My Universe

[JCWeb]

This report covers a total of 51 bouts taking place during the first half of September 1941. No WBA title bouts in this report.

Sep. 5, 1941: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at the War Memorial Auditorium in Syracuse, New York. Two top 5 MW contenders square off in the feature bout, as Holman Williams takes on the “Boxing Bellhop,” Freddie Apostoli. Williams, a one-time WBA MW titleholder, eked out a MD over Apostoli in one prior meeting, back in January 1940. A strong start in the early going has Williams in position to repeat his earlier success. By the end of round four, there is noticeable swelling around the right eye of Apostoli, a manifestation of the heavier blows landed repeatedly by the hard-hitting Williams. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer has only a slight edge (48-47) for Williams, who is also showing traces of swelling around his right eye as well. While the punches landed stats show a huge edge for Williams, Apostoli battles on, becoming more and more aggressive as the bout wears on. However, Williams impresses, with a strong second half, doing enough to record a UD 10 (97-93, 97-93, 98-92) to improve his career totals to 34-8 (20). The loss leaves Apostoli at 27-7-2 (22).

Sep. 6, 1941: Next card takes place at the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. In the main event, WBA WW Champion Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong steps up in weight, facing reigning EBU MW Champion Marcel Cerdan, the “Casablanca Clouter,” in a 10-round, non-title affair. For Armstrong, it is his second foray into the MW ranks, having lost versus Freddie Steele for the WBA MW crown in May 1940. Since then, Armstrong has won his last five outings, while Cerdan has won his last six. After an even opening round, Armstrong rocks Cerdan with a big hook, forcing the Frenchman to cover up. After just two rounds, there is noticeable swelling under the left eye of Cerdan. Armstrong continues hammering away and, at the midway point, he is well ahead on the unofficial card (by a count of 50-47). In the second half of the bout, Cerdan attempts to turn the tables on Armstrong by becoming more aggressive. Round seven is Cerdan’s best round of the bout and he causes some puffiness to appear around the right eye of the American Champion. In round nine, Armstrong puts Cerdan on the deck briefly with a quick jab. The bout goes to the decision, and – to the surprise of many – one judge calls the bout even, while the other two have Armstrong the winner by a wide margin, so Henry takes a MD 10 win (99-91, 96-96, 98-94) to run his career record to 38-4-3 (31). Cerdan falls to 30-3-2 (22) with the loss. Big win for Armstrong, whose camp issues a challenge to WBA MW Champ Tony Zale.

Sep. 6, 1941: Next fistic action takes place at Chicago’s Comiskey Park, and the main event is for the NABF MW title, with newly-crowned titleholder Charley Burley making his first title defense, facing Canadian veteran Lou Brouillard, the reigning Commonwealth MW titleholder. Brouillard, who is now at Post-Prime career stage, was a TKO victim of Burley in a non-title contest, but this time, the stakes are higher as there is a title on the line. Burley wastes little time, dropping Brouillard with a hard shot in round one. Then, in a huge reversal, Burley is floored by a a hard shot to the midsection early in round three. Undeterred, Burley scrambles back to his feet, wisely electing to cover up in order to last the round. At the midway point, with the score at one knockdown apiece, Burley – according to the unofficial card – clings to a narrow 57-56 lead. With pinpoint accuracy, Burley gradually wears down his opponent and, by the end of round nine, Brouillard is suffering from a swollen right eye. In the final round, Burley punctuates his advantage with a second KD, and he goes on to take a well-deserved UD 12 victory (117-108, 115-110, 117-108) to retain the belt. Post-bout career marks: Burley, 26-1 (20); Brouillard, 33-15-3 (15).

Sep. 12, 1941: For the third month in a row, there will be fistic action in San Juan, Puerto Rico, this time a Friday night card featuring several Puerto Rican fighters at Escobar Stadium. Topping the card is a LABF title bout, amply supported by a non-title affair matching two ranked FW contenders: #9 ranked Filio Julian Echevarria, reigning LABF FW Champion, and #17 Dave Crowley, the current GBU FW Champ. As the two have not met before, this promising to be an interesting contest. The bout is fairly close for the first four rounds; then, in round five, Crowley rips open a cut over the right eye of Echevarria. A peek at the unofficial scorecard has Crowley holding a narrow lead (49-48) at the midway point. Clear stamina edge to Crowley and, as the bout heads into the later rounds, an increasingly desperate Echevarria becomes more aggressive, taking more and more risks. Some solid defense from Crowley, who has perhaps become a bit overly cautious given his relatively slim points lead. In the end, the bout goes the full 10 and the winner, via a MD 10 (96-95, 96-96, 96-95), is Crowley, who improves his career totals to 32-23-1 (13). The loss drops Echevarria to 38-16-5 (12). Then, in the feature, popular Puerto Rican WW Cocoa Kid makes a defense of his LABF WW title against Cuban Joe Legon, the same man he defeated to capture that belt, for the second time, in 1940. Legon, the more aggressive of the two, starts swinging away wildly but is unable to connect against the elusive Kid. The result is a fairly one-sided affair, with Cocoa Kid building up a huge points lead on the unofficial card (59-55) at the halfway point. Kid eases up a bit in second half, enabling Legon to win a few rounds but, in the end, it’s an impressive performance for the popular Champion before an appreciative hometown crowd. UD 12 for Kid (117-113, 118-112, 118-112). Post-bout records: Kid, 40-7-4 (12); Legon, 25-5-6 (12).

Sep. 13, 1941: Next card is at Gothenburg, Sweden’s Ullevi Stadium. Top HW contender, ex-WBA Champ and current EUB Champ Max Schmeling, finding it difficult to book fights outside Germany given the war situation in Europe, is able to arrange a non-title bout with another top HW contender, Roscoe Toles, that is the main event, topping the card. Toles, who recently loss the NABF HW title to Jersey Joe Walcott, has bounced back with two straight wins, over Jimmy Mendes and Max Baer, to earn a rematch with Schmeling, to whom he came up on the short end of a UD 10 back in 1937, in New York. This time around, at a neutral site, Schmeling gets off to a solid start, coming on strongly at the end of the first two rounds to seize the upper hand. After taking a bit of a beating over the first three rounds, Toles moves inside in round four and begins to turn things around, winning the round by landing some telling blows. After a close round five, the unofficial scorer has Schmeling with a narrow points lead (48-47) at the halfway point of the bout. Toles continues to fire away, and, at the end of round six, there is a trace of swelling around the right eye of Toles. After another big round for Toles in round eight, Schmeling finds himself trailing and becomes more desperate and goes on an all-out offensive in the final two rounds. Toles adopts a more defensive posture, and the bout goes the distance. After a long pause, the results are announced, and it is a narrow SD 10 win for Schmeling (93-96, 95-94, 95-94). Post-bout career marks: Schmeling, 57-6-1 (40); Toles, 24-8-3 (6). After the bout, Schmeling, Walcott and Toles, in that order, are the top three ranked contenders for the HW title still held by Joe Louis.

Sep. 13, 1941: Back in the States for a card at New Orleans’ Coliseum Arena. Featured bout is for the USBA LW title, with Tony Chavez challenging Lou “Sweetwater Swatter” Jenkins for Jenkins’ title belt. First meeting of the two, there is a long-feeling out process with neither man gaining a big advantage through the opening couple of rounds. Chavez wins the third round and gradually begins to compile a points lead. In round five, the two trade blows on the inside, and Chavez sends Jenkins to the canvas with a perfect combination; Lew barely arises in time to beat the count. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Chavez well ahead on points (60-53). Jenkins, who begins to tire as early as round seven, goes on the attack, throwing caution to the wind. Solid defense from Chavez, and Jenkins’ wild swings have little impact on the challenger. Chavez scoops up a UD 12 (116-112, 118-109, 117-110) and, with it, the USBA title belt. The title win moves Chavez to 32-10-3 (12) overall, while the loss, only the second of his career (both in USBA title bouts), leaves Jenkins at 24-2-2 (11).

[JCWeb]

This report covers a total of 57 bouts taking place during the second half of September 1941. No WBA title bouts in this report.

Sep. 19, 1941: Next is a Friday Night fight card “Down Under” at Sydney, Australia. The feature has an aging former WBA LH Champion, John Henry Lewis, facing newly crowned Commonwealth LH titleholder Jack A. Johnson (so as not to be confused with retired former HW Champ Jack Johnson). First meeting of the two, and the toughest challenge for young Johnson, who remains unbeaten at 18-0 coming into the bout. Not much in the way of action until, early in the third round, when Lewis lands a big shot that knocks Johnson off his feet. Johnson bounces back up, but wisely covers up to prevent further damage, lasting the round. Near the end of round four, Johnson stuns Lewis with a big cross, but Lewis remains upright. At the midway point, the unofficial card has the match even, with both men deadlocked, at 47 points apiece. Midway through round six, a Lewis combination decks Johnson for a second time. Again, Johnson regains his footing and covers up, but there is noticeable swelling around his left eye as he retreats to his corner at the end of the round. In the latter stages of the bout, Lewis, hoping the two KDs will be enough, eases up the pressure. Fatigue sets in for both men, and Johnson is unable to launch a rally. The bout goes the full 10, and Lewis walks away with an uninspiring UD 10 win (95-93 on all three cards), largely a result of the two knockdowns. Lewis, despite being at Post-Prime career stage, remains a factor in the LH ranks, improving his career record to 28-9-3 (19) with the win. The first career loss leaves Johnson at 18-1 (14).

Sep. 20, 1941: Next up is a card at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field. Main event is for the vacant USBA LH title, recently held by Tony Shucco who moved up to capture the WBA LH crown. Melio Bettina and Nate Bolden are matched to contend for the vacant belt. Good opportunity for both men, neither of whom has fought for a title previously. Action is slow to develop until Bettina moves inside in round three, landing some telling blows to pull ahead on points. Bettina continues to dominate the action, compiling a solid points lead (59-55) at the midway point, according to unofficial card. Then, in round eight, Bettina drops Bolden with a strong cross. Another cross results in a second KD in round nine, plus Bolden is now suffering from some swelling around his right eye. Bettina eases up some in the final few rounds, but not before there is noticeable swelling around Bolden’s other eye. The bout goes the distance, with the result – a lopsided UD 12 for Bettina (119-108, 120-107, 120-107) – a foregone conclusion. Post-bout career marks: Bettina, 27-5-3 (11); Bolden, 21-3-1 (12). Solid win for Bettina, who immediately thrusts himself into the picture as a possible WBA LH title contender.

Sep. 20, 1941: To the West Coast for the next fight card, at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Featured is a USBA BW title bout, with Henry Hook making his first defense of the belt he won in July. Challenging for the title is long-time BW contender Lew Farber. First meeting of the two, and it is a cautious start from both men. Hook has the better of it through the early going, and he is able to forge a points lead (58-56 on the unofficial card) at the halfway point. Farber tries to be more aggressive as the bout heads into the later stages, but Hook’s defense remains solid. In round nine, Farber does manage to rip open a cut over the right eye of Hook, For the next two rounds, Farber targets the cut, but good cornerwork prevents any further damage. Finally, a desperate Farber goes all-out for a final round knockdown, again without success as Hook managed to retreat into a defensive shell. Solid UD 12 for Hook (117-111, 117-111, 117-112) enables him to retain the belt. Post-bout career marks: Hook, 29-12-1 (11); Farber, 33-16-5 (13).

Sep. 26, 1941: A pair of co-features top the next card, at Manila’s Rizal Arena. In the first co-feature, it’s a rematch of a WBA BW title bout from 1939, as Johnny King, the former WBA BW Champion, takes on Filipino fan favorite Little Pancho. Solid start from Pancho, who appears to have the upper hand after the first three rounds. Then, in round four, after being warned repeatedly, King is called for repeated head-butting and suddenly disqualified. The winner, via a DQ-4 is Little Pancho, who avenges the prior defeat, improving his career totals to 42-10-7 (9). The loss, a shock to King and his corner, drops him to 52-9-1 (21). Then, in the second co-feature, another non-title affair as two veteran MWs do battle, with Teddy Yarosz facing another Filipino favorite, reigning OPBF MW titleholder Ceferino Garcia. First meeting of the two, and a slight edge to Yarosz, who is still at Prime career stage while Garcia is at Post-Prime. The bout remains close through the opening rounds, then – with some accurate punching – Yarosz gradually beings to pull ahead in rounds three and four. By the midway point, the unofficial card has Yarosz well ahead (by a count of 50-46). In the second half of the bout, Garcia – with the support of the boisterous hometown crowd – tries to become more aggressive. Garcia manages to make some progress but, in the end, it is not enough to overcome Yarosz’s early advantage. The bout goes the full 10 rounds, and Yarosz walks away with a MD 10 (97-94, 97-97, 99-92). Post-bout records: Yarosz, 39-15-3 (13); Garcia, 43-24-2 (24).

Sep. 27, 1941: Next card is at London, England, at the Earls Court arena. Twin bill action, topped by a Commonwealth title bout. In the main support, two HWs do battle in a non-title affair, with the “British Brown Bomber,” Tommy Martin, facing American Lou Nova. First meeting of the two, and the action heats up in round three, when Martin decks Nova with a devastating cross to the head. After taking a seven-count, Nova arises slowly and manages to last the round. After taking a round to recover, Nova tries to press forward, moving inside in round five. Martin’s defense and boxing skills, aided by the one knockdown, has forged a solid points lead (49-45) at the halfway point of the bout. While Nova remains the aggressor, Martin parries with some accurate punching, enough to cause a trace of swelling to appear around the left eye of Nova by the end of round six. After a strong round seven, Nova manages to cause some puffiness to appear under the left eye of Martin. The bout goes the rest of the distance without incident, and it ends up as a fairly comfortable UD 10 win for Martin (97-92, 99-90, 99-90). Post-bout career marks: Martin, 28-8-2 (17); Nova, 23-7 (18). Then, in the final bout of the evening, two familiar foes square off for the CBU WW title: Aussie Jack McNamee, the holder, faces Ernie Roderick, the British challenger. It is the fifth (!) meeting of these two, with each having won twice before. The bout remains close through the early rounds, with Roderick landing some good shots that elicit loud cheers from the British crowd. By the midway point of the bout, there is a touch of swelling under the right eye of McNamee, and the unofficial card shows a slight edge for Roderick (59-57). McNamee, apparently trailing and beginning to tire badly, becomes more aggressive in the later stages of the bout. Roderick is able to withstand the efforts of McNamee to turn the bout around and manages to lift the belt via a SD 12 (116-114, 114-115, 117-112), to delight of a boisterous hometown crowd. The win lifts Roderick, now a three-time CBU WW titleholder, to 26-12-3 (7) overall. McNamee’s record drops to 29-9 (17) after the loss.

Sep. 27, 1941: The month wraps up with a solid card at New York City’s St. Nicholas Arena. On the undercard, a top WW prospect, “Sugar” Ray Robinson steps up to the ranks of 10-rounders, running his record to 10-0 (9) with a fourth round TKO of a veteran TC opponent. After some more preliminary bouts, it is time for the main event – a NABF LH title clash, with Archie Moore, the titleholder, facing challenger Gus Lesnevich, a former WBA LH Champ, for the belt. First meeting of the two, and it is Moore’s second defense of the title won earlier in the year. After a couple of close opening rounds, Moore moves inside in round three, doing sufficient damage to cause some initial swelling around both eyes of the challenger. Moore manages to forge a solid points lead (69-56 on the unofficial card) at the midway point, but a game Lesnevich manages to keep the bout reasonable competitive headed into the later rounds. Big stamina edge for Moore, who rocks Lesnevich with a three-punch combo in round eight, forcing the challenger to cover up. Then, suddenly, in round 10, a cut appears over the right eye of Moore. Undaunted, Moore continues swinging away, decking Lesnevich in the final round, en route to a comfortable UD 12 win (116-112, 116-112, 116-111) to keep the belt. Moore, who has only tasted defeat once, improves to 21-1-4 (15) with the win, while the loss leaves Lesnevich at 31-6-2 (14).

[JCWeb]

This report covers a total of 57 bouts taking place during the first half of October 1941. One WBA title bout is included in this report.

Oct. 3, 1941: The month kicks off with a Friday Night fight card at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. No title bouts at stake, but the crowd will be treated to an encounter matching two top 10 HW contenders: Elmer “Kid Violent” Ray and Jack Trammell. One prior outing went to Ray via a second round TKO, but since then, Ray has hit Post-Prime career stage, so there is some hope for Trammell in this rematch. Good start from Ray, who lands some effective shots in the opening round, doing enough damage to cause a trace of initial swelling to appear under Trammell’s left eye. Both fighters continue to bang away at each other, with little effect, until Trammell manages to get in a straight right that stuns Ray right before the bell sounds to end the fifth round. Nonetheless, at the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Ray well ahead on points (50-46). In round eight, Trammell rocks Ray with a hook to the head, but “Kid Violent” covers up to last the round. At this point, with just two rounds remaining, both men are running low on stamina, and both are battling the effect of partially swollen left eyes. Ray improves his prospects with a dominating performance in round nine. Good action bout goes the full 10 with Ray taking a MD 10 (96-94, 95-95, 97-93) to maintain his status as a top HW contender. Post-bout career marks: 46-13 (31) for Ray; 30-11 (14) for Trammell. Ray claims Joe Louis is ducking him in favor of easier matchups with lesser opponents – whether he will get a WBA title shot anytime soon remains to be seen.

Oct. 4, 1941: Next up is a card at the Sportpalast in Berlin. Headliner is a title fight for the EBU LH title, with “the Bulldog of the Rhine,” Adolf Heuser, challenging for the belt currently held by Heinz Lazek. Heuser, a prior EBU and WBU LH titleholder, emerged victorious in all three of their prior encounters, plus he is higher rated. After a couple of good opening rounds, Heuser moves inside in round three, doing even more damage. But, as the bout wears on, Lazek proves to be a difficult opponent. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside calls the bout even (57-all), this despite a slight punches landed edge for the challenger. Into the second half of the bout, Heuser remains the aggressor, buoyed by the cheers of the hometown crowd here in Berlin. Big round eight for Heuser, followed by another strong round in the ninth, and Lazek, seeing the belt slipping away, decides to step up his attack. He wins round 10 and, in round 11, with both men whaling away, Lazek staggers Heuser with a big hook, possibly turning things around. No cuts or KDs, and the bout goes the full 12, with Heuser regaining the title via a close but UD 12 (116-112, 115-112, 115-113). Post-bout career marks: Heuser, 39-10-2 (18); Lazek, 32-10 (21).

Oct. 4, 1941: To Miami for the next fistic action; no title bouts on the card, but featured is a WW contest matching Jackie Wilson, on the comeback trail after suffering his first career loss in 25 bouts. He faces an aging but savvy veteran in Barney Ross, whose skills have eroded since hitting Post-Prime career stage. Strong start from Wilson, who builds an early points edge while Ross struggles with his timing. Nonetheless, Ross manages to battle back from a slow start to keep the bout close; at the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Wilson with a narrow one-point edge (48-47). In the later rounds, Ross – feeling the bout slipping away from him – steps up the pressure in an effort to dictate terms to his younger opponent. In the final round, a tired Ross leaves himself opponent for a combination from Wilson. Ross topples to the deck and barely beats the count, arising as the count reaches nine. UD 10 for Wilson (96-93, 97-92, 97-93) who improves to 23-1-2 (15) with the win, re-establishing his credentials as a top 10 WW contender. The loss leaves Ross at 36-13-4 (11), and not many more fights left in his career.

Oct. 10, 1941: Next is a rare Friday night card at the Stadium in Liverpool. No titles at stake on this abbreviated five-bout card, but the headliner matches GBU LH Champ Freddie Mills, in action against a top 10 American LH contender, also a one-time WBA LH Champion, in Eddie Booker. First meeting of the two, and a good test for Mills, who appears to be still improving at this point in his young career. Booker starts well, taking the opening round. Mills recovers from his slow start, winning rounds two and three. Booker becomes a bit more aggressive and takes round four. Inside exchanges in round five favor Booker, and the unofficial scorer at ringside has the American slightly ahead on points (by 48 to 47) at the halfway point of the bout. Headed into the later rounds, it is Mills – cheered on by a hometown crowd – who is the aggressor, taking the fight to Booker. Booker proves to be an elusive target, frustrated a tired-looking Mills who fades badly down the stretch. In the end, it goes into the books as a fairly comfortable UD 10 for Booker (97-93 on all three cards). Post-bout career records: Booker, 25-3-1 (15); Mills, 21-3-1 (13).

Oct. 11, 1941: Excitement is in the air, as a large crowd has gathered at Chicago’s Comiskey Park, with a WBA title bout headlining the agenda. The co-feature is an NABF LW title clash, actually a rematch of an earlier bout between Sammy Fuller and Lou Ambers, where the title changed hands in a surprisingly close bout, won by Fuller, who lifted the belt. Both men are at Post-Prime career stage, and each has won once in two prior title encounters against the other. Early surge from Fuller puts him ahead, Ambers bounces back with a big fifth round, landing some good body shots that force Fuller to carry his hands low. At the midway point, it’s anyone’s bout as the unofficial scorer has it even (57-57). Into the second half of the bout, and Ambers’ momentum builds as he seems able to successfully outmuscle Fuller on the inside. Into the later stages, and Fuller picks up the pace, but both men are showing signs of fatigue. In round 11, Fuller manages to open a cut over Ambers’ right eye, but it is Ambers who takes the round, forging ahead in the crucial punches landed stat as well. Into the final two rounds, and it appears as if Ambers – despite the cut – has done enough to turn the tables on Fuller and recapture the belt. After a long pause, the judges’ cards are collected and read and, indeed, it is a UD 12 for Ambers (116-112 on all three cards). Ambers regains the NANF LW title, improving his career totals to 35-5-1 (18). Fuller accepts his defeat graciously, his record drops to 49-19-1 (11) after this most recent loss. Then, in the final bout of the evening, one of the top performers for the last decade, the “Roman Warrior,” Tony Canzoneri, steps into the ring to defend his WBA LW title against challenger Chino “the Patent Leather Kid” Alvarez, the two-time LABF LW Champion, who is nonetheless making his first WBA title challenge. It is also the first meeting of the two, and Alvarez set up his title shot with an impressive win over another ring veteran, EBU and Commonwealth LW Champ Jack Kid Berg. Despite being at Post-Prime career stage, Canzoneri remains a formidable foe, and he begins to pile up points with a strong round two, after a rather indifferent opening stanza by both men. In round three, the aggressive-minded Alvarez tries to establish his presence inside, with some success although Canzoneri manages to hold his own. Round four is inconclusive, and both men elect to trade blows on the inside in a tense, action-packed round five. Canzoneri has the best of it, and he manages to open a cut on the lip of the challenger. However, trouble for Canzoneri as the unofficial card has him trailing (by one, 48-47), after the first five rounds. After another close round in round six, Canzoneri steps inside and bangs away with a two-fisted attack in the seventh. Alvarez rebounds with a good round eight, but then Canzoneri re-establishes control on the inside in round nine. After 10, while the punches landed stats favor the Champion, the unofficial scorer still has the challenger ahead (96-94), after a strong round 10 for Alvarez. Headed into the final rounds, both men tire badly, and the workmanlike defending Champion relies on his reservoir of experience to take round 11, but again, Alvarez remains resilient, taking round 12. Round 13 sees the first knockdown, as Alvarez puts together a combination of head and body shots to drop Canzoneri. Canzoneri takes a four count, covering up to last the round, but the damage is done. Canzoneri comes back to take the final two rounds, and the issue is very much in doubt as the judges’ cards are collected. Not surprisingly, it’s a split decision, with the nod going to Canzoneri, winning two of the three judges to take the SD 15 (144-141, 141-144, 143-141). Post-bout career marks: Canzoneri, 54-5-4 (17); Alvarez, 38-14-4 (22). A close escape by Canzoneri, and Alvarez’s connections are clamoring for a rematch, while Ambers, who regained the NABF LW title, is also angling for a WBA title shot, particularly given how vulnerable Canzoneri seemed in this most recent effort.

Oct. 17, 1941: Friday night card at Havana’s Gran Stadium attracts a nice crowd; no title bouts, but no fewer than four (!) former WBA Champions do battle in two co-features. The first of these two main events pairs popular Cuban FW Kid Chocolate, the “Cuban Bon Bon,” with Mike Belloise. It’s a rematch and the third meeting of this duo, with each having won once, but Belloise prevailed in their most recent encounter, with the WBA title on the line, back in June of 1940. Chocolate, despite being at Post-Prime career stage, looks sharp in the early going and, by the end of round three, there are telltale signs of swelling under the right eye of Belloise. By the midway point, despite a solid lead in the punches landed stats, Chocolate trails Belloise by one (48-47) on the unofficial card. Action intensifies in the second half of the bout, with both men adopting a more aggressive approach. Belloise helps his chances with a big round eight; Chocolate goes on the attack in round nine, throwing caution to the wind. He lands a hard cross that causes Belloise’s knees to buckle; Belloise wisely covers up and manages to survive to the final round. The bout goes the distance, and Chocolate’s aggressive performance enables him to secure a SD 10 victory (93-97, 96-94, 97-93) to improve to 42-10 -7 (17) overall. The loss leaves Belloise at 28-12-6 (11). Then, in the second co-feature, Billy Conn faces Lloyd Marshall in a battle of two former WBA LH Champs. First meeting of the two, and both men are on the comeback trail – Marshall, after losing the WBA title to Tiger Jack Fox, and Conn, who struggled in two recent bouts for the NABF crown with Archie Moore, settling for a loss and a draw in those encounters. Conn starts well, outpointing Marshall in the opening two rounds. Marshall moves inside and takes round three. Conn is back in charge by the midway point, and the unofficial card has him with a nice points edge (49-46) after five. The dynamics of the bout shift in round six, when Marshall catches Conn with a powerful cross that rips open a cut over Conn’s right eye. Good cornerwork is able to patch up the cut quickly, and solid defense from Conn prevents further damage. In round nine, however, Marshall does manage to re-open the cut, and the issue remains in doubt until the final bell. With a strong final round, Conn escapes with a SD 10 win (94-96, 96-94, 97-93) – good effort from both fighters. Post-bout records: Conn, 27-4-3 (11); Marshall, 20-3-2 (19).

[JCWeb]

This report covers a total of 61 bouts taking place during the second half of October 1941. One WBA title bout is included in this report.

Oct. 18, 1941: It’s North of the Border to Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens, and topping the action is a Commonwealth FW title contest, featuring Pete DeGrasse defending that belt versus Brit Dave Crowley, who is seeking to win a third title belt to go along with his GBU and EBU FW titles. DeGrasse holds two prior wins over Crowley but has recently shown signs of aging, so this time around, there is hope for Crowley despite facing a hostile crowd and a popular Champion in Toronto. Not much in the way of action, with DeGrasse holding a slight punches landed edge headed into the middle rounds. After a strong round six, the unofficial scorecard has DeGrasse clinging to a narrow one-point lead (58-57). In the second half of the bout, Crowley picks up the pace, working inside and generally trying to be more aggressive, taking the fight to DeGrasse. Some solid defense from the veteran Canadian Champion enables him to stave off Crowley, and the bout goes the distance. The judges are split, one favoring DeGrasse, but two favor Crowley, who lifts the belt, by a narrow SD 12 (115-113, 113-114, 115-112) to add to his EBU and GBU titles. Post-bout career marks: 33-23-1 (13) for Crowley; 39-22-4 (10) for DeGrasse.

Oct. 18, 1941: It’s fight night in Los Angeles with a powerful card at the Olympic Auditorium, featuring tripleheader action at the top of the card. First in the trio of featured matchups is a HW tilt featuring Max Baer, the “Livermore Larupper,” facing an up-and-coming talent in Bob Pastor. No prior meetings, and the hard-hitting Baer is dealing with the fact that he has recently hit Post-Prime career stage. Baer draws first blood (literally) in round three, ripping over a gash over the right eye of Pastor. Then, at the outset of round four, Baer decks Pastor with a wicked cross to the head, then follows with a hook for a second KD while Pastor is struggling to recover. A third KD quickly follows, ending the bout via an automatic TKO 4 for Baer halfway through the round. Baer ups his career record to 33-16 (29) with a much needed KO win, ending a three-bout losing skid. Pastor drops to 23-6-2 (10) and must take some time to regroup after the loss. In the second co-feature, two top five BWs square off in a non-title affair, as Georgie Pace takes on current OPBF BW titleholder Mickey Miller. For Pace, it’s his first bout in the ring after losing the WBA BW title to veteran Panama Al Brown; meanwhile, Miller has travelled from Australia to face Pace in this 10-round, non-title affair. Solid start from Pace, who seems to be quicker off the mark with his punches in the early rounds. The bout appeared to be heading towards a decision when, all of a sudden, out of the blue, midway through the fifth round, Miller uncorked a huge uppercut that put Pace down and out. Huge KO 5 win for Miller, enhancing his status as a top contender in the BW division. Post-bout records: Miller, 30-9-2 (18); Pace, 27-10-2 (19). In the final co-feature, #1 ranked FW contender Harold “Homicide Hal” Hoshino faces Petey Scalzo in a rematch of a 1938 bout won by Hoshino when both men were still at Pre-Prime career stage. This time around, Hoshino wasters little time, dropping Scalzo with a combination to score a KD in the opening round. Scalzo covers up, survives the round, and actually begins to dominate the action, culminating in a surprising fourth round knockout of Hoshino late in round four. The KO 4 lifts Scalzo’s career record to 20-2-2 (11), while it is Hoshino’s third career setback (and first ever KO loss), leaving him at 28-3 (15). Turned out to be a good night for fight fans wanting to see knockouts, as all three featured bout ended with KO or TKO stoppages well inside the distance.

Oct. 24, 1941: Friday Night fight card in Manila, topped by an OPBF Flyweight title battle matching the Japanese titleholder, Yoichiro Hanada, with homegrown fan favorite Little Dado. Dado took a MD 10 in their only prior encounter, back in 1939, but after a 23-0 career start, he has struggled recently, losing three of four (albeit to top flight competition) and is returning to the ring after a five-month layoff. Dado shows little signs of ring rust, dancing around for the first few rounds, exhibiting excellent defensive boxing skills as he forces Hanada to miss repeatedly. In round three, Hanada moves inside and appears to have a slight advantage, although the overall punches landed stats favor the Filipino challenger. Another strong round in the fourth for Dado, and midway through round four, he connects with a strong combination that sends Hanada to the canvas. The Japanese fighter successfully covers up to last the round, but at this point, the die appears to be cast for the rest of the fight. Solid points lead for Dado (59-55) on the unofficial scorecard at the halfway point, and Hanada simply does not appear to have much to offer for the rest of the way. Big trouble for Hanada in round eight, as both eyes begin to puff up, plus there’s a nasty cut over his left eye. Dado plays it smart the final few rounds, with a points win solidly in the bag, and Hanada is too tired to make any impression. A solid UD 12 for Dado (117-109, 117-109, 116-110) enables him to regain the OPBF title; Dado’s record now stands at 25-3 (13). The loss leaves Hanada at 28-10-2 (8).

Oct. 25, 1941: Next card is at the Olympia in London. A Commonwealth title bout headlines the agenda, amply supported by a pair of preliminary bouts featuring British titleholders paired with top 10 contenders from the States. In the first of these, two veteran BWs do battle as American Pete Sanstol faces Brit Dick Corbett, who recently captured the Commonwealth BW crown. Sanstol, a former NABF and USBA BW titleholder, recently hit post-Prime so Corbett’s camp sees a good chance of defeating the higher rated American. Not much to choose between the two through the opening few rounds, and the bout remains close through the midway point – with the unofficial card showing a narrow one-point edge (48-47) for Sanstol. Into the late rounds, and the stamina factor seems to weigh in favor of Corbett, who is in Prime condition for this fight. However, despite several efforts to apply pressure, Sanstol’s defense remains firm, and he does just enough to escape with a narrow SD 10 win (96-95, 94-97, 96-95) that is roundly booed by the pro-Corbett crowd. Post-bout career marks: 41-16-6 (9) for Sanstol; 37-22-4 (13) for Corbett. Next up as an intriguing matchup in the MW division, featuring a former WBA MW Champ Freddie Steele in his first meeting versus long-time GBU MW Champ Jock McAvoy – it’s the “Tacoma Assassin” (Steele) versus the “Rochdale Thunderbolt” (McAvoy). As in the previous bout, the lower rated British fighter has a chance due to the aging factor, given Steele is now in his Post-Prime decline. Solid pair of opening rounds from McAvoy, while Steele – who hasn’t fought since February and has not won in well over a year, shows definite signs of ring rust. Steele gets on tracking by moving inside and becoming more aggressive in round three, but then McAvoy does the same to take round four. The two whale away at each other in round five, which appears even until a Steele uppercut decks the British fighter with a minute left in the round. A wobbly McAvoy recovers, covering up to last the round, but at this point the unofficial card favors Steele (48-46), who leads at the midway point. However, McAvoy stages a minor rally in round six, taking the round and targeting the somewhat swollen right of his opponent. Both men are tired headed into the final few rounds, and Steele feels it incumbent to assume the role of aggressor. Some solid shots from Steele in the eighth round leave McAvoy with a mouse under his right eye. Then, a minute into round nine, the end comes as Steele unleashes a crushing blow that puts McAvoy down and out. The KO 9 for Steele snaps a two-bout losing streak and runs his career record to 48-8-1 (32), while the loss drops McAvoy to 36-17-5 (24) – and another disappointing result for the British fight fans. In the finale, the Commonwealth Flyweight title is at stake, as Ireland’s Rinty Monaghan takes on British prospect Teddy Gardner. Some feel Gardner, the challenger, who is still at Pre-Prime, may need some more bouts under his belt before challenging for a title belt, but the match with Monaghan has been made. Both men are content to trade blows from the outside for the first two rounds, then Monaghan moves inside to apply some pressure in round three. Gardner appears to be holding his own until a cut appears over his left eyebrow in round four. At the midway point, the unofficial card has a very narrow lead for Gardner (58-57), but the situation with the cut makes this lead quite tenuous indeed. Monaghan targets the cut as bout enters the later stage, and he begins to pull even on the punches landed stat. Both men appear very tired for the final few rounds, with Monaghan continuing to press the action, looking to do more damage with a knockdown or perhaps a cuts stoppage. In round nine, the cut is reopened and continues to ooze blood in round 10. By round 11, the cut is patched up, and the weary fighters continue to exchange blows, although the punches from both men lack steam. The bout remains in doubt into the final round, with Gardner abandoning his defensive posture and taking some heavy swings at Monaghan. The bout goes to the final bell, and – to the delight of the British fans but in a minor upset – Gardner lifts the belt via a UD 12 (115-114, 117-112, 117-114) – with Gardner winning all three of the last rounds on two of the judges’ cards. Post-bout career marks: Gardner, 15-1-1 (10); Monaghan, 28-6 (11).

Oct. 25, 1941: A massive crowd has gathered for a spectacular evening of fistic action at the Polo Grounds in New York City, with some WBA title action topping an action-packed agenda. The undercard includes a hot unbeaten WW prospect “Sugar” Ray Robinson, who is facing his first “name” opponent, Vinnie Vines, in a 10-round bout. Vines is able to take Robinson deeper than any of his prior opponents, but finally in round nine, “Sugar Ray” catches him with several good shots, eventually forcing a stoppage. The TKO 9 runs Robinson’s perfect career record to 11-0 (10). No knockdowns, but Vines’ face was showing the effects, with both eyes partially swollen and half-shut. More non-title action in the 10-round main supporting bout matching two top MW contenders, both coming off recent title losses: Al Hostak,”the Savage Slav,” who recently lost the NABF MW title to Charley Burley; and ex-WBA MW Champ Ken Overlin, who recently lost a split duke to Tony Zale for the WBA MW belt. The bout is rematch of a 1940 encounter, which resulted in a MD 10 win for Hostak, who used that success as a springboard to his successful NABF title challenge. Not much in the way of action for the first four rounds, but the bout appears fairly close. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Hostak in front (48-47). Into the later stages, and Hostak, the slugger, is the aggressor, while Overlin, the boxer, is content to lay back and play a more passive role. Both men begin running low on energy in round eight, and but Hostak – who is behind in terms of the punches landed stat – continues to swing away, hoping for a knockout or a knockdown. In the end, it is not enough as the steady Overlin comes away with a UD 10 win (96-95, 97-94, 96-95), improving his career totals to 36-8-5 (14), while the loss leaves Hostak at 31-7 (25). Following the “Savage Slav” into the ring is the “Croat Comet,” Fritzie Zivic, who is defending the NABF WW title he won just two months ago, facing a familiar foe in Eddie “Irish Red” Dolan, a fighter who has been a bit of a nemesis for Zivic, as the two have met no fewer than five (!) times previous, with Dolan winning three and drawing two. After a couple of indifferent opening rounds, Zivic moves inside and tries to do some damage in the third round. Dolan’s defense holds up until the final minute of round five, when a cross from Zivic gets through and puts him on the canvas. After a six-count, Dolan regains his footing and lasts the remaining seconds of the round. Despite winning rounds five and six, the unofficial card has the bout even (57-57) at the midway point. Overlin stays on the outside for most of the second half of the fight, content to let Zivic dictate the pace. Late in round 10, a clash of heads and suddenly blood spurts forth from a nasty looking cut over Dolan’s right eye. The cut continues to ooze blood for another round before it is closed. The bout goes the distance, and the end result – a draw (115-115, 113-117 Dolan, 116-115 Zivic) – seems appropriate, with Zivic rallying in the later rounds to keep the belt. Post-bout records: Zivic, 29-10-5 (15); Dolan, 34-9-5 (14). In the featured bout, the WBA MW title is on the line as Tony Zale faces challenger Antonio Fernandez, the reigning LABF MW Champion, who making his first WBA title challenge after a dozen years in the ring wars. The duo has not met before, and it is the third WBA title defense for the heavily-favored Zale, whom some suggest is ducking more worthy challengers. Zale goes to work in round three, moving inside and landing sufficient leather to cause puffiness under the left eye of the challenger. As a result, the unofficial card has Zale, the “man of Steel,” holding a solid points lead (49-46) after the first five rounds. In round six, Fernandez begins to battle back, scoring well and causing some swelling around Zale’s right eye. Another good round for Fernandez in round eight compels Zale to resume his aggressive posture, all while taking advantage of his stamina advantage to try to wear down his opponent. As the bruising battle heads into the final five rounds, Zale retains a narrow two-point edge (96-94) on the unofficial card. Finally, in round 12, Zale finds the range with a vicious hook and puts Fernandez down for a five-count. A game Fernandez does well to recover and last the distance, but Zale retains the WBA title via a UD 15 (148-136, 144-140, 145-139). Post-bout career marks: Zale, 32-2 (20); Fernandez, 33-14-4 (12). Overlin, who was relegated to the undercard, has been grumbling for a rematch, having lost a close split decision to Zale earlier in the year – it remains to be seen if this the NABF LW title, is also angling for a WBA title shot, particularly given how vulnerable Canzoneri seemed in this most recent effort.

Oct. 31, 1941: The month wraps with Friday night card at Gothenburg, Sweden. Only one bout of great interest, which is the main event for the EBU LW title currently held by Jack Kid Berg, aka “the Whitechapel Whirlwind.” It’s a case of “at first you don’t succeed” for Italian challenger Aldo Spoldi, who is taking on Berg for the fifth time, having lost all four prior outings – all by UD, and all for the EBU LW crown. This time around, with Berg now at Post-Prime, there’s some ray of hope in the Spoldi camp. Early on, late in the opening stanza, Berg stuns Spoldi with a quick hook to the head, but the Italian challenger remains upright. Spoldi settles in after few more rounds, but by round four, Berg is zeroing in on the Italian’s rapidly swelling right eye with laser-like accuracy. A determined Spoldi continues battling away, matching Berg punch for punch, until there is a trace of puffiness around Berg’s right eye as well. At the midway point, the issue remains in doubt, with Berg holding just a narrow one-point edge (58-57) on the unofficial scorer’s card. The bout remains competitive down to the final few rounds, with both fighters showing signs of fatigue as early as round nine. Berg decides to adopt a rather defensive posture, while Spoldi is the aggressor, targeting the swollen eye, which become worse as the bout progresses. To complicate matters, Spoldi rips open a cut over Berg’s lip in round 10. The cut continues to bleed in round 11 and, to make things worse, Berg is called for holding and hitting, losing a point at a crucial juncture. The bout goes the distance and, in the end, that one point proved crucial, as Spoldi regains the belt after four long years, winning a narrow UD 12 (114-113, 115-112, 114-113). For Spoldi, who had not lost in over two years, it is his fifth win in a row, regaining a title he held briefly back in 1937. Post-bout, Spoldi improves to 40-9-5 (15) with the win, with almost half (four) of his career setbacks coming at the hands of Berg, whom he finally defeated. Berg, now 47-17-5 (15), has been knocked off his perch as a top contender to Tony Canzoneri’s WBA title.

[JCWeb]

This report covers a total of 48 bouts taking place during the first half of November 1941. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Nov. 1, 1941: Excitement level is high at the Montreal Forum tonight, as the WBA Flyweight title is contested, with Jackie Jurich facing the #1 contender and long-time former Champ, veteran Midget Wolgast. It is the first meeting of the two and Jurich’s fourth title defense since capturing the belt back in 1940. Not much in the way of ring rust, as Wolgast takes firm control and wins the opening round. Things tighten up in round two, as Jurich begins to find his timing. Not much action in round three, and Jurich tries to battle his way inside in round for, taking the fight to Wolgast. In round five, it is Wolgast who moves inside, with little success. After five, the unofficial card has Jurich up by two points (49-47). The two battle away on the inside in round six, and Jurich sustains a cut over his right eye that is caused by an accidental clash of heads. While the bout remains close, the cut continues to ooze blood for another round before it is finally closed by Jurich’s corner at the end of round seven. Through the middle rounds, it continues to be a slight edge for Jurich in terms of punches landed, plus he appears to have a stamina advantage over the older Wolgast. After 10 rounds, Jurich’s lead on the unofficial card has stretched to four (97-93). Into the later rounds, a tired looking Wolgast tries to up the pressure, feeling his chances of winning a decision slipping away. In round 12, Jurich has landed sufficient blows to cause significant bruising around the left eye of the challenger. On the other hand, the cut over Jurich’s eye has reopened. The final few rounds tick off without incident, with Jurich assuming a more defensive posture, protecting the cut as much as a points lead. In the end, Jurich retains the belt, but it’s a SD 15 as one judge went for Wolgast, who did come on strong to claim the final round (scores: 143-144, 145-140, 146-139). Post-bout career marks: 23-3-1 (17) for Jurich; 54-8-1 (19) for Wolgast.

Nov. 7, 1941: The Rand Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, for a relatively abbreviated Friday night card. Only highlight is the main event, a 10-round, non-title affair matching two different regional titleholders: newly crowned NABF BW Champ David Kui Kong Young and his EBU counterpart, Tom Smith, from the UK. No prior meetings, so there’s long feeling-out process that lasts several rounds. Starting in round three, Kui Kong Young, the more aggressive of the two, moves forward inside but is unable to inflict much major damage due to some solid defense from Smith. Near the end of round four, Smith rocks the American fighter with a huge cross. In round five, some toe-to-toe action on the inside, and late in the round, Kui Kong Young gets in a quick hook to the head that stuns Smith. Smith’s right eye already shows some telltale signs of swelling, and the unofficial scorer at ringside, impressed with Kui Kong Young’s aggressiveness, has him ahead on points (49-46) at the midway point. Not much changes in the second half of the bout, with Kui Kong Young initiating most of the action, gradually wearing down a weary-looking Smith. In round eight, Smith leaves himself open and goes down from a nice combination from Kui Kong Young. He beats the count, but the damage is done. Smith manages to last the distance, but it’s an impressive UD 10 for Kui Kong Young (98-92, 98-93, 98-92) who moves to 23-1-1 (14) with the win, his ninth in a row. Smith slips to 21-9-6 (11) with the loss.

Nov. 8, 1941: To the Boston Garden for the next card, featuring an interesting main event matching up-and-coming LH contender Herbie Katz, winner of his last six bouts, with aging veteran and former WBA Champ John Henry Lewis. Lewis, who is still among the top 10 in the division, will be Katz’s toughest task to date. Midway through the opening round, Katz learns the hard way as an overhand right from the fists of Lewis decks him; Katz bounces up after taking a count of two and does manage to last the round with adroit use of the “cover up” strategy. In round two, Katz strikes back, opening a minor cut below Lewis’ right eye. Lewis is unable to follow up on his early first round success, and Katz seems to be comfortably working his way into the bout. At the midway point, after a big round five for Katz, the unofficial scorer at ringside has the bout even (48-48). Near the end of round six, Katz rocks Lewis with a solid combination, and this time Lewis’ left eye begins to swell. Into the later rounds, and Lewis looks both lethargic and fatigued, while Katz appears fresh and energetic. A Katz uppercut catches Lewis on the button in the final round, and the ex-Champ takes a tumble to the canvas. Nonetheless, the bout goes the full 10, and a strong second half enables Katz to walk away a UD 10 winner (95-93, 96-93, 97-91) to move up the LH ranks, running his record to 23-4-1 (14); the shopworn Lewis drops to 28-10-3 (19).

Nov. 8, 1941: Next fistic action takes place at Denver’s Mammoth Gardens. No titles at stake, but two top 10 WW do battle as LABF WW Champ Cocoa Kid, currently ranked #1, faces Jimmy “Mud Flats Kid” Garrison, who is attempting to bounce back after a pair of recent losses in title bouts, to Henry Armstrong for the WBA title, and more recently, a loss to Jackie Wilson for the NABF belt. The two have met twice before, with each man winning once, both bouts going the distance. Not much action in the first two rounds, but in round three, a flurry of blows from Kid catches Garrison leaning forward, and a cut is opened over his right eye. The cut is reopened in round five, and Kid is well ahead on points (50-45 on the unofficial card) at the midway track. Into the later rounds, Garrison begins to tire and, trailing in the bout, he is forced to become more aggressive – a fighting style that is largely contrary to his more defensive nature. Finally, in round nine, the cut proves decisive after being reopened a second time – and a TKO 9 for Kid is the outcome, as the ref calls a halt, but Garrison was well behind on points anyway. Another strong performance by Kid, while it is a third defeat in a row for Garrison, whose hopes for a WBA title are dwindling. Post-bout career marks: Kid, 41-7-4 (13); Garrison, 26-6-3 (12).

Nov. 14, 1941: To Panama City, and excitement is in the air as hometown fan favorite Panama Al Brown is set to defend his WBA BW title in the feature on this Friday night card. First up, in the co-feature, two HWs do battle as Jimmy Mendes is set to defend the LABF HW title belt he has held since 1937. Stepping into the ring to challenge Mendes is Argentinian Alberto Santiago Lovell; it is Lovell’s second try to win this belt, having lost via a KO to Mendes in his hometown of Buenos Aires two years previously. This time around, Lovell seems to be well prepared, hurting Mendes with a big left early in the third. Mendes is forced to cover up, and, while he manages to last the round, he returns to his corner with a big welt under his right eye that is going to demand some immediate attention. At the midway point, the challenger appears to be in complete control, and the unofficial card shows him with a wide points lead (60-54). Mendes tries to become more aggressive in the second half of the bout, and seems to be having some success until round eight, when Lovell puts him on the deck with a short, clean combination, finishing the job with a hook later in the round. KO 8 for Lovell, which was precisely the same result two years earlier, except the KO 8 went to Mendes. At any rate, Lovell ends Mendes’ four-year reign as LABF HW Champion, lifting the belt and improving his career stats to 28-9-1 (22), while the loss leaves Mendes – who will move from Post-Prime to End career stage with his next outing -- at 37-15-4 (30). Next, in the main event, crowd favorite Panama Al Brown takes on #1 challenger K. O. Morgan, for Brown’s WBA BW title, a belt he has held periodically – and on four different occasions – all the way back to 1927. Morgan, also a former WBA BW Champ, has split two prior meetings with Brown, most recently capturing the WBA title in early 1940. So, this is the rubber match as the two men square off for the third time. Solid boxing, but nothing spectacular, from both men through the first three rounds. Slight early edge for Morgan, who did take advantage of his superior strength, outmuscling Brown on the inside to win round three. Both fighters mix it up on the inside in round five, with neither coming out with a huge advantage. The unofficial scorer at ringside has the challenger up by two (49-47) after the first five rounds are in the books. Panama Al struggles with his timing in the middle rounds, allowing Morgan to pull even further ahead. Brown, clearly frustrated and beginning to show signs of fatigue, becomes more aggressive in rounds nine and 10, while Morgan, uncharacteristically, adopts a more defensive-minded approach. After 10 rounds, Morgan still holds the same two-point edge (97-95) on the unofficial scorer’s card. Into the later rounds, and Brown – feeling that the title may be slipping away – throws caution to the wind in favor of an all-out attack. However, Panama Al is unable to break down the defenses of an ultra-cautious Morgan, and – in a bout with no cuts or knockdowns, it goes the distance, with Morgan once again defeating the veteran Brown to take the title, via a solid UD 15 (145-142, 146-141, 148-140), capturing the WBA BW belt for the second time. Post-bout records: Morgan, 35-12-8 (17); Brown, 66-12-2 (25). While Morgan has a few more good years remaining, not so for Brown – who turns 40 next year – and is unlikely to feature in WBA title action again.

Nov. 15, 1941: To London for the next fistic action, staged at the Earls Court. No titles at stake, and the feature matches the Commonwealth and GBU HW Champ Tommy “the British Brown Bomber” Martin with Yank Nathan Mann. A confident looking Martin enters the bout riding a three-bout winning streak, while Mann is coming off a long layoff after suffering a TKO defeat to Joe Louis, the real “Brown Bomber,” for the WBA HW title. The two have not met before, and Mann surprises Martin by landing some serious leather to take the opening round. More trouble for the British Champ in round three when Mann puts him down with a short, clean hook; Martin scrambles to his feet at the count of eight and covers up to last the round. By the end of the third, there is noticeable puffiness under the left eye of Martin. Martin does better in round four, zeroing in with a combination that puts Mann on the deck, but there is not enough time for Martin to follow up after Mann regains his footing. Tough bout to judge, and at the midway point, Martin has a slim lead (47-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. The bout remains close heading into the later rounds, with both men showing signs of fatigue as early as round seven. By the end of round eight, it is Mann’s right eye that is showing the effects from the bruising battle. The bout goes into the final round, with Mann holding a narrow edge in punches landed, as well as aggressive. However, the hometown crowd hopes to see Martin’s hand raised in triumph. In the end, neither man gets his wish, as the bout is ruled a majority draw (94-94; 95-93 Mann; 94-94). Post-bout career records: Martin, 28-8-3 (17); Mann, 23-7-3 (18). Turns out this will be Martin’s last bout at Prime, as he hits Post-Prime next year (1942).

[JCWeb]

This report covers a total of 62 bouts taking place during the second half of November 1941. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Nov. 15, 1941: Just two months after capturing the USBA LW title, Tony Chavez is back in New Orleans to defend that belt against a veteran challenger, Benny “Little Fish” Bass. It is the first meeting of these two, so a long feeling-out process takes place through the opening four rounds with Bass, who had held this bout previously, seeming to hold his own. Chavez, after a slow start, is on target and dominating the action in round five, his blows landing repeatedly to cause initial swelling around the left eye of the challenger. Bass bounces back with a strong round six, and there is puffiness around Chavez’s left eye as well. After six, the unofficial scorer has Bass with a narrow one-point lead (58-57). In round eight, more bad news for Chavez as he sustains a cut over his right eye. The bout continues to ebb and flow back and forth, with a strong round nine for Chavez, then a strong 10th round for Bass. Finally, late in round 11, a solid hook from Chavez drops a weary Bass to the canvas. The bout goes the distance, and the late KD is enough for Chavez to escape with the belt and a MD 12 win (116-112, 114-114, 116-112). Post-bout career marks: 33-10-3 (12) for Chavez; 52-29-7 (16) for Bass who, despite the strong effort, will lapse into End career stage for his next bout. Even with the subpar performance in this title defense, Chavez remains the #1 contender for Tony Canzoneri’s WBA LW crown.

Nov. 21, 1941: Havana’s Gran Stadium is the venue for a Friday night card. Featured in the main event is the current OPBF FW Champion Tsuneo Horiguchi, who has come all the way across the globe to face Filio Julian Echevarria in a 10-round, non-title affair. Horiguchi is looking to avenge an earlier loss, via a UD, to Echevarria, in Manila back in 1938. Nothing exciting happens through the first half of the bout, and Echevarria quietly builds a solid points lead – his edge is only one (48-47, according to the unofficial card) at the midway point. Trailing, Horiguchi picks up the pace and is the aggressor in the second half of the bout. The bout, a rather uneventful one, manages to last the distance with no cuts or knockdowns. Echevarria repeats his earlier success against Horiguchi, this time taking a MD 10 (96-94, 95-95) to run his career stats to 39-16-5 (12); meanwhile, Horiguchi dips to 29-9-1 (16) with the loss.

Nov. 22, 1941: Nice card at Gothenburg, Sweden with two EBU Champions on display, one defending his title and the other, appearing in a key non-title bout. Otherwise, a rather mundane undercard. In the co-feature, it’s reigning EBU HW Champ and #1 contender Max Schemling, still unable to arrange a rematch with Joe Louis, who takes on American Natie Brown, a fringe contender, while remaining on a holding pattern with respect to a WBA title matchup. First meeting of the two, but Brown is rated as having little chance versus the powerful German, having lost to his lesser known countryman, Walter “Der Blonde” Neusel, in his most recent outing, whereas Schmeling has fashioned an impressive 11-bout winning streak since his last loss, to Joe Louis, in 1939. Schmeling exhibits a lot of patience in this bout, gradually building a solid points lead, all while probing for weaknesses. After the first five rounds, Max holds a very comfortable lead (49-46) on the unofficial card. Into the later stages, Brown tries to become more aggressive, but he just doesn’t have the weapons to trouble Schmeling. Thoroughly dominating throughout, Schmeling grinds out a UD 10 win, but it’s surprising to see that one of judges has only a two-point margin (98-92, 98-92, 96-94). Anyway, post-bout career marks: Schmeling, 58-6-1 (40); Brown, 32-17-7 (10). Anyway, in the main event, two familiar foes square off in the main event: German Gustav Eder and Dutchman Bep Van Klaveren, for the EBU WW title, currently held by Eder. In five prior meetings, Eder has won three, Van Klaveren twice. The bout seems incredibly close, with two evenly-matched fighters battling it out. After the first six, Eder holds a slim lead (57-56) on the unofficial scorecard. Into the later rounds, Eder manages to maintain a slight edge in punches landed, while the stamina situation favors the Dutch challenger. No cuts or knockdowns, and the issue remains in doubt right down to the final bell. After a long wait, the judges’ cards are tallied and, to noone’s surprise, the judges cannot agree, one going for Eder but two for Van Klaveren, who takes a SD 12 (111-116, 114-113, 114-113) and with it, the EBU WW title belt. The win lifts Van Klaveren to a post-bout record of 33-14-9 (11), while Eder drops to 38-10-10 (9) after the loss.

Nov. 22, 1941: A huge throng of fight fans has gathered at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium to see hometown favorite Joe Louis make another defense of his WBA HW crown. First up, in the main support, featured is a former WBA MW Champion, Holman Williams, facing a young 19-1 opponent in Steve Belloise, in a 10-round bout, with no titles on the line (Williams having lost the USBA MW title to Charley Burley earlier in 1941). Early advantage to the more experienced Williams, who seems to have the upper hand through the opening rounds until Belloise gets in a solid uppercut in round five that stuns the ex-Champ. Williams remains upright, covering up to last the round and, at the halfway point, he enjoys a nice points lead (50-46), according to the unofficial scorer. By round six, there is a big welt under the right eye of Belloise, evidence of the accuracy and consistency of Williams’ punches. Throughout the second half of the bout, Williams continues to pile up points, outboxing and generally frustrating his younger opponent. In the final round, once again Belloise breaks through Williams’ defenses, landing a sharp combination, but once again the savvy Williams remains on his feet and uses the cover up strategy to last the round. After the final bell, the scorecards are totaled, and it is a UD 10 for Williams (98-92, 97-93, 97-92) to run his career record to 35-8 (20). The loss, just Belloise’s second, leaves him at 19-2 (11) and still poised for a run at top 20 contender status in a highly competitive division. After a brief interlude, it is time for the bout the fans have come to see: Joe Louis, the “Brown Bomber,” making his 11th WBA HW title defense since recapturing the belt from Germany’s Max Schmeling in 1938, facing not Schmeling, the #1 ranked contender, but #3 ranked Roscoe Toles, a former NABF HW titleholder and a man beaten by Schmeling (albeit via a SD) in his most recent outing. The two have not met previously and, roughly the same age in their mid-20s, both men are in the prime of their careers. Louis takes a few rounds to get warmed up, finally moving inside in round four while Toles adopts a defensive posture, remaining on the outside through most of the opening rounds of action. In round four, a series of blows from Louis does sufficient damage to cause a trace of swelling to appear under the left eye of the challenger. After five, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Louis well ahead on points (49-46). However, Louis doesn’t really break down Toles’ defenses until early in round seven when he rocks the challenger with a hard combination, forcing Toles to cover up. After that, Joe’s killer instinct kicks in, and he follows with a cross, a hook, and a barrage of blows that send Toles toppling to the canvas. Roscoe manages to beat the count, but he only manages to delay the inevitable – a few more blows are landed, before the ref steps in to call a halt to the onslaught. TKO 7 for Louis, which marks his 12th straight title bout win inside the distance. Post-bout career records: Louis, 37-1 (35); Toles, 34-9-3 (6), Louis’ win puts him within striking distance of the magic number of 2000 performance points, a level achieved only once or twice in the history of this Universe.

Nov. 28, 1941: The scene shifts to Mexico City, and topping the card is a matchup involving two Mexican fighters for the vacant LABF BW title, which was vacated by Panama Al Brown after Brown captured the WBA BW title earlier in the year. The two protagonists, who have not met before, are Raul “Baby” Casanova and Luis “Pocket Battleship” Castillo. The bout remains close through the opening rounds, with a slight edge for Casanova in terms of punches landed. Then, in round five, Casanova connects with a perfect cross and sends Castillo to the canvas. Up at the count of four, Castillo covers up and manages to last the round. Thus, at the midway point, the unofficial card shows Casanova with a wide points lead (59-54). Into the second half, despite tiring badly, Castillo tries to put some pressure on his opponent and is the more aggressive of the two combatants. A second KD from a Casanova combination in round 10, and then a third KD with seconds remaining in the final round, and Casanova seizes the belt with a convincing UD 12 win (117-108, 117-110, 118-108), running his career record to 30-9-2 (15) in the process. Castillo, still at Pre-Prime career stage, suffers his second consecutive defeat to fall to 13-2 (10) overall.

Nov. 29, 1941: The month wraps with – appropriately – “fight night” in New York City, in particular, at iconic Madison Square Garden. Plenty of good fistic action on the undercard, but this report covers only the feature, a FW matchup of Chalky Wright and Petey Sarron, with Sarron challenging for Wright’s USBA FW title. This is a reprise of an earlier encounter, back in 1935, also for the USBA title, then held by Sarron, that ended in a draw, with Sarron retaining the belt. Fast forward to 1941, and the shoe is on the other foot, with Wright holding the title and Sarron, now at Post-Prime career stage, looking to regain it. No major blows landed through the opening few rounds, with Wright holding the edge in terms of the punches landed stats. By the midway point, both boxers are still playing it close to the vest, and Wright has a slight but not insurmountable points lead (58-56, according to the unofficial scorer’s card). Sarron begins to show signs of fatigue as early as round eight and, feeling his chances slipping away, tries to be more aggressive as the bout enters the later stages. This leaves a more inviting target for Wright – in this case, it is Sarron’s right eye – and, accordingly, the eye becomes a target and becomes to puff up, starting in round 10. In the final two rounds, Sarron throws caution to the wind, going all out for a knockout (or even a knockdown) that never comes. The bout goes to the finish, and it’s a solid UD 12 for Wright (117-112, 115-113, 115-113) who thus retains the title. Post-bout career records: Wright, 38-12-4 (15); Sarron, 39-12-6 (10).

[JCWeb]

This report covers a total of 50 bouts taking place during the first half of December 1941. No WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Dec. 5, 1941: The month kicks off with a Friday night affair at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. The feature, a non-title clash, matches Canadian fan favorite Dave Castilloux against a highly regarded opponent, former LABG LW Champ Pedro Montanez. Castilloux appears to have the better of it in the early going. In round six, a cut appears under Montanez’s right eye. The cut does not appear to be particularly dangerous and is quickly closed by Montanez’s corner. In the later rounds, Montanez picks up the pace and tries to be more aggressive, but Castilloux’s defense remains solid, and the Canadian avenges the earlier loss by taking a well deserved UD 10 (100-91, 99-92, 99-92). Post-bout career marks: Castilloux, 27-9-3 (9); Montanez, 34-12 (16). Good confidence boost for Castilloux who is looking forward for more opportunities to move up in the LW ranks.

Dec. 6, 1941: Next up, two top FW contenders do battle in the main event of a card at New Orleans’ Coliseum Arena. The two protagonists are Mike Belloise, currently the #5 ranked contender, and Jimmy Perrin, currently #12. Despite a win and a draw for Perrin in two prior meetings, Belloise is the favorite for this 10-round, non-title bout, given that Perrin has since reached Post-Prime career stage. Nonetheless, it is a solid start from Perrin, who does well enough to hold his own through the opening few rounds. After a strong round three, Belloise moves inside, looking to do further damage. Only a slight edge for the higher rated Belloise, and, at the halfway point, the unofficial scorecard reflects this, with a narrow one-point edge (48-47) for Belloise. In the second half of the bout, Perrin begins to tire. In round seven, the bout takes a surprising turn as Belloise is cut over his right eye. Perrin pins his hopes on targeting the cut, hoping for a stoppage, but some good cornerwork and solid defense from Belloise prevent the cut from being a huge factor. The bout goes the distance and, despite a solid points edge, the end result comes as a surprise, particularly to Belloise and his backers, as there is a wild swing between the scorecards: one judge has it for Belloise (by a count of 98-92), another for Perrin (96-94), and the third, even (95-95), so the end result is a draw, with Perrin rallying to take the final round on two of the three cards. Disappointment for Belloise, who was looking to avenge the earlier defeat, and his post-bout record is now 28-12-7 (11), compared to 24-8-3 (9) for the post-Prime Perrin.

Dec. 12, 1941: Next up is a Friday night card at the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, which has been kind of a default venue for meetings unlikely to take place elsewhere due to the war raging on the European continent. Anyway, a couple of solid non-title bouts feature on an otherwise sparse agenda. In the first of these, two former WBA LH Champions, both on the comeback trail, meet in a rematch of a controversial 1939 WBA title matchup as Billy Conn, the “Pittsburgh Kid,” once again locks horns with Adolf Heuser, the “Bulldog of the Rhine,” with Heuser being the man who controversially lifted the WBA title from Conn via a DQ ruling. A cautious, almost timid start from Conn allows the more aggressive Heuser to seize the initiative and, with it, the upper hand through the first couple of rounds. In round three, however, first blood is drawn – literally – by Conn, who rips open a cut over the right eye of the German fighter. The cut is quickly patched up, but it is in a bad spot and, in round five, when a sharp exchange from Conn reopens it, blood spurts out, and an immediate stoppage is ordered. The result is a TKO 5 for Conn, avenging the earlier setback. Post-bout, Conn improves to 28-4-3 (12), while the loss drops the unfortunate Heuser to 39-11-2 (18) overall. With the win, Conn moves into the #1 LH contender spot for Tony Shucco’s WBA LH title. In the finale, two top 10 ranked HWs do battle, as #7 Jack Trammell faces #10 Walter “Der Blonde” Neusel, in another American vs German matchup. First meeting of the two. Early on, Neusel is on the attack, causing some initial puffiness to appear under the right eye of Trammell. Neusel continues to hammer away at Trammell, who is clearly having an off day, until he ends up the victor via a third round stoppage, as the ref steps in to save Trammell from further punishment. TKO 3 for Neusel, moving him up in the HW ranks, and an embarrassing one-sided defeat for Trammell, who actually managed to last a round longer when he faced Joe Louis for the WBA belt earlier in the year. Post-bout career marks: Neusel, 29-12-2 (20); Trammell, 30-12 (14). Like his countryman, Max Schmeling, Neusel is now clamoring for a title matchup with Louis or, at the very least, another shot at Schmeling’s EBU HW title.

Dec. 13, 1941: Next up is another fairly abbreviated card, this at Manila’s Rizal Arena, featuring some local talent as well as other fighters from the Asia-Pacific region. Again, no title bouts at stake, and the feature matches #2 ranked Flyweight contender, Istvan Enekes, with popular Filipino fan favorite and the reigning OPBF Fly titleholder, Little Dado, ranked #6 – so a good opportunity for Dado to move up the rankings and establish his credentials as a likely challenger for the WBA title. First meeting of the two, and not much action until round three, when Enekes tries to bludgeon his way inside with some limited success. Dado also tries his luck on the inside and, at the midway point of the bout, the points are very close, with the unofficial scorer having Dado in front by a slim, one-point margin (49-48). The punches landed stats favor the Filipino by an even wider margin. Enekes, trailing and beginning to show signs of fatigue, steps up the attack in the later rounds, only to leave himself open for counter-shots from Dado. By round seven, there is a welt forming under the left eye of the visiting Hungarian fighter. The bout goes the full 10 without incident, and – to the surprise of many – the verdict is a majority draw (95-95 on two cards with a third, going 96-94 for Enekes). The decision was not well received by the pro-Dado crowd who felt the hometown fighter won the fight but, checking the scorecards, he eased up by going on the defensive in the last three rounds, enabling Enekes to come back to salvage the draw by winning rounds eight, nine and 10 on all three cards. Post-bout career records: Enekes, 37-10-2 (10); Dado, 25-3-1 (13). After the bout, Dado’s connections are clamoring for a rematch, while Enekes’ backers are hoping for a shot at either the EBU or WBA Fly title some time in early 1942.

Dec. 13, 1941: The USBA BW title is at stake in the next main event bout, at San Francisco’s Cow Palace. Henry Hook is making his second defense of this belt, facing 17-3 Manuel Ortiz in Ortiz’s first bout at Prime career stage. Hook, aka “the Hoosier Hurricane,” gets off to a strong start, winning the opening round, but his progress is slowed after Ortiz rips open a cut over Hook’s left eye in the second round. The initiative thus passes to Ortiz, who targets the cut, which is reopened in round four and, again, in round five. At the midway point, Hook’s left eye is also beginning to puff up and the challenger holds a solid points edge (59-56) on the unofficial card. Finally, when the cut is re-opened a third time in round seven, the ref has seen enough, and Ortiz walks away with the belt, as a TKO 7 victor. The win pushes Ortiz’s career totals to 18-3 (13). For Hook, this will be his last bout at Prime as 1942 was his real-life retirement year, and he wraps up 1941 at 29-13-2 (11).

Dec. 19, 1941: Next up is the Friday Night fights “Down Under” series at Sydney, Australia. Topping the card is a bout matching two regional Champions, Brit Dick Corbett and Aussie Mickey Miller, the reigning OPBF BW Champ, for Corbett’s Commonwealth BW title. The two have clashed once before, back in 1938, with Miller coming away a MD 10 winner. This time around, the action takes awhile to heat up, with Miller doing some damage when moving inside to seize the initiative in round three. In round four, however, Miller gets careless, walks into a Corbett combination, and ends up on the canvas, taking an eight count before arising. By round five, a severe welt has formed under the left eye of Miller, signs that Corbett’s blows have had an effect on the Aussie fighter. Miller recovered quickly enough to take the next two rounds on the unofficial scorecard, enough to hold a points edge (58-56) at the halfway point. In the second half of the bout, and Corbett is showing signs of fatigues as early as round nine, despite pulling close to even on the punches landed stats. After dropping round nine, Miller’s corner urges him to pick up the pace and he does so, moving inside with a better effort in round 10. By the last two rounds, both men are exhausted, and it comes down to a matter of heart and which man wants to the title the most. The 11th round is essentially even, but Miller comes on strongly in the final stanza, and he manages to capture the CBU belt with a narrow SD 12 victory (116-112, 114-116, 115-113). Post-bout career records: Miller, 31-9-2 (18); Corbett, 37-23-4 (13).

[JCWeb]

This report covers a total of 63 bouts taking place during the second half of December 1941. One WBA title bout is included in this report.

Dec. 20, 1941: Next card takes place at Ullevi Stadium in Stockholm, Sweden. The headliner is for the EBU MW title, and “the Casablanca Clouter,” Marcel Cerdan, is on hand to make his seventh defense of that belt, facing a man he has defeated for this same title once before, German Jupp Besselmann. Mostly one-way action for the first two rounds, as Cerdan establishes his superiority over this lesser challenger. In round three, Besselmann tries to work his way inside, but Cerdan’s quick hand speed and superior defensive attacks allow him to blunt the force of the challenger’s attack. After an even round four, the two mix it up at ring center, with Cerdan managing to hurt Besselmann with a hard cross that forces the German fighter to cover up. In round six, Besselmann goes down for an eight count – a delayed reaction to a sharp uppercut efficiently delivered by Cerdan. Midway through the bout, Besselmann is suffering from a swollen right eye, and Cerdan has a huge points lead on the unofficial card (60-53), although one round should have been even. Another hard uppercut connects in round eight, and Besselmann goes down for a second time. This time, Cerdan’s killer instinct kicks in, and he floors the game German challenger before the ref steps in to call a halt with seconds remaining. TKO 8 for Cerdan, who retains his EBU belt and cements his position as a top challenger for the WBA MW crown. Post-bout career marks: Cerdan, 31-3-2 (23); Besselmann, 33-11-6 (25).

Dec. 20, 1941: Next card takes place at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. The feature is a bout for the NABF WW title, with Fritzie Zivic defending against the man he defeated for the belt, Jackie Wilson. For Zivic, it is a chance to prove his superiority once again while, for Wilson, it is a chance to avenge the only loss of his career. Zivic dominates the action from the opening bell, with a devastating body attack that has Wilson carrying his hands low from the second round on. In round five, Wilson hits the deck, arising after taking an eight count, the result of another devastating body attack from Zivic. By the midway point, it’s a fairly one-sided bout on the unofficial scorecard, which favors Zivic by a wide margin (60-55). As the bout wears on, Zivic eases up his attack against an obviously tired and beaten opponent. A cut over his right eye does not cause Zivic problems, and the bout goes to decision without further incident, with Zivic taking a well-deserved UD 12 (118-112, 117-112, 118-111) to retain the title and run his career record to 30-10-5 (15) and, with WBA WW Champ Henry Armstrong making noises about a permanent move up to MW, the WBA WW title appears to be a realistic goal. Meanwhile, another loss to Zivic drops Wilson to 23-2-2 (16).

Dec. 26, 1941: Next is the traditional Boxing Day lineup, this time at London’s Earls Court. Main event is for a GBU title belt, but first up is the co-feature matching former WBA LH Champ “Slapsie” Maxie Rosenbloom with current GBU LH titleholder “Fearless” Freddie Mills in a non-title clash. Despite being on the downside of his long and illustrious career, the 37-year old Rosenbloom stills packs a punch and poses a significant challenge for Mills, who is 15 years his junior. First meeting of the two, and there is the usual feeling-out process, with Rosenbloom proving to be an elusive target for the aggressive minded Englishman. In round three, Mills manages to work his way inside and land a few good shots, but none of this seems to faze the ring savvy Rosenbloom. After a couple of subpar rounds, Rosenbloom bounces back with a strong round in the fifth; however, at the halfway point of the bout, the unofficial scorer at ringside has the bout even (48-48). Mills, the aggressor, continues to make inroads with a strong round six, but he is beginning to suffer from a stamina deficit as the bout heads into the later rounds. In the later rounds, Mills’ punches lack sting, and finds himself being gradually worn down by his more experienced opponent. Nonetheless, Mills soldiers on until the final bell, and he does enough to secure a draw – but only on one judges’ cards. When the final scores are read, the bout goes down as a MD 10 for Rosenbloom (97-95, 96-96, 97-95), with the final three rounds all going to Maxie on all three cards. Post-bout, Rosenbloom moves to 52-15-6 (18), while the loss leaves Mills at 21-4-1 (14) overall. In the finale, Dave Crowley and Johnny McGrory square off for Crowley’s GBU FW title. The two have split their prior two encounters, with Crowley coming out on top of a UD 10 in their most recent bout, some two years previously. In the early rounds, the action is slow to develop, but what little action there is seems to favor the more experienced Crowley. In round four, Crowley does some major damage, hurting the challenger with a big right hand and also opening up a cut over McGrory’s left eye. At the end of the round, McGrory stumbles back to his corner, also sporting some puffiness around his right eye as well. At the midway point, the edge goes to Crowley, but it’s only a two-point margin (58-56). Despite the cut along with the fact that is he is beginning to tire, the game McGrory battles on, standing toe-to-toe with Crowley in round seven. In round eight, Crowley backs off, but McGrory only manages to connect with a few isolated punches. The end comes in round 10, when the cut over McGrory’s eye becomes too bad for the ref to allow him to continue. TKO 10 for Crowley, who retains the GBU belt (one of three in his collection) with the win, his sixth in succession. Post-bout career marks: Crowley, 34-23-1 (14); McGrory, 28-10-2 (12). At the time of the stoppage, McGrory was still very much in the fight, leading on one judge’s card and trailing by just one point on another.

Dec. 27, 1941: The fistic scene returns to New York City with a huge card at Madison Square Garden. The place is packed for a WBA title bout headliner, but there are some high quality fighters on the undercard as well. One of the preliminary bouts matches hot WW prospect Sugar Ray Robinson with another young talent, Tommy Ciarlo. Robinson is on target early, and by the end of the second round, there is already a trace of swelling under the left eye of Ciarlo. Ciarlo manages to keep the bout close, and the unofficial card has Robison ahead by a narrow one-point margin (48-47) at the halfway point. Late in round six, Robinson rocks Ciarlo with a hard uppercut that forces him to cover up. In the later rounds, Robinson eases up on the attack, content to lay back on the outside and pile up points. In the final round, a careless Ciarlo walks into another Robinson uppercut and goes down for the first time in the bout. In the end, it’s a solid UD 10 win for Robinson (99-89, 98-90, 98-91) to run his career record to 12-0 (10), while the loss leaves Ciarlo at 11-2 (3). In the next bout, two top 10 MW contenders take to the ring in a rematch of an earlier encounter, as the “Savage Slav,” Al Hostak, faces the “Boxing Bellhop,” Freddie Apostoli; Hostak is looking to avenge a first round TKO loss to Apostoli back in 1937. Lots of action in the opening round, and Apostoli returns to his corner with a mouse under his left eye. Late in the third round, Apostoli launches a devastating body attack that sends Hostak to the canvas; Hostak regains his footing and covers up to last the round. In round five, Hostak returns the favor, decking Apostoli with a combination of blows. At the midway point, it is one knockdown apiece, and the unofficial scorecard has Hostak in front by a single point (47-46) in this action-pack bout. The bout remains close but there is less action as both men tire in the final rounds. Hostak pulls ahead by taking rounds seven and eight and hangs on to record a SD 10 victory (95-94, 94-95, 95-94). Post-bout career marks: Hostak, 32-7 (25); Apostoli, 27-8-2 (22). Then, in the main supporting bout, two HWs take the ring, as #4 ranked Elmer Ray, aka as “Kid Violent,” faces Abe Simon. Ray seems to have the upper hand until midway through round five, when Simon uncorks a big hook that stuns Ray, who covers up and manages to last the round. At the halfway point, Ray is suffering from a rapidly swelling left eye, and the unofficial card has Simon well ahead (by a count of 50-45). By round eight, it is clear that Ray is taking a beating, and his other eye, the right one, is also beginning to puff up. Ray rallies to win the final two rounds, but it is a case of too little, too late, as Simon takes a close but UD 10 (97-93, 96-94,96-94) to run his career totals to 28-5-1 (21). Ray drops to 46-14 (31) with the loss. Then, in the finale, Tony Shucco makes his initial defense of the WBA LH title he won the prior August, facing #4 ranked contender, NABF LH titleholder Archie Moore. First meeting of the two, and for Moore, who has not lost a bout in almost four years, it is his first try for a WBA title belt. Moore starts well, taking the opening round and then, in round two, he manages to land a hard right that rips open a cut over Shucco’s right eye. Late in round four, Moore rocks Shucco with a three-punch combination. At the outset of round five, Moore connects with a short, clean uppercut that puts Shucco down for the count. KO 5 for Moore, and Archie becomes the new WBA LH Champion, upping his career totals to 22-1-4 (16). Shucco loses the title in his first defense, and is 37-15-1 (13) post-bout.

Dec. 27, 1941: Seattle’s Sicks Stadium sets the scene for the next fistic action, which is highlighted by a non-Championship MW bout matching hometown favorite Freddie Steele, a former WBA MW Champion, with Johnny “Bandit” Romero, a former USBA MW titleholder who is 0-3 in his previous encounters against Steele. Both men are at Post-Prime career stage for this bout. Midway through the opening stanza, Steele drops Romero with a hard shot. Romero takes an eight count, resumes, but Steele’s killer instinct has kicked in and, despite Romero’s attempts to cover up, he is vulnerable to a combination of hard shots to the head and goes down a second time. Then, with his opponent nearly out on his feet, Steele finishes with an overhand right that puts Romero on the deck for a third time. It’s an automatic TKO 1 for Steele, who basks in the glory of a quick win in front of his adoring fans. For Steele, now 49-8-1 (33), it proves his still has the wherewithal to remain a top MW contender for awhile longer. On the other hand, Romero, who sinks to 39-18 (24) with the loss, his days are numbered as he will be at End career stage after this loss.

Dec. 31, 1941: The year concludes with a big New Year’s Eve extravaganza at Miami, Florida. No titles at stake, and the only notable bout is the main event, which sees WBA WW Champ Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong move up to MW to take on the #6 ranked MW contender, a former WBA MW Champ in Ken Overlin. Tough test for the multi-division Champ, Armstrong, to see if he can contend at MW and possibly add a WBA title in a fourth division, something that has not been accomplished in the history of this Universe. Additionally, Armstrong is within 4 PP of reaching the magic 2000 PP level, a rare achievement indeed. Overlin, who held the WBA MW title in 1936-37, is no pushover, as he recently challenged current WBA MW Champ Tony Zale and came away on the short end of a split decision verdict. Beginning in round three, Amstrong assumes the role of aggressor, seeking to bull his way inside. The strategy is moderately successful, although the defensive-minded Overlin avoids getting tagged with any good shots. After an even round four, both men bang away on the inside, with Armstrong getting the better of most of the exchanges. After five, the unofficial scorecard has Armstrong in front (50-45), and there is already a trace of swelling under Overlin’s right eye – a sure signs that Armstrong’s punches are having an impact. As the rounds tick off in the second half of the bout, a weary Overlin simply lacks the stamina and the firepower to seriously challenge Armstrong. the halfway point. In the second half of the bout, and Corbett is showing signs of fatigues as early as round nine, despite pulling close to even on the punches landed stats. The swelling under Overlin’s eye worsens and, by rounds eight and nine, it’s clear he is taking a beating. The end comes in the ninth after Armstrong puts Overlin down from a delayed reaction to a cross from Armstrong. Overlin barely manages to beat the count, but the ref steps in to call a halt before further damage is done. TKO 9 for Armstrong, his first really impressive result in this higher weight class, all of which bodes well for a possible MW title challenge in 1942. Post-bout career records: Armstrong, 39-4-3 (32); Overlin, 39-9-5 (14).

A good note on which to wrap up another year of fistic action, with a solid win by the fighter is now the best Pound-for-Pound in any division, Henry Armstrong.

[JCWeb]

On to the year-end reports. To keep things moving, these are being changed to a more abbreviated, less chatty format.

HW

Division Profile

Total: 181 RL: 102 TC: 79

RL by Career Stage:
End - 12
Post - 24
Prime - 35
Pre - 18
Beginning - 13 (7 New)

Rated: 74
800+: 23
500+: 44
200+ : 65

Jan 1942 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1941 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Joe Louis 37-1 (35) (1996) (NC)
1. Max Schmeling 58-6-1 (40) (1828) (NC) (EBU)
2. Jersey Joe Walcott 41-7 (25) (1490) (NC) (NABF)
3. Roscoe Toles 34-9-3 (6) (1371) (NC)
4. Tommy Martin 28-8-3 (17) (1217) (+4) (CBU, GBU)
5. Tommy Farr 49-16-3 (16) (1160) (+4)
6. Abe Simon 28-5-1 (21) (1087) (+10)
7. Elmer Ray 46-14 (31) (1086) (-3)
8. Walter Neusel 29-12-2 (20) (1027) (+9)
9. Nathan Mann 23-7-3 (18) (1004) (+2)
10. Larry Gains 46-22 (26) (970) (-4)

Other Notables: 11. Max Baer 33-16 (29) (960)
12. Art Lasky 28-12-3 (26) (959)
13. Jack Trammell 30-12 (14) (948) (USBA)
21. Alberto Santiago Lovell 28-9-1 (22) (808) (LABF)
27. Tommy Gomez 15-0 (13) (668)
29. Pat Comiskey 15-1 (12) (627)

Top Prospects: Bill Weinberg 10-0 (7)
Joe Baksi 8-0 (6)
Olle Tandberg 7-0 (1)
Nino Valdes 3-0 (3)

Retirements:

Hank Hankinson (USA) 1929-1941 27-20 (21) No Titles Highest Rank: 48
Gustav Limousin (BEL) 1927-1941 33-21-1 (19) No Titles Highest Rank: 42
King Levinksy (USA) 1929-1941 30-21-1 (14) No Titles Highest Rank: 14
Harry Thomas (USA) 1931-1941 32-14-1 (23) No Titles Highest Rank: 20
Andre Lenglet (FRA) 1933-1941 22-12-1 (11) EBU Title Highest Rank: 13
Goyito Rico (CUB) 1924-1941 33-26-5 (21) No Titles Highest Rank: 53
Rudi Wagener (GER) 1922-1941 37-30-4 (19) No Titles Highest Rank: 46
Max Marek (USA) 1935-1941 20-9 (14) No Titles Highest Rank: 23

Outlook for 1942: No sign that Joe Louis, who is on the verge of cracking the rare 2000 perf point barrier, is slowing down in his complete dominance of the division. Given the situation in war-torn Europe, it seems unlikely that #1 contender Schmeling will get a WBA title shot in the foreseeable future. Walcott appears to be the best of the rest, although he is certainly overmatched by Louis. No “great’ prospects on the immediate horizon. Phil Muscato and Bruce Woodcock are the best of the incoming class of 1942 HWs – still a couple of years away from the debut of Rocky Marciano.

[JCWeb]

LHW

Division Profile

Total: 108 RL: 61 TC: 47

RL by Career Stage:
End - 6
Post - 12
Prime - 21
Pre - 14
Beginning - 8 (4 New)

Rated: 44
800+: 15
500+: 28
200+ : 40

Jan 1942 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1941 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Archie Moore 22-1-4 (16) (1323) (+8)
1. Billy Conn 28-4-3 (12) (1330) (+1)
2. Tony Shucco 37-15-1 (13) (1308) (+1)
3. Maxie Rosenbloom 52-15-6 (18) (1308) (-2)
4. Tiger Jack Fox 51-7-1 (36) (1287) (NC)
5. Gus Lesnevich 31-6-2 (14) (1227) (-5)
6. Eddie Booker 25-3-1 (15) (1193) (-1)
7. Adolf Heuser 39-11-2 (18) (1060) (+3) (EBU)
8. Melio Bettina 27-5-3 (11) (1030) (+3) (USBA)
9. Herbie Katz 23-4-1 (14) (1007) (+14)
10. John Henry Lewis 28-10-3 (19) (-4)

Other Notables: 11. Lloyd Marshall 20-3-2 (19) (979)
12. Jimmy Webb 23-4-1 (9) (974)
13. Freddie Mills 21-4-1 (13) (864) (GBU)
16. Harry Matthews 18-1 (14) (753)
18. Jack A. Johnson 18-1 (14) (743) (CBU)
22. Booker Beckwith 15-0-1 (12) (673)
24. Jimmy Reeves 15-0 (11) (615)

Top Prospects: Paco Bueno 12-0 (6)
Jimmy Bivins 11-0 (10)
Tommy Yarosz 7-0 (5)
Ezzard Charles 5-0 (4)
Joey Maxim 2-0 (0)

Retirements:

Clyde Chastain (USA) 1927-1941 31-21-3 (24) No Titles Highest Rank: 30
Leroy Brown (USA) 1931-1941 25-15-2 (10) No Titles Highest Rank: 22
Len Harvey (UK) 1920-1941 51-27-3 (19) CEU, GBU, EBU Titles Highest Rank: 1
Johnny Miler (USA) 1932-1941 14-18-1 (6) No Titles Highest Rank: 44
Fred Lenhart (USA) 1926-1941 36-22 (26) No Titles Highest Rank: 9
Leo Kelly (USA) 1932-1941 21-16 (15) No Titles Highest Rank: 38
Mike Mandell (USA) 1926-1941 38-22-5 (29) No Titles Highest Rank: 17

Outlook for 1942: With the ascension of Archie Moore to the LH throne, there’s a strong possibility that the merry-go-round of different titleholders (Rosenbloom, Conn. Heuser, Lewis, Booker, Lesnevich, Fox and Shucco) may come to an end, but no guarantee, as several of these are still in Prime shape and remain top contenders. GBU Champion Freddie Mills had a down year, but look for him to bounce back and rejoin the top 10. Charles, Yarosz, Bivins and Maxim form a strong group of prospects coming up the ranks in future years. Henry Hall is the best of the four newcomers set to join the LH ranks in 1942.

[JCWeb]

MW

Division Profile

Total: 143 RL: 83 TC: 60

RL by Career Stage:
End - 6
Post - 17
Prime - 30
Pre - 17
Beginning - 13 (9 New)

Rated: 62
800+: 22
500+: 43
200+ : 58

Jan 1942 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1941 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Tony Zale 32-2 (20) (1675) (NC)
1. Henry Armstrong 39-4-3 (32) (2026) (new) (WBA WW)
2. Teddy Yarosz 39-15-3 (13) (1455) (+1)
3. Marcel Cerdan 31-3-2 (23) (1439) (+1) (EBU)
4. Charley Burley 26-1 (20) (1429) (+1) (NABF)
5. Holman Williams 35-8 (20) (1333) (-4)
6. Freddie Steele 49-8-1 (33) (1312) (-4)
7. Al Hostak 32-7 (25) (1173) (NC)
8. Ken Overlin 39-9-5 (14) (1130) (NC)
9. Lou Brouillard 33-15-3 (15) (1045) (-3) (CBU)
10. Freddie Apostoli 27-8-2 (22) (1040) +2)

Other Notables: 11. Antonio Fernandez 33-14-4 (12) (1034) (LABF)
15. Jock McAvoy 36-17-5 (24) (944) (GBU)
16. Aaron Wade 26-4-1 (12) (937)
18. Ceferino Garcia 43-24-2 (24) (907) (OPBF)
24. Steve Belloise 19-2 (11) (764)
28. Billy Soose 18-4-1 (12) (733) (USBA)
29. Jose Basora 17-2 (15) (721)

Top Prospects: Raul Rodriguez 13-1 (10)
Tony Almeida 10-0 (5)
Jake LaMotta 3-0 (3)
Dave Sands 2-0 (2)

Retirements:

Frank Battaglia (CAN) 1928-1941 29-15-1 (14) CBU Title Highest Rank: 19
Swede Berglund (USA) 1928-1941 22-23-4 (9) No Titles Highest Rank: 55
Ray McQuillan (USA) 1927-1941 31-21-3 (20) No Titles Highest Rank: 41
Young Terry (USA) 1924-1941 38-25-6 (10) USBA Title Highest Rank: 5
Sammy Slaughter (USA) 1931-1941 25-17-4 (16) No Titles Highest Rank: 32
Eddie Whalen (USA) 1924-1941 37-23-5 (19) No Titles Highest Rank: 33
Tony Tozzo (USA) 1922-1941 28-22-5 (19) USBA Title Highest Rank: 5

Outlook for 1942: While still retaining his WBA WW title (for the time being), Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong has suddenly moved into the picture as a top MW contender with his recent win (on the final day of 1941) over Ken Overlin. Tony Zale has had a solid run as MW Champ, with three successful defenses in 1941, but he still appears vulnerable to the likes of Cerdan, Burley, Williams, as well as the inimitable Armstrong. Further down the ranks, Billy Soose managed to capture the USBA belt but is still a dark horse contender, having reached Post-Prime career stage. Jake LaMotta got his career off the ground and is the best of the young prospects but is still a few years away from contending. Joe Carter and Rocky Graziano top the list of newcomers slated to join the MW ranks in 1942.

[JCWeb]

WW

Division Profile

Total: 130 RL: 87 TC: 43

RL by Career Stage:
End - 6
Post - 16
Prime - 34
Pre - 21
Beginning - 10 (6 New)

Rated: 58
800+: 19
500+: 38
200+ : 52

Jan 1942 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1941 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Henry Armstrong 39-4-3 (32) (2026) (NC)
1. Cocoa Kid 41-7-4 (13) (1525) (+2) (LABF)
2. Izzy Jannazzo 32-5-3 (13) (1406) (-1) (USBA)
3. Fritzie Zivic 30-10-5 (13) (1276) (+3) (NABF)
4. Eddie Dolan 34-9-5 (14) (1268) (NC)
5. Jimmy Garrison 26-6-3 (2) (1173) (-3)
6. Jackie Wilson 23-2-2 (15) (1172) (+6)
7. Bep Van Klaveren 33-14-9 (11) (1131) (+4) (EBU)
8. Gustav Eder 38-10-10 (9) (1130) (+1)
9. Ernie Roderick 26-12-3 (7) (1130) (-2) (CBU, GBU)
10. Young Corbett III 58-21-6 (14) (1129) (+6)

Other Notables: 11. Jack McNamee 29-9 (17) (1129) (OPBF)
12. Barney Ross 36-13-4 (11) (1093)
17. Vic Dellicurti 21-0 (11) (862)
18. Marty Servo 19-1 (9) (826)
25. Sammy Luftspring 21-5-1 (14) (711)
41. Arthur Danaher 17-3 (10) (472)

Top Prospects: Norman Rubio 14-0 (9)
Ray Robinson 12-0 (10)
George Sands 11-0 (8)
George Costner 8-0 (6)
Billy Graham 2-0 (2)

Retirements:

Harry Baron (USA) 1929-1941 27-23-2 (11) No Titles Highest Rank: 46
Tiger Joe Randall (USA) 1927-1941 37-24-1 (18) No Titles Highest Rank: 27
Johnny Jadick (USA) 1923-1941 41-13-4 (9) USBA JWW Title Highest Rank: 37 (JW: 1)
Eddie Ran (LAT) 1928-1941 25-23-4 (9) No Titles Highest Rank: 46
King Tut (USA) 1925-1941 35-22-4 (19) No Titles Highest Rank: 9

Outlook for 1942: The top nine contenders are still at Prime heading into the new year, and all are hoping that Henry Armstrong renounces his WBA WW title to compete at MW, paving the way for a new Champion to be crowned. Jannazzo and Zivic, each of whom holds a regional belt now, appear to be the favorites to succeed Armstrong, although Cocoa Kid is not to be overlooked. Looking to the future, the maturation process continues for “Sugar” Ray Robinson, who appears ready to move into major contender status within the next year or so, after having completed his apprenticeship at Pre-Prime. Guys like Vic Dellicurti and Marty Servo are poised to make a move up the ranks this coming year. Looking further into the future, Billy Graham has just gotten his career underway, and Tommy Bell is the best of the six debutants set to join the division in 1942.

[JCWeb]

LW

Division Profile

Total: 134 RL: 80 TC: 54

RL by Career Stage:
End - 6
Post - 22
Prime - 26
Pre - 19
Beginning - 7 (4 New)

Rated: 60
800+: 19
500+: 37
200+ : 56

Jan 1942 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1941 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Tony Canzoneri 54-5-4 (17) (1949) (NC)
1. Tony Chavez 33-10-3 (12) (1356) (+2) (USBA)
2. Chino Alvarez 38-14-4 (22) (1296) (+8) (LABF)
3. Lou Ambers 35-5-1 (18) (1253) (-1) (NABF)
4. Aldo Spoldi 40-9-5 (15) (1243) (+7) (EBU)
5. Jack Kid Berg 47-17-5 (15) (1242) (-4) (CBU)
6. Laurie Stevens 29-8-1 (19) (1157) (NC)
7. Sammy Fuller 49-19-1 (11) (1142) (+8)
8. Eddie Cool 38-16-5 (12) (1118) (NC)
9. Lew Jenkins 24-2-3 (11) (1047) (+3)
10. Dave Castilloux 27-9-3 (9) (1038) (+11)

Other Notables: 11. Pedro Montanez 34-12 (16) 9 (1037)
12. Bob Montgomery 19-0-1 (13) (990)
16. Sammy Angott 22-5-5 (9) (871)
22. Lenny Mancini 17-4-3 (6) (737)
23. Willie Joyce 19-2-3 (11) (705)
31. Harry Mizler 24-13-6 (6) (600) (GBU)

Top Prospects: Harry Hurst 13-0 (8)
Beau Jack 12-1 (12)
Ike Williams 10-0 (10)
Vic Patrick 9-1 (9)
Joe Brown 2-0 (2)

Retirements:

Lew Kirsch (USA) 1925-1941 30-22-4 (17) USBA Title Highest Rank: 11
Cecil Payne (USA) 1927-1941 42-18-4 (9) NABF Title Highest Rank: 1
Cuddy DeMarco (USA) 1922-1941 38-33-10 (7) No Titles Highest Rank: 38
Roger Bernard (USA) 1927-1941 38-21-3 (13) USBA Title Highest Rank: 7
Maxie Strub (USA) 1925-1941 33-24-10 (10) USBA Title Highest Rank: 10
Stanislaus Loayza (CHI) 1921-1941 41-32-7 (14) No Titles Highest Rank: 3
Joe Glick (USA) 1921-1941 44-2-6 (15) No Titles Highest Rank: 8

Outlook for 1942: Now that Canzoneri is at Post-Prime, his days at the top of the LW division may be numbered. Chino Alvarez, loser of a close split decision in the most recent WBA title bout, remains a top contender. Other guys who might be expected to offer a strong challenge – Ambers, Berg and Fuller – are also at Post-Prime. Lurking just outside the top 10 is Bob Montgomery, an undefeated top prospect who will be at Prime in his next outing. Ike Williams and Joe Brown are the best of the young prospects, and Jimmy Warren tops the list of newcomers slated to join the LW ranks in 1942.

[JCWeb]

FW

Division Profile

Total: 113 RL: 70 TC: 43

RL by Career Stage:
End - 3
Post - 19
Prime - 29
Pre - 14
Beginning - 5 (4 New)

Rated: 54
800+: 15
500+: 34
200+ : 51

Jan 1942 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1941 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Baby Arizmendi 44-9-3 (10) (1396) (NC)
1. Chalky Wright 38-12-4 (15) (1176) (NC) (USBA)
2. Kid Chocolate 42-10-7 (17) (1148) (+1)
3. Petey Scalzo 20-2-2 (12) (1050) (+17)
4. Harold Hoshino 28-3 (15) (1049) (NC)
5. Mike Belloise 28-12-7 (15) (1018) (+2)
6. Petey Sarron 39-21-6 (10) (972) (NC)
7. Filio Julio Echevarria 39-16-5 (12) (941) (-5) (LABF)
8. Tsuneo Horiguchi 29-9-1 (16) (940) (-3) (OPBF)
9. Battling Battalino 44-15-3 (15) (934) (-2)
10. Dave Crowley 34-23-1 (14) (895) (+17) (EBU, CBU, GBU)

Other Notables: 11. Frankie Covelli 34-15-8 (7) (893)
12. Leo Rodak 27-10 (7) (871)
18. Jackie Wilson 36-17-1 (10) (683) (NABF)
20. National Kid 18-1-1 (8) (640)
28. Joey Iannotti 16-2 (12) (540)
32. Carlos Chavez 14-1 (5) (515)

Top Prospects: Miguel Acevedo 11-1 (7)
Willie Pep 9-0 (8)
Phil Terranova 6-0 (3)
Ronnie Clayton 4-0 (2)

Retirement:

Moon Mullins (USA) 1933-1941 24-15-4 (6) No Titles Highest Rank: 29

Outlook for 1942: After a period of turmoil at the top, four-time WBA Champ Arizmendi seems to have settled in for what may turn out to be a long reign, as the only comparably-rated guy, Kid Chocolate, is clearly on the downside of his career arc. Crowley, now the holder of three regional titles, certainly deserves a crack at the WBA title based on recent performance (wins in his last six outings). A new face among the top contenders is Scalzo, who is unbeaten with six wins and two draws in his last eight outings, making a big move up the rankings. However, other than Scalzo and the inconsistent Chalky Wright, there really aren’t any highly regarded guys at Prime career stage set to challenge for the top spot. Waiting in the wings, but still needing seasoning, is Willie Pep. Chico Rosa tops the list of newcomers slated to join the LW ranks in 1942.

[JCWeb]

BW

Division Profile

Total: 88 RL: 51 TC: 37

RL by Career Stage:
End - 2
Post - 15
Prime - 20
Pre - 8
Beginning - 6 (5 New)

Rated: 40
800+: 13
500+: 29
200+ : 40

Jan 1942 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1941 in Parens):

WBA Champ: K. O. Morgan 35-12-8 (17) (1579) (+3)
1. Panama Al Brown 66-12-2 (25) (1578) (+1)
2. Little Pancho 42-10-7 (9) (1351) (+3)
3. Mickey Miller 31-9-2 (18) (1246) (+7) (CBU, OPBF)
4. Georgie Pace 27-10-2 (19) (1219) (-4)
5. Pablo Dano 38-15-6 (17) (1098) (-1)
6. David Kui Kong Young 23-1-1 (14) (1066) (+5) (NABF)
7. Pete Sanstol 41-16-6 (9) (1012) (-1)
8. Johnny King 52-9-1 (21) (997) (-7) (EBU)
9. Sixto Escobar 32-13-4 (10) (993) (-1)
10. Tom Smith 24-9-6 (11) (980) (+11) (GBU)

Other Notables: 11. Lou Salica 26-8-3 (10) (862)
12. Raul Casanova 30-9-2 (15) (826) (LABF)
14. Manuel Ortiz 18-3 (13) (765) (USBA)
17. Benny Goldberg 18-2-1 (10) (750)

Top Prospects: Lorenzo Safora 12-2 (6)
Norman Lewis 12-1 (11)
Gus Foran 11-0 (10)
Ernesto Aguilar 10-1 (6)
Lou Alter 4-0 (4)

Retirements:

Bushy Graham (USA) 1921-1941 41-31-3 (11) WBA Champion 1934 Highest Rank: 1
Bobby Green (USA) 1922-1941 43-30-9 (16) NABF Title Highest Rank: 6

Outlook for 1942: It appears the years of dominance in this division for Panama Al Brown and, to a lesser extent, Johnny King, may be done. Brown, although still the #1 ranked contender, has hit Post-Prime and is a declining career arc, while King – who may still have a few good years left – has dropped out of the top five and is no better than Sanstol, Salica and the younger American BWs, Kui Kong Young and Goldberg. Manuel Ortiz, the newly-crowned USBA Champ, appears poised to make a big move up the rankings in 1942. However, there does not appear to be a huge amount of talent among the current crop of prospects. However, the arrival of guys like American Harold Dade, Canada’s Fernando Gagnon and Cuban’s Luis Galvani to the ranks brighten the hopes for a better future several years down the road.

[JCWeb]

FLY

Division Profile

Total: 63 RL: 37 TC: 26

RL by Career Stage:
End - 3
Post - 8
Prime - 16
Pre - 5
Beginning - 5 (4 New)

Rated: 28
800+: 6
500+: 17
200+ : 22

Jan 1942 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1941 in Parens):

WBA Champ: Jackie Jurich 23-3-1 (17) (1135) (NC)
1. Midget Wolgast 54-8-1 (19) (1050) (NC)
2. Istvan Enekes 37-10-2 (10) (960) (+4)
3. Valentin Angelmann 40-20-1 (13) (949) (+4)
4. Jackie Brown 39-16-5 (12) (919) (-2) (GBU)
5. Peter Kane 23-3-1 (11) (891) (NC) (EBU)
6. Little Dado 25-3-1 (770) (-3) (OPBF)
7. Small Montana 26-13-5 (9) (728) (+5)
8. Yoichiro Hanada 28-10-2 (8) (698) (+5)
9. Fortunato Ortega 27-13-4 (13) (678) (-5)
10. Rinty Monaghan 28-6-1 (11) (670) (+4)

Other Notables: 11. Teddy Gardner 15-1-1 (664) (CBU)
12. Benny Lynch 34-13 (18) (653)
15. Jackie Paterson 15-1-1 (13) (562)


Top Prospects: Mustapha Mustaphaoui 12-0-1 (4)
Dado Marino 7-0 (5)
Otilio Galvan 1-0 (1)

Retirements:

Frankie Anselm (BLZ) 1926-1941 28-29-6 (14) No Titles Highest Rank: 13
Ruby Bradley (USA) 1924-1941 37-24-7 (9) NABF, USBA Titles Highest Rank: 3

Outlook for 1942: After surviving a year at the top, Jackie Jurich may be set for a long run as WBA Champion, although ex-Champ Wolgast (although at Post-Prime) remains a top challenger and formidable force in the division, same for #2 Istvan Enekes, who is still at Prime career stage. Filipino Little Dado has been a disappointment, struggling just to manage to keep his OPBF regional belt and failing to rise to the challenge when facing tough inter-regional competition. Teddy Gardner, the newly crowned CBU Champion, is a bright new face and could be expected to develop into a serious title challenger in the next year or two. Inconsistent performances have prevented Kane and Monaghan from rising further up the ranks. Looking to the future, Dado Marino is the top prospect right now, and Terry Allen is the best of the four newcomers set to join the division in 1942.

[JCWeb]

Here's a list of the current titleholders in each division.

ROLL OF CHAMPIONS

HW

WBA: Joe Louis (Feb. 1939) (11)
NABF: Jersey Joe Walcott (Dec. 1940) (1)
USBA: Jack Trammell (Jan. 1941) (0)
CBU: Tommy Matin (Dec. 1939) (1)
GBU: Tommy Martin (Aug. 1937) (1)
EBU: Max Schmleing (Sep. 1939) (4)
OPBF: Vacant
LABF: Alberto Santiago Lovell (Nov. 1941) (0)

LH

WBA: Archie Moore (Dec. 1941) (0)
NABF: Vacant
USBA: Melio Bettina (Sep. 1941) (0)
CBU: Jack A. Johnson (Jul. 1941) (0)
GBU: Freddie Mills (Jan. 1940) (1)
EBU: Adolf Heuser (Oct. 1941) (0)
OPBF: Inactive
LABF: Inactive

MW

WBA: Tony Zale (Dec. 1940) (3)
NABF: Charley Burley (Jul. 1941) (1)
USBA: Billy Soose (Aug. 1941) (0)
CBU: Lou Brouillard (Nov. 1939) (2)
GBU: Jock McAvoy (Oct. 1930) (11)
EBU: Marcel Cerdan (Aug. 1938) (7)
OPBF: Ceferino Garcia (Jul. 1941) (0)
LABF: Antonio Fernandez (Dec. 1940) (1)

WW

WBA: Henry Armstrong (Dec. 1939) (6)
NABF: Fritzie Zivic (Aug. 1941) (2)
USBA: Izzy Jannazzo (Mar. 1940) (3)
CBU: Ernie Roderick (Sep. 1941) (0)
GBU: Ernie Roderick (May 1935) (2)
EBU: Bep Van Klaveren (Nov. 1941) (0)
OPBF: Jack McNamee (Feb. 1939) (1)
LABF: Cocoa Kid (Jul. 1940) (1)

LW

WBA: Tony Canzoneri (May 1940) (3)
NABF: Lou Ambers (Oct. 1941) (0)
USBA: Tony Chavez (Sep. 1941) (1)
CBU: Jack Kid Berg (Jun. 1938) (4)
GBU: Harry Mizler (Feb. 1937) (4)
EBU: Aldo Spoldi (Oct. 1941) (0)
OPBF: Inactive
LABF: Chino Alvarez (Mar. 1941) (0)

FW

WBA: Baby Arizmendi (Aug. 1940) (3)
NABF: Jackie Wilson (Nov. 1941) (0)
USBA: Chalky Wright (Oct. 1940) (2)
CBU: Dave Crowley (Oct. 1940) (2)
GBU: Dave Crowley (Jan. 1941) (1)
EBU: Dave Crowley (Apr. 1941) (0)
OPBF: Tsuneo Horiguchi (Jul. 1937) (3)
LABF: Filio Julian Echevarria (Mar. 1940) (0)

BW

WBA: K. O. Morgan (Nov. 1941) (0)
NABF: David Kui Kong Young (Aug. 1941) (0)
USBA: Manuel Ortiz (Dec. 1941) (0)
CBU: Mickey Miller (Dec. 1941) (0)
GBU: Tom Smith (May 1941) (0)
EBU: Johnny King (Aug. 1940) (0)
OPBF: Mickey Miller (Jan. 1941) (0)
LABF: Raul Casanova (Nov. 1941) (0)

FLY

WBA: Jackie Jurich (Aug. 1940) (4)
NABF: Inactive
USBA: Inactive
CBU: Teddy Gardner (Oct. 1941) (0)
GBU: Jackie Brown (Dec. 1938) (2)
EBU: Peter Kane (Aug. 1941) (0)
OPBF: Little Dado (Oct. 1941) (0)
LABF: Inactive

Comments: Lots of turnover, with new Champions being crowned in over half (31 of 56) the active titles. Jock McAvoy (British Champ for over 11 years) remains as the senior titleholder; Joe Louis (with 11 title defenses in less than three years) remains the longest serving as well as the most active WBA Champ. Moore (at LH) and Morgan (at BW) were the only new WBA titleholders.

[JCWeb]

Finally, wrapping up the year-end reports with …

the ever-popular ...

1941 POUND-FOR-POUND RANKINGS (Perf Pts listed, with Changes from Prior Year and Number of Years on List in Parens)

1. Henry Armstrong, WBA WW Champion, 2026 (+2) (3)
2. Joe Louis, WBA HW Champion, 1996 (NC) (6)
3. Tony Canzoneri, WBA LW Champion, 19491 (-2) (10)
4. Max Schmeling, EBU HW Champion, 1828 (NC) (9)
5. Tony Zale, WBA MW Champion, 1675 (+2) (2)
6. K. O. Morgan, WBA BW Champion, 1579 (new) (1)
7. Panama Al Brown, BW (No Title), 1570 (-1) (7)
8. Cocoa Kid, LABF WW Champion, 1525 (new) (4)
9. Jersey Joe Walcott, NABF HW Champion, 1490 (NC) (2)
10. Teddy Yarosz, MW (No Title), 1455 (new) (1)

Dropped out from last year:

Johnny King (was #5); Maxie Rosenbloom (was #8); Holman Williams (was #10)

Comments: “Homicide Hank” crosses the 2000 Perf Point barrier and heads the PFP list for the first time. Louis remains at #2, with Canzoneri dropping to third. Cocoa Kid returns to top the list after a year's absence. Brown is the senior member of the group, as his first appearance on the PFP list dates back to 1928. .

YEAR-END AWARDS:

Fighter of the Year: Henry Armstrong

Comments: Once again, the top three contenders for this award are Louis, Armstrong, and the ever-present Tony Canzoneri, with MW Champ Tony Zale garnering some support as well. The fact that Armstrong was able to retain his WBA WW title and then successfully challenge two top 10 MWs when moving up in weight tips the balance in “Homicide Hank” ‘s favor. It is the second time Armstrong has won this honor; he was also named Fighter of the Year for 1939.

Fight of the Year: Tony Canzoneri SD 15 Chino Alvarez (Oct. 11, WBA LW title)

Comments: Another tough call, with three outstanding candidates, all three in WBA title bouts: Zale vs Overlin (MW), June 26 (see post #1296 above), Jurich vs Wolgast (FLY), Nov. 1 (see post #1305 above), and this bout (see post #1303 above). In addition, two ring wars for the NABF LH belt between Archie Moore and Billy Conn (one a SD for Moore and, the other, a draw) were also given strong consideration. This bout garnered top honors by virtue of the fact that the wily veteran Canzoneri, put under extreme pressure, had to rally to win the final two rounds to clinch the win.

Upset of the Year: Tom Smith KO 12 Johnny King (May 24, GBU BW title)

Comment: Not a huge number of big upsets when comparing boxer ratings, so – kind of by default – this bout, ending Johnny King’s reign as GBU BW Champ, takes the prize.

Newcomer of the Year: BW David Kui Kong Young

Comments: A number of strong candidates in this category, including new CBU LH Champ Jack A. Johnson (still unbeaten), WW Jackie Wilson, and Petey Scalzo, who zoomed up the FW ranks with a series of impressive wins. Kui Kong Young is selected based on a solid base of eight straight wins over the past two years, showing some power in defeating a number of top contenders and prospects in the BW division. With an impressive 23-1-1 record, he is yet to taste defeat since reaching his Prime career stage in late 1940.

[JCWeb]

This report covers a total of 61 bouts taking place during the first half of January 1942. No WBA title action during the month, but it should be noted that two current WBA Champions will be in action, both moving up in weight to seek a title in another division.

Jan. 2, 1942: The year opens with a Friday night card at “the Aud” (Memorial Auditorium) in Buffalo. Featured in the main event in some non-title action are two top BW contenders, Pete Sanstol and Lou Salica. These two veterans of the ring wars have not met before and, although Sanstol is higher ranked, he is at Post-Prime and Salica, with a win in this bout, has an opportunity to move into the top 10 in the BW rankings. Not much in the way of action in the first few rounds, as there’s a long feeling out process while both men get their bearings. In round four, first blood – literally – to Salica, as he rips open an ugly looking gash over Sanstol’s right eye. The cut is patched up, but the damage is done, and the unofficial scorer has Salica well in front (by a count of 50-45) at the midway point. In round six, more trouble for Salica as the cut is re-opened. Finally, the action is halted for good after the cut is reopened a second time in round eight, ending in a TKO 8 for Salica, who was well ahead on all three cards at the time of the stoppage. The win lifts Salica’s career marks to 27-8-3 (11), while the loss drops Sanstol to 41-17-6 (9).

Jan. 3, 1942: The scene shifts to Havana’s Gran Stadium for the next fistic action. Two high profile non-title bouts top the card. The first of the twin feature matches former WBA MW Champ Holman Williams with Kid Tunero, a Cuban fan favorite who has fallen on hard times since losing his LABF MW title to Antonio Fernandez a little over a year ago. It’s the first meeting of these two, and as such, there’s a long feeling out process that consumes most of the initial three rounds. Near the end of round three, Williams connects with a few good shots but Tunero seems unfazed. More punishment dished out by Williams in round five, and this time there is noticeable swelling under the left eye of the Cuban as he returns to his corner. Heading into the second half of the fight, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Williams in front (49-46). By the end of round six, there’s also a bit of puffiness around Williams’ left eye as well. Tunero, trailing, tries to pick up the pace as the bout heads into the later rounds, but he lacks the weapons to seriously trouble Williams. In the end, it’s a solid performance resulting in a routine UD 10 for Williams (98-93, 99-91, 98-93) who reinforces his position among the top MW contenders. Post-bout records: Williams, 36-8 (20); Tunero, 33-14-5 (10). In the second co-feature, the “Cuban Bon Bon,” former WBA FW Champion Kid Chocolate, takes on a rising contender in the division, Petey Scalzo. First time meeting of the two and, for Scalzo, a tough assignment although he did manage a win over Filio Julian Echevarria, another highly regarded Cuban FW, in his last trip to Havana in February 1941, as part of a four-bout winning streak since hitting Prime career stage a little over a year ago. In this bout, Scalzo appears to have the upper hand after a strong round in the third. In round four, a cut appears over Kid Chocolate’s right eye. After five, Scalzo has a two-point edge (49-47) on the unofficial scorecard. Round seven spells more trouble for the Cuban veteran, as he is cut over the other (left) eye. Scalzo remains calm as Chocolate launches an all-out attack in the final rounds of the bout. In round nine, the cut over Chocolate’s left eye is reopened, and it begins gushing blood, leading to an immediate stoppage. The bout goes down as a TKO 9 for Scalzo on the cuts stoppage, running his career totals to 21-2-2 (13). The loss leaves Chocolate, who will be at End career stage for his next outing, at 42-11-7 (17). A glimpse at the judges’ cards showed it even on all three, so the issue was very much in doubt had the cut not ended it – a tough night for the fight fans here in Havana who saw both of the featured hometown fighters go down to defeat.

Jan. 3, 1942: Next fistic action is in Montreal, with a CBU title matchup topping the agenda. First, though, is the main supporting bout matching two veteran HW contenders: Canadian Larry Gains and Max Baer. It’s a rematch of an earlier meeting, in October 1940, also in Montreal, that resulted in a controversial DQ win in favor of Gains. This time, after a couple of close, action-packed opening rounds, Baer manages to rip open a cut under the right eye of the Canadian fighter in the third. Gains’ corner does a good job closing the cut, which is not in a dangerous spot and does not seem to be a factor in the rest of the bout. However, fatigue does set in for both men, who, by the midway point, appear to be slowing down and unable to match the pace in the early going. Midway through round five, Baer lands a big shot and sends Gains to the canvas, and Max follows up with a second knockdown later in the round but cannot finish his man. With Gains now sporting a puffy left eye, he returns to this corner in need of some resuscitation; at this point, the unofficial card has the bout even (47-47) despite a 10-8 round for Baer in the fifth. Into the later rounds, Baer goes headhunting while Gains is content to try and stabilize the situation. Baer lands a huge right near the end of round eight, but Gains doesn’t flinch and remains upright. After an even round nine, both men swing away at each other in the crucial 10th and final round, with Gains having a slight edge. In the end, though, the two KDs in round five made the difference as all three judges had Baer winning, taking a UD 10 (96-94, 96-95, 97-93), to the disappointment of the pro-Gains crowd here in Montreal. The win lifts Baer to 34-16 (29), while the loss leaves Gains at 46-23 (26). In the feature, Lou Brouillard defends his Commonwealth MW title against Britain’s Jack “Cast Iron” Casey. This is a rematch of a July 1941 meeting for this same belt that resulted in a TKO win for Brouillard. It is a prototypical boxer versus slugger matchup with Brouillard, the boxer, having the upper hand through the first few rounds. Near the end of round four, Brouillard tags the challenger with a sharp combination, forcing Casey to cover up. A big left from Casey in round five shakes Brouillard, who also wisely covers up and manages to last the round. Brouillard rights the ship with a strong showing in round six, and he holds a sizable points lead on the unofficial card (59-55) at the halfway point, plus Casey is now dealing with a rapidly swelling right eye that has been a target of Brouillard’s punches. Battling Brouillard, fatigue and the swollen eye are too much for Casey, who has little to trouble Brouillard the rest of the way. The bout goes the full 12 and, in the end, it’s a comfortable UD 12 for Brouillard (117-111, 120-108, 115-113), although one judge had the bout much closer than it seemed. Post-bout career marks: 34-15-3 (15) for Brouillard; 36-17-5 (21) for Casey. Both men are now at Post-Prime career stage, however.

Jan. 9, 1942: Next card is a Friday night affair in sunny Miami, Florida. Headliner is a NABF LW title contest, which is a rematch of a 1940 bout for this very same belt, with Lou Ambers versus Eddie Cool, with the earlier clash having gone to Ambers via a UD 12 nod. This time around, with both men at Post-Prime career stage, Ambers gets off to a strong start and has the early edge in the punches landed stat. At the midway point, Ambers’ early edge has translated into a solid points lead (59-55 on the unofficial card). Good action in round seven, which sees Ambers come away with a bloody nose and Cool, with a rapidly swelling left eye. As the bout wears on, fatigue begins to set in on the part of Cool, who has little left in the tank for the final few rounds. Although the cut on Ambers’ nose is reopened in the final round, the Champ manages to persevere and retains the NABF belt via a MD 12 (117-111, 114-114, 117-111), with the surprise being the fact that one judge called it even. Post-bout, Ambers improves to 36-5-1 (18) while Cool drops to 38-17-5 (12).

Jan. 15, 1942: Next is a Friday Night “Down Under” card at Melbourne, Australia. Featured in the main event is newly-crowned Commonwealth LH Champ Jack A. Johnson; the native Aussie faces atop young American prospect, Harry Matthews, in 10-round, non-title bout. Both men enter the ring with identical 18-1 career marks. In the opening seconds of round one, Matthews connects with a sharp combination that forces Johnson to cover up in order to avoid further damage. After another big round for Matthews, in the fourth, there is a trace of swelling under the left eye of the Australian boxer. At the midway point, Johnson is fortunate to be trailing only by a single point (48-47) on the unofficial card. In the second half of the fight, Johnson becomes more and more aggressive, but he finds Matthews’ defenses tough to penetrate. In round eight, Matthews puts Johnson on the deck but cannot finish his man. Johnson’s launch of an all-out assault in the final two rounds comes to naught, and Matthews goes on to take a well-deserved UD 10 win (97-92 on all three cards). Post-bout records: Matthews, 19-1 (15); Johnson, 18-2 (14).

Jan. 16, 1942: To New York’s Madison Square Garden for an exciting display of fisticuffs action, with a pair of LH bouts topping the agenda. First, though, on the undercard, fight fans are treated to a trio of impressive, talented young prospects as MW Jake LaMotta, LH Ezzard Charles and LW Beau Jack all make quick work of their TC opponents. Then, in the first co-feature are two guys itching for a title shot, one-time WBA LH Champion Eddie Booker and newly minted top 10 contender Herbie Katz, who has won his last seven but is facing his toughest test to date in the heavily favored Booker. Booker takes a few rounds to get going, but after three or four rounds, he is firmly in control. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has Booker well in front (50-46). In the later rounds, Katz, trailing badly, tries to become more aggressive, but he doesn’t really have any weapons to seriously challenge Booker. The bout goes to decision and, as expected, it is a one-sided UD 10 for Booker (99-91, 99-91, 99-92), who ups his career totals to 26-3-1 (15) with the win. For Katz, the loss leaves him at 23-5-1 (14) as he seeks an easier level of competition for his next outing. In the feature, the NABF LH title is up for grabs, having recently been vacated by newly crowned WBA LH king Archie Moore. Contending for this belt is another former WBA LH Champion, Gus Lesnevich; his opponent is Melio Bettina, the current USBA LH titleholder. It is the first meeting of the two, so a long feeling-out process takes place through the first few rounds of the bout. Round four sees Bettina begin to assert himself, moving inside and landing some telling blows that hurt the ex-Champ. However, in round five, Lesnevich digs a hard shot to the ribs that causes Bettina to tumble to the canvas. Bettina arises after taking an eight count, then wisely covers up to give himself time to recover from the effects of the knockdown. At the midway point, though, the unofficial card has Bettina on top, by a narrow one point margin (57-56). Into the later rounds of the bout, and it is Lesnevich who assumes the role of aggressor, stalking his opponent, while Bettina focuses on staying out of range. Slight stamina edge for Lesnevich but, as the bout enters the final few rounds, both men are tired. The bout remains an incredibly close one right up until the final bell, with both men raising their arms in triumph. In the end, it is a majority draw, with one judge siding with Bettina (116-113) while the other two called the bout even (114-114). So, the title remains vacant for the time being. Post-bout records: Lesnevich, 31-6-3 (14); Bettina, 27-5-4 (11).

[JCWeb]

This report covers a total of 57 bouts taking place during the second half of January 1942. No WBA title action but, as mention in the prior post, two current WBA Champions will be in action, both moving up in weight to seek a title in another division.

Jan. 16, 1942: World LW Champion Tony Canzoneri moves up in weight, challenging Izzy Jannazzo for Jannazzo’s USBA WW title, in the main event of the next card at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium. After a couple of close opening rounds, appearances favor “the Roman Warrior,” Canzoneri, as there is a trace of puffiness around the right eye of Jannazzo. Round three is won by Jannazzo, who resists Canzoneri’s efforts to press the action on the inside. Canzoneri returns the favor, winning round four by staying on the outside. In round five, both men attempt to mix it up on the inside, and, less than a minute into the round, a hard body shot from Jannazzo sends Canzoneri tumbling to the deck. At the midway point, the one KD is key in forging a nice points edge (58-55) for Jannazzo, according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. Canzoneri, sensing the urgency of the situation, becomes more aggressive in the second half of the bout. Jannazzo, who exhibits superior stamina, is able to fend off Canzoneri with some solid defense and is firmly in control as the bout wears on. A tired and haggard looking Canzoneri – now at Post-Prime career stage – is ineffective, slowed by age as well as a rapidly swelling right eye. The bout goes the full 12, and all three judges have an identical result, as it’s a comfortable UD 12 for Jannazzo (118-109 on all cards) to run Izzy’s career totals to 33-5-3 (13). Canzoneri, now 54-6-4 (17), will need to reassess his decision to move up in weight given the surprisingly lopsided nature of this defeat.

Jan. 22, 1942: The scene shifts to the Ullevi Arena in Stockholm for a Friday night card. In the first of two co-features, the German HW Walter “Der Blonde” Neusel, who has risen to #8 in the HW world rankings, faces newly crowned LABF HW Champ Alberto Santiago Lovell. Neusel wastes little time disposing of his Argentine foe, decking Lovell with a big hook for a first round KO. The KO 1 result lifts Neusel’s career totals to 30-12-2 (21); the loss drops Lovell to 28-10-1 (22). After this, the second co-feature is a rematch for the EBU LW title, recently won by Italy’s Aldo Spoldi, whose camp has rewarded Jack Kid Berg, the “Whitechapel Whirlwind,” with an immediate rematch. These two familiar foes have met five times before, with Berg winning all but the most recent encounter. After a solid start in the opening two rounds, Spoldi moves inside and rips a hook to the head, taking round three. Berg moves inside with better results in round four. Round five sees both men standing toe-to-toe, and again, Berg comes away landing sufficient blows to take the round. Spoldi bounces back with a big round six, and, at the halfway point, the Italian holds a slim points lead (58-57) on the unofficial scorecard. Into the second half of the bout, and there is a slight stamina advantage for Berg, who appears to be the more active of the two. After seeing Berg do well in rounds eight and nine, Spoldi switches tactics and takes a more aggressive approach as the bout heads into the later rounds. A huge round 10 for Spoldi sees Berg suffering from puffiness under both eyes as a result of the Italian’s two-fisted attack. In round 11, more trouble for Berg, who is cut over his right eye. The bout goes the full distance and, in the end, Spoldi wins the final three rounds to prevail, thus retaining the belt via a UD 12 (116-113 on all three cards). Post-bout career totals: Spoldi, 41-9-5 (14); Berg, 47-18-5 (15).

Jan. 23, 1942: Next card takes place at New Orleans’ Coliseum Arena. Featured is a NABF MW title bout, with Charley Burley defending his title, but also seeking to move up in the MW rankings as he faces a top contender in Teddy Yarosz, who has won his last three to set up this title clash. It is the first meeting of the two, and a solid start from Burley, who is content to try to outbox his more experienced opponent, at least for the opening few rounds. Burley has the edge through the first four rounds, but Yarosz has managed to keep the bout reasonably close. Despite his opponent’s best efforts, Burley is able to build a sizeable points lead on the unofficial card (60-54), doing no major damage but just enough to edge Yarosz on points in each of the opening six rounds. In round seven, with both men operating from the outside, Burley lands some punishing blows, causing some initial swelling under the left eye of the challenger. As the bout wears on, a fatigued Yarosz becomes more and more desperate, but he is unable to seriously challenge Burley, who goes on to register his seventh straight win, a rather comprehensive UD 12 (117-109, 118-108, 118-108) to keep the belt. Post-bout career marks: 27-1 (20) for Burley; 39-16-3 (13) for Yarosz. Burley has emerged as the #1 contender for Tony Zale’s WBA MW title, whereas Yarosz, who has just hit Post-Prime career stage, has seen better days.

Jan. 23, 1942: To the West Coast for next fistic action, which sees a twin bill of non-title fights featuring local fan favorites taking on visiting Latino boxing talent. In the first co-feature, FWs do battle as “Homicide Hal” Harold Hoshino faces one-time WBA FW Champion Simon Chavez. Despite the fact that the 28-3 Hoshino holds a UD win in their one prior encounter, the Venezuelan fighter, who is still in his Prime, poses a significant challenge to Hoshino. After a strong second round, Hoshino moves inside in round three, but some solid defense from Chavez manages to keep the bout close. Not much to choose between the two as he bout hits the halfway mark, with unofficial scorer at ringside unable to decide who is ahead, calling the bout even (48-48). By round eight, there are traces of swelling around the left eye of Chavez, which has been a favorite target of some accurate punching by Hoshino. A strong finish by Chavez, scooping up the final two rounds on all three cards, is enough to secure the ex-Champ a majority draw (95-95, 96-94 Chavez, 95-95) against the higher ranked Hoshino. Post-bout, Hoshino is 28-3-1 (15) compared to 29-17-3 (7) for Chavez. In the second main event, newly crowned USBA BW David Kui Kong Young is back in action, facing Mexico’s Raul Casanova, who recently claimed the LABF title. The two have not met before, but Kui Kong Young wastes little time getting down to business, landing some punishing blows in round two. More of the same in round three, which sees Casanova already showing the effects, being forced to cover up from a right that lands flush, as well as dealing with some puffiness around his left eye. When Casanova tries his luck on the inside in round four, he is met by a fusillade of blows from the confident Kui Kong Young, who wraps up the first half of the bout with a solid points lead (50-45, according to the unofficial scorer at ringside). Casanova manages to get in a few licks of his own, and by round six, there’s some puffiness under the left eye of Kui Kong Young as well. A cross to the head puts Casanova down just before the bell sounds to end round seven, and but the game Mexican fighter carries on, getting up again after being floored a second time from a Kui Kong Young combination late in round nine. The bout goes the distance, but it’s no surprise in the result – a lopsided UD 10 for Kui Kong Young (99-89, 100-88, 100-89). Post-bout records: Kui Kong Young, 24-1-1 (14); Casanova, 30-10-2 (15).

Jan. 29, 1942: Next is a rather abbreviated Friday night card at Mexico City. Only one bout of note, for the LABF LW title, and it sees the reigning WBA FW Champ, Baby Arizmendi moving up in weight to face Chino Alvarez, defending his LABF LW belt. Action is slow to develop, and Alvarez takes on the aggressor role, moving inside in round three, with little impact on the Mexican fighter. The bout remains close through the midway point, with the unofficial card favoring Alvarez (by a score of 58-56). In the second half of the bout, the stamina factor seems to favor Alvarez, but Arizmendi, the crowd favorite, is urged on by a throng of rabid Mexican fight fans. In round eight, he manages to rip open a cut over Alvarez’s right eye. The cut is patched up, but it forces Alvarez to adopt a more defensive posture, protecting against further damage, while Arizmendi seizes on the situation to continue to apply pressure. The cut is not reopened, and the bout goes the distance, with one judge favoring the Mexican. However, the other two score it even, so the end result is a majority draw (116-113 Arizmendi, 114-114, 114-114) – a result that is roundly booed by the pro-Arizmendi crowd who felt their man had done enough to claim the victory. Post-bout career marks are 38-14-5 (22) for Alvarez and 44-9-4 (10) for Arizmendi, who plans to continue to compete at LW while retaining his WBA FW title for the time being.

Jan. 30, 1942: To London’s Harringay Arena for an evening of exciting fisticuffs action, headlined by a pair of EBU title bouts. In the first of these, Britain’s Peter Kane puts his EBU Flyweight title on the line, facing France’s Valentin Angelmann, a former EBU titleholder. It is the first meeting of the two and thus, there is a long feeling out process that lasts for several rounds. Kane, the more aggressive of the two, and, by the end of round three, he has landed enough leather to cause some puffiness around the right eye of the Frenchman. By the midway point, the unofficial scorer has Kane ahead (58-56), but it’s only a two-point margin, and plus there’s a trace of swelling around Kane’s right eye as well. In round seven, Angelmann rips open a cut under Kane’s right eye. Angelmann targets the cut, but Kane manages to keep his composure despite the fact that the cut is not entirely closed between rounds. In round 10, with the cut still oozing blood, Kane lands a solid hook that sends Angelmann to the canvas. The Frenchman recovers, arising at the count of six, but any momentum gained by the persistence of the cut under Kane’s eye has been lost. Another hook from Kane, and a second KD follows in round 11. After a third KD in round 11, there is little resistance from the Frenchman, so the bout goes to decision and Kane takes a one-sided UD 12 (116-109, 116-109, 118-107) to retain the belt, upping his career totals to 24-3-1 (11) with the win. Anglemann slips to 40-21-1 (13) with the loss. In the second EBU title matchup, GBU and Commonwealth WW Champion Ernie Roderick is the challenger, seeking to add a third belt, the EBU WW title, to his collection as he faces Bep Van Klaveren, for Van Klaveren’s EBU title belt. As in the prior bout, the two have not met before; thus, the action is slow to develop. No cuts or swelling, though, and once the bout gets going, it’s mostly one-way traffic as Van Klaveren pulls out a huge lead on the punches landed stats, and, at the midway point, the unofficial card has the Dutchman ahead by a wide margin (60-54). Into the later rounds of the bout, Roderick is the more aggressive of the two, but he is vulnerable to Van Klaveren’s jab and counterpunching. The bout proceeds the rest of the way without incident – again, no cuts or swelling noted – and it goes down as a routine UD 12 win for Van Klaveren (119-109 on all three cards). Post-bout records: Van Klaveren, 34-14-9 (11); Roderick, 26-13-1 (7). Four wins in a row for the Dutchman, who is now in the picture as a possible WBA WW title challenger, particularly if Henry Armstrong continues campaigning as a MW.