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Old 02-02-2019, 10:51 PM   #1321
Lee
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Said it before, but so impressive how long this has gone on.
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Old 02-15-2019, 06:25 PM   #1322
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February 1942 - Part 1 of 2

This report covers a total of 52 bouts taking place during the first half of February 1942. One WBA title bout is included in this report.

Feb. 6, 1942
: The month’s fistic action commences with a Friday night card at Syracuse’s War Memorial Auditorium. Featured bout matches a former WBA LH Champ, Lloyd Marshall, who is on the comeback trail after two straight losses, and his opponent is a much lower ranked, and aging fighter, one-time NABF LH Champ Bob Olin – a good opportunity for Marshall to get his career on track. First meeting of these two. Marshall wastes little time, stunning Olin with a big hook two minutes into the opening stanza. Then, early in the second, Marshall racks Olin with a big left, forcing another resort to the cover up strategy. The end comes via a stoppage after Marshall sends Olin to the canvas twice in round three. The TKO 3 lifts Marshall’s career record to 21-3-2 (20). For Olin, it is the end of the line, and his final career stats, after hitting the 60-bout plateau, are a somewhat disappointing 34-23-3 (11).

Feb. 7, 1942: The scene shifts to the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa for a fairly abbreviated, five-bout card. Only bout of note is the main event, matching two post-Prime MW contenders: former WBA MW Champ Freddie Steele, the "Tacoma Assasin," who is still on the comeback trail, against veteran Frenchman Edouard Tenet, a former EBU MW titleholder, whose career has been overshadowed by the man who defeated him for the EBU title back in 1938, fellow Frenchman Marcel Cerdan. Even though Tenet’s reign as EBU titleholder was concurrent with Steele’s run as WBA MW Champion, the two have not met before this 10-round, non-title bout here in South Africa. After an indifferent opening round, Steele unloads with a big left in round two that causes the Frenchman to cover up, lasting the round without further damage. Another huge round for Steele in round four, with Tenet lucky to remain on his feet after the “Tacoma Assassin” landed some powerful blows. Tenet goes down from a wicked cross to the head in round five, and it is no surprise that Steele holds a lopsided points lead at the midway point (by a count of 49-45 on the unofficial card). Steele continues to fire away in round six, landing several unanswered blows until the ref finally steps in to call a halt. Such an impressive TKO 6 win for Steele against a credible opponent is likely to enhance prospects for a title bout in a division crowded with impressive title contenders (i.e., Burley, Cerdan, Williams, Yarosz and, more recently, WW Champ Henry Armstrong). Post-bout career totals: Steele, 50-8-1 (34); Tenet, 43-26-8 (11).

Feb. 7, 1942
: Next card takes place north of the border in cold, snowy Montreal at the Forum. Canadian fight fans are present in numbers for the main event, which features homewgrown LW Dave Castilloux, who faces veteran LW contender Benny “Little Fish” Bass in a 10-round, non-title bout clash. It is the first meeting of the two, and Castilloux, who is riding a three bout winning streak, is looking for another win over the 38-year old Bass, who is approaching the end of his long career (dating back to his debut in 1919 as a 15-year-old). Despite his advancing years, Bass manages to hold his own and builds a nice points edge (49-47 on the unofficial card) at the halfway point. Into the later stages, and Castilloux forces the action, gradually wearing down his older opponent. After a couple of strong rounds for the Canadian, Bass switches tactics and becomes the aggressor, but lack of stamina and advanced age prevent a turnaround. Solid UD 10 win for Castilloux (97-94, 97-94, 97-95), who – with his fourth consecutive win – pushes his career record to 28-9-3 (9). The loss drops Bass to 52-30-7 (15).

Feb. 13, 1942: To Manila’s Rizal Arena for next fistic action, and the abbreviated card features a top Filipino Flyweight contender, Little Dado, the reigning OPBF Flyweight Champion, facing Brit Joe Curran, whose main claim to fame is having briefly held the Commonwealth Fly belt, in a non-title affair. No prior meetings of these two, and the action develops slowly with the Filipino fan favorite outboxing Curran through the opening rounds, causing some initial puffiness around the right eye of the British visitor. Curran, finding himself trailing at the midway point (by a count of 48-47 on the unofficial card), tries to ramp up the pace in the second half of the bout. His efforts prove unsuccessful, and Dado gradually wears down his opponent, settling for relatively routine UD 10 win (98-93, 97-94, 99-92). Post-bout career marks: Dado, 26-3-1 (13); Curran, 27-14-2 (10).

Feb. 14, 1942: Next card, in Miami, features a WBA title matchup, amply supported by a USBA LW title bout, with Tony Chavez facing challenger Johnny Bellus. These two have met twice before, both prior bouts going the distance, with Chavez recorded a win and a draw in those encounters. The bout remains close for the first four rounds, with Chavez’s punches having a bit more sting, to the extent that they induce some initial swelling around the left eye of the challenger. In round five, Chavez is called for some low blows, and a point is deducted. At the midway point, the issue remains very much in doubt, with the unofficial card showing a slight edge for Chavez (by a score of 57-56). In the second half of the bout, Chavez gains control of the situation, taking advantage of his ring savvy as well as a stamina edge to frustrate an ineffective Bellus. The bout goes the full 12 and, in the end, in a major surprise, the end result is a draw (113-113, 112-114 for Bellus, 113-113) – a result that sees Chavez keep the belt by a razor-thin margin, with the low blow and the one-point deduction playing its part in the final outcome. Post-bout, Chavez is 33-10-4 (12) compared to 32-13-6 (12) for Bellus, who is angling for a rematch. In the main event, the WBA FW title is on the line, after being vacated by Baby Arizmendi, who recently moved up to campaign at LW. Thus, the #1 and #2 contenders are matched for the vacant belt, with Chalky Wright facing the fast-rising Petey Scalzo. No prior meetings, and Wright enters the bout having won two in a row, while Scalzo has won his last five. Not much happening in the opening two rounds, as the two men just circle each other, probing for an opening. Much of the same with little incisive action, and after five rounds, while the punches landed stats seem close, the unofficial scorer has Scalzo well in front (50-45). By late round six, there is a mouse under the left eye of Wright. In the middle rounds, Wright – who still seems to hold a stamina edge – tries to pick up the pace, becoming more aggressive. After 10, it’s still a fairly sizable lead for Scalzo on the unofficial card (98-92), although a much closer contest if looking at the punches landed stats. In the final few rounds, Wright, fearing a title loss staring him in the face, really begins to apply more pressure, stepping up his attack. In round 13, a cut is opened over Wright’s right (injured eye), requiring some attention from his cornermen between rounds. Scalzo, for his part, stays mostly on the outside, and out of trouble, hoping to be rewarded with a points win. A minute into the final round, a Wright combination finds the range and drops Scalzo, who is back up at the count of three, but covering up to prevent more damage. The bout then goes to decision and, despite the KD for Wright in the final round, Scalzo is crowned Champion via a UD 15 (143-141, 144-140, 144) to run his career record to 22-2-2 (13), and a perfect 6-0 since hitting Prime career stage. The loss drops the veteran Wright to 38-13-4 (15).

Feb. 14, 1942: Next card, at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, features a pair of interesting bouts. In the first co-feature, two ranked WWs do battle as Johnny Wilson, currently in the top 10, faces an unbeaten young prospect in 21-0 Vic Dellicurti. The fans don’t have long to wait for the action to heat up, as late in the o London’s Harringay Arena for an evening of exciting fisticuffs action, headlined by a pair of EBU title opening round Wilson lands a hard hook that forces Dellicurti to cover up. Wilson, a former NABF WW Champ, goes on to dominate the action in round two. More of the same over the next few rounds and, suddenly, by the midway point, Wilson has forged a solid points lead (50-45, according to the unofficial scorer at ringside). Into the later rounds, and Wilson is content to sit on his lead, with some solid boxing, while Dellicurti, facing a stamina deficit, begins to labor as he is frustrated by an inability to penetrate Wilson’s defenses. In the end, an overmatched Dellicurti goes down to his first career setback as Wilson takes a fairly one-sided UD 10 (98-92, 99-91, 99-91) to run his career totals to 24-2-2 (15). For Dellicurti, his first career loss leaves him at 21-1 (11). In the second co-feature, the USBA BW title is on the line, as Manuel Ortiz makes his first defense of that belt, facing challenger Benny Goldberg. Goldberg holds a pair of wins in prior bouts, when both men were at Pre-Prime. In this encounter, Goldberg starts well, dominating the action through the first few rounds, which sees Ortiz’s corner forced to deal with a rapidly swelling left eye as a result. Goldberg continues to dominate most of the action until late in round six, when Ortiz lands a hard hook, rocking the challenger. However, no damage done, since the punch landed late in the round, allowing Goldberg to cover up and last the round. Nonetheless, the unofficial card at the midway point favors Goldberg (58-56). Second half of the bout, and Ortiz takes the initiative, trying to force the action on the inside. However, with fatigue setting in, he makes little progress, as Goldberg manages to stay out of trouble while continuing to land some good shots here and there. It isn’t until round 11 until Ortiz has made an impression, as some puffiness appears around the right eye of Goldberg, but it does not seem to be enough to alter the overall picture, and the bout goes the distance, but - surprise, the end result is a majority draw (114-114, 114-114, 114-116 Goldberg) – a stunning result as it enables Ortiz to hang on to the belt. Post-bout records: Ortiz, 18-3-1 (13); Goldberg, 18-2-2 (10). While many are clamoring for a rematch (which would be the fourth matchup of these two), word from Ortiz’s camp is that he is done taking on Goldberg.
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Old 02-26-2019, 07:24 PM   #1323
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Feb. 1942 - Part 2 of 2

This report covers a total of 56 bouts taking place during the second half of February 1942. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report. One of these turns out to be an instant classic and a strong early contender for Fight of the Year honors.

Feb. 20, 1942: Next, the scene shifts to Escobar Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Some interesting twin bill action to top the agenda. In the first co-feature, it is a rematch of a WBA BW title bout as two ex-Champs do battle in a 10-round, non-title affair: Panama Al Brown, who is now past his peak, and American Georgie Pace, who lost the title to Brown in 1941, who in turn lost it to current WBA Champ K. O. Morgan. In this, his first fight since losing the title he has held on four separate occasions, Panama Al takes the initiative, working his way inside after winning the better of the exchanges in round two. Pac, though, rebounds quickly, dominating the action with a big round in round four. At the midway point, it is anyone’s fight; the unofficial scorer at ringside has a slight edge (48-47) for Brown. In the later round, age and fatigue take its toll as Brown is felled by a Pace cross, decking the four-time Champ, who arises after taking an eight count. Brown recovers after covering up to last the round and, in round nine, he inflicts sufficient damage to cause some swelling under Pace’s left eye. Undeterred, Pace bounces back and floors Brown for a second time in the 10th and final round. The bout goes to decision, and the pair of late KDs is sufficient to secure a SD 10 verdict in favor of Pace (95-93, 93-95, 95-93) to run Pace’s career totals to 28-10-2 (19). For Brown, the loss – a tough one to take – drops him to 66-13-2 (25). In the second co-feature, unbeaten MW sensation Jose Basora is challenging Antonio Fernandez for Fernandez’s LABF MW title belt. As the two have not met before, there is a usual feeling-out process that lasts for the first few rounds. Basora, the more aggressive of the two, breaks through by landing a big hook in round three, stunning the Champ and forcing Fernandez to cover up. Basora’s power punching becomes too much for Fernandez to handle, and the challenger is well ahead (by 59-55, according to the unofficial card) at the halfway point. Fernandez, known more for his defensive prowess, tries to get more aggressive in the later rounds, but he is uncomfortable doing so and unable to trouble Basora, who seems to be well prepared for this, his first title contest. The bout ends up as a MD 12 win for Basora (by scores of 116-113, 114-114, 115-113), who manages to survive a late surge by Fernandez to lift the belt. Post-bout career marks: Basora, 18-0 (15); Fernandez, 33-15-4 (12).

Feb. 21, 1942: To Europe for the next card, at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. Only one bout of note, and it’s the main event, pitting two ranked BWs, as GBU BW titleholder Tom Smith faces ex-OPBF BW Champ Little Pancho in a rematch of a bout in Manila in 1939, which resulted in a UD 10 for the Filipino fighter. This time around, there is not much in the way of action through the opening rounds, with both men cautiously probing for an opening. Then, suddenly, a minute into the fourth round, Pancho lands a hard shot that causes blood to spurt from the nose of the British fighter. The bout comes to an early end as Smith, suffering from a broken nose, cannot continue. It goes into the books as a TKO 4 for Pancho, who improves to 43-10-7 (10) with the win. The unfortunate Smith slips to 21-10-6 (11) with the loss.

Feb. 21, 1942: Next fistic action takes place at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. Twin bill title action, with a WBA title bout topping the card. In the co-feature, it is the USBA MW title on the line, with Billy Soose defending that belt against challenger George Abrams. First defense for Soose, who dropped a split decision to Abrams back in 19, when both men were still at Pre-Prime. First blood to Abrams – literally – when he rips open a cut over the left eye of Soose in round two. While the cut is patched up between rounds, this gives Abrams an early edge and, by the midway point, he has a slim points edge (58-56, according to the unofficial card). In the second half of the bout, Soose takes a more aggressive posture while Abrams is content to box on the outside. As the bout heads into the later rounds, Soose begins to tire and Abrams takes advantage, working his jab and landing repeatedly, enough to cause some swelling to appear beneath the right eye of Soose. In round 11, the cut over Soose’s left eye is reopened, but he throws caution to the wind, going all out for the knockout in the final round but it is to no avail, as Abrams manages to lift the belt via a UD 12 (117-111, 118-110, 115-113). Post-bout career marks: Abrams, 21-4-2 (10); Soose, 18-5-1 (12). Then, in the main event, it is a much anticipating meeting of two WBA Champions at the peak of their careers, as MW Champ Tony “the Man of Steel” Zale faces his WW counterpart, Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong, for Zale’s WBA MW title. Armstrong has won fighter of the year honors for two of the past three seasons, and both men have not lost a contest for a long time: Zale, since 1937, and Armstrong, since 1938. In the opening round, the two combatants circle the ring, looking for an opening. Zale lands the only solid punch, a big hook, near the end of the round. In round two, Zale also gains the upper hand, using his jab to set up a hook followed by a powerful uppercut. In round three, Zale moves inside, using his uppercut very effectively, following with a four-punch combo. Late in the round, Armstrong is able to get in a straight right that scores. Into round four, and this time it is Armstrong who is the aggressor, landing a big cross to get Zale’s attention. Despite landing some more good shots, Zale remains standing but it is clearly Armstrong’s round. The two mix it up on the inside in round five, with Zale using his jab effectively to set up a straight right. Armstrong gives ground but does manage to get in a hook to the head right before the bell. After five rounds, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Zale in front (49-46), but a couple of rounds have been close. In round six, plenty of good action as Zale connects with a cross and a hook to the body. Armstrong counters with a couple of good uppercuts, so the round is fairly even. In round seven, Armstrong takes the initiative, trying to take advantage of some initial puffiness around the right eye of Zale. Instead, Zale battles his way off the ropes, landing some countershots that enable him to take the round, slowing Armstrong’s momentum. More of the same in round eight, with Armstrong connecting with a sharp combination. More great action in round nine, as Zale is forced to battle off the ropes against a two-fisted attack from “Homicide Hank”; both men get in some good shots and the round appears to be even. By now, there is some swelling around the left eye of Armstrong. Zale connects with a nice uppercut and follows with a short hook on the inside to take round 10. With five rounds remaining, the unofficial scorer has Zale ahead by three (97-94). Armstrong presses the action in the 11th round, landing a hard cross but then he leaves himself open for a big hook from Zale. Armstrong drops to the canvas, and he arises after taking a count of six. Zale’s killer instinct has kicked in, but he cannot finish his man. The action ratchets up in round 12, as both men are looking for the knockout. Armstrong breaks through, landing an uppercut, then a cross, and big left that puts Zale back on his heels. A solid cross by Armstrong puts Zale on his back, and the count reaches six before “the Man of Steel” is back on his feet. Still plenty of time left in the round, and Zale attempts to cover up. A barrage of blows from Armstrong, but Zale survives the rest of the round without further damage. Armstrong continues as the aggressor into round 13, with both men showing signs of fatigue at this point. Zale, who adopts a more cautious approach, is able to take the round, shaking off the effects of the prior round. Armstrong presses even harder in round 14, but neither man is able to dominate the action until Zale digs a left hook to the body late in the round. Round 15, the two men touch gloves, but by now, both men’s punches lack steam. Zale works the uppercut expertly and, except for the lapse in round 12, appears to have done enough to retain his title. The scorecards are read and, indeed, it is a UD 15 for Tony Zale (144-139, 145-139, 143-140) in a bout that is sure to become a Fight of the Year candidate. The win, his 17th in succession, lifts Zale to a career mark of 33-2 (20). Armstrong’s first loss after two successive wins at MW makes him reconsider his decision to abandon the WW class; his post-bout record of 39-5-3 (32) keeps him near the top of any PFP list.

Feb. 27, 1942
: Next up is a Friday night card in New Orleans. Featured is a matchup for the USBA FW title, recently vacated by Chalky Wright who moved up to win the WBA FW crown (before losing it earlier in the month). Mike “Bronx Spider” Belloise and Leo Rodak are matched for the vacant belt; the two have not met before. Belloise, the higher ranked of the two who briefly held the WBA FW title in 1940, takes advantage of a rather pedestrian start from Rodak to build some early momentum. In round five, Belloise decks Rodak with a short, clean combination. Rodak recovers, covers up, but the damage has been done – by the midway point, Belloise has a solid points lead on the unofficial card (59-55). In the later rounds, Rodak tries to become more aggressive, but he lacks the weapons to seriously trouble Belloise. The bout goes the distance, and it ends up with a UD 12 for Belloise (115-113, 116-112, 117-111) who captures the belt and improves to 29-12-7 (11) with the win. The losses drops Rodak to 27-11 (7).

Feb. 28, 1942: Back in London, this time at the Olympia, for a fairly limited fight card, with only one bout of interest, as two familiar foes, Tommy Martin and Tommy Farr, do battle for the GBU HW title currently held by Martin. In three prior meetings, all of which have gone the distance, each man has recorded one win, one draw and one loss. For Martin, it represents his first GBU title defense in over two years; Farr, who held this belt from 1931 to 1936, is seeking to regain in for a second time. Some solid boxing by Farr puts him in the driver’s seat, and he manages to convert this early advantage into a solid points lead (60-55 on the unofficial card) at the midway point. Farr was never in difficulty in this bout, while in round five, he stunned Martin with a hard shot off the top of the head of the “British Brown Bomber.” Martin, suffering from the effects of Post-Prime career stage for the first time, is unable to launch a rally and goes down to the defeat; the result is a solid UD 12 win for Farr (117-112, 118-111, 118-111), who regains the GBU HW title after a six-year hiatus. Post-bout career marks: Farr, 50-16-3 (16); Martin, 28-9-3 (17). With the win, however, Farr also reaches Post-Prime career stage so these two British HWs, who have been the chief standard-bearers for British HWs in the 1930s into the early 40s, are both slated for a decline in their respective abilities from this point forward.

Feb. 28, 1942: The month wraps with a stellar fight card at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Not only is WBA HW Champ Joe Louis in action, but so is Tiger Jack Fox in a LH title matchup, with Fox returning to the ring after losing his WBA LH title in August of 1941 – a six-month layoff. Furthermore, the undercard showcases two top unbeaten prospects, Joey Maxim and Jake LaMotta, both of whom manage to dispatch their TC opponents inside the distance. Maxim, campaigning at LH, moves to 4-0 (1) with the win, while LaMotta, a MW, remains perfect, at 5-0 (5). In the co-feature, Tiger Jack Fox faces Al Gainer for the vacant NABF LH title; it is second time in less than two months since the vacant belt (previously held by Archie Moore, who moved up to become WBA LH Champion) has been up for grabs; a January bout resulted in a draw, so the title remained vacant. Instead of a rematch, Fox and Gainer’s scheduled bout was upgraded to a title affair. There is some history between these two; in two prior meetings, neither has gone the distance, each winning once, the most recent being a USBA LH title encounter that ended in a surprise fourth round KO of Fox by Gainer, who has since hit Post-Prime career stage. Seeking revenge, Fox wastes little time, dominating the action from the opening bell. By the end of round four, there is already some noticeable swelling around the left eye of game but outgunned Gainer. In round five, Gainer sustains a cut over his right eye. The end comes in round six, after Fox floors Gainer with a big hook. Although Gainer regains his footing, Fox’s killer instinct kicks in, and the ref is forced to call a halt to save Gainer from further punishment. TKO 6 for Fox, who captures the NABF LH belt and improves his career totals to 52-7-1 (37). Gainer dips to 29-11-2 (19) with the loss. The main event looks on paper to be a bit of a mismatch as Joe Louis, in the midst of a dominant reign as WBA HW Champ, reaches far down the list of contenders to face a challenge for his WBA HW title from Al McCoy, who is ranked just outside the top 20 and just hit Post-Prime career stage. The matchup with McCoy, who can best be described as a fringe contender or more accurately, a journeyman, adds even more weight to the contention that Louis has been “ducking” other worthy competition, although frankly, just about all the ranked HWs have had a title shot at one time or another and come up short versus “the Brown Bomber.” Anyhow, the bout gets underway and McCoy does well to survive the opening round, although Lewis landed sufficient leather to cause some initial puffiness to appear under the right eye of the challenger. A hard right from Louis connects, and a stunned McCoy tries to cover up, but Louis follows up with a devastating attack to the head and the body, forcing another early stoppage. It’s a TKO 2 for Louis, marking his 13th straight win, all inside the distance. Post-bout career marks: Louis, 38-1 (36); McCoy, 39-18-3 (15).
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Old 03-05-2019, 01:12 PM   #1324
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Originally Posted by JCWeb View Post
This report covers a total of 56 bouts taking place during the second half of February 1942. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report. One of these turns out to be an instant classic and a strong early contender for Fight of the Year honors.

Feb. 20, 1942: Next, the scene shifts to Escobar Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Some interesting twin bill action to top the agenda. In the first co-feature, it is a rematch of a WBA BW title bout as two ex-Champs do battle in a 10-round, non-title affair: Panama Al Brown, who is now past his peak, and American Georgie Pace, who lost the title to Brown in 1941, who in turn lost it to current WBA Champ K. O. Morgan. In this, his first fight since losing the title he has held on four separate occasions, Panama Al takes the initiative, working his way inside after winning the better of the exchanges in round two. Pac, though, rebounds quickly, dominating the action with a big round in round four. At the midway point, it is anyone’s fight; the unofficial scorer at ringside has a slight edge (48-47) for Brown. In the later round, age and fatigue take its toll as Brown is felled by a Pace cross, decking the four-time Champ, who arises after taking an eight count. Brown recovers after covering up to last the round and, in round nine, he inflicts sufficient damage to cause some swelling under Pace’s left eye. Undeterred, Pace bounces back and floors Brown for a second time in the 10th and final round. The bout goes to decision, and the pair of late KDs is sufficient to secure a SD 10 verdict in favor of Pace (95-93, 93-95, 95-93) to run Pace’s career totals to 28-10-2 (19). For Brown, the loss – a tough one to take – drops him to 66-13-2 (25). In the second co-feature, unbeaten MW sensation Jose Basora is challenging Antonio Fernandez for Fernandez’s LABF MW title belt. As the two have not met before, there is a usual feeling-out process that lasts for the first few rounds. Basora, the more aggressive of the two, breaks through by landing a big hook in round three, stunning the Champ and forcing Fernandez to cover up. Basora’s power punching becomes too much for Fernandez to handle, and the challenger is well ahead (by 59-55, according to the unofficial card) at the halfway point. Fernandez, known more for his defensive prowess, tries to get more aggressive in the later rounds, but he is uncomfortable doing so and unable to trouble Basora, who seems to be well prepared for this, his first title contest. The bout ends up as a MD 12 win for Basora (by scores of 116-113, 114-114, 115-113), who manages to survive a late surge by Fernandez to lift the belt. Post-bout career marks: Basora, 18-0 (15); Fernandez, 33-15-4 (12).

Feb. 21, 1942: To Europe for the next card, at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. Only one bout of note, and it’s the main event, pitting two ranked BWs, as GBU BW titleholder Tom Smith faces ex-OPBF BW Champ Little Pancho in a rematch of a bout in Manila in 1939, which resulted in a UD 10 for the Filipino fighter. This time around, there is not much in the way of action through the opening rounds, with both men cautiously probing for an opening. Then, suddenly, a minute into the fourth round, Pancho lands a hard shot that causes blood to spurt from the nose of the British fighter. The bout comes to an early end as Smith, suffering from a broken nose, cannot continue. It goes into the books as a TKO 4 for Pancho, who improves to 43-10-7 (10) with the win. The unfortunate Smith slips to 21-10-6 (11) with the loss.

Feb. 21, 1942: Next fistic action takes place at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. Twin bill title action, with a WBA title bout topping the card. In the co-feature, it is the USBA MW title on the line, with Billy Soose defending that belt against challenger George Abrams. First defense for Soose, who dropped a split decision to Abrams back in 19, when both men were still at Pre-Prime. First blood to Abrams – literally – when he rips open a cut over the left eye of Soose in round two. While the cut is patched up between rounds, this gives Abrams an early edge and, by the midway point, he has a slim points edge (58-56, according to the unofficial card). In the second half of the bout, Soose takes a more aggressive posture while Abrams is content to box on the outside. As the bout heads into the later rounds, Soose begins to tire and Abrams takes advantage, working his jab and landing repeatedly, enough to cause some swelling to appear beneath the right eye of Soose. In round 11, the cut over Soose’s left eye is reopened, but he throws caution to the wind, going all out for the knockout in the final round but it is to no avail, as Abrams manages to lift the belt via a UD 12 (117-111, 118-110, 115-113). Post-bout career marks: Abrams, 21-4-2 (10); Soose, 18-5-1 (12). Then, in the main event, it is a much anticipating meeting of two WBA Champions at the peak of their careers, as MW Champ Tony “the Man of Steel” Zale faces his WW counterpart, Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong, for Zale’s WBA MW title. Armstrong has won fighter of the year honors for two of the past three seasons, and both men have not lost a contest for a long time: Zale, since 1937, and Armstrong, since 1938. In the opening round, the two combatants circle the ring, looking for an opening. Zale lands the only solid punch, a big hook, near the end of the round. In round two, Zale also gains the upper hand, using his jab to set up a hook followed by a powerful uppercut. In round three, Zale moves inside, using his uppercut very effectively, following with a four-punch combo. Late in the round, Armstrong is able to get in a straight right that scores. Into round four, and this time it is Armstrong who is the aggressor, landing a big cross to get Zale’s attention. Despite landing some more good shots, Zale remains standing but it is clearly Armstrong’s round. The two mix it up on the inside in round five, with Zale using his jab effectively to set up a straight right. Armstrong gives ground but does manage to get in a hook to the head right before the bell. After five rounds, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Zale in front (49-46), but a couple of rounds have been close. In round six, plenty of good action as Zale connects with a cross and a hook to the body. Armstrong counters with a couple of good uppercuts, so the round is fairly even. In round seven, Armstrong takes the initiative, trying to take advantage of some initial puffiness around the right eye of Zale. Instead, Zale battles his way off the ropes, landing some countershots that enable him to take the round, slowing Armstrong’s momentum. More of the same in round eight, with Armstrong connecting with a sharp combination. More great action in round nine, as Zale is forced to battle off the ropes against a two-fisted attack from “Homicide Hank”; both men get in some good shots and the round appears to be even. By now, there is some swelling around the left eye of Armstrong. Zale connects with a nice uppercut and follows with a short hook on the inside to take round 10. With five rounds remaining, the unofficial scorer has Zale ahead by three (97-94). Armstrong presses the action in the 11th round, landing a hard cross but then he leaves himself open for a big hook from Zale. Armstrong drops to the canvas, and he arises after taking a count of six. Zale’s killer instinct has kicked in, but he cannot finish his man. The action ratchets up in round 12, as both men are looking for the knockout. Armstrong breaks through, landing an uppercut, then a cross, and big left that puts Zale back on his heels. A solid cross by Armstrong puts Zale on his back, and the count reaches six before “the Man of Steel” is back on his feet. Still plenty of time left in the round, and Zale attempts to cover up. A barrage of blows from Armstrong, but Zale survives the rest of the round without further damage. Armstrong continues as the aggressor into round 13, with both men showing signs of fatigue at this point. Zale, who adopts a more cautious approach, is able to take the round, shaking off the effects of the prior round. Armstrong presses even harder in round 14, but neither man is able to dominate the action until Zale digs a left hook to the body late in the round. Round 15, the two men touch gloves, but by now, both men’s punches lack steam. Zale works the uppercut expertly and, except for the lapse in round 12, appears to have done enough to retain his title. The scorecards are read and, indeed, it is a UD 15 for Tony Zale (144-139, 145-139, 143-140) in a bout that is sure to become a Fight of the Year candidate. The win, his 17th in succession, lifts Zale to a career mark of 33-2 (20). Armstrong’s first loss after two successive wins at MW makes him reconsider his decision to abandon the WW class; his post-bout record of 39-5-3 (32) keeps him near the top of any PFP list.

Feb. 27, 1942
: Next up is a Friday night card in New Orleans. Featured is a matchup for the USBA FW title, recently vacated by Chalky Wright who moved up to win the WBA FW crown (before losing it earlier in the month). Mike “Bronx Spider” Belloise and Leo Rodak are matched for the vacant belt; the two have not met before. Belloise, the higher ranked of the two who briefly held the WBA FW title in 1940, takes advantage of a rather pedestrian start from Rodak to build some early momentum. In round five, Belloise decks Rodak with a short, clean combination. Rodak recovers, covers up, but the damage has been done – by the midway point, Belloise has a solid points lead on the unofficial card (59-55). In the later rounds, Rodak tries to become more aggressive, but he lacks the weapons to seriously trouble Belloise. The bout goes the distance, and it ends up with a UD 12 for Belloise (115-113, 116-112, 117-111) who captures the belt and improves to 29-12-7 (11) with the win. The losses drops Rodak to 27-11 (7).

Feb. 28, 1942: Back in London, this time at the Olympia, for a fairly limited fight card, with only one bout of interest, as two familiar foes, Tommy Martin and Tommy Farr, do battle for the GBU HW title currently held by Martin. In three prior meetings, all of which have gone the distance, each man has recorded one win, one draw and one loss. For Martin, it represents his first GBU title defense in over two years; Farr, who held this belt from 1931 to 1936, is seeking to regain in for a second time. Some solid boxing by Farr puts him in the driver’s seat, and he manages to convert this early advantage into a solid points lead (60-55 on the unofficial card) at the midway point. Farr was never in difficulty in this bout, while in round five, he stunned Martin with a hard shot off the top of the head of the “British Brown Bomber.” Martin, suffering from the effects of Post-Prime career stage for the first time, is unable to launch a rally and goes down to the defeat; the result is a solid UD 12 win for Farr (117-112, 118-111, 118-111), who regains the GBU HW title after a six-year hiatus. Post-bout career marks: Farr, 50-16-3 (16); Martin, 28-9-3 (17). With the win, however, Farr also reaches Post-Prime career stage so these two British HWs, who have been the chief standard-bearers for British HWs in the 1930s into the early 40s, are both slated for a decline in their respective abilities from this point forward.

Feb. 28, 1942: The month wraps with a stellar fight card at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Not only is WBA HW Champ Joe Louis in action, but so is Tiger Jack Fox in a LH title matchup, with Fox returning to the ring after losing his WBA LH title in August of 1941 – a six-month layoff. Furthermore, the undercard showcases two top unbeaten prospects, Joey Maxim and Jake LaMotta, both of whom manage to dispatch their TC opponents inside the distance. Maxim, campaigning at LH, moves to 4-0 (1) with the win, while LaMotta, a MW, remains perfect, at 5-0 (5). In the co-feature, Tiger Jack Fox faces Al Gainer for the vacant NABF LH title; it is second time in less than two months since the vacant belt (previously held by Archie Moore, who moved up to become WBA LH Champion) has been up for grabs; a January bout resulted in a draw, so the title remained vacant. Instead of a rematch, Fox and Gainer’s scheduled bout was upgraded to a title affair. There is some history between these two; in two prior meetings, neither has gone the distance, each winning once, the most recent being a USBA LH title encounter that ended in a surprise fourth round KO of Fox by Gainer, who has since hit Post-Prime career stage. Seeking revenge, Fox wastes little time, dominating the action from the opening bell. By the end of round four, there is already some noticeable swelling around the left eye of game but outgunned Gainer. In round five, Gainer sustains a cut over his right eye. The end comes in round six, after Fox floors Gainer with a big hook. Although Gainer regains his footing, Fox’s killer instinct kicks in, and the ref is forced to call a halt to save Gainer from further punishment. TKO 6 for Fox, who captures the NABF LH belt and improves his career totals to 52-7-1 (37). Gainer dips to 29-11-2 (19) with the loss. The main event looks on paper to be a bit of a mismatch as Joe Louis, in the midst of a dominant reign as WBA HW Champ, reaches far down the list of contenders to face a challenge for his WBA HW title from Al McCoy, who is ranked just outside the top 20 and just hit Post-Prime career stage. The matchup with McCoy, who can best be described as a fringe contender or more accurately, a journeyman, adds even more weight to the contention that Louis has been “ducking” other worthy competition, although frankly, just about all the ranked HWs have had a title shot at one time or another and come up short versus “the Brown Bomber.” Anyhow, the bout gets underway and McCoy does well to survive the opening round, although Lewis landed sufficient leather to cause some initial puffiness to appear under the right eye of the challenger. A hard right from Louis connects, and a stunned McCoy tries to cover up, but Louis follows up with a devastating attack to the head and the body, forcing another early stoppage. It’s a TKO 2 for Louis, marking his 13th straight win, all inside the distance. Post-bout career marks: Louis, 38-1 (36); McCoy, 39-18-3 (15).
Have really enjoyed these postings over this time so long. Appreciate the time and detail put into this universe. Just to catch up a quick couple thanks for those who've shared their boxing worlds with us on this forum over the years!
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Old 03-20-2019, 05:27 PM   #1325
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Mar. 1941 - Part 1 of 2

This report covers a total of 60 bouts taking place during the first half of March 1942. No WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Mar. 6, 1942
: The month’s fistic action commences with a Friday night card at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Featured are two LH as veteran contender and one-time WBA Champ Gus Lesnevich faces Freddie Mills, the reigning GBU LH Champ. First meeting of these two, who met twice in real life, with each man winning once. Br round two, Lesnevich has gained the upper hand, and he displays even more aggressiveness by moving inside in round three, forcing the action. Mills manages to hold his own and does well enough to win round four, keeping the bout close. In round five, Mills decks Lesnevich with a short, clean uppercut. Lesnevich manages to recover, covering up to last the round, but the damage is done – the unofficial scorer at ringside has Mills ahead by two (49-47) at the midway point of this 10-round, feature bout. Into the second half of the bout, Mills seizes the initiative, seeking to exploit the situation. In round seven, a Lesnevich hook rips open a cut over Mills’ right eye. A rejuvenated Lesnevich bounces back with a strong performance in rounds eight and nine. The bout remains in the balance as the two touch gloves for the 10th and final round. Lesnevich dominates the final round of action, reopening the cut. In the end, however, the one KD turned out to be decisive, and the three-judge panel rules it a close but UD 10 win for Mills (95-94, 95-94, 96-93). Tough loss for Lesnevich, who came on strongly in the final two rounds, and the decision was received by a chorus of boos from the pro-Lesnevich crowd. Nonetheless, a big win for Mills, his first in over a year. Post-bout career marks: Mills, 22-4-1 (13); Lesnevich, 31-7-3 (14).

Mar. 7, 1942: Next card takes place at Johannesburg’s Rand Stadium. German HW and EBU HW Champ Max Schmeling, still the #1 ranked HW contender, faces an aging but still dangerous opponent in Art Lasky in the main event. Great start for Schmeling, who is able to break down Lasky’s defenses at the outset and lands at will in the opening round, so much so that Lasky returns to his corner sporting a big welt under his right eye. In round three, Lasky moves inside but leaves himself open for a big hook from Schmeling, sending the American slugger to the deck; Lasky arises after taking an eight count. Schmeling’s killer instinct has kicked in, and he continues to hammer away until the ref calls a halt, saving Lasky from further punishment. Solid TKO 3 win for Schmeling, who improves his career record to 59-6-1 (41) with the win. For Lasky, now 29-13-3 (27), he is another step closer to retirement.

Mar. 7, 1942: Havana’s Gran Stadium is the scene for the next fistic action. Twin features top the card, both of which are 10-round, non-title affairs. In the first of these, Cuba’s Kid Tunero, a former LABF MW Champ, faces the “Savage Slav,” Al Hostak, a recent NABF MW titleholder who has moved to #6 in the MW rankings by virtue of a recent win over Freddie Apostoli. The two met once before, with in 1940, with Hostak coming away as a TKO winner. Hostak takes charge in round three, moving inside and landing effectively. More trouble for Tunero in round four, as the hapless Cuban fighter is pinned against the ropes, with Hostak landing blow after blow until the ref steps in to call a halt. Hostak repeats his earlier win over Tunero, this time via a TKO 4; he improves to 33-7 (26) as a result, cementing his position among the top MW contenders. The loss drops Tunero to 33-15-5 (10) overall. In the second co-feature, the #1 and #2 ranked Fly contenders square off, as long-time Champ Midget Wolgast faces a familiar foe in Istvan Enekes. The two have met twice before, with Wolgast besting Enekes for the WBA title back in 1938 but, more recently, Enekes managed a points win over the now Post-Prime ex-Champ in 1940. This is the rubber match, with the reward of a possible WBA title shot going to the winner. It is a standoff for the first three rounds, then in round four, Enekes gets inside, drills Wolgast with an uppercut that puts the former Champion down. Wolgast arises after taking a six-count, and he covers up to survive the rest of the round. In the next round, with Wolgast still struggling with his timing, Enekes gets his hands free and reins a combination of blows to the head and body, this time dropping Wolgast for the count. Huge KO 5 win for Enekes, moving him up to #1 contender status, while Wolgast’s days as a serious title contender are numbered. Post-bout career records: Enekes, 38-10-2 (11); Wolgast, 54-9-1 (19).

Mar. 13, 1942
: Back to the Forum in Montreal for another Friday night card there. Twin bill features, with some top Canadian talent on display. In the first co-feature, #5 ranked MW contender Holman Williams faces Lou Brouillard, the reigning CBU MW Champion. Williams is confident of victory in this return match, having bested Brouillard via a UD 10 in Toronto back in 1939. After a rather pedestrian opening round, Williams lets loose with some good shots from both hands, taking the second and third round on points. More of the same in round four and, after the inside exchanges in round five favor the higher rated Williams, the American stands well after the first half of the bout (although his points lead is only one – 48-47 – on the unofficial scorecard). Brouillard, who is dealing with a rapidly swelling right eye, soldiers on despite suffering from a stamina deficit as well. Into the later rounds, and Williams begins to toy with his opponent, all while maintaining a smothering defensive posture that Brouillard finds difficult to penetrate. In round nine, the complexion of the bout changes, as Williams sustains a cut over his right eye. Some good cornerwork and the cut is patched up, and Williams goes on to repeat his earlier success, registering another UD 10 win over the aging Canadian veteran (99-91, 99-91, 98-92). Post-bout career marks: Williams, 37-8 (20); Brouillard, 34-16-3 (15). Then, in the finale, popular Canadian LW Dave Castilloux, now ranked #9 in the World LW rankings, faces GBU LW Champ Harry Mizler, who has yet to meet with much success when facing fighters from outside the United Kingdom. Castilloux, the heavy favorite, carries the fight to Mizler, doing well enough to establish an early points lead. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer has the Canadian fan favorite well ahead (by a 49-46 count). In the second half of the bout, Mizler makes an effort to become more aggressive, but it is clear he is outclassed and running low on stamina. Both men survive the 10-rounder unscathed and unmarked, and Castilloux takes the win, but only via a MD 10 (96-94, 95-95, 96-94), as one judge called it even, to the dismay of the pro-Castilloux crowd. Nevertheless, another win lifts Castilloux to 29-9-3 (9) overall, compared to a post-bout career record of 24-14-6 (6) for Mizler.

Mar. 14, 1942
: To Europe for the next card, this time at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. In the feature, two regional Champs do battle in a 10-round, non-title bout, as LABF WW Champ Cocoa Kid, the #2 ranked WW contender, faces EBU WW Champ Bep Van Klaveren. First meeting of the two. The bout evolves into a defensive struggle, with not much in the way of action for the first five rounds. At the halfway point, the unofficial card has Kid with a slim, one-point lead (48-47). Into the later rounds and Kid, the more skilled boxer, appears to have the upper hand, but the Dutchman battles back with a big round in round seven, causing some puffiness to form around the right eye of Kid. The bout remains close until the very end, with the stamina factor favoring Van Klaveren. The bout goes to decision, and Van Klaveren walks away a UD 10 winner (96-94 on all three cards). Post-bout career marks: Van Klaveren, 35-14-9 (11); Kid, 41-8-4 (13). The win lifts Van Klaveren to the #2 spot in the WW rankings, behind #1 contender Izzy Jannazzo.

Mar. 14, 1942
: To Miami for the next card, which features a NABF LW title bout, with Lou Ambers making his second defense of that belt, facing a challenge from Baby Arizmendi, the WBA FW Champion who has moved up to LW in quest of another title. The two have not met before, and Arizmendi hopes to take advantage of the fact that Ambers is now at Post-Prime to win his first title belt at the higher weight class. After some quiet opening few rounds, there is a slight edge for Ambers (59-56) at the halfway point. Punches landed stats and the stamina factor are relatively even as the two head into the later rounds. The bout remains close into the final few rounds, with Arizmendi coming on strongly to take rounds nine and 10. Some solid boxing from the Mexican fighter turns out to be just enough to capture the belt, via a SD 12 (115-113, 112-116, 115-113) to run his career record to 45-9-4 (10). The loss drops Ambers to 36-6-1 (18).

Last edited by JCWeb; 03-26-2019 at 06:17 PM.
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Old 04-08-2019, 03:12 PM   #1326
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Mar. 1942 - Part 2 of 2

Oops, starting in April of 1942 and just noticed I forgot to post results from the second part of March 1942. In a few instances, I will just post the barebones result since the text has been overwritten. Sorry.

Unfortunately, one the overwritten bouts was an exciting WBA title bout. So, here goes.

Mar. 20, 1942: Sydney, Australia
Jack McNamee KO 5 Vic Caltaux (McNamee successfully defends his OPBF WW title)

Mar. 21, 1942: London, England
Teddy Gardner SD 12 Rinty Monaghan (Gardner retains CBU Fly title)
Benny Lynch UD 12 Jackie Brown (Lynch captures GBU Fly title)

Mar. 21, 1942
: New York City
Billy Conn SD 15 Archie Moore (Conn captures the WBA LH title from Moore) (Judge's Scores: 143-145 Moore, 143-142 Conn, 146-140 Conn)
Jersey Joe Walcott TKO 11 Patsy Perroni (Walcott successfully defends his NBF HW title)

Mar. 27, 1942: To the Far East for a Friday night card at Manila’s Rizal Arena. It’s an abbreviated card with no title bouts, and featured is a bout matching two regional MW titleholders, NABF MW Champ Charley Burley, traveling all the way from the USA to face homegrown favorite, OPBF Champ Ceferino Garcia. The two have not met before and Burley, higher ranked and a heavy favorite, gets off to a strong start, dominating the action from the opening bell. Burley continues to rack up points, building a solid lead (50-46 on the unofficial card) at the midway point. Late in round six, Burley unleashes a barrage of blows that puts Garcia on the canvas. A Burley cross drops Garcia to the deck for the second time, in the seventh round. In round nine, Garcia suffers a cut forehead but Burley, with a large points lead, prefers to take no chances and eases up a bit. In the final round, however, Garcia sustains a second cut, under his left eye, and this is sufficient cause for the ref to call a halt. TKO 10 for Burley (already ahead by a wide margin), who improves to 28-1 (21) with the win, reinforcing his position as a top MW contender. For Garcia, now headed into the End career stage, the loss leaves him at 43-25-2 (24).


Mar. 28, 1942
: A interesting main event to top a nice card at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium, as two US-based regional titleholders battle it out with Fritzie Zivic, the “Croat Comet,” facing USBA WW Champion Izzy Jannazzo for Zivic’s NABF WW title (Jannazzo’s USBA belt is not up for grabs in this matchup of two top five WW contenders). Zivic prevailed in their only prior encounter, back in 1938. Rough start for Zivic, who sustains a bad cut over his left eye in the very opening round of the bout. The cut is reopened in the second round, giving Jannazzo an attractive target. Some good cornerwork manages to patch up the cut, but it does not prevent Jannazzo from finding the range, doing sufficient damage to cause swelling around the injured eye. Despite a couple of nice rounds by Zivic in the fifth and six rounds, the unofficial card has the challenger, Jannazzo, with a two-point lead (58-56) at the midway point. Into the later rounds, and Zivic, who is the aggressor, continues to cut into Jannazzo’s early advantage. The bout remains close into the final few rounds, as both men appear exhausted. Trouble for Zivic as the cut is re-opened for a second time, in round 10. Nonetheless, no further damage is down, as Jannazzo, confident of victory, adopts a defensive posture for the final two rounds. But wait, in the final round, the cut is opened for a third time, and this time, a stoppage is ordered. Since the cut was the result of an unintentional butt, the scorecards after 11 decide the outcome, and the bout is declared a technical draw (105-103 Zivic, 102-106 Jannazzo, 104-104). A rematch, later in 1942, appears likely. Post-bout career marks: Zivic, 30-10-6 (15); Jannazzo, 33-5-4 (13).

Mar. 28, 1942
: To the Cow Palace in San Francisco to wrap up this month’s activity. Main event pairs two regional titleholders, as NABF BW Champ David Kui Kong Young faces Aussie Mickey Miller, who currently holds both the Commonwealth and OPBF BW titles. No prior meetings of these two, who battle in this 10-round, non-title affair. Action picks up in the opening round as Kui Kong Young lands a heavy blow that forces Miller to cover up. After another big round in round three, Kui Kong Young pulls ahead on points (the unofficial card has him up by 49-46 at the halfway point). More of the same as the bout heads into the later rounds, with Miller suffering from a rapidly swelling right eye by the end of the eighth round. Kui Kong Young goes on to wrap up a lopsided UD 10 (100-90, 100-91, 100-90). This enables the American BW to rack up his 11th successive win, improving to 25-1-1 (14) overall. The loss drops Miller to 31-10-2 (18).
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Old 04-12-2019, 05:59 PM   #1327
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Apr. 1941 - Part 1 of 2

This report covers a total of 47 bouts taking place during the first half of April 1942. One WBA title bout is included in this report.

Apr. 3, 1942: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. Featured in the main event are two top 10 ranked WWs – Eddie Dolan and Jackie Wilson – in a 10-round, non-title affair. The two have not met before. Action in the early rounds seems to favor Dolan, a former WBA WW Champion who is still in Prime career condition. Wilson bounces back, dominating the action in round five; the unofficial scorer has Wilson up by two (48-46) at the halfway point, although the punches landed stats tell a different story, putting Dolan on top. Urged on by his corner, Dolan takes a more aggressive posture for the second half of the bout. Early in the eighth round, Wilson connects with a three-punch combination that stuns Dolan, who covers up and manages to last the round. Both men appear weary headed into the final two rounds. Wilson maintains the edge with a strong round nine, and – with the outcome hanging in the balance -- Dolan battles back, taking the final round and eking out a close SD 10 win (95-94 Dolan, 94-95 Wilson, 95-94 Dolan) to improve his career record to 36-9-5 (13). For Wilson, this is just his third loss, leaving him at 24-3-2 (15).

Apr. 4, 1942: A huge crowd has gathered at Johannesburg’s Rand Stadium, for a WBA Flyweight title contest. In the title matchup, Jackie Jurich – making the fifth defense of the WBA belt he won in 1940 – faces EBU Fly Champ Peter Kane, who has defended that title twice after losing a WBA title matchup with Jurich a little more than a year ago. However, Kane did take a UD over Jurich in his native London, but that was back in 1938, when both men were still at Pre-Prime career stage. In this bout, Kane – the slugger – starts well, outboxing Jurich to take the opening round. After another solid round in the second, Kane moves inside in round three and tries to apply pressure on the defending Champ. This does not turn out so well, as Jurich begins to find the range, landing repeatedly and causing a trace of swelling to appear under Kane’s right eye. After a close round four, Jurich appears to be comfortably in control; after the first five rounds, the unofficial scorer has him in front (49-46, which seems a bit generous). In round six, there is an accidental clash of heads, and a gash is opened over the right eye of Jurich as a result. Kane becomes more aggressive, targeting the cut, but in round seven, Jurich’s defense remains solid and he lands enough punches to take the round, while the cut (due to some great cornerwork) remains closed. In round eight, another clash of heads, and this time it is Kane who suffers the cut, also over the right eye. Meanwhile, Jurich has remained active, and his two-fisted attack has caused additional swelling, this under Kane’s other (left) eye. With both eyes now puffing up, and a cut to boot, Kane’s corner has suddenly become very busy, particularly since the cut appears to be in a difficult spot. After 10 rounds, it’s a solid lead for Jurich (98-92) on the unofficial scorecard. Into the later rounds, and Kane is already tiring badly, while Jurich remains energetic and active, confident of victory at this point. Jurich eases up some in the last few rounds, but Kane is unable to mount any kind of a sustained rally. The bout goes the distance, and Jurich goes on to register a UD 15 triumph (146-139, 143-142, 145-140) – although it was surprisingly close on one judge’s card. Post-bout career records: Jurich, 24-3-1 (17); Kane, 24-4-1 (11). All in all, a rather lackluster performance by the British challenger after such a promising start in the opening two rounds.

Apr. 4, 1942: Back to the States for a packed card at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. A USBA title bout tops the agenda, and the main supporting bout features hot WW prospect “Sugar” Ray Robinson, who looks to add another notch to his belt, as he faces journeyman Leonard Del Genio in a 10-round, non-title affair. Robinson dominates the action for the first couple of rounds but, as the bout progresses, Del Genio offers some stubborn resistance. By the midway point, there is some puffiness around the right eye of “Sugar” Ray, but the unofficial scorecard has Robinson ahead (49-46). Into the later rounds and, while both men begin showing signs of fatigue, Robinson appears to have matters well in hand despite a game effort from Del Genio. Robinson puts Del Genio down in the eighth, and again in the 10th and final round. The bout goes the distance, with the result – a solid UD 10 win for Robinson (98-91, 97-91, 98-91) never really in doubt. Robinson, still unbeaten, improves to 13-0 (10) with the win, while Del Genio, who has seen better days, ends up 17-13-3 (12) after the loss. Then, in the main event, Mike Belloise is on hand to make his initial defense of the USBA FW title he won earlier in 1942. His opponent, Everett Rightmire, managed to nick a SD win over Belloise back in 1937, but was TKO’d in a rematch several years later. Cagey start from both men, with the Rightmire holding his own in the early going. Not much in the way of heavy leather landed by either fighter but the punches landed stats favor the challenger who, according to the unofficial card, has forged a two-point edge (59-57) at the midway point. Into the second half of the bout, and Belloise tries to counter by applying more pressure, but he is unable to find any weaknesses in a solid defensive front presented by Rightmire. In the final few rounds, sensing the title slipping away, Belloise goes headhunting, looking for the knockout, but he simply is unable to break down Rightmire’s defenses. Rightmire manages to lift the belt via a close, but UD 12 (116-113, 116-114, 116-114), regaining a title he had held once previously. Post-bout career records: Rightmire, 32-12-3 (14); Belloise, 29-13-7 (11).

Apr. 10, 1942: Next is a Friday night card in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The main event, a non-title affair, features unbeaten MW prospect and hometown favorite Jose Basora, who faces an aging but veteran campaigner, former WBA MW Champ Freddie Steele, in a 10-round bout. After a close three opening rounds, Steele takes charge in round four, rocking Basora with a hard jab, forcing the Puerto Rican fighter to cover up. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer – perhaps influenced by the pro-Basora crowd – has the bout even (48-all). Into the second half of the bout and, to the delight of the crowd, both men take an aggressive approach, looking to land some damaging blows. By the end of the seventh round, there is noticeable swelling around the right eye of Basora. Into the final three rounds, with both men beginning to tire, the action slows somewhat, but the outcome remains in the balance. Then, late in the ninth round, Basora drops Steele with a short, clean right cross that comes out of nowhere. Steele, who is saved by the bell, returns to his corner, with blood streaming from a gash over his left eye. He manages to finish the bout, but the damage is done, as the one KD is sufficient to propel Basora to a close but UD 10 win (95-94 on all three cards). With the win, Basora remains perfect, running his career totals to 19-0 (15). The loss drops Steele to 50-9-1 (34).

Apr. 11, 1942: Philadelphia is the scene for the next fistic action. Topping the card is a non-title bout involving two MWs, as Aaron Wade faces Coley Welch. First time either of these fighters – both of whom are still seeking their first title shot – in a main event. The two battle on relatively even terms through the opening few rounds, with Welch holding a slight edge in terms of the punches landed stat. At the halfway point, and a after a big fifth round for Welch, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Welch ahead by only by a point (49-48). Into the later rounds, and Wade, sensing the bout slipping away, opts to step up the pressure, going on the offensive. Welch remains alert and vigilant, and his defense remains solid. The bout proceeds to decision without incidents (no cuts or knockdowns), and the UD 10 goes to Welch, although by a close margin on all three cards (96-95, 96-94, 96-94). Post-bout career marks: Welch, 22-3-3 (10); Wade, 26-5-1 (12).

Apr. 11, 1942: To Canada and Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens for the next card, and the main event matches up current EBU LW Champ Aldo Spoldi with a former CBU LW titleholder, South Africa’s Laurie Stevens. The two have met once before, in 1938, with Spoldi claiming a TKO win in his native Italy. Good action bout from the opening bell, with both men active and seeking to land some heavy blows. Despite all this activity, neither man can break through; at the halfway point of the 10-rounder, Stevens has a slight edge (48-47) on the unofficial scorecard. Punches landed stat favors Spoldi, but the stamina factor seems to favor Stevens. Then, in round seven, Stevens rips open a gash over Spoldi’s right eye. The cut continues to ooze blood in the following round, and Spoldi follows up, stunning Stevens with a good shot as well as causing some puffiness around the other (left) eye of the Italian fighter. With the cut finally under control, Spoldi lets loose on an all-out offensive in the final two rounds, but Stevens manages to stay out of range, and he is rewarded with a UD 10 (98-94, 98-92. 97-93), although the bout seemed a bit closer than the 98-92 score from one judge. With the win, his third in succession, Stevens improves to 30-8-1 (19) overall. The loss drops Spoldi to 41-10-5 (15).
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Old 04-24-2019, 04:59 PM   #1328
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Apr. 1942 - Part 2 of 2

This report covers a total of 61 bouts taking place during the second half of April 1942. One WBA title bout is included in this report.

Apr. 17, 1942
: Next, back Down Under for more “Friday Night Fights” action. Featured is the reigning OPBF WW Champ, Aussie Jack McNamee, who takes on Tippy Larkin, who has competed both at the now defunct JWW level before moving up to WW. First meeting of the two, and there is a long feeling out process with little in the way of action for the first few rounds. Larkin proves to be a difficult nut to crack and, despite some urgent encouragement from a boisterous hometown crowd, McNamee trails Larkin (49-46) at the midway point, according to the unofficial scorer. In the second half of the bout, McNamee steadies himself, finishing strongly and, in the end, it is just enough to secure a draw (97-93 Larkin, 94-96 McNamee, 95-95). Post-bout career marks: McNamee, 30-9-1 (18); Larkin, 21-4-2 (12).

Apr. 18, 1942
: The scene shifts to the Sportpalast in Berlin, where a sizable crowd of German fight fans has assembled to see their hero, ex-WBA HW Champ Max Schmeling, unable to arrange a WBA title rematch with Joe Louis due to the current political climate, making yet another defense of the EBU HW title, this against his German compatriot Walter “Der Blonde” Neusel, who has risen through the ranks to top 10 contender status. The two have met twice before, once here in Berlin in 1936 where Neusel famously battled Max to a draw and, more recently, in 1938, when Schmeling prevailed via a UD 12 for this same title. This time around, things are relatively quiet for the first round or two, at least until a gash appears over Schmeling’s left eye midway through the second round. With the cut caused by a punch, and not a butt, it is quickly addressed by Schmeling’s cornermen between rounds. In round three, Schmeling rocks the challenger with a sharp combination, and Neusel wisely covers up and lasts the round. In round four, Max moves inside, doing more damage, and enough to cause some puffiness to appear under Neusel’s right eye. However – bad news for Schmeling – the cut over his left eye is reopened, and more intense cornerwork is required to keep it under control. The two men battle toe-to-toe in round six, a situation that favors Schmeling, who lands several heavy blows, finally putting Neusel down just before the bell, so the knockdown count is waved off. At the midway point, Schmelng leads on points (57-55, according to the unofficial card), but the cut over his eye remains a serious concern. Into the second half of the bout and Neusel switches tactics, adopting a more passive posture designed to stay in the bout and pin his hopes on a possible cuts stoppage. In round nine, the ref steps in and docks Neusel a point for repeated rabbit punching. Into the final few rounds and, once again, Neusel switches tactics, going all-out aggressive and hoping to catch a tired-looking Schmeling with a wild knockout punch. However, this backfires as Neusel leaves himself open for a big countershot, which lands with sufficient force that Schemling puts Neusel down for a second time. After Neusel arises, Schmeling lands several unanswered blows before the ref, mercifully, calls a halt. Solid TKO 10 win for Schmeling, who is now 60-6-1 (42) with the win, his 14th in succession. Neusel drops to 30-13- 2 (21) with the loss.

Apr. 18, 1942: Next fistic action is on the West Coast, this time at Seattle’s Sicks Stadium. Topping the card is a matchup for the USBA LW title, currently held by Tony Chavez. For Chavez, it is his third title defense as he faces a highly touted challenger, Bob Montgomery, who wrapped up his pre-Prime career with a 19-0-1 mark. First meeting of the two, and it is Montgomery’s first title bout at any level. The bout remains close through the opening three rounds, with Montgomery holding his own against the much more experienced Chavez. In round four, Chavez decks Montgomery with a big shot but cannot follow up as Montgomery is able to regain his footing, clear his head, and cover up to survive the round. Headed back to his corner, a trickle of blood appears around Montgomery’s lip. Montgomery recovers and does well with a solid showing in round five. According to the unofficial card, Chavez has a narrow lead (57-56) at the midway point. Into the second half of the bout, with the outcome still in doubt, Chavez focuses on remaining on the outside while Montgomery, recovered from the KD, looks to up the pace. Neither man is able to dominate the action, and the bout goes the distance, with the outcome in the judges’ hands. The one KD looms large as the judges award Chavez a close, but UD 12 (114-113, 114-113, 115-112), enabling him to keep the belt while handing Montgomery his first career loss. Post-bout career records: Chavez, 34-10-4 (12); Montgomery, 19-1-1 (13).

Apr. 24, 1942: Next is a Friday night card in Mexico City. On tap, in the main event, is an LABF title bout supported by a 10-round, non-title bout matching a former OPBF BW Champion Little Pancho with hometown fan favorite, Raul Casanova, who recently claimed the LABF BW belt. First meeting of the two, and both men have recently hit Post-Prime career stage. Not much to choose between the two until midway through round five, when suddenly Casanova connects with a sharp combination that sends Pancho tumbling to the deck. Pancho arises after taking a count of eight, but then he is dropped a second time late in the round but then saved by the bell. The 10-8 round translates into a two-point advantage (48-46) in favor of Casanova, according to the unofficial card. Late in round six, a wild overhand right from Casanova sends Pancho down for a second time; this time he barely manages to beat the count. Late in round eight, more problems for the Filipino fighter, who suffers another KD late in the round as well as suffering from a gash over his right eye. The cut is reopened in the ninth round and, with a desperate Pancho ramping up the pressure to try for a late KO as his only hope, Casanova wisely backs off and favors a safety first approach. The bout goes the full 10 and, to the delight of the Mexican fight fans, Casanova takes a very solid UD 10 (96-90, 95-91, 94-92) to run his career totals to 31-10-2 (15). Pancho ends the bout at 43-11-7 (10). In the main event, Chino Alvarez makes the first defense of the LABF LW title he won over a year ago, facing another Mexican fighter, Juan Zurita, for the belt. Some view Zurita, who is not ranked, is overmatched, despite wins in five of his last six outings to set up the title shot. After a solid couple of opening rounds by the challenger, the bout settles into a predictable pattern with Alvarez, the slugger, seeking to mix it up while Zurita, the boxer, prefers to stay on the outside. After the first four rounds, a major upset may be brewing as Zurita has the early edge in terms of punches landed. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer also has the Mexican challenger ahead on points (by a count of 59-55). Into the later rounds, and Alvarez continues to press the action on the inside, taking advantage of a significant stamina edge over the less experienced Zurita. Zurita finds his earlier points and punches landed lead dissipating as the bout enters the crucial later stages. In round 10, Alvarez catches Zurita with a short, clean hook that sends the Mexican challenger to the canvas. The 10-8 round sends the scorecards in Alvarez’s favor and, after two more rounds of boxing, he is declared a UD 12 winner (116-111, 116-111, 115-112) over a game Zurita. Post-bout career marks: Alvarez, 39-14-5 (22); Zurita, 25-11-3 (5). Definitely a bout of two halves, as Alvarez won the last five rounds on all judges’ cards to complete the comeback and prevent Zurita from registering a big upset win (Zurita’s overall boxer rating is a “1” compared to a “7” for Alvarez).

Apr. 25, 1942: London and the Harringay Arena sets the scene for the next fistic action. Topping the agenda are a pair of co-feature, the first matching two top 10 HWs in a non-title confrontation, as Tommy Martin – the “British Brown Bomber” – faces American Abe Simon. The two have not met before, and both have settled in to the Post-Prime stage of their respective careers. Simon is able to hold his own for the opening couple of rounds, and he moves inside in round three to press his advantage. However, Martin is comfortable working on the outside, and he manages to keep Simon at bay. At the midway point, though, the harder hitter, Simon, enjoys a slight points edge (49-48) from the unofficial scorer, although a couple of rounds were extremely close and could have gone either way. Sensing Martin falling behind, the hometown crowd exhorts him to press forward as the bout reaches the latter stages. It’s a relatively clean bout, no cuts or knockdowns, that goes the distance, and the UD 10 goes to Simon, who pulls away in the second half of the bout (scores are 99-92, 99-93, 98-94). With the win, Simon improves to 29-5-1 (21); the loss drops Martin to 28-10-3 (17). Simon, now #5 ranked HW and winner of his last three, is campaigning for a shot at Joe Louis’ WBA HW title. In the finale, the GBU MW title is at stake as the “Rochdale Thunderbolt,” Jock McAvoy, the man who has held the title for over a decade (since 1930, in fact), makes his 12th title defense against a familiar foe, Jack “Cast Iron” Casey. The two have met four times previously, with McAvoy winning all but one, their first back in 1929 when both were at Pre-Prime, which ended in a draw. Since then McAvoy has become the British MW to beat, but his long reign may soon be coming to an end. For this bout, he remains the favorite as Casey has already hit Post-Prime while Casey has a few more bouts to go before experiencing any decline. Great opening round for McAvoy, who manages to land sufficient leather to cause a trace of swelling to appear under Casey’s left eye. McAvoy continues to dish out punishment, dropping Casey for a three-count near the end of round three. More trouble for Casey in round four, as McAvoy rips open a cut over his right eye. In round five, Casey connects with his best punch of the fight, a hard uppercut, and McAvoy wisely covers up and retreats to the corner to avoid further trouble. Huge points lead (59-54) for McAvoy at the midway point, according to the unofficial scorecard. Into the later rounds, and the desperate challenger tries to become more offensive, but in round nine the mismatch comes to an end, after two more KDs from McAvoy, Casey is counted out. KO 9 for McAvoy. Post-bout career marks: McAvoy, 37-17-5 (25); Casey, 37-18-5 (22).

Apr. 25, 1942: Wrapping up the month’s action is an exciting card at New York’s Polo Grounds, featuring both WBA and an NABF title action. Popular unbeaten FW prospect Willie Pep is on the undercard, and he impresses with another fine outing, putting on a boxing exhibition before finishing off a game and veteran TC opponent with a 9th round KO to run his record to a perfect 11-0 (9). In the co-feature, NABF LH Champion Tiger Jack Fox, seeking to re-establish his credentials for another run at the WBA LH title, defends versus Nate Bolden. The two have not met before, and it is Bolden’s second try for a regional title after falling short versus Melio Bettina for the USBA LH belt last year. Fox, the prohibitive favorite, goes to work right away, unleashing a punishing attack that results in some initial swelling appearing around the right eye of Bolden as early as round two. Tiger Jack continues to pound away, piling up points; at the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has him well ahead (59-55) while Bolden’s eye continues to get worse. In the later rounds, Fox begins to ease up some, but Bolden simply lacks the firepower to mount a comeback. The end comes early, late in the 9th round, when Bolden’s eye is nearly swollen shut and the ref decides to call a halt. Impressive TKO 9 win for Fox. Post-bout career records: Fox, 53-7-1 (38); Bolden, 22-4-1 (12). In the finale, it is another appearance by the popular HW king, Joe Louis, who makes the 13th defense of his WBA HW title, and his opponent, Brit Tommy Farr, the current GBU HW titleholder is someone he has faced before, back in 1938, where he knocked out Farr in round five prior to his only career setback, losing the title to Max Schmeling. This time, with Louis still in Prime condition, the “Brown Bomber” is heavily favored to add another inside the distance win to his resume, particularly given that Farr has lapsed into post-Prime career stage. This time, Joe wastes little time, flooring Farr late in the opening round. Farr scrambles to his feet and survives the opening stanza without further damage. After another big round for Louis in round two, a cut appears over the left eye of Farr early in round three. Because the cut is ruled the result of an unintentional butt, when the bout is halted later in the same round, it is ruled a technical draw. Tough luck for Louis, who seemed almost assured of another win, and the result will go down as a slight blemish on his career record (just as his one career loss to Schmeling was also an artificial technical decision due to a butt cut stoppage). At any rate, Louis retains the belt and his post-bout career record is an excellent 38-1-1 (36). For Farr, he ends the bout at 50-6-4 (16), and the initial impression is that his connections have no desire to put him in the rings for a third time with the “Brown Bomber.” At any rate, this concludes the fistic action for the month of April 1942 on kind of a sour note.

Last edited by JCWeb; 12-30-2019 at 04:26 PM.
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Old 05-15-2019, 08:20 PM   #1329
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May 1942 - Part 1 of 2

This report covers a total of 55 bouts taking place during the first half of May 1942. One WBA title bout is included in this report. (Having some computer issues right now, so the usual bolding will have to wait for editing after whatever it is clears itself up.)

May 5, 1942: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at Buffalo. In the feature match, two MWs do battle as long-time Commonwealth MW Champ, Canadian Lou Brouillard, faces Billy Soose, who briefly held the USBA MW title. It is the first meeting of these two, and both are now at Post-Prime career stage. Soose decks Brouillard with a big hook in the opening round; the Canadian fighter scrambles to his feet, and covers up to prevent further mishap and to last the round. Soose cannot follow up on his earlier success and, despite some puffiness under his right eye, the early KD provides the margin on the unofficial scorecard which has Soose up by two (48-46) at the halfway point. Into the later rounds, and Soose is the aggressor, but some smooth boxing and counterpunching from Brouillard is sufficient to negate his efforts. In round nine, a cut suddenly appears over Soose’s left eye. However, the bout goes the rest of the way without incident and, in the end, the winner in a close SD 10 is Brouillard (95-94 Brouillard, 94-95 Soose, 95-94 Brouillard). The win enables Brouillard to improve his career record to 35-16-3 (15). For Soose, another setback leaves him at 18-6-1 (12).

May 6, 1942
: To the UK for the next fight card at the Stadium in Liverpool. The main event matches two Brits for the GBU BW title, currently held by Tom Smith. Smith’s challenger is former WBA BW Champ and current EBU BW titleholder Johnny King. It’s a rematch of a 1941 GBU title matchup that saw Smith the upset winner via a final round KO. Not much in the way of action until round three, when Smith suffers a cut over his left eye. By the end of round five, there is a trace of swelling around Smith’s injured left eye. At the midway point of the bout, the unofficial scorer has King in front (by a count of 58-56). In round eight, Smith battles back, and he manages to win the round, while also ripping open a cut over King’s left eye. Thus, the cornermen for both fighters have to deal with managing cuts. In round 10, King floors Smith with an uppercut; although Smith bounces back up after the count of two, the damage has been done. A second KD for King follows in round 11, and he goes on to wrap up a solid UD 12 triumph (118-108, 118-109, 1117-109) to capture the GBU belt. Post-bout career records: King, 54-9-1 (22); Smith, 21-11-6 (11).

May 6, 1942: Back to the States for the next fight card, at New Orleans’ Coliseum Arena. Featured is a USBA WW title tilt, with Izzy Jannazzo defending against challenger Jimmy Garrison. For Jannazzo, it is his fifth title defense of the belt he won back in 1940, and he holds a prior UD win over Garrison, who is seeking to end a three-bout losing streak. Jannazzo, the more skilled boxer of the two, pulls ahead after a strong showing in round three. Garrison does well to keep the bout close and, at the halfway point, Jannazzo is up by just two (59-57), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. Into the second half of the bout, and Garrison tries to become more aggressive, but he is met by some stubborn defense from Jannazzo, who seems reluctant to lose his belt in this encounter. An all-out assault by a tired and frustrated Garrison in the last couple of rounds goes for naught; in the end, Jannazzo retains his belt, taking a UD 12 by a fairly comfortable points margin (119-110, 118-111,118-111). This win boosts Jannazzo’s career totals to 34-5-4 (13), and the loss leaves Garrison at 26-7-3 (2).

May 12, 1942: Next up is a Friday night card in a little used venue, the Nueva Circa in Caracas, Venezuela. The main event matches a veteran Cuban fighter with a Venezuelan newcomer – veteran Filio Julian Echevarria and prospect Oscar Calles – for Echevarria’s LABF FW title. First meeting of the two, and it is Echevarria’s first defense of the title he won back in 1940. Things seem to be going well for the defending Champ until round four, when he suffers a cut over his right eye. In round six, the cut is reopened, but a peek at the unofficial scorecard shows Echevarria well in front (by a count of 59-55). Calles mounts a rally, winning rounds eight and nine to keep the bout close. Echeverria bounces back with a big round in round 10, and Echevarria holds on to take a tense but UD 12 (115-113, 115-113, 116-112). Post-bout career records: Echevarria, 40-17-2 (12); Calles, 14-2 (6). Creditable effort by Calles in his first title bout.

May 13, 1942
: Next card takes place at the Forum in Montreal. Impressive young LH prospect Ezzard Charles is an added attraction on the undercard, where he pummels a TC opponent in a scheduled eight-rounder, winning via a third round TKO to boost his career record to 7-0 (6). In the main event, top 10 LW, a popular Canadian Dave Castilloux, carries a five-bout winning streak into a 10-round, non-title bout with Lew Jenkins, the “Sweetwater Swatter,” a former USBA LW Champion. In the opening round, Jenkins lands a sharp three-punch combo that causes Castilloux to cover up. More of the same in round three, when a Jenkins cross rocks Castilloux, and the cover up is employed once again. Then, two minutes into round five, Jenkins connects with a big hook and, this time, Castilloux goes down and is unable to beat the count. Impressive KO 5 for Jenkins, who improves his career record to 25-2-3 (12), moving into the top 10 as a result. The loss drops Castilloux to 29-10-3 (9).

May 13, 1942: And, to the West Coast and the Cow Palace in San Francisco for an exciting fight card, topped by a WBA title clash. In the main supporting bout, two top LHs do battle, as former WBA LH Champ Tony Shucco takes on the current GBU LH titleholder, Freddie Mills, in a non-title affair. First meeting of the two, and Shucco is looking to bounce back from a title loss to Archie Moore, while Mills is looking to move up the ranks after an impressive win over another former WBA Champ, Gus Lesnevich, in his most recent outing. Mills strikes in the opening round, dropping Shucco with a sharp combination; the ex-Champ is forced to cover up to avoid further damage after scrambling back to his feet. Shucco relies on his slick boxing ability, trying to stay out of range of Mills’ power, while Mills remains the aggressor, seeking to force the action on the inside. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside calls it a stalemate (47-47, including a 10-8 for Mills in opening round where he scored the knockdown). It is a close bout, and the issue remains in doubt down to the final few rounds. Mills finishes with a slightly swollen right eye, the target of much of Shucco’s counterpunches. After a long wait, the judges’ decision is announced, and Mills comes away as a SD 10 winner (94-95 Shucco, 96-95 Mills, 96-94 Mills), with Mills taking the final round on all three cards to squeak through with another win over a former WBA LH Champ. Post-bout career marks: 23-4-1 (13) for Mills; 37-16-1 (13) for Shucco. These two recent wins certainly enhance Mills’ standings as a future WBA title contender. Speaking of WBA titles, the main event matches WBA BW Champ K. O. Morgan, who makes the first defense of that belt, won last year from Panama Al Brown; his opponent is another former WBA BW titleholder and #1 contender, Georgie Pace. It’s a rematch of a 1940 matchup for this same belt that resulted in a TKO win for Pace, ending Morgan’s first title reign. Overall, it is the fourth meeting of these two, with the scorecard standing at one win, one loss, and one draw apiece. A lot of posturing and dancing around the ring by both men in the opening few rounds, with most of the early exchanges seeming to favor the Champion. After the first five rounds, it’s anyone’s bout as indicated by the unofficial scorecard that has the bout even (48-all) at the one-third point. In the middle rounds, Pace begins to assert himself, scoring well with a big round in the eighth, and by the end of round nine, Morgan is suffering from a rapidly swelling right eye. After 10, the unofficial card shows a dramatic swing toward the challenger, who leads by a solid margin (98-93) after winning the last six rounds on the unofficial scorer’s card. In order to reverse this alarming trend, Morgan steps up the pace and intensity of his attack, actively pursuing his opponent in the hope of a knockout or at least a knockdown. Pace is content to stay on the outside, keeping his distance, but the punches landed stats show a much narrower margin, plus Morgan might have the edge as the defending Champ in judging any close rounds. In the final few rounds, with both men on the verge of exhaustion, very little in the way of solid blows are landed, and after the full 15, the outcome is in the hands of the three judges. To the surprise of many who had Pace lifting the belt, the verdict goes the way of Morgan, who retains his title via a MD 15 (143-142, 143-143, 145-140) and, as in the prior bout, the final round – with all three judges going for the defending Champ – proved decisive. With the win, Morgan improves to 36-12-8 (17). The loss drops Pace’s career totals to 28-11-2 (19) overall. Another exciting WBA title bout in the books.

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Old 06-17-2019, 07:23 PM   #1330
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May 1942 - Part 2 of 2 (partial)

Well, unfortunately, it's another case of the dog ate my homework and apparently I forgot to post the second half of May 1942 before overwriting most of the information. In fact, all I am able to recover right now is the results from a WBA title clash between Tony Canzoneri, the defender, and Jack Kid Berg, the challenger. Here goes …

Long-time WBA LW Champ Tony Canzoneri – who has held the belt for almost a decade (except for brief spell when Henry Armstrong held it) – faces Jack Kid Berg, long-time EBU and CBU LW Champion, for the WBA LW title, and this for, the sixth time going back to the late 1920s. Canzoneri has won three, Berg twice, all for the WBA title, but Berg has not tasted victory over Canzoneri for a long time – since 1929. This time around, both men are at Post-Prime career stage but still retain most of their boxing skills. For Canzoneri, it’s his first title defense since 1941 after an unsuccessful foray into the WW ranks. The action is slow to develop, as both fighters look to go the distance, so the pace is rather pedestrian through the opening rounds. By the end of round three, the challenger has begun to find the range with his punches, so much so that there is a trace of swelling around the right eye of Canzoneri. After five, it’s a close bout, as indicated by the unofficial scorecard, which has it dead even (48-48). Canzoneri, the “Roman Warrior,” has the upper hand in terms of punches landed, and he becomes the aggressor as the bout enters the middle rounds. In round eight, Berg sustains a cut over his right eye. After round 10, Canzoneri has wrested the points lead, at least according to the unofficial card (by a count of 97-94). Berg, the “Whitechapel Whirlwind,” goes on the attack as the bout enters its final stages, despite Canzoneri’s evident superiority and the fact that Berg has become fatigued and increasingly frustrated by his inability to break down the Champion’s defenses. Then, early in round 13, a shocking development, as Canzoneri lands a punch but comes away in agony – a serious hand injury, forcing his retirement from the bout. TKO 13 for Berg – a sad way to see Canzoneri’s title reign come to an end. Post-bout career marks: Berg, 48-18-5 (16); Canzoneri, 54-7-4 (17). There is little talk of a rematch, given that Canzoneri will hit End career stage with his next bout, and obviously counting the days until he hangs up the gloves for good, wrapping up a stellar career.

Sorry about this miscue, currently wrapping up the action from the first half of June 1942, so a fuller report upcoming.

Last edited by JCWeb; 06-17-2019 at 07:24 PM.
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Old 06-17-2019, 08:00 PM   #1331
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June 1942 - Part 1 of 1

This report covers a total of 60 bouts taking place during the first half of June 1942. No WBA title bouts are included in this report.

June 5, 1942: The month’s fistic action kicks off with a Friday night card at Jersey City’s Roosevelt Stadium. Highlighting the action is the main event, for the USBA LH title currently held by Melio Bettina. In his first defense of that belt, Bettina faces “Irish” Jimmy Webb, who has won six of his last seven to set up this, his first title shot of any kind. This bout is the first meeting of these two. Some good action in the opening few rounds, which see Bettina, the slugger, as pressing the action against Webb, the boxer. Webb does well to keep the bout close and, at the midway point, he trails Bettina by just a couple of points (58-56) on the unofficial card. Into the later rounds, and here Bettina’s edge in experience as well as stamina kicks in. In round eight, a Bettina combination sends Webb to the canvas. In the final three rounds, Webb changes his approach and turns slugger, only to find himself low on energy and unable to penetrate Bettina’s defenses. As a result, Bettina coasts to a solid UD 12 win (117-111, 118-112, 117-111) to keep the belt and improve his career record to 28-5-4 (11). The loss leaves Webb at 24-6-1 (10).

June 6, 1942: Next card is at St. Louis’ Kiel Auditorium. No title bouts on the card, and the main event matches top 10 LH contender Gus Lesnevich, a former WBA LH Champion, versus 19-1 Harry Matthews. No prior meetings of these two, and Matthews is in his first bout at Prime career stage. Close bout for the opening few rounds, and Matthews does enough damage in the third round to cause some initial swelling around the left eye of the ex-Champ. By round five, there is puffiness around the left eye of Matthews as well. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Matthews with a narrow one-point lead (48-47). The bout remains close into the final few rounds, and Matthews takes a razor-thin SD 10 (96-95 Matthews, 95-96 Lesnevich, 96-95 Matthews) to hand Lesnevich his third loss in his last four outings. Post-bout career records: Matthews, 20-1 (15); Lesnevich, 31-8-3 (14).

June 6, 1942: Heavyweights top the next card, on Canada’s West Coast, at Vancouver’s Exhibition Gardens. Max Baer, the “Livermore Larruper,” faces Elmer “Kid Violent” Ray, in the main event. These two have met frequently, this being the fifth matchup going back to 1935; Baer has won three times, losing once. Over 60 career KOs on the records of these veteran HW sluggers; this time around, both men are at Post-Prime career stage. Not much to choose between the two until midway through round four, when Baer connects with a nice combination that puts Ray on the deck. Ray manages to recover and cover up to last the round, but the end comes a round later, when a Baer cross puts Ray down and out. The KO 5 win lifts Baer’s career totals to 35-16 (30); the loss drops Ray to 47-15 (32).

June 12, 1942: It’s a twin bill of LABF title bouts topping a Friday night card in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In the first co-feature, long-time LABF WW Champion Cocoa Kid, who is based in Puerto Rico, The udefends the LABF WW title against Battling Shaw, a veteran Mexican WW who also competed at JWW earlier in his career. Kid took a UD 12 over Shaw for this very same belt, back in 1936, and he expects to repeat that result in 1942. Early punches landed advantage for Kid, and in truth, the bout turns into a mismatch as Kid dominates the action versus a shopworn opponent, now at the end of his long career dating back to 1927. In round five, a straight right hand from Kid buckles the knees of the challenger, who manages to remain upright after covering up. The unofficial scorer has it as a shutout (60-54) for Kid at the halfway point. Mercifully for his opponent, Kid eases up in the final few rounds, and the outcome is a foregone conclusion, a lopsided UD 12 for Kid (120-108, 118-110, 120-108), with Kid improving to 42-18-4 (16) with the win. Meanwhile, Shaw, who announced his retirement from the ring wars immediately after the bout, wrapped up a 33-21-6 (14) career. In the second co-feature, a much more competitive bout is anticipated as Chino Alvarez defends his LABF LW title, facing ex-Champ Pedro Montanez, a hometown crowd favorite here in San Juan. The two split in two prior meetings, the most recent being in 1941, when Alvarez captured the LABF belt. This time around, after a cautious opening round by both men, Alvarez manages to rock Montanez with a strong uppercut midway through the second round. Late in round five, Montanez walks into an Alvarez hook and tumbles to the canvas, arising after taking a count of three. Nonetheless, despite the 10-8 round, Alvarez holds only a razor-thin points margin (58-57) at the halfway point, at least according to the unofficial card. Action heats up in round eight, with Montanez ripping open a cut over the right eye of Alvarez. Then, with blood streaming down his face, Alvarez unleashes a combination of blows to put Montanez down for a second time and, this time, the Puerto Rican challenger barely beats the count. With the cut still a factor, Alvarez responds with a huge round nine, decking Montanez for the third time with a perfect cross and, by the end of the round, there is puffiness around the left eye of the challenger. However, despite the three knockdowns, it is the cut that decides the outcome, as it is reopened in round 10 and, with blood streaming down and interfering with Alvarez’s vision, the ref steps in an calls a halt -- TKO 10 for Montanez on the cuts stoppage. Exciting bout but a tough loss for Alvarez, who was well ahead on all three cards; however, there is talk of a rematch later in the year. Post-bout records: Montanez, 35-13 (17); Alvarez, 39-15-5 (22).

June 13, 1942: Next is a card at New Orleans’ Coliseum Arena. No titles at stake, and the main event features two LWs, “Herkimer Hurricane” Lou Ambers and Lenny Mancini. First meeting of the two, and it is Mancini’s first opportunity as a main event fighter, while the much more experienced Ambers has been through the ring wars and multiple title bouts and held both NABF and USBA LW title belts. After a cautious start by both men, and Mancini does well to hold his own, becoming the aggressor against a post-Prime Ambers. At the midway point of the bout, the unofficial card has a narrow one-point edge (48-47) for Ambers. Into the later rounds, and Mancini seems to find a boost in energy, with a stamina edge versus the shopworn Ambers. Mancini gets stronger as the bout wears on, and he manages to eke out a close but UD 10 (96-94, 96-94, 98-92) which should boost his stock in the LW ranks, as well as upping his career stats to an impressive 20-4-3 (6), while the loss drops Ambers to 36-7-1 (18).

June 13, 1942: Next up is a card in Phoenix, at the Dodge Theatre. Twin bill features, the first of which matches Mexico’s Raul Casanova with Pete “Baby Cyclone” Sanstol. It is the first meeting of these two, and Casanova is the newly crowned LABF BW Champ, while Sanstol, a former WBA BW Champ, is in decline after having peaked earlier in his career. Action heats up in the second round, with Casanova sustaining a cut over his right eye. Then, in round five, it is Sanstol who suffers a nick under his right eye. A check of the unofficial scorecard at the midway point reveals a close bout, with Casanova holding a slight lead (48-47). The bout remains close into the final rounds, with a slight stamina edge for Casanova. By the end of the ninth round, there is puffiness around the left eye of Sanstol and, by the end, Casanova’s left eye is beginning to swell up as well. The decision, an extremely close one, is a MD 10 for Casanova (96-95, 95-95, 96-94). Post-bout career marks are 32-10-2 (15) for Casanova and 41-18-6 (9) for Sanstol. In the final bout of the evening, Tony Chavez makes the fourth defense of the USBA LW title won in 1940, and the challenger, Willie Joyce, is in his first title shot of any kind. First meeting of the two, and Joyce starts well, landing a solid shot in round two that ends up with Chavez sporting a bloody nose. While Chavez’s corner is busy dealing with the cut nose, his opponent, Joyce, continues to pile up points but then Chavez battles back, winning rounds five and six to even the tally on the unofficial card (57-57), after six. Despite a stamina edge, Chavez is undone by the severity of the cut, which is re-opened twice and finally leads to a stoppage in the final minute of round nine. TKO 9 for Joyce, who improves to 22-2-3 (12) and lifts the belt. The loss leaves Chavez at 34-11-4 (12).
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Old 07-01-2019, 12:44 PM   #1332
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June 1942 - Part 2 of 2

This report covers a total of 67 bouts taking place during the second half of June 1942, including one WBA title bout, and there were some intereting featured bouts with several titles changing hands.

June 19, 1942: Double feature title bout action tops the agenda at the next “Friday Night Down Under” in Melbourne, Australia; both these bouts are for Commonwealth title belts. In the first co-feature, Jack A. Johnson puts his CBU LH title on the line, facing British challenger Ben Valentine. The two have not met before, and it is Johnson’s first defense of the title he won in 1941, facing a somewhat limited opponent who enters the bout having lost his last two outings. As early as round three, both men must deal with cuts: for Valentine, it’s a gash over his right eye; for Johnson, the cut is under his left eye. Johnson’s accurate punches add to the challenger’s woes; by the end of round four, there is puffiness around the injured right eye of Valentine. By the midway point, Johnson has a lead, but not an overwhelming advantage (58-56, according to the unofficial card). Midway through round eight, Valentine sustains a cut over his other eye and, with both cuts bleeding, the referee takes no chances and calls a halt to the action. The TKO 8 for Johnson lifts his career mark to 19-2 (15). Valentine sinks to 21-13-1 (10) with the loss. Surprisingly, two of the three judges had the bout even at the time of the stoppage. In the second co-main event, it is the CBU BW title that is being contested, with Aussie Mickey Miller (who also holds the OPBF BW title) facing challenger Ritchie Tanner for the belt. This marks the third meeting of these two, with Miller holding the edge with a win and a draw in the prior encounters. Miller wastes little time, drilling a left hook to the body that staggers Tanner in the final minute of the opening stanza. However, Tanner recovers quickly and does surprisingly well, landing sufficient leather to cause some initial swelling around the left eye of the Champion. At the halfway point, the unofficial card has it even (58-58), so Miller still has work to do in order to retain this belt. By round eight, Miller seems more comfortable, and this time it’s a trace of swelling that is noticeable under Tanner’s right eye. The bout comes down to the final few rounds, with Miller assuming the role of the aggressor, seeking a KO victory. Instead, it goes to decision, and Tanner takes the belt via a close SD 12 (115-114 Tanner, 113-116 Miller, 115-114 Tanner) and improves to 18-5-2 (10); the loss leaves Miller at 31-11-2 (18). Huge shift in the BW rankings as a result of this bout as Miller, who had been as high as #3, drops out of the top 10. Interestingly, it is the fifth time the CBU BW belt has changed hands in the last five title defenses, and the third time it has been as a result of a split decision.

June 20, 1942: Next card is at Gothenburg, Sweden. No title bout action, and the main event matches two top 10 WW contenders, as EBU WW Champion Bep Van Klaveren faces Jackie Wilson, a former NABF WW titleholder. The two have met once before, battling to a draw back in 1940. This time around, Wilson gets off to a strong start, dominating much of the early action through the first few rounds. Van Klaveren battles back to win round five and, at the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has it even (47-47). The bout remains close, with Wilson adopting a more aggressive approach as the bout enters the final few rounds. No cuts or KDs as the bout goes the full 10, and and the UD 10 goes the way of the Dutchman, Van Klaveren (99-91, 97-92, 97-92), who impressed the judges with his solid defense and boxing skills, winning the last seven rounds on one card. Post-bout career records: Van Klaveren, 36-14-9 (11); Wilson, 24-4-2 (15).

June 20, 1942
: FWs do battle in the feature bout on the next card, held at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Chalky Wright and Battling Battalino, two veteran FWs still highly ranked, face off in a non-title affair. Third meeting of these two, with Wright having won both times previously, most recently back in 1938 for the USBA FW title. In this matchup, the bout remains close through the opening rounds. Despite being at Post-Prime career stage, “Bat” Battalino gives a good accounting but, at the midway point, the unofficial card has Wright well ahead on points (50-46), despite a fairly even bout in terms of the punches landed count. It is not until the later rounds, when Battalino begins to tire, that Wright seems to have a firm grip on the bout. In the end, the bout goes to decision and it’s a fairly one-sided UD 10 for Wright (100-91, 99-91, 99-91) who pushes his career totals to 39-13-4 (15) with the win. The loss drops Battalino 45-17-3 (16).

June 26, 1942: To Panama City for a Friday night card, featuring former WBA BW Champ Panama Al Brown who, despite being on the downside of his long career (dating back to 1922), remains a popular top contender; his opponent is and up-and-comer, recently crowned USBA BW titleholder Manuel Ortiz. Ortiz takes advantage of a slow start by Panama Al, with a strong opening round that leaves Brown looking sluggish, and carrying his hands low as a result. Brown is able to battle back, and, at the halfway point, Ortiz has a narrow lead (48-47) on the unofficial card. In the second half of the bout, the punches landed stats continue to favor Ortiz, who is also the fresher of the two as the bout heads into the later rounds. Brown steps up the pace but is unable to penetrate Ortiz’s very solid defense. The bout goes to decision and, despite one judge (perhaps influenced by the pro-Brown crowd here in Panama) going for the Panamanian ex-Champion, Ortiz takes a SD 10 (95-94 Ortiz, 94-96 Brown, 95-94 Ortiz) – a result that kind of represents a changing of the guard at or near the top of the BW ranks. Post-bout records: Ortiz, 35-13 (17); Alvarez, 39-15-5 (22).

June 27, 1942
: Two Commonwealth title bouts top the next card at London’s Harringay Arena. In the first co-feature, the CBU Flyweight title is contested, with Jackie Paterson challenging titleholder Teddy Gardner for the belt. Two prior meetings yielded a win and a draw for Paterson, and both men are still at pre-Prime career stage (each one bout away from Prime), plus this is the first time Paterson has been tested in the pressure cooker of a a title fight arena. Paterson is the more aggressive of the two, with Gardner taking a more measured approach in the bout’s opening few rounds. At the midway point of the bout, the unofficial scorer has the challenger in front (59-56). Into the later rounds, and Gardner, feeling the title possibly slipping away, tries to press the action and become more aggressive. Paterson has a slight stamina edge, and responds with some hard hitting of his own, taking an action-packed ninth round. Gardner finally breaks through in round 11, landing some good shots, forcing Paterson to cover up, while ripping open a cut over the right eye of the challenger as well as causing some puffiness around the left eye as well. Then, another strong blow puts Paterson on the deck in the 12th and final round. The late KD is enough to enable Gardner to retain the belt, via a MD 12 (114-113, 114-114, 114-113), thus improving his career mark to 18-1-1 (10). The loss drops Paterson to 16-3-1 (13). Could a rematch be in the offing? Anyway, the card fistic festivities conclude with a HW bout, with the “British Brown Bomber,” Tommy Martin, winless in 1942, putting his Commonwealth HW title on the line against South African Ben Foord, who suffered a first round KO loss in their one prior meeting, back in 1935, when both were at Pre-Prime career stage. This time Foord does somewhat better, despite some initial swelling around his left eye that becomes visible as early as round two. With both men now at Post-Prime, the action is somewhat sluggish, but Martin is able to command a slight points edge (58-56) on the unofficial card) at the halfway point. Late in round nine, Martin puts Foord on the canvas, landing a big shot, but the South African challenger is saved by the bell. By the end of round 10, Foord is battling a rapidly swelling left eye. The bout goes to decision, and all three judges agree; it’s a solid UD 12 win for Martin (117-110 on all three cards). Post-bout career records: Martin, 29-10-3 (17); Foord, 26-12-2 (12).

June 27, 1942: The month wraps with a fine card at New York City’s Polo Grounds. A WBA title bout headlines the agenda, but the undercard includes several top young prospects, such as Joey Maxim, Jake LaMotta and Ike Williams, all of whom make quick work of their TC opponents. Later in the evening, 11-0 Willie Pep faces another young FW prospect, Frankie Donato. Pep dominates from the opening bell, putting on a boxing exhibition that results in his winning almost every round until the ref steps in to save Donato from further punishment with just seconds remaining in round nine. The TKO 9 result lifts Pep to an impressive 12-0 (10) overall, and there is talk of a step up in level of opposition although Pep has been brought along nicely thus far. The main support for the WBA title clash is for the USBA MW title, with George Abrams in his first title defense against Allen Matthews, a two-time loser in prior MW title tilts (once for the NABF title and once before for the USBA belt). The two have not met previously, and there is a long feeling-out process. Matthews, the more aggressive of the two, begins to make inroads after the first few rounds and, at the midway point, he has a solid points lead (59-55) on the unofficial card. As the bruising bout continues into the later round, both men develop puffiness around their respective right eyes. In the waning seconds of round 11, an overhand right from Matthews finds its target and Abrams drops to the canvas, only to be saved by the bell. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and Matthews is able to lift the belt via a UD 12 (119-108, 119-110, 117-111) and improve his career totals to 34-12-4 (24), compared to a 21-5-2 (10) post-bout mark for Abrams. Then, in the main event, also in the MW division, the “Man of Steel,” Tony Zale, makes his fifth defense of the WBA MW title won in 1940 and his opponent is a former titleholder, Holman Williams, who held the crown in 1937 and 1938. Their one prior meeting took place in 1938 when Williams, coming off the WBA title loss, was matched with Zale for the vacant NABF MW title, and Zale prevailed on a cuts stoppage. In this WBA title clash, some solid boxing from Williams in the opening couple of rounds causes a mouse to form under the left eye of the Champion. Then, in round three, Zale suffers a cut lip. Zale eases off a bit and does better and, after five rounds, it’s only a one-point difference (48-47 in favor of Williams) on the unofficial card. In the middle rounds, Williams continues to fire away, targeting the cut and inflicting more damage to the swollen eye. Zale, however, matches Williams in terms of stamina despite trailing in terms of punches landed. However, the slick boxing Williams manages to continue impressing the judges, and the unofficial scorer has him even further ahead (by a count of 98-94), after 10 rounds. Into the final few rounds, both men begin to tire, but, fortunately for Zale, the cut on his lip has not reopened. However, late in round 12, a new cut appears, over the left eye of the Champion. Again, the cut is brought under control and Zale, feeling the title possibly slipping away, ramps up the pressure, going all out for the KO in the final two rounds. In the end, the bout goes to decision and the title goes to Williams, via a very close UD 15 (144-143, 147-141, 144-143), with Williams winning the final round on all three cards to clinch the win. Post-bout records: Williams, 38-8 (20); Zale, 33-3 (20). No immediate plans for a rematch, as Williams has indicated a desire to remain an active Champion, while Zale will need time to heal his wounds at the hands of the challenger.

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Old 07-18-2019, 04:55 PM   #1333
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July 1942 - Part 1 of 2

This report covers a total of 46 bouts taking place during the first half of July 1942. No WBA title bouts are included in this report.

July 3, 1942: The month’s fistic action kicks off with a Friday night card at Havana’s Gran Stadium. In the main event, EBU LW Champ Aldo Spoldi faces veteran LW contender Eddie Cool in a non-title bout; it is the first meeting of these two. By the end of round four, there is a cut over Cool’s left eye, and some puffiness under Spoldi’s left eye. At the midway point, the unofficial scorecard has a close bout, with Cool ahead by one (48-47). The bout remains close, with Spoldi holding a stamina edge heading into the final few rounds. After a big round nine for Spoldi, Cool returns to his corner licking his wounds, and showing signs of swelling around both eyes. With less than a minute remaining in the final round, the cut overt Cool’s eye is reopened, and it becomes severe enough for the ref to order an immediate halt. The TKO 10 win lifts Spoldi to 42-10-5 (16); the loss leaves Cool, who will be at End career stage from now on, at 38-18-6 (12). A peek at the judges’ cards showed that the issue was still very much in doubt at the time of the stoppage, with one judge having Spoldi in front, another favoring Cool, while a third had it even.

July 4, 1942: Next is a 4th of July card at the Boston Garden. Only bout of note is the main event, for the NABF FW title, currently held by Jackie Wilson, who is making his first defense of this belt that he won in late 1940. The challenger, Mike Belloise, a one-time WBA FW Champion and, more recently, a USBA FW Champ, who took a UD 10 verdict over Wilson in a prior meeting, back in 1938. Despite a recent drop in the FW rankings, Wilson looks sharp in the opening rounds, but Belloise manages to keep the bout close, with Wilson holding a slim lead (58-57 on the unofficial card) at the halfway point. Into the later rounds, Belloise proves the stronger, pulling in front and demonstrating a significant stamina advantage. In the final rounds, Wilson must also deal with a welt under his left eye. The bout goes the distance, and the title changes hands, via a SD 12, with Belloise winning two of the three judges (116-113 Belloise, 113-116 Wilson, 116-113 Belloise). Post-bout career records: Belloise, 30-13-7 (11); Wilson, 36-18-2 (10).

July 10, 1942
: To South Africa next, for a Friday night card at Johannesburg’s Rand Stadium. A CBU title matchup is featured, and the main support has veteran Max Schmeling, still the top HW contender, facing Nathan Mann. The two have not met before. Schmeling, unable to arrange a rematch with HW Champ Joe Louis, continues to look for worthy opponents to polish his resume. For his part, Mann has managed a win and a draw since adding his name to the list of Louis KO victims in a WBA title clash a year ago. Schmeling takes awhile to get going, but by round three, he has asserted sufficient control to land sufficient blows to cause some initial swelling around Mann’s right eye. Then, in round five, as the bout nears the halfway point, Schmeling staggers Mann with a big hook, leading to an early end via a TKO stoppage. The TKO 5 for Schmeling compares favorably with the Louis’ result (a TKO 9 in a WBA title clash), and improves Max’s career totals to an impressive 61-6-1 (43), compared to 24-8-3 (19) post-bout for Mann. In the main event, the recently vacated Commonwealth LW title (vacated after Jack Kid Berg moved up to successfully challenge for the WBA LW title) and a hometown favorite, South Africa’s Laurie Stevens, is matched with Lefty Satan Flynn, a Jamaican fighter whom he TKO’d in late 1941, for the vacant title. This time around, the action is slow to develop and the bout remains close, with a slight punches landed edge for the crowd favorite, Stevens. At the midway point, the unofficial card favors Stevens (by a count of 59-57). Flynn tries to press forward in round seven, but he ends up with a puffy looking left eye as Stevens is able to land some strong countershots. Early in round 10, Stevens stuns Flynn with a three-punch combo that forces the Jamaican to cover up. The bout goes the distance, and the result favors Stevens, but only via a MD 12 (116-114, 115-115, 117-113) as one of the three judges calls the bout even. Post-bout career marks: Stevens, 31-8-3 (19); Flynn, 27-10-2 (13). Thus, Stevens regains the CBU LW title, a belt he held once previously, in the 1937-38 time frame.

July 11, 1942: Next fistic action is north of the border, to Canada and Montreal, where the featured matchup involves two regional titleholders, recently crowned LABF MW Champ Jose Basora and his CBU counterpart, Canadian fan favorite Lou Brouillard, who will have the backing of the hometown crowd tonight. Basora, the young Puerto Rican fighter, looks sharp early, connecting with more blows and managing to cause some puffiness under both eyes of Brouillard by the end of round four. At the midway point, the unofficial card has the bout still a close one, with Basora up by a single point (48-47). In round seven, with both fighters pressing the attack on the inside, both are cut: for Brouillard, it’s a cut lip and for Basora, it’s a cut over his right eye which has begun to show signs of puffiness as well. The bout comes to an end in round eight when the cut over Basora’s eye is reopened and becomes too problematic to allow the bout to continue. It goes down as a TKO 8 for Brouillard on the cuts stoppage, although a peek at the cards showed Basora leading after seven on all three. Brouillard, who will reach End career stage in his next outing, improves to 36-16-3 (16) with the win while, for Basora, his firsr career setback drops him to 19-1 (15) overall but, at least, he will reach the Prime stage of his career for his upcoming bouts, and there is already some talk of a possible rematch later in 1942.

July 11, 1942
: To Los Angeles for the next fight card, and the headliner is a NABF BW title matchup between the holder, David Kui Kong Young, who makes his first title defense against Tommy Forte, who held the belt briefly in the 1940-41 period. First meeting of the two, and Kui Kong Young starts well, executing a straightforward plan of attack, going right at his opponent. Forte, who has his moments as well, shows signs of swelling around his left eye as early as the fourth round. At the midway point of the bout, the unofficial scorer has the defending titleholder in front, but only by a slim one-point margin (58-57). Into the later rounds, Kui Kong Young continues with his aggressive approach, while Forte mixes it up, sometimes staying outside, sometimes moving inside. The bout remains close, with both men firing away despite suffering from the effects of fatigue as the final few rounds beckon. The bout goes the distance, with Kui Kong Young solidifying a UD 12 win (115-113, 117-111, 116-112) by winning the last three rounds on all three cards. Post-bout career records: Kui Kong Young, 26-1-1 (14); Forte, 25-4-2 (11).

July 17, 1942
: To Manila’s Rizal Arena for a Friday night card, and the feature matches two top Flyweight contenders, the current OPBF Fly Champ and local fan favorite, Little Dado, with one-time EBU Fly Champ Istvan Enekes; the bout is a rematch of a December 1941, also in Manila, that ended in a draw. This time around, the action in the early going favors Dado, whose confidence is boosted by cheers from the Filipino fight fans on hand. Enekes fires back, taking a more aggressive posture and, after the first five rounds, the bout is close, with a slight edge perhaps to Dado (up 48-47 on the unofficial card). Into the later rounds, and the slick-boxing Dado continues to be an elusive target for Enekes, plus the stamina and hometown crowd factor in favor of the Filipino fighter as well. Enekes battles on, continuing as the more aggressive of the two, and he manages to score well with a big round nine, landing some hard shots that cause some puffiness around the left eye of Dado. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and Dado takes a close but UD 10 (96-95, 96-94, 97-93) to move up the Fly rankings, all while improving his career totals to 27-3-1 (13). The loss leaves Enekes at 38-11-2 (11).

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Old 07-30-2019, 01:44 PM   #1334
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July 1942 - Part 2 of 2

This report covers a total of 56 bouts taking place during the second half of July 1942. One WBA title bout is included in this report.

July 18, 1942: To Europe for a fight card at Gothenburg’s Ullevi Stadium. No title bouts on the agenda, and top of the card features two WW contenders, American Eddie Dolan, a former WBA WW Champion, and Gustav Eder, a former EBU WW titleholder. First meeting of the two, and Eder starts well, with a big edge in the punches landed stats. Dolan recovers from a slow start and, by the midway point, the unofficial scorer has Dolan in front by a narrow one-point margin (48-47). Into the later stages of the bout, with the momentum having swung in favor of Dolan, the German fighter responds by stepping up the pace and becoming more and more aggressive. The bout goes the distance, and Dolan piles up enough points to secure a UD 10 verdict (95-94, 97-92, 96-93), thus lifting his career totals to 37-9-5 (14); the loss leaves Eder, who is still at Prime career stage, at 39-11-10 (9).

July 18, 1942: Two HW contenders top the next fight card, which takes place at St. Louis’ Kiel Auditorium. The two protagonists – Abe Simon and Jack Trammell – both sluggers, have not met before, and Simon enters the bout at Post-Prime while Trammell is still in the Prime stage of his career. In the early going, Trammell pulls ahead after a big round two. Simon, however, manages to resist and keeps the bout close; the unofficial card has Trammell up by just one point (48-47) at the midway point of the bout. Into the second half of the bout, with both fighters showing signs of fatigue, and in round seven, Simon rips open a cut over the left eye of Trammell. In round eight, Trammell, with blood still trickling down his face, responds with a big cross, decking Simon, who manages to arise just as the bell sounds, ending the round and preventing Trammell from doing further damage. With punches landed essentially even, the two battle down to the end, and a final round KD by Trammell sets him up to take a UD 10 (97-91, 97-91, 97-92), enabling Trammell to move up in the HW ranks. Post-bout career records: Trammell, 32-12 (15); Simon, 29-6-1 (21).

July 24, 1942: Next up is a Friday night card at Buenos Aires’ Luna Park. Topping the agenda is an LABF HW title bout, with Alberto Santiago Lovell defending the title against veteran Chilean HW Arturo Godoy. First meeting of the two, and Godoy manages to pose a challenge, despite suffering from the effects of a partially swollen right eye, which begins to puff up as early as round three. However, a round later, there is some noticeable redness around the left eye of Lovell. The bout is a close one, but comes to a sudden end early in the sixth round, as a hand injury forces Godoy to retire, handing a TKO 6 win to Lovell, who retains the belt and improves his overall record to 29-11-1 (23), and Godoy slips to 29-15 (14) with the loss. A peek at the scorecards after five rounds showed Lovell ahead on two of the three cards, despite the fact that the punches landed stats favored the Chilean challenger.

July 25, 1942: Next fistic action is at the Earls Court, in London. The feature matches two veteran BWs who have not met before, ex-WBA BW Champ Pablo Dano and ex-NABF and ex-LABF BW Champ Sixto Escobar. Both guys are at Post-Prime, in declining form, and it is Escobar who seizes the early initiative and pulls ahead in the early going. At the midway point, Dano has begun to respond, but Escobar still has a slight edge (48-47) on the unofficial card. Dano continues to rally, and the bout is wide open heading into the final few rounds. Late in round eight, Escobar catches Dano with a big left, staggering the Filipino fighter. Dano tries to battle back, suffering from the effects of a rapidly swelling left eye. The bout goes the distance, and Escobar walks away with a UD 10 (97-94, 96-95, 97-93) to run his career record to 34-13-5 (10), while the loss leaves Dano at 40-16-6 (18).

July 25, 1942
: Next is a big card at New York City and the Polo Grounds, with a WBA title matchup topping the agenda. First up, on the undercard, are a pair of unbeaten LH fighters, as 8-0 Ezzard Charles faces his sternest test to date, taking on slugger Joe Kahut. Despite Kahut’s vaunted reputation as a power puncher (six KO wins in six bouts), Charles is able to land more blows and, by the end of round five of the scheduled eight-rounder, there is noticeable puffiness under the left eye of Kahut. In round seven, Kahut gets careless and Charles puts him on the deck once, twice, and finally for a third time and the automatic TKO verdict. TKO 7 for Charles runs his unbeaten record to an impressive 9-0 (8), as he now prepares to move up in status to the world of 10-round, co-feature bouts. Three more unbeaten prospects follow Charles into the ring in other preliminary bout action. LW Ike Williams runs his record to 15-0 (15) with a ninth round TKO of an overmatched Ray Lunny. Up-and-coming FW prospect Willie “Will O the Wisp” Pep faces Cuban prospect Miguel Acevedo, who has just one loss in 14 prior bouts. Pep, who relies more on guile and boxing ability as opposed to sheer power, outpoints his opponent in a lopsided UD 10 result (99-91 on all three cards) to improve to 13-0 (10). Then, two unbeaten WW prospects do battle, as “Sugar” Ray Robinson faces George Costner. A pair of Robinson uppercuts do major damage in the opening round, sending Costner to the canvas on two occasions. Another Robinson uppercut in round three delivers the coup-de-grace, as this time, Costner is unable to beat the count. Impressive KO 3 for Robinson, moving him to 14-0 (11) overall. Then, in a long awaited match-up, two current WBA Champions do battle in the main event as WBA HW Champ Joe Louis faces Billy Conn, who recently regained the WBA LH title. With Louis’ WBA HW title at stake, a large crowd has gathered to see if Conn can knock the heavily favored Louis off his title perch. It is the first meeting of these two, and Louis is hoping to improve on his most recent result – a technical draw with Tommy Farr that serves as a minor blemish on a stellar ring record. Louis starts well, using the jab and an occasional uppercut to take the opening round. Conn adopts a more defensive posture which serves him well in round two and for most of round three, until he gets caught by a Louis combination that puts him down for a nine-count near the end of the third round. More punishing blows from Louis follow in round four, and there is noticeable puffiness under the left eye of the challenger as Conn returns to his corner. In round five, both men work on the inside, and this favors Louis, the more powerful puncher of the two. After five, Louis is well ahead on the unofficial card (49-45), with Conn managing to win just one round (the second). Into the middle rounds, and Louis is content to hammer away at Conn from the outside, gradually wearing down the lighter challenger. In round nine, an overhand right from Louis drops Conn for a second time. The challenger manages to recover, covering up to last the round, but in round 10, he goes down for a third time, this time barely managing to beat the count. After easing up for a couple of rounds, Louis ends it with three more KDs in round 13 for an automatic TKO 13 – a dominating performance by the “Brown Bomber.” Post-bout career records: Louis, 39-1-1 (37); Conn, 29-5-3 (12).

July 31, 1942: The month wraps with a Friday night card at Atlantic City. No titles at stake, and the only noteworthy bout is the main event, which pairs two ranked FW contenders, as OPBF FW Champ Tsuneo Horiguchi faces veteran American Leo Rodak, who will have the support of the hometown crowd. Early in round three, there is trouble for the Japanese fighter who comes away from an inside exchange bleeding from a cut lip. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Rodak up by a couple of points (49-47). In the later rounds, Horiguchi becomes more aggressive, and Rodak shows signs of fatigue, while the cut on Horiguchi’s mouth appears to be under control. In round seven, a devastating hook from Horiguchi drops Rodak, who resumes only after taking a seven count. A second KD follows a round later, and two more KDs in round nine turn the tide heavily in favor of the Japanese fighter. Thus, it’s no surprise to see Horiguchi declared a UD 10 winner (96-90, 96-90, 97-90) to move his career totals to 31-9-1 (16). The loss leaves Rodak at 27-12 (7).

Last edited by JCWeb; 12-30-2019 at 04:29 PM.
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Old 08-18-2019, 11:10 AM   #1335
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Aug. 1942 - Part 1 of 2

This report covers a total of 61 bouts taking place during the first half of August 1942. Two of the four WBA title bouts taking place this month are included in this report.

Aug. 1, 1942: The month’s fistic action kicks off with a card at Edmonton Gardens in Alberta, Canada. Featured is some non-title action in the WW division, with aging veteran Barney Ross facing “the Mud Flats Kid,” Jimmy Garrison. The two have met once before, in 1940, with Garrison securing a points win over the already Post-Prime Ross at a time when Garrison held the NABF WW belt. Ross struggles with his timing in the early going, and this allows Garrison to build an early lead in the punches landed stats. This translates into a nice points lead (49-46) at the halfway point, according to the unofficial card. Into the later stages of the bout, Ross is unable to mount an impression, as the effects of the ring wars take its toll on this veteran performer who is nearing End career status. By the end of round seven, Ross is sporting a cut lip, and the bout proceeds to decision without further incident. In the end, it is a solid UD 10 for Garrison (99-91, 99-91, 98-92), who improves to 27-7-3 (2) with the win. The loss continues a downward spiral for Ross, who ends the bout at 37-14-4 (11), and one step closer to retirement.

Aug. 7, 1942: The action shifts to San Juan, Puerto Rico for the next card at Escobar Stadium. The main event matches former WBA FW Champ Chalky Wright, still on the comeback trail after losing his title earlier this year. Wright’s opponent is LABF FW Champion Filio Julian Echevarria of Cuba. No titles are at stake, and these two battled to a draw in one previous encounter, which took place in Panama back in 1935. His time around, Echevarria has hit Post-Prime career stage but is still a dangerous opponent, as illustrated by his recent recapture and defense of the LABF FW title belt. In this, their second encounter, Wright appears to have the early edge, piling up points and pulling ahead in the punches landed stats. The situation changes abruptly early in round five, when a three-punch combo is unleashed by Echevarria that staggers the ex-Champion. After five rounds, Wright still holds a commanding points lead (49-46) headed into the second half of the bout. Echevarria, trailing at the midway point, tries to step up the pace and become more and more aggressive. Wright, on the other hand, adopts a safety-first attitude to preserve his points advantage and to avoid the kind of difficulties he ran into early in round five. As a result, there is little in the way of further action as the bout goes the distance and Wright comes away with a close but UD 10 (96-94, 97-94, 96-95). Echevarria will move from Post-Prime to End career stage after this bout. Post-bout career records: Wright, 40-13-4 (15); Echevarria, 40-18-5 (12).

Aug. 8, 1942: Lenny “Boom Boom” Mancini has worked his way up the LW ranks and is included in his first main event, facing “the Sweetwater Swatter,” Lew Jenkins, a former USBA LW Champ who remains among the top LW contenders. It’s a 10-round, non-title affair, topping the card at Jersey City’s Roosevelt Stadium, and it is the first meeting of these two. After a couple of lackluster opening rounds, “Boom Boom” moves inside and lands some telling blows in round three. Then, in round four, it is Jenkins working his way inside and doing some damage. In the fifth round, Mancini has the upper hand; a peek at the unofficial card has the bout even (48-all) after five. At this point, there is some bruising under the left eye of Jenkins. Into the later rounds, with the issue still in doubt, Mancini continues to press as the aggressor, while Jenkins seems content to stay on the outside. Late in round nine, Mancini decks Jenkins with a devastating cross to the head, but Jenkins is saved by the bell. The one KD appears to be sufficient for Mancini to claim victory, but Jenkins is not done – in the final stanza, he unleashes a hard cross of his own to send Mancini toppling to the canvas. Lenny barely manages to beat the count, and the 10-8 final round is enough for Jenkins to secure a UD 10 win by the narrowest margin (95-94) on all three cards. With the win, Jenkins improves to 26-2-3 (12) and re-establishes his credentials as a top LW contender. For Mancini, now 20-5-3 (6), it is back to the drawing board.

Aug. 8, 1942: Next up is a huge card at Chicago’s Soldiers Field, featuring a WBA title bout. First up, the main supporting bout sees USBA WW Champ Izzy Jannazzo challenging Fritzie Zivic for Zivic’s NABF WW title. This is a rematch of a bout for this same title that took place earlier in 1942 that ended in a draw. The bout remains close through the opening rounds; at the midway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Zivic ahead by two (58-56). Into the second half of the bout, and Zivic continues to bang away from the inside, seeking to wear down the challenger, who appears to be more comfortable staying on the outside. As the bout wears down, two exhausted fighters continue to do battle, with Jannazzo, at the urging of his corner, gradually becoming more aggressive. Near the end of round 10, a cut appears on the forehead of Jannazzo, but it has no effect on Zivic, who stuns Jannazzo with a hard cross near the end of round 11. In the final round, the cut is reopened, but Zivic ignores it and decks Jannazzo with a nice combination, punctuating his superiority near the end of the bout. The bout proceeds to decision and, with a strong finish, Zivic is able to retain the belt with a UD 12 (114-113, 115-112, 115-112), with the late KD (and a two-point final round) sealing the win. Post-bout career marks: 31-10-6 (15) for Zivic; 34-6-4 (13) for Jannazzo. The final bout of the evening is for the WBA FW title, with Petey Scalzo making his second defense against USBA FW Champ Everett Righmire. First meeting of these two and Scalzo, the consummate boxer, goes to work right away, causing some initial puffiness around the right eye of the challenger. Nonetheless, Rightmire manages to land a few shots of his opening, keeping the bout close; after the first five rounds, the unofficial scorer has a slim lead for Scalzo (48-47). Rightmire bounces back with a strong round six, and Scalzo decides to press the action on the inside, rocking Rightmire back on his heels. The bout hits the two-thirds mark with both men beginning to tire; at this point, the unofficial card has it even (95-all), and the punches landed stats have swung in favor of the challenger. Scalzo takes a more aggressive posture, redoubling his efforts as the title hangs in the balance as the action heads into the final few rounds. In round 11, Rightmire suffers a cut over his right eye. With the eye as a target, Scalzo continues to fire away, but some solid defense by Rightmire keeps him at bay. The bout goes to decision, and, while one judge gives the nod to Scalzo for his aggressiveness, Rightmire lifts the belt via a razor-thin SD 15 (143-142, 142-143, 143-142) and runs his career record to 33-12-3 (14), while the loss leaves Scalzo at 23-3-2 (13).

Aug. 14, 1942: Next is a Friday night card at Johnannesburg’s Rand Stadium, and featured is the second WBA title matchup of the month. A co-feature matches two veteran MW contenders, ex-WBA Champ Freddie Steele, the “Tacoma Assassin,” who faces long-time OPBF MW kingpin Ceferino Garcia, who is nearing the end of his long career. The two, who have not met before, do battle in a 10-round, non-title bout. At the outset, Steele rocks Garcia with a solid combination, and Garcia covers up to last the round. Steele continues to hammer away, keeping Garcia on the defensive, and the unofficial card has Steele well ahead (49-46) after five. Into the later rounds, and Garcia becomes more aggressive. In round eight, Garcia tumbles to the deck, floored by a Steele cross. A second KD follows later in the round. The bout lasts into the final round and, after Steele decks Garcia for a third time, a halt is called and the bout goes into the books as a TKO 10 for Steele. With the win, Steele improves to 52-9-1 (36), while it proves to be the end of the line for Garcia, who wraps up a 20-year career at 43-26-2 (24). Then, in the main event, the WBA Flyweight title is at stake, with Jackie Jurich making his sixth title defense, facing Commonwealth Fly Champ Teddy Gardner, in Gardner’s first bout at Prime. First meeting of the two. Jurich starts well, confidently piling up points from the opening bell. By round five, there is a noticeable lump under the left eye of the challenger and, after the first five rounds, the unofficial scorer has Jurich well ahead (49-46). In the middle rounds, Jurich continues to use his jab to control most of the action. By the end of round 10, Jurich had extended his lead (to 98-93) on the unofficial card. Jurich appears to be coasting to victory, but in round 14 he gets careless, and goes down in a barrage of punches from Gardner. After arising after a count of four, Jurich wisely covers up to avoid further damage. Despite the late surge from Gardner, Jurich hangs on to retain the title via a UD 15 (144-142, 144-142, 144-141). Post-bout career records: Jurich, 25-3 (17); Gardner, 18-2-1 (10).

Aug. 15, 1942: To Europe for a card at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg. Featured is an EBU WW title bout, with the “Dutch Windmill,” Bep Van Klaveren making his second title defense against a familiar foe, Saviero Turiello, the “Milan Panther.” In four prior meetings, the past ledger is tipped in Van Klaveren’s favor, with two wins and two draws. In this encounter, Turiello manages to keep the bout close and, with two boxers doing battle, the bout devolves into a tactical affair. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has the bout even (57-57). Into the later rounds, and the stamina factor works in favor of the Dutch titleholder. A steady workman-like performance from Van Klaveren, but Turiello persists and manages to pull off the upset, via a MD 12 (115-113, 114-114, 115-113), although the punches landed stats favored the Dutch fighter. In his third try, Turiello is finally successful and lifts the EBU WW belt, all while improving his career totals to 34-17-10 (14). Van Klaveren is the surprise loser, and he ends the bout at 36-15-9 (11).
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Old 08-31-2019, 07:07 PM   #1336
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Aug. 1942 - Part 2 of 2

This report covers a total of 61 bouts taking place during the second half of August 1942. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Aug. 15, 1942: To Los Angeles for a solid card, topped by a WBA BW title bout. Making his is second title defense is K. O. Morgan, and the challenger is USBA BW titleholder Manuel Ortiz. First meeting of the two, each of whom takes a six-bout unbeaten streak into the title clash. 10. Ortiz proves to be a tough challenger, gaining the upper hand after a strong showing in rounds three and four. After five, the unofficial scorer at ringside has the challenger in front (by a count of 50-46). Into the middle rounds, Ortiz seems content to hang back on the outside, while Morgan tries to force the action by pressing forward on the inside. After 10 rounds, the situation has not improved for the defending Champion as, according to the unofficial card, Ortiz has expanded his points lead (to 98-93). Into the later rounds, and Morgan begins to slow, showing the effects of fatigue. And a desperate-looking Morgan tries to mount a rally, but he cannot make progress against a determined opponent. In round 14, Ortiz manages to rip open a cut over Morgan’s left eye – more trouble for the Champion. The bout goes to decision, and Ortiz manages to earn the nod from all three judges to lift the belt via a UD 15 (146-139, 143-142, 146-139) – a solid performance by Ortiz, who improves to 20-3-1 (13) with the win. The loss drops Morgan to 36-13-8 (17) as another WBA title belt changes hands.

Aug. 21, 1942
: The action shifts to the Boston Garden for a Friday night card, and the main event is for the NABF LH title, featuring two talented LH contenders – Tiger Jack Fox and Archie Moore – who have not met before, in the second defense of the belt Fox won earlier in 1942. After a strong round two, Moore has the upper hand and he continues in dominating fashion, winning rounds three and four before pummeling Fox into surrender in round five, when the ref steps in to save Fox from further punishment. TKO 5 for Moore to capture the NABF title belt. Post-bout career marks: Moore, 23-2-4 (18); Fox, 53-8-1 (38). Impressive win for Archie against a tough opponent.

Aug. 22, 1942: The Amor Bahn in Munich, Germany sets the scene for the next fistic action. Only one bout of note, and it is the main event, for the EBU LH title. Two familiar foes face off, as Adolf Heuser, the “Bulldog of the Rhine,” defends his title against Heinz Lazek. Heuser has won all four of their previous meetings, three of which have been contests with the EBU title belt at stake. In this encounter, Lazek surprises Heuser, landing a big hook in the opening round that forces the Champion to cover up. However, a round later, Lazek is the one in trouble, as blood spurts forth from a cut over his right eye. The cut is patched up but re-opened in round six and, at the midway point, the unofficial card has Heuser in front (58-56). The cut, reopened a second time, leads to an early end in round nine, with Heuser holding on to the title via a TKO 9 stoppage. With the win, Heuser improves to 42-11-2 (19), while the loss drops the unfortunate Lazek to 34-12 (21).

Aug. 22, 1942: Next up is a nice card at Pittsburgh, featuring an NABF title bout. Hot LH prospect Ezzard Charles, the “Cincinnati Cobra,” proves his mettle on the undercard, running his career record to 10-0 (9) with a second round TKO versus token TC opposition. It is Charles’ first scheduled 10-rounder – thus far, he has been brought along carefully, but may soon be ready for some stiffer opposition. Then, in the main event, Charley Burley makes the fourth defense of his NABF MW title, facing newly crowned USBA MW Champ Allen Matthews, in the first meeting of these two MW contenders. In round two, Burley puts Matthews on the deck, and the challenger barely manages to beat the count, surviving to last the round. Burley follows up with some impressive boxing, piling up points until suddenly, near the end of round six, he goes down from a delayed reaction to a Matthews cross. Burley is able to regain his footing and last the round, shaking off the effects of the KD. At this point, midway through the bout, the unofficial card has Burley with a nice points edge (58-55), but Matthews has proved to be a tough opponent. Into the second half of the bout, and Burley recovers quickly, continuing to pile up points. At the same time, Matthews begins to tire, and Burley goes on to take a rather comfortable UD 12 (117-110, 116-111, 118-109). Post-bout career marks: 30-1 (22) for Burley; 34-13-4 (24) for Matthews.

Aug. 28, 1942: Next is a rare Friday night card at London’s Earls Court, headlined by a twin feature of title bouts. In the first of these, “Fearless” Freddie Mills makes the first defense of his GBU LH title in over a year, facing Bert Gilroy, the man he defeated to capture that title back in 1940. In this rematch, Gilroy starts well, winning round two and managing to keep the bout relatively close, at least until the fifth round, when Mills breaks through, dropping Gilroy with a solid uppercut and ripping open a cut over the right eye of the challenger. Aided by the 10-8 round, Mills pulls in front on the unofficial card at the midway point (by a count of 58-55). Into the later stages of the bout, and it is Gilroy who takes on the role of the aggressor, but instead he leaves himself open to some vicious counterpunching from Mills. By round eight, there is some puffiness forming under the left eye of Gilroy. With the cut being re-opened and requiring more attention, Gilroy is gradually worn down and lacks the ability to mount an effective rally, and, in the end, the bout comes within seconds of going the distance, with the cut leading to a late stoppage, so it goes down as a TKO 12 for Mills, who had pulled ahead to comfortable leads on all three cards. With the win, Mills improved to 24-4-1 (14), while the loss dropped Gilroy to 24-9-3 (15). Then, in the second co-main event, the EBU FW title is at stake, with Dave Crowley defending that belt versus the veteran Frenchman, Maurice Holtzer. These two are meeting for the fourth time, with Holtzer holding a 2-1 edge in prior bouts, although Crowley prevailed in their most recent encounter, for this same EBU belt, back in 1941. Crowley, who is coming off a WBA title loss, is still at Prime while Holtzer has slipped into Post-Prime career stage. The early action favors Holtzer, who lands some effective blows while staying clear of Crowley’s power. By round five, Crowley is showing the effects, with some swelling around both eyes and, at the midway point, the unofficial scorer has Holtzer in front (58-56). In the second half of the bout, Crowley begins to assert his superiority, gradually pulling ahead and taking advantage of a stamina edge to gradually wear down his opponent. However, a late surge from Holtzer restores his earlier edge and, to the dismay of the British fight fans, the bout goes the full 12 and Holtzer manages to regain the title belt via a UD 12 (116-112, 115-113, 115-113), winning the last two rounds on all three cards. Post-bout career records: Holtzer, 45-21-5 (16); Crowley, 34-25-1 (14). Tough loss for Crowley and for Holtzer, it may turn out to be a pyrrhic victory, as the Frenchman is set to hit End career stage with his next outing.

Aug. 29, 1942
: The month wraps with a big card in New York City. On tap is a WBA title bout matching two current Champions, amply supported by a 10-round, non-title affair matching two top 10 HW contenders: Roscoe Toles and reigning Commonwealth HW Champ Tommy Martin, the “British Brown Bomber.” These two have met twice before and, with the prior results showing a win for each, this is the rubber match. Both men start cautiously, but the edge in the early rounds goes to Toles, who is the more active and accurate of the two. Toles is up by a sizable points margin (50-45, according to the unofficial card), at the halfway point. Into the later rounds, and Martin (who is at Post-Prime career stage), shows the effects of fatigue, while Toles is full of fight. The rest of the bout is rather uneventful, as Toles waltzes his way to a comfortable UD 10 (97-93, 99-91, 99-92) to run his career totals to 36-9-3 (6). The loss leaves Martin at 29-11-3 (17). In the feature, Henry Armstrong, who has already won WBA titles in three divisions (FW, LW and WW) tries for the third time to capture the WBA MW title, challenging recently crowned Champ Holman Williams for that belt. The two have not met before and Williams, looking confident, comes out firing and does enough to take round one. After another listless round in round two, Armstrong takes the initiative, moving inside to apply some pressure in round three. The third round is close and, in round for, Williams works his way inside and manages to take the round. More inside exchanges in round five, and these appear to favor Williams. After the first five, there is a welt forming under Armstrong’s left eye, and the unofficial card has it as a whitewash for Williams (50-45). Into the middle rounds, and Williams continues to have the upper hand, as the swelling under Armstrong’s eye worsens, plus he is unable to make much progress in his efforts to penetrate Williams’ defenses. Two thirds of the way through the bout, Williams has an unassailable lead (100-90) on the unofficial card. In the later rounds, a desperate looking Armstrong goes for an all-out attack, attempting to force the action. In the end, though, kind of a disappointing performance for “Homicide Hank,” whose efforts go for naught, plus he must battle swelling in the other (right) eye in the later stages. On the other hand, credit is due to a fine showing by Williams – who takes a lopsided UD 15 (146-139, 149-136, 148-137) -- in a very high profile bout. Post-bout career marks: Williams, 39-8 (20); Armstrong, 39-6-3 (32).
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Old 09-16-2019, 05:59 PM   #1337
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Sept. 1942 - Part 1 of 2

This report covers a total of 58 bouts taking place during the first half of September 1942. No WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Sep. 4, 1942: The month’s action commences with a card at “the Aud” in Buffalo. No titles at stake, and the main event showcases two LH contenders who are meeting for the first time. One of these, Lloyd Marshall, a former WBA LH Champ, is looking to re-establish his credentials as a top flight contender after suffering losses in two of his last three bouts since losing the title. Nate Bolden has won six non-title fights in succession but faltered in two recent attempts to wrest the USBA and NABF LH belts. In the early going, there is not much to choose between the two, as Bolden serves notice that he will be another tough opponent for the higher-ranked Marshall. By round five, however, the tide turns in Marshall’s favor as Bolden suffers from a cut and swollen right eye, and the unofficial scorer at ringside has Marshall in front, albeit by a narrow one-point margin (48-47). Into the second half of the bout, and Marshall takes advantage of the situation and pulls even further ahead, piling up points as the bout wears on. Bolden’s camp struggles to deal with the cut and swollen eye, and Bolden himself lacks the stamina and firepower to mount a late rally, having to be saved by the bell in the final round after Marshall drops him with a big shot. Thus, it is no surprise that the UD 10 goes the way of Marshall (98-91, 97-92, 96-93), who regains his status as a top LH contender, improving to 22-4-2 (20) with the win. The loss drops Bolden to 23-5-1 (12).

Sep. 5, 1942: The action shifts to Havana’s Gran Stadium where a pair of co-feature bouts, again no titles at stake, top the agenda. In the first of these, Cuba’s fast-rising FW contender, National Kid, faces a veteran of the ring wars, Freddie Miller; these two have not met before and Miller, now in a Post-Prime career state, is more vulnerable, particularly when facing a hometown fighter in a hostile arena. However, in the second round, Kid is slowed when he suffers a cut lip. The cut is promptly closed, only to be re-opened two rounds later. In round five, Kid uses his jab effectively and gains control of the bout, backing Miller up and forcing the American to cover up. Despite some swelling around his left eye, Miller has the edge (49-47) on the unofficial scorecard at the halfway point of the bout. Into the later rounds, and both men are showing signs of fatigue as early as round eight. Into the final few rounds, and Kid goes on the offensive, hoping to catch a weary-looking Miller with a good shot. In the final round, Miller retreats to a defensive shell, hanging on and hoping his success in the earlier rounds will carry him forward to victory. The bout goes to decision, and, to the dismay of the Cuban fight fans, Miller takes a razor-thin UD 10 (96-95 on all cards) – a tough loss for Kid, who has a seven-bout unbeaten streak snapped. Post-bout career marks: Miller, 42-16-1 (15); Kid, 20-2-1 (10). In the finale, two HWs square off as Elmer “Kid Violent” Ray faces Walter “Der Blonde” Neusel, with a prominent top 10 ranking at stake. Ray is looking to avenge a TKO loss to Neusel in their one prior meeting, in Caracas in early 1941. Action is slow to develop, but Neusel is the more active of the two and seems to have the upper hand in the early going. In round four, Ray gets going and lands some telling shots, causing a trace of swelling to appear around Neusel’s left eye. Right before the bell sounds to end round five, Neusel lands a crushing right – his best punch of the bout; the German leads (by a 49-46 margin) on the unofficial card at the halfway point. Into the later rounds, and Ray is the more aggressive of the two, landing a few good blows but also running into some solid defense from Neusel. In the final two rounds, the punches landed stats swing in favor of the American fighter and, with the bout going to decision, it is not surprising to see the bout being called a majority draw (95-95, 94-96 Neusel, 95-95), with Ray winning the last three rounds from a majority of the judges. Post-bout, Ray is 47-15-1 (32); Neusel, 30-13-3 (21).

Sep. 5, 1942
: Detroit is the scene for the next fistic action. Only one bout of note, and it is the main event, for the USBA LH title. Melio Bettina makes his second defense of this belt, facing off against ex-WBA LH Tony Shucco. No prior meetings of these two, and, while Bettina is riding a five-bout unbeaten streak (including two draws), Shucco is trying to bounce back after a couple of losses, including his WBA title loss to Archie Moore in late 1941. Shucco is on target early, and there is a trace of swelling around Bettina’s right eye as early as the second round. In round four, Bettina strikes, using a lead right to stagger Shucco, who backs up against the ropes and covers up. Bettina takes charge and, at the midway point, the unofficial card has him ahead (by a count of 58-56). Into the second half of the bout, and Shucco battles back by moving inside and scoring heavily in a big round eight. More solid shots land for the challenger in the ninth round, and the swelling around Bettina’s eye worsens. Into the later rounds and Bettina – feeling his title slipping away – gradually becomes more and more aggressive. The bout goes the distance, and – to the surprise of many observers, all three judges call the bout a draw (114-114 on all cards), enabling Bettina to retain the title. Post-bout career marks: Bettina, 28-5-5 (11); Shucco, 37-16-2 (13).

Sep. 11, 1942: Next up is a Friday night card at San Juan, showcasing one of Puerto Rico’s most talented fighters, WW Cocoa Kid, who faces Johnny Wilson in the main event. The two have not met before. Kid is coming off a successful defense of his LABF title, while Wilson is looking to rebound from a couple of recent losses to ex-Champ Eddie Dolan and EBU WW Champ Bep Van Klaveren. Action is slow to develop as there is a long feeling-out process. Kid gradually pulls ahead on points, outboxing Wilson to the extent he has forged a solid lead (50-46 on the unofficial card) by the midway point. It is not until the later rounds that Wilson, trailing badly, tries to become more aggressive, and while Wilson manages to cut into Kid’s lead, the hometown fighter holds on to record a MD 10 win (96-94, 95-95, 96-94) that turned out to be quite a bit closer than his supporters would have liked, after Wilson rallied to win both of the final two rounds on all three cards. However, Kid remains a top WW contender despite the closeness of the result. Post-bout career marks: 43-8-4 (13) for Kid; 24-5-2 (15) for Wilson.

Sep. 12, 1942: Next is a fairly limited card at Liverpool – only four bouts on the agenda. Main event matched GBU and CBU WW Champion Ernie Roderick as a hometown favorite versus rising US fighter Marty Servo, who carries an impressive 22-2 record into a bout where he hopes to continue his rise up the WW ranks. First meeting of the two, and the action heats up in the opening seconds, as Roderick stuns Servo with a huge hook that forces the American boxer to cover up. Servo lasts the round, and he recovers to gradually pile up points and is in front (by a count of 48-47, according to the unofficial scorer at ringside) at the halfway point of the 10-rounder. Both men tire badly down the stretch, and Roderick – trailing on points – tries to go on the offensive, but with little success. Servo goes on to take a MD 10 (97-94, 95-95, 97-93), with one judge dissenting, to give a bit of a hometown boost to Roderick. Post-bout career records: Servo, 23-2 (9); Roderick, 26-15-3 (7).

Sep. 12, 1942
: To the Pacific Southwest for the next fight card, which takes place at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix. Headliner is a matchup for the vacant USBA FW title, recently vacated by Everett Rightmire who moved up to capture the WBA FW title. The combatants, meeting for the first time, are ex-USBA Champ Harold Hoshino and, making his first title try for any belt, Harry Jeffra who enters the bout as a decided underdog. Some solid boxing from Hoshino, but Jeffra does well to keep the bout close (58-57 for Hoshino at the midway point, on the unofficial card), plus there is a trace of swelling under Hoshino’s right eye as a result. In round seven, Hoshino steps in and tags Jeffra with a hard hook, forcing his opponent to cover up. He follows up with a sharp combination, and soon thereafter Jeffra is helpless against the ropes, as Hoshino lands blow after unanswered blow, causing the ref to step in and call a halt. The TKO 7 enables Hoshino to regain his status as USBA FW Champ, running his career totals to 29-3-2 (16), while the loss leaves Jeffra at 29-11-1 (12).
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Old 09-25-2019, 07:15 PM   #1338
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Sept. 1942, Part 2 of 2

This report covers a total of 53 bouts taking place during the second half of September 1942. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Sep. 18, 1942: Time for Friday Night Fights “Down Under” and, this time around, it’s a solid card in Melbourne with twin title bouts topping the menu. In the first co-feature, Aussie WW and home crowd favorite Jack McNamee makes his third defense of the OPBF WW title, facing Filipino challenger Flashy Sebastian. The two have not before, but McNamee is a heavy favorite given Sebastian’s journeyman status – the challenger has never been ranked among the top 50 WWs in the world and sports a mediocre record that is barely above .500. Trouble for Sebastian in the third round, when he suffers a gash over his left eye, and the cut appears to be in a bad spot. By round five, there is swelling around the injured eye, plus a second cut on the lip to further trouble the underdog challenger. At the midway point, McNamara has a solid points lead (59-55) on the unofficial card. In round eight, the cut over the eye is reopened, and it continues to ooze blood through the following round. It takes a massive effort from Sebastian’s corner to keep the cuts and swelling under control, and McNamee, for his part, is content to sit on his points lead, doing little to force the action while staying out of trouble. In the end, despite the nasty looking cut, the bout goes the distance, and it goes down as a routine UD 12 for McNamee (119-110, 118-111, 119-109), who keeps the belt and improves to 31-9-1 (18) with the win. The loss drops Sebastian to 14-13 (4). The second title bout is for the OPBF MW title, recently vacated by Ceferino Garcia, who retired. Contesting the vacant belt are two veteran Aussie MWs: Fred Henneberry and Ron Richards. The two split two prior belts and, given both are at the Post-Prime stage of their respective careers, they are fortunate to earn title shots at this late stage. Early punches landed edge to Henneberry but Richards, the more aggressive of the two, is able to do some damage on the inside in round three, causing some initial puffiness around Henneberry’s right eye. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has the bout even (57-57). In the second half of the bout, and Richards continues to pound away on the inside, and he appears to be the fresher of the two as the later rounds beckon. Richards lands some hard shots in round 10, and in round 11, both men, exhausted, go looking to land a KO shot. The bout comes down to the final round, and Richards goes on to take the title via a SD 12 (115-113, 114-114, 115-113). Post-bout records: Richards, 37-19-2 (24); Henneberry, 32-20-2 (13).

Sep. 19, 1942: The action shifts to Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg for card primarily featuring European fighters. The main event is a non-title bout matching the EBU MW Champion, Marcel Cerdan, aka
“the Casablanca Clouter,” versus American Al Hostak, aka “the Savage Slav.” It’s the first meeting of the two, and the bout devolves into a bit of a brawl after Cerdan tags Hostak with a huge hook late in round two, and this causes some puffiness to appear under the right eye of the American fighter. Then, in the next round, Cerdan manages to break down Hostak’s defenses, doing more damage with some devastating punches, ending with a straight right hand that leaves Hostak defenseless. Mercifully, the ref steps in to call a halt. Solid TKO 3 win for Cerdan to boost his record to 33-3-2 (24). The loss drops Hostak to 35-8 (27). With this impressive performance, Cerdan hopes to earn a second shot at the WBA MW title (he lost to Freddie Steele back in 1939).

Sep. 19, 1942: Next is a huge card at the Polo Grounds in New York City, with Joe Louis is the headliner as he once again defends his WBA HW title. On the undercard are a couple of hot young prospects: future stars FW Willie Pep and WW “Sugar” Ray Robinson. Pep is the first of the two to take the ring, and he dominates the action, showing superior ring generalship before finishing off journeyman Bill Speary via a TKO 6, improving his career record to 14-0 (11). Then, Ray Robinson’s talents are on display, and matches Pep’s result – a TKO 6 versus hapless Earl Turner. Post-bout records: Robinson, a perfect 15-0 (12); Turner, 13-2 (10). In a HW prelim bout to the main event, Lem Franklin scores a major upset by taking a UD 10 (6-93, 96-93, 97-93) over top 10 HW contender Jack Trammell, pushing his record to 22-4 (17), while the loss dropped Trammell to 32-13 (15). Then, in the main event, WBA HW Champ Joe Louis takes on British challenger Tommy Farr, in a rematch of an April 1943 title bout that ended abruptly, with a technical draw, due to an early butt cut suffered by Farr. Overall, this represents the third meeting of these two, all with the WBA title on the line, with Louis having recorded a KO 5 in their initial meeting, back in 1938. This time around, Farr is felled in the opening round, as Louis worked his jab to set up a big shot that sent the “Tonypandy Terror” to the canvas. Farr manages to scramble to his feet at the count of three, but the tone has been set for the rest of the bout. By the end of the third round, Farr is taking a pounding and showing the effects, with a rapidly swelling right eye. A second KD in round four, and then in round five, a third and then a fourth knockdown, from a pair of rapid-fire Louis combinations and after the fourth KD, Farr is unable to beat the count. KO 5 and another impressive win for Louis, who is already being spoken of among the all-time great HWs. Post-bout career marks: Louis, 40-1-1 (38); Farr, 50-17-4 (16). With this win, Louis’ perf point stat his an all-time high of 2042, or 2 PP higher than the previous all-time year-end high: 2040, by Tony Canzoneri (in 1938).

Sep. 25, 1942: Next up is a Friday night card at Johannesburg’s Rand Stadium, a venue whose usage has increased during the war years. It’s a fairly light card – just four bouts – and the feature, a non-title affair, matches two top BW contenders, current NABF BW Champ David Kui Kong Young, whose career is definitely on an upward arc, and former WBA BW Champ Johnny King, who remains in Prime contention and is the current holder of the GBU BW title. Kui Kong Young starts well, winning the first two rounds to forge a solid early points lead. By the midway point of the point, King has recovered from his slow start and is fully engaged, but Kui Kong Young is well ahead (50-46) on the unofficial card. In round six, King rocks the American fighter with a huge combination, and Kui Kong Young wisely covers up and lasts the round. Into the later rounds, and King is full of fight as he seeks to regain the ground lost due to his poor start. By the final round, a weary Kui Kong Young is carrying his hands low as King launches an all-out attack. The bout goes the full distance, and it ends with Kui Kong Young holding his own, but sporting a puffy left eye as a result of King’s punishing assault. The end result – a draw (95-95 on all two cards, 96-94 for Kui Kong Young on a third) – seems fully justified. Post-bout career marks: 26-1-2 (14) for Kui Kong Young; 54-9-2 (22) for King.

Sep. 26, 1942
: Next fistic action takes place at the Olympia in London. Two co-features top the agenda. In the first of these, two veteran Flyweights do battle, as former EBU Fly Champ Istvan Enekes faces a homegrown British talent, Jimmy Gill, aka “the Fighting Jockey.” The two have not met before, and Gill is a former Commonwealth Fly titleholder, so both men are looking to establish their credentials in this 10-round, non-title affair. Unfortunately, late in the opening round, an accidental butt opens a gash over the right eye of Gill. The cut continues to ooze blood for a couple of rounds until Gill’s corner manages to close it. Despite their efforts, the cut is reopened in round four, and again, in round six. At the midway point, Enekes is slightly ahead (48-47) on the unofficial card. Despite the cut, Gill manages to rebound with a strong performance throughout the second half of the bout, frustrating the more experienced Hungarian. Winning the final round on all three cards secures Gill a come-from-behind UD 10 victory (96-95, 96-95, 96-94) to run his career totals to 32-9-4 (11). The loss drops Enekes to 38-12-2 (11). In the main event, Jack Kid Berg, who recently dethroned Tony Canzoneri for the WBA LW title, puts that belt on the line, facing long-time GBU LW Champ Harry Mizler. The two have met three times before, with Berg winning all three; this is Mizler’s first try for a WBA title, however, and he is a huge underdog against his much more accomplished opponent. After a couple of close opening rounds, Berg gradually pulls ahead and is well in front after the first five (by a count of 49-46, according to the unofficial scorer at ringside). Into the middle rounds, and Berg continues to pile up points, dominating most of the action. After 10 rounds, the unofficial card has Berg well in front (98-93). Mizler, who is on the verge of exhaustion, goes on the attack in the later rounds, but he cannot mount a comeback. The result, to no surprise, is a lopsided UD 15 for Berg (148-139, 146-140, 148-139), and Berg retains the title, while Mizler will slip into Post-Prime career stage with his next outing. Post-bout career records: Berg, 49-18-5 (16); Mizler, 24-15-6 (6).

Sep. 26, 1942: The month wraps with a card at Vancouver’s Exhibition Gardens. Headlining the agenda is a bout for the NABF HW title, with Jersey Joe Walcott defending that belt versus hard-hitting Max Baer. This is the second meeting of these two, and Walcott, having dropped Baer for a third round KO some four years earlier, is confident of victory, given that Baer will be at Post-Prime career stage this time around. Jersey Joe dominates most of the action in the early rounds, with Baer being largely ineffective and, in round four, Max suffers a cut under his left eye. In round six, Walcott rocks Baer with a hard uppercut, forcing Max to cover up. At the halfway point, Walcott holds a solid lead (59-55 on the unofficial card). Then, in round seven, a short hook from Jersey Joe rips open a new cut, over Baer’s already damaged left eye and, with blood flowing freely from the new cut, the ref steps in and, after consultation with the ringside physician, a halt is called. TKO 7 for Walcott, who retains the belt and improves his career record to 43-7 (27), while the loss leaves Baer at 35-17 (20).

Last edited by JCWeb; 10-14-2019 at 06:06 PM.
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Old 10-16-2019, 07:12 PM   #1339
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Oct. 1942, Part 1 of 2

This report covers a total of 53 bouts taking place during the first half of October 1942. No WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Oct. 2, 1942: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. No title bouts on the card, and the main event features recently dethroned LABF LW Champ Chino Alvarez, facing fast-rising Lenny “Boom Boom” Mancini. First meeting of the two. After a solid opening round by Alvarez, Mancini fires back with a strong second round, and he moves inside, assuming the role of the aggressor, in the third. Near the end of round three, Alvarez is cut over his left eye. By round five, with both men whaling away on the inside, there is plenty of action; at the midway point, though, the unofficial card has Alvarez on top (by a count of 49-46). In round six, the cut over Alvarez’s eye, which had been kept under control by his cornermen, is reopened. Mancini tries to target the cut but can do no further damage; indeed, near the end of round seven, he is rocked by a vicious Alvarez hook. Undeterred, Lenny steps up the pace in round eight, as he goes looking for a knockout or at least a knockdown to keep the scores reasonably close. In the end, a solid performance by Alvarez, “the Patent Leather Kid,” who takes a MD 10 (96-95, 95-95, 97-94), as Mancini managed to close some ground in the later rounds. Post-bout records: Alvarez, 40-15-5 (22); Mancini, 20-6-3 (6).

Oct. 3, 1942: To Havana’ Gran Stadium for the next fistic action, and twin feature bouts top the card. The first of these – a non-title affair – matches Cuba’s Joe Legon, a one-time LABF WW titleholder, with Italy’s Saviero Turiello; first meeting of these two long-time WW contenders. Poor start from Legon, who comes away with a bloody nose in a sharp exchange of blows in the opening round. Then, in round three, trouble for Turiello who suffers a cut under his right eye. The cut is closed and, near the end of the fifth round, the cut on Legon’s nose is reopened. At the midway point, the bout is a close one; the unofficial scorer has it even (48-all). However, the bout ends abruptly early in round seven, when the cut on Legon’s nose continues to ooze blood, leading to an immediate stoppage. To the displeasure of the Cuban fight fans, Turiello is awarded a TKO 7; the win pushes his career record to 35-17-10 (14). The loss drops Legon to 26-8-6 (12). Then, in the main event, two titles are on the line, with Baby Arizmendi putting his NABF LW title on the line, facing Pedro Montanez, whose LABF LW title will also be up for grabs in the same bout. As the two have not met before, there is a long feeling-out process with most of the early action favoring the more accomplished Arizmendi, who earlier in the year abandoned the WBA FW title to campaign at LW. By the midway point of the bout, Arizmendi’s dominance has become clear, even to the most hardened Cuban fans rooting for Montanez, and the unofficial card has the Mexican fighter well ahead (by a count of 60-54). In the ninth round, Montanez begins to labor, his situation made even more dire by a cut over his right eye, plus substantial swelling around his left eye. Montanez, who is already at Post-Prime career stage while Arizmendi is still at Prime, throws caution to the wind in the final two rounds, looking for a knockout, but to no avail. Thus, the result is no surprise: a lopsided UD 12 for Arizmendi (119-109, 120-108, 120-108). Post-bout records: Arizmendi, 46-9-4 (10); Montanez, 35-14 (7). With this impressive win, Arizmendi will be looking for a shot at the WBA LW title, currently held by Jack Kid Berg.

Oct. 9, 1942: The scene shifts across the bay to Miami for the next fight card. Only one bout of note, and it is of course the main event, matching a pair of veteran BW contenders who are now, unfortunately, on the downside of their respective careers. Meeting for the second time are Little Pancho, longtime OPBF BW Champ, and Pete “Baby Cyclone” Sanstol, who once briefly held the WBA BW crown; in their one prior meeting, in Manila in 1939, Sanstol came away the UD 10 winner. This time around, it is a cautious start by both men, and not much to choose between the two through the first half of the bout. The unofficial card has Pancho ahead by three (49-46) at the halfway point, but the punches landed stats indicate a very competitive bout. Into the second half of the bout, and Sanstol’s right eye begins to puff up as the result of the accumulated punches landed by his Filipino counterpart. In the later rounds, Sanstol tries to become more aggressive but simply lacks the firepower to trouble the determined Pancho, who goes on to take a solid UD 10 win (99-92, 98-92, 98-92). Post-bout career marks: Pancho, 44-11-7 (10); Sanstol, 41-19-6 (9).

Oct. 10, 1942: Next card is at the Forum in Montreal, and two veteran FWs do battle in the main event, as ex-WBA Champ Chalky Wright challenges Mike Belloise for Belloise’s NABF FW title. First meeting of the two. After a couple of lackluster opening rounds, Wright moves inside, hoping to press the action and thereby gain the upper hand. However, for all his troubles, Wright ends up setting himself as a target, and he comes away with a cut under his left eye as a result. Late in round four, Belloise drops Wright with a hard jab, but Wright is saved by the bell and manages to recover in between rounds. As the bout progresses, some good cornerwork keeps the cut under control, and the bout remains close through the first half of the bout. At the midway point of the point, the unofficial card favors Belloise (by a count of 57-56), largely on the strength of the one knockdown. Into the later rounds, and Wright – already running low on stamina – becomes more aggressive, launching attack after attack, but with no results in penetrating Belloise’s rather excellent defense. By round 11, Wright has to deal with some massive swelling around the injured left eye. However, to the surprise of many, Wright’s late surge (couple with an overly defensive posture from Belloise) manages to put the issue in doubt, as Wright manages to earn the vote of one judge, but falls just short as the SD 12 goes the way of Belloise (117-110, 113-114, 114-113) who retains the title and improves his career totals to 31-13-7 (11). The loss leaves Wright at 40-14-4 (15).

Oct. 10, 1942: More fistic action, this time in Chicago, and it’s a nice card at Comiskey Park. The main event features two top 10 HW contenders, as #3 Roscoe Toles faces #6 Abe Simon in a 10-round, non-title affair. The two have not met before and Toles is favored, plus Simon has already hit Post-Prime career stage. Toles, a former NABF HW titleholder, has rebounded with two consecutive wins after falling short in a WBA title challenge to Joe Louis in late 1941. Toles, the consummate boxer, starts well, and Simon tries to bludgeon his way forward, cutting off the ring, but has little success in his efforts until midway through the fifth round, when a Simon combination gets through, and Toles takes a brief trip to the canvas. In spite of this, Toles has a slim points lead (48-47) at the midway point, according to the unofficial card. Headed into the second half of the bout, Toles has the stamina edge but his corner has to deal with a mouse under left eye, the result of some sharp exchanges that penetrated his defenses. Into the later rounds, and Simon, the slugger, remains the aggressor, despite running low on energy. Toles tries to coast to the points win in the later rounds, but at least two of the three judges are impressed enough with Simon’s aggressiveness (plus the one KD in round five) to award Simon a very close SD 10 victory (95-94, 94-96, 95-94); the win runs his career totals to 30-6-1 (21). The loss drops Toles to 36-10-3 (6).

Oct. 16, 1942: Next up is the Friday night “Down Under” fight card, this time at Sydney Stadium in Australia. Main event is for an OPBF title, amply supported by a stellar non-title bout matching the #1 and #2 ranked Flyweights, Midget Wolgast and OPBF Fly titleholder Little Dado. First meeting of the two. Cagey start from both men, and little to choose between the two through the opening four rounds. First telling blow is a hard left landed by the Filipino fighter in the fifth round, which caused Wolgast to cover up; despite the setback, Wolgast maintained a narrow points lead (48-47 on the unofficial card) at the halfway point. In round six, a mouse appears under the left eye of Dado. Into the later rounds, the stamina factor favors the younger man (Dado) while Wolgast, already at Post-Prime, is beginning to suck wind. Dado moves inside, applying pressure, while Wolgast bides his time, making one last effort, going for a knockout in the final round. The bout goes to decision, and, it’s a close decision, with the SD 10 going to Wolgast (94-97, 96-95, 96-94), who improves to 56-9-1 (19) with the win. For Dado, it is only his fourth career loss, dropping him to 27-4-1 (13) overall. Then, in the feature, the OPBF FW title is contested for the first time in over two years, with Tsuneo “Piston” Horiguchi defending versus an Aussie challenger, Eddie Miller. The two met once before, in early 1940, which also happened to be the last title defense by Horiguchi, who retained the belt on an early stoppage due to an accidental butt cut (resulting in a UTD 9 for the Japanese fighter). This time around, the action heats up in the second round, when Miller rips open a cut over Horiguchi’s left eye, then drops the Japanese fighter for a four count with a solid uppercut. Horiguchi manages to survive the round by covering up, but not after taking sufficient punishment to cause some initial swelling around his other (right) eye. The cut is in a bad spot and continues to ooze blood, and it is reopened by Miller late in the fourth round. Buoyed by the support of the hometown crowd, the Aussie challenger continues to press forward, targeting the cut. However, early in round five, Horiguchi gets in a quick hook to the head that causes Miller to retreat, covering up to avoid further damage. More trouble for Miller in round six, when Horiguchi connects with another hook, once again forcing Miller to cover up. As a result, it’s a really close bout, as the unofficial card indicates: 57-56, in favor of Miller, at the midway point. Miller recovers from the setbacks in the prior two rounds, pressing forward and finally reopening the cut, which leads to a stoppage late in round seven. TKO 7 for Miller, who lifts the belt and improves his career record to 21-6-1 (9), while the loss leaves Horiguchi at 31-10-1 (16).
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Old 10-24-2019, 08:51 AM   #1340
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Outstanding job! Do you still manually import everything, like aging, scheduling etc.?
Would love to see the excel you use for all that...
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