense of the Commonwealth LH title he won back in 1941. His opponent, Brit Bert Gilroy, a former two-time GBU LH Champion. Johnson is on top early when, midway through round two, he lands a sharp combination that rips open a cut over right eye of Gilroy. However, late in round three, Gilroy connects with a hard cross, and Johnson takes a tumble to the canvas as a result, arising after taking a count of eight, then covering up to last the round. However, Johnson is back in charge in the next round, re-opening the cut and dropping Gilroy, who arises on wobbly legs at the count of six before covering up to last the round. The unofficial scorecard has Johnson ahead on points (57-55) at the halfway mark. Johnson continues to hammer away, causing noticeable swelling under Gilroy’s left eye, this while the cut over the right eye still poses a challenge to Gilroy’s corner. The bout comes to an early end midway through the ninth round, when the cut is reopened a second time, and Johnson retains the title on a TKO 9 due to the cuts stoppage. Post-bout records: Johnson, 23-8 (18); Gilroy, 28-13-3 (16).

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the second half of November 1945. One WBA title bout is included in this report.

Nov. 17, 1945: It’s mid-November and the fistic scene heads to Gothenburg, Sweden’s Ullevi Arena for the next card. In the main event, the EBU WW title is at stake and the title matchup features two familiar foes, as Italy’s Michele Palermo defends the belt against “the Dutch Windmill,” challenger Bep Van Klaveren. In five prior meetings, the record is three wins and two draws, in favor of the challenger, Van Klaveren, who is looking to regain the EBU WW title for the fourth time. After a couple of desultory opening rounds, Van Klaveren goes to work on the inside in round three, but Palermo offers some stiff resistance. Late in round four, Palermo goes on the offensive, stunning Van Klaveren which a crushing hook that causes the Dutch challenger to cover up for the remainder of the round. However, a bit surprisingly, it is Van Klaveren who has the slight edge (58-57) on the unofficial scorer’s card at the midway point of the scheduled 12-rounder. Palermo takes a bit more active roll in the second half of the bout, mixing up an outside and inside attack, while Van Klaveren sets up shop on the outside. Punches landed and endurance factors both favor Palermo. As the bout heads into the later rounds, Van Klaveren’s corner gives him a signal to become more aggressive, to the action picks up a bit. In the final round, battling a swollen left eye, Van Klaveren goes all out for a knockout but comes up short. The bout goes to decision, and Palermo is able to retain the belt via a UD 12 (116-111, 116-111, 115-112) to run his career record to 40-13-9 (10). Van Klaveren, whose loss could be attributed to the fact that he was at Post-Prime for this fight, ends the bout at 43-20-10 (13).

Nov. 17, 1945: Next card is at St. Louis. Featured is a USBA MW title clash, with Coley Welch making his first title defense against a formidable foe in Freddie “the Boxing Bellhop” Apostoli. A former two-time WBA MW titleholder is on the comeback trail after losing a couple of bouts in late 1944 and early 1945. The two have met once before, with Apostoli prevailing via a third round TKO. Apostoli, working mostly on the outside, has the edge in the opening rounds. By the end of the fourth round, Welch is showing the effects, with Apostoli’s accurate punching having caused some noticeable puffiness under Welch’s left eye. By the midway point, Apostoli has forged a solid points lead (60-55) on the unofficial scorecard. In the second half of the bout, and it is Welch trying to force the action on the inside, while Apostoli stays on the outside. Welch is unable to make much of an impression on Apostoli, and, near the end of round 11, Apostoli drops Welch with a barrage of blows to score the bout’s only knockdown. The bout goes the distance and, as expected, Apostoli takes a UD 12 although the judges have it a bit closer (116-113, 116-112, 116-112) than one might have expected. Post-bout career marks: Apostoli, 36-13-2 (24); Welch, 29-10-3 (14).

Nov. 23, 1945: Next is a Friday night card at Mexico City, featuring Mexico’s own Baby Arizmendi, a former WBA Champion in two divisions, who has made the decision to come back at LW after losing the WBA LW title; his opponent, a top 10 LW contender, is none other than Chester Rico, the recently crowned USBA LW Champion. No prior meetings between these two, who face off in a 10-round, non-title contest. Arizmendi gradually builds an early lead in the punches landed stat, as Rico is slow off the mark in this one. The action picks up in round four, when a sharp jab from Rico opens up a cut over the left eye of Arizmendi. The cut is quickly patched up, and the Mexican ex-Champion enjoys a two-point advantage on the unofficial scorer’s card (49-47) after the first five. In the second half of the bout, it is Rico who takes a more aggressive posture, and in round seven, he is able to reopen the cut – bad news for Arizmendi, as this leads to a stoppage, and Rico is awarded the win via a TKO 7, to the disappointment and loud vocal disapproval of the pro-Arizmendi crowd of Mexican fight fans in attendance. The win lifts Rico to 25-8-5 (12). Arizmendi, who will hit Post-Prime with his next outing, ends the bout at 54-12-4 (13) and will be rethinking a possible return to FW and, perhaps, some easier competition as he seeks to regain at WBA title.

Nov. 24, 1945: Next is a big fight card at London’s Earls Court, and a WBA title clash tops the agenda. A couple of solid preliminary bouts provide ample support to the night’s main event. In the first of these two co-features, two top 10 Flyweights do battle as former WBA Fly Champ Jackie Paterson takes on American Dado Marino, who briefly held the NABF Flyweight belt, a title that has been dormant recently due to a lack of American and North American talent in this division. Second meeting of the two, with Paterson having prevailed on points in one prior meeting. In this rematch, Marino is on target early and able to keep the match reasonably close, although Paterson has the edge in terms of a hometown crowd and possibly a bit of biased hometown judging as well. At the midway point of the contest, the unofficial scorer even has Marino with a slight edge in points (48-47), foretelling a possible upset in the making. After easing up a bit in the middle rounds, Paterson begins to pick up the pace in round seven, putting pressure on Marino. By the second half of the bout, however, both the stamina and the punches landed factor favored the American boxer, Marino. In round eight, the crowd roars as Paterson fires a quick hook to the head that opens a cut over the left eye of Marino. With the fans rooting him on, Paterson rallies in the ninth round, making the bout close. With less than two minutes left in the final round, the cut over Marino’s eye is reopened, and the ref judges it too serious to allow the bout to continue. Thus, Paterson prevails via a TKO 10 due to the late cuts stoppage. For Paterson, it is his third win a row, lifting his career totals to 25-5-2 (17). Marino, now 22-6 (13), is headed in the opposite direction, having lost his last four. A couple of well-worn veterans square off the next main supporting bout, as four-time WBA BW Champ Johnny King squares off against Pete Sanstol, who held the WBA BW title on just one occasion. It is the fourth meeting of the two, both of whom are well on the downside of their careers, with King having a 2-1 lifetime edge in their prior meetings. King comes out throwing some heavy leather, and the manages too deck Sanstol late in the opening stanza. Sanstol pops back on his feet immediately, and the bout continues with no further impact for the rest of the round. With some solid boxing, Sanstol is able to work his way into the bout, keeping it reasonably close, only to be dropped for a second time by a King uppercut in round five. At the halfway point of the bout, King is well ahead on the unofficial card (49-44) after being awarded a couple of 10-8 rounds due to the two knockdowns. In the second half of the bout, Sanstol has the additional handicap of facing a severe stamina deficit. King, undeterred, starts hammering away again in round eight, with Sanstol barely hanging on. Not much changes in the final two rounds, so King goes on to take a routine UD 10 (96-90 on all three cards). Post-bout records: King, 62-10-4 (26); Sanstol, 47-25-7 (11). After this. the ring is cleared for the main event, with #1 contender, Rinty Monaghan challenging Jackie Jurich for Jurich’s WBA Flyweight title. Two prior meetings, in 1938 and 1943, and both resulted in a MD 10 in favor of Monaghan. Monaghan is the aggressor in the early going, and he manages to land a few good shots. On balance, however, it is some solid boxing from Jurich that propels him to an early lead on the unofficial card (49-46 after the first five rounds). Additionally, Jurich’s blows have had an impact, as there is noticeable puffiness under the left eye of the challenger as a result. In the middle rounds, Monaghan tries to press the issue, but some solid defense from Jurich serves to thwart his efforts. At the two thirds point, the unofficial scorecard has Jurich extending his points lead (99-91). Into the final few rounds, and Jurich continues his strategy of sniping away from the outside, gradually wearing down his opponent. Monaghan continues to look for landing one good shot, but Jurich is denying him any chances. In the 15th and final round, Monaghan is cut over his already swollen and nearly closed right eye, so he has little left to offer as Jurich goes on to triumph via a lopsided UD 15 (146-139, 149-136, 149-136) to retain the title, thereby improving to 33-7-1 (19); the loss leaves Monaghan at 38-11-1 (12). However, Jurich’s reign may come to an end soon, as he hits Post-Prime with his next outing in 1946, his real-life retirement year.

Nov. 24, 1945: To New York’s Polo Grounds for the next fistic action, and topping the card is a USBA HW title clash, with Jersey Joe Walcott defending that title against challenger Lee Q. Murray. First meeting of these two, and Murray has gone unbeaten in his last five (four wins, one draw) to set up this title shot, while Walcott is seeking to redeem himself as a top HW contender after a split duke loss to Roscoe Toles for the NABF HW title. First meeting of these two, Slight edge in punches landed stat in the early going for Jersey Joe, but then Murray lands a big hook early in round four and, near the end of the round, he staggers Walcott with an uppercut. Murray follows up with a solid round five, putting Walcott’s reign as USBA HW Champ in jeopardy. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer has the bout as even (58-58), with a couple of close rounds that could have gone either way. In round seven, Murray lands a hard shot, and Walcott crumbles to the canvas, arising only after taking a count of seven. Jersey Joe manages to last the round after covering up, but the damage has been done. Then, at the outside of round eight, Walcott leaves himself vulnerable to a Murray hook, and he drops to the deck for a second time. Walcott manages to beat the count, but by this time, his left eye has puffed up considerably. More problems for Walcott in round 10, when he sustains a cut over his right eye. Two more knockdowns follow, but Murray is unable to finish off Walcott, so the bout goes to decision, and Murray wins the title belt via a UD 12 (115-109, 116-108, 117-108) in a surprisingly one-sided bout. Post-bout career records: Murray, 28-6-1 (23); Walcott, 52-10 (31).

Nov. 30, 1945: Final fight card of the month is a Friday night affair at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. An interesting bout tops the card, as USBA LH Champion Archie Moore moves up in weight to face top 20 HW Pat Comiskey in a 10-round, non-title clash. No prior encounters given that both fighters have, to this point, stayed within their respective divisions. Strong opening round for Moore, whose two-fisted attack causes redness to appear under both eyes of Comiskey. In round three, Moore attempts to follow up on his early advantage by moving inside to apply more pressure on Comiskey. While Archie is able to make some progress, in the following round, some frustration sets in, and Moore is called for excessive holding and hitting, and eventually disqualified for excessive fouling – a controversial call by the ref, since Moore had the upper hand in the early going. In any event, Comiskey walks away as a DQ-4 winner, improving to 25-5 (16) as a result. For Moore, now 35-4-4 (25), he faces a difficult decision: return to LHW or continue to campaign as a HW? Additionally, given the controversial end, there is talk of a rematch, probably in early 1946.