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[JCWeb]

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

Aug. 5, 1949: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at Montreal. Two ranked WWs do battle in the main event, as Canadian Johnny Greco takes on a former WBA WW Champion in Marty Servo. No prior meetings, but supporters of Greco are encouraged by the fact that Servo is now at End career stage. Neither fighter seems to have the upper hand in the early going, but Servo breaks through with a strong round four. In round five, the two exchange blows on the inside; at the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside gives the edge to Greco (by a count of 49-48, after calling two rounds as even). In the second half of the bout, Servo continues to lead in the punch count stats, but the stamina factor works in the favor of Greco, who is the more active of the two and who has the support of the Canadian crowd. By the end of the seventh round, Servo is showing signs of wear and tear, with some noticeable swelling under his left eye – the result of some accurate punching by Greco. Late in round eight, a big right hook from Greco staggers Servo, who quickly covers up in order to last the round. Then, in the penultimate ninth round, Servo tries to get more aggressive, but late in the round, he runs into a hard countershot from Greco and goes down as if shot. The count reaches nine, but then the bell sounds to end the round before Servo can be counted out. However, this only delays the inevitable, as the bout goes the distance, and Greco scoops up a well deserved UD 10 (97-93, 97-92, 97-93) to run his career record to 27-12-2 (15). The loss leaves Servo at 36-13-2 (13).

Aug. 6, 1949: To Liverpool in the UK for the next fight card, and this time the main event Ritchie “Kid” Tanner with Ronnie Draper for the GBU BW title recently vacated by Norman Lewis after Lewis successfully challenger for the WBA BW belt. As this is the first meeting of the two, a long feeling out process takes place over the opening few rounds. It is not until round four when Tanner takes charge, dropping Draper for a seven count with a hard hook; Draper manages to survive the round by employing the cover up strategy, but Tanner has seized the upper hand in the bout at this point. By the midway point, Tanner is ahead on the unofficial card (by a count of 58-55), and Draper is suffering from a rapidly swelling right eye. Not much changes in the second half of the bout, plus Draper’s other eye begins to puff up as well. Draper’s efforts to mount a late rally fall just short, and Tanner goes on to regain the GBU title he has held twice before, taking a close but UD 12 (115-112, 115-112, 114-113), handing Draper his third career loss in the process. Post-bout career records: Tanner, 29-17-3 (14); Draper, 18-3-2 (1).

Aug. 6, 1949: Next up is a card at the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, and the recent capture of the WBA MW title by Jake LaMotta has opened up an opportunity, and Tony Janiro and Carl “Bobo” Olson are matched in the main event for the NABF MW title vacated by LaMotta when he moved up to successfully challenge for the WBA title. The two battled to a draw in one prior encounter After a couple of drab opening rounds, Olson seizes the initiative, moving inside to press the action. Late in round four, Olson connects with a solid shot, sending Janiro to the deck. Janiro is able to regain his footing, covers up, and there is not enough time remaining in the round for Olson to follow up. Into the middle rounds, and while Olson continues to be the more active of the two, Janiro has maintained an edge in the punches landed stats. By the halfway point of the contest, it is Olson with a two-point lead (58-56) on the unofficial scorer’s card. The bout takes a dramatic turn early in round eight, when Janiro is caught hitting below the belt. The foul is ruled to be flagrant, and results in an immediate disqualification. Thus, Olson becomes the new NABF MW Champion via a controversial DQ-8 result. The win moves Olson to 19-3-2 (12) overall, while Janiro slips to 22-4-3 (2); there is already talk of a rematch as early as next month given the controversy surrounding the premature end of the bout.

Aug. 12, 1949: Next is a Friday night card at San Juan, Puerto Rico. The main event has veteran WW Cocoa Kid, a Puerto Rico native, pitted against another WW contender, George “Sugar” Costner. The two have not met before, and Costner is still at Prime while Kid is at Post-Prime. In the early going, while Costner is the more active of the two, Kid is able to compile an early lead in the punch count stats. By the midway point of the bout, Kid is ahead on points (48-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card effort. With Kid continuing to hold the upper hand as the bout heads into the later rounds, Costner takes an even more active approach, trying to break down Kid’s defenses. However, to the delight of the Puerto Rican fight fans in attendance, Kid’s defense remains solid, and he goes on to take a relatively straightforward UD 10 win (97-94, 98-92, 98-92). Post-bout records: Kid, 56-15-7 (13); Costner, 28-11-2 (17).

Aug. 13, 1949: The scene shifts to the Boston Garden for the next fight card. An USBA title matchup tops the card, but the main supporting event features the fast rising local HW, the “Brockton Blockbuster,” Rocky Marciano, who puts his perfect record on the line versus his first real life opponent (as opposed to the parade of TCs he has faced thus far), one Archie McBride. The two have not met before, and Marciano, with 10 wins under his belt, all inside the distance, takes on the 12-2-1 McBride. In a bout scheduled for 10 rounds, Marciano begins to find the range with a strong round two, then moves inside to apply more pressure on his opponent in round three. Despite taking some solid shots, McBride proves to be a tough nut to crack, and he manages to remain upright until Marciano connects with a hard shot late in the fourth round; McBride is saved by the bell just as the count reaches three. Round five is next and, surprisingly, Rocky is unable to capitalize on his success in the prior round. At the halfway point, he leads by a wide margin (49-44), even after having a point deducted for hitting below the belt in round five. Midway through round seven, Marciano connects with an uppercut, putting McBride down for the second time. Even though there is plenty of time remaining in the round, Marcian is unable to finish off McBride. The end comes a round later, when a third time is a charm, and it is a Marciano cross that puts McBride down and out. The KO 8 enables Marciano to maintain his perfect record: an 11-0 (11) start to his career; the loss leaves McBride at 12-3-1 (6). Then, it is time for the main event, for the USBA LW title recently held by “Bobcat” Bob Montgomery, who since has moved up to win the NABF title. Competing for the vacant belt are Freddie Dawson and Lulu Costantino; these two have not met before, but each has held the USBA title previously, so a competitive matchup is expected. Dawson gets off to a strong start and grabs an early lead in the punch count stats. Costantino, for his part, struggles to find his range, even as the bout heads into the middle rounds. Dawson has forged a solid points lead (59-56) at the halfway point, this according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. In the second half of the bout, Costantino, who is at Post-Prime, begins to struggle, battling fatigue as well as a determined opponent. Dawson’s defense has remained firm and, by the end of round 10, a mouse has formed under Costantino’s left eye. The bout goes the distance and, to no one’s surprise, Dawson takes a comfortable UD 12 (117-112, 116-113, 118-111) to lift the belt. Post-bout, Dawson improves to 25-2-3 (6). The loss drops Costantino to 31-11-5 (12).

Aug. 13, 1949: To the West Coast for a card at San Francisco. A LH bout tops the agenda, with Oakland Billy Smith facing Joey Maxim in a 10-round, non-title contest. It is the third meeting of the two, and the first two bouts resulted in draws. The bout is a close one, with Maxim pulling ahead with a strong showing in round four. At the halfway point, the unofficial card has the bout scored as even (48-48), so could another draw be in the offing? Both fighters tire in the later rounds, and Maxim maintains a slight lead in the punches landed stat as the issue remains in doubt in to the final two rounds. The bout goes the distance, with no cuts or knockdowns and, this time, no draw, as Maxim takes a UD 10 (97-93, 98-92, 98-92). Post-bout career records: Maxim, 22-9-5 (5); Smith, 26-10-4 (20).

[JCWeb]

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

Aug. 19, 1949: Time for another edition of the Friday night fights “Down Under” series, this to take place in Sydney, Australia. A Commonwealth title clash tops the card, but first up, in the main supporting bout, two veteran LW contenders take to the ring, as veteran Aussie LW Vic Patrick, a former WBA LW Champion, faces George LaRover in a 10-round, non-title bout. It is the first meeting of the two, and Patrick has slipped into Post-Prime career stage, while LaRover is still at Prime. A strong start and some accurate punching put LaRover in the driver’s seat and, by the end of round three, a mouse is present under Patrick’s left eye. By the middle rounds, however, Patrick has begun to make progress and, at the halfway point, the unofficial scorer had the Aussie ex-Champ ahead (by a count of 48-47). LaRover continued to have an edge in terms of the punch count stats, and he elected to pick up the pace, taking the initiative as the bout headed into the later rounds. Heading into the final few rounds, LaRover continues to hold a lead in the punches landed category, and he exhibits greater stamina as well. The bout goes the distance without incident (no cuts or knockdowns), and, to the dismay of the Aussie fight fans in attendance, LaRover walks away a UD 10 victor (97-94, 97-94, 96-95). The win boosts LaRover’s career stats to 26-8-2 (13); the loss leaves Patrick at 32-9-1 (23). Then, in the main event, Brit Ronnie Clayton is on hand, putting his Commonwealth FW title on the line, facing a challenge from Aussie Eddie Miller, the reigning OPBF FW titleholder. The two have not met before and the challenger, Miller, will have the support of a hometown crowd but also be handicapped by his Post-Prime career status. Clayton gets off to an excellent start, dominating the action in the opening stanza. Clayton continues to hold the upper hand through much of the early going and, by the fifth round, Miller’s left eye begins to show signs of swelling. Then, late in round five, more trouble for Miller, as Clayton is able to rip open a cut over the challenger’s swollen left eye. At the halfway point, Clayton has a comfortable points lead (60-54) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Despite the cut, the swelling, and a huge stamina deficit, Miller tries to become more aggressive in the second half of the bout. In round eight, the cut over Miller’s eye is reopened; the cut is patched up only to be reopened in the final round, leading to an early stoppage. Thus, although Clayton was on the verge of a comfortable points win, the bout goes into the books as a TKO 12 for Clayton, who retains the CBU belt. Post-bout marks: Clayton, 30-5 (15); Miller, 33-16-3 (13).

Aug. 20, 1949: It is back to Europe for the next fight card, which takes place at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. Paired together in the feature bout are Aldo Spoldi, the long-time EBU LW Champ, and Santa Bucca, a fast rising American LW contender. The two are meeting for the first time, and Spoldi is near the end of this long career, so Bucca is hoping to pull off the upset. Bucca gets off to a solid start and forges a nice lead in the punches landed category in the early rounds. By the halfway point, Bucca is well ahead (49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Spoldi finally gets going with a strong round six and, at this point, there is some initial puffiness under Bucca’s right eye. Spoldi is able to mount a rally, taking rounds seven and eight but is thwarted by Bucca, who recovers with a strong round in the ninth, resulting in Spoldi also suffering from the effects of a rapidly swelling right eye. Bucca goes on to take a UD 10 (97-93, 98-92, 98-92), improving his career totals to 21-7-3 (8). Spoldi, now one bout closer to retirement, finishes the bout at 50-20-7 (18) but still in possession of the EBU LW title belt which was not at stake in this bout.

Aug. 20, 1949: Next up is a card in New Orleans, where a WBA title clash tops the agenda. First up, in the main supporting bout, is a FW bout matching Carlos Chavez with “the Aldgate Tiger,” Al Phillips, who is the reigning GBU FW titleholder. The two have not met before, and the bout is scheduled for 10 rounds as no titles are at stake. While Phillips is the more aggressive of the two in the early going, Chavez pulls ahead in the punch count stats. The complexion of the bout is changed in round three when Phillips connects with a straight right, ripping open a cut over Chavez’s right eye. At the midway point of the bout, Chavez holds a two-point lead (49-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. By the end of round six, Phillips has begun to show signs of a rapidly swelling left eye. Then, in the seventh, things being to turn around in favor of Phillips, who connects with an overhand right, and Chavez goes down, arising only after taking a count of six; additionally, the cut over Chavez’s eye is reopened. The bout comes down to the final few rounds, with the judges’ decision weighing Chavez’s advantage in the punches landed count versus the 10-8 round for the knockdown by Phillips. In the end, the judges cannot agree, and the nod goes to Chavez via a SD 10 (96-94, 94-96, 96-94), who Improves to 31-10-3 (10) with the win; Phillips slips to 30-13-1 (13) with the loss. Then, in the finale, the WBA LH title is on the line, as Archie Moore defends against challenger Tommy Yarosz. This is a rematch of a late 1948 title clash between these two that resulted in a points win for Moore. The bout devolves into a prototypical boxer versus slugger matchup, with Moore (the slugger) jockeying to work his way inside to put pressure on the challenger. At the one third mark of the contest, it is Yarosz who has a slim points lead (48-47) on the unofficial scorecard. Moore, who also is trailing in the punch count stats, redoubles his efforts to press the action in the middle rounds. As a result, a strong showing in the middle rounds results in Moore pulling ahead on points (96-94) after 10 rounds are in the books. Running low on energy, Yarosz switches tactics and looks to land a knockout blow as the bout enters the final few rounds. However, midway through round 13, Moore catches Yarosz with a sweet uppercut that forces the challenger to cover up. Moore takes advantage of a hurt opponent, steps up the pace as his killer instinct kicks in and forces an early conclusion, with the ref stepping in late in the round to save Yarosz from further punishment. Thus, Moore retains the title as it goes in the books as a TKO 13 for Moore, who had pulled ahead on two of the three judges’ cards while a third called it even (after the first 12 rounds were in the books). Post-bout marks: Moore, 48-4-5 (34); Yarosz, 29-7-2 (11).

Aug. 26, 1949: Next is a Friday night card at the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. A twin bill of feature bouts top the card. In the first of these, Flyweights take to the ring, as NABF and USBA Fly Champ Dado Marino faces, for the third time, former WBA Flyweight Champ Rinty Monaghan. Monaghan, who prevailed in both their prior encounters, is now at Post-Prime for this, a 10-round, non-title bout. Marino, a boxer, is willing to lay back on the outside through most of the early going, while Monaghan is more willing to mix it up on the inside. Marino is able to build a solid early lead in the punches landed count; at the halfway point, this translates into a narrow one-point lead for Marino (48-47) on the unofficial scorecard. Despite battling fatigue and signs of aging, Monaghan is able to mount a rally, winning rounds seven and eight to even the score. Thus, the bout comes down to the final few rounds, with Monaghan continuing to maintain his role as aggressor, and Marino succeeds in regaining his grip on the bout and goes on to take a UD 10 win (97-93, 96-94, 97-93). Post-bout records: Marino, 36-10 (14); Monaghan, 45-17-1 (12). In the second co-feature, two BW contenders do battle, with recently dethroned WBA BW Champ Manuel Ortiz, on the comeback trail, facing Joe Cornelis, who briefly held the EBU BW title in the 1943-44 time frame. One prior meeting in 1941 when both were at Pre-Prime resulted in a points win for Ortiz; for this rematch, scheduled for 10 rounds with no titles at stake, Cornelis will be at Post-Prime career stage. As expected, Ortiz jumps out to a solid early lead in the punches landed count. Ortiz continues to dominate through the middle rounds, and, at the midway point, he has a commanding lead (50-45 on the unofficial card). In the second half of the bout, a visibly tired Cornelis tries to get more aggressive, but all he has to show for his troubles is a rapidly swollen and puffy left eye. In the final round, a weary Cornelis goes down from an Ortiz combination, and he is able to resume, making it to the final bell, but there is little doubt as Ortiz takes a lopsided UD 10 (98-92, 100-90, 100-90) to run his career record to 37-9-3 (18). The loss leaves Cornelis at 28-16-2 (10).

Aug. 27, 1949: A pair of regional title bouts top the next card at the Earls Court in London. In the first co-feature, Freddie Mills, holder of three regional title belts, puts his Commonwealth LH title on the line for the first time in over two years as he faces a challenge from a familiar foe in Aussie Jack A. Johnson. The two have met three times previously, with Mills holding a 2-1 edge in those prior encounters. This time around, both men are at Post-Prime, and the action heats up in round three, when Mills decks Johnson with a hard uppercut; Johnson scrambles back to his feet after taking an eight count, then covers up to last the round. Mills takes a large lead in the punch count stats into the middle rounds, but Johnson is able to recover and land sufficient blows to cause some initial puffiness to appear under Mills’ right eye. At the halfway point, Mills has a solid points lead (58-55) on the unofficial card, largely attributable to the early knockdown. In the second half of the bout, both fighters appear to tire visibly. Johnson does his best to remain in contention but, in the end, he falls just short as the bout goes the distance, and Mills retains the title via a SD 12 (115-112, 113-114, 116-111), with one judge siding with Johnson. Post-bout, Mills ends up at 34-19-2 (16), while Johnson slips to 27-15-1 (19). In the second featured bout, it is a rematch of an earlier 1949 bout as Ernie Roderick defends his GBU WW title against challenger Cliff Curvis for the second time as the two battled to a draw in their June 1949 encounter. As in their prior bout, Roderick is at Post-Prime, Curvis at Prime, but Roderick has the advantage of being the holder of the title Starting in round three, Curvis tries to work his way inside in an effort to disrupt Roderick’s rhythm. In the early rounds, Curvis is able to hold his own, and the punch count stats are relatively even. At the midway point, a peek at the unofficial scorer’s card illustrates the closeness of the bout, as he has it even (57-57) at this point. In the second half of the bout, Curvis remains focused on his strategy of working his way inside; this approach enables Curvis to pull ahead in the punches landed stats, forcing Roderick to take a more active approach in the bout’s final two rounds. The bout goes the distance and this time, Curvis’ approach is successful, as he takes a comfortable UD 12 win (118-110, 118-111, 118-110) to dethrone Roderick and take the GBU WW crown. Post-bout career marks: Curvis, 22-2-2 (1); Roderick, 40-26-7 (9). Roderick retains the Commonwealth WW belt that was not at stake in this bout.

Aug. 27, 1949: The month wraps up with a big card at the Polo Grounds in New York City. A WBA title clash tops the card, preceded by a main supporting bout which sees veteran HW Jersey Joe Walcott working his way back into contender status as he faces Joe Baksi in a 10-round, non-title affair. This is the first meeting of the two, but it wind up as Walcott’s swansong as Jersey Joe is at End career stage facing Baksi, who is still at Prime. Walcott starts strongly, and he builds an early lead in the punch count stats. Walcott maintains the edge into the middle rounds, but in the waning seconds of round five, Baksi connects with a sharp cross, and Walcott goes down, only to be saved by the bell. Nonetheless, despite the 10-8 round for Baksi, Walcott is up by one (48-47) at the midway point of the bout. In the second half of the bout, Baksi assumes the role of aggressor and, in the seventh round, he uncorks a big hook that stuns Walcott, but this time Jersey Joe remains upright and covers up to last the round. Again, in round nine, Walcott is rocked by a Bakis uppercut, but again he covers up and avoids further damage. The bout goes down to the final round, with Walcott suffering from a mouse under his right eye. The final seconds see Baksi land another hard shot, with Walcott going down for a second time. The two KDs have a definite impact, as Baksi takes a close SD 10 (94-93, 93-94, 94-93) to run his career record to 31-10 (19). For Walcott, it is his third straight loss, dropping him to 55-19 (31), and bringing him one bout closer to retirement. Then, in the final bout on the card, Jake LaMotta, the “Bronx Bull,” makes the first defense of the WBA MW title he won earlier in the year. Challenging LaMotta for the WBA title is Jose Basora, the reigning LABF MW titleholder. First meeting of the two, and the action heats up in round two, as a Basora hook opens up a cut over LaMotta’s right eye. LaMotta appears to have steadied himself as he builds an early lead in the punch count stats, but the bout comes to an early in round four, after the cut is reopened and leads to an early stoppage. The title changes hands, with Basora taking a TKO 4 on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout records: Basora, 36-9-1 (24); LaMotta, 34-5-1 (21).

[JCWeb]

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

Sep. 2, 1949: An LABF title bout tops the opening card of the month at the Gran Stadium in Havana. Vying for the LABF BW title belt are a pair of Cubans: Luis Galvani, who is making his first defense after winning the belt earlier in the year, and challenger Armando Puentes Pi, who is challenging for a title for the first time in his career. The two have not met before and, thus, it is no surprise that the action is slow to develop as both fighters take a cautious approach in the opening few rounds. Finally, in round four, Galvani takes charge, with a strong showing after establishing control on the inside. By the midway point, Galvani has compiled a nice points lead (60-55), on the unofficial scorer’s card. By the end of round seven, Puentes Pi is dealing with some initial swelling around both eyes. A frantic Puentes Pi tries to mix it up in an effort to mount a late rally in the final few rounds, but to no avail. In the 11th round, Puentes Pi gets careless, and Galvani takes full advantage, connecting with an overhand right that puts Puentes Pi down and out. The KO 11 enables Galvani to retain the belt, boosting his career stats to 28-5 (17); the loss leaves Puentes Pi at 19-4 (11).

Sep. 3, 1949: It is back to Europe for the next fight card, which takes place at the Palazzo del Sport in Rome, Italy. A twin feature tops the card, with EBU WW Champ Egisto Peyre featured in the first co-main event, a 10-round, non-title bout with American WW contender Norman Rubio. The two have not met previously, and Peyre looks sharp early, landing sufficient blows to cause some puffiness to appear under Rubio’s right eye by the close of the opening round. Peyre continues to dominate through the early and into the middle rounds and, late in the fourth round, when it is apparent that Rubio is offering little in the way of resistance, at the halfway point, the ref steps in to call a halt. The bout goes into the books as a TKO 4 for Peyre, who improves to 32-6-3 (15) with the win, compared to a post-bout mark of 30-12-4 (13) for the Post-Prime Rubio. In the second and final co-feature, the EBU BW title is at stake, and aging veteran Johnny King is matched with up-and-coming Italian Guido Ferracin for the title recently vacated by Norman Lewis (now the WBA BW Champ). Ferracin gets off to a solid start, pulling ahead in the punch count stats in the opening rounds. It takes King until round four to get on track, and he lands some solid blows, enough to cause some initial swelling under Ferracin’s right eye. Ferracin responds with a big round in the fifth, and he manages to cause some puffiness to appear under the left eye of King. At the halfway point, Ferracin leads by two (58-56) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Despite showing signs of fatigue, King is the aggressor in the second half of the bout. With King’s eye looking a bit worse for wear, the bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and Ferracin takes the title via a lopsided UD 12 (119-109 on all three cards), and clearly from the outcome, King – now just one bout away from retirement – has had his best days behind him. Post-bout records: Ferracin, 18-4-4 (3); King, 66-17-5 (26).

Sep. 3, 1949: The action returns to the States for the next card in Boston. A WBA title clash tops the agenda, supported by a matchup of two LH contenders. In the preliminary bout, Harry “Kid” Matthews faces Melio Bettina. Each has won once in their prior meetings, but Bettina will be at Post-Prime for this, a 10-round, non-title affair. Matthews takes advantage of a solid start in the opening couple of rounds and, by the end of the second round, Bettina’s left eye shows signs of puffiness. Matthews follows up a couple of rounds later with a nice combination, putting Bettina on the deck for an eight count in round four. Stunned, Bettina makes effective use of the cover up strategy to last the round. At the halfway point, the unofficial card has Matthews well in front (50-44). Although fatigue has begun to set in, Bettina takes an aggressive approach in the later rounds, but instead he is dropped twice by Matthews in the ninth round, with the bell sounding to save him from being counted out at the end of the round. A fourth and final knockdown follows in the final round, and the ref steps in to call a halt. Impressive TKO 10 for Matthews although, in truth, Bettina (who will be at End career stage with his next outing) was not posing much of a challenge. Post-bout, Matthews improves to 34-9-1 (22) with the win, while Bettina slips to 43-15-7 (18) with the loss. Then, in the finale, the WBA FW title is on the line, and it is the “Will O the Wisp,” Willie Pep, defending versus Ciro Morasen, who holds both the NABF and LABF titles. The two have not met before, and it is a cautious approach to the opening rounds from both fighters. Pep is able to build a gradual lead in the punch count stats and, by the end of the fourth round, Morasen’s right eye has begun to show signs of puffiness. At the one-third mark, Pep has a solid lead (49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Pep continues to pile up points in the middle rounds; in round eight, he connects with a sharp combination to open a cut over Morasen’s injured right eye. The cut is quickly patched up but reopened a round later. Meanwhile, Pep’s lead on the unofficial card has grown even larger (99-91 at the two-thirds mark) after 10 rounds are in the books. However, the bout does not last much longer as, once the cut is reopened a second time in the 11th round, the ref steps in and calls a halt. Not much protest from Morasen’s corner, as their fighter was soundly beaten, so it goes into the books as a TKO 11 for Pep on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout marks: Pep, 39-3 (26); Morasen, 24-5-3 (4).

Sep. 9, 1949: Next is a Friday night card at the Rizal Arena in Manila. No titles at stake, and the featured bout is a BW encounter matching the former WBA BW Champ, David Kui Kong Young, with Tirso Del Rosario, the current OPBF BW titleholder. This is the second meeting of these two; their first encounter, in 1947, resulted in a points win for Kui Kong Young. In this rematch, Del Rosario, aided by the support of the hometown crowd, manages to pull in front early and Kui Kong Young’s left eye begins to show signs of swelling as early as round two. However, in round three, Kui Kong Young connects with an uppercut that opens a gash on Del Rosario’s forehead. The cut continues to ooze blood into the fourth round before finally patched up between rounds. However, the cut is in a bad spot and, when it is reopened in the fifth round, it leads to an immediate stoppage. The TKO 5 lifts the ex-Champ Kui Kong Young to 47-6-4 (22). On the other hand, the loss leaves Del Rosario at 23-10-2 (4).

Sep. 10, 1949: Next card takes place at Miami. In the main event, two top five WWs are paired together for the second time, as USBA WW Champ Tommy Bell faces the “Cuban Hawk,” Kid Gavilan. In their one prior meeting, with the NABF WW title belt on the line, Bell prevailed via a UD 12 in Havana. In this rematch, there are no titles at stake as the two contenders meet in bout scheduled to go 10 rounds. In round two, an overhand right from Bell draws blood, as a newly opened cut is evident under the right eye of Gavilan. Some excellent work from the corner has the cut patched up between rounds. Bell builds a solid lead in the early going and maintains it through the middle rounds; at the halfway point, he is well ahead (50-45) on the unofficial card, plus there is a telltale trace of swelling under Gavilan’s injured right eye. Gavilan tries to take a more active approach in the second half of the bout, but he is unable to trouble Bell, who goes on to repeat his earlier success and takes a solid UD 10 (98-92, 99-91, 97-93). Post-bout career marks: Bell, 32-4 (16); Gavilan, 22-4-2 (4). After a promising start to his career, Gavilan is now licking his wounds, possibly setting his sights a bit lower, maybe hoping for a future shot at the LABF WW title.

Sep. 10, 1949: Two HWs are set to do battle in the featured bout topping the next card in Phoenix but, on the undercard, a major upset takes place as Elkins Brothers hands top HW prospect Roland LaStarza his first career loss, as he manages to deck the solid boxing LaStarza three times for an automatic TKO 2. The win lifts the previously unsung Brothers to 11-2 (9) while LaStarza is now 12-1 (4). In the main event, the Cuba slugger, Nino Valdes, faces Turkey Thompson. No titles are at stake, and it is the third meeting of these two in a 10-round, non-title contest; Thompson registered a win and a draw in their prior encounters. In the third round, Valdes moves inside to do some damage, and Thompson comes away with a puffy left eye as a result. Early in round four, Valdes connects with a hook to the head, forcing Thompson to cover up to last the round. However, in round five, the tide turns and Thompson connects with a big shot that sends Valdes tumbling to the deck. The Cuban arises after taking an eight count, attempts to cover up, but Thompson follows up with a solid combination for a second knockdown, then, with Valdes pinned against the ropes, he lands punch after punch until the ref calls a halt. Impressive TKO 5 for Thompson to put him back in the HW picture as a top flight HW contender. Post-bout career marks: Thompson, 30-11-2 (23); Valdes, 23-10-2 (19).

[JCWeb]

This report includes bouts from the second half of September 1949. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report. Note: several titles change hands as a result of these matchups.

Sep. 16, 1949: The next edition of the Friday night fights “Down Under” series takes place in Melbourne. In the main event, two veteran Aussie LWs are matched together for the fifth (!) time, with Norm Gent, who holds both the Commonwealth and OPBF LW titles, facing Charlie Ashenden. The OPBF LW title is on the line, but not the Commonwealth one and, thus far, Gent has the upper hand with two wins and two draws in their four prior encounters. Ashenden gets off to a strong start, and Gent returns to his corner at the end of the opening stanza with a puffy right eye. Gent gradually works his way into the bout and, by the middle rounds, he has pulled in front in the punch count stats. At the midway point, Gent is ahead by two (58-56) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Into the second half of the contest and, while Ashenden does well to keep the bout reasonably close, plus the more aggressive Ashenden has a slight edge in the stamina category. The bout goes the distance, and Ashenden’s persistence is rewarded as he takes a close MD 12 (115-113, 114-114, 115-113) to capture the OPBF belt and hand Gent his first loss in their five meetings.

Sep. 17, 1949: The next fistic action is back in the States, at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium. It’s a twin feature of HW title bouts including WBA Champ Joe Louis in another title defense. First up, Pat Comiskey faces Jimmy Bivins for the USBA HW title held by Comiskey. One prior meeting, in 1948, resulted in a points win for Comiskey, but there was no title on the line. In this rematch, Bivins looks sharp in the opening couple of rounds. Comiskey bounces back with a strong round in the third, but then Bivins moves inside, applying the pressure with a good fourth round for the challenger. At the halfway point, Bivins is well ahead on points (59-55) on the unofficial scorecard. Bivins also has a huge stamina advantage as the bout heads into the later stages. Starting in round seven, Comiskey’s right eye begins to show signs of swelling. Undaunted, Comiskey steps up the pace in an effort to try to turn things around. More trouble for Comiskey in round 10, as he sustains a cut under his left eye. Comiskey soldiers on, lasting until the final round, when Bivins is able to open a second cut over his right eye, then he decks Comiskey with a sharp combination to punctuate his superiority in this title contest. The bout goes to the judges’ cards, and it is no surprise that Bivins takes a lopsided UD 12 (118-110, 118-109, 118-110) to take the USBA title. With the win, Bivins improves to 32-6-3 (20), while Comiskey slips to 33-9 (21) with the loss. Then, in the main event, Joe Louis faces challenger Ezzard Charles in his record 40th WBA HW title defense. The two have met twice before, with Louis winning both inside the distance. The “Brown Bomber” has the better of it in the early going, and he manages to keep Charles on the back foot through the opening five rounds. After the one third mark of the bout, Louis is well ahead (49-46) on the unofficial card, and the one round (the fifth) being awarded to Charles seemed a bit generous from the unofficial scorer at ringside. Charles does well to keep things under control into the middle rounds, but, near the end of the eighth round, a flurry of blows from Louis opens a cut over Charles’ left eye. In round 10, Charles lands his best punch of the fight, a right cross to Louis’ jaw, but Louis responds with a sharp combination that puts Charles on the deck. Charles survives after taking an eight count, then covering up to last the round. With 10 round now in the books, Louis has a commanding lead (99-91) on the unofficial card. Charles heads into the final rounds with a cut and swollen left eye. Early in round 13, Louis catches Charles with another good shot, sending the challenger to the deck for a second time, this time Charles bounces onto his feet after a count of three. Charles attempts to cover up, but this time Louis is relentless, landing blow after unanswered blow until the ref calls a halt. A TKO 13 for Louis, another win inside the distance, lifting his career totals to an impressive 65-1-1 (63). The loss leaves Charles at 30-6 (23). Interestingly, the top four HWs in terms of post-match Perf Point numbers were all in action on this card, led by Louis (with a new record high of 2373), followed by Charles (1409), Bivins (1381), Comiskey (1380) with EBU, CBU and GBU titleholder Bruce Woodcock fifth highest at 1303.

Sep. 23, 1949: Next is a rare Friday night card at the Harringay Arena in London. Headlining the action is a pair of GBU title bouts. In the first of these, Harry Hughes makes his second defense of the GBU LW title he won in 1947 and, for the second time, the challenger is Billy Thompson. In two prior meetings, each fighter has won once – with Hughes coming out on top via a split duke in their most recent encounter, for this same title a year ago. In this title rematch, Thompson pulls in front in the punch count stats with a solid couple of opening rounds before moving inside to try to take advantage of a lackadaisical start by Hughes. Hughes battles back with a couple of strong rounds in the third and fourth but, with the two mixing it up on the inside in round five, Thompson is able to break through, connecting with a combination that puts Hughes down for an eight count. Hughes covers up and manages to finish the round without further damage. Despite the one knockdown and a 10-8 round for the challenger, Hughes is up by two (58-56) on the unofficial card at the halfway point of the bout. In round seven, Hughes returns the favor, evening the KD count at one apiece when he floors Thompson with a hard hook. Thompson arises after taking a six count, then takes advantage of the cover up strategy to last the round. Undaunted, Thompson continues to battle, stunning Hughes with a three-punch combo in the eighth round, and once again, Hughes resorts to the cover up strategy More excitement in round nine, as Hughes sustains a cut over his right eye. The cut is quickly patched up between rounds, and then, in the 10th round, it is Thompson who develops some swelling under his left eye as some accurate counterpunching by Hughes has had an impact. From this point, the bout goes to decision without incident, and Hughes is able to retain the title via a UD 12 (116-109, 115-110, 116-109) in an entertaining bout that seemed much closer than the final scores would indicate. Post-bout career records: Hughes, 21-6-1 (9); Thompson, 16-5-2 (12). In the finale, Flyweights take to the ring as Terry Allen, who captured the GBU Flyweight title in July, is back in action, defending versus first time title challenger Dickie “Toy Bulldog” O’Sullivan. Lots of leather thrown in a whirlwind opening round, with much of the action favoring the more experienced Allen. O’Sullivan tries hard to keep the bout close, but Allen takes a large early lead in the punches landed count into the middle rounds. At the halfway point, Allen is well ahead (59-55), according to the unofficial scorer’s card. Then, in round seven, O’Sullivan finally breaks through, dropping Allen with a sharp combination. Allen picks himself off the deck after taking an eight count, and he is able to survive the round with an effective implementation of the cover up approach. For the rest of the bout, O’Sullivan presses the action, taking an aggressive approach and looking to follow up on his success in round seven. Allen, focused on protecting on his early points lead, takes a more defensive posture in the later rounds, and O’Sullivan is able to cut into Allen’s lead, with Allen doing just enough to escape with the title via a MD 12 (115-113, 114-114, 115-113), upping his career totals to 30-4-1 (3). O’Sullivan ends the bout at 20-4-1 (11).

Sep. 24, 1949: New York’s Madison Square Garden is the venue for the next fight card. A NABF title contest tops the card, and, in the main support, two top 10 FW contenders are matched as Sal Bartolo faces Eddie Compo in a 10-round, non-title bout. The two met once before, with Bartolo picking up a UD 10 win back in 1948. With some accurate punching, Compo builds a solid early lead in the punches landed stats, with Bartolo showing the effects with a puffy left eye visible from round four onwards. Then, late in round four, a hard shot from Compo rips open a gash over Bartolo’s right eye. At the halfway point of the contest, Compo is up by two (49-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In round six, Bartolo is able to open up a cut on Compo’s lip. Not much changes in the second half of the bout, and Compo takes a comfortable UD 10 (97-94, 98-94, 98-94) to run his career totals to 22-2-3 (5), while the loss drops Bartolo to 36-15-4 (11). Then, in the finale, it is a rematch of a title bout that resulted in a controversial DQ ending, as Carl “Bobo” Olson faces Tony Janiro for Olson’s NABF MW title. This disputed result took place just two months ago, and the first bout between these two ended in a draw. In this, their third encounter, Olson tries to work his way inside after a couple of non-descript opening rounds. With some clever boxing and defensive skills, Janiro manages to hold his own, and the bout is a close one heading into the middle rounds. At the midway point, Olson has managed to pull ahead on points (59-55), according to the unofficial scorecard. Olson continues to be the more active of the two as the bout heads into the later rounds, with Janiro preferring to remain on the outside. Olson, the slugger, continues to hold a slight lead in the punch count stats, and Janiro suffers a split lip in round nine. After the cut is patched up, Janiro shifts tactics in the final few rounds, take a more aggressive and active approach. In the end, it is not enough as Olson goes on to retain the title via a fairly comfortable UD 12 (118-112, 117-112, 117-112). Post-bout career marks: Olson, 20-3-2 (12); Janiro, 22-5-3 (3).

Sep. 24, 1949: Next card takes place in Vancouver at the Exhibition Gardens. Topping the card is a WBA title clash, but first up is an intriguing non-title bout matching the recently dethroned WBA Flyweight Champ, Peter Kane, with Black Pico, the current LABF Fly titleholder. First meeting of the two, and Kane is on the comeback trail while Pico is also looking to move up the rankings and perhaps challenge for the WBA title himself. Pico is on target early, landing some solid blows, enough to cause some initial puffiness to appear under the left eye of Kane as early as round two. Undaunted, Kane presses forward in the third round, connecting with a big hook that causes Pico to cover up. Pico lasts the round and continues to hold the edge in terms of the punch count stats. In round five, Kane is deducted a point for repeated fouling and, at the halfway point of the contest, Pico is well ahead on points (49-45), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. Trailing, Kane takes a much more aggressive approach as the bout heads into the later stages. Pico’s defense remains solid, and he goes on to take a close but UD 10 (95-94 on all three cards), making that one-point deduction from Kane’s score in round five even more significant. As a result, Pico improves to 21-3-2 (1) overall, while Kane drops to 41-12-1 (15). In the finale, the WBA BW title is at stake, with Canada’s Fernando Gagnon challenging Brit Norman Lewis for the belt. Gagnon enters the ring confident of victory, having prevailed over Lewis in one prior bout, for the Commonwealth BW title back in 1946. Once the bout commences, Gagnon wastes little time, decking Lewis two times in the last minute of the opening round. This sets the tone for the rest of the bout, with Lewis struggling to match Gagnon's ferocity. After being deducted a point for holding and hitting late in the bout, Lewis goes down to defeat as Gagnon prevails via a UD 15 (143-139, 145-137, 145-137) to the lift the WBA belt, improving his career record to 29-5 (17), while the loss drops Lewis to 31-11-1 (16).

Sep. 30, 1949: Final card of the month is a Friday night affair at the Convention Hall in Atlantic City. In the main event, two top FW contenders do battle, as recently dethroned WBA FW Champ Sandy Saddler, now on the comeback trail, takes on former LABF FW titleholder, Diego Sosa, who has registered three straight wins after losing the LABF title belt to Ciro Morasen. No prior meetings, and this non-title bout is scheduled for ten rounds. Sosa gets Saddler’s attention less than a minute into the opening round when he connects with a hard right cross, forcing Saddler to cover up. In round three, Sosa moves inside and is fairly effective in keeping Saddler on the defensive. Saddler bounces back with a strong round in the fourth and, by the midway point of the contest, Saddler has managed to pull ahead on points (49-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In round six, Saddler floors Sosa with a hard shot, and Sosa struggles to his feet after taking a seven count. Trailing at this point, Sosa tries to step up the pace and become more aggressive in the final few rounds. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and with Sosa unable to break through, Saddler goes on to take a UD 10 (97-90, 97-90, 95-92). Post-bout career marks: Saddler, 26-1 (20); Sosa, 32-9-2 (16).

[JCWeb]

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

Oct. 1, 1949: A solid card at the Boston Garden sets the scene for the first card of the month. The main event, two top 10 LH contenders do battle as former WBA LH Champ Lloyd Marshall faces Fitzie Fitzpatrick in a 10-round, non-title tilt. In one prior meeting, Marshall prevailed via a late round KO; this was for the USBA LH title which Marshall still retains, but that title is not at stake in this rematch. This time, the action heats up near the end of round three when Marshall decks Fitzpatrick with a hard shot. Fitzpatrick manages to keep the bout relatively close and, at the halfway point, Marshall’s lead is just two (48-46) by virtue of the 10-8 round due to the knockdown. In the second half of the bout, Fitzpatrick is the more active of the two, but his aggressiveness does not faze Marshall. Midway through the ninth round, Marshall connects with an uppercut, stopping Fitzpatrick in his tracks. At this point, Marshall’s killer instinct kicks in, and he is able to force a stoppage to take a TKO 9 win. Post-bout records: Marshall, 40-8-5 (32); Fitzpatrick, 25-11-3 (19).

Oct. 7, 1949: Next is a Friday night card at Johannesburg’s Rand Stadium. In the main event, Bernard Docusen takes on veteran WW Ernie Roderick, who still holds the Commonwealth WW title belt. The two have not met before and the bout, with no titles at stake, is scheduled for ten. Docusen gradually compiles an early lead in the punches landed stats, but Roderick bounces back with some solid boxing in the middle rounds and, at the midway point, the unofficial scorer has Roderick with a slim one-point lead (48-47). Then, Docusen takes charge with a strong round in the sixth, and he manages to inflict enough punishment to cause some initial puffiness to appear under the left eye of Roderick. Roderick, who is at Post-Prime, manages to keep the bout close but is unable to seriously trouble Docusen, who goes on to take a MD 10 (96-94, 95-95, 96-94) to run his career record to 23-4-5 (4), while Roderick ends the bout at 40-27-7 (9).

Oct. 8, 1949: Next up is a card at Chicago which features a WBA title bout preceded by a main supporting bout matching a pair of WW contenders: Billy Graham and George “Sugar” Costner. It is the third meeting of these two, with each having won once, both inside the distance via TKO stoppages. This time around, there is not much to choose between the two in the opening two rounds, and Graham seizes the initiative by moving forward to initiate some action on the inside in round three. A couple of strong rounds in the third and fourth enable Graham to pull ahead in the punches landed count. At the halfway point, however, the unofficial card has Costner with a narrow one-point lead (48-47). It is Graham who takes a more aggressive posture in the second half of the bout, and he regains the edge in the punch count stats, and this forces Costner to seize the initiative as the bout heads into the final few rounds. With the issue in doubt, both fighters throw caution to the wind and go all out in the 10th and final round. Neither can break through, so the bout goes to decision, with Costner emerging as the UD 10 victor by a very narrow margin (96-94, 96-94, 96-95) to improve to 29-11-2 (17) as a result. The loss dropped Graham to 25-11-1 (11). Then, in the finale, Ike Williams in on hand to make his third defense of the WBA LW title he won almost a year ago, in 1948. The challenger, Joe Brown, is a familiar foe; the two have met twice before, with Brown taking a split duke in their first meeting, in 1946, but then Williams prevailed in the rematch, also for the WBA title, in early 1947. Six straight wins have put Brown back in title contention, with the two most recent coming by knockouts over Art Aragon and Norm Gent. In the early going, Williams, a slugger, sets up shop on the inside, while Brown, a consummate boxer, prefers to work on the outside. Williams’ early pressure has an effect, as there is visible swelling under Brown’s left eye as early as the end of round three. After the first five rounds are in the books, Williams has a solid points lead (49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In the middle rounds, roles are reversed, and it is Brown who is the more active of the two, taking the lead and seeking to apply more pressure. At the two-thirds mark of the bout, Brown has cut into Williams’ lead (to just 96-94) on the unofficial card. Late in round 11, Williams regains control when he clocks Brown with a huge uppercut; Brown covers up and is able to remain upright for the remainder of the round. In the final few rounds, a weary looking Brown makes one final effort to try to wrest control away from Williams, but he leaves himself open to a sharp combination from the Champ in the final round, and takes a an eight count after hitting the deck. The bout goes the distance and the UD 15 goes to Williams by a comfortable margin (145-138, 145-138, 144-139). Post-bout career records: Williams, 39-4-1 (33); Brown, 33-4 (22). Two of Brown’s career losses have come at the hands of Williams.

Oct. 14, 1949: Next is another edition of the Friday Night Fights “Down Under” series, with this card taking place at Sydney. No titles at stake and, surprisingly, no Aussie fighters in the featured bout, which pairs two top 10 HW contenders, with Brit Bruce Woodcock (holder of the EBU, Continental and GBU HW title belts) facing Lee Q. Murray. The two met once before, in London in 1947, with Woodcock taking a points win in that encounter. This time around, Murray, seeking to avenge the earlier loss, is on target early, and the bout comes to a sudden end midway through the third round when Murray connects with a perfectly timed uppercut that puts Woodcock down for the count. Impressive KO 3 for Murray, upping his career record to 34-12-2 (26) with the win. The loss leaves Woodcock, who will be at Post-Prime starting with his next bout, at 31-5 (26).

Oct. 15, 1949: Next fistic action takes place north of the border, at the Forum in Montreal. In the main event, former WBW BW Champ Manuel Ortiz is on the comeback trail, and he faces current GBU BW Champ Ritchie “Kid” Tanner in a 10-round, non-title affair. Each fighter begins the bout with a clean slate, as it is the first meeting of these two. Unfortuinately for the fight fans in Montreal, this bout comes to a sudden and controversial end just a little more than a minute into the opening round, when Tanner is called for intentional head butting, and the fouling is deemed too serious to allow the bout to continue. Thus, Ortiz is handed a gift win in the form of a DQ-1, despite howls of protest from Tanner’s corner accompanied by loud boos from the fight fans who wanted to see more action. Post-bout records: Ortiz, 38-9-3 (18); Tanner, 29-18-3 (14). There is some talk of a rematch, but Tanner is set to hit Post-Prime with his next bout, some time in early 1950, so he might not offer that much competition to Ortiz, who is angling for another shot at the WBA BW title.

Oct. 15, 1949: Halfway through the month, and next is a card at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. Some BW action tops the card, with two top 10 contenders doing battle as veteran Benny Goldberg challenges Harold Dade for Dade’s USBA BW title. Dade, who dethroned Tony Olivera earlier in the year to capture the belt, is facing Goldberg, a former WBA BW titleholder now on the downside of his career, for the first time. The action heats up immediately when, halfway through the first round, Goldberg connects with a quick hook to the head that stuns Dade. Fortunately for Dade, who remains upright through the end of the round, Goldberg is unable to follow up and take advantage of the situation. Goldberg continues to press forward in the early rounds, and in the opening minute of the third he lands a short, clean uppercut that sends Dade tumbling to the canvas. Dade arises quickly, after taking a count of three, then he wisely covers up to last the round. Some accurate punching enables Dade to work his way back into the bout, gradually pulling in front in the punches landed stats. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has the bout as even (57-57). It is Goldberg who continues to press forward into the second half of the bout, seizing the initiative. The bout remains a close one as it heads into the final few rounds, with Goldberg continuing to take an aggressive approach. The bout goes the distance, and Goldberg’s persistence is rewarded with a UD 12 win (115-113, 117-110, 115-112), as he wrests the USBA title belt from Dade. Post-bout records: Goldberg, 38-7-3 (14); Dade, 25-9-3 (6).

[JCWeb]

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

Oct. 21, 1949: Twin feature bouts, neither with any titles on the line, top the next card, a Friday night affair at Pittsburgh. In the first co-feature, two MW sluggers do battle, with Rocky Graziano facing “the Savage Slav,” Al Hostak. The two have not met before, and Hostak is at post-Prime for this bout. Late in the opening round, Hostak goes on the offensive, forcing Graziano into a neutral corner then connecting with an overhand right that puts Rocky down for a count of three. Graziano regains his footing, and there is not enough time left in the round for Hostak to follow up. Hostak continues to hold the edge in the punch count stats through the early rounds. Late in round five, Graziano serves notice by staggering Hostak with a big hook; Hostak covers up and manages to survive the round. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has the bout as even (47-47). By the end of round six, Hostak is beginning to show signs of fatigue, plus there is noticeable swelling under his left eye. Midway through the seventh round, a Graziano hook sends Hostak toppling to the canvas. Hostak struggles but is able to regain his footing at the count of eight, and, once again, he resorts to the cover up to last the round. In the eighth round, Hostak begins to turn things around, stunning Graziano with a straight right, and this time it is Graziano who uses the cover up to avoid further difficulty. An aggressive Hostak tries to follow up in the final few rounds, but Graziano is able to hold him off and take a UD 10 (95-91, 94-92, 94-92), sealing the win with a final round knockdown for a 10-8 round. Post-bout career marks: Graziano, 25-11-1 (20); Hostak, 48-17-3 (34). In the second co-main event, two LH contenders lock horns, as Joey Maxim faces Oakland Billy Smith. The two have met three times before, with Maxim taking a points win in their most recent encounter, while the other two resulted in draws. This time, Smith, the slugger, takes the initiative in the early going, while Maxim is more comfortable boxing from the outside. After a couple of close early rounds, Maxim is able to carve out an early edge in the punch counts stats. At the h halfway point, Maxim enjoys a slight lead (48-47) on the unofficial card plus, Smith is bleeding from a nick under his right eye. Into the second half of the bout, and the pattern set in the early rounds continues, with Smith initiating most of the action. The bout remains close into the final few rounds, with Smith managing to eke out a SD 10 by the narrowest of margins (95-96, 97-94, 96-95) to run his career record to 27-10-4 (20), while Maxim ends the bout at 22-10-5 (5). A peek at the judges’ cards showed Smith winning the last two rounds on all three, enabling him to overcome Maxim’s early edge.

Oct. 22, 1949: Back to Europe for a card at Gothenburg, Sweden’s Ullevi Arena. In the main event, two top MW contenders face off, with “Sugar” Ray Robinson taking on EBU MW Champ Marcel Cerdan in a non-title bout, with a possible WBA title shot awaiting the winner. The two have not met previously and Robinson seeks to take advantage of the face and that Cerdan is now at Post-Prime career stage. By the end of the opening round, he is well on his way as Cerdan’s face shows signs of puffiness under his right eye. Another round into the bout, and Cerdan is suffering from a cut on the bridge of his nose. Robinson’s momentum continues into the middle rounds, as he pulls in front in the punches landed stat. At the halfway point, Robinson has a solid points lead (50-46), according to the unofficial scorer’s card. Trailing, Cerdan attempts to battle back in the second half of the bout but, as the rounds tick off, Robinson’s superiority is even more evident. “Sugar Ray” coasts through the final few rounds and, in the final minute of the final round, he floors Cerdan with a overhand right. Cerdan struggles to his feet at the count of eight, but Robinson is able to force an early end via a TKO 10 although the issue was never really in doubt. Post-bout records: Robinson, 30-3-1 (29); Cerdan, 52-19-5 (35).

Oct. 22, 1949: Two title bouts top the agenda at the next card at New York’s Madison Square Garden. In the first of these, former WBA MW Champ Charley Burley challenges Artie Towne for Towne’s USBA MW title. The action heats up in round two, when a hard shot from Burley rips open a cut on Towne’s forehead. After having the cut patched between rounds, Towne tries to work his way into the bout as it enters the middle rounds. However, the cut – reopened in round five – continues to be an issue for Towne and his corner. At the midway point, the unofficial card has has Burley up by two (58-56), while Towne must also deal with a rapidly swelling right eye. With a two-for-one edge in the punches landed count, plus Towne’s issues with the cut and the swelling, Burley is poised to coast to victory in the second half of the bout. Even though Burley is well ahead on all three cards, it is the cut that decides matters, with Burley emerging as a TKO 9 victor after the cut becomes too severe to allow the bout to continue. Burley improves to 51-5 (35) with the win. The loss, only the third of his career, leaves Towne at 23-3-2 (8). Burley is set to hit Post-Prime with his next outing in early 1950. After this, the ring is cleared for a WBA LH title bout, with Archie Moore making his sixth defense in 14 months; this time the challenger is the unbeaten NABF LH Champion, Harold Johnson, who enters the bout with a perfect 22-0 career mark. The two have not met before, and this represents Johnson’s first WBA title challenge. The bout devolves into the prototypical boxer versus slugger matchup, with Moore, as the slugger, taking the initiative in the first half of the bout. In round five, Moore connects with a wicked uppercut to the head; Johnson goes down and arises only after taking an eight count. Despite the one knockdown and a rapidly swelling left eye, Johnson is ahead (48-46) on the unofficial scorecard after the first five rounds were in the books. In the middle rounds, Moore continues to grind away, applying pressure while working mainly on the inside, while Johnson elects to keep his distance, staying mostly on the outside. At the two thirds mark, Johnson continues to hold the points lead on the unofficial scorer’s card (96-93), but Moore appears to have a huge edge in terms of the stamina factor, so he presses forward as the bout enters its final few rounds. A strong final third enables Moore to overcome any point deficit and retain the title via a close but UD 15 (143-142, 144-141, 144-141). Post-bout records: Moore, 49-4-5 (34); Johnson, 22-1 (9). A peek at the judges’ cards showed Moore winning five of the last six rounds on two of the three cards, enough to retain the belt and hand Johnson his first career setback.

Oct. 28, 1949: Next is a Friday night card taking place South of the border, in Mexico City. In the main event, LABF LW Champ Enrique Bolanos faces George LaRover in a 10-round, non-title contest. No prior meetings, and Bolanos, aka “the Dorango Dropper,” enjoys the support of an appreciative hometown crowd. Despite the handicap of facing a hostile crowd, LaRover is able to hold his own through the opening few rounds. The heavy hitting Bolanos is able to wrest control by bludgeoning his way inside to score heavily in round three. By the halfway point of the contest, it is Bolanos who leads (by 49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card, this despite the fact that LaRover has managed to land some telling blows sufficient to cause some initial swelling to appear under the left eye of the Mexican fighter. In the second half of the bout, both the punches landed count and the stamina factor work in Bolanos’ favor. Late in round seven, Bolanos digs a hard hook to the body that causes LaRover to wince, but he eschews the cover up and remains upright. The following round, round eight, sees Bolanos deck LaRover with a cross; this time LaRover elects to cover up after taking an eight count before resuming. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and the lopsided UD 10 goes to Bolanos (98-91, 99-90, 99-90). Post-bout records: Bolanos, 28-4 (21); LaRover, 26-9-2 (13).

Oct. 29, 1949: The Olympia in London is the scene for the next card. Topping the agenda is a joint Commonwealth/GBU title bout, preceded by a main supporting bout matching former WBA Fly Champ Rinty Monaghan versus Belgium’s Raoul DeGryse. The two are meeting for the fourth time, with Monaghan holding a 2-1 edge in their prior results. Both men are at Post-Prime for this encounter. After a couple of close opening rounds, Monaghan moves inside and takes charge in round three. Midway through round four, there is a clash of heads, and Monaghan comes away with a cut over his left eyebrow. Despite the cut, Monaghan has a slim lead (48-47) on the unofficial scorecard at the midway point of the contest. In the second half of the bout, DeGryse starts swinging away freely, but he is unable to make much of an impression on Monaghan, who goes on to eke out a SD 10 (97-94, 95-96, 97-94) to run his career record to 46-17-1 (12). DeGryse ends the bout at 33-18-5 (17). Finally, in the featured bout, both the Commonwealth FW title and the GBU FW title are at stake in a unification battle between Ronnie Clayton, holder of the FW belt, and Al “the Aldgate Tiger” Phillips, holder of the GBU title. These two are meeting for the third time, each having prevailed once in prior action. After a couple of indifferent opening rounds, Phillips moves inside to try to put pressure on his opponent. With Clayton holding a slight edge in the punches landed count, the two fighters mix it up on the inside in round five. Phillips continues to battle, landing sufficient to leather to cause some initial puffiness under Clayton’s left eye. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Clayton up by one (58-57). Into the second half of the contest and Phillips, with a stamina advantage, seizes the initiative and begins to press the action. However, in round eight, things go downhill quickly for Phillips, who sustains a cut lip followed by a more serious cut over his right eye, and, with both cuts bleeding, the ref steps in to call a halt. As a result, Clayton claims both CBU and GBU belts via a TKO 8 due to the cuts stoppage. Post-bout records: Clayton, 31-5 (16); Phillips, 30-14-1 (13).

Oct. 29, 1949: The month wraps with a fine card in Miami. Twin title bouts top the agenda. First up, Black Pico, the reigning LABF Fly titleholder, challenges Dado Marino for Marino’s NABF Flyweight title. This is the third meeting of the two, and Marino prevailed in both their prior encounters. This time around, a solid start from the challenger whose defensive prowess poses some challenges for Marino. In round five, both men do battle on the inside, and some good toe-to-toe action results in a stalemate – no real advantage for either side. At the halfway point, Marino has pulled out to a narrow lead (58-57) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In the second half of the bout, Pico’s superior stamina begins to have an impact, as he is plugging away on the inside with some effect. A solid rally from Pico in rounds seven through nine forces Marino to switch tactics and go on the offensive. Pico is able to resist, and a strong second half carries him to victory. The UD 12 goes to Pico (116-112,118-111, 116-112), and he adds the NABF belt to his LABF one. Post-bout career marks: Pico, 22-3-2 (1); Marino, 36-11 (14). Marino retains the long dormant USBA Fly title belt. In the final bout of the month, Jimmy Sherrer challenges aging veteran Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong for Armstrong’s WBA WW title. Earlier in the year, the two met for the vacant title (vacated when Ray Robinson elected to move up to MW), and Armstrong won via a late stoppage on cuts and has defended twice since. This time around, Sherrer gets off to a strong start, taking advantage of the fact that “Sugar” Ray is at End career stage for this bout. By the end of round two, Sherrer has landed sufficient leather to cause some initial swelling to appear under Armstrong’s left eye. Everything seems to be working in Sherrer’s favor until round four when, suddenly, the ref intervenes and Sherrer is DQ-ed for some flagrant low blows. The DQ-4 result enables Armstrong to hang on to the title for another defense, but demands for a rematch are quite loud and frequent. The win enabled Armstrong to move to 57-11-4 (46) overall, compared to a post-match record of 25-4 (13) for Sherrer.

[JCWeb]

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

Nov. 4, 1949: The month commences with a Friday night card at New Orleans. Two top 10 HW contenders are paired in the featured bout, with Turkey Thompson facing Joe Baksi. This is the first meeting of the two, and the bout is reasonably close until round three, when Thompson moves inside with some effective tactics to pull in front in the punch count stats. Then, in round four, Baksi responds, also working his way inside to win the round. At the halfway point, Baksi has edged in front (48-47) on the unofficial scorecard. The two continue to trade blows into the second half of the bout; the contest remains close with both men tiring badly in the later rounds. It is Baksi who manages to eke out a SD 10 (97-95, 95-97, 97-95), as the judges could not agree on the winner. Post-bout career marks: Baksi, 32-10 (19); Thompson, 30-12-2 (23).

Nov. 5, 1949: Back to Europe for a card at the Sports Palace in Rome. In the main event, Egisto Peyre defends his EBU WW title against and up-and-coming Brit, Eddie Thomas, who has tasted defeat just once in 21 bouts in his young career. The two have not met before; for Peyre, it is his third defense of the title he won in late 1948. Plenty of action in the opening round, as Peyre is able to open a cut over Thomas’ left eye with his first punch of the fight – a big right. Undaunted, Thomas bounces back, connecting with a surprisingly effective uppercut midway through the round that puts Peyre on the deck; the Italian Champion takes an eight count, then wisely covers up after recovering quite quickly. The cut over Thomas’ eye is reopened in round three, but the punch count stats in the early rounds favor the British challenger. Early in the fifth round, Thomas connects with a big hook, and Peyre covers up to avert further trouble. At the halfway point, Peyre has pulled back to even (57-57) on the unofficial scorer’s card, and the cut over Thomas’ eye is bleeding once again. Once again, the cut is patched up between rounds and, starting in round seven, there is noticeable puffiness under Peyre’s left eye. With the issue very much in doubt, Peyre steps up the pace and is the aggressor in the later rounds. Near the end of the ninth, Peyre finally breaks through, decking Thomas with a sharp combination. Thomas quickly regains his footing, arising at the count of two, but the damage has been done. Thomas is able to regain his composure and avoid danger the rest of the way and, to the dismay of the Italian fight fans in attendance, he takes a close but UD 12 (114-112, 115-113, 115-114) to lift the belt. Post-bout records: Thomas, 19-1-2 (4); Peyre, 32-7-3 (15). A rematch in early 1950 is in the offing.

Nov. 5, 1949: Next is a card at Chicago, and the featured bout sees George Costner challenging Tommy Bell for Bell’s USBA WW title. In one prior encounter, back in 1945 when Bell was still at Pre-Prime, Costner won by knockout. After a strong opening round for Bell, Costner recovers with a solid round in the second, landing a strong cross late in the round that stuns Bell. In round three, the advantage swings back to Bell, who floors Costner for an eight count. Into the middle rounds, and Bell has a huge edge in terms of stamina as well as a comfortable lead in the punches landed stats. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has Bell ahead (58-55). In round seven, Costner manages to open a cut over Bell’s right eye and, by the end of the round, there is some swelling accompanying the cut around the same injured eye. Late in round eight, Bell drops Costner for the second time, and this time Costner barely manages to beat the count. The cut is in a bad spot and, when it is reopened in the ninth round, the ref steps in to call an immediate halt – this coming at a time when Bell was ahead on all three cards. TKO 9 for Costner, who improves to 30-11-2 (18). Tough loss for Bell, who ends the bout at 32-5 (16).

Nov. 11, 1949: Next is a Friday night card at Havana’s Gran Stadium. The main event is for the LABF HW title, with Cuban fan favorite Omelio Agramonte making his first defense, facing challenger Cesar “Silverio” Brion of Argentina. The two have not met before, and this is the first title shot for Brion, who just hit Prime career stage with a 17-3 record Pre-Prime. With two sluggers going at it, there is plenty of action in the early rounds. After seizing the initiative by moving inside in round three, Agramonte edges ahead in the punch count stats. At the halfway point of the contest, the unofficial scorer has Agramonte with a solid points lead (59-55). Then, in round eight, Brion breaks down Agramonte’s defenses, crashing through with a big hook that puts the Cuban fighter on the deck. Agramonte recovers quickly, arising at the count of three, then wisely covers up to last the round. In round nine, a sharp exchange results in Agramonte suffering a split lip. Brion, who has closed the gap in the punch landed count, continues to apply pressure as the bout heads into the later rounds. More trouble for Agramonte in round 11, after Brion rips open a second cut over the Cuban Champion’s left eye, then he follows up with a second knockdown late in the round. The bout goes the distance, and Agramonte is lucky to retain the title with a draw (113-113, 112-114 Brion, 113-113) – a result that satisfies neither side. Post-bout records: Agramonte, 24-9-1 (14); Brion, 17-3-1 (7). A rematch some time in early 1950 is in the offing.

Nov. 12, 1949: Next card takes place in Philly. No titles on the line, and the main event features a top five LW contender, Beau Jack who, unable to line up a title shot, faces Chester Rico in a 10-rounder. The two have not met previously, and Jack is coming off a WBA title loss to Ike Williams. Midway through round two, Jack begins to assert himself, landing a big uppercut that forces Rico to cover up and, by the end of the round, there is a trace of swelling under Rico’s left eye. By the midway point, Jack has built a solid points lead (50-45) on the unofficial card, and the swelling around Rico’s eye is significantly worse. Solid boxing exhibition by Jack, who continues to dominate and, late in the bout, Rico’s injured eye becomes swollen to the point it is almost closed, so eventually the ref steps in to call a halt, and Jack takes a TKO 9 to run his career record to 35-8 (22). Rico ends the bout at 28-17-5 (12).

Nov. 12, 1949: To Western Canada for the next card at the Exhibition Gardens in Vancouver. A twin bill of feature bouts tops the agenda and, in the first of these, two WW contenders do battle as Bernard “Big Duke” Docusen faces Canadian Johnny Greco. No titles are at stake, the two have not met before, and the bout is scheduled for 10 rounds. After a solid start by both men, Greco does well to keep the bout close through the opening few rounds. Docusen gradually pulls ahead in the middle rounds and, at the halfway point, Docusen is up by two (49-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In the second half of the bout, Greco adopts a more aggressive posture, but he ends up on the receiving end of many strong counterpunches from Docusen, such that a mouse appears under his right eye by the end of round eight. However, Docusen is not unmarked, as he has suffered some minor bruising around his right eye. The bout goes the distance, and Greco is fortunate to manage a draw (96-96, 96-94 Docusen, 95-96 Greco), winning the last two rounds on all three cards after trailing through most of the contest. Post-bout records: Docusen, 23-4-6 (4); Greco, 26-12-3 (15). In the finale, the vacant Commonwealth BW title previously held by Fernando Gagnon (now the WBA BW Champ) is on the line, with Canadian Lou Alter matched with Brit Frankie Williams. No prior meetings of the two, and, for Williams, it is his first title shot of any kind. Near the end of the opening round, Alter serves notice, decking Williams with a big shot, but Williams is saved by the bell just as the ref commences with the count. After the flash knockdown, Williams, the slugger, is the more aggressive of the two, but Alter gives him few openings. As the bout heads into the middle rounds, Williams gradually gains the upper hand, taking a solid lead in the punches landed stats. At the halfway point, this translates into a points advantage for Williams, according to the unofficial scorer’s card (58-55). More trouble for Alter when, late in round seven, a glancing blow from an overhand right by Williams opens a cut over Alter’s right eye. The cut is quickly patched up, and Alter soldiers on, but Williams manages to keep Alter at bay for the remainder of the bout. In the end, the UD 12 and the title belt go to Williams (116-111 on all three cards). With the win, Williams moves to 21-4-2 (13) overall, compared to a post-bout record of 26-10-2 (14) for Alter.

[JCWeb]

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

Nov. 18, 1949: Excitement is in the air for the next edition of the Friday Night “Down Under” series, as a WBA title clash tops the agenda. First up, in the main supporting bout, two veteran MW contenders do battle, both of whom are in the Post-Prime of their respective careers. These two protagonists are American MWs Artie Levine and Freddie Apostoli, the “Boxing Bellhop;” in two prior encounters, Levine came out on top both times. Boxing comfortably, Apostoli builds an early lead in the punch count stats over the first three rounds. At the halfway point, Apostoli has a comfortable lead (49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Late in round six, Apostoli is able to break through, dropping Levine with a nice combination near the end of the round; Levine is barely able to beat the count, and the bell sounds before Apostoli can follow up. Levine ramps up the aggression in the later stages of the bout, but Apostoli is able to stay out of trouble, By the end of round nine, Levine’s corner is treating a welt under Levine’s left eye. The end comes a round later when, after two more knockdowns, the ref calls a halt, so the bout goes into the book as a TKO 10 for Apostoli. With the win, Apostoli improves to 41-21-3 (26). Levine slips to 28-12-1 (17) after the loss. Then, time for the main event, and Aussie Taffy “Sunny” Hancock, the reigning Commonwealth Flyweight Champion, challenges Teddy Gardner for Gardner’s WBA Flyweight title. It is the first meeting of the two, and two minutes into the opening round, Gardner connects with a strong combination that puts Hancock down for a count of three. Hancock regains his footing, then covers up to last the round without further difficulty. However, Gardner finishes off Hancock with a barrage of blows, putting the Aussie challenger down for the count. Impressive KO 2 for Gardner; post-bout career marks: Gardner, 35-9-2 (13); Hancock, 18-4-1 (14).

Nov. 19, 1949: Next up is a nice card at Miami. No titles at stake, and two top 10 ranked FWs take to the ring in the main event. Meeting for the second time are Carlos Chavez and Eddie Compo; these two battled to a draw in their one prior encounter, in Chicago in 1948. This time around, there is a blood on the forehead of Chavez at the conclusion of the opening stanza, and it is unclear if the cut was caused by a butt or a legal punch. In round two, a cut appears under Compo’s left eye. By the end of the third round, there is noticeable swelling under Compo’s injured eye. Then, in round four, the cut on Chavez’s forehead is reopened, but it is quickly patched up between rounds. At the midway point, Chavez is ahead on points (49-46), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. With the punch count stats as well as the stamina favor also working in Chavez’s favor, Compo makes an effort to step up the pace, taking a more active approach in the second half of the bout. In round seven, the cut on Chavez’s forehead is reopened, and it is deemed to be too serious to allow the bout to continue. Since it was ruled to be the result of an accidental butt, the scorecards after round six decide matters, and Chavez is declared the victor via a UTD 7 (59-57, 60-56, 58-57). With the win, Chavez runs his career record to 32-10-3 (10). For Compo, this is only his third career loss, leaving him at 22-3-3 (5).

Nov. 19, 1949: To the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles for the next card, and featured in the main event is a bout matching LABF BW Champ Luis Galvani with an up-and-coming American BW, Cecil Schoonmaker, for the vacant NABF BW title previously held by Fernando Gagnon, who is now the WBA BW Champ. The two have not met before, and, after a solid couple of opening rounds from Galvani, there is some puffiness under Schoonmaker’s right eye. After a strong round in the fifth, Galvani is well ahead in the punch count stats and, at the halfway point, he has a commanding points lead (60-54), according to the unofficial scorer. In round seven, with Schoonmaker pressing forward, Galvani connects with a short, clean hook that sends his opponent to the canvas. Schoonmaker takes an eight count before arising, then he covers up to last the round. Galvani, well on his way to a convincing points win, registers a pair of knockdowns in round 11, aided by two more in round 12, and this is sufficient for the ref to step in and call a halt with just a few seconds remaining in the contest. The TKO 12 gives Galvani the NABF belt for the second time, lifting his career record to 29-5 (18). The loss drops Schoonmaker to 20-4-1 (8).

Nov. 25, 1949: Next is a Friday night card at Johannesburg’s Rand Stadium. Featured bout matches two regional Champions in the LW division, as former WBA LW titleholder and current NABF LW Champ Bob “Bobcat” Montgomery takes on Charlie Ashenden, who recently captured the OPBF LW title. No prior meetings of these two, and no titles at stake in this 10-rounder. Montgomery, the heavier hitter of the two, gets off to a solid start, dominating the action in the early going. Ashenden, however, proves to be a resilient and resourceful foe. In round five, Montgomery breaks through, ripping open a cut over Ashenden’s left eye with a couple of sharp jabs, then flooring the Aussie with an overhand Into the middle rounds, and last the round. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer has Montgomery with a slim one-point lead (48-47), this despite a 10-8 round for the American Champion in the fifth. In round seven, the cut over Ashenden’s eye is reopened. Going into the later rounds, Montgomery has a huge stamina advantage, as well as a nice edge in the punch count stats. The end comes in round nine, when Montgomery breaks through, dropping Ashenden twice, once with a barrage of blows, then again with a nice uppercut, forcing an early stoppage. TKO 9 for Montgomery, who improves to 41-5-2 (22) with the win; the loss drops Ashenden to 20-7-8 (5). Both of these guys will be at Post-Prime which their next outing, some time in early 1950.

Nov. 26, 1949: Next card takes place in London. At stake in the main event is the EBU FW title, currently held by France’s Emile Famechon. Challenging Famechon for the title is a Brit, Teddy Peckham. In one prior meeting, Peckham prevailed via a first round knockout, but this was back in 1946 when both boxers were at pre-Prime. Peckham, the more aggressive of the two in the early going, tries to assert himself by moving inside in round three. Once the bout reaches the middle rounds, Famechon has settled in and, with both fighters mixing it up on the inside in round five, he gets the better of Peckham, landing a huge shot a minute into the round that puts the British challenger down and out. Impressive KO 5 for Famechon, who avenges the earlier loss and retains his EBU title belt. Post-bout records: Famechon, 23-4-1 (7); Peckham, 19-5 (9).

Nov. 26, 1949: Final card of the month takes place at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. A WBA title clash tops the agenda, but first up is a matchup of two LH contenders in the main supporting bout. In this 10-round, non-title bout, veteran Harry “Kid” Matthews faces, for the first time, Bob Murphy. After a couple of pedestrian opening rounds, Matthews takes charge in round three, ripping open a cut over Murphy’s left eye with a hard cross. Later in the round, even more damage is done as a mouse forms under Murphy’s other eye. With Murphy barely able to remain upright, the bout comes to an early end with seconds remaining, as the ref steps in to save Murphy from further punishment. Impressive TKO 3 for Matthews, who improves to 35-9-1 (23) with the win, reinforcing his position among the top LH contenders. Meanwhile, Murphy slips to 19-4 (17) with the loss. Then, in the main event, former WBA WW Champ “Sugar” Ray Robinson challenges Jose Basora for the WBA MW title belt. The two met once before, almost three years ago, with Robinson prevailing via a TKO stoppage. In this rematch, Robinson takes charge with a strong round in the third, then moves inside in round four. After the first five rounds are in the books, Robinson has forged a solid points lead (49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Into the middle rounds, and Basora makes an effort to turn things around, starting with a strong round in the seventh that sees some initial swelling appear under Robinson’s right eye. However, Robinson maintains the edge in the punches landed stats and, at the two-thirds mark, he holds a two-point lead (96-94), according to the unofficial card. In round 11, a right from Basora opens a cut over Robinson’s left eye. Basora, desperate to retain his title, tries to capitalize on the situation, reopening the cut over Robinson’s eye in round 13, but Robinson is able to cause some puffiness to appear under Basora’s right eye. Robinson’s corner is able to keep the cut under control, and “Sugar Ray” gradually pulls away to register a solid points win, taking the UD 15 (148-136, 146-138, 145-140) and the WBA MW title. Post-bout career marks: Robinson, 41-3-1 (29); Basora, 36-10-1 (24).

[JCWeb]

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

Dec. 2, 1949: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at Havana’s Gran Stadium. The main event involves a contest for the LABF FW title, recently vacated by Ciro Morasen after Morasen moved up to capture the NABF FW belt. Paired together are Cuba’s Diego Sosa and Panama’s Simon Vergara. These two have not met before with Sosa, who has held the title twice before, coming into the bout as a heavy favorite. However, Vergara gets off to a surprisingly strong start, landing sufficient leather to cause some initial puffiness to form under the right eye of Vergara as early as the end of round three. Sosa begins to turn things around with a strong round in the fifth. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has Vergara up by two (58-56). Vergara continues to pile up points in the second half of the bout, and Sosa is forced to become more and more aggressive, taking more risks as the bout wears on. However, Sosa’s exertions are to little or no avail, as Vergara grinds his way to a solid UD 12 verdict (119-110, 119-112, 116-113). Post-bout career marks: Vergara, 22-5-4 (6); Sosa, 32-10-2 (16). Vergara, who had lost his two previous outings prior to this title bout, may find his reign to be short-lived as he is due to hit Post-Prime with his next bout in 1950.

Dec. 3, 1949: Next up is a card at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. Featured on the undercard is unbeaten HW prospect Rocky Marciano, who runs his career record to a perfect 12-0 (12) with a one-sided TKO 2 win over a hapless journeyman, Bob Bonger, who had little to offer versus Rocky’s power. In the main event, two LW contenders square off, with Beau Jack taking on Aussie Norm Gent, the reigning Commonwealth LW Champion. The two have not met previously, and Jack has the upper hand in the early going. In round three, he connects with a sharp combination that sends Gent tumbling to the canvas. After taking an eight count, Gent wisely elects to cover up and manages to last the round. Jack tries to finish matters in the next round but is unable to do so. Gent has gradually worked his way into the bout in the middle rounds and, at the halfway point, Jack’s lead is only two points (48-46), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. By the end of the seventh round, there is noticeable puffiness under the right eye of Gent. Then, in round eight, Jack floors Gent for the second time; this time Gent is able to resume after taking a count of seven. Late in round, a wicked hook to the head puts Gent down again, but he is able to scramble to his feet and beat the count, and there is not enough time remaining for Jack to finish matters. The bout goes the rest of the way, with Gent going down a fourth time in the final round but being saved by the bell. The bout goes to decision, and it is a lopsided UD 10 for Jack (99-87, 98-88, 97-89), who improves to 36-8 (22). The loss leaves Gent – who will be at Post-Prime with his next outing -- at 21-7-3 (7).

Dec. 9, 1949: Next is a Friday night card at Miami. In the main event, Carl “Bobo” Olson is on hand to make his second defense of the NABF MW title he won earlier in 1949. This time, the challenger is a former WBA MW Champion, Steve “Spider” Belloise. The two have not met before, and therefore the action is slow to develop in the opening few rounds. Belloise manages to give a good accounting and, in the waning seconds of the fourth round, he manages to deck Olson with a strong hook, with Olson being saved by the bell just as the ref starts the count. At the halfway point, the challenger is up by two (58-56) on the unofficial card. Olson, trailing, works his way inside, pressing the action, but he begins to show signs of fatigue, plus there is some noticeable swelling under his right eye. Into the later rounds, and Olson shows signs of fatigue, and he falls even further behind in the punch count stats. The bout goes the full distance without further incident and, on the strength of the early knockdown, Belloise takes a close but UD 12 (114-113, 114-113, 115-113) to capture the belt. Post-bout records: Belloise, 34-11-2 (15); Olson, 20-4-2 (12). Belloise’s enjoyment of the new title may be short-lived, however, as he is slated to hit Post-Prime with his next outing in early 1950.

Dec. 10, 1949: To Europe for the next card that takes place at Rome. Aldo Spoldi, who has held the EBU LW title since 1941, is making one of his infrequent defenses in the featured bout. The challenger this time around is GBU LW titleholder Harry Hughes. The two have not met before, and the fact that Spoldi is now at End career stage suggests that Hughes has a good chance of prevailing in this encounter. A solid start by Hughes gives him the early edge in terms of the punch count stats. In round four, sharp jab from Spoldi begins to turn things around, as he manages to open up a cut over Hughes’ right eye. Undeterred, Hughes continues swinging away and, by the end of round five, there is a trace of swelling under the left eye of Spoldi. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer has Hughes up by two (58-56). The action heats up in round eight, first with the cut over Hughes’ eye being reopened, but then, with blood streaming down his face, Hughes connects with a big hook. Spoldi drops to the canvas, arising at the count of three, then covering up to last the round. Both fighters tire badly in the final few rounds and, with his title possibly slipping way, it is not until round 11 when Spoldi takes a more aggressive approach, throwing caution to the wind and going for a knockout. He manages to re-open the cut over Hughes’ eye a second time, but that is not going to be enough as the bout goes to decision. The result is a solid UD 12 for Hughes (119-108, 118-109, 116-111) who captures the belt, and by a wider margin than the punch count stats might have indicated. Post-bout, Hughes improves to 22-6-1(9) with the win. Spoldi, now 51-21-7 (13), is just one or two bouts away from retirement.

Dec. 10, 1949: The next fistic action takes place in Montreal. A WBA title clash tops the card, but first up in the main support is an intriguing WW matchup. Taking to the ring is the “Cuban Hawk,” Kid Gavilan and his opponent, Cliff Curvis, is the recently crowned GBU WW Champion. The two are meeting for the first time, and the bout, with no titles at stake, is scheduled for 10 rounds. The action heats up in round three, when Gavilan seizes the initiative and manages to open a cut over Curvis’ right eye, also causing some initial puffiness to appear under Curvis’ other (left) eye. However, some accurate counterpunching from Curvis manages to keep the bout a close one. At the halfway point, Gavilan has a slim lead (48-47), according to the unofficial scorer’s card. In round six, the cut over Curvis’ eye is reopened. As the bout wears on, both the stamina factor and the punch count stats work in Gavilan’s favor. Finally, when the cut is reopened for a third time in round eight, it becomes too serious for the ref to allow the bout to continue, and Gavilan is declared a TKO 8 victor via the cuts stoppage. Post-bout records: Gavilan, 23-4-2 (5); Curvis, 22-3-2 (1). Then, in the main event, Canadian Fernando Gagnon is on hand to defend his WBA BW title, taking on veteran challenger and ex-Champ Benny Goldberg. The two met once before, in 1947, also in Montreal, and Goldberg took a points win on that occasion. This time, Gagnon gets off to a solid start, grabbing an early lead in the punch count stats and also managing to cause some initial puffiness under the left eye of Goldberg by the end of the second round. One third of the way through the bout, and Gagnon already has a solid points advantage (49-46), according to the unofficial card. In the middle rounds, Gagnon eases up a bit, and Goldberg attempts to stage a rally. At the two thirds mark of the contest, Goldberg has narrowed Gagnon’s point lead on the unofficial card to just one point (96-95). By this time, there is also some noticeable swelling around the left eye of Gagnon. With the issue very much in doubt, Gagnon goes back on the offensive as the bout enters its final stages. Aided by the cheers of the hometown crowd, Gagnon manages to put Goldberg on the deck for the bout’s only knockdown in the 14th round, sealing a UD 15 win (145-138, 146-137, 147-136) to retain the title. Post-bout career marks are Gagnon, 30-5 (17) and, for Goldberg, 33-8-3 (14).

Dec. 16, 1949: Next is another Friday night fights “Down Under” card at Sydney, and topping the card is a rare brother versus brother matchup. Additionally, two title belts are on the line in the same bout, as Dave and Alfie Sands are paired together for the first time, with Dave’s OPBF MW title as well as Alfie’s Commonwealth MW title at stake. The Aussie fight fans are torn in their allegiance, although Alfie, being the underdog, is the putative crowd favorite. Not much action in the opening two rounds, but Dave does land enough telling blows to cause a trace of swelling under Alfie’s right eye. In round three, it is Alfie who scores well, connecting with a big cross that forces his brother to cover up. However, in round four, it is Dave Sands who gets busy, landing one unanswered blow after another, until brother Alfie is forced to submit. The ref steps in to save Alfie from further punishment, and the bout goes into the books as a TKO 4 for Dave Sands, who improves to 34-4 (22) and adds the Commonwealth MW title (which he has held before) to the OPBF one. For Alfie Sands, his career record is now 20-6 (11), and he is without a title belt for the first time since mid-1948.

[JCWeb]

This report includes bouts from the second half of December 1949. Three WBA title bouts (!) are included in this report.

Dec. 17, 1949: Next card takes place in the Far East at Manila’s Rizal Arena. Matched together in the main event are Black Pico, the reigning NABF and LABF Flyweight Champion, and Yoshio Shirai, holder of the OPBF Fly title belt. The two have not met before, and the bout, with no titles at stake, is scheduled for 10 rounds. Starting in round three, Shirai works his way inside and, late in the round, he drops Pico with a nice combination. Pico picks himself off the deck after taking a seven count and covers up in order to last the round. Pico is able to recover quickly, gaining the upper hand in the middle rounds sufficient to forge a narrow points lead (48-47) at the midway point, according to the unofficial scorer’s card. However, the punch count stats favor Shirai, who continues to be the more active of the two as the bout enters its later stages. It is not until the final round that Pico, who is suffering from a rapidly swelling right eye, begins to show signs of aggressiveness. It turns out that a strong showing in the final round is sufficient for Pico to salvage a majority draw (95-95, 96-94 Shirai, 95-95) with one judge favoring Shirai. Post-bout career marks: Pico, 22-3-3 (1); Shirai, 25-5-1 (12).

Dec. 17, 1949: Aging veteran HW Jersey Joe Walcott is still enough of a draw to feature in a main event, this time the venue is the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix; Walcott’s opponent in the feature bout is Kid Riviera, a promising West Coast boxer. It is the first meeting of the two, and no titles are on the line in this 10-rounder. There is not much to choose between the two through the opening rounds, but Riviera serves notice with a strong round three. Then, in round five, Walcott’s age begins to show, as he falls victim to a Riviera combination and goes down, arising after taking a four count. At the midway point of the contest, Riviera has a solid points lead (49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In the second half of the bout, Walcott battles back, taking a more aggressive posture, with some success, as he pulls out to a slight lead in the punches landed count. Despite Walcott’s best efforts, he is unable to mount a rally, so Riviera takes a UD 10 (98-92, 97-93, 99-91), and he improves to 21-4-1 (10) as a result. For Jersey Joe, it’s just one step closer to retirement as he ends the bout at 55-19 (31).

Dec. 23, 1949: Next is a Friday night card at New York’s Madison Square Garden, and a pair of title bouts top the agenda. In the first of these, Tommy Yarosz challenges Lloyd Marshall for Marshall’s USBA LH title; this bout takes place exactly one year after Marshall’s last title defense in December 1948. It is the first meeting of the two, and the action is slow to develop as there is little to choose between the two in the opening rounds of the contest. In round four, the action heats up, with Yarosz doing some damage by ripping open a cut over Marshall’s left eye; in addition, the eye is showing traces of swelling as well. Marshall strikes back in the very next round, dropping Yarosz for a four count with a barrage of blows; the challenger manages to last the round with effective use of the cover up strategy. At the halfway point, despite one 10-8 round for Marshall, Yarosz is ahead (57-56) on the unofficial card. In the second half of the bout, Yarosz continues to have the upper hand, re-opening the cut over Marshall’s eye in round nine and, again, in round 11. The bout goes to decision, and Yarosz emerges as a SD 12 victor (113-116, 116-111, 115-112) to capture the belt, which is the first title for him in his career. Post-bout records: Yarosz, 30-7-2 (11); Marshall, 40-9-5 (32). Unfortunately for Yarosz, his reign may be short-lived as he is slated to hit Post-Prime with his next outing in early 1950. In the finale, the WBA HW title is at stake, with Joe Louis, the “Brown Bomber,” now in his second decade as HW Champ, and, this time around, the challenger is lightly regarded Phil Muscato. Muscato, whose career did not start until 1942, after Louis began his current reign as WBA Champion, is facing Louis for the first time. There is, surprisingly, no quick knockout, as Muscato is able to hold his own through the opening two rounds. It is not until the end of round three that Louis is able to land a powerful uppercut; Muscato drops to the canvas and barely manages to beat the count, and the bell sounds before Louis is able to finish matters. Louis goes on the offensive in the next round, landing several telling blows until the ref decides to call a halt, saving Muscato from further punishment. TKO 4 for Louis, who runs his impressive career record to 66-1-1 (64) as a result. Muscato ends the bout at 26-7-3 (10). Looking ahead, Louis has one more year before hitting Post-Prime in 1951, while Muscato will be at Post with his next outing.

Interesting side-note: with over a 1000 point difference in the pre-bout Performance point levels going into the bout, it turns out that the loser (Muscato) actually gained more PPs (10, rounded up) than the winner (Louis) who gained less than 1 Perf Point to end 1949 at an all-time high of 2374.

Dec. 24, 1949: Staying in the USA for the next card, a Saturday afternoon affair in front of Christmas Eve. A WBA title clash tops the action, preceded by a BW matchup featuring Tommy Forte, a former WBA BW Champ, taking on the EBU BW titleholder, Guido Ferracin of Italy, in a 10-round, non-title affair. The two have not met before, and Forte is at Post-Prime while Ferracin is still at Prime. In round three, Forte moves inside and does well enough to take the early lead in the punch count stats. Forte continues to build on this through the middle rounds and, at the halfway point, he is up by two (48-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In the second half of the bout, and the stamina factor favors Forte, who also has the support of the crowd. In the later rounds, Ferracin, trailing, is able to mount a rally, but, in the end, he comes up short, as Forte takes a UD 10 (97-94 on all three cards). Post-bout, Forte improves to 40-13-3 (13) with the win; the loss leaves Ferracin at 18-5-4 (3). The main event sees Ike Williams on hand to defend his WBA LW title, and the challenger is USBA LW Champ Freddie Dawson. The two have not met previously, and Williams get off to a strong start, dominating the action in the opening few rounds in this, his fourth title defense. In round three, Williams rips a hard hook to the body that forces the challenger to cover up, although Dawson does remain upright. Dawson bounces back with a strong round four, but at the one-thirds mark, Williams has a large lead (49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. After a lull in the middle rounds, in round nine the action picks up. First, Dawson connects with a cross that draws blood; suddenly, a cut appears over Williams’ right eye. Later in the round, Williams responds, decking Dawson for a three count with a barrage of blows, and the bell sounds before Williams can do further damage. At this point both fighters need a breather, and both corners go to work, as Dawson is showing the effects with a rapidly swelling left eye. After 10 rounds are in the books, the unofficial card has Williams with a huge lead (99-92), indicating that Dawson needs a knockout or a cuts stoppage to prevail. In round 11, the cut over Williams’ eye is reopened, and, once again, a sharp combination from Williams drops Dawson, who barely manages to beat the bout. Dawson topples to the canvas a third time near the end of round 14, and Williams finishes Dawson off with a pair of KDs in the final round, ending matters with a short, clean cross for the fifth knockdown that puts Dawson down and out. Intriguing contest that ends with a KO 15 for Williams, who retains the title and improves to 40-4-1 (34), while Dawson ends the bout at 25-3-3 (6).

Dec. 26, 1949: Next is the traditional Boxing Day card that takes place at Earls Court in London. No titles at the stake, and the featured bout matches two regional titleholders: Commonwealth and GBU FW Champ Ronnie Clayton and his USBA counterpart, Phil Terranova. The two have not met previously, and the bout is scheduled for 10. After a couple of pedestrian opening rounds, Clayton takes charge by moving inside in round three. By the midway point, Clayton has pulled ahead to a nice lead (49-46) on the unofficial card. Furthermore, at this point, a mouse has formed under the right eye of Terranova. In round seven, Terranova leaves himself open, and he goes down from a Clayton combination. After the count reaches three, Terranova is back on his feet, and he covers up and lasts the round. Trailing badly, Terranova tries to up his aggression level in the final two rounds, but to no avail. Clayton punctuates his superiority by putting Terranova down two more times the final round, with the second KD occurring just before the final bell. Thus, a lopsided UD 10 goes to Clayton (99-88, 99-89, 99-88). Post-bout career marks: Clayton, 32-5 (16); Terranova, 27-13 (11). Terranova is at Post-Prime and due for a mandatory title defense in early 1950.

Dec. 31, 1949: The year’s action wraps up with a New Year’s Eve event at San Juan, Puerto Rico. A WBA title bout tops the card, and the main support matches two top ranked Flyweight contenders in a non-title clash. In this preliminary contest, Dado Marino, who still holds the USBA Flyweight title belt, faces Maurice Sandeyron, who twice tried (unsuccessfully) for the EBU Flyweight title. No prior meetings of the two and, after a couple of close opening rounds, Marino gradually pulls ahead in the middle rounds. At the halfway point, Marino is ahead on the unofficial card (48-47), and Sandeyron is already showing signs of puffiness under his left eye. The bout goes the distance, and Marino grinds out a solid UD 10 win (98-92, 97-93, 97-93) to improve his career stats to 37-11 (14). Sandeyron ends the bout at 37-9-4 (5). Final bout of the card and the year is for the WBA LH title, with Archie Moore making his seventh title defense, facing veteran Harry “Kid” Matthews. In their one prior encounter, for the USBA title back in 1945, Moore took a unanimous points win. Late in the second round, Moore strikes, connecting with a barrage of blows that put Matthews on the canvas, taking an eight count just before the bell sounds to end the round. Midway through round four, Moore drops Matthews for a second time with a short, clean combination; this time the challenger scrambles to his feet and covers up in order to last the round. Another knockdown takes place right before the bell and, while Matthews once again is able to beat the count, there is not enough time left in the round for Moore to finish matters. Matthews is fortunate to last the first five rounds, but at this point Moore is well ahead (50-43) on the unofficial scorecard. Matthews has time to recover and begins to settle in through the middle rounds, but he is not really a threat to seriously challenge Moore. At the end of round eight, Matthews goes down a fourth time, this from a Moore uppercut, but he is saved by the bell. The end comes a round later, this after Moore is able to open two cuts, one over Matthews’ right eye, and a second under his left eye, and this causes the ref to step in and call a halt. Impressive, one-sided TKO 9 for Moore to wrap up another year of fistic activities. Post-bout career records: Moore, 50-4-5 (35); Matthews, 35-10-1 (23).

There is talk of Moore moving up to HW to challenge long-time Champ Joe Louis, but that matchup will have to wait until after the year-end reports coming up next.

[JCWeb]

And on to the first of the year-end reports ...

HW
Division Profile

Total: 189 RL: 111 TC: 78

RL by Career Stage:
End - 12
Post - 20
Prime - 34
Pre - 32
Beginning - 14 (8 New)

Rated: 73
800+: 13
500+: 31
200+ : 63

Jan 1950 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1949 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Joe Louis 66-1-1 (64) (2374) (NC)
1. Ezzard Charles 30-6 (23) (1409) (+2)
2. Jimmy Bivins 32-6-3 (20) (1381) (+3) (USBA)
3. Pat Comiskey 33-9 (21) (1380) (-1)
4. Tommy Gomez 38-8-1 (35) (1242) (-3) (NABF)
5. Lee Q. Murray 34-12-2 (26) (1129) (+4)
6. Bruce Woodcock 31-5 (26) (1128) (-2) (EBU, CBU, GBU)
7. Nino Valdes 23-10-2 (19) (1104) (+7)
8 Joe Baksi 32-10 (19) (1007) (+12)
9. Turkey Thompson 30-12-2 (23) (1006) (-1)
10. Phil Muscato 26-7-3 (10) (1000) (+7)

Other Notables: 11. Kid Riviera 21-4-1 (10) (857)
12. Jersey Joe Walcott 55-19 (31) (845)
13. Roscoe Toles 46-21-6 (9) (798)
16. Omelio Agramonte 24-9-1 (14) (759) (-4) (LABF)
20. Bernie Reynolds 19-2 (12) (681)
25. Wilson Kohlbrecher 16-1 (7) (538)

Top Prospects: Roland LaStarza 12-1 (4)
Rocky Marciano 12-0 (12)
Earl Walls 12-0 (7)
Clarence Henry 7-0 (5)
Jack Gardner 6-0 (4)

Retirements:

Bob Nestell (USA) 1936-1949 31-20-1 (22) No Titles Highest Rank: 22
Erwin Klein (GER) 1934-1949 37-21-5 (16) No Titles Highest Rank: 23
Gus Dorazio (USA) 1935-1949 30-18-9 (8) No Titles Highest Rank: 11
Chuck Crowell (USA) 1937-1949 27-27-2 (17) No Titles Highest Rank: 21
Karel Sys (BEL) 1932-1949 47-28-3 (20) No Titles Highest Rank: 23
Lou Brooks (USA) 1941-1948 23-10-4 (17) No Titles Highest Rank: 41

Outlook for 1950: Louis’ lengthy reign as WBA Champion continued, and he is now one year away from Post-Prime (with 1951 being his real-life retirement year). The mix among the top contenders has changed, with guys like Walcott and Toles fading from top 10 status, while Charles and Bivins have worked their way into the top two positions. Cuban Nino Valdes with his one-punch knockout power remains a threat, and with a perfect 12-0 mark, Rocky Marciano is still a couple of years away from becoming a serious title contender. The division remains dominated by US fighters (eight of the top 10 contenders), and Woodcock (who holds three titles) is the best of the Europeans. The most interesting development is an expression of interest by LH Champ Archie Moore in moving up to HW to possibly challenge Louis. Johnny Summerlin (an “8”) is the best of the newcomers this time around.

[JCWeb]

LH
Division Profile

Total: 128 RL: 83 TC: 45

RL by Career Stage:
End - 8
Post - 21
Prime - 23
Pre - 22
Beginning - 9 (5 New)

Rated: 56
800+: 9
500+: 29
200+ : 48

Jan 1950 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1949 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Archie Moore 50-4-5 (35) (1957) (NC)
1. Harold Johnson 22-1 (9) (1438) (+3) (NABF)
2. Harry Matthews 35-10-1 (23) (1430) (NC)
3. Tommy Yarosz 30-7-2 (11) (1353) (+2) (USBA)
4. Lloyd Marshall 40-9-5 (22) (1352) (-3)
5. Billy Conn 46-12-4 (17) (1132) (+1)
6. Melio Bettina 43-15-7 (18) (1087) (-3)
7. Freddie Mills 34-19-2 (16) (877) (+2) (EBU, CBU, GBU)
8 Young Joe Louis 33-20-1 (15) (826) (+6)
9. Oakland Billy Smith 27-10-4 (20) (777) (+2)
10. Billy Fox 24-6-2 (17) (762) (+18)

Other Notables: 11. Fitzie Fitzpatrick 25-11-3 (19) (757)
12. Gus Lesnevich 42-24-3 (17) (742)
13. Joe Kahut 26-10-1 (21) (717)
15. Leonard Morrow 18-2 (11) (691)
20. Eddie Cotton 14-1 (10) (604)
29. Charley Williams 16-1-1 (10) (491)

Top Prospects: Dan Bucceroni 12-0 (8)
Yvon Durelle 11-0 (8)
Gustav Scholz 6-0 (1)
Yolande Pompey 5-0 (2)
Danny Nardico 3-0 (3)

Retirements: None

Outlook for 1950: The majority of the top ranked contenders represent an aging bunch (i.e., Yarosz, Conn, Bettina, Mills, Young Joe Louis and Billy Fox). If Archie Moore makes good on his threat to move up to HW, the logical successor is to the WBA crown is Johnson. Mills, like Woodcock in the HW division, has managed to consolidate three regional titles, and, despite being at Post-Prime, there appear to be a paucity of credible challengers either in Britain or on the continent. “Blackjack” Billy Fox leapfrogged into the top 10 with by winning all five of his 1949 encounters, with his two most recent conquests being Dolph Quijano and Leonard Morrow. Bucceroni, Durelle and Scholz appear to be the best of the current crop of prospects, and the top rated newcomers for 1950 are a pair of “6” rated guys (Germinal Ballarin and Wes Bascom).

[JCWeb]

MW
Division Profile

Total: 185 RL: 124 TC: 61

RL by Career Stage:
End - 5
Post - 29
Prime - 40
Pre - 38
Beginning - 12 (6 New)

Rated: 89
800+: 21
500+: 53
200+ : 79

Jan 1950 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1949 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Ray Robinson 40-3-1 (29) (1839) (new)
1. Charley Burley 51-5 (35) (1828) (-1) (USBA)
2. Dave Sands 34-4 (22) (1626) (+1) (CBU, OPBF)
3. Marcel Cerdan 52-10-5 (35) (1545) (-1) (EBU)
4. Holman Williams 58-16-1 (24) (1423) (NC)
5. Jake LaMotta 34-5-1 (21) (1414) (-4)
6. Jose Basora 36-10-1 (24) (1382) (+8)
7. Steve Belloise 34-11-2 (15) (1339) (-1) (NABF)
8 Tony Zale 48-12-2 (27) (1335) (-1)
9. Freddie Apostoli 41-21-3 (16) (1170) (+1)
10. Artie Levine 28-12-1 (17) (1169) (-5)

Other Notables: 11. Artie Towne 23-3-2 (8) (1102)
12. Carl Olson 20-4-2 (12) (1015)
15. Rocky Graziano 25-11-1 (20) (914)
18. Bobby Jones 21-3-2 (2) (883)
34. Lester Felton 14-0-1 (4) (665)
35. Vince Hawkins 22-15-4 (8) (659) (-10) (GBU)
37. Randy Turpin 19-2 (15) (652)

Top Prospects: Jimmy Beau 12-0 (6)
Sugar Boy Nando 11-1 (2)
Holly Mims 9-0
Joey Giardello 6-0 (1)
Paul Pender 5-0 (1)
George Benton 4-0 (1)
Joey Giambra 3-1

Retirements:

Kid Tunero (CUB) 1929-1949 41-30-7 (11) LABF Champion Highest Rank: 6
Paul Lewis (USA) 1938-1949 18-21-5 (12) No Titles Highest Rank: 53
Walter Woods (USA) 1930-1949 32-25-1 (17) No Titles Highest Rank: 21
Ralph DeJohn (USA) 1936-1949 31-23-5 (11) No Titles Highest Rank: 23
Ben Brown (USA) 1933-1949 39-18-4 (22) USBA Champion Highest Rank: 10

Outlook for 1950: After serving ably as WBA WW Champ, Robinson finally broke through and captured the WBA MW title, taking advantage of the fact that Burley, who turned back a challenge from "Sugar Ray" in early 1949, was dethroned by LaMotta, who in turn lost to Basora, who turned out to be a much easier opponent when another WBA title shot was arranged later in the year. Currently, while there remains a wealth of talented MWs in the top tier of the rankings, collectively they are an aging group, as no fewer than seven of the top 10 contenders (all but Sands, LaMotta and Basora) have reached Post-Prime as of January 1950. Thus, an opportunity exists for guys like Rocky Graziano, Bobby Jones and Bert Lytell to move up the ranks, as well as Olson and Janiro, whose careers stalled in 1949, to regain top 10 status. Not a ton of talented prospects on the verge of cracking the ratings list, but guys like Mims, Giardello, Pender, Benton and Giambra are poised to hone their skills in the next couple of years. Top newcomer set to join the MW ranks is Ralph “Tiger” Jones.

[JCWeb]

WW
Division Profile

Total: 161 RL: 116 TC: 45

RL by Career Stage:
End - 11
Post - 26
Prime - 36
Pre - 31
Beginning - 12 (5 New)

Rated: 76
800+: 22
500+: 41
200+ : 65

Jan 1950 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1949 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Henry Armstrong 58-11-4 (46) (1824) (+1)
1. Jimmy Sherrer 25-4 (13) (1395) (+1) (NABF)
2. George Costner 30-11-2 (18) (1333) (+10) (USBA)
3. Tommy Bell 32-5 (16) (1332) (NC)
4. Kid Gavilan 23-4-2 (5) (1323) (+2)
5. Cocoa Kid 56-15-7 (13) (1202) (+4) (LABF)
6. Michele Palermo 51-19-10 (14) (1157) (+8)
7. Billy Graham 25-11-1 (11) (1102) (+1)
8 Johnny Bratton 21-3-1 (12) (1094) (+7)
9. Norman Rubio 30-12-4 (13) (1089) (+1)
10. Georgie Crouch 39-18-4 (19) (1080) (-5)

Other Notables: 11. Eddie Thomas 19-1-2 (4) (1030) (+28) (EBU)
12. Egisto Peyre 32-7-3 (15) (1029)
13. Bernard Docusen 23-4-6 (4) (1027)
18. Cliff Curvis 22-3-2 (1) (927) (NC) (GBU)
21. Ernie Roderick 40-27-7 (9) (878) (NC) (CBU)
27. Bobby Dykes 16-1 (3) (707)
29. Jack McNamee 42-42-2 (23) (684) (-1) (OPBF)

Top Prospects: Sal DiMartino 13-0-1 (5)
Don Williams 13-1 (5)
Vic Cardell 12-1 (1)
Virgil Akins 8-0 (6)
Carmen Basilio 6-0 (3)
Tony DeMarco 6-0 (3)
Ross Virgo 6-0
Johnny Saxton 4-0 (2)
Isaac Logart 1-0

Retirements:

Freddie Cochrane (USA) 1933-1949 33-26-6 (9) No Titles Highest Rank: 5
Gustav Eder (GER) 1928-1949 44-24-11 (10) EBU Champion Highest Rank: 4
Johnny Barbara (USA) 1937-1949 25-24-6 (11) No Titles Highest Rank: 40
Fritzie Zivic (USA) 1931-1949 43-22-6 (18) NABF, USBA Champion Highest Rank: 1
Maxie Berger (CAN) 1935-1949 29-27 (7) No Titles Highest Rank: 34
Flashy Sebastian (PHI) 1936-1949 24-27-3 (6) No Titles Highest Rank: 58

Outlook for 1950: Robinson’s vacating of the WW title opened the door for a return to glory for aging vet “Homicide Hank” Armstrong, who regained the title and held it through three successful defenses. Sherrer, Bell, Gavilan and Bratton are among the likely successors, given other top 10 contender are on the downside of their respective careers. Brit Eddie Thomas surprised by captured the EBU title, knocking off Italian Egisto Peyre to do so, and he zooms up the rankings to within striking distance of a top 10 contender spot as a result. Along with Peyre, aging veterans like Marty Servo and Izzy Jannazzo faded from contention, opening up opportunities for new faces. Looking into the ranks of the many prospects, there is a depth of talent that is maybe two years away, notably Virgil Akins, Carmen Basilio, Tony DeMarco, Ross Virgo and Johnny Saxton. Only five newcomers to the division in 1950, topped by Jackie O’Brien and Gil Turner, both rated “6.”

[JCWeb]

LW
Division Profile

Total: 161 RL: 105 TC: 56

RL by Career Stage:
End - 8
Post - 24
Prime - 43
Pre - 22
Beginning - 8 (5 New)

Rated: 82
800+: 22
500+: 47
200+ : 71

Jan 1950 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1949 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Ike Williams 40-4-1 (34) (1809) (NC)
1. Bob Montgomery 41-5-2 (22) (1693) (NC) (NABF)
2. Joe Brown 33-4 (22) (1375) (NC)
3. Beau Jack 36-8 (22) (1275) (+1)
4. Freddie Dawson 25-3-3 (6) (1230) (+1) (USBA)
5. Enrique Bolanos 28-4 (21) (1147) (+2) (LABF)
6. Sammy Angott 38-14-8 (12) (941) (NC)
7. Laurie Stevens 43-21-1 (11) (936) (+13)
8 George LaRover 26-9-3 (13) (926) (+1)
9. Maxie Docusen 20-3-4 (2) (923) (+13)
10. Lulu Costantino 31-12-5 (12) (922) (-2)

Other Notables: 11. Santa Bucca 21-7-4 (6) (911)
12. Rudy Cruz 35-5-3 (6) (898)
17. Charlie Ashenden 20-7-8 (5) (844) (+14) (OPBF)
19. Tommy Collins 18-0-1 (14) (836)
20. Norm Gent 21-7-3 (7) (826) (-10) (CBU)
21. Art Aragon 21-4-1 (12) (803)
23. Arthur King 18-2-2 (3) (788)
25. Jimmy Carter 18-2-1 (8) (719)
26. Orlando Zulueta 17-1-1 (3) (693)
32. Harry Hughes 22-6-1 (9) (633) (+30) (EBU, GBU)

Top Prospects: Phil Kim 14-0 (10)
Bob Sandberg 12-0 (9)
George Araujo 10-0 (4)
Johnny Gonsalves 8-0 (3)
Wallace Smith 7-0 (1)
Armand Savoie 7-0
Eddie Chavez 5-0 (2)
Baby Vasquez 3-0

Retirements:

Baby Arizmendi (MEX) 1927-1949 62-17-4 (14) WBA FW Champion 1932-33, 1935-36, 1937-38, 1940-41
WBA LW Champion 1943, 1944-45
Johnny Bellus (USA) 1931-1949 45-27-8 (17) No Titles Highest Rank: 12

Outlook for 1950: Ike Williams has quietly fashioned an impressive 10-bout winning streak, including four successful title defenses of the WBA LW crown in 1949. The top contender, former Champ Montgomery, is due to hit Post-Prime with his next outing, which leaves Joe Brown, Beau Jack, Dawson and Bolanos as the likely top challengers. Aussie Vic Patrick, former OPBF Champ, toppled out of the top 10 and is now on the downside of his long career. Aragon, King, Carter and Zulueta are all seeking to advance up the ratings and contend for top 10 status. Looking further down the list, Italian Aldo Spoldi had his long reign as EBU LW Champ come to an end, tasting defeat at the hands of lowly ranked GBU titleholder, Harry Hughes, who now holds both belts. Waiting in the wings are some solid, but not great, prospects, notably Phil Kim and Johnny Gonsalves who are the highest in terms of ranking (at “8”). Five newcomers for 1950, the best of which is expected to be a Spaniard, Fred Galiana.

[JCWeb]

FW
Division Profile

Total: 136 RL: 89 TC: 47

RL by Career Stage:
End - 6
Post - 19
Prime - 33
Pre - 14
Beginning - 17 (11 New)

Rated: 62
800+: 10
500+: 29
200+ : 51

Jan 1950 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1949 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Willie Pep 39-3 (26) (1481) (+1)
1. Sandy Saddler 26-1 (20) (1411) (-1)
2. Ciro Morasen 24-3-3 (4) (1091) (NC) (NABF)
3. Jackie Graves 23-5-1 (16) (916) (+6)
4. Simon Vergara 22-5-4 (6) (914) (+6) (LABF)
5. Diego Sosa 32-10-2 (16) (913) (-2)
6. Carlos Chavez 32-10-3 (10) (907) (+12)
7. Ronnie Clayton 32-5 (16) (887) (-3) (CBU, GBU)
8 Ray Famechon 23-4-1 (7) (828) (+7) (EBU)
9. Sal Bartolo 36-15-4 (11) (806) (-4)
10. Charlie Riley 25-7 (10) (790) (+10)

Other Notables: 11. Eddie Compo 22-3-3 (5) (777)
13. Eddie Miller 33-16-3 (13) (751) (-6) (OPBF)
14. Chico Rosa 24-6-4 (8) (633)
15. Miguel Acevedo 27-11-1 (13) (711)
16. Phil Terranova 27-13 (11) (706) (-8) (USBA)
17. Keith Francis 19-1 (14) (697)
18. Glen Flanagan 18-3-2 (3) (693)

Top Prospects: Percy Bassett 13-0 (9)
Aaron Joshua 13-0 (1)
Hogan Bassey 8-0 (2)
Auburn Copeland 3-0
Gene Smith 1-0 (1)

Retirements:

Baby Arizmendi (MEX) 1927-1949 62-17-4 (14) WBA FW Champion 1932-33, 1935-36, 1937-38, 1940-41
WBA LW Champion 1943, 1944-45
Jim Kelly (UK) 1931-1949 39-25-19 (12) GBU Champ Highest Rank: 16
Ossie Rodriguez (PUR) 1942-49 14-14-3 (3) No Titles Highest Rank: 42
Joey Iannotti (USA) 1939-1949 29-17-1 (17) No Titles Highest Rank: 24
Jack Armstrong (CAN) 1935-1949 37-22-3 (20) No Titles Highest Rank: 22
Harry Jeffra (USA) 1933-1949 37-26-3 (137) No Titles Highest Rank: 46
Dave Crowley (UK) 1929-1949 45-36-2 (18) EBU, CBU, GBU Champ Highest Rank: 7

Outlook for 1950: Pep regained the WBA title, defeating Sandy Saddler in their rematch, and these two are easily the cream of the current FW crop by a wide margin. Morasen, who retained the LABF title, then relinquished the belt in favor of the NABF belt, suffered losses to both Pep and Saddler during the year. Carlos Chavez has fashioned a six bout unbeaten streak to zoom up the rankings and into the top 10. Ray Famechon regained the EBU title, winning a rematch with Ronnie Clayton, who retained his other two regional belts. A large influx of new talent is coming to the division in 1950, led by Shigeji Kaneko of Japan.

[JCWeb]

BW
Division Profile

Total: 95 RL: 59 TC: 36

RL by Career Stage:
End - 3
Post - 14
Prime - 19
Pre - 14
Beginning - 9 (4 New)

Rated: 39
800+: 15
500+: 28
200+ : 34

Jan 1950 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1949 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Fernando Gagnon 30-5 (17) (1361) (+4)
1. David Kui Kong Young 47-6-4 (22) (1365) (+1)
2. Benny Goldberg 28-8-3 (14) (1360) (-1) (USBA)
3. Luis Galvani 29-5 (18) (1333) (NC) (NABF, LABF)
4. Manuel Ortiz 38-9-3 (18) (1158) (-4)
5. Tommy Forte 40-13-3 (13) (1055) (+12)
6. Norman Lewis 31-11-1 (16) (1032) (+5)
7. Frankie Williams 21-4-2 (13) (1001) (+13) (CBU)
8 Lou Alter 26-10-2 (14) (1000) (-3)
9. Stan Rowan 27-4-2 (11) (949) (+1)
10. Harold Dade 26-9-3 (7) (934) (+8)

Other Notables: 11. Gus Foran 27-10-3 (14) (865)
12. Ritchie Tanner 29-18-3 (14) (859) (-4) (GBU)
14. Mickey Miller 42-21-2 (21) (838)
15. Tirso Del Rosario 23-10-2 (4) (775) (+1) (OPBF)
16. Luis Romero 22-5-2 (8) (745)
19. Johnny King 66-17-5 (26) (729)
22. Guido Ferracin 18-5-4 (3) (686) (+4) (EBU)
24. Elley Bennett 16-0-1 (13) (617)

Top Prospects: Peter Keenan 11-0-1 (2)
Manuel Armenteros 11-0 (3)
Leo Espinosa 10-0 (2)
Vic Toweel 6-0-1 (3)
Fili Nava 6-0

Retirements:

Joseph DeCico (FRA) 1938-1949 28-27-6 (10) No Titles Highest Rank: 17
Humberto Espinosa (CUB) 1933-1949 31-21-9 (15) LABF Champ Highest Rank: 20

Outlook for 1950: A six bout winning streak lifted Gagnon, who had previously held the Commonwealth and NABF BW titles, to the top of the division as he captured the WBA title and defended it versus Goldberg. Kui Kong Young, despite being at Post-Prime, has a higher PP total and holds down the #1 contender spot. Forte and Lewis climbed up the ratings list after brief spells as WBA Champs, only to lose the title in their first defense. Aging veteran Johnny King toppled down the rankings, losing the EBU title to a lightly regarded Italian, Guido Ferracin. Spaniard Luis Romero and Aussie Elley Bennett are positioned to move up the rankings, with guys like Armenteros, Toweel and Carruthers still a few years away from breaking through. Topping the newcomers to the division for 1950 is Aussie Jimmy Carruthers and a pair of Italians: Mario D'Agata and Piero Rollo.

[JCWeb]

FLY
Division Profile

Total: 76 RL: 48 TC: 28

RL by Career Stage:
End - 3
Post - 8
Prime - 21
Pre - 12
Beginning - 4 (2 New)

Rated: 36
800+: 75
500+: 18
200+ : 33

Jan 1950 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1949 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Teddy Gardner 35-9-2 (13) (1181) (+1)
1. Dado Marino 37-11 (14) (1045) (+2) (USBA)
2. Black Pico 22-3-3 (1) (1003) (+7) (NABF, LABF)
3. Peter Kane 41-12-1 (15) (928) (-3)
4. Terry Allen 30-4-1 (3) (910) (+1) (GBU)
5. Yoshio Shirai 25-5-1 (12) (853) (OPBF) (+1)
6. Rinty Monaghan 46-17-1 (20) (806) (-2)
7. Jackie Paterson 34-10-2 (14) (768) (-5)
8 Taffy Hancock 18-4-1 (5) (682) (+10) (CBU)
9. Maurice Sandeyron 27-9-4 (8) (680) (+1)
10. Hans Schiffers 29-15-6 (8) (658) (-3)

Other Notables: 11. Emile Famechon 25-11-1 (18) (639) (+5) (EBU)
12. Speedy Akira 14-0-1 (3) (635)
20 Louis Skena 17-3-1 (7) (459)
24. Oscar Suarez 16-3-1 (3) (380)
25. Bobb Boland 14-3 (6) (366)

Top Prospects: Vic Herman 12-1-1 (11)
Willi Farber 12-1 (11)
Tanny Campo 11-0-1 (1)
Johnny Black 10-2 (3)
Eric Marsden 1-0

Retirements:

Tiny Bostock (UK) 1932-1949 31-29-5 (8) EBU Champ Highest Rank: 14
Pat Palmer (UK) 1935-1949 26-32-2 (6) No Titles Highest Rank: 25
Jimmy Warnock (UK) 1933-1949 31-35-5 (12) No Titles Champ Highest Rank: 22

Outlook for 1950: Gardner knocked out Kane to capture the WBA title, then defended it twice later in the year, and he currently sits on an impressive six bout winning streak. It is still a fluid situation, as all the top 10 contenders are still at Prime, except for Monaghan who is at Post-Prime. Biggest surprise is the huge jump in the rankings by Hancock, only a “2” rated boxer, who returned to form with two straight losses after the upset win over Paterson for the CBU belt that moved him into top 10 status. However, Taffy was humiliated in a two-round blowout when he challenged Gardner for the WBA title late in the year. Akira, still at Pre-Prime, debuts in the rankings list within striking distance of the top 10, and he probably has the most potential of those seeking to advance. Filipino Tanny Campo is probably the best of the current

[JCWeb]

1949 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), 2374 (NC) (13) (1936)
2. Archie Moore, LH (WBA Champion), 1957 (+1) (4) (1944)
3. Ray Robinson, MW (WBA Champion), 1839 (+2) (5) (1946)
4. Charley Burley, MW (USBA Champion), 1828 (-2) (7) (1942)
5. Henry Armstrong, WW (WBA Champion), 1824 (+1) (10) (1939)
6. Ike Willaims, LW (WBA Champion), 1809 (+1) (2) (1948)
7. Bob Montgomery, LW (NABF Champion), 1693 (new) (2) (1947)
8. Dave Sands, MW (CBU, OPBF Champion), 1626 (new) (1)
9. Marcel Cerdan, MW (EBU Champion), 1540 (NC) (6) (1942)
10. Willie Pep, FW (WBA Champion), 1481 (new) (1)

Dropped Out from Last Year:

LH Lloyd Marshall (was #4)
MW Jake LaMotta (was #8)
HW Tommy Gomez (was #10)

Comments: Louis retained the top spot in the PFP rankings for the ninth consecutive year, and it is pleasing to see six of the eight WBA titleholders make the list, more than at any time in the past (only the two lower weight classes are not represented). Also, everyone on the list holds a WBA or regional title belt. LH Champ Archie Moore is closing in on the 2000 perf point mark, so it’s understandable he is looking for a crack at the HW title held by Louis, the only fighter ahead of him on the PFP list. Big fall from grace for Jake LaMotta, who dethroned Burley but then lost the WBA MW title to Jose Basora to drop out of contention.

ANNUAL YEAR-END AWARDS

FIGHTER OF THE YEAR: Ike Williams
FIGHT OF THE YEAR: Jake LaMotta SD 15 Charlie Burley (for WBA MW title) (June 25, see post #1598)
TOP NEWCOMER: Frankie Williams (BW)
UPSET OF THE YEAR: Taffy Hancock KO 5 Jackie Paterson (for CBU Flyweight title) (March 26, see post #1592)
COMEBACK FIGHTER OF THE YEAR: Henry Armstrong (WW)

Comments:

The candidates for Fighter of the Year honors included the “usual suspects” (Joe Louis, Archie Moore, Sugar Ray Robinson) as well as lower division guys like Willie Pep and Fernando Gagnon. This year, the nod goes to LW Champ Ike Williams, who went 4-0 for the year, with 3 KOs, all in WBA title bouts. Louis and Moore, with five successful title defenses, were also in the picture but, having won the top honor in prior years, it made sense to honor another worthy Champion. Robinson had an early season loss (to Burley) but bounced back with four successive wins, while Pep and Gagnon, while winning top honors, were less active during the year and, therefore, their accomplishments were less than that of Williams, who wins the award in yet another close call.

This year, there were several strong contenders for the Fight of the Year honors, including a rematch of last year’s Fight of the Year, Pep-Saddler II (see post #1594) and two other WBA title bouts: Armstrong over Sherrer for the WBA WW title (see post #1585) and Burley over Ray Robinson for the WBA MW title (see post #1588). Decided to go with the LaMotta-Burley match, given the swings in momentum and the cliffhanger leading to the final decision that could well have gone either way.

Top Newcomer, which went to LH Harold Johnson last year, came down to two fighters who managed to pick up regional titles. One of these, Brit Eddie Thomas, came out of nowhere to take the EBU WW title and rose to within striking distance of a top 10 contender ranking. However, the award goes to his countryman, BW Frankie Williams, who who battled to a draw with Guido Ferracin (who later won the EBU BW title), then went on to capture the vacant Commonwealth BW title in a hard fought battle with veteran Canadian BW Lou Alter, lifting him to a top 10 spot in the BW rankings.

Upset of the Year had to go to Taffy Hancock’s upset KO win versus Jackie Paterson, capturing the Commonwealth Fly title). Other possibilities were Tommy Forte’s capture of the WBA BW title from Manuel Ortiz, and Oakland Billy Smith’s points win over fellow LH Joey Maxim, who continued to struggle in his efforts to reach the upper echelons ofr the division. Honorable mention goes to Jose Basora’s surprising win over Jake LaMotta for the WBA MW title but, since that was due to an early cuts stoppage, the result was discounted when being considered for this particular award.

Comeback Fighter of the Year goes to Armstrong, who regained the WW title and defended it, all despite being having reached End career stage. Only other serious contender would be Pep, who regained the WBA FW title from Saddler but, since Pep was not as active and is still in the Prime stage of his career, Armstrong seems to be a clear choice for this award.

[JCWeb]

HW

WBA: Joe Louis (Feb. 1939) (41)
NABF: Tommy Gomez (Jan. 1949) (1)
USBA: Jimmy Bivins (Sep. 1949) (0)
CBU: Bruce Woodcock (Dec. 1947) (0)
GBU: Bruce Woodcock (Jun. 1945) (2)
EBU: Bruce Woodcock (Jan. 1947) (3)
OPBF: Vacant
LABF: Omelio Agramonte (Sep. 1948) (1)

LH

WBA: Archie Moore (May 1948) (7)
NABF: Harold Johnson (Mar. 1949) (2)
USBA: Tommy Yarosz (Dec. 1949) (0)
CBU: Freddie Mills (Jan. 1947) (1)
GBU: Freddie Mills (Jan. 1945) (1)
EBU: Freddie Mills (Jul. 1946) (1)
OPBF: Inactive
LABF: Inactive

MW

WBA: Ray Robinson (Nov. 1949) (0)
NABF: Steve Belloise (Dec. 1949) (0)
USBA: Charley Burley (Oct. 1949) (0)
CBU: Dave Sands (Dec. 1949) (0)
GBU: Vince Hawkins (Jul. 1945) (3)
EBU: Marcel Cerdan (Oct. 1948) (1)
OPBF: Dave Sands (Sep. 1947) (1)
LABF: Vacant

WW

WBA: Henry Armstrong (Jan. 1949) (3)
NABF: Jimmy Sherrer (Nov. 1948) (1)
USBA: George Costner (Nov. 1949) (0)
CBU: Ernie Roderick (Jul. 1946) (2)
GBU: Cliff Curvis (Nov. 1949) (0)
EBU: Eddie Thomas (Nov. 1949) (0)
OPBF: Jack McNamee (Apr. 1945) (2)
LABF: Cocoa Kid (May 1949) (0)

LW

WBA: Ike Williams (Oct. 1948) (4)
NABF: Bob Montgomery (June 1949) (0)
USBA: Freddie Dawson (Aug. 1949) (0)
CBU: Norm Gent (Sep. 1947) (2)
GBU: Harry Hughes (Dec. 1947) (2)
EBU: Harry Hughes (Dec. 1948) (0)
OPBF: Charlie Ashenden (Sep. 1949) (0)
LABF: Enrique Bolanos (Sep. 1947) (0)

FW

WBA: Willie Pep (Apr. 1949) (1)
NABF: Ciro Morasen (Nov. 1948) (0)
USBA: Phil Terranova (Apr. 1948) (0)
CBU: Ronnie Clayton (Jan. 1948) (2)
GBU: Ronnie Clayton (Oct. 1949) (0)
EBU: Ray Famechon (Jan. 1949) (1)
OPBF: Eddie Miller (Apr. 1948) (2)
LABF: Simon Vergara (Dec. 1949) (0)

BW

WBA: Fernando Gagnon (Sep. 1949) (1)
NABF: Luis Galvani (Nov. 1949) (0)
USBA: Benny Goldberg (Oct. 1949) (0)
CBU: Frankie Williams (Nov. 1949) (0)
GBU: Ritchie Tanner (Aug. 1949) (0)
EBU: Guido Ferracin (Sep. 1949) (0)
OPBF: Tirso Del Rosario (Dec. 1948) (1)
LABF: Luis Galvani (Jan. 1949) (1)

FLY

WBA: Teddy Gardner (Apr. 1949) (2)
NABF: Black Pico (Oct. 1949) (0)
USBA: Dado Marino (June 1943) (1)
CBU: Taffy Hancock (Mar. 1949) (0)
GBU: Terry Allen (Jul. 1949) (1)
EBU: Emile Famechon (May 1949) (0)
OPBF: Yoshio Shirai (Jul. 1949) (0)
LABF: Black Pico (Jul. 1946) (2)

Comments: Louis extends his reign as the longest serving WBA Champ, but the longest serving regional titleholder (Ernie Roderick) was dethroned by Cliff Curvis, the new GBU WW Champion. Similar to prior years, there was a 55% turnover rate in title belts for 1949. Once again, greatest turnover was in the FW division where seven of the eight titles changed hands. And, as last year, the least amount o turnover was in the highest weight classes (only 4 of 13 belts changed hands in the HW and LH ranks).