My Universe - Page 80

JCWeb · 05-01-2023, 06:56 PM

BW
Division Profile

Total: 92 RL: 56 TC: 36

RL by Career Stage:
End - 3
Post - 12
Prime - 22
Pre - 7
Beginning - 12 (9 New)

Rated: 38
800+: 15
500+: 25
200+ : 35

Jan 1949 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1948 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Manuel Ortiz 36-8-3 (18) (1414) (NC)
1. Benny Goldberg 36-7-3 (14) (1353) (+3)
2. David Kui Kong Young 45-5-4 (20) (1352) (-1)
3. Luis Galvani 25-5 (16) (1208) (-1)
4. Fernando Gagnon 27-5 (17) (1206) (+5) (NABF, CBU)
5. Lou Alter 24-8-2 (24) (1198) (-2)
6. Tony Olivera 34-13-2 (21) (1069) (NC) (USBA)
7. Johnny King 66-15-5 (26) (995) (+3) (EBU)
8 Ritchie Tanner 28-15-3 (14) (973) (+5) (GBU)
9. Gus Foran 26-8-3 (14) (939) (-1)
10. Stan Rowan 26-3-2 (11) (938) (-1)

Other Notables: 11. Norman Lewis 28-10-1 (16) (909)
12. Mickey Miller 41-20-2 (21) (866)
13. Luis Romero 20-3-2 (8) (861)
15. Luis Castillo 26-13-7 (11) (790) (LABF)
16. Tirso Del Rosario 22-9-2 (4) (758) (OPBF)
18. Harold Dade 23-8-3 (6) (729)

Top Prospects: Elley Bennett 13-0 (11)
Manuel Armenteros 9-0 (2)
Danny O’Sullivan 8-0 (5)
Leo Espinosa 5-0

Retirements:

K. O. Morgan (USA) 1928-1948 44-23-10 (21) WBA Champ 1940, 1941-42
Lou Salica (USA) 1932-1948 36-21-5 (13) USBA Champion Highest Rank: 6
Tom Smith (UK) 1932-1948 27-22-9 (13) GBU Champion Highest Rank: 10
Aurel Toma (ROM) 1932-1948 39-29-9 (14) No Titles Highest Rank: 15
Freddy Pope (USA) 1939-1948 19-20-2 (7) No Titles Highest Rank: 34

Outlook for 1949: Ortiz retained the title for another year, making four successful defenses. Meanwhile, his two closest challengers (Goldberg and Kui Kong Young) are both past their prime. Gagnon bounced back from his WBA title loss to Ortiz by adding the NABF title to the CBU belt he had won previously. Aging vet Johnny King actually moved up a few spots, winning three out of four, including an EBU title clash where he captured the EBU title from France’s Theo Medina. Galvani, a “9,” is the highest rated contender, compared to Ortiz, who is a “10.” Unbeaten Aussie Elloy Bennett (an “8”) is the best of the current crop of prospects, while Vic Toweel is the best of the nine newcomers slated to join the BW ranks in 1949.

NOTE: Forgot to mention that one newcomer in 1949, Fili Nava, is rated at both FW (a "7") and BW (an "8"), making him a likely future title contender in both divisions.

JCWeb · 05-02-2023, 02:45 PM

FLY
Division Profile

Total: 78 RL: 49 TC: 29

RL by Career Stage:
End - 3
Post - 10
Prime - 18
Pre - 12
Beginning - 6 (2 New)

Rated: 32
800+: 7
500+: 16
200+ : 29

Jan 1949 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1948 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Peter Kane 41-10-1 (15) (1118) (+5)
1. Teddy Gardner 31-9-2 (11) (1009) (+3) (EBU)
2. Jackie Paterson 32-8-2 (19) (1006) (-1) (GBU)
3. Dado Marino 32-9 (14) (982) (+4) (NABF, USBA)
4. Rinty Monaghan 33-15-1 (12) (981) (-1)
5. Terry Allen 28-4 (3) (845) (-3)
6. Yoshio Shirai 23-4 (11) (825) (-6)
7. Hans Schiffers 29-13-5 (9) (763) (-1)
8 Yoichiro Hanada 41-23-4 (11) (762) (+6) (OPBF)
9. Black Pico 19-3-1 (0) (756) (-1) (LABF)
10. Mauricio Sandeyron 26-8-3 (5) (696) (+2)

Other Notables: 11. Otilio Galvan 22-10-2 (5) (645)
13. Raoul DeGryse 32-16-5 (17) (562)
14. Louis Skena 16-1-1 (7) (520)
15. Dickie O’Sullivan 18-3-1 (10) (500)
17. Jackie Jurich 39-14-1 (19) (479)
18. Taffy Hancock 16-2-1 (12) (455)

Top Prospects: Oscar Suarez 13-1 (3)
Raul Solis 10-0 (6)
Speedy Akira 9-0 (2)
Tanny Campo 7-0 (1)

Retirements:

Little Dado (PHI) 1936-1948 35-15-1 (13) OPBF Champion Highest Rank: 3
Valentin Angelmann (FRA) 1927-1948 46-32-3 (14) EBU Champion Highest Rank: 3
Istvan Enekes (HUN) 1930-1948 48-22-2 (14) EBU Champion Highest Rank: 1

Outlook for 1949: Kane wrapped up a successful 1948 campaign by taking the title from Monaghan, who hits Post-Prime in 1949. The division remains in a state of flux, and Gardner, Paterson, Marino, Allen and Shirai all remain as viable contenders for the WBA crown. Hanada, along with Monaghan, are the only two among the top 10 at Post-Prime heading into the new year. Juirch’s days as a top-flight contender are done as he enters the final stages of his career. Skena, who is still at Pre-Prime, is poised to challenge for the EBU title soon. Filipino Tanny Campo is the best of the prospects, and Brit Eric Marsden is the best of the two newcomers to the division in 1949.

JCWeb · 05-02-2023, 08:26 PM

1948 YEAR-END PFP RANKINGS (based on Perf Points, with change from last year, number of years on list, first year on list in parens)

1. Joe Louis, HW (WBA Champion), 22314 (NC) (12) (1936)
2. Charley Burley, MW (WBA Champion), 1846 (back) (6) (1942)
3. Archie Moore, LH (WBA Champion), 1751 (+4) (3) (1944)
4. Lloyd Marshall, LH (USBA Champion), 1735 (+5) (3) (1945)
5. Ray Robinson, WW (WBA Champion), 1731 (+3) (4) (1946)
6. Henry Armstrong, WW (#1 contender), 1721 (-2) (9) (1939)
7. Ike Williams, LW (WBA Champion), 1651 (new) (1)
8. Jake LaMotta, MW (NABF Champion), 1621 (new) (1)
9. Marcel Cerdan, MW (EBU Champion), 1610 (-7) (5) (1942)
10. Tommy Gomez, HW (USBA Champion), 1604 (new) (1)

Dropped Out from Last Year:

MW Tony Zale (was #3)
HW Roscoe Toles (was #5)
LW Bob Montgomery (was #6)
LH Billy Conn (was #10)

Comments: Louis retained the top spot in the PFP rankings for the eighth consecutive year, and Burley bounced back all the way to the #2 spot by dethroning Cerdan as WBA Champ, riding a seven bout winning streak since his mid-1947 loss to LaMotta, who makes the top 10 list for the first time. Moore won the LH crown, ending the year at #3, one spot ahead of Marshall, who had held the title previously. Robinson, who plans to campaign as a MW in 1949, tops the top five. Along with LaMotta, Ike Williams and Tommy Gomez make their initial appearances on the list. Three of the four dropouts from 1948 are at Post-Prime and, therefore, it is unlikely to expect Zale, Toles and Conn to make a re-appearance on the list. (“Bobcat” Bob Montgomery has another year at Prime, so a return is a possibility.) Top FWs Saddler and Pep are still several hundred points shy of making the list.

ANNUAL YEAR-END AWARDS

FIGHTER OF THE YEAR: Archie Moore
FIGHT OF THE YEAR: Sandy Saddler MD 15 Willie Pep (for WBA FW title) (Nov. 20, see post #1572)
TOP NEWCOMER: Harold Johnson (LH)
UPSET OF THE YEAR: Hiroshi Horiguchi UD 12 Tirso Del Rosario (for OPBF BW title) (May 21, see post #1558)
COMEBACK FIGHTER OF THE YEAR: Jersey Joe Walcott (HW)

Comments:

Top candidates for Fighter of the Year of the year honors were (once again) Joe Louis, Archie Moore, Sugar Ray Robinson, as well as Charley Burley and Sandy Saddler. All five won all their bouts in 1948, but Louis and Robinson only fought three times, and Saddler was working his way up to the title bout with Pep, so it comes down to a choice between Moore and Burley. Moore took the WBA title and then defending it twice, including a one round demolition of Oakland Billy Smith, who at the time was the NABF titleholder. Burley managed to retain the WBA title in a tough clash with Cerdan late in the year, and his caliber of opposition in his other three wins was slightly below that of Moore, who edges out Burley for the honor in a what is definitely a very close call.

Less of a close call was the Fight of the Year, which went to the much anticipated Saddler-Pep battle which came down to the wire and lived up to all the hype and great expectations. Other contenders were two other WBA title bouts: Sands over Cerdan (via a final round DQ) for the WBA MW title (see post #1548) and Monaghan over Shirai for the WBA Flyweight title (see post #1554) as well as a couple of regional title bouts: Eddie Miller over Tsuneo Horiguchi for the OPBF FW title (see post #1554) and Jersey Joe Walcott over Turkey Thompson for the NABF HW title (see post #1560), the latter being decided via a split decision. However, none of these four bouts had the dramatic final round knockdown that shaped the outcome with a WBA title hanging in the balance. Therefore, an easy call in this category.

Top Newcomer, which went to Saddler the last time around, went to LH Harold Johnson, who chalked up five more wins in 1948, with Billy Conn (twice), Gus Lesnevich, Freddie Mills and Adolf Heuser – one a current titleholder and the other three, all former WBA Champions – to end the year at 19-0 and a top five ranking on the LH list. No one else came close to establishing a similar stellar record during the year. Two WWs (Jimmy Sherrer and Kid Gavilan) did impress with similar jumps in the rankings, but both suffered losses against much more accomplished fighters, so neither of these had the unblemished record that earns this award for Johnson, who may soon be the biggest threat to Archie Moore’s LH title once he hits Prime career stage after his next bout.

Didn’t spend much time on Upset of the Year, as the clear winner was Horiguchi (a “4”) taking a points win over Del Rosario (an “8”). The surprising loss of Cerdan to Dave Sands in a WBA title contest was given some consideration, but the main surprise was that the title changed hands via a DQ result, as the difference in rating (Sands being a “10” and Cerdan a “12”) was not that great.

Comeback Fighter of the Year goes to Walcott, who appeared to be finished in the Post-Prime stage of his career after a poor run of results had dropped him from the top 10 of the HW rankings after having been a top 10 HW contender for over a decade. Jersey Joe followed up a points win over Freddie Beshore by regaining the NABF HW title in a close bout versus Turkey Thompson, earning a third WBA title shot, but once again, he fell short in facing the ultimate Champ, Joe Louis. Honorable mention in this category should go to Burley, who battled his way back to a WBA title, but Burley had suffered just one loss, in mid-1947, to Jake LaMotta (no slouch) and was still a highly regarded MW contender (never leaving the top 10). Another shoutout goes to the ageless Johnny King, the four-time WBA BW Champ who managed to turn back the clock and regain the EBU BW title, but his record in his other three outings (two MS wins and a KO loss) did not justify further consideration, so Walcott receives this honor for 1948.

JCWeb · 05-03-2023, 08:47 AM

ROLL OF CHAMPIONS

HW

WBA: Joe Louis (Feb. 1939) (36)
NABF: Jersey Joe Walcott (June 1948) (0)
USBA: Tommy Gomez (Sep. 1946) (6)
CBU: Bruce Woodcock (Dec. 1947) (0)
GBU: Bruce Woodcock (Jun. 1945) (1)
EBU: Bruce Woodcock (Jan. 1947) (3)
OPBF: Vacant
LABF: Omelio Agramonte (Sep. 1948) (0)

LH

WBA: Archie Moore (May 1948) (2)
NABF: Oakland Billy Smith (Jun. 1948) (0)
USBA: Lloyd Marshall (Jan. 1948) (2)
CBU: Freddie Mills (Jan. 1947) (0)
GBU: Freddie Mills (Jan. 1945) (1)
EBU: Freddie Mills (Jul. 1946) (1)
OPBF: Inactive
LABF: Inactive

MW

WBA: Charley Burley (Jul. 1948) (1)
NABF: Jake LaMotta (Nov. 1948) (0)
USBA: Artie Towne (Aug. 1948) (2)
CBU: Alfie Sands (Sep. 1948) (0)
GBU: Vince Hawkins (Jul. 1945) (3)
EBU: Marcel Cerdan (Oct. 1948) (0)
OPBF: Dave Sands (Sep. 1947) (0)
LABF: Raul Rodriguez (Aug. 1947) (0)

WW

WBA: Ray Robinson (Aug. 1947) (4)
NABF: Jimmy Sherrer (Nov. 1948) (0)
USBA: Vacant (recently vacated by Sherrer)
CBU: Ernie Roderick (Jul. 1946) (1)
GBU: Ernie Roderick (May 1935) (2)
EBU: Egisto Peyre (Oct. 1948) (0)
OPBF: Jack McNamee (Apr. 1945) (2)
LABF: Joe Legon (Aug. 1946) (1)

LW

WBA: Ike Williams (Oct. 1948) (0)
NABF: Enrique Bolanos (Nov. 1948) (0)
USBA: Beau Jack (Jan. 1948) (1)
CBU: Norm Gent (Sep. 1947) (1)
GBU: Harry Hughes (Dec. 1947) (1)
EBU: Aldo Spoldi (Oct. 1941) (5)
OPBF: Norm Gent (Jun. 1947) (1)
LABF: Enrique Bolanos (Sep. 1947) (0)

FW

WBA: Sandy Saddler (Nov. 1948) (0)
NABF: Ciro Morasen (Nov. 1948) (0)
USBA: Phil Terranova (Apr. 1948) (0)
CBU: Ronnie Clayton (Jan. 1948) (0)
GBU: Ronnie Clayton (Jan. 1948) (0)
EBU: Ronnie Clayton (Nov. 1948) (0)
OPBF: Eddie Miller (Apr. 1948) (1)
LABF: Ciro Morasen (Aug. 1948) (0)

BW

WBA: Manuel Ortiz (Sep. 1947) (4)
NABF: Fernando Gagnon (Feb. 1948) (2)
USBA: Tony Olivera (Feb. 1948) (0)
CBU: Fernando Gagnon (Jun. 1947) (0)
GBU: Ritchie Tanner (May 1948) (0)
EBU: Johnny King (Apr. 1948) (0)
OPBF: Tirso Del Rosario (Dec. 1948) (0)
LABF: Luis Castillo (Sep. 1947) (0)

FLY

WBA: Peter Kane (Dec. 1948) (0)
NABF: Dado Marino (June 1948) (1)
USBA: Dado Marino (June 1943) (1)
CBU: Vacant (recently vacated by Kane)
GBU: Jackie Paterson (Jun. 1947) (0)
EBU: Teddy Gardner (Jul. 1948) (1)
OPBF: Yoichiro Hanada (Jan. 1948) (0)
LABF: Black Pico (Jul. 1946) (1)

Comments: Louis extends his reign as the longest serving WBA Champ, and GCU WW Champ Ernie Roderick continues as the longest serving regional titleholder (dating back to 1935). Roughly a 56% turnover rate in title belts for 1948, with all eight titles changing hands in the FW division. The least turnover was among the HWs (only new holders of the seven belts available).

JCWeb · 05-16-2023, 03:00 PM

This report includes bouts from the first half of January 1949. One WBA title bout is included.

Jan. 1, 1949: The year commences with a New Year’s Day card at the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. No titles at stake, and the main event features two top 10 Flyweights, as Jackie Paterson takes on Hans Schiffers. One prior meeting, in 1947, resulted in a points win for Paterson. This time around, Paterson is the more active of the two, carrying the fight to Schiffers through the opening few rounds. By the end of the fourth round, a mouse has formed under the right eye of Schiffers. At the midpoint of the bout, Paterson has opened up a solid points lead (50-47), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. Schiffers tries to up the pace and become more aggressive in the later rounds, but to no avail. Paterson prevails via a comfortable UD 10 (98-93, 100-91, 97-94) to boost his career totals to 33-8-2 (19). The loss drops Schiffers to 29-14-5 (8).

Jan. 7, 1949: Next is the season’s traditional Friday night offering, taking place at the “Aud” in Buffalo. Two LH contenders are paired in the main event, with former WBA Champ Gus Lesnevich being matched with Young Joe Louis. Both fighters are past their prime, and it is the first meeting of the two. It’s a cautious start by both men, and the bout remains extremely close through the opening few rounds. By the halfway point of the contest, Louis has gradually pulled ahead on points (49-46), according to the unofficial scoring at ringside. Early in round six, a sharp exchange causes a cut to appear above Lesnevich’s left eye. The cut continues to ooze blood into the following round, but then Lesnevich manages to land a sharp jab that leads to a split lip, so both corners are busy patching up cuts in between rounds. With the cut lip brought under control, Louis is able to reassert control in round eight, reopening the cut over Lesnevich’s eye. Then, when the cut over the eye is reopened a second time in the ninth round, the ref has seen enough, so Louis is declared the TKO 9 victor on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout career marks: Louis, 32-19-1 (15); Lesnevich, 41-22-3 (17).

Jan. 8, 1949: To Rome for the next card, and the EBU WW title is at stake in the featured main event, as Italy’s Egisto Peyre defends that belt versus British challenger Cliff Curvis. First meeting of the two, and Curvis outboxes the Italian to compile an early lead in the punches landed stats over the opening three rounds. Then, suddenly, midway through the fourth stanza, Peyre unleashes a barrage of blows that put Curvis down and out. KO 4 for Peyre, who retains the belt, improving to 29-6-3 (14). The loss, only the second of Curvis’ career, leaves him at 21-1-1 (1).

Jan. 14, 1949: Next is the first Friday night fights “Down Under” card, taking place at Melbourne Stadium in Aussie-land. Main event is for the Commonwealth LW title, currently held by Norm Gent. Gent is challenged for this belt by none other than Vic Patrick, veteran LW campaigner who formerly held this title as well as (briefly) the WBA LW crown. The two have not met before, and Patrick is at Post-Prime for this bout, but still a formidable competitor. The bout devolves into a typical boxer versus slugger confrontation, with Patrick taking on the slugger role. Gent, the more accurate puncher of the two, has the early edge in the punch count stats. The bout remains a close one, however, as the unofficial scorer has it even (58-58) at the halfway point. Nonetheless, the stamina factor favors Gent, as Patrick is beginning to show signs of fatigue as early as round seven. A frazzled and frantic looking Patrick steps up the pace in the latter stages, hoping to turn things around. In the end, Patrick’s efforts fall short, and Gent keeps the belt via a close but UD 12 (115-114, 115-114, 116-113), improving to 21-4-3 (7) overall. Patrick slips to 31-7-1 (22) with the loss.

Jan. 15, 1949: A big card at Philadelphia, with a couple of vacant belts in the WW division to be decided. With “Sugar” Ray Robinson moving up to WW, that leaves the WBA WW title up for grabs, and NABF Champ Jimmy Sherrer will challenge veteran and former Champ Henry Armstrong for the vacant belt. First up, however, Billy Graham and George Costner take to the ring to contest the USBA WW title, vacated by Sherrer after he won the NABF belt. Costner, who defeated Graham in an earlier contest, is attempting to bounce back after being blasted out in the second round by Robinson in his most recent outing. The action heats up in the very opening round, when Graham connects with a hard cross that draws blood, opening a cut over Costner’s left eye. It takes awhile for Costner’s corner to deal with the cut, and Graham takes advantage, building a solid lead in the punches landed count. The cut is reopened in the sixth round and, at the midway point of the contest, Graham has a nice points lead (59-55), according to the unofficial scorer’s card. Despite the cut, Costner soldiers on, taking a more aggressive posture as the bout enters its later stages. The cut continues to be a problem, as it is reopened again in round seven and also, in round eight. Finally, after being reopened once again in the ninth round, the bout comes to an end, and Graham is declared a TKO 9 victor on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout career marks: Graham, 24-9-1 (11); Costner, 27-10-2 (16). Then, in the main event, “Homicide Hank” Armstrong attempts to revive his former years of glory as he faces Jimmy Sherrer for the recently vacated WBA WW title. It is the first meeting of the two, and Armstrong comes out swinging, scoring well in the opening round. Sherrer starts slowly and is content to remain mainly on the outside, in an effort to blunt Armstrong’s power; a strong third round puts Sherrer back in contention. At the one third mark, Armstrong has a slight edge in points (48-47) on the unofficial scorecard. Into the middle rounds, and Sherrer begins to settle into a rhythm, while Armstrong seems to slow from his frantic pace in the opening couple of rounds. Near the end of round eight, however, a quick flurry to the head of Sherrer by Armstrong opens a cut over Sherrer’s right eye. The cut is quickly patched up between rounds, and some solid boxing by Sherrer in the next couple of rounds evens the score on the unofficial card (95-95) with five rounds remaining. However, the cut over Sherrer’s eye was reopened near the end of round ten, and more attention to the cut is needed by Sherrer’s corner. Late in round 11, Sherrer connects with an overhand right that drops Armstrong to the canvas. “Homicide Hank” takes an eight count, but the damage has been done, as Sherrer has the upper hand heading into the final rounds. However, Armstrong continues to battle, focusing on the cut. With seconds remaining in the penultimate round, Armstrong manages to reopen the cut a second time, and the ref orders an immediate stoppage. Over the protests from Sherrer’s corner, the bout goes in the books as a TKO 14 for Armstrong on the cuts stoppage. The win lifts Armstrong to 56-11-3 (45) overall, while the loss (Sherrer’s third) leaves him at 24-3 (13). Early candidate for Fight of the Year, but also some tough luck for Sherrer, who was ahead on all three cards and just one round away from the WBA title.

Cap · 05-16-2023, 07:26 PM

Very cool.

Cap

JCWeb · 06-07-2023, 11:37 AM

This report includes bouts from the second half of January 1949. Two WBA title bouts are included.

Jan. 21, 1949: To the Earls Court in London for the next card, and topping the action is an EBU title contest. Preceding the featured bout is a main support matching a pair of top 10 BWs, as Canadian Lou Alter faces Brit Gus Foran in a 10-round, non-title affair. This is a rematch of a bout from October 1948 in which Alter prevailed via a MD 10 before a hometown crowd in his native Canada. This time around, the bout is an extremely close ones and, after the two take turns exchanging blows on the inside in rounds three and four, Alter is able to forge a two-point lead (49-47) according to the unofficial scorecard at the halfway point of the bout. In the second half of the contest, Foran becomes more aggressive, plugging away and hoping to cut into Alter’s lead. In round seven, a nice short hook on the inside by Foran lands cleanly, drawing blood from a cut under Alter’s right eye. However, the Canadian continues to hold a nice edge in the punches landed count, so Foran elects to throw caution to the wind, looking for a knockout or at least a knockdown in the final two stanzas. Foran manages to reopen the cut in the ninth round, but Alter’s corner patches things up and, in the final seconds of the bout, an Alter uppercut drops an overly aggressive Foran to the canvas; Foran is saved by the bell, but the damage has been done. Alter goes on to repeat his earlier win, and this time he takes a close but UD 10 (96-95, 96-96, 96-94), with the late knockdown proving vital. Post-bout records: Alter, 25-8-2 (14); Foran, 26-9-3 (14). The main event is another rematch, with Ronnie Clayton defending his EBU FW title against a challenge from Emile Famechon, against whom he eked out a split duke just two months previously. This time, in the third meeting of the two (Clayton had racked up a UD 10 in an earlier encounter), it is a rough start for Clayton. Famechon gains the upper hand with a big round in round two, landing a sharp jab that causes a split, then generally landing sufficient blows to cause initial puffiness to appear under Clayton’s right eye. The cut continues to pose problems for Clayton and his corner, as it is reopened in both the third and fourth rounds. By the halfway point of the bout, Famechon has a narrow points lead (58-57) on the unofficial card, this despite a larger edge in the punches landed stats. With the cut reopening once again and the swelling worsening in round seven, Clayton appears to be on borrowed time before the ref decides to call a halt. Despite the best efforts of Clayton’s corner, the cut lip continues to ooze blood into the later rounds. Then, after a sharp exchange in the 10th round, a cut appears under Famechon’s right eye. However, a round later, the battle of the cuts comes to its final conclusion, with Famechon’s cut being patched up, while Clayton’s in reopened and, this time, the ref has seen enough. Famechon is able to regain the EBU title for a second time, via a TKO 11 on the cuts stoppage, boosting his career totals to 22-3-1 (9). Clayton, who still retains the Commonwealth and GBU FW titles, drops to 29-4 (14) with the loss.

Jan. 22, 1949: Next up is a card at Detroit, with WBA HW Champ Joe Louis on hand to make another title defense. First up, on the undercard is a young HW prospect who, in a few years, may be challenging for Louis’ title, one Rocky Marciano, who improves his career record to a perfect 9-0 (9) with a 51 second blowout of another hapless TC opponent. Later in the card is the main supporting bout, and two young LW contenders, Freddie Dawson and Santa Bucca, take to the ring in a rematch of an earlier bout that ended in a draw. The action heats up in round two, when a Bucca right draws blood, opening a cut over Dawson’s left eye. The cut, which does not seem to be in a bad spot, is patched up between rounds but is reopened in the fourth round. Just before the bell sounds to end the fifth round, Dawson drops Bucca with a hard shot, but Bucca is saved by the bell just as the count gets underway. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has the bout scored as even (48-48). The two battle on even terms into the final rounds of the contest, and Dawson, who seems to get stronger as the bout wears on, has a big round in the eighth. Despite having the cut reopened for a second time in round nine, Dawson is able to carve out a UD 10 win (98-92, 99-93, 97-92) to run his career record to 23-2-3 (5). The loss leaves Bucca at 19-6-3 (8). Finally, in the main event, Joe Louis faces a new challenger to his WBA HW title: Brit Bruce Woodcock, who holds the EBU, Commonwealth and GBU HW titles. Not much in the way of action in the opening round, as Louis takes advantage of a sluggish start from Woodcock to build an early lead in the punches landed count. However, a minute into round two, and Woodcock uncorks a hard cross that puts Louis on the canvas; Joe is quick to regain his feet at the count of three, and he wisely covers up to last the round. Louis bounces back quickly with a strong third round, dominating the action and finally forcing Woodcock, who is barely able to remain afoot, into submission. Late in the round, the ref steps in to save the challenger from further punishment. Despite the short length, the fans were treated to an exciting action bout, with Louis coming off the canvas to register a TKO 3 victory. Post-bout career marks: Louis, 62-1-1 (60); Woodcock, 30-4 (25).

Jan. 22, 1949: Next card is at Los Angeles, and the main event sees Dado Marino facing fellow Flyweight Mustapha Mustaphaoui. The two met once before, seven years earlier, also in Los Angeles when both were at Pre-Prime, and Marino took a points win. This time around, Marino dominates the action in the first couple of rounds before Mustaphaoui gets going with a strong round three. By round four, Marino is back in charge, landing sufficient leather to cause a mouse to form under Mustaphaoui’s left eye. At the halfway point, Marino has a two-point edge (49-47), according to the unofficial card. Nothing much changes in the second half of the bout, as Marino continues to grind away to a UD 10 triumph (97-94, 99-93, 97-94), improving to 33-9 (14) with the win. The loss leaves Mustaphaoui at 28-11-6 (7).

Jan. 28, 1949: Next is a Friday night card at San Juan. Twin feature bouts top the agenda. In the first co-feature, Two FWs do battle, as American Eddie Compo faces Cuban Miguel Acevedo in a 10-round, non-title contest. It is the first meeting of the two and Compo, who has suffered defeat only once thus far in his young career, is seeking to pad his credentials for a future title shot. Compo is on target in the early going, and he is able to compile an early lead in the punches landed count. After a slow start, Acevedo finally gets in gear with a strong showing in round four, working his way inside and managing to cause some initial puffiness to appear around the left eye of Compo. At the midway point of the bout, a peek at the unofficial scorer’s card shows Acevedo has pulled in front (by 48-47) after a pair of strong rounds in the fourth and fifth. Compo adopts a more aggressive posture in the second half of the contest, but he only makes his injured eye a more attractive target for Acevedo’s rather active counterpunching. Despite a solid round eight for Compo, Acevedo manages to maintain his composure and, with the bout going the distance, he holds on to take a MD 10 (98-92. 95-95, 97-93) to run his career record to 27-10-1 (13). The loss, only the second in his career, leaves Compo at 19-2-3 (5). The second co-feature is for the LABF MW title, currently held by Argentinian Raul Rodriguez. His opponent is hometown favorite Jose Basora, a Puerto Rican fighter who previously held the title and, in fact, stopped Rodriguez in two of three prior encounters, with a third bout ending in a draw. In this rematch, just one minute into the opening round Basora serves notice, landing a sharp uppercut that stuns Rodriguez, forcing the defending Champ to cover up. Basora continues to dominate the early action, and by the end of round two, there is noticeable puffiness under the left eye of Rodriguez. In the middle rounds, Basora continues to dominate, and he lands another sharp uppercut just before the bell sounds to end round five. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Basora well ahead on points (59-55). A game Rodriguez soldiers on in the second half of the bout, but he is unable to make much of an impression on a determined challenger. In round 11, Basora decks Rodriguez with a hard shot, and the Argentinian barely manages to beat the count. The bout goes the full 12, and ends in a lopsided UD 12 for Basora (119-107 on all three cards), enabling Basora to regain the LABF title belt. Post-bout records: Basora, 34-9-1 (23); Rodriguez, 25-12-1 (14).

Jan. 29, 1949: Final card of the month takes place in New York City, and the main event sees Sandy Saddler back in the ring to make an initial defense of the WBA FW title he won in capturing the belt from Willie Pep. First up, though is a supporting bout matching two veteran MWs; former Champs Holman Williams and Tony Zale do battle for the fifth time in their long careers, with each having one twice before in previous encounters. This time around, with no titles at stake, Zale seizes the early initiative, moving inside in round three after a strong round two. Williams battles back with a couple of good rounds, so the two are on even terms as the bout heads into the middle rounds. Near the end of the fifth, Zale bludgeons his way inside, dropping Williams twice, first with a combination, then with a hook. Williams regains his footing but the damage has been done. Despite a 10-8 round for Zale in round five, the unofficial scorer has the bout as even (47-47) at the halfway point. The two veterans of the ring wars bear down in the second half of the bout, with Williams regaining his composure, while Zale continues to press forward on the attack. Late in round seven, Zale tags Williams with a sharp uppercut and follows up with a straight right, and Wiliams covers up to avoid a third trip to the canvas. Some accurate counterpunching by Williams in round nine results in a swollen right eye for Zale, who is throwing caution to the wind in an effort to land a telling blow. Undeterred, Zale keeps hammering away, and in the final round, he lands a perfect hook to send Williams toppling to the canvas a third time. Williams does well to regain his footing after taking a count of four, and he manages to last until the final bell. However, the three KDs are sufficient to propel Zale to a UD 10 victory (98-90, 95-91, 95-92) although the unofficial scorer had the bout quite a bit closer. Post-bout, Zale improves to 47-11-2 (27). The loss leaves Williams at 56-16-1 (24). In the finale, unbeaten Champ Sandy Saddler puts his WBA FW title on the line, facing Ciro Morasen, who holds the NABF and LABF FW title belts. The two have not met before. Midway through the opening round, Saddler serves notice when he rocks Morasen with a quick hook to head, forcing the challenger to cover up. Saddler seems to have things well in hand until, at the outset of the fourth round, Morasen connects with a combination that draws blood, opening a cut over Saddler’s right eye. With some good cornerwork to patch up the cut between rounds, Saddler gets back on track in round five and, after the first five rounds, he is well ahead (49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Round six sees the cut over Saddler’s eye reopened. After a couple of nondescript rounds, in round nine Saddler catches Morasen with a big hook that puts the challenger down for a four count. Saddler follows up with an uppercut, putting Morasen on the deck a second time, but he is saved by the bell. Saddler pushes forward in an effort to finish the job in round 10; while Morasen manages to remain upright, he is on the receiving end of some hard shots and, with less than a minute remaining in the round, the ref steps in to save him from further punishment. The bout goes into the books as a TKO 10 for Saddler. Post-bout career marks: Saddler, 25-0 (20); Morasen, 23-4-3 (4).

JCWeb · 06-19-2023, 11:23 PM

This report includes bouts from the first half of February 1949. One WBA title bout is included.

Feb. 4, 1949: The month commences with a Friday night card at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. Topping the agenda is a WW clash matching top five contender Tommy Bell with Canadian Johnny Greco. This is the second meeting of the two, with Bell taking a points win Detroit in 1946. In this rematch, scheduled for 10, Bell starts strongly, landing an uppercut in the opening round that rips open a cut over Greco’s right eye. The cut is in a bad spot, and it continues to ooze blood in rounds two and three. By the fourth round, with the cut finally under control, Greco moves inside and presses his advantage even further in round five, and he decks Bell with a hard cross early in round five. Bell picks himself off the canvas after the count reaches six, and he covers up in order to last the round. At the midway point, Greco holds a two-point edge (48-46) after taking a 10-8 round in the fifth. In the second half of the bout, Bell takes on a more aggressive posture in an effort to turn things around. After struggling to make headway in rounds six and seven, he finally manages to take charge in round eight, and the bout comes to a sudden end when the cut over Greco’s eye is reopened and decides matters, as the ref calls a halt, deeming the cut too dangerous to allow the bout to continue. To the dismay of the Canadian fight fans in attendance, it goes down as a TKO 8 for Bell, who runs his career totals to 30-4 (16). Tough loss for Greco, now 25-1-2 (15), particularly given that he was leading on all three cards at the time of the cuts stoppage.

Feb. 5, 1949: To Europe for the next fight card, at the Sports Palace in Rome. No title bouts on the card, and the main event matches two veteran WW contenders: American Izzy Jannazzo and Italy’s Michele Palermo. Both are at Post-Prime, and, in their one prior encounter, Jannazzo took a split duke. In this rematch, Jannazzo is on target early, and he builds an edge in the punches landed stat. By the midway point, Jannazzo has maintained his early superiority, and this translates into a wide lead (50-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Trailing, Palermo becomes more assertive, all in an effort to claw his way back into contention in the second half of the contest. Palermo continues to stalk his prey until finally, midway through round nine, he catches an off-balance Jannazzo with a solid hook, puts him down for the count. KO 9 for Palermo, and the Italian fight fans in attendance go home happy. Post-bout career marks: 49-18-10 (13) for Jannazzo; 43-17-6 (13) for Jannazzo. Jannazzo, who had victory within his grasp (he was leading on all three cards after eight rounds) will be at End career stage with his outing.

Feb. 11, 1949: Next is a Friday night card is at Mexico City, and the featured bout is for the LABF BW title, with the “Pocket Battleship,” Luis Castillo, making the first defense of this belt that he has held since September 1947, facing a former LABF titleholder in Cuban Luis Galvani. This is the first meeting of the two. Galvani gets off to a great start, outscoring Castillo in the opening two rounds. By the end of round three, Galvani has landed sufficient blows to cause a mouse to form under Castillo’s left eye. By the midway point of the bout, Galvani is well ahead on points (59-55), forcing Castillo to take a more active approach in the second half of the contest. In round seven, an accidental clash of heads results in a cut over Castillo’s swollen right eye. The cut is in a bad spot, and while it is patched up between rounds, when it is re-opened in round nine, it is deemed too serious to allow the bout to continue. The outcome is decided by the scorecards after eight rounds, and Galvani regains the title via a UTD 9 (79-73, 78-74, 79-73), improving to 26-5 (16) as a result. The loss leaves Castillo at 26-14-1 (11).

Feb. 12, 1949: A twin bill of featured bouts, both non-title encounters, top the next card at Boston. In the first co-feature, two MWs looking to move up the rankings do battle, as Tony Janiro faces Carl “Bobo” Olson. The two have not met previously. After the first three rounds, Olson has pulled ahead to a slight advantage in terms of the punches landed stat. Janiro fires back with a couple of strong rounds in the fourth and fifth and, at the halfway point, he has a narrow points lead (48-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In round six, with both men sniping away from the outside, Olson has the better of it, and there are traces of puffiness under Janiro’s right eye as a result. Olson continues in an aggressive posture, and he pulls ahead on the unofficial cards as the bout heads into the final two rounds. A desperate Janiro tries to cause trouble for Olson, but the bout goes to decision, and two of the judges call it a draw, while a third gives the nod to Olson (94-96 Olson, 95-95, 95-95). Janiro was able to secure the draw by winning the final round on all three cards. Post-bout marks: Janiro, 22-3-3 (2); Olson, 18-2-2 (12). The second co-feature matches two top FW contenders: local favorite Sal Bartolo, the “Pride of East Boston,” with aging two-division Champ Baby Arizmendi. The first meeting of the two, and Arizmendi is planning on hanging up his gloves for good at the conclusion of the bout, giving Bartolo (who just hit Post-Prime career stage) some hope of a favorable outcome in front of a hometown crowd. Bartolo starts well, but Arizmendi gradually begins to assert control and, by the midway point, a mouse has formed under Bartolo’s left eye. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has Arizmendi leading (49-46). Into the later rounds, Bartolo tries to get more aggressive, but he just makes his swollen eye a bigger target for Arizmendi. able to make much of an impression on a determined challenger. Despite the strong fan support, Bartolo’s best efforts are not enough to turn things around, and Arizmendi takes a farewell bow, taking the UD 10 (96-94, 96-94, 97-93). Arizmendi wraps up a 23-year career with a final record of 62-17-4 (14). Bartolo ends up at 35-13-4 (10).

Feb. 12, 1949: Chicago’s Comiskey Park sets the scene for the next fight card, and a WBA title clash is the headliner. Before that is a main supporting bout matching veteran LW Sammy “Clutch” Angott, who is looking to jump start his flagging career in a 10-round, non-title bout versus Billy Banks. Banks, who is not in the top 20 in the LW rankings, acquits himself well in the opening few rounds, staying on even terms with the top 10 ranked Angott. The two boxers battle into the middle rounds, with neither man willing to risk too much at this stage of the contest. By the midway point, Banks has a surprising two-point edge on the unofficial card (49-47), and this is even more surprising given that there is some visible swelling under the left eye of Banks. Angott launches a strong two-fisted attack in round six, and he causes some puffiness to appear under Banks’ other eye. As the rounds tick off, Angott opens a large lead in the punches landed count, indicating that the unofficial card may not accurately reflect what is happening in the ring. The bout goes the distance, with Banks battling all the way to the finish to pull off a minor upset, taking a MD 10 (98-93, 96-96, 96-95) to improve to 29-12- 6 (15). Angott slips to 37-14-6 (12) with the loss. Then, in the main event, the long awaited move of “Sugar” Ray Robinson from WW to MW culminates with a challenge to Charley Burley for Burley’s WBA MW title. First time meeting of the two, and it is a rare matchup of two of the top five in the recent PFP rankings, with Burley riding a seven-bout winning streak, while Robinson has prevailed in his last five encounters. “Sugar Ray” starts strongly, taking the fight to Burley in the opening two rounds. Robinson moves inside in round three, but Burley weighs in with some aggressive counterpunching, forcing Robinson to retreat as Burley takes the round. Some smooth boxing by Robinson enables him to pull ahead on points (48-47) after the first five, according to the unofficial card, plus there is an added benefit: some puffiness appearing around Burley’s left eye. In the middle rounds, Burley tries to regain some momentum, bearing down more and initiating much of the action on the inside. Robinson maintains a slight edge in the punch count stat through the middle rounds. It is not until round nine when Burley finally is able to break through Robinson’s defenses, and he lands a barrage of blows that put “Sugar” Ray on the deck. Robinson barely beats the count, and he covers up to last the round. At the two thirds mark, the unofficial scorer has Burley well ahead (97-93), as the knockdown and 10-8 round in the ninth changed the entire complexion of the bout. In the final few rounds, Burley adopts a more cautious approach, staying mostly on the outside and content to sit on a fairly comfortable lead. Robinson, for his part, gradually ramps up the pace but he is overcome by fatigue, and his punches lack sting. As Robinson continues to press, Burley is prepared with some counters and, late in round 13, he rocks Robinson with a hard cross, and once again, “Sugar Ray” is forced to cover up. By this time, a mouse has formed under Robinson’s right eye, but the challenger soldiers on. From here, the bout goes the distance, and Burley walks away a UD 15 victor (146-139, 147-138, 146-139). Post-bout records: Burley, 50-4 (34); Robinson, 36-3-1 (26). Early candidate for Fight of the Year honors, given the matchup between top PFP guys, both of whom began the year as titleholders from two different divisions.

javier_83 · 06-20-2023, 11:34 AM

wow didnt realized that you are still playing your universe..

JCWeb · 07-03-2023, 05:13 PM

Hi, Javier, didn't realize you were still following these Forums ...

This report includes bouts from the second half of February 1949. One WBA title bout is included.

Feb. 18, 1949: More Friday night fistic action, this time at the Gran Stadium in Havana. Topping the card is some HW action, this a non-title bout, featuring the big Cuban, Nino Valdes, matched with former LABF HW Champ Alberto Santiago Lovell. Lovell stopped Valdes in two when the two met previously, back in 1944, for the LABF title, but Lovell is now past his Prime, while Valdes was at Pre-Prime in that previous encounter. With a large throng of Cuban fight fans in support, Valdes is expecting to reverse that earlier outcome. After an indifferent start in the opening round, Valdes takes charge in round two, landing some sharp blows and causing some initial puffiness to appear under the left eye of Lovell. The two sluggers continue to tee off, neither showing any signs of retreat, as the bout heads into the middle rounds. Early in the fourth, Lovell uncorks a vicious cross that lands flush, and Valdes is forced to cover up to allow time to recover from the blow. In round five, a resilient Valdes comes storming back, launching an all-out offensive that Lovell is unable to resist. The swollen left eye becomes progressively worse and, with Valdes landing blow after unanswered blow, the ref steps in to call a halt. It goes in the books as a TKO 5 for Valdes on the early stoppage. Post-bout career marks: Valdes, 22-8-2 (18); Lovell, 41-20-1 (30).

Feb. 19, 1949: To New York’s Madison Square Garden for the next fight card, and the main event is a rematch featuring two LH contenders: Harry Matthews and Joey Maxim. The two battled to a draw in November 1948, and the hard luck Maxim is hoping to have a second chance to seize this opportunity to move up the ranks after a rather lackluster career thus far. The two appear to be evenly matched, but it is the harder hitting Matthews who has the upper hand through the opening couple of rounds. Maxim recovers from a slow start and begins to find the range with his punches in round three. After the first five are in the books, however, the unofficial scorer has Matthews with a wide points lead (50-45) although the punch count status indicate a much closer contest. Sensing a possible defeat looming, Maxim ups the pace in the later rounds, finally going on the offensive. However, while Maxim was successful with causing some puffiness to appear under Matthews’ left eye late in the bout, it was insufficient to overcome Matthews’ early lead. The judges’ cards are read, and the result is a close but UD 10 for Matthews (97-93, 96-94, 97-93), who improves to 33-9-1 (21) with the win. For Maxim, another disappointing loss drops him to 21-9-5 (5) and still well out of contention for a top 10 spot in the LH rankings.

Feb. 19, 1949: A WBA title contest tops the next card, at Los Angeles. First, in the main supporting bout, two top 10 HWs do battle in a non-title affair. Turkey Thompson and Lee Q. Murray are meeting in the ring for the first time. Some heavy hitting from Thompson in the game’s early stages manages to cause a trace of puffiness to appear under Murray’s right eye by the end of the third round. However, a strong round four puts Murray ahead in the punches landed count. The action heats up in round five, when Thompson decks Murray with an overhand right. Murray arises as the count reaches six, and he manages to survive the round by covering up. The 10-8 round in the fifth puts Thompson ahead at the midway point (48-46 on the unofficial scorer’s card). In round six, both men are cut: Murray on the upper lip, Thompson over the right eye. The cut men in both corners go to work; Thompson’s cut is patched up, but Murray’s cut continues to ooze blood. Ignoring the cut, Murray lands some strong shots in round eight, and Thompson returns to his corner with a rapidly swelling left eye that needs attention. From here on, this intriguing bout goes the rest of the way without further incident. Murray takes a MD 10 (96-94, 95-95, 96-94), having taken Thompson’s best shots and survived the fifth round knockdown. Post-bout career marks: Murray, 33-11-2 (25); Thompson, 28-11-2 (21). Then, in the main event, Archie Moore defends the WBA LH title against #1 contender and former WBA LH Champ Lloyd Marshall, who currently holds the USBA LH title. The two have met four times previously, and Marshall has failed to record a single win, as Moore has won twice before with two draws in the other two encounters. Coming into the bout, both fighters have compiled impressive winning streaks; Moore has won his last six and Marshall, his last seven. This time around, it is a cautious start by both men. In round five, Moore begins to assert himself, winning most of the inside exchanges; after the round, the unofficial scorer has the bout scored as even (48-48). Into the middle rounds, and it is Moore who is pressing the action, working inside while Marshall prefers to rely on counterpunching. With a minute left in round eight, Moore connects with a hard hook to the body that makes Marshall wince; the challenger elects to cover up to avert further damage. A sharp combination from Moore early in round nine puts Marshall on the defensive once again. Moore’s killer instinct kicks in, and this time, Marshall has little left in the tank to fend off a determined Champion. Moore dominates the action, landing blow after blow until the ref steps in to call a halt with just two seconds left in the round. It goes into the books as a TKO 9 for Moore, who retains the title and improves to 46-4-5 (32). The loss leaves Marshall at 39-7-5 (31). Impressive performance by Moore, who is now contemplating a move up to HW.

Feb. 25, 1949: Next is the newest addition to the Friday Night fights “Down Under” series. Featured in the main event are two regional Champs, paired together in a 10-round, non-title contest. These two are Aussie Dave Sands, current OPBF MW Champ, faces Artie Towne, his USBA counterpart. The two have not met previously, and, just two minutes into the opening round, Towne decks Sands with a powerful uppercut. The Aussie MW recovers, arising after taking a six-count, then wisely elects to cover up for the remainder of the round. The bout remains reasonably close through the first half of the contest, but Towne (largely due to the strength of the 10-8 opening round), is well ahead on points (49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card at the halfway point. In the second half of the contest, Towne continues to build on his early success, adding to his points lead. Despite the support of the hometown crowd, Sands continues to struggle; by the end of round seven, there is substantial puffiness around his right eye. Then, in round eight, Towne manages to open a cut over Sands’ injured right eye. In the final round, with the cut patched up, Sands goes all out for a knockout, but Towne’s defense holds up. The bout goes to the judges, and, to the surprise of many, it is Sands, not Towne, who walks away a UD 10 victor (97-92, 97-92, 96-93), as it appears the Aussie was a beneficiary of the some hometown judging to come away with the win despite the one knockdown along with the cut and swollen eye. Post-bout marks: Sands, 32-4 (20); Towne, 22-2-2 (8).

Feb. 26, 1949: A tripleheader of featured bouts tops the final card of the month at the Olympia in London. In the first of this trilogy of co-main events, British Flyweight Terry Allen faces LABF Flyweight Champ Black Pico in a 10-round, non-title clash. The two are meeting for the first time, and both are ranking among the top 10 in the Flyweight rankings. After an even opening round, in round three Allen takes the initiative, doing some good work on the inside. The bout remains a close one into the middle stages and, at the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has it adjudged as even (48-48). In the second half of the contest, the punch count remains close, while the stamina factor shows a slight edge for the Cuban, Black Pico. Into the final three rounds, and Allen, cheered on by an appreciate hometown crowd, takes on the mantle of the aggressor. Late in round eight, he connects with a big uppercut, but Pico manages to cover up and avert further difficulty. The bout goes the distance, and ends in a draw (98-95 Pico, 96-96, 96-95 Allen), much to the dismay of the British fight fans who expected Allen to prevail. Post-bout career marks: Allen, 28-4-1 (3); Pico, 19-3-2 (0). Next, in the second co-feature, more Flyweight action as two top five Flyweights, both regional Champions, take to the ring, as another Brit, Teddy Gardner, the reigning Commonwealth Fly Champion, takes on his NABF counterpart from the States, Dado Marino. One prior bout resulted in a split duke in favor of Gardner, this taking place in on U. S. Soli in Boston in 1947. In this return matchup, the action picks up in round two, when Gardner lands a hard shot that rips open a cut over Marino’s right eye. After this, the two settle in, with Gardner enjoying a slight edge in the punch count stat. In the fifth round, the cut over Marino’s eye is reopened and, at the midway point, the unofficial card has Gardner ahead on points (49-46). In the second half of the contest, Marino, now well behind on points and in the punches landed stat, tries to mount a rally. However, the cut continues to be an issue, having been reopened in round eight and, again, in round nine. Nevertheless, the bout proceeds to decision and, as expected, the UD 10 goes to Gardner (97-94, 97-94, 98-93), who runs his career record to 32-9-2 (11). The loss drops Marino to 33-10 (14). The final bout of the card is for the GBU BW title, currently held by Ritchie Tanner, who faces a familiar foe in challenger Norman Lewis. This is the fifth meeting of the two, with each having won twice before. Lewis takes charge in the opening round, putting Tanner on the deck with a combination of blows; Tanner takes an eight count and is able to last the round after resorting to the cover up strategy. Tanner recovers and settles into the bout, actually building a slight edge in the punches landed stat. However, at the midway point, the unofficial scorer’s card tells a different story: it has Lewis, the challenger, well ahead on points (59-54). In the second half of the bout, Lewis continues to apply pressure on the inside, keeping Tanner on the defensive. A late surge from Tanner keeps the issue in doubt, plus Lewis’ corner must deal with a rapidly swelling left eye that became problematic in the final few rounds of the contest. The bout goes the full 12 and Lewis is able to maintain his early advantage – just barely – to record a UD 12 (115-112, 114-113, 115-112) to regain the GBU BW title. Post-bout career marks: Lewis, 29-10-1 (16); Tanner, 28-16-3 (14).

JCWeb · 07-17-2023, 03:44 PM

This report includes bouts from the first half of March 1949. No WBA title bouts are included.

Mar. 4, 1949: The month’s action kicks off with a Friday night card at the War Memorial Auditorium in Syracuse. No titles on the line, and a rather thin card is topped by a matchup of two top five ranked LH contenders, with former WBA LH Champ Melio Bettina facing Tommy Yarosz. The two are meeting for the first time, and Yarosz is hoping that a win over the post-Prime ex-Champ might propel him into his first title shot of any kind. The opening stanza sees Bettina get off the mark quickly, landing sufficient leather to cause some initial puffiness to appear under the right eye of Yarosz. Bettina appears to be doing well until, suddenly, two minutes into the fourth round, Yarosz connects with a big shot that puts Bettina down and out. Impressive KO 4 for Yarosz moves him up in the LH rankings, and he improves to 28-6-2 (10) as a result. Meanwhile, for Bettina, who has seen better days, the loss leaves him at 43-13-7 (18).

Mar. 5, 1949: To the French Riviera for the next card, this taking place at the Palais des Sports in Cannes. Featured in the main event are two Flyweights, as OPBF Fly titleholder Yoicihiro Hanada has traveled all the way from the Far East to face France’s Emile Famechon. The two, who have not before, appear to be fairly evenly matched through the opening few rounds. As the bout enters the middle stages, Hanada gradually pulls ahead in the punches landed count. At the halfway mark, the unofficial card has Hanada ahead on points (49-46) as well. Trailing, Famechon adopts a more aggressive approach in the second half of the contest. To the dismay of the French fight fans in attendance, Famechon is unable to make much of an impression on the Japanese boxer, and the bout goes the rest of the way without incident. However, when the verdict is read, Famechon – perhaps with the assistance of some hometown judging – emerges a MD 10 victor (97-93, 95-95, 97-94). Post-bout records: Famechon, 24-10-1 (17); Hanada, 41-24-4 (11).

Mar. 5, 1949: A twin feature tops the next card at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. In the first of the two co-main events, Johnny “Honey Boy” Bratton takes on veteran WW Tippy Larkin. The two have not met before, but Bratton – still recovering from back-to-back losses (the first two of his young career), comes out swinging, decking Larkin with a combination in the opening round, then following up with two more knockdowns, from an uppercut and a hard cross, leading to a first round stoppage. The impressive TKO 1 win for Bratton moves his career totals to 20-2-1 (12) overall, while the loss leaves Larkin at 34-17-3 (15). In the second co-feature, the USBA LW title is at stake, as Beau Jack faces a stiff challenge from former WBA LW Champ “Bobcat” Bob Montgomery. The two met once before (for the NABF LW title) in 1947, and Montgomery took a points win, en route to his second stint as WBA Champ before being dethroned by Ike Williams late in 1948. In this rematch, the early edge in punches landed goes to Montgomery, who moves inside to put more pressure on Jack in round three. By the midway point, Montgomery’s early lead in punches landed has translated to a slight edge in points (58-56), according to the unofficial scorer’s card. In the late middle rounds, Jack surges and pulls ahead in the punch count stats, and the bout remains an extremely close one headed into the later rounds. Sensing that things are slipping away from him, Montgomery elects to become more aggressive as the bout enters the final few rounds. Some accurate punching by the challenger in round 11 results in a swollen right eye for Jack. The bout goes the full 12, and a decision is reached by a divided panel of judges. Montgomery captures the USBA belt by a SD 12 (115-113, 112-116, 115-113). Post-bout career marks: Montgomery, 39-5-2 (21); Jack, 34-7 (21).

Mar. 11, 1949: Next up is a Friday night affair at Philadelphia. Two MWs do battle in the main event, as former WBA MW Champ Steve “Spider” Belloise is matched with Bobby Jones, a fast rising young contender. No titles at stake, and it is the first meeting of the two. Belloise, a slugger, takes the initiative, moving inside in round three. Jones is able to hold his own and, at the midway point, he has a slight points lead (48-47) over his more experienced foe. In the second half of the contest, Belloise continues to try to establish control by working his way inside. The punch count stats document a very close contest headed into the later rounds. The bout goes the full 10 rounds, and Belloise does just enough to eke out a narrow UD 10 win (96-94 on all three cards), handing Jones his second career loss. Post-bout career marks: Belloise, 33-10-2 (15); Jones, 19-2-1 (2).

Mar. 12, 1949: Miami sets the scene for the next fistic action. In the main event, top five HW contender Ezzard Charles is in action, facing newly crowned LABF HW Champ Omelio Agramonte. It is the first meeting of the two. Charles starts well, dominating the action in the opening round. Charles continues to outscore the Cuban HW, building a solid early lead in the punch count stats through the early rounds. By the halfway point of the bout, the unofficial card has Charles up by just two (48-46), with Charles having lost a point for unnecessary fouling in round four. Into the second half of the contest, and Charles continues to dominate, decking Agramonte in round six with a sharp combination. Charles coasts the rest of the way, and he goes on to take a solid UD 10 win (95-93, 97-92, 97-91), lifting his career totals to 29-5 (22). With the loss, Agramonte drops to 24-8 (14). Charles hopes that this win is enough to justify another shot at Joe Louis and the WBA HW crown.

Mar. 12, 1949: Next up is a card in Western Canada, and the Exhibition Gardens in Vancouver. Two top five ranked BW contenders take to the ring for the main event, as former WBA BW kingpin David Kui Kong faces Canada’s Lou Alter. It is the first meeting of the two, and Kui Kong Young has just hit Post-Prime career stage given that 1948 was his real-life retirement year. Alter gets off to a good start, securing an early edge in the punches landed count. By the midway point, the ex-Champ has worked his way back into the bout, and Alter’s lead (according to the unofficial card) is a slim one (49-48). Kui Kong Young, who still trails badly in the punch count stats, continues with an aggressive posture into the later stages of the contest. The bout goes the distance, and the nod from the judges goes to Alter, who takes a well-earned UD 10 (96-93, 97-92, 95-94) over a Post-Prime Kui Kong Young. Post-bout career marks: Alter, 26-8-2 (14); Kui Kong Young, 45-6-4 (20).

JCWeb · 08-02-2023, 01:11 PM

This report includes bouts from the second half of March 1949. One WBA title bout is included.

Mar. 18, 1949: Time for a renewal of the Friday night fights “Down Under” series, with a card taking place in Melbourne. Twin feature bouts, and the first matches former WBA LH Champ Billy Conn in his first visit to Aussie-land, and he faces former Commonwealth LH titleholder Jack A. Johnson. It is the first meeting of the two, and, as no titles are at stake, the bout is scheduled for 10 rounds. Conn is on target early, and he manages to open a cut under Johnson’s left eye in the second round. Johnson tries to battle back by moving inside in round four, but all he gets for his troubles is some puffiness around the cut eye, plus Conn is able to open another cut over Johnson’s right eye. All of this translates into a large points lead (49-46) for Conn on the unofficial scorer’s card at the midway point. Trailing, Johnson feels compelled to go on the offensive in the second half of the bout, while Conn takes few risks and works mainly on the outside, staying away from Johnson’s power. In the end, though, the cuts decide it, specifically the cut over Johnson’s right eye which is reopened in round eight and becomes too difficult to control. The bout is halted, and Conn is declared a TKO 8 victor. Post-bout, Conn improves to 45-12-4 (17), while Johnson ends up at 27-14-1 (19). The final bout on the card is for the OPBF FW title, and Eddie Miller is on hand to defend the title versus a fellow Aussie as Bernie Grant is the challenger. The action is slow to develop and, in the early rounds, Grant appears to have the edge, at least in terms in the punches landed count. Thus, it appears to be against the flow of bout when, late in the fifth round, Miller connects with a combination that puts Grant down and out. KO 5 for Miller, who retains the belt. Post-bout records: Miller, 33-14-3 (13); Grant, 14-4-2 (5).

Mar. 19, 1949: To Gothenburg, Sweden and the Ullevi Stadium for the next card, and the main event showcases the talents of Egisto Peyre, the EBU WW titleholder, who faces American Jimmy Doyle. No prior meetings, no titles at stake in this 10-rounder. Not much in the way of action for the first few rounds, with Doyle taking an aggressive posture by moving inside in round three. Peyre, working mainly on the outside, pulls ahead in the punch count stats and, by the end of the fourth round, Doyle is showing the effects, as his left eye has begun to puff up. At the halfway point, the unofficial card has Peyre ahead on points (50-48). Trailing, Doyle adopts a more aggressive approach in the second half of the contest. However, Peyre has an iron grip on things and manages to hold on for a solid UD 10 win (97-93, 97-93, 97-94). Post-bout records: Peyre, 30-6-3 (14); Doyle, 24-8-1 (7).

Mar. 19, 1949: Next up is a huge card at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, and a WBA title clash tops the agenda. First up, in some non-title action, two WWs take to the ring, with Georgie Crouch facing Norman Rubio. The two met once before, but that was seven years, and at that time, Rubio took a MD 10. In this long awaited rematch, Crouch stuns Rubio with a sharp three-punch combination late in round one, but the bell sounds before Crouch is able to follow up in a meaningful way. In the ensuing rounds, Rubio settles in, gradually building an early edge in the punches landed stats. The midway point of the bout is reached after the two boxers slug it out on the inside; at this point, the unofficial scorer has Rubio with a slim one-point advantage (48-47). Crouch takes a more aggressive approach as the bout heads into the later stages. Crouch’s efforts to turn things around are largely thwarted by Rubio, but in the final round Crouch is able to rock Rubio with a big left. However, Rubio remains upright and is able to survive until the final bell with an effective use of the cover up strategy. The judges are split, with two favoring Rubio, one voting for Crouch, so it goes in the books as a SD 10 for Rubio (96-94, 94-96, 98-92), who improves his career stats to 30-10-4 (13) with the win. Tough loss for Crouch, who is now 38-16-4 (19). In the second supporting bout, Oakland Billy Smith makes his first defense of the NABF LH title he won last year, facing the fast-rising unbeaten challenger in Harold Johnson – a very tough test indeed for Smith, who fell short in a WBA title challenge to Archie Moore in his most recent outing. It is the first meeting of the two, while Johnson boasts wins over Adolf Heuser, Billy Conn (twice), Gus Lesnevich and Freddie Mills in his five most recent outings. To the surprise of many, Smith is able to take advantage of a slow start by Johnson to build an early lead in the punch count stats. Johnson finally gets on track in the middle rounds of the bout and, by the halfway point, he has done well enough to pull in front (by a count of 58-56) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Smith, working mainly on the inside, seeks to apply some pressure as the rounds begin to tick off in the second half of the contest. Smith appears to be making some modest progress, although Johnson continues to hold the edge in the punches landed count. In round 11, a hard right cross from Johnson opens up a cut under Smith’s right eye. Smith’s corner has no problem patching up the cut between rounds, so the bout goes to decision. As in the prior bout, the judging panel is split, and Johnson is able to capture the belt, taking a close SD 12 (113-115, 115-114, 116-113), wrapping up the pre-Prime stage of his career with an unbeaten slate. Post-bout records: Johnson, 20-0 (8); Smith, 26-9-4 (20). After this, the ring is cleared for the main event: a matchup for the WBA BW title, with Manuel Ortiz making his fifth title defense against challenger Tommy Forte. The stage appears to be set for a fairly routine win for Ortiz, who has defeated the now Post-Prime Forte twice before. In this rematch, Ortiz begins grinding away from the opening bell, gradually building an early edge in punches landed stats. After thew first third of the bout, the unofficial scorer has Forte keeping things in check, and Ortiz has only a narrow one-point lead (48-47). Into the middle rounds, and Forte begins to press forward on the inside, but in round seven, some effective counterpunching by Ortiz has caused initial swelling under the right eye of the challenger. After domination the action in the middle rounds, Ortiz has widened his lead (to 98-92) on the unofficial card at the two-thirds mark. Trailing on points, a desperate Forte tries to mount a rally in the final rounds, but he only leaves himself more vulnerable defensively, and Ortiz takes advantage, decking the challenger with a sharp combination midway through round 12. Forte is able to resume after taking a count of seven, but at this point at this point Ortiz is content to adopt a purely defensive posture. Ortiz appears to be well on his way to a fairly comfortable points win when, all of sudden, midway through the 14th round, Forte lands a lucky shot that draws blood from a cut over Ortiz’s right eye. The flow of claret from the cut continues unabated, and the ref is forced to call an immediate halt, over protests from Ortiz’s corner. In a huge turnaround, Forte is declared the unlikely TKO 14 winner based on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout career marks: Forte, 39-12-3 (13); Ortiz, 36-9-3 (18). Very tough loss for Ortiz, who was well ahead on all three cards and headed towards a unanimous points win. Also, an early candidate for Upset of the Year honors.

Mar. 25, 1949: Next up is a Friday night card at Mexico City. A twin bill of featured bouts tops the card. In the first of these, Cuba’s Diego Sosa, a former NABF and LABF FW Champion, faces Phil Terranova, another former NABF FW Champ, who is now on the downside of his career. It is the first meeting of the two, and it is Terranova who gets off to a strong start, piling up an early lead in the punch count stats. However, Sosa recovers from his slow start and, late in round five, he floors Terranova with a big hook, and Terranova is fortunate to be saved by the bell. By virtue of the 10-8 round in the fifth, Sosa has a slight points lead (48-47) on the unofficial card at the halfway point. Into the second half of the contest, and Sosa continues to dominate, decking Terranova a second time with a sharp combination early in round seven. Terranova picks himself off the canvas and is able to cover up in order to survive the round. From this point, the bout proceeds the rest of the way without incident, and Sosa, based on the two knockdowns, takes a UD 10 (96-92, 96-92, 97-91) to run his career totals to 31-8-2 (16). The loss leaves the post-Prime Terranova at 26-11 (11). The second co-feature sees the “Dorango Dropper,” Enrique Bolanos, making his first defense of the NABF LW title. The challenger is Lulu Costantino, now at Post-Prime, and it is the first meeting of these two. The bout lasts a little longer than two minutes, as Bolanos is on target early, dropping Costantino who goes down for the count in the opening stanza. Impressive KO 1 for Bolanos, who is hoping for a WBA title shot later in the year. Post-bout career marks: Bolanos, 27-3 (21); Costantino, 30-10-4 (11).

Mar. 26, 1949: To London’s Harringay Arena for the next fistic action and, in the main event, Brit Jackie Paterson and Aussie Tiffy Hancock will vie for the recently vacated Commonwealth Flyweight title. The belt was vacated by Peter Kane when he captured the WBA Fly crown. It is the first meeting of these two, and it takes awhile for the sorting out to commence. In round three, Paterson, who seems to have the upper hand, moves inside to press his advantage even further. Turns into a big third round for Paterson, who manages to cause some initial puffiness to appear under Hancock’s right eye. Hancock tries his luck on the inside in round four, but Paterson continues to take advantage with some effective counterpunching. Undaunted, Hancock comes out swinging in round five, and he manages to turn things around, decking Paterson with a hook that puts Paterson down and out. KO 5 for Hancock, and this becomes a strong contender for “Upset of the Year” as a “2” defeats a “7” on the opponent’s home turf. Hancock, in his first bout at Prime career stage, is successful, moving to 18-2-1 (14) overall. The loss leaves the unfortunate Paterson at 33-9-2 (19).

Mar. 26, 1949: Final card of the month takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Featured in the main event are two long-time HW contenders, as USBA HW Champ “Tampa” Tommy Gomez challenges Jersey Joe Walcott for Walcott’s NABF HW title. The two have met twice before, with Gomez winning both, once via KO and once via a points decision. However, this time Walcott, despite being at Post-Prime, is looking for revenge and hoping for some favoritism from the judges in his role as the defending titleholder. Unfortunately for Jersey Joe, Gomez is on target early and, by the end of the second round, Walcott is carrying his hands low, making an even more inviting target for the challenger. Not much changes as the bout heads into the middle rounds, and, at the outset of the fifth round, Gomez lands a perfect cross to send Walcott toppling to the canvas. Walcott is unable to beat the count, and Gomez is declared a KO 5 victor, repeating his earlier success, and also adding the NABF title to his laurels. Post-bout career marks: Gomez, 38-6-1 (35); Walcott, 55-17 (31).

JCWeb · 08-14-2023, 12:05 PM

This report includes bouts from the first half of April 1949. Two WBA title bouts are included.

Apr. 1, 1949: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at Havana’s Gran Stadium. No title bouts on the menu, and featured in the main event is a former WBA WW Champ, Marty Servo. His opponent is a hometown crowd favorite, Kid Gavilan, aka “the Cuban Hawk.” No prior meetings of the two, and Gavilan is hoping to use this opportunity to take advantage of an aging veteran (with Servo now at End career stage) to advance his standing in the WW rankings. The two boxers both exhibit a cautious approach to the opening rounds, but Gavilan is able to gradually pull ahead to a nice lead in the punches landed count. At the midway point of the contest, scheduled for 10 rounds, Gavilan was well ahead on points as well (49-46), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. Servo tries to turn things around, moving inside in round seven, but all he gets for his troubles is a rapidly swelling left eye, the result of some accurate counterpunching by the “Cuban Hawk.” Servo is unable to make much progress as the bout reaches its later stages, and Gavilan goes on to take a fairly routine UD 10 (97-93, 99-91, 97-93) to run his career record to 22-3-1 (4). The loss leaves Servo at 36-11-2 (13).

Apr. 2, 1949: Next card takes place at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. No title bouts, but the main event matches two top five Flyweight contenders: NABF Flyweight titleholder Dado Marino and Yoshio Shirai, who briefly held the WBA Flyweight crown after a stint as OPBF Flyweight Champ. No prior meetings of these two, and, after a couple of pedestrian opening rounds, Shirai takes charge in round three, moving inside and landing some telling blows to pull ahead in the punch count stat. Marino responds by moving inside with some effective punching in round four. At the halfway point, the unofficial card has Marino up by one (48-47), and there is some puffiness under the right eye of Shirai. In the second half of the bout, Marino seems content to stay on the outside, leaving it to Shirai to press the action on the inside. Shirai does well to keep the bout reasonably close, but Marino is able to grind out a convincing UD 10 win (97-93, 97-93, 98-92). Post-bout records: Marino, 34-10 (14); Shirai, 24-5 (12).

Apr. 8, 1949: The Commonwealth BW title is on the line in the featured bout at the next card, a Friday night affair at the Forum in Montreal. Challenging Canadian Fernando Gagnon for the crown is Brit Stan Rowan. The two have not met previously, and Rowan has been unbeaten in his last five (four wins, one draw) to set up this, his first title shot. Gagnon starts well, compiling an early lead in the punches landed; by the middle rounds, the challenger is showing signs of fatigue as well as some puffiness that is visible under his left eye. In round six, there is an accidental clash of heads, and Gagnon suffers a cut on his forehead as a result. At the midway point of the bout, Gagnon has a healthy points lead (59-56), according to the unofficial scorecard. In round eight, cut on Gagnon’s forehead is reopened. Into the final rounds, and Rowan tries to become more aggressive, but Gagnon’s corner does a good job with the cut, and he is not seriously threatened by Rowan for the remainder of the bout. In fact, Rowan leaves himself open and is decked by a barrage of blows from Gagnon near the end of round 10. The bout goes the distance, and Gagnon is able to retain the title via a lopsided UD 12 (117-110, 117-111, 118-110). With the win, Gagnon improves his career stats to 28-5 (17). The loss drops Rowan to 26-4-2 (11).

Apr. 9, 1949: Next up is a huge card at the Sports Palace in Rome that features a WBA title clash at the top of the agenda. In the main supporting bout, a post-Prime Benny Goldberg, a former WBA BW Champ who remains a top contender, faces Spaniard Luis Romero, who is looking to advance up the BW ranks. The two have not met before. From the early rounds, it is Romero who takes on the role of aggressor, forcing the action. However, some solid boxing from Goldberg gives the American an early edge in the punch count stats. The battle between the two intensifies as both swing away freely with some inside exchanges in round five and, at the halfway point, Goldberg is up by two (49-47) on the unofficial card. Romero continues to take an aggressive approach as the bout heads into the later rounds, but some solid defense and counterpunching by Goldberg prevents him from making any progress. Goldberg goes to take a fairly routine UD 10 (97-93, 98-94, 97-92) to run his career totals to 37-7-3 (14). The loss leaves Romero, who is hopeful for a shot at the EBU BW title, at 21-4-2 (8). Then, the WBA LW title matchup takes place, and Italy’s Aldo Spoldi, who has held the EBU LW title since 1941, finally gets his first shot at a WBA title, as he challenges Ike Williams for the belt. No prior meetings, but Spoldi is at Post-Prime, having had to wait so long for this opportunity. Williams gets off to a strong start, rocking Spolid with a hard uppercut near the end of the opening stanza. Spoldi continues to struggle with his timing through most of the early rounds, while Williams is on target, landing his punches with alacrity. Late in the fifth round, a big cross from Williams snakes through, and once again Spoldi is hurt, but he remains upright. At this point, one third of the way through the bout, Williams has a commanding points lead (50-45), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. Then, in round six, Spoldi goes down, as an overhand right from Williams finds its mark. Spoldi struggles to regain his footing, arising at the count of eight. Still plenty of time left in the round, but Williams is unable to finish off the game challenger. Early in round seven, things begin to look better for Spoldi, as he snakes through a right cross that rips open a cut over Williams’ left eye. Undaunted, Williams stalks Spoldi around the ring, finally catching him with a devastating hook that puts Spoldi down and out. Solid effort from Williams, who retains the WBA title with a KO 7 result. Post-bout career marks: Williams, 37-4-1 (32); Spoldi, 50-19-7 (18). Spoldi will be at End career stage with his next outing.

Apr. 9, 1949: Next up is more WBA title bout action, this time coming from the States, in Miami. First up, in the main supporting bout, two HWs take to the ring as newly crowned NABF HW Champ Tommy Gomez faces the hard-hitting Cuban, Nino Valdes, in a non-title matchup. The two, who have a combined 53 KOs to their respective ledgers) have not met before. “Tampa” Tommy is on the defensive from the start, as Valdes impresses with a strong start in the opening round. Valdes continues to press forward with a smothering attack, finally catching Gomez with a cross that puts Gomez down and out with seconds remaining in round two. Impressive KO 2 for Valdes, his best showing yet but, unfortunately, the NABF title was not on the line. Nonetheless, Valdes improves to 23-8-2 (19) with the win, and he is sure to move up the HW rankings as a result. The loss leaves Gomez at 38-7-1 (35). In the main event, Archie Moore makes another defense of his WBA LH title. The challenger is GBU, EBU and Commonwealth LH Champ “Fearless” Freddie Mills, whom Moore has beaten twice before, both inside the distance, the most recent being a first round knockout in New York in 1947, but this is the first time the two have competed with a title at stake. This time around, Mills is able to avoid a first round blowout, and Mills is actually having the better of the exchanges in round two. Moore responds with a strong showing in the third and fourth stanzas. The two sluggers exchange blows on the inside in round five and, once again, Mills seems to be holding his own. At the one thirds mark of the bout, it is a close one (48-47 in favor of Moore) on the unofficial card. In the middle rounds, Moore continues to work his way inside, applying pressure and winning most of the exchanges. In round nine, Mills tries to switch tactics and move inside, but Moore’s defense remains solid. Late in round 10, Moore decks Mills with a big hook, and Mills is able to resume only after taking a seven count. After 10 rounds are in the books, Moore has a solid points lead (98-92) on the unofficial card, his position being enhanced by the knockdown. Mills tries to bounce back, but he doesn’t last another round as, two minutes into the 11th, Moore decks him with a combination. Mills is counted out. KO 11 for Moore, who had to exert himself a bit more than in their two prior encounters. Post-bout career marks: Moore, 47-4-5 (33); Mills, 33-19-2 (16). Mills has accumulated enough retirement points that he will be at Post-Prime career stage with his next outing.

Apr. 15, 1949: Time for the next installment of the Friday night fights “Down Under” series, and a twin feature of two Commonwealth title bouts top the card, this time at Melbourne. In the first co-feature, the Commonwealth MW title is on the line, as Aussie Alfie Sands makes his first title defense against Vince Hawkins, current GBU MW titleholder. The two have not met before, and Sands, who takes an aggressive approach in the early stages of the bout, is met with some stiff resistance from Hawkins, However, in the fifth round, Sands breaks through and drops Hawkins with a sharp combination that finds its target. Hawkins is able to resume after taking a seven count, and he lasts the round by successfully electing to cover up. One more round and the midway point of the contest is reached, and it sees Sands well ahead on the unofficial scorer’s card (60-55). The punch count stats also favor Sands, but by a much narrower margin. Into the second half of the contest, and Sands, the slugger, retains his aggressive approach to the bout, while Hawkins, having recovered from the knockdown, seeks to become more active in initiating the action. Late in round seven, Sands staggers Hawkins with a big uppercut, and, right before the bell, he drops Hawkins for a second time with a picture perfect cross. Early in round nine, Hawkins walks into a Sands hook and goes down for a third time and, this time, he arises at the count of four. The bout goes the distance, and Sands, largely on the strength of the three knockdowns, is rewarded with a lopsided UD 12 (118-109, 117-110, 119-108) to retain the title. Post-bout records: Sands, 20-4 (11); Hawkins, 22-14-4 (8). The final bout of the card matches two familiar foes, Brit Ernie Roderick (current Commonwealth and GBU WW Champ) and Aussie Jack McNamee (reigning OPBF WW Champ), who are paired together for the eighth (!) time; this is for the Commonwealth WW title held by Roderick, and it is Roderick’s first defense in two years, with his last successful defense coming in April 1947, this a late stoppage (a technical decision win) versus McNamee in London. Midway through the opening round, Roderick lands a quick one-two combination that rips open a cut on McNamee’s forehead. After the first four rounds are in the books, Roderick has pulled ahead in the punch count stats, yet Roderick is also showing signs of swelling under his right eye. In round five, the cut over McNamee’s eye is reopened; the cut is quickly patched up in the corner between rounds. However, in round six, Roderick goes to work, opening a new cut under McNamee’s left eye. Then, later in the round, McNamee’s face becomes bloody mess as the cut on his forehead is reopened a second time. At this point, the ref steps in and calls a halt. The bout goes into the books as a TKO 6 for Roderick, who retains the Commonwealth belt, running his career record to 40-25-6 (9). Meanwhile, McNamee slips to 41-24-2 (23) with the loss. Both of these veteran fighters are at Post-Prime career stage but both remain as regional titleholders, largely due to the lack of qualified contenders

JCWeb · 09-04-2023, 03:14 PM

This report includes bouts from the second half of April 1949. This time, a total of three WBA title bouts are included.

Apr. 16, 1949: To Europe and the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden, for the next fight card. Paired together in the main event for the second time are two top Flyweight contenders, ex-WBA Fly Champ Rinty Monaghan and Belgium’s Raoul DeGryse. The first time these two met, the WBA title was at stake, and Monaghan prevailed with a unanimous points win. This time, the bout is scheduled for just 10 rounds, both are at Post-Prime career stage, and no titles are at stake. A strong start by DeGryse, who looks sharp in the opening couple of rounds and seems determined to reverse the results of their earlier encounter. However, in the third round, Monaghan begins to assert himself and, as a result, there is a trace of swelling apparent under the right eye of DeGryse. By the halfway point, Monaghan has pulled ahead on the unofficial scorer’s card (48-46). In the second half of the bout, DeGryse begins show signs of fatigue, and his punches lack steam. With Monaghan apparently well on his way to victory, late in round nine, DeGryse lands a big shot that drops Monaghan, who is able to scramble back on his feet just before the bell sounds to end the round. With the issue still very much in doubt, the bout goes the distance and, aided by the late knockdown, DeGryse is able to turn things around and register a SD 10 victory (93-94 Monaghan, 94-93 DeGryse, 94-93 DeGryse). Post-bout marks: DeGryse, 33-16-5 (17); Monaghan, 44-16-1 (12).

Apr. 16, 1949: Next card in Detroit features a WBA title contest as the headliner, preceded by a MW bout matching a Post-Prime Artie Levine with an up-and-comer in Carl “Bobo” Olson. No prior meetings, and while Olson hopes to use this to break into the top 10 in the MW ranks, Levine has other ideas, and the bout comes to a sudden end less than a minute into the second round when Levine lands a big shot that puts Olson down and out. Impressive KO 2 for Levine, who improves to 28-9-1 (17) as a result. For Olson, it is just his third career loss (and the first via a KO stoppage), leaving him at 18-3-2 (12). Then, the ring is cleared for the main event, which sees Norman Rubio challenge the timeless veteran Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong for the WBA LW title. Rubio, who lost on points in one prior meeting, is also on the downside (post-Prime stage) of his career, while Armstrong has already hit End career stage. Not much in the way of action for the opening few rounds, but what little action there is favors Armstrong, as Rubio struggles with his timing. While Rubio is able to gradually work his way into the bout, Armstrong has a solid points lead (50-47) after the first five rounds are scored, according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. In the middle rounds, Rubio tries to take a more aggressive stance, but he is unable to make much of an impression on a determined Armstrong. Then, late in round eight, Rubio walks into an Armstrong combination, drops to the canvas and is counted out, just before the bell sounds. KO 8 for Armstrong, who retains the title. Post-bout records: Armstrong, 57-11-3 (46); Rubio, 30-11-4 (13).

Apr. 22, 1949: The Rand Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa sets the scene for the next fight card, a Friday night affair topped by a LW contest, matching Aussie Vic Patrick, a former WBA LW Champ, with Santa Bucca. The two met once before, in Patrick’s native Australia, in early 1948, and Patrick easily dispatched of Bucca via a first round knockout. This time around, After a rather placid opening round, Patrick comes out swinging in round two, decking Bucca with a strong hook less than a minute into the round. Bucca manages to regain his footing and resorts to covering up to avert further damage; however, by the end of the round there is already noticeable puffiness around his left eye. Despite the early knockdown, Bucca maintains a slight edge in the punches landed count. However, a determined Patrick ignores his Post-Prime career status, connects with a picture perfect combination late in the fifth that puts Bucca down for the count. Impressive KO 5 for Patrick, who was trailing on all three cards after the first four rounds were in the books. Post-bout career marks: Patrick, 32-7-1 (23); Bucca, 20-7-3 (8).

Apr. 23, 1949: Time for some more WBA title bout action, this at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, and featured in the main event is the rematch of Sandy Saddler and Willie Pep as they renew their rivalry with the WBA FW crown at stake. First up, however, is an enticing main supporting bout, matching the “Bronx Bull,” Jake LaMotta, with the “Man of Steel,” Tony Zale, for LaMotta’s NABF NW title. This duo has met three times before, with LaMotta losing all three (accounting for all but one of his losses thus far in his career), but this time Jake hopes to break through against a post-Prime Zale. This time, it takes a few rounds for the action to develop. In round three, it is LaMotta who surges forward, seizing the initiative and doing some damage on the inside. Zale strikes back with a solid round in the fourth, but LaMotta has the edge in the crucial punch count stats. At the midway point of the contest, the unofficial scorecard has LaMotta in front (59-57), and two sluggers continue to whale away at each other as the rounds tick off. The stamina factor favors LaMotta and, as the bout wears on, an increasingly frustrated Zale tries to become more and more aggressive, but to no avail. LaMotta grinds his way to a UD 12 (117-112, 118-112, 115-114), recording his first win versus Zale and improving his overall career mark to 33-4-1 (21). Zale falls to 47-12-2 (27) with the loss. Then, in the main event, it is a much anticipated rematch for the WBA FW title, which sees Sandy Saddler making his second defense versus Willie Pep, whom he dethroned in a very close and entertaining bout that was the Fight of the Year for 1948. In this long awaited rematch, after a close opening round, Pep begins to find the range, pulling ahead with a strong round two. Saddler seizes the initiative and moves inside in round three, only to be peppered with some solid jabs and long range accurate punching by Pep. Less than a minute into round four, Pep staggers Saddler with a sharp three punch combo that forces Saddler to cover up to avert further damage. After the first five rounds are in the books, the unofficial card has Pep with a comfortable points lead (50-45). In the middle rounds, Saddler bears down, focusing on working his way inside, but Pep remains an elusive target. By the end of round seven, however, there is a trace of puffiness under Pep’s right eye and, in round eight, a Saddler jab snakes through and opens a cut over Pep’s left eye. Nonetheless, at the two thirds mark, Pep still holds a significant points lead (98-92) on the unofficial card, despite some major inroads made by Saddler in the middle third of the bout. The momentum swings back in Pep’s direction, as he decks Saddler with an uppercut midway through round 11. Saddler is quick to regain his footing (arising at the count of three), and he once again covers up to last the round. Into the final rounds, and, although Saddler is able to reopen the cut over Pep’s eye in round 12, it is patched up between rounds. Pep recovers quickly and goes on to dominate the action in the 13th, eventually forcing a stoppage as Saddler is helpless against the ropes. Via a TKO 13, Willie Pep is once again a WBA FW Champion, and Saddler is handed the first loss of his career. Post-bout records: Pep, 38-3 (25); Saddler, 25-1 (20). Could a third chapter in this saga be in the offing?

Apr. 29, 1949: Next up is a Friday night card in Seattle, and some HW action tops the card, as the main event matches former NABF HW titleholder Roscoe Toles with Phil Muscato, and at stake is the USBA HW title that was vacated by Tommy Gomez who moved up and captured the NABF HW crown from one of Toles’ successors. No prior meetings and, for Muscato, who was gone undefeated in his four most recent outings (three wins, one draw), it is his first title shot of any kind. With Toles now at Post-Prime, Muscato is optimistic about his chances, and he manages to pull ahead in the punch count stats in the early going. Some slick boxing from Toles enables him to keep the bout close as it heads into the middle rounds. At the midway point, the unofficial scorecard has Toles actually ahead by a point (58-57), this despite the fact that the punch count stats tend to favor Muscato. Muscato bears down in the second half of the bout, taking the initiative and moving forward in a more aggressive posture. Toles has caught up in terms of the punches landed stats, but Muscato has a slight edge in terms of the stamina factor, but both fighters are tired by the end of the ninth round. The outcome remains very much in doubt as the bout heads into the final few rounds, with both men seeming to be exhausted at this point. No cuts or knockdowns, so the bout appears to be headed for a judges’ decision when, with seconds remaining, Muscato connects with a hard shot that sends Toles tumbling to the canvas. Toles is able to scramble to his feet as the count reaches six, then the bell sounds to end the contest. The late knockdown is sufficient to secure the title belt for Muscato, who takes a close but UD 12 (116-113, 116-113, 115-113), thereby improving his career record to 25-5-3 (10). Toles, now 45-19-6 (8), has lost his last four, and thus it appears his days as a top flight HW contender are at an end.

Apr. 30, 1949: Final card of the month takes place at the Olympia in London, England, and two British fighters face each other in the main event, yet another WBA title bout (the fifth this month). First up, the main preliminary match features two FWs from the Western Hemisphere who have come from across the pond to do battle: former LABF FW Champ Diego Sosa takes on Sal Bartolo, a former USBA and NABF FW titleholder. The two met once before, in a 1945, in a bout that ended in a MD 10 for Sosa. This time around, with Bartolo at Post-Prime career stage, it is Sosa who takes the initiative after a couple of close opening rounds, moving inside to apply pressure on his opponent. Sosa pulls ahead after putting Bartolo on the deck with a big hook in round four. At the halfway point of the bout, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Sosa up by three (49-46). Into the later rounds, and the stamina factor favors Sosa, while Bartolo manages to maintain relative parity in the punch count stats. A late surge by Bartolo falls short, as Sosa is able to retain the early lead through to the final bell. Sosa takes a close but UD 10 (96-95, 97-94, 97-94) to run his career record to 32-8-2 (16). Meanwhile, the loss leaves Bartolo at 35-14-1 (10). Then, it is time for the final event on the card, for the WBA Flyweight title, with the top ranked challenger, EBU Flyweight kingpin Teddy Gardner, challenging Peter Kane for the title. This represents the fifth meeting of these familiar foes, with Kane having prevailed in all four of their previous encounters. In their most recent meeting, with no titles at stake, Kane took a 10-round points win, but Gardner has bounced back, winning his last three, to set up this title clash. Kane, the slugger, tries to set up shop on the inside in round three, but Gardner manages to hold his ground. In round five, both fighters elect to mix it up on the inside, and Gardner turns out to be the winner, decking Kane with a combination with just under a minute remaining in the round. Kane drops to the deck and is unable to beat the count. Gardner has won the WBA title for the first time in shocking fashion, via a KO 5 over the heavily favored Kane. Post-bout records: Gardner, 33-9-2 (12); Kane, 41-11-1 (15).

JCWeb · 09-19-2023, 07:07 PM

This report includes bouts from the first half of May 1949. No WBA title bouts are included, but there were plenty of regional titles on the line in this month’s action.

May 5, 1949: First up is a Friday night card at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. Two veteran LHs, both in the Post-Prime twilight of their respective careers, lock horns in the main event, a 10-round non-title affair, as former WBA LH Champ Gus Lesnevich faces Anton Christoforidis, a former EBU LH Champ. Surprisingly, this is the first meeting of these two whose careers have overlapped over much of the past couple of decades (both debuted in 1934). Christoforidis, who is back in action after a long layoff, starts well, boxing beautifully in the opening rounds to seize the early edge in the punch count stats. In the third round, Lesnevich moves inside and does sufficient damage to cause some initial puffiness to appear under the right eye of Christoforidis. More trouble for Christoforidis in the following round, as Lesnevich opens up with a two-fisted attack that causes some additional swelling to appear under the other (left) eye of his opponent. Another round in the books and, with the bout at the midway point, Lesnevich’s surge has carried him to a slight points lead (48-47), according to the unofficial scorer’s card. Then, in round six, things begin to turn around for Christoforidis, who finds the range with a sharp jab that opens a cut over Lesnevich’s right eye. In the later rounds, Christoforidis targets the cut, but some good cornerwork enables Lesnevich to make it through until the final round, when an all-out assault by Christoforidis results in a late knockdown, as a wild overhand right sends Lesnevich toppling to the canvas with less than a minute before the final bell. Lesnevich picks himself up off the deck and makes it through to the end, but the late KD turned the scales in favor of Christoforidis, who takes a close but UD 10 (96-94, 95-94, 96-93) to up his career stats to 33-21-3 (13). The loss, a tough one to take, left Lesnevich at 41-23-3 (17).

May 6, 1949: Next card takes place at the Sports Palace in Rome, Italy. The main event is for a vacant EBU title belt, but first up in the main supporting bout is a matchup of two FWs: reigning EBU FW Champion Ray Famechon, who faces American Jackie Graves, a former NABF FW titleholder. First meeting of the two, and Graves seems to have an upper hand in the early going, allowing him to build a nice lead in the punch count stats. By the end of the third round, it is clear that Graves’ accurate punching has had an impact, as a trace of swelling is visible under the right eye of Famechon. Gaves has a solid points lead (49-46) at the halfway point of the scheduled 10-round bout, according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. In the middle rounds, Famechon appears to have recovered from his slow start and is beginning to whittle down Graves’ early lead. However, in round seven, Graves connects with a hard hook to the body that stops Famechon in his tracks; the French fighter covers up in an effort to avert further damage. However, Graves’ killer instinct has taken over, and he pummels Famechon into submission, forcing the ref to call a halt. Impressive TKO 7 for Graves, who improves to 22-5-1 (16) as a result, having put his career on track. The loss drops Famechon to 22-4-1 (6). Then, it is time for the final event on the card, for the EBU Flyweight title recently vacated by Teddy Gardner who moved up to win the WBA Fly title belt. The combatants for this title are none other than Famechon’s older brother, Emile Famechon, and local hero Nazzareno Gianelli. For Gianelli, it is his first title bout of any kind; for Famechon, it is a chance to reclaim the EBU belt he held previously in 1946-47. Gianelli gets off to a decent start and he manages to keep the bout competitive through most of the early going. However, in round four, a right cross from Famechon rips open a gash over Gianelli’s right eye. The cut is patched up rather quickly between rounds, and Gianelli returns, firing away from all angles as the contest heads into the middle rounds. However, the cut is in a bad spot and, after it is reopened in round six, the blood flow is too much to ignore, and the ref calls a halt. Tough break for Gianelli, who gave a good accounting for his first title shot (even leading on two of the three judges’ cards after the first five rounds), but the winner is Famechon, who takes the title via a TKO 6 on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout records: Famechon, 25-10-2 (18); Gianelli, 20-6-1 (3).

May 6, 1949: The scene shifts to the Southwest and the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix for the next fight card. Topping the agenda is a USBA BW title bout. Defending the belt is Tony Olivera, and Harold Dade is the challenger. The two met once before, for this very same title, back in 1946, and Olivera came away a TKO 5 victor. This time, Dade takes advantage of the fact that Olivera is now at Post-Prime career stage, flooring the Champ with a big shot midway through round two. Olivera picks himself off the canvas after taking a four-count, but he remains unsteady and is sporting a puffy left eye as he returns to his corner at the end of the round. In the fourth round, things get even worse for Olivera, who sustains a cut under his right eye. At the midway point, Dade is well ahead on points (60-54), according to the unofficial scorecard. Into the later rounds, and it is apparent that Olivera, trailing badly, needs a knockout or at least a knockdown to turn things around. He throws caution to the wind, going for an all-or-nothing assault, but Dade is able to maintain and even extend his early lead. The bout goes the distance without further incident, and Dade takes a solid UD 12 win (120-108, 120-107, 118-109) to capture the belt, the first title of his career. Post-bout career marks: Dade, 25-8-3 (6); Olivera, 34-14-2 (21). Olivera will slip to End career stage with his next outing.

May 12, 1949: Next is a Friday night card at Havana’s Gran Stadium. Double barrel title bout action topping the agenda, with the first co-feature being a contest for the LABF Flyweight title. Cuban Flyweight Black Pico, the only holder of this belt since it was instituted in 1946, makes his second defense versus a first time challenger in Mexico’s Monito Flores. Pico starts well, doing some damage in the opening stanza by opening up a cut over Flores’ right eye. The cut is patched up between rounds, but, when reopened in round three, it is too much for the ref to allow the bout to continue. Despite pleas from Flores’ corner protesting the decision, a halt is ordered due to the severity of the cut. To the delight of the Cuban fight fans in attendance, Pico is declared a TKO 3 victor, retaining the title and lifting him to 20-3-2 (1) overall. (Yes, it took 20 wins before Pico recorded one inside the distance.) The loss leaves Flores at 16-5-1 (3). In the second of the two main events, the LABF WW title is on the title, with Cocoa Kid, who held the belt on multiple occasions dating all the way back to 1935, challenging another Cuban fighter, Joe Legon, who will be making his second defense in his third stint at holding this particular title. Both are at Post-Prime and, in six prior meetings, Kid has won four, Legon just two. This, their seventh encounter, takes on a familiar pattern with Legon as the aggressor, taking on the slugger role while Kid adopts more of the laid-back, boxer style. Not much happens until round four, when a sharp exchange of blows on the inside leaves Kid with a bloody nose. The cut is brought under control rather quickly, but in the fifth round, Kid returns the favor, opening a cut on Kid’s upper lip. By the midway point of the bout, Kid has surged to a solid points lead (59-55) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In round eight, Kid connects with a straight right that opens a cut over Legon’s left eye. In round nine, Legon is able to battle back, reopening the cut on Kid’s nose. Heading into the final few rounds, and both the punch count and stamina factors favor Kid. The cut over Legon’s eye is reopened in round 10. The bout goes the distance, with both fighters ending with cuts that have been reopened. The nod goes to Kid, who regains the title via a fairly comfortable UD 12 (116-113, 118-112, 119-110). Post-bout career records: Kid, 55-15-7 (13); Legon, 35-23-6 (14). Legon will be at End career stage with his next outing.

May 13, 1949: North of the border for the next card, at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. Some BW action in the main event, as Canadian Lou Alter takes on Cuba’s Luis Galvani, who is the current LABF BW titleholder. Scheduled for 10, no titles at stake, and this is the first meeting of these two. After a couple of nondescript opening rounds, Galvani seizes the initiative by moving inside in round three, seeking to apply pressure to Alter, the hometown favorite in this bout. Alter, trailing in the punches landed count, manages to snap Galvani’s head back with a sharp jab that opens a cut over Galvani’s left eye. At the midway point, the unofficial card shows a slight edge to Alter (48-47), perhaps indicating some bias towards the Canadian fighter. Right before the bell sounds to end round six, Galvani lands a hard hook that staggers Alter, but the Canadian hometown hero remains upright. The action heats up in round seven, with Galvani pressing forward, but then Alter is able to reopen the cut over his eye, slowing the Cuban fighter’s progress. Galvani then connects with a sharp jab early in round eight, stunning Alter who covers up to avert further damage. At this point, the punch count and stamina factors weigh heavily in the favor of Galvani, assuming he can survive two more rounds without suffering any more damage to his injured and cut eye. In round nine, Alter gets a bit careless, so Galvani connects with a sharp cross, depositing Alter on the canvas. Alter resumes after arising at the count of two, but the damage has been done in the form of a 10-8 round for Galvani. The bout goes the rest of the way, and a strong second half enables Galvani to take a solid UD 10 (99-90, 97-92, 97-93) to run his career record to 27-5 (16). The loss leaves Alter at 26-9-2 (14).

May 13, 1949: Next up, another card takes place at the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis. In the main event, Artie Towne makes his third defense of the USBA MW title. The challenger, Bert Lytell, is in the first title bout of his career, and the two battled to a draw less than a year previously, so a competitive bout is expected. Lytell serves notice with a strong opening round, but Towne is able to regain lost ground with a solid inside attack in the third. Towne begins to assert himself, taking charge in the middle rounds and, at the midway point of the contest, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Towne up by two (58-56). Towne continues to hold the edge in the punches landed stats into the later rounds, and a frustrated challenger is unable to make much of an impression. Thus, the bout goes the full 12 rounds, and Towne grinds his way to a UD 12 win (118-110, 117-111, 117-111). Post-bout records: Towne, 23-2-2(8); Lytell, 21-4-7 (4).

JCWeb · 10-02-2023, 05:22 PM

This report includes bouts from the second half of May 1949. One WBA title bout is included in this report.

May 19, 1949: Time for another edition of the Friday night fights “Down Under” series, and a larger than usual card at Melbourne, with a triple feature of headliners serving as the main events, all featuring Australian boxers. In the first co-feature, veteran Aussie LW contender Vic Patrick, a former WBA LW Champ, faces Lulu Costantino, a former USBA LW titleholder. The two battled to a draw in 1948, at Sydney, and both are at Post-Prime for this rematch. This time around, after being warned for low blows near the end of round two, Patrick assumes the mantle of aggressor, moving inside in round three. As the bout heads into the middle rounds, Costantino has a slight edge in the punch count stats, but Patrick continues to press forward. At the halfway point, Patrick is ahead – narrowly – on the unofficial card (48-47). Some good counterpunching from Costantino expands his lead in the punches landed stats, plus he seems to have an edge in the stamina factor. Patrick, who has the hometown crowd behind him, is able to open a cut on Costantino’s lip in round eight, but otherwise, his attack is muted. Then, the bout comes to a sudden and surprising end just seconds into the 10th and final round, when Patrick lands a blow but suffers an injured right hand that forces him to retire. Costantino, who was ahead on all three cards, is awarded a TKO 10 victory, to the dismay of the Aussie fight fans in attendance. Post-bout, Costantino improves to 31-10-5 (12), while Patrick slips to 32-18-1 (23). In the second of the trilogy of main events, another American fighter faces a homegrown Australian opponent, as Joe Brown, a former NABF and USBA LW titleholder, takes on Norm Gent, the current Commonwealth and OPBF titleholder. With both fighters swinging away freely, Gent is able to pull ahead in the punches landed stats as the initial rounds are ticked off. Into the middle rounds, Brown begins to make progress, and Gent returns to his corner after the end of round four with a rapidly swelling left eye. Midway through the fifth round, Brown rocks Gent with a sharp combination, and the Aussie Champ covers up and almost manages to last the round. However, in the final minute, Brown delivers a devastating hook to the head, and Gent goes down and is unable to beat the count. Another Aussie fighter is unable to make it to the finish line, so Brown emerges a KO 5 victor. Post-bout marks: Brown, 33-3 (22); Gent, 21-5-3 (7). The final bout to complete the card is for the OPBF Flyweight title. Yoichiro Hanada, who won the belt in early 1948, is now defending versus an Aussie challenger, Jimmy Laffin. No prior meetings, and Hanada is at Post-Prime while Laffin is still at Pre-Prime. In his first title bout of any kind, Laffin gives a good accounting of himself in the early going, but in round two, he sustains a cut over his left eye – apparently the result of an accidental head butt. After the cut is patched up between rounds, Laffin struggles with his timing, just missing with his punches, and this allows Hanada to build a solid lead in the punches landed count. In the middle rounds, Laffin tries to gain some momentum; at the midway point of the bout, the unofficial card has Hanada in front (by a count of 58-56). Urged on by a hometown crowd, Laffin takes on the role of aggressor in the second half of the bout. In round eight, the cut over Laffin’s eye is reopened, and Hanada continues to hold a solid lead in the punch count stats. However, aided by a late surge and possibly a bit of hometown judging, Laffin is able to pull out a SD 12 win (115-114, 113-116, 115-113) to capture the OPBF title. The Aussie fight fans go home happy, and Laffin improves to 13-4 (6). Meanwhile, Hanada slips to 41-25-4 (11).

May 20, 1949: The scene shifts to the French Riviera, and Marcel Cerdan is on hand to display his talents in front of an appreciative hometown crowd at the Palais des Sports in Cannes. His opponent in the featured 10-round main event is Raul “Telerana” Rodriguez, the reigning LABF MW Champion. The two met once before, a year before, also in Cannes, and Cerdan won by a late knockout. This time around, Rodriguez starts well, with a strong opening round. Cerdan, who is at Post-Prime for this bout, gradually works his way into the action and, by the halfway point, he has pulled out to a narrow lead (48-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. As the bout heads into the later rounds, Rodriguez adopts a more proactive approach, initiating most of the action. The rugged Argentinian boxer continues to battle until the end, and he does well enough to secure a majority draw (95-95, 97-94 Cerdan, 95-95), although one judge ruled in favor of the hometown hero. Post-bout records: Cerdan, 51-9-5 (34); Rodriguez, 25-13-2 (14).

May 20, 1949: A nice card gathers for some more fistic action at New Orleans’ Coliseum Arena, and the feature matchup has Joe Louis once again defending his WBA HW title. First, in the main supporting bout, a regional title is at stake as Billy Graham makes his first defense of the USBA WW title he won earlier in the year. His opponent is Frankie Fernandez, a first time title challenger, and the two are meeting for the first time. An accidental butt mars the action in the opening round, with Graham coming out the worse, with a split lip that demands the attention of his corner between rounds. The cut does not seem to pose a major problem, and Graham is able to pull out to a slim lead in the punches landed count as the bout heads into the middle rounds. However, Fernandez has kept the bout close and, at the midway point, the unofficial scorer has the bout scored as even (57-57). Into the second half of the contest, and the stamina factor seems to favor Fernandez. The issue remains very much in doubt into the final few rounds, and both fighters battle fatigue while swinging away aggressively. The bout goes the rest of the way without further incident, and Graham takes a close MD 12 (116-112, 114-114, 116-112) to retain the title, improving to 25-9-1 (11) overall. Fernandez drops to 19-4 (13) after the loss. Then, in the feature bout, Joe Louis returns to the ring to defend the WBA HW title he has held for over a decade. He faces a tough opponent in the Cuban slugger, Nino Valdes, who earned this title shot with successive KO wins over Tami Mauriello, Alberto Santiago Lovell and, most recently, Tommy Gomez. First meeting of the two, so a cautious start is expected by both fighters. Louis looks sharp early, dominating the action in the opening round, while Valdes struggles with his timing. Things begin to open up in the second round and, just past the halfway mark, Louis lands a devastating hook that puts Valdes down and out. Another decisive win for Louis, thia against a dangerous opponent, and the KO 2 lifts him to 63-1-1 (61). For Valdes, now 23-9-2 (19), it is back to the drawing board, as he hopes to lower his sights for a shot at a regional belt, such as the NABF or LABF titles, before taking on the WBA Champ once again.

May 26, 1949: Next is a Friday night card at Manila’s Rizal Arena. A couple of bouts from the lighter divisions top the agenda. First, OPBF FW titleholder Eddie Miller, now at Post-Prime career stage, faces Carlos Chavez, a former NABF FW Champ. The two, who are facing each other for the first time, square off in a 10-round, non-title contest. Chavez compiles an early lead in the punches landed category with some solid boxing in the opening few rounds. Miller begins to find the range as the bout heads into the middle rounds, and in round four, a stinging right cross opens up a cut over Chavez’s right eye. At the halfway point, Miller has forged a one-point lead (48-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. The cut over Chavez’s eye is reopened in round six. The cut is patched up between rounds but then is reopened a second time in round eight. Miller, still trailing in the punch count stats, continues to be the more active of the two. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and Chavez, still well ahead in the punches landed count, is rewarded with a UD 10 win (97-93, 98-92, 97-94), running his career record to 30-10-3 (10) as a result. The loss leaves Miller at 33-15-3 (13). Then, in the final bout on the card, Tirso Del Rosario is on hand to defend the OPBF BW title he won last year. Challenging Del Rosario for the title is another Aussie, Mickey Miller, who held the title twice before. Del Rosario starts well, piling up an early lead in the punch count stats. Late in round three, however, Del Rosario gets careless and walks into a Miller hook and goes down, only to be saved by the bell. The Filipino Champion bounces back and, in the fifth round, he is able to open a cut on Miller’s lip. At the halfway point, despite the one knockdown, Del Rosario holds a points lead (59-56) on the unofficial card. Then, in round nine, a sharp jab from Del Rosario rips open a second cut, this on Miller’s forehead. In the 10th round, more trouble for Miller as Del Rosario connects with a big left, and Miller is forced to cover up to survive the round. In the final few rounds, the situation only gets worse for Miller, as the cut on his forehead continues to ooze blood, plus his right eye is showing signs of puffiness. The bout goes the distance, and Del Rosario retains the title with a fairly convincing UD 12 (117-109, 116-110, 117-109) over the post-Prime Miller, who suffers his third consecutive defeat. Post-bout career records: Del Rosario, 23-9-2 (4); Miller, 41-21-2 (21).

May 27, 1949: The scene shifts to the Earls Court in London, and topping the card is a battle for the EBU BW title, currently held by Johnny King, who is now at the tail end of his illustrious career. Challenging King for the belt is GBU BW Champ Norman Lewis, whose GBU title is not at stake in this bout. The two met once before, back in 1944, in a bout that ended prematurely as a technical draw due to an early round accidental butt. This time around, Lewis serves notice when, midway through the opening round, he stuns King with a perfect cross. King, staggered, remained upright and lasted the round by an effective use of the cover up strategy. King recovers from his slow start with a strong round in the second, then he seizes the initiative, moving inside in round three. Early in round four, King rocks Lewis with a devastating cross, and this time it is Lewis who must cover up to avert further damage. King continues to apply pressure into the middle rounds, and he manages to pull ahead on points at the midway point (58-56, according to the unofficial card); however, King is suffering from a mouse that has formed under his left eye. After a couple of good rounds in rounds six and seven, Lewis pulls ahead in the punches landed count. Then, in round nine, with both fighters swinging away freely, Lewis connects with a hook to the head that drops King to the deck for an eight count. King manages to beat the count, and there is not enough time left in the round for the challenger to follow up. King tries to regain his composure and rally in the final few rounds, but the one knockdown and a strong second half help propel Lewis to a solid UD 12 win (116-110 on all three cards) to add the EBU belt to his GBU title. Post-bout, Lewis improves to 30-10-1 (16). King, who is now just one or two bouts away from retirement, ends the bout at 66-16-5 (26).

May 27, 1949: Final card of the month takes place at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, and a doubleheader of featured bouts tops the action. In the first co-main event, popular MW Rocky Graziano attempts to make a big move up in the MW ranks as he takes on an aging veteran and former WBA Champion in Holman Williams. First meeting of the two, and Graziano hopes to take advantage of the fact that Williams will be at Post-Prime for this contest. Halfway through the opening round, Graziano unleashes a barrage of unanswered blows, and Williams goes down, only to arise after taking a four count. An adroit use of the cover up strat enables the ex-Champ to survive the opening onslaught from Graziano. Undaunted, Williams recovers from his slow start with some impressive boxing to pull ahead in the punch count stats as the contest heads into the middle rounds. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has the bout as even (47-47). After a couple of nondescript rounds, Graziano is back on the attack early in the eighth rounds, when he connects with a straight right, then follows up with a right cross. This time, Williams remains on his feet, but again, he resorts to the cover up to avert further difficulty. The bout goes the full 10 rounds and, despite Graziano’s best efforts, the UD 10 nod goes to Williams (by scores of 95-94, 97-92, 95-94) – precipitating a large chorus of boos from the New York fight fans who thought Graziano did enough to deserve the win. In the second co-feature, Harold Johnson, who wrapped up the Pre-Prime stage of his career with a perfect 20-0 mark, is on hand to make his initial defense of the NABF LH title he won earlier in the year. His opponent is Young Joe Louis, a fringe contender at best in a career marked by ups and downs, including two unsuccessful title shots, who is now at the Post-Prime stage of his career. It takes Johnson until the final seconds of round two to get going, when he drops Louis with a hard shot, Louis is able to regain his footing, then gains time to rest and recover between rounds. Louis goes down a second time in round three, this the result of a Johnson combination that finds its mark. Louis again picks himself off the deck, but Johnson dominates the rest of the way, forcing an early end with less than a minute remaining in the round. Impressive TKO 3 for Johnson, who certainly cemented his credentials as a likely WBA title challenger. Post-bout records: Johnson, 21-0 (9); Louis, 32-20-1 (15).

JCWeb · 10-18-2023, 11:02 PM

This report includes bouts from the first half of June 1949. No WBA title bouts are included in this report.

June 3, 1949: The month commences with a Friday night card at the Miami Arena. Featured in the main event are two top 10 MW contenders, with Aussie Dave Sands, the current Commonwealth MW Champ, facing Artie Levine, who briefly held the NABF MW title but has recently hit Post-Prime career stage in 1949, his real-life retirement year. No prior meetings of the two, and Sands takes charge from the start, launching an impressive two-fisted attack that puts Levine on the defensive from the opening bell. After a dominant opening round, Sands does not let up, causing Levine’s left eye to puff up and eventually forcing an early submission with just a few seconds remaining in round two. Impressive TKO 2 for Sands, lifting him to 33-4 (21) overall. The loss drops Levine to 28-10-1 (17).

June 4, 1949: The scene shifts to the Stadium in Liverpool, where twin feature bouts top the card. In the first of these, former WBA BW Champ David Kui Kong Young is matched with Brit Gus Foran; with Kui Kong Young recently having hit Post-Prime career stage, there is hope for the British fighter despite the fact that, in their one prior encounter, for the WBA title in 1947, Kui Kong Young took a points win. In this rematch with no title at stake, Kui Kong Young looks sharp early, landing a powerful jab that sends Foran reeling. Foran covers up, but soon a cut appears over his right eye. As the bout heads into the middle rounds, Foran is able to regroup, and he gradually works his way into the fight. In round five, the cut over Foran’s eye is reopened, and Kui Kong Young pulls ahead at the halfway point (48-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In round six and seven, the cut continues to pose problems for Foran and his corner. While the cut is patched up between rounds seven and eight, in the eighth round, Kui Kong Young lands a series of blows that cause Foran’s other eye to puff up and, once the cut is reopened, the bout is stopped, with Kui Kong Young awarded a TKO 8 on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout, Kui Kong Young improves to 46-6-4 (21), and Foran slips to 27-10-3 (14). A peek at the judges’ cards after seven rounds showed Kui Kong Young ahead on all three, but Foran was within one point on two of them. In the second co-feature, the GBU FW title is on the line, and it is another rematch as Al Phillips, the “Aldgate Tiger,” challenges Ronnie Clayton, who dethroned him in their one prior bout, also for the GBU belt, a year earlier, in June 1948. Not much to choose between the two through the opening rounds, and Phillips gradually pulls in front in the middle rounds. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has Phillips up by three (59-56). Trailing in the punches landed stats, Clayton takes a more active posture into the later rounds. Significantly, the stamina factor favors the challenger, making it difficult for Clayton to mount a rally. The bout goes the distance with no cuts or knockdowns, and Phillips regains the GBU title via a UD 12 (117-110, 115-112, 116-111). Post-bout records: Phillips, 30-12-1 (13); Clayton, 29-5 (14).

June 4, 1949: Pittsburgh is the location for the next fight card, and two top 10 HW contenders do battle in the main event, as Jimmy Bivins, aka “the Cleveland Spider Man,” faces veteran Lee Q. Murray. The two have not met previously, and it is Bivins who pulls in front in the early going, piling up a lead in the punch count stats and, in round three, he rips open a cut over Murray’s left eye. Bivins continues pressing the attack in the fourth round, and he lands sufficient leather to cause some initial swelling to appear under Murray’s injured eye. At the halfway point of the contest, the unofficial card has Bivins with a wide lead (50-45). For Murray, things only get worse when the cut is reopened in round six. Trailing badly, Murray attempts to comeback with a much more aggressive posture in the final few rounds, but his punches lack steam, and Bivins wisely adopts a more cautious approach, protecting his solid early lead. In the end, it is a masterful performance by Bivins, who takes a fairly one-sided UD 10 (100-90, 100-90, 99-91) to run his career record to 31-6-3 (20). The loss leaves Murray at 33-12-2 (25). Bivins, who is now solidly ranked among the top five HWs, is clamoring for a title shot after such an impressive win.

June 10, 1949: North of the border for a Friday night card at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. A pair of former WBA LH Champions, both on the downside of their respective careers, grace the arena with their presence in the main event, as Melio Bettina faces “the Pittsburgh Kid,” Billy Conn. These two ring veterans, both now at Post-Prime career stage, have faced each other twice before, with Conn having the edge, recording a win and a draw in their prior meetings. This time, Conn forges an early lead in the punches landed stats but, in round four, a hard jab from Bettina draws blood, opening a cut on Conn’s right cheek. Conn responds with a highly effective two-fisted assault in round five, breaking through Bettina’s defenses to cause some initial puffiness around both Bettina’s eyes. At the halfway point, Conn holds the edge (50-48) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Into the second half of the contest, Bettina continues to take an aggressive approach, while Conn has the edge in stamina as well as in the punch count stats. The bout goes the rest of the way and, while Bettina is able to close some ground, Conn holds on to take a MD 10 win (98-94, 96-96, 97-95). Post-bout career records: Conn, 46-12-4 (17); Bettina, 43-14-7 (18).

June 11, 1949: The scene shifts to the Gran Stadium in Havana, and a twin bill of feature bouts tops the card. In the first of these co-main events, two HWs take to the ring, as Ezzard Charles faces Cuban Omelio Agramonte, the reigning LABF HW Champion, in a 10-round, non-title bout. This is a rematch of their most recent, earlier in the year, in Miami, that resulted in a points win for Charles. Charles has a solid start, piling up an early lead in the punch count stats. Charles continues to score well as the bout heads into the middle rounds; at the halfway point, the unofficial scorecard has Charles well ahead on points (50-46). Agramonte begins pressing forward as the bout heads into the later rounds, but Charles is able to land some punishing blows, causing some initial puffiness to appear under the left eye of Agramonte. Charles appears to be well on his way to another points win when, in the final round, Agramonte, throwing caution to the wind, leaves himself open, and Charles connects with a short, clean combination that puts the Cuban down and out. KO 10 for Charles, who improves to 30-5 (23) as a result. Agramonte ends the bout at 24-9 (14). In the finale, the LABF FW title is on the line, and Simon Vergara is the challenger, facing titleholder Cuban Ciro Morasen, who also holds the NABF FW title which is not up for grabs in this 12-round contest. This is the third meeting of the two, and Morasen holds the edge with a win and a draw in their two prior meetings. The bout is a close one, with the punches landed count virtually even through the early going and into the middle rounds. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Vergara up by one (58-57). Morasen rallies with a strong round in the seventh, and Vergara shows signs of wear and tear as his right eye begins to swell. A strong second half enables Morasen to pull ahead in the punch count stats, and this translates into a and he does just enough to secure a close but UD 12 (115-113 on all three cards) to retain the LABF title. Post-bout career records: Morasen, 24-4-3 (4); Vergara, 21-4-4 (6).

June 11, 1949: To Chicago’s Comiskey Park for the next fight card, and again, twin feature bouts top the agenda. In the first co-feature, two top 10 LW contenders do battle as Freddie Dawson faces Billy Banks. The two have not met previously, and the bout is scheduled for 10 (as no titles are at stake). Significantly, both fighters enter the bout riding three-bout winning streaks. Not much happens in the early rounds, but what little action taking place tends to favor Dawson, the higher ranked and more experienced of the two. By the end of round four, some accurate punching by Dawson has been effective enough to cause some initial swelling to appear under Banks’ right eye. At the midway point, Dawson has a wide lead in the punch count stats as well as on the unofficial scorer’s card (49-46). In round seven, Dawson inflicts even more damage, ripping open a cut over Banks’ injured eye. The cut is in a bad spot and, once reopened in the following round, it leads to an immediate stoppage. Dawson, who was ahead on all three cards at the time, is declared a TKO 8 victor due to the cuts stoppage, thereby improving his career mark to 24-2-3 (6) overall. The loss drops Banks to 30-13-6 (15). In the second co-main event, Johnny “Honey Boy” Bratton is challenging Jimmy Sherrer for Sherrer’s NABF WW title. The Two have not met before, and Sherrer is coming off a WBA title loss to Henry Armstrong while Bratton, whose two losses have been to Armstrong and Georgie Crouch, had an impressive one round blowout win over Tippy Larkin to set up this, his first title challenge. The action heats up in round three, when a Sherrer uppercut finds its target, ripping open a cut over Bratton’s left eye. Into the middle rounds, and Sherrer holds a commanding edge in the punches landed count. At the midway point of the bout, this translates into a large points lead for Sherrer (60-55, according to the unofficial scorer at ringside). Into the second half of the contest, and Sherrer continues to grind while Bratton begins to get desperate, hoping for a knockout. The bout goes the full 12, and as expected, Sherrer comes out on top, but only barely as he takes a narrow SD 12 (114-115 Bratton, 115-114 Sherrer, 115-114 Sherrer) with the judges giving some weight to a strong second half by the challenger. Post-bout records: Sherrer, 25-3 (10); Bratton, 20-3-1 (12).

JCWeb · 11-04-2023, 10:35 AM

This report includes bouts from the second half of June 1949. One WBA title bout is included in this report.

June 17, 1949: More twin feature bouts top the next card, as the Friday Night fights “Down Under” series continues in Sydney, Australia. In the first co-main event, Flyweights take to the ring as two regional Champions – NABF kingpin Dado Marino and newly crowned Commonwealth Champ Taffy Hancock – square off in a 10-round, non-title clash. Marino forges an early lead in the punch count stats and, by round four, Hancock is showing the effects with a trace of swelling present under his left eye. At the halfway point of the bout, Marino is up by two (58-56) on the unofficial scorecard. The second half of the contest sees Hancock, trailing but being urged on by the hometown crowd, starting to swing away freely in an effort to turn things around. Marino, on the other hand, adopts a cautious approach to the final stages of the fight. The bout goes the distance and, in the end, Marino ekes out a SD 10 (96-95, 94-96, 97-93) although one judge went for the hometown favorite. Post-bout records: Marino, 35-10 (14); Hancock, 18-3-1 (14). The second co-feature is another non-title bout, with “Sugar” Ray Robinson making the long journey to Aussie-land, hoping to pad his credentials as a top MW, taking on Alfie Sands, the reigning Commonwealth MW Champ on his home turf. No prior meetings, and Robinson enters the bout as a heavy favorite. Despite a subpar start, Sands elects to take an active approach against his highly accomplished opponent, moving inside to try to force the action in round three. However, Robinson is able to repel Sands’ aggressive thrust, countering with a glancing overhand right that opens a cut on Sands’ left cheek. In the fourth round, things get even worse for the Aussie MW as another Robinson overhand right drops Sands who takes a three count before resuming. In the fifth round, more trouble for Sands as the cut is reopened and, at the halfway mark, Robinson has a commanding points lead (50-44) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In the second half of the contest, Sands continues to battle, but he is no match for a highly skilled, world class boxer like Robinson. By round nine, Sands’ other eye (the right one) has begun to puff up. In the final round, Robinson decks Sands a second time, and the bout ends with just three seconds remaining before the final bell, after Robinson had gradually worn Sands down to the point he was offering little resistance. The bout goes in the books as a TKO 10 for Robinson, now 37-3-1 (27), who continues his campaign to try to capture the WBA MW title. For Sands, he ends the bout at 20-5 (11) and will be looking to be matched with an easier opponent in his next outing.

June 18, 1949: The scene shifts to Gothenburg for the next fistic action, and topping the card is a matchup of two Italian boxers for the EBU WW title. Defending the belt is Egisto Peyre, and the challenger, Michele Palermo, is a familiar foe. Palermo is looking for his first win versus Peyre, who has dominated in their previous encounters, recording three wins and one draw in four prior bouts. After a rather sluggish start, Peyre moves forward and works on the inside to secure an early edge in round three. Into the middle rounds, and the challenger is able to maintain his early lead in the punch count stats. At the halfway point of the 12-rounder, Palermo is up by two (58-56), according to the unofficial scorer’s card. Starting in round seven, Peyre takes a more active approach, and he manages to cause some initial swelling to appear under Palermo’s right eye as a result. A big hook unleashed by Peyre near the end of the eighth round forces Palermo to cover up. With a strong second half, Peyre has managed to close the gap in the punches landed count, and both men battle fatigue as the bout enters the final few rounds. As the two return to their corners for the final round, the ref deducts a point from Peyre from hitting after the bell sounded to end round 11. The bout goes the distance, and Peyre is able to keep the EBU title via a SD 12 (117-111, 113-115, 116-112). Tough loss for Palermo who gave a good accounting despite being at Post-Prime career stage. With the win, Peyre improves to 31-6-3 (14). Palermo ends the bout at 50-19-10 (13).

June 18, 1949: Los Angeles is the location for the next fight card, and the main event matches a former WBA titleholder with a top LW contender holding two titles. Up for grabs is the NABF LW title currently held by Enrique Bolanos, the “Dorango Dropper,” who also happens to hold the LABF LW title that is not at stake in this matchup. His challenger is “Bobcat” Bob Montgomery, the former WBA LW Champ who defeated Bolanos in a WBA title matchup in late 1947. Montgomery has bounced back by winning the USBA LW title, which is also not at stake in this bout. In this rematch, Montgomery gradually builds an early lead in the punches landed stats throughout the early going. By the midway point of the contest, Montgomery has amassed a commanding lead (60-54) on the unofficial scorer’s card, and Bolanos is already showing signs of fatigue, with no fewer than six rounds remaining. In the second half of the bout, Bolanos continues to plow forward, despite suffering from a rapidly swollen right eye. Montgomery, fighting mostly on the outside, is able to resist Bolanos’ pressure and grinds his way to a UD 12 (120-108, 118-110, 119-109) to regain the NABF LW title he held twice before. Post-bout records: Montgomery, 40-5-2 (21); Bolanos, 27-4 (21).

June 24, 1949: South of the border for a Friday night card at Mexico City, and two BWs take to the ring in the main event, with “the Pocket Battleship,” Luis Castillo, facing Armando Puentes Pi in a 10-round, non-title affair. No prior meetings of the two, and Puentes Pi is at Post-Prime for this bout. After an indifferent opening round, Castillo bears down and builds a solid early lead in the punches landed stats. However, a quick combination from Puentes Pi opens a cut over Castillo’s left eye. Meanwhile, Castillo’s punches have also been doing some damage, as witnessed by some noticeable swelling under Puentes Pi’s left eye. At the halfway point, Castillo has a one-point lead (48-47), according to the unofficial scorecard. At this point, Puentes Pi has gained some momentum, and Castillo has to deal with some puffiness under his already cut left eye. Feeling some pressure and urged on by the Mexican fight fans in attendance, Castillo ramps up the pace as the bout heads into the final few rounds. In round seven, the cut over Castillo’s eye is reopened, slowing his progress. Then, in round eight, a short hook to the head by Castillo opens a cut over Puentes Pi’s other eye, the right one. Plenty of back and forth action into the final rounds, as the cut over Castillo’s eye is reopened, yet the bout goes the distance, no knockdowns, and, as expected, Castillo comes out on top as a UD 10 victor (97-94, 98-92, 98-93). Post-bout career records: Castillo, 27-14-1 (11); Puentes Pi, 19-3 (11).

June 25, 1949: The scene shifts to the Earls Court in London, and veteran WW Ernie Roderick, who still holds two title belts (the Commonwealth WW title as well as the GBU one), puts the GBU WW title on the line – notably for the first time since 1941 (!) – to face challenger Cliff Curvis. The two have not met before, and Curvis has rebounded from a KO loss to EBU WW Champ Egisto Peyre with a points win over Arthur Danahar to set up this, his second title try. The action in this one is slow to develop, and Curvis, who is in the Prime of his career, takes advantage of the fact that Roderick is a Post to forge an early edge in the punch count stats. The two do battle at close quarters in round five, and Curvis is warned for head butting. At the halfway point, Curvis has a narrow lead (58-57) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Into the second half of the contest, and Curvis maintains his edge in the punches landed stats, while Roderick takes a more active and aggressive approach in an effort to keep his title from slipping away. Curvis maintains a safety first posture, and the bout goes the full 12 rounds, with Roderick doing just enough to secure a majority draw (115-113 Roderick, 114-114 on the other two cards) – a result that allows him to keep the title. Post-bout records: Roderick, 40-25-7 (9); Curvis, 21-2-2 (1). Curvis’ camp is already campaigning for a rematch before the end of the year.

June 25, 1949: To New York City for the final card of the month, and it features the month’s only WBA title clash. First, up, in the main supporting bout, the USBA HW title is on the line, with Pat Comiskey challenging Phil Muscato for the belt Muscato won a few months earlier. No prior meetings, and Comiskey has racked up two quality wins recently (versus Roscoe Toles and Jimmy Bivins) to set up this title matchup. At the outset, there are a comfortable early couple of rounds for Muscato, who takes an early edge in the punches landed stat. Comiskey is the more aggressive of the two, attempting to work his way inside in round three and, a minute into the round, he hits the mark with a straight right that causes Muscato to cover up; Muscato remains upright although Comiskey is able to dish out some more punishment, and Muscato ends the round with a noticeable trace of swelling around his right eye. Both fighters settle in for a long, close struggle in the middle rounds; at the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has the bout scored as even (57-57). Toward the end of round seven, Comiskey connects with an uppercut, sending Muscato tumbling to the deck; Muscato ends the round on the canvas after being saved by the bell. Despite suffering the one knockdown, Muscato does not change his approach, working mainly from the outside while avoiding taking excess chances. More trouble for Muscato early in round 10, when Comiskey sends him to the deck for a second time with a short, clean hook. Muscato regains his footing at the count of two, then covers up once again; even though there is plenty of time remaining in the round, Comiskey is unable to finish matters. Muscato switches tactics and tries to become more aggressive in the final two rounds, but Comiskey remains firmly in control and, largely on the strength of the two knockdowns, Comiskey walks away a UD 12 victor (114-112, 116-111, 115-111) to lift his career mark to 33-8 (21) overall. The loss drops Muscato to 25-6-3 (10). In the main event, Charley Burley is defending the WBA MW title, and the challenger is none other than the “Bronx Bull,” Jake LaMotta, who handed Burley a points loss two years before when the USBA MW title was at stake. This time, LaMotta enters the bout riding a six-bout unbeaten streak (five wins, one draw) but Burley, on the other hand, has not lost since that points loss to LaMotta, having won his last eight. After a couple of close opening rounds that see Burley with a slight edge, LaMotta bulls his way inside and assumes control in round three. After another close round in the fourth, both fighters move forward for some exciting toe-to-toe action in round five. This time, Burley wins most of the exchanges and, on the unofficial card, he has pulled out to a solid points lead (49-46) at the one-third mark of the bout. Into the middle rounds and, while LaMotta continues to push forward, pressing the action, Burley is content to wait for counterpunching opportunities by fighting mostly on the outside. At this point, roughly halfway through the contest, the punch count stat shows a slight edge for LaMotta. After 10 rounds, there is some puffiness under Burley’s left eye; however, the unofficial card still has the Champ up by three (97-94) with five rounds remaining. Then, in round 12, LaMotta finally breaks through, dropping a startled Burley with a big shot; Burley takes an eight count, then covers up to avert further damage. LaMotta continues with an aggressive posture, dominating the action in rounds 13 and 14, although he is warned for head-butting near the end of the 14th round. The bout comes down to the wire, with both men swinging away freely in the final round. The judges’ cards are read, and it is a split verdict, with LaMotta taking the WBA crown by a SD 15 (144-140, 141-143, 143-141) in a clearcut contender for Fight of the Year honors, and there is already talk of a rematch. Post-bout records: LaMotta, 34-4-1 (21); Burley, 50-5 (34).

JCWeb · 12-05-2023, 02:32 PM

Back after a bit of a hiatus ...

This report includes bouts from the first half of July 1949. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report.

July 2, 1949: The month commences with a card at San Juan’s Escobar Stadium. Two FWs are paired in the featured bout, as the “Austin Atom,” Jackie Graves, faces Cuba’s Miguel Acevedo. The two have not met before, and both enter the match on minor winning streaks, with Acevedo having won his last three, while Graves has prevailed in his last two outings. After a cautious start, Graves moves inside in round three, but his progress is thwarted by some excellent defense from Acevedo. Graves takes a breather in round four but in the fifth, he cuts loose with some big shots to come out ahead on the unofficial card (by a count of 48-47) at the midway mark of the bout. Acevedo does well to keep the bout close but, early in round seven, Graves rocks him with a solid combination, and Acevedo resorts to the cover up strategy to last the round and avert further trouble. From here on, Graves dominates the action the rest of the way, and there is little that an exhausted and frustrated Acevedo can do to alter the outcome. The bout goes the distance and, while one judge (surprisingly) has Acevedo as the victor, Graves takes a SD 10 (98-93, 95-96, 98-93) with cards from the other two judges that do not see the bout as particularly close in the end. With the win, Graves improves to 23-5-1 (16). The loss leaves Acevedo at 27-11-1 (13).

July 4, 1949: A large crowd is on hand for a big Fourth of July card at Philadelphia. The agenda is topped by a WBA title clash, but first up is a matchup of two veteran MWs, as Tony Zale faces Tommy Sullivan. Both are in the Post-Prime stage of their respective careers and Zale, who is the heavy favorite, bested Sullivan in one prior meeting via a late stoppage. This time around, Sullivan gets off to a solid start and pulls ahead in the punch count stats. Zale recovers from a strong start to take the fourth round, but then the bout comes to a sudden end in the middle of round five, when Zale suffers a serious cut, the obvious result of an accidental butt. The bout goes to the scorecards after four rounds, and Zale scrapes by taking a split duke, or STD 4 (39-38, 38-39, 39-38), to improve to 48-12-2 (27) with the win. Meanwhile, Sullivan ends the bout at 23-7-2 (15). Then, in the main event, Beau Jack challenges Ike Williams for Williams’ WBA LW title. This is the fourth meeting of these two, and Williams has won twice while Jack has won once. This time around, a minute into the opening round, Jack connects with a hard uppercut that sends the Champ reeling; Williams wisely elects to cover up and lasts the rest of the round. In round three, Williams connects with a big shot that sends Jack tumbling to the canvas. Jack arises after taking an eight count, then covers up to last the round, but the damage has been done, plus an added bonus for Williams is some initial swelling under Jack’s right eye. At the one-thirds mark of the contest, Williams has pulled ahead to a sizable points lead (49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Into the middle rounds, and Jack works his way into the bout with a couple of good rounds in the sixth and the seventh. Williams rallies with a strong round nine and, at the two-thirds mark, the unofficial scorer has Williams in front by two (96-94). At this point, Jack goes on the offensive, but his stamina is running low, so Williams has a relatively easy time holding on to this early lead. Then, a minute into round 12, Williams connects with a perfectly timed combination, and Jack goes down for the count. KO 12 for Williams, who retains the title. Post-bout career records: Williams, 38-4-1 (33); Jack, 34-8 (21).

July 8, 1949: Next is a rare Friday night card at the Stadium in Liverpool, UK. The main event features two British HWs contending for the GBU HW title, with Bruce Woodcock defending versus an unbeaten challenger, 16-0 Johnny Williams. The two have not met before, and what little action there is in the early rounds favors Woodcock. Williams recovers from his slow start, moving inside and doing some damage with a strong round in the fourth. Williams also comes out on top when the two mix it up on the inside in round five, making for a very competitive contest. At the midway point, Woodcock is still up by two (58-56), after having recovered with solid round six. In the second half of the bout, Williams is the aggressor, but he leaves himself open for a Woodcock combination that puts him on the deck in round seven. Williams attempts to cover up, but Woodcock connects with a solid cross for a second KD to bolster his lead at this point. Williams takes a round to recover, but is back on the attack in round nine. However, Woodcock is able to take advantage, and two more knockdowns follow before the ref calls a halt, saving Williams from further punishment. Woodcock goes on to take a well earned TKO 9 to retain the GBU title (his EBU and Commonwealth belts were not at stake in this one). Post-bout records: Woodcock, 31-4 (26); Williams, 16-1 (8).

July 9, 1949: Staying in Europe for some more fistic action with a card in Gothenburg, Sweden. No titles are on the line, and LHs do battle in the main event, with Tommy Yarosz, who recently went the distance with Archie Moore in a failed WBA title challenge, facing former EBU LH Champ Anton Christoforidis. The two are meeting for the first time, and Christoforidis’ skills are diminished by the fact that he has reached the Post-Prime stage of his career. Furthermore, Yarosz gets off to a strong start, compiling a large early lead in the punch count stats. In round five, Yarosz connects with a sharp combination that rips open a cut over Christoforidis’ right eye. At the midway point, the unofficial scorecard shows Yarosz with a wide points lead (50-45). Second half of the bout, nothing much changes, except for the fact that Christoforidis is low on energy, increasingly desperate but frustrated by his inability to make much of an impression on Yarosz, who is coasting to an easy points win when the cut is reopened, once in round nine and then, in the final round, leading to an immediate stoppage. Thus, it goes into the books as a TKO 10 for Yarosz, who ends up the bout at 29-6-2 (11) as a result. With the loss, Christoforidis reaches End career stage with a post-bout record of 33-22-3 (13).

July 9, 1949: The scene shifts to Miami for the next fight card. Some of the top talent in the WW division is on display in two featured bouts, first for the USBA WW title held by Billy Graham, who faces a one-time WBA WW Champ in Tommy Bell who is the challenger in this regional title matchup. The two met once before, back in 1946, for this same USBA belt, and Bell took a unanimous points win on that occasion. In this rematch, the action heats up near the end of the second stanza when Graham connects with a sharp jab that opens a cut over Bell’s right eye. Some good cornerwork keeps the cut under control, although it is reopened once in round five. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorecard has the bout scored as even (57-57). In the second half of the bout, Bell seems undeterred and attempts to seize the initiative, working his way inside to land some damaging blows. Some heavy close quarters action in round nine sees Bell sporting a new cut under his right eye, while Graham does not escape unscathed, as his right eye is beginning to puff up. Graham retains a slim edge in the punch count stats as the bout heads into the final few rounds. Scintillating final round action sees Graham reopen the cut over Bell’s eye, but Bell goes on the offensive, stunning Graham with a hard hook to take the action right down to the final bell. In the end, the challenger’s aggressive is rewarded, and Bell lifts the belt, taking a UD 12 verdict (117-111, 117-111, 116-112), running his career record to 31-4 (16). The loss leaves Graham at 25-10-1 (11). This win puts Bell in line for another try at the WBA WW title. In fact, that same title is up for grabs in the second co-feature, as Cuba’s Kid Gavilan challenges aging veteran Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong for the title Armstrong won earlier in 1949. The two have not met before, and both enter the contest on winning streaks, with Armstrong having won his last four; Gavilan, his last five. Tough break for Armstrong in the opening round as he sustains a cut over his left eye. Gavilan is able to take advantage of a sluggish start by Armstrong to compile a solid early lead in the punches landed stats. that allows him to keep the title. However, in round three, the cut decides matters; after being reopened and causing the bout to be halted, the end result is a technical draw as the cut is deemed to be caused by an accidental butt. Post-bout records: Armstrong, 57-11-4 (46); Gavilan, 22-3-2 (4). It will be interesting to see if a rematch is in the offing, or if Armstrong elects to choose from a number of other qualified challengers, Bell foremost among them.

July 15, 1949: Time for another edition of the Friday night fights “Down Under” series, this taking place at Melbourne. On the agenda as the main event is a match for the OPBF Flyweight title, with Aussie Jimmy Laffin on hand to make his initial defense of this belt, taking on a credible Japanese challenger, Yoshio Shirai. This is the first meeting of these two and Shirai, who held the OPBF Fly title briefly before capturing the WBA title, is eager to regain it from Laffin, who is still at Pre-Prime career stage. Laffin gets off to a solid start in the opening couple of rounds, and he tries to capitalize by working his way inside in round three. Shirai is able to neutralize Laffin’s efforts and then tries to move inside himself in round four. Shirai gradually pulls ahead in terms of the punches landed count, particularly after a strong round in the fifth. By the halfway point of the bout, Laffin is suffering from a rapidly swelling right eye, and the unofficial card has the challenger well ahead (59-56) after Shirai won rounds four, five and six. Shirai continues to dominate the action, and there is little that Laffin can do, as both the stamina and punch count factors weigh heavily in the challenger’s favor. Despite the support of a boisterous hometown crowd, Laffin falls short in his effort to retain the title, and Shirai takes a solid UD 12 (118-111, 118-113, 119-111) to recapture the OPBF belt for the second time in his career. Post-bout, Shirai improves to 25-5 (12) while Laffin, still two bouts away from Prime career stage, ends up at 13-5 (6).

JCWeb · 12-26-2023, 09:43 AM

This report includes bouts from the second half of July 1949. No fewer than three (!) WBA title bouts are included in this report.

July 16, 1949: The Briggs Stadium in Detroit is the venue for yet another title defense by Joe Louis, who faces NABF HW Champ “Tampa” Tommy Gomez make his third try for Louis’ WBA HW title in the featured bout. Two prior efforts saw Gomez unable to make it past the seventh round and, despite a disappointing second round KO loss to Cuban slugger Nino Valdes in his most recent outing, Gomez is still slated for yet a third title shot. Louis goes to work right away, pummeling Gomez with blow after unanswered blow in the opening stanza. Gomez’s left eye begins to puff up right away, and the ref steps in to save Gomez from further punishment. Thus, with just two seconds remaining in the first round, the bout goes down as another inside the distance win, a TKO 1 for Louis, now 64-1-1 (62). The loss leaves Gomez at 38-8-1 (35).

July 16, 1949: Next the action shifts to the West Coast, specifically the Cow Palace in San Francisco. The main event matches two MW contenders, with Jose Basora, a former LABF MW Champion who recently regained the title, facing Cecil Hudson. The two met once before, back in 1941 when both were at Pre-Prime, and Basora prevailed via a late stoppage. Early edge to Basora, and Hudson, with a rapidly swelling right eye, is beginning to show the effects as early as the end of round two. Hudson manages to minimize the damage, but, at the halfway point, Basora leads by two (49-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In the second half of the bout, Basora continues to press the action, while Hudson’s corner urges him to adopt a more aggressive posture. Early in round eight, Basora finally breaks through, decking Hudson with a cross, then following up with an uppercut for a second KD. Somehow, Hudson recovers from both knockdowns and manages to survive the onslaught. Unable to finish matters, Basora is content to ease up and goes on to pick up a comfortable UD 10 win (98-91, 98-92, 99-90). Post-bout career records: Basora, 35-9-1 (23); Hudson, 30-13-5 (10). Basora’s camp hopes this impressive performance is sufficient to propel him into a possible title shot, either for the WBA or NABF title belts.

July 22, 1949: Next is a Friday night card in Pittsburgh, and the main event sees Harold Johnson, still unbeaten at 21-0, making the second defense of the NABF LH title he won earlier this year, and he faces a former WBA LH Champion in Lloyd Marshall who is challenging for the belt. Intriguing matchup, as the two have not met before, Johnson has yet to taste defeat, and Marshall is on the comeback trail after a failed effort to wrest the WBA title from Archie Moore. Johnson starts well, throwing some heavy leather that reaches the target, building an early edge in the punch count stats. Marshall, adopting an active posture, gradually battles back and, by the end of round five, he has inflicted enough damage to cause some minor swelling under the right eye of the Champ. More trouble for Johnson in round six, as he is deducted a point from hitting low, while Marshall’s two fisted attack results in some initial puffiness around Johnson’s other (left eye). Nonetheless, at the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has Johnson up on points (by a count of 58-55), after having awarded each of the first five rounds to Johnson. Into the later rounds and it is Marshall, who also is dealing with a rapidly swelling right eye, who is the more aggressive of the two, forcing most of the action. A huge hook to the head in round nine momentarily stuns Johnson, who is able to remain upright and lasts the round after covering up. However, Marshall is unable to make any further headway and the bout goes to decision, with Johnson hanging on to the title and his unbeaten record by taking a narrow MD 12 (115-111, 113-113, 114-113). Post-bout records: Johnson. 22-0 (9); Marshall, 39-8-5 (31). After this win, Johnson is likely to be angling for a WBA title matchup with LH Champ Archie Moore.

July 23, 1949: Three title tilts – two for WBA title belts – headline the next fight card, at the Olympia in London. In the first of this trio of co-features, the long dormant GBU Flyweight title is up for grabs, with Jackie Paterson making his first and only title defense since winning the belt two years ago; his opponent is Terry Allen, who took a UD 10 from Paterson in their one prior meeting back in 1946. Early edge in the punches landed count favors Allen, the challenger. Paterson does not lose his composure and battles back with a strong round in the fifth. At the halfway point, the Paterson has evened the core, according to the unofficial card (57-57). As the bout heads into the later rounds, Paterson still trails in the punch count stats, and so he takes a more active approach in an effort to pressure his opponent. This results in another good round for Paterson (the eighth), and as a result, Allen returns to his corner with traces of swelling under both eyes. Allen uses a probing jab to mount a rally, taking the 10th round with this effort. The issue remains in doubt until the final two rounds, and Allen’s defense remains firm, enabling him to capture the GBU belt via a MD 12 (116-112, 114-114, 116-112), running his career totals to 29-4-1 (3) as a result. The loss drops a disappointed Paterson to 33-10-2 (19). In the second bout of this trio of main events, Teddy Gardner faces EBU Flyweight Champ Emile Famechon for Gardner’s WBA Flyweight title. The two have not met before, and Famechon, who is at Post-Prime for this encounter, attempts to recover from a slow start by moving inside in round three. Gardner is able to fend off Famechon’s advances, and he counters with some solid boxing that causes some initial puffiness to appear under Famechon’s left eye. After the first five rounds are in the books, this translates into a large lead for Gardner (50-45) on the unofficial card. In the middle rounds, Gardner is able to hold his own as Famechon continues to press forward. Midway through round seven, Gardner drops Famechon with a big shot, and Famechon covers up and manages to last the round. Another KD by Gardner sends Famechon to the deck in round nine. Famechon recovers but returns to his corner with a split lip. By the two thirds mark, Famechon is showing signs of fatigue and the unofficial card has a huge lead for Gardner (100-88). In the final few rounds, things get even worse for Famechon as he sustains a cut over his other eye (the right one), and that eye begins to puff up as well. The bout does go the distance, and it is no surprise that Gardner has his arm raised as a lopsided UD 15 victor (149-133, 149-133, 147-135). Post-bout records: Gardner, 34-9-2 (12); Famechon, 25-11-1 (18). Then, in the finale, it is the WBA BW title that is at stake, and this time the challenger is a Brit, Norman Lewis, who faces Tommy Forte, who took the title from Manuel Ortiz via a late stoppage that has to go down as a big upset. No prior meetings, but Lewis comes into this title challenge with excellent credentials as the current holder of both the Commonwealth and EBU BW titles. In addition to having the crowd here in London behind him, Lewis hopes to take advantage of the fact that Forte is at Post-Prime career stage, while Lewis is still at Prime, but the two have yet to face each other in any of their prior bouts. Action is slow to develop, and there is not much to choose between the two over the first few rounds. At the one-thirds mark, the unofficial card has Lewis in front (by a 49-46 count). Into the middle rounds, with the punch count indicating a close bout, Forte takes a more active approach, trying to work his way inside. Lewis, however, gains the upper hand with a big round eight, when he manages to cause a mouse to form under Forte’s left eye. The Champion continues to press forward, but, at the 10-round mark, Lewis has extended his points lead (to 97-93) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Forte manages to close the gap and even pull ahead slightly in the punch count stats, but, as the rounds tick off, there is more swelling apparent, this under Forte’s right eye. Then, with a minute remaining in the 14th round, Lewis connects with a big shot that drops Forte, who arises at the count of eight. Despite the knockdown, Forte comes out firing away in the 15th and final round, staggering Lewis with a big uppercut that forces the challenger to cover up. The bout goes to decision, and Lewis lifts the belt, taking a UD 15 (144-140 on all three cards). Post-bout records: Lewis, 31-10-1 (16); Forte, 39-13-3 (13).

July 23, 1949: The scene shifts to Madison Square Garden in New York City for the next fight card. In the main event, “Sugar” Ray Robinson continues campaigning as a MW, and he has lined up a fight with Steve “Spider” Belloise, a current top 10 contender and former WBA MW Champion. The two have not met before, and “Sugar Ray” takes charge early in this scheduled 10-rounder with a solid round in the second, doing enough to cause some noticeable puffiness to appear under the left eye of Belloise, who is doing his best to maintain his distance from the former WBA WW Champ. Midway through round three, Robinson unloads with a shot to the top of Belloise’s head, and that causes Belloise to cover up in order to avert futher damage. Robinson continues to have the upper hand through the first five rounds and, at the midway point, the unofficial scorer has him with a wide points lead (49-46). Into the second half of the bout and, after easing up a bit in round six, Robinson goes to work in round seven, finally pummeling Belloise into submission to force an early end to the contest. Impressive TKO 7 for Robinson, who improves to 38-3-1 (28). The loss leaves Belloise at 33-11-2 (15).

July 30, 1949: Final card of the month takes place at Cannes, France, at the Palais des Sports. The featured bout is for the EBU MW title, and a Post-Prime Marcel Cerdan, the “Casablanca Clouter,” is on hand to defend his title; the challenger is GBU MW Champ Vince Hawkins, who is seeking to avenge a first round KO loss to Cerdan in their one previous bout, back in 1945 in London. In this rematch, Cerdan goes to work in the opening stanza, piling up an early edge in the punch count stats, and he lands sufficient leather to cause some initial swelling to appear under Hawkins’ left eye. Cerdan continues to dominate the action in the early rounds, and in round three he stuns Hawkins (who covers up as a result) with a hard cross. Into the middle rounds and, while Hawkins is beginning to stabilize the situation, Cerdan has built a wide points lead (59-55 on the unofficial scorer’s card) at the halfway point. By the second half of the bout, Hawkins begins to tire and the swelling under his eye becomes significantly worse. Cerdan continues to probe for openings, and in round eight, he puts Hawkins down for a count of six after connecting with a sharp combination. Hawkins struggles to his feet, attempts to cover up, but Cerdan follows up with an uppercut for a second knockdown. This time Hawkins regains his footing after the count reaches seven, and he is fortunate to survive the round. After taking a round to recover, Hawkins attempts to mount a rally, knowing he is likely to need a knockdown to take the title from Cerdan. In the final round, an exhausted and haggard looking Hawkins is easy prey for Cerdan, who registers three more KDs, so the bout ends just seconds before the final bell, going into the books as an automatic TKO 12 for Cerdan, who was well ahead on points, so no complaint from Hawkins’ corner. Post-bout career records: Cerdan, 52-9-5 (35); Hawkins, 22-15-4 (8).

05-01-2023, 06:56 PM	#1581
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,094	Bantamweights: 1948 BW Division Profile Total: 92 RL: 56 TC: 36 RL by Career Stage: End - 3 Post - 12 Prime - 22 Pre - 7 Beginning - 12 (9 New) Rated: 38 800+: 15 500+: 25 200+ : 35 Jan 1949 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1948 in Parens): WBA Champ: Manuel Ortiz 36-8-3 (18) (1414) (NC) 1. Benny Goldberg 36-7-3 (14) (1353) (+3) 2. David Kui Kong Young 45-5-4 (20) (1352) (-1) 3. Luis Galvani 25-5 (16) (1208) (-1) 4. Fernando Gagnon 27-5 (17) (1206) (+5) (NABF, CBU) 5. Lou Alter 24-8-2 (24) (1198) (-2) 6. Tony Olivera 34-13-2 (21) (1069) (NC) (USBA) 7. Johnny King 66-15-5 (26) (995) (+3) (EBU) 8 Ritchie Tanner 28-15-3 (14) (973) (+5) (GBU) 9. Gus Foran 26-8-3 (14) (939) (-1) 10. Stan Rowan 26-3-2 (11) (938) (-1) Other Notables: 11. Norman Lewis 28-10-1 (16) (909) 12. Mickey Miller 41-20-2 (21) (866) 13. Luis Romero 20-3-2 (8) (861) 15. Luis Castillo 26-13-7 (11) (790) (LABF) 16. Tirso Del Rosario 22-9-2 (4) (758) (OPBF) 18. Harold Dade 23-8-3 (6) (729) Top Prospects: Elley Bennett 13-0 (11) Manuel Armenteros 9-0 (2) Danny O’Sullivan 8-0 (5) Leo Espinosa 5-0 Retirements: K. O. Morgan (USA) 1928-1948 44-23-10 (21) WBA Champ 1940, 1941-42 Lou Salica (USA) 1932-1948 36-21-5 (13) USBA Champion Highest Rank: 6 Tom Smith (UK) 1932-1948 27-22-9 (13) GBU Champion Highest Rank: 10 Aurel Toma (ROM) 1932-1948 39-29-9 (14) No Titles Highest Rank: 15 Freddy Pope (USA) 1939-1948 19-20-2 (7) No Titles Highest Rank: 34 Outlook for 1949: Ortiz retained the title for another year, making four successful defenses. Meanwhile, his two closest challengers (Goldberg and Kui Kong Young) are both past their prime. Gagnon bounced back from his WBA title loss to Ortiz by adding the NABF title to the CBU belt he had won previously. Aging vet Johnny King actually moved up a few spots, winning three out of four, including an EBU title clash where he captured the EBU title from France’s Theo Medina. Galvani, a “9,” is the highest rated contender, compared to Ortiz, who is a “10.” Unbeaten Aussie Elloy Bennett (an “8”) is the best of the current crop of prospects, while Vic Toweel is the best of the nine newcomers slated to join the BW ranks in 1949. NOTE: Forgot to mention that one newcomer in 1949, Fili Nava, is rated at both FW (a "7") and BW (an "8"), making him a likely future title contender in both divisions. Last edited by JCWeb; 05-03-2023 at 09:01 AM.

05-02-2023, 02:45 PM	#1582
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,094	Flyweights: 1948 FLY Division Profile Total: 78 RL: 49 TC: 29 RL by Career Stage: End - 3 Post - 10 Prime - 18 Pre - 12 Beginning - 6 (2 New) Rated: 32 800+: 7 500+: 16 200+ : 29 Jan 1949 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1948 in Parens): WBA Champ: Peter Kane 41-10-1 (15) (1118) (+5) 1. Teddy Gardner 31-9-2 (11) (1009) (+3) (EBU) 2. Jackie Paterson 32-8-2 (19) (1006) (-1) (GBU) 3. Dado Marino 32-9 (14) (982) (+4) (NABF, USBA) 4. Rinty Monaghan 33-15-1 (12) (981) (-1) 5. Terry Allen 28-4 (3) (845) (-3) 6. Yoshio Shirai 23-4 (11) (825) (-6) 7. Hans Schiffers 29-13-5 (9) (763) (-1) 8 Yoichiro Hanada 41-23-4 (11) (762) (+6) (OPBF) 9. Black Pico 19-3-1 (0) (756) (-1) (LABF) 10. Mauricio Sandeyron 26-8-3 (5) (696) (+2) Other Notables: 11. Otilio Galvan 22-10-2 (5) (645) 13. Raoul DeGryse 32-16-5 (17) (562) 14. Louis Skena 16-1-1 (7) (520) 15. Dickie O’Sullivan 18-3-1 (10) (500) 17. Jackie Jurich 39-14-1 (19) (479) 18. Taffy Hancock 16-2-1 (12) (455) Top Prospects: Oscar Suarez 13-1 (3) Raul Solis 10-0 (6) Speedy Akira 9-0 (2) Tanny Campo 7-0 (1) Retirements: Little Dado (PHI) 1936-1948 35-15-1 (13) OPBF Champion Highest Rank: 3 Valentin Angelmann (FRA) 1927-1948 46-32-3 (14) EBU Champion Highest Rank: 3 Istvan Enekes (HUN) 1930-1948 48-22-2 (14) EBU Champion Highest Rank: 1 Outlook for 1949: Kane wrapped up a successful 1948 campaign by taking the title from Monaghan, who hits Post-Prime in 1949. The division remains in a state of flux, and Gardner, Paterson, Marino, Allen and Shirai all remain as viable contenders for the WBA crown. Hanada, along with Monaghan, are the only two among the top 10 at Post-Prime heading into the new year. Juirch’s days as a top-flight contender are done as he enters the final stages of his career. Skena, who is still at Pre-Prime, is poised to challenge for the EBU title soon. Filipino Tanny Campo is the best of the prospects, and Brit Eric Marsden is the best of the two newcomers to the division in 1949.

05-02-2023, 08:26 PM	#1583
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,094	PFP Rankings and Year-End Awards 1948 YEAR-END PFP RANKINGS (based on Perf Points, with change from last year, number of years on list, first year on list in parens) 1. Joe Louis, HW (WBA Champion), 22314 (NC) (12) (1936) 2. Charley Burley, MW (WBA Champion), 1846 (back) (6) (1942) 3. Archie Moore, LH (WBA Champion), 1751 (+4) (3) (1944) 4. Lloyd Marshall, LH (USBA Champion), 1735 (+5) (3) (1945) 5. Ray Robinson, WW (WBA Champion), 1731 (+3) (4) (1946) 6. Henry Armstrong, WW (#1 contender), 1721 (-2) (9) (1939) 7. Ike Williams, LW (WBA Champion), 1651 (new) (1) 8. Jake LaMotta, MW (NABF Champion), 1621 (new) (1) 9. Marcel Cerdan, MW (EBU Champion), 1610 (-7) (5) (1942) 10. Tommy Gomez, HW (USBA Champion), 1604 (new) (1) Dropped Out from Last Year: MW Tony Zale (was #3) HW Roscoe Toles (was #5) LW Bob Montgomery (was #6) LH Billy Conn (was #10) Comments: Louis retained the top spot in the PFP rankings for the eighth consecutive year, and Burley bounced back all the way to the #2 spot by dethroning Cerdan as WBA Champ, riding a seven bout winning streak since his mid-1947 loss to LaMotta, who makes the top 10 list for the first time. Moore won the LH crown, ending the year at #3, one spot ahead of Marshall, who had held the title previously. Robinson, who plans to campaign as a MW in 1949, tops the top five. Along with LaMotta, Ike Williams and Tommy Gomez make their initial appearances on the list. Three of the four dropouts from 1948 are at Post-Prime and, therefore, it is unlikely to expect Zale, Toles and Conn to make a re-appearance on the list. (“Bobcat” Bob Montgomery has another year at Prime, so a return is a possibility.) Top FWs Saddler and Pep are still several hundred points shy of making the list. ANNUAL YEAR-END AWARDS FIGHTER OF THE YEAR: Archie Moore FIGHT OF THE YEAR: Sandy Saddler MD 15 Willie Pep (for WBA FW title) (Nov. 20, see post #1572) TOP NEWCOMER: Harold Johnson (LH) UPSET OF THE YEAR: Hiroshi Horiguchi UD 12 Tirso Del Rosario (for OPBF BW title) (May 21, see post #1558) COMEBACK FIGHTER OF THE YEAR: Jersey Joe Walcott (HW) Comments: Top candidates for Fighter of the Year of the year honors were (once again) Joe Louis, Archie Moore, Sugar Ray Robinson, as well as Charley Burley and Sandy Saddler. All five won all their bouts in 1948, but Louis and Robinson only fought three times, and Saddler was working his way up to the title bout with Pep, so it comes down to a choice between Moore and Burley. Moore took the WBA title and then defending it twice, including a one round demolition of Oakland Billy Smith, who at the time was the NABF titleholder. Burley managed to retain the WBA title in a tough clash with Cerdan late in the year, and his caliber of opposition in his other three wins was slightly below that of Moore, who edges out Burley for the honor in a what is definitely a very close call. Less of a close call was the Fight of the Year, which went to the much anticipated Saddler-Pep battle which came down to the wire and lived up to all the hype and great expectations. Other contenders were two other WBA title bouts: Sands over Cerdan (via a final round DQ) for the WBA MW title (see post #1548) and Monaghan over Shirai for the WBA Flyweight title (see post #1554) as well as a couple of regional title bouts: Eddie Miller over Tsuneo Horiguchi for the OPBF FW title (see post #1554) and Jersey Joe Walcott over Turkey Thompson for the NABF HW title (see post #1560), the latter being decided via a split decision. However, none of these four bouts had the dramatic final round knockdown that shaped the outcome with a WBA title hanging in the balance. Therefore, an easy call in this category. Top Newcomer, which went to Saddler the last time around, went to LH Harold Johnson, who chalked up five more wins in 1948, with Billy Conn (twice), Gus Lesnevich, Freddie Mills and Adolf Heuser – one a current titleholder and the other three, all former WBA Champions – to end the year at 19-0 and a top five ranking on the LH list. No one else came close to establishing a similar stellar record during the year. Two WWs (Jimmy Sherrer and Kid Gavilan) did impress with similar jumps in the rankings, but both suffered losses against much more accomplished fighters, so neither of these had the unblemished record that earns this award for Johnson, who may soon be the biggest threat to Archie Moore’s LH title once he hits Prime career stage after his next bout. Didn’t spend much time on Upset of the Year, as the clear winner was Horiguchi (a “4”) taking a points win over Del Rosario (an “8”). The surprising loss of Cerdan to Dave Sands in a WBA title contest was given some consideration, but the main surprise was that the title changed hands via a DQ result, as the difference in rating (Sands being a “10” and Cerdan a “12”) was not that great. Comeback Fighter of the Year goes to Walcott, who appeared to be finished in the Post-Prime stage of his career after a poor run of results had dropped him from the top 10 of the HW rankings after having been a top 10 HW contender for over a decade. Jersey Joe followed up a points win over Freddie Beshore by regaining the NABF HW title in a close bout versus Turkey Thompson, earning a third WBA title shot, but once again, he fell short in facing the ultimate Champ, Joe Louis. Honorable mention in this category should go to Burley, who battled his way back to a WBA title, but Burley had suffered just one loss, in mid-1947, to Jake LaMotta (no slouch) and was still a highly regarded MW contender (never leaving the top 10). Another shoutout goes to the ageless Johnny King, the four-time WBA BW Champ who managed to turn back the clock and regain the EBU BW title, but his record in his other three outings (two MS wins and a KO loss) did not justify further consideration, so Walcott receives this honor for 1948.

05-03-2023, 08:47 AM	#1584
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,094	Roll of Champions (as of Jan. 1, 1949) ROLL OF CHAMPIONS HW WBA: Joe Louis (Feb. 1939) (36) NABF: Jersey Joe Walcott (June 1948) (0) USBA: Tommy Gomez (Sep. 1946) (6) CBU: Bruce Woodcock (Dec. 1947) (0) GBU: Bruce Woodcock (Jun. 1945) (1) EBU: Bruce Woodcock (Jan. 1947) (3) OPBF: Vacant LABF: Omelio Agramonte (Sep. 1948) (0) LH WBA: Archie Moore (May 1948) (2) NABF: Oakland Billy Smith (Jun. 1948) (0) USBA: Lloyd Marshall (Jan. 1948) (2) CBU: Freddie Mills (Jan. 1947) (0) GBU: Freddie Mills (Jan. 1945) (1) EBU: Freddie Mills (Jul. 1946) (1) OPBF: Inactive LABF: Inactive MW WBA: Charley Burley (Jul. 1948) (1) NABF: Jake LaMotta (Nov. 1948) (0) USBA: Artie Towne (Aug. 1948) (2) CBU: Alfie Sands (Sep. 1948) (0) GBU: Vince Hawkins (Jul. 1945) (3) EBU: Marcel Cerdan (Oct. 1948) (0) OPBF: Dave Sands (Sep. 1947) (0) LABF: Raul Rodriguez (Aug. 1947) (0) WW WBA: Ray Robinson (Aug. 1947) (4) NABF: Jimmy Sherrer (Nov. 1948) (0) USBA: Vacant (recently vacated by Sherrer) CBU: Ernie Roderick (Jul. 1946) (1) GBU: Ernie Roderick (May 1935) (2) EBU: Egisto Peyre (Oct. 1948) (0) OPBF: Jack McNamee (Apr. 1945) (2) LABF: Joe Legon (Aug. 1946) (1) LW WBA: Ike Williams (Oct. 1948) (0) NABF: Enrique Bolanos (Nov. 1948) (0) USBA: Beau Jack (Jan. 1948) (1) CBU: Norm Gent (Sep. 1947) (1) GBU: Harry Hughes (Dec. 1947) (1) EBU: Aldo Spoldi (Oct. 1941) (5) OPBF: Norm Gent (Jun. 1947) (1) LABF: Enrique Bolanos (Sep. 1947) (0) FW WBA: Sandy Saddler (Nov. 1948) (0) NABF: Ciro Morasen (Nov. 1948) (0) USBA: Phil Terranova (Apr. 1948) (0) CBU: Ronnie Clayton (Jan. 1948) (0) GBU: Ronnie Clayton (Jan. 1948) (0) EBU: Ronnie Clayton (Nov. 1948) (0) OPBF: Eddie Miller (Apr. 1948) (1) LABF: Ciro Morasen (Aug. 1948) (0) BW WBA: Manuel Ortiz (Sep. 1947) (4) NABF: Fernando Gagnon (Feb. 1948) (2) USBA: Tony Olivera (Feb. 1948) (0) CBU: Fernando Gagnon (Jun. 1947) (0) GBU: Ritchie Tanner (May 1948) (0) EBU: Johnny King (Apr. 1948) (0) OPBF: Tirso Del Rosario (Dec. 1948) (0) LABF: Luis Castillo (Sep. 1947) (0) FLY WBA: Peter Kane (Dec. 1948) (0) NABF: Dado Marino (June 1948) (1) USBA: Dado Marino (June 1943) (1) CBU: Vacant (recently vacated by Kane) GBU: Jackie Paterson (Jun. 1947) (0) EBU: Teddy Gardner (Jul. 1948) (1) OPBF: Yoichiro Hanada (Jan. 1948) (0) LABF: Black Pico (Jul. 1946) (1) Comments: Louis extends his reign as the longest serving WBA Champ, and GCU WW Champ Ernie Roderick continues as the longest serving regional titleholder (dating back to 1935). Roughly a 56% turnover rate in title belts for 1948, with all eight titles changing hands in the FW division. The least turnover was among the HWs (only new holders of the seven belts available).

05-16-2023, 03:00 PM	#1585
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,094	Jan. 1949- Part 1 of 2 This report includes bouts from the first half of January 1949. One WBA title bout is included. Jan. 1, 1949: The year commences with a New Year’s Day card at the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. No titles at stake, and the main event features two top 10 Flyweights, as Jackie Paterson takes on Hans Schiffers. One prior meeting, in 1947, resulted in a points win for Paterson. This time around, Paterson is the more active of the two, carrying the fight to Schiffers through the opening few rounds. By the end of the fourth round, a mouse has formed under the right eye of Schiffers. At the midpoint of the bout, Paterson has opened up a solid points lead (50-47), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. Schiffers tries to up the pace and become more aggressive in the later rounds, but to no avail. Paterson prevails via a comfortable UD 10 (98-93, 100-91, 97-94) to boost his career totals to 33-8-2 (19). The loss drops Schiffers to 29-14-5 (8). Jan. 7, 1949: Next is the season’s traditional Friday night offering, taking place at the “Aud” in Buffalo. Two LH contenders are paired in the main event, with former WBA Champ Gus Lesnevich being matched with Young Joe Louis. Both fighters are past their prime, and it is the first meeting of the two. It’s a cautious start by both men, and the bout remains extremely close through the opening few rounds. By the halfway point of the contest, Louis has gradually pulled ahead on points (49-46), according to the unofficial scoring at ringside. Early in round six, a sharp exchange causes a cut to appear above Lesnevich’s left eye. The cut continues to ooze blood into the following round, but then Lesnevich manages to land a sharp jab that leads to a split lip, so both corners are busy patching up cuts in between rounds. With the cut lip brought under control, Louis is able to reassert control in round eight, reopening the cut over Lesnevich’s eye. Then, when the cut over the eye is reopened a second time in the ninth round, the ref has seen enough, so Louis is declared the TKO 9 victor on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout career marks: Louis, 32-19-1 (15); Lesnevich, 41-22-3 (17). Jan. 8, 1949: To Rome for the next card, and the EBU WW title is at stake in the featured main event, as Italy’s Egisto Peyre defends that belt versus British challenger Cliff Curvis. First meeting of the two, and Curvis outboxes the Italian to compile an early lead in the punches landed stats over the opening three rounds. Then, suddenly, midway through the fourth stanza, Peyre unleashes a barrage of blows that put Curvis down and out. KO 4 for Peyre, who retains the belt, improving to 29-6-3 (14). The loss, only the second of Curvis’ career, leaves him at 21-1-1 (1). Jan. 14, 1949: Next is the first Friday night fights “Down Under” card, taking place at Melbourne Stadium in Aussie-land. Main event is for the Commonwealth LW title, currently held by Norm Gent. Gent is challenged for this belt by none other than Vic Patrick, veteran LW campaigner who formerly held this title as well as (briefly) the WBA LW crown. The two have not met before, and Patrick is at Post-Prime for this bout, but still a formidable competitor. The bout devolves into a typical boxer versus slugger confrontation, with Patrick taking on the slugger role. Gent, the more accurate puncher of the two, has the early edge in the punch count stats. The bout remains a close one, however, as the unofficial scorer has it even (58-58) at the halfway point. Nonetheless, the stamina factor favors Gent, as Patrick is beginning to show signs of fatigue as early as round seven. A frazzled and frantic looking Patrick steps up the pace in the latter stages, hoping to turn things around. In the end, Patrick’s efforts fall short, and Gent keeps the belt via a close but UD 12 (115-114, 115-114, 116-113), improving to 21-4-3 (7) overall. Patrick slips to 31-7-1 (22) with the loss. Jan. 15, 1949: A big card at Philadelphia, with a couple of vacant belts in the WW division to be decided. With “Sugar” Ray Robinson moving up to WW, that leaves the WBA WW title up for grabs, and NABF Champ Jimmy Sherrer will challenge veteran and former Champ Henry Armstrong for the vacant belt. First up, however, Billy Graham and George Costner take to the ring to contest the USBA WW title, vacated by Sherrer after he won the NABF belt. Costner, who defeated Graham in an earlier contest, is attempting to bounce back after being blasted out in the second round by Robinson in his most recent outing. The action heats up in the very opening round, when Graham connects with a hard cross that draws blood, opening a cut over Costner’s left eye. It takes awhile for Costner’s corner to deal with the cut, and Graham takes advantage, building a solid lead in the punches landed count. The cut is reopened in the sixth round and, at the midway point of the contest, Graham has a nice points lead (59-55), according to the unofficial scorer’s card. Despite the cut, Costner soldiers on, taking a more aggressive posture as the bout enters its later stages. The cut continues to be a problem, as it is reopened again in round seven and also, in round eight. Finally, after being reopened once again in the ninth round, the bout comes to an end, and Graham is declared a TKO 9 victor on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout career marks: Graham, 24-9-1 (11); Costner, 27-10-2 (16). Then, in the main event, “Homicide Hank” Armstrong attempts to revive his former years of glory as he faces Jimmy Sherrer for the recently vacated WBA WW title. It is the first meeting of the two, and Armstrong comes out swinging, scoring well in the opening round. Sherrer starts slowly and is content to remain mainly on the outside, in an effort to blunt Armstrong’s power; a strong third round puts Sherrer back in contention. At the one third mark, Armstrong has a slight edge in points (48-47) on the unofficial scorecard. Into the middle rounds, and Sherrer begins to settle into a rhythm, while Armstrong seems to slow from his frantic pace in the opening couple of rounds. Near the end of round eight, however, a quick flurry to the head of Sherrer by Armstrong opens a cut over Sherrer’s right eye. The cut is quickly patched up between rounds, and some solid boxing by Sherrer in the next couple of rounds evens the score on the unofficial card (95-95) with five rounds remaining. However, the cut over Sherrer’s eye was reopened near the end of round ten, and more attention to the cut is needed by Sherrer’s corner. Late in round 11, Sherrer connects with an overhand right that drops Armstrong to the canvas. “Homicide Hank” takes an eight count, but the damage has been done, as Sherrer has the upper hand heading into the final rounds. However, Armstrong continues to battle, focusing on the cut. With seconds remaining in the penultimate round, Armstrong manages to reopen the cut a second time, and the ref orders an immediate stoppage. Over the protests from Sherrer’s corner, the bout goes in the books as a TKO 14 for Armstrong on the cuts stoppage. The win lifts Armstrong to 56-11-3 (45) overall, while the loss (Sherrer’s third) leaves him at 24-3 (13). Early candidate for Fight of the Year, but also some tough luck for Sherrer, who was ahead on all three cards and just one round away from the WBA title. Last edited by JCWeb; 06-07-2023 at 10:20 PM.

05-16-2023, 07:26 PM	#1586
Cap Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Large Province in God's Country Posts: 7,989	Very cool. Cap __________________ "...There were Giants in Those Days.."

06-07-2023, 11:37 AM	#1587
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,094	Jan. 1949 - Part 2 of 2 This report includes bouts from the second half of January 1949. Two WBA title bouts are included. Jan. 21, 1949: To the Earls Court in London for the next card, and topping the action is an EBU title contest. Preceding the featured bout is a main support matching a pair of top 10 BWs, as Canadian Lou Alter faces Brit Gus Foran in a 10-round, non-title affair. This is a rematch of a bout from October 1948 in which Alter prevailed via a MD 10 before a hometown crowd in his native Canada. This time around, the bout is an extremely close ones and, after the two take turns exchanging blows on the inside in rounds three and four, Alter is able to forge a two-point lead (49-47) according to the unofficial scorecard at the halfway point of the bout. In the second half of the contest, Foran becomes more aggressive, plugging away and hoping to cut into Alter’s lead. In round seven, a nice short hook on the inside by Foran lands cleanly, drawing blood from a cut under Alter’s right eye. However, the Canadian continues to hold a nice edge in the punches landed count, so Foran elects to throw caution to the wind, looking for a knockout or at least a knockdown in the final two stanzas. Foran manages to reopen the cut in the ninth round, but Alter’s corner patches things up and, in the final seconds of the bout, an Alter uppercut drops an overly aggressive Foran to the canvas; Foran is saved by the bell, but the damage has been done. Alter goes on to repeat his earlier win, and this time he takes a close but UD 10 (96-95, 96-96, 96-94), with the late knockdown proving vital. Post-bout records: Alter, 25-8-2 (14); Foran, 26-9-3 (14). The main event is another rematch, with Ronnie Clayton defending his EBU FW title against a challenge from Emile Famechon, against whom he eked out a split duke just two months previously. This time, in the third meeting of the two (Clayton had racked up a UD 10 in an earlier encounter), it is a rough start for Clayton. Famechon gains the upper hand with a big round in round two, landing a sharp jab that causes a split, then generally landing sufficient blows to cause initial puffiness to appear under Clayton’s right eye. The cut continues to pose problems for Clayton and his corner, as it is reopened in both the third and fourth rounds. By the halfway point of the bout, Famechon has a narrow points lead (58-57) on the unofficial card, this despite a larger edge in the punches landed stats. With the cut reopening once again and the swelling worsening in round seven, Clayton appears to be on borrowed time before the ref decides to call a halt. Despite the best efforts of Clayton’s corner, the cut lip continues to ooze blood into the later rounds. Then, after a sharp exchange in the 10th round, a cut appears under Famechon’s right eye. However, a round later, the battle of the cuts comes to its final conclusion, with Famechon’s cut being patched up, while Clayton’s in reopened and, this time, the ref has seen enough. Famechon is able to regain the EBU title for a second time, via a TKO 11 on the cuts stoppage, boosting his career totals to 22-3-1 (9). Clayton, who still retains the Commonwealth and GBU FW titles, drops to 29-4 (14) with the loss. Jan. 22, 1949: Next up is a card at Detroit, with WBA HW Champ Joe Louis on hand to make another title defense. First up, on the undercard is a young HW prospect who, in a few years, may be challenging for Louis’ title, one Rocky Marciano, who improves his career record to a perfect 9-0 (9) with a 51 second blowout of another hapless TC opponent. Later in the card is the main supporting bout, and two young LW contenders, Freddie Dawson and Santa Bucca, take to the ring in a rematch of an earlier bout that ended in a draw. The action heats up in round two, when a Bucca right draws blood, opening a cut over Dawson’s left eye. The cut, which does not seem to be in a bad spot, is patched up between rounds but is reopened in the fourth round. Just before the bell sounds to end the fifth round, Dawson drops Bucca with a hard shot, but Bucca is saved by the bell just as the count gets underway. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has the bout scored as even (48-48). The two battle on even terms into the final rounds of the contest, and Dawson, who seems to get stronger as the bout wears on, has a big round in the eighth. Despite having the cut reopened for a second time in round nine, Dawson is able to carve out a UD 10 win (98-92, 99-93, 97-92) to run his career record to 23-2-3 (5). The loss leaves Bucca at 19-6-3 (8). Finally, in the main event, Joe Louis faces a new challenger to his WBA HW title: Brit Bruce Woodcock, who holds the EBU, Commonwealth and GBU HW titles. Not much in the way of action in the opening round, as Louis takes advantage of a sluggish start from Woodcock to build an early lead in the punches landed count. However, a minute into round two, and Woodcock uncorks a hard cross that puts Louis on the canvas; Joe is quick to regain his feet at the count of three, and he wisely covers up to last the round. Louis bounces back quickly with a strong third round, dominating the action and finally forcing Woodcock, who is barely able to remain afoot, into submission. Late in the round, the ref steps in to save the challenger from further punishment. Despite the short length, the fans were treated to an exciting action bout, with Louis coming off the canvas to register a TKO 3 victory. Post-bout career marks: Louis, 62-1-1 (60); Woodcock, 30-4 (25). Jan. 22, 1949: Next card is at Los Angeles, and the main event sees Dado Marino facing fellow Flyweight Mustapha Mustaphaoui. The two met once before, seven years earlier, also in Los Angeles when both were at Pre-Prime, and Marino took a points win. This time around, Marino dominates the action in the first couple of rounds before Mustaphaoui gets going with a strong round three. By round four, Marino is back in charge, landing sufficient leather to cause a mouse to form under Mustaphaoui’s left eye. At the halfway point, Marino has a two-point edge (49-47), according to the unofficial card. Nothing much changes in the second half of the bout, as Marino continues to grind away to a UD 10 triumph (97-94, 99-93, 97-94), improving to 33-9 (14) with the win. The loss leaves Mustaphaoui at 28-11-6 (7). Jan. 28, 1949: Next is a Friday night card at San Juan. Twin feature bouts top the agenda. In the first co-feature, Two FWs do battle, as American Eddie Compo faces Cuban Miguel Acevedo in a 10-round, non-title contest. It is the first meeting of the two and Compo, who has suffered defeat only once thus far in his young career, is seeking to pad his credentials for a future title shot. Compo is on target in the early going, and he is able to compile an early lead in the punches landed count. After a slow start, Acevedo finally gets in gear with a strong showing in round four, working his way inside and managing to cause some initial puffiness to appear around the left eye of Compo. At the midway point of the bout, a peek at the unofficial scorer’s card shows Acevedo has pulled in front (by 48-47) after a pair of strong rounds in the fourth and fifth. Compo adopts a more aggressive posture in the second half of the contest, but he only makes his injured eye a more attractive target for Acevedo’s rather active counterpunching. Despite a solid round eight for Compo, Acevedo manages to maintain his composure and, with the bout going the distance, he holds on to take a MD 10 (98-92. 95-95, 97-93) to run his career record to 27-10-1 (13). The loss, only the second in his career, leaves Compo at 19-2-3 (5). The second co-feature is for the LABF MW title, currently held by Argentinian Raul Rodriguez. His opponent is hometown favorite Jose Basora, a Puerto Rican fighter who previously held the title and, in fact, stopped Rodriguez in two of three prior encounters, with a third bout ending in a draw. In this rematch, just one minute into the opening round Basora serves notice, landing a sharp uppercut that stuns Rodriguez, forcing the defending Champ to cover up. Basora continues to dominate the early action, and by the end of round two, there is noticeable puffiness under the left eye of Rodriguez. In the middle rounds, Basora continues to dominate, and he lands another sharp uppercut just before the bell sounds to end round five. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Basora well ahead on points (59-55). A game Rodriguez soldiers on in the second half of the bout, but he is unable to make much of an impression on a determined challenger. In round 11, Basora decks Rodriguez with a hard shot, and the Argentinian barely manages to beat the count. The bout goes the full 12, and ends in a lopsided UD 12 for Basora (119-107 on all three cards), enabling Basora to regain the LABF title belt. Post-bout records: Basora, 34-9-1 (23); Rodriguez, 25-12-1 (14). Jan. 29, 1949: Final card of the month takes place in New York City, and the main event sees Sandy Saddler back in the ring to make an initial defense of the WBA FW title he won in capturing the belt from Willie Pep. First up, though is a supporting bout matching two veteran MWs; former Champs Holman Williams and Tony Zale do battle for the fifth time in their long careers, with each having one twice before in previous encounters. This time around, with no titles at stake, Zale seizes the early initiative, moving inside in round three after a strong round two. Williams battles back with a couple of good rounds, so the two are on even terms as the bout heads into the middle rounds. Near the end of the fifth, Zale bludgeons his way inside, dropping Williams twice, first with a combination, then with a hook. Williams regains his footing but the damage has been done. Despite a 10-8 round for Zale in round five, the unofficial scorer has the bout as even (47-47) at the halfway point. The two veterans of the ring wars bear down in the second half of the bout, with Williams regaining his composure, while Zale continues to press forward on the attack. Late in round seven, Zale tags Williams with a sharp uppercut and follows up with a straight right, and Wiliams covers up to avoid a third trip to the canvas. Some accurate counterpunching by Williams in round nine results in a swollen right eye for Zale, who is throwing caution to the wind in an effort to land a telling blow. Undeterred, Zale keeps hammering away, and in the final round, he lands a perfect hook to send Williams toppling to the canvas a third time. Williams does well to regain his footing after taking a count of four, and he manages to last until the final bell. However, the three KDs are sufficient to propel Zale to a UD 10 victory (98-90, 95-91, 95-92) although the unofficial scorer had the bout quite a bit closer. Post-bout, Zale improves to 47-11-2 (27). The loss leaves Williams at 56-16-1 (24). In the finale, unbeaten Champ Sandy Saddler puts his WBA FW title on the line, facing Ciro Morasen, who holds the NABF and LABF FW title belts. The two have not met before. Midway through the opening round, Saddler serves notice when he rocks Morasen with a quick hook to head, forcing the challenger to cover up. Saddler seems to have things well in hand until, at the outset of the fourth round, Morasen connects with a combination that draws blood, opening a cut over Saddler’s right eye. With some good cornerwork to patch up the cut between rounds, Saddler gets back on track in round five and, after the first five rounds, he is well ahead (49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Round six sees the cut over Saddler’s eye reopened. After a couple of nondescript rounds, in round nine Saddler catches Morasen with a big hook that puts the challenger down for a four count. Saddler follows up with an uppercut, putting Morasen on the deck a second time, but he is saved by the bell. Saddler pushes forward in an effort to finish the job in round 10; while Morasen manages to remain upright, he is on the receiving end of some hard shots and, with less than a minute remaining in the round, the ref steps in to save him from further punishment. The bout goes into the books as a TKO 10 for Saddler. Post-bout career marks: Saddler, 25-0 (20); Morasen, 23-4-3 (4).

06-19-2023, 11:23 PM	#1588
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,094	Feb. 1949 - Part 1 of 2 This report includes bouts from the first half of February 1949. One WBA title bout is included. Feb. 4, 1949: The month commences with a Friday night card at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. Topping the agenda is a WW clash matching top five contender Tommy Bell with Canadian Johnny Greco. This is the second meeting of the two, with Bell taking a points win Detroit in 1946. In this rematch, scheduled for 10, Bell starts strongly, landing an uppercut in the opening round that rips open a cut over Greco’s right eye. The cut is in a bad spot, and it continues to ooze blood in rounds two and three. By the fourth round, with the cut finally under control, Greco moves inside and presses his advantage even further in round five, and he decks Bell with a hard cross early in round five. Bell picks himself off the canvas after the count reaches six, and he covers up in order to last the round. At the midway point, Greco holds a two-point edge (48-46) after taking a 10-8 round in the fifth. In the second half of the bout, Bell takes on a more aggressive posture in an effort to turn things around. After struggling to make headway in rounds six and seven, he finally manages to take charge in round eight, and the bout comes to a sudden end when the cut over Greco’s eye is reopened and decides matters, as the ref calls a halt, deeming the cut too dangerous to allow the bout to continue. To the dismay of the Canadian fight fans in attendance, it goes down as a TKO 8 for Bell, who runs his career totals to 30-4 (16). Tough loss for Greco, now 25-1-2 (15), particularly given that he was leading on all three cards at the time of the cuts stoppage. Feb. 5, 1949: To Europe for the next fight card, at the Sports Palace in Rome. No title bouts on the card, and the main event matches two veteran WW contenders: American Izzy Jannazzo and Italy’s Michele Palermo. Both are at Post-Prime, and, in their one prior encounter, Jannazzo took a split duke. In this rematch, Jannazzo is on target early, and he builds an edge in the punches landed stat. By the midway point, Jannazzo has maintained his early superiority, and this translates into a wide lead (50-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Trailing, Palermo becomes more assertive, all in an effort to claw his way back into contention in the second half of the contest. Palermo continues to stalk his prey until finally, midway through round nine, he catches an off-balance Jannazzo with a solid hook, puts him down for the count. KO 9 for Palermo, and the Italian fight fans in attendance go home happy. Post-bout career marks: 49-18-10 (13) for Jannazzo; 43-17-6 (13) for Jannazzo. Jannazzo, who had victory within his grasp (he was leading on all three cards after eight rounds) will be at End career stage with his outing. Feb. 11, 1949: Next is a Friday night card is at Mexico City, and the featured bout is for the LABF BW title, with the “Pocket Battleship,” Luis Castillo, making the first defense of this belt that he has held since September 1947, facing a former LABF titleholder in Cuban Luis Galvani. This is the first meeting of the two. Galvani gets off to a great start, outscoring Castillo in the opening two rounds. By the end of round three, Galvani has landed sufficient blows to cause a mouse to form under Castillo’s left eye. By the midway point of the bout, Galvani is well ahead on points (59-55), forcing Castillo to take a more active approach in the second half of the contest. In round seven, an accidental clash of heads results in a cut over Castillo’s swollen right eye. The cut is in a bad spot, and while it is patched up between rounds, when it is re-opened in round nine, it is deemed too serious to allow the bout to continue. The outcome is decided by the scorecards after eight rounds, and Galvani regains the title via a UTD 9 (79-73, 78-74, 79-73), improving to 26-5 (16) as a result. The loss leaves Castillo at 26-14-1 (11). Feb. 12, 1949: A twin bill of featured bouts, both non-title encounters, top the next card at Boston. In the first co-feature, two MWs looking to move up the rankings do battle, as Tony Janiro faces Carl “Bobo” Olson. The two have not met previously. After the first three rounds, Olson has pulled ahead to a slight advantage in terms of the punches landed stat. Janiro fires back with a couple of strong rounds in the fourth and fifth and, at the halfway point, he has a narrow points lead (48-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In round six, with both men sniping away from the outside, Olson has the better of it, and there are traces of puffiness under Janiro’s right eye as a result. Olson continues in an aggressive posture, and he pulls ahead on the unofficial cards as the bout heads into the final two rounds. A desperate Janiro tries to cause trouble for Olson, but the bout goes to decision, and two of the judges call it a draw, while a third gives the nod to Olson (94-96 Olson, 95-95, 95-95). Janiro was able to secure the draw by winning the final round on all three cards. Post-bout marks: Janiro, 22-3-3 (2); Olson, 18-2-2 (12). The second co-feature matches two top FW contenders: local favorite Sal Bartolo, the “Pride of East Boston,” with aging two-division Champ Baby Arizmendi. The first meeting of the two, and Arizmendi is planning on hanging up his gloves for good at the conclusion of the bout, giving Bartolo (who just hit Post-Prime career stage) some hope of a favorable outcome in front of a hometown crowd. Bartolo starts well, but Arizmendi gradually begins to assert control and, by the midway point, a mouse has formed under Bartolo’s left eye. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has Arizmendi leading (49-46). Into the later rounds, Bartolo tries to get more aggressive, but he just makes his swollen eye a bigger target for Arizmendi. able to make much of an impression on a determined challenger. Despite the strong fan support, Bartolo’s best efforts are not enough to turn things around, and Arizmendi takes a farewell bow, taking the UD 10 (96-94, 96-94, 97-93). Arizmendi wraps up a 23-year career with a final record of 62-17-4 (14). Bartolo ends up at 35-13-4 (10). Feb. 12, 1949: Chicago’s Comiskey Park sets the scene for the next fight card, and a WBA title clash is the headliner. Before that is a main supporting bout matching veteran LW Sammy “Clutch” Angott, who is looking to jump start his flagging career in a 10-round, non-title bout versus Billy Banks. Banks, who is not in the top 20 in the LW rankings, acquits himself well in the opening few rounds, staying on even terms with the top 10 ranked Angott. The two boxers battle into the middle rounds, with neither man willing to risk too much at this stage of the contest. By the midway point, Banks has a surprising two-point edge on the unofficial card (49-47), and this is even more surprising given that there is some visible swelling under the left eye of Banks. Angott launches a strong two-fisted attack in round six, and he causes some puffiness to appear under Banks’ other eye. As the rounds tick off, Angott opens a large lead in the punches landed count, indicating that the unofficial card may not accurately reflect what is happening in the ring. The bout goes the distance, with Banks battling all the way to the finish to pull off a minor upset, taking a MD 10 (98-93, 96-96, 96-95) to improve to 29-12- 6 (15). Angott slips to 37-14-6 (12) with the loss. Then, in the main event, the long awaited move of “Sugar” Ray Robinson from WW to MW culminates with a challenge to Charley Burley for Burley’s WBA MW title. First time meeting of the two, and it is a rare matchup of two of the top five in the recent PFP rankings, with Burley riding a seven-bout winning streak, while Robinson has prevailed in his last five encounters. “Sugar Ray” starts strongly, taking the fight to Burley in the opening two rounds. Robinson moves inside in round three, but Burley weighs in with some aggressive counterpunching, forcing Robinson to retreat as Burley takes the round. Some smooth boxing by Robinson enables him to pull ahead on points (48-47) after the first five, according to the unofficial card, plus there is an added benefit: some puffiness appearing around Burley’s left eye. In the middle rounds, Burley tries to regain some momentum, bearing down more and initiating much of the action on the inside. Robinson maintains a slight edge in the punch count stat through the middle rounds. It is not until round nine when Burley finally is able to break through Robinson’s defenses, and he lands a barrage of blows that put “Sugar” Ray on the deck. Robinson barely beats the count, and he covers up to last the round. At the two thirds mark, the unofficial scorer has Burley well ahead (97-93), as the knockdown and 10-8 round in the ninth changed the entire complexion of the bout. In the final few rounds, Burley adopts a more cautious approach, staying mostly on the outside and content to sit on a fairly comfortable lead. Robinson, for his part, gradually ramps up the pace but he is overcome by fatigue, and his punches lack sting. As Robinson continues to press, Burley is prepared with some counters and, late in round 13, he rocks Robinson with a hard cross, and once again, “Sugar Ray” is forced to cover up. By this time, a mouse has formed under Robinson’s right eye, but the challenger soldiers on. From here, the bout goes the distance, and Burley walks away a UD 15 victor (146-139, 147-138, 146-139). Post-bout records: Burley, 50-4 (34); Robinson, 36-3-1 (26). Early candidate for Fight of the Year honors, given the matchup between top PFP guys, both of whom began the year as titleholders from two different divisions.

06-20-2023, 11:34 AM	#1589
javier_83 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 3,091	wow didnt realized that you are still playing your universe.. __________________ Unification World of Boxing Universal World of Boxing First Tbcb Forum Tournament

07-03-2023, 05:13 PM	#1590
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,094	Feb. 1949 - Part 2 of 2 Hi, Javier, didn't realize you were still following these Forums ... This report includes bouts from the second half of February 1949. One WBA title bout is included. Feb. 18, 1949: More Friday night fistic action, this time at the Gran Stadium in Havana. Topping the card is some HW action, this a non-title bout, featuring the big Cuban, Nino Valdes, matched with former LABF HW Champ Alberto Santiago Lovell. Lovell stopped Valdes in two when the two met previously, back in 1944, for the LABF title, but Lovell is now past his Prime, while Valdes was at Pre-Prime in that previous encounter. With a large throng of Cuban fight fans in support, Valdes is expecting to reverse that earlier outcome. After an indifferent start in the opening round, Valdes takes charge in round two, landing some sharp blows and causing some initial puffiness to appear under the left eye of Lovell. The two sluggers continue to tee off, neither showing any signs of retreat, as the bout heads into the middle rounds. Early in the fourth, Lovell uncorks a vicious cross that lands flush, and Valdes is forced to cover up to allow time to recover from the blow. In round five, a resilient Valdes comes storming back, launching an all-out offensive that Lovell is unable to resist. The swollen left eye becomes progressively worse and, with Valdes landing blow after unanswered blow, the ref steps in to call a halt. It goes in the books as a TKO 5 for Valdes on the early stoppage. Post-bout career marks: Valdes, 22-8-2 (18); Lovell, 41-20-1 (30). Feb. 19, 1949: To New York’s Madison Square Garden for the next fight card, and the main event is a rematch featuring two LH contenders: Harry Matthews and Joey Maxim. The two battled to a draw in November 1948, and the hard luck Maxim is hoping to have a second chance to seize this opportunity to move up the ranks after a rather lackluster career thus far. The two appear to be evenly matched, but it is the harder hitting Matthews who has the upper hand through the opening couple of rounds. Maxim recovers from a slow start and begins to find the range with his punches in round three. After the first five are in the books, however, the unofficial scorer has Matthews with a wide points lead (50-45) although the punch count status indicate a much closer contest. Sensing a possible defeat looming, Maxim ups the pace in the later rounds, finally going on the offensive. However, while Maxim was successful with causing some puffiness to appear under Matthews’ left eye late in the bout, it was insufficient to overcome Matthews’ early lead. The judges’ cards are read, and the result is a close but UD 10 for Matthews (97-93, 96-94, 97-93), who improves to 33-9-1 (21) with the win. For Maxim, another disappointing loss drops him to 21-9-5 (5) and still well out of contention for a top 10 spot in the LH rankings. Feb. 19, 1949: A WBA title contest tops the next card, at Los Angeles. First, in the main supporting bout, two top 10 HWs do battle in a non-title affair. Turkey Thompson and Lee Q. Murray are meeting in the ring for the first time. Some heavy hitting from Thompson in the game’s early stages manages to cause a trace of puffiness to appear under Murray’s right eye by the end of the third round. However, a strong round four puts Murray ahead in the punches landed count. The action heats up in round five, when Thompson decks Murray with an overhand right. Murray arises as the count reaches six, and he manages to survive the round by covering up. The 10-8 round in the fifth puts Thompson ahead at the midway point (48-46 on the unofficial scorer’s card). In round six, both men are cut: Murray on the upper lip, Thompson over the right eye. The cut men in both corners go to work; Thompson’s cut is patched up, but Murray’s cut continues to ooze blood. Ignoring the cut, Murray lands some strong shots in round eight, and Thompson returns to his corner with a rapidly swelling left eye that needs attention. From here on, this intriguing bout goes the rest of the way without further incident. Murray takes a MD 10 (96-94, 95-95, 96-94), having taken Thompson’s best shots and survived the fifth round knockdown. Post-bout career marks: Murray, 33-11-2 (25); Thompson, 28-11-2 (21). Then, in the main event, Archie Moore defends the WBA LH title against #1 contender and former WBA LH Champ Lloyd Marshall, who currently holds the USBA LH title. The two have met four times previously, and Marshall has failed to record a single win, as Moore has won twice before with two draws in the other two encounters. Coming into the bout, both fighters have compiled impressive winning streaks; Moore has won his last six and Marshall, his last seven. This time around, it is a cautious start by both men. In round five, Moore begins to assert himself, winning most of the inside exchanges; after the round, the unofficial scorer has the bout scored as even (48-48). Into the middle rounds, and it is Moore who is pressing the action, working inside while Marshall prefers to rely on counterpunching. With a minute left in round eight, Moore connects with a hard hook to the body that makes Marshall wince; the challenger elects to cover up to avert further damage. A sharp combination from Moore early in round nine puts Marshall on the defensive once again. Moore’s killer instinct kicks in, and this time, Marshall has little left in the tank to fend off a determined Champion. Moore dominates the action, landing blow after blow until the ref steps in to call a halt with just two seconds left in the round. It goes into the books as a TKO 9 for Moore, who retains the title and improves to 46-4-5 (32). The loss leaves Marshall at 39-7-5 (31). Impressive performance by Moore, who is now contemplating a move up to HW. Feb. 25, 1949: Next is the newest addition to the Friday Night fights “Down Under” series. Featured in the main event are two regional Champs, paired together in a 10-round, non-title contest. These two are Aussie Dave Sands, current OPBF MW Champ, faces Artie Towne, his USBA counterpart. The two have not met previously, and, just two minutes into the opening round, Towne decks Sands with a powerful uppercut. The Aussie MW recovers, arising after taking a six-count, then wisely elects to cover up for the remainder of the round. The bout remains reasonably close through the first half of the contest, but Towne (largely due to the strength of the 10-8 opening round), is well ahead on points (49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card at the halfway point. In the second half of the contest, Towne continues to build on his early success, adding to his points lead. Despite the support of the hometown crowd, Sands continues to struggle; by the end of round seven, there is substantial puffiness around his right eye. Then, in round eight, Towne manages to open a cut over Sands’ injured right eye. In the final round, with the cut patched up, Sands goes all out for a knockout, but Towne’s defense holds up. The bout goes to the judges, and, to the surprise of many, it is Sands, not Towne, who walks away a UD 10 victor (97-92, 97-92, 96-93), as it appears the Aussie was a beneficiary of the some hometown judging to come away with the win despite the one knockdown along with the cut and swollen eye. Post-bout marks: Sands, 32-4 (20); Towne, 22-2-2 (8). Feb. 26, 1949: A tripleheader of featured bouts tops the final card of the month at the Olympia in London. In the first of this trilogy of co-main events, British Flyweight Terry Allen faces LABF Flyweight Champ Black Pico in a 10-round, non-title clash. The two are meeting for the first time, and both are ranking among the top 10 in the Flyweight rankings. After an even opening round, in round three Allen takes the initiative, doing some good work on the inside. The bout remains a close one into the middle stages and, at the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has it adjudged as even (48-48). In the second half of the contest, the punch count remains close, while the stamina factor shows a slight edge for the Cuban, Black Pico. Into the final three rounds, and Allen, cheered on by an appreciate hometown crowd, takes on the mantle of the aggressor. Late in round eight, he connects with a big uppercut, but Pico manages to cover up and avert further difficulty. The bout goes the distance, and ends in a draw (98-95 Pico, 96-96, 96-95 Allen), much to the dismay of the British fight fans who expected Allen to prevail. Post-bout career marks: Allen, 28-4-1 (3); Pico, 19-3-2 (0). Next, in the second co-feature, more Flyweight action as two top five Flyweights, both regional Champions, take to the ring, as another Brit, Teddy Gardner, the reigning Commonwealth Fly Champion, takes on his NABF counterpart from the States, Dado Marino. One prior bout resulted in a split duke in favor of Gardner, this taking place in on U. S. Soli in Boston in 1947. In this return matchup, the action picks up in round two, when Gardner lands a hard shot that rips open a cut over Marino’s right eye. After this, the two settle in, with Gardner enjoying a slight edge in the punch count stat. In the fifth round, the cut over Marino’s eye is reopened and, at the midway point, the unofficial card has Gardner ahead on points (49-46). In the second half of the contest, Marino, now well behind on points and in the punches landed stat, tries to mount a rally. However, the cut continues to be an issue, having been reopened in round eight and, again, in round nine. Nevertheless, the bout proceeds to decision and, as expected, the UD 10 goes to Gardner (97-94, 97-94, 98-93), who runs his career record to 32-9-2 (11). The loss drops Marino to 33-10 (14). The final bout of the card is for the GBU BW title, currently held by Ritchie Tanner, who faces a familiar foe in challenger Norman Lewis. This is the fifth meeting of the two, with each having won twice before. Lewis takes charge in the opening round, putting Tanner on the deck with a combination of blows; Tanner takes an eight count and is able to last the round after resorting to the cover up strategy. Tanner recovers and settles into the bout, actually building a slight edge in the punches landed stat. However, at the midway point, the unofficial scorer’s card tells a different story: it has Lewis, the challenger, well ahead on points (59-54). In the second half of the bout, Lewis continues to apply pressure on the inside, keeping Tanner on the defensive. A late surge from Tanner keeps the issue in doubt, plus Lewis’ corner must deal with a rapidly swelling left eye that became problematic in the final few rounds of the contest. The bout goes the full 12 and Lewis is able to maintain his early advantage – just barely – to record a UD 12 (115-112, 114-113, 115-112) to regain the GBU BW title. Post-bout career marks: Lewis, 29-10-1 (16); Tanner, 28-16-3 (14).

07-17-2023, 03:44 PM	#1591
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,094	Mar. 1949 - Part 1 of 2 This report includes bouts from the first half of March 1949. No WBA title bouts are included. Mar. 4, 1949: The month’s action kicks off with a Friday night card at the War Memorial Auditorium in Syracuse. No titles on the line, and a rather thin card is topped by a matchup of two top five ranked LH contenders, with former WBA LH Champ Melio Bettina facing Tommy Yarosz. The two are meeting for the first time, and Yarosz is hoping that a win over the post-Prime ex-Champ might propel him into his first title shot of any kind. The opening stanza sees Bettina get off the mark quickly, landing sufficient leather to cause some initial puffiness to appear under the right eye of Yarosz. Bettina appears to be doing well until, suddenly, two minutes into the fourth round, Yarosz connects with a big shot that puts Bettina down and out. Impressive KO 4 for Yarosz moves him up in the LH rankings, and he improves to 28-6-2 (10) as a result. Meanwhile, for Bettina, who has seen better days, the loss leaves him at 43-13-7 (18). Mar. 5, 1949: To the French Riviera for the next card, this taking place at the Palais des Sports in Cannes. Featured in the main event are two Flyweights, as OPBF Fly titleholder Yoicihiro Hanada has traveled all the way from the Far East to face France’s Emile Famechon. The two, who have not before, appear to be fairly evenly matched through the opening few rounds. As the bout enters the middle stages, Hanada gradually pulls ahead in the punches landed count. At the halfway mark, the unofficial card has Hanada ahead on points (49-46) as well. Trailing, Famechon adopts a more aggressive approach in the second half of the contest. To the dismay of the French fight fans in attendance, Famechon is unable to make much of an impression on the Japanese boxer, and the bout goes the rest of the way without incident. However, when the verdict is read, Famechon – perhaps with the assistance of some hometown judging – emerges a MD 10 victor (97-93, 95-95, 97-94). Post-bout records: Famechon, 24-10-1 (17); Hanada, 41-24-4 (11). Mar. 5, 1949: A twin feature tops the next card at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. In the first of the two co-main events, Johnny “Honey Boy” Bratton takes on veteran WW Tippy Larkin. The two have not met before, but Bratton – still recovering from back-to-back losses (the first two of his young career), comes out swinging, decking Larkin with a combination in the opening round, then following up with two more knockdowns, from an uppercut and a hard cross, leading to a first round stoppage. The impressive TKO 1 win for Bratton moves his career totals to 20-2-1 (12) overall, while the loss leaves Larkin at 34-17-3 (15). In the second co-feature, the USBA LW title is at stake, as Beau Jack faces a stiff challenge from former WBA LW Champ “Bobcat” Bob Montgomery. The two met once before (for the NABF LW title) in 1947, and Montgomery took a points win, en route to his second stint as WBA Champ before being dethroned by Ike Williams late in 1948. In this rematch, the early edge in punches landed goes to Montgomery, who moves inside to put more pressure on Jack in round three. By the midway point, Montgomery’s early lead in punches landed has translated to a slight edge in points (58-56), according to the unofficial scorer’s card. In the late middle rounds, Jack surges and pulls ahead in the punch count stats, and the bout remains an extremely close one headed into the later rounds. Sensing that things are slipping away from him, Montgomery elects to become more aggressive as the bout enters the final few rounds. Some accurate punching by the challenger in round 11 results in a swollen right eye for Jack. The bout goes the full 12, and a decision is reached by a divided panel of judges. Montgomery captures the USBA belt by a SD 12 (115-113, 112-116, 115-113). Post-bout career marks: Montgomery, 39-5-2 (21); Jack, 34-7 (21). Mar. 11, 1949: Next up is a Friday night affair at Philadelphia. Two MWs do battle in the main event, as former WBA MW Champ Steve “Spider” Belloise is matched with Bobby Jones, a fast rising young contender. No titles at stake, and it is the first meeting of the two. Belloise, a slugger, takes the initiative, moving inside in round three. Jones is able to hold his own and, at the midway point, he has a slight points lead (48-47) over his more experienced foe. In the second half of the contest, Belloise continues to try to establish control by working his way inside. The punch count stats document a very close contest headed into the later rounds. The bout goes the full 10 rounds, and Belloise does just enough to eke out a narrow UD 10 win (96-94 on all three cards), handing Jones his second career loss. Post-bout career marks: Belloise, 33-10-2 (15); Jones, 19-2-1 (2). Mar. 12, 1949: Miami sets the scene for the next fistic action. In the main event, top five HW contender Ezzard Charles is in action, facing newly crowned LABF HW Champ Omelio Agramonte. It is the first meeting of the two. Charles starts well, dominating the action in the opening round. Charles continues to outscore the Cuban HW, building a solid early lead in the punch count stats through the early rounds. By the halfway point of the bout, the unofficial card has Charles up by just two (48-46), with Charles having lost a point for unnecessary fouling in round four. Into the second half of the contest, and Charles continues to dominate, decking Agramonte in round six with a sharp combination. Charles coasts the rest of the way, and he goes on to take a solid UD 10 win (95-93, 97-92, 97-91), lifting his career totals to 29-5 (22). With the loss, Agramonte drops to 24-8 (14). Charles hopes that this win is enough to justify another shot at Joe Louis and the WBA HW crown. Mar. 12, 1949: Next up is a card in Western Canada, and the Exhibition Gardens in Vancouver. Two top five ranked BW contenders take to the ring for the main event, as former WBA BW kingpin David Kui Kong faces Canada’s Lou Alter. It is the first meeting of the two, and Kui Kong Young has just hit Post-Prime career stage given that 1948 was his real-life retirement year. Alter gets off to a good start, securing an early edge in the punches landed count. By the midway point, the ex-Champ has worked his way back into the bout, and Alter’s lead (according to the unofficial card) is a slim one (49-48). Kui Kong Young, who still trails badly in the punch count stats, continues with an aggressive posture into the later stages of the contest. The bout goes the distance, and the nod from the judges goes to Alter, who takes a well-earned UD 10 (96-93, 97-92, 95-94) over a Post-Prime Kui Kong Young. Post-bout career marks: Alter, 26-8-2 (14); Kui Kong Young, 45-6-4 (20).

08-02-2023, 01:11 PM	#1592
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,094	Mar. 1949 - Part 2 of 2 This report includes bouts from the second half of March 1949. One WBA title bout is included. Mar. 18, 1949: Time for a renewal of the Friday night fights “Down Under” series, with a card taking place in Melbourne. Twin feature bouts, and the first matches former WBA LH Champ Billy Conn in his first visit to Aussie-land, and he faces former Commonwealth LH titleholder Jack A. Johnson. It is the first meeting of the two, and, as no titles are at stake, the bout is scheduled for 10 rounds. Conn is on target early, and he manages to open a cut under Johnson’s left eye in the second round. Johnson tries to battle back by moving inside in round four, but all he gets for his troubles is some puffiness around the cut eye, plus Conn is able to open another cut over Johnson’s right eye. All of this translates into a large points lead (49-46) for Conn on the unofficial scorer’s card at the midway point. Trailing, Johnson feels compelled to go on the offensive in the second half of the bout, while Conn takes few risks and works mainly on the outside, staying away from Johnson’s power. In the end, though, the cuts decide it, specifically the cut over Johnson’s right eye which is reopened in round eight and becomes too difficult to control. The bout is halted, and Conn is declared a TKO 8 victor. Post-bout, Conn improves to 45-12-4 (17), while Johnson ends up at 27-14-1 (19). The final bout on the card is for the OPBF FW title, and Eddie Miller is on hand to defend the title versus a fellow Aussie as Bernie Grant is the challenger. The action is slow to develop and, in the early rounds, Grant appears to have the edge, at least in terms in the punches landed count. Thus, it appears to be against the flow of bout when, late in the fifth round, Miller connects with a combination that puts Grant down and out. KO 5 for Miller, who retains the belt. Post-bout records: Miller, 33-14-3 (13); Grant, 14-4-2 (5). Mar. 19, 1949: To Gothenburg, Sweden and the Ullevi Stadium for the next card, and the main event showcases the talents of Egisto Peyre, the EBU WW titleholder, who faces American Jimmy Doyle. No prior meetings, no titles at stake in this 10-rounder. Not much in the way of action for the first few rounds, with Doyle taking an aggressive posture by moving inside in round three. Peyre, working mainly on the outside, pulls ahead in the punch count stats and, by the end of the fourth round, Doyle is showing the effects, as his left eye has begun to puff up. At the halfway point, the unofficial card has Peyre ahead on points (50-48). Trailing, Doyle adopts a more aggressive approach in the second half of the contest. However, Peyre has an iron grip on things and manages to hold on for a solid UD 10 win (97-93, 97-93, 97-94). Post-bout records: Peyre, 30-6-3 (14); Doyle, 24-8-1 (7). Mar. 19, 1949: Next up is a huge card at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, and a WBA title clash tops the agenda. First up, in some non-title action, two WWs take to the ring, with Georgie Crouch facing Norman Rubio. The two met once before, but that was seven years, and at that time, Rubio took a MD 10. In this long awaited rematch, Crouch stuns Rubio with a sharp three-punch combination late in round one, but the bell sounds before Crouch is able to follow up in a meaningful way. In the ensuing rounds, Rubio settles in, gradually building an early edge in the punches landed stats. The midway point of the bout is reached after the two boxers slug it out on the inside; at this point, the unofficial scorer has Rubio with a slim one-point advantage (48-47). Crouch takes a more aggressive approach as the bout heads into the later stages. Crouch’s efforts to turn things around are largely thwarted by Rubio, but in the final round Crouch is able to rock Rubio with a big left. However, Rubio remains upright and is able to survive until the final bell with an effective use of the cover up strategy. The judges are split, with two favoring Rubio, one voting for Crouch, so it goes in the books as a SD 10 for Rubio (96-94, 94-96, 98-92), who improves his career stats to 30-10-4 (13) with the win. Tough loss for Crouch, who is now 38-16-4 (19). In the second supporting bout, Oakland Billy Smith makes his first defense of the NABF LH title he won last year, facing the fast-rising unbeaten challenger in Harold Johnson – a very tough test indeed for Smith, who fell short in a WBA title challenge to Archie Moore in his most recent outing. It is the first meeting of the two, while Johnson boasts wins over Adolf Heuser, Billy Conn (twice), Gus Lesnevich and Freddie Mills in his five most recent outings. To the surprise of many, Smith is able to take advantage of a slow start by Johnson to build an early lead in the punch count stats. Johnson finally gets on track in the middle rounds of the bout and, by the halfway point, he has done well enough to pull in front (by a count of 58-56) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Smith, working mainly on the inside, seeks to apply some pressure as the rounds begin to tick off in the second half of the contest. Smith appears to be making some modest progress, although Johnson continues to hold the edge in the punches landed count. In round 11, a hard right cross from Johnson opens up a cut under Smith’s right eye. Smith’s corner has no problem patching up the cut between rounds, so the bout goes to decision. As in the prior bout, the judging panel is split, and Johnson is able to capture the belt, taking a close SD 12 (113-115, 115-114, 116-113), wrapping up the pre-Prime stage of his career with an unbeaten slate. Post-bout records: Johnson, 20-0 (8); Smith, 26-9-4 (20). After this, the ring is cleared for the main event: a matchup for the WBA BW title, with Manuel Ortiz making his fifth title defense against challenger Tommy Forte. The stage appears to be set for a fairly routine win for Ortiz, who has defeated the now Post-Prime Forte twice before. In this rematch, Ortiz begins grinding away from the opening bell, gradually building an early edge in punches landed stats. After thew first third of the bout, the unofficial scorer has Forte keeping things in check, and Ortiz has only a narrow one-point lead (48-47). Into the middle rounds, and Forte begins to press forward on the inside, but in round seven, some effective counterpunching by Ortiz has caused initial swelling under the right eye of the challenger. After domination the action in the middle rounds, Ortiz has widened his lead (to 98-92) on the unofficial card at the two-thirds mark. Trailing on points, a desperate Forte tries to mount a rally in the final rounds, but he only leaves himself more vulnerable defensively, and Ortiz takes advantage, decking the challenger with a sharp combination midway through round 12. Forte is able to resume after taking a count of seven, but at this point at this point Ortiz is content to adopt a purely defensive posture. Ortiz appears to be well on his way to a fairly comfortable points win when, all of sudden, midway through the 14th round, Forte lands a lucky shot that draws blood from a cut over Ortiz’s right eye. The flow of claret from the cut continues unabated, and the ref is forced to call an immediate halt, over protests from Ortiz’s corner. In a huge turnaround, Forte is declared the unlikely TKO 14 winner based on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout career marks: Forte, 39-12-3 (13); Ortiz, 36-9-3 (18). Very tough loss for Ortiz, who was well ahead on all three cards and headed towards a unanimous points win. Also, an early candidate for Upset of the Year honors. Mar. 25, 1949: Next up is a Friday night card at Mexico City. A twin bill of featured bouts tops the card. In the first of these, Cuba’s Diego Sosa, a former NABF and LABF FW Champion, faces Phil Terranova, another former NABF FW Champ, who is now on the downside of his career. It is the first meeting of the two, and it is Terranova who gets off to a strong start, piling up an early lead in the punch count stats. However, Sosa recovers from his slow start and, late in round five, he floors Terranova with a big hook, and Terranova is fortunate to be saved by the bell. By virtue of the 10-8 round in the fifth, Sosa has a slight points lead (48-47) on the unofficial card at the halfway point. Into the second half of the contest, and Sosa continues to dominate, decking Terranova a second time with a sharp combination early in round seven. Terranova picks himself off the canvas and is able to cover up in order to survive the round. From this point, the bout proceeds the rest of the way without incident, and Sosa, based on the two knockdowns, takes a UD 10 (96-92, 96-92, 97-91) to run his career totals to 31-8-2 (16). The loss leaves the post-Prime Terranova at 26-11 (11). The second co-feature sees the “Dorango Dropper,” Enrique Bolanos, making his first defense of the NABF LW title. The challenger is Lulu Costantino, now at Post-Prime, and it is the first meeting of these two. The bout lasts a little longer than two minutes, as Bolanos is on target early, dropping Costantino who goes down for the count in the opening stanza. Impressive KO 1 for Bolanos, who is hoping for a WBA title shot later in the year. Post-bout career marks: Bolanos, 27-3 (21); Costantino, 30-10-4 (11). Mar. 26, 1949: To London’s Harringay Arena for the next fistic action and, in the main event, Brit Jackie Paterson and Aussie Tiffy Hancock will vie for the recently vacated Commonwealth Flyweight title. The belt was vacated by Peter Kane when he captured the WBA Fly crown. It is the first meeting of these two, and it takes awhile for the sorting out to commence. In round three, Paterson, who seems to have the upper hand, moves inside to press his advantage even further. Turns into a big third round for Paterson, who manages to cause some initial puffiness to appear under Hancock’s right eye. Hancock tries his luck on the inside in round four, but Paterson continues to take advantage with some effective counterpunching. Undaunted, Hancock comes out swinging in round five, and he manages to turn things around, decking Paterson with a hook that puts Paterson down and out. KO 5 for Hancock, and this becomes a strong contender for “Upset of the Year” as a “2” defeats a “7” on the opponent’s home turf. Hancock, in his first bout at Prime career stage, is successful, moving to 18-2-1 (14) overall. The loss leaves the unfortunate Paterson at 33-9-2 (19). Mar. 26, 1949: Final card of the month takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Featured in the main event are two long-time HW contenders, as USBA HW Champ “Tampa” Tommy Gomez challenges Jersey Joe Walcott for Walcott’s NABF HW title. The two have met twice before, with Gomez winning both, once via KO and once via a points decision. However, this time Walcott, despite being at Post-Prime, is looking for revenge and hoping for some favoritism from the judges in his role as the defending titleholder. Unfortunately for Jersey Joe, Gomez is on target early and, by the end of the second round, Walcott is carrying his hands low, making an even more inviting target for the challenger. Not much changes as the bout heads into the middle rounds, and, at the outset of the fifth round, Gomez lands a perfect cross to send Walcott toppling to the canvas. Walcott is unable to beat the count, and Gomez is declared a KO 5 victor, repeating his earlier success, and also adding the NABF title to his laurels. Post-bout career marks: Gomez, 38-6-1 (35); Walcott, 55-17 (31). Last edited by JCWeb; 08-07-2023 at 11:04 AM.

08-14-2023, 12:05 PM	#1593
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,094	Apr. 1949 - Part 1 of 2 This report includes bouts from the first half of April 1949. Two WBA title bouts are included. Apr. 1, 1949: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at Havana’s Gran Stadium. No title bouts on the menu, and featured in the main event is a former WBA WW Champ, Marty Servo. His opponent is a hometown crowd favorite, Kid Gavilan, aka “the Cuban Hawk.” No prior meetings of the two, and Gavilan is hoping to use this opportunity to take advantage of an aging veteran (with Servo now at End career stage) to advance his standing in the WW rankings. The two boxers both exhibit a cautious approach to the opening rounds, but Gavilan is able to gradually pull ahead to a nice lead in the punches landed count. At the midway point of the contest, scheduled for 10 rounds, Gavilan was well ahead on points as well (49-46), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. Servo tries to turn things around, moving inside in round seven, but all he gets for his troubles is a rapidly swelling left eye, the result of some accurate counterpunching by the “Cuban Hawk.” Servo is unable to make much progress as the bout reaches its later stages, and Gavilan goes on to take a fairly routine UD 10 (97-93, 99-91, 97-93) to run his career record to 22-3-1 (4). The loss leaves Servo at 36-11-2 (13). Apr. 2, 1949: Next card takes place at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. No title bouts, but the main event matches two top five Flyweight contenders: NABF Flyweight titleholder Dado Marino and Yoshio Shirai, who briefly held the WBA Flyweight crown after a stint as OPBF Flyweight Champ. No prior meetings of these two, and, after a couple of pedestrian opening rounds, Shirai takes charge in round three, moving inside and landing some telling blows to pull ahead in the punch count stat. Marino responds by moving inside with some effective punching in round four. At the halfway point, the unofficial card has Marino up by one (48-47), and there is some puffiness under the right eye of Shirai. In the second half of the bout, Marino seems content to stay on the outside, leaving it to Shirai to press the action on the inside. Shirai does well to keep the bout reasonably close, but Marino is able to grind out a convincing UD 10 win (97-93, 97-93, 98-92). Post-bout records: Marino, 34-10 (14); Shirai, 24-5 (12). Apr. 8, 1949: The Commonwealth BW title is on the line in the featured bout at the next card, a Friday night affair at the Forum in Montreal. Challenging Canadian Fernando Gagnon for the crown is Brit Stan Rowan. The two have not met previously, and Rowan has been unbeaten in his last five (four wins, one draw) to set up this, his first title shot. Gagnon starts well, compiling an early lead in the punches landed; by the middle rounds, the challenger is showing signs of fatigue as well as some puffiness that is visible under his left eye. In round six, there is an accidental clash of heads, and Gagnon suffers a cut on his forehead as a result. At the midway point of the bout, Gagnon has a healthy points lead (59-56), according to the unofficial scorecard. In round eight, cut on Gagnon’s forehead is reopened. Into the final rounds, and Rowan tries to become more aggressive, but Gagnon’s corner does a good job with the cut, and he is not seriously threatened by Rowan for the remainder of the bout. In fact, Rowan leaves himself open and is decked by a barrage of blows from Gagnon near the end of round 10. The bout goes the distance, and Gagnon is able to retain the title via a lopsided UD 12 (117-110, 117-111, 118-110). With the win, Gagnon improves his career stats to 28-5 (17). The loss drops Rowan to 26-4-2 (11). Apr. 9, 1949: Next up is a huge card at the Sports Palace in Rome that features a WBA title clash at the top of the agenda. In the main supporting bout, a post-Prime Benny Goldberg, a former WBA BW Champ who remains a top contender, faces Spaniard Luis Romero, who is looking to advance up the BW ranks. The two have not met before. From the early rounds, it is Romero who takes on the role of aggressor, forcing the action. However, some solid boxing from Goldberg gives the American an early edge in the punch count stats. The battle between the two intensifies as both swing away freely with some inside exchanges in round five and, at the halfway point, Goldberg is up by two (49-47) on the unofficial card. Romero continues to take an aggressive approach as the bout heads into the later rounds, but some solid defense and counterpunching by Goldberg prevents him from making any progress. Goldberg goes to take a fairly routine UD 10 (97-93, 98-94, 97-92) to run his career totals to 37-7-3 (14). The loss leaves Romero, who is hopeful for a shot at the EBU BW title, at 21-4-2 (8). Then, the WBA LW title matchup takes place, and Italy’s Aldo Spoldi, who has held the EBU LW title since 1941, finally gets his first shot at a WBA title, as he challenges Ike Williams for the belt. No prior meetings, but Spoldi is at Post-Prime, having had to wait so long for this opportunity. Williams gets off to a strong start, rocking Spolid with a hard uppercut near the end of the opening stanza. Spoldi continues to struggle with his timing through most of the early rounds, while Williams is on target, landing his punches with alacrity. Late in the fifth round, a big cross from Williams snakes through, and once again Spoldi is hurt, but he remains upright. At this point, one third of the way through the bout, Williams has a commanding points lead (50-45), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. Then, in round six, Spoldi goes down, as an overhand right from Williams finds its mark. Spoldi struggles to regain his footing, arising at the count of eight. Still plenty of time left in the round, but Williams is unable to finish off the game challenger. Early in round seven, things begin to look better for Spoldi, as he snakes through a right cross that rips open a cut over Williams’ left eye. Undaunted, Williams stalks Spoldi around the ring, finally catching him with a devastating hook that puts Spoldi down and out. Solid effort from Williams, who retains the WBA title with a KO 7 result. Post-bout career marks: Williams, 37-4-1 (32); Spoldi, 50-19-7 (18). Spoldi will be at End career stage with his next outing. Apr. 9, 1949: Next up is more WBA title bout action, this time coming from the States, in Miami. First up, in the main supporting bout, two HWs take to the ring as newly crowned NABF HW Champ Tommy Gomez faces the hard-hitting Cuban, Nino Valdes, in a non-title matchup. The two, who have a combined 53 KOs to their respective ledgers) have not met before. “Tampa” Tommy is on the defensive from the start, as Valdes impresses with a strong start in the opening round. Valdes continues to press forward with a smothering attack, finally catching Gomez with a cross that puts Gomez down and out with seconds remaining in round two. Impressive KO 2 for Valdes, his best showing yet but, unfortunately, the NABF title was not on the line. Nonetheless, Valdes improves to 23-8-2 (19) with the win, and he is sure to move up the HW rankings as a result. The loss leaves Gomez at 38-7-1 (35). In the main event, Archie Moore makes another defense of his WBA LH title. The challenger is GBU, EBU and Commonwealth LH Champ “Fearless” Freddie Mills, whom Moore has beaten twice before, both inside the distance, the most recent being a first round knockout in New York in 1947, but this is the first time the two have competed with a title at stake. This time around, Mills is able to avoid a first round blowout, and Mills is actually having the better of the exchanges in round two. Moore responds with a strong showing in the third and fourth stanzas. The two sluggers exchange blows on the inside in round five and, once again, Mills seems to be holding his own. At the one thirds mark of the bout, it is a close one (48-47 in favor of Moore) on the unofficial card. In the middle rounds, Moore continues to work his way inside, applying pressure and winning most of the exchanges. In round nine, Mills tries to switch tactics and move inside, but Moore’s defense remains solid. Late in round 10, Moore decks Mills with a big hook, and Mills is able to resume only after taking a seven count. After 10 rounds are in the books, Moore has a solid points lead (98-92) on the unofficial card, his position being enhanced by the knockdown. Mills tries to bounce back, but he doesn’t last another round as, two minutes into the 11th, Moore decks him with a combination. Mills is counted out. KO 11 for Moore, who had to exert himself a bit more than in their two prior encounters. Post-bout career marks: Moore, 47-4-5 (33); Mills, 33-19-2 (16). Mills has accumulated enough retirement points that he will be at Post-Prime career stage with his next outing. Apr. 15, 1949: Time for the next installment of the Friday night fights “Down Under” series, and a twin feature of two Commonwealth title bouts top the card, this time at Melbourne. In the first co-feature, the Commonwealth MW title is on the line, as Aussie Alfie Sands makes his first title defense against Vince Hawkins, current GBU MW titleholder. The two have not met before, and Sands, who takes an aggressive approach in the early stages of the bout, is met with some stiff resistance from Hawkins, However, in the fifth round, Sands breaks through and drops Hawkins with a sharp combination that finds its target. Hawkins is able to resume after taking a seven count, and he lasts the round by successfully electing to cover up. One more round and the midway point of the contest is reached, and it sees Sands well ahead on the unofficial scorer’s card (60-55). The punch count stats also favor Sands, but by a much narrower margin. Into the second half of the contest, and Sands, the slugger, retains his aggressive approach to the bout, while Hawkins, having recovered from the knockdown, seeks to become more active in initiating the action. Late in round seven, Sands staggers Hawkins with a big uppercut, and, right before the bell, he drops Hawkins for a second time with a picture perfect cross. Early in round nine, Hawkins walks into a Sands hook and goes down for a third time and, this time, he arises at the count of four. The bout goes the distance, and Sands, largely on the strength of the three knockdowns, is rewarded with a lopsided UD 12 (118-109, 117-110, 119-108) to retain the title. Post-bout records: Sands, 20-4 (11); Hawkins, 22-14-4 (8). The final bout of the card matches two familiar foes, Brit Ernie Roderick (current Commonwealth and GBU WW Champ) and Aussie Jack McNamee (reigning OPBF WW Champ), who are paired together for the eighth (!) time; this is for the Commonwealth WW title held by Roderick, and it is Roderick’s first defense in two years, with his last successful defense coming in April 1947, this a late stoppage (a technical decision win) versus McNamee in London. Midway through the opening round, Roderick lands a quick one-two combination that rips open a cut on McNamee’s forehead. After the first four rounds are in the books, Roderick has pulled ahead in the punch count stats, yet Roderick is also showing signs of swelling under his right eye. In round five, the cut over McNamee’s eye is reopened; the cut is quickly patched up in the corner between rounds. However, in round six, Roderick goes to work, opening a new cut under McNamee’s left eye. Then, later in the round, McNamee’s face becomes bloody mess as the cut on his forehead is reopened a second time. At this point, the ref steps in and calls a halt. The bout goes into the books as a TKO 6 for Roderick, who retains the Commonwealth belt, running his career record to 40-25-6 (9). Meanwhile, McNamee slips to 41-24-2 (23) with the loss. Both of these veteran fighters are at Post-Prime career stage but both remain as regional titleholders, largely due to the lack of qualified contenders Last edited by JCWeb; 08-18-2023 at 03:51 PM.

09-04-2023, 03:14 PM	#1594
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,094	Apr. 1949 - Part 2 of 2 This report includes bouts from the second half of April 1949. This time, a total of three WBA title bouts are included. Apr. 16, 1949: To Europe and the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden, for the next fight card. Paired together in the main event for the second time are two top Flyweight contenders, ex-WBA Fly Champ Rinty Monaghan and Belgium’s Raoul DeGryse. The first time these two met, the WBA title was at stake, and Monaghan prevailed with a unanimous points win. This time, the bout is scheduled for just 10 rounds, both are at Post-Prime career stage, and no titles are at stake. A strong start by DeGryse, who looks sharp in the opening couple of rounds and seems determined to reverse the results of their earlier encounter. However, in the third round, Monaghan begins to assert himself and, as a result, there is a trace of swelling apparent under the right eye of DeGryse. By the halfway point, Monaghan has pulled ahead on the unofficial scorer’s card (48-46). In the second half of the bout, DeGryse begins show signs of fatigue, and his punches lack steam. With Monaghan apparently well on his way to victory, late in round nine, DeGryse lands a big shot that drops Monaghan, who is able to scramble back on his feet just before the bell sounds to end the round. With the issue still very much in doubt, the bout goes the distance and, aided by the late knockdown, DeGryse is able to turn things around and register a SD 10 victory (93-94 Monaghan, 94-93 DeGryse, 94-93 DeGryse). Post-bout marks: DeGryse, 33-16-5 (17); Monaghan, 44-16-1 (12). Apr. 16, 1949: Next card in Detroit features a WBA title contest as the headliner, preceded by a MW bout matching a Post-Prime Artie Levine with an up-and-comer in Carl “Bobo” Olson. No prior meetings, and while Olson hopes to use this to break into the top 10 in the MW ranks, Levine has other ideas, and the bout comes to a sudden end less than a minute into the second round when Levine lands a big shot that puts Olson down and out. Impressive KO 2 for Levine, who improves to 28-9-1 (17) as a result. For Olson, it is just his third career loss (and the first via a KO stoppage), leaving him at 18-3-2 (12). Then, the ring is cleared for the main event, which sees Norman Rubio challenge the timeless veteran Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong for the WBA LW title. Rubio, who lost on points in one prior meeting, is also on the downside (post-Prime stage) of his career, while Armstrong has already hit End career stage. Not much in the way of action for the opening few rounds, but what little action there is favors Armstrong, as Rubio struggles with his timing. While Rubio is able to gradually work his way into the bout, Armstrong has a solid points lead (50-47) after the first five rounds are scored, according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. In the middle rounds, Rubio tries to take a more aggressive stance, but he is unable to make much of an impression on a determined Armstrong. Then, late in round eight, Rubio walks into an Armstrong combination, drops to the canvas and is counted out, just before the bell sounds. KO 8 for Armstrong, who retains the title. Post-bout records: Armstrong, 57-11-3 (46); Rubio, 30-11-4 (13). Apr. 22, 1949: The Rand Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa sets the scene for the next fight card, a Friday night affair topped by a LW contest, matching Aussie Vic Patrick, a former WBA LW Champ, with Santa Bucca. The two met once before, in Patrick’s native Australia, in early 1948, and Patrick easily dispatched of Bucca via a first round knockout. This time around, After a rather placid opening round, Patrick comes out swinging in round two, decking Bucca with a strong hook less than a minute into the round. Bucca manages to regain his footing and resorts to covering up to avert further damage; however, by the end of the round there is already noticeable puffiness around his left eye. Despite the early knockdown, Bucca maintains a slight edge in the punches landed count. However, a determined Patrick ignores his Post-Prime career status, connects with a picture perfect combination late in the fifth that puts Bucca down for the count. Impressive KO 5 for Patrick, who was trailing on all three cards after the first four rounds were in the books. Post-bout career marks: Patrick, 32-7-1 (23); Bucca, 20-7-3 (8). Apr. 23, 1949: Time for some more WBA title bout action, this at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, and featured in the main event is the rematch of Sandy Saddler and Willie Pep as they renew their rivalry with the WBA FW crown at stake. First up, however, is an enticing main supporting bout, matching the “Bronx Bull,” Jake LaMotta, with the “Man of Steel,” Tony Zale, for LaMotta’s NABF NW title. This duo has met three times before, with LaMotta losing all three (accounting for all but one of his losses thus far in his career), but this time Jake hopes to break through against a post-Prime Zale. This time, it takes a few rounds for the action to develop. In round three, it is LaMotta who surges forward, seizing the initiative and doing some damage on the inside. Zale strikes back with a solid round in the fourth, but LaMotta has the edge in the crucial punch count stats. At the midway point of the contest, the unofficial scorecard has LaMotta in front (59-57), and two sluggers continue to whale away at each other as the rounds tick off. The stamina factor favors LaMotta and, as the bout wears on, an increasingly frustrated Zale tries to become more and more aggressive, but to no avail. LaMotta grinds his way to a UD 12 (117-112, 118-112, 115-114), recording his first win versus Zale and improving his overall career mark to 33-4-1 (21). Zale falls to 47-12-2 (27) with the loss. Then, in the main event, it is a much anticipated rematch for the WBA FW title, which sees Sandy Saddler making his second defense versus Willie Pep, whom he dethroned in a very close and entertaining bout that was the Fight of the Year for 1948. In this long awaited rematch, after a close opening round, Pep begins to find the range, pulling ahead with a strong round two. Saddler seizes the initiative and moves inside in round three, only to be peppered with some solid jabs and long range accurate punching by Pep. Less than a minute into round four, Pep staggers Saddler with a sharp three punch combo that forces Saddler to cover up to avert further damage. After the first five rounds are in the books, the unofficial card has Pep with a comfortable points lead (50-45). In the middle rounds, Saddler bears down, focusing on working his way inside, but Pep remains an elusive target. By the end of round seven, however, there is a trace of puffiness under Pep’s right eye and, in round eight, a Saddler jab snakes through and opens a cut over Pep’s left eye. Nonetheless, at the two thirds mark, Pep still holds a significant points lead (98-92) on the unofficial card, despite some major inroads made by Saddler in the middle third of the bout. The momentum swings back in Pep’s direction, as he decks Saddler with an uppercut midway through round 11. Saddler is quick to regain his footing (arising at the count of three), and he once again covers up to last the round. Into the final rounds, and, although Saddler is able to reopen the cut over Pep’s eye in round 12, it is patched up between rounds. Pep recovers quickly and goes on to dominate the action in the 13th, eventually forcing a stoppage as Saddler is helpless against the ropes. Via a TKO 13, Willie Pep is once again a WBA FW Champion, and Saddler is handed the first loss of his career. Post-bout records: Pep, 38-3 (25); Saddler, 25-1 (20). Could a third chapter in this saga be in the offing? Apr. 29, 1949: Next up is a Friday night card in Seattle, and some HW action tops the card, as the main event matches former NABF HW titleholder Roscoe Toles with Phil Muscato, and at stake is the USBA HW title that was vacated by Tommy Gomez who moved up and captured the NABF HW crown from one of Toles’ successors. No prior meetings and, for Muscato, who was gone undefeated in his four most recent outings (three wins, one draw), it is his first title shot of any kind. With Toles now at Post-Prime, Muscato is optimistic about his chances, and he manages to pull ahead in the punch count stats in the early going. Some slick boxing from Toles enables him to keep the bout close as it heads into the middle rounds. At the midway point, the unofficial scorecard has Toles actually ahead by a point (58-57), this despite the fact that the punch count stats tend to favor Muscato. Muscato bears down in the second half of the bout, taking the initiative and moving forward in a more aggressive posture. Toles has caught up in terms of the punches landed stats, but Muscato has a slight edge in terms of the stamina factor, but both fighters are tired by the end of the ninth round. The outcome remains very much in doubt as the bout heads into the final few rounds, with both men seeming to be exhausted at this point. No cuts or knockdowns, so the bout appears to be headed for a judges’ decision when, with seconds remaining, Muscato connects with a hard shot that sends Toles tumbling to the canvas. Toles is able to scramble to his feet as the count reaches six, then the bell sounds to end the contest. The late knockdown is sufficient to secure the title belt for Muscato, who takes a close but UD 12 (116-113, 116-113, 115-113), thereby improving his career record to 25-5-3 (10). Toles, now 45-19-6 (8), has lost his last four, and thus it appears his days as a top flight HW contender are at an end. Apr. 30, 1949: Final card of the month takes place at the Olympia in London, England, and two British fighters face each other in the main event, yet another WBA title bout (the fifth this month). First up, the main preliminary match features two FWs from the Western Hemisphere who have come from across the pond to do battle: former LABF FW Champ Diego Sosa takes on Sal Bartolo, a former USBA and NABF FW titleholder. The two met once before, in a 1945, in a bout that ended in a MD 10 for Sosa. This time around, with Bartolo at Post-Prime career stage, it is Sosa who takes the initiative after a couple of close opening rounds, moving inside to apply pressure on his opponent. Sosa pulls ahead after putting Bartolo on the deck with a big hook in round four. At the halfway point of the bout, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Sosa up by three (49-46). Into the later rounds, and the stamina factor favors Sosa, while Bartolo manages to maintain relative parity in the punch count stats. A late surge by Bartolo falls short, as Sosa is able to retain the early lead through to the final bell. Sosa takes a close but UD 10 (96-95, 97-94, 97-94) to run his career record to 32-8-2 (16). Meanwhile, the loss leaves Bartolo at 35-14-1 (10). Then, it is time for the final event on the card, for the WBA Flyweight title, with the top ranked challenger, EBU Flyweight kingpin Teddy Gardner, challenging Peter Kane for the title. This represents the fifth meeting of these familiar foes, with Kane having prevailed in all four of their previous encounters. In their most recent meeting, with no titles at stake, Kane took a 10-round points win, but Gardner has bounced back, winning his last three, to set up this title clash. Kane, the slugger, tries to set up shop on the inside in round three, but Gardner manages to hold his ground. In round five, both fighters elect to mix it up on the inside, and Gardner turns out to be the winner, decking Kane with a combination with just under a minute remaining in the round. Kane drops to the deck and is unable to beat the count. Gardner has won the WBA title for the first time in shocking fashion, via a KO 5 over the heavily favored Kane. Post-bout records: Gardner, 33-9-2 (12); Kane, 41-11-1 (15). Last edited by JCWeb; 09-07-2023 at 04:42 PM.

09-19-2023, 07:07 PM	#1595
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,094	May 1949 - Part 1 of 2 This report includes bouts from the first half of May 1949. No WBA title bouts are included, but there were plenty of regional titles on the line in this month’s action. May 5, 1949: First up is a Friday night card at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. Two veteran LHs, both in the Post-Prime twilight of their respective careers, lock horns in the main event, a 10-round non-title affair, as former WBA LH Champ Gus Lesnevich faces Anton Christoforidis, a former EBU LH Champ. Surprisingly, this is the first meeting of these two whose careers have overlapped over much of the past couple of decades (both debuted in 1934). Christoforidis, who is back in action after a long layoff, starts well, boxing beautifully in the opening rounds to seize the early edge in the punch count stats. In the third round, Lesnevich moves inside and does sufficient damage to cause some initial puffiness to appear under the right eye of Christoforidis. More trouble for Christoforidis in the following round, as Lesnevich opens up with a two-fisted attack that causes some additional swelling to appear under the other (left) eye of his opponent. Another round in the books and, with the bout at the midway point, Lesnevich’s surge has carried him to a slight points lead (48-47), according to the unofficial scorer’s card. Then, in round six, things begin to turn around for Christoforidis, who finds the range with a sharp jab that opens a cut over Lesnevich’s right eye. In the later rounds, Christoforidis targets the cut, but some good cornerwork enables Lesnevich to make it through until the final round, when an all-out assault by Christoforidis results in a late knockdown, as a wild overhand right sends Lesnevich toppling to the canvas with less than a minute before the final bell. Lesnevich picks himself up off the deck and makes it through to the end, but the late KD turned the scales in favor of Christoforidis, who takes a close but UD 10 (96-94, 95-94, 96-93) to up his career stats to 33-21-3 (13). The loss, a tough one to take, left Lesnevich at 41-23-3 (17). May 6, 1949: Next card takes place at the Sports Palace in Rome, Italy. The main event is for a vacant EBU title belt, but first up in the main supporting bout is a matchup of two FWs: reigning EBU FW Champion Ray Famechon, who faces American Jackie Graves, a former NABF FW titleholder. First meeting of the two, and Graves seems to have an upper hand in the early going, allowing him to build a nice lead in the punch count stats. By the end of the third round, it is clear that Graves’ accurate punching has had an impact, as a trace of swelling is visible under the right eye of Famechon. Gaves has a solid points lead (49-46) at the halfway point of the scheduled 10-round bout, according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. In the middle rounds, Famechon appears to have recovered from his slow start and is beginning to whittle down Graves’ early lead. However, in round seven, Graves connects with a hard hook to the body that stops Famechon in his tracks; the French fighter covers up in an effort to avert further damage. However, Graves’ killer instinct has taken over, and he pummels Famechon into submission, forcing the ref to call a halt. Impressive TKO 7 for Graves, who improves to 22-5-1 (16) as a result, having put his career on track. The loss drops Famechon to 22-4-1 (6). Then, it is time for the final event on the card, for the EBU Flyweight title recently vacated by Teddy Gardner who moved up to win the WBA Fly title belt. The combatants for this title are none other than Famechon’s older brother, Emile Famechon, and local hero Nazzareno Gianelli. For Gianelli, it is his first title bout of any kind; for Famechon, it is a chance to reclaim the EBU belt he held previously in 1946-47. Gianelli gets off to a decent start and he manages to keep the bout competitive through most of the early going. However, in round four, a right cross from Famechon rips open a gash over Gianelli’s right eye. The cut is patched up rather quickly between rounds, and Gianelli returns, firing away from all angles as the contest heads into the middle rounds. However, the cut is in a bad spot and, after it is reopened in round six, the blood flow is too much to ignore, and the ref calls a halt. Tough break for Gianelli, who gave a good accounting for his first title shot (even leading on two of the three judges’ cards after the first five rounds), but the winner is Famechon, who takes the title via a TKO 6 on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout records: Famechon, 25-10-2 (18); Gianelli, 20-6-1 (3). May 6, 1949: The scene shifts to the Southwest and the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix for the next fight card. Topping the agenda is a USBA BW title bout. Defending the belt is Tony Olivera, and Harold Dade is the challenger. The two met once before, for this very same title, back in 1946, and Olivera came away a TKO 5 victor. This time, Dade takes advantage of the fact that Olivera is now at Post-Prime career stage, flooring the Champ with a big shot midway through round two. Olivera picks himself off the canvas after taking a four-count, but he remains unsteady and is sporting a puffy left eye as he returns to his corner at the end of the round. In the fourth round, things get even worse for Olivera, who sustains a cut under his right eye. At the midway point, Dade is well ahead on points (60-54), according to the unofficial scorecard. Into the later rounds, and it is apparent that Olivera, trailing badly, needs a knockout or at least a knockdown to turn things around. He throws caution to the wind, going for an all-or-nothing assault, but Dade is able to maintain and even extend his early lead. The bout goes the distance without further incident, and Dade takes a solid UD 12 win (120-108, 120-107, 118-109) to capture the belt, the first title of his career. Post-bout career marks: Dade, 25-8-3 (6); Olivera, 34-14-2 (21). Olivera will slip to End career stage with his next outing. May 12, 1949: Next is a Friday night card at Havana’s Gran Stadium. Double barrel title bout action topping the agenda, with the first co-feature being a contest for the LABF Flyweight title. Cuban Flyweight Black Pico, the only holder of this belt since it was instituted in 1946, makes his second defense versus a first time challenger in Mexico’s Monito Flores. Pico starts well, doing some damage in the opening stanza by opening up a cut over Flores’ right eye. The cut is patched up between rounds, but, when reopened in round three, it is too much for the ref to allow the bout to continue. Despite pleas from Flores’ corner protesting the decision, a halt is ordered due to the severity of the cut. To the delight of the Cuban fight fans in attendance, Pico is declared a TKO 3 victor, retaining the title and lifting him to 20-3-2 (1) overall. (Yes, it took 20 wins before Pico recorded one inside the distance.) The loss leaves Flores at 16-5-1 (3). In the second of the two main events, the LABF WW title is on the title, with Cocoa Kid, who held the belt on multiple occasions dating all the way back to 1935, challenging another Cuban fighter, Joe Legon, who will be making his second defense in his third stint at holding this particular title. Both are at Post-Prime and, in six prior meetings, Kid has won four, Legon just two. This, their seventh encounter, takes on a familiar pattern with Legon as the aggressor, taking on the slugger role while Kid adopts more of the laid-back, boxer style. Not much happens until round four, when a sharp exchange of blows on the inside leaves Kid with a bloody nose. The cut is brought under control rather quickly, but in the fifth round, Kid returns the favor, opening a cut on Kid’s upper lip. By the midway point of the bout, Kid has surged to a solid points lead (59-55) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In round eight, Kid connects with a straight right that opens a cut over Legon’s left eye. In round nine, Legon is able to battle back, reopening the cut on Kid’s nose. Heading into the final few rounds, and both the punch count and stamina factors favor Kid. The cut over Legon’s eye is reopened in round 10. The bout goes the distance, with both fighters ending with cuts that have been reopened. The nod goes to Kid, who regains the title via a fairly comfortable UD 12 (116-113, 118-112, 119-110). Post-bout career records: Kid, 55-15-7 (13); Legon, 35-23-6 (14). Legon will be at End career stage with his next outing. May 13, 1949: North of the border for the next card, at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. Some BW action in the main event, as Canadian Lou Alter takes on Cuba’s Luis Galvani, who is the current LABF BW titleholder. Scheduled for 10, no titles at stake, and this is the first meeting of these two. After a couple of nondescript opening rounds, Galvani seizes the initiative by moving inside in round three, seeking to apply pressure to Alter, the hometown favorite in this bout. Alter, trailing in the punches landed count, manages to snap Galvani’s head back with a sharp jab that opens a cut over Galvani’s left eye. At the midway point, the unofficial card shows a slight edge to Alter (48-47), perhaps indicating some bias towards the Canadian fighter. Right before the bell sounds to end round six, Galvani lands a hard hook that staggers Alter, but the Canadian hometown hero remains upright. The action heats up in round seven, with Galvani pressing forward, but then Alter is able to reopen the cut over his eye, slowing the Cuban fighter’s progress. Galvani then connects with a sharp jab early in round eight, stunning Alter who covers up to avert further damage. At this point, the punch count and stamina factors weigh heavily in the favor of Galvani, assuming he can survive two more rounds without suffering any more damage to his injured and cut eye. In round nine, Alter gets a bit careless, so Galvani connects with a sharp cross, depositing Alter on the canvas. Alter resumes after arising at the count of two, but the damage has been done in the form of a 10-8 round for Galvani. The bout goes the rest of the way, and a strong second half enables Galvani to take a solid UD 10 (99-90, 97-92, 97-93) to run his career record to 27-5 (16). The loss leaves Alter at 26-9-2 (14). May 13, 1949: Next up, another card takes place at the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis. In the main event, Artie Towne makes his third defense of the USBA MW title. The challenger, Bert Lytell, is in the first title bout of his career, and the two battled to a draw less than a year previously, so a competitive bout is expected. Lytell serves notice with a strong opening round, but Towne is able to regain lost ground with a solid inside attack in the third. Towne begins to assert himself, taking charge in the middle rounds and, at the midway point of the contest, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Towne up by two (58-56). Towne continues to hold the edge in the punches landed stats into the later rounds, and a frustrated challenger is unable to make much of an impression. Thus, the bout goes the full 12 rounds, and Towne grinds his way to a UD 12 win (118-110, 117-111, 117-111). Post-bout records: Towne, 23-2-2(8); Lytell, 21-4-7 (4). Last edited by JCWeb; 09-21-2023 at 12:38 PM.

10-02-2023, 05:22 PM	#1596
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,094	May 1949 - Part 2 of 2 This report includes bouts from the second half of May 1949. One WBA title bout is included in this report. May 19, 1949: Time for another edition of the Friday night fights “Down Under” series, and a larger than usual card at Melbourne, with a triple feature of headliners serving as the main events, all featuring Australian boxers. In the first co-feature, veteran Aussie LW contender Vic Patrick, a former WBA LW Champ, faces Lulu Costantino, a former USBA LW titleholder. The two battled to a draw in 1948, at Sydney, and both are at Post-Prime for this rematch. This time around, after being warned for low blows near the end of round two, Patrick assumes the mantle of aggressor, moving inside in round three. As the bout heads into the middle rounds, Costantino has a slight edge in the punch count stats, but Patrick continues to press forward. At the halfway point, Patrick is ahead – narrowly – on the unofficial card (48-47). Some good counterpunching from Costantino expands his lead in the punches landed stats, plus he seems to have an edge in the stamina factor. Patrick, who has the hometown crowd behind him, is able to open a cut on Costantino’s lip in round eight, but otherwise, his attack is muted. Then, the bout comes to a sudden and surprising end just seconds into the 10th and final round, when Patrick lands a blow but suffers an injured right hand that forces him to retire. Costantino, who was ahead on all three cards, is awarded a TKO 10 victory, to the dismay of the Aussie fight fans in attendance. Post-bout, Costantino improves to 31-10-5 (12), while Patrick slips to 32-18-1 (23). In the second of the trilogy of main events, another American fighter faces a homegrown Australian opponent, as Joe Brown, a former NABF and USBA LW titleholder, takes on Norm Gent, the current Commonwealth and OPBF titleholder. With both fighters swinging away freely, Gent is able to pull ahead in the punches landed stats as the initial rounds are ticked off. Into the middle rounds, Brown begins to make progress, and Gent returns to his corner after the end of round four with a rapidly swelling left eye. Midway through the fifth round, Brown rocks Gent with a sharp combination, and the Aussie Champ covers up and almost manages to last the round. However, in the final minute, Brown delivers a devastating hook to the head, and Gent goes down and is unable to beat the count. Another Aussie fighter is unable to make it to the finish line, so Brown emerges a KO 5 victor. Post-bout marks: Brown, 33-3 (22); Gent, 21-5-3 (7). The final bout to complete the card is for the OPBF Flyweight title. Yoichiro Hanada, who won the belt in early 1948, is now defending versus an Aussie challenger, Jimmy Laffin. No prior meetings, and Hanada is at Post-Prime while Laffin is still at Pre-Prime. In his first title bout of any kind, Laffin gives a good accounting of himself in the early going, but in round two, he sustains a cut over his left eye – apparently the result of an accidental head butt. After the cut is patched up between rounds, Laffin struggles with his timing, just missing with his punches, and this allows Hanada to build a solid lead in the punches landed count. In the middle rounds, Laffin tries to gain some momentum; at the midway point of the bout, the unofficial card has Hanada in front (by a count of 58-56). Urged on by a hometown crowd, Laffin takes on the role of aggressor in the second half of the bout. In round eight, the cut over Laffin’s eye is reopened, and Hanada continues to hold a solid lead in the punch count stats. However, aided by a late surge and possibly a bit of hometown judging, Laffin is able to pull out a SD 12 win (115-114, 113-116, 115-113) to capture the OPBF title. The Aussie fight fans go home happy, and Laffin improves to 13-4 (6). Meanwhile, Hanada slips to 41-25-4 (11). May 20, 1949: The scene shifts to the French Riviera, and Marcel Cerdan is on hand to display his talents in front of an appreciative hometown crowd at the Palais des Sports in Cannes. His opponent in the featured 10-round main event is Raul “Telerana” Rodriguez, the reigning LABF MW Champion. The two met once before, a year before, also in Cannes, and Cerdan won by a late knockout. This time around, Rodriguez starts well, with a strong opening round. Cerdan, who is at Post-Prime for this bout, gradually works his way into the action and, by the halfway point, he has pulled out to a narrow lead (48-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. As the bout heads into the later rounds, Rodriguez adopts a more proactive approach, initiating most of the action. The rugged Argentinian boxer continues to battle until the end, and he does well enough to secure a majority draw (95-95, 97-94 Cerdan, 95-95), although one judge ruled in favor of the hometown hero. Post-bout records: Cerdan, 51-9-5 (34); Rodriguez, 25-13-2 (14). May 20, 1949: A nice card gathers for some more fistic action at New Orleans’ Coliseum Arena, and the feature matchup has Joe Louis once again defending his WBA HW title. First, in the main supporting bout, a regional title is at stake as Billy Graham makes his first defense of the USBA WW title he won earlier in the year. His opponent is Frankie Fernandez, a first time title challenger, and the two are meeting for the first time. An accidental butt mars the action in the opening round, with Graham coming out the worse, with a split lip that demands the attention of his corner between rounds. The cut does not seem to pose a major problem, and Graham is able to pull out to a slim lead in the punches landed count as the bout heads into the middle rounds. However, Fernandez has kept the bout close and, at the midway point, the unofficial scorer has the bout scored as even (57-57). Into the second half of the contest, and the stamina factor seems to favor Fernandez. The issue remains very much in doubt into the final few rounds, and both fighters battle fatigue while swinging away aggressively. The bout goes the rest of the way without further incident, and Graham takes a close MD 12 (116-112, 114-114, 116-112) to retain the title, improving to 25-9-1 (11) overall. Fernandez drops to 19-4 (13) after the loss. Then, in the feature bout, Joe Louis returns to the ring to defend the WBA HW title he has held for over a decade. He faces a tough opponent in the Cuban slugger, Nino Valdes, who earned this title shot with successive KO wins over Tami Mauriello, Alberto Santiago Lovell and, most recently, Tommy Gomez. First meeting of the two, so a cautious start is expected by both fighters. Louis looks sharp early, dominating the action in the opening round, while Valdes struggles with his timing. Things begin to open up in the second round and, just past the halfway mark, Louis lands a devastating hook that puts Valdes down and out. Another decisive win for Louis, thia against a dangerous opponent, and the KO 2 lifts him to 63-1-1 (61). For Valdes, now 23-9-2 (19), it is back to the drawing board, as he hopes to lower his sights for a shot at a regional belt, such as the NABF or LABF titles, before taking on the WBA Champ once again. May 26, 1949: Next is a Friday night card at Manila’s Rizal Arena. A couple of bouts from the lighter divisions top the agenda. First, OPBF FW titleholder Eddie Miller, now at Post-Prime career stage, faces Carlos Chavez, a former NABF FW Champ. The two, who are facing each other for the first time, square off in a 10-round, non-title contest. Chavez compiles an early lead in the punches landed category with some solid boxing in the opening few rounds. Miller begins to find the range as the bout heads into the middle rounds, and in round four, a stinging right cross opens up a cut over Chavez’s right eye. At the halfway point, Miller has forged a one-point lead (48-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. The cut over Chavez’s eye is reopened in round six. The cut is patched up between rounds but then is reopened a second time in round eight. Miller, still trailing in the punch count stats, continues to be the more active of the two. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and Chavez, still well ahead in the punches landed count, is rewarded with a UD 10 win (97-93, 98-92, 97-94), running his career record to 30-10-3 (10) as a result. The loss leaves Miller at 33-15-3 (13). Then, in the final bout on the card, Tirso Del Rosario is on hand to defend the OPBF BW title he won last year. Challenging Del Rosario for the title is another Aussie, Mickey Miller, who held the title twice before. Del Rosario starts well, piling up an early lead in the punch count stats. Late in round three, however, Del Rosario gets careless and walks into a Miller hook and goes down, only to be saved by the bell. The Filipino Champion bounces back and, in the fifth round, he is able to open a cut on Miller’s lip. At the halfway point, despite the one knockdown, Del Rosario holds a points lead (59-56) on the unofficial card. Then, in round nine, a sharp jab from Del Rosario rips open a second cut, this on Miller’s forehead. In the 10th round, more trouble for Miller as Del Rosario connects with a big left, and Miller is forced to cover up to survive the round. In the final few rounds, the situation only gets worse for Miller, as the cut on his forehead continues to ooze blood, plus his right eye is showing signs of puffiness. The bout goes the distance, and Del Rosario retains the title with a fairly convincing UD 12 (117-109, 116-110, 117-109) over the post-Prime Miller, who suffers his third consecutive defeat. Post-bout career records: Del Rosario, 23-9-2 (4); Miller, 41-21-2 (21). May 27, 1949: The scene shifts to the Earls Court in London, and topping the card is a battle for the EBU BW title, currently held by Johnny King, who is now at the tail end of his illustrious career. Challenging King for the belt is GBU BW Champ Norman Lewis, whose GBU title is not at stake in this bout. The two met once before, back in 1944, in a bout that ended prematurely as a technical draw due to an early round accidental butt. This time around, Lewis serves notice when, midway through the opening round, he stuns King with a perfect cross. King, staggered, remained upright and lasted the round by an effective use of the cover up strategy. King recovers from his slow start with a strong round in the second, then he seizes the initiative, moving inside in round three. Early in round four, King rocks Lewis with a devastating cross, and this time it is Lewis who must cover up to avert further damage. King continues to apply pressure into the middle rounds, and he manages to pull ahead on points at the midway point (58-56, according to the unofficial card); however, King is suffering from a mouse that has formed under his left eye. After a couple of good rounds in rounds six and seven, Lewis pulls ahead in the punches landed count. Then, in round nine, with both fighters swinging away freely, Lewis connects with a hook to the head that drops King to the deck for an eight count. King manages to beat the count, and there is not enough time left in the round for the challenger to follow up. King tries to regain his composure and rally in the final few rounds, but the one knockdown and a strong second half help propel Lewis to a solid UD 12 win (116-110 on all three cards) to add the EBU belt to his GBU title. Post-bout, Lewis improves to 30-10-1 (16). King, who is now just one or two bouts away from retirement, ends the bout at 66-16-5 (26). May 27, 1949: Final card of the month takes place at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, and a doubleheader of featured bouts tops the action. In the first co-main event, popular MW Rocky Graziano attempts to make a big move up in the MW ranks as he takes on an aging veteran and former WBA Champion in Holman Williams. First meeting of the two, and Graziano hopes to take advantage of the fact that Williams will be at Post-Prime for this contest. Halfway through the opening round, Graziano unleashes a barrage of unanswered blows, and Williams goes down, only to arise after taking a four count. An adroit use of the cover up strat enables the ex-Champ to survive the opening onslaught from Graziano. Undaunted, Williams recovers from his slow start with some impressive boxing to pull ahead in the punch count stats as the contest heads into the middle rounds. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has the bout as even (47-47). After a couple of nondescript rounds, Graziano is back on the attack early in the eighth rounds, when he connects with a straight right, then follows up with a right cross. This time, Williams remains on his feet, but again, he resorts to the cover up to avert further difficulty. The bout goes the full 10 rounds and, despite Graziano’s best efforts, the UD 10 nod goes to Williams (by scores of 95-94, 97-92, 95-94) – precipitating a large chorus of boos from the New York fight fans who thought Graziano did enough to deserve the win. In the second co-feature, Harold Johnson, who wrapped up the Pre-Prime stage of his career with a perfect 20-0 mark, is on hand to make his initial defense of the NABF LH title he won earlier in the year. His opponent is Young Joe Louis, a fringe contender at best in a career marked by ups and downs, including two unsuccessful title shots, who is now at the Post-Prime stage of his career. It takes Johnson until the final seconds of round two to get going, when he drops Louis with a hard shot, Louis is able to regain his footing, then gains time to rest and recover between rounds. Louis goes down a second time in round three, this the result of a Johnson combination that finds its mark. Louis again picks himself off the deck, but Johnson dominates the rest of the way, forcing an early end with less than a minute remaining in the round. Impressive TKO 3 for Johnson, who certainly cemented his credentials as a likely WBA title challenger. Post-bout records: Johnson, 21-0 (9); Louis, 32-20-1 (15). Last edited by JCWeb; 10-17-2023 at 12:23 PM.

10-18-2023, 11:02 PM	#1597
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,094	June 1949 - Part 1 of 2 This report includes bouts from the first half of June 1949. No WBA title bouts are included in this report. June 3, 1949: The month commences with a Friday night card at the Miami Arena. Featured in the main event are two top 10 MW contenders, with Aussie Dave Sands, the current Commonwealth MW Champ, facing Artie Levine, who briefly held the NABF MW title but has recently hit Post-Prime career stage in 1949, his real-life retirement year. No prior meetings of the two, and Sands takes charge from the start, launching an impressive two-fisted attack that puts Levine on the defensive from the opening bell. After a dominant opening round, Sands does not let up, causing Levine’s left eye to puff up and eventually forcing an early submission with just a few seconds remaining in round two. Impressive TKO 2 for Sands, lifting him to 33-4 (21) overall. The loss drops Levine to 28-10-1 (17). June 4, 1949: The scene shifts to the Stadium in Liverpool, where twin feature bouts top the card. In the first of these, former WBA BW Champ David Kui Kong Young is matched with Brit Gus Foran; with Kui Kong Young recently having hit Post-Prime career stage, there is hope for the British fighter despite the fact that, in their one prior encounter, for the WBA title in 1947, Kui Kong Young took a points win. In this rematch with no title at stake, Kui Kong Young looks sharp early, landing a powerful jab that sends Foran reeling. Foran covers up, but soon a cut appears over his right eye. As the bout heads into the middle rounds, Foran is able to regroup, and he gradually works his way into the fight. In round five, the cut over Foran’s eye is reopened, and Kui Kong Young pulls ahead at the halfway point (48-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In round six and seven, the cut continues to pose problems for Foran and his corner. While the cut is patched up between rounds seven and eight, in the eighth round, Kui Kong Young lands a series of blows that cause Foran’s other eye to puff up and, once the cut is reopened, the bout is stopped, with Kui Kong Young awarded a TKO 8 on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout, Kui Kong Young improves to 46-6-4 (21), and Foran slips to 27-10-3 (14). A peek at the judges’ cards after seven rounds showed Kui Kong Young ahead on all three, but Foran was within one point on two of them. In the second co-feature, the GBU FW title is on the line, and it is another rematch as Al Phillips, the “Aldgate Tiger,” challenges Ronnie Clayton, who dethroned him in their one prior bout, also for the GBU belt, a year earlier, in June 1948. Not much to choose between the two through the opening rounds, and Phillips gradually pulls in front in the middle rounds. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has Phillips up by three (59-56). Trailing in the punches landed stats, Clayton takes a more active posture into the later rounds. Significantly, the stamina factor favors the challenger, making it difficult for Clayton to mount a rally. The bout goes the distance with no cuts or knockdowns, and Phillips regains the GBU title via a UD 12 (117-110, 115-112, 116-111). Post-bout records: Phillips, 30-12-1 (13); Clayton, 29-5 (14). June 4, 1949: Pittsburgh is the location for the next fight card, and two top 10 HW contenders do battle in the main event, as Jimmy Bivins, aka “the Cleveland Spider Man,” faces veteran Lee Q. Murray. The two have not met previously, and it is Bivins who pulls in front in the early going, piling up a lead in the punch count stats and, in round three, he rips open a cut over Murray’s left eye. Bivins continues pressing the attack in the fourth round, and he lands sufficient leather to cause some initial swelling to appear under Murray’s injured eye. At the halfway point of the contest, the unofficial card has Bivins with a wide lead (50-45). For Murray, things only get worse when the cut is reopened in round six. Trailing badly, Murray attempts to comeback with a much more aggressive posture in the final few rounds, but his punches lack steam, and Bivins wisely adopts a more cautious approach, protecting his solid early lead. In the end, it is a masterful performance by Bivins, who takes a fairly one-sided UD 10 (100-90, 100-90, 99-91) to run his career record to 31-6-3 (20). The loss leaves Murray at 33-12-2 (25). Bivins, who is now solidly ranked among the top five HWs, is clamoring for a title shot after such an impressive win. June 10, 1949: North of the border for a Friday night card at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. A pair of former WBA LH Champions, both on the downside of their respective careers, grace the arena with their presence in the main event, as Melio Bettina faces “the Pittsburgh Kid,” Billy Conn. These two ring veterans, both now at Post-Prime career stage, have faced each other twice before, with Conn having the edge, recording a win and a draw in their prior meetings. This time, Conn forges an early lead in the punches landed stats but, in round four, a hard jab from Bettina draws blood, opening a cut on Conn’s right cheek. Conn responds with a highly effective two-fisted assault in round five, breaking through Bettina’s defenses to cause some initial puffiness around both Bettina’s eyes. At the halfway point, Conn holds the edge (50-48) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Into the second half of the contest, Bettina continues to take an aggressive approach, while Conn has the edge in stamina as well as in the punch count stats. The bout goes the rest of the way and, while Bettina is able to close some ground, Conn holds on to take a MD 10 win (98-94, 96-96, 97-95). Post-bout career records: Conn, 46-12-4 (17); Bettina, 43-14-7 (18). June 11, 1949: The scene shifts to the Gran Stadium in Havana, and a twin bill of feature bouts tops the card. In the first of these co-main events, two HWs take to the ring, as Ezzard Charles faces Cuban Omelio Agramonte, the reigning LABF HW Champion, in a 10-round, non-title bout. This is a rematch of their most recent, earlier in the year, in Miami, that resulted in a points win for Charles. Charles has a solid start, piling up an early lead in the punch count stats. Charles continues to score well as the bout heads into the middle rounds; at the halfway point, the unofficial scorecard has Charles well ahead on points (50-46). Agramonte begins pressing forward as the bout heads into the later rounds, but Charles is able to land some punishing blows, causing some initial puffiness to appear under the left eye of Agramonte. Charles appears to be well on his way to another points win when, in the final round, Agramonte, throwing caution to the wind, leaves himself open, and Charles connects with a short, clean combination that puts the Cuban down and out. KO 10 for Charles, who improves to 30-5 (23) as a result. Agramonte ends the bout at 24-9 (14). In the finale, the LABF FW title is on the line, and Simon Vergara is the challenger, facing titleholder Cuban Ciro Morasen, who also holds the NABF FW title which is not up for grabs in this 12-round contest. This is the third meeting of the two, and Morasen holds the edge with a win and a draw in their two prior meetings. The bout is a close one, with the punches landed count virtually even through the early going and into the middle rounds. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Vergara up by one (58-57). Morasen rallies with a strong round in the seventh, and Vergara shows signs of wear and tear as his right eye begins to swell. A strong second half enables Morasen to pull ahead in the punch count stats, and this translates into a and he does just enough to secure a close but UD 12 (115-113 on all three cards) to retain the LABF title. Post-bout career records: Morasen, 24-4-3 (4); Vergara, 21-4-4 (6). June 11, 1949: To Chicago’s Comiskey Park for the next fight card, and again, twin feature bouts top the agenda. In the first co-feature, two top 10 LW contenders do battle as Freddie Dawson faces Billy Banks. The two have not met previously, and the bout is scheduled for 10 (as no titles are at stake). Significantly, both fighters enter the bout riding three-bout winning streaks. Not much happens in the early rounds, but what little action taking place tends to favor Dawson, the higher ranked and more experienced of the two. By the end of round four, some accurate punching by Dawson has been effective enough to cause some initial swelling to appear under Banks’ right eye. At the midway point, Dawson has a wide lead in the punch count stats as well as on the unofficial scorer’s card (49-46). In round seven, Dawson inflicts even more damage, ripping open a cut over Banks’ injured eye. The cut is in a bad spot and, once reopened in the following round, it leads to an immediate stoppage. Dawson, who was ahead on all three cards at the time, is declared a TKO 8 victor due to the cuts stoppage, thereby improving his career mark to 24-2-3 (6) overall. The loss drops Banks to 30-13-6 (15). In the second co-main event, Johnny “Honey Boy” Bratton is challenging Jimmy Sherrer for Sherrer’s NABF WW title. The Two have not met before, and Sherrer is coming off a WBA title loss to Henry Armstrong while Bratton, whose two losses have been to Armstrong and Georgie Crouch, had an impressive one round blowout win over Tippy Larkin to set up this, his first title challenge. The action heats up in round three, when a Sherrer uppercut finds its target, ripping open a cut over Bratton’s left eye. Into the middle rounds, and Sherrer holds a commanding edge in the punches landed count. At the midway point of the bout, this translates into a large points lead for Sherrer (60-55, according to the unofficial scorer at ringside). Into the second half of the contest, and Sherrer continues to grind while Bratton begins to get desperate, hoping for a knockout. The bout goes the full 12, and as expected, Sherrer comes out on top, but only barely as he takes a narrow SD 12 (114-115 Bratton, 115-114 Sherrer, 115-114 Sherrer) with the judges giving some weight to a strong second half by the challenger. Post-bout records: Sherrer, 25-3 (10); Bratton, 20-3-1 (12). Last edited by JCWeb; 10-18-2023 at 11:08 PM.

11-04-2023, 10:35 AM	#1598
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,094	June 1949 - Part 2 of 2 This report includes bouts from the second half of June 1949. One WBA title bout is included in this report. June 17, 1949: More twin feature bouts top the next card, as the Friday Night fights “Down Under” series continues in Sydney, Australia. In the first co-main event, Flyweights take to the ring as two regional Champions – NABF kingpin Dado Marino and newly crowned Commonwealth Champ Taffy Hancock – square off in a 10-round, non-title clash. Marino forges an early lead in the punch count stats and, by round four, Hancock is showing the effects with a trace of swelling present under his left eye. At the halfway point of the bout, Marino is up by two (58-56) on the unofficial scorecard. The second half of the contest sees Hancock, trailing but being urged on by the hometown crowd, starting to swing away freely in an effort to turn things around. Marino, on the other hand, adopts a cautious approach to the final stages of the fight. The bout goes the distance and, in the end, Marino ekes out a SD 10 (96-95, 94-96, 97-93) although one judge went for the hometown favorite. Post-bout records: Marino, 35-10 (14); Hancock, 18-3-1 (14). The second co-feature is another non-title bout, with “Sugar” Ray Robinson making the long journey to Aussie-land, hoping to pad his credentials as a top MW, taking on Alfie Sands, the reigning Commonwealth MW Champ on his home turf. No prior meetings, and Robinson enters the bout as a heavy favorite. Despite a subpar start, Sands elects to take an active approach against his highly accomplished opponent, moving inside to try to force the action in round three. However, Robinson is able to repel Sands’ aggressive thrust, countering with a glancing overhand right that opens a cut on Sands’ left cheek. In the fourth round, things get even worse for the Aussie MW as another Robinson overhand right drops Sands who takes a three count before resuming. In the fifth round, more trouble for Sands as the cut is reopened and, at the halfway mark, Robinson has a commanding points lead (50-44) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In the second half of the contest, Sands continues to battle, but he is no match for a highly skilled, world class boxer like Robinson. By round nine, Sands’ other eye (the right one) has begun to puff up. In the final round, Robinson decks Sands a second time, and the bout ends with just three seconds remaining before the final bell, after Robinson had gradually worn Sands down to the point he was offering little resistance. The bout goes in the books as a TKO 10 for Robinson, now 37-3-1 (27), who continues his campaign to try to capture the WBA MW title. For Sands, he ends the bout at 20-5 (11) and will be looking to be matched with an easier opponent in his next outing. June 18, 1949: The scene shifts to Gothenburg for the next fistic action, and topping the card is a matchup of two Italian boxers for the EBU WW title. Defending the belt is Egisto Peyre, and the challenger, Michele Palermo, is a familiar foe. Palermo is looking for his first win versus Peyre, who has dominated in their previous encounters, recording three wins and one draw in four prior bouts. After a rather sluggish start, Peyre moves forward and works on the inside to secure an early edge in round three. Into the middle rounds, and the challenger is able to maintain his early lead in the punch count stats. At the halfway point of the 12-rounder, Palermo is up by two (58-56), according to the unofficial scorer’s card. Starting in round seven, Peyre takes a more active approach, and he manages to cause some initial swelling to appear under Palermo’s right eye as a result. A big hook unleashed by Peyre near the end of the eighth round forces Palermo to cover up. With a strong second half, Peyre has managed to close the gap in the punches landed count, and both men battle fatigue as the bout enters the final few rounds. As the two return to their corners for the final round, the ref deducts a point from Peyre from hitting after the bell sounded to end round 11. The bout goes the distance, and Peyre is able to keep the EBU title via a SD 12 (117-111, 113-115, 116-112). Tough loss for Palermo who gave a good accounting despite being at Post-Prime career stage. With the win, Peyre improves to 31-6-3 (14). Palermo ends the bout at 50-19-10 (13). June 18, 1949: Los Angeles is the location for the next fight card, and the main event matches a former WBA titleholder with a top LW contender holding two titles. Up for grabs is the NABF LW title currently held by Enrique Bolanos, the “Dorango Dropper,” who also happens to hold the LABF LW title that is not at stake in this matchup. His challenger is “Bobcat” Bob Montgomery, the former WBA LW Champ who defeated Bolanos in a WBA title matchup in late 1947. Montgomery has bounced back by winning the USBA LW title, which is also not at stake in this bout. In this rematch, Montgomery gradually builds an early lead in the punches landed stats throughout the early going. By the midway point of the contest, Montgomery has amassed a commanding lead (60-54) on the unofficial scorer’s card, and Bolanos is already showing signs of fatigue, with no fewer than six rounds remaining. In the second half of the bout, Bolanos continues to plow forward, despite suffering from a rapidly swollen right eye. Montgomery, fighting mostly on the outside, is able to resist Bolanos’ pressure and grinds his way to a UD 12 (120-108, 118-110, 119-109) to regain the NABF LW title he held twice before. Post-bout records: Montgomery, 40-5-2 (21); Bolanos, 27-4 (21). June 24, 1949: South of the border for a Friday night card at Mexico City, and two BWs take to the ring in the main event, with “the Pocket Battleship,” Luis Castillo, facing Armando Puentes Pi in a 10-round, non-title affair. No prior meetings of the two, and Puentes Pi is at Post-Prime for this bout. After an indifferent opening round, Castillo bears down and builds a solid early lead in the punches landed stats. However, a quick combination from Puentes Pi opens a cut over Castillo’s left eye. Meanwhile, Castillo’s punches have also been doing some damage, as witnessed by some noticeable swelling under Puentes Pi’s left eye. At the halfway point, Castillo has a one-point lead (48-47), according to the unofficial scorecard. At this point, Puentes Pi has gained some momentum, and Castillo has to deal with some puffiness under his already cut left eye. Feeling some pressure and urged on by the Mexican fight fans in attendance, Castillo ramps up the pace as the bout heads into the final few rounds. In round seven, the cut over Castillo’s eye is reopened, slowing his progress. Then, in round eight, a short hook to the head by Castillo opens a cut over Puentes Pi’s other eye, the right one. Plenty of back and forth action into the final rounds, as the cut over Castillo’s eye is reopened, yet the bout goes the distance, no knockdowns, and, as expected, Castillo comes out on top as a UD 10 victor (97-94, 98-92, 98-93). Post-bout career records: Castillo, 27-14-1 (11); Puentes Pi, 19-3 (11). June 25, 1949: The scene shifts to the Earls Court in London, and veteran WW Ernie Roderick, who still holds two title belts (the Commonwealth WW title as well as the GBU one), puts the GBU WW title on the line – notably for the first time since 1941 (!) – to face challenger Cliff Curvis. The two have not met before, and Curvis has rebounded from a KO loss to EBU WW Champ Egisto Peyre with a points win over Arthur Danahar to set up this, his second title try. The action in this one is slow to develop, and Curvis, who is in the Prime of his career, takes advantage of the fact that Roderick is a Post to forge an early edge in the punch count stats. The two do battle at close quarters in round five, and Curvis is warned for head butting. At the halfway point, Curvis has a narrow lead (58-57) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Into the second half of the contest, and Curvis maintains his edge in the punches landed stats, while Roderick takes a more active and aggressive approach in an effort to keep his title from slipping away. Curvis maintains a safety first posture, and the bout goes the full 12 rounds, with Roderick doing just enough to secure a majority draw (115-113 Roderick, 114-114 on the other two cards) – a result that allows him to keep the title. Post-bout records: Roderick, 40-25-7 (9); Curvis, 21-2-2 (1). Curvis’ camp is already campaigning for a rematch before the end of the year. June 25, 1949: To New York City for the final card of the month, and it features the month’s only WBA title clash. First, up, in the main supporting bout, the USBA HW title is on the line, with Pat Comiskey challenging Phil Muscato for the belt Muscato won a few months earlier. No prior meetings, and Comiskey has racked up two quality wins recently (versus Roscoe Toles and Jimmy Bivins) to set up this title matchup. At the outset, there are a comfortable early couple of rounds for Muscato, who takes an early edge in the punches landed stat. Comiskey is the more aggressive of the two, attempting to work his way inside in round three and, a minute into the round, he hits the mark with a straight right that causes Muscato to cover up; Muscato remains upright although Comiskey is able to dish out some more punishment, and Muscato ends the round with a noticeable trace of swelling around his right eye. Both fighters settle in for a long, close struggle in the middle rounds; at the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has the bout scored as even (57-57). Toward the end of round seven, Comiskey connects with an uppercut, sending Muscato tumbling to the deck; Muscato ends the round on the canvas after being saved by the bell. Despite suffering the one knockdown, Muscato does not change his approach, working mainly from the outside while avoiding taking excess chances. More trouble for Muscato early in round 10, when Comiskey sends him to the deck for a second time with a short, clean hook. Muscato regains his footing at the count of two, then covers up once again; even though there is plenty of time remaining in the round, Comiskey is unable to finish matters. Muscato switches tactics and tries to become more aggressive in the final two rounds, but Comiskey remains firmly in control and, largely on the strength of the two knockdowns, Comiskey walks away a UD 12 victor (114-112, 116-111, 115-111) to lift his career mark to 33-8 (21) overall. The loss drops Muscato to 25-6-3 (10). In the main event, Charley Burley is defending the WBA MW title, and the challenger is none other than the “Bronx Bull,” Jake LaMotta, who handed Burley a points loss two years before when the USBA MW title was at stake. This time, LaMotta enters the bout riding a six-bout unbeaten streak (five wins, one draw) but Burley, on the other hand, has not lost since that points loss to LaMotta, having won his last eight. After a couple of close opening rounds that see Burley with a slight edge, LaMotta bulls his way inside and assumes control in round three. After another close round in the fourth, both fighters move forward for some exciting toe-to-toe action in round five. This time, Burley wins most of the exchanges and, on the unofficial card, he has pulled out to a solid points lead (49-46) at the one-third mark of the bout. Into the middle rounds and, while LaMotta continues to push forward, pressing the action, Burley is content to wait for counterpunching opportunities by fighting mostly on the outside. At this point, roughly halfway through the contest, the punch count stat shows a slight edge for LaMotta. After 10 rounds, there is some puffiness under Burley’s left eye; however, the unofficial card still has the Champ up by three (97-94) with five rounds remaining. Then, in round 12, LaMotta finally breaks through, dropping a startled Burley with a big shot; Burley takes an eight count, then covers up to avert further damage. LaMotta continues with an aggressive posture, dominating the action in rounds 13 and 14, although he is warned for head-butting near the end of the 14th round. The bout comes down to the wire, with both men swinging away freely in the final round. The judges’ cards are read, and it is a split verdict, with LaMotta taking the WBA crown by a SD 15 (144-140, 141-143, 143-141) in a clearcut contender for Fight of the Year honors, and there is already talk of a rematch. Post-bout records: LaMotta, 34-4-1 (21); Burley, 50-5 (34). Last edited by JCWeb; 07-01-2024 at 10:56 AM.

12-05-2023, 02:32 PM	#1599
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,094	July 1949 - Part 1 of 2 Back after a bit of a hiatus ... This report includes bouts from the first half of July 1949. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report. July 2, 1949: The month commences with a card at San Juan’s Escobar Stadium. Two FWs are paired in the featured bout, as the “Austin Atom,” Jackie Graves, faces Cuba’s Miguel Acevedo. The two have not met before, and both enter the match on minor winning streaks, with Acevedo having won his last three, while Graves has prevailed in his last two outings. After a cautious start, Graves moves inside in round three, but his progress is thwarted by some excellent defense from Acevedo. Graves takes a breather in round four but in the fifth, he cuts loose with some big shots to come out ahead on the unofficial card (by a count of 48-47) at the midway mark of the bout. Acevedo does well to keep the bout close but, early in round seven, Graves rocks him with a solid combination, and Acevedo resorts to the cover up strategy to last the round and avert further trouble. From here on, Graves dominates the action the rest of the way, and there is little that an exhausted and frustrated Acevedo can do to alter the outcome. The bout goes the distance and, while one judge (surprisingly) has Acevedo as the victor, Graves takes a SD 10 (98-93, 95-96, 98-93) with cards from the other two judges that do not see the bout as particularly close in the end. With the win, Graves improves to 23-5-1 (16). The loss leaves Acevedo at 27-11-1 (13). July 4, 1949: A large crowd is on hand for a big Fourth of July card at Philadelphia. The agenda is topped by a WBA title clash, but first up is a matchup of two veteran MWs, as Tony Zale faces Tommy Sullivan. Both are in the Post-Prime stage of their respective careers and Zale, who is the heavy favorite, bested Sullivan in one prior meeting via a late stoppage. This time around, Sullivan gets off to a solid start and pulls ahead in the punch count stats. Zale recovers from a strong start to take the fourth round, but then the bout comes to a sudden end in the middle of round five, when Zale suffers a serious cut, the obvious result of an accidental butt. The bout goes to the scorecards after four rounds, and Zale scrapes by taking a split duke, or STD 4 (39-38, 38-39, 39-38), to improve to 48-12-2 (27) with the win. Meanwhile, Sullivan ends the bout at 23-7-2 (15). Then, in the main event, Beau Jack challenges Ike Williams for Williams’ WBA LW title. This is the fourth meeting of these two, and Williams has won twice while Jack has won once. This time around, a minute into the opening round, Jack connects with a hard uppercut that sends the Champ reeling; Williams wisely elects to cover up and lasts the rest of the round. In round three, Williams connects with a big shot that sends Jack tumbling to the canvas. Jack arises after taking an eight count, then covers up to last the round, but the damage has been done, plus an added bonus for Williams is some initial swelling under Jack’s right eye. At the one-thirds mark of the contest, Williams has pulled ahead to a sizable points lead (49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Into the middle rounds, and Jack works his way into the bout with a couple of good rounds in the sixth and the seventh. Williams rallies with a strong round nine and, at the two-thirds mark, the unofficial scorer has Williams in front by two (96-94). At this point, Jack goes on the offensive, but his stamina is running low, so Williams has a relatively easy time holding on to this early lead. Then, a minute into round 12, Williams connects with a perfectly timed combination, and Jack goes down for the count. KO 12 for Williams, who retains the title. Post-bout career records: Williams, 38-4-1 (33); Jack, 34-8 (21). July 8, 1949: Next is a rare Friday night card at the Stadium in Liverpool, UK. The main event features two British HWs contending for the GBU HW title, with Bruce Woodcock defending versus an unbeaten challenger, 16-0 Johnny Williams. The two have not met before, and what little action there is in the early rounds favors Woodcock. Williams recovers from his slow start, moving inside and doing some damage with a strong round in the fourth. Williams also comes out on top when the two mix it up on the inside in round five, making for a very competitive contest. At the midway point, Woodcock is still up by two (58-56), after having recovered with solid round six. In the second half of the bout, Williams is the aggressor, but he leaves himself open for a Woodcock combination that puts him on the deck in round seven. Williams attempts to cover up, but Woodcock connects with a solid cross for a second KD to bolster his lead at this point. Williams takes a round to recover, but is back on the attack in round nine. However, Woodcock is able to take advantage, and two more knockdowns follow before the ref calls a halt, saving Williams from further punishment. Woodcock goes on to take a well earned TKO 9 to retain the GBU title (his EBU and Commonwealth belts were not at stake in this one). Post-bout records: Woodcock, 31-4 (26); Williams, 16-1 (8). July 9, 1949: Staying in Europe for some more fistic action with a card in Gothenburg, Sweden. No titles are on the line, and LHs do battle in the main event, with Tommy Yarosz, who recently went the distance with Archie Moore in a failed WBA title challenge, facing former EBU LH Champ Anton Christoforidis. The two are meeting for the first time, and Christoforidis’ skills are diminished by the fact that he has reached the Post-Prime stage of his career. Furthermore, Yarosz gets off to a strong start, compiling a large early lead in the punch count stats. In round five, Yarosz connects with a sharp combination that rips open a cut over Christoforidis’ right eye. At the midway point, the unofficial scorecard shows Yarosz with a wide points lead (50-45). Second half of the bout, nothing much changes, except for the fact that Christoforidis is low on energy, increasingly desperate but frustrated by his inability to make much of an impression on Yarosz, who is coasting to an easy points win when the cut is reopened, once in round nine and then, in the final round, leading to an immediate stoppage. Thus, it goes into the books as a TKO 10 for Yarosz, who ends up the bout at 29-6-2 (11) as a result. With the loss, Christoforidis reaches End career stage with a post-bout record of 33-22-3 (13). July 9, 1949: The scene shifts to Miami for the next fight card. Some of the top talent in the WW division is on display in two featured bouts, first for the USBA WW title held by Billy Graham, who faces a one-time WBA WW Champ in Tommy Bell who is the challenger in this regional title matchup. The two met once before, back in 1946, for this same USBA belt, and Bell took a unanimous points win on that occasion. In this rematch, the action heats up near the end of the second stanza when Graham connects with a sharp jab that opens a cut over Bell’s right eye. Some good cornerwork keeps the cut under control, although it is reopened once in round five. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorecard has the bout scored as even (57-57). In the second half of the bout, Bell seems undeterred and attempts to seize the initiative, working his way inside to land some damaging blows. Some heavy close quarters action in round nine sees Bell sporting a new cut under his right eye, while Graham does not escape unscathed, as his right eye is beginning to puff up. Graham retains a slim edge in the punch count stats as the bout heads into the final few rounds. Scintillating final round action sees Graham reopen the cut over Bell’s eye, but Bell goes on the offensive, stunning Graham with a hard hook to take the action right down to the final bell. In the end, the challenger’s aggressive is rewarded, and Bell lifts the belt, taking a UD 12 verdict (117-111, 117-111, 116-112), running his career record to 31-4 (16). The loss leaves Graham at 25-10-1 (11). This win puts Bell in line for another try at the WBA WW title. In fact, that same title is up for grabs in the second co-feature, as Cuba’s Kid Gavilan challenges aging veteran Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong for the title Armstrong won earlier in 1949. The two have not met before, and both enter the contest on winning streaks, with Armstrong having won his last four; Gavilan, his last five. Tough break for Armstrong in the opening round as he sustains a cut over his left eye. Gavilan is able to take advantage of a sluggish start by Armstrong to compile a solid early lead in the punches landed stats. that allows him to keep the title. However, in round three, the cut decides matters; after being reopened and causing the bout to be halted, the end result is a technical draw as the cut is deemed to be caused by an accidental butt. Post-bout records: Armstrong, 57-11-4 (46); Gavilan, 22-3-2 (4). It will be interesting to see if a rematch is in the offing, or if Armstrong elects to choose from a number of other qualified challengers, Bell foremost among them. July 15, 1949: Time for another edition of the Friday night fights “Down Under” series, this taking place at Melbourne. On the agenda as the main event is a match for the OPBF Flyweight title, with Aussie Jimmy Laffin on hand to make his initial defense of this belt, taking on a credible Japanese challenger, Yoshio Shirai. This is the first meeting of these two and Shirai, who held the OPBF Fly title briefly before capturing the WBA title, is eager to regain it from Laffin, who is still at Pre-Prime career stage. Laffin gets off to a solid start in the opening couple of rounds, and he tries to capitalize by working his way inside in round three. Shirai is able to neutralize Laffin’s efforts and then tries to move inside himself in round four. Shirai gradually pulls ahead in terms of the punches landed count, particularly after a strong round in the fifth. By the halfway point of the bout, Laffin is suffering from a rapidly swelling right eye, and the unofficial card has the challenger well ahead (59-56) after Shirai won rounds four, five and six. Shirai continues to dominate the action, and there is little that Laffin can do, as both the stamina and punch count factors weigh heavily in the challenger’s favor. Despite the support of a boisterous hometown crowd, Laffin falls short in his effort to retain the title, and Shirai takes a solid UD 12 (118-111, 118-113, 119-111) to recapture the OPBF belt for the second time in his career. Post-bout, Shirai improves to 25-5 (12) while Laffin, still two bouts away from Prime career stage, ends up at 13-5 (6).

12-26-2023, 09:43 AM	#1600
JCWeb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,094	July 1949 - Part 2 of 2 This report includes bouts from the second half of July 1949. No fewer than three (!) WBA title bouts are included in this report. July 16, 1949: The Briggs Stadium in Detroit is the venue for yet another title defense by Joe Louis, who faces NABF HW Champ “Tampa” Tommy Gomez make his third try for Louis’ WBA HW title in the featured bout. Two prior efforts saw Gomez unable to make it past the seventh round and, despite a disappointing second round KO loss to Cuban slugger Nino Valdes in his most recent outing, Gomez is still slated for yet a third title shot. Louis goes to work right away, pummeling Gomez with blow after unanswered blow in the opening stanza. Gomez’s left eye begins to puff up right away, and the ref steps in to save Gomez from further punishment. Thus, with just two seconds remaining in the first round, the bout goes down as another inside the distance win, a TKO 1 for Louis, now 64-1-1 (62). The loss leaves Gomez at 38-8-1 (35). July 16, 1949: Next the action shifts to the West Coast, specifically the Cow Palace in San Francisco. The main event matches two MW contenders, with Jose Basora, a former LABF MW Champion who recently regained the title, facing Cecil Hudson. The two met once before, back in 1941 when both were at Pre-Prime, and Basora prevailed via a late stoppage. Early edge to Basora, and Hudson, with a rapidly swelling right eye, is beginning to show the effects as early as the end of round two. Hudson manages to minimize the damage, but, at the halfway point, Basora leads by two (49-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In the second half of the bout, Basora continues to press the action, while Hudson’s corner urges him to adopt a more aggressive posture. Early in round eight, Basora finally breaks through, decking Hudson with a cross, then following up with an uppercut for a second KD. Somehow, Hudson recovers from both knockdowns and manages to survive the onslaught. Unable to finish matters, Basora is content to ease up and goes on to pick up a comfortable UD 10 win (98-91, 98-92, 99-90). Post-bout career records: Basora, 35-9-1 (23); Hudson, 30-13-5 (10). Basora’s camp hopes this impressive performance is sufficient to propel him into a possible title shot, either for the WBA or NABF title belts. July 22, 1949: Next is a Friday night card in Pittsburgh, and the main event sees Harold Johnson, still unbeaten at 21-0, making the second defense of the NABF LH title he won earlier this year, and he faces a former WBA LH Champion in Lloyd Marshall who is challenging for the belt. Intriguing matchup, as the two have not met before, Johnson has yet to taste defeat, and Marshall is on the comeback trail after a failed effort to wrest the WBA title from Archie Moore. Johnson starts well, throwing some heavy leather that reaches the target, building an early edge in the punch count stats. Marshall, adopting an active posture, gradually battles back and, by the end of round five, he has inflicted enough damage to cause some minor swelling under the right eye of the Champ. More trouble for Johnson in round six, as he is deducted a point from hitting low, while Marshall’s two fisted attack results in some initial puffiness around Johnson’s other (left eye). Nonetheless, at the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has Johnson up on points (by a count of 58-55), after having awarded each of the first five rounds to Johnson. Into the later rounds and it is Marshall, who also is dealing with a rapidly swelling right eye, who is the more aggressive of the two, forcing most of the action. A huge hook to the head in round nine momentarily stuns Johnson, who is able to remain upright and lasts the round after covering up. However, Marshall is unable to make any further headway and the bout goes to decision, with Johnson hanging on to the title and his unbeaten record by taking a narrow MD 12 (115-111, 113-113, 114-113). Post-bout records: Johnson. 22-0 (9); Marshall, 39-8-5 (31). After this win, Johnson is likely to be angling for a WBA title matchup with LH Champ Archie Moore. July 23, 1949: Three title tilts – two for WBA title belts – headline the next fight card, at the Olympia in London. In the first of this trio of co-features, the long dormant GBU Flyweight title is up for grabs, with Jackie Paterson making his first and only title defense since winning the belt two years ago; his opponent is Terry Allen, who took a UD 10 from Paterson in their one prior meeting back in 1946. Early edge in the punches landed count favors Allen, the challenger. Paterson does not lose his composure and battles back with a strong round in the fifth. At the halfway point, the Paterson has evened the core, according to the unofficial card (57-57). As the bout heads into the later rounds, Paterson still trails in the punch count stats, and so he takes a more active approach in an effort to pressure his opponent. This results in another good round for Paterson (the eighth), and as a result, Allen returns to his corner with traces of swelling under both eyes. Allen uses a probing jab to mount a rally, taking the 10th round with this effort. The issue remains in doubt until the final two rounds, and Allen’s defense remains firm, enabling him to capture the GBU belt via a MD 12 (116-112, 114-114, 116-112), running his career totals to 29-4-1 (3) as a result. The loss drops a disappointed Paterson to 33-10-2 (19). In the second bout of this trio of main events, Teddy Gardner faces EBU Flyweight Champ Emile Famechon for Gardner’s WBA Flyweight title. The two have not met before, and Famechon, who is at Post-Prime for this encounter, attempts to recover from a slow start by moving inside in round three. Gardner is able to fend off Famechon’s advances, and he counters with some solid boxing that causes some initial puffiness to appear under Famechon’s left eye. After the first five rounds are in the books, this translates into a large lead for Gardner (50-45) on the unofficial card. In the middle rounds, Gardner is able to hold his own as Famechon continues to press forward. Midway through round seven, Gardner drops Famechon with a big shot, and Famechon covers up and manages to last the round. Another KD by Gardner sends Famechon to the deck in round nine. Famechon recovers but returns to his corner with a split lip. By the two thirds mark, Famechon is showing signs of fatigue and the unofficial card has a huge lead for Gardner (100-88). In the final few rounds, things get even worse for Famechon as he sustains a cut over his other eye (the right one), and that eye begins to puff up as well. The bout does go the distance, and it is no surprise that Gardner has his arm raised as a lopsided UD 15 victor (149-133, 149-133, 147-135). Post-bout records: Gardner, 34-9-2 (12); Famechon, 25-11-1 (18). Then, in the finale, it is the WBA BW title that is at stake, and this time the challenger is a Brit, Norman Lewis, who faces Tommy Forte, who took the title from Manuel Ortiz via a late stoppage that has to go down as a big upset. No prior meetings, but Lewis comes into this title challenge with excellent credentials as the current holder of both the Commonwealth and EBU BW titles. In addition to having the crowd here in London behind him, Lewis hopes to take advantage of the fact that Forte is at Post-Prime career stage, while Lewis is still at Prime, but the two have yet to face each other in any of their prior bouts. Action is slow to develop, and there is not much to choose between the two over the first few rounds. At the one-thirds mark, the unofficial card has Lewis in front (by a 49-46 count). Into the middle rounds, with the punch count indicating a close bout, Forte takes a more active approach, trying to work his way inside. Lewis, however, gains the upper hand with a big round eight, when he manages to cause a mouse to form under Forte’s left eye. The Champion continues to press forward, but, at the 10-round mark, Lewis has extended his points lead (to 97-93) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Forte manages to close the gap and even pull ahead slightly in the punch count stats, but, as the rounds tick off, there is more swelling apparent, this under Forte’s right eye. Then, with a minute remaining in the 14th round, Lewis connects with a big shot that drops Forte, who arises at the count of eight. Despite the knockdown, Forte comes out firing away in the 15th and final round, staggering Lewis with a big uppercut that forces the challenger to cover up. The bout goes to decision, and Lewis lifts the belt, taking a UD 15 (144-140 on all three cards). Post-bout records: Lewis, 31-10-1 (16); Forte, 39-13-3 (13). July 23, 1949: The scene shifts to Madison Square Garden in New York City for the next fight card. In the main event, “Sugar” Ray Robinson continues campaigning as a MW, and he has lined up a fight with Steve “Spider” Belloise, a current top 10 contender and former WBA MW Champion. The two have not met before, and “Sugar Ray” takes charge early in this scheduled 10-rounder with a solid round in the second, doing enough to cause some noticeable puffiness to appear under the left eye of Belloise, who is doing his best to maintain his distance from the former WBA WW Champ. Midway through round three, Robinson unloads with a shot to the top of Belloise’s head, and that causes Belloise to cover up in order to avert futher damage. Robinson continues to have the upper hand through the first five rounds and, at the midway point, the unofficial scorer has him with a wide points lead (49-46). Into the second half of the bout and, after easing up a bit in round six, Robinson goes to work in round seven, finally pummeling Belloise into submission to force an early end to the contest. Impressive TKO 7 for Robinson, who improves to 38-3-1 (28). The loss leaves Belloise at 33-11-2 (15). July 30, 1949: Final card of the month takes place at Cannes, France, at the Palais des Sports. The featured bout is for the EBU MW title, and a Post-Prime Marcel Cerdan, the “Casablanca Clouter,” is on hand to defend his title; the challenger is GBU MW Champ Vince Hawkins, who is seeking to avenge a first round KO loss to Cerdan in their one previous bout, back in 1945 in London. In this rematch, Cerdan goes to work in the opening stanza, piling up an early edge in the punch count stats, and he lands sufficient leather to cause some initial swelling to appear under Hawkins’ left eye. Cerdan continues to dominate the action in the early rounds, and in round three he stuns Hawkins (who covers up as a result) with a hard cross. Into the middle rounds and, while Hawkins is beginning to stabilize the situation, Cerdan has built a wide points lead (59-55 on the unofficial scorer’s card) at the halfway point. By the second half of the bout, Hawkins begins to tire and the swelling under his eye becomes significantly worse. Cerdan continues to probe for openings, and in round eight, he puts Hawkins down for a count of six after connecting with a sharp combination. Hawkins struggles to his feet, attempts to cover up, but Cerdan follows up with an uppercut for a second knockdown. This time Hawkins regains his footing after the count reaches seven, and he is fortunate to survive the round. After taking a round to recover, Hawkins attempts to mount a rally, knowing he is likely to need a knockdown to take the title from Cerdan. In the final round, an exhausted and haggard looking Hawkins is easy prey for Cerdan, who registers three more KDs, so the bout ends just seconds before the final bell, going into the books as an automatic TKO 12 for Cerdan, who was well ahead on points, so no complaint from Hawkins’ corner. Post-bout career records: Cerdan, 52-9-5 (35); Hawkins, 22-15-4 (8).